Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of ED

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of ED patients at an urban community ED affiliated with an academic medical center. The ED sees approximately 40,000 patients per year and is staffed by board-certified emergency physicians. This study was approved by the hospital’s Institutional Review Board and informed consent was obtained. A convenience sample of patients was enrolled between 8 AM and midnight on all days of the week when study investigators were in the department. Inclusion criteria included: age ≥ 60 years, patient being discharged from the ED, self-reported Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical weight <200 pounds, resident in the community or a personal

care home, and self-reported ability to walk 30 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical feet without help of another person. Use of an assistive device was allowed [7,20]. Patients who presented with a fall remained eligible. Exclusion criteria included: subject incarcerated (in custody of police or prison officials at time of visit), non-English speaking, patient unable to give consent or complete the study tasks, and residence in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility. No memory screening was conducted on the patients. A patient information sheet and interview were completed upon Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical enrollment. Then, balance plate testing was performed which was followed by administration of a TUG

test. Consistent with previous literature, a fall was defined Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical as “any event in which a person inadvertently or unintentionally comes to rest on the ground or another lower level such as a chair, toilet, or bed [21].” Patients with any self reported fall in the previous week, month, 6 months, or year were considered as “fallers” for that time period. The study assessments were performed by two medical students and one undergraduate, all of whom had prior

experience in the conduct of clinical research. They did not have specific experience in falls risk-assessment. At least two study personnel were present for each subject. All personnel underwent a 2.5 hour training course sponsored by Bertec personnel on Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical use of the balance plate and demonstrated an ability to use the balance plate to the satisfaction of the Bertec representative. This training also included training in administering the TUG test. For both tests, a step-by-step manual was prepared for reference to ensure the same procedure was followed each time. The balance plate system Phosphatidylinositol diacylglycerol-lyase used to assess balance and degree of postural sway was the Bertec BalanceCheck Screener™ http://www.bertec.com. The system consists of a 20 × 20-inch platform at ground level connected to a laptop computer. The balance plate detects body sway based on the pressure that the subject’s feet apply to the plate surface. Several measures are generated which can be compared to check details age-adjusted normal values. For testing, each subject stood for 10 seconds under 4 different testing conditions.

To prevent

To prevent cardiac sudden death, implantation

of a BVD-523 supplier Pacemaker (PM) is required in 3-22% of cases (5-8). Modern PMs that include detailed diagnostic functions may facilitate the diagnosis and management of frequent paroxysmal atrial tachy-arrhythmias often undetected during conventional clinical follow-up (9). Paroxysmal atrial arrhythmias (atrial Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia) frequently occur in DM1 patients (10, 11). We have previously shown that the Atrial Preference Pacing (APP) is an efficient algorithm to prevent paroxysmal AF in DM1 patients implanted with dual chamber pacemaker (12, 13). However, the role that atrial pacing therapies play on the AF burden is still unclear. Aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of APP on atrial fibrillation burden in these patients during a long term follow up period. Patients and methods Patients selection Among 278 DM1 patients, regularly followed at the Cardiomyology Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and Medical Genetics of Second Naples University, 60 patients with first or second degree atrioventricular block and indication for

a permanent dual chamber cardiac pacing, were consecutively enrolled and addressed to our Unity to be implanted. The diagnosis of Steinert disease, firstly Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical based on family history and clinical evaluation, had been subsequently confirmed by genetic test in all patients, to evaluate the CTG triplet expansion. Six DM1 patients with patent foramen ovale, atrial septal aneurysm, severe mitral stenosis or regurgitation, left atrial enlargement, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, sick sinus syndrome or inducible ventricular tachycardia

were excluded from the study. The study was conducted according to the declaration of Helsinki. A written informed consent was obtained from the patients before implantation, as approved by the Monaldi hospital ethical committee. Study protocol DM1 eligible patients were randomized one month following pacemaker implantation into two groups: 1). Patients implanted with conventional dual-chamber pacing Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical mode (DDDR group) and 2): Patients implanted with DDDR plus APP algorithm (APP ON group). Patients were assessed every 3 months for the first year, and every 6 months thereafter up to 2 years. Atrial Tachycardia/Atrial first Fibrillation (AT/AF) burden – defined as the quantity of AT/AF (minutes/day) retrieved from the device data logs – was determined at each follow-up visit. The baseline AT/ AF burden was measured just prior the randomization. Patients interrupted the follow-up, before completing the 2 years, in the case of severely symptomatic AT/AF requiring major changes in therapy. Pacemaker programming All DM1 patients were implanted with a dual-chamber PM system (Medtronic Adapta ADDR01, Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA).

The effect of solvents on β-sheet formation showed that films tre

The effect of solvents on β-sheet formation showed that films treated with different alcohols exhibit the signature of the β-sheet conformation (silk II structure) at each amide peak: amide I, which reflects the stretching of C=O group along the SF backbone (shifted from ~1650cm−1 to 1630cm−1). The amide II, which originates from N–H deformation, shifts from ~1544 to 1536cm−1. As seen from Table 3, isopropyl alcohol treatment also

gives good crystallizing effect. Table 3 Effect of different Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical solvents on β-sheet formation. The content of SF and glycerin has an impact on the FTIR signal. Higher SF (SF/G 1:1) content showed higher fibroin-specific signal change for amide I after cast-treatment. Interestingly, the untreated films (SF/G

1:1) also demonstrated the crystallizing effect indicating that glycerin could induce the formation of β-sheet (Table 3). 3.3. Preparation of Drug-Loaded Films A mixture of Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical dialyzed SF solution with predetermined amount of gelatin mass and a model drug was cast on a polystyrene weighing boat to prepare SF films. Cast films were treated with methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol or exposed to water vapor. Gelatin mass was prepared from gelatin, water, and plasticizer (glycerin) Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical by initially mixing water and plasticizer with gelatin granules followed by heating at ~60°C until a clear gel was obtained. 3.4. Development of a Sustained Release Matrix SF-containing compositions were prepared, using naproxen sodium, as a model drug and presented in Table 4. These compositions are calculated based on weight after the films and matrixes have completely dried, before performing Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical dissolution testing. Table 4 Composition of naproxen sodium experimental samples. The characterization of naproxen release from SF-containing matrixes and films was Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical performed at pH 7.4. Drug release from amorphous carrier (http://www.selleckchem.com/products/BI6727-Volasertib.html control film) was characterized by an initial burst exceeding 75% of the theoretical amount of naproxen in 5 minutes demonstrating immediate

release of the model drug. For SF-containing films the initial burst was markedly reduced (~60% in 5 minutes). Studies (Figure 2) indicated that the time needed to achieve over CYTH4 80% dissolution for naproxen-loaded films is 15 minutes as opposed to 5 hours for the SF-containing matrix. These results demonstrate the formation of crystalline SF network in silk and gelatin blends which significantly retard the release of naproxen compared to amorphous gelatin. Figure 2 Dissolution profile of naproxen from SF-containing matrix (♦) as compared to SF () and non-SF (■) film. 3.5. Development of SF Microparticles for Controlled Release Although the SF/gelatin/glycerin blends described above demonstrated feasibility for use as a controlled drug delivery system, another approach utilizing microparticles containing only SF and water was explored.

The primate chair offers also the possibility to test separately

The primate chair offers also the possibility to test separately the left hand from the right hand, as needed to assess hand dominance for instance. Finally, in monkeys, the assessment of manual performance was not restricted to a single or very few time points, but it was

monitored in daily sessions over several weeks or months. Overall, the results confirmed our hypothesis that hand preference in M. fascicularis is variable across manual tasks and individuals (Table ​(Table1).1). Furthermore, the hand preference in monkeys did not systematically correspond to the hand dominance in the modified Brinkman board task (four out of eight monkeys: see Table ​Table1).1). In contrast, human subjects are Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical more lateralized and the correspondence between hand preference and hand dominance was systematic in the vast majority of cases (one exception out of 20 subjects: see Table ​Table11).

As expected, our results related to hand preference show that left-handers are not a mirror image of right-handers, at least based on the questionnaire (Fig. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical ​(Fig.7B).7B). Right-handers are clearly more lateralized, as laterality scores (absolute values) were significantly larger in right-handers than in left-handers. In monkeys, based on the three tasks they performed (Fig. ​(Fig.7A),7A), only one animal exhibited a consistent lateralization (Mk-TH: right-hander), whereas Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the others, the preferred hand was largely task dependent. The part of the present study focused on human subjects, in spite of a relatively limited sample of subjects (n = 20, comprising 10 men and 10 women distributed in 10 right-handers and 10 left-handers based on their self-assessment) revealed some interesting Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical differences. First, the questionnaire data showed that left-handers are less lateralized than right-handers (Fig. ​(Fig.7B),7B), as previously reported (see e.g., Kastner-Koller et al. 2007) and in line with our hypothesis (see Introduction and Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Methods).

However, this lateralization click here difference between self-declared left- and right-handers reflected by the questionnaire was not found for the two bimanual tasks tested here: as shown in Table ​Table1,1, there was a comparable number of hand preference deviations in each group (four right hand deviations ADAMTS5 in the left-handers and five left hand deviations in the right-handers). Second, in the context of hand dominance assessment based on the modified Brinkman board task, right-handers performed significantly better than left-handers, in the 10 trials conducted for each subject during the unique behavioral session. Whether this difference would be maintained along multiple sessions conducted at subsequent days remains an open question. Third, women performed significantly better than men in the modified Brinkman board task, as reflected by a higher total score.

This study also showed that patients with OAB wet had significant

This study also showed that patients with OAB wet had significantly higher urinary NGF levels than those with OAB dry. The possible

reason for the difference in NGF levels between OAB dry and OAB wet is the higher percentage of DO in patients with OAB wet. Urinary NGF Level in Patients With Bladder Outlet Obstruction A previous study has shown that NGF may regulate the neural function of adult visceral sensory and motor neurons.25 The Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical increased level of NGF could trigger changes in bladder afferent fibers, leading to a reduced threshold or increased excitability. Chronic BOO, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), could result in stretching of the urothelium and smooth muscle, stimulate NGF production, and alter the afferent nerve pathway. Furthermore, chronic sensitization of afferent nerves could alter the conductance of dorsal nerve ganglia, causing increased excitability and enhanced spinal reflex.30 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Incomplete reversibility of neural plasticity might be responsible for

continuing urge symptoms following surgical intervention for BOO.31 BOO is associated with LUTS, major storage symptoms of urgency, and nocturia. OAB is frequently associated with BOO in men with Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical BPH and has a high correlation with urodynamic DO.32 OAB symptoms can resolve after relief of BOO, but approximately 50% of patients have persistent OAB symptoms after surgical intervention for BPH, suggesting OAB may occur directly and may not be related to BOO.33 Urodynamic study is a commonly Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical used tool to diagnose DO in patients with BOO. However, not all patients with BOO and OAB have urodynamically proven DO, and not all patients with urodynamic DO have clinical OAB symptoms.34

In a recent study of urinary NGF/Cr levels in men with BOO, urinary NGF levels were very low whatever in the selleck chemicals control group and in patients with BOO/non-OAB, and were significantly elevated in patients with BOO/OAB and BOO/DO. Urinary NGF/Cr levels were not significantly different between the BOO/OAB and BOO/DO groups; however, the urinary NGF/Cr levels returned to normal after successful relief of OAB symptoms by medical treatment.35 These results suggest that urinary NGF might be a potential biomarker for BOO with symptoms of OAB (Figure 4). Figure 4 Urinary nerve growth factor levels were very low in the control group and in patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)/non-overactive bladder, and were significantly elevated in patients with BOO/OAB and BOO/detrusor overactivity. Cr, creatinine; …

On the other hand, antibody levels may rise after an asymptomatic

On the other hand, antibody levels may rise after an Angiogenesis inhibitor asymptomatic infection in vaccinated individuals.2 The WHO reports 98 proven cases of pertussis from Iran in 2004, and 125 cases in 2005.1 These figures have grossly underestimated the true numbers and result from under-diagnosis and under-reporting, both of which stem from a lack of definite clinical diagnostic criteria and appropriate laboratory methods. Our figures vary widely from those of Ghanaie and colleagues from Iran who

quote an incidence of 318/100000 in 2008 in Tehran among school children between the ages of 6-14 years.20 This disparity could be explained by the differences in the age of Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the study population in the 2 studies as well as the use of different criteria used for the diagnosis of pertussis; theirs being clinical manifestation plus a positive PCR. Conclusion Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical A considerable percentage of children had high levels of anti-pertussis

IgG antibodies, positive anti-pertussis IgA, and most importantly a significant rise of anti-pertussis IgG GMT at 6 years of age, depicting a natural infection in vaccinated children. Further surveys need to be done to study the medium and long-term Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical protection afforded by the current vaccine, in order to prevent the disease in these age group. Acknowledgment We would like to thank the Health Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Policy Research Center affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and the Pediatric Infections Research Center affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University

of Medical Sciences for their financial support. Conflict of Interest: None declared
Background: The areas of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) with a high density of estrogen receptors are involved in cardiovascular regulation and send axonal projections to the rostroventrolateral medulla (RVLM). We aimed to Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical find the contribution of the RVLM to cardiovascular responses elicited by glutamate microinjection into the BST. Methods: Experiments were done in α-chloralose anesthetized ovariectomized (OVX) or OVX estrogen treated (OVX+E) female Wistar rats. Drugs were microinjected into the BST and RVLM. The average changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were compared between the case and control groups using t test and with the pre-injection values using paired t test. Results: Unilateral microinjection of glutamate (0.25 M/50 nl) through into the BST decreased MAP and HR, in the OVX+E and OVX rats. These cardiovascular responses were reversibly attenuated 10 minutes after microinjection of synaptic blocker cobalt chloride (CoCl2, 5 mM/50 nl) into the ipsilateral RVLM. Re-stimulation of the BST 60 min after CoCl2 injection elicited cardiovascular responses that were not different from the control values. Ipsilateral microinjection of GABAA antagonist bicuculline (1.

biotek com) according to manufacturer specifications All samples

biotek.com) according to manufacturer specifications. All samples were batched by assay and were completed in duplicate. Prolactin ELISA (ALPCO Diagnostics, Salem, NH, USA) has a sensitivity of 2 ng/ml, range 0–210 ng/ml, intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.1–4.6%, and inter-assay CV of 3.1–7.4%. Estradiol ELISA (ALPCO Diagnostics) has a sensitivity of 10 pg/ml, range 0–3200 pg/ml, intra-assay CV of 4.6–9.3%, and inter-assay

CV of 6.2–10.1%. Testosterone (free) ELISA (ALPCO Diagnostics) has a sensitivity 0.17 pg/ml, range Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 0–125 pg/ml, intra-assay CV of 4.7–17%, and inter-assay CV of 5.3–12.4%. Osteocalcin (Intact) ELISA (ALPCO Diagnostics) has a sensitivity of 0.08 ng/ml, range 0–75 ng/ml, intra-assay CV of 3.1–4.7%, and inter-assay CV of 3.5–5.6%. NTx ELISA (Wampole Laboratories, Princeton, NJ, USA) has a sensitivity of 1.3 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical nM bone collagen equivalents (BCEs), range of 0–40 nM BCEs, intra-assay CV of 4.6%, and inter-assay CV of 6.9%. Statistical analyses Our primary hypothesis was that prolactin elevation observed early in

treatment with risperidone would be associated with changes in markers of bone turnover. Given the prior relationships between Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical high prolactin and lower BMD values in patients receiving antipsychotics and in patients with prolactinomas, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical we hypothesized that higher prolactin levels would be associated with increases in bone resorption and decreases in bone formation. We also examined other hormones that are part of the pituitary–gonadal axis (i.e. testosterone and estradiol). To meet the assumptions for parametric analysis, IWP-2 non-normal distributions were normalized using natural log transformations. To examine the degree to which bone and hormone markers changed with treatment, we used mixed effects Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical regressions in which the two measurement time points (i.e. baseline and 4 weeks) were nested within individuals. For these analyses, we examined the effect of treatment (baseline

and 4 weeks; Sodium butyrate level 1 in model) on bone markers and hormone levels adjusting for age, sex, dose, and baseline body mass index (BMI). Next, Pearson correlations were calculated to evaluate whether bone markers impacted by treatment (e.g. NTx) were related to changes in hormone levels that were affected by treatment (e.g. prolactin). Finally, exploratory correlational analyses were conducted to examine how risperidone dose related to endpoint bone markers and hormone levels that were impacted by treatment. This was done to assess whether dose as a non-laboratory variable is an informative clinical parameter for the outcomes assessed herein. Owing to our small sample size, we analyzed all subjects together controlling for sex for our primary analyses.

5, with a wide range of 45 to 84 years old There were equal numb

5, with a wide range of 45 to 84 years old. There were equal number of men and women and majority had an ECOG of 0 or 1 (90%). All patients had previously received gemcitabine monotherapy and some had progressed through other additional chemotherapies, including FOLFIRINOX in 8 patients and nab-paclitaxel

combined with other agents in 3 patients. Median number of prior lines of therapy was 2, with a range of 1 to 4. Overall, 18 patients (90%) had received at least two prior treatment regimens. Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics Treatment Patients received treatment for a median of 15 weeks, ranging from Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical one to six cycles. Eleven patients (55%) were able to receive therapy for at least 4 months. Patients were started on selleckchem nab-paclitaxel at 100 or 125 mg/m2, with three patients having doses Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical later decreased to 75 or 80 mg/m2. Roughly half the patients were treated on a three week on, one week off cycle, while the other half were treated on a two week on, one week off cycle. Median dose was 100 mg/m2. Majority of patients discontinued treatment due to either progression of disease or decline in functional status (15 patients, 75%). Three

patients (15%) were still on nab-paclitaxel at the time of closing study data collection. Clinical outcome Best response imaging was available in 17 patients (Table 2). Of these patients, while no patient had a complete or partial response, 65% had stable disease at as their best response on imaging. 35% Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical progressed without any stabilization of disease. There was no discrepancy between response by imaging and clinical impression. Of the 12 patients who had elevated baseline CA 19-9, seven (58%), had a 50% or more decline in levels. The three patients who had uninterrupted CA 19-9 elevation post therapy were all shown Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to have progressive disease on first imaging. Table 2 Best response by RECIST criteria in 17 patients with available imaging after

at least one month of therapy Median progression free survival was 3.7 months. In patients who Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical had a response, median duration of response was 4.7 months. At the end of data collection, 6 out of 19 patients were still living. Median overall survival in the study population next was 5.2 months. Adverse events Adverse events directly attributed to nab-paclitaxel were the cause of treatment discontinuation in only two patients (10%), both being mucositis, in one concurrently with neutropenia. Grade 2 or worse fatigue was seen in four patients while significant dehydration was seen in one patient (grade 3). Only one patient was hospitalized as a result of therapy. Three patients (15%) developed grade 3 or 4 neutropenia with one also developing neutropenic fever. An unexpected adverse event possibly related to nab-paclitaxel was pneumonitis that occurred in five patients. All cases of pneumonitis were grade 1. Discussion Advanced pancreatic cancer has recently witnessed the introduction of the first regimens to improve on gemcitabine therapy in decades.

That is, can we devise a scale that taps creativity from almost t

That is, can we devise a scale that taps creativity from almost trivial problem solving to the accomplishments of creative genius and everything between, without a single hiatus? Most desirably,

this measure check details should be applicable to every major form of creativity rather than being tied down to a particular domain. At present, no such instrument exists, but I would like to suggest the most promising starting point for future developments: Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the Creative Achievement Questionnaire or CAQ.26 Although the CAQ concentrates on actual achievements, these achievements are scaled from an effective zero point (none whatsoever; the person claims no talent or training) through various degrees of little-c creativity (eg, having written a poem or short story), and ending with domain-specific accomplishments of a very high order (having Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical received a national prize). The CAQ also assesses creativity in several distinct domains, including scientific inquiry, creative writing, humor, theater and film, visual arts (painting, sculpture), architectural design, music, dance, inventions, and culinary arts. Finally scores on this measure positively correlate with such person measures as openness and the CPS, and with such process measures as divergent thinking (including its components fluency, originality,

and flexibility), and thereby taps into more than just product assessment. The CAQ Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical has already joined the inventory of creativity measures used in the cognitive neurosciences.2,40 Even so, it would appear that the next step should be an integrative

battery of tests that combine the product-oriented CAQ with both process and person measures that would better anchor the lower end of the underlying creativity dimension. In addition, the upper end of the scale can be further refined by introducing measures of broader impact, such as citation measures Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and domain-specific awards that differentiate the best from the very best.41-42 Within the sciences, a Nobel Laureate dwells at a more elite level than elevation to the National Academy of Sciences.43-44 Precisely merging these diverse assessments at opposite ends of the CAQ would not be an easy task, to be sure. Interpolating such heterogeneous measures into a single indicator would require extremely careful calibration based on large samples of research participants who vary greatly in creativity. Complicating matters mafosfamide even further, the calibration of the upper end of the scale would have to be executed separately for each domain and even sub-domains. The eminence of physicists cannot be scaled in the exact same way as the eminence of psychologists. A closely related complication concerns the transition from subjective assessments of creative achievement in the middle portion of the scale to objective assessments of creativity achievement at the upper end of the scale.

Conversely, to the extent that the PROSPECT intervention is succe

Conversely, to the extent that the PROSPECT intervention is successful, the study will have sufficient data to develop and then test hypotheses about the most critical components. Primary care

sites To evaluate the impact of its intervention on patient outcomes, PROSPECT is collecting data from 18 separate primary care practices from 3 geographic areas (metropolitan and Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical outlying New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh). Practices were selected in pairs sharing CP-868596 manufacturer similar characteristics in terms of academic affiliation, location (urban, suburban, or rural), size (number of physicians), and the racc/cthnicity of the patients. All practices serve both managed-care and fee-for-service patients. As seen in Table I, the 9 pairs of practices Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical represent

considerable diversity including both academic and nonacademic urban practices, a wide range in patient racial/ethnic composition, including both academic and nonacademic practices with greater than 50% minority patients, and solo as well as large group practices. Table I. Characteristics of PROSPECT physician practices (n=18). The generalizability of PROSPECT Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical findings to primary care throughout the United States is limited to some extent by the fact that practices were not randomly selected and are all located in the northeast. On the other hand, the heterogeneous characteristics of the recruited practices and their patients do extend the representative of PROSPECT findings beyond much previous research that was limited to academic-affiliated settings, predominately white patients, or single locations. In the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical United States, the vast majority (74%) of elderly adults live in a metropolitan area (1990 Census),51 lending further generalizability

to findings from the study. Within each pair, practices were randomly selected Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to receive the guideline management intervention or “enhanced care,” a less intense intervention consisting primarily of physician education and depression identification. Although acknowledging that identification of depression is an important part of clinical care, PROSPECT is not designed to evaluate different methods of identifying depression in primary care, for several reasons. First, previous research has shown that identification of depression in primary care alone has little effect on patient outcomes. nearly Second, in order to evaluate the effect of the proposed intervention on patient outcomes, comparable assessment is needed in both intervention and usual care patients, necessitating integrating assessment into the research protocol. And third, for ethical reasons, physicians in both groups need to be informed of the results of these assessments, making a test of identification of depression by physicians nonfeasible in the context of the current study.