Institutional change in search of the market: The case of Slovenia

Six main characteristics of an economic order are discussed and empirically evaluated for the case of Slovenia. All of them pertain to the institutional setting ab urbe condita; they comprise the legal and jurisdictional situation, the role of private property, the institutionalised strive at competition among firms and individuals, the liberty of markets, the solution of the big assignment problem, and the approach to foreign-trade relations. All six aspects impinge upon the conditions which confront investors in material and in human capital in Slovenia. The analysis shows that Slovenia has had, for three years now, by and large the same problems that other countries in transition had. For example, it still has, among others, tight regulations regarding foreign exchange transactions, and a highly socialist property system burdened with too complicated procedures of privatisation. The authors conclude that in Slovenia, as in the other formerly socialist economies, transformation should first and foremost aim at being coherent. Secondly, first things should come first; the first thing would be to privatise. With a proper approach of institutional reforms there should be no barrier to achieving two-digit rates of real growth, just like Germany had after transition into a market economy in 1949.

Absence of chronic hepatitis E in a German cohort of common variable immunodeficiency patients

Cases of chronic or prolonged hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections have been described in solid organ transplant recipients, HIV infected patients and in patients with malignancies or idiopathic CD4+ T lymphopenia. It is unknown if HEV infection also takes chronic courses in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). We studied a cohort of 73 CVID patients recruited in a low endemic Central European country. None of the subjects tested positive for HEV RNA or anti-HEV IgG. Immunoglobulin transfusions (n=10) tested negative for HEV RNA but all were anti-HEV positive. To verify that such pooled blood products contain anti-HEV protective antibodies we measured the anti-HEV IgG optical density (OD) values in patients before and after transfusion. Anti-HEV OD values increased after infusion but did not reach the cut-off considered as positive. Thus, chronic HEV infections seem to be rare events in CVID patients in Germany. Commercially available immuno globulin infusions contain anti HEV antibodies and may contribute to protection from HEV infectio

Ambidentate coordination of the tripyridyl ligands 2,2′:6',2"-terpyridyl, tris(2-pyridyl)-amine, tris(2-pyridyl)methane and tris(2-pyridyl)phosphine to carbonylrhenium centres: structural and spectroscopic studies

The reactions of [Re(CO)₅Cl] with the ligands tpy (2,2':6',2"-terpyridine), py₃N {tris(2-pyridyl)-amine}, py₃CH {tris(2-pyridyl)methane}, and py₃P {tris(2-pyridyl)phosphine} in toluene solution realize compounds with the general formulation [Re(ligand)(CO)₃Cl] in which the tripyridyl ligands are bidentate. X-ray structural determinations of fac-[Re(typ)(CO)₃Cl].H₂O and fac-[Re(py₃N)(CO)₃Cl] confirm these assignments. [Re(tpy)(CO)₃Cl].H₂O (C₁₈H₁₃ClN₃O₄Re) is monoclinic, space group P21/n, with cell dimensions a = 7.432(2) Å, b = 17.016(4) Å, c = 14.466(2) Å, β = 93.51(2)°, and Z = 4; full-matrix least-squares refinement on 2435 reflections with I ⩾ 2.5σ(I) converged to a final R = 0.028 and Rw = 0.029. [Re(py₃N)(CO)₃Cl] (C₁₈H₁₂ClN₄O₃Re) is triclinic, space group P1 with cell dimensions a = 13.761(2) Å, b = 14.636(6)Å, c = 11.110(2) Å, α = 110.70(2)°, β = 102.45(2)°, γ = 107.48(2)°, and Z = 4; full-matrix least-squares refinement on 3459 reflections with I ⩾ 2.5σ(I) converged to a final R = 0.038 and Rw = 0.039. If the synthetic procedure is undertaken under irradiation by visible light, for the ligand py₃N a species [Re(py₃N)(CO)₂Cl] (characterized by infrared spectroscopy and conductance measurements) is also formed, in which the ligand py₃N is tridentate. No analogous tridentate species is formed with the ligands tpy or py₃P, although there is evidence that it also forms for py₃CH

Institutional change in search of the market: the case of Slovenia

SIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel A 206102 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Navigation and visualisation with HoloLens in endovascular aortic repair

Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is a minimal-invasive technique that prevents life-threatening rupture in patients with aortic pathologies by implantation of an endoluminal stent graft. During the endovascular procedure, device navigation is currently performed by fluoroscopy in combination with digital subtraction angiography. This study presents the current iterative process of biomedical engineering within the disruptive interdisciplinary project Nav EVAR, which includes advanced navigation, image techniques and augmented reality with the aim of reducing side effects (namely radiation exposure and contrast agent administration) and optimising visualisation during EVAR procedures. This article describes the current prototype developed in this project and the experiments conducted to evaluate it

Automated perfusion calculations vs. visual scoring of collaterals and CBV-ASPECTS: Has the machine surpassed the eye?

PURPOSE: Use of automated perfusion software has gained importance for imaging of stroke patients for mechanical thrombectomy (MT). We aim to compare four perfusion software packages: 1) with respect to their association with 3‑month functional outcome after successful reperfusion with MT in comparison to visual Cerebral Blood Volume - Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (CBV-ASPECTS) and collateral scoring and 2) with respect to their agreement in estimation of core and penumbra volume. METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study (2015–2019) analyzed data from 8 centers. We included patients who were functionally independent before and underwent successful MT of the middle cerebral artery. Primary outcome measurements were the relationship of core and penumbra volume calculated by each software, qualitative assessment of collaterals and CBV-APECTS with 3‑month functional outcome and disability (modified Rankin scale >2). Quantitative differences between perfusion software measurements were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 215 patients (57% women, median age 77 years) from 8 centers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Multivariable analyses showed a significant association of RAPID core (common odds ratio, cOR 1.02; p = 0.015), CBV-ASPECTS (cOR 0.78; p = 0.007) and collaterals (cOR 0.78; p = 0.001) with 3‑month functional outcome (shift analysis), while RAPID core (OR 1.02; p = 0.018), CBV-ASPECTS (OR 0.77; p = 0.024), collaterals (OR 0.78; p = 0.007) and OLEA core (OR 1.02; p = 0.029) were significantly associated with 3‑month functional disability. Mean differences on core estimates between VEOcore and RAPID were 13.4 ml, between syngo.via and RAPID 30.0 ml and between OLEA and RAPID −3.2 ml. CONCLUSION: Collateral scoring, CBV-ASPECTS and RAPID were independently associated with functional outcome at 90 days. Core and Penumbra estimates using automated software packages varied significantly and should therefore be used with caution. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00062-020-00974-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users