738 research outputs found

    Стратегії та підходи до реструктуризації підприємств сфери ЖКГ в умовах реформування власності України

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    Наведено результати дослідження існуючих підходів до стратегічних напрямів реструктуризації підприємств сфери ЖКГ в умовах реформування власності. Ключові слова: стратегія реструктуризації, ЖКГ України, реструктуризація підприємства, антикризове управління, стратегічний менеджмент.Приведены результаты исследования существующих подходов в стратегических направлениях реструктуризации предприятий сферы ЖКГ в условиях реформирования собственности. Ключевые слова: стратегия реструктуризации, ЖКХ Украины, реструктуризация предприятия, антикризисное управление, стратегический менеджмент.The paper presents the results of studying the approaches in strategic directions of restructuring of housing and communal enterprises under property reformation in Ukraine. Keywords: strategy of restructuring, housing and communal facilities of Ukraine, restructuring of enterprise, anti-crisis management, strategic management

    High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy for admitted COPD-patients:A retrospective cohort study

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    BACKGROUND: The use of High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is increasing in admitted COPD-patients and could provide a step in between non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and standard oxygen supply. Recent studies demonstrated that HFNC is capable of facilitating secretion removal and reduce the work of breathing. Therefore, it might be of advantage in the treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). No randomized trials have assessed this for admitted COPD-patients on a regular ward and only limited data from non-randomized studies is available. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to identify the reasons to initiate treatment with HFNC in a group of COPD-patients during an exacerbation, further identify those most likely to benefit from HFNC treatment and to find factors associated with treatment success on the pulmonary ward. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included COPD-patients admitted to the pulmonary ward and treated with HFNC from April 2016 until April 2019. Only patients admitted with severe acute exacerbations were included. Patients who had an indication for NIV-treatment where treated with NIV and were included only if they subsequently needed HFNC, e.g. when they did not tolerate NIV. Known asthma patients were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients were included. Stasis of sputum was the indication most reported to initiate HFNC-treatment. Treatment was well tolerated in 83% of the patients. Cardiac and vascular co-morbidities were significantly associated with a smaller chance of successful treatment (Respectively OR = 0.435; p = 0.013 and OR = 0.493;p = 0.035). Clinical assessment judged HFNC-treatment to be successful in 61% of the patients. Furthermore, in-hospital treatment with NIV was associated with a higher chance of HFNC failure afterwards (OR = 0.439; p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: This large retrospective study showed that HFNC-treatment in patients with an AECOPD was initiated most often for sputum stasis as primary reason. Factors associated with improved outcomes of HFNC-treatment was the absence of vascular and/or cardiac co-morbidities and no need for in-hospital NIV-treatment

    Nationwide Real-world Cohort Study of First-line Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mutated Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

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    Most trials regarding tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer comprised selected series from Asian populations. We found that Western European patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer who received first-line treatment with regular tyrosine kinase inhibitors have a median overall survival of 20.2 months in our large nationwide real-world cohort. In patients with brain metastasis, erlotinib showed superior results compared with gefitinib and was similar to afatinib. Background: Only a few randomized trials directly compared the relative efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and most trials comprised selected series from Asian populations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the overall survival (OS) of advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC in a large white population and to evaluate variation between different TKIs and identify predictors of survival. Patients and Methods: Information about clinical characteristics, treatment, and survival for 873 patients with stage IV EGFR + NSCLC, diagnosed from 2015 through 2017, was derived from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. OS was evaluated by actuarial analysis and multivariable Cox regression. Prognostic factors are reported as hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 596 (68%) patients received first-line treatment with regular TKIs, providing a median survival of 20.2 months. Forty-five percent of patients were 70 years and older, and 54% of patients had distant metastasis in multiple organs. In the multivariate analysis, survival was significantly worse for men, and patients with higher age, poorer performance, and >= 3 organs with metastasis. Compared with erlotinib, OS was worse for gefitinib users (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.64), predominantly in patients with brain metastasis. Conclusion: Dutch patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who received first-line treatment with regular TKIs have a median OS of 20.2 months in a nationwide real-world cohort. In patients with brain metastasis, erlotinib showed superior results compared with gefitinib and was similar to afatinib. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

    Two Photon Contribution to Polarization in K+π+μ+μK^+ \rightarrow \pi^+ \mu^+ \mu^-

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    Short distance physics involving virtual top and charm quarks contributes to μ+\mu^+ (and μ\mu^-) polarization in the decay K+π+μ+μK^+ \rightarrow \pi^+ \mu^+ \mu^-. Measurement of the parity violating asymmetry (ΓRΓL)/(ΓR+ΓL)(\Gamma_R - \Gamma_L)/(\Gamma_R + \Gamma_L), where ΓR\Gamma_R and ΓL\Gamma_L are the rates to produce right and left-handed μ+\mu^+, may provide valuable information on the unitarity triangle. The parity violating asymmetry also gets a contribution from Feynman diagrams with two photon intermediate states. We estimate this two photon contribution to the asymmetry and discuss briefly the two photon contribution to time reversal odd asymmetries that involve both the μ+\mu^+ and μ\mu^- polarizations.Comment: (19 pages, 5 figures available on request. Uses phyzzx), CALT-68-1798, UCSD/PTH 92-2

    Complementary Control of Sensory Adaptation by Two Types of Cortical Interneurons

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    Reliably detecting unexpected sounds is important for environmental awareness and survival. By selectively reducing responses to frequently, but not rarely, occurring sounds, auditory cortical neurons are thought to enhance the brain\u27s ability to detect unexpected events through stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA). The majority of neurons in the primary auditory cortex exhibit SSA, yet little is known about the underlying cortical circuits. We found that two types of cortical interneurons differentially amplify SSA in putative excitatory neurons. Parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVs) amplify SSA by providing non-specific inhibition: optogenetic suppression of PVs led to an equal increase in responses to frequent and rare tones. In contrast, somatostatin-positive interneurons (SOMs) selectively reduce excitatory responses to frequent tones: suppression of SOMs led to an increase in responses to frequent, but not to rare tones. A mutually coupled excitatory-inhibitory network model accounts for distinct mechanisms by which cortical inhibitory neurons enhance the brain\u27s sensitivity to unexpected sounds

    Strong ellipticity and spectral properties of chiral bag boundary conditions

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    We prove strong ellipticity of chiral bag boundary conditions on even dimensional manifolds. From a knowledge of the heat kernel in an infinite cylinder, some basic properties of the zeta function are analyzed on cylindrical product manifolds of arbitrary even dimension.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, References adde

    Statistical dynamo theory: Mode excitation

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    We compute statistical properties of the lowest-order multipole coefficients of the magnetic field generated by a dynamo of arbitrary shape. To this end we expand the field in a complete biorthogonal set of base functions, viz. B = sum_k a^k(t) b^k(r). We consider a linear problem and the statistical properties of the fluid flow are supposed to be given. The turbulent convection may have an arbitrary distribution of spatial scales. The time evolution of the expansion coefficients a^k(t) is governed by a stochastic differential equation from which we infer their averages , autocorrelation functions <a^k(t) a^{k*}(t+tau)>, and an equation for the cross correlations . The eigenfunctions of the dynamo equation (with eigenvalues lambda_k) turn out to be a preferred set in terms of which our results assume their simplest form. The magnetic field of the dynamo is shown to consist of transiently excited eigenmodes whose frequency and coherence time is given by Im(lambda_k) and -1/(Re lambda_k), respectively. The relative r.m.s. excitation level of the eigenmodes, and hence the distribution of magnetic energy over spatial scales, is determined by linear theory. An expression is derived for / in case the fundamental mode b^0 has a dominant amplitude, and we outline how this expression may be evaluated. It is estimated that / ~ 1/N where N is the number of convective cells in the dynamo. We show that the old problem of a short correlation time (or FOSA) has been partially eliminated. Finally we prove that for a simple statistically steady dynamo with finite resistivity all eigenvalues obey Re(lambda_k) < 0.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

    Long-term antidepressant use: a qualitative study on perspectives of patients and GPs in primary care

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    Background Antidepressant use is often prolonged in patients with anxiety and/or depressive disorder(s) compared with recommendations in treatment guidelines to discontinue after sustained remission. Aim To unravel the motivations of patients and GPs causing long-term antidepressant use and to gain insight into possibilities to prevent unnecessary long-term use. Design and setting Qualitative study using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with patients and GPs in the Netherlands. Method Patients with anxiety and/or depressive disorder(s) (n = 38) and GPs (n = 26) were interviewed. Innovatively, the interplay between patients and their GPs was also investigated by means of patient-GP dyads (n = 20). Results The motives and barriers of patients and GPs to continue or discontinue antidepressants were related to the availability of supportive guidance during discontinuation, the personal circumstances of the patient, and considerations of the patient or GP. Importantly, dyads indicated a large variation in policies of general practices around long-term use and continuation or discontinuation of antidepressants. Dyads further indicated that patients and GPs seemed unaware of each other's (mismatching) expectations regarding responsibility to initiate discussing continuation or discontinuation. Conclusion Although motives and barriers to antidepressant continuation or discontinuation were related to the same themes for patients and GPs, dyads indicated discrepancies between them. Discussion between patients and GPs about antidepressant use and continuation or discontinuation may help clarify mutual expectations and opinions. Agreements between a patient and their GP can be included in a patient-tailored treatment plan
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