A Public-Private Partnership vélt és valós hangsúlyai Magyarországon = Assumed and actual emphases of Public-Private Partnership in Hungary

Írásunk a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) magyarországi megvalósulásának hangsúlyairól szól. Azt vizsgáljuk, hogy a szakmai közvélemény milyen képet alakíthatott ki e projektekről a szaksajtó olvasásán keresztül. Három tágabb elvi szempont sajtóbeli megjelenésének súlyát elemezzük: a PPP céljai, a feladatok hatékonyabb elvégzésének módja, illetve a társadalmi kontroll megvalósulása áll érdeklődésünk középpontjában. A tartalomelemzés matematikai-statisztikai módszereit alkalmazzuk. Következtetésünk, hogy a PPP-projektek általában még nem elvi lényegük szerint valósultak meg Magyarországon, bár az évek során érzékelhető pozitív irányú elmozdulás: tanulási folyamat történik. Ennek alapján nem szabad a PPP-t mint módszert elvetni a közfeladatok ellátásában, hanem alkalmazási módjának tökéletesítésére kell törekedni. = This working paper focuses on the perceptions of the Hungarian implementation of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. It was examined how PPP was perceived in the wider public through the communication of the most read daily and weekly business journals. We analyzed the proportion of three broad aspects in the articles: the main goals of PPP, efficiency improvement as a substantial opportunity for value creation, and the role of democratic control. We applied the mathematical-statistical methods of content analysis. Our conclusion is that PPP-projects in Hungary are far from the normative model of implementation as discerned from literature, but from year to year a positive shift, a learning process can be observed. Therefore, instead of discarding PPP as a progressive government solution, Hungary should focus on improving the design and implementation of PPP projects

Quantile regression and an application: performance improvement of an emergency department in Eastern Europe

ED (emergency department) overcrowding is a problem faced by hospitals worldwide. Several studies have been performed to find solutions, but only few have proposed to decrease the length of stay by employing a radiologist in the ED. This study aims to improve emergency care in an Eastern European ED by measuring the parameters of crowding, introducing interventions based on the results, and evaluating their outcomes. As the length of stay is a typically skewed distribution variable, robust quantile regression is applied. The number of patients visiting the ED was measured from July 2014 to December 2015. The input, throughput and output parameters of ED crowding were evaluated throughout this period. The time intervals between the various stages of patient visits to the ED significantly decreased during the study period. The continuous measurement of ED process parameters is important to maintain time intervals within a specified range. Decreased process times between the pre- and post-intervention phases of the study were obtained by introducing several staff-centric changes. The presence of a dedicated radiologist in the ED has significantly decreased the turnaround times of imaging studies

Modification of the carotenoid production of mucor circinelloides using different xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous crts genes

Canthaxanthin and astaxanthin are oxygenated derivatives of β-carotene and have several beneficial effects on the animal and human health. They are mainly used as feed additives, especially for fishes and poultry. The aim of the present study is to examine the biological requirements for the microbial production of these natural pigments. Mucor circinelloides has been used as model organism of the microbial carotenoid biosynthesis. Previously, canthaxanthin production was achieved in this fungus by integrating a modified bacterial β-carotene-ketolase gene in the genome of M. circinelloides. In the present study, crtS genes of different X. dendrorhous strains were cloned and expressed in β-carotene producing wild type and canthaxanthin producing mutant M. circinelloides strains. X. dendrorhous is an astaxanthin producing basidiomycete yeast. Previously, it was proven, that the cythochrome-P450 hydroxylase enzyme encoded by the crtS gene has β-carotenehydroxylase activity (ÁLVAREZ et al., 2006). A hypothethical β-carotene-ketolase activity has also been suggested (OJIMA et al., 2006), but it has not been verified yet. In our study, crtS genes with different sequences were amplified and several plasmids were constructed carrying the isolated genes under the control of the regulator regions of the Mucor glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 gene. The plasmids were transformed into the fungal protoplasts. Analysis of the carotenoid content of the transformants revealed astaxanthin production in the resulting strains. This work has been supported by the KTIA-OTKA grant CK 80188

Arteriolar biomechanics in a rat polycystic ovary syndrome model - effects of parallel vitamin D3 treatment.

To clarify the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on arteriolar biomechanics in a rat model and the possible modulatory role of vitamin D3. METHODS AND RESULTS: The PCOS model was induced in female Wistar rats by ten-weeks DHT treatment. Arteriolar biomechanics was tested in arterioles by pressure arteriography in control as well as DHT- and DHT with vitamin D3-treated animals in contracted and passive conditions. Increased wall stress and distensibility as well as increased vascular lumen were detected after DHT treatment. Concomitant vitamin D3 treatment lowered the mechanical load of the arterioles and restored the vascular diameter. CONCLUSION: The hyperandrogenic state resulted in more rigid, less flexible arteriolar walls with increased vascular lumen compared with controls. DHT treatment caused eutrophic remodelling of gracilis arteriole. These prehypertensive alterations caused by chronic DHT treatment were mostly reversed by concomitant vitamin D3 administration

Major Changes of von Willebrand Factor Multimer Distribution in Cirrhotic Patients with Stable Disease or Acute Decompensation

Background There is an unstable balance between pro- and anti-haemostatic processes in patients with cirrhosis. We hypothesized, that in patients with acute decompensation (AD) the major alterations of von Willebrand factor (VWF) could contribute to the pro thrombotic situation as compared to patients with stable (ST) cirrhosis. Patients and Methods We analysed different parameters of VWF, including detailed multimer distribution by densitometry and platelet adhesion, together with a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type-1 motifs 13 (ADAMTS13) activity and antigen and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with ST cirrhosis (n = 99), with AD (n = 54) and controls (n = 92). Results VWF antigen, ristocetin co-factor as well as collagen-binding activities were elevated in both cirrhotic groups in a stepwise manner. There was a decrease in high and an increase in low molecular weight multimer ratios in the majority of ST cirrhosis. However, in 24 out of 54 AD patients, ultra-large VWF multimers (ultra-large molecular weight multimers [ULMWM]) were found. ADAMTS13 activity in ST and AD patients without ULMWM was similar to controls (median [interquartile range; IQR]%: 98 [67-132] and 91 [60-110] vs. 106 [88-117], respectively). The presence of ULMWM in AD patients was associated with low ADAMTS13 activity [33 (24-49)%] and high CRP level [23 (7.1-83.6) mg/L]. Adhesion of normal platelets showed a stepwise increase in the presence of cirrhotic plasmas, reaching the highest level in AD patients with ULMWM. Conclusion Characteristic changes of VWF parameters are seen in ST cirrhosis. In AD patients, highly increased VWF and reduced ADAMTS13 activity could be found, along with the presence of ULMWM, which are possible markers and contributors of the disease progression

A complete nicotinate degradation pathway in the microbial eukaryote Aspergillus nidulans

Several strikingly different aerobic and anaerobic pathways of nicotinate breakdown are extant in bacteria. Here, through reverse genetics and analytical techniques we elucidated in Aspergillus nidulans, a complete eukaryotic nicotinate utilization pathway. The pathway extant in this fungus and other ascomycetes, is quite different from bacterial ones. All intermediate metabolites were identified. The cognate proteins, encoded by eleven genes (hxn) mapping in three clusters are co-regulated by a specific transcription factor. Several enzymatic steps have no prokaryotic equivalent and two metabolites, 3-hydroxypiperidine-2,6-dione and 5,6-dihydroxypiperidine-2-one, have not been identified previously in any organism, the latter being a novel chemical compound. Hydrolytic ring opening results in α-hydroxyglutaramate, a compound not detected in analogous prokaryotic pathways. Our earlier phylogenetic analysis of Hxn proteins together with this complete biochemical pathway illustrates convergent evolution of catabolic pathways between fungi and bacteria