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This paper seeks to better understand the significance of spatial context conditions and personal attributes for early-stage entrepreneurship. We combine individual with regional and national level data using multilevel analysis to test our hypotheses. We differentiate between two phases in the entrepreneurial process as well as between general and ambitious entrepreneurship. First, we show that both the national and the regional context significantly impact individual entrepreneurial activities. Second, individual level characteristics exert the greatest overall influence, but the direction of this influence is not stable. Third, the impact of the three levels varies across the different phases in the entrepreneurial process as well as between different types of start-ups. Fourth, we demonstrate that cross-level interactions between individual characteristics and spatial context factors are important in explaining entrepreneurial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current dynamics in the Western European urban system are in marked contrast with the bourgeoning literature stressing the importance of agglomeration for economic growth. This paper explores whether this is due to the rise of 'city network economies', leading to processes of borrowed size as well as the rise of agglomeration shadows in networks of cities. The spread of metropolitan functions over Western European cities is analysed. It is found that network connectivity positively enhances the presence of metropolitan functions, but local size remains the most significant determinant for most types of functions. The importance of size and network connectivity differs across metropolitan functions and across cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TP of 193 internationalized innovative firms/establishments in Andalusia is studied with the data from a self-designed survey. The objectives: to identify the key variables of TP and technology adoption and to obtain a taxonomy of firms, thus enabling the study of the capacity to absorb technology and to transfer this to the regional market. This paper provides the key variables of TP, which are organizational capacity and the development of own technology. It has been established that the purchase of machinery predominates and that technology transfer has a limited effect in the region. It is noted that the classifications of Pavitt and Soete and Miozzo are not consistent with the performance of these firms in peripheral European regions. Se estudia la TP (compra de tecnología) de 193 empresas/centros innovadores internacionalizados en Andalucía mediante datos de una encuesta de diseño propio. Los objetivos fueron la identificación de las variables clave de la TP y la adopción de tecnología y el desarrollo de una taxonomía de las empresas, que permitan el estudio de la capacidad de absorción de tecnología y su transferencia al mercado regional. Este artículo proporciona las variables clave de la TP, que son la capacidad de organización y el desarrollo de tecnología propia. Se ha establecido el predominio de la compra de maquinaria y que la transferencia de tecnología tiene un efecto limitado en la región. Cabe señalar que la clasificación de Pavitt y la de Soete y Miozzo no corresponden con el desempeño de estas empresas en las regiones de la periferia europea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the newly developed dynamic spatial general equilibrium model of European Commission, RHOMOLO, and proposes its future extensions. The model incorporates several elements from economic geography in a novel and theoretically consistent way. It describes the location choice of different types of agents and captures the interplay between agglomeration and dispersion forces in determining the spatial equilibrium. The model is also dynamic as it allows for the accumulation of factors of production, human capital and technology. This makes RHOMOLO particularly suited for simulating policy scenario related to the EU cohesion policy and for the analysis of its impact on the regions and the Member States of the union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our empirical analysis focuses on the effect of regional policies on migration attraction factors in Europe. We employ a regression discontinuity design to assess the causal relationship between the reception of large amounts of public funds and migration flows in the EU‐15 regions. In highly‐subsidised regions, we find a large increase in the share of foreign citizens from less‐developed countries when compared to low‐subsidised regions with similar pre‐treatment characteristics. The analysis shows that such an increase is due to the positive impact of the European regional policy on job market opportunities as well as the improvement of public goods supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the impact of domestic and international tourism on the economic growth process for 179 European regions. The econometric analysis is based on a spatial growth regression framework where the rate of GDP per capita growth at the regional level for the period 1999-2009 depends on tourism flows, in addition to the traditional growth variables. Besides controlling for initial conditions, we also include a wide set of covariates to account for the endowment of human and technological capital and for the geographical, social and institutional features of the regions. The results, confirmed by several robustness checks, demonstrate that regional growth is positively affected by domestic and international tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response by regional and national economies to exogenous impulses has a well-established literature in both spatial econometrics and in mainstream econometrics and is of considerable importance given the post-2007 economic crisis, which is characterized by a period of severe global instability resulting from unprecedented economic shocks. This paper focuses on dynamic counterfactual predictions and impulse-response functions derived from appropriate econometric models. These provide insight regarding the question of whether responses to economic shocks are transitory or whether they have a permanent effect. Analysis shows that output shocks have had permanent effects on productivity so that economies have tended not to return to the pre-shock path but rather adjust to new levels. This suggests that the current recession will be embodied permanently within the memory of some of Europe's leading economies as a hysteretic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than often, studies explaining migration causes centre on economic explanations and minimize other factors' explanatory power. This research aims at creating a comprehensive model of migration determinants taking into account four dimensions: economic, social, cultural, and digital. A path model consisting of these dimensions was created and estimated through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM). The PLS‐path model was applied to Romanian migration flows to 21 EU member states during 2007–2017. The findings indicate that social and technological developments have significant impacts on migration flows and that digital distance has a full mediation effect on the relationship between cultural distance and migration flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a practical clinical application of guideline recommendations relating to the inpatient monitoring of patients with acute heart failure, through the evaluation of various clinical, biomarker, imaging, invasive and non-invasive approaches. Comprehensive inpatient monitoring is crucial to the optimal management of acute heart failure patients. The European Society of Cardiology heart failure guidelines provide recommendations for the inpatient monitoring of acute heart failure, but the level of evidence underpinning most recommendations is limited. Many tools are available for the in-hospital monitoring of patients with acute heart failure, and each plays a role at various points throughout the patient's treatment course, including the emergency department, intensive care or coronary care unit, and the general ward. Clinical judgment is the preeminent factor guiding application of inpatient monitoring tools, as the various techniques have different patient population targets. When applied appropriately, these techniques enable decision making. However, there is limited evidence demonstrating that implementation of these tools improves patient outcome. Research priorities are identified to address these gaps in evidence. Future research initiatives should aim to identify the optimal in-hospital monitoring strategies that decrease morbidity and prolong survival in patients with acute heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an unmet need for effective treatment strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Until recently, attention in patients with HFpEF was almost exclusively focused on the left side. However, it is now increasingly recognized that right heart dysfunction is common and contributes importantly to poor prognosis in HFpEF. More insights into the development of right heart dysfunction in HFpEF may aid to our knowledge about this complex disease and may eventually lead to better treatments to improve outcomes in these patients. In this position paper from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, the Committee on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction reviews the prevalence, diagnosis, and pathophysiology of right heart dysfunction and failure in patients with HFpEF. Finally, potential treatment strategies, important knowledge gaps and future directions regarding the right side in HFpEF are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To test the hypothesis that higher seizure burden in Dravet syndrome is associated with increased comorbidities and lower quality of life (QoL) in a large cohort of patients with Dravet syndrome and their caregivers in Europe.Method: An extensive survey of caregivers of patients with Dravet syndrome on experiences of diagnosis, seizure burden, management, social and financial impact, and health services use was administered online in 10 languages.Results: The survey received 584 unique responses from caregivers of paediatric (83%) and adult (17%) patients with Dravet syndrome (aged <1-48y). Despite broadly following current treatment guidance, less than 10% of patients were seizure free in the previous 3 months. Nearly all (99.6%) patients aged 5 years or older experienced at least one or more motor, speech, learning, or behavioural impairment. High seizure frequency was related to more reports of emergency treatment, comorbidities, and a lower QoL (as measured by the standardized instrument EQ-5D-5L). If not diagnosed at the first instance, the majority (83%) of adults, but less than 20% of 6- to 11-year-olds were diagnosed after 4 or more years.Interpretation: Patients with Dravet syndrome with the highest current seizure frequency suffer from more comorbidities and have a lower QoL. Therefore, more effective antiepileptic treatments are needed.What This Paper Adds: The survey captured about 15% of all patients with Dravet syndrome in Europe. Less than 10% of patients had current seizure freedom. Patients with a high current seizure burden have more comorbidities and lower quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To predict the quantity and quality of food available to pollinators in various landscapes over time, it is necessary to collect detailed data on the pollen, nectar, and sugar production per unit area and the flowering phenology of plants. Similar data are needed to estimate the contribution of plants to the functioning of food webs via the flow of energy and nutrients through the soil–plant‐nectar/pollen‐consumer pathway. Current knowledge on this topic is fragmented. This database represents the first compilation of data on the various food resources produced by 1612 plant species belonging to 755 genera and 133 families, including crop plants and wild plants, annuals and perennials, animal‐ and wind‐pollinated plants, and weeds and trees growing in different ecosystems under various environmental conditions. The data set consists of 103 parameters related to the traits of plant species and geographical and environmental factors, allowing for precise calculations of the amounts of nectar, pollen, and energy provided by plants and available to consumers in the considered flora or ecosystem on a daily basis throughout the year. These parameters, gathered by us and extracted from the available literature, describe pollen, nectar, and sugar production (where applicable, in mass, volume, and concentration units), honey yield, the timing and duration of flowering, flower longevity, number of plants and flowers per unit area, weather conditions (temperature and precipitation), geographical location, landscape, and syntaxonomy. The data were obtained from various, mostly European, pedoclimatic zones, and the majority of the data were available for plant species and communities present in Central Europe, especially in Poland, where research on floral resources has a long tradition. These data are representative of the whole continent and may be used as a reference for plant communities occurring on continents other than Europe since the database allows for the consideration of differences in the production of resources by a single plant species growing in different communities. This data set provides a unique opportunity to test hypotheses related to the functioning of food webs, nutrient cycling, plant ecology, and pollinator ecology and conservation. The data are released under a CC‐BY‐NC‐SA license, and this paper must be properly cited when using the database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the characteristics of SMEs in less-developed areas in comparison with more advanced economies. The conceptual framework includes different factors making up the so-called 'entrepreneurial quality' of the SME sector: the personal characteristics of the entrepreneurs (motivations and previous experience), different dimensions of the SMEs' entrepreneurial orientation, and the patterns of the SMEs' insertion in national and global value chains. The empirical analysis uses data of SMEs in four different Spanish provinces representing examples of low income economies and comparatively high income ones, respectively. Results show the SMEs in the low income economies to be characterized by a lower entrepreneurial quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ injury and impairment are commonly observed in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), and congestion is an essential pathophysiological mechanism of impaired organ function. Congestion is the predominant clinical profile in most patients with AHF; a smaller proportion presents with peripheral hypoperfusion or cardiogenic shock. Hypoperfusion further deteriorates organ function. The injury and dysfunction of target organs (i.e. heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, intestine, brain) in the setting of AHF are associated with increased risk for mortality. Improvement in organ function after decongestive therapies has been associated with a lower risk for post-discharge mortality. Thus, the prevention and correction of organ dysfunction represent a therapeutic target of interest in AHF and should be evaluated in clinical trials. Treatment strategies that specifically prevent, reduce or reverse organ dysfunction remain to be identified and evaluated to determine if such interventions impact mortality, morbidity and patient-centred outcomes. This paper reflects current understanding among experts of the presentation and management of organ impairment in AHF and suggests priorities for future research to advance the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective The spread of self-care holds the promise of containing chronic illness burden. Falling within the framework of a FP7 collaborative research project, this paper reports the views of key informants from six countries regarding who the main stakeholders are at different levels in the support system for self-care for patients with chronic illness ( SSSC) and how they accomplish their role and collaborate. Methods 90 Interviews with purposefully selected key informants from Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and United Kingdom were conducted. Interviews involved government and local authorities, politicians, academics, health professionals and private sector representatives. Interviewers followed an expert opinion-based guide. Analysis involved a cross-country examination with thematic analysis and framework method techniques. Results Key informants described the ideal SSSC as inclusive, interdependent and patient-centred. The following main stakeholders in SSSC were identified: patients, governments, health-care professionals, associations, private companies and the media. In the current SSSCs, collaboration among stakeholders within and across different levels was said to be lacking. Patients were seen as playing a passive subordinate role based on the following: their own attitudes; the paternalistic and medicalized attitudes of the health-care professionals; their misrepresentation by patient associations; and their exposure to the damaging influences of media and industries. Conclusions Making SSSC patient-centred constitutes the greatest challenge for European authorities. Strategies must be revised for promoting patient participation. They should undergo changes so as to promote industry and media social responsibility and patient association advocacy capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different tree species influence litter decomposition directly through species-specific litter traits, and indirectly through distinct modifications of the local decomposition environment. Whether these indirect effects on decomposition are influenced by tree species diversity is presently not clear., We addressed this question by studying the decomposition of two common substrates, cellulose paper and wood sticks, in a total of 209 forest stands of varying tree species diversity across six major forest types at the scale of Europe., Tree species richness showed a weak but positive correlation with the decomposition of cellulose but not with that of wood. Surprisingly, macroclimate had only a minor effect on cellulose decomposition and no effect on wood decomposition despite the wide range in climatic conditions among sites from Mediterranean to boreal forests. Instead, forest canopy density and stand-specific litter traits affected the decomposition of both substrates, with a particularly clear negative effect of the proportion of evergreen tree litter., Our study suggests that species richness and composition of tree canopies modify decomposition indirectly through changes in microenvironmental conditions. These canopy-induced differences in the local decomposition environment control decomposition to a greater extent than continental-scale differences in macroclimatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic growth literature suggests that knowledge spillovers are subject to distance decay effects. In this paper the main aim is to provide a theoretical framework and empirical evidence on the role played by other kinds of proximities, namely relational, social and technological proximity, in explaining productivity growth. Using a sample of 249 EU 27 NUTS 2 regions in the period 1990-2004, semiparametric spatial autoregressive models are estimated. Results provide evidence of a positive role of social and relational proximities as important channels of knowledge spillovers, and on the fact that, when simultaneously present, different kinds of proximities generate synergic effects on growth. Resumen La literatura sobre el crecimiento económico sugiere que los spillovers de conocimiento están sujetos a efectos de deterioro por distancia. El objetivo principal de este artículo es proporcionar un marco teórico y pruebas empíricas sobre el papel desempeñado por otros tipos de proximidades (relacional, social y tecnológica), a la hora de explicar el crecimiento de la productividad. Utilizando una muestra de 249 regiones NUTS 2 de la UE 27 para el período 1990-2004, se estiman modelos autorregresivos espaciales semiparamétricos. Los resultados aportan pruebas del papel positivo de las proximidades sociales y relacionales como canales importantes de spillovers de conocimientos, y del hecho de que, cuando se presentan simultáneamente, los diferentes tipos de proximidades generan efectos sinérgicos sobre el crecimiento. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a spatial neoclassical growth model for a system of N regional economies. Regional output growth is determined by interregional fixed capital relocations which depend on initial factor endowments as well as a region's relative location in space. The dynamics of the model are captured by a Taylor approximation, which provides a testable spatial econometric model specification that is applied for European regions on the NUTS 2 level. Both theoretical and empirical results show how relatively high human capital endowments are beneficial to growth if found within one region, but disadvantageous if found in neighbouring regions. Este artículo proporciona un modelo de crecimiento neo-clásico espacial para un sistema de N economías regionales. El crecimiento del producto regional viene determinado por deslocalizaciones interregionales de capital fijo que dependen de la dotación de factores inicial, así como de la relativa localización espacial de una región. Las dinámicas del modelo son capturadas mediante una aproximación de Taylor, que proporciona una especificación comprobable de modelo econométrico espacial que se aplica a regiones europeas a nivel NUTS 2. Tanto los resultados teoréticos como los empíricos muestran como las dotaciones relativamente elevadas de capital humano son ventajosas para el crecimiento cuando se concentran en una región, pero una desventaja si se encuentran en regiones vecinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim This paper describes a set of integrative scenarios developed in the ALARM (Assessing LArge-scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods) project. The ultimate aim of ALARM was to develop and test methods and protocols for the assessment of large-scale environmental risks to biodiversity and to evaluate mitigation options. Scenarios provide a tool for exploring such risks and the policy options to mitigate them; therefore they play a central role within the ALARM project. Methods Three integrative scenarios (liberalization, business as might be usual, sustainability) were developed and illustrated using the econometric model described in a subsequent paper. They are contextualized with projections from climate models and provide the input for model-based assessments of biodiversity trends. Additionally, three shock scenarios were developed (Gulf Stream collapse, peak oil, pandemic) to demonstrate the limits of linear extrapolation. As these extend beyond model capabilities, they are discussed semi-quantitatively based on modelling insights. Results Although the policy impacts on biodiversity are different for different pressures, biomes and species groups, some general trends could be identified. An extension of current EU policies will act as a brake on current trends by slowing down the loss of biodiversity in many cases and in most biomes, but it will be capable of neither halting nor of reversing the loss. Liberalization has the effect of accelerating biodiversity loss across the board, with few exceptions. A coherent sustainability scenario is clearly the most effective at preserving biodiversity, but the variant tested here still does not halt losses in all cases. Main conclusions Current EU policies for protecting biodiversity appear to be insufficient to reverse ongoing losses. Coherent sustainability strategies are effective at conserving biodiversity, but in order to assess losses and then reverse them, measures would need to be introduced that extend beyond the steps tested in the ALARM sustainability scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many geographers carry out research in locations away from home. In the name of fieldwork we sometimes travel out of our comfort zones. And then there are those of us who travel to places that are 'dangerous', where we engage in adventures while carrying out research. This paper reflects on the lure of the remote or unusual research destination for researchers who venture to 'foreign' or unfamiliar places. By turning the research lens on our own kind, this paper unpacks moments of excitement and trepidation, sometimes anticipated but rarely predicted, and the links to earlier encounters, of voyaging and story-telling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Recent papers have used large palaeolimnological datasets to reveal the biodiversity patterns of aquatic microorganisms. However, scant attention has been paid to the influence of time on these patterns. Where lake surficial sediment samples are used as integrals of diversity, the time interval of each sample varies according to differences in sediment accumulation rates. This paper aims to test the reliability of using lake surface sediments to measure and to compare microbial diversity when the potential influences of the species-time relationships are taken into account. Location Alpine lakes in Europe. Methods We analysed microorganism (siliceous microalgae) assemblages in three European Alpine lakes using short sediment cores (210Pb-dated) and annual sediment trap samples from 12 UK lakes. The same number of individuals was pooled for each sample 500 times to avoid sampling effort effects and to standardize species diversity estimation. The influence of time on the diversity score was assessed by simulating an increase of time span for surface sediment samples by cumulatively adding in successive sediment core samples (from the most recent to the oldest). We used species richness ( S) and the exponential of the bias-corrected Shannon entropy index (exp( Hb-c)) to estimate diversity. Results Increasing the time interval represented by a surficial sediment sample did not affect the diversity results. The estimation of diversity was similar for cumulative and non-cumulative samples. Diversity estimation was only altered in lakes experiencing high community turnover due to strong environmental forcing during the time period spanned by the cumulative sample. Main conclusions The use of surface lake sediments is suitable for estimating the average site diversity of free-living microorganisms. Diversity is integrated in a single sample and species assemblage composition is derived from microbial communities living in distinct lake microhabitats. Species remains, accumulated in a single sample over several years of environmental variability, represent a diversity integral that captures a spatio-temporal component equivalent to the γ-diversity measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide insights into the phenomenon of knowledge flows. We study one of the main mechanisms through which these flows occur, namely, the mobility of highly-skilled individuals. We focus on the geographical mobility of inventors across European regions. Thus, patent data are used to trace the pattern of inventors' mobility across European regions, to track down focuses of attraction of talent throughout the continent, and to study their distribution across the space. To do so, we gather information from PCT patent documents and we first match the names which seemed to belong to the same inventor and then we create a new algorithm to decide whether each patent applied for under each name belongs to the same inventor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses microeconomic data for more than 100,000 European individuals in order to analyse whether the individual economic returns to education vary between migrants and non-migrants and whether any differences in earnings between these two groups are affected by household and/or geographical (regional and interregional) externalities. The results point out that while education is a fundamental determinant of earnings, European labour markets do not discriminate in the returns to education between migrants and non-migrants. Household, regional and supra-regional externalities influence the economic returns to education in a similar way for local, intranational and supra-national migrants. The results are robust to the introduction of a large number of individual, household and regional controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology able to compare road and rail-road intermodal market areas that takes the network structures, the operation costs and the location of the rail-road terminals into account. A particular way to model rail-road transport on hub-and-spoke networks is outlined and illustrated on the trans-European networks. The market area of an optimal eight hubs network configuration is presented both for the p-hub median and the p-hub centre problem. This is followed by a discussion about the evolution of the market area according to the number and locations of the implemented hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy developments in the post-Communist states of Eastern and Central Europe (ECE) have a major impact on global energy security and sustainability, thanks to this region's key geographical position between the energy-exporting states of the former Soviet Union, on the one hand, and the energy-importing states of Western and Southern Europe, on the other. At the same time, post-socialist reforms of energy industries in this region provide unique insights into the complex relations of power, economic transformation and spatial inequality that govern energy production and consumption. This paper therefore aims to provide an initial look at some of the theoretical and policy issues that underpin the emergent ‘geographies’ of energy reform in ECE, as well as their embeddedness in relations of power stemming from organisational, infrastructural and economic inequalities in the region. It employs an analysis of local news reports, policy papers and statistical data to examine the intricate institutional networks and spatial formations that have governed the energy transformation process. In broader terms, the paper aims to emphasise the important role that human geography can play in making sense of the territorial differences and frictions that have emerged during the post-socialist reform process, while challenging the idea of a ‘neat’ neoliberal transition from a centrally planned to a market-based mode of energy regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the appropriate econometric methodology and statistical tests to evaluate the spatial and sectoral stability of the labour productivity convergence process of 145 European regions over 1975–2000. Our results display significant σ-convergence only in aggregate labour productivity and in the services sectors among peripheral regions. We also show that omitting spatial effects leads to biased measures of σ-convergence. We then estimate a pooled β-convergence model including spatial autocorrelation and sectoral differentiation. Spatial and sectoral stability tests reveal which sectors display a convergence process and in which regime they are located. Resumen Este artículo presenta los test estadísticos y la metodología econométrica apropiados para evaluar la estabilidad espacial y sectorial del proceso de convergencia de la productividad laboral de 145 regiones europeas del 1975–2000. Nuestros resultados muestran una sigma-convergencia significativa solamente en la productividad laboral agregada y en el sector servicios entre regiones periféricas. También mostramos que la omisión de efectos espaciales resulta en medidas sesgadas de la sigma-convergencia. A continuación estimamos un modelo de beta-convergencia combinada que incluye autocorrelación espacial y diferenciación sectorial. Los test de estabilidad espacial y sectorial revelan los sectores que muestran un proceso de convergencia y en qué régimen se hallan ubicados. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the impact of structural funds on the convergence process between 145 European regions over 1989–1999. The presence of spillover effects is investigated with spatial econometric methods, which assess the impact of the funds on the targeted region and its neighbours. We also control the potential endogeneity problem in the estimation of their impact. Our estimation results indicate that significant convergence takes place, but that the funds have no impact on it. Simulation experiments show how investments targeted to the peripheral regions never spill over to their neighbours, which calls for a reconsideration of current regional policy tools. Resumen. Este artículo evalúa el impacto de los fondos estructurales en el proceso de convergencia entre 145 regiones europeas durante el periodo 1989–1999. La presencia de efectos derrame ( spill over) se investigó mediante métodos econométricos espaciales, que evalúan el impacto de los fondos en la región objetivo y sus vecinas. También controlamos el problema de endogeneidad potencial en la estimación del impacto. Los resultados de nuestra estimación indican la presencia significativa de una convergencia, pero que los fondos no tienen un impacto sobre la misma. Experimentos de simulación muestran que las inversiones dirigidas a las regiones periféricas nunca derraman ( spill over) sobre sus vecinas, lo cual pide reconsiderar las herramientas actuales de política regional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Publication output is the standard by which scientific productivity is evaluated. Despite a plethora of papers on the issue of publication and citation biases, no study has so far considered a possible effect of social activities on publication output. One of the most frequent social activities in the world is drinking alcohol. In Europe, most alcohol is consumed as beer and, based on well known negative effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive performance, I predicted negative correlations between beer consumption and several measures of scientific performance. Using a survey from the Czech Republic, that has the highest per capita beer consumption rate in the world, I show that increasing per capita beer consumption is associated with lower numbers of papers, total citations, and citations per paper (a surrogate measure of paper quality). In addition I found the same predicted trends in comparison of two separate geographic areas within the Czech Republic that are also known to differ in beer consumption rates. These correlations are consistent with the possibility that leisure time social activities might influence the quality and quantity of scientific work and may be potential sources of publication and citation biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an original framework for the interpretation of innovative activity among European regions according to traditional ‘geographical’ spillovers and ‘relational’ spillovers. The focus is on two knowledge-based relational phenomena: participation in the same research networks (within the EU Fifth Framework Programme) and EPO co-patent applications. Using two econometric techniques, we investigate the factors that determine patenting activity, distinguishing structural features, geographical and relational spillovers. In this way, we are able to test whether hierarchical relationships based on a-spatial networks between geographically distant excellence centres prevail over diffusive patterns based on spatial contiguity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the controversial issue of regional development incentives. Although extensive research has been conducted, a review of the literature gives an inconclusive answer to whether economic incentives are effective. Why do researchers arrive at different conclusions, even after analysing the same programmes? Among the problems that we find, for example, is the fact that for some researchers ‘effective’ means the significant location of new firms in targeted areas, while for others the creation of jobs regardless of whether new firms are arriving in a significant fashion. Furthermore, as we elaborate, the selection of an econometric model will have a significant impact on expected results. Different models, with different limitations, will lead researchers to evaluate the same incentive programme but arrive at different conclusions regarding its effectiveness. The contribution of the paper is to inform policymakers about the potential opportunities and pitfalls when designing incentive strategies. This is particularly relevant, given that both the US and Europe have been promoting incentives as a tool for regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Can the biodiversity of fens in Europe and North America be maintained through the use of grazing (especially cattle grazing), fire, and/or cutting? Location: European and North American fens. Methods: This paper is a review of the literature on the effects of grazing, fire and cutting on fens, to explore the relationship between management and biodiversity in fens. Results: A reduction of cattle grazing, mowing and burning in fens has led to a reduction in biodiversity in fens. The vegetation of abandoned fens shifts to trees and shrubs after 10-15 years, which shade the smaller and rarer species of these wetlands. While careful use of fire is used to manage fens in North America, it is not widely used in European fens, perhaps because the peat of drained fens may catch fire. Cattle grazing cannot be considered a natural disturbance in North America, since cattle did not evolve on that continent. In Europe, cattle do not generally graze in unaltered fens, but they do use slightly drained fen meadows. Conclusions: Three approaches have been used to control the dominance of tall woody and herbaceous species in abandoned fens, including the re-introduction of cattle, mowing, and burning. Overgrazing results in a permanent reduction in biodiversity, therefore cattle re-introduction must be approached cautiously. In Europe, but not in North America, mowing has been an important management tool, and mowing has been successful in maintaining species richness, particularly in fens that have been mowed annually for centuries. Fire has been the most common and successful management tool in North America although it is not effective in removing shrubs that have become large. Because the problems and solutions are similar, the literature of both European and North American fen management can be analyzed to better assess the management of fens on both continents. Many management questions require further study and these are listed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins with Jacques Derrida's ‘Europe’ on an-Other heading and Claudio Minca's (2003 Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 21 160–8) suggestion that critical human geographers need to become more attentive to their own geographical predispositions and positionalities. The paper focuses on some lessons from postcolonial writing and asks to what extent we have been successful in decolonizing (and reshaping) geographies of Europe in the ways in which we respond to transformations at the borders of Europe. The paper concludes with a discussion of efforts to ‘provincialize’ and decolonize Euro-geographies, and the kinds of ‘new cartographies’ of Europe we might write and teach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lomborg's (2001) book has generated passionate discussion about the state of the global environment. We performed a bibliometric evaluation of the peer-reviewed primary scientific literature to determine whether there is any consistent evidence that "things are getting better." The global literature primarily reported negative impacts on biodiversity caused by human actions, although Europe appeared to be doing better than the rest of the world. These results cannot be explained by publication bias alone because rejection rates of papers indicating improvements in the environment would have to be unrealistically high to change our results. There were nonrandom distributions of papers showing environmental recovery in developed countries and for ecosystems not strongly subjected to conservation-development conflicts. Although the literature did not paint a picture of universal gloom, the empirical evidence clearly showed growing environmental crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Human Rights Act 1998 came fully into force on 2 October 2000, enabling the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to be relied on directly in our domestic courts.1 The Act lacked provision for a Human Rights Commission to advise and assist alleged victims in bringing proceedings for breaches of Convention rights, to research, intervene in court proceedings, and promote a culture of human rights, although such a Commission had been created for Northern Ireland. A White Paper has now been issued outlining plans for a Commission for Equality and Human Rights. This paper considers the future role and potential impact of the Commission and highlights opportunities that have been missed since October 2000 in its absence. We focus on its human rights aspects and summarize key conditions for the new Commission's success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated in the context of recent geographical engagements with ‘landscape’, this paper combines ‘morphological’ and ‘iconographic’ landscape interpretations to examine how urban forms were perceived in late medieval Europe. To date, morphological studies have mapped the medieval city either by classifying urban layouts according to particular types, or by analysing plan forms of particular towns and cities to reveal their spatial evolution. This paper outlines a third way, an ‘iconographic’ approach, which shows how urban forms in the Middle Ages conveyed Christian symbolism. Three such ‘mappings’ explore this thesis: the first uses textual and visual representations which show that the city was understood as a scaled-down world - a microcosm - linking city and cosmos in the medieval mind; the second ‘mapping’ develops this theme further and suggests that urban landscapes were inscribed with symbolic form through their layout on the ground; while the third looks at how Christian symbolism of urban forms was performed through the urban landscape in perennial religious processions. Each of these ‘mappings’ points to the symbolic, mystical significance urban form had in the Middle Ages, based on religious faith, and they thus offer a deepened appreciation of how urban landscapes were represented, constructed and experienced at the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the influence of ecofeminism on policy concerning gender (in)equality and the environment during the past 20 years. It reviews the broad contours of the ecofeminist debate before focusing on the social construction interpretation of women's relationship with the environment. It will argue that there have been substantial policy shifts in Europe and the UK in both the environmental and equalities fields, and that this is in part a result of lobbying at a range of scales by groups informed by ecofeminist debates. Nevertheless, the paper cautions that these shifts are largely incremental and operate within existing structures, which inevitably limit their capacity to create change. As policy addresses some of the concerns highlighted by ecofeminism, academic discourse and grass roots activity have been moving on to address other issues, and the paper concludes with a brief consideration of contemporary trajectories of ecofeminism and campaigning on issues that link women's, feminist and environment concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 100 leaders of European professional and lay bodies, representatives of the World Health Organisation, and health experts from governments and universities came together in 1998 to discuss and adopt a European Declaration on Epilepsy. As part of the Declaration, member States were urged to support the publication of a "White Paper" as a detailed public health statement on epilepsy in Europe. Consequently, in response to the European Declaration on Epilepsy, a number of experts and professional bodies from across Europe have been drawn together to produce the "European White Paper on Epilepsy."

The aim of this paper is to study the space-time dynamics of European regional per capita GDP. A sample of 138 European regions over the 1980–1995 period provides clear evidence of global and local spatial autocorrelation as well as spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of regional per capita GDP. The detection of spatial clusters of high and low per capita GDP throughout the period is an indication of the persistence of spatial disparities among European regions. The dynamism of European regions is investigated by exploring the spatial pattern of regional growth. Implications for applied econometric work on the convergence of European regions are then suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diabetic Macular Œdema (DME) and Age‐related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) are the leading causes of vision loss in developed nations. Anti‐Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (aVEGF) has revolutionized the treatment of both conditions, but access is limited by costs. Biosimilars of aVEGF can cut costs, but prescriber concerns over the lack of clinical data can slow uptake. This paper reports all biosimilar aVEGF in development for Europe and the USA, and pools the results of clinical confirmatory trials to provide statistically greater reassurance in the similarity of outcomes. Methods: Biosimilars in the clinical development phase were identified from US and EU trial registries. Results: There are 13 biosimilars of ranibizumab and aflibercept in final clinical comparative trial stage of development in Europe and the USA, recruiting 6126 patients. Five studies of intravitreal bevacizumab biosimilars are recruiting 772 patients. Equivalence outcomes are typically based on Best‐Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) with 90% confidence limits of −3 to +3 letters between reference and biosimilar medicines. Completed trials to date with 1166 participants analysed together show BCVA outcomes of ≤1 letter between Originator Reference Products and Biosimilars; for serious adverse events the risk ratio is 1.17, with 95% confidence intervals of 0.85–1.63, p = 0.32. Conclusions: Biosimilars of aVEGF are expected soon. There are likely sufficient brands expected to create meaningful price competition. To date, the EU/US regulatory pathway is delivering biosimilars with close equivalence of safety and efficacy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents macrofossil data and additional pollen analyses from the Quaternary sites previously described in Oldfield (1967). Pollen evidence presented in that paper from Bidart Plage Series B (Bidartian) and Senix Series 1 (Moulignan and Senixian) is amplified and extended by more detailed and comprehensive diagrams. The additional pollen-analytical evidence from the Bidart section confirms the importance of a Castanea-dominated pollen assemblage zone within the Bidartian Interglacial. The new diagram from Senix shows that the Moulignan major biostratigraphic subdivision is likewise interglacial in character. The late-temperate and post-temperate stages of this interglacial are well represented by the Senix and Mouligna Cliff pollen sequences now published. The macrofossil evidence from Bidart Series B(Bidartian), Mouligna Cliff MC3 (Ilbarritzian) and Marbella (Marbellan) is represented on a quantitative basis using large and volumetrically equivalent samples from each level. The main additions to the flora from these macrofossil diagrams are a wide variety aquatic and semi-aquatic species including, for the Bidartian, Ludwigia palustris and for the Marbellan, Aldrovandra vesiculosa and Proserpinaca cf. palustris a North American species not previously recorded in Post-Tiglian deposits from Europe. From Bidart, there are also interesting macrofossil records of woody warm temperate taxa, for example Chamaecyparis thyoides, Cotoneaster acuticarpa and Ostrya cf. carpinifolia. The non-aquatic macroflora from Marbella is dominated by Erica species the seeds of which have been identified largely on the basis of the fine detail of their seed coats revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (Huckerby, Marchant and Oldfield, 1972). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As other papers have made clear, government interest in Distance Education is high and rising. There is therefore an inevitability that it will play a much larger part in future decision-making. In writing about this subject, Séamus Ó Buachalla has the advantage of much experience and greater insight. He has been a teacher, an inspector in the Irish Government Education Service, and is now a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education of Trinity College, Dublin. In addition he has worked for the Ministry as a planner and, outside Ireland, has done consultancy work for Unesco, the Council of Europe and the European Cultural Foundation. With that sort of varied experience, who better to write an informed and well-researched .paper on this important topic. As other papers have made clear, government interest in Distance Education is high and rising. There is therefore an inevitability that it will play a much larger part in future decision-making. In writing about this subject, Séamus Ó Buachalla has the advantage of much experience and greater insight. He has been a teacher, an inspector in the Irish Government Education Service, and is now a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education of Trinity College, Dublin. In addition he has worked for the Ministry as a planner and, outside Ireland, has done consultancy work for Unesco, the Council of Europe and the European Cultural Foundation. With that sort of varied experience, who better to write an informed and well-researched .paper on this important topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It would not have been possible to have a set of papers on the subject of Distance Education without a contribution from the UK Open University. Peter Zorkoczy has worked there for many years and has a great depth of knowledge not only about the development of that institution but also about the subject of Distance Education as it has progressed in the wider European world. He has led teams of people working, first, to define the European Commission's DELTA programme and then to take part in aspects of its development. He has also played a major pan in setting up the technical and educational infrastructures of EuroPACE, the first European satellite education delivery system. Much of his paper describes real experiences in this latter organisation and acts as an excellent corollary to the paper of Jacques Bieber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rodney Stark and William S Bainbridge have advanced a theory of religion which draws upon a wide range of supporting data. One body of data advances the claim that new religions will appear disproportionately often in settings where traditional religion is weak, and that -- contrary to prevailing opinion -- Europe is markedly more receptive to new religions than the United States This paper subjects that claim to critical scrutiny and finds it entirely wanting. Through a reanalysis of the Stark and Bainbridge data, and with the addition of new data of a more persuasive kind, this paper demonstrates that the pattern which emerges is more complex than Stark and Bainbridge allow While cult activity may increase with declining church attendance -- a finding compatible with their theory -- cult activity is seen to remain particularly high in Anglo-Saxon, Protestant dominated, immigrant based societies, despite continuing high rates of church attendance. An alternative theory is drawn from extant work to account for this finding and the overall pattern.
In this paper, I take issue with one variety of such data, arguing that it does not show what Stark and Bainbridge claim for it, namely that schismatic forms of religion are most prevalent where traditional religion remains strong, while culturally innovatory forms of religion are most prevalent where traditional religion is weak. In particular, Stark and Bainbridge's claim that Europe is peculiarly receptive to culturally innovatory forms of religion is shown not to be true. Indeed, when their data are extended and considered in the round, they are shown to support a quite different theory of secularization and of the contemporary distribution of religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapy for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) varies widely in clinical practice as international recommendations for PMR treatment are not currently available. In this paper, we report the 2015 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommendations for the management of PMR. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology as a framework for the project. Accordingly, the direction and strength of the recommendations are based on the quality of evidence, the balance between desirable and undesirable effects, patients' and clinicians' values and preferences, and resource use. Eight overarching principles and nine specific recommendations were developed covering several aspects of PMR, including basic and follow-up investigations of patients under treatment, risk factor assessment, medical access for patients and specialist referral, treatment strategies such as initial glucocorticoid (GC) doses and subsequent tapering regimens, use of intramuscular GCs and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), as well as the roles of non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs and non-pharmacological interventions. These recommendations will inform primary, secondary and tertiary care physicians about an international consensus on the management of PMR. These recommendations should serve to inform clinicians about best practices in the care of patients with PMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political will to reduce global GHG emissions has largely contributed to increased global biofuel production and trade. The expanding cultivation of energy crops may drive changes in the terrestrial ecosystems such as land cover and biodiversity loss. When biomass replaces fossil energy carriers, sustainability criteria are therefore crucial to avoid adverse impacts and ensure a net positive GHG balance. The European Union has set mandatory sustainability criteria for liquid biofuels in its Renewable Energy Directive ( RED) 2009/28/ EC to ensure net positive impacts of its biofuel policy. The adoption of sustainability criteria in other world regions and their extension to solid and gaseous biomass in the EU is ongoing. This paper examines the effect of the EU RED sustainability criteria on the availability of biomass resources at global and regional scale. It quantifies the relevance of sustainability criteria in biomass resource assessments taking into account the criteria's spatial distribution. This assessment does not include agricultural and forestry residues and aquatic biomass. Previously unknown interrelations between sustainability criteria are examined and described for ten world regions. The analysis concludes that roughly 10% (98.5 EJ) of the total theoretical potential of 977.2 EJ occurs in areas free of sustainability concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LINKED CONTENT This article is linked to Pol et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16197 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16251 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Vega et al. (2012) Influenza surveillance in Europe: establishing epidemic thresholds by the moving epidemic method. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(4), 546-558. Background Timely influenza surveillance is important to monitor influenza epidemics. Objectives (i) To calculate the epidemic threshold for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infections (ARI) in 19 countries, as well as the thresholds for different levels of intensity. (ii) To evaluate the performance of these thresholds. Methods The moving epidemic method (MEM) has been developed to determine the baseline influenza activity and an epidemic threshold. False alerts, detection lags and timeliness of the detection of epidemics were calculated. The performance was evaluated using a cross-validation procedure. Results The overall sensitivity of the MEM threshold was 71·8% and the specificity was 95·5%. The median of the timeliness was 1 week (range: 0-4·5). Conclusions The method produced a robust and specific signal to detect influenza epidemics. The good balance between the sensitivity and specificity of the epidemic threshold to detect seasonal epidemics and avoid false alerts has advantages for public health purposes. This method may serve as standard to define the start of the annual influenza epidemic in countries in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim One of the main gaps in the assessment of biodiversity is the lack of a unified framework for measuring its taxonomic and functional facets and for unveiling the underlying patterns. Location Europe, 25 large river basins. Methods Here, we develop a decomposition of functional β-diversity, i.e. the dissimilarity in functional composition between communities, into a functional turnover and a functional nestedness-resultant component. Results We found that functional β-diversity was lower than taxonomic β-diversity. This difference was driven by a lower functional turnover compared with taxonomic turnover while the nestedness-resultant component was similar for taxonomic and functional β-diversity. Main conclusions Fish faunas with different species tend to share the same functional attributes. The framework presented in this paper will help to analyse biogeographical patterns as well as to measure the impact of human activities on the functional facets of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents excerpts from the paper "An Agenda for Adequate, Safe and Sustainable Pensions," issued in 2012 by the European Commission, discussing pension reform in Europe.

- Tektites, natural silica-rich glasses produced during impact events, commonly contain bubbles. The paper reviews published data on pressure and composition of a gas phase contained in the tektite bubbles and data on other volatile compounds which can be released from tektites by either high-temperature melting or by crushing or milling under vacuum. Gas extraction from tektites using high-temperature melting generally produced higher gas yield and different gas composition than the low-temperature extraction using crushing or milling under vacuum. The high-temperature extraction obviously releases volatiles not only from the bubbles, but also volatile compounds contained directly in the glass. Moreover, the gas composition can be modified by reactions between the released gases and the glass melt. Published data indicate that besides CO2 and/or CO in the bubbles, another carbon reservoir is present directly in the tektite glass. To clarify the problem of carbon content and carbon isotopic composition of the tektite glass, three samples from the Central European tektite strewn field-moldavites-were analyzed. The samples contained only 35-41 ppm C with δ13C values in the range from −28.5 to −29.9‰ VPDB. This indicates that terrestrial organic matter was a dominant carbon source during moldavite formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]