Prevention of criminal offences in passenger road transport in EU countries

Effective prevention of criminal offences in passenger road transport includes the development and implementation of safer infrastructure and modern modification of the safety features of vehicles. It is important to adopt and enforce legal initiatives to reduce the main risks that entail serious traffic accidents. One of the main priorities of appropriate prevention is to improve legal education of the public. The aim of the article was to consider the current state of prevention of criminal offences in passenger road transport on the territory of Europe. Observation and comparative law were the main methodological tools. The conducted research showed that the EU states apply a variety of approaches to the prevention of criminal offences in automobile passenger transport, such as Vision Zero and the systemic approach Safe System with its Sustainable Safety sub-topic. The need to adopt the experience of Sweden and the Netherlands, which have achieved impressive road safety indicators, in Ukraine seems justified. The eCall traffic accident detection and prevention system and the ESRA innovative prevention method can be examples for implementation in Ukraine. Belgium’s school education program Road Safety Weeks is aimed at minimizing teenage drunk driving, speeding, driver fatigue and distraction. The idea of the programme can be implemented into the relevant preventive activities in Ukraine. A promising vector of further scientific research will be a comparative analysis of the implementation of crime prevention on passenger road transport in the EU countries

The Modern Structure of Land Use in Volyn Region

Відображено результати дослідження структури земельного фонду й особливостей землекористування у Волинській області та в розрізі її адміністративних районів станом на 01.01.2016 р. Розраховано коефіцієнти розораності території та сільськогосподарських угідь, рівень сільськогосподарської освоєності, частку лісовкритих площ, співвідношення природних і господарських угідь. При цьому показники міст обласного підпорядкування враховувалися до відповідних показників тих адміністративних районів, в межах яких вони знаходяться.The results of the investigation of the land fund structure and the features of land use in Volyn region in the context of its administrative districts on 01.01.2016 are presented. The coefficients of the cultivating territory and agricultural lands, the level of agricultural development, the share of forest cover areas, the ratio of natural and economic lands are calculated. At the same time the indicators of the cities of regional subordination were taken into account according to the administrative districts within which they are located

The structure of forest fund of DP «Prybuz'ke LG»

У статті проаналізовано сучасну структуру лісового фонду державного підприємства «Прибузьке лісове господарство» (далі – ДП «Прибузьке ЛГ») в якості індикатора видів лісокористування та збереженості природних екосистем Волинського Полісся. Для цього детально проаналізовано структуру лісового фонду підприємства за категоріями захисності (експлуатаційні, захисні, рекреаційно-оздоровчі ліси та ліси природоохоронного, наукового, історико-культурного призначення) та за категоріями земель (вкриті лісовою рослинністю, не вкриті лісовою рослинністю, нелісові землі, серед яких виділяють сільськогосподарські угіддя, води, болота, садиби й споруди, траси, піски й інші нелісові землі). Окремо проаналізовано структуру експлуатаційних, захисних, рекреаційно-оздоровчих та природоохоронних лісів за категоріями земель. Оскільки територія досліджуваного лісгоспу входить до двох адміністративних одиниць, проаналізовано структури лісового фонду ДП «Прибузьке ЛГ» межах Любомльського й Шацького районів. Дослідження побудовано на матеріалах ДП «Прибузьке ЛГ» та Волинського обласного управління лісового та мисливського господарства (далі ВОУЛМГ).The article contains analysis of the current structure of the forest state enterprise «Prybuz'ke forestry» (hereinafter − DP «Prybuz'ke LG») as one of the indicators of kinds of forest management and preservation of natural ecosystems of Volyn Polissya. With a purpose to do this, a detailed analysis of the structure of forest enterprises by categories of protection (operational, safety, recreational forests and forest conservation, scientific, historical and cultural) and by categories of land (covered with forest vegetation, not covered with forests, non-forest land, including isolated farmland, water, wetlands, farms and facilities, roads, sand and other non-forest land) were made. A separate analysis of the structure of operation, security, recreation and health improvement and conservation of forest according to the land categories was made. Since the studied forestry area is a part of two administrative units, the structure of forest state enterprise «Prybuz'ke LG» within Liuboml and Shatsk districts was analyzed. The study is based on the material of DP «Prybuz'ke LG» and Volyn Regional Office of a Forestry and Hunting (VROFH)

Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia

BACKGROUND Patients with elevated triglyceride levels are at increased risk for ischemic events. Icosapent ethyl, a highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester, lowers triglyceride levels, but data are needed to determine its effects on ischemic events. METHODS We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with established cardiovascular disease or with diabetes and other risk factors, who had been receiving statin therapy and who had a fasting triglyceride level of 135 to 499 mg per deciliter (1.52 to 5.63 mmol per liter) and a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of 41 to 100 mg per deciliter (1.06 to 2.59 mmol per liter). The patients were randomly assigned to receive 2 g of icosapent ethyl twice daily (total daily dose, 4 g) or placebo. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization, or unstable angina. The key secondary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke. RESULTS A total of 8179 patients were enrolled (70.7% for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events) and were followed for a median of 4.9 years. A primary end-point event occurred in 17.2% of the patients in the icosapent ethyl group, as compared with 22.0% of the patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68 to 0.83; P<0.001); the corresponding rates of the key secondary end point were 11.2% and 14.8% (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.83; P<0.001). The rates of additional ischemic end points, as assessed according to a prespecified hierarchical schema, were significantly lower in the icosapent ethyl group than in the placebo group, including the rate of cardiovascular death (4.3% vs. 5.2%; hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.98; P=0.03). A larger percentage of patients in the icosapent ethyl group than in the placebo group were hospitalized for atrial fibrillation or flutter (3.1% vs. 2.1%, P=0.004). Serious bleeding events occurred in 2.7% of the patients in the icosapent ethyl group and in 2.1% in the placebo group (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with elevated triglyceride levels despite the use of statins, the risk of ischemic events, including cardiovascular death, was significantly lower among those who received 2 g of icosapent ethyl twice daily than among those who received placebo. (Funded by Amarin Pharma; REDUCE-IT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01492361

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure &lt; 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt; 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

The Structure of the Lutsk Built Up Land In and Its Dynamics

У статті проаналізовано структуру забудованих земель м. Луцька та її динаміку впродовж 2010-2016 рр. Здійснено порівняльний аналіз структур забудованих земель м. Луцька і Волинської області та їхніх змін упродовж вказаного проміжку часу. Для цього було визначено частку забудованих земель у Волинській області, частку забудованих земель Луцька у структурі забудованих земель області, частку забудованих земель обласного центру у структурі його земельного фонду. Сучасні структури забудованих земель Луцька та Волинської області відображено графічно; різночасові дані площ різних категорій забудованих земель досліджуваних територій викладено в табличній формі. Дослідження здійснювалося із використанням матеріалів Головного управління Держгеокадастру у Волинській області (дані форми 6-зем станом на 1 січня 2010 р., 2013 р., 2016 р.).In the article the structure of the built-up land in Lutsk and its dynamics during 2010-2016 were analyzed. A comparative analysis of the structures of the built-up land in Lutsk and Volyn region and their changes during the specified time period has been carried out. For this purpose, the share of built-up land in Volyn region, the share of built-up land of Lutsk in the structure of the built-up areas of the region, the share of built-up lands of the regional center in the structure of its land fund was determined. Modern structures of the built-up lands of Lutsk and Volyn region are represented graphically; time data of areas of different categories of built-up lands in the studied areas is presented in tabular form. The research was carried out using materials from the Main Di-rectorate of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadaster in Volyn region (data form 6-zem on January 1, 2010, 2013, 2016). During the investigation, it was found that the built-up land of Lutsk is 5.1% of the built-up land in the Volyn region, and in the structure of the land fund of the regional center, the built-up land occupy 75,2%. The structure of the built-up areas of Lutsk is incomplete: there are no surface mines, quarries, mines and related structures. The main three ones in the structure of the built-up areas of the city are land for recreation and other open land, land for residential construction, and industrial land. In the Volyn region, the largest shares of the structure of the built-up land have land for recreation and other open land, land used for transport and communications, land for residential construction. The transformation of the structure of the built-up areas of Lutsk during 2010-2016 is almost identical to the changes in the structure of the built-up areas of the Volyn region during this time: the largest increase in the area is typical for such categories of land as land used for recreation and other open land, land for residential buildings, land of commercial purpose. Other categories of land have either a tendency to a gradual decrease, or the oscillatory nature of the changes

Analysis and cartographic modeling of the structure of the land fund in Horokhiv district of Volyn region

У статті відображено результати дослідження структури земельного фонду та особливостей землекористування в Горохівському районі Волинської області в розрізі його адміністративних одиниць.The article deals with the results of the investigation of the land fund structure and features of land use in the Horokhiv district of the Volyn region in the conext of its administrative units

Dual endothelin antagonist aprocitentan for resistant hypertension (PRECISION): a multicentre, blinded, randomised, parallel-group, phase 3 trial

Auteurs : the PRECISION investigatorsInternational audienceBackground Resistant hypertension is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The endothelin pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension, but it is currently not targeted therapeutically, thereby leaving this relevant pathophysiological pathway unopposed with currently available drugs. The aim of the study was to assess the blood pressure lowering efficacy of the dual endothelin antagonist aprocitentan in patients with resistant hypertension. Methods PRECISION was a multicentre, blinded, randomised, parallel-group, phase 3 study, which was done in hospitals or research centres in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Patients were eligible for randomisation if their sitting systolic blood pressure was 140 mm Hg or higher despite taking standardised background therapy consisting of three antihypertensive drugs, including a diuretic. The study consisted of three sequential parts: part 1 was the 4-week double-blind, randomised, and placebo-controlled part, in which patients received aprocitentan 12•5 mg, aprocitentan 25 mg, or placebo in a 1:1:1 ratio; part 2 was a 32-week single (patient)-blind part, in which all patients received aprocitentan 25 mg; and part 3 was a 12-week double-blind, randomised, and placebo-controlled withdrawal part, in which patients were re-randomised to aprocitentan 25 mg or placebo in a 1:1 ratio. The primary and key secondary endpoints were changes in unattended office systolic blood pressure from baseline to week 4 and from withdrawal baseline to week 40, respectively. Secondary endpoints included 24-h ambulatory blood pressure changes. The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03541174. Findings The PRECISION study was done from June 18, 2018, to April 25, 2022. 1965 individuals were screened and 730 were randomly assigned. Of these 730 patients, 704 (96%) completed part 1 of the study; of these, 613 (87%) completed part 2 and, of these, 577 (94%) completed part 3 of the study. The least square mean (SE) change in office systolic blood pressure at 4 weeks was-15•3 (SE 0•9) mm Hg for aprocitentan 12•5 mg,-15•2 (0•9) mm Hg for aprocitentan 25 mg, and-11•5 (0•9) mm Hg for placebo, for a difference versus placebo of-3•8 (1•3) mm Hg (97•5% CI-6•8 to-0•8, p=0•0042) and-3•7 (1•3) mm Hg (-6•7 to-0•8; p=0•0046), respectively. The respective difference for 24 h ambulatory systolic blood pressure was-4•2 mm Hg (95% CI-6•2 to-2•1) and-5•9 mm Hg (-7•9 to-3•8). After 4 weeks of withdrawal, office systolic blood pressure significantly increased with placebo versus aprocitentan (5•8 mm Hg, 95% CI 3•7 to 7•9, p<0•0001). The most frequent adverse event was mild-to-moderate oedema or fluid retention, occurring in 9%, 18%, and 2% for patients receiving aprocitentan 12•5 mg, 25 mg, and placebo, during the 4-week double-blind part, respectively. This event led to discontinuation in seven patients treated with aprocitentan. During the trial, a total of 11 treatment-emergent deaths occurred, none of which were regarded by the investigators to be related to study treatment. Interpretation In patients with resistant hypertension, aprocitentan was well tolerated and superior to placebo in lowering blood pressure at week 4 with a sustained effect at week 40

Cardiac myosin activation with omecamtiv mecarbil in systolic heart failure

BACKGROUND The selective cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. METHODS We randomly assigned 8256 patients (inpatients and outpatients) with symptomatic chronic heart failure and an ejection fraction of 35% or less to receive omecamtiv mecarbil (using pharmacokinetic-guided doses of 25 mg, 37.5 mg, or 50 mg twice daily) or placebo, in addition to standard heart-failure therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of a first heart-failure event (hospitalization or urgent visit for heart failure) or death from cardiovascular causes. RESULTS During a median of 21.8 months, a primary-outcome event occurred in 1523 of 4120 patients (37.0%) in the omecamtiv mecarbil group and in 1607 of 4112 patients (39.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86 to 0.99; P = 0.03). A total of 808 patients (19.6%) and 798 patients (19.4%), respectively, died from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.11). There was no significant difference between groups in the change from baseline on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score. At week 24, the change from baseline for the median N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level was 10% lower in the omecamtiv mecarbil group than in the placebo group; the median cardiac troponin I level was 4 ng per liter higher. The frequency of cardiac ischemic and ventricular arrhythmia events was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection, those who received omecamtiv mecarbil had a lower incidence of a composite of a heart-failure event or death from cardiovascular causes than those who received placebo. (Funded by Amgen and others; GALACTIC-HF ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02929329; EudraCT number, 2016 -002299-28.)