COVID-19 Passport as a Factor Determining the Success of National Vaccination Campaigns: Does It Work? The Case of Lithuania vs. Poland

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses a global threat, it is of utmost importance that governments should find effective means of combating vaccine hesitancy and encouraging their citizens to vaccinate. In our article, we compare the vaccination outcomes in the past months in two neighbouring post-communist EU states, Lithuania and Poland. Both introduced COVID-19 certificates, but only the former followed with gradual limitations for those who failed to get vaccinated, beginning with restricted access to restaurants, sports facilities and indoor events, and finally banning residents without a certificate from entering supermarkets or larger shops and using most services. By contrast, in Poland, the certificate remained a tool for international travel only. We show using statistical data that Lithuania’s strict policy, regardless of its social implications, led to markedly higher vaccination outcomes in all age groups than those in Poland at the time.

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Main Characteristics of Hungarian Twin and Multiple Births in Official Statistics

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1017/thg.2014.52 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 359-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

András Pári

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Educational Level ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Statistical Data ◽

Age Groups ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Multiple Births ◽

World War ◽

Live Births ◽

The Past

Since 1876, statistical data on twin and multiple (TAM) births and deliveries have been registered in Hungary. Although there were some years during this 138-year period when twin births and deliveries were left out of the statistics, the trends can be followed, except for the period of World War II. The trends of twinning over the past four decades are summarized in this article, relying on official statistical data since 1970. Notably, the TAM birth rate rose following the Act CLIV of 1997 on Health. The Act provided state support for assisted reproductive treatments (ART), which spectacularly increased the ratio of twins — and especially of triplets — among live births. The trend has turned around since 2009–2010, and a decreasing era of TAM births seems to have begun. This article discusses some of the main and most interesting findings connected with TAM births, including twinning rates associated with different age groups, educational level, and actual place of residence by mothers, and the number of previous pregnancies of the mother. Ratios of live born males compared with live born females, lengths and weights at birth both among twins and singletons, and infant mortality rates have been calculated from the data. Twinning rates are higher in the western counties, the capital and its suburbs, and lower in the eastern counties.

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THE HEALTH STATUS OF TEENAGERS IN KRASNODAR KRAI

Kuban Scientific Medical Bulletin ◽

10.25207/1608-6228-2019-26-2-130-139 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 130-139

Author(s):

Alla V. Burlutskaya ◽

Anastasia V. Statova ◽

Elena S. Gurina

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Digestive System ◽

Statistical Data ◽

Age Groups ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Health State ◽

Medical Support ◽

Medical Organization ◽

Krasnodar Krai ◽

The Past

The aim is to assess the health status (morbidity and disability) of adolescents in Krasnodar Krai.Materials and methods. We analysed the offi cial statistical data on the health state of 10– 18 year-old children in Krasnodar Krai during the 2013–2017 period using Form 12 “Information on the number of diseases registered in patients living in the service area of the medical organization” and Form 19 “Information on disabled children”. In addition, the data presented in the report “On medical support of citizens before their initial military registration in Krasnodar Krai in 2017” was analysed.Results. Diseases of the respiratory tract, digestive system, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, as well as traumas and poisoning, are shown to be leading conditions in the structure of adolescents’ general and primary morbidity. Over the past fi ve years, a decrease in the overall and primary morbidity in 10–14 year-old children has been recorded, although these indicators have shown a growing trend in children aged 15–18 years old. An increase in general and primary disabilities across all age groups in Krasnodar Krai was revealed.Conclusion. An increase in the primary and overall morbidity in 15–18 year-old adolescents, as well as an increase in primary and general disabilities in 10–18 year-old adolescents has been observed. The problem of adolescent health can be solved using an integrated approach. Positive dynamics can only be achieved by oncerted efforts of medical, public and scientifi c organizations.

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Willingness to Be Vaccinated against COVID-19 in Spain before the Start of Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105272 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5272

Author(s):

Noelia Rodríguez-Blanco ◽

Sergio Montero-Navarro ◽

José M. Botella-Rico ◽

Antonio J. Felipe-Gómez ◽

Jesús Sánchez-Más ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

High Level ◽

Vaccination Campaigns

Vaccine hesitancy has increased in the past few years, influenced by the socio-cultural differences, political populism, or concerns related to the effectiveness and safety of some vaccines, resulting a feeling of distrust. This feeling can become a barrier against the achievement of the immunity necessary to stop the expansion of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of the vaccine against COVID-19 in Spain, as well as to identify the factors that have an influence on the concerns and attitudes of people against accepting the vaccine in the months prior to the start of vaccination on December 2020. An online questionnaire was created to obtain information about (1) sociodemographic characteristics; (2) concerns and sources of information about vaccines; and (3) attitudes about vaccination and state of health. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the influencing factors. Of the 2501 participants, 1207 (48.3%) would accept the COVID-19 vaccine, 623 (24.9%) were hesitant, and 671 (26.8%) would reject it. The logistic regression showed that being male, older than 60, married, retired, with a high level of education, or with a leftist political inclination, could increase the probability of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Disinformation and the lack of political consensus were the main sources of distrust. The patients with hypertension, immunodepression, hypercholesterolemia, or respiratory disease, or were overweight, showed a greater acceptance to the vaccine, while those with cancer took the longest to accept it. A low acceptance of the vaccine against COVID-19 was observed among the Spanish population in the phase prior to its availability, and the main fears of the population were identified. It is necessary to offer correct and transparent information about these vaccines to reduce the concerns and increase the trust of the population, to thereby guarantee the success of the vaccination campaigns.

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The past, present and future of food consumption databases

Orvosi Hetilap ◽

10.1556/oh.2012.29475 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 153 (43) ◽

pp. 1692-1700

Author(s):

Viktória Szűcs ◽

Erzsébet Szabó ◽

Diána Bánáti

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Age Groups ◽

Collection Method ◽

The Past ◽

Consumption Data ◽

Food Consumption Data ◽

International Projects ◽

Collection Methods ◽

The Eu

Results of the food consumption surveys are utilized in many areas, such as for example risk assessment, cognition of consumer trends, health education and planning of prevention projects. Standardization of national consumption data for international comparison is an important task. The intention work began in the 1970s. Because of the widespread utilization of food consumption data, many international projects have been done with the aim of their harmonization. The present study shows data collection methods for groups of the food consumption data, their utilization, furthermore, the stations of the international harmonization works in details. The authors underline that for the application of the food consumption data on the international level, it is crucial to harmonize the surveys’ parameters (e.g. time of data collection, method, number of participants, number of the analysed days and the age groups). For this purpose the efforts of the EU menu project, started in 2012, are promising. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 1692–1700.

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Children’s Lives and Deaths in Merovingian Gaul

The Oxford Handbook of the Merovingian World ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190234188.013.27 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 185-213

Author(s):

Émilie Perez

Keyword(s):

Social Identity ◽

Age Groups ◽

New Method ◽

Recent Analysis ◽

Age And Gender ◽

The Past ◽

And Gender ◽

Grave Goods

The role of children in Merovingian society has long been downplayed, and the study of their graves and bones has long been neglected. However, during the past fifteen years, archaeologists have shown growing interest in the place of children in Merovingian society. Nonetheless, this research has not been without challenges linked to the nature of the biological and material remains. Recent analysis of 315 children’s graves from four Merovingian cemeteries in northern Gaul (sixth to seventh centuries) allows us to understand the modalities of burial ritual for children. A new method for classifying children into social age groups shows that the type, quality, quantity, and diversity of grave goods were directly correlated with the age of the deceased. They increased from the age of eight and particularly around the time of puberty. This study discusses the role of age and gender in the construction and expression of social identity during childhood in the Merovingian period.

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Impact of risk aversion, reactance proneness and risk appraisal on travel destination risk perception

Journal Of Vacation Marketing ◽

10.1177/1356766720987868 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135676672098786

Author(s):

Melvin Prince ◽

Young Kim

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Aversion ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Structural Model ◽

International Travel ◽

Kuala Lumpur ◽

Risk Appraisal ◽

Travel Destination ◽

The Past ◽

Subjective Estimates

The aim of the study is to investigate the motivational effects of tourist traits and risk appraisal on tourist destination risk perception. Risk appraisal involves subjective estimates of vulnerability to a threat and the threat’s consequential severity. Fear levels influence both of these elements of risk appraisal. Individual differences in reactance proneness and risk aversion are introduced into the study model to more fully account for differences in travel destination risk perceptions. The study design involves US adults, who have used their passports for international travel in the past 5 years. Travel risk assessments were studied for four destination sites: London, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul. A general structural model is developed to test hypotheses about antecedents and consequents of risk appraisal and destination risk perception.

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Ten-year trends of hypertension treatment and control rate in Korea

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86199-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kwang-il Kim ◽

Eunjeong Ji ◽

Jung-yeon Choi ◽

Sun-wook Kim ◽

Soyeon Ahn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Favorable Effect ◽

Age Group ◽

Hypertension Treatment ◽

Treatment Rate ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Multistage Sampling ◽

And Control

AbstractWe analyzed the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) database to determine the trends of hypertension treatment and control rate in Korea over the past 10 years. In addition, we tried to investigate the effect of chronic medical conditions on hypertension management. We investigated the hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rate from 2008 to 2017. KNHANES, which uses a stratified multistage sampling design, is a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey conducted by the Korean government. A total of 59,282 adults (≥ 20 years) were included, which was representative of the total population of around 40 million Koreans per year. The mean age was 50.7 ± 16.4 years and 42.6% were male. The prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity significantly increased over the 10 years. During this period, the hypertension treatment and control rate significantly improved. Hypertension treatment rate was significantly lower in the younger age group compared to the older age group, but the control rate among the treated patients was not significantly different between age groups. The treatment and control rates of hypertension were higher in patients with multimorbidity, which implies that it has a favorable effect on the treatment and control of hypertension. Hypertension treatment and control rate have improved over the past 10 years. The higher treatment and control rate in patients with multimorbidity suggest that the more aggressive surveillance might be associated with the improvement of hypertension treatment and control rate in Korea.

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A Study of Varicella Seroprevalence in a Pediatric and Adolescent Population in Florence (Italy). Natural Infection and Vaccination-Acquired Immunization

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9020152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 152

Author(s):

Beatrice Zanella ◽

Angela Bechini ◽

Benedetta Bonito ◽

Marco Del Riccio ◽

Alessandra Ninci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Infection ◽

Age Groups ◽

Varicella Vaccination ◽

Age Group ◽

Disease Notification ◽

Test Elisa ◽

Vaccine Schedule ◽

Almost All ◽

Vaccination Campaigns ◽

Dose Vaccine

Background: Varicella is a well-known infectious disease that can have severe complications, also in young children. The Universal Varicella Vaccination (UVV) program was introduced in Tuscany (Italy) in 2003, with a two-dose vaccine schedule given to children between their 13th and 15th month, and at 5–6 years old, as a monovalent for varicella (V) or tetravalent (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV)) formulation. Although varicella notifications have dramatically fallen in the last two decades, varicella disease underreporting remains a challenge. Methods: A qualitative immunoenzymatic test (ELISA) was used to measure the presence of anti-varicella antibodies in 165 sera of subjects aged 1–18 years residing in the province of Florence (Italy). Information regarding the anamnestic and vaccination status (including disease notification) was also collected. Results: Our study showed an overall varicella seropositivity of 75.8% (reaching the maximum at 96.3% in the 15–18 years age group). We found that varicella disease notification had been recorded for only 7/165 subjects; however, since 42/165 recalled having had the disease, we can hypothesize that some of them must have been underreported. Furthermore, our study showed that the presence of antibodies after the varicella vaccination remained over time, lasting up to 12 years. Conclusions: Although varicella seroprevalence is <95% in almost all our age groups (except for the 15–18 years age group), our data are encouraging and reflect the success of the introduction of the UVV program and the vaccination campaigns promoted in the Tuscany region.

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One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Galicia: A Global View of Age-Group Statistics during Three Waves

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5104

Author(s):

Iván Area ◽

Henrique Lorenzo ◽

Pedro J. Marcos ◽

Juan J. Nieto

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Age Groups ◽

Age Group ◽

Nw Spain ◽

The Past ◽

Global View ◽

Time Period ◽

Key Variables ◽

One Year

In this work we look at the past in order to analyze four key variables after one year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Galicia (NW Spain): new infected, hospital admissions, intensive care unit admissions and deceased. The analysis is presented by age group, comparing at each stage the percentage of the corresponding group with its representation in the society. The time period analyzed covers 1 March 2020 to 1 April 2021, and includes the influence of the B.1.1.7 lineage of COVID-19 which in April 2021 was behind 90% of new cases in Galicia. It is numerically shown how the pandemic affects the age groups 80+, 70+ and 60+, and therefore we give information about how the vaccination process could be scheduled and hints at why the pandemic had different effects in different territories.

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Multi-Task Optimization and Multi-Task Evolutionary Computation in the Past Five Years: A Brief Review

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9080864 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 864

Author(s):

Qingzheng Xu ◽

Na Wang ◽

Lei Wang ◽

Wei Li ◽

Qian Sun

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary Computation ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Optimization Problems ◽

Effective Means ◽

Typical Application ◽

The Past ◽

Current State ◽

Evolution Algorithms ◽

Application Fields

Traditional evolution algorithms tend to start the search from scratch. However, real-world problems seldom exist in isolation and humans effectively manage and execute multiple tasks at the same time. Inspired by this concept, the paradigm of multi-task evolutionary computation (MTEC) has recently emerged as an effective means of facilitating implicit or explicit knowledge transfer across optimization tasks, thereby potentially accelerating convergence and improving the quality of solutions for multi-task optimization problems. An increasing number of works have thus been proposed since 2016. The authors collect the abundant specialized literature related to this novel optimization paradigm that was published in the past five years. The quantity of papers, the nationality of authors, and the important professional publications are analyzed by a statistical method. As a survey on state-of-the-art of research on this topic, this review article covers basic concepts, theoretical foundation, basic implementation approaches of MTEC, related extension issues of MTEC, and typical application fields in science and engineering. In particular, several approaches of chromosome encoding and decoding, intro-population reproduction, inter-population reproduction, and evaluation and selection are reviewed when developing an effective MTEC algorithm. A number of open challenges to date, along with promising directions that can be undertaken to help move it forward in the future, are also discussed according to the current state. The principal purpose is to provide a comprehensive review and examination of MTEC for researchers in this community, as well as promote more practitioners working in the related fields to be involved in this fascinating territory.

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