Western Pomerania Research Articles

Seroprevalence and silent infection rate during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among children and adolescents in Western Pomerania: a multicenter, cross-sectional study—the COVIDKID study

Background Limited data on SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in rural areas of northern Germany necessitate comprehensive cohort studies. We aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence, silent infection (SI) rates and risk factors for infections among children and adolescents in Western Pomerania from December 2020 to August 2022. Methods In this cross-sectional study, serum or plasma samples from children and adolescents (6 months to 17 years) were collected during routine blood draw. SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies (S1 and nucleocapsid) and their neutralizing capacity were analyzed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent and neutralization assays. Socio-demographic data and information about SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination were obtained. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infections and SI. Results A total of 1,131 blood samples were included into the study. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 25.1%, strongly influenced by the pandemic course, predominant virus variants, age and approval of vaccination. SI rate was 5.4% (95%-CI [3.7%–6.8%]) among unvaccinated and undiagnosed children over the entire study period with highest rates among adolescents. Main risk factor despite the time at risk for silent infections was an infected household member (Odds ratio = 9.88, 95%-CI [4.23–22.9], p < 0.001). Factors associated with overall infections (known and silent) also include the infection of a household member (Odds ratio = 17.8, 95%-CI [10.7–29.6], p < 0.001). Conclusions We believe that the introduction of governmental measures and systematic test strategies in schools strongly impacted on the SI rate, as we suspect that asymptomatic cases have already been identified, resulting in surprisingly low SI identified in our study.

Boosting Regional Tourism: The Role of Karlino's 'Energy' Science and Technology Center in Western Pomerania's Growth

Boosting Regional Tourism: The Role of Karlino's 'Energy' Science and Technology Center in Western Pomerania's Growth

Individual use of self-medication and other remedies in COVID-19 outpatients in Western-Pomerania

We analyzed data from positively tested COVID-19 outpatients to describe self-medication with OTC drugs and use of other remedies against symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We specifically considered their type and frequency, as well as associations with patient characteristics, and reasons for use. Data were collected between May 1, 2020 and February 22, 2021 with two questionnaires in an observational cohort study with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive adult outpatients in the district of Western Pomerania in Germany. 523 out of 710 outpatients (74%; 340 women and 183 men) reported using drugs and other remedies to relieve COVID-19-symptoms. Overall, participants reported utilization of 1282 finished dosage products or remedies, including 213 different ingredients. In the population of 710 outpatients, utilization of ibuprofen (26%), acetaminophen (21%), metamizole (14%), and acetylsalicylic acid (10%) was most commonly reported. Phytopharmaceuticals, herbal and animal products as well as vitamins and minerals were also frequently reported. Among the 523 participants who used drugs and other remedies, most commonly mentioned reasons for use were headache (40%), other kinds of pain (e.g. myalgia; 37%), fever (24%) and cough (16%). Our analysis showed that a majority of the participants tried to alleviate COVID-19-symptoms using drugs and other remedies. Especially analgesic and antipyretic agents, followed by herbal medicines, were used very frequently.Trial registration: German Register for Clinical Studies DRKS00021672, first registration on December 1st, 2020.

The understanding of the agriculturally shaped environment: from the theoretical construct to an applied indicator of sustainable development

Sustainable development of the resource ‘land’ is increasingly being discussed with a focus on rural areas. Understanding is key to solving land use conflicts. It can lead to joint solutions and can thus enable sustainable development at a practical level. It goes beyond environmental consciousness, which is related to general issues, and instead aims to address concrete challenges in the context of sustainable development at an applicable level. ‘Understanding’ with regard to land use conflicts has not yet been defined in the literature. Based on this motivation, it is the aim of this study to create the construct of ‘understanding’ conceptually, to validate it empirically with structural equation modelling, and to demonstrate that understanding might be an important prerequisite for sustainable development. In this case, the focus is not on a general kind of understanding, but rather on specific aspects of understanding in relation to the agriculturally shaped environment in rural areas. The empirical data for the paper were collected by means of a large-scale population survey in Western Pomerania, Germany, a rural peripheral region characterized by typical land-use conflicts in predominantly rural areas. A tripartite division of the construct into cognitive, emotional, and opinion levels was derived theoretically. The construct is supported empirically and that it can be applied as an SDG indicator. Thus, the refined construct of understanding the agriculturally shaped environment can make a substantial contribution towards closing the knowledge/attitude-behavior gap.

Reconstruction of Summer Rainfall over the Last Five Centuries Based on Oak Chronology (Western Pomerania, Poland)

The quantity and distribution of summer rainfall in Poland is one of the main elements of weather and makes a strong impact on the economy, mostly agriculture, stockbreeding, and forestry and the associated industries. Droughts or heavy rains, occurring increasingly more frequently in summer, are a threat for human activity. This study presents a nearly 500-year-long reconstruction of precipitation in the June–July period for northwestern Poland based on an analysis of tree-ring widths in the native oak species (Quercus spp.) from 24 study plots located in Western Pomerania. Due to the frequent droughts occurring in the last four decades, and due to strong air pollution in the 1960s–1990s, we chose the period 1901–1941 as the calibration period. The performed reconstruction is characterized by a high annual variability in precipitation sums for June and July of the year of the tree-ring formation from 1565 to 2020, with an average rainfall sum for this period equal to 131.7 mm (standard deviation: 28.4 mm). Periods with rainfall shortages in summer occurred in the following years: 1579–1596, 1629–1637, 1650–1655, 1669–1672, 1703–1706, 1739–1748, 1757–1760, 1765–1768, 1808–1811, 1838–1841, 1856–1859, 1958–1961, 1965–1968, 1981–1983, and 2002–2006. Periods with higher than average rainfall in June and July occurred in the following years: 1573–1578, 1605–1609, 1613–1617, 1638–1642, 1694–1698, 1776–1780, 1791–1794, 1828–1831, 1852–1855, 1863–1866, 1877–1879, and 1944–1946. Our reconstruction was verified based on the historical records, available from the XVI century onward. Not all the reconstructed summer precipitation values, however, were confirmed by historical records. Notably, however, the historical data are often incomplete and imprecise. Further, the tree-ring width in the oak depends not only on the precipitation in June and July but also, e.g., on the pluvial conditions late in the previous growth season.

Prevalence and risk factors of self-reported hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness in a population-based sample from rural northeastern Germany

A close anatomical and physiological relationship is known between the senses of hearing and balance, while an additional pathophysiological interaction is supposed. The mechanisms underlying this association are not yet fully understood, especially in individuals without a known specific otologic disorder. In particular, only scarce information on the combined occurrence of audiovestibular sensory impairment is available so far. Therefore, this study aims to provide further insight into the prevalence and co-prevalence of the audiovestibular symptoms hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness. Additionally, the influence of potential risk factors from lifestyle habits as well as cardiovascular and metabolic conditions on the development of those symptoms is studied. Data was analyzed from 8134 individuals from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). SHIP pursues a broad and comprehensive examination program in chronologically separated cohorts with longitudinal follow-up. Cohorts are sampled from Western Pomerania, a rural region of north-eastern Germany. The study population represents a cross-sectional analysis from the cohorts SHIP-START (recruited 1997–2001) and SHIP-TREND (recruited 2008–2012), sampled for baseline investigations (SHIP-START-0 and SHIP-TREND-0) at the age of 20–79 years. Audiovestibular symptoms as outcome variables were assessed by structured questionnaires. Additionally, individuals were comprehensively characterized regarding modifiable lifestyle factors as well as cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, allowing the assessment of their role as exposure variables. We calculated a weighted prevalence of 14.2% for hearing loss, 9.7% for tinnitus, and 13.5% for dizziness in the population. Prevalence increased with age and differed among the sexes. A considerable share of 28.0% of the investigated individuals reported more than one symptom at once. The prevalence of hearing loss as well as tinnitus increased between the two cohorts. A moderate positive correlation was found between the occurrence of hearing loss and tinnitus (phi-coefficient 0.318). In multivariable regression analyses, education was identified as a significant protective factor while only smoking was significantly associated with all three symptoms. Furthermore, several cardiovascular risk factors contributed to both hearing loss and dizziness. In conclusion, audiovestibular symptoms are highly prevalent in the investigated population. A considerable but complex influence of risk factors points towards a relation with neuronal as well as cardiovascular disease processes. To clarify the underlying mechanisms, the interaction between the senses of hearing and balance as well as the mode of action of the risk factors should be evaluated in more detail in the future.

A new lepisosteiform neopterygian (Actinopterygii) from the lower Toarcian Grimmen Formation (Lower Jurassic) of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania, Germany

AbstractThe Lower Jurassic (lower Toarcian) Grimmen Formation (formerly known as "Green Series") of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania (Northeast Germany) yielded two articulated anterior skeletons of fossil fish, which represent a new lepisosteiform genus and species: Mengius acutidens gen. et sp. nov. The new taxon is described. Osteology of the species is most similar to the contemporaneous species of Lepidotes Agassiz. It differs from Lepidotes in having a non-tritoral dentition and a differently shaped operculum. A cladistic analysis shows Mengius acutidens gen. et sp. nov. to be the sister taxon of Lepidotes, accordingly, the new species is assigned to the family Lepidotidae Agassiz. The occurrence of M. acutidens emphasises the endemic character of the lower Toarcian Grimmen Formation fish fauna of Northeast Germany.

Investigation of real-life drug intake behaviour in older adults and geriatric patients in Northern Germany – A biopharmaceutical perspective

Dosing conditions (type and amount of accompanying fluid, the type of food, the time of administration, and dosage form modifications such as crushing tablets) are critical and affect the performance of oral dosage forms in the gastrointestinal tract and thus bioavailability. Because older adults are the primary users of medications and are more susceptible to adverse effects, it is important to understand how they take their medications in order to reduce risks and increase benefits of the pharmacotherapy. The aim of the study was to investigate the real-life drug intake behaviour in geriatric patients and older adults and discuss their influence on drug absorption after oral administration. The data from two settings home vs. hospital and genders women vs. men were presented. A questionnaire study was performed among people aged at least 65 years from two settings (hospital vs. home), recruited mostly from community pharmacies and a regional hospital in Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania. The obtained data demonstrates that older adults and geriatric patients take their medications in the same way regardless of the setting and gender. There were no significant differences. Interviewed participants were mostly adherent to the doctor's recommendations and mostly took their medications in the same way every day. Medications are most commonly taken with a small (100 mL) or large (200 mL) glass of noncarbonated water, after food (during or after breakfast 64 % of intakes in the morning and during or after dinner 81 % of intakes in the evening). Meal usually consisted of bread, either with jam or honey (breakfast), or ham and cheese (dinner). All reported dosage form modifications were made to tablets. In almost all cases it was splitting the tablet, which was performed due to doctor's indication.

Manor and Park Estates—Resilience to Transformation and the New Management of Space Due to Political Changes: The Case of Western Pomerania (Poland)

The historical landscape reveals diverse social, economic, political transformations that create an identity of place, one which should be protected for future generations. Manor and park estates have been and continue to be valuable parts of cultural heritage and a distinguishing feature of the rural landscape in Europe. Since 1945, however, they have often failed to resist negative changes, especially in Eastern Europe where, after the Second World War, countries adopted the socialist system, which abolished private property and placed many historical buildings under the management of state institutions for several decades. In this context, it is important to study their current state of preservation. This study analyzes the condition of manor and park estates in Western Pomerania, Poland, that became the property of State Agricultural Farms (PGRs) after the Second World War. For this purpose, it was necessary to determine the extent of their transformation brought about by the State Agricultural Farms from 1949–1991, as well as changes that have occurred in the past 30 years. A qualitative method was used to assess the preservation of historical manor and park estates and to classify them according to their degree of preservation. The results showed that 42% of the estates surveyed have had their original form and spatial composition transformed, and their preservation status is assessed as moderate. Nearly 30% are in poor condition, which is hindering their full revitalization and the restoration of cultural and natural values. Only 28% of manor and park estates are maintained in a very good state. It is a matter of concern that the decline of these estates has been continuous and that restoration efforts have been limited. However, by assessing the current state of preservation, we can identify the measures necessary to stop further deterioration and preserve the cultural heritage of the region. It is clear that the preservation of these estates is essential to maintaining the identity of Western Pomerania. Manor and park estates are historical monuments associated with the people who once lived there. They must be protected to promote sustainable development and preserve a common European cultural heritage for future generations.

Spa(tia) – a diffusion-oriented method of territorial impact assessment

ABSTRACT In this paper we consider the options for policymakers in performing territorial impact assessment (TIA) of various policies. Hybrid methods combining stakeholder involvement with systematic statistical analysis are a good compromise between the analytical capabilities of the tool and the required time and resources needed to use it. However, the existing hybrid methods focus on the direct effects of the intervention, while neglecting the territorial diffusion of the policy outcomes. To address this gap, we propose a new method, which uses a spatial proximity matrix to incorporate diffusion effects into TIA. We discuss an example application of the new method for the ex-ante evaluation of the ‘European Funds for Western Pomerania’ programme.

Organizacja i przebieg repatriacji Polaków przez Szczecin z brytyjskiej strefy okupacyjnej Niemiec w latach 1945–1947

Organization and Course of Repatriation of Poles Through Szczecin From the British Occupation Zone of Germany in 1945–1947 The article characterizes the organization and course of the return to the country of Polish repatriates from the British occupation zone in Germany through Szczecin in the first years after the end of World War II. This planned and mass operation involved thousands of Poles, especially the so-called forced laborers sent to work in the Third Reich, prisoners of war imprisoned in camps and demobilized soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Szczecin played a special role in this proces due to its location near the border with Germany in the new geopolitical reality, its location on an important sea route to the Baltic Sea and favorable conditions for the use of road and rail communication. Not without significance was the good preparation of Stage Point No. 2 of the State Repatriation Office in the city on the Oder River, which sometimes received several thousand people a day. The author preceded analysis of the action of return of the Polish population to their homeland with information about the negotiations on this matter between the interested authorities of Great Britain, the USSR and Poland. Repatriation carried out by road, sea and rail brought significant results, as nearly 265,000 people came to Szczecin, the vast majority of whom were then transported by train to the interior of the country, where their families were already waiting. A few remained in the city, some lived in Western Pomerania, being an addition for the population consisted of settlers arriving from the East.

Nowe dane do rozmieszczenia Thamnobryum neckeroides (Neckeraceae, Bryophyta) w Polsce

Thamnobryum neckeroides (Hook.) E.Lawton (Fig. 1) is one of the rarest mosses in Poland. So far its localities were known from the Carpathians (Pieniny, Silesian Beskid, Sądecki Beskid and Beskid Niski) and the Masurian Lake District. In 2023, two more localities were discovered in Western Pomerania. The paper contains a description of the new localities and comments on occurrence of T. neckeroides in Poland. Currently, this species is known from 9 localities located in 7 ATMOS squares (Fig. 2).

Pamięć zbiorowa a tożsamość miejsc. Przypadek Pomorza Zachodniego

The main aim of this article is to present the latest publications and social initiatives related to Western Pomerania. The 21st century has witnessed the activities that testify to the communal need to revise images of the past. The German cultural heritage has been portrayed anew in various types of publications: novels (Niebko by Brygida Helbig-Mischewski), collections of reportage (Morze i ziemia, ed. Andrzej Klim and Cezary Łazarewicz), and photographic essays (Nieswojość, ed. Agata Pankiewicz and Marcin Przybyłko). These texts prove significant transformations in the sphere of shared memory, affecting at the same time the transformation of collective and individual identity.

Application of the tyraliera counting method to the large-scale inventory of red deer Cervus elaphus in the northern part of Western Pomerania, Poland

Game animal damage in the forests and fields of Central Europe, which dramatically increased at the turn of the 21st century, has undermined the reliability of the size of game population estimates. It is hypothesized that this problem can be attributed to errors in the assessment of animal density. This study conducted game inventories in a region characterized by a large ungulate population using a count method with drivers in line formation (direct counts in control plots). The size of the red deer population in the investigated area was estimated using generalized linear models assuming a negative binomial distribution based on the compound distribution (including the zero-inflated model). The mean red deer density in spring 2012 was 21.5 animals/km2 of forest. The number of red deer determined during this study is often higher that hunters indicated in annual game management plans. For the rational management of populations, it is therefore necessary to verify those estimates periodically, e.g. every five years. The statistical analysis of data from tyraliera method counts may show the actual population size during spring. Thus, it can be the basis for adequately planning hunting bags. Adjusting the population density to the carrying environmental capacity should make it possible to reduce the pressure of red deer on forests and agricultural land.

Powojenne losy rękopisów z Kamienia Pomorskiego

The Post-War Fate of the Manuscripts from Kamień Pomorski In the 12th c., Kamień Pomorski became the capital of the diocese and the most important religious center in Western Pomerania. For centuries, within the cathedral walls, there was a library created by the canons, which was the foundation of their workshop and everyday pastoral work. In 1818, a significant part of the book collection came to Szczecin, and in 1822 it became the property of St. Mary’s Gymnasium in Szczecin (Marienstiftsgymnasium). As a consequence of World War II – despite efforts to secure the book collections – some of the books from Kamień Pomorski were dispersed among various institutions or were stolen. As a result, under unknown circumstances, they ended up in private hands and later in various libraries in Poland and abroad. The article presents the previously unknown post-war fate of several medieval manuscripts from the cathedral chapter in Kamień Pomorski, the history of which is closely connected to the famous foreign exchange smuggling scandal of the 1960s and 1970s. At the time of confiscation, these manuscripts were the property of Leon Dygas, one of the ten defendants and people sentenced in the trial.

The impact of the crusade ideas in Western Pomerania (from the twelfth to the first quarter of the thirteenth century )

The paper outlines the impact of the crusade ideas in Western Pomerania from the twelfth to the end of the first quarter of the thirteenth century, showing how it affected the region in three essential stages. The Western Pomeranians – attached to a traditional, native belief system – first encountered the crusade movement in the first half of the twelfth century, initially as its victims. Subsequently, the crusade ideas spread among the Western Pomeranian knights in the second half of the twelfth century as an element of the new, Christian culture. In the third stage, the region’s inhabitants became directly involved in the Fifth Crusade. In keeping with the historical methodology, the study is an attempt at a new, more comprehensive approach to the propagation of the crusade ideas in Western Pomerania and its effect on the locals. Also, the findings demonstrate that further research into the issue would be highly recommended.

Perception of the Significance of Tourism Development Based on the Example of the Residents of Sławno County (Western Pomerania, Poland)

Perception of the Significance of Tourism Development Based on the Example of the Residents of Sławno County (Western Pomerania, Poland)

SATELLITE-DERIVED SHORELINE DYNAMICS AT THE GERMAN BALTIC SEA

Dunes play a central role in the coastal protection strategy of the German part of the Baltic Sea coastline in the state of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania (MWP). Considering the sea level rise and the limited supply of sand a closer inspection of the sand nourishment strategy and its impact on the regional shoreline of MWP is needed. Data availability on the shoreline development is sparse and only recently have the authorities (StALU) in MWP started to increase the temporal and spatial resolution of measurements (StALU 2009). The Google Earth Engine (Gorelick et al. 2017) has facilitated the possibility to investigate shorelines at the planetary scale with freely available satellite images spanning more than 30 years. Luijendijk et al. (2018) and Bishop-Taylor et al. (2021) have demonstrated the need and feasibility of long-term time series that depict the shoreline development over large spatial scales. We present the results from the remote sensing of the shoreline development at the German Baltic Sea utilizing three decades of satellite images.

The oldest dustywing (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) from the Lower Jurassic of Germany

Toarciconiopteryx dipterosimilis gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Lower Toarcian of Grimmen (Western Pomerania, Germany) based on a hind wing. This enigmatic wing superficially resembles a dipteran forewing, but analysis in detail establishes that it belongs to the Neuroptera. We assign it to the Coniopterygidae with great confidence by its great concordance with the hind wings of that family, but a small possibility remains that it might belong to the Dipteromantispidae, although the very derived haltere-like hind wings of all its known members are entirely unlike it. We, therefore, consider it to be the oldest record of Coniopterygidae. We create the new subfamily Toarciconiopteryginae subfam. nov. for it, which is distinguished from other Coniopterygidae by its hind wings possessing two branches of RP and a proximal forking of M. These conditions are also known in some Sialidae (Megaloptera), supporting the hypothesis that Coniopterygidae is the sister group of all other Neuroptera, as Megaloptera is considered by most authors to be sister to Neuroptera. New interpretations of some aspects of the Coniopterygidae venation are proposed.

Ochrona muraw kserotermicznych realizowana w polsko-niemieckim obszarze przygranicznym (Polska – województwo zachodniopomorskie, Niemcy – Kraj Związkowy Brandenburgia i Meklemburgia-Pomorze Przednie) w latach 2020-2022 – metodyka działań i ich efekty

The paper presents the results of the project (INT162) related to the active protection of xerothermic grasslands located in Poland (Western Pomerania) and Germany (Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpomeranian). It presents the research methodology established to assess the conservation status of xerothermic grasslands (habitat code 6210). In the years 2020–2022, removal of tree and shrub growth, sheep grazing and mowing of grasslands were carried out at 14 sites. Prior to the project, the condition of the xerothermic grasslands was assessed using the methodology of monitoring natural habitats. It was indicated that appropriate rating (FV) was given only the nature reserves “Brodogóry” and “Stary Przylep”, where conservation works have been carried out for years. After the project was completed, the condition of the xerothermic grasslands did not improve due to their advanced transformations related to successive changes. Some indicators characterizing habitat 6210 have improved, e.g. the degree of shrub cover, coverage of typical herbaceous plants, types of structures. Protection measures should be continued, considering extending their scope to include controlled burning or the introduction of rare plant species.