Search

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to social behaviours in Europe. One of its major consequences was the temporary closure of borders, which was introduced as a measure to prevent the uncontrolled pandemic spreading and involved internal Schengen borders. This has had a major impact in the way in which cross-border cooperation has been conducted in Europe, including the Czech-Polish borderland, as it dramatically restrained all flows across borders. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the pandemic on five roles of cross-border cooperation: 1) as a multi-level governance form; 2) as a regional development tool; 3) as a para-diplomacy form; 4) as a post-conflict reconciliation tool; and 5) as Europe-building. We argue that the impacts of the pandemic complicated regional development and the Europe-building role of cross-border cooperation in the Czech-Polish borderland. The article envisages re-bordering processes also in the Czech-Polish borderland, but with important exceptions in the regions with a high level of cross-border integration, mainly in the Euroregion Těšínské Slezsko/Śląsk Cieszyński. The paper also calls for the elaboration of the guidelines for possible repeated (Schengen) border closures and proposes modifications of the INTERREG microprojects schemes, to keep them attractive also in times of expected cuts in public finances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cercariae of Plagiorchis spp. are frequently reported in European freshwater snails, but their true diversity is difficult to estimate due to subtle differences in morphology. We molecularly characterized 67 isolates of Plagiorchis cercariae collected from four lymnaeid snail hosts, Ampullaceana balthica, Ampullaceana lagotis, Radix auricularia and Lymnaea stagnalis in freshwater ecosystems in the Czech Republic and Poland. Based on mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear 28S sequences, ten species or species-level lineages were identified, including the first molecular evidence of P. vespertilionis from snail hosts and two species-level lineages reported for the first time. Previously undescribed species and species-level lineages are characterized morphometrically. We confirm the overlapping spatial distribution of Plagiorchis spp. in their snail hosts from Central Europe with those from Western and sub-Arctic Europe. Our results increase the known diversity of Plagiorchis spp. in Europe to 25 species/lineages in snails, but further research is needed to establish links between life cycle stages and to assess the host specificity of these parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a prevalent orthopaedic disorder in children, and screening methods vary across regions due to local health policies. The purpose of this review is to systematise the different ultrasound screening strategies for detecting DDH in newborns in Europe. Methods: Eligible studies from the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases, published between 1 January 2018 and 18 March 2023, were included. The inclusion criteria specified a European origin, a focus on newborn human patients, and information on ultrasound for DDH detection. Results: In total, 45 studies were included, covering 18 countries. Among them, six nations (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany) perform universal ultrasound screening. The timing of the first ultrasound varies, with Austria and the Czech Republic within the 1st week, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the day of birth, Poland between 1 and 12 weeks, and Germany before the 6th week. The Graf method is the most popular ultrasound technique used. Conclusions: There is no consensus on the optimal DDH detection approach in Europe. Varied screening methods stem from epidemiological, cultural, and economic differences among countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In European post-socialistic countries or more commonly known as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries, regardless of their differences and specifics, the common communist and post-communist legacies in the field of educational sciences are still recognisable. The aim of this article is to explore research activity in the educational sciences in 15 CEE countries: 11 EU member states and 4 from the former Yugoslav Republic in the period from 1996 to 2013. The purpose of this research is to recognise the specificity and dynamics of subject and content issues, and development of methodological approaches in the educational science research. The sample consists of abstracts of 2,395 papers by CEE authors published in 265 journals indexed in Scopus between 1996 and 2013. Content analysis was applied, where the abstracts were grouped into specifically created categories describing the content and methods of the paper and analysed on the basis of two criterion variables -- CEE and non-CEE or international journals. The ?[superscript 2] test showed that the field of educational sciences in 15 European post-socialist countries changed over time in terms of quantity, content and methods, becoming more expansive and diverse, which is recognisable in papers published both in international and in CEE journals.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of the investment in training in education by the European Social Fund (ESF) in four Eastern countries, namely, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Hungary. Those countries have some political, cultural, social and economic similarities and share some common ground in the human resource development (HRD) sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use the human capital theory with some extensions to analyze the context, operations and impacts of the ESF in the Visegrad four (V4) countries between 2007 and 2013. The authors use three levels of methodology to access each one of those problems. Findings: The authors conclude that the ESF helped building the vocational training system in those countries, and to help them get near the equilibrium of high skills of the V4 Western European neighbors, and therefore, this one was a success story. However, quality issues remain to be addressed that may hinder the continuation of the success in the future. Research limitations/implications: The research could be enlarged in time and space and deepened in terms of methodology. This is one a first clarifying step. Theoretical work should become aware of the dichotomy between absorption and scientific logic. Practical implications: Detailed and precise evaluation practices must be implemented to guide and assess the policy. Social implications: Precisely because funds are scarce this paper enlights the dilemma and the tension between quantity and quality in the European HRD policy, this is an important social problem. Originality/value: The study is original because even if the HRD in those countries had already been studied (Sheehan and Buchelt, 2016), no study analyzing specifically the ESF in those countries has been carried out so far. The authors use an innovative methodology and address questions on context, operations and impact, which are also innovative and very relevant.

Aim: To provide initial data regarding country‐specific evidence of workplace violence towards nurses working within the health sector in five European countries. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross‐sectional pilot study, conducted in June 2016. The sample consisted of 260 nurses working in selected health care settings in five participating countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, and Spain). The questionnaire used was adapted from the International Labour Office/International Council of Nurses/World Health Organisation/Public Services International Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Country Case Study—Questionnaire. Results: A large number of participants confirmed that they had been physically attacked or verbally abused in the workplace in the last 12 months. In most cases, the physical and verbal abuse was inflicted by patients and to a lesser degree by relatives of patients, staff members, or managers/supervisors. In the majority of cases, no action was taken to investigate the causes of the incidents. In most cases, participants believed there was no point in reporting the incidents. However, the reasons for not reporting or discussing incidents of workplace violence varied depending on the country. Conclusion: Workplace violence towards nurses is a serious problem internationally, and violence prevention strategies need to be implemented. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? The nursing profession is at high risk of workplace violence. However, the problem seems to be severely underreported.What this paper adds? A better understanding of the problem in the social and cultural context, together with data fill information gaps regarding workplace violence in selected European countries.The implications of this paper: On the basis of the data obtained, prevention programmes and recommendations can be established and implemented in nurses' daily lives. Evaluation can also be conducted of the effectiveness of existing programmes and standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes such as declining and low-level birth rates, ageing, changing household compositions and sizes, as well as growing diversity in households, residents and migration have an increasing imprint on almost every aspect of urban development in Poland and the Czech Republic. This is especially true for the housing market, neighbourhood structures and the demand for technical infrastructure, certain social services and amenities. Inner cities are particularly affected by these changes. Most recently, they have been shifting from areas of long-term decline and ageing to places of repopulation, rejuvenation and increasing housing mobility - processes that only partly find their representation in official statistics and consequently in recent research. The paper analyses processes and patterns of sociodemographic change in East Central European inner cities, using the Polish and Czech second-order cities of Łódź and Brno as examples. It looks at quantitative and qualitative evidence using a mixed-method approach and reflecting empirical findings with the perceptions and priorities of urban practitioners. It argues, among other things, that inner cities in East Central Europe currently face a juxtaposition of persistencies (such as decline and ageing) and changes (such as repopulation and diversification) that lead to a complex pattern of sociodemographic 'de-mixing' and 're-mixing'. For the practice of urban regeneration, such evolving processes urge planners to re-think previous agendas and strategies for inner-city development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the usefulness of the new social movements (NSMs) paradigm in the changing context of East European post-communist societies and their agricultural systems and rural communities. Starting with statements formulated in Western sociology in the context of Western democratic societies about NSMs as a protest against modernity, the paper analyses the role of such movements in the still modernizing Eastern European reality. The first part of the paper briefly examines some basic elements of the NSMs paradigm in European and American social science. The goal of this section is not only to identify the basic characteristics of NSMs, but also to identify the typical frames used by them. The second part of the paper focuses on the presence of NSMs in the communist era. Drawing on the idea of NSMs as indicators of a "post-materialist shift" as well as of "anti-establishment" and "pro-participatory democracy", the paper examines the frames of democratic opposition in Eastern Europe before 1989. The final part of the paper considers several selected examples from Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to explore the role of NSMs in the process of shaping new ruralities during the post-communist transformation.

Like many other developing countries in the past decade, Central European countries pursued financial market reforms based on the assumption that foreign finance would boost the depth and liquidity of their national financial systems, promote efficient economic management and enhance financial stability. Unlike other developing countries however, Central European countries expected to be shielded from the worst effects of global neoliberalism through the process of EU accession. This article evaluates the financial integration of Central Europe in the context of the global process of finance-led restructuring. The article concludes that the financial integration of Central Europe has failed to generate the promised optimisation of investment, let alone reduce macroeconomic risks. This is because the actual Eastward expansion strategies of Western European credit institutions were never geared towards addressing the developmental needs of the host Central European economies. Rather, they were always aimed at redressing the declining profitability of financial institutions operating in the already financialised economies of Western Europe. As a result, foreign financiers emerged as a powerful rentier class in Central Europe able to extract rent incomes far in excess of their profits in the west. The dominancy of foreign financiers in the region resulted in a reorientation of state policy, corporate strategy and households' behaviour, in line with the imperatives of financially based accumulation strategies. This lead not only to an unprecedented transfer of property rights from local society to foreign investors, but also to increased indebtedness and risk, which are ultimately unsustainable in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses an extensive corpus of texts from the German media and existing studies of German perspectives on Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia in order to demonstrate that there are two idealised culture cognitive models (ICCMs) that function as overarching categories for Europe: the ICCM west (the members of the European Union (EU) until 2004) and the ICCM east (the central and east European countries) as opposing constructions. These ICCMs are seen as hyperonymic categories to the construction of frames on a lower level. Frames are multielement cognitive models through which a society or nation views and structures its image of itself and that of other societies, countries or nations. The function of the frame is to present a simplified, often manipulative schema of a complex social, political and cultural reality. Frames are structures that include a variety of linguistic devices: metaphors that conceptualise, and nouns, verbs and adjectives that describe and evaluate. This paper focuses specifically on three frames (rationality/irrationality; power/weakness; civilisation/barbarism), which have been central to the German media representation of the new EU member states.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have been performed on the relationship between working conditions and health. Numerous parameters still require further study, including working hours and obesity among different groups, specifically older workers in national, regional, and international levels. OBJECTIVE: Working hours have considerable effects on the socio-cultural, psychological, and economic aspects of people's lives and health. While long working hours increases income level and raises living standards, it increases the risk of certain health problems. This study investigated whether working hours are associated with obesity in upper-middle-aged workers. METHODS: The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) dataset was used for the analyses. Analyses were carried out by means of a Cox regression of the panel dataset created with the data in question, surveyed by European Commission to 12,000 participants. RESULTS: The survey was performed in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ireland. We found that in most countries, especially Sweden and the Netherlands, upper-middle-aged employees working > 59 hours per week are more likely to gain weight than their counterparts working < 59 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings raise awareness of obesity in older workers, and highlight the need to regulate working conditions and hours in the European Union and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an investigation examining provision of physical education continuing professional development (CPD) in European countries undertaken to identify the types of practices being employed. We begin by providing a brief overview of what we currently know about CPD internationally in general education and physical education. Data are reported to reflect Parker and Patton's (2017) key characteristics of CPD that highlight effective CPD, summarise current trends and issues in physical education, and are intended to serve as a guide to how teachers learn and how they might be better served in that learning in these European countries. Studying current practices in CPD provision identified in this study provided modest insight to inform teacher education programmes and CPD providers on the current status of physical education CPD currently being employed in Europe. We propose these findings might inform international and comparative education with respect to CPD and set the foundation for physical education colleagues in Europe to develop a CPD network where endeavours such as sharing of CPD practices, engaging in discussion of those practices, and the design of collaborative research on such CPD practices are based.

Background: Nursing shortages, the substitution of practical nurses for registered nurses, an ageing workforce, the decreasing number of nurse graduates and the increasing migration of young nurses are important factors associated with the hospital safety climate in Central European countries. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate nurses' perceptions of the safety climate in four selected central European countries (Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) and to determine the relationship between safety climate and unfinished nursing care. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was used. The sample consisted of 1353 European nurses from four countries. Instruments used were the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and the Perceived Implicit Rationing of Nursing Care. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. Results: Significant differences were found between countries in all unit/hospital/outcome dimensions. 'Perceived Patient Safety' and 'Reporting of Incident Data' were associated with aspects of 'Organizational Learning' and 'Feedback and Communication about Error'. Higher prevalence of unfinished nursing care is associated with more negative perceptions of patient safety climate. Conclusions: Cross‐cultural comparisons allow us to examine differences and similarities in safety dimensions across countries. The areas with potential for initiating strategies for improvement in all four countries are 'Staffing', 'Non‐punitive Response to Error' and 'Teamwork across Hospital Units'. Implications for nursing and health policy: 'Feedback and Communicating about Error' and 'Organizational Learning ‐ Continuous Improvement' were the main predictors of 'Overall Perception of Patient Safety' and 'Reporting of Incident Data'. Therefore, nurse managers should focus on how to empower nurses in these areas in order to foster a no‐blame culture and effective reporting. In addition, it is important for policymakers to update nursing education standards in order to address patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to provide a comparative account of tax administration training systems in V4 countries. We also compare their structure to basic training principles, such as those set out by the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations. Because of limited data availability we concentrated on basic characteristics, not on performance indicators. The goal is not only a simple comparative analysis, but also to search for any obvious lapses in good international practice, to try to assess to what extent the organisation of training may account for the relatively poor tax administration system results. The data show clearly that, in the V4 region, the content of the tax administration training system aims to follow good international practice, specified by the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations. The training systems are similar and offer almost fully compulsory vocational training, and good possibilities for specialised training. All four countries have specialist institutions for tax administration training. The most visible gap is the very limited link between tax administration training and university level training in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of a variety of levels of education, namely, high school, vocational and university education, on the probability of being employed in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Design/methodology/approach: The data are from two waves of the Life-in-Transition Survey that covers 29 post-communist transitional countries. The number of binary logistic models is estimated to quantify the effects of different types of education on the likelihood of being employed, while controlling for different sets of covariates. Findings: The findings reveal that the effect of employment associated with university education is higher than that of vocational education, which in turn is higher than that of high school education. However, the differences between the effects of the various levels of education are not considerable. Any specific level of education is always associated with a higher effect in Eastern Europe as compared to the former Soviet Union. The effect of education is also found to be higher for females than for males. In the former Soviet Union, the positive effect of university and vocational education on employment is found to go down with age. Originality/value: This is the first study which compares effect of different types of education on probability of being employed on a diverse sample of 29 post-communist countries over the period of five years.

This article examines judicial reforms in the new member states of the EU in a comparative perspective. It explores the interactions between domestic and European actors in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and explains why the EU has had a differential impact on the way the principle of judicial independence has been implemented nationally. The differential impact of the EU is explained by considering both the nature of EU conditionality and the relationship between the judiciary and the political actors at the domestic level. The comparison reveals that the power of the EU is greater when tensions at the domestic level between judicial and political actors increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide an overview of student training in speech and language therapy/logopedics (SLT) in selected Central and Southeastern European countries (Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey). Method: Data were collected using a special questionnaire developed by Söderpalm and supplemented by Georgieva. Results from 23 SLT programs in the seven countries were collected and organized. Results: In all these countries, SLT has roots in special education or health and is centralized in the university environment. The training programs have positive accreditation provided by the national agencies of accreditation and evaluation. Results were examined specifically for evidence of the new paradigm of evidence-based practice (EBP) according to the revised International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) guidelines and the application of research-based teaching in SLT. The professional bodies that govern clinical practice in public health and/or educational fields are in the process of EBP implementation. Most speech and language therapists/logopedists in the selected countries work in an educational setting, clinical organization and/or hospital as well as in social day care centers. Except in Turkey, private practices are not regulated by the law. Conclusions: In the seven countries examined in this survey, SLT is progressing as a professional discipline but must be supported by government funding of SLT education and services to relevant populations. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proclamation of the Charter for Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in December 2000 at Nice, France, followed by its inclusion within the failed Constitutional Treaty and its current status as a legally binding document under the Treaty of Lisbon, charts the changing fortunes of European Union politics dealing with fundamental rights protection. This article outlines the main rationales and hopes behind the enactment of the Charter and notes that through the process of political conditionality it may have been devalued from its very conception. The article suggests that, following their accession, Poland, and later the Czech Republic, used the Charter and Lisbon Treaty negotiations, including their opt-outs from the Charter, to engage in a game of power politics that had both domestic and European undertones. This politics of power game-play reflected a need by both states, and Poland in particular, to respond to both the political conditionality that they had been required to sign up to as part of the accession process and to emphasise how membership had improved their negotiating power. The article suggests that the consequence of this action by both states has not only further devalued the Charter but potentially undermined the rights of Polish and Czech citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares cabinet institutions for coordinating the transposition of EU legislation in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. It examines how national executives have adapted to European integration and what factors have shaped institutional variation across countries and over time. During pre-accession, the Hungarian, Polish and (to a lesser extent) Czech cabinets established strong core executives for tracking EU-related legislative commitments, monitoring progress and reviewing the quality of transposition. After accession, the cores in all three cabinets loosened the grip on transposition, although to different degrees. The analysis shows that, if sectoral factors are kept constant, variation in the patterns of national adaptation can be explained with reference to external incentives and constitutional rules. High benefits of transposition before accession encouraged centralization, particularly in prime-ministerial cabinets. Fewer incentives under full membership contributed to a halt or reversal in core executive ascendancy, especially in ministerial-type cabinets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite high mortality from injuries and accidents, data on rates and distribution of non-fatal injuries in Central and Eastern European populations are scarce. Methods: Cross-sectional study of random population samples of 45–69-year-old men and women (n = 28 600) from Novosibirsk (Russia), Krakow (Poland) and six Czech towns, participating in the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study. Participants provided information on non-fatal injuries in the past 12 months, socio-economic characteristics, alcohol consumption and other covariates. Results: The period prevalence of non-fatal injuries in the last year among Czech, Russian and Polish men was 12.5, 9.4 and 5.3%, respectively; among women, the respective proportions were 9.9, 9.8 and 6.4%. Injury prevalence declined with age in men and increased with age in women. Higher injury prevalence was associated with being unmarried, material deprivation, higher drinking frequency and problem drinking. In the pooled data, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the highest versus lowest material deprivation category was 1.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38–1.79]; for problem drinking, the OR was 1.44 (95% CI 1.23–1.69). Alcohol did not mediate the link between socio-economic status and injury. Conclusion: Non-fatal injuries were associated with material deprivation, other socio-economic characteristics and with alcohol. These results not only underscore the universality of the inequality phenomenon, but also suggest that the mediating role of alcohol in social differentials in non-fatal injury remains an unresolved issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pertussis epidemiology was examined in selected Central and Eastern European countries andTurkey (CEEs) from 1945 to 2005. Epidemiology and immunisation coverage data were collected fromNational Health Departments and Epidemiology Institutes. Pertussis diagnosis was made by the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical criteria, laboratory confirmation and/or epidemiological link, except for Romania (WHO clinical case definition used). In the pre-vaccine era, pertussis incidence (except Turkey) exceeded 200/100,000 (range180-651/100,000), with 60-70% of cases occurring in pre-school children. Until 2007, a second-year booster was givenin Estonia, Lithuania and Turkey, and an additional pre-school booster elsewhere. During 1995-2005, immunisation coverage by the age of 2 years exceeded 80% (range 80-98%) and, excluding Estonia, pertussis incidence was <3/100,000. Age-specific incidence rates rose in 5-14 year olds in Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic. Incidence rates in children <1 year of age remained unchanged. There were two age distribution patterns. In the Czech Republic and Estonia, 16% of cases occurred in pre-school children and 17% and 22% in children >15 years of age, respectively; in Romania, Turkey and Lithuania, 51%, 71% and 73%, respectively, occurred in pre-school children and <7% in children aged >15 years.Pertussis infection persists, despite high immunisation coverage. Compared with the pre-vaccine era, the age distribution changed differentially in CEEs, with an apparent shift towards older children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal for East European Management Studies is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Taking a constructivist approach to foreign policy analysis and using German policy vis-à-vis Poland and Czechoslovakia/the Czech Republic as an example, we examine Ostpolitik since the 1960s as a case of a norm-driven foreign policy. We argue that the content of Ostpolitik, including changes over time, can be explained by reference to a prevailing norm consensus in Germany about the country’s foreign policy toward Central and Eastern Europe, which began to develop in the 1960s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on quality assurances of higher education in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland before and after the Bologna Declaration which was signed in June 1999 by European ministers to strengthen the institutional autonomy in teaching and in the curriculum of higher education in Europe as of September 1, 2003. Objectives of the Bologna Declaration; History of higher education in Europe; Quality assurance methods followed in Central and Eastern European Countries.

This article aims to make a three-fold contribution to the study of Euroscepticism in the wider Europe. First, it presents a two-dimensional conceptualization of party positions on European integration in general, and of Euroscepticism in particular, distinguishing between diffuse and specific support for European integration (i.e. 'support for the ideas of European integration' and 'support for the EU'). Second, it analyses the location, type, and electoral strength of party-based Euroscepticism in the four candidate countries of East Central Europe - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Third, it contributes to the ideology vs. strategy debate, showing that ideology is the dominant explanation for both types of support, although strategy at times plays a role in explaining specific support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the experiences of young, well-educated Eastern Europeans who have moved to Western Europe in search of opportunities for professional development, opportunities that, for the most part, are not available in their home countries. The focus of this paper is on the resulting outcome of downskilling, where these individuals work in positions well below their levels of education and capability. Based on 22 in-depth interviews with workers living in Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic, the study offers two major findings. First, although self-directed expatriates move to host countries specifically for professional development opportunities, they do little to research on their career and employment options prior to moving to the host country. Second, organizations are not fully utilizing the available human capital offered by Eastern Europeans, suggesting untapped opportunities to achieve competitive advantage through human capital.

Cadmium (Cd) and its forms has recently been a focus of attention due to its toxic effects on human health and the environment. We evaluated the atmospheric deposition of Cd during three consecutive winter seasons (2009-2011) at 10 mountain-top locations in the Czech Republic along the borders with Poland, Germany, Austria and Slovakia. Cadmium concentrations of soluble and insoluble forms in both horizontal (rime) and vertical (snow) deposition were determined using sector-field ICP-MS. Across the sites, 94% of the total winter Cd deposition occurred in the soluble (environmentally available) Cd form. Mean concentrations of soluble Cd in rime were six times higher than in snow (398 vs. 66 ng L -1 ). Vertical deposition contributed as much as 41% to the total winter Cd input. Between-site variability in Cd deposition was large, ranging between 13 and 108 μg m -2 winter -1 . Overall, Cd concentrations in winter deposition did not reach the drinking water limits and did not pose a direct threat for human health. Long-term trends (1996-2017) in winter Cd deposition were evaluated at six GEOMON sites (a monitoring network of small forested catchments). Since 1996, Cd input in winter atmospheric deposition decreased by 73-93%. Simultaneously, we found declines in between-site variability in winter Cd inputs. The highest recent winter Cd inputs were found at sites located in the northeast of the country. A north-south pollution gradient, which has frequently been mentioned in the literature, was not observed, with both northwestern sites and southern sites being among those with the lowest Cd pollution. Backward trajectories of the HYSPLIT model for fresh snow samples identified Poland and Germany as major transboundary Cd pollution sources for the Czech Republic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This article presents a bibliometric study of 200 European publications released between 2001 and 2016, about the contamination of mushrooms by selected elements. The analysis includes figures on the type of analyte, its concentration, the species of fungi, and its country of origin. In the literature review, 492 species of mushrooms (wild-growing and cultured) found in 26 European countries and their concentration of 74 associated elements were analysed. The papers, which dealt mainly with the heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) concentrations of mushrooms, primarily came from Turkey, Poland, Spain, and the Czech Republic. More than 50% of the publications provided data about edible mushrooms. The results of the bibliometric analysis showed that over the 16 years, European research on fungal contamination by selected analytes has not lessened in popularity and is ongoing. Many of the studies underlined the need to assess the risk to human health arising from the consumption of contaminated mushrooms taken from various habitats. These results were the effect of, among other things, the strong interest in studies carried out on edible species, in which concentrations of mainly heavy metals that are dangerous to health and are marked were indicated (Cd, Pb, and Hg).