Some Peculiarities of the Development of Small Economies

In terms of intense globalization, the development of economics acquires certain peculiarities. National, regional and international interests intersect and much effort is needed to avoid conflicts, support the development and strengthening of the country. Small scales of economy have a certain affect on the limited resources, and therefore, some extra stimuli to make the development permanent and irreversible are needed. In this respect, direct foreign investments can be prioritized. When describing the association between the GDP and direct foreign investments, the reliability and methods of calculation of statistical data must be considered. In addition, the question as how reasonable it is to make direct foreign investments in some or other field is to be considered. Thorough understanding of the problem and foreseeing the prospects gives the countries with small open economies a chance to develop their national production in the way to support the improvement of the country’s competitiveness

Management of MDR-TB in HIV co-infected patients in Eastern Europe: Results from the TB:HIV study

Objectives Mortality among HIV patients with tuberculosis (TB) remains high in Eastern Europe (EE), but details of TB and HIV management remain scarce. Methods In this prospective study, we describe the TB treatment regimens of patients with multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Results A total of 105 HIV-positive patients had MDR-TB (including 33 with extensive drug resistance) and 130 pan-susceptible TB. Adequate initial TB treatment was provided for 8% of patients with MDR-TB compared with 80% of those with pan-susceptible TB. By twelve months, an estimated 57.3% (95%CI 41.5\u201374.1) of MDR-TB patients had started adequate treatment. While 67% received ART, HIV-RNA suppression was demonstrated in only 23%. Conclusions Our results show that internationally recommended MDR-TB treatment regimens were infrequently used and that ART use and viral suppression was well below the target of 90%, reflecting the challenging patient population and the environment in which health care is provided. Urgent improvement of management of patients with TB/HIV in EE, in particular for those with MDR-TB, is needed and includes widespread access to rapid TB diagnostics, better access to and use of second-line TB drugs, timely ART initiation with viral load monitoring, and integration of TB/HIV care

The development of Georgia and Poland compared to other post-socialist countries

Regional country-level analyses are the subject-matter of many research papers. Such assessments are made of post-socialist countries, as well. The studies are very diverse, as they can concentrate on economic development, the development of societies, or environmental sustainability. This paper analyzes post-socialist countries with regard to the three areas of population, economy and environment. The World Development Indicators database was used for analyzing the trends of individual indicators across the whole spectrum of their values (mean, maximum and minimum values). Against this background, changes that occurred in Georgia and Poland were presented. Despite the considerable differences between these two countries, the values of some of their indicators converged, those being: a declining trend in respect of population growth, similar life expectancy values, an approx. 4% GDP growth, and increasing exports and imports values. No convergence could be shown for the selected areas of study between post-socialist countries

Oxidative Stability of Protease Treated Peanut with Reduced Allergenicity

Oxidative stability and allergenicity are two major concerns of peanuts. This study evaluated the impact of protease treatment of peanuts on its oxidative stability during storage. The raw and dry-roasted peanut kernels were hydrolyzed with Alcalase solution at pH 7.5 for 3 h. The contents of Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 6 in peanuts were determined before and after enzyme treatment by a sandwich ELISA. After drying, the samples were packed in eight amber glass jars and stored at 37 °C for 1–8 weeks. Controls are untreated raw and dry-roasted peanuts packed and stored in the same way as their treated counterparts. Samples were taken biweekly to determine peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as indicators of oxidation (n = 3), and to determine antioxidant activity. Alcalase treatment reduced intact major allergens Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 6 by 100%, 99.8%, and 85%, respectively. The PVs of Alcalase-treated raw and roasted peanuts was lower than those of untreated (p < 0.05) over the 8-week storage. The TBARS of Alcalase-treated raw peanuts were slightly higher than that of untreated (p < 0.05), but the TBARS of Alcalase-treated dry-roasted peanuts were slightly but significantly lower than that of untreated (p < 0.05). The protease treatment increased the antioxidant activities including reducing power, DPPH free radical scavenging capacity, and metal chelating capacity of peanuts

Bedaquiline–Pretomanid–Linezolid Regimens for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Background The bedaquiline–pretomanid–linezolid regimen has been reported to have 90% efficacy against highly drug-resistant tuberculosis, but the incidence of adverse events with 1200 mg of linezolid daily has been high. The appropriate dose of linezolid and duration of treatment with this agent to minimize toxic effects while maintaining efficacy against highly drug-resistant tuberculosis are unclear. Methods We enrolled participants with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (i.e., resistant to rifampin, a fluoroquinolone, and an aminoglycoside), pre-XDR tuberculosis (i.e., resistant to rifampin and to either a fluoroquinolone or an aminoglycoside), or rifampin-resistant tuberculosis that was not responsive to treatment or for which a second-line regimen had been discontinued because of side effects. We randomly assigned the participants to receive bedaquiline for 26 weeks (200 mg daily for 8 weeks, then 100 mg daily for 18 weeks), pretomanid (200 mg daily for 26 weeks), and daily linezolid at a dose of 1200 mg for 26 weeks or 9 weeks or 600 mg for 26 weeks or 9 weeks. The primary end point in the modified intention-to-treat population was the incidence of an unfavorable outcome, defined as treatment failure or disease relapse (clinical or bacteriologic) at 26 weeks after completion of treatment. Safety was also evaluated. Results A total of 181 participants were enrolled, 88% of whom had XDR or pre-XDR tuberculosis. Among participants who received bedaquiline–pretomanid–linezolid with linezolid at a dose of 1200 mg for 26 weeks or 9 weeks or 600 mg for 26 weeks or 9 weeks, 93%, 89%, 91%, and 84%, respectively, had a favorable outcome; peripheral neuropathy occurred in 38%, 24%, 24%, and 13%, respectively; myelosuppression occurred in 22%, 15%, 2%, and 7%, respectively; and the linezolid dose was modified (i.e., interrupted, reduced, or discontinued) in 51%, 30%, 13%, and 13%, respectively. Optic neuropathy developed in 4 participants (9%) who had received linezolid at a dose of 1200 mg for 26 weeks; all the cases resolved. Six of the seven unfavorable microbiologic outcomes through 78 weeks of follow-up occurred in participants assigned to the 9-week linezolid groups. Conclusions A total of 84 to 93% of the participants across all four bedaquiline–pretomanid–linezolid treatment groups had a favorable outcome. The overall risk–benefit ratio favored the group that received the three-drug regimen with linezolid at a dose of 600 mg for 26 weeks, with a lower incidence of adverse events reported and fewer linezolid dose modifications. (Funded by the TB Alliance and others; ZeNix ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03086486. opens in new tab.