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Abstract: Background: Children with rheumatic diseases are at risk for contracting severe influenza and COVID-19 and are thus targeted for these vaccination. Objectives: To assess the influenza (flu) vaccination rate in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), investigate families’ attitudes towards the influenza vaccine, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on flu vaccine uptake. Methods: This multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted across 9 countries. JIA caregivers completed an anonymous questionnaire about their children’s influenza vaccination, including the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 seasons, including knowledge, and perceptions regarding influenza vaccination. Results: Based on responses from 655 JIA caregivers, 152 children (23.2%) received influenza vaccinations in the 2020–2021 season, representing a significant rise from 18.6% in the previous season (p < 0.01). The likelihood of vaccination was higher among employed/self-employed caregivers compared to unemployed (28.2% and 29.9% vs. 13.9%), and those with tertiary education versus elementary (28% vs. 9.7%), both p < 0.01. Concerns of children’s vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 and severe COVID-19 disease due to JIA were prevalent (51.3% and 85.3% respectively), with 51.3% supporting COVID-19 vaccination. Caregivers who previously vaccinated their children for influenza showed a greater inclination towards SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (73.4% and 79.5%, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Families of children with JIA reported an increasing flu vaccine uptake and a high intention for COVID- 19 vaccine administration. Previous vaccination behavior was shown as a significant predictor of future behaviour. Strengthening health education may address fears and lead to better vaccine coverage against both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 in children with JIA and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
Keywords: influenza vaccine, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, JIA, COVID-19, vaccination, children
Published in DiRROS: 09.12.2025; Views: 61; Downloads: 27
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Abstract: Introduction: The classification of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) comprises clinical criteria (vascular thrombosis or obstetric complications throughout life) and laboratory criteria (antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) positivity, confirmed at least twice at 12-week interval). Methods: In 100 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia, thrombosis and pregnancy complications were recorded during the hospital stay and in personal medical history. They were tested for nine types of aPLs at four time points (admission, deterioration, discharge, and 3-month follow-up): anticardiolipin (aCL), anti-β2-glycoproteinI (anti-β2GPI), and antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) isotypes IgM/IgG/IgA. Results: During hospitalization, aPLs were detected at least once in 51% of patients. All 7% of deceased patients tested negative for aPLs upon admission, and only one patient became aCL IgG positive as his condition worsened. In 83.3% of patients, intrahospital thrombosis was not related to aPLs. One patient with pulmonary artery and cerebral artery thrombosis was given an APS diagnosis (triple aPLs positivity on admission, double on follow-up). Personal anamnesis (PA) for thromboembolism was verified in 10 patients, all of whom tested negative for aPLs at admission; however, transition to aPLs positivity at discharge (as the disease subsided) was seen in 60% of patients: three of six with arterial thrombosis (at follow-up, two did not appear, and one was negativized) and three of four with deep vein thrombosis (one was confirmed at follow-up and diagnosed with APS, one was negativized, and one did not appear). At admission, the majority of the aPLs were of the aCL IgG class (58.8%). Unexpectedly, as the COVID-19 disease decreased, anti-β2GPI IgG antibodies (linked with thromboses) became newly positive at discharge (14.9%), as confirmed at follow-up (20.8%). Conclusion: The incidence of APS in our cohort was 2.0%, whereas in the general population, it ranges from 0.001% to 0.002%. The incidence might have increased even more if the four aPLs-positive patients with intrahospital thrombosis/history of thrombosis had attended follow-up. Recommendation: All patients with severe COVID-19 or post-COVID syndrome should be evaluated for current/previous thrombosis and tested for aPLs at least twice: at admission to the hospital and at discharge, then retested 3 months later in positive cases in order to be given the appropriate therapy.
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV2, anti-phosphatidylserine-prothrombin (aPS/PT) antibodies, anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) antibodies, anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies, antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs), antiphospholipid syndrome, immunology, post-COVID syndrome, vascular thrombosis
Published in DiRROS: 01.12.2025; Views: 137; Downloads: 54
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Abstract: With the COVID-19 pandemic, technological advancements and investments accelerated to create an alternative to the real world that makes it possible for various activities and experiences to be handled online. Among these developments, the metaverse comes to the fore because it makes possible real and virtual experiences simultaneously, regardless of the time and space the user exists in, and it acts as a mediator and medium to bring these two environments together. This article discusses the possible impacts of advancements in the metaverse on (real) urban space considering the socio-spatial dialectic through theory synthesis and adaptation. An overall evaluation of the socio-spatial impacts of this is also included and opened up for discussion. Based on a literature review, it is expected that technological developments like the metaverse will introduce a new organization to physical and virtual socio-spatial relations, and new socio-technological groups will be created in them and by using them.
Keywords: metaverse, online communities, urban space, COVID-19 pandemic, phygital
Published in DiRROS: 05.08.2025; Views: 367; Downloads: 220
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Keywords: education, covid-19, distance or remote schooling, students' academic outcomes, grading knowledge, Slovenia, REDS data
Published in DiRROS: 08.07.2025; Views: 429; Downloads: 220
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Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic's school closures and the distance education that resulted from it, teachers were faced with an increasing workload and significant changes in their working environment. Because increased workload can result not only in worsened mental health and lower work motivation, but also in worsened learning outcomes, this article explores how teacher-perceived job demands, job resources, and personal resources are related to teachers' assessment of teaching quality and student engagement during the pandemic. Using the data of 1,422 8th grade teachers in Slovenia from the IEA Responses to Educational Disruptions Survey (REDS) survey, this study also explores the perceived level of support from different institutional actors and the utility of Job demands-resources model for this specific group of workers in a specific work setting. The results show that the teachers of 8th graders in Slovenia perceived a higher level of support from their closest working environment compared to the national bureaucracy. In terms of job demands, the increased workload in preparing the lessons had negative effect on both teaching quality and student engagement, while the reported increase in time spent on direct work with students and social support received (a job resource) contributed positively to both outcome variables. In line with theoretical expectations, personal resources were positive predictors of teaching quality and student engagement in our model. Compared with the initial expectations this study had based on the underlying theoretical model, the results paint a complex relationship between job characteristics and learning outcomes during distance learning. Thus, some of the challenges both teachers and policy-makers face and will continue to face in possible similar situations are discussed.
Keywords: job demands, job resources, teachers, teaching quality, student engagement, job demandsrResources model, covid-19
Published in DiRROS: 08.07.2025; Views: 346; Downloads: 227
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