Retrospective analysis of total direct medical costs associated with hepatitis B patients with oral antiviral versus pegylated interferon therapy in Turkey

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108669/1/jvh12206.pd

Comparative morphological, anatomical, ecological and chemical studies on endemic Satureja parnassica subsp. sipylea from Turkey

Satureja. parnassica Heldr.et Sart. subsp. sipylea P.H. Davis is a subspecies endemic to Turkey. The anatomical, morphological, ecological and chemical features of S. parnassica subsp. sipylea have been investigated. Plant samples were collected from different regions in Turkey. The morphological features of various organs of the plant such as leaf and flower are described in detail. In anatomical studies, transverse sections of the plant stem and leaf have been examined and supported by illustration and photographs. Ecological studies provide information about the physical and chemical structure of soil types in Spil Mountain and Marmara Island. The chemical composition of the essential oil of aerial parts of the plant was examined

Economic impact and complications of treated and untreated hepatitis C virus patients in Turkey

Onur Başer (MEF Author)Background: According to the Turkish Ministry of Health’s guidelines,standard double therapy, a combination of pegylated interferon-alphaand ribavirin, was the only treatment option for patients withhepatitis C virus (HCV) infection until the end of 2011. Objective: Theprimary objective was to compare risk-adjusted clinical and economicoutcomes between treated and untreated patients with HCV infection.Methods: Patients with HCV infection were identified from theTurkish National Health Insurance Database (2009–2011) using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes.The first prescription date was designated as the index date. Mortalityand hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rates and health care costs oftreated and untreated patients were compared using propensity scorematching. Baseline demographic and clinical factors were controlledin the models. Subgroup analysis was conducted for patient groupswith and without a cirrhosis diagnosis. Results: Out of 12,990 patientsincluded in the study, 1,583 were treated for HCV infection. Out of2,467 patients who had a cirrhosis diagnosis, 231 were treated,whereas out of 10,523 patients without cirrhosis, 1,352 patients weretreated. Treated patients were younger, less likely to be diagnosedwith comorbid conditions, and less likely to reside in Central orEastern Anatolia. After adjusting for baseline demographic andclinical factors, mortality (2.27% vs. 5.31%; P o 0.001) and HCC rates(0.69% vs. 1.96%; P o 0.001) were found to be lower for treatedpatients. Differences were more significant among patients diagnosedwith cirrhosis. Treated patients incurred higher risk-adjusted annualcosts (€6172 vs. €1680; P o 0.001), mainly because of pharmaceuticalcosts (€4918 vs. €583; P o 0.001). Conclusions: HCV infection treatment, although costly, significantly reduces mortality and HCC ratesin Turkey.Scopus - Affiliation ID: 60105072PMID: 2969815

Influence of distance from the host on parasitisation by Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, is considered the main olive pest worldwide, and has been the target of biological control programmes through the release of the braconid parasitoid Psyttalia concolor. Laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the influence of distance from the host on parasitisation, placing larvae of the substitute host Ceratitis capitata at seven distances (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 mm) and four different time periods (7, 15, 30, 60 min). Moreover, field collected olives of Ogliarola Barese cultivar infested by B. oleae were exposed to P. concolor females to confirm its ability to parasitise B. oleae in small olives. Psyttalia concolor oviposition was inhibited at 2.5 and 3 mm due to the ovipositor length of the parasitoid females (2.7 mm). Hosts were easily parasitised at distances between 0 and 1.5 mm. The thin fruit pulp (up to 3.5 mm) of field collected olives allowed the parasitisation to occur also in mature fruits. At the best combination distance/time (0 mm, 30 min), tests performed with different larvae/parasitoid female ratio showed an increasing emergence of P. concolor (from 20% to 57%) with larvae/parasitoid ratio increasing from 0.11 to 0.74. The results of the present study might optimise the mass rearing of P. concolor, through a proper setting of its parameters, such as the host/parasitoid ratio, exposure distances, and interaction time

Analysis of the volatile components of five Turkish Rhododendron species by headspace solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS (HS-SPME-GC-MS)

Volatile constituents of various solvent extracts (n-hexane, CH2Cl2, H2O) of 15 different organs (leaves, flowers, fruits) of five Rhododendron species (Ericaceae) growing in Turkey were trapped with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) technique and analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 200 compounds were detected and identified from organic extracts, while the water extracts contained only traces of few volatiles. The CH2Cl2 extract of the R. luteum flowers was found to exhibit the most diverse composition: 34 compounds were identified, with benzyl alcohol (16.6%), limonene (14.6%) and p-cymene (8.4%) being the major compounds. The CH2Cl2-solubles of R. x sochadzeae leaves contained only phenyl ethyl alcohol. This study indicated appreciable intra-specific variations in volatile compositions within the genus. Different anatomical parts also showed altered volatile profiles. This is the first application of HS-SPME-GC-MS on the volatiles of Rhododendron species

Variation in Rheumatoid Hand and Wrist Surgery among Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population-based Cohort Study

Objective. To examine the rate and variation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related hand and wrist surgery among Medicare (elderly) beneficiaries in the United States, and to identify the patient and provider factors that influence surgical rates. Methods. Using the 2006–2010 100% Medicare claims data of beneficiaries with RA diagnosis, we examined rates of rheumatoid hand and wrist arthroplasty, arthrodesis, and hand tendon reconstruction in the United States. We used multivariate logistic regression models to examine variation in receipt of surgery by patient and regional characteristics (density of providers, intensity of use of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs). Results. Between 2006 and 2010, the annual rate of RA-related hand and wrist arthroplasty or arthrodesis was 23.1 per 10,000 patients, and the annual rate of hand tendon reconstruction was 4.2 per 10,000 patients. The rates of surgery varied 9-fold across hospital referral regions in the United States. Younger patient age, female sex, white race, higher socioeconomic status (SES), and rural residence were associated with a higher likelihood of undergoing arthroplasty and arthrodesis. We observed a significant decline in rate of arthroplasty and arthrodesis with increasing density of rheumatologists. Tendon reconstruction was not influenced by provider factors, but was correlated with age, race, SES, and rural status of the patients. Conclusion. Surgical reconstruction of rheumatoid hand deformities varies widely across the United States, driven by both regional availability of subspecialty care in rheumatology and individual patient factors

Painlev\'e Transcendent Describes Quantum Correlation Function of the XXZ Antiferromagnet away from the free-fermion point

We consider quantum correlation functions of the antiferromagnetic spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg XXZ spin chain in a magnetic field. We show that for a magnetic field close to the critical field $h_c$ (for the critical magnetic field the ground state is ferromagnetic) certain correlation functions can be expressed in terms of the solution of the Painlev\'e V transcendent. This establishes a relation between solutions of Painlev\'e differential equations and quantum correlation functions in models of {\sl interacting} fermions. Painlev\'e transcendents were known to describe correlation functions in models with free fermionic spectra.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX2

Management of expatriate medical assistance in Mozambique

This paper discusses how Mozambique coped with the health system needs in terms of specialized doctors since independence, in a troubled context of war, lack of financial resources and modifying settings of foreign aid. The Ministry of Health (MOH) managed to make up for its severe scarcity of specialist MDs especially through contracting expatriate technical assistance. Different scenarios, partnerships and contract schemes that have evolved since independence are briefly described, as well as self-reliance option possibility and implications. Lessons learned about donor initiatives aimed at contracting specialists from other developing countries are singled out. The issue of obtaining expertise and knowledge in the global market as cheap as possible is stressed, and realistic figures of cost planning are highlighted, as determined by the overall health system necessities and budget limitations

MFI Type Zeolite Aggregates with Nanosized Particles via a Combination of Spray Drying and Steam-Assisted Crystallization (SAC) Techniques

This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis on Zeolites and Zeolite-Like Materials II

The pharmaceutical use of permethrin: Sources and behavior during municipal sewage treatment

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.Permethrin entered use in the 1970s as an insecticide in a wide range of applications, including agriculture, horticultural, and forestry, and has since been restricted. In the 21st century, the presence of permethrin in the aquatic environment has been attributed to its use as a human and veterinary pharmaceutical, in particular as a pedeculicide, in addition to other uses, such as a moth-proofing agent. However, as a consequence of its toxicity to fish, sources of permethrin and its fate and behavior during wastewater treatment are topics of concern. This study has established that high overall removal of permethrin (approximately 90%) was achieved during wastewater treatment and that this was strongly dependent on the extent of biological degradation in secondary treatment, with more limited subsequent removal in tertiary treatment processes. Sources of permethrin in the catchment matched well with measured values in crude sewage and indicated that domestic use accounted for more than half of the load to the treatment works. However, removal may not be consistent enough to achieve the environmental quality standards now being derived in many countries even where tertiary treatment processes are applied.United Utilities PL