759 research outputs found
Территориальная организация и проблемы рекреационного лесопользования в Крыму
В статье рассмотрены ресурсный потенциал, пространственная организация, экологические проблемы рекреационного лесопользования в Крыму, предложены принципы устойчивого развития лесных рекреационных территорий.У статті розглянуто ресурсний потенціал, просторова організація, екологічні проблеми рекреаційного лісокористування в Криму, запропоновано принципи стійкого розвитку лісових рекреаційних територій.The recreational potential, the space organization, ecologic problems of the recreational forest management in Crimea are considered in this article. Principles of the sustainable development of forest recreational territories are proposed
National medicines policies – a review of the evolution and development processes
OBJECTIVES: Continuous provision of appropriate medicines of assured quality, in adequate quantities, and at reasonable prices is a concern for all national governments. A national medicines policy (NMP) developed in a collaborative fashion identifies strategies needed to meet these objectives and provides a comprehensive framework to develop all components of a national pharmaceutical sector. To meet the health needs of the population, there is a general need for medicine policies based on universal principles, but nevertheless adapted to the national situation. This review aims to provide a quantitative and qualitative (describing the historical development) study of the development process and evolution of NMPs. METHODS: The number of NMPs and their current status has been obtained from the results of the assessment of WHO Level I indicators. The policy formulation process is examined in more detail with case studies from four countries: Sri Lanka, Australia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and South Africa. RESULTS: The number of NMPs worldwide has increased in the last 25 years with the highest proportional increase in the last 5–10 years in high-income countries. Higher income countries seem to have more NMP implementation plans available and have updated their NMP more recently. The four case studies show that the development of a NMP is a complex process that is country specific. In addition, it demonstrates that an appropriate political window is needed for the policy to be passed (for South Africa and the FYR Macedonia, a major political event acted as a trigger for initiating the policy development). Policy-making does not stop with the official adoption of a policy but should create mechanisms for implementation and monitoring. The NMPs of the FYR Macedonia and Australia provide indicators for monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: To date, not all countries have a NMP since political pressure by national experts or non-governmental organizations is generally needed to establish a NMP. Case studies in four countries showed that the policy process is just as important as the policy document since the process must create a mechanism by which all stakeholders are brought together and a sense of collective ownership of the final policy may be achieved
When moving faces activate the house area: an fMRI study of object-file retrieval
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The visual cortex of the human brain contains specialized modules for processing different visual features of an object. Confronted with multiple objects, the system needs to attribute the correct features to each object (often referred to as 'the binding problem'). The brain is assumed to integrate the features of perceived objects into object files – pointers to the neural representations of these features, which outlive the event they represent in order to maintain stable percepts of objects over time. It has been hypothesized that a new encounter with one of the previously bound features will reactivate the other features in the associated object file according to a kind of pattern-completion process.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fourteen healthy volunteers participated in an fMRI experiment and performed a task designed to measure the aftereffects of binding visual features (houses, faces, motion direction). On each trial, participants viewed a particular combination of features (S1) before carrying out a speeded choice response to a second combination of features (S2). Repetition and alternation of all three features was varied orthogonally.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The behavioral results showed the standard partial repetition costs: a reaction time increase when one feature was repeated and the other feature alternated between S1 and S2, as compared to complete repetitions or alternations of these features. Importantly, the fMRI results provided evidence that repeating motion direction reactivated the object that previously moved in the same direction. More specifically, perceiving a face moving in the same direction as a just-perceived house increased activation in the parahippocampal place area (PPA). A similar reactivation effect was not observed for faces in the fusiform face area (FFA). Individual differences in the size of the reactivation effects in the PPA and FFA showed a positive correlation with the corresponding partial repetition costs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study provides the first neural evidence that features are bound together on a single presentation and that reviewing one feature automatically reactivates the features that previously accompanied it.</p
Twisted Pair Transmission Line Coil -- A Flexible, Self-Decoupled and Extremely Robust Element for 7T MRI
This study evaluates the performance of a twisted pair transmission line coil
as a transceive element for 7T MRI in terms of physical flexibility, robustness
to shape deformations, and interelement decoupling. Each coil element was
created by shaping a twisted pair of wires into a circle. One wire was
interrupted at the top, while the other was interrupted at the bottom, and
connected to the matching circuit. Electromagnetic simulations were conducted
to determine the optimal number of twists per length (in terms of B field
efficiency, SAR efficiency, sensitivity to elongation and interelement
decoupling properties) and for investigating the fundamental operational
principle of the coil through fields streamline visualization. A comparison
between the twisted pair coil and a conventional loop coil in terms of B
fields, maxSAR10g, and stability of when the coil was deformed, was
performed. Experimentally measured interelement coupling between individual
elements of multichannel arrays was also investigated. Increasing the number of
twists per length resulted in a more physically robust coil. Poynting vector
streamline visualization showed that the twisted pair coil concentrated most of
the energy in the near field. The twisted pair coil exhibited comparable
B fields and improved maxSAR10g to the conventional coil but demonstrated
exceptional stability with respect to coil deformation and a strong
self-decoupling nature when placed in an array configuration. The findings
highlight the robustness of the twisted pair coil, showcasing its stability
under shape variations. This coil holds great potential as a flexible RF coil
for various imaging applications using multiple-element arrays, benefiting from
its inherent decoupling.Comment: Revised version; 20 pages, 16 figures, preprin
Impact of pharmaceutical policy interventions on utilization of antipsychotic medicines in Finland and Portugal in times of economic recession: interrupted time series analyses
Objectives: To analyze the impacts of pharmaceutical sector policies implemented to contain country spending during the economic recession – a reference price system in Finland and a mix of policies including changes in reimbursement rates, a generic promotion campaign and discounts granted to the public payer in Portugal – on utilization of, as a proxy for access to, antipsychotic medicines. Methodology We obtained monthly IMS Health sales data in standard units of antipsychotic medicines in Portugal and Finland for the period January 2007 to December 2011. We used an interrupted time series design to estimate changes in overall use and generic market shares by comparing pre-policy and post-policy levels and trends. Results: Both countries’ policy approaches were associated with slight, likely unintended, decreases in overall use of antipsychotic medicines and with increases in generic market shares of major antipsychotic products. In Finland, quetiapine and risperidone generic market shares increased substantially (estimates one year post-policy compared to before, quetiapine: 6.80% [3.92%, 9.68%]; risperidone: 11.13% [6.79%, 15.48%]. The policy interventions in Portugal resulted in a substantially increased generic market share for amisulpride (estimate one year post-policy compared to before: 22.95% [21.01%, 24.90%]; generic risperidone already dominated the market prior to the policy interventions. Conclusions: Different policy approaches to contain pharmaceutical expenditures in times of the economic recession in Finland and Portugal had intended – increased use of generics – and likely unintended – slightly decreased overall sales, possibly consistent with decreased access to needed medicines – impacts. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring and evaluating the effects of pharmaceutical policy interventions on use of medicines and health outcomes
Inpatient prescribing of dual antiplatelet therapy according to the guidelines:a prospective intervention study
Background: In dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), low-dose acetylsalicylic acid is combined with a P2Y12 inhibitor. However, combining antithrombotic agents increases the risk of bleeding. Guidelines on DAPT recommend using this combination for a limited period of between three weeks and 30 months. This implies the risk of DAPT being erroneously continued after the intended stop date. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess the proportion of hospitalized patients treated with DAPT whose treatment deviated erroneously and unintentionally from the guidelines. We also assessed risk factors and the effect of a pharmacist intervention. Methods: All patients admitted to the Spaarne Gasthuis (Haarlem/ Hoofddorp, the Netherlands) who used DAPT between March 25th , 2019, and June 14th , 2019, were, in addition to receiving regular care, reviewed to assess whether their therapy was in line with the guidelines' recommendation and whether deviations were unintended and erroneous. In the event of an unintended deviation, the pharmacist intervened by contacting the prescriber by phone and giving advice to adjust the antithrombotic therapy in line with the guideline. Results: We included 411 patients, of whom 21 patients (5.1%) had a treatment that deviated from the guidelines. For 11 patients (2.7%), the deviation was unintended and erroneous. The major risk factor for erroneous deviation was the use of DAPT before hospital admission (OR 18.7; 95%Cl 4.79-72.7). In patients who used DAPT before admission, 18 out of 58 (31.0%) had a deviation from the guidelines of whom 8 (13.8%) were erroneous. For these eight patients, the pharmacist contacted the prescriber, and in these cases the therapy was adjusted in line with the guidelines. Conclusions: Adherence to the guidelines recommending DAPT was high within the hospital. However, patients who used DAPT before hospital admission had a higher risk of erroneous prescription of DAPT. Intervention by a pharmacist increased adherence to guidelines and may reduce the number of preventable bleeding cases
A comparative human rights analysis of laws and policies for adolescent contraception in Uganda and Kenya
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