Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor?

IntroductionSelf-immolation is an uncommon way of attempting and committing a suicide, with a fatality rate of 80%. The risk factors in self-immolation victims vary depending on demographic characteristics, socio-economic and cultural factors as well as religious beliefs. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic was a potentially important stressor for self-immolation is still unknown, with insufficient studies examining this issue. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the trend of self-immolation in a 13-year timeline, and the potential association of COVID-19 pandemic with the increase in the incidence and severity of self-immolation injuries in Serbia in 2021.Materials and methodsThe study included hospitalized patients due to intentional burns caused by self-immolation in the period from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2021. Joinpoint regression analysis was used for the analysis of continuous linear trends of self-immolation cases with change points.ResultsWhile a rising trend was observed in the 2008–2013 time segment, followed by a decline in the upcoming 2013–2016 time segment, a significant increase reached its maximum during COVID-19 pandemic (2021), with annual percent change of 37.1% (p = 0.001). A significant increase in the median number of cases per year was observed during 2021 compared to the previous periods (7.5 vs. 2). Frequency of patients with a psychiatric diagnosis vs. those without a psychiatric diagnosis was significantly higher during than before the COVID-19 period (66.7 vs. 36.1%, p = 0.046).ConclusionIn our study, a significant increase in the frequency of suicide attempts by self-immolation during COVID-19 pandemic was noticed. There was also an increased frequency of pre-existing psychiatric illness among patients during the pandemic period. With limited high-quality data available, the study adds to a rising body of evidence for assessment of outcomes of the pandemic on mental health and recognition of stressors for self-immolation

A systematic screen for protein–lipid interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Lipids are important cellular metabolites, with a wide range of structural and functional diversity. Many operate as signaling molecules. Lipids though have rarely been studied in large-scale interaction screen; they are poorly represented in current biological networks.Here, we describe the use of miniaturized lipid–arrays for the large-scale study of protein–lipid interactions. In yeast, we show general feasibility with a systematic screen implying 172 proteins. We report 530 protein–lipid associations, the majority is novel and several were validated using other techniques.The screen uncovers numerous insights into lipid function in yeast and equivalent systems in humans. It revealed (i) previously undetected cryptic lipid-binding domains, (ii) series of new cellular targets for sphingolipids and (iii) new ligands for some PH domains that can cooperatively bind additional lipids and work as coincidence sensor to integrate both phosphatidylinositol phosphates and sphingolipid signaling pathways.The significant number of biological insights uncovered shows that even major classes of metabolites have been insufficiently studied. This illustrates the general relevance of such systematic screens and calls for further system-wide analyses

Rheumatology training experience across Europe : Analysis of core competences

Publisher Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: The aim of this project was to analyze and compare the educational experience in rheumatology specialty training programs across European countries, with a focus on self-reported ability. Method: An electronic survey was designed to assess the training experience in terms of self-reported ability, existence of formal education, number of patients managed and assessments performed during rheumatology training in 21 core competences including managing specific diseases, generic competences and procedures. The target population consisted of rheumatology trainees and recently certified rheumatologists across Europe. The relationship between the country of training and the self-reported ability or training methods for each competence was analyzed through linear or logistic regression, as appropriate. Results: In total 1079 questionnaires from 41 countries were gathered. Self-reported ability was high for most competences, range 7.5-9.4 (0-10 scale) for clinical competences, 5.8-9.0 for technical procedures and 7.8-8.9 for generic competences. Competences with lower self-reported ability included managing patients with vasculitis, identifying crystals and performing an ultrasound. Between 53 and 91 % of the trainees received formal education and between 7 and 61 % of the trainees reported limited practical experience (managing ≤10 patients) in each competence. Evaluation of each competence was reported by 29-60 % of the respondents. In adjusted multivariable analysis, the country of training was associated with significant differences in self-reported ability for all individual competences. Conclusion: Even though self-reported ability is generally high, there are significant differences amongst European countries, including differences in the learning structure and assessment of competences. This suggests that educational outcomes may also differ. Efforts to promote European harmonization in rheumatology training should be encouraged and supported.publishersversionPeer reviewe

IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY IN PRODUCTION PROCESS BY APPLYING KAIKAKU METHOD

In this paper, Kaikaku method is presented. The essence of this method is introduction, principles and ways of implementation in the real systems. The main point how Kaikaku method influences on quality. It is presented on the practical example (furniture industry), one way how to implement Kaikaku method and how influence on quality improvement of production process

History of Dentistry in Central Serbia

History of dentistry in the Central Serbian District of Jagodina has been influenced by traditional medicine for centuries. Development of dentistry in the region of Jagodina was slow, the level of oral and general hygiene was low and the sanitary prevention was absent. Trained physicians started to practice medicine and dentistry in the first half of the nineteenth century and they were educated in abroad universities. However, common people used to address to these physicians only when the traditional medicine were unable to help. Until the end of the World War II, common, mostly rural people, with the urgent dental treatment need were usually referred to the barbers, healers or empirics in the nearby villages rather than the dentists. Medications used for the urgent dental treatment were balsams and solutions made of herbs. After the World War II, the dental technicians who finished special courses started to practice dentistry. In 1947 the Regional Dental Office in Jagodina was opened and in 1955 the first Doctor of Dental Medicine who graduated from the School of Dental Medicine of University of Belgrade was employed. Nowadays, the Department of Dentistry represents is an important and independent part of the Health Care Centre in Jagodina

Protective Effects of Galium verum L. Extract against Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Galium verum L. (G. verum, lady’s bedstraw) is a perennial herbaceous plant, belonging to the Rubiaceae family. It has been widely used throughout history due to multiple therapeutic properties. However, the effects of this plant species on functional recovery of the heart after ischemia have still not been fully clarified. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the effects of methanol extract of G. verum on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), with a special emphasis on the role of oxidative stress. Rats involved in the research were divided randomly into two groups: control (spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)) and G. verum group, including SHR rats treated with the G. verum extract (500 mg/kg body weight per os) for 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment, in vivo cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Rats were sacrificed and blood samples were taken for spectrophotometric determination of systemic redox state. Hearts from all rats were isolated and retrogradely perfused according to the Langendorff technique. After a stabilization period, hearts were subjected to 20-minute ischemia, followed by 30-minute reperfusion. Levels of prooxidants were spectrophotometrically measured in coronary venous effluent, while antioxidant enzymes activity was assessed in heart tissue. Cell morphology was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. 4-week treatment with G. verum extract alleviated left ventricular hypertrophy and considerably improved in vivo cardiac function. Furthermore, G. verum extract preserved cardiac contractility, systolic function, and coronary vasodilatory response after ischemia. Moreover, it alleviated I/R-induced structural damage of the heart. Additionally, G. verum extract led to a drop in the generation of most of the measured prooxidants, thus mitigating cardiac oxidative damage. Promising potential of G. verum in the present study may be a basis for further researches which would fully clarify the mechanisms through which this plant species triggers cardioprotection

Rhodium(III) in a cage of the 1,3-propanediamine-N,N,N′-triacetate chelate: X-ray structure, solution equilibria, computational study and biological behavior

Two new octahedral Rh(III) complexes that are potential chemotherapeutic agents have been synthesized from the 1,3-propanediamine-N,N,N’-triacetate ligand (1,3-pd3a): [Rh(1,3-pd3a)(H2O)]·2H2O (1) and Na[Rh(1,3-pd3a)Cl]·2H2O (2). Both complexes were characterized by IR, UV–Vis and NMR spectroscopy, as well as elemental analysis. Only the structure of 2 was determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The asymmetric unit contains the negatively charged rhodium complex, a sodium ion and two water molecules. The positions of the carboxylate groups define the cis-polar geometry. DFT calculations on 1 and 2 have also been done to confirm experimental results. In order to determine the protonation constants of 1,3-H3pd3a, stability constants and the stoichiometry of the complexes in aqueous solution, pH-potentiometry and UV–Vis spectrophotometry were used. Docking of 1 to human serum albumin (HSA) gives the reasonable assumption that this complex can be easily transported to the target cells. The complexes, as well as the 1,3-pd3a and ed3a ligands, were tested against various cancer and one normal human cell lines. Complex 2 and both ligands display significant cytotoxicity against the HeLa cancer cell line, while 1 shows good antitumor activity against MCF-7. Flow cytometry analysis showed the apoptotic death of the cells with cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase (Na[Rh(1,3-pd3a)Cl]·2H2O) and G0/G1 phase (1,3-pd3a)

Preconditioning with PDE1 Inhibitors and Moderate-Intensity Training Positively Affect Systemic Redox State of Rats

© 2020 Jelena Ristic et al. Taken into consideration that oxidative stress response after preconditioning with phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEIs) and moderate physical activity has still not been clarified, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of PDEIs alone or in combination with physical activity, on systemic redox status. The study was carried out on 96 male Wistar albino rats classified into two groups. The first group included animals exposed only to pharmacological preconditioning (PreC) maneuver (sedentary control (CTRL, 1 ml/day saline, n=12), nicardipine (6 mg/kg/day of NIC, n=12), vinpocetine (10 mg/kg/day of VIN, n=12), and nimodipine (NIM 10 mg/kg/day of, n=12). The second included animals exposed to preconditioning with moderate-intensity training (MIT) on treadmill for 8 weeks. After 5 weeks from the start of training, the animals were divided into four subgroups depending on the medication to be used for pharmacological PreC: moderate-intensity training (MIT+ 1 ml/day saline, n=12), nicardipine (MIT+ 6 mg/kg/day of NIC, n=12), vinpocetine (MIT+ 10 mg/kg/day of VIN, n=12), and nimodipine (MIT+ 10 mg/kg/day of NIM, n=12). After three weeks of pharmacological preconditioning, the animals were sacrificed. The following oxidative stress parameters were measured spectrophotometrically: nitrites (NO2-), superoxide anion radical (O2-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), index of lipid peroxidation (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH). Our results showed that PDE1 and MIT preconditioning decreased the release of prooxidants and improved the activity of antioxidant enzymes thus preventing systemic oxidative stress