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Basalt fiber is a promising material that can be used to create a new class of building materials. It has a number of advantages, including high strength, low weight and resistance to chemicals. One of the disadvantages of basalt fiber is its low alkali resistance. In an alkaline environment, the fiber is destroyed, which limits its use in building materials exposed to alkalis. The paper investigates the effect of heat treatment on the alkali resistance of basalt fiber. It was found that heat treatment at a temperature of 500 0C increases the alkali resistance of the fiber by 80%. This is due to the compaction of the fiber structure and the formation of iron-oxygen tetrahedra on its surface, which are resistant to alkalis. The authors of the article substantiate the feasibility of using heat-treated basalt fiber in transport construction. This material can be used to manufacture new types of building materials that are resistant to alkalis.

Background. The paper presents the results of original research on the diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Lviv (Ukraine). In Ukraine, 146 species of ants from 39 genera of five subfamilies are known at present. Ants play an important role in ecosystems. They build their nests in the soil, which contributes to better soil formation. Ants are important links in trophic chains. They are the most adaptable to settling new territories. The diversity of ants in Lviv is potentially very high due to a good geographical location between Polissia and the Carpathians. However, today there are almost no articles on ants’ taxonomic groups in Lviv. This study aims to present new records of Lviv myrmecofauna, and to investigate ants’ seasonal rhythms. Materials and Methods. The objects of our research were ants (Formicidae), collected from three different park areas in Lviv, and the territories of the Botanical garden of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv between 2020 and 2021. Main sampling methods were hand collecting and usage of sweet baits (Romero, 1989). In addition, we investigated ants’ behavioral traits related to the winter dormancy state. Results and Discussion. We analyzed 90 samples of worker ants. In the course of identification, 20 different species belonging to seven genera (Formica Linnaeus, 1758, Lasius Fabricius, 1804, Camponotus Mayr, 1861, Myrmecina Curtis, 1829, Myrmica Latreille, 1804, Temnothorax Nylander, 1856 and Tetramorium Mayr, 1855) were found, which in turn belong to two subfamilies: Formicinae Lepeletier, 1836 and Myrmecinae Emery, 1877. Numerous species belong to genera Lasius, Formica, Myrmica, and Tetramorium, which are mentioned as common in Eastern Europe. Behavioral research related to hibernation shows that Formica polyctena Forster, 1850 begins to enter hibernation earlier than other species, namely on 30.09.21 at an average air temperature of +12 °C. They were the latest to leave this state, at the end of April 25.04.22 at the same temperature. On the other hand, Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758) remained active the longest in autumn, namely until 21.10.21 at a temperature of +3 °C, and came to the surface one of the earliest on 24.03.22 at +9 °C. Conclusion. We recorded 20 ant species that have not been mentioned for Lviv because of the absence of any published information. The data obtained within this study show the important role of botanical gardens in preserving the biodiversity of ants despite their small area. Therefore, the topic of the diversity of the myrmecofauna of Ukraine, and urban areas in particular, is relevant and insufficiently researched today.

У статті розглядається обґрунтування використання базальтового волокна, як перспективного матеріалу, за допомогою якого можливо отримати новий клас будівельних матеріалів. У результаті встановлено, що збільшення температури сприяє підвищенню лугостійкості волокна. Втрата маси при витримці в лужному розчині після 28 діб становить близько 5 %, тоді як початкове волокно за цей час втрачає понад 30 % маси волокна. Подальше збільшення температури ізотермічної витримки не ефективно через зниження лугостійкості волокон та економічної недоцільності. Для пояснення процесів, що відбуваються в структурі волокна в процесі його термічної обробки, були отримані рентгенограми і спектри вихідного і термообробленого волокна. У процесі термообробки від 300 до 500 0С відбуваються процеси заліковування дефектів, зміни хімічного складу та структури поверхні волокон в результаті окислення Fe+2 Fе+3 та утворення залізокисневих тетраедрів [FеO4]Na із залученням на поверхню волокон лужних катіонів. Обґрунтовано доцільність термічної обробки базальтового волокна при температурі 500 0С, що приводить до ущільнення структури фібри та сприяють підвищенню її лугостійкості, що підтверджується морфоструктурними особливостями поверхні термообробленого базальтового волокна, витриманого у цементному розчині.

У статті розглядаються властивості цементного бетону з використанням комплексної добавки на основі прискорювача твердіння та гідрофобізатора.

У статті розглядаються властивості цементного бетону з використанням добавок пластифікаторів, суперпластифікаторів та гіперсуперпластифікаторів.

Abstract An initial‐boundary value problem for the transient electromagnetic field in the presence of a complicated‐shape scatterer is studied. The considered biconical zero‐thickness and perfectly conducting surface with periodic longitudinal slots has many special cases, each of which is of separate practical interest. A new analytical‐numerical technique is presented that is based on the Mehler–Fock integral transform and the method of analytical regularisation. The source of excitation of the slotted bicone is a radial electric dipole with an arbitrary time dependence on the field. The proposed method makes it possible to obtain an analytical and numerical solution of the problem to carry out a qualitative and numerical analysis, and to study the characteristic features of the main scattering. Due to the use of the method, the initial‐boundary value problem is reduced to a Fredholm type of the second kind system of linear algebraic equations (SLAE‐2). The dependences of the condition number on the problem parameters and the estimation of the SLAE‐2 convergence with larger truncation orders are given. The far‐field radiation patterns are plotted for various values of the problem parameters, the behaviour of the near field at the apex of the slotted cone is studied, and the regime of the slot wave propagation is analysed.

Fuel temperature dynamics was reconstructed for active phase of the accident at the Chernobyl NPP Unit 4. Method of effective temperature calculation for uranium oxide is based on implementation of the CORSOR type mathematical codes and the model of lava-like fuel containing materials (LFCM) formation from fragments of the former core (FFC) in the room 305/2. Calculations were carried out according to release rate of 131I and 137Cs radionuclides during the period from April 26 until May 6, 1986. The rate of temperature drop during the FCM stage cooling bath silicate melt was estimated. It is shown that the main streams of LFCM could be formed at more moderate values of temperatures than it was performed previously. The results of the work are used to verify the “blast furnace” version of LFCM formation and formation of FCM with high uranium concentration.

The problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly relevant every year. It manifests itself not only at the global but also at the local level. The most common cause of these problems is the neglect of the population to the environment. This can be clearly seen in the suburban area, where there is a problem of accumulation of solid household waste and the occurrence of unauthorized dumps. In the suburban area, unlike the city, there are no necessary tools for managing the streams of solid waste. Purpose. To investigate the correlation between the level of environmental awareness of the population of the Babai village and the existing problem of landfills in this village. Results. In the course of the study, the main groups-subjects of economic activity that affect the state of the environment were identified. The survey revealed a low interest of local population in environmental issues. The introduction of environmental practices by residents of the Babai village is due more to economic than environmental reasons. Recommendations were developed for each of the identified groups of stakeholders based on the obtained data. Conclusions. In order to address the problem of solid waste accumulation in Babai, administrative, social and educational groups of decisions were proposed. Administrative decisions include an agreement with the shipping company for the creation of municipal solid waste collection system. Social decisions include awareness campaigning measures aimed at raising the level of environmental culture of the local population. Educational solutions include conducting environmental education work with pupils of the Babai secondary school. Compliance with the selected recommendations by the public and government will help to solve the existing environmental problems.

Висвітлено проблематику самостійної вокальної підготовки студентів-акторів, яка відповідно до синтетичної музично-драматичної суті українського театру, репрезентована як дієвий засіб автоматизації набутих вокальних навичок та професійного самовдосконалення. Наголошено на значущості технічних вправ і вокалізів у процесі відпрацювання вокального дихання, точного інтонування, формування відчуття ритму, свободи володіння динамічними відтінками, урізнобарвлення емоційної палітри, спектра штрихів виконання, розвитку імпровізаційного потенціалу, важливості закріплення вокальних виконавських принципів у контексті інноваційних шляхів розвитку сучасного українського театру, зокрема поширення практики застосування нових технічних засобів.

The article deals with contemporary tendencies of the banking policy of the world. For this purpose, the key issues have been worked out: analysis of the evolution of formation, specification of the essence and main characteristics of the blockchain technology, profiling of the mechanism of the work of the block chain technology, disclosure of the main purpose and the features of the use of smart contracts in the block chain environment, formulation of the advantages and disadvantages that arise in the process of working with smart contracts, analysis of perspective directions of application of smart contracts in the banking system. The study underlines that under current conditions of broad consumption, crypto-currency payments found general application. Such payments are relatively simple: there are wallets, you can transfer money from one wallet to another or several at once. The network is built on principles that allow you to do it without a single center, but the tasks are carried out in a traditional way. Thus, it is an ordinary payment system consisting of people, money and money transfer. Under the influence of the continuous development of technologies, a payment network that allows you to write programs that not only worked with wallets was created, but they themselves would take money out of wallets and decide who and how much to send. Important conditions for smart contracts are transparency, security and universality for all users.

A group of structurally rigid analogues of 2,6-distyrylpyridine was synthesised. Molecular geometry of the synthesised dyes in solutions was studied by 1H-NMR, electronic absorption and fluorescence spectrometry. The spectral data testify all the compounds exist in E-configuration of their styryl residues. The most planar molecular conformation is typical for the compounds with five-membered side aromatic moieties. In the case of pyridines with six-membered aromatic residues steric hindrance results in turning the above mentioned cyclic groups out of the plane of the central pyridine moiety. The violation of planarity in this case is not significant and saves the possibility of π-electronic conjugation in the molecules. The synthesised compounds are characterized by high fluorescence quantum yields in solutions. The electronic absorption spectra of titled pyridines demonstrate low sensitivity to the nature of the substituents introduced into the side aromatic rings. In contrast to this, the fluorescence bands considerably change their position under the influence of electron donor substituents. The fluorescence spectra display substantial positive solvatofluorochromism only in the cases of the dialkylamino-derivatives, especially on going from aprotic solvents to proton donor ones. Generally, the synthesised structurally rigid distyrylpyridine derivatives have prospects for their application as multi-purposes fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to the 4′- and 5′-nitro- and aminofluoresceins, the corresponding 3′-derivatives are practically unexplored. In this paper, we describe the synthesis and spectral properties of 3′-nitrofluorescein and 3′-aminofluorescein, as well as their methyl esters. Among other methods, X-ray analysis, 13C NMR spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry made it possible to establish the molecular structure of the target compounds as well as intermediates and by-products. Some unexpected products, though in small amounts, were revealed within the course of study. Whereas the fluorescence of the double-charged R2− ion of 3′-nitrofluorescein in both aqueous and organic solvents is weak, the R2− anion of 3′-aminofluorescein in a non-hydrogen bonding donor solvent, but not in water, exhibits intensive fluorescence, analogous to the case of 4′- and 5′-aminofluoresceins. Interestingly, the λmax values in water of the R2− ions bearing an NO2 group in the 3′- and 6′-positions are 7 to 10 nm higher than those of the 4′- and 5′-nitro derivatives. The difference was also observed in dimethyl sulfoxide. This correlates with the angles between the xanthene and phthalic planes of the dyes. The dye 3′-aminofluorescein could be used as a fluorescent indicator sensitive to hydrogen bonding ability of the solvent. It could also serve as a platform for synthesizing fluorescent molecular probes for biochemical research, analogous to the very popular application of 4′- and 5′-amino derivatives.

Informatization of architectural design, in particular the increasing use of specialized CAD and software for static and dynamic visualization of architectural and design projects by architects in their activities requires adequate comprehensive modernization of all components of the methodological system for training future architects at university, which in turn determines the introduction of appropriate changes to the paradigm of higher architectural education. The implementation of modern Information Technologies for Architectural Design into the training process of future architects in university has actualized a number of problematic issues among which the most difficult ones are the necessity of modern computers and software, the need for continuous technical service of hardware, network and software, the appropriate level of professional competence of the teaching staff. These problematic issues require considerable financial resources and are mainly related to the use of traditional methods of teaching higher-education disciplines in the teaching process. At the same time, modern ICTs make it possible to abandon established methodologies to a certain extent and reduce the cost of the software and hardware support for the teaching process. Pedagogical innovation is based on the latest "cloud computing" technology and makes it possible to successfully overcome the above-mentioned difficulties in engaging students in mastering modern network technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered several changes in countries' health purchasing arrangements to accompany the adjustments in service delivery in order to meet the urgent and additional demands for COVID-19-related services. However, evidence on how these adjustments have played out in low- and middle-income countries is scarce. This paper provides a synthesis of a multi-country study of the adjustments in purchasing arrangements for the COVID-19 health sector response in eight middle-income countries (Armenia, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, Romania and Ukraine). We use secondary data assembled by country teams, as well as applied thematic analysis to examine the adjustments made to funding arrangements, benefits packages, provider payments, contracting, information management systems and governance arrangements as well as related implementation challenges. Our findings show that all countries in the study adjusted their health purchasing arrangements to varying degrees. While the majority of countries expanded their benefit packages and several adjusted payment methods to provide selected COVID-19 services, only half could provide these services free of charge. Many countries also streamlined their processes for contracting and accrediting health providers, thereby reducing administrative hurdles. In conclusion, it was important for the countries to adjust their health purchasing arrangements so that they could adequately respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in some countries financing challenges resulted in issues with equity and access. However, it is uncertain whether these adjustments can and will be sustained over time, even where they have potential to contribute to making purchasing more strategic to improve efficiency, quality and equitable access in the long run., (© World Health Organization, 2024. All rights reserved. The World Health Organization has granted the Publisher permission for the reproduction of this article.)

Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages can promote health and raise revenue. Whether these taxes negatively impact domestic sugar producers, an argument often made by opponents, is understudied. We extended a simulation model based on a uniform specific volume-based tax of UAH 4/L in Ukraine. We estimated best- and worst-case scenarios for reductions in domestic sugar demand to be 162 and 23 000 metric tons. This is at worst ∼0.5% of current exports, meaning decreases in domestic demand could easily be absorbed by export markets given export trends. Due to highly protectionist sugar sector policy, sugar producers would not be able to fully substitute domestic sales revenues through increased export revenues, but the worst-case revenue gap was <0.5% of total sectoral output in recent years. Overall, introducing a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Ukraine is likely to have a very limited impact on domestic sugar producers., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.)

The mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine has remained incomplete. We estimated excess deaths associated with the pandemic in Ukraine during 2020 and 2021. Excess deaths may be attributed directly to SARS-CoV-2 infection or indirectly to deaths associated with social and economic upheavals resulting from the pandemic. Data on all deaths registered in government-controlled Ukraine from 2016-2021 (N = 3,657,475) were utilized. Using a model-based approach, we predicted monthly excess deaths in 2020 and 2021. We estimated 47,578 excess deaths in 2020 as a whole (7.71% of all recorded deaths). This figure reflects both positive (higher than expected) excess deaths from June-December and negative (lower than expected) deaths in January and March-May. From June-December 2020, we estimated 59,363 excess deaths (15.75% of all recorded deaths in those months). In 2021, we estimated 150,049 excess deaths (21.01% of all recorded deaths). Positive excess deaths were detected across age groups even groups younger than 40 years. The number of excess deaths exceeded that of deaths with COVID-19 coded on the death certificate by more than two-fold in 2020, but that difference narrowed in 2021. We furthermore provide provisional estimates of the effect of low vaccine coverage on excess deaths in 2021 drawing from European cross-national evidence and provisional estimates of the hypothetical evolution of the pandemic in 2022 to serve as a rough basis for future studies analyzing the joint impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion on Ukrainian demography., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Mehta et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective: The aim: The aim of this work is to study the structural and functional features of peripheral blood erythrocytes and antioxidant defense enzymes in patients with multiple sclerosis, depending on its clinical forms and the stage of development of the pathological process., Patients and Methods: Materials and methods: The state of the processes of lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant defense system in 62 patients with multiple sclerosis was studied. The influence of these processes on the clinical manifestations of multiple sclerosis is shown., Results: Results: It has been shown that in multiple sclerosis, the erythrocyte superoxide dismutase / catalase enzyme system is characterized by the phenomenon of cross-regulation of activity, which is reflected in a negative correlation between enzyme activities and is associated with the appearance of irreversibly altered forms of erythrocytes in the general bloodstream., Conclusion: Conclusions: Based on the analysis of the dynamics of laboratory parameters, the pathogenetic significance of membrane-destabilizing processes in peripheral blood erythrocytes of patients with multiple sclerosis was proved.

Objective: The aim: To analyze CR among antibacterials of different classes and to overcome some widespread misconceptions regarding CR between different classes of antibiotics., Patients and Methods: Materials and methods: The narrative review represents an assessment of the most pertinent literary sources published in English language, which dealt with the issues of cross-reactivity between individual antibiotics and different classes of these ones., Conclusion: Conclusions: With a high probability of type I AR in a patient in the past, it is better to plan the treatment of patients together with an allergist / immunologist. If this probability is estimated to be low, the choice of a particular antibiotic may be based to some extent on CR data.

Background: Secondary to increased development of generic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), there is a lack of simple and inexpensive ways of pilot detection of differences between the batches of generic drugs and the original ones., Objectives: To determine the peculiarities of the use of generic NSAIDs in routine practice through a pilot survey of dentists and to conduct a pilot comparative analysis of generic and original NSAIDs containing nimesulide granules using optical microscopy., Methods: The first part of the study included a pilot survey Convenience sampling of 192 dentists to study the use of generic NSAIDs in their routine practice. The second part included the use of a pilot optical microscopy of nimesulide particles isolated from four drugs: original drug (NA) and generic ones (NB, NC, ND)., Results: In the questionnaires, dentists pointed to a 68.7% lower clinical efficacy and a 62.6% higher percentage of side effects of generic NSAIDs compared to the original ones. Based on the results of pilot optical microscopy, a statically significant difference in the size distribution of the drug substance particles in all generic nimesulide granules was determined as follows: NB (χ 2 : 15.15; p < 0.01); NC (χ 2 : 11.09; p < 0.05); ND (χ 2 : 1625.34; p < 0.001) compared with the original drug NA., Conclusions: A pilot survey of dentists showed that doctors noted the practical difference in the effects of the original and generic NSAIDs. A significant difference in the size of nimesulide particles and their distribution in generic drugs NB, NC, ND compared to the original NA suggests a possible difference in bioavailability and bioequivalence., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Background: Diabetes is one of the leading causes of poor health and high care costs in Ukraine. To prevent diabetes complications and alleviate the financial burden of diabetes care on patients, the Ukrainian government reimburses diabetes medication and provides glucose monitoring, but there are significant gaps in the care continuum. We estimate the costs of providing diabetes care and the most cost-effective ways to address these gaps in the Poltava region of Ukraine., Methods: We gathered data on the unit costs of diabetes interventions in Poltava and estimated expenditure on diabetes care. We estimated the optimal combination of facility-based and outreach screening and investigated how additional funding could best be allocated to improve glucose control outcomes., Results: Of the ~ 40,000 adults in diabetes care, only ~ 25% achieved sustained glucose control. Monitoring costs were higher for those who did not: by 10% for patients receiving non-pharmacological treatment, by 61% for insulin patients, and twice as high for patients prescribed oral treatment. Initiatives to improve treatment adherence (e.g. medication copayment schemes, enhanced adherence counseling) would address barriers along the care continuum and we estimate such expenditures may be recouped by reductions in patient monitoring costs. Improvements in case detection are also needed, with only around two-thirds of estimated cases having been diagnosed. Outreach screening campaigns could play a significant role: depending on how well-targeted and scalable such campaigns are, we estimate that 10-46% of all screening could be conducted via outreach, at a cost per positive patient identified of US$7.12-9.63., Conclusions: Investments to improve case detection and treatment adherence are the most efficient interventions for improved diabetes control in Poltava. Quantitative tools provide essential decision support for targeting investment to close the gaps in care.

Objectives: This article reviews the applicability of a customised version of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) to evaluate the magnitude of inappropriate hospitalisations in two regions of Ukraine., Data and Methods: The original AEP was modified to develop a customised tool, which included criteria for the appropriateness of hospitalisation and duration of inpatient stay. The customisation of the tool followed the Delphi procedure. We randomly selected 381 medical records to test the feasibility and reliability of the method and 800 medical records to evaluate the scope of inappropriate hospitalisations. We used descriptive and analytical statistics, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and Cohen's kappa to check the consistency between the findings of primary reviewers and experts., Result: We observed high levels of agreement in conclusions of primary reviewers (reference standard) and experts during testing of the reliability and validity of the method. The external validity check showed that the use of the tool by different experts provided high accuracy: 95.1 sensitivity, 76.6 specificity and area under ROC-curve (AUC)=0.948 (р<0.001) for analysis of the appropriateness of admissions; 95.3 sensitivity, 84.7 specificity and AUC=0.900 (р=0.001) for the duration of hospitalisations. Cohen's kappa coefficient ( κ ) indicated agreement in expert evaluations of 0.915 (95% СІ 0.799 to 1.000) and 0.812 (95% СІ 0.749 to 0.875), respectively.We found that over one-third of admissions (38.1%; 95% СІ 33.9 to 43.5) and over half of total bed-days were unnecessary (57.4%; 95% СІ 56.4 to 58.5). The highest levels of stay were observed in hospitals' general medicine departments (64.6%; 95% СІ 63.0 to 66.3)compared with other departments included in the analysis., Conclusion: The proposed method is robust in assessing the appropriateness of hospitalisations and duration of inpatient stays. The quantified levels of unnecessary hospital care indicate the need for improving efficiency and quality of care and optimising the excessive hospital capacities in Ukraine., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is increasingly being used to determine distances, structures, and dynamics of biomolecules in vitro and in vivo. However, generalized protocols and FRET standards to ensure the reproducibility and accuracy of measurements of FRET efficiencies are currently lacking. Here we report the results of a comparative blind study in which 20 labs determined the FRET efficiencies (E) of several dye-labeled DNA duplexes. Using a unified, straightforward method, we obtained FRET efficiencies with s.d. between ±0.02 and ±0.05. We suggest experimental and computational procedures for converting FRET efficiencies into accurate distances, and discuss potential uncertainties in the experiment and the modeling. Our quantitative assessment of the reproducibility of intensity-based smFRET measurements and a unified correction procedure represents an important step toward the validation of distance networks, with the ultimate aim of achieving reliable structural models of biomolecular systems by smFRET-based hybrid methods.

The dynamic architecture of chromatin fibers, a key determinant of genome regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we employ multimodal single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer studies to reveal structural states and their interconversion kinetics in chromatin fibers. We show that nucleosomes engage in short-lived (micro- to milliseconds) stacking interactions with one of their neighbors. This results in discrete tetranucleosome units with distinct interaction registers that interconvert within hundreds of milliseconds. Additionally, we find that dynamic chromatin architecture is modulated by the multivalent architectural protein heterochromatin protein 1α (HP1α), which engages methylated histone tails and thereby transiently stabilizes stacked nucleosomes. This compacted state nevertheless remains dynamic, exhibiting fluctuations on the timescale of HP1α residence times. Overall, this study reveals that exposure of internal DNA sites and nucleosome surfaces in chromatin fibers is governed by an intrinsic dynamic hierarchy from micro- to milliseconds, allowing the gene regulation machinery to access compact chromatin.

We estimate the number of HIV cases diagnosed, costs, and cost per HIV case detected associated with integrating HIV counseling and testing (HCT) into primary health care facilities in Ukraine. The study uses a difference-in-difference design with four districts implementing the intervention compared to 20 districts where HCT were offered only at specialized HIV clinics. There was a 2.01 (95 % CI: 1.12-3.61) times increase in the number of HIV cases detected per capita in intervention districts compared to other districts. The incremental cost of the intervention was $21,017 and the incremental cost per HIV case detected was $369. The average cost per HIV case detected before the intervention was $558. Engaging primary health care facilities to provide HCT is likely desirable from an efficiency point-of-view. However, the affordability of the intervention needs to be assessed because expansion will require additional investment.

This study evaluates the impact of hypoglycemia on the lives of Ukrainian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The secondary objective was to explore patient-physician relationships and the attitudes of patients towards various informational resources on diabetes management. Three focus groups with 26 patients were conducted. Qualitative information was evaluated using content analysis. The results show that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Ukraine are adapting to potential attacks of hypoglycemia; however, they still experience periodic manifestations of hypoglycemia that significantly affect their psychological well-being. This result is similar to observations made in other countries. Ukrainian patients >40 years old mainly receive information on disease management from endocrinologists, and rarely use internet resources on diabetes management. Information provision was especially important at the early stage of the disease, when patients lack information on hypoglycemia manifestations and could therefore fail to identify and manage it properly.