Macroeconomic conditions of the financial efficiency of food industry enterprises / Uwarunkowania makroekonomiczne efektywności finansowej przedsiębiorstw przemysłu spożywczego

Subject and purpose of work: The subject of this research was the financial efficiency of large food industry enterprises in Poland, and its aim was to determine the strength and direction of the impact of key macroeconomic factors on the level of financial efficiency of those enterprises. Materials and methods: Data from the Central Statistical Office, the results of own research as well as literature on the problem were used. The research period covered the years 2005-2018. Dynamic panel models were applied in the study. Results: The results of the statistical analysis showed, inter alia, that the explanatory variable responsible for the increase in financial efficiency in the food industry was primarily the consumption dynamics in the preceding year. Its growth by 1 pp. ceteris paribus was related to an increase in the EBITDA margin of food industry enterprises by over 0.23 pp on average. Conclusions:The main conclusion concerned the statement that the rise in the inflation rate had a negative impact on the financial efficiency of food industry enterprises, while the increase in GDP, consumption and accumulation had a positive effect.Przedmiot i cel pracy: Przedmiotem badań była efektywność finansowa dużych przedsiębiorstw przemysłu spożywczego w Polsce, celem zaś było ustalenie siły i kierunku oddziaływania kluczowych czynników makroekonomicznych na poziom efektywności finansowej tych przedsiębiorstw. Materiały i metody: Wykorzystano dane Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego i wyniki badań własnych oraz literaturę problemu. Okres badawczy dotyczył lat 2005-2018. W badaniach wykorzystano dynamiczne modele panelowe. Wyniki: Wyniki analizy statystycznej wykazały między innymi, że zmienną objaśniającą odpowiedzialną za wzrost efektywności finansowej w przemyśle spożywczym była przede wszystkim dynamika spożycia w roku poprzedzającym, której wzrost o 1 p.p. wiązał się ceteris paribus ze wzrostem marży EBITDA przedsiębiorstw przemysłu spożywczego średnio o ponad 0,23 p.p. Wnioski: Główny wniosek dotyczył stwierdzenia, że negatywnie na efektywność finansową przedsiębiorstw przemysłu spożywczego oddziaływał wzrost stopy inflacji, pozytywnie zaś wzrost dynamiki PKB, spożycia i akumulacji

Synthesis of 11C-methionine through gas phase iodination using Synthra MeIPlus synthesis module

A method of 11C-methionine synthesis using ‘bubbling’ method is presented. 11C-methionine was synthesized via 11C methylation from L-cysteine thiolactone (2 mg) in a 300 μL solution of 2:1:1 (v/v) 1 M NaOH, ethanol, and water at ambient temperature (85°C, 5 min). The radiochemical purity of radiotracer was higher than 99% and enantiomeric purity (L-11C-methionine) was 91.6 ± 0.4%. The final product met the requirements of European Pharmacopoeia monograph. The proposed 11C-methionine synthesis is a reliable tool for routine manufacturing in clinical applications and animal studies

Sugar Alcohol Sweetener Production by <i>Yarrowia lipolytica</i> Grown in Media Containing Glycerol

Most of the world’s annual production of mannitol is by chemical means, but, due to increasing demand for natural sweeteners, alternative production methods are being sought. The aim of the study was to screen Yarrowia lipolytica yeast strains and select culture conditions for the efficient and selective biosynthesis of mannitol from glycerol. From 21 strains examined in the shake-flask culture for mannitol biosynthesis from glycerol (100 g/L), three strains were selected—S2, S3, and S4—and further evaluated in batch bioreactor cultures with technical and raw glycerol (150 g/L). The best production parameters were observed for strain S3, which additionally was found to be the most resistant to NaCl concentration. Next, strain S3 was examined in batch culture with regard to the initial glycerol concentration (from 50 to 250 g/L). It was found that the substrate concentrations of 50 and 75 g/L resulted in the highest mannitol selectivity, about 70%. The fed-batch culture system proposed in this paper (performed in two variants in which glycerol was dosed in four portions of about 50 or 75 g/L) resulted in increased mannitol production, up to 78.5 g/L

A case management occupational health model to facilitate earlier return to work of NHS staff with common mental health disorders:a feasibility study

BACKGROUND: The NHS is the biggest employer in the UK. Depression and anxiety are common reasons for sickness absence among staff. Evidence suggests that an intervention based on a case management model using a biopsychosocial approach could be cost-effective and lead to earlier return to work for staff with common mental health disorders.OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a trial of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an early occupational health referral and case management intervention to facilitate the return to work of NHS staff on sick leave with any common mental health disorder (e.g. depression or anxiety).DESIGN: A multicentre mixed-methods feasibility study with embedded process evaluation and economic analyses. The study comprised an updated systematic review, survey of care as usual, and development of an intervention in consultation with key stakeholders. Although this was not a randomised controlled trial, the study design comprised two arms where participants received either the intervention or care as usual.PARTICIPANTS: Participants were NHS staff on sick leave for 7 or more consecutive days but less than 90 consecutive days, with a common mental health disorder.INTERVENTION: The intervention involved early referral to occupational health combined with standardised work-focused case management.CONTROL/COMPARATOR: Participants in the control arm received care as usual.PRIMARY OUTCOME: The primary outcome was the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, study processes (including methods of recruiting participants) and data collection tools to measure return to work, episodes of sickness absence, workability (a worker's functional ability to perform their job), occupational functioning, symptomatology and cost-effectiveness proposed for use in a main trial.RESULTS: Forty articles and two guidelines were included in an updated systematic review. A total of 49 of the 126 (39%) occupational health providers who were approached participated in a national survey of care as usual. Selected multidisciplinary stakeholders contributed to the development of the work-focused case management intervention (including a training workshop). Six NHS trusts (occupational health departments) agreed to take part in the study, although one trust withdrew prior to participant recruitment, citing staff shortages. At mixed intervention sites, participants were sequentially allocated to each arm, where possible. Approximately 1938 (3.9%) NHS staff from the participating sites were on sick leave with a common mental health disorder during the study period. Forty-two sick-listed NHS staff were screened for eligibility on receipt of occupational health management referrals. Twenty-four (57%) participants were consented: 11 (46%) received the case management intervention and 13 (54%) received care as usual. Follow-up data were collected from 11 out of 24 (46%) participants at 3 months and 10 out of 24 (42%) participants at 6 months. The case management intervention and case manager training were found to be acceptable and inexpensive to deliver. Possible contamination issues are likely in a future trial if participants are individually randomised at mixed intervention sites.HARMS: No adverse events were reported.LIMITATIONS: The method of identification and recruitment of eligible sick-listed staff was ineffective in practice because uptake of referral to occupational health was low, but a new targeted method has been devised.CONCLUSION: All study questions were addressed. Difficulties raising organisational awareness of the study coupled with a lack of change in occupational health referral practices by line managers affected the identification and recruitment of participants. Strategies to overcome these barriers in a main trial were identified. The case management intervention was fit for purpose and acceptable to deliver in the NHS.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN14621901.FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 12. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. </p

Are hospitalized or ambulatory patients with heart failure treated in accordance with European Society of Cardiology guidelines? Evidence from 12 440 patients of the ESC Heart Failure Long-Term Registry.

AIMS: To evaluate how recommendations of European guidelines regarding pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for heart failure (HF) are adopted in clinical practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: The ESC-HF Long-Term Registry is a prospective, observational study conducted in 211 Cardiology Centres of 21 European and Mediterranean countries, members of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). From May 2011 to April 2013, a total of 12 440 patients were enrolled, 40.5% with acute HF and 59.5% with chronic HF. Intravenous treatments for acute HF were heterogeneously administered, irrespective of guideline recommendations. In chronic HF, with reduced EF, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers, beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid antagonists (MRAs) were used in 92.2, 92.7, and 67.0% of patients, respectively. When reasons for non-adherence were considered, the real rate of undertreatment accounted for 3.2, 2.3, and 5.4% of the cases, respectively. About 30% of patients received the target dosage of these drugs, but a documented reason for not achieving the target dosage was reported in almost two-thirds of them. The more relevant reasons for non-implantation of a device, when clinically indicated, were related to doctor uncertainties on the indication, patient refusal, or logistical/cost issues. CONCLUSION: This pan-European registry shows that, while in patients with acute HF, a large heterogeneity of treatments exists, drug treatment of chronic HF can be considered largely adherent to recommendations of current guidelines, when the reasons for non-adherence are taken into account. Observations regarding the real possibility to adhere fully to current guidelines in daily clinical practice should be seriously considered when clinical practice guidelines have to be written