Symptoms of depression, perceived social support, and medical coping modes among middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To understand the prevalence of depression in diabetes population, explore the relationship between diabetes and depression, and the impact of comprehensive psychological and behavioral intervention on depression related to diabetes and glucose metabolism. Methods: 71 middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes were investigated and evaluated with Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Medical Coping Scale (MCWQ) and Social Support Scale (PSSS). Patients who met the research criteria were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The number of effective cases in the two groups was 36 and 35 respectively. In addition to conventional diabetes drug treatment, the experimental group was supplemented with comprehensive psychological and behavioral intervention, while the control group was only given conventional treatment. The fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, body weight and depression index were measured before and after treatment in the two groups. Results: The prevalence of depression in patients with diabetes was as high as 60%, and that in the elderly control group was 5%; In type 2 diabetes population, depression is negatively related to the total score of social support and medical coping surface, and positively related to avoidance, blood sugar, women, course of disease, education level below junior high school, body mass index, and number of complications in medical coping; The fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, body mass index, and depression index of the two groups decreased, and the range and speed of decline in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group; There were significant differences between the two groups in fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose and depression index; During the follow-up period, the blood glucose and depression index of the experimental group increased. Conclusion: Depression has a high prevalence rate in middle-aged and elderly people with type 2 diabetes, and has a negative impact on blood sugar control in diabetes patients; Psychological and behavioral comprehensive intervention can improve the glucose metabolism and depressive symptoms of middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Thermal imaging of dust hiding the black hole in NGC 1068.

In the widely accepted 'unified model'1 solution of the classification puzzle of active galactic nuclei, the orientation of a dusty accretion torus around the central black hole dominates their appearance. In 'type-1' systems, the bright nucleus is visible at the centre of a face-on torus. In 'type-2' systems the thick, nearly edge-on torus hides the central engine. Later studies suggested evolutionary effects2 and added dusty clumps and polar winds3 but left the basic picture intact. However, recent high-resolution images4 of the archetypal type-2 galaxy NGC 10685,6, suggested a more radical revision. The images displayed a ring-like emission feature that was proposed to be hot dust surrounding the black hole at the radius where the radiation from the central engine evaporates the dust. That ring is too thin and too far tilted from edge-on to hide the central engine, and ad hoc foreground extinction is needed to explain the type-2 classification. These images quickly generated reinterpretations of the dichotomy between types 1 and 27,8. Here we present new multi-band mid-infrared images of NGC 1068 that detail the dust temperature distribution and reaffirm the original model. Combined with radio data (J.F.G. and C.M.V.I., manuscript in preparation), our maps locate the central engine that is below the previously reported ring and obscured by a thick, nearly edge-on disk, as predicted by the unified model. We also identify emission from polar flows and absorbing dust that is mineralogically distinct from that towards the Milky Way centre.

Systemic Approaches for Emission Reduction in Industrial Plants Based on Physical Accounting: Example for an Aluminum Smelter.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting in industrial plants usually has multiple purposes, including mandatory reporting, shareholder and stakeholder communication, developing key performance indicators (KPIs), or informing cost-effective mitigation options. Current carbon accounting systems, such as the one required by the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), ignore the system context in which emissions occur. This hampers the identification and evaluation of comprehensive mitigation strategies considering linkages between materials, energy, and emissions. Here, we propose a carbon accounting method based on multilevel material flow analysis (MFA), which aims at addressing this gap. Using a Norwegian primary aluminum production plant as an example, we analyzed the material stocks and flows within this plant for total mass flows of goods as well as substances such as aluminum and carbon. The results show that the MFA-based accounting (i) is more robust than conventional tools due to mass balance consistency and higher granularity, (ii) allows monitoring the performance of the company and defines meaningful KPIs, (iii) can be used as a basis for the EU ETS reporting and linked to internal reporting, (iv) enables the identification and evaluation of systemic solutions and resource efficiency strategies for reducing emissions, and (v) has the potential to save costs.

Time trends and short term projections of cancer prevalence in France.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes time trends in cancer prevalence in France and provides short-term projections up to the year 2017. The 15-year prevalence for 24 cancers was estimated from the French cancer registries network (FRANCIM) incidence and survival data. METHOD: We estimated prevalence using the P = I × S relationship, with flexible modeling of incidence and survival. Based on observations of the incidence and survival up to 2010, different scenarios for evolution up to 2017 were studied, combining stable and dynamic incidence and survival. The determinants of variations in prevalence (incidence, survival and demography) were quantified. RESULTS: At the end of 2017, an estimated 1,396,000 men and 1,359,000 women having had cancer in the previous 15 years were alive, respectively 5.4% and 4.8% of the population. Twelve percent had been diagnosed in the preceding year and 23% between 10 and 15 years. Between 2010 and 2017, changes in incidence and survival depended on the cancer site. The effect of the demographic change was null for those under age 65, whereas above age 65, the contribution of this factor was 20% in men and 17% in women at 15 years. The different projection scenarios led to very different estimates for some cancers for which incidence strongly varied in the last decades. CONCLUSION: Prevalent cases are numerous in a country such as France, where incidence and survival are high. Due to the sensitivity of prevalence to changes in incidence and survival, we recommend that the results of projections are presented under different scenarios. We propose a robust and flexible prevalence estimate.

Subtle neurological deficits and psychopathological findings in substance-abusing homeless and non-homeless veterans.

This study evaluated the hypothesis that homeless individuals would display higher levels of neurological deficits than non-homeless individuals, particularly in frontal lobe or executive functions. Eighteen acutely homeless, 15 chronically homeless, and 20 non-homeless individuals admitted to an inpatient psychiatric service received a battery of neurological and psychosocial measures. In comparison to non-homeless subjects with comparable levels of psychopathology, homeless individuals showed higher levels of hostility, prior criminal activity, and family history of psychiatric illness, but lower levels of depression. A positive relationship between hostility and neurological soft signs was observed among chronically homeless subjects. These results suggest that a substantial subset of nonpsychotic homeless veterans suffers from "occult" neurological deficits.