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Dadu A, Yedilbayev A, Migliori GB, Ahmedov S, Falzon D, den Boon S, Kanchar A, Matteelli A. PASS to End TB in Europe: Accelerated efforts on prevention and systematic screening to end tuberculosis in the WHO European Region by 2030. Int J Infect Dis 2024; 141S:106980. [PMID: 38403111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Outline the objectives, methods, and initial stages of the Prevention and Systematic Screening (PASS) initiative, a complimentary element of the innovative new approach of technical assistance mechanisms of WHO and its partners to countries aligned to the Regional TB Action Plan to End TB in the European Region by 2030. DESIGN To provide an objective and critical overview of the existing landscape on TB epidemic in the WHO European Region (the European Region) and ii) identify the strategic significance of proactive measures aimed at approaching TB pre-elimination in the Region. RESULTS Interventions primarily include systematic screening for TB disease and treatment for TB infection (TBI). CONCLUSIONS PASS to End TB is an exemplary initiative of how technical and funding partners are joining hands to support national health programmes to work towards global commitments to curb major public health challenges like TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Dadu
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, European Tuberculosis Programme, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Askar Yedilbayev
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, European Tuberculosis Programme, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Giovanni Battista Migliori
- Servizio di Epidemiologia Clinica delle Malattie Respiratorie, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tradate, Italy.
| | - Sevim Ahmedov
- The United States Agency of International Development (USAID), Bureau of Global Health, TB Division, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Dennis Falzon
- World Health Organization, Global Tuberculosis Programme, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Saskia den Boon
- World Health Organization, Global Tuberculosis Programme, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Avinash Kanchar
- World Health Organization, Global Tuberculosis Programme, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Matteelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences (DSCS), WHO Collaborating Centre on Tuberculosis Prevention, Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Dahl VN, Butova T, Rosenthal A, Grinev A, Gabrielian A, Vashakidze S, Shubladze N, Toxanbayeva B, Chingissova L, Crudu V, Chesov D, Kalmambetova G, Saparova G, Wejse CM, Butov D. Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine, 2017-2022. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:831-833. [PMID: 38526186 PMCID: PMC10977852 DOI: 10.3201/eid3004.231732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended new extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and pre-XDR tuberculosis (TB) definitions. In a recent cohort of TB patients in Eastern Europe, we show that XDR TB as currently defined is associated with exceptionally poor treatment outcomes, considerably worse than for the former definition (31% vs. 54% treatment success).
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Covic A, Säemann M, Filipov J, Gellert R, Gobin N, Jelaković B, Kabulbayev K, Luman M, Miglinas M, Mosenzon O, Okša A, Radovic M, Rozen-Zvi B, Ziediņa I, Tesar V. The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Intervention in Chronic Kidney Disease: Calls-to-Action from Nephrologists Based Mainly in Central/ Eastern Europe. Kidney Blood Press Res 2024; 49:218-227. [PMID: 38442701 DOI: 10.1159/000538165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a global prevalence of 9.1-13.4%. Comorbidities are abundant and may cause and affect CKD. Cardiovascular disease strongly correlates with CKD, increasing the burden of both diseases. SUMMARY As a group of 15 clinical nephrologists primarily practicing in 12 Central/Eastern European countries, as well as Israel and Kazakhstan, herein we review the significant unmet needs for patients with CKD and recommend several key calls-to-action. Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative to ensure optimal outcomes for patients with CKD, with the potential to greatly reduce both morbidity and mortality. Lack of awareness of CKD, substandard indicators of kidney function, suboptimal screening rates, and geographical disparities in reimbursement often hamper access to effective care. KEY MESSAGES Our key calls-to-action to address these unmet needs, thus improving the standard of care for patients with CKD, are the following: increase disease awareness, such as through education; encourage provision of financial support for patients; develop screening algorithms; revisit primary care physician referral practices; and create epidemiological databases that rectify the paucity of data on early-stage disease. By focusing attention on early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of high-risk and early-stage CKD populations, we aim to reduce the burdens, progression, and mortality of CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Covic
- Department of Nephrology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine, Iasi, Romania
| | - Marcus Säemann
- 6th Medical Department, Nephrology and Dialysis, Clinic Ottakring, Vienna, Austria
- Medical Faculty, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jean Filipov
- Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, University Hospital "Alexandrovska", Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ryszard Gellert
- Clinic of Nephrology and Internal Medicine, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Niels Gobin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Centre Hospitalier du Valais Romand, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Bojan Jelaković
- Department for Nephrology, Hypertension, Dialysis and Transplantation, University Hospital Center Zagreb and School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Kairat Kabulbayev
- Department of Nephrology, Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Merike Luman
- Centre of Nephrology, North Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Marius Miglinas
- Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation Unit, Nephrology Center, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ofri Mosenzon
- Diabetes Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - Adrián Okša
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Milan Radovic
- Clinic of Nephrology, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Benaya Rozen-Zvi
- Nephrology and Hypertension Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ieva Ziediņa
- Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia
| | - Vladimir Tesar
- Department of Nephrology, 1st Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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Tuula A, Merks P, Waszyk-Nowaczyk M, Drozd M, Petrova G, Viola R, Bobrova V, Scott M, Oona M, Volmer D. Evaluation of medication safety assessment tools for pharmacist-led medication reviews: the Eastern European pilot project. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1348400. [PMID: 38434703 PMCID: PMC10904472 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1348400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Pharmacist-led medication reviews (MR) are one of the key methods to support medication safety in polypharmacy patients. The aims of this study were to pilot MRs in Eastern European community pharmacies, describe medication use in polypharmacy patients, and evaluate the usability of medication safety assessment tools. Methods: The MR pilot was undertaken in Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. Patients who used at least five medicines were directed to the service by their GPs. Data on drug-related problems (DRPs) and adherence were collected by pharmacists through structured patient interviews. Databases for identification of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) named Inxbase/Riskbase, as well as an integrated tool comprising potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) lists EU(7)-PIM and EURO-FORTA, were applied retroactively to the MR pilot data to investigate possibilities for their use and to describe medication use and potential risks in the study population. Results: A total of 318 patients were included in the study, 250 of them elderly (≥65 years). One hundred and eighty (56.6%) participants had a total of 504 pDDIs based on Inxbase analysis. On average, there were 1.6 pDDIs per participant. Twenty-five (5.0%) of the 504 pDDIs were in a high-risk category. A total of 279 (87.7%) participants had a potential ADR in at least one of 10 Riskbase categories. One hundred and fifty-four (20.8%) of the potential ADRs were in a high-risk category. Twenty-seven pDDIs and 68 ADRs documented as DRPs during the service were not included in the databases. Using the integrated EU(7)-PIM/EURO-FORTA PIM list, a total of 816 PIMs were found in 240 (96%) of the 250 elderly participants (on average 3.4 PIMs per elderly participant). Seventy-one (29.6%) of the participants were using high-risk PIMs. Twenty-one percent of high-risk PIMs and 13.8% of medium-risk PIMs were documented as DRPs by the pharmacists during the pilot. Conclusion: Medication safety assessment tools can be useful in guiding decision-making during MRs; however, these tools cannot replace patient interviews and monitoring. Tools that include a thorough explanation of the potential risks and are easy to use are more beneficial for MRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Tuula
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Piotr Merks
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Mariola Drozd
- Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Galina Petrova
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Reka Viola
- University of Szeged, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Veera Bobrova
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Michael Scott
- Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre, Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Marje Oona
- Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Daisy Volmer
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Agahi R, Veselaj F, Islami DA, Selmani E, Khan O, Hoxha I. Impact of Prostate Cancer in Eastern Europe and Approaches to Treatment and Policy. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2024; 38:87-103. [PMID: 37516633 DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2023.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is among the most prevalent cancer globally and within Eastern Europe, where there are also higher levels of mortality compared with Western Europe. Cancer control plans exist in most countries in the region. Attention should be given to devising and implementing optimal screening initiatives. Our review has identified that a lack of resources and health system dysfunctions hamper progress in ameliorating the burden of prostate cancer. Regional cooperation is needed as well as drawing on guidelines and findings from elsewhere. Health institutions must also know the latest developments and set up systems that allow swift adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riaz Agahi
- Department of Diagnostic Health Sciences, Heimerer College, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo; Evidence Synthesis Group, Ali Vitia Street PN, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo
| | - Fahredin Veselaj
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Prishtina, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo.
| | - Dafina Ademi Islami
- Oncology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo
| | - Erza Selmani
- Evidence Synthesis Group, Ali Vitia Street PN, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo; Research Unit, Heimerer College, Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - Olga Khan
- World Bank Ukraine, Kyiv 01010, Ukraine
| | - Ilir Hoxha
- Evidence Synthesis Group, Ali Vitia Street PN, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo; The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
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Stuikyte R, Varentsov I, Cook C, Dvoriak S. Measuring sustainability of opioid agonist therapy programs in the context of transition from global fund support. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:7. [PMID: 38212809 PMCID: PMC10785371 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00931-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Programmatic and financial sustainability of health responses dependent on donor funding has risen as a major concern. In the HIV field in particular, it generated a number of instruments and assessments on sustainability and processes related to donor transition planning. The authors aimed to develop an instrument specific to opioid agonist therapy (OAT) programs as they were addressed only marginally by the HIV-specific assessments. METHODS The development of the OAT sustainability instrument used desk review of existing HIV sustainability concepts and tools, an International Advisory Board, and piloting to validate the instrument. RESULTS The new OAT sustainability instrument is comprised of the three parts: the conceptual framework, methodological guidelines and a practical implementation tool for assessing the degree of OAT sustainability at the country level. It measures sustainability in the three broad areas for sustainability measuring-Policy & Governance; Finance & Resources; and Services. The selection of indicators and their composites for the three sustainability areas extensively used the United Nations and World Health Organization's guidance on health system building blocks, on care and HIV and viral hepatitis prevention among people using opioids and for opioid dependence, and the definition of access to health framed by the United Nations Convent on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The instrument's methodological guidelines require the engagement of a national consultant to conduct desk review, key informant interviews and focus groups for measuring discrete milestones and adding qualitative information for interpretation of the data, progress and opportunities. The guidelines advise engaging a country-specific multi-stakeholder advisory group for planning, validation and follow-up of the assessment. The pilot of the instrument in 3 countries in 2020 validated it and required minor adjustments in the instrument. By mid-2023, the instrument has been successfully applied in 5 countries. CONCLUSIONS The developed instrument enables a comprehensive review of the resilience of OAT programs and their ability to scale up and to inform a roadmap for improved sustainability. While developed in the context of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, it has been reviewed by a global advisory panel and could be easily adapted outside this regional context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan Varentsov
- Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Sergii Dvoriak
- Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy, Kyiv, Ukraine
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Szczerbińska K, Barańska I, Kijowska V, Stodolska A, Wójcik G, Różańska A, Wójkowska-Mach J. Factors associated with burnout among hospital-based healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional CRACoV-HHS study. J Clin Nurs 2024; 33:304-321. [PMID: 36792068 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.16654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To assess the prevalence of burnout and associated factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) working in a hospital admitting patients with COVID-19. BACKGROUND Burnout among HCWs is related to age, gender and occupation. However, little is known about organisational factors associated with burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN A cross-sectional study of 1412 hospital HCWs (748 nurses) was carried out via online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic between 4 and 19 January 2021. METHODS The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, the Checklist Individual Strength questionnaire, the interRAI items covering mental health, the WHO questionnaire items assessing HCWs' preparedness and exposure to SARS-CoV-2 were used. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to clarify factors associated with emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). This study adheres to the STROBE guidelines. RESULTS Burnout prevalence varied from 10.0% to 22.0%. Most respondents (83.6%) reported low PA, 22.9% high EE and 18.7% high DP. Nurses and physicians had the highest levels of EE and DP. Staff exposed or uncertain if exposed to contaminated patients' body fluids and materials had higher levels of burnout. Preparedness (training) (b = 1.15; 95%CI 0.26 to 2.05) and adherence to infection prevention and control procedures (b = 1.57; 95%CI 0.67 to 2.47) were associated with higher PA, and accessibility of personal protective equipment (PPE) (b = -1.37; 95%CI -2.17 to -0.47) was related to lower EE. HCWs working in wards for patients with COVID-19 reported lower EE (b = -1.39; 95%CI -2.45 to -0.32). HCWs who contracted COVID-19 reported lower DP (b = -0.71, 95%CI -1.30 to -0.12). CONCLUSIONS Organisational factors such as better access to PPE, training, and adherence to infection prevention and control procedures were associated with a lower level of burnout. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Healthcare managers should promote strategies to reduce burnout among HCWs with regard to preparedness of all staff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Szczerbińska
- Laboratory for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
- The University Hospital in Cracow, Kraków, Poland
| | - Ilona Barańska
- Laboratory for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Violetta Kijowska
- Laboratory for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Stodolska
- Laboratory for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Wójcik
- Laboratory for Research on Aging Society, Department of Sociology of Medicine, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Chair, Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
- Faculty of Management and Social Communication, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Różańska
- Chair of Microbiology Medical Faculty Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jadwiga Wójkowska-Mach
- Chair of Microbiology Medical Faculty Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
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Sulcebe G, Ylli A, Cenko F, Kurti-Prifti M, Shyti E, Dashi-Pasholli J, Lazri E, Seferi-Qendro I, Perry MJ. Trends in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Albania during the 2021-2022 pandemic year. New Microbes New Infect 2024; 56:101208. [PMID: 38143941 PMCID: PMC10746500 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2023.101208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial for understanding population immunity and providing insights into public health policies. Limited data exist on this from Albania and other Eastern European countries. This study aimed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Albania, comparing August 2021 and August 2022 data from two representative samples of the general population. The objective was to understand the temporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies across age groups and assess the impacts of natural infection and vaccination on population immunity. Methods This longitudinal study was conducted in two consecutive cross-sectional assessments 12 months apart in Albania's urban all-ages population. IgG anti-Spike-1 and anti-Nucleoprotein SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured using ELISA, focusing on seropositivity rates and antibody levels. Methods The study encompassed 2143 and 2183 individuals in August 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the anti-S1-IgG seropositivity rate escalating from 70.9 % to 92.1 %. In 2021, seroprevalence ranged from 49.6 % (0-15 years) to 82 % (>60 years). By August 2022, it surpassed 90 % in most age groups, except 0-15 years (73.8 %). "Hybrid" immunity (COVID-19+ and Vaccine+) reached 56.6 % in 2022, or 2.8 times higher than in 2021, exhibiting the highest antibody levels compared to the only vaccinated or previously COVID-19-infected individuals. Conclusion This study highlights an overall 94 % seroprevalence in the Albanian population in August 2022 and robust "hybrid" immunity, suggesting substantial protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. The lower immunity in the 0-15 age group underscores the necessity for youth-targeted vaccine campaigns. These findings provide valuable insights for shaping healthcare measures and vaccination policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genc Sulcebe
- Research Unit of Immunology, University of Medicine and University Hospital Center «Mother Teresa» Tirana, Albania
- Academy of Sciences of Albania, Albania
| | | | - Fabian Cenko
- Catholic University "Our Lady of Good Counsel" Tirana, Albania
| | | | | | | | - Erina Lazri
- University of Medicine of Tirana, Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences, Albania
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Buzhilova A. Probable cases of tuberculosis in Early Medieval pastoralists of Eastern Europe. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 143S:102365. [PMID: 38012917 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Two anthropological collections of the 8-9th century AD from the forest-steppe area of the southern Eastern Europe has been the subject of analysis of the osteo-articular alterations concerning tuberculosis related lesions. According to archaeological data, the Mayaki and Dmitrievka groups are from the territory of Khazar Khaganate, which is well-known by historical data. It was a traditional population with settled pastoral farming. There were studied 292 adult human remains by macroscopic morphological and radiological methods. The completeness of the skeletons could have been better due to the intentional selection of their parts for the museum funds, so there were limitations for the differential diagnosis of TB by morphological criteria. In general, 31 individuals (20 men, 11 women) were marked as possible candidates with skeletal TB. The number of skeletons with possible specific infections from the two series is comparable, but according to sex distribution, there are some significant differences. If in the Dmitrievka group, there was approximately the same distribution of the number of cases of possible infected men and women; in the Mayaki group then there was a significant difference in the prevalence of the male sample. Various reasons can explain the observed differences. Firstly, we cannot rule out an error in the diagnosis of tuberculosis only by morphological methods since the preservation of the skeletons leaves much to be desired. Secondly, as it is known, only a few percent of tuberculosis patients show skeletal alterations, so the direct quantitative comparison cannot be adequate in paleopathological studies. The ambiguity of morphological criteria, particularly for destructive lesions of bone other than vertebrae, does not allow asserting that all identified cases result from TB. However, the results of differential diagnosis can underline that at least half of the skeletons have skeletal alterations most likely related to TB. The final analysis of the remains by aDNA methods will permit more certain confirmation of the diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Buzhilova
- Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
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10
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Davies P, Aluloski I, Arifdjanova D, Maksumic AD, Umarzoda SG, Gutu V, Ilmammedova M, Janashia A, Kocinaj-Berisha M, Matylevich O, Pidverbetskyy B, Rzayeva G, Sahakyan G, Siljak S, Ten E, Veljkovic M, Yildirimkaya G, Ylli A, Zhylkaidarova A, Melnic E. Update on HPV Vaccination Policies and Practices in 17 Eastern European and Central Asian Countries and Territories. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2023; 24:4227-4235. [PMID: 38156858 PMCID: PMC10909086 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2023.24.12.4227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2021, a survey was conducted as part of the regional program of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) to assess the policies and practices relating to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in the 17 countries and territories included in this region. Since then, very substantial progress has been made with HPV vaccination across the region so another survey was conducted establish the current situation. METHODS A 10 question survey covering the policies, plans and practices for HPV vaccination was prepared. As cervical cancer prevention is a priority for the UNFPA, its offices in the 17 countries and territories included in this study are well placed to identify the people who can provide authoritative data for this survey. Working with the UNFPA offices, the questionnaires were sent to these national experts in May 2023, with data collected until 30 June 2023. All countries and territories returned completed questionnaires. RESULTS In the period from 30 June 2021 to 30 June 2023, the number of countries and territories that have implemented or are implementing HPV vaccination programs has doubled. As of 30 June 2021, only 6 of 17 countries and territories had implemented national HPV vaccination programmes, and by 30 June 2023, another 6 could be added to this list. Of the 4 countries with sub-optimal vaccination coverage rates in 2021, none showed substantial improvement over the 2-year period. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of HPV vaccination programs across the region is progressing very rapidly with ≈70% of the countries and territories implementing or having implemented national programs. However, greater attention needs to be given to ensuring that both the old and the new programs will achieve high coverage rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Davies
- Department of Pathology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Nicolae Testemițanu”, Republic of Moldova.
| | - Igor Aluloski
- University Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University “Sv. Kiril i Metodij”, Republic of North Macedonia.
| | | | - Adnana Dizdarevic Maksumic
- Social Medicine Specialist, Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegowina.
| | - Saida Gayrat Umarzoda
- Department of Oncology, Radiation Diagnostics and Radiation Therapy, Tajik Medical University, Tajikistan.
| | - Veaceslav Gutu
- Immunization Program Manager, Moldovan National Agency of Public Health, Republic of Moldova.
| | - Maral Ilmammedova
- Chief Obstetrician, Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan.
| | - Ani Janashia
- Division of Immunization, Department of Communicable Diseases, National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Georgia.
| | - Merita Kocinaj-Berisha
- Department for Social Medicine, National Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina, Kosovo.
| | - Olga Matylevich
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, NN Alexandrov National Cancer Centre, Belarus.
| | | | - Gulnara Rzayeva
- Department of Ambulatory and Diagnostic Services, Scientific Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baku, Azerbaijan.
| | - Gayane Sahakyan
- National Immunization Program Manager, Ministry of Health, Armenia.
| | - Sladjana Siljak
- Public Health Institute of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| | - Elena Ten
- Sector of Medico-Social Investigations, National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kyrgyzstan.
| | - Marko Veljkovic
- Department for Vaccine Preventable Disease surveillance and Immunization, Institute of Public Health of Serbia, Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut, Serbia.
| | | | - Alban Ylli
- Department of Public Health and Non Communicable Diseases, Institute of Public Health, Albania.
| | - Alma Zhylkaidarova
- Department of Monitoring and Evaluation of Cancer Care and Screening, Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Kazakhstan.
| | - Eugen Melnic
- Department of Pathology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Nicolae Testemițanu”, Republic of Moldova.
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11
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Zelenkov NV. Unexpected Find of a Buttonquail (Aves: Charadriiformes: Turnicidae) in the Lower Pleistocene of Crimea. Dokl Biol Sci 2023; 513:S1-S4. [PMID: 38190042 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496623600148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Buttonquails (family Turnicidae of the order Charadriiformes) are a morphologically specialized group of small, predominantly tropical birds of open landscapes, which is extremely poorly represented in the fossil record. The article describes a fragmentary humerus of a buttonquail from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave in central Crimea. This is the first find of the family Turnicidae in Eurasia in a chronological interval from the Pliocene through the Middle Pleistocene. The find highlights the limited nature of available information on the taxonomic composition of Early Quaternary Eurasian avifaunas, even at the family level, and sheds light on the Late Cenozoic evolutionary history of Turnicidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- N V Zelenkov
- Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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12
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Znaor A, Ryzhov A, Losada ML, Carvalho A, Smelov V, Barchuk A, Valkov M, Ten E, Andreasyan D, Zhizhilashvili S, Dushimova Z, Zhuikova LD, Egorova A, Yaumenenka A, Djanklich S, Tril O, Bray F, Corbex M. Breast and cervical cancer screening practices in nine countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia: A population-based survey. J Cancer Policy 2023; 38:100436. [PMID: 37544479 PMCID: PMC10695765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpo.2023.100436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) countries have higher cervical and breast cancer mortality rates and later stage at diagnosis compared with the rest of WHO European Region. The aim was to explore current early detection practices including "dispensarization" for breast and cervix cancer in the region. METHODS A questionnaire survey on early detection practices for breast and cervix cancer was sent to collaborators in 11 countries, differentiating services in the primary health setting, and population-based programs. Responses were received from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation (Arkhangelsk, Samara and Tomsk regions), Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. RESULTS All countries but Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation had opportunistic screening by clinical breast exam within "dispensarization" program. Mammography screening programs, commonly starting from age 40, were introduced or piloted in eight of nine countries, organized at national oncology or screening centres in Armenia, Belarus and Georgia, and within primary care in others. Six countries had "dispensarization" program for cervix cancer, mostly starting from the age 18, with smears stained either by Romanowsky-Giemsa alone (Belarus, Tajikistan and Ukraine), or alternating with Papanicolaou (Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation). In parallel, screening programs using Papanicolaou or HPV test were introduced in seven countries and organized within primary care. CONCLUSION Our study documents that parallel screening systems for both breast and cervix cancers, as well as departures from evidence-based practices are widespread across the EECA. Within the framework of the WHO Initiatives, existing opportunistic screening should be replaced by population-based programs that include quality assurance and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Znaor
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
| | - Anton Ryzhov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Andre Carvalho
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Vitaly Smelov
- World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anton Barchuk
- Tampere University, Faculty of Social Sciences/Health Sciences, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mikhail Valkov
- Arkhangelsk Regional Oncology Centre, Northern State University, Arkhangelsk, Russian Federation
| | - Elena Ten
- Scientific and Production Centre for Preventive medicine of the Ministry of Health, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; International Higher School of Medicine, IUK Academic Consortium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Diana Andreasyan
- National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Yerevan, Armenia
| | | | - Zaure Dushimova
- Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Alla Egorova
- Samara Regional Oncology Centre, Russian Federation
| | | | | | - Orest Tril
- Cancer Regional Treatment and Diagnostics Centre, Lviv, Ukraine
| | - Freddie Bray
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Marilys Corbex
- World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
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13
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Darakchi S. "A Community… Sounds Like Communism": Notions of Gay Community and "Community Belonging Contradiction" Among Bulgarian Non-Heterosexual Males. J Homosex 2023:1-26. [PMID: 37921787 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2023.2275302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The term "gay community" has been criticized for its inability to explain the pluralities in a specific cultural and political context. Based on in-depth interviews with 63 non-heterosexual males in Bulgaria, this study aims to revisit the theories of gay communities in a non-Western, post-communist context. The data from this study suggest that (1) the idea of a "gay community" is often rejected due to anti-communist notions and explicit engagement with individualism as anti-communitarianism; (2) belonging to a gay community is subjective, and initial verbal detachment from gay communities does not indicate a lack of factual belonging to such communities; (3) the concepts of "personal communities" and "family of choice" remain relatively irrelevant in the Bulgarian context; (4) the most significant factor for attachment to a gay community is the notion of "gay culture" and "gay scene"; (5) recent forms of "sexual attachments" have led to a certain political involvement; and (6) the "anti-gender campaigns" have revitalized the importance of gay communities and have brought an increasing number of respondents to certain involvement in gay communities and networks, challenging the theories of "post-gay" societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaban Darakchi
- Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria
- Power in History Research Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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14
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Brinza M, Grigore A, Dragomir M, Jardan D, Jardan C, Balanescu P, Tarniceriu CC, Badulescu OV, Blag C, Tomuleasa C, Traila A, Serban M, Coriu D. Large Intron Inversions in Romanian Patients with Hemophilia A-First Report. Medicina (Kaunas) 2023; 59:1821. [PMID: 37893540 PMCID: PMC10608589 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59101821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Despite the vast heterogeneity in the genetic defects causing hemophilia A (HA), large intron inversions represent a major cause of disease, accounting for almost half of the cases of severe HA worldwide. We investigated the intron 22 and intron 1 inversion status in a cohort of Romanian unrelated patients with severe HA. Moreover, we evaluated the role of these inversions as relative risk factors in inhibitor occurrence. Materials and Methods: Inverse shifting-a polymerase chain reaction method was used to detect the presence of intron 22 and intron 1 inversions in 156 Romanian patients with HA. Results: Intron inversion 22 was found in 41.7% of the patients, while intron 1 inversion was detected in 3.2% of the patients. Overall, large intron inversions represented the molecular defect in 44.9% of the studied patients. Our findings are in accord with previously published reports from Eastern Europe countries and with other international studies. The risk of inhibitor development was higher in patients with inversion 1 compared to the patients with HA without any inversion detected. Conclusions: The current study demonstrates the major causative role of large intron inversions in severe HA in Romanian patients. Moreover, our study confirms the contribution of intron 1 inversion in inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melen Brinza
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Andra Grigore
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Hematology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihaela Dragomir
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dumitru Jardan
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medlife, 010093 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cerasela Jardan
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Hematology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Paul Balanescu
- Internal Medicine Chair, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Claudia Cristina Tarniceriu
- Department of Anatomy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Department of Hematology, “St Spiridon” County Clinical Emergency Hospital, 700111 Iasi, Romania
| | - Oana Viola Badulescu
- Department of Pathophysiology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Cristina Blag
- Pediatric Discipline, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400177 Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Pediatric Clinic, Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, 400177 Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Ciprian Tomuleasa
- Department of Hematology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Department of Hematology, “Ion Chiricuta” Clinical Cancer Center, 400124 Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Adina Traila
- “Cristian Serban” Medical Center for Evaluation Therapy, Medical Education and Rehabilitation of Children and Young Adults, European Hemophilia Treatment Centre, 305100 Buzias, Romania
| | - Margit Serban
- Department of Onco-Hematology, “Louis Turcanu” Emergency Hospital for Children, 300011 Timisoara, Romania
- Department of Hematology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Daniel Coriu
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Hematology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
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15
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Zamaratskaia G, Havrysh O, Korzeniowska M, Getya A. Potential and limitations of rabbit meat in maintaining food security in Ukraine. Meat Sci 2023; 204:109293. [PMID: 37523932 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present review was to assess whether rabbit meat production can help to improve food security in Ukraine and whether it can make a meaningful contribution to the national economy. Rabbit meat is a nutrient-rich and affordable food with a lower environmental impact than red meat from cattle or sheep. Rabbit meat is considered healthy, as it is lower in fat, cholesterol and sodium than other types of meat, and rich in protein. In addition, rabbit meat proteins can serve as a source of bioactive peptides with the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition properties. The health-promoting properties of rabbit meat and role of associated by-products in providing nutritious and safe food for consumers, and in reducing waste in the meat sector, should be promoted. In Ukraine, rabbit meat products are already recommended as part of a healthy diet for children, pregnant women and the elderly, and the market could be broadened by introducing more rabbit-based products for the whole population. Rabbit production in Ukraine is a promising area of economic activity and with a broader market this segment could increase further and become a significant part of the economy. However, the rabbit farming sector in Ukraine needs comprehensive improvement to address existing issues, including the introduction of sustainable production methods in accordance with European animal welfare and meat quality standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galia Zamaratskaia
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Molecular Sciences, P.O. Box 7015, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
| | - Oleksandr Havrysh
- Cherkasy Experimental Station of Bioresources of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine
| | | | - Andriy Getya
- National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
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16
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Cenko E, Manfrini O, Fabin N, Dorobantu M, Kedev S, Milicic D, Vasiljevic Z, Bugiardini R. Clinical determinants of ischemic heart disease in Eastern Europe. Lancet Reg Health Eur 2023; 33:100698. [PMID: 37954000 PMCID: PMC10636265 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular inequalities remain pervasive in the European countries. Disparities in disease burden is apparent among population groups based on sex, ethnicity, economic status or geography. To address this challenge, The Lancet Regional Health - Europe convened experts from a broad range of countries to assess the current state of knowledge of cardiovascular disease inequalities across Europe. This report presents the main challenges in Eastern Europe. There were pronounced variations in cardiovascular disease mortality rates across Eastern European countries with a remarkably high disease burden in the North-Eastern Europe. There were also significant differences in access and delivery to healthcare and unmet healthcare needs. Addressing the cardiovascular determinants of health and reducing health disparities in its many dimensions has long been a priority of the European Parliament's work through resolutions and by financing pilot projects. Yet, despite these efforts, few large-scale studies have been conducted to examine the feasibility of reducing cardiovascular disparities in Eastern Europe. There is an urgent need for improved data, measurements, reporting, and comparisons; and for dedicated, collaborative research. There is also a need for a broader understanding of the typology of actions needed to tackle cardiovascular inequalities and a clear political will.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edina Cenko
- Laboratory of Epidemiological and Clinical Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Olivia Manfrini
- Laboratory of Epidemiological and Clinical Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Sant’Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Natalia Fabin
- Laboratory of Epidemiological and Clinical Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Dorobantu
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sasko Kedev
- University Clinic for Cardiology, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
- Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
| | - Davor Milicic
- Department for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Raffaele Bugiardini
- Laboratory of Epidemiological and Clinical Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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17
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Brühl A, Ward CL, Lachman JM, Foran HM, Raleva M, Baban A, Heinrichs N. Co-Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Mothers and Maltreatment of Their Children With Behavioral Problems in Eastern Europe. Violence Against Women 2023; 29:2439-2463. [PMID: 37475529 PMCID: PMC10496420 DOI: 10.1177/10778012231188090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against mothers and their risk of perpetrating child maltreatment (CM) in North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, and Romania. Risk factors for IPV, CM, and their co-occurrence were identified. Two samples (N1 = 112, N2 = 701) of mothers with children with behavioral problems were assessed. IPV was reported by 64% of mothers, CM by 96%, and their co-occurrence by 63%. Mothers exposed to emotional IPV reported more physical and emotional CM. Mothers exposed to physical IPV reported more physical CM. Motheŕs own history of CM and offspring's behavior problems were associated with IPV and CM co-occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Brühl
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Catherine L. Ward
- Department of Psychology and Safety and Violence Initiative, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Jamie M. Lachman
- Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Heather M. Foran
- Department of Health Psychology, University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria
| | - Marija Raleva
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University of Skopje, Skopje,
North Macedonia
| | - Adriana Baban
- Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj County, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Nina Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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18
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Lišková K, Jarska N, Gagyiova A, Aguilar López-Barajas JL, Rábová ŠC. Saving newborns, defining livebirth: The struggle to reduce infant mortality in East-Central Europe in comparative and transnational perspectives, 1945-1965. Hist Sci 2023:732753231187486. [PMID: 37698030 DOI: 10.1177/00732753231187486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
After World War II, infant mortality rates started dropping steeply. We show how this was accomplished in socialist countries in East-Central Europe. Focusing on the two postwar decades, we explore comparatively how medical experts in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany saved fragile newborns. Based on an analysis of medical journals, we argue that the Soviet Union and its medical practices had only a marginal influence; the four countries followed the recommendations of the World Health Organization instead, despite not being members. Importantly, we analyze the expert clashes over definitions of livebirth, which impact infant mortality statistics. We analyze the divergent practices and negotiations between countries: since the infant mortality rate came to represent the level of socioeconomic advancement, its political significance was paramount. Analyzing the struggle to reduce infant mortality thus helps us understand how socialist countries positioned themselves within the transnational framework while being members of the "socialist bloc."
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Jarska
- Institute of History, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
| | - Annina Gagyiova
- Institute of History, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
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19
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Fursa O, Reekie J, Kuzin I, Hetman L, Kryshchuk A, Starychenko O, Hrytsaiuk N, Khodus I, Nyzhnyk A, Rakhuba V, Kovalevska M, Maistat T, Pryhoda I, Ahieieva M, Varvarovska O, Valdenmaiier O, Lundgren J, Peters L. Cross-sectional HIV and HCV cascades of care across the regions of Ukraine between 2019 and 2020: findings from the CARE cohort. J Int AIDS Soc 2023; 26:e26166. [PMID: 37705358 PMCID: PMC10500257 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Eastern Europe is facing major HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) epidemics, with many people living with HIV (PLHIV) and HIV/HCV coinfection living in Ukraine. Despite the previous progress towards care quality improvement, the ongoing war in Ukraine is disrupting HIV and HCV care. METHODS We described an HIV cascade of care (CoC) in PLHIV from two clinical sites and an HCV CoC for anti-HCV-positive PLHIV from six sites in Ukraine, enrolled in the CARE cohort between 1 January 2019 and 1 June 2020. The cross-sectional HIV CoC and HCV CoC are described at study enrolment. RESULTS Of 1028 PLHIV, 1014 (98.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 97.7-99.3) were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 876 (86.4% of those on ART, 95% CI 84.1-88.4) were virologically suppressed. Of 894 participants on ART >6 months, 90.8% (95% CI 88.7-92.6) were virologically suppressed (HIV-RNA <200 copies/ml). Of 2040 anti-HCV-positive PLHIV, 417 (20.4%, 95% CI 18.7-22.3) were ever tested for HCV-RNA prior to enrolment, ranging from 4.9% to 54.4% across sites, and 13.5% were currently HCV-RNA positive. One hundred and eighteen persons (7.3% of ever chronically infected) had received HCV treatment, and 25 persons (1.6% of ever chronically infected) were cured, with variations across sites (0%-7.5%). The site diagnosing 54.4% of people with chronic HCV was the only one providing free RNA testing for all anti-HCV-positive persons, while the intra-country differences in treatment coverage were driven by the number of available direct-acting antiviral (DAA) courses. CONCLUSIONS Over 98% of PLHIV in care in both CARE sites in Ukraine were receiving ART, and the target of 90% virally suppressed was achieved in persons >6 months on ART. Only one of six HIV/HCV study sites tested over 50% anti-HCV-positive PLHIV for HCV-RNA and treated over 25% of eligible persons. While free HCV-RNA testing and DAA treatment are paramount to achieving HCV elimination targets, they remained a challenge in Ukraine in 2019-2020. The extent of the HIV and HCV care disruption during the war will be further assessed in the CARE cohort and compared with the pre-war findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Fursa
- Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and InfectionsRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Joanne Reekie
- Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and InfectionsRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Ihor Kuzin
- Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of UkraineKyivUkraine
| | - Larysa Hetman
- Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of UkraineKyivUkraine
| | - Alina Kryshchuk
- Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of UkraineKyivUkraine
| | - Olena Starychenko
- Kyiv City AIDS Prevention and Control Center (Kyiv City Clinical Hospital №5)KyivUkraine
| | - Nana Hrytsaiuk
- Kyiv City AIDS Prevention and Control Center (Kyiv City Clinical Hospital №5)KyivUkraine
| | - Inna Khodus
- Kyiv Regional Center for Public HealthKyivUkraine
| | - Alla Nyzhnyk
- Kyiv Regional Center for Public HealthKyivUkraine
| | | | | | - Tetiana Maistat
- Regional Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Control of Kharkiv Regional CouncilKharkivUkraine
| | - Iryna Pryhoda
- Mariupol City Hospital №4 named after I.K. MatsukaMariupolUkraine
| | | | - Olena Varvarovska
- Regional Medical Specialized Center of Zhytomyr Regional CouncilZhytomyrUkraine
| | - Olena Valdenmaiier
- Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and InfectionsRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Jens Lundgren
- Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and InfectionsRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Lars Peters
- Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and InfectionsRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
| | - the CARE study group
- Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and InfectionsRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
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20
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Timmermans JP. The autonomic nervous system from a morphofunctional perspective: Historical overview and current concepts over the last two centuries highlighting contributions from Eastern Europe. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2222-2229. [PMID: 36733228 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The present contribution comprises both an introductory comment and an overview of the contributions within this special issue on historical and current research on the autonomic nervous system from Eastern European colleagues, particularly focusing on the autonomic innervation of the gastrointestinal tract and of the cardiovascular system. It also gives a selected overview of interesting and seminal papers on these topics that appeared in The Anatomical Record since its foundation in 1906.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Timmermans
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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21
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Sulcebe G, Ylli A, Kurti-Prifti M, Ylli Z, Shyti E, Dashi-Pasholli J, Cenko F. Rapid increase of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence during the second half of the COVID-19 pandemic year 2020 in the adult urban Albanian population. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19547. [PMID: 37681122 PMCID: PMC10481283 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study aims to assess the changes in COVID-19 seroprevalence among the adult urban population of Albania between July and December 2020, when the Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus was still prevalent in the country. Methods Two independent, randomly selected samples of individuals aged 20-70 years residing in Metropolitan Tirana, Albania, were collected in June-July and December 2020. ELISA method was used for serological testing to determine IgG antibodies anti-S1-SARS-CoV-2. Results: The proportion of individuals classified as seropositive in early July was 7.5% (95% CI: 4.3%-10.7%), which increased 6.5 times in late December 2020, reaching 48.2% (95% CI: 44.8%-51.7%). The increasing seroprevalence rates in the study mirrored the trend of detected COVID-19 cases from June to December 2020 in Albania. However, they demonstrate a much higher cumulative incidence of the SARS-COV-2 infection in the community than the reported COVID-19 cases. Conclusion: The rapid increase in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence observed in Tirana City by the end of 2020 was likely a result of several factors, including the very low infection exposure between March-May 2020 when the entire city was in a lockdown, followed by the high susceptibility of the population due to naïve immunity. Despite the high observed seroprevalence at the end of December 2020, COVID-19 incidence continued to increase in Albania through 2021 and 2022 following the new virus variant surges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genc Sulcebe
- Research Unit of Immunology, University of Medicine of Tirana and University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania
- Academy of Sciences of Albania, Albania
| | | | - Margarita Kurti-Prifti
- Research Unit of Immunology, University of Medicine of Tirana and University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania
| | - Zamira Ylli
- Research Unit of Immunology, University of Medicine of Tirana and University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania
| | - Erkena Shyti
- Research Unit of Immunology, University of Medicine of Tirana and University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania
| | - Jonida Dashi-Pasholli
- Research Unit of Immunology, University of Medicine of Tirana and University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania
| | - Fabian Cenko
- Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” Tirana, Albania
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22
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Zelenkov NV. A New Species of Sandgrouse (Aves: Pteroclidae) from the Early Pleistocene of the Crimea. Dokl Biol Sci 2023; 511:264-266. [PMID: 37833584 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496623700497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae, Pterocliformes) are specialized ground birds of open arid landscapes with a very poorly studied evolutionary history. In the late Pliocene-early Pleistocene, Pteroclidae are known only from few localities in Southern Europe. The article describes a relatively large fossil sandgrouse from the early Pleistocene of the Taurida cave in the Crimea. This is the first record of Pteroclidae in the ancient faunas of the Black Sea region and Eastern Europe. The unusual structure of the tibiotarsus makes it possible to describe the fossil form from Taurida Cave as a new species, Pterocles bosporanus sp. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- N V Zelenkov
- Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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23
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Idrisov B, Lunze K, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Gnatienko N, Patts G, Bridden C, Rossi SL, Weiser SD, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Food Insecurity and Transmission Risks Among People with HIV Who Use Substances. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:2376-2389. [PMID: 36670209 PMCID: PMC9859749 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03965-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Food insecurity (FI) impacts people with HIV (PWH) and those who use substances (i.e. drugs and alcohol). We evaluated the longitudinal association between FI and HIV transmission risks (unprotected sexual contacts and shared needles/syringes). Among 351 PWH who use substances in Russia, 51.6% reported FI and 37.0% past month injection drug use. The mean number of unprotected sexual contacts in the past 90 days was 13.4 (SD 30.1); 9.7% reported sharing needles/syringes in the past month. We did not find a significant association between mild/moderate FI (adjusted IRR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.47, 1.61) or severe FI (aIRR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.46, 1.54; global p = 0.85) and unprotected sexual contacts. We observed a significant association between severe FI and sharing needles/syringes in the past month (adjusted OR = 3.27, 95% CI 1.45, 7.39; p = 0.004), but not between mild/moderate FI and sharing needles/syringes in the past month (aOR = 1.40,95% CI 0.58, 3.38; p = 0.45). These findings suggest that severe FI could be a potential target for interventions to lower HIV transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bulat Idrisov
- Bashkir State Medical University, Ufa, Russia.
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA, 98195-7660, USA.
| | - Karsten Lunze
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston, MA, USA
- School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Debbie M Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Blokhina
- Lab of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, Pavlov University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Gnatienko
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gregory Patts
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carly Bridden
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah L Rossi
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sheri D Weiser
- School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Evgeny Krupitsky
- Lab of Clinical Pharmacology of Addictions, Pavlov University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Boston, MA, USA
- School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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24
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Lelutiu-Weinberger C, Filimon M, Hoover D, Lixandru M, Hanu L, Dogaru B, Kovaks T, Fierbinteanu C, Ionescu F, Manu M, Maris A, Pana E, Dorobantescu C, Streinu-Cercel A, Pachankis J. A randomized controlled trial of an mHealth intervention for gay and bisexual men's mental, behavioral, and sexual health in a high-stigma, low-resource context: Project Comunică protocol. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3008174. [PMID: 37461458 PMCID: PMC10350211 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3008174/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Background The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 80% of new HIV diagnoses in 2014 in Europe occurred in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Romania has particularly high HIV incidence, AIDS prevalence, and AIDS-related deaths. HIV incidence today in Romania is largely attributed to sexual contact among gay and bisexual men (GBM). However, homophobic stigma in Romania keeps GBM out of reach of the scant available prevention services and serves as a risk factor for HIV. The Comunică intervention delivers motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy skills across eight live text-based counseling sessions. Preliminary evidence suggests that Comunică possesses promise for reducing GBM's co-occurring mental (e.g., depression), behavioral (e.g., heavy alcohol use), and sexual (e.g., HIV-transmission-risk behavior) health risks in Romania and perhaps other similar high-stigma national contexts. This paper describes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to test the efficacy of Comunică. Methods To test Comunică's efficacy, 305 GBM were randomized to receive Comunică or a content-matched education attention control condition. The control condition consists of eight time-matched educational modules that present information regarding GBM identity development, information about HIV transmission and prevention, the importance of HIV/STI testing and treatment, heavy alcohol use and its associations with HIV-transmission-risk behavior, sexual health communication, finding social support, and creating sexual health goals. Outcomes are measured pre-intervention (baseline), and at 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups. The primary outcome is frequency of condomless anal sex acts with HIV-positive or unknown-status partners outside of the context of one's own adherent PrEP use or primary partner's adherent PrEP use or undetectable viral load in the past 30 days at each follow-up. Secondary outcomes include depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, heavy alcohol use, and HIV/STI testing; motivational and stigma-related mechanisms of intervention efficacy will also be examined. Discussion If found to be efficacious, Comunică presents a scalable platform to provide mental, behavioral, and sexual health support to GBM living in Romania and similar high-stigma, low-resource areas within the CEE region and beyond. Trial registration Registered April 11, 2019 to ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03912753.
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25
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Prokopič M, Gilca-Blanariux G, Lietava P, Trifan A, Pietrzak A, Ladic A, Brinar M, Turcan S, Molnár T, Bánovčin P, Lukáš M. Barriers in inflammatory bowel disease care in Central and Eastern Europe: a region-specific analysis. Therap Adv Gastroenterol 2023; 16:17562848231174290. [PMID: 37333465 PMCID: PMC10272651 DOI: 10.1177/17562848231174290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic immune-mediated diseases with a high incidence and prevalence in Europe. Since these are diseases with associated disability, they require complex management and the availability of high-quality healthcare resources. We focused on the analysis of IBD care in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) targeting the availability and reimbursement of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, the role of IBD centers and also education and research in IBD. As part of the analysis, we created a questionnaire of 73 statements organized in three topics: (1) diagnostics, follow-up and screening, (2) medications and (3) IBD centers. The questionnaire was filled out by co-authoring IBD experts from individual countries, and then the answers and comments on the questionnaire were analyzed. We identified that despite the financial burden, which still partially persists in the region, the availability of some of the cost-saving tools (calprotectin test, therapeutic drug monitoring) differs among countries, mainly due to variable reimbursement from country to country. In most participating countries, there also remains a lack of dedicated dietary and psychological counseling, which is often replaced by recommendations offered by gastroenterologists. However, there is adequate availability of most of the currently recommended diagnostic methods and therapies in each participating country, as well as the implementation of established IBD centers in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Peter Lietava
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Anca Trifan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Grigore T Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
- Sf Spiridon County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | - Anna Pietrzak
- Second Gastroenterology Department, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Ladic
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Brinar
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Svetlana Turcan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Tamás Molnár
- First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged Faculty of Medicine, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Peter Bánovčin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Milan Lukáš
- IBD Clinical and Research Center, ISCARE a.s. and the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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26
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Muscoli S, Andreadi A, Tamburro C, Russo M, Rosenfeld R, Oro P, Ifrim M, Porzio F, Barone L, Barillà F, Lauro D. Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Coronary Angiographic Findings in High-Risk Immigrant Communities in Italy. J Pers Med 2023; 13:882. [PMID: 37373871 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13060882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) considerably varies by ethnicity. High-risk populations include patients from Eastern Europe (EEP), the Middle East and North Africa (MENAP) and South Asia (SAP). METHODS This retrospective study aims to highlight cardiovascular risk factors and specific coronary findings in high-risk immigrant groups. We examined the medical records and coronary angiographies of 220 patients from the above-mentioned high-risk ethnic groups referred for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and compared them with 90 Italian patients (IP) from 2016 to 2021. In the context of high-risk immigrant populations, this retrospective study aims to shed light on cardiovascular risk factors and particular coronary findings. We analyzed the medical records of 220 patients from the high-risk ethnic groups described above referred for ACS and compared them with 90 IPs between 2016 and 2021. In addition, we assessed coronary angiographies with a focus on the culprit lesion, mainly evaluating multi-vessel and left main disease. RESULTS The mean age at the first event was 65.4 ± 10.2 years for IP, 49.8 ± 8.5 years for SAP (Relative Reduction (ReR) 30.7%), 51.9 ± 10.2 years for EEP (ReR 26%) and 56.7 ± 11.4 years for MENAP (ReR 15.3%); p < 0.0001. The IP group had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension. EEP and MENAP had a lower prevalence of diabetes. EEP and MENAP had a higher prevalence of STEMI events; SAP showed a significant prevalence of left main artery disease (p = 0.026) and left anterior descending artery disease (p = 0.033) compared with other groups. In SAP, we detected a higher prevalence of three-vessel coronary artery disease in the age group 40-50. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest the existence of a potential coronary phenotype in several ethnicities, especially SAP, and understate the frequency of CV risk factors in other high-risk groups, supporting the role of a genetic influence in these communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saverio Muscoli
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Aikaterini Andreadi
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Tamburro
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Russo
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosenfeld
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Oro
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Mihaela Ifrim
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Porzio
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucy Barone
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Barillà
- Division of Cardiology, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Lauro
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
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27
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Davies P, Aluloski I, Arifdjanova D, Brcanski J, Davidzenka A, Durdyeva A, Umarzoda SG, Goshliyev K, Jovanović V, Jugeli L, Kocinaj-Berisha M, Maistruk G, Naumović T, Pilav A, Rzayeva G, Saribekyan K, Siljak S, Ten E, Valuta D, Veljković M, Yildirimkaya G, Ylli A, Zhylkaidarova A, Melnic E. HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening Policies and Practices in 18 Countries, Territories and Entities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2023; 24:1781-1788. [PMID: 37247301 PMCID: PMC10495901 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2023.24.5.1781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To assess readiness to achieve the WHO Global Strategy targets for HPV vaccination and cervical screening and to guide capacity building, the current status of these services in 18 Eastern European and Central Asian countries, territories and entities (CTEs) was evaluated. METHODS In order to assess the current status of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in these 18 CTEs, a 30 question survey tool was developed, covering: national policies, strategies and plans for cervical cancer prevention; status of cancer registration; status of HPV vaccination; and current practices for cervical cancer screening and treatment of precancerous lesions. As cervical cancer prevention comes within the mandate of the United Nations Fund for Population Development (UNFPA), the UNFPA offices in the 18 CTEs have regular contact with national experts who are directly involved in cervical cancer prevention actions and are well placed to provide the data required for this survey. Working through the UNFPA offices, the questionnaires were sent to these national experts in April 2021, with data collected from April to July 2021. All CTEs returned completed questionnaires. RESULTS Only Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have implemented national HPV vaccination programmes, with only the last 2 of these reaching the WHO target of 90% of girls fully vaccinated by age 15, while rates in the other 4 range from 8%-40%. Cervical screening is available in all CTEs but only Belarus and Turkmenistan have reached the WHO target of 70% of women screened once by age 35 and again by age 45, while rates elsewhere range from 2%-66%. Only Albania and Turkey follow the WHO recommendation to use a high-performance screening test, while the majority use cervical cytology as the main screening test and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan use visual inspection. No CTEs currently operate systems to coordinate, monitor and quality assure (QA) the entire cervical screening process. CONCLUSIONS Cervical cancer prevention services in this region are very limited. Achieving the WHO Global Strategy targets by 2030 will require substantial investments in capacity building by international development organisations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Davies
- Department of Pathology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemitanu”, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
| | - Igor Aluloski
- University Clinic for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University “Sveti Kiril i Metodij”, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova.
| | | | - Jelena Brcanski
- Center for Analysis, Planning and Organization of Health Care, Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut”, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | | | - Akjemal Durdyeva
- Reproductive Health Center, Center for Maternal and Child Health, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
| | - Saida Gayrat Umarzoda
- Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
| | | | - Verica Jovanović
- Center for Analysis, Planning and Organization of Health Care, Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut”, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Levan Jugeli
- Black Sea Coalition for Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention, Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | - Merita Kocinaj-Berisha
- Department for Social Medicine, National Institute of Public Health, and Medical Faculty, University of Prishtina, Pristina, Kosovo.
| | - Galina Maistruk
- Charity Foundation “Women’s Health and Family Planning”, Kiev, Ukraine.
| | - Tamara Naumović
- Center for Analysis, Planning and Organization of Health Care, Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut”, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Aida Pilav
- Health Institute of Canton Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| | - Gulnara Rzayeva
- Department of Ambulatory and Diagnostic Services, Scientific Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baku, Azerbaijan.
| | | | - Sladjana Siljak
- Public Health Institute of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| | - Elena Ten
- Sector of Medico-Social Investigations, Scientific Centre of Preventive Medicine, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
| | - Diana Valuta
- Cervical Screening Coordination Unit, Institute of Mother and Child, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
| | - Marko Veljković
- Center for Analysis, Planning and Organization of Health Care, Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut”, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | | | - Alban Ylli
- Department of Public Health & Non Communicable Diseases, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania.
| | - Alma Zhylkaidarova
- Specialized Consultative and Diagnostic Department, Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
| | - Eugen Melnic
- Department of Pathology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemitanu”, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
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Metchurtchlishvili R, Chkhartishvili N, Abutidze A, Endeladze M, Ezugbaia M, Bakradze A, Tsertsvadze T. Effect of remdesivir on mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation among hospitalized patients with COVID-19: real-world data from a resource-limited country. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 129:63-69. [PMID: 36690139 PMCID: PMC9854141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Georgia introduced remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 in December 2020. We evaluated the real-world effect of remdesivir on mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation among inpatients with COVID-19. METHODS The study included 346 remdesivir recipients and 346 controls not receiving remdesivir selected through propensity score matching based on age, gender, presence of any chronic comorbid condition, and oxygen saturation at admission. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation were assessed in a multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS The groups were comparable by age, gender, comorbidities, and baseline oxygen saturation. Among 346 remdesivir recipients, 265 (76.6%) received a generic formulation of the drug. Eight (2.3%) patients died in the remdesivir group and 18 (5.2%) in the control group (P = 0.046). In the multivariable analysis, remdesivir was associated with non-statistically significant reduced odds of death (odds ratio: 0.39, 95% confidence interval: 0.14-1.04, P = 0.06). Significantly fewer patients in the remdesivir group required mechanical ventilation compared to controls: 2.9% vs 6.4% (P = 0.03). Statistically significant difference was maintained in multivariable analysis (odds ratio: 0.40, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-5.60, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION Borderline reduction in the odds of death and statistically significant decrease in the need for mechanical ventilation support use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Akaki Abutidze
- Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Marina Endeladze
- Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Marine Ezugbaia
- Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ana Bakradze
- Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Tengiz Tsertsvadze
- Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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29
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Stepovic M, Vekic S, Vojinovic R, Jovanovic K, Radovanovic S, Radevic S, Rancic N. Analysis and Forecast of Indicators Related to Medical Workers and Medical Technology in Selected Countries of Eastern Europe and Balkan. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11050655. [PMID: 36900660 PMCID: PMC10000486 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11050655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Health indicators measure certain health characteristics in a specific population or country and can help navigate the health systems. As the global population is rising, the demand for an increase in the number of health workers is simultaneously rising. The aim of this study was to compare and predict the indicators related to the number of medical workers and medical technologies in selected countries in Eastern Europe and Balkan in the studied period. The article analyzed the reported data of selected health indicators extracted from the European Health for All database. The indicators of interest were the number of physicians, pharmacists, general practitioners and dentists per 100,000 people. To observe the changes in these indicators through the available years, we used linear trends, regression analysis and forecasting to the year 2025. The regression analysis shows that the majority of the observed countries will experience an increase in the number of general practitioners, pharmacists, health workers/professionals and dentists, as well as in the number of computerized tomography scanners and the number of magnetic resonance units, predicted to occur by 2025. Following trends of medical indicators can help the government and health sector to focus and navigate the best investments for each country according to the level of their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milos Stepovic
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Stefan Vekic
- Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Radisa Vojinovic
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Kristijan Jovanovic
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Snezana Radovanovic
- Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Svetlana Radevic
- Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Nemanja Rancic
- Medical Faculty of the Military Medical Academy, University of Defence in Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Centre for Clinical Pharmacology, Military Medical Academy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Correspondence:
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Vela E, Cleries M, Bilal U, Banach M, McEvoy JW, Mortensen MB, Blaha MJ, Nasir K, Comin-Colet J, Mauri J, Cainzos-Achirica M. Implications of the 2021 ESC cardiovascular risk classification among 283,000 European immigrants living in a low-risk region: a population-based analysis in Catalonia. Arch Med Sci 2023; 19:35-45. [PMID: 36817660 PMCID: PMC9897087 DOI: 10.5114/aoms/144631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The ESC recently classified European countries into 4 cardiovascular risk regions. However, whether Europeans from higher-risk countries living in lower-risk regions may benefit from intensive cardiovascular prevention efforts is unknown. We described the burden of risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among European-born immigrants living in Catalonia, a low-risk region. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective cohort study of 5.6 million adults of European origin living in Catalonia in 2019, including 282,789 European-born immigrants, was performed. We used the regionwide healthcare database and classified participants into 5 groups: low-, moderate-, high-, and very high-risk, and local-born. Age-standardized prevalence was estimated as of December 31st, 2019 and incidence was computed during 2019 among at-risk individuals. RESULTS The very high-risk group was the largest immigrant group (N = 136,910; 48.4%), while the high-risk group was the smallest (N = 15,739; 5.6%). These two had the highest burden of coronary heart disease across all groups evaluated, in both men and women. The very high-risk group also had the highest prevalence of hypertension and obesity at young-to-middle age, and the burden of risk factors newly diagnosed during 2019 was highest in high- and very high-risk participants. The mean age at first diagnosis of risk factors and CVD was lower in these groups. CONCLUSIONS In Catalonia, residents born in high- and very-high-risk European countries are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and newly diagnosed risk factors. Low-risk European countries may consider tailored prevention efforts, early screening of risk factors, and adequate healthcare resource planning to better address the health needs of men and women from higher-risk countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emili Vela
- Healthcare Information and Knowledge Unit, Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain
- Digitalization for the Sustainability of the Healthcare System (DS3), Sistema de Salut de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montse Cleries
- Healthcare Information and Knowledge Unit, Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain
- Digitalization for the Sustainability of the Healthcare System (DS3), Sistema de Salut de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Usama Bilal
- Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia (PA), USA
| | - Maciej Banach
- Department of Hypertension, Chair of Nephrology and Hypertension, Medical University of Lodz (MUL), Lodz, Poland
| | - John W. McEvoy
- National University of Ireland and National Institute for Preventive Cardiology, Galway, Ireland
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Saolta University Healthcare Group, University College Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Martin Bødtker Mortensen
- Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore (MD), USA
| | - Michael Joseph Blaha
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore (MD), USA
- Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (MD), USA
| | - Khurram Nasir
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore (MD), USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, Department of Cardiology, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston (TX), USA
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston (TX), USA
| | - Josep Comin-Colet
- Department of Cardiology, Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Pla Director de Malalties Cardiovasculars, Health Department of the Government of Catalonia, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josepa Mauri
- Pla Director de Malalties Cardiovasculars, Health Department of the Government of Catalonia, Catalonia, Spain
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain, Spain
| | - Miguel Cainzos-Achirica
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore (MD), USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, Department of Cardiology, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston (TX), USA
- Pla Director de Malalties Cardiovasculars, Health Department of the Government of Catalonia, Catalonia, Spain
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Heller D. Revival of psychology in former Czechoslovakia and the contemporary Czech Republic after the fall of Totalitarian communist regimes. J Hist Behav Sci 2023; 59:62-69. [PMID: 36533611 DOI: 10.1002/jhbs.22241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
After the general societal and political change in November 1989 in Czechoslovakia, the subject "History of Psychology" became the stable component of curriculum of studying psychology at the Department of Psychology of Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. The author of this paper has taught "History of Psychology" in Czech since 1998 for more than 20 years all students of psychology and he is teaching this subject the students of ERASMUS+ program from whole Europe, studying at Charles University in Prague, now. Indivisible part of the curriculum is represented by the history of Czechoslovak and Czech psychology. In References, the most important publications in the field of history of Czechoslovak and Czech psychology are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Heller
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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Darakchi S. "Coming Out To Yourself": Reflections On Early-Years Sexual Identity Formation Among Different Generations of Bulgarian Non-Heterosexual Males. Sex Cult 2022; 27:951-971. [PMID: 36536617 PMCID: PMC9754303 DOI: 10.1007/s12119-022-10049-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
During the past few years the so-called "anti-gender campaigns" in Bulgaria have revitalized the polemics surrounding the development of non-heterosexual identities claiming that these identities are "imported" by "Western" politics and discourses in order to "weaken" and transform national cultural and political models. Analyzing 63 semi-structured in-depth interviews with non-heterosexual males from different generations, this study aims to contribute to the theories of non-heterosexual identity development by providing data from Bulgarian context. The data from this study suggests that: (1) non-heterosexual male identities in Bulgaria have existed before the "global gay culture"; (2) the younger the participants the earlier they realize their non-heterosexual desires often within the "pre-sexuality stage" defined by the stage models and the youngest cohort self-label their same-sex attraction mainly through an "identity-centred" sequence, before engaging in sexual activities; (3) the greater awareness of role models, the wider access to information, and the involvement in the LGBTQI + communities have contributed to a more positive and self-respectful identity development; (4) physical contacts and observations as significant sources for the questioning of a non-heterosexual identity have been replaced by virtual observations and communication; (5) the Internet and social media have made non-heterosexual identity development more accessible regardless of social and economic background, and that (6) non-heterosexual identity development does not lead automatically to a culturally defined gay identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaban Darakchi
- University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
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Pumpure E, Jakovicka D, Mariani I, Vaska A, Covi B, Valente EP, Jansone‐Šantare G, Knoka AR, Vilcāne KP, Rezeberga D, Lazzerini M, Roda DD, Kurbanović M, Virginie R, de La Rochebrochard E, Löfgren K, Miani C, Batram‐Zantvoort S, Wandschneider L, Morano S, Chertok I, Artzi‐Medvedik R, Liepinaitienė A, Kondrakova A, Mizgaitienė M, Juciūtė S, Arendt M, Tasch B, Nedberg IH, Kongslien S, Vik ES, Baranowska B, Tataj‐Puzyna U, Węgrzynowska M, Costa R, Barata C, Santos T, Rodrigues C, Dias H, Otelea MR, Radetić J, Ružičić J, Drglin Z, Ponikvar BM, Bohinec A, Brigidi S, Castañeda LM, Elden H, Sengpiel V, Linden K, Zaigham M, De Labrusse C, Abderhalden A, Pfund A, Thorn H, Grylka S, Gemperle M, Mueller A. Women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care in childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia: Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study on 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2022; 159 Suppl 1:97-112. [PMID: 36530013 PMCID: PMC9878132 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.14461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, comparing the years 2020 and 2021, among women who went into labor or had a prelabor cesarean. METHODS Women giving birth in healthcare facilities in Latvia from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Descriptive and multivariate quantile regression analyses were performed to compare QMNC in 2020 and 2021. RESULTS 2079 women were included in the analysis: 1860 women who went into labor (group 1) and 219 with prelabor cesarean (group 2). Among group 1, 66.4% (n = 99/149) of women received fundal pressure in an instrumental vaginal birth, 43.5% (n = 810) lacked involvement in choices, 17.4% (n = 317) reported suffering abuse, 32.7% (n = 609) reported inadequate breastfeeding support while 5.2% (n = 96) lack of early breastfeeding. A significant reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic was reported by 29.5% (n = 219) and 25.0% (n = 270) of respondents in 2020 and 2021, respectively (P = 0.045). Multivariate analyses highlighted a significantly lower QMNC index for 2020 compared with 2021 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION This first study investigating QMNC in Latvia showed significant gaps in QMNC perceived by respondents, with slightly better results in 2021. Appropriate healthcare strategies to improve health care for women and newborns in Latvia are required. CLINICALTRIALS gov Identifier:NCT04847336.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabete Pumpure
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyRiga Stradins UniversityRigaLatvia,Riga Maternity HospitalRigaLatvia
| | | | - Ilaria Mariani
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child HealthInstitute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”TriesteItaly
| | | | - Benedetta Covi
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child HealthInstitute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”TriesteItaly
| | - Emanuelle Pessa Valente
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child HealthInstitute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”TriesteItaly
| | - Gita Jansone‐Šantare
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyRiga Stradins UniversityRigaLatvia,Riga Maternity HospitalRigaLatvia
| | | | | | - Dace Rezeberga
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyRiga Stradins UniversityRigaLatvia,Riga Maternity HospitalRigaLatvia
| | - Marzia Lazzerini
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child HealthInstitute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”TriesteItaly
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Gökengin D. HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Central and Eastern Europe-Gains and Challenges in An Ever-Changing World. Infect Dis Clin Microbiol 2022; 4:223-228. [PMID: 38633717 PMCID: PMC10986726 DOI: 10.36519/idcm.2022.199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective prevention tool for controlling the HIV epidemic. Since its approval in the United States in 2012 and Europe in 2016, it has become available on a global scale offered as a registered strategy in clinical studies or demonstration projects with a slow and steady increase. In the second quarter of 2022, PrEP became available in 78 countries globally, with around 3 million people having started using PrEP. Europe has been much slower than the rest of the world to roll out PrEP; nevertheless, currently, PrEP is nationally available and reimbursed in 21 countries; generics are available but not reimbursed in 14 countries. PrEP is not formally implemented in 20 countries, which are mostly Central and Eastern European countries. There are significant disparities between countries in terms of PrEP availability, accessibility, and usage, most likely due to social, cultural, and political differences. The major barriers to PrEP use are reported to be lack of knowledge of people in need, not being reimbursed, and low perception of HIV. PrEP uptake globally and regionally still lacks the power to have an impact on controlling the epidemic. High prioritization of PrEP targets will offer us a realistic chance of reaching the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) goal of a 90% reduction in HIV infections by 2030 compared to 2010.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Gökengin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey
- Ege University HIV/AIDS Research and Practice Center, İzmir, Turkey
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Kunz K, Hu Y, Schmidhalter U. Carbon isotope discrimination as a key physiological trait to phenotype drought/heat resistance of future climate-resilient German winter wheat compared with relative leaf water content and canopy temperature. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:1043458. [PMID: 36589131 PMCID: PMC9794500 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1043458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to influence crop growth through frequent drought and heat extremes, and thus, drought and heat tolerance are of increasing importance as major breeding goals for cereal crops in Central Europe. Plant physiological water status traits are suitable for phenotyping plant drought/heat tolerance. The objective of this study was to determine whether relative leaf water content (RLWC), plant canopy temperature (CT), and carbon isotope discrimination (CID) are suitable for phenotyping the drought/heat resistance of German winter wheat for future climate resilience. Therefore, a comprehensive field evaluation was conducted under drier and warmer conditions in Moldova using a space-for-time approach for twenty winter wheat varieties from Germany and compared to twenty regionally adapted varieties from Eastern Europe. Among the physiological traits RLWC, CT, and CID, the heritability of RLWC showed the lowest values regardless of year or variety origin, and there was no significant correlation between RLWC and grain yield regardless of the year, suggesting that RLWC did not seem to be a useful trait for distinguishing origins or varieties under continental field conditions. Although the heritability of CT demonstrated high values, the results showed surprisingly low and nonsignificant correlations between CT and grain yield; this may have been due to a confounding effect of increased soil temperature in the investigated dark Chernozem soil. In contrast, the heritability of CID in leaves and grain was high, and there were significant correlations between grain yield and CID, suggesting that CID is a reliable indirect physiological trait for phenotyping drought/heat resistance for future climate resilience in German wheat.
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Pavlínek P. Transition of the automotive industry towards electric vehicle production in the east European integrated periphery. Empirica (Dordr) 2022; 50:35-73. [PMID: 36341133 PMCID: PMC9628593 DOI: 10.1007/s10663-022-09554-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This article analyzes the progress of the transition from the production of vehicles with internal combustion engines to the production of electric vehicles in eastern Europe. The transition is considered in the context of the development of the automotive industry in eastern Europe since the early 1990s and the relative position of the east European integrated periphery in the European automotive industry value chains and production networks. The article argues that foreign firms are driving the transition, while the role of the east European governments and local firms is much less significant. The transition is slower than in western Europe and eastern Europe will continue to produce internal combustion engine vehicles longer. Eastern Europe will continue to rely on its competitive advantage of low production costs, especially low labor costs, to continue to attract foreign direct investment in the automotive industry. The article considers the consequences of the transition for the position of east European countries in automotive value chains, production networks and the division of labor in the European automotive industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Pavlínek
- Department of Geography and Geology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0199 USA
- Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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Papadopoulos A, Thomas K, Protopapas K, Antonyak S, Begovac J, Dragovic G, Gökengin D, Aimla K, Krasniqi V, Lakatos B, Mardarescu M, Matulionyte R, Mulabdic V, Oprea C, Panteleev A, Sedláček D, Sojak L, Skrzat-Klapaczyńska A, Vassilenko A, Yancheva N, Yurin O, Horban A, Kowalska JD. HIV treatment strategies across Central, Eastern and South eastern Europe: New times, old problems. HIV Med 2022; 24:462-470. [PMID: 36196025 DOI: 10.1111/hiv.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the last decade, substantial differences in the epidemiology of, antiretroviral therapy (ART) for, cascade of care in and support to people with HIV in vulnerable populations have been observed between countries in Western Europe, Central Europe (CE) and Eastern Europe (EE). The aim of this study was to use a survey to explore whether ART availability and therapies have evolved in CE and EE according to European guidelines. METHODS The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group conducted two identical multicentre cross-sectional online surveys in 2019 and 2021 concerning the availability and use of antiretroviral drugs (boosted protease inhibitors [bPIs], integrase inhibitors [INSTIs] and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs]), the introduction of a rapid ART start strategy and the use of two-drug regimens (2DRs) for starting or switching ART. We also investigated barriers to the implementation of these strategies in each region. RESULTS In total, 18 centres participated in the study: four from CE, six from EE and eight from Southeastern Europe (SEE). Between those 2 years, older PIs were less frequently used and darunavir-based regimens were the main PIs (83%); bictegravir-based and tenofovir alafenamide-based regimens were introduced in CE and SEE but not in EE. The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly interrupt delivery of ART in most centres. Two-thirds of centres adopted a rapid ART start strategy, mainly in pregnant women and to improve linkage of care in vulnerable populations. The main obstacle to rapid ART start was that national guidelines in several countries from all three regions did not support such as strategy or required laboratory tests first; an INSTI/NRTI combination was the most commonly prescribed regimen (75%) and was exclusively prescribed in SEE. 2DRs are increasingly used for starting or switching ART (58%), and an INSTI/NRTI was the preferred regimen (75%) in all regions and exclusively prescribed in SEE, whereas the use of bPIs declined. Metabolic disorders and adverse drug reactions were the main reasons for starting a 2DR; in the second survey, HIV RNA <500 000 c/ml and high cluster of differentiation (CD)-4 count emerged as additional important reasons. CONCLUSIONS In just 2 years and in spite of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant achievements concerning ART availability and strategies have occurred in CE, EE and SEE that facilitate the harmonization of those strategies with the European AIDS Clinical Society guidelines. Few exceptions exist, especially in EE. Continuous effort is needed to overcome various obstacles (administrative, financial, national guideline restrictions) in some countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Papadopoulos
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Thomas
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Protopapas
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sergii Antonyak
- Gromashevsky Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, Viral Hepatitis and AIDS Department, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Josip Begovac
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gordana Dragovic
- Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Deniz Gökengin
- Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Valbon Krasniqi
- Infectious Diseases Clinic, University Clinical Center at Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - Botond Lakatos
- National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases, South-Pest Central Hospital, National Center of HIV, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mariana Mardarescu
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases Matei Bals, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Raimonda Matulionyte
- Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Velida Mulabdic
- Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Cristiana Oprea
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Victor Babes Clinical Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Dalibor Sedláček
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine, Charles University of Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomir Sojak
- Department of Infectology and Geographical Medicine, Academic L. Derer's University Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Agata Skrzat-Klapaczyńska
- Department of Adults' Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Vassilenko
- Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Medical Technologies, Global Fund Grant Management Department, Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Nina Yancheva
- Department for AIDS, Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Oleg Yurin
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moskow, Russia
| | - Andrzej Horban
- Department of Adults' Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna D Kowalska
- Department of Adults' Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Cansino JM, Román-Collado R, Nassar S. The clean development mechanism in Eastern Europe: an in-depth exploration. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:74797-74822. [PMID: 35641742 PMCID: PMC9154214 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20988-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a partnership tool founded under the Kyoto Protocol, grants potential opportunities to help developing countries achieve sustainable development. The present research examines the CDM projects in Eastern Europe (Moldova, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania). Although there were far fewer projects in this region than, for instance, China or India, it has some specific features that make it worth studying. Major findings are that most CDM projects in Eastern Europe involved a changing combination of two or more sources of financing, and the distribution of projects in the region was uneven. Moreover, although there was a small number of projects overall, they were all cost-effective, long-term and large-scale. The findings of the research call for improvements to be made to the governance of the CDM, by strengthening the international and national regulation of projects and by aggregating the scales of decision-making and actions so that real multi-scalar transnational governance - from the global level down to the local level - is implemented in a coherent manner. It is also recommended to carry out ex-post project evaluations, following which readjustments could be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Cansino
- Departamento de Análisis Económico Y Economía Política, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Ramón Y Cajal, 1. Postal Code, 41018, Seville, Spain.
- Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Av. Pedro de Valdivia 425, 758-0150, Providencia, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Rocío Román-Collado
- Departamento de Análisis Económico Y Economía Política, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Ramón Y Cajal, 1. Postal Code, 41018, Seville, Spain
- Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Av. Pedro de Valdivia 425, 758-0150, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sari Nassar
- Departamento de Análisis Económico Y Economía Política, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Ramón Y Cajal, 1. Postal Code, 41018, Seville, Spain
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Su CW, Rizvi SKA, Naqvi B, Mirza N, Umar M. COVID19: A blessing in disguise for European stock markets? Financ Res Lett 2022; 49:103135. [PMID: 35818440 PMCID: PMC9259196 DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2022.103135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to bridge the gap that has remained unfilled after the initial scrutiny and reporting of the damaging effects of Covid-19 on financial markets. The study analyzes 10 European stock markets and compares their pre and post covid return dynamics. Our findings are surprisingly pleasant, albeit counterintuitive to some. We observe a quick and unprecedented recovery in the European stock market, yielding significantly higher returns post covid, given a reasonably large holding period. We also observe an alteration and change in the status quo of countries while transmitting or receiving cross-market spillovers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Wei Su
- School of Economics, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Syed Kumail Abbas Rizvi
- Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Bushra Naqvi
- Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Umar
- School of Economics, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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Oskyrko O, Sos T, Vacheva E, Vlad SE, Cogălniceanu D, Uller T, Feiner N, Carretero MA. Unravelling the origin of the common wall lizards ( Podarcismuralis) in south- eastern Europe using mitochondrial evidence. Biodivers Data J 2022; 10:e90337. [PMID: 36761656 PMCID: PMC9836615 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.10.e90337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of the common wall lizards (Podarcismuralis) populations in south-eastern Europe (namely in Bulgaria and Romania), representing the north-eastern range border of this species, was addressed using mitochondrial DNA. We compared cytochrome b sequences from Bulgaria and Romania with those from the contiguous range in Central Europe that are available from previous studies. We recorded five main haplogroups in Bulgaria and Romania, belonging to the Central Balkan clade. However, haplogroup III was recorded in more localities than previously found. Additionally, signs of haplotype admixture were identified in several populations along the Danube River. The presence of the Southern Alps haplotype in one population from Otopeni, Bucharest (Romania) and its close phylogenetic relationships to north Italy populations suggests human-mediated introductions of this wall lizard clade in Romania. Our results confirm that P.muralis can have non-native lineages and admixture through active human-mediated transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandra Oskyrko
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalCIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661VairãoPortugal,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinićná 7, 12844, Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinićná 7, 12844PragueCzech Republic
| | - Tibor Sos
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5–7, 400006, Cluj Napoca, RomaniaEvolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5–7, 400006Cluj NapocaRomania,“Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association, 540445, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania“Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association, 540445Tîrgu MureșRomania
| | - Emiliya Vacheva
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000, Sofia, BulgariaInstitute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000SofiaBulgaria
| | - Sabina E. Vlad
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Aleea Universități 1, Campus - Corp B, 900470, Constanƫa, RomaniaFaculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Aleea Universități 1, Campus - Corp B, 900470ConstanƫaRomania,CEDMOG Center, Ovidius University Constanța, Tomis Avenue 145, Constanƫa, RomaniaCEDMOG Center, Ovidius University Constanța, Tomis Avenue 145ConstanƫaRomania,Asociația Chelonia România, 062082, Bucharest, RomaniaAsociația Chelonia România, 062082BucharestRomania
| | - Dan Cogălniceanu
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Aleea Universități 1, Campus - Corp B, 900470, Constanƫa, RomaniaFaculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Ovidius University Constanţa, Aleea Universități 1, Campus - Corp B, 900470ConstanƫaRomania,Asociația Chelonia România, 062082, Bucharest, RomaniaAsociația Chelonia România, 062082BucharestRomania
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62LundSweden
| | - Nathalie Feiner
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62LundSweden
| | - Miguel A. Carretero
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalCIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661VairãoPortugal,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169 - 007, Porto, PortugalDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169 - 007PortoPortugal,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalBIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661VairãoPortugal
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ANGHEL VERONICA, SCHULTE‐CLOOS JULIA. COVID-19-related anxieties do not decrease support for liberal democracy. Eur J Polit Res 2022; 62:EJPR12554. [PMID: 36247417 PMCID: PMC9537904 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6765.12554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread fear among the population. Early studies suggested that this resulted in exclusionary attitudes and increased support for discriminatory policy measures. We still lack an understanding of the longer-term, potentially erosive consequences that COVID-19-specific anxieties may carry for citizens' commitment to liberal democratic norms. In this research note, we present evidence from an original experiment in which we manipulate individuals' cognitive accessibility of their fears related to COVID-19. We implemented this experiment in Hungary and Romania - two cases where illiberal attitudes are most likely to amplify under conditions of fear - a year and a half after the outbreak of the pandemic. The results show that our intervention is successful in elevating respondents' levels of worry, anxiety and fear when thinking about infectious diseases like COVID-19. However, these emotions do not carry secondary effects on individuals' levels of right-wing authoritarianism, nationalism or outgroup hostility, nor do they affect preferences for specific discriminatory policy measures aimed to fight a potential resurgence of COVID-19. We discuss these findings in light of the literature on the demand-side determinants of democratic backsliding and the consequences of emotions on political behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- VERONICA ANGHEL
- Department for Social and Political ScienceEuropean University InstituteItaly
- Johns Hopkins University ‐ School of Advanced International StudiesBologna Italy
| | - JULIA SCHULTE‐CLOOS
- Robert Schuman Center for Advanced StudiesEuropean University InstituteFlorenceItaly
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Elmer D, Endrei D, Németh N, Horváth L, Pónusz R, Kívés Z, Danku N, Csákvári T, Ágoston I, Boncz I. Changes in the Number of Physicians and Hospital Bed Capacity in Europe. Value Health Reg Issues 2022; 32:102-108. [PMID: 36170790 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Our aim was to examine the numbers of practicing physicians and total numbers of hospital beds in European Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. METHODS Data analyzed were derived from the "Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Health Statistics 2020" database between 1980 and 2018. The selected countries were compared according to the type of healthcare system and geographical location by parametric and nonparametric tests. RESULTS In 1980, Bismarck-type systems showed an average number of physicians of 2.3 persons/1000 population; in Beveridge-type systems, it was 1.7 persons. By 2018, it leveled out reaching 3.9 persons in both healthcare system types. In 1980, average physician number/1000 was 2.5 persons in Eastern Europe; in Western Europe, it was 1.9 persons. By 2018 this proportion changed with Western Europe having the higher number (3.7 persons; 3.9 persons). In 1980, average number of hospital beds/1000 population was 9.6 in Bismarck-type systems whereas in Beveridge-type systems it was 8.8. By 2018, it decreased to 5.6 in Bismarck-type systems (-42%) and to 3.1 in Beveridge-type systems (-65%). In 1980, the average number of hospital beds/1000 population in Eastern Europe was 10.3; in Western Europe, it was 8.5. By 2018, the difference between the 2 regions did not change. CONCLUSIONS Although the number of physicians was 33% higher in 1980 in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe, by 2018 the number of physicians was 5% higher in Western Europe. In general, regardless of the healthcare system and geographical location, the proportion of physicians per 1000 population has improved due to a larger decrease in the number of hospital beds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diána Elmer
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Dóra Endrei
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Noémi Németh
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Lilla Horváth
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Róbert Pónusz
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Kívés
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Danku
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tímea Csákvári
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
| | - István Ágoston
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Imre Boncz
- Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Sousa S, de Morais IL, Albuquerque G, Gelormini M, Filipović-Hadžiomeragić A, Stojisavljevic D, Damasceno A, Moreira P, Breda J, Lunet N, Padrão P. Street Food and Takeaway Food Purchasing Patterns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19159086. [PMID: 35897456 PMCID: PMC9330047 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to describe street food and takeaway food purchasing patterns in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, throughout the day and by city location. A cross-sectional evaluation of street food and takeaway food customers was conducted in 2017. All eligible vending sites (n = 348) in the vicinity of selected markets and bus stops were included. Data on the food items purchased, and time and geographic location of the purchases were collected. A total of 755 customers purchased 929 food items. Takeaway venues showed higher customer influx (5.0 vs. 2.0 customers observed per 10 min of observation, p < 0.001) and buying rates (6.7 vs. 2.0 items bought per 10 min of observation, p < 0.001; 1.5 vs. 1.0 items bought per customer, p < 0.001) than street food sites. These rates were higher in city peripheries for street food venues, and in city centres for takeaway establishments. The purchase of industrial food products prevailed throughout the day in street food venues, whereas most takeaway purchases comprised homemade foods, with or without industrial beverages. The proportion of customers buying foods and beverages together was higher in takeaway venues (15.3% vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001), especially during lunchtime and in city centres. In street food vending sites, sweet and savoury snacks seemed to be preferred in the afternoon, whereas in takeaway food establishments, savoury pastries and main dishes were mostly purchased at breakfast or lunch, and bread during the morning. Soft drinks and industrial juices were frequently purchased in both types of vending site and at all hours of the day, particularly in the afternoon. Our findings provide an overview of street food and takeaway food buying habits and consumer demands in these cities, reflecting local food culture and dietary behaviours. The identification of the meal contexts and city sub-regions in which specific purchasing practices emerge point to potential priority targets. These insights can be useful when designing interventions adapted to the specificities of these food environments and the food habits of customers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Sousa
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Lança de Morais
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme, Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Life-Course, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, UN City, Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (I.L.d.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Gabriela Albuquerque
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marcello Gelormini
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme, Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Life-Course, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, UN City, Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (I.L.d.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Aida Filipović-Hadžiomeragić
- Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tahtali Sokak 17, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
| | - Dragana Stojisavljevic
- Public Health Institute of the Republika Srpska, Jovana Dučića 1, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, 14 Save Mrkalja, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Albertino Damasceno
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Avenida Salvador Allende 702, Maputo 1100, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Moreira
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Atividade Física, Saúde e Lazer, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa, 91, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Breda
- WHO Regional Office for Europe, 10675 Athens, Greece;
| | - Nuno Lunet
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Padrão
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-225074320; Fax: +351-225074329
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Varieur BM, Fisher S, Landrigan PJ. Air Pollution, Political Corruption, and Cardiovascular Disease in the Former Soviet Republics. Ann Glob Health 2022; 88:48. [PMID: 35854924 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.3702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ambient air pollution is a serious problem in many Eastern European countries. Elevated levels of fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the former Soviet republics relative to the rest of Europe contribute to elevated rates of disease, especially cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objective Information on the underlying social and political causes of air pollution in Eastern Europe is important for pollution control and disease prevention. Methods To quantify relationships between pollution, and air-pollution-related CVD, and political corruption throughout Europe and particularly in the former Soviet republics, we relied on the State of Global Air report for information on air pollution levels; on the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) for estimates of the burden of air-pollution-related CVD; and on Transparency International (TI) for rankings of governmental corruption. Findings Air-pollution-related CVD was responsible for an estimated 178,000 (UI: 112,000-251,000) premature deaths and for the loss of 4,010,000 (UI: 2,518,000--5,611,000) productive years of life (DALYs) in 2019 in the former Soviet republics. A significant positive correlation (R = 0.72, p 1.7e-8) was found across Europe between air-pollution-related CVD mortality rates and national corruption rankings. Conclusions We conclude that lack of governmental transparency, inadequate air pollution monitoring, and opposition by vested interests have hindered air pollution control and perpetuated high rates of pollution-related morbidity and mortality in the former Soviet republics. Ending corruption and modernizing industrial production will be key to air pollution and related diseases.
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Lancione M. Inhabiting Dispossession in the Post-Socialist City: Race, Class, and the Plan, in Bucharest, Romania. Antipode 2022; 54:1141-1165. [PMID: 35911793 PMCID: PMC9310848 DOI: 10.1111/anti.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The paper explores the racialised geography of a series of socialist blocs located in the southern periphery of Bucharest, labelled as a contemporary Romanian "ghetto". Through extensive ethnographic and archival work, it expands on contemporary Western race-aware urban scholarship, advancing an expansive reading of the "plan" as a key element to account for the endurance of foundational dispossession in the context of Bucharest. The goal is to trace how the social segmentations of "class" and "race" have been diagrammed through discontinuous city-making in the last hundred years, refuting a reading of these complex processes as a matter of evolutionary stages between economic regimes, which ends up reproducing a stereotypical representation of the Eastern "other". The paper contributes to a situated approach to racial urbanism, offering the basis for a trans-Atlantic dialogue around the makings and unmakings of urban dispossession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Lancione
- DIST—Dipartimento Interateneo di ScienzeProgetto e Politiche del Territorio, Politecnico di TorinoTurinItaly
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Tin D, Barten DG, Goniewicz K, Burkle FM, Ciottone GR. An Epidemiological Analysis of Terrorism-Related Attacks in Eastern Europe from 1970 to 2019. Prehosp Disaster Med 2022;:1-6. [PMID: 35650676 DOI: 10.1017/S1049023X2200084X] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Over the past five decades, Eastern Europe has seen relatively little in terms of terrorist attacks. The recent escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has, however, placed a new spotlight on the region, and new questions and concerns around war, conflict, insurgency, and terrorism are being posed. The Russian invasion and extensive combat operations, the largest in Europe since World War II, are occurring across Ukraine where there are 15 active nuclear reactors, not including the Chernobyl site, that are vulnerable to attack or sabotage. In addition, Eastern Europe has been heavily affected by COVID-19, exposing broad vulnerabilities in an otherwise fragile health care system. This raises concerns over the ability of Eastern European health care institutions to absorb surge and manage terrorist attacks or acts of violent extremism. This study provides an epidemiological description of all terrorism-related fatalities and injuries in Eastern Europe sustained from 1970 - 2019. METHOD Data collection was performed using a retrospective database search through the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). The GTD was searched using the internal database functions for all terrorism events which occurred in Eastern Europe from January 1, 1970 - December 31, 2019. Years 2020 and 2021 were not yet available at the time of this study. Primary weapon type, country where the incident occurred, and number of deaths and injured were collated. Results were exported into an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Corp.; Redmond, Washington USA) for analysis. RESULTS There were 3,901 terrorism-related events in Eastern Europe between the years 1970 and 2019, inclusive. In total, the attacks resulted in 5,391 deaths and 9,538 persons injured. Explosives were the most commonly used weapon type in 59.2% of all attacks in the region, followed by firearms in 27.6%. CONCLUSION From 1970 through 2019, a total of 3,901 terrorist attacks occurred in Eastern Europe, inflicting 5,391 deaths and 9,538 injuries. Of those, 72.3% occurred in Russia and Ukraine. Terrorist attacks sharply declined since the peak in 2014, but there is an overall uptrend in attacks since the 1970s.
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Janion L. "Transsexuality" and gender ratio in Poland: A case study on the East/West dichotomy. J Homosex 2022:1-21. [PMID: 35575760 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2071135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The article investigates scientific and journalistic discourses around differences in gender ratio among trans persons. The disparity between Poland and many other countries that was first noted in the 1980s was repeatedly associated with the different gender politics in the capitalist West and the (post) state-socialist East. Using Foucauldian methodology, the article claims that this discourse was constructed such that Poland's ratio-and consequently Poland's gender order-would always appear problematic, while Western countries were considered an invisible standard. Discourses around this ratio elucidate the role of heteronormativity and biological essentialism in the construction of the category of "transsexuality" in state-socialist Poland. The analysis also reveals that chronologies of LGBT and feminist movements had direct consequences for the theoretical and cultural spaces of trans identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmiła Janion
- American Studies Center, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Földesi E, Zörgő S, Nyirő J, Péter G, Ottóffy G, Hauser P, Hegedűs K. Medical Communication during the Transition to Palliative Care in Pediatric Oncology in Hungary-The Parents' Perspective. Children (Basel) 2022; 9:children9050651. [PMID: 35626828 PMCID: PMC9139565 DOI: 10.3390/children9050651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
The transition to palliative care (PC) is a critical aspect of pediatric oncology, and it requires a high level of communication skills from doctors, which could be best judged by the parents of children who have died from cancer. Our aim was to explore the parents' perspectives regarding the timing of the consultation on the implementation of PC, as well as facets of verbal and nonverbal communication in Hungary. Semistructured interviews were conducted with parents who had lost a child to cancer within the past 1-5 years. Interview transcripts (n = 23) were scrutinized with interpretative phenomenological analysis. The parents frequently associated palliation with end-of-life care and they clearly delimited the transition to PC after curative treatments had been exhausted. The parents were ambivalent with regard to the use of the word "death" during this consultation, and they often did not receive information on what to expect (e.g., regarding symptoms) or on who to turn to for further information or support (e.g., concerning bereavement). Although significant progress could be observed in the organization of pediatric palliative care in Hungary, there is still no widely accepted communication method for the transition to sole PC. There is a need for a culturally sensitive approach to refining the recommendations on the word use and communication protocol in pediatric PC in Hungary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Földesi
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (S.Z.); (J.N.); (K.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Szilvia Zörgő
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (S.Z.); (J.N.); (K.H.)
| | - Judit Nyirő
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (S.Z.); (J.N.); (K.H.)
| | - György Péter
- Hemato-Oncology Unit, Heim Pál Children’s Hospital, Üllői út 86, 1089 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Gábor Ottóffy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pécs, József Attila utca 7, 7623 Pécs, Hungary;
| | - Peter Hauser
- 2nd Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó utca 7–9, 1094 Budapest, Hungary;
- Velkey László Child’s Health Center, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Central Hospital and University Teaching Hospital, Szentpéteri kapu 72–76, 3526 Miskolc, Hungary
| | - Katalin Hegedűs
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (S.Z.); (J.N.); (K.H.)
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Sereda Y, Korotych O, Klimuk D, Zhurkin D, Solodovnikova V, Grzemska M, Grankov V, Hurevich H, Yedilbayev A, Skrahina A. Tuberculosis Co-Infection Is Common in Patients Requiring Hospitalization for COVID-19 in Belarus: Mixed-Methods Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19. [PMID: 35410048 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A significant drop in tuberculosis (TB) case-finding has been widely reported during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. To address a decrease in TB notification, Belarus introduced laboratory TB testing in patients with the laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a secondary analysis of health records among 844 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who were admitted to repurposed departments at TB hospitals and who were tested by Xpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) in five Belarus regions between April and October 2021. Quantitative analysis followed by 13 individual interviews with health managers, physicians, and nurses participating in the intervention. Most patients were male (64%) and mean age was 43.5 ± 16 years. One in twenty (n = 47, 5.6%) patients were co-infected with active pulmonary TB, and over one-third of them (n = 18) had rifampicin resistance. In-hospital mortality was comparable in patients with and without TB co-infection (2.1% and 2.3% respectively, p > 0.99). Laboratory TB testing among patients with COVID-19 at repurposed departments of TB hospitals is feasible in Belarus and may improve TB case-finding.
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Glück M, Geue JC, Thomassen HA. Environmental differences explain subtle yet detectable genetic structure in a widespread pollinator. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:8. [PMID: 35105300 PMCID: PMC8808969 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01963-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The environment is a strong driver of genetic structure in many natural populations, yet often neglected in population genetic studies. This may be a particular problem in vagile species, where subtle structure cannot be explained by limitations to dispersal. Consequently, these species might falsely be considered quasi-panmictic and hence potentially mismanaged. A species this might apply to, is the buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris), an economically important and widespread pollinator, which is considered to be quasi-panmictic at mainland continental scales. Here we aimed to (i) quantify genetic structure in 21+ populations of the buff-tailed bumble bee, sampled throughout two Eastern European countries, and (ii) analyse the degree to which structure is explained by environmental differences, habitat permeability and geographic distance. Using 12 microsatellite loci, we characterised populations of this species with Fst analyses, complemented by discriminant analysis of principal components and Bayesian clustering approaches. We then applied generalized dissimilarity modelling to simultaneously assess the informativeness of geographic distance, habitat permeability and environmental differences among populations in explaining divergence. RESULTS Genetic structure of the buff-tailed bumble bee quantified by means of Fst was subtle and not detected by Bayesian clustering. Discriminant analysis of principal components suggested insignificant but still noticeable structure that slightly exceeded estimates obtained through Fst analyses. As expected, geographic distance and habitat permeability were not informative in explaining the spatial pattern of genetic divergence. Yet, environmental variables related to temperature, vegetation and topography were highly informative, explaining between 33 and 39% of the genetic variation observed. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to previous studies reporting quasi-panmixia in continental populations of this species, we demonstrated the presence of subtle population structure related to environmental heterogeneity. Environmental data proved to be highly useful in unravelling the drivers of genetic structure in this vagile and opportunistic species. We highlight the potential of including these data to obtain a better understanding of population structure and the processes driving it in species considered to be quasi-panmictic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Glück
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Julia C Geue
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Henri A Thomassen
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
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