Micrurus fulvius

Number of Pages: 4Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Measuring recovery in deaf, hard-of-hearing, and tinnitus patients in a mental health care setting:validation of the I.ROC

This study was aimed at validating the Individual Recovery Outcomes Counter (I.ROC) for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and tinnitus patients in a mental health care setting. There is a need for an accessible instrument to monitor treatment effects in this population. The I.ROC measures recovery, seeing recovery as a process of experiencing a meaningful life, despite the limitations caused by illness or disability. A total of 84 adults referred to 2 specialist mental health centers for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and tinnitus adults in the Netherlands completed the Dutch version of I.ROC and 3 other instruments. A total of 25 patients refused or did not complete the instruments: 50% of patients using sign language and 18% of patients using spoken language. Participants completed the measures at intake and then every 3 months. In this sample I.ROC demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity. Sensitivity to change was good, especially over a period of 6 or 9 months. This study provides preliminary evidence that the I.ROC is a valid instrument measuring recovery for hard-of-hearing and tinnitus patients using spoken language. For deaf patients using sign language, specifically those with limited language skills in spoken and written Dutch, more research is needed.</p

Functional Movement Disorders During the COVID ‐19 Pandemic: Back to Charcot's Era at the Salpêtrière

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of the preparation method on planar perovskite CH3NH3PbI3-xClx solar cell performance and hysteresis

The present research has been supported by the State Research Programme “LATENERGI” and National Research Programme “Multifunctional Materials and Composites, Photonics and Nanotechnology (IMIS2)”.Organometal halide perovskites are promising materials for lowcost, high-efficiency solar cells. The method of perovskite layer deposition and the interfacial layers play an important role in determining the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In the paper, we demonstrate inverted planar perovskite solar cells where perovskite layers are deposited by two-step modified interdiffusion and one-step methods. We also demonstrate how PSC parameters change by doping of charge transport layers (CTL). We used dimethylsupoxide (DMSO) as dopant for the hole transport layer (PEDOT:PSS) but for the electron transport layer [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)) we used N,N-dimethyl-N-octadecyl(3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilyl chloride (DMOAP). The highest main PSC parameters (PCE, EQE, VOC) were obtained for cells prepared by the one-step method with fast crystallization and doped CTLs but higher fill factor (FF) and shunt resistance (Rsh) values were obtained for cells prepared by the two-step method with undoped CTLs.Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Effect of Lignosilicon on the Content and Antioxidant Activity of the Polyphenols of Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench

Lignin preparations, introduced into soil jointly with buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, variety 'Aiva' (cultivated throughout Latvia) seeds during the sowing in quantities of 20 kg ha-1 and 40 kg ha-1, exerted a favourable effect on the ned in alcohol extracts from the biomass of different morphological parts of buckwheat, were represented mainly by rutin. The content of rutin in the ethanol extracts from the biomass of flowers with bract reached the maximum values in the phase of accomplishing blooming - beginning of fruit formation to be 2.74% in terms of dry mass (exceeding the rutin content development of plants and the synthesis of flavonoids in flowers with bract. Flavonoids, determin the control by 65%) in the variant with 40 kg ha-1 of Lignosilicon. Lignin preparations favoured the increase in the radical scavenging capacity of the alcohol extracts of the biomass of flowers with bract of buckwheat, as well as grain and hulls. The increment of the buckwheat grain crop, in comparison with the control on the background of 40 kg ha-1 of lignin, was 12%, and that on the background of 20 kg ha-1 and 40 kg/ha of Lignosilicon 10% and 15%, respectively

Health economic implications of irbesartan plus conventional antihypertensive medications versus conventional blood pressure control alone in patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and renal disease in Switzerland.

The aim of this health economic modelling study was to investigate the effect of irbesartan combined with conventional antihypertensive medications compared to conventional antihypertensive therapy alone on the progression of nephropathy in patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria in a Swiss setting. In simulated patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes, treatment of microalbuminuria with irbesartan 300 mg daily plus conventional antihypertensive medications was compared to a control regimen (conventional medications excluding angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, other angiotensin-2-receptor antagonist and dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers). Progression from microalbuminuria to nephropathy, doubling of serum creatinine, ESRD, and all-cause mortality was simulated over a 25-year time horizon using a published Markov model adapted to a Swiss setting. Transition probabilities were based on the Irbesartan in Reduction of Microalbuminuria-2 Study, Irbesartan in Diabetic Nephropathy Trial and other sources. Costs and clinical outcomes were discounted at 5% annually according to Swiss guidelines, and a third party payer perspective was taken. Treatment with irbesartan was projected to improve mean life expectancy by 0.57 years compared to conventional antihypertension treatment (undiscounted 1.22 years). Irbesartan treatment was associated with cost savings of CHF 21,488 per patient over the 25-year time horizon. Sensitivity analysis showed that irbesartan therapy remained dominant to conventional antihypertension treatment over a range of plausible assumptions. Addition of irbesartan to conventional antihypertension therapy was projected to improve life expectancy and reduce costs in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria in a Swiss setting

Cost-effectiveness of irbesartan in diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review of published studies

Background. To review published studies on the cost-effectiveness of the use of irbesartan for treatment of advance overt nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Methods. Articles were identified based on a search of the PubMed databases using the keywords ‘irbesartan', ‘ESRD', ‘cost-effectiveness', ‘nephropathy' and ‘costs', and by personal communication with the authors. Only studies published in the last 10 years were included. All costs data from the cost-effectiveness studies were inflated to 2003 Euros using published governmental conversion tables. Results. Seven published studies were identified, spanning the following country settings: the US, Belgium and France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and the UK. In each, the same pharmacoeconomic model was adapted using country-specific data to project and evaluate the clinical and cost outcomes of the treatment arms of the Irbesartan in Diabetic Nephropathy Trial (IDNT) (irbesartan, amlodipine or standard blood pressure control). Mean time to onset of ESRD was 8.23 years for irbesartan, 6.82 years for amlodipine and 6.88 years for the control (values were the same for Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain as transition probabilities for progression to ESRD were all derived from the IDNT). Mean cumulative incidence of ESRD was 36% with irbesartan, 49% with amlodipine and 45% with control treatment. Treatment with irbesartan was projected to improve life expectancy compared to both amlodipine and control in all seven published studies. Analysis of total lifetime costs showed that irbesartan treatment was cost saving compared to the other two treatment regimens, due to the associated reduction in ESRD cases. Cost savings with irbesartan became evident very early; after 2-3 years of treatment in most settings. Conclusions. Modelling studies based on the IDNT published to date suggest that irbesartan treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension and advanced nephropathy is both life- and cost-saving compared to amlodipine or contro