LAMOTRIGINE VERSUS LITHIUM AUGMENTATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT THERAPY IN TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION: EFFICACY AND TOLERABILITY

Background: Mood stabilizer augmentation of standard antidepressant drugs has been shown to be effective in treatment-resistant depression. Despite the reported high overall efficacy, lithium has been relatively underused in recent years. Lamotrigine, a novel anticonvulsant recently recognized as a mood stabilizer, seems to have putative antidepressive properties. The aim of the study was to investigate lamotrigine efficacy and tolerability as antidepressant augmentation for unipolar treatment-resistant depression compared to lithium. Subjects and methods: 88 patients suffering from treatment-resistant Major depressive disorder, having acute recurrent depressive episodes according to DSMIV criteria, were enrolled in the study. This was an open-label trial with a flexible dosing regimen. All patients, received antidepressants in full therapeutic doses. They were divided into two augmentation groups: 46 patients received 50-200 mg/day lamotrigine, and 42 patients received 600-1200 mg/day lithium. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and The Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) were used to monitor therapeutic efficacy. Patients were evaluated weekly for an 8 week treatment period. Results: The HAM-D total score was significantly reduced in both treatment groups at the study endpoint, without any difference between the groups. However, significant clinical improvement was reached within the second treatment week in the lamotrigine group compared to the lithium group (p=0.01 vs. lithium). Lamotrigine showed significant efficacy on the HAM-D item 1(depressed mood; p=0.01), item 7 (work and interest; p=0.01) and CGI-Improvement scale (p=0.02). The drop-out rate due to treatment failure was lower in the lamotrigine group (n=1) compared to the lithium (n=4) group. Also, the incidence of side effects did not differ between the groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest that lamotrigine could be useful as augmentation of antidepressants for treatment-resistant unipolar depression. Also, lamotrigine may accelerate the onset of antidepressant action, and therefore might be useful in treatment of major depression in general

Identifikacija inbred linija donora poželjnih alela za prinos elitnog hibrida kukuruza ZPE25-10-1 x B84

The aim of this study was to determine which of six inbreeds that were investigated could be the donor of the favorable alleles for grain yield and its components ear diameter and number of kernels in a row. The trial including the F1 hybrid progeny and the inbreeds investigated was set in 1998 in RCB design at four locations: Zemun Polje, Srbobran, Pančevo and Inđija, in four replications. The modified method after Dudley (1987) was used to establish the donors of favorable alleles. All inbreeds expressed positive values of the UG parameter and the L545-93 inbred line was chosen to improve the grain yield of the ZPE25-10-1 x B84 elite hybrid on the basis of the largest value of its UG parameter (0.95*). Positive UG values were determined for other investigated traits, e. g. the ear diameter (0.26*) and the number of grains in a row (2.54*), also. On the basis of the relative relatedness of the L545-93 inbred and the parents of the elite hybrid it was concluded that the parallel improvement of the ear diameter and the kernel number in a row could be achieved by backcrossing the ZPE25-10-1 x L545-93 F1 hybrid progeny and the donor line. The improvement of the grain yield of the elite hybrid should be carried out by backcrossing the B84 x L545-93 F1 progeny and the B84 parental inbred.Cilj ovog rada bio je da se utvrdi koja od šest inbred linija kukuruza može da bude donor poželjnih dominantnih alela za prinos i njegove komponente prečnik klipa i broj zrna u redu. Ogled sa F1 hibridima i inbred linijama postavljen je 1998. godine po potpunom slučajnom blok sistemu na četiri lokacije (Zemun Polju, Srbobranu, Pančevu i Indiji) u četiri ponavljanja. Za izbor donora korišćen je modifikovani metod po Dudley-u (1987). Sve ispitivane inbred linije imale su pozitivne urednosti parametra mG, pri čemu je, na osnovu najveće vrednosti ovog parametra linija 1.545-93 odabrana kao donor poželjnih alela za popravku prinosa elitnog hibrida ZPE25-10-1 xB84 (0,95*). Pozitivne vrednosti parametra UG za ovu liniju utvrđene su i u slučaju prečnika klipa (0,26), kao i broja zrna u redu (2,54). Na osnovu relativne srodnosti linije L545-93 i roditelja elitnog hibrida ZPE25-10-1 X B84, zaključeno je da paralelna popravka prečnika klipa i broja zrna u redu može da se postigne povratnim ukrštanjem hibridnog potomstva ZPE25-10-1 X L545-93 sa linijom donorom. Popravka prinosa elitnog hibrida postići će se povratnim ukrštanjem F1 potomstva BS4 X L545-93 sa roditeljskom komponentom hibrida koji se popravlja B84

Predicting violence in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Background/Aim. Frequent expression of negative affects, hostility and violent behavior in individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were recognized long ago, and have been retrospectively well documented in war veterans with PTSD who were shown to have an elevated risk for violent behavior when compared to both veterans without PTSD and other psychiatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of clinical prediction of violence in combat veterans suffering from PTSD. Methods. The subjects of this study, 104 male combat veterans with PTSD were assessed with the Historical, Clinical and Risk Management 20 (HCR-20), a 20-item clinicianrated instrument for assessing the risks for violence, and their acts of violence during one-year follow-up period were registered based on bimonthly check-up interviews. Results. Our findings showed that the HCR-20, as an actuarial measure, had good internal consistency reliability (α = 0.82), excellent interrater reliability (Interaclass Correlation ICC = 0.85), as well as excellent predictive validity for acts of any violence, non-physical violence or physical violence in the follow-up period (AUC = 0.82-0.86). The HCR-20 also had good interrater reliability (Cohen's kappa = 0.74), and acceptable predictive accuracy for each outcome criterion (AUC = 0.73-0.79). Conclusion. The results of this research confirm that the HCR-20 may also be applied in prediction of violent behavior in the population of patients suffering from PTSD with reliability and validity comparable with the results of previous studies where this instrument was administered to other populations of psychiatric patients

Spectroscopic Study of An Icon Painted on Wooden Panel

Russian icon painted on wooden panel analyzed in this work is interesting for art historians because there is no precise information in which workshops it was made or who the author was. Similar icons are often found in churches and monasteries in our region. In order to obtain information about materials used for creation of investigated icon two micro-analytical techniques were used: Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Obtained results confirmed presence of following materials: lead-white, vermilion, minium, ultramarine, brown and green earth pigments and silver in combination with yellow organic varnish, which served to an iconographer for gilding. Ground layer was made of calcite. Blue pigment ultramarine was probably used for blue colour as well as for obtaining particulars hues in several parts of the paint layer. This can be important information for further research concerning particular workshop in which the icon was made. Identified materials are typical for Russian iconography of the 19th century

A SUGGESTION FOR PROACTIVE CARDIOLOGIC APPROACH TO CUSHING’S SYNDROME OR DISEASE

Numerous studies and reviews agree about the increased cardiovascular risk in Cushing’s syn-drome. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to suggest a few common diagnostic and therapeutic cardiologic preferences for the majority of Cushing’s syndrome/Cushing’s disease (CS/CD) pa-tients which are not yet routine but have the rationale to become standard procedures. This may serve as an initial working document, to be improved by the experts in the field. A narrative review is used to present synthesis and deduction of several approaches in cardiology regarding the actu-al topic. Results are systematized as the risk factors or co-morbidities list (prevalent in CS/CD) coupled with current and adapted cardiologic suggestions for practice

Supplementary data for the article: Sović, I.; Cindrić, M.; Perin, N.; Boček, I.; Novaković, I.; Damjanović, A.; Stanojković, T.; Zlatović, M.; Hranjec, M.; Bertoša, B. Biological Potential of Novel Methoxy and Hydroxy Substituted Heteroaromatic Amides Designed as Promising Antioxidative Agents: Synthesis, 3D-QSAR Analysis, and Biological Activity. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2019, 32 (9), 1880–1892. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00256

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00256]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3851]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3914

Supplementary data for the article: Sović, I.; Cindrić, M.; Perin, N.; Boček, I.; Novaković, I.; Damjanović, A.; Stanojković, T.; Zlatović, M.; Hranjec, M.; Bertoša, B. Biological Potential of Novel Methoxy and Hydroxy Substituted Heteroaromatic Amides Designed as Promising Antioxidative Agents: Synthesis, 3D-QSAR Analysis, and Biological Activity. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2019, 32 (9), 1880–1892. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00256

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00256]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3851]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3914

CONTROL OF GLYCEMIA AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES IN PRIMARY CARE IN MONTENEGRO

Some observational studies have shown that only a small number of diabetic patients achieve optimum control of glycaemia and cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this study was to analyze whether patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated in primary care achieve adequate control of glycemic levels and cardiovascular risk factors. This was a retrospective, record-based, cross-sectional study that included eligible patients from 35 to 90 years old with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated in Primary Health Care Center in Podgorica. We investigated electronic records of 531 diabetic patients. The observed prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among individuals between ages 35 and 90 years, was 11,84 %. Half of the patients were female. The mean age was 65,88±9,86 years. The mean value of HbA1c was 7,56±1,71. Fifty-nine percents of patients achieved optimal levels of HbA1c ≤ 7 %. Also, more than half of patients achieved target levels of blood pressure while 27.9% achieved LDL ≤ 2.6 mmol/L. Fifty percent of patients were non-smokers and 45.1 % were obese. Among patients on primary prevention only 5.7 % had met all target levels while on secondary prevention that number was even smaller 3.7 %. Our study showed that control of HbA1c and blood pressure was similar to other studies but reaching target levels of LDL was challenging for our patients. Further analysis are needed in order to discover the reasons for poor control of certain CVRF and to develop strategies for its optimal management

Spectroscopic investigation of milo milunović’s canvas painting “the inspiration of the poet”

A canvas painting by Milo Milunović “The Inspiration of the poet” was investigated in this work by multianalitical approach in order to identify pigments used by the artist as well as his painting technique. Results obtained by optical microscopy, fluorescence photography under UV light, energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and FTIR Spectroscopy revealed following pigments on the painting: lead white, zinc white, cobalt blue, red pigment vermilion, green pigment viridian, as well as several earth colours. Optical micrographs show regions with no separation between layers, indicating that these areas were painted wet paint over wet paint