Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) Patterns in Adolescents from a Romanian Child Psychiatry Inpatient Clinic.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) involves deliberately causing harm to one's body without the intention of suicide. As the numbers of adolescents presenting NSSI have been steadily increasing during the last years, we intended to investigate adolescent patients exhibiting NSSI, admitted to our clinic-a Romanian child psychiatry inpatient clinic, over the course of five years. A total of 100 adolescents (80 females, 20 males, mean age: 14.9 years) hospitalized for various neuropsychiatric disorders and engaging in self-harm were studied. The self-harm methods most frequently used in our sample were, for the female group: cutting (all), skin tearing (76%), scratching/pinching (72%), and for males: cutting (all), wound-healing hindrance (85%), striking objects (80%). The initial motivations for NSSI were represented by distress (females 89%, males 90%) and seeking pleasure (females 84%). In terms of the roles of NSSI, it was primarily used for emotional regulation (females 89%) and anger management (males 90%). This study highlights the prevalence of self-harm in hospitalized adolescents, differences in methods and motivations between genders, and the need for more targeted therapy interventions. By documenting trends, investigating underlying motivations and functions, and proposing hypotheses for further research, our findings offer valuable insights on adolescent NSSI and have the potential to increase awareness among various clinicians and specialists who interact with adolescents, thus addressing the escalating prevalence of self-harm behaviours among teenagers.

Cognitive Coping Strategies among Inpatient Adolescents with Depression and Psychiatric Comorbidity.

The aim of the present study is to describe and measure the cognitive emotion regulation strategies of inpatient adolescents with clinical depression, aged 13-18, and to analyse these coping strategies in relation to different comorbidities of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). METHODS: There were 112 adolescents with MDD who were admitted to hospital and 78 healthy adolescents included in the study. The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) was used to assess nine specific cognitive coping strategies. A cognitive coping style model for depression in adolescents was described by analysing the differences between the two groups. The CERQ scores in MDD participants, grouped by comorbidity, were also assessed. RESULTS: Adolescents with MDD had significantly higher scores for Self-Blame and Catastrophising strategies, and significantly lower scores for Positive Refocusing, Refocusing on Planning, and Positive Reappraisal. Adolescents with MDD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits had significantly higher scores for Rumination, Catastrophising, and Blaming Others than adolescents with MDD and anxiety or with no comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical depression in adolescents is associated with a cognitive profile that consists of an increased use of maladaptive coping styles and low employment of adaptive strategies. Early identification can contribute to the development of specific, individualised prevention and intervention programmes, while further longitudinal studies are necessary to adequately measure the outcome of these interventions.

Real-world evidence on the use of a fixed-ratio combination of insulin glargine and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) in people with suboptimally controlled type 2 diabetes in Romania: a prospective cohort study (STAR.Ro).

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) fixed-ratio combination on a cohort of Romanian adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). DESIGN: Open-label, 24-week, prospective cohort study. SETTING: 65 secondary care diabetes centres in Romania. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 901 adults with T2D suboptimally controlled with previous oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs)±basal insulin (BI) who initiated treatment with iGlarLixi upon the decision of the investigator. Major exclusion criteria were iGlarLixi contraindications and refusal to participate. 876 subjects received at least one dose of iGlarLixi (intention-to-treat/safety population). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to week 24 in the modified intention-to-treat population (study participants with HbA1c available at baseline and week 24). Secondary efficacy outcomes were percentage of participants reaching HbA1c targets and change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG). RESULTS: Mean baseline HbA1c was 9.2% (SD 1.4) and FPG was 10.8 mmol/L (2.9). Mean HbA1c change was -1.3% (95% CI: -1.4% to -1.2%, p<0.0001) at week 24. HbA1c levels ≤6.5%, <7% and<7.5% at week 24 were achieved by 72 (8.9%), 183 (22.6%) and 342 (42.3%) participants, respectively. Mean FPG change was -3.1 mmol/L (95% CI: -3.3 to -2.8, p<0.001) at week 24. Mean body weight change was -1.6 kg (95% CI: -1.9 to -1.3, p<0.001) at 24 weeks. Mean iGlarLixi dose increased from 19.5 U (SD 7.7) and 30.1 U (10.0) to 30.2 U (8.9) (ratio 2/1 pen) and 45.0 U (11.6) (ratio 3/1 pen). Adverse events (AEs) were reported by 43 (4.9%) participants (18 (2.1%) gastrointestinal) with 4 (0.5%) reporting serious AEs. 13 (1.5%) participants reported at least one event of symptomatic hypoglycaemia, with one episode of severe hypoglycaemia reported. CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world setting, 24-week treatment with iGlarLixi provided a significant reduction of HbA1c with body weight loss and low hypoglycaemia risk in T2D suboptimally controlled with OADs±BI treatment.

Breaking the barriers of animosity: innovation in business models as a positioning strategy.

Consumer animosity is often studied in the large economies of the world, in order to explain the negative feelings generated by an individual towards another country and its products, due to various political, economic and social conflicts. This study presents three specific developments in this field. First, to demonstrate how companies in the retail sector have been able to develop innovations in their business models through their shops and virtual channels, which generate a positive positioning in the mind of the consumer, capable of minimizing animosity towards them. In this way it is shown that a consumer can have strong feelings of patriotism, animosity and ethnocentrism, and yet a positive image towards a brand or product of the country with which the conflict takes place. Second, a contribution to literature regarding the scant research on consumer animosity in developing countries, and specifically in Latin America. Third, an analysis of animosity under a current context of conflict between countries, and not of studies carried out taking situations or facts from the past. In this way, a contribution is generated that allows to understand more the behavior of the consumer and his animosity in societies with emerging economies and as the innovations in business models allow to improve both the economic profitability of a company, as its brand image.

Effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine Gla-300 in insulin-naïve type 2 diabetes subjects in a real-life setting-the GOAL_RO trial.

BACKGROUND: Basal insulin is the first choice for insulin initiation in type 2 diabetes (T2DM), with the second generation of basal insulin analogues having a lower risk of hypoglycemia compared to the first generation of basal insulins. The aim of our study was to assess on a large cohort of insulin-naïve T2DM subjects the effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-300) in a real-life setting. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, non-interventional, 24 weeks, 3 visits (baseline, 3 and 6 months) trial performed in adult T2DM subjects not achieving glycemic target (HbA1c >7%) with prior oral or GLP-1 RA therapy. The study included 1,095 subjects (55.2% M/44.8% F) in 124 study sites. Mean (±SD) age was 61.1±8.5 years while mean duration of diabetes was 8.8±5.2 years. Mean BMI was 31.7±5.4 kg/m2 with 91.2% being overweight or obese. Baseline diabetes treatment included metformin (88.4% of subjects), sulphonylureas (75.4%), DPP-4i (16.7%) and GLP-1 RAs (8%). Comparison between quantitative variables was made with the paired sample t test. RESULTS: Mean HbA1c at baseline was 9.8%±1.7% with a mean fasting plasma glucose (FBG) of 231.5±67.4 mg/dL. Mean HbA1c decreased to 7.7%±1.2% at 6 months with a mean change from baseline of -2.1% (P<0.001). Overall, 30.7% of subjects reached the HbA1c target of 7%. Final mean dose of Gla-300 was 0.4 IU/kg/day. Mean weight gain was 0.4 kg over 6 months. Adverse events (AEs) were reported by 11.1% of subjects with 2.3% reporting serious adverse events (SAEs). Overall, 4.4% of subjects reporting at least one event of symptomatic or confirmed hypoglycemia. Only 7 episodes of nocturnal and one of severe hypoglycemia were reported. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, a significant 2.1% decrease of HbA1c was recorded after 6 months of treatment with Gla-300 with no unexpected safety signals, low risk of hypoglycemia and modest weight gain.

Synthesis and biological activity of some new 1,3,4-thiadiazole and 1,2,4-triazole compounds containing a phenylalanine moiety.

New 1,3,4-thiadiazole, 6, 7 and 1,2,4-triazole derivatives, 8, 9 containing a phenylalanine moiety have been synthesized by intramolecular cyclization of 1,4-disubstituted thiosemicarbazides, 4, 5, in acid and alkaline media, respectively; the thiosemicarbazides were obtained by reaction of hydrazide 3 with appropriate aromatic isothiocyanates. The toxicity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated and the anti-inflammatory study of the triazole compound 9 established an appreciable anti-inflammatory activity that is comparable with that of other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.