Analysis Of Greece Research Articles

Lorlatinib as a first-line treatment of adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Α cost-effectiveness analysis in Greece

ABSTRACT Objectives To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of lorlatinib compared to 1st generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) TKI crizotinib, and 2nd generation TKIs alectinib and brigatinib, for previously untreated patients with ALK+ advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (aNSCLC). Methods A partitioned survival model was locally adapted from a Greek payer perspective over a lifetime horizon. Clinical, safety and utility data were extracted from literature. Direct medical costs reflecting the year 2023 were included in the analysis (€). Model outcomes were patients’ life years (LYs), quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), total costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results Total cost per patient with lorlatinib, alectinib, crizotinib, and brigatinib was estimated to be €188,205, €183,343, €75,028, and €145,454 respectively. Lorlatinib appeared to yield more LYs and QALYs gained versus alectinib, crizotinib, and brigatinib. Hence, lorlatinib resulted in ICERs of €4,315 per LY gained and €4,422 per QALY gained compared to alectinib, €34,032 per LY gained and €48,256 per QALY gained versus crizotinib and €16,587 per LY gained and €26,271 per QALY gained compared to brigatinib. Conclusion Lorlatinib provides substantial clinical benefit and appears to be a cost – effective treatment option compared to 1st and 2nd generation TKIs for previously untreated patients with ALK+ aNCSLC in Greece.

Card or Cash? An Econometrical and Behavioral Analysis in Greece during Covid-19

Purpose: This study aims to investigate Greek bank card holders’ behavior and verify the use of this means of payment against cash in their various transactions.Methodology: A variety of econometric and behavioral models were used to capture those factors that can affect satisfaction and attitude towards bank cards and behavioral intention to continue using them, in conjunction with the choice of using this payment method over cash, during the Covid-19 period in Greece.By performing Factor Analysis, Multiple Logistic Regression, Structural Equation, and Multiple Linear Regressions Models, it was proved that factors such as transaction security, acceptance of the payment, ease of use, and the characteristics of bank cards could be influencing the use of such banking products. Exceptional were the findings regarding the influence of the type of good, the sector, and transaction size, on the choice of payment method. In addition, individuals’ perceptions about the prestige and benefits offered by bank cards against cash, in combination with elements of an individual’s personality, such as materialism and compulsive buyers, were equally important factors that could enhance the use of these banking products in Greece.Originality: The novelty of this study lies in the fact that a variety of different econometric and behavioral models were used to investigate in-depth personal factors and factors related to the conduction of transactions that both affect the use of bank cards and cash at a time that Greek transactions require to be contactless.

Determinants of willingness to pay for urban parks: An empirical analysis in Greece

This paper aims to assess the factors influencing the economic value of the visitor experience in two urban parks in Attica, Greece. Contingent Valuation is applied to estimate the willingness of visitors to pay an entry ticket under a hypothetical scenario. Our sample consisted of Niarchos Park visitors, which is located at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), and of Tritsis Park. The research was conducted between July 2018 and March 2019. Logit regression specifications were used and the results indicated that age, level of education, wage and employment affect people’s willingness to pay in order to visit the parks. The motivation to visit these parks in order to experience a natural environment, the expenses for the visit and the previous experience of paying an entry ticket for green spaces were also found to be significant determinants for the participants. Visitors are willing to pay on average 3.56 Euros in order to enter urban parks. The results of the study could be taken into account by policy makers regarding individuals' decisions depending on their profile and experiences.

Politics, Sentiment and Virality: A Large-Scale Multilingual Twitter Analysis in Greece, Spain and United Kingdom

Politics, Sentiment and Virality: A Large-Scale Multilingual Twitter Analysis in Greece, Spain and United Kingdom

Tax Avoidance and Transfer Pricing

Globalization has led multinational companies, beyond intensifying their competitiveness, to seek ways to maximize profits through tax avoidance. The international character enables them to transfer profits to tax havens or seek transactions that will enable them to avoid, postpone, or pay lower taxes. Although the previous allegations have been hypothesized by researchers, tax audits, and governments, it is difficult to prove due to the chaotic data and the causal relationship between variables. The present study compared the tax burden of 971 multinationals and 1,160 independent companies for the years 2010-2017 in Greece, using data from the Amadeus Tp-Catalyst database and confirmed previous research on significant differences in terms of profits and tax burdens. To the authors' knowledge, there has not been attempted such an extensive analysis for Greece in the past.

Mapping travel behavior changes during the COVID-19 lock-down: a socioeconomic analysis in Greece

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic is a challenge that the world had never encountered in the last 100 years. In order to mitigate its negative effects, governments worldwide took action by prohibiting at first certain activities and in some cases by a countrywide lockdown. Greece was among the countries that were struck by the pandemic. Governmental authorities took action in limiting the spread of the pandemic through a series of countermeasures, which built up to a countrywide lockdown that lasted 42 days.MethodologyThis research aims at identifying the effect of certain socioeconomic factors on the travel behaviour of Greek citizens and at investigating whether any social groups were comparatively less privileged or suffered more from the lockdown. To this end, a dynamic online questionnaire survey on mobility characteristics was designed and distributed to Greek citizens during the lockdown period, which resulted in 1,259 valid responses. Collected data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical tests, in order to identify mobility patterns and correlations with certain socioeconomic characteristics. Additionally, a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) was developed in order to examine the potential influence of socioeconomic characteristics to trip frequency before and during the lockdown period.ResultsOutcomes indicate a decisive decrease in trip frequencies due to the lockdown. Furthermore, the model’s results indicate significant correlations between gender, income and trip frequencies during the lockdown, something that is not evident in the pre-pandemic era.

Concordance of genotypic resistance interpretation algorithms in HIV-1 infected patients: An exploratory analysis in Greece.

Genotypic resistance-related mutations in HIV-1 disease are often difficult to interpret. Different algorithms have been developed to provide meaningful application into clinical context. We aimed to compare, for the first time in Greece, the results of genotypic resistance derived from three interpretation algorithms. The sequences of 120 HIV 1-infected patients were tested for genotypic resistance to 19 antiretroviral (ARV) drugs (n = 2280 sequences). The interpretation results of Rega, ANRS and ViroSeq algorithms were compared. Complete concordance was found for 2/19 ARV drugs, namely lamivudine and emptricitabine. Concordance was high for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and low for protease inhibitors (PIs). In inter-algorithm pairs, agreement was high between Rega and ViroSeq (kappa = 0.701), especially by ARV class, namely NRTIs (k = 0.869) and NNRTIs (k = 0.562). The only exception was noted for rilpivirine, where agreement was higher between ANRS and Rega (k = 0.410) compared to other inter-algorithm pairs (k = 0.018-0.055). By contrast, for PIs all comparisons yielded concordance equivalent to chance (k = 0.000). Our exploratory analysis provided evidence of significant inter-algorithm discordances, especially for PIs and NNRTIs highlighting the importance of matching the results of different algorithms to achieve optimized risk stratification. Ongoing research could assist clinical physicians in interpreting complex genotypic resistance patterns.

Investigating the Nexus between Political Risk and Economic Risk: A Wavelet Coherence Analysis for Greece, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania

Investigating the Nexus between Political Risk and Economic Risk: A Wavelet Coherence Analysis for Greece, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania

1321P Advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI score) as a biomarker of immunotherapy efficacy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A nationwide analysis in Greece

To date, there is no optimal surrogate for efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index (ALI score: body mass index X serum albumine/blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) reflects the systemic inflammation of the host and is easily reproducible in routine clinical practice.

Community acquired pneumonia: a cost-of-illness analysis in Greece.

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an acute respiratory infection with high clinical and economic burden, especially when hospitalisation is required. The present study aimed to assess the mean direct cost per CAP outpatient and inpatient care in Greece, in the absence of previous estimates. A retrospective analysis of patients at a tertiary hospital, treated between October 2015 and March 2016, was conducted. Resource use data for inpatients and outpatients were collected (diagnostic tests, medication, physician visits and length of hospitalisation, where applicable). Cost calculations followed a third party payer perspective. Additionally, two regression models were employed to identify the determinants of hospitalisation and the main drivers of inpatient and outpatient cost. Overall, 149 inpatients and 100 outpatients were included in the analysis. Mean hospitalisation duration was 11.35 days (standard deviation (SD)=9.71 days). Mean direct cost per patient was €110.64 (SD=€58.23) and €7406.56 (SD=€12,124.93) for outpatient and inpatient cases respectively. (At the time period for the study, €1.00 was approximately A$1.50.) The main inpatient cost driver was hospitalisation (94.97%), followed by medication (3.30%) and diagnostic tests (0.87%). For outpatients, key cost drivers, in order of magnitude, were prescribed medication (38.84%), diagnostic tests (33.51%) and physician visits (17.54%). The regression analyses showed that the probability of hospitalisation increases with age and number of symptoms, whereas average cost is mainly influenced by gender, duration and number of symptoms, and the presence of comorbidities. The results indicate that, in Greece, CAP is accompanied by a significant economic burden, mainly attributable to hospitalisation. Interventions toward reducing the influence of contributors to the incidence and probability of hospitalisation are essential from a clinical and policy perspective. Also, the association of symptoms - in terms of number and duration - and age with hospitalisation probability and costs highlights that special attention should be given to the high risk groups of the population, such as the elderly and the rural residents, both in terms of preventive and therapeutic services.

Twenty-year trends in the prescription costs of Type 2 diabetes: Real world data and empirical analysis in Greece

AimsTo estimate and compare the prescription costs for the management of patients with diabetes over a period of 20 years in Greece, based on real world data. MethodsThe records of outpatients with T2D, monitored at three diabetes centres, were examined in four cross-sections (1998, 2006, 2012, 2018). Prescribed medicines per patient, along with a set of clinical indicators were recorded. Annual costs of pharmaceutical treatment per patient were calculated by using each year’s nominal retail prices, as well as by adjusting for 2018 price levels, in order to account for price differences over time. Results4066 patients were included in the analysis. Prescription patterns indicate a quick uptake of the new classes of glucose-lowering drugs and a reduction in the proportional use of sulfonylurea and glitazone. Adjusting for 2018 prices, the average total annual prescription cost per patient was 381.54 Euros (s.d. 297.44) in 1998 and 1147.21 Euros (s.d. 814.39) in 2018. Glucose-lowering drug costs per patient increase from 1998 onwards, whereas the costs of antihypertensive, antiplatelet and lipid-lowering treatment declined gradually, especially after 2006. ConclusionsPer patient prescription costs for glucose-lowering drugs present a steep increase, in Greece over the last 20 years. Real-world evidence studies that compare this increase with the changes in patient outcomes are essential in order to examine whether a costs-vs-outcomes balance is optimal.

Is the financial cycle a leading indicator of real output during expansions and contractions? A quantile analysis for Greece

This paper examines the relationship between the financial cycle and real output in Greece. The quantile analysis indicates that the financial cycle is a leading indicator of real output in the upper and lower tails of its conditional distribution, given the presence of other explanatory variables. In addition, in the lower quantile, the real output is driven by changes in perceptions about the performance of the Greek economy. Thus, a rise in the financial cycle along with positive expectations of the private sector about the future prospects of the real economy seems to represent the main driving forces of the Greek economy out of the current depression.

The economic burden of gluten-free products and gluten-free diet: a cost estimation analysis in Greece.

Adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) demonsrates various difficulties, including the high cost of the diet. The present study aimed to (i) compare the cost of gluten-free products (GFP) from supermarkets and pharmacies with the cost of their conventional counterparts and (ii) estimate the weekly economic burden of a GFD. The prices of all food products labelled as 'gluten-free' available at four supermarket chains in Athens, as well as the prices of all similar conventional food products, were recorded. The prices of the pharmacy GFP were recorded from the official list of the National Health Service Organisation. For every product, the price per 100 g was calculated. All products were classified into 24 categories, which consisted of three subcategories: conventional, supermarket GFP and pharmacy GFP. Three weekly menus were designed for children, adolescents and adults, selecting the upper levels of energy intake, to cover the majority of the patients. For all three weekly menus, the price difference between conventional and GFP, both from supermarkets and pharmacies, was calculated. Compared with conventional food products, all supermarket GFP, except for one, were more expensive by 22-334% (P < 0.05) and all pharmacy GFP were more expensive by 88-476% (P < 0.05). The weekly economic burden of a GFD ranged from €12 to €28 per week, depending on age and GFP place of purchase. The present study confirms the higher cost of GFP compared to their conventional equivalents in Greece, leading to a weekly economic burden for people on a gluten-free diet.

Ceramic analysis in Greece

Scientific, analytical or ‘archaeometric’ techniques for investigating ceramic material have been used within archaeology for over 50 years and now constitute an indispensable tool for archaeologists in the Aegean world (see Jones 1986 for a detailed summary of early work in Greece and Italy) and beyond (Santacreu 2014). This paper provides a brief historical overview of research themes investigated by ceramic analysis in Greek archaeology along with reports on a small number of recent studies, in order to demonstrate current methodologies and results. The narrative is not chronological, either by the date of analysis or the material analysed, but instead focuses on the types of archaeological questions that ancient ceramic analysis can address in order to shed light upon who produced, distributed and consumed the ceramics under consideration. Ceramic analysis investigates both the composition and technology of fired clay vessels, evidenced most frequently in the ubiquitous broken pot sherd, which can then be used to identify provenance, production sequence and cultural tradition, as well as to provide a relative date for production, in combination with typological and seriation techniques.

Cost-effectiveness of eplerenone in NYHA class II chronic heart failure patients with reduced LVEF: an analysis for Greece.

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness (CE) of treatment with eplerenone versus standard care in adult patients with New York Heart Association class II chronic heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction from the perspective of the Greek national health care payer.MethodsA discrete-event model simulating the clinical course and respective outcomes of eplerenone as an add-on to standard therapy versus standard therapy alone based on the pivotal Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization and SurvIval Study in Heart Failure (EMPHASIS-HF) trial was locally adapted for the Greek setting. Data on medications followed the resource use from eplerenone in mild patients hospitalization and survival study in heart failure and were estimated on a lifetime basis (or until discontinuation). Cost calculations were based on year 2014, event costs (cardiovascular hospitalizations, adverse events, and devices) were sourced from published diagnosis-related groups. A 3% discount rate was applied. In order to test the robustness of the model projections, a range of deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out.ResultsOver a patient’s lifetime, the addition of eplerenone to standard care compared to standard care alone led to an incremental gain of 1.33 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) (6.53 vs 5.20 QALYs, respectively) as well as an increase in the cost of treatment by €2,160; these outcomes produced an incremental CE ratio of €1,624/QALY for the Greek setting. On the basis of probabilistic sensitivity analysis, there was a 100% likelihood of eplerenone being cost-effective versus standard care at a threshold of €3,500/QALY.ConclusionThis analysis indicates that eplerenone may be a cost-effective option versus standard care accompanied by additional clinical benefits and an added incremental cost at an acceptable, if not low, CE ratio. The results are consistent with the previously published studies on the CE of eplerenone as an add-on therapy to standard care, such as those regarding the health care settings of Spain, the UK, and Australia.

English

English

Determinants of inward FDI in manufacturing: a cross-sectoral analysis for Greece

This paper examines the sectoral patterns and determinants of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in Greek manufacturing. The panel-econometric analysis across manufacturing sectors reveals that, in contrast with low labour costs, a sector's size, labour productivity, scale economies and R&D intensity do significantly affect the attraction of FDI across manufacturing industries. Additionally, the empirical findings imply that policy measures which strengthen the natural resources-based advantages, promote industrial clusters and export processing zones, as well as upgrade the export-oriented logistics and outsourcing activities, would be expected to raise the inflow of manufacturing FDI in the country.

Mergers and Acquisitions and Economic Crisis. A Case Study Approach from a Qualitative Analysis in Greece

This article aims to examine the main issues in terms of Human Resource perspective that companies facing after Mergers and Acquisitions in Greece and within recession. For this purpose this article is based on a theoretical research in the recent literature and the results of a qualitative analysis in companies that completed a change like a merger or an acquisition.

PIN82 - Antibacterial Treatment of Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Greece

PIN82 - Antibacterial Treatment of Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Greece

Introducing a new centrality measure from the transportation network analysis in Greece

This paper introduces a new centrality measure, nominated by the authors as mobility centrality (Cm), which arose during the study of the interregional road network in Greece. The proposed measure is constructed by the use of the anagogic method considering the formula of the kinetic energy of a particle in Physics and adjusting its mathematical analogue to the case of the interregional road network. The new centrality measure is estimated to be useful for the operational analysis of a network (such as the analysis of network flows), since it characterizes as central these vertices that appear to have the greatest tendency to attract or expel network flows. The ability of the proposed centrality measure to illustrate flow tendencies was examined empirically by correlating and regressing mobility centrality to the commuting status of the Greek interregional network and to four of the most common existing centrality measures (betweenness, closeness, straightness and degree centrality) of the available data. The empirical analysis indicated that the proposed centrality measure (Cm) presents sufficient ability to describe the status of the Greek interregional commuting system and it is believed that it is able to describe the inner potential that produces flows in a network.