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Volume 2 ， Issue 4 ， 2015
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Abstract：Background:Traumatic brain injury is a major health problem that frequently leads to deficits in executive function. Self-regulation processes, such as goal-setting, may become disordered after traumatic brain injury, particularly when the frontal regions of the brain and their connections are involved. Such impairments reduce injured veterans’ ability to return to work or school and to regain satisfactory personal lives. Understanding the neurologically disabling effects of brain injury on executive function is necessary for both the accurate diagnosis of impairment and the individual tailoring of rehabilitation processes to help returning service members recover independent function.Methods/design:The COMPASSgoal (Community Participation through Self-Efficacy Skills Development) program develops and tests a novel patient-centered intervention framework for community reintegration psychosocial research in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury. COMPASSgoal integrates the principles and best practices of goal self-management. Goal setting is a core skill in self-management training by which persons with chronic health conditions learn to improve their status and decrease symptom effects. Over a three-year period, COMPASSgoal will recruit 110 participants with residual executive dysfunction three months or more post-injury. Inclusion criteria combine both clinical diagnosis and standardized scores that are >1 SD from the normative score on the Frontal Systems Rating Scale. Participants are randomized into two groups: goal-management (intervention) and supported discharge (control). The intervention is administered in eight consecutive, weekly sessions. Assessments occur at enrollment, post-intervention/supported discharge, and three months post-treatment follow-up.Discussion:Goal management is part of the "natural language" of rehabilitation. However, collaborative goal-setting between clinicians/case managers and clients can be hindered by the cognitive deficits that follow brain injury. Re-training returning veterans with brain injury in goal management, with appropriate help and support, would essentially treat deficits in executive function. A structured approach to goal self-management may foster greater independence and self-efficacy, help veterans gain insight into goals that are realistic for them at a given time, and help clinicians and veterans to work more effectively as true collaborators.Keywords：Executive function;Traumatic brain injury;Goal-setting;Community reintegration;Veterans;Randomized controlled trial;Manualized psychosocial intervention0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12
STUDY PROTOCOL
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Abstract：Background:To describe the mental health status of 78 child and adolescent survivors of post-war landmine explosions.Methods:Child and adolescent survivors of landmine explosions who were younger than 18 years old at the time of the study were identified and enrolled in this study. The mental health status of the participants was assessed by general health assessment and psychiatric examinations. Psychiatric assessment and diagnosis were undertaken using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for mental disorders (DSM-IV) criteria. A psychiatrist visited and interviewed each survivor and identified psychiatric disorders.Results:Seventy-eight child and adolescent survivors with a mean age of 16.11±2 years old were identified and agreed to participate in the study. The mean age of the victims at the time of injury was 8.2±3.12 years old (range 2–15). Thirty-seven (47.4%) of the adolescent survivors suffered from at least one psychiatric disorder. Twenty-nine survivors (37.1%) were newly diagnosed and needed to start medication and psychiatric treatment. The most common findings were anxiety disorders (34.6%), including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 20(25.6%), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in 7(9%) subjects. Mild-Moderate depression was found in 5(6.4%) subjects. No personality disorders were observed, and two patients suffered from mental retardation. The study results revealed a significant association between age of casualty, duration of injury and limb amputation, and types of psychological disorders.Conclusion:Child and adolescent survivors of landmine explosions had a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders.Keywords：Landmine;Child survivors;Depression;Anxiety;Iran4|18|0Updated：2026-03-12 - Abstract：Background:Military medicine cadets undergo strenuous military training alongside demanding medical studies. This stressful and complex educational environment can lead to the emergence of depressive symptoms. We investigated the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a cohort of military medicine cadets.Methods:We conducted a descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among Greek military medicine cadets in the undergraduate program of the Hellenic Military School of Combat Support Officers. The Greek translation of the Zung self-rating depression scale questionnaire was used to screen for the presence of depressive symptoms. In addition, demographic, academic and dietary information was collected. The Shapiro-Wilk test of normality, Pearson correlation test, Chi-square test, t-test and Mann Whitney U test were employed for statistical analysis.Results:We enrolled 55 female and 91 male military medicine cadets with a mean age of 19.84 years (SD=0.99). The mean Zung crude score was 43.32 (SD=4.55): 42.8 (SD=4.43) for female cadets and 43.64 (SD=4.6) for male cadets. Cadets were further subdivided into low and high risk groups for the presence of depressive symptoms. We identified 57(39%) cadets with a total Zung crude score of 45 or above: 21 females and 36 males. Statistical analysis did not reveal any significant differences between the two groups based on gender, year of training, academic performance, alcohol consumption, smoking status, vitamin supplementation, dietary habits or BMI.Conclusion:We report a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in a cohort of military medicine cadets that underscores the need for effective screening and appropriate and timely interventions. We did not identify any related risk factors. Military medicine cadets are exposed to a challenging military and medical training environment, and thus represent a group at risk for development of depression.Keywords：Depression;Military medicine;Medical students;Medical education;Military training4|16|1Updated：2026-03-12
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Abstract：Background:Colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a hygiene risk that does not spare field hospitals or military medical field camps during military deployments. Diagnostic options for unambiguously identifying MRSA isolates are usually scarce in military environments. In this study, we assessed the stepwise application of two different selective agars for the specific identification of MRSA in screening analyses.Methods:Nasal swabs from 1,541 volunteers were subjected to thioglycollate broth enrichment and subsequently screened on CHROMagar MRSA selective agar for the identification of MRSA. The MRSA identity of suspicious-looking colonies was confirmed afterwards or excluded by another selective agar, chromID MRSA. All isolates from the selective agars with MRSA-specific colony morphology were identified by biochemical methods and mass spectrometry.Results:The initial CHROMagar MRSA screening identified suspicious colonies in 36 out of 1541 samples. A total of 25 of these 36 isolates showed MRSA-like growth on chromID agar. Out of these 25 isolates, 24 were confirmed as MRSA, while one isolate was identified as Staphylococcus kloosii. From the 11 strains that did not show suspicious growth on chromID agar, 3 were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, with one instance of co-colonization with Corynebacterium spp.), 2 were confirmed as MRSA (with 1 instance of co-colonization with MSSA), 2 were lost during passaging and could not be re-cultured, one could not be identified by the applied approaches, and the remaining 3 strains were identified as Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus hominis (co-colonized with Macrococcus caseolyticus) and Staphylococcus cohnii, respectively.Conclusion:The application of the selective agar CHROMagar MRSA alone proved to be too non-specific to allow for a reliable diagnosis of the presence of MRSA. The combined use of two selective agars in a stepwise approach reduced this non-specificity with an acceptably low loss of sensitivity. Accordingly, such a stepwise screening approach might be an option for resource-restricted military medical field camps.Keywords：Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus;Selective agar;Chromogenic agar;screening;Hygiene;Stepwise diagnostics;CHROMagar;ChromID agar0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12 - Abstract：Background:A reduction in mortality associated with wine drinking compared to beer drinking has been suggested in the past. A recent meta-analysis could not confirm the observed differential effect. Other characteristics not related to specific components of beer and wine must play a role in the relationship between wine and mortality, thereby explaining the differential protective results.Methods:A military population was selected to investigate the lifestyle differences between beer and wine drinkers. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to register alcohol and food consumption, together with questionnaires for health-related and lifestyle characteristics. Three dietary patterns were characterized by the Healthy Eating Index 2010, the Mediterranean Diet Score and a pattern obtained by principal component analysis.Results:In the multivariate analysis, beer consumption decreased with increasing age, military rank, physical activity and dietary pattern scores. Beer consumption increased with total energy intake and with smoking.Conclusion:Wine consumption was associated with a healthier lifestyle compared with beer consumption. Those differences must be taken into account when relating types of alcoholic beverage consumption with health-related outcomes.Keywords：Beer;Wine;Dietary pattern;Nutritional assessment;Health behavior;Males6|46|0Updated：2026-03-12
RESEARCH
- Abstract：China is prone to disasters and escalating disaster losses. Effective disaster mitigation is the foundation for efficient disaster response and rescue and for reducing the degree of hazardous impacts on the population. Vulnerability refers to the population’s capacity to anticipate, cope with, and recover from the impact of a hazardous event. A hazard vulnerability assessment (HVA) systematically evaluates the damage that could be caused by a potential disaster, the severity of the impact, and the available medical resources during a disaster to reduce population vulnerability and increase the capacity to cope with disasters. In this article, we summarized HVA team membership, content (disaster identification, probability and consequences), and methods and procedures for an HVA that can be tailored to China’s needs. We further discussed the role of epidemiology in an HVA. Disaster epidemiology studies the underlying causes of disasters to achieve effective disaster prevention and reduction. In addition, we made several recommendations that are already in practice in developed countries, such as the U.S., for future implementation in China and other developing countries. An effective HVA plan is crucial for successful disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.Keywords：Vulnerability;Hazard vulnerability assessment;Disaster epidemiology;Disaster preparedness6|25|2Updated：2026-03-12
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