In Asia, like other regions, the circumstances for psychiatric care and rehabilitation impose various limitations on us. However, committed professionals have been creating innovative models of excellence, which are culturally appropriate and clinically effective. In this paper, seven innovative models of psychiatric care and rehabilitation are presented. The Nitte project in India provides a comprehensive free rural psychiatric service, while transforming the 'brain drain' problem to 'brain circulation' cooperation. Through Social Enterprises in Hong Kong recovered clients are trained and employed. Senior Peer Counselling in Singapore emphasizes the relief of emotional distress by psychological methods and the primacy of communication in the healing or therapeutic relationship. Seoul Mental Health 2020, an epoch-making project in Korea, has increased the coverage rate of community mental health centres remarkably. Yuli Psychiatric Rehabilitation Model in Taiwan helps long-term inpatients to get reintegrated into the community. In Japan, models of excellence for community-based psychiatry have been developed at local government, hospital and community/NGO levels. Chinese Psychiatry Online, an excellent website, provides public education, resource searching, self-testing and consultation services for the public along with various contents for professionals. We must disseminate information about models of excellence which provide great benefit to the people who suffer from psychiatric illness without high expenses.

BACKGROUND:The 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and low folate levels are associated with inhibition of DNA methyltransferase and consequently DNA hypomethylation. The expanding spectrum of common conditions linked with MTHFR polymorphisms includes certain adverse birth outcome, pregnancy complications, cancers, adult cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders, with several of these associations remaining still controversial. Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of mental retardation. It stems predominantly from the failure of chromosome 21 to segregate normally during meiosis. Despite substantial research, the molecular mechanisms underlying non-disjunction leading to trisomy 21 are poorly understood.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Two common variants C677T and A1298C of the MTHFR gene were screened in 36 parents with DS children and 60 healthy couples from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The MTHFR genotypes were studied by RFLP analysis of PCR-amplified products and confirmed by sequencing.RESULTS:The CT genotype was seen in three each (8.3%) of case mothers and fathers. One case father showed TT genotype. All the control individuals exhibited the wild type CC genotype. A similar frequency for the uncommon allele C of the second polymorphism was recorded in case mothers (0.35) and fathers (0.37) in comparison with the control mothers (0.39) and fathers (0.37).CONCLUSION:This first report on MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in trisomy 21 parents from south Indian population revealed that MTHFR 677CT polymorphism was associated with a risk for Down syndrome.

m e d i c a l j o u r n a l a r m e d f o r c e s i n d i a 7 3 ( 2 0 1 7 ) 1 1 8 -1 2Methods: This was a retrospective study at an Indian intensive care unit (ICU) on ARDS patients. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters were collected. Patients were divided into cohorts based on steroid use, and some received high-dose (2 mg/kg/day), whereas others received low-dose (1 mg/kg/day) steroids. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes included need for and duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), IMV-free days, ICU length of stay (LOS), and total LOS. Two-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. . There were no differences in outcomes of IMV-free days, ICU LOS, or total LOS. These outcomes were comparable between the high-dose and low-dose steroid users.

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