Social Rights and the European Monetary Union

This thought-provoking book examines the state of the European Monetary Union (EMU) and its shortcomings in terms of social rights protection in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the Euro crisis. Providing a critical analysis of the basic tenets of European economic governance, it highlights current challenges for a Social Europe and proposes new avenues for tackling these issues. Focusing on the existing mechanisms of social rights protection in the EU, chapters explore the imbalance between economic and social goals within the EMU, discussing how to strengthen the building blocks of Social Europe in order to address this. The book also investigates the challenges for the adjudication of social rights before European and domestic courts, and considers alternative models of judicial review that offer better protection in the context of crisis. Scholars and students of EU law, constitutional law, and public international law will find this book a crucial read, in particular those with an interest in law and economics. It will also be useful for EU law practitioners working in social rights. © The Editors and Contributors Severally 2022. All rights reserved.

J-wave in a patient with severe COVID-19

In the context of the current COVID-19 epidemic, numerous are the manifestations of the infected patients, including the alterations in the 12-lead electrocardiogram, where the presence ofa J-wave can be found, secondary to the generation ofa transmural voltage gradient, caused by the overexpression of the channels for transient outward potassium current (Ito), in the context of a severe infection with extensive myocardial injury. In this article is presented the case of an 83-year-old patient with a positive diagnosis of COVID-19, who progressed to septic shock, with mixed addosis and mild hyperkalemia. The electrocardiogram showed the presence of a Jwave, probably secondary to the effect ofpro-inflammatory cytokines on potassium channels and extensive areas of myocardial injury.

The Proposal of Former President Lenin Moreno Garces for the Granting of General Regulations of the Organic Law of Humanitarian Support, in Ecuador and the Current Ones of President Guillermo Lasso 2020 - 2023

This research analyzes the proposal of former President Lenin Moreno Garces for the granting of the proposal of the General Regulation of the Organic Law of Humanitarian Support to combat the health crisis derived from COVID 19, in Ecuador in 2020. The Humanitarian Support Law includes labor measures such as the option of signing agreements between employers and workers, a new type of fixed-term contract for an emerging special purpose, reduction of working hours, early vacation, and teleworking. In addition, the interpretation of fortuitous event or force majeure as grounds for dismissal is established. Within the solidarity measures for social welfare and productive reactivation, it was provided that the pensiones some alternatives such as the reduction and analysis of educational pensions, in the case of temporary eviction in the matter of tenancy: In order for the lessee of a commercial premises to benefit from the temporary suspension referred to in article 4 of the Law, you must pay your landlord at least twenty percent (20%) of the value of any royalties outstanding or due;and submit to the lessor the VAT returns for both the month of February 2020, the n or increase in costs in basic services was considered, Prohibition of cancellation or suspension of coverage of contracts, Rescheduling of life insurance quotas, Productive credits for economic reactivation and protection of employment in the private sector, Annual motor vehicle tax, Labor stability, Exceptional pre-bankruptcy agreements, Financial institutions: In the case of financial institutions, the debtor will maintain its credit rating for the duration of the mediation process and this will maintain the rating granted the month prior to the entry of its request to initiate the pre-bankruptcy agreement to a Mediation Center. In the case of obligations or debts restructured or novated through pre-bankruptcy agreements with the National Customs Service. Ecuadorian Social Security Institute, public financial institutions, Decentralized Autonomous Governments (GADS), public companies, among others, will become enforceable when the pre-bankruptcy payment agreement has been formalized, forself-financed post-graduate doctors and scholarship holders who are providing their services in the health system in the months since the declaration of the emergency until the issuance of this Regulation, and who are in their training period, sign a contract for occasional services, on the scale of public servant 7 (SP7), With these measures help people who lost their jobs or family members who lost their lives with the pandemic in the health crisis due to COVID 19

From Male "Chance Narratives" to Female "Defeat Narratives": Researchers in Catalonia Narrating the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on their Lives and Jobs

This article proposes a three-fold typology to classify the narratives of forty-eight researchers in Catalonia describing the impact the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic had on their professional and personal lives: a "chance narrative," which presents the pandemic as an occasion for growth;a "resistance narrative," according to which the pandemic presents a burden, but one is skilled enough to navigate it successfully;and a "defeat narrative," for which the pandemic deeply shattered one's well-being. This analysis reveals that each narrative type is produced by researchers with certain sociodemographic features-defeat narratives were mostly produced by female researchers, holding precarious contracts, and assuming most of the increase of childcare and domestic work. These findings are consistent with studies revealing that the implementation of the "new fatherhood model" is limited and might orient the design of policies aimed at reducing gender discrimination in academia, both in Catalonia and beyond.

Assessment of the Level of Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in a Sample of University Students. Comparison after the Covid-19 Pandemic

The transition from secondary education to university education has become a critical moment for the lifestyle of young people, especially for the practice of physical activity. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to assess the levels of physical activity in university students, by correlating the results of the IPAQ-SF and the different physical fitness variables (Eurofit). The sample consisted of 194 students of the Primary Education Degree, with a mean age of 21.37 +/- 2.66 years. The main results obtained reflect the direct relationship between the practice of physical activity in general, and vigorous physical activity in particular, and optimal physical fitness of university students, linked above all to the strength component. As for the comparison between prepandemic ( 18/19) and post-pandemic (21/ 22) university students, the increase in physical activity after the pandemic did not show substantial differences in the physical fitness components. In conclusion, these results should lead us to reflect on the influence of an active lifestyle on physical fitness, which has an impact on overall health status and quality of life.

SARS-CoV-2 air and surface contamination on a COVID-19 ward and at home - Extended Abstract to INDOOR AIR 2022

SARS-CoV-2 has been detected both in air and on surfaces, but questions remain about the patient-specific and environmental factors affecting virus transmission to the environment. Additionally, more detailed information on viral findings in the air is needed. In this cross-sectional study, we present results from 259 air and 252 surface samples from the surroundings of 23 hospitalized and eight home-treated COVID-19 patients between July 2020 and March 2021 and compare the results between the measured environments and patient factors. In four cases, positive environmental samples were detected even after the patients had developed a neutralizing IgG response. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in multiple particle sizes and different air samplers. Appropriate infection control against airborne and surface transmission routes is needed in both environments, even after antibody production has begun. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

Immunogenicity of Sars-Cov-2 Vaccines by Vaccine Type in Randomised Clinical Trials

Background: Currently five SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are approved in North America (FDA) and Europe (EMA). Across the world other vaccines have been developed but not approved in high-income countries. Of the approved vaccines, 2 are mRNA vaccines, 2 are viral vectored vaccines, and 1 is a protein subunit vaccine. As immunogenicity markers are increasingly being used by regulatory agencies as surrogate markers for vaccine efficacy to inform authorization decisions, this meta-analysis compared the size of immunogenicity responses response elicited by the different COVID-19 vaccine types (mRNA, protein subunit, inactivated virus, viral vectors) and approved and unapproved COVID-19 vaccines. Method(s): Systematic review of trial registers and databases identified RCTs for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Risk of bias analysis was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. High risk of bias studies were excluded from analysis. Meta-analysis of seroconversion rates and geometric antibody titers (GMT) for neutralising (NAb) and anti-spike antibodies was conducted, each compared with a placebo using random effects model Cochrane-Mantel Haenszel Tests. Result(s): All studies assessed immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines on healthy non-immunocompromised adults between the age of 18 and 59. Statistically significant difference was identified between the different vaccine types for NAb GMT, anti-spike GMT, NAb seroconversion, and anti-spike seroconversion (P< 0.00001 for all). Conversely, no statistical significant difference was identified between approved and unapproved vaccines for NAb seroconversion (P=0.39), Nab GMT (P=0.36), anti-spike seroconversion (P=0.07), and antispike GMT (P=0.54). mRNA vaccines had the best immunogenicity results for NAb seroconversion, GMT, and anti-spike seroconversion. Viral vector vaccines had the lowest results for NAb seroconversion and GMT, while inactivated viruses had the lowest result for anti-spike seroconversion and mRNA vaccines for anti-spike GMT. High heterogeneity was observed across the different studies. Conclusion(s): This metanalysis of 35 randomised trials in 33,813 participants showed approved and unapproved vaccines to be comparable in postvaccination GMT values and seroconversion for both NAb and anti-spike. However, while comparing COVID-19 vaccines by vaccine types, statistically significant differences are observed. Variations in study designs, populations enrolled, and infection prevalence during trial duration could have influenced results.

Covid-19: Study of Online Teaching, Availability and Use of Technological Resources

This chapter focuses on the study carried out on the adaptation needs of university teachers regarding online teaching triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The methodology was implemented utilising surveys and interviews with the teaching staff of different universities at an international level. 625 valid responses were collected from university lecturers at several universities in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Spain. The data shows the shortcomings of the teaching staff when it comes to transforming and implementing their courses into online teaching. We found that classroom flipping goes beyond speaking presence but requires a mix of learning tools for better engagement. Higher education providers are expected to keep working towards adaptive learning, making e-learning content mobile;likewise instructional design should encompass a variety of multimedia resources. Lecturers should create a supportive learning environment, providing ongoing feedback. Ultimately, understanding the teaching staff's experience will allow the creation of better tools, implementing more strategic training plans and a better understanding of the infrastructure needed to maintain and elevate the current education level in this new virtual paradigm. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Resilience in healthcare systems: Cyber security and digital transformation

The digital transformation of the healthcare sector is an essential development as societies move into a post-industrial, knowledge-based economy. The adoption of the latest technologies and their applications in the health and care systems must be managed effectively from the perspective of their cyber security and resilience. However, there is still a limited understanding of the key concepts that must define the strategic vision of a resilient and sustainable digital transformation of the healthcare sector. Using data collected at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic from owners and C-level executives from critical infrastructure sectors in the United Kingdom, this research analysed core constructs that contribute to the required transformative, adaptive and absorptive capacities for health systems digital resilience. The research found that a balanced base of cyber security knowledge development, uncertainty management, and consideration for the sector's high levels of systemic and organisational interdependence are essential for its digital resilience and for the sustainability of its digital transformation efforts. The paper describes the implications of these findings for research and manage-ment practice.

Sources for the Study of the Social Consequences of Covid-19. A Review of the Surveys Conducted in Spain (2020-2021)

The changes caused by the COVID-19 crisis have received a great deal of attention in social research. However, their volume is such that many of the surveys have gone unnoticed, remaining underutilised to this day. This paper presents a review of the different specific social surveys on COVID-19 carried out by public institutions in Spain, with a twofold objective. On the one hand, to serve as a reference tool for researchers who wish to undertake research work on the pandemic using secondary data. On the other, to reflect on the meta-analysis of the characteristics and evolution of the surveys produced. Our results show that the production of information follows a course similar to that of the disease itself, with each wave also triggering a period of high data production. At the same time, there was also an evolution of topics and blocks of questions, which initially focused on aspects of everyday life, then on impacts on the economy and society, then on political management and finally, with the onset of vaccination, on health issues.

Ophthalmic manifestations in patients recovered from COVID-19 in Mexico.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Although the ophthalmic manifestations appear to be associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is not enough evidence. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the various types and frequency of ophthalmic manifestations in patients recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective, observational and descriptive study included all patients recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection attending the tertiary level hospital of Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) from June 2020 to June 2022. During the hospital admission of patients, the demographic data such age, name, gender was recorded. Ophthalmologic examination was performed under torchlight by an ophthalmologist in the Department of Ophthalmology from IMSS. Data was compiled and statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Spearman correlation. RESULTS: A total of 3081 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients were recorded, of which 318 (10.32%) met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 21 (6.60%) had ophthalmic manifestations and the female-to-male ratio was 1.6:1. The mean age (±SD) was 47.95±15.27 years and the median (interquartile range) time from the diagnosis of COVID-19, as defined by positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing, to detection of the ophthalmic manifestation was 31 (142) days. The most common ocular manifestation was orbital mucormycosis (23.80%). Interestingly, the presence of ophthalmic manifestations was not associated with severe COVID-19 (p=0.665). CONCLUSIONS: The ophthalmic manifestations are infrequent in patients recovered from severe COVID-19. Nevertheless, further large sample studies are needed to confirm these findings.

[Ophthalmic manifestations in patients recovered from COVID-19 in Mexico]. / Manifestaciones oftálmicas en pacientes recuperados de COVID-19 en México.

Introduction and objectives: Although the ophthalmic manifestations appear to be associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is not enough evidence. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the various types and frequency of ophthalmic manifestations in patients recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico. Material and methods: This retrospective, observational and descriptive study included all patients recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection attending the tertiary level hospital of Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) from June 2020 to June 2022. During the hospital admission of patients, the demographic data such age, name, gender was recorded. Ophthalmologic examination was performed under torchlight by an ophthalmologist in the Department of Ophthalmology from IMSS. Data was compiled and statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Spearman correlation. Results: A total of 3,081 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients were recorded, of which 318 (10.32%) met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 21 (6.60%) had ophthalmic manifestations and the female-to-male ratio was 1.6:1. The mean age (±SD) was 47.95 ± 15.27 years and the median (interquartile range) time from the diagnosis of COVID-19, as defined by positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing, to detection of the ophthalmic manifestation was 31 (142) days. The most common ocular manifestation was orbital mucormycosis (23.80%). Interestingly, the presence of ophthalmic manifestations was not associated with severe COVID-19 (p = 0.665). Conclusions: The ophthalmic manifestations are infrequent in patients recovered from severe COVID-19. Nevertheless, further large sample studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Systematic Review of the Literature on the Social Representations of the COVID-19 Pandemic

At the end of 2019, an unprecedented virus emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, affecting practically the entire world. In 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic, that is, a new disease that spread throughout the world. It is clear that this definition of a pandemic seems to be relative today, since we could be talking about a syndemic, given the seriousness and consequences it is causing. It is necessary to approach a definition and characterization of COVID 19, since it is vitally important to identify it and know how it behaves. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the existing evidence in the scientific literature on the social representations of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven studies were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search descriptors were "social representations”, "pandemic” and "COVID-19”. The classification, quantification and integration of the various variables studied on the user experience are detailed. The study shows that there are authors who do not formally define or characterize the Social Representation variable, and even fail to refer to the nature and definition of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, which is presented as a recommendation for future studies. © 2022, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao. All rights reserved.

Usage of ICT among Social Educators—An Analysis of Current Practice in Spain

The objective of this study is to identify the usage of ICT tools among social educators within their professional activity. Technology among social educators is currently a very up-to-date topic. This is a professional group with its own characteristics that are different from those of teachers or other professionals in formal education. A mixed sequential two-phase method was proposed for the study: both quantitative and qualitative. In the first phase, the EdSocEval_V2 questionnaire was applied to a sample of 504 social educators from 17 autonomous communities. In the second phase, four focus groups were formed. The results presented reduced and basic usage of ICT: in management and administrative tasks and for communication with conventional tools. The COVID-19 pandemic has likewise increased the need for the use of ICT in socio-educational interventions, although their use for intervention among these groups is still very scarce. Training in and raising awareness of ICT among professionals for social interventions are priorities, as is the construction of a referential framework for professional training. © 2023 by the authors.

Ease of use and perceived usefulness and its influence on motivation, collaboration and behavioral intention in university students in times of Covid-19

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship of influence of ease of use and perceived usefulness on motivation, collaboration, and behavioral intention in university students in times of Covid-19. The methodology used for the study corresponds to a non-experimental investigation, a questionnaire was applied to a convenience sample of 530 university students (n=19;α=0.944 ω=0.946), using Factor Exploratory and Confirmatory Analysis as tests of validity and reliability, through the Modeling of Structural Equations of Partial Least Squares PLS-SEM. The results have shown that there is a positive effect of causality of perceived ease of use on student collaboration, student motivation and perceived usefulness;in the same way, there exists a causal relationship between the perceived usefulness and the student's collaboration, the intention of the behavior and the student's motivation. Contrarily, there would not be an influence relationship between perceived ease of use on behavioral intention in university students in a context of Covid-19. © 2022 IEEE.

Changes in recreational cannabis use during home confinement in the COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of this article was to analyse the influence of population confinement on the experience of cannabis use and to identify the factors that modulate the pattern of cannabis use in a group of drug users living in the autonomous community of Aragón (Spain). For this purpose, a qualitative study was carried out based on sixteen semi-structured personal interviews with cannabis users according to a non-random snowball sampling. After analysing their discourse, changes were observed both in terms of an increase and a decrease in the experience of consumption, as well as a possible relationship between the changes in the consumption pattern of these users and the restrictions decreed by the government of this country. Thus, it was concluded that the population confinement generated changes in the consumption pattern of drug users, with an increase in consumption occurring in users with an increase in available free time and who had collected cannabis prior to asylum. Meanwhile, the reduction was related to the decrease in opportunities to consume cannabis, lack of knowledge of suppliers and longer working hours, mainly. © 2022 Asociacion Espanola de Estudio en Drogodependencias. All rights reserved.

Evolution of asthmatic patients at 6 and 12 months after acute COVID-19 recovery

Nowadays, beyond the acute phase of COVID-19, there is a growing interest in the clinical manifestations that appear after the recovery of this phase, giving the potential repercussions that this could have in the recovered population. Asthma is a prevalent disease, and it is possible that its pathogenic basis could affect the postCOVID-19 course. Objective(s): evaluate the evolution of asthmatic patients at 6 and 12 months after the recovery of COVID-19. Method(s): Data was collected through manual revision of electronic clinical histories. There were included as demographic features the age and sex, and comorbidities such as smoking habit, COPD, obesity (BMI > 30 Kg/m2), obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophagic reflux, rinosinusitis, nasal poliposis, anxiety and depression. Patients were classified according to whether they had T2 asthma or not. There were considered previous pneumonia, need of conventional hospitalization or ICU. Symptoms (chest pain, cough, sputum production and dyspnoea) and the development of further complications were also recorded. Result(s): After analyzing the variables at 6 months after recovery, we found statistical significance in the presence of chest pain in patients with previous COVID-19 pneumonia (p=0.009). In the same period, lower eosinophil blood levels were found in patients that had dyspnoea (p=0.043). Additionally, there was a significant association between smoking habit and pulmonary embolism at 12 months after recovery (p=0.025). Conclusion(s): Developing COVID-19 associated pneumonia in asthmatic patients is related to the presence of chest pain at 6 months after recovery. Also, the smoking habit seems to be associated with thromboembolic disease in postCOVD-19 period.

Analysis of Forced Vibrations in Timoshenko Beams Using the Coupled Displacement Field Concept

Modular construction is an excellent technique for achieving the rapid and safe development of facilities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beams are fundamental to modular construction. However, owing to various environmental conditions, novel methods are required to collect the characteristics for conducting structural analysis of beams according to the required needs. In this study, the performance of the coupled displacement field method in beam analysis was evaluated. The expressions for the transverse displacement were derived using an allowable function of total rotation. The function was obtained using the finite-element approximation method based on undetermined coefficients. Thus, the equation of motion was derived using the principle of conservation of energy. The Newmark method and mode superposition technique were then used to solve the obtained equations in MATLAB. The results showed that the method used was suitable in applications that require the analysis of high-slenderness beams in modular constructions. In this method, strong vibrations were induced in the beam owing to its greater flexibility. The recommended method is less complex than other energy methods because the computational effort is halved. Therefore, this formulation can be applied to conduct the free vibration analysis of flexible structural members under various shears using Timoshenko beam models under various boundary conditions. Thus, the coupled displacement field method can be used to derive appropriate solutions to other complex problems, such as modular construction. © 2022 Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions. All rights reserved.

Active medical recommendation is the best tool for increasing influenza vaccine coverage in healthy adult workers

Introduction: In Spain, influenza vaccination is available in companies free of charge for their workers. Despite this, vaccination coverage against influenza is very low in these groups. Objective(s): The aim of this work is to know the reasons for acceptance of influenza vaccination in a working population. Method(s): During the 2021-2022 influenza vaccination campaign, we conducted a survey of two groups of workers at the automobile factories of RENAULT ESPANA S.A. in the cities of Valladolid and Palencia (Spain). The first group (NV) was formed by 304 (33.5%) workers who did not receive the influenza vaccine in the previous season. The second (V) was formed by 604 workers (66.5%) who had been vaccinated against influenza at least the previous season. In the NV group, they were asked the reasons why they did not get vaccinated the previous season and if they did so in 2021-2022. In group V, only the reasons for continuing to be vaccinated were asked. Result(s): In NV, the main reason for avoiding vaccination in the previous season was the lack of perception of the severity of the influenza infection (74.7%), and 31.6% and 29.0% of them decided to get vaccinated during the 2021-2022 season due to the fear of co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza and medical recommendations respectively. The 83.5% of group V responded that the reason for getting vaccinated in 2021-2022 was their adherence to vaccination. Conclusion(s): The results show that medical recommendation is the best tool to vaccinate workers against influenza and make them adhere to it. Also, the fear to co-infection of COVID-19 and flu was a frequent reason for getting vaccinated, above all in NV.Copyright © 2023