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Početkom 2020. godine se pandemija izazvana SARS- CoV-2 virusom proširila i na Republiku Hrvatsku (RH). Zbog toga je donesen određeni broj zakona i propisa kojima je u proljeće uveden niz mjera koje su ograničile kretanje i promijenile ponašanje stanovnika (tzv. „lockdown”). Također su postupno donesene i mjere kojima se regulira provođenje zdravstvene zaštite, odnosno pojačane mjere dezinfekcije i zaštite od širenja navedenog virusa u ustanovama za pružanje zdravstvene zaštite (1, 2). Sve navedeno je imalo utjecaj na izvođenje nacionalnih preventivnih programa protiv raka (NPP), ali i ostalih radioloških pregleda. Tako su u neke države prijavile pad broja pregleda tijekom najintenzivnijih mjera od 7 do 70% (2). U našem slučaju, broj pregleda se smanjio od oko 50% (za kompjuteriziranu tomografiju - CT) pa sve do 80% za mamografiju. Ukupno je broj radioloških pretraga učinjenih na Odjelu za kliničku radiologiju, Opće županijske bolnica Požega, do sredine studenog 2020. godine, u odnosu na prethodnu godinu, bio sljedeći: radiografija 71%, CT 94%, MR 82%, mamografija 97%. Budući da je snimanje mamografije najuspješniji program u sklopu NPP, prikazat ćemo te podatke. Na razini RH je prije pandemije prosječan odaziv bio oko 37%, dok je nakon ukidanja mjera odaziv se popeo na 55- 63%, ovisno o mjesecu, sve do rujna, kada se epidemija razmahala u RH, te je odaziv pao na svega 21%. U Požeško-Slavonskoj županiji je odaziv u pravilu bio bolji, pa je prije pandemije odgovor bio 62%, a nakon ukidanja mjera 68%, da bi u rujnu pao na 27%. Stoga možemo reći kako je stanovništvo odgovorilo na ukidanje mjera i smanjenje opasnosti od pandemije s boljim odgovorom na pozive u sklopu NPP. Možemo očekivati kako će navedeno imati utjecaj na kašnjenje otkrivanja tumora (4)

Objectives: North Carolina COVID-19 task orders were designed to increase statewide testing access. This study explored how CHAMP and OP-9 task orders issued by NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Community Health Center (CHC) Association influenced Piedmont Health Services’ (PHS) COVID-19 testing target populations, location priorities, and patient services. Methods: The researcher conducted a quantitative secondary data analysis using descriptive statistics and a time series evaluation. This assessed how PHS’s target populations, location priorities, and patient services were influenced by task order implementation. This analysis utilized COVID-19 testing administration data to determine how each task order influenced these elements of COVID-19 testing access at PHS during specified task order implementation stages. Findings: This study found that the implementation of CHAMP and OP-9 task orders influenced PHS to improve COVID-19 testing access to Black and Latinx populations and more rural areas of North Carolina. Most findings also suggest a major influence from both task orders on PHS’s fulfillment of required patient services, including collecting race and ethnicity data, providing linguistically appropriate services, and connecting patients to a primary care provider. Implications: This research has concluded that both task orders have influenced COVID-19 testing accessibility at PHS. These findings could be applicable to additional CHCs across North Carolina and other states. Future studies should examine the collective impact of task orders on multiple CHCs in order to analyze their effect on health care accessibility on a larger scale. 

Introduction: While there is a significant amount of information about invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), meningococcal carriage, and meningococcal vaccines in children and adolescents, data in older adults are limited. Studies of meningococcal carriage and transmission modeling can be utilized to predict the spread of IMD and guide prevention and treatment strategies. Our study’s main objective was to assess the prevalece of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage, serogroup distribution, and associated risk factors among older adults in Türkiye. Methods: Nasopharyngeal samples were collected between December 2022 and January 2023 from a total of 329 older adults (65 years of age and above). The samples were tested via PCR for Nm, and a serogroup (A, B, C, Y, W, X, E, Z, H) analysis of the positive samples was performed. Results: In total, 329 adults over 65 years of age (150 females and 179 males; 69% were 65–75 years old and 31% were 75 years of age and older) were included in the study. Nm carriage was detected in 46 participants (13.9%), and the serogroup distribution was as follows: 2.4% MenY (n = 8), 1.8% MenB (n = 6), 0.2% MenW (n = 2), and 9.4% non-groupable (n = 31). Other serogroups were not detected. Between the meningococcal carriers and the non-carriers, there were no differences between previous vaccination histories (meningococcal, pneumococcal, influenza, and COVID-19), travel history for Hajj and/or Umrah, and the presence of chronic disease. Of the 16 cases positive for the serogroups Y, B, and W, 13 patients were between the ages of 65 and 74 and three patients were over 75 years old, and these three cases represented MenY. Conclusion: In our study, the percentage of meningococcal carriage was found to be 13.9%, the carriage rate for encapsulated strains was 4.8%, and the most common serogroup was MenY. Men Y was also the only serogroup detected in patients over 75 years of age. The MenY serogroup, which is one of the most important causes of IMD (especially in pneumonia cases) in people older than 65 years, was the most frequently carried serogroup in people over 65 years of age in our study. Adequate surveillance and/or a proper carriage study would help to define potential vaccination strategies for older adults.

I. Introduction. - II. The European Commission's efforts to protect the four freedoms and the internal market. - III. The European Union recovery instrument. - III.1. Negotiation of a balanced EU Recovery Agreement. - III.2. The Next Generation EU Recovery Plan. - IV. The European Central Bank's "Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme" (PEPP). - V. A temporary increase on public deficit goals for Member States. - VI. The "Pan-European Guarantee Fund" and the "Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency" (SURE) programme. - VII. The 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). - VII.1. The Commission's proposal. - VII.2. Renegotiation of the MFF at the European Council Summit. - VII.3. Adjustments made by the European Parliament. - VII.4. Relevance of the MFF negotiation in the light of the pandemic. - VIII. The temporary framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak. - VIII.1. The European Union's unique legislation on State Aid. - VIII.2. Notifiable State Aid measures under Art. 107 TFEU. - VIII.3. Legal basis and functioning of the temporary framework for State aid measures to support the economy. - VIII.4. Remarks on notifiable State Aid measures. - IX. Conclusions, criticism and lessons learnt from the COVID-19 crisis. - IX.1. Political tensions over NGEU's rule of law requirement and the European Parliament's necessary approval of the 2021-2027 MFF. - IX.2. The PEPP legitimacy should not be questioned by national judges in breach of the EU's exclusive competences. - IX.3. Short-term work schemes, liquidity support and the Temporary framework for State aid measures in the current COVID-19 outbreak are fostering the economic recovery. - IX.4. Solidarity: the core value for the EU's common response to the pandemic. The EU has fast reacted in adopting a so-called Next Generation EU Recovery Plan (NGEU) and a 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) with the aim of overcoming the consequences of the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic for citizens' health and businesses across Europe. However, there have been several political discussions during the negotiations until an agreement was reached on 21 July 2020. A political drift made the positions not just of northern and southern but also eastern and western EU Member States differ. NGEU and the 2021-2027 MFF have posed significant challenge to the notion of solidarity in the EU. Furthermore, these mechanisms have been complemented by the European Central Bank's (ECB) Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP) and the temporary increase of public deficit goals for Member States. Finally, a critical analysis and lessons learnt from the EU strategy to overcome the economic slump provoked by the outbreak. European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2020 5(3), 1399-1423 European Forum Insight of 16 January 2021

Working capital, which businesses need to carry out their daily activities and pay their short-term debts, also significantly affects the profitability of companies. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 forced countries to close during the periods when the disease increased, which led to almost cessation of domestic and foreign trade. Many enterprises with weak liquidity had to close their short-term debts. With the pandemic, working capital has become much more important for enterprises. In this study, apparel enterprises operating in Turkey and whose financial statement data can be accessed through the Central Bank were classified according to their size and the liquidity ratios of these companies between 2011-2020 were analysed. In the last 10 years, it has been determined that especially large and medium-sized enterprises have strengthened their liquidity and significantly increased their cash and cash equivalents. However, such an increase was not observed in the cash power of small enterprises. In addition, the factors affecting the profitability of the companies were analysed in the study, and it was determined that the decrease in the Financial Leverage and Debt to Equity ratios in large enterprises increased the profitability. In medium-sized enterprises, it has been determined that the increase in current ratio and receivables collection periods increased profitability. It has been determined that the only significant ratio that affects profitability in small-scale enterprises is the current ratio. © 2022 Inst. Nat. Cercetare-Dezvoltare Text. Pielarie. All rights reserved.

Educators in university settings are increasingly concerned with identifying new and innovative ways of improving student engagement (Millican, 2014). This is especially important in current times due to many teaching activities moving online due to COVID-19. Improving student engagement is important as prior research indicates that engagement is positively associated with both perceived learning and objective learning outcomes (e.g., course grades; Shernof et al., 2017). This is particularly true for students completing their first year of university as poor performance and low self-perceptions of course engagement can have short-term effects on student retention (Ketonen et al., 2016) and long-term effects on students’ choice of career (Grier-Reed et al., 2012). One way to improve student engagement and, therefore, enhance student learning and retention, may be to target students’ planning. Planning is a key self-regulatory activity that impacts on the intention-behavior relationship (Gollwitzer, 1999; Schwarzer & Hamilton, 2020). Plans specify the situational context in which one will enact them to ensure that behavioral performance is achieved (i.e., the what, where, when, and how to enact an intended behaviour). This detail allows the individual to mentally link the intended behaviour with a particular context for its enactment, thus connecting the individual with good opportunities to act as the critical situation becomes highly accessible, enabling the behavior to be performed without much effort and attention of the individual. It is suggested that the advantages of planning interventions include low cost and response burden (Hagger & Luszczynska, 2014), which is especially important for students who are often juggling multiple commitments. Planning interventions have been found to be effective across a range of behaviors, including academic work behaviours (Carver & Scheier, 1981; Locke & Latham, 1990, 2002; Pintrich, 2000; Zimmerman, 2000), with meta-analytic research showing a notable medium effect size for planning on health behaviors (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). The overarching aim of this study is to test a planning intervention to improve student engagement in a core first-year psychology course during a university academic term (Trimester 2, 2020). At the university where the study will be conducted, a trimester is a 12-week academic term, where classes are scheduled in 11 of the 12 weeks. This study will use a randomised controlled trial design with two groups: an intervention group and a control group. The proposed planning intervention will use methods supported by theory to improve student engagement with the course. The expected outcomes of this study will provide support for the use of online interventions in the higher education setting and additional insight into the effects of planning-based interventions aimed at increasing student engagement.

Reports of escalated discrimination among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) due to COVID-19 are alarming, making this a public health priority. However, there are limited empirical studies on the scope and impact of COVID-19-related discrimination among AAPIs. Using the COVID-19 Effects on the Mental and Physical Health of AAPI Survey Study (COMPASS) data (N = 4971; survey period: October 2020–February 2021), which is a U.S.-wide multi-lingual survey, we examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with discrimination experiences attributable to being an AAPI during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 60.7% reported experiencing discrimination; the group prevalence ranged from 80.0% (Hmong) to 40.5% (Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders). Multivariable logistic regression models revealed that COVID-19-related factors were associated with many discrimination experiences: having a shelter-in-place order of ≥1 month, living in areas with perceived similar/higher COVID-19 severity, and negative impact in family income/employment due to COVID-19. Additionally, being Asian American (versus Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders), females, non-heterosexuals, younger, more severe effect on family income, living in the non-West, and poorer health were significantly correlated with discrimination experiences. Findings may assist in formulating anti-AAPI-discrimination policies and programs at the local, state, and federal levels. Culturally appropriate programs and policies to combat this are urgently needed.

Cultural tourism is recognised as one of the broader sectors of the tourism industry, embracing an extensive range of tourist interests. Italy is a remarkable tourist destination due to its cultural appeal in tangible and intangible heritage as well as its cultural resources connected to food and gastronomy, and it is of special interest since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020. This study sought to analyse the perceptions of diverse significant actors regarding culture and tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Langhe, Monferrato and Roero, an area of southern Piedmont in north-western Italy. As part of a larger collaborative international project addressing the coronavirus situation, the research examined residents, tourists and tourism-related professionals to investigate their perceptions of culture and tourism. Data were collected through a survey employing three distinct questionnaires for the three target groups of residents, tourists and entrepreneurs and cultural bodies. The data analysis reveals that residents embraced a static representation of the local cultural tourism’s appeal and heritage, while tourists were motivated mainly by gastronomic and wine experiences. The perception of the coronavirus among the three groups of interviewees reflects a general reduction in almost all cultural activities and travel possibilities.

Additional file 1: Appendix S1. Number of issued policies and scientific publications on COVID-19 from 2020 January to 2020 December. Appendix S2. Time series in different time intervals. Appendix S3. Robustness tests. Appendix S4. Heatmap of items with significant variation. Appendix S5. List of policies.