In the period 2020-2022 as a result of epidemiological measures specific to the COVID-19 pandemic (protective mask, online teaching activity, social distancing) we witnessed a considerable decrease ...in the number of cases of respiratory viroids in children. With the lifting of prophylactic measures that coincided with the start of physical teaching activities and the onset of the cold season, we have been confronted in pediatric wards with an increase in the incidence of virological infections in the pediatric population. In this article we aim to analyze the particularities of respiratory virological diseases in children in the season 2022 - 2023 both from the etiological and epidemiological point of view and the characteristic clinical forms of the disease. We conducted a retrospective clinical study of cases admitted to the Clinical Departments of Infectious Diseases-Pediatrics of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals” in the period October 2022 - March 2023. During this period, we recorded 3.012 cases of respiratory virology in children, which represents the majority of pediatric pathology admitted (72,9 %). The peak incidence of respiratory virology occurred in December (688 cases). From the etiological point of view, most cases were SARS-CoV-2 infections, followed by influenza (predominantly type A), then a smaller number of infections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus. The most common clinical form of the disease was moderate (66.9%), with severe forms accounting for 10.5%. All pediatric cases of respiratory virology admitted to our wards have evolved favorably, with no deaths.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children is a major public health problem, especially in the 0-1 year age group where clinical forms of the disease can evolve severely with ...life-threatening complications. In the period 2020 – 2022, as a result of epidemiological measures specific to the COVI-19 pandemic (protective mask, online teaching activity, social distancing) we have witnessed a considerable decrease in the number of cases of RSV infection in children. With the lifting of prophylactic measures and the onset of the cold season, we have seen an increase in the number of admissions with a diagnosis of respiratory virus in pediatric wards. In this article, we aim to analyze the clinical, evolutionary and epidemiological features of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children in the 2022 - 2023 season. We conducted a retrospective clinical study of RSV infection cases admitted to the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinical Departments of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals” in the period October 2022 - March 2023. During this period, we registered 195 cases of RSV infection in children, which represents 6.47% of the total number of hospitalized virologic illnesses in children (195/3012). All pediatric RSV infection cases admitted to our wards have progressed favorably; we have not recorded any deaths. From an epidemiological point of view, the peak incidence of RSV infection in children occurred in December (98 cases). The most frequent clinical form of the disease was the medium form, but severe forms represented 31.8%. Among the complications, the most common were respiratory (acute respiratory failure, pneumonia/bronchopneumonia), hematological (intrainfectious and deficiency anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia), digestive (diarrheal disease, hepatic cytolysis syndrome) and acute dehydration syndrome associated with hydro electrolytic and acid-base disturbances. Severe complications were more frequent than in previous seasons, being associated with a risk of an unfavorable outcome: acute respiratory failure and neurological complications (convulsions, encephalitis). We also observed that acute RSV infection in the 2022 - 2023 season is characterized by the association of co-infections (viral, bacterial and fungal) more frequent than in previous years (22.5%). The most frequent co-infections were bacterial (superinfections - pneumonia/bronchopneumonia) probably due to the immunosuppression of the hosts as a result of repeated recent episodes of viral infections. Of note, RSV infection associated with other coinfections evolved more severely, with prolonged hospitalization and more complications. In conclusion we can say that RSV infection in the 2022 - 2023 season evolved more severely in children compared to previous seasons because in the last 3 years during the COVID-19 pandemic there were very few cases of respiratory viroids, thus the population was not naturally immunized, especially the age group 0 - 4 years. In addition, the abandonment of specific protective measures for respiratory diseases has “exploded” the number of respiratory illnesses in the pediatric population, especially in children.
High energy prices in Europe and uncertainty caused by the Ukraine war are testing EU firms’ ability to invest in climate change measures. Europe urgently needs to embrace the transition to green ...energy, and firms will be called upon to play a pivotal role. By investing in climate adaptation and mitigation measures, especially energy efficiency, firms will be able to protect themselves against extreme climate events, reduce energy costs and take the actions needed to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050. The report What drives firms’ investment in climate action? Evidence from 2022-2023 EIB Investment Survey uses data collected from firms to provide insight on how businesses are responding to the energy crisis and the fast-changing business environment. Some important takeaways: 82% of EU firms say energy costs are an obstacle to investment. 42% of firms in Western and Northern Europe are investing in energy efficiency, compared with only 37% of firms in Southern Europe. 57% of EU firms are concerned about the physical risks posed by climate change. A presentation of the report results - EN Country scoreboard Country scoreboard: SMEs Country scoreboard: Large Firms Country dashboards Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden
This study explores the process of navigating instability arising from sudden, co-occurring crises in the 2020s. We focus on the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine on ...growing material and relational uncertainty and risk among Polish citizens, accumulating in the loss of ontological security. To showcase the practical and narrative presence of risk at the micro-level, we operationalize the broad theorization of risk society using the categorization of material, relational and subjective dimensions within the 'unsettling events' model proposed by Kilkey and Ryan. We reconceptualize the third pillar, positioning subjectivity as a meta-category. Moreover, we extend the application of the framework of unsettling events, treating the Polish situation as a case study for examining societies facing compounding catastrophes.The analyzed qualitative longitudinal data comprised 70 in-depth interviews about the pandemic and conducted with Polish young adults (ages 18-35) and their parents in 2021; and asynchronous responses from 43 study participants collected shortly after the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022. Considering intergenerational and temporal lens, we identify the dominant patterns of meaning that interviewees attributed to the pandemic and war, thereby revealing materialities of unsettlement, relational gains and losses, and the erosion of ontological security.
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The adoption of machine learning (ML) models has ignited a paradigm shift in seismic analysis, fostering enhanced efficiency in capturing patterns of seismic activity with reduced need for ...time-consuming user interaction. Here, we investigate automated event detection and extraction of seismic phases using two widely used ML models: EQTransformer and PhaseNet. We applied both the models to four weeks of continuous recordings of aftershocks using a temporary array following the 30 November 2022, ML 5.6 earthquake near Peace River, Alberta, Canada. Both the tools identified >1000 events over the recording period. The aftershocks are located in close proximity to the ML 5.6 mainshock as well as to wastewater disposal operations that were ongoing at the time. Both the methods reveal an aftershock distribution that was not identified by the regional network; however, we find that events detected by PhaseNet have smaller event location errors and better depict subtle fault structures at depth, despite identifying ∼200 events less than EQTransformer. Our results highlight the advantages of using ML models for rapid detection and assessment of seismicity following felt events, which is important for rapidly assessing seismic hazard potential and risk.
Recent years have seen a new development in the growth and spread of popular protest: protests that began as local, homogeneous events—such as Occupy Wall Street or the protests of the Arab ...Spring—quickly left their original locations, and local specificity, behind and became global. This book looks at the development of this wave of protests, with a specific eye on protests against austerity and neoliberal economic policies, and offers a global view, covering events in Turkey, Brazil, Venezuela, South Africa, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and other locations.
