A functional variant in the serotonin receptor 7 gene (HTR7), rs7905446, is associated with good response to SSRIs in bipolar and unipolar depression.

Predicting antidepressant response has been a clinical challenge for mood disorder. Although several genome-wide association studies have suggested a number of genetic variants to be associated with antidepressant response, the sample sizes are small and the results are difficult to replicate. Previous animal studies have shown that knockout of the serotonin receptor 7 gene (HTR7) resulted in an antidepressant-like phenotype, suggesting it was important to antidepressant action. In this report, in the first stage, we used a cost-effective pooled-sequencing strategy to sequence the entire HTR7 gene and its regulatory regions to investigate the association of common variants in HTR7 and clinical response to four selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs: citalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine and sertraline) in a retrospective cohort mainly consisting of subjects with bipolar disorder (n = 359). We found 80 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with false discovery rate < 0.05 associated with response to paroxetine. Among the significant SNPs, rs7905446 (T/G), which is located at the promoter region, also showed nominal significance (P < 0.05) in fluoxetine group. GG/TG genotypes for rs7905446 and female gender were associated with better response to two SSRIs (paroxetine and fluoxetine). In the second stage, we replicated this association in two independent prospective samples of SSRI-treated patients with major depressive disorder: the MARS (n = 253, P = 0.0169) and GENDEP studies (n = 432, P = 0.008). The GG/TG genotypes were consistently associated with response in all three samples. Functional study of rs7905446 showed greater activity of the G allele in regulating expression of HTR7. The G allele displayed higher luciferase activity in two neuronal-related cell lines, and estrogen treatment decreased the activity of only the G allele. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay suggested that the G allele interacted with CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta transcription factor (TF), while the T allele did not show any interaction with any TFs. Our results provided novel pharmacogenomic evidence to support the role of HTR7 in association with antidepressant response

Bibliometric indicators for assessing the quality of scientific journals

Znanstveni časopisi zauzimaju važno mjesto u znanstvenoj zajednici te obavljaju različite uloge, među kojima posebice valja spomenuti objavljivanje i diseminacija rezultata znanstvenih istraživanja, vrednovanje zaprimljenih članaka kroz recenzijski postupak, zaštita intelektualnog vlasništva autora te njegovo predstavljanje znanstvenoj zajednici. Znanstveni časopisi također zauzimaju i važnu ulogu u procjeni kvalitete znanstvenoga istraživanja pa se od 60-tih godina 20. stoljeća nadalje uočava porast kvantitativnih istraživanja svojstava časopisa, odnosno radova/članaka koje oni objavljuju kao osnovnih jedinica na kojima se provode, tzv., bibliometrijske analize. U ovom su poglavlju opisani bibliometrijski pokazatelji o časopisima kao što su to faktor odjeka časopisa (IF), SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) i h-indeks. Također je i razjašnjena metodologija njihovog izračuna te je donesen i kritički pregled njihovih prednosti i mana, kao i naglašena važnost razumijevanja kontektsta unutar kojih se spomenuti bibliometrijski pokazatelji o časopisima moraju interpretirati. Donesen i pregled relevantnih citatnih baza podataka koje bilježe podatke o citiranosti pojedinih radova objavljenih u časopisima, a na temelju kojih se izračunavaju razni bibliometrijski pokazatelji o časopisima (Web of Science Core Collection i Scopus), kao i besplatne citatne baze podataka Google Znalac. Kao alternativa, ali i dopuna bibliometrijskim pokazateljima o časopisima donesen je i pregled altmetrijskih pokazatelja o radovima objavljenim u časopisima koji se temelje, primjerice, na broju posjeta nečkom članku u digitalnoj verziji, broju preuzimanja, dijeljenja i spominjanja na raznim društvenim mrežama i sl

Pengaruh Citra Merek dan Kualitas yang Dipersepsi Konsumen terhadap Kepuasan Pelanggan Grabcar di Surabaya

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui dampak hubungan citra merek dan kualitas yang dipersepsi konsumen pada GrabCar di Surabaya. Sampel yang di­gu­na­kan adalah masyarakat Surabaya yang pernah meng­gu­na­kan GrabCar lebih dari 2 kali dan dalam kurun waktu ku­rang dari 3 bulan terakhir. Hasil dari penelitian ini me­nun­jukkan bahwa citra merek dan kualitas yang dipersepsi kon­sumen memiliki efek positif pada kepuasan pelanggan. Pe­ne­liti menyarankan agar GrabCar menyediakan program pe­latih­an untuk para driver agar semakin berkualitas dan pro­fesiona

Generation

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/generation_1968/1019/thumbnail.jp

Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study.

INTRODUCTION: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. RESULTS: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. CONCLUSIONS: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them

Updated S2 K guidelines for the management of bullous pemphigoid initiated by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV).

BACKGROUND Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes. This disease typically affects the elderly and presents with itch and localized or, most frequently, generalized bullous lesions. A subset of patients only develops excoriations, prurigo-like lesions, and eczematous and/or urticarial erythematous lesions. The disease, which is significantly associated with neurological disorders, has high morbidity and severely impacts the quality of life. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY The Autoimmune blistering diseases Task Force of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology sought to update the guidelines for the management of BP based on new clinical information, and new evidence on diagnostic tools and interventions. The recommendations are either evidence-based or rely on expert opinion. The degree of consent among all task force members was included. RESULTS Treatment depends on the severity of BP and patients' comorbidities. High-potency topical corticosteroids are recommended as the mainstay of treatment whenever possible. Oral prednisone at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day is a recommended alternative. In case of contraindications or resistance to corticosteroids, immunosuppressive therapies, such as methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil or mycophenolate acid, may be recommended. The use of doxycycline and dapsone is controversial. They may be recommended, in particular, in patients with contraindications to oral corticosteroids. B-cell-depleting therapy and intravenous immunoglobulins may be considered in treatment-resistant cases. Omalizumab and dupilumab have recently shown promising results. The final version of the guideline was consented to by several patient organizations. CONCLUSIONS The guidelines for the management of BP were updated. They summarize evidence- and expert-based recommendations useful in clinical practice

Acute mesenteric ischemia : updated guidelines of the World Society of Emergency Surgery

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a group of diseases characterized by an interruption of the blood supply to varying portions of the intestine, leading to ischemia and secondary inflammatory changes. If untreated, this process may progress to life-threatening intestinal necrosis. The incidence is low, estimated at 0.09-0.2% of all acute surgical admissions, but increases with age. Although the entity is an uncommon cause of abdominal pain, diligence is required because if untreated, mortality remains in the range of 50%. Early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention are the cornerstones of modern treatment to reduce the high mortality associated with this entity. The advent of endovascular approaches in parallel with modern imaging techniques is evolving and provides new treatment options. Lastly, a focused multidisciplinary approach based on early diagnosis and individualized treatment is essential. Thus, we believe that updated guidelines from World Society of Emergency Surgery are warranted, in order to provide the most recent and practical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of AMI.Peer reviewe

Classification and quantification of risk factors and treatment strategies for ocular hypertension and primary open-angle glaucoma

AIM: A systematic synthesis of the existing research evidence in the field of POAG is an appropriate methodological approach to achieve the aim of improved overall management of the disease. In the present study we focused on evidence on risk factors other than intraocular pressure (IOP) that are potentially modifiable and/or could be used for timely identification of people at high risk of POAG; and on relative efficacy, tolerability and cost-effectiveness profile of mono-compound topical IOP-lowering medications in treatment of POAG/OHT. METHODS: Systematic review of systematic reviews/meta-analysis of primary prognostic studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A thorough and sensitive search of Medline, Scopus and Cochrane Databases was performed. Methodological quality of reviews and quality of evidence were assessed using the AMSTAR checklist and the GRADE system, respectively. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis softaware version 2.2.064 2011 ( Biostat Inc., Englewood, NJ, USA) and SAS for Windows 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) (macros for multiple modifier meta-regression) were used for data analyses. Conclusions were based on the evaluation of the best available evidence. RESULTS: 3606 records were identified through two different search strategies; 25 studies met the inclusion criteria for evaluation of POAG risk factors and 16 for the evaluation of efficacy and safety of mono-compound topical IOP-lowering drugs. Only six reviews achieved an overall "moderate” quality of evidence. Reviews dealing with risk factors were of low quality in general, whereas individual studies indicated that there were no association between smoking and POAG and a weakly increased risk of POAG in diabetic women. “Moderate quality” reviews dealing with therapy indicate that prostaglandin analogues (PGAs) should be considered equivalent regarding efficacy, but latanoprost is relevantly better tolerated than bimatoprost or latanoprost. Non-PGA compounds do not relevantly differ between each other in either efficacy or safety. Timolol and brimonidine are relevantly less effective than all PGAs. The same is true for CAI vs. bimatoprost. Regarding tolerability, timolol is superior to all PGAs and brimonidine and CAI are superior to bimatoprost. Conclusion: Several potential risk factors for POAG apart from IOP were identified, however, no conclusion regarding their contribution could be drawn as the available information derives from low quality evidence. Available evidence of mono-compound IOP-lowering medications in treatment of POAG/OHT was identified. Moderate quality evidence indicates latanoprost as a mono-compound topical treatment with a most favourable trade-off between benefits and harms

Complications of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma : Results from the CALM Study

Background: The main goal of this post hoc analysis of the Collaboration to Collect Autologous Transplant Outcomes in Lymphoma and Myeloma (CALM) study was to evaluate the rate of short- and long-term infectious and non-infectious complications occurring after ASCT in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: The analysis included all patients with MM from the CALM study who underwent >= 1 ASCT. The primary endpoint of the analysis was to determine the rate of infectious and non-infectious complications after ASCT and to compare them in three time periods: 0-100 days, 101 days-1 year, and >1 year after the first transplant. Results: The analysis included a total of 3552 patients followed up for a median of 56.7 months (range 0.4-108.1). Complication rates decreased with the time from ASCT with 24.85 cases per 100 patient-years from day 0 to 100 days after the transplant, andPeer reviewe

Real-world comparison of the effects of etanercept and adalimumab on well-being in non-systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a propensity score matched cohort study

Background: Etanercept (ETN) and adalimumab (ADA) are considered equally efective biologicals in the treat‑ ment of arthritis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) but no studies have compared their impact on patient-reported well-being. The objective of this study was to determine whether ETN and ADA have a diferential efect on patientreported well-being in non-systemic JIA using real-world data. Methods: Biological-naive patients without a history of uveitis were selected from the international Pharmachild registry. Patients starting ETN were matched to patients starting ADA based on propensity score and outcomes were collected at time of therapy initiation and 3–12 months afterwards. Primary outcome at follow-up was the improve‑ ment in Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) visual analogue scale (VAS) well-being score from baseline. Secondary outcomes at follow-up were decrease in active joint count, adverse events and uveitis events. Outcomes were analyzed using linear and logistic mixed efects models. Results: Out of 158 eligible patients, 45 ETN starters and 45 ADA starters could be propensity score matched result‑ ing in similar VAS well-being scores at baseline. At follow-up, the median improvement in VAS well-being was 2 (inter‑ quartile range (IQR): 0.0 – 4.0) and scores were signifcantly better (P=0.01) for ETN starters (median 0.0, IQR: 0.0 – 1.0) compared to ADA starters (median 1.0, IQR: 0.0 – 3.5). The estimated mean diference in VAS well-being improvement from baseline for ETN versus ADA was 0.89 (95% CI: -0.01 – 1.78; P=0.06). The estimated mean diference in active joint count decrease was -0.36 (95% CI: -1.02 – 0.30; P=0.28) and odds ratio for adverse events was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.16 –1.44; P=0.19). One uveitis event was observed in the ETN group. Conclusions: Both ETN and ADA improve well-being in non-systemic JIA. Our data might indicate a trend towards a slightly stronger efect for ETN, but larger studies are needed to confrm this given the lack of statistical signifcance