ICT industry and resources based analysis of maintenance SME in the Central Europe

Highly competitive situation in Information and Communication technology (ICT) maintenance industry requires a precise analysis of all important factors and carefully defined company strategy which addresses each of these aspects. This paper presents a resource based analysis of family run SME, operating in IT parts and consumables market. In order to understand this complex view, it first describes the company background. It briefly presents the industry key success factors and company strategy of the SME. The value chain analysis helps to name the main organization’s capabilities and evaluates them in terms of costs and customer willingness to pay. Resource audit provides an analysis of key company tangible, intangible and human resources. The outcome of this audit shows that most of SME resources are of an intangible nature. Contrary to the higher mobility of today’s resources, intangible resources of SME such as company reputation, culture and strategic business relations, are mostly immobile and inimitable. Based on the audit all key resources and capabilities are appraised by their strength and importance relative to closest rivals. Results are presented in graph which recognizes the key strengths (family run business related) and weaknesses (IT and finance). The results of the resourced based analysis lead to recommendations for changes in order to create and retain competitive advantage.ICT, resource based analysis, resources, capabilities, strategy, SME, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, GA, IN,

Capacity for the management of kidney failure in the International Society of Nephrology Eastern and Central Europe region:Report from the 2023 ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA)

Delivery of care for kidney failure (KF) globally has a significant disparity; even in some countries, it means end-of-life for the person. The International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) tries to address gaps in KF care and standardize global nephrology care. From the third iteration of the ISN-GKHA, we present data for countries in the ISN Eastern and Central Europe region. The median prevalences of chronic kidney disease (12.8%) and treated KF (873.5 pmp) were higher than the global rates, respectively. Hemodialysis was the most preferred modality for KF in adults, whereas kidney replacement therapy was more balanced in children. Although most of the countries in the region had lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income levels, health expenditures for kidney healthcare were almost generally covered publicly. Nephrologists were responsible for the medical kidney care of people with KF in all countries. There was adequate infrastructure to provide all kinds of treatment for kidney care in the region. Regional characteristics such as high levels of obesity, smoking, and Balkan nephropathy as an endemic disease, coupled with a shortage of workforce and finance, continued to affect kidney care in the region negatively. By making organizational and legislative arrangements, partnerships with national authorities and societies may accelerate the improvement of kidney healthcare in the region

COVID-19 and ANCA-associated vasculitis: recommendations for vaccine preparedness and the use of rituximab.

COVID-19 and ANCA-associated vasculitis - recommendations for vaccine preparedness and the use of rituximab

Comparisons of Guidelines and Recommendations on Managing Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis (AAV) is associated with high morbidity or mortality, especially if not promptly diagnosed and treated. Many inroads have been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology that leads to exploration of novel therapies. Randomized controlled trials over the last 2 decades have better delineated and expanded therapeutic options and set the stage for an evidence-based approach. Since 2014, 4 scientific societies have systematically reviewed the existing data and have formulated evidence-based recommendations for the management of AAV. These recommendations cover diagnosis, remission induction and maintenance treatment, and prevention of long-term complications. This review is a comparative analysis of the recently published recommendations of the European League Against Rheumatism/European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association, the British Society of Rheumatology, the Canadian Vasculitis Research Network, and the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology, and aims to determine common ground among them and highlights the differences among the recommendations

High prevalence of anti-C1q antibodies in biopsy-proven active lupus nephritis

Background. Anti-C1q antibodies (anti-C1q) have been shown to correlate positively with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephritis. Several clinical studies indicated a high negative predictive value, suggesting that active lupus nephritis is rarely seen in patients with no anti-C1q. However, the true prevalence of anti-C1q at the time of active lupus nephritis has not been well established. The aim of this study was to determine prospectively the prevalence of anti-C1q in proven active lupus nephritis at the time of the renal biopsy. Methods. In this prospective multi-centre study, we investigated adult SLE patients undergoing renal biopsy for suspected active lupus nephritis. Serum samples were taken at the time of the biopsy and analysed for the presence of anti-C1q in a standardized way. The activity of lupus nephritis was classified according to the renal histology. Biopsies were also analysed for the presence of glomerular IgG, C1q and C3 deposition. Results. A total of 38 patients fulfilling at least 4/11 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the diagnosis of SLE were included. Out of this, 36 patients had proliferative (class II, III or IV) and two had class V lupus nephritis. All but one patient with proliferative lupus nephritis were positive for anti-C1q (97.2%) compared with the 35% of control SLE patients with inactive lupus nephritis and 25% of SLE patients without lupus nephritis ever. All patients were positive for glomerular C1q (36/36) and 37/38 patients had glomerular IgG deposits. Anti-C1q strongly decreased during successful treatment. Conclusions. Anti-C1q have a very high prevalence in biopsy-proven active lupus nephritis, thus a negative test result almost excludes active nephritis. The data support the hypothesis of a pathogenic role of anti-C1q in lupus nephriti

Inequities in kidney health and kidney care

Acknowledgements The European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) is a not-for-profit organization defending the case of the kidney patients and the nephrological community at the level of the European Commission. The EKHA network has five full members (the European Renal Association, the International Society of Nephrology, the European Kidney Patients Federation, the European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association-European Renal Care Association and the Dutch Kidney Foundation) next to 27 National or Regional Societies as affiliated members. European Kidney Health Alliance is the recipient of support by the European Union in the context of the Annual Work Program 2022 on prevention of non communicable diseases of EU4Health, topic ID EU4H-2022-PJ02, project #Peer reviewedPostprin

Building a network of ADPKD reference centres across Europe: the EuroCYST initiative

BACKGROUND: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common monogenic inherited kidney disease, affecting an estimated 600 000 individuals in Europe. The disease is characterized by age-dependent development of a multiple cysts in the kidneys, ultimately leading to end-stage renal failure and the need of renal replacement therapy in the majority of patients, typically by the fifth or sixth decade of life. The variable disease course, even within the same family, remains largely unexplained. Similarly, assessing disease severity and prognosis in an individual with ADPKD remains difficult. Epidemiological studies are limited due to the fragmentation of ADPKD research in Europe. METHODS: The EuroCYST initiative aims: (i) to harmonize and develop common standards for ADPKD research by starting a collaborative effort to build a network of ADPKD reference centres across Europe and (ii) to establish a multicentric observational cohort of ADPKD patients. This cohort will be used to study factors influencing the rate of disease progression, disease modifiers, disease stage-specific morbidity and mortality, health economic issues and to identify predictive disease progression markers. Overall, 1100 patients will be enrolled in 14 study sites across Europe. Patients will be prospectively followed for at least 3 years. Eligible patients will not have participated in a pharmaceutical clinical trial 1 year before enrollment, have clinically proven ADPKD, an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and above, and be able to provide written informed consent. The baseline visit will include a physical examination and collection of blood, urine and DNA for biomarker and genetic studies. In addition, all participants will be asked to complete questionnaires detailing self-reported health status, quality of life, socioeconomic status, health-care use and reproductive planning. All subjects will undergo annual follow-up. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan will be carried out at baseline, and patients are encouraged to undergo a second MRI at 3-year follow-up for qualitative and quantitative kidney and liver assessments. CONCLUSIONS: The ADPKD reference centre network across Europe and the observational cohort study will enable European ADPKD researchers to gain insights into the natural history, heterogeneity and associated complications of the disease as well as how it affects the lives of patients across Europ

Validation of the EULAR/ERA-EDTA recommendations for the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis by disease content experts

The European League Against Rheumatism recommendations for the management of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis have been recently published. Unique to recommendation development, they were also voted on by members of a learned society. This paper explores the wider validity of the recommendations among people who self-identify as clinicians caring for patients with vasculitis. In addition to the task force, a learned society (European Vasculitis Society-EUVAS) was invited, through online survey, to rate independently the strength of evidence of each recommendation to obtain an indication of the agreement among the final target audience and ultimate end-users of the recommendations. The survey took place in June 2015. Of the 158 EUVAS members surveyed, there were 88 responses (55.7%). There was a large degree of agreement in the voting patterns between EUVAS survey participants and task force members. Notable exceptions were lower grades for the recommendation of the use of rituximab for remission induction in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and for methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil as remission maintenance agents in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis/microscopic polyangiitis by EUVAS members. These results are encouraging and suggest that the voting patterns of the task force are representative of the wider vasculitis community. We recommend future recommendations adopt this approach for data/expert-based treatment guidelines, especially for multisystem diseases

Validation of the EULAR/ERA-EDTA recommendations for the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis by disease content experts.

The European League Against Rheumatism recommendations for the management of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis have been recently published. Unique to recommendation development, they were also voted on by members of a learned society. This paper explores the wider validity of the recommendations among people who self-identify as clinicians caring for patients with vasculitis. In addition to the task force, a learned society (European Vasculitis Society-EUVAS) was invited, through online survey, to rate independently the strength of evidence of each recommendation to obtain an indication of the agreement among the final target audience and ultimate end-users of the recommendations. The survey took place in June 2015. Of the 158 EUVAS members surveyed, there were 88 responses (55.7%). There was a large degree of agreement in the voting patterns between EUVAS survey participants and task force members. Notable exceptions were lower grades for the recommendation of the use of rituximab for remission induction in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and for methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil as remission maintenance agents in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis/microscopic polyangiitis by EUVAS members. These results are encouraging and suggest that the voting patterns of the task force are representative of the wider vasculitis community. We recommend future recommendations adopt this approach for data/expert-based treatment guidelines, especially for multisystem diseases