Statistical territorial units with purpose of measuring level of development of regions in Serbia

Дан общий обзор существующей классификации статистических территориальных единиц в соответствии с классификацией NSTJ в Сербии. Цель работы - изучить и проанализировать классификации NSTJ в Сербии и определить, соответствует ли она классификации в ЕС. Сформирован перечень возможных мер, которые государство должно предпринять для того, чтобы выровнять степень развития регионов. Рассмотрены возможности использования имеющихся ресурсов. Установлено, что Сербия не имеет региональной политики, целью которой было бы выравнивание регионов и управление их более равномерным развитием в Сербии, как это предусмотрено Конституцией. После распада Югославии в 1991 году Сербия становится одной из европейских стран с крупнейшимими различиями в развитии регионов

Influence of summer temperatures on basic economic and tourism indicators of the middle mediterranean

The Middle Mediterranean is characterized by long, hot, and dry summers, significant historical and cultural values, and the warm Mediterranean sea, making it attractive for coastal tourism. Given these characteristics, the goal of our paper is to analyze the influence of summer temperatures in the region of the Middle Mediterranean on the values of underlying economic and tourism indicators. The method of simple linear correlation and regression was used. Based on the results of testing, we came to the conclusion that the temperatures in the summer months have no significant influence on selected economic and tourism indicators. Also, we conclude that social factors have the greatest influence on these indicators. The coefficients of variation are calculated in the observed period to analyze the variability of the tested values. It could not be identified a statistically significant relationship of indicators with summer temperatures

Haemodynamic and clinical effects of ularitide in decompensated heart failure

Aims Ularitide is a synthetic form of urodilatin, a natriuretic peptide produced in the kidney with vasodilating, natriuretic, and diuretic effects, that offers promise for the management of decompensated heart failure (DHF). We assessed the efficacy and safety of ularitide in treating patients with DHF. Methods and results In this Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 221 DHF patients received either placebo (n=53) or ularitide at 7.5 ng/kg/min (n=60), 15 ng/kg/min (n=53), or 30 ng/kg/min (n=55) as a 24-h continuous infusion. At 6 h, ularitide demonstrated a significant decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (P=0.052, P=0.000004, P=0.000002, respectively) and improved dyspnoea score in the 7.5, 15, and 30 ng/kg/min ularitide group (P=0.0026, P=0.0026, P=0.0013, respectively). Ularitide reduced systemic vascular resistance and increased cardiac index for the 15 and 30 ng/kg/min groups (P=0.017, P=0.00002, respectively). Systolic blood pressure (BP) decreased dose dependency. Heart rate and serum creatinine were unchanged through day 3. Most frequently reported drug-related adverse events through day 3 in all ularitide groups were dose-dependent BP decrease and hypotension. Conclusion Ularitide lowered cardiac filling pressures and improved dyspnoea without apparent early deleterious effects on renal function in DHF patients. These results suggest that ularitide may play a role in the management of DHF

Association between loop diuretic dose changes and outcomes in chronic heart failure: observations from the ESC-EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

[Abstract] Aims. Guidelines recommend down-titration of loop diuretics (LD) once euvolaemia is achieved. In outpatients with heart failure (HF), we investigated LD dose changes in daily cardiology practice, agreement with guideline recommendations, predictors of successful LD down-titration and association between dose changes and outcomes. Methods and results. We included 8130 HF patients from the ESC-EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry. Among patients who had dose decreased, successful decrease was defined as the decrease not followed by death, HF hospitalization, New York Heart Association class deterioration, or subsequent increase in LD dose. Mean age was 66±13 years, 71% men, 62% HF with reduced ejection fraction, 19% HF with mid-range ejection fraction, 19% HF with preserved ejection fraction. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] LD dose was 40 (25–80) mg. LD dose was increased in 16%, decreased in 8.3% and unchanged in 76%. Median (IQR) follow-up was 372 (363–419) days. Diuretic dose increase (vs. no change) was associated with HF death [hazard ratio (HR) 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–2.08; P = 0.008] and nominally with cardiovascular death (HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.96–1.63; P = 0.103). Decrease of diuretic dose (vs. no change) was associated with nominally lower HF (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.33–1.07; P = 0.083) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.62 95% CI 0.38–1.00; P = 0.052). Among patients who had LD dose decreased, systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR) 1.11 per 10 mmHg increase, 95% CI 1.01–1.22; P = 0.032], and absence of (i) sleep apnoea (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09–0.69; P = 0.008), (ii) peripheral congestion (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29–0.80; P = 0.005), and (iii) moderate/severe mitral regurgitation (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37–0.87; P = 0.008) were independently associated with successful decrease. Conclusion. Diuretic dose was unchanged in 76% and decreased in 8.3% of outpatients with chronic HF. LD dose increase was associated with worse outcomes, while the LD dose decrease group showed a trend for better outcomes compared with the no-change group. Higher systolic blood pressure, and absence of (i) sleep apnoea, (ii) peripheral congestion, and (iii) moderate/severe mitral regurgitation were independently associated with successful dose decrease

Sex- and age-related differences in the management and outcomes of chronic heart failure: an analysis of patients from the ESC HFA EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

Aims: This study aimed to assess age- and sex-related differences in management and 1-year risk for all-cause mortality and hospitalization in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. Methods and results: Of 16 354 patients included in the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry, 9428 chronic HF patients were analysed [median age: 66 years; 28.5% women; mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 37%]. Rates of use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) were high (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists: 85.7%, 88.7% and 58.8%, respectively). Crude GDMT utilization rates were lower in women than in men (all differences: P\ua0 64 0.001), and GDMT use became lower with ageing in both sexes, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT prescription; however, age >75 years was a significant predictor of GDMT underutilization. Rates of all-cause mortality were lower in women than in men (7.1% vs. 8.7%; P\ua0=\ua00.015), as were rates of all-cause hospitalization (21.9% vs. 27.3%; P\ua075 years. Conclusions: There was a decline in GDMT use with advanced age in both sexes. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT or adverse outcomes. However, age >75 years independently predicted lower GDMT use and higher all-cause mortality in patients with LVEF 6445%

Cardiopoietic cell therapy for advanced ischemic heart failure: results at 39 weeks of the prospective, randomized, double blind, sham-controlled CHART-1 clinical trial

Cardiopoietic cells, produced through cardiogenic conditioning of patients' mesenchymal stem cells, have shown preliminary efficacy. The Congestive Heart Failure Cardiopoietic Regenerative Therapy (CHART-1) trial aimed to validate cardiopoiesis-based biotherapy in a larger heart failure cohort

On a procedure for the simultaneous determination of all zeros of a polynomial

In questo lavoro si considera una procedura d’iterazione per la simultanea determinazione di tutti gli zeri di un polinomio nel caso che essi siano reali e distinti. Si ottengono condizioni sufficienti per la convergenza di una tale procedura.We consider in this paper an iteration procedure for the simultaneous determination of all zeros of a polynomial in the case when they are real and distinct. The sufficient conditions for the convergence of that procedure are obtained

Nonlinear and Linearized Gray Box Models of Direct-Write Printing Dynamics

Control of material metering in material extrusion based additive manufacturing modalities, such as positive displacement direct-write, is critical for manufacturing accuracy. However, in positive displacement direct-write, transient flows are poorly controlled due to capacitive pressure dynamics - pressure is stored and slowly released over time from the build material and other compliant system elements, negatively impacting flow rate startups and stops. Thus far, modeling of these dynamics has ranged from simplistic, potentially omitting key contributors to the observed phenomena, to highly complex, making usage in control schemes difficult. Here, we present nonlinear and linearized models that seek to both capture the capacitive and nonlinear resistive fluid elements of positive displacement direct-write systems and to pose them as ordinary differential equations for integration into nonlinear and linear control schemes. We validate our theoretical work with experimental flow rate and material measurements across a range of extrusion nozzles and materials to address different feature sizes and diverse applications spanning tissue engineering, electronics fabrication, and food science. As part of this experimental work, we explore the contribution of the bulk system compliance and the build material compliance to these dynamics. We show that all models accurately describe the measured dynamics, facilitating ease of integration into future nonlinear and linear control systems. Additionally, we show that while build material compliance may be nearly entirely reduced through appropriate system design, the compliance from build material alone is significant enough to require feedback control to fully control material delivery.Mechanical Engineerin