Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency

Der von IWF entwickelte Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency soll für eine umfassende Information der Öffentlichkeit über den Aufbau und die Aufgaben der Regierungen, die fiskalischen Ziele und die öffentlichen Haushalte sorgen. Die durch den Verhaltenskodex geforderte Transparenz in der Geld- und Finanzpolitik ist für Caio K. Koch-Weser, Bundesministerium der Finanzen, nicht nur eine elementare Voraussetzung für eine demokratische Kontrolle, sondern ist vor allem vor dem Hintergrund der zunehmenden Globalisierung und der wirtschaftspolitischen Überwachungsfunktion des IWF von Bedeutung. Für Deutschland stehe die Notwendigkeit fiskalischer Transparenz im Rahmen der Europäischen Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion, insbesondere des Stabilitäts- und Wachstumspaktes, und der damit erforderlichen finanzpolitischen Koordinierung im Blickpunkt. Für Dr. Dietmar Hornung, DEKABank, Frankfurt, kann die Implementierung von Standards und Codes dazu beitragen, die Belastbarkeit der Informationen zu steigern und so die Stabilität sowohl des politischen Prozesses zu fördern als auch die Volatilität der Kapitalmärkte zu dämpfen: "Empirische Untersuchungen bestätigen in der Tat den Zusammenhang zwischen fiskalischer Transparenz und fiskalischer Performance. … eine höhere fiskalische Transparenz (geht) im Regelfall mit einem niedrigeren Haushaltsdefizit sowie einem niedrigeren Stand an öffentlichen Schulden einher. Fazit: Der Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency ist ein wirksames Instrument." Für Prof. Dr. Horst Tomann, Freie Universität Berlin, erfordert fiskalische Transparenz, "dass die Prinzipien der Klarheit, der Wahrheit und der Vollständigkeit bei der Aufstellung und Verabschiedung des Budgets befolgt werden. Der Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency, den der IWF im Rahmen seiner Beratungspraxis entwickelt hat, enthält im Grunde nichts anderes."Finanzpolitik, Europäische Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion, Konvergenzkriterien, Haushaltsdefizit, Öffentlicher Haushalt, EU-Staaten, Deutschland

An intelligent and cost-effective computer dosing system for individualizing FK506 therapy in transplantation and autoimmune disorders

The accuracy and precision of an intelligent dosing system (IDS) for FK506 in predicting doses to achieve target drug levels has been prospectively evaluated in transplant and autoimmune patients. For dose individualization, the knowledge base is updated with patient-specific feedback including the current dose, drug level, and the new target level. The study population of 147 patients consisted of 97 transplant patients (liver and kidney) and 50 patients with autoimmune disorders. Patients in the transplant study group were entered sequentially and followed as a cohort. Patients in the autoimmune study group were randomly assigned to one of three predefined FK506 concentration windows (low, 0.1-.3; medium, 0.4-.7; and high, 0.8-1.3 ng/mL) as part of a concentration controlled clinical trial. Predictions of steady-state plasma drug levels were made throughout the clinical course of autoimmune patients and during the first 6 weeks post-transplant in liver and kidney recipients. FK506 concentration in plasma was measured by a monoclonal antibody based ELISA assay. Accuracy was computed as the mean prediction error (mpe). Precision was computed as the root mean squared prediction error (rmspe). The accuracy of the IDS in each study group was as follows: 0.016 ng/mL (liver), -0.034 ng/mL (kidney), and -0.022 ng/mL (autoimmune). Because the 95% confidence interval included zero in each case, the IDS showed no bias. The precision of the IDS in each study group was as follows: 0.133 ng mL (liver), 0.1903 ng/mL (kidney), and 0.1188 ng/mL (autoimmune). These results indicate that the FK506 IDS is both accurate and very precise (reproducible) in transplant and autoimmune patients. The performance of the FK506 compares favorably with previously reported pharmacokinetic dosing methods such as population nomograms and adaptive control feedback methods (least-squares and Bayesian). Based on our findings, this IDS should have a number of important uses relevant to the drug development process, the prescribing physician and the individual patient. It provides an efficient method for implementing concentration controlled clinical trials. It should accelerate the physician's learning curve while at the same time help to maximize therapeutic drug efficacy and minimize toxicity with drugs exhibiting nonlinear kinetics and narrow therapeutic indices. Preliminary studies suggest that these assets result in a significant cost-benefit advantage by reducing the duration of hospitalization. Current studies are in progress to validate this and carefully measure its pharmacoeconomic impact

Intravenous digoxin as a bioavailability standard

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116960/1/cpt1975171117.pd

Handling manuscript rejection: Insights from evidence and experience

The purpose of this article is to provide authors with insights gained from evidence and experience on how to handle rejected manuscripts

Correlation between serum enzymes, isozyme patterns and histologically detectable organ damage

Serum enzyme levels and isozyme profile were utilized as a measure of hepatotoxic response to carbon tetrachloride, mercuric chloride, diethanolamine and thioacetamide. The sensitivity of these measurements was compared with the degree of morphological damage to the liver or kidney as assessed by light and electron microscopy. Morphological damage was present at dosage levels considerably below those necessary to induce detectable enzyme alterations. Generally, advanced degenerative change, including necrosis, had occurred in both the liver and kidney before enzyme alterations were seen.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/33745/1/0000261.pd

Antimicrobial Peptides and Skin: A Paradigm of Translational Medicine

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, cationic, amphiphilic peptides with broad-spectrum microbicidal activity against both bacteria and fungi. In mammals, AMPs form the first line of host defense against infections and generally play an important role as effector agents of the innate immune system. The AMP era was born more than 6 decades ago when the first cationic cyclic peptide antibiotics, namely polymyxins and tyrothricin, found their way into clinical use. Due to the good clinical experience in the treatment of, for example, infections of mucus membranes as well as the subsequent understanding of mode of action, AMPs are now considered for treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and for improving healing of infected wounds. Based on the preclinical findings, including pathobiochemistry and molecular medicine, targeted therapy strategies are developed and first results indicate that AMPs influence processes of diseased skin. Importantly, in contrast to other antibiotics, AMPs do not seem to propagate the development of antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms. Therefore, AMPs should be tested in clinical trials for their efficacy and tolerability in inflammatory skin diseases and chronic wounds. Apart from possible fields of application, these peptides appear suited as an example of the paradigm of translational medicine for skin diseases which is today seen as a `two-way road' - from bench to bedside and backwards from bedside to bench. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Knowledge of Symptoms Among Vietnamese Americans

BACKGROUND: There are few population-based studies of cardiovascular risk factors, knowledge, and related behaviors among Vietnamese Americans. OBJECTIVE: To describe cardiovascular risk factors, knowledge, and related behaviors among Vietnamese Americans and compare the results to non-Hispanic whites. DESIGN: Comparison of data from two populationbased, cross-sectional telephone surveys

Renal and neurological side effects of colistin in critically ill patients

Colistin is a complex polypeptide antibiotic composed mainly of colistin A and B. It was abandoned from clinical use in the 1970s because of significant renal and, to a lesser extent, neurological toxicity. Actually, colistin is increasingly put forward as salvage or even first-line treatment for severe multidrug-resistant, Gram-negative bacterial infections, particularly in the intensive care setting. We reviewed the most recent literature on colistin treatment, focusing on efficacy and toxicity issues. The method used for literature search was based on a PubMed retrieval using very precise criteria