Influenza vaccination and absenteeism among healthy working adults: a cost-benefit analysis.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal influenza is a highly contagious infection that might lead to serious clinical complications and incurs a conspicuous socio-economic impact. Influenza vaccination is currently recommended only for specific groups of healthy adults (such as healthcare workers) even though it was demonstrated to be effective in reducing absenteeism and decreased workers' productivity during flu epidemic period. The main purpose of this study is to analyse the extent of absences due to illness following a voluntary flu immunization program among the Komatsu Italia Manufacturing company's personnel during the flu season 2017-2018. Secondly, we aimed at performing a cost-benefit analysis of the vaccination campaign from the company's perspective. STUDY DESIGN: This is an observational cohort study conducted during the period between the 14th week of 2017 and the 13th week of 2018 (from 03/04/2017 to 01/04/2018). The study population was the personnel of Komatsu Italia Manufacturing S.p.A. on duty during the study period. METHODS: For each subject the following data were collected: sex, date of birth, professional profile, seasonal influenza immunization status and sick-leave days. Sick-leave days were compared among the influenza epidemic period and the previous one between vaccinated and unvaccinated and any difference in days of absence was considered to be caused by seasonal influenza. RESULTS: Out of 408 employees, 60 (14.7%) accepted the voluntary influenza vaccination. In multivariate analysis (logistic model) an age ≥ 50 years was the only predictor for vaccination acceptance (ORM 3.11 p<0.001). During the flu period, the monthly mean of sick-leave days per employee was significantly lower among the vaccinated than the unvaccinated, respectively of 0.328 days/person vs 0.752 days/person (p = 0.022). Unvaccinated employees reported a higher average of sick-leave days during the flu period compared to the previous non-influenza period (0.752 days/month/person vs 0.337 days/month/person p <0.001). The monthly mean cost for sickness absences per employee was significantly higher for an unvaccinated subject compared to one vaccinated, respectively € 129.00 and € 54.00 (p = 0.028). The overall net saving estimated was € 314.00 per person vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza vaccination proved to be an extraordinary preventive tool and a cost-effective intervention. However, influenza immunization seems to be unappealing among healthy adults and higher flu vaccination coverages could be achieved through educational interventions possibly addressing young employees who showed little interest in vaccination. Finally, among health promotion interventions, companies should point out the importance of flu vaccination both for the individual wellbeing and the company environment.

East or west: to which subspecies does the type specimen of the Galah, Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) (Aves: Cacatuidae), belong?

The Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) is a pink-and-grey cockatoo, widespread in and endemic to Australia, and now familiar as a cage bird world-wide. It has three currently recognised subspecies: roseicapilla Vieillot, 1817 in the Australian west, kuhli Mathews, 1912 in the far north, and albiceps Schodde, 1989 in the east (Schodde 1997; Higgins 1999; Dickinson & Remsen 2013; del Hoyo & Collar 2014; Engelhard et al. 2015). The northern subspecies, kuhli, is not involved in the issue of type identity of roseicapilla, and so is not considered further here. First to distinguish east and west subspecies was G.M. Mathews (1912). Without explanation then or later, Mathews arbitrarily applied the senior specific name, Cacatua roseicapilla Vieillot, 1817 and its two objective synonyms based on the same type-eos Kuhl, 1820 and rosea Vieillot, 1822-to the eastern subspecies, and introduced the new name assimilis for the then supposedly undescribed western form. Mathews' lead was followed unquestioningly until the late 1980s when Schodde (1989) and Rowley (1990: 3) concluded that the type of Vieillot's roseicapilla was of the western subspecies, collected by the Baudin expedition in the region of Shark Bay on the mid-western Australian coast. Rowley (l.c.), but not Schodde (l.c.) contrary to Rowley's reference, went further to claim that it had been taken by François Péron in 1803, presumably on the brief return visit of Baudin in Le Géographe to Shark Bay en route to France. This left the eastern subspecies un-named, which Schodde (l.c.) accordingly described as albiceps.

Sorption kinetics and equilibrium uptake for water vapor in soft-contact-lens hydrogels.

A gravimetric-sorption technique was used to obtain kinetic and equilibrium adsorption/desorption data for water vapor in four different soft-contact-lens (SCL) polymers at 35 degrees C. The SCL materials are a conventional hydrogel (polymacon) with a low water content at saturation (<50 wt %); two conventional hydrogels (hilafilcon A and alphafilcon A) with a high water content at saturation (>50 wt %); and a siloxane hydrogel (balafilcon A). Absorption and desorption equilibrium isotherms (water activity versus water weight fraction) overlap at high water contents, whereas significant hysteresis is observed at low water contents. The hysteresis loop is likely due to trapping of water in the polymer during the desorption process because of a rubber-to-glass transition of the SCL-film surfaces. Sorption data were interpreted using Flory-Rehner theory. The positive Zimm and Lundberg cluster function suggests that water tends to cluster in these SCL materials, except at very low water content. For polymacon and hilafilcon A, Fickian diffusion is observed for all activities for both water sorption and desorption. However, for alphafilcon A and balafilcon A, non-Fickian features appear at intermediate/low activities, in particular during water desorption, suggesting coupling of the diffusion process with polymer-matrix relaxation. The diffusion coefficient increases significantly with water concentration for polymacon and hilafilcon A (from approximately 0.3 x 10(-8) to 4.0 x 10(-8) cm2/s) because of augmented mixture free volume induced by water sorption, whereas a more complex composition dependence is observed for alphafilcon A and balafilcon A probably as consequence of a combined effect of polymer relaxation, plasticization, and water clustering.