No abstract

In the European Union, it is estimated that there are 5.5 million individuals with chronic infection of hepatitis C. Intravenous drug abuse is undoubtedly the key source of the hepatitis C epidemic in Europe and the most efficient mode of transmission of HCV infections (primarily due to short incubation time, but also because the virus is introduced directly into the blood stream with the infected needle). Potentially high-risk and vulnerable populations in Europe (and the world) include immigrants, prisoners, sex workers, men having sex with men, individuals infected with HIV, psychoactive substance users etc. Since there is a lack of direct evidence of clinical benefits of HCV testing, decisions related to testing are made based on indirect evidence. Clinical practice has shown that HCV antibody tests are mostly adequate for identification of HCV infection, but the problem is that this testing strategy does not hit the target. As a result of this health care system strategy, a large number of infected patients remain undetected or they are diagnosed late. There is only a vague link between screening and treatment outcomes since there is a lack of evidence on transmission risks, multiple causes, risk behavior, ways of reaching screening decisions, treatment efficiency, etc. According to results of limited number of studies it can be concluded that there is a need to develop targeted programmes for detection of HCV and other infections, but there also a need to decrease potential harms.

The paper deals with the production and economic indicators of farms in the Republic of Serbia based on data collected from the FADN sample for 2019. The aim of the research is to analyze and evaluate the influence of important factors on profitability of farms of different economic size. According to their economic size, farms are classified into four groups: very small, small-sized, mid-sized and large-sized farms. Factors influencing profitability are grouped into: production management, financial management, human resources management and subsidies and natural factors. The statistical technique used in the paper is a multiple regression model applied to determine statistically significant influence of certain factors on profitability. The results of the research show that equity turnover is the factor with the greatest positive impact on profitability of farms regardless of their economic size. Paid labour has the greatest negative impact on very small, small-sized and mid-sized farms. Further research should focus on analysis of the financial performance of small and medium farms which, based on the available capacities and income, are the main drivers of development of the entire agricultural sector.

Background: Detailed study of the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) is necessary to

Background: Sleep complaints are common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).Venlafaxine is an antidepressant of the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor class. Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) used primarily in the treatment of depression. This study compares the effects of venlafaxine and mirtazapine on sleep continuity measures in DSM-IV MDD patients with insomnia. Method: Patients (N=37) received initial baseline polysomnography evaluations over 2 consecutive nights.Subjects were randomly assigned to either venlafaxine (75-150 mg/day) or mirtazapine (15-45mg/day)treatment for an 8 week,double-blind,double-dummy treatment trial.Single-night polysomnograms were conducted at weeks 1,2,and 8, with depression ratings assessed at baseline and weeks 1,2, 3,4, 6,and 8. Results: Patients receiving mirtazapine (N=20) had significant improvement in objective sleep physiology measures at 8 weeks.Improvement in sleep latency,sleep efficiency,and wake after sleep onset were significant after only 2 weeks of mirtazapine treatment.No significant changes in sleep continuity measures were observed in the venlafaxine group (N=17).Both groups improved clinicaly in mood and subjective sleep measures from baseline, with no differences between groups. Conclusion: These date demonstrate the differential effects of mirtazapine and venlafaxine with significant improvement in favor of mirtazapine ,on objective sleep parameters in MDD patients with insomnia.