• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 2024

This repeated cross-sectional study with two independent sample populations compared the antibody response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccines in Albania in July-August 2021 and 2022. In 2021, it found higher anti-spike-1 seropositivity and antibody levels in fully vaccinated individuals, especially with BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 and to a lesser degree with CoronaVac. By 2022, all single-dose recipients showed high antibody responses, suggesting natural infection-enhanced immunity. The study indicates a significant evolution in the antibody response to different coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines and suggests that a single vaccine dose, coupled with natural infection, might suffice to maintain adequate immunity levels in an endemic scenario.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.599-614
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• 2018

This study focuses on the earthquake performance of two URM buildings having typical architectural configurations common for residential use constructed per pre-modern code in Albania. Both buildings are unreinforced clay brick masonry structures constructed in 1960 and 1984, respectively. The first building is a three-storey unreinforced one with masonry walls. The second one is confined masonry rising on five floors. Mechanical characteristics of masonry walls were determined based on experimental tests conducted according to ASTM C67-09 regulations. A global numerical model of the buildings was built, and masonry material was simulated as nonlinear. Pushover analyses are carried out to obtain capacity curves. Displacement demands were calculated according to Eurocode 8 and FEMA440 guidelines. Causes of building failures in recent earthquakes were examined using the results of this study. The results of the study showed that the URM building displays higher displacement and shear force demands that can be directly related to damage or collapse. On the other hand, the confined one exhibits relatively higher seismic resistance by indicating moderate damage. Moreover, effects of demand estimation approaches on performance assessment of URM buildings were compared. Deficiencies and possible solutions to improve the capacity of such buildings were discussed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.195-206
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• 2022

Significant structural damages due to earthquakes reveal the importance of seismic design provisions. This paper presents a comparison between the seismic design provisions of Albania, Croatia, Iran, and Turkey for the design of mid-rise reinforced-concrete (RC) frames. Information on the historical development of the considered provisions are given. The code provisions are compared, illustrating the main differences in the minimum requirements for column and beam detailing and analysis for mid-rise RC frames. 4-story, 5-story, and 6-story buildings are designed according to each design code, and their performance is evaluated comparatively by using a displacement-based adaptive pushover procedure and eigenvalue analysis. It is observed that recent Turkish code has the highest and Albanian code has the lowest level of requirements in terms of member size and reinforcement detailing. The considered models indicate 15%, 20% and 50%, lower period values than the Croatia, Iran and Albania buildings, respectively. Additionally, building models per Croatia, Iran and Albania codes have 30%, 35% and 65% less base shear capacity when compared to Turkish building codes. Building models per Croatia and Iran codes indicate similar properties both in terms of strength and stiffness.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.311-314
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• 2016

Background: Nurses play an important role in preventive medicine because they represent the largest sector of health professionals. This role is very crucial in developing countries, which are going through rapid societal and economic changes, associated with a rising burden of cancers due to different risk factors. The current study aimed to compare health awareness between nurses and healthy women regarding preventive gynecological examinations and to answer the question - can nurses make a difference in women's health? Materials and Methods: This cross sectional research included a total of 150 women, 70 nurses and 80 healthy women, randomly selected. Data were collected in 2014 in Vlora city through a self-administered questionnaire that assessed different variables about preventive gynecological examinations. Results: Cervical screening rates were 20.3% and 41.8%, respectively, for nurses and healthy women, despite the former having a statistical significant greater knowledge of risk factors and symptoms. Conclusions: Even if the health awareness of nurse participants can be considered good, they need themselves to increase participation rates in cervical screening if they are to provide role models for health education/promotion addressing misconceptions and barriers.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.294-303
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• 2023

Beside that the fish species and their sub-populations are highly important as a keystone species in the coastal and marine ecosystem, there are very few studies on their presence, distribution and temporal variations within and around the lagoon ecosystems in Albania. This paper provides an updated review on the life cycle, fishery, exploitation state and management of the main species that are subject of commercial fishing in the Karavasta lagoon, southeastern Adriatic coast of Albania. Due to the fact that lagoons represent a continuum between continental and marine aquatic ecosystems they play a crucial role in species life cycles. Further on in the circumstances of rapid utilizations and environmental changes, anomalies in salinity and temperatures, accelerated anthropogenic influences their rate of vulnerability is highly increased. Following the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, transitional water, coastal lagoons and estuaries there is a need for urgent monitoring and management approaches. The commercial species include: European eel (Anguilla anguilla), species of Family Mugilidae (Mugil cephalus, Liza ramada, Liza salienes and Chelon labrosus), Seabream (Sparus aurata), Seabass (Dincentrarchus labrax), etc. Fish productivity is oscillating from maximum value of 61.95 kg/ha is recorded in period of 1975-80 and lower value of 31 kg/ha in year 2020. Our study highlights importance of fish and fishery long-term monitoring, and contributes to understand the driving factors in productivity, migration patterns and species ecology in the vital coastal ecosystems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.5
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• pp.491-505
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• 2024

This study evaluates the seismic performance of a premodern six story reinforced concrete building typology designed during the communism period of Albania and build throughout the country. During the November 26, 2019 Earthquake in Albania, the most affected reinforced concrete buildings were among the old templates, lacking shear walls and inadequate reinforcement details which suffer from concrete aging. The mathematical model of the selected building is done in the environments of ZeusNL software, developed especially for earthquake engineering applications. The capacity curve of the structure is gained using the conventional static nonlinear analysis. On the other hand, the demand estimation is utilized using one of the recent methods known as Incremental Dynamic Analysis with a set of 18 ground motion records. The limit states in both curves are defined based on the modern guidelines. For the pushover, immediate occupancy (IO), life safety (LS) and collapse prevention (CP) are plotted in the same graph with capacity curve. Furthermore, on each IDA derived, the IO, CP and global instability (GI) are determined. Moreover, the IDA fractiles are generated as suggested by the literature, 16%, 50% (median) and 84%. In addition, the comparative assessment of the IDA median with capacity curve shows good correlation points. Lastly, this study shows the approach of determination of LS in IDA fractiles for further vulnerability assessment based on the local seismic hazard map with 95 and 475 return period.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2129-2132
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• 2014

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common female malignancies with high mortality rates in developing countries. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of cervical cytological abnormalities by cervical cytology (CC) and the analysis of risk factors in Albanian population. Materials and Methods: A total of 5,416 conventional pap smear tests collected between January 2009 and January 2012 from Tirana University Hospital Obstetrics-Gynecology "Queen Geraldine" were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 258 (4.8%) cases had epithelial abnormalities. The numbers and rates were as follows: atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASCUS; n=150 [2.76%]); atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS; n=8 [0.14%]); low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL; n=87 [1.6%]); high- grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL; n=10 [0.18%]); and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n=3 [0.05%]). Conclusions: The prevalence of cervical cytological abnormality in our study was 4.8%. A larger community-based study may establish the exact prevalence of malignant and premalignant lesions, so as to plan for future screening.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.25-38
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• 2014

Purpose - Our study aims to analyze and assess aeronautics transport, to bring comprehensive insight about the existing potential in the new member states, candidate countries, potential candidate countries, and associated states. Methodology - The evaluation was carried out by applying qualitative methodology to the research results and on existing capabilities, to assess the overall research capability in the aeronautics transport mode of each country and region, in the European context. Results - Overall, countries with the strongest potential are the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Romania. The aeronautics research potential was evaluated as weak in as many as 11 countries, with Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Moldova being evaluated as weak in all categories, and Latvia, Croatia, and Serbia being evaluated as weak overall but having at least one category evaluated as medium. Conclusion - Based on the research findings, there are recommendations regarding both the research policy and research activities related to the aeronautics transport mode. The findings contribute to the further development of EU aeronautics research and the aviation industry.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2019

Bloody wars between Arab Muslims and Khazar Turks in the Caucasus continued for a more than a hundred years from the mid $7^{th}$ century to the end of the $8^{th}$ century CE. The Khazar state survived but had to withdraw from Caucasian Albania, the present territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. However, the Khazars managed to expand their political control over the trade routes north-east and north-west of the Caucasian ridge. A trade partnership was established between former rival powers in the region that allows us to call the period after the end of the Arab-Khazar wars up to the time of the collapse of the Khazar state in the middle of the 10th century an era of Arab-Khazar partnership and domination of the Silk Road. This article highlights the impact made by geopolitical shifts in the regions of the time upon international trade tracks and particularly on the development of trade facilities, infrastructure, and local production in Azerbaijan, which became a major transit country of goods from the north to markets in the Muslim Near East.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.252-260
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• 2009

According to Article 7 and Annex B of the World Trade Organization(WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary(SPS) Measures, WTO members are required to notify their newly established or amended SPS measures that might affect international trade. This study analyzed SPS notifications from 1995 to 2008 to identify international trends for food safety measures. The notifications were collected from the SPS information management system and the official document distribution system of WTO. The 153 WTO members represented 37 developed countries, 84 developing countries and 32 least developed countries. The number of overall notifications was 9,820. The annual notifications increased from 198 in 1995 to 1,264 in 2008. The monthly average notifications were from 44.8 in December to 69.5 in June; however, there were no statistical differences among them. The six leading Members in terms of notification submissions were United States(U.S.), Brazil, New Zealand, Canada, European Community and Korea. Among the regular and emergency notifications, 62.7% notifications were concerned with food safety, followed by animal and plant protections. Among animal protection notifications, 54.8% were emergency situations. Of the 4,821 food safety notifications, 60.4% were from developed countries, and 39.3% were from developing countries. Measures concerning pesticide residues and risk assessments were mainly from developed countries. In contrast, 77.5% of the measures concerning zoonoses were from developing countries. However considering the numbers of developing and developed countries, the average number of measures for each country was similar. Food safety measures were mainly involved pesticide residues followed by food additives, zoonoses, new regulations, labeling. As the overall notifications, zoonosis measures were mainly emergency notifications. Measures concerning pesticide residues, food additives, zoonoses, new regulations, veterinary drugs, and labeling were submitted most often by the U.S., Korea, Albania, U.S., Australia, and U.S., respectively. Identifying the exact trends of food safety measures was complicated by a number of factors. However, WTO notifications might be useful tool in providing a general view of international trends.