EQ-5D in Central and Eastern Europe : 2000-2015

Objective: Cost per quality-adjusted life year data are required for reimbursement decisions in many Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. EQ-5D is by far the most commonly used instrument to generate utility values in CEE. This study aims to systematically review the literature on EQ-5D from eight CEE countries. Methods: An electronic database search was performed up to July 1, 2015 to identify original EQ-5D studies from the countries of interest. We analysed the use of EQ-5D with respect to clinical areas, methodological rigor, population norms and value sets. Results: We identified 143 studies providing 152 country-specific results with a total sample size of 81,619: Austria (n=11), Bulgaria (n=6), Czech Republic (n=18), Hungary (n=47), Poland (n=51), Romania (n=2), Slovakia (n=3) and Slovenia (n=14). Cardiovascular (20%), neurologic (16%), musculoskeletal (15%) and endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases (14%) were the most frequently studied clinical areas. Overall 112 (78%) of the studies reported EQ VAS results and 86 (60%) EQ-5D index scores, of which 27 (31%) did not specify the applied tariff. Hungary, Poland and Slovenia have population norms. Poland and Slovenia also have a national value set. Conclusions: Increasing use of EQ-5D is observed throughout CEE. The spread of health technology assessment activities in countries seems to be reflected in the number of EQ-5D studies. However, improvement in informed use and methodological quality of reporting is needed. In jurisdictions where no national value set is available, in order to ensure comparability we recommend to apply the most frequently used UK tariff. Regional collaboration between CEE countries should be strengthened

Metale ciężkie w wierzchniej warstwie gleb osiedlowych placów zabaw południowych rejonów Krakowa

Excessive amounts of heavy metals can occur in the natural environment especially in urban areas. In big cities district playgrounds are very often the only places for rest and recreation. Children playing on playgrounds can be exposed to the negative impact of the chemical soil contamination. The object of the work was the evaluation of the level of pollution with heavy metals: Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni in top soil layers of playgrounds situated in southern Krakow districts and the estimation of the potential risk resulting from the excessive amounts of these elements. The analyzed playground soils were characterized in the straight majority of cases by natural contents of cadmium, nickel, chromium, lead and copper. The only heavy metal whose content was in general higher than natural was zinc.Nadmierne ilości metali ciężkich mogą występować w środowisku przyrodniczym zwłaszcza w obszarach miejskich. W wielkich miastach, bardzo często jedynym miejscem wypoczynku i rekreacji są osiedlowe place zabaw. Dzieci bawiące się na tych placach mogą być narażone na negatywne oddziaływania chemicznego skażenia gleb. Celem pracy była ocena stopnia zanieczyszczenia metalami ciężkimi: Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr i Ni wierzchnich warstw gleb placów zabaw położonych w południowych dzielnicach Krakowa oraz oszacowanie ewentualnego zagrożenia wynikającego z nadmiernej zawartości tych pierwiastków. Analizowane gleby placów zabaw charakteryzowały się, w zdecydowanej większości przypadków, naturalną zawartością kadmu, niklu, chromu, ołowiu i miedzi. Jedynym metalem ciężkim, którego zawartość była na ogół większa od naturalnej, był cynk

Some New Approaches of the XXX Heisenberg Model of the Two-Magnon Sector

XXX Heisenberg s-1/2 model has been examined in detail during last decades, however, recently one may find some new insights into that issue. Among several approaches describing the eigenproblem for the finite case, a close look into the structure of Bethe equations (BE) for the two-magnon sector case seems to be particularly interesting. BE enable us to evaluate parameters labeling eigenstates of a magnet, however to find appropriate sets of winding numbers, which parametrize BE, one has to apply the Inverse Bethe Ansatz method. On the other hand, one may choose a different - combinatoric approach - which also parametrizes Bethe eigenstates, with the use of rigging numbers describing string configurations. We present an idea of comparison of the concepts mentioned above for the particular case of two-spin deviations sector

Point Group Interpretation of Galois Symmetry of Bethe Ansatz Solutions of Magnetic Pentagonal Ring

Exact solutions of the eigenproblem of the magnetic pentagonal ring exhibit the arithmetic symmetry expressed in terms of a Galois group of a finite extension of the prime field Q of rationals. We propose here a geometric interpretation of this symmetry in the interior of the Brillouin zone, in terms of point groups. Explicitly, it is a subgroup of the direct product C₄ × D₄. We present also the appropriate irreducible representations of the group

An Integrated Photocatalytic-Enzymatic System for the Reduction of CO2 to Methanol in Bio-Glycerol-Water

A hybrid enzymatic/photocatalytic approach for the conversion of CO2 into methanol is described. For the approach discussed here, the production of one mol of CH3OH from CO2 requires three enzymes and the consumption of three mol of NADH. Regeneration of the cofactor NADH from NAD+ was achieved by using visible-light-active, heterogeneous, TiO2-based photocatalysts. The efficiency of the regeneration process is enhanced by using a Rh(III)-complex for facilitating the electron and hydride transfer from the H-donor (water or a water–glycerol solution) to NAD+. This resulted in the production of 100 to 1000 mol of CH3OH from one mol of NADH, providing the possibility for practical application

Laboratory analysis and ray visualization of diffractive optics with enhanced intermediate vision

Background!#!To assess the optical behavior of a new diffractive intraocular lens (IOL) and compare its performance to that of an established extended-depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOL.!##!Methods!#!This study assessed the Proming EDOF Multifocal AM2UX [Eyebright Medical Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., China] and the AT LARA 829MP [Carl Zeiss Meditec, Germany]. An experimental set-up with 0.01% fluorescein solution and monochromatic light (532 nm) was used to visualize the IOLs' ray propagation. In addition, the optical quality of the IOLs was assessed by measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF) values at 50lp/mm and 3.0 and 4.5 mm apertures on the optical bench OptiSpheric® IOL PRO II [Trioptics GmbH, Germany].!##!Results!#!The ray propagation of the two IOLs showed two distinct foci. Light intensity assessment revealed that both IOLs allocate more energy to primary than secondary focus. At 3.0 mm pupil, the MTF values at 50lp/mm for the primary focus were 0.39 and 0.37, and for the secondary focus, 0.29 and 0.26 for the AT LARA and Proming IOLs, respectively. At 4.5 mm pupil, the single-frequency MTF for the primary focus was 0.51 and 0.24 and for the secondary focus 0.21 and 0.15 for the AT LARA and Proming IOLs, respectively.!##!Conclusions!#!When tested with an aberration-free model cornea under monochromatic conditions, the Proming behaved as a low-add bifocal lens; however, its properties did not differ much from the well-established AT LARA EDOF IOL. The AT LARA outperformed the Proming at low defocus (up to 2D), while the latter demonstrated better image quality in the 2-3D range

Simulations of Decentration and Tilt of a Supplementary Sulcus-Fixated Intraocular Lens in a Polypseudophakic Combination Using Ray-Tracing Software

This study aimed to assess image quality after the tilt and decentration of supplementary intraocular lenses (IOLs) in a two-lens configuration. One was designed for sulcus fixation with a nominal power range of 1D–10D and was combined with a capsular fixation 20D IOL. The optical performance of a ray-tracing model was tested under IOL misalignment through the area under the modulation transfer function (MTFa) and wave aberrations. Tilting by 10° resulted in a 4% reduction of the MTFa for a 10D IOL as compared to 9% for the 20D lens. The two models demonstrated good tolerance to a 1 mm decentration; as for the 10D sulcus-fixated lens, the MTFa loss was 2%, and 4% for the capsular fixation lens. Coma and astigmatism increased three- and four-fold, respectively, after a 10° tilt compared to the aberration level induced by the 1 mm decentration. Both analyses showed a trend towards a lower MTF impact and fewer optical errors with decreasing nominal power. In conclusion, when misaligned, low-power sulcus-fixated IOLs might retain their good optical quality. An extreme tilt of 10° has a more detrimental effect on the IOL performance than a 1 mm decentration. The proper alignment of a high-power capsular fixation lens is important in achieving a desirable postoperative outcome

Automatic Quantitative Assessment of Lens Opacities Using Two Anterior Segment Imaging Techniques: Correlation with Functional and Surgical Metrics

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively assess lens opacity, using a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) device for anterior segment assessment, and establish the correlation with Scheimpflug imaging, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and cumulative dissipated energy (CDE). This prospective cross-sectional single-center study enrolled 51 patients (51 eyes) with crystalline lens opacity. Patients with previous ocular surgery, pathologies or general disorders affecting vision were excluded. Eyes were scanned with an SS-OCT device, and lens densitometry was automatically analyzed using a custom MATLAB script which examined lens density, nuclear density and linear density. The same analyses were performed on Scheimpflug images. Preoperative CDVA and CDE during phacoemulsification were recorded. Spearman’s (ρ) and Pearson’s (r) correlation coefficients were assessed according to data normality. Statistically significant correlations were established between SS-OCT and Scheimpflug imaging using lens analysis (ρ = 0.47, p < 0.001), nuclear analysis (ρ = 0.73, p < 0.001) and linear analysis (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). A significant correlation with CDE was found with all the SS-OCT methods (r = 0.57, p < 0.001). Only the nuclear analysis of the SS-OCT scans (Tb = −0.33, p < 0.01) and Pentacam Nucleus Staging (Tb = −0.26, p < 0.05) showed a statistically significant correlation with CDVA. Good inter-device agreement in lens densitometry was found. However, SS-OCT yielded improved lens imaging compared with the Scheimpflug device and a higher correlation with clinical parameters. Thus, high-resolution SS-OCT has the potential to become a preferable option for automatic cataract grading and preoperative planning

Phototropin phosphorylation of ROOT PHOTOTROPISM 2 and its role in mediating phototropism, leaf positioning and chloroplast accumulation movement in arabidopsis

Directional movements impact the ability of plants to respond and adjust their growth accordingly to the prevailing light environment. The plasma-membrane associated protein, ROOT PHOTOTROPISM 2 (RPT2) is a key signalling component involved in chloroplast accumulation movement, leaf positioning and phototropism all which are regulated redundantly by the UV/blue light-activated AGC kinases phototropin 1 and 2 (phot1 and phot2). We recently demonstrated that members of the NON-PHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL 3 (NPH3)/RPT2-like (NRL) family in Arabidopsis thaliana, including RPT2, are directly phosphorylated by phot1. However, whether RPT2 is a substrate for phot2, and the biological significance of phot phosphorylation of RPT2 remains to be determined. Here, we show that RPT2 is phosphorylated by both phot1 and phot2 at a conserved serine residue (S591) within the C-terminal region of the protein. Blue light triggered the association of 14-3-3 proteins with RPT2 consistent with S591 acting as a 14-3-3 binding site. Mutation of S591 had no impact on the plasma membrane localisation of RPT2 but reduced its functionality for leaf positioning and phototropism. Moreover, our findings indicate that S591 phosphorylation within the C-terminus of RPT2 is required for chloroplast accumulation movement to low level blue light. Taken together, these findings further highlight the importance of the C-terminal region of NRL proteins and how its phosphorylation contributes to phot receptor signalling in plants