The strategies to support the COVID-19 vaccination with evidence-based communication and tackling misinformation

COVID-19 vaccinations are about to begin in various countries or are already ongoing. This is an unprecedented operation that is also met with a loud response from anti-vaccine communities—currently using all available channels to manipulate public opinion. At the same time, the strategy to educate on vaccinations, explain their mechanism of action, and build trust in science is subdued in different world parts. Such actions should go much beyond campaigns promoting the COVID-19 vaccines solely on the information provided by the health institutions and national authorities. In this paper, actions provided by independent expert groups needed to counteract the anti-vaccine propaganda and provide scientific-based information to the general public are offered. These actions encompass organizing groups continuously communicating science on COVID-19 vaccines to the general public; tracking and tackling emerging and circulating fake news; and equipping celebrities and politicians with scientific information to ensure the quality of messages they communicate, as well as public letters, and statements of support for vaccination by healthcare workers, recognized scientists, VIPs, and scientific societies; and no tolerance to false and manipulated claims on vaccination spread via traditional and social media as well as by health professionals, scientists, and academics. These activities should be promptly implemented worldwide, regardless of the current status and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in a particular region. If we are about to control the pandemic for the sake of public benefit, it is high time to collectively speak out as academic and medical societies with support from decision-makers. Otherwise, the battle will be lost to those who stand against scientific evidence while offering no feasible solution to the problem

Znaczenie szczepień przeciwko pneumokokom w redukcji ryzyka sercowo-naczyniowego pacjentów kardiologicznych. Opinia ekspertów Komisji Profilaktyki Polskiego Towarzystwa Kardiologicznego wsparta przez Polskie Towarzystwo Wakcynologiczne

Choroby układu oddechowego stały się w ostatnich latach czwartą najczęstszą przyczyną zgonów w Polsce. Infekcja dróg oddechowych, zwłaszcza zapalenie płuc, może prowadzić do zaostrzenia przewlekłej choroby układu krążenia. Streptococcus pneumoniae jest najczęstszym bakteryjnym patogenem powodującym pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc. Pneumokoki są również najczęstszym patogenem wikłającym przebieg grypy. Zapalenie płuc, zwłaszcza inwazyjna choroba pneumokokowa, wiąże się z ryzykiem zgonu w przebiegu niewydolności oddechowej lub posocznicy, a także z pogorszeniem rokowania istniejącej choroby układu krążenia. Pomimo to zalecenia dotyczące szczepienia przeciwko pneumokokom nadal nie są dobrze ugruntowane w wytycznych kardiologicznych. Celem niniejszego dokumentu jest podsumowanie aktualnej wiedzy na temat znaczenia profilaktyki inwazyjnej choroby pneumokokowej w kontekście pacjentów z chorobami układu sercowo-naczyniowego

Winter Bird Assemblages in Rural and Urban Environments: A National Survey

Urban development has a marked effect on the ecological and behavioural traits of many living organisms, including birds. In this paper, we analysed differences in the numbers of wintering birds between rural and urban areas in Poland. We also analysed species richness and abundance in relation to longitude, latitude, human population size, and landscape structure. All these parameters were analysed using modern statistical techniques incorporating species detectability. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km2 each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 urban areas across Poland (in each urban area we surveyed 3 squares and 3 squares in nearby rural areas). The influence of twelve potential environmental variables on species abundance and richness was assessed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Components and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. Totals of 72 bird species and 89,710 individual birds were recorded in this study. On average (±SE) 13.3 ± 0.3 species and 288 ± 14 individuals were recorded in each square in each survey. A formal comparison of rural and urban areas revealed that 27 species had a significant preference; 17 to rural areas and 10 to urban areas. Moreover, overall abundance in urban areas was more than double that of rural areas. There was almost a complete separation of rural and urban bird communities. Significantly more birds and more bird species were recorded in January compared to December. We conclude that differences between rural and urban areas in terms of winter conditions and the availability of resources are reflected in different bird communities in the two environments

Recommendations of the Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, Polish Paediatric Society, Polish Society of Family Medicine, Polish Society of Vaccinology, Polish Society of Oncological Gynaecology and Polish Society of Colposcopy and Pathophysiology of the Uterine Cervix on prophylactic vaccinations against infections with human papillomaviruses in Poland

Several hundred million people are infected with genital genotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) annually in the world. The infections transmitted mainly through sexual routes are usually asymptomatic, but can lead to the development of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile cancers, some head and neck cancers and genital warts (condylomas). The fraction HPV-related cancers range from nearly 100% in the case of cervical cancer to several/over a dozen percent in the case of other cancers and diseases. There are no effective drugs against HPV, but prophylactic HPV vaccines are available free of charge in immunization programmes in many countries around the world. In Poland, HPV vaccinations have so far been executed out on the pocket or in free-of-charge, local-governmental prevention programs, but the vaccination coverage of the target population does not exceed 10%. From November 2021, one of the vaccines is available with a 50% reimbursement, work is underway to reimburse the next ones, and the National Oncology Strategy assumes the implementation of the HPV immunization programmes and vaccination of 60% of the teen population by 2028. Three prophylactic HPV vaccines are registered. All of them are safe and their effectiveness in the prevention of diseases caused by vaccine genotypes reaches almost 100%, provided that full post-vaccination immunity is obtained before the contact with the virus. Girls aged 11-13 are the priority target cohort for HPV vaccination in Poland. The implementation of routine, free-of-charge HPV immunization in the Preventive Immunization Program (PIP) for all adolescents should be pursued. Persons over the age of 13 may also benefit from HPV vaccination and should be vaccinated according to product specifications. In addition to free access under the PIP, the key element for the success of the implementation of HPV vaccinations in Poland will be the education of medical personnel and parents of adolescents to be vaccinated

A phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of catch-up vaccination regimens of V114, a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, in healthy infants, children, and adolescents (PNEU-PLAN)

Background: Despite widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in children, morbidity and mortality caused by pneumococcal disease (PD) remain high. In addition, many children do not complete their PCV course on schedule. V114 is a 15-valent PCV that contains two epidemiologically important serotypes, 22F and 33F, in addition to the 13 serotypes present in PCV13, the licensed 13-valent PCV. Methods: This phase III descriptive study evaluated safety and immunogenicity of catch-up vaccination with V114 or PCV13 in healthy children 7 months–17 years of age who were either pneumococcal vaccine-naïve or previously immunized with lower valency PCVs (NCT03885934). Overall, 606 healthy children were randomized to receive V114 (n = 303) or PCV13 (n = 303) via age-appropriate catch-up vaccination schedules in three age cohorts (7–11 months, 12–23 months, or 2–17 years). Results: Similar proportions of children 7–11 months and 2–17 years of age reported adverse events (AEs) in the V114 and PCV13 groups. A numerically greater proportion of children 12–23 months of age reported AEs in the V114 group (79.0%) than the PCV13 group (59.4%). The proportions of children who reported serious AEs varied between different age cohorts but were generally comparable between vaccination groups. No vaccine-related serious AEs were reported, and no deaths occurred. At 30 days after the last PCV dose, serotype-specific immunoglobulin G geometric mean concentrations were comparable between vaccination groups for the 13 shared serotypes and higher in the V114 group for 22F and 33F. Conclusions: Catch-up vaccination with V114 in healthy individuals 7 months–17 years of age was generally well tolerated and immunogenic for all 15 serotypes, including those not contained in PCV13, regardless of prior pneumococcal vaccination. These results support V114 catch-up vaccination in children with incomplete or no PCV immunization per the recommended schedule.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

The significant impact of age on the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic appendectomy : results from the Polish Laparoscopic Appendectomy multicenter large cohort study

Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical emergency and can occur at any age. Nearly all of the studies comparing outcomes of appendectomy between younger and older patients set cut-off point at 65 years. In this multicenter observational study, we aimed to compare laparoscopic appendectomy for AA in various groups of patients with particular interest in the elderly and very elderly in comparison to younger adults. Our multicenter observational study of 18 surgical units assessed the outcomes of 4618 laparoscopic appendectomies for AA. Patients were divided in 4 groups according to their age: Group 1- 8 days. Logistic regression models comparing perioperative results of each of the 3 oldest groups compared with the youngest one showed significant differences in odds ratios of symptoms lasting >48hours, presence of complicated appendicitis, perioperative morbidity, conversion rate, prolonged LOS (>8 days). The findings of this study confirm that the outcomes of laparoscopic approach to AA in different age groups are not the same regarding outcomes and the clinical picture. Older patients are at high risk both in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative period. The differences are visible already at the age of 40 years old. Since delayed diagnosis and postponed surgery result in the development of complicated appendicitis, more effort should be placed in improving treatment patterns for the elderly and their clinical outcome

Risk factors for serious morbidity, prolonged length of stay and hospital readmission after laparoscopic appendectomy : results from Pol-LA (Polish Laparoscopic Appendectomy) multicenter large cohort study

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) for treatment of acute appendicitis has gained acceptance with its considerable benefits over open appendectomy. LA, however, can involve some adverse outcomes: morbidity, prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) and hospital readmission. Identification of predictive factors may help to identify and tailor treatment for patients with higher risk of these adverse events. Our aim was to identify risk factors for serious morbidity, prolonged LOS and hospital readmission after LA. A database compiled information of patients admitted for acute appendicitis from eighteen Polish and German surgical centers. It included factors related to the patient characteristics, peri- and postoperative period. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for serious perioperative complications, prolonged LOS, and hospital readmissions in acute appendicitis cases. 4618 laparoscopic appendectomy patients were included. First, although several risk factors for serious perioperative complications (C-D III-V) were found in the univariate analysis, in the multivariate model only the presence of intraoperative adverse events (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.32-12.65, p = 0.014) and complicated appendicitis (OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.74-7.61, p = 0.001) was statistically significant. Second, prolonged LOS was associated with the presence of complicated appendicitis (OR 2.8, 95%CI: 1.53-5.12, p = 0.001), postoperative morbidity (OR 5.01, 95% CI: 2.33-10.75, p < 0.001), conversions (OR 6.48, 95% CI: 3.48-12.08, p < 0.001) and reinterventions after primary procedure (OR 8.79, 95% CI: 3.2-24.14, p < 0.001) in the multivariate model. Third, although several risk factors for hospital readmissions were found in univariate analysis, in the multivariate model only the presence of postoperative complications (OR 10.33, 95% CI: 4.27-25.00), reintervention after primary procedure (OR 5.62, 95% CI: 2.17-14.54), and LA performed by resident (OR 1.96, 95%CI: 1.03-3.70) remained significant. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe procedure associated with low rates of complications, prolonged LOS, and readmissions. Risk factors for these adverse events include complicated appendicitis, postoperative morbidity, conversion, and re-intervention after the primary procedure. Any occurrence of these factors during treatment should alert the healthcare team to identify the patients that require more customized treatment to minimize the risk for adverse outcomes

Small Inductive Dimension of Topological Spaces. Part II

In this paper we present basic properties of n-dimensional topological spaces according to the book [10]. In the article the formalization of Section 1.5 is completed.Institute of Computer Science, University of Białystok, PolandGrzegorz Bancerek. Cardinal numbers. Formalized Mathematics, 1(2):377-382, 1990.Grzegorz Bancerek. The fundamental properties of natural numbers. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):41-46, 1990.Grzegorz Bancerek. König's theorem. Formalized Mathematics, 1(3):589-593, 1990.Grzegorz Bancerek. The ordinal numbers. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):91-96, 1990.Grzegorz Bancerek and Krzysztof Hryniewiecki. Segments of natural numbers and finite sequences. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):107-114, 1990.Leszek Borys. Paracompact and metrizable spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 2(4):481-485, 1991.Agata Darmochwał. Families of subsets, subspaces and mappings in topological spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 1(2):257-261, 1990.Agata Darmochwał. Finite sets. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):165-167, 1990.Agata Darmochwał. The Euclidean space. Formalized Mathematics, 2(4):599-603, 1991.Ryszard Engelking. Teoria wymiaru. PWN, 1981.Robert Milewski. Bases of continuous lattices. Formalized Mathematics, 7(2):285-294, 1998.Beata Padlewska. Families of sets. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):147-152, 1990.Beata Padlewska and Agata Darmochwał. Topological spaces and continuous functions. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):223-230, 1990.Karol Pąk. Small inductive dimension of topological spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 17(3):207-212, 2009, doi: 10.2478/v10037-009-0025-7.Andrzej Trybulec. A Borsuk theorem on homotopy types. Formalized Mathematics, 2(4):535-545, 1991.Michał J. Trybulec. Integers. Formalized Mathematics, 1(3):501-505, 1990.Zinaida Trybulec. Properties of subsets. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):67-71, 1990.Mirosław Wysocki and Agata Darmochwał. Subsets of topological spaces. Formalized Mathematics, 1(1):231-237, 1990

Urban and rural habitats differ in number and type of bird feeders and in bird species consuming supplementary food

Bird feeding is one of the most widespread direct interactions between man and nature, and this has important social and environmental consequences. However, this activity can differ between rural and urban habitats, due to inter alia habitat structure, human behaviour and the composition of wintering bird communities. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km(2) each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 towns and cities across Poland (in each urban area, we surveyed 3 squares and also 3 squares in nearby rural areas). At each count, we noted the number of bird feeders, the number of bird feeders with food, the type of feeders, additional food supplies potentially available for birds (bread offered by people, bins) and finally the birds themselves. In winter, urban and rural areas differ in the availability of food offered intentionally and unintentionally to birds by humans. Both types of food availability are higher in urban areas. Our findings suggest that different types of bird feeder support only those species specialized for that particular food type and this relationship is similar in urban and rural areas. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4723-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users