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This exploratory study investigates the quality of life needs of 173 individuals being treated for type 2 diabetes over a six month period of time. It samples patients whose primary care providers practice the most current model for delivering care, diabetes disease management. These physicians utilized a multidisciplinary diabetes education program to facilitate the patient-provider knowledge-based partnership essential in disease management.Patient quality of life changes were measured by the SF-36. A paired samples t-test showed significant diminishment in patients' mental quality of life indicating diminished overall emotional functioning, negatively impacting quality of life; possibly due to the effects of time. Multiple regression results also indicated that patients at risk for major depression and at risk for major depression superimposed on dysthymia experienced significantly diminished mental quality of life. These findings suggest that enhanced mental health assessment and mental health services provided by social workers in diabetes education programs and/or primary care settings would improve patient mental quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a reliability and validity test of the Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ) 2.0. In addition, the Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) is compared with HSQ 2.0 to assess concurrent validity. The study is unique because these instruments are assessed for the first time using a sample of chronic back patients. Practitioners will therefore now be able to evaluate important quality of life issues and treatment changes in this population. The HSQ 2.0 was generally found to be valid for these patients. However, two scale domains were not differentiated due to unique characteristics of spinal disease patients. The QOLI, due to the limitation of measuring only psychological wellbeing, did not measure problems specific to back patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This purpose of this article is to describe results from a quasi-experimental study investigating the effects of an intervention designed to address organizational causes of turnover in public child welfare. Much of the previous research in this area has used proxy measures for turnover while the current study measures both worker intent to leave and actual turnover rates. This study adds to the knowledge base by (1) describing an organizational intervention aimed at addressing the organizational causes of turnover; (2) analyzing quantitative changes in actual turnover rates as well as organizational factors; and (3) analyzing supplemental qualitative data to provide a deeper understanding of the organizational changes that occurred through the course of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outgrowth and stabilization of nascent dendritic spines are crucial processes underlying learning and memory. Most new spines retract shortly after growth; only a small subset is stabilized and integrated into the new circuit connections that support learning. New spine stabilization has been shown to rely upon activity-dependent molecular mechanisms that also contribute to long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic strength. Indeed, disruption of the activity-dependent targeting of the kinase CaMKIIα to the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA-type glutamate receptor disrupts both LTP and activity-dependent stabilization of new spines. Yet it is not known which of CaMKIIα's many enzymatic and structural functions are important for new spine stabilization. Here, we used two-photon imaging and photolysis of caged glutamate to monitor the activity-dependent stabilization of new dendritic spines on hippocampal CA1 neurons from mice of both sexes in conditions where CaMKIIα functional and structural interactions were altered. Surprisingly, we found that inhibiting CaMKIIα kinase activity either genetically or pharmacologically did not impair activity-dependent new spine stabilization. In contrast, shRNA knockdown of CaMKIIα abolished activity-dependent new spine stabilization, which was rescued by co-expressing shRNA-resistant full-length CaMKIIα, but not by a truncated monomeric CaMKIIα. Notably, overexpression of phospho-mimetic CaMKIIα-T286D, which exhibits activity-independent targeting to GluN2B, enhanced basal new spine survivorship in the absence of additional glutamatergic stimulation, even when kinase activity was disrupted. Together, our results support a model in which nascent dendritic spine stabilization requires structural and scaffolding interactions mediated by dodecameric CaMKIIα that are independent of its enzymatic activities., (Copyright © 2024 the authors.)

Experience-dependent refinement of neuronal connections is critically important for brain development and learning. Here, we show that ion-flow-independent NMDA receptor (NMDAR) signaling is required for the long-term dendritic spine growth that is a vital component of brain circuit plasticity. We find that inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), which is downstream of non-ionotropic NMDAR signaling in long-term depression (LTD) and spine shrinkage, blocks long-term potentiation (LTP)-induced spine growth but not LTP. We hypothesize that non-ionotropic NMDAR signaling drives the cytoskeletal changes that support bidirectional spine structural plasticity. Indeed, we find that key signaling components downstream of non-ionotropic NMDAR function in LTD-induced spine shrinkage are also necessary for LTP-induced spine growth. Furthermore, NMDAR conformational signaling with coincident Ca 2+ influx is sufficient to drive CaMKII-dependent long-term spine growth, even when Ca 2+ is artificially driven through voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels. Our results support a model in which non-ionotropic NMDAR signaling gates the bidirectional spine structural changes vital for brain plasticity., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Community-based participatory action research was utilized to form a collaboration that developed a Health Ministry program in four Northeastern urban Black Churches, in which they designed and implemented a culturally competent Type II Diabetes self management education program. Minister sponsorship and a program coordinator synchronized the four Health Ministries' development and diabetes program planning. A case study design, and participant observations and a focus group methodology were used to explore the faith-based community residents' collaboration development, and design and implementation of the health promotion program. The implementation process can be described as occurring in four essential elements: (1) the development of the health ministry in each of the four churches; (2) the process in which the four ministries coordinated their activities to create the diabetes education program; (3) the process of delivering the diabetes education program; and (4) the challenges in promoting the diabetes education program across the community. Practice implications, as well as cultural competency issues related to social work practice with faith-based organizations and African-American communities, are also presented.

Community-based partnerships (CBPs) focused on youth development (YD) have the potential to improve public health outcomes. These partnerships also present opportunities for the design and implementation of innovative, community-level change strategies, which ultimately may result in new capacities for positive YD. Evaluation-driven learning and improvement frameworks facilitate the achievement of these partnership-related benefits. Partnerships are complex because they embody multiple levels of intervention (eg, youth-serving programs, youth participation as partners or evaluators, network development for collaborative projects and resource sharing, YD-oriented organizational or community policy change). This inherent complexity transfers to evaluations of CBPs. This article provides resources for meeting evaluation-related challenges. It includes a framework for articulating relevant evaluation questions for YD-oriented CBPs, a summary of relevant types of evaluation studies, and practical solutions to common evaluation problems using targeted evaluation studies. Concrete examples of relevant, small-scale evaluation studies are provided throughout.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of systematically integrating biopsychosocial interventions with coordinated delivery of care for outpatients recovering from stroke. Care coordination coordinates resources across the health care system and routinely addresses the psychological and social risks affecting patient outcomes, while monitoring patient progress. A randomized pre-post comparison group design evaluated the model's effectiveness with 28 patients (16 intervention group; 12 control group) over a three-month period. The model's effectiveness was evaluated by monitoring changes in patient quality of life, patient depression, patient psychosocial functioning, and patient adherence to self-care and in meeting patient service needs. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant improvement for the intervention group in mental quality of life, depressive symptoms, and adherence to self-care practices. This study provides preliminary data that a standardized, problem-solving care coordination model can improve patient care.

The NDOP goals of enhancing diabetes awareness by increasing screening activities within select African American neighborhoods and involving residents in health promotion activities were met during the course of the project. The coalition focused on principles suggested for diabetes programs directed at African American communities, including involving a target audience, providing a service, empowering people, and respecting cultural diversity. The focus group mechanism facilitated the input of community members into the program design prior to implementation and insured their involvement throughout the project. The screening and education program fostered empowerment by increasing community residents' control, focusing on their strengths, and identifying personal health goals. Funding support from the New York State Department of Health and the American Association of Diabetes Educators' Research Foundation were both essential in implementing the program. The program was well received. Most of the participant evaluations rated the program as excellent or very good. The program sites, although demographically situated within identified African American communities, produced a greater number of Caucasian and Hispanic participants than expected. Although the older group of African American women constituted 25% of the total population screened, it did not reach the desired number of 300 participants. Future programs need to target sites where older African American women are more likely to be found in greater numbers. Key to the program's success was building strong partnerships with community leaders who served as cultural spokespersons for the initiative to ensure participation from the community. Developing this partnership proved to be more challenging than originally anticipated and required a respectful, persevering approach. Yet once the coalition achieved cohesion, the volunteer members were invaluable in planning and implementing program events. Community members eventually took charge of the coalition and organized programs that have extended beyond the 2-year period of the grant. The coalition continues to expand; members have been added and education programs at churches and community meetings are ongoing. Addressing the problem of diabetes in African American communities requires programs that are innovative, culturally and educationally appropriate, and presented regularly. Such ongoing efforts can increase the knowledge in African American communities and ultimately enhance the health outcomes of community members.