"Public Debt in Southeast Europe” – Why to enable public participation?

The objective of the study is to analyze various policies, regulation and legislation regarding public debt and processes of the situation in the public finance field, to recognize key problems, propose solutions and advocate for change, with a special focus on monitoring of public finance. Often debt does not serve the needs of the citizens and puts limitations on democracy in a sense that does not imply involvement of citizens and NGOs in the process of decision making in the area of public finances and at the same time is characterized by a low level of transparency. Hence, the study will identify problems in implementation of the existing legislation or identify lack of necessary legislation. This will be the basis for proposing policy recommendations regarding monitoring of public finance for the covered countries and advocating for them. The study analyzes the recent debt trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia with the aim of warning about possible problems with long-term debt sustainability. It is very important to detect debt vulnerabilities and to react in a timely manner

"Public Debt in Southeast Europe” – Why to enable public participation?

The objective of the study is to analyze various policies, regulation and legislation regarding public debt and processes of the situation in the public finance field, to recognize key problems, propose solutions and advocate for change, with a special focus on monitoring of public finance. Often debt does not serve the needs of the citizens and puts limitations on democracy in a sense that does not imply involvement of citizens and NGOs in the process of decision making in the area of public finances and at the same time is characterized by a low level of transparency. Hence, the study will identify problems in implementation of the existing legislation or identify lack of necessary legislation. This will be the basis for proposing policy recommendations regarding monitoring of public finance for the covered countries and advocating for them. The study analyzes the recent debt trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia with the aim of warning about possible problems with long-term debt sustainability. It is very important to detect debt vulnerabilities and to react in a timely manner

Endoscopic ear surgery in Canada: a cross-sectional study

Background: Endoscopic ear surgery is an emerging technique with recent literature highlighting advantages over the traditional microscopic approach. This study aims to characterize the current status of endoscopic ear surgery in Canada and better understand the beliefs and concerns of the otolaryngology – head & neck surgery community regarding this technique. Methods A cross-sectional survey study of Canadian otolaryngologists was performed. Members of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology were contacted though an online survey carried out in 2015. Results The majority of participants in this study (70 %) used an endoscope in their practice, with a large proportion utilizing the endoscope for cholesteatoma or tympanoplasty surgery. To date, 38 Canadian otolaryngologists (70 % of respondents) have used an endoscope for at least 1 surgical case, but only 6 (11 %) have performed more than 50 endoscopic cases. Of the otolaryngologists who use endoscopes regularly, the majority still use the microscope as their primary instrument and use the endoscope only as an adjunct during surgery. However, the general attitude surrounding endoscopes is positive; 81 % believe that endoscopes have a role to play in the future of ear surgery and 53 % indicated they were likely to use endoscopes in their future practice. Participants who were earlier in their practice or who had more exposure to endoscopic techniques in their career were more likely to have a positive stance towards endoscopic ear surgery (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). The main concern regarding endoscopic ear surgery was the technical challenge of one-handed surgery, while the primary perceived advantage was the reduced rates of residual or recurrent disease. Conclusions Endoscopic ear surgery is a new technique that is gaining momentum in Canada and there is enthusiasm for its incorporation into future practice. Further investment in training courses and guidance for those looking to start or advance the use of endoscopes in their practice will be vital in the years to come.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCSurgery, Department ofReviewedFacult

Additional file 1: of Endoscopic ear surgery in Canada: a cross-sectional study

Endoscopic ear surgery in Canada survey. (DOC 25 kb

The Reliability of PCL/Anti-VEGF Electrospun Scaffolds to Support Limbal Stem Cells for Corneal Repair

Since only few reported studies propose anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) delivery through electrospun scaffolds, this study greatly contributes to the potential prevention of patient’s vision loss, as it explores electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) coated with anti-VEGF for the blockage of abnormal cornea vascularization. In terms of physicochemical properties, the biological component increased the PCL scaffold fiber diameter (by ~24%) and pore area (by ~82%), while ut slightly reduced its total porosity as the anti-VEGF solution filled the voids of the microfibrous structure. The addition of the anti-VEGF increased the scaffold stiffness almost three-fold at both strains of 5 and 10%, as well as its biodegradation rate (~36% after 60 days) with a sustained release profile after Day 4 of phosphate buffered saline incubation. In terms of scaffold application function, the PCL/Anti-VEGF scaffold proved to be more favorable for the adhesion of cultured limbal stem cells (LSCs); this was confirmed by the SEM images, where the cells showed flat and elongated conformations. Further support of the LSC growth and proliferation was confirmed by the identified p63 and CK3 markers after cell staining. These results demonstrate the advantageous effect of the surface-adsorbed anti-VEGF to stop vision loss and help damaged corneal tissue repair

Study of the Properties and Cells Growth on Antibacterial Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Cefuroxime Scaffolds

Abstract Electrospun materials are good candidates for the design of tissue regeneration scaffolds as they can simulate the natural surroundings of tissue cells. The study proposes electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL)/cefuroxime (CFU) scaffolds for human cell culture and investigates the influence of the antibiotic content on scaffold morphology, thermal and mechanical properties. The increase in the CFU concentration resulted in the reduction of fiber diameter and number of deformations. It also influenced the reduction of scaffold thermal enthalpies and improved scaffold break strength. With regard to cell growth, the scaffolds showed precedence in greater colonization of the HeLa cells. Finally, these scaffolds showed compatibility with standard human cell lines, and thus they can be used for the repair of damaged tissues

Study of the Properties and Cells Growth on Antibacterial Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Cefuroxime Scaffolds

Electrospun materials are good candidates for the design of tissue regeneration scaffolds as they can simulate the natural surroundings of tissue cells. The study proposes electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL)/cefuroxime (CFU) scaffolds for human cell culture and investigates the influence of the antibiotic content on scaffold morphology, thermal and mechanical properties. The increase in the CFU concentration resulted in the reduction of fiber diameter and number of deformations. It also influenced the reduction of scaffold thermal enthalpies and improved scaffold break strength. With regard to cell growth, the scaffolds showed precedence in greater colonization of the HeLa cells. Finally, these scaffolds showed compatibility with standard human cell lines, and thus they can be used for the repair of damaged tissues

Otology/Neurotology recommendations – Choosing Wisely campaign

The Choosing Wisely Canada Campaign aims to raise awareness amongst physicians and patients regarding unnecessary tests and treatment. The otology/neurotology subspecialty group within the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Society developed a list of five common otologic presentations to help physicians deliver high quality effective care: (1) Don’t order specialized audiometric and vestibular testing to screen for peripheral vestibular disease, (2) Don’t perform computed tomography or blood work in the evaluation of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, (3) Don’t perform auditory brain responses (ABR) in patients with asymmetrical hearing loss, (4) Don’t prescribe oral antibiotics as first line treatment for patients with painless otorrhea associated with tympanic membrane perforation or tympanostomy tube, and (5) Don’t perform particle repositioning maneuvers without a clinical diagnosis of posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCSurgery, Department ofReviewedFacult