European Countries Research Articles

Diverse roles of Primary Health Care in COVID-19 vaccination across 28 European countries - Insights from the Eurodata study.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in several European countries involved collaboration between public health and Primary Health Care (PHC). To highlight the role of PHC professionals in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, specifically in terms of vaccine administration, communication and contributing to vaccination population coverage. A descriptive retrospective study of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign across 28 European countries was conducted, covering data from December 2020 to November 2021. Data were collected by key informants recruited from each country, who were health professionals involved in their national vaccination campaigns. Utilising an ad-hoc semi-structured questionnaire, information was gathered on organisation, communication strategies, priority groups, vaccine types, and vaccination pathways in PHC. PHC participated in communication strategies in 10 out of 28 countries, and vaccination was voluntary in most of them. The priority groups for vaccination varied across Europe, and the availability of vaccines in PHC differed between countries within the European Union (EU) and non-EU countries. The BioNTech Pfizer vaccine was the most widely available vaccine in most countries, followed by Moderna and AstraZeneca. PHC administered COVID-19 vaccines to the population, being the nurses the most involved, followed by general practitioners. Vaccination appointments were available online in 18/28 or by phone in 15/28, direct appointments at health centres were available in 8/28. In several countries, healthcare professionals who administered vaccines were given extra compensation for their role. PHC professionals played a crucial role in the successful distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in European countries.

Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) profiles towards λ-cyhalothrin for key ecosystem service provider (ESP) species across five European countries representing different pedoclimatic zones

Although our understanding of the dramatic worldwide loss of biodiversity in recent decades is far from adequate, one of the main factors in areas dominated by agriculture is undoubtedly the widespread use of synthetic pesticides. Unfortunately, the ecological risk assessment (EcoRA) for pesticides is based on a few single-species bioassays which do not allow for the evaluation of risks to whole communities. Here we present the results of an experimental assessment of the risk to the ecosystem service provider (ESP) communities – pest control agents – from exposure to the commonly used pyrethroid insecticide, λ-cyhalothrin. The study was performed in five European countries (Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom) representing different pedoclimatic zones. Representatives of the most common species of the ESP communities in each country were exposed in a standardized insecticide-coated glass vials bioassay to five doses of λ-cyhalothrin: 0.8 %, 4 %, 20 %, 100 %, and 200 % of the recommended field dose (RFD) plus an untreated control. Based on the calculated LD50s, species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) were estimated for each country and on combined data. In all five countries, the estimated hazardous concentration for 5 % of the species (HD5) was between 0.23 % and 1.67 % RFD, with HD5 = 0.44 % RFD based on combined data. At the RFD = 7.5 g a.i./ha (active ingredient per hectare), the predicted affected fraction of the ESP communities was between 96.4 % and 99.9 % of the species (98.5 % for combined data). The results indicate an extremely high risk to ESP communities across Europe associated with the use of λ-cyhalothrin at the recommended doses when these species are exposed to insecticide treatment. We recommend that EcoRA should include multi-species approaches, such as SSD, to better protect entire ESP communities from the negative impacts of pesticides.

“We rather not connect trade to politics, let alone geopolitics” – The changing role of Russia as a landscape pressure for zero-carbon energy transitions

This article aims for conceptual and empirical insights by focusing on a missing aspect in sustainability transitions research: the geopolitical setting as a landscape pressure for energy transitions. It analyses how energy super-power Russia is depicted before and after 2022 as a factor influencing the energy transition of small northern European countries: Estonia, Finland and Norway. The article also provides empirical findings on the impacts of the ongoing war on European energy transitions. We use the ‘landscape’ concept of transition studies to analyse actor perceptions and expectations of this geopolitical landscape shift, via interviewing experts at the energy-security nexus. Landscape is the selection environment for niches and socio-technical regimes, influencing their operational conditions. It contains rapid shocks, e.g., wars and pandemics, and slower geopolitical developments, the effects of which are dependent on the interpretation of actors. The results show that, before 2022, despite all three countries sharing a border with Russia, it was perceived differently as a landscape pressure: a direct security threat in Estonia; both a rather implicit indirect threat and a favoured economic partner in Finland, and; a distanced landscape factor in Norway. Perceptions about Russia became more uniform towards a geopolitical threat after the 2022 landscape shock, resulting also in extraordinary policy measures. The differences between countries show that landscape pressures are partly socially constructed, and, hence, subject to active influence by some actors. For instance, some landscape pressures may be affected by efforts of (de)politicisation or (de)securitisation to reduce or increase the public's focus on them.

The association between voluntary health insurance and health outcomes in older adults in Europe: A survival analysis

ObjectivesVoluntary health insurance (VHI) often serves a supplementary role in Europe. The ageing population and adoption of cost-sharing models in response to economic pressures raise concerns that VHI could contribute to health inequalities among older people. This study investigates the association of VHI with health outcomes among older people across 16 European countries and Israel. Study designProspective cohort study. MethodsData on participants aged ≥50 years across 16 European countries and Israel were obtained from four waves (2013–2020) of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Gompertz proportional hazards models assessed the association of VHI with mortality and multimorbidity. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) are reported. ResultsVHI prevalence was 38.2 % in 2013 and 34.9 % in 2015, with a higher prevalence among higher-income groups. VHI was associated with a 13 % lower risk of mortality (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81–0.94) after accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. VHI was also associated with a lower risk of multimorbidity (HR: 0.92, 95 % CI: 0.87–0.97). ConclusionsVHI was associated with a reduced risk of mortality and multimorbidity, after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. VHI might facilitate the access to timely and high-quality healthcare services, which may exacerbate health inequalities among older individuals.

Concerns and Barriers Surrounding the Farm Succession Process – Perception Versus Reality for Beef Farmers in Ireland

Generational renewal is widely acknowledged as key to the survival and sustainability of the European agricultural industry. In Ireland and many other European countries an aging farming population, and the lack of succession planning by farmers, are significant concerns regarding the future of the industry. Farm succession is a complex and multifaceted process with the literature highlighting one of its main barriers as a reluctance of older farmers to retire and effectively step-a-side to pass their farm onto the next generation. Such resistance of older farmers is undoubtedly a huge issue in terms of generational renewal of the Irish agricultural industry, however, it is important to understand that there are many sources of concern for farmers that can act as barriers to developing a succession plan. In this context, the objective of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the concerns and barriers surrounding the farm succession process. Discussions on the topic of farm succession, which took place during semi-structured interviews and consultation meetings with 30 beef farmers in Ireland as part of an intervention programme to support farmers in succession planning, reveal that the source of such concerns appears to stem from two broad areas: successor identification concerns and financial and legal concerns. While acknowledging that such issues cause genuine concern for farmers, we argue that overcoming them may not be as difficult as some farmers may imagine. Hence a distinction between what constitutes real concerns versus what constitutes perceived concerns in the farm succession process emerges. The evidence gathered suggests that where farmers engage the services of professional advisors to discuss farm succession, many of those concerns can be alleviated. Consequently, by reflecting on the findings emerging and by highlighting the case of Irelands Succession Planning AdviceGrant as a policy framework solution, we recommend for similar policy development in other countries facing the generational renewal challenge in agriculture. The novel findings emerging from this study provide a valuable contribution to the literature, to practice, and to policy development.

Application of selected indicators to assess contamination of municipal landfill leachate and its impact on groundwater

Leachate formation is one of the most important factors taken into account during the operation and long-term management of municipal waste landfills. Systematic assessment of groundwater and leachate contamination may be useful in selecting the appropriate method of leachate management or treatment processes. The use of indicators to quantify the contamination potential of leachate and groundwater in the vicinity of MSW could help landfill managers assess their quality. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the representativeness of selected indicator methods for analyzing the temporal variability of leachate and groundwater properties in the vicinity of two municipal waste landfills in a Central European country (Poland). The leachate pollution index (LPI), sub-LPI and adjusted leachate pollution index (r-LPI) were used to assess the quality of leachate water, while the landfill water pollution index (LWPI) was used to assess the variability of groundwater quality. The results confirmed that LWPI is an effective method for assessing the quality of groundwater in the vicinity of municipal waste landfills. The obtained results confirm the negative impact of landfills, despite the insulation used. LWPI showed poor quality of groundwater and visible impact of the landfill (landfill W, average LWPI - 2.34) and moderately polluted waters and minor impact of the landfill (landfill S, average LWPI - 1.37). In most cases, it was observed that two parameters, EC and TOC, are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of groundwater quality. The sub-LPI analysis showed that leachates from both landfills have a very low content of heavy metals, so they should not have a negative impact on the biological treatment process. The obtained r-LPI values were in all cases higher than the calculated LPI values. For landfill S, the average r-LPI was 26.3 (Z-1) and 25.7 (Z-2). However, the average LPI was 13.5 (Z-1) and 13.2 (Z-2). For landfill W, the average r-LPI was 14.6 and the average LPI was 11.4. Analysis conducted on multi-year leachate and groundwater data using specific indicators can help managers better understand the impact of MSW on surrounding areas and help avoid potential operational problems in the future.

Walking on sunshine: Application of a choice experiment to understand impacts of climate change on tourism attractions

Summer destinations and local attractions in Western European countries are increasingly affected by climate change, predominantly high temperatures and impacts by thunderstorms. In order to assist practitioners, this study investigates the trade-offs visitors make under different expected weather conditions and develops recommendations for adaptation strategies. A survey containing a discrete choice experiment including different types of attractions, accessibility and weather conditions, was conducted (N=5,544). The results show that the impacts of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and heat as a result of climate change cannot be assessed in a blanket manner. Visitors are less sensitive to high temperatures than to the probability of thunderstorms and cooler temperatures are preferred, especially for outdoor activities. Furthermore, the survey revealed that the majority of respondents would rather travel further (spatial substitution) than change the desired activity (activity substitution).We expected that steering instruments such as higher parking fees or the enhanced accessibility by public transportation are able to change mobility patterns and enhance mitigation strategies. However. parking fees, meant to influence behavior and enhance the shift from private car to public transportation, showed limited effects. Finally, the results underline that the perceived utility of sustainability certifications remains low, and that certification has a very limited influence on the decision-making process.

Prediction of Intraday Electricity Supply Curves

The electricity market in Spain, as in many European countries, is organized into daily, intraday, and reserve markets. This project aims to predict the supply curves in the Spanish intraday market that have six sessions with different horizons of application, using information from the market itself. To achieve this, we approximate these curves using a non-uniform grid of points and evaluate the quality of these approximations with a weighted distance, both based on empirical market data. We employ neural network models, including multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), long short-term memory (LSTM), bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), and a Transformer network alongside a naive model for benchmarking. The MLP and CNN models demonstrated significant improvements in predicting these supply curves for the six market sessions.

Toward a data-informed framework for the assessment of digital readiness of higher education institutions

AbstractThis paper aims to address Digital Readiness in Higher Education Institutions from the perspective of data-informed and evidence-based assessment of Digital Readiness. Related research suggests that existing instruments for assessing digitalization aspects are limited to self-assessment, and there is a need for data-informed frameworks that will allow automated assessments based on data that Higher Education Institutions already collect. To bridge this gap, we propose a conceptual, data-informed framework for assessing Digital Readiness in Higher Education Institutions. We followed a participatory approach informed by related theory and practice to design, together with stakeholders from three academic institutions in three European countries, a Digital Readiness assessment framework on seven dimensions accompanied by 72 data-informed indicators. Digitalization of Higher Education is a priority in political agendas, and educational institutions have acknowledged it as an opportunity to promote digitalization of teaching and learning, organizational structures, and technical services, enabling innovation and internationalization. We envision that this work contributes towards supporting educational institutions in self-reflecting upon their digitalization policies and practices.

МЕХАНІЗМ ФОРМУВАННЯ СТРАТЕГІЇ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ БУДІВЕЛЬНИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ

The article identifies that as of today, Ukraine's construction industry is operating under challenging conditions during the period of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. It was found that in 2022, the construction sector lost its position in the structure of the country's GDP by 1.6%, compared to 2020-2021, where it accounted for 2.8%. It is determined that the share of the construction industry in the GDP throughout the examined period did not exceed 3%, which is significantly lower than the corresponding period in European countries. Additionally, the article examines the mechanism for forming a strategy of innovative development for construction enterprises, which enhances their competitiveness and adaptability to market changes. The key aspects of developing an innovation strategy for construction enterprises are described: improving production efficiency; enhancing the quality and durability of structures; adapting to market conditions; ensuring competitiveness; promoting sustainable development; improving working conditions and safety on-site; attracting investment and business growth. Key steps at the main stages of developing an innovation strategy are proposed, including an analysis of the external and internal environment, the determination of strategic goals, the development of innovative solutions, investment in resources and personnel, as well as strategy monitoring and adaptation. The importance of applying various methods and tools to optimize, increase productivity, and improve enterprise adaptability was emphasized. The proposed approach allows construction companies to enhance production efficiency and achieve sustainable development in the face of modern challenges and technological changes. Keywords: innovations, innovative development, competitiveness, construction enterprise, 3D printing, modular construction.

Integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer care: a multinational mixed method study

Abstract Background Incurable cancer is a major contributor to societal suffering and disability, and palliative rehabilitation is recommended to be integrated within and between cancer services at all healthcare levels. However, little knowledge exists on how integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer is understood and achieved in clinical practice. INSPIRE (Integrated short-term palliative rehabilitation to improve quality of life and equitable care access in incurable cancer) is a large European-funded project that aims to promote quality of life through a novel rehabilitation model for people disabled by advanced cancer. Aim To compare the existing integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer within official documents and in clinical practice across five European countries including United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, and Italy. Methods Mixed methods study with a concurrent research design, comprising a document analysis (N = 23), stakeholder interviews (N = 22), and an online survey (N = 225). Data from each sub-study were analysed separately before results were merged. Results There was limited integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer in official documents and in clinical practice, though some indicators of integration, including participation in multidisciplinary teams and adherence to standardised pathways, were identified in the survey. Notably, integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer in clinical practice was observed within limited organisations in secondary healthcare systems, without widespread adoption. Although palliative rehabilitation in cancer as a concept was sparingly used by stakeholders, they recognised the need for a comprehensive approach including multidisciplinary teams that aligns with the individual patient’s needs and goals. Moreover, the ambiguous distinction between the terms ‘palliative rehabilitation’ and ‘palliative care’, insufficient funding, lack of well-defined care pathways and competence gaps among healthcare professionals represented barriers to integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer into clinical practice. Conclusion Integration of palliative rehabilitation in cancer was limited in the five EU partnership countries investigated. Clarifying the concept of palliative rehabilitation, including adoption of the concept into official documents and delineating it from palliative care, is essential for more successful integration. This can possibly be achieved by addressing the barriers identified and fostering close collaboration across disciplines.

Comparative legal teaching in eighteenth-century Oxford: an analysis of Thomas Bever’s Appendix to his lectures

Abstract In the 1760s and 1770s, Thomas Bever, a once-eminent but today nearly-forgotten English civilian, was delivering a course of lectures devoted to civil law at Oxford. The final part of those lectures, known as the Appendix, was of a different character from the earlier parts. In the Appendix Bever discussed the development of the law and constitution of 15 European countries. His description was an attempt to compare different systems and to abstract general legal concepts common to different countries. Along with other issues, Bever was specifically interested in abstracting the common roots of medieval feudalism. The analysis offered in this article is the result of archival investigation comparing two different versions of Bever’s lecture notes. The main objective of the article is to reconstruct Bever’s narrative, together with analysing his methodology and the intellectual framework of his work. This investigation reveals the intricacies of the legal education offered at Oxford in the second half of the eighteenth century.

Connecting Variety Trialling Systems Across Two Countries

ABSTRACTIn Europe, before acceptance to a country's national list, crop variety candidates must undergo testing for value for cultivation and use (VCU) in multi‐environment trials. Once a variety is accepted to the national list of a country, it can be marketed in that county. Moreover, it may be marketed in other European countries as well, even if it has not been tested for VCU, and hence, there is no performance assessment in those other countries. This paper investigates how VCU trialling systems of two countries can be connected and integrated so that performance can be assessed for both countries without altering the capacity of the trialling systems. Our statistical calculations based on VCU trial data for maize from Germany and Poland highlight the benefit of a joint analysis of data from two countries. Moreover, we show how the efficiency of each country's VCU testing system can be improved—without altering the overall capacity of the systems in terms of the number of trials and the number of plots per trial—by ensuring that each variety is tested in both countries.

What happened to my time during the COVID-19 lockdown? Parents’ subversive temporal regime strategies and their potential beyond the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted individuals to devise new temporal strategies in various spheres of their lives as a result of the spatial regulations imposed during the first lockdown. We apply Lisa Suckert’s theoretical model of ‘the capitalist time regime’ in the analysis of 68 interviews with parents of schoolchildren in seven European countries conducted during the first COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020. We examine actors’ agency and capability to govern time during the pandemic and the extent to which disruption enables subversion of the temporal regime and its five features: measurement and commodification of time, temporal expansionism, acceleration, appropriation of the future, with the special emphasis on unequal temporal autonomy of actors. Expanding on Dale Southerton’s analysis of the role of gender in temporal autonomy, we also look at the participants’ positions at the intersections of gender, age of children, profession, economic situation, and the use of the welfare system. Finally, we contextualise participants’ creative challenges to the unequal temporal autonomy within Barbara Hobson’s approach to capabilities and achievements. The results show that participants creatively negotiated time under lockdown spatial conditions, thus producing new socio-temporal conditions that suited them and their families. We identified shift work in family arrangements, time for oneself and increased efficiency due to enhanced autonomy as the key creative subversive strategies addressing unequal temporal autonomy of actors with regard to gender and also other axes of disadvantage.

For Spatial Planning and Land Consolidation Issue

Planning the rational use of land's potential capabilities is one of the most important functions in Georgia. When developing the state policy in this area, it is essential to take into account that the implemented policy directly affects the country's socio-economic development. The given article states that determining the land status is part of the country's territory planning and development plan, moreover, changing the status of the land is almost impossible without making changes to the spatial planning of the territory. The article states that in most European countries, changing the designation of land is within the competence of the government and describes the needs to be addressed by various European countries (permit of the relevant state institution, compliance with the spatial development plan, imposition of a tax on the change of category, with certain exceptions, a general ban on changing the category of land, etc.). It also discusses examples of various mechanisms for land consolidation in Eastern and Central European countries. At the end of the article, the conclusion is made that under the conditions of Georgia, the state should develop a plan for the privatization of the remaining agricultural land in its possession, the primary goal of which should not be the increase of budget revenues, but rather ensuring the effective use of land resources. This process should consider: registering the landownership for the actual owner, registering land ownership for municipalities, and the alienation of land remaining in state ownership, which should ultimately contribute to the consolidation of small farms. Keywords: land, land categories, land disposal, agricultural policy, spatial planning, land consolidation, land management, agrarian territories.

The rise of populist radical right parties in Europe

After World War II, radical right parties in Europe experienced a decline, but over the last three decades, they have regained strength, becoming significant players in European politics. Since the early twenty-first century, they have secured representation at various levels, from local governments to national parliaments and the European Parliament. Nowadays, populist radical right parties rank among the top three most powerful political forces in one-third of European countries. In Austria, the FPÖ ( Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs) emerged as the leading party in the 2024 elections, winning 28.9% of the vote. In Italy, the Fratelli d’Italia coalition came to power with 25.99% of the vote in 2022. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party won its fourth consecutive election. In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN – Rassemblement National) achieved major victories in both the European Parliament and national elections, becoming the country’s largest party. Though initially considered marginal, populist radical right parties have become a lasting and serious force in European politics. This special issue features six carefully selected articles, each offering empirical and theoretical insights into different aspects of the rise of radical right and right-wing populist parties in Europe, contributing to a broader understanding of this phenomenon.

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CROSS-BORDER CO-OPERATION OF UKRAINIAN REGIONS

The research highlights the objective need and the problems of assessing the development of cross-border co-operation in Ukraine, especially in the conditions of critical economic and social instability caused by a full-scale invasion and its consequences. The purpose of the article is to scientifically substantiate methodological approaches to the assessment of cross-border territorial co-operation and the construction of a balanced and multi-level information and analysis system. In order to achieve this goal, the methods of analysis and synthesis, grouping of indicators, theoretical generalisation and content analysis were used. It has been established that there is no generally accepted methodology for evaluating these processes. Furthermore, the methodologies that do exist cover a range of spheres and mechanisms of interaction with European countries, with a particular focus on specific programmes and initiatives. Additionally, it was determined that Ukraine lacks a systematic approach to monitoring the aforementioned processes, despite the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine's obligation to regularly furnish data on the advancement of the goals set forth in the State Program for the Development of Cross-Border Co-operation of Ukraine for the 2021-2027 period. It is proposed to expand the system of indicators for relevant monitoring by adding a number of basic indicators (GRP, investment activity, international image of the territory). The findings of the study substantiate the issue of inadequate substantiation of the theoretical and methodological foundations of cross-border co-operation of Ukrainian territories in the context of war and the challenges posed by European integration. This proves the need to develop a multi-level system for monitoring cross-border co-operation at the level of the state, macro-raions, oblasts and hromadas (raions) with a list of clear criteria and evaluation indicators that would take into account the basic principles, main tasks and risks of such co-operation. It is of the utmost importance to acknowledge the invaluable experience of European countries in the assessment of cross-border relations, particularly in the construction of domestic methodology and the search for additional data sources. The foundation for future research in this area can be an evaluation of the extent to which the objectives set out by the Ukrainian state for the development of cross-border co-operation have been met, and an assessment of the potential for further progress.

ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN UKRAINE: EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY

Background: As digital interactions and transactions grow, people are more inclined to participate if they feel secure and assured of fair procedures. However, online dispute resolution is still rarely used in Ukraine due to a lack of regulations. This research article provides a legal analysis of online dispute resolution (ODR) in Ukraine, concentrating on defining the ODR landscape, as well as on considering its potential in e-commerce and traditional court proceedings. Besides, the article presents a vision and proposals for the future adoption of European laws in Ukraine while discussing the current challenges in the online justice system that hinder its successful implementation. As a result, the article emphasises the need for an adequate legal instrument to regulate ODR in Ukraine, particularly in the context of e-commerce. It highlights the importance of implementing EU legislation, developing ODR platforms and ADR institutions, and ensuring their decisions are binding. It also addresses the challenges related to remote hearings in the judiciary during different circumstances and suggests adopting cloud-based case management to improve efficiency and reduce the risk of document destruction. Methods: The research methodology for this study on online dispute resolution in Ukraine included a comprehensive literature review, a comparative analysis of ODR systems in European countries, and a systems analysis to forecast the future trajectory of ODR in Ukraine. This approach aimed to assess the current state of ODR in Ukraine, identify areas for improvement, and explore potential achievements and challenges in its implementation. Results and conclusions: The article concludes that Ukraine is in the process of establishing a legal framework for online dispute resolution, which is expected to progress further after the war. The implementation of EU legislation and the development of ODR platforms and ADR institutions are crucial, along with ensuring accessibility for all, including vulnerable groups without internet access. Related to online courts, it is necessary to address challenges such as judges' absence during remote hearings. It is also recommended that the process be expedited and the risk of document loss internally in the case management system minimised.

A case of penicillin-resistant group B Streptococcus isolated from a patient in the UK.

In England, group B streptococci (GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae) are considered universally susceptible to penicillin. Reports from Africa, Asia, North America and a few European countries have described GBS isolates with penicillin MICs above the epidemiological cut-off (0.125 mg/L). Our aim was to characterize a penicillin-resistant GBS (PRGBS) isolate recovered in 2016 from a patient treated with long-term antimicrobials in the UK. Antibiotic susceptibility of a referred isolate from a discharging sinus overlying a chronic prosthetic joint infection was determined using gradient strip testing for seven antibiotics. Illumina short read sequencing was carried out using a HiSeq 2500 platform to determine MLST, capsular type, to detect mutations in the pbp genes, and to compare the isolate with contemporaneous GBS isolates circulating in the UK. The GBS isolate belonged to capsular type Ia and MLST 144. We observed resistance to penicillin (MIC = 1 mg/L) and tetracycline (32 mg/L) with susceptibility to linezolid (1 mg/L), erythromycin (0.064 mg/L), clindamycin (0.064 mg/L), teicoplanin (0.064 mg/L) and vancomycin (0.25 mg/L). Deduced amino acid sequences revealed substitutions and non-synonymous changes in PBP2x and PBP2b. Genomic analysis of contemporaneous cases (n = 34) from across the UK identified single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation ranged from 153-6596 SNPs. We confirm the first identification of a PRGBS isolate amongst referrals to the UK's national reference laboratory. Substitutions in pbp1a, pbp2a, pbp2x and pbp2b were identified that likely developed in the face of long-term beta-lactam antibiotic use.

Cost Analysis of Penitentiary Systems and Comparison Between the Countries of the Council of Europe

Background: The objective was to analyze the budgets invested in prisons by the member states of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the relationships between the global cost, the cost incurred per single inmate, the number of inmates per 100,000 inhabitants (PPR), the gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP. Methods: The data relating to the variables considered for the year 2020 were obtained from the SPACE-I 2021 of the CoE, the World Bank/OECD, and Eurostat. Regression models were used to evaluate the relationships between the PPR and the GDP, the daily cost per prisoner and per capita GDP, and between the PPR and the per capita GDP. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to evaluate associations between the PPR, EU membership, cost per day, cost rate, geographical area, and inmate gender. Results: The daily expenditure per inmate in northern European countries reaches very high values, respectively: EUR 330.6 (Norway) and EUR 303 (Sweden), while, in the eastern countries, the values drop sharply (EUR 6.50 in Bulgaria and EUR 8.08 in Azerbaijani). The lowest PPR values are found in northern European countries, and the highest in the following countries: Russia, Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Conclusions: Countries with a higher GDP per capita tend to have lower prison population rates and to invest larger amounts of funds for prison systems.