Search

Sea buckthorn is a promising species that, under the conditions of Eastern Europe, has shown high productivity and is also a good and possible source of a wide range of bioactive compounds that have a positive effect on the human body, especially polyphenols and carotenoids. Due to the content of biologically active substances in sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), the species is of growing interest to scientists, the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the cosmetics industry and consumers. The aim of this study is to investigate the productivity and the correlation between the chemical composition and the antibacterial effect of four cultivars of sea buckthorn (Clara, Dora, Cora, Mara), cultivated in the Republic of Moldova. Sea buckthorn fruits were harvested at the stage of full ripening. Berry samples were frozen at minus 25 °C, stored for 6 months and whole fruits of sea buckthorn were studied. All quantitative characteristics were calculated in terms of absolutely dry raw material (dry weight). The sea buckthorn cultivars tested were found to have a different carotenoid contents (1.79–48.92 mg/100 g), ascorbic acid contents (74.36–373.38 mg/100 g), organic acids (malic acid 5.8–13.4 mg/100 g, citric acid 0.08–0.321 mg/100 g, succinic acid 0.03–1.1 mg/100 g), total dry matter contents (16.71–24.54%), titratable acidities (2.15–8.76%) and pH values (2.73–3.00). The antimicrobial activity of sea buckthorn, evaluated by the diameter of the inhibition zone, constituted for Bacillus pumilus 3.70–15.91 mm/g−1 for whole sea buckthorn fruits and 13.33–26.67 mm/g−1 for sea buckthorn purees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized Medicine is a challenge for healthcare systems in Central and Eastern Europe if they are to provide patients with personalized diagnosis and treatment. Personalized medicine (PM) is about tailoring a treatment as individualized as the disease. [1] Integrated care involves receiving care along a continuum of health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, disease-management, rehabilitation and palliative care services, coordinated across the different levels and sites of care within and beyond the health sector, and according to the needs of patients throughout the life course. Personalized Medicine and Integrated Care are among the most important concepts related to the management and organization of healthcare systems. This article intends to identify challenges to the adoption of personalized medicine and stimulate fruitful dialogue and debate about the evaluation of barriers and facilitators within the implementation of personalized medicine interventions, identify the barriers and take systematic actions to remove as many of them as possible to create a future where PM is fully integrated into real-life settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the current status of care and needs of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) services in the Central and South Eastern European (CESEE) region. Methods and results: We obtained data regarding the national ACHD status for 19 CESEE countries from their ACHD representative based on an extensive survey for 2017 and/or 2018. Thirteen countries reported at least one tertiary ACHD centre with a median year of centre establishment in 2007 (interquartile range 2002–2013). ACHD centres reported a median of 2114 patients under active follow‐up with an annual cardiac catheter and surgical intervention volume of 49 and 40, respectively. The majority (90%) of catheter or surgical interventions were funded by government reimbursement schemes. However, all 19 countries had financial caps on a hospital level, leading to patient waiting lists and restrictions in the number of procedures that can be performed. The median number of ACHD specialists per country was 3. The majority of centres (75%) did not have ACHD specialist nurses. The six countries with no dedicated ACHD centres had lower Gross Domestic Product per capita compared to the remainder (P = 0.005). Conclusion: The majority of countries in CESEE now have established ACHD services with adequate infrastructure and a patient workload comparable to the rest of Europe, but important gaps still exist. ACHD care is challenged or compromised by limited financial resources, insufficient staffing levels, and reimbursement caps on essential procedures compared to Western Europe. Active advocacy and increased resources are required to address the inequalities of care across the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory paper, reflecting the Thematic Cluster of four papers, brings together two themes that are important for migration studies: return migration and embedding. Beyond any simplistic assumptions of settlement and permanent integration back into the origin country, following return, or notions of ongoing unfettered mobility back and forth over time, this article knits together data from the cluster papers, focusing on Lithuania and Poland, to explore factors that lead to return, or indeed non-return, and subsequent experiences in the 'home' country for those who do return. Moreover, using mixed methods, including longitudinal research, we advance a theoretical framework facilitating an examination of how returnees negotiate their lives in the origin society and whether they intend to stay, or migrate again, through the conceptual lens of embedding. While emphasising agency and effort, embedding also recognises structural constraints that may impede migrants' expectations and aspirations. Hence, return migration may involve parallel processes of re-embedding but also experiences of dis-embedding as the hoped for return project encounters unexpected obstacles and may result in further migration. In mapping the field of return migration, through the concept of embedding, we focus on the impact of Brexit as 'an unsettling event'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical implementation of a circular economy in the European Union poses significant challenges, notably for the EU-11 (Central and Eastern Europe) countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze the transition of the EU-11 countries toward a CE by examining existing circular strategies, national-level policies, as well as bottom-up initiatives, and on the other hand to explore the prevalent circularity discourses within the EU-11 countries. The study employs a discourse analysis method to comprehensively examine documents related to the CE aspects. This methodology integrates both quantitative categorization (codes and categories) and qualitative interpretation (reading and explanation) to support the understanding of circularity discourses. The results of this paper indicate that the countries within the EU-11 are actively advancing their efforts towards a CE. These countries are seen to be proactively developing a circular vision and setting ambitious objectives to facilitate a transition to a circular economic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the notions of urban sprawl and suburbanisation are introduced and discussed in the context of American and European cases. The drivers of urban sprawl are discussed along with the main typologies analysed in the literature about the issue. The debate regarding urban sprawl is discussed in the particular context of Eastern Europe, and a timeline of suburbanisation is presented from the socialist years until today. Then, the specific case of Bucharest is examined through the case of Popesti Leordeni, where the particularities of the city development and the stages of urban sprawl are compared with the typologies observed in the Romanian context. The paper concludes with the need for further research to identify different or diverging planning practices within the metropolitan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines 16 years (2004–2019) of research on energy in eleven Central and Eastern European countries. The findings are based on an analysis of 3534 academic articles indexed in the Web of Knowledge database. The paper presents a systematic overview of the authorship, journal of publication, countries covered, and article content. The main conclusion is that the discussion is fragmented, because most of the journals (800 were identified) published only one paper on energy in the region. About one-fourth of the research was published in a handful of major journals. Male researchers dominated our dataset and there has been a visible increase in the average number of authors per article. The country most often covered by the research was Poland and energy efficiency was the most-discussed issue and renewables the most-frequently researched energy source. Surprisingly, nuclear energy and energy security, considered to be the dominant features of the CEE region energy picture, were studied only minimally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1990, three years after Andy Warhol's death and one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) organized the first one-man show of this pop artist in Eastern Europe. The Prints of Andy Warhol, although never shown at the MoMA in New York, traveled to the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Jouy-en-Josas, France, the Národní Galerie in Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Staatliche Kunstsammlung in Dresden, the GDR, the Mücsarnok in Budapest, Hungary, and the Muzeum Narodowe in Warsaw, Poland. The current paper analyzes the cultural–political context of The Prints of Andy Warhol. It first discusses the place of both American pop art and Eastern Europe in MoMA's International Program (IP) and then explores the organizational challenges, art historical contents, and public reception of the exhibition. The paper concludes by examining the broader impact of The Prints of Andy Warhol on both the growing awareness of American pop art in Eastern Europe and MoMA's cultural diplomacy in this region after the fall of the Iron Curtain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high resilience of the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) banking sectors during the last financial crisis and their major role in the CEE region in financing the economy and supporting the high growth rates achieved there, our paper investigates the determinants of banking profitability in the CEE banking sectors based on a Generalized Method of Methods (GMM) approach using data between 2009 and 2018. We have selected determinants from the macroeconomic factors and from the financial-banking specific factors using a two-step GMM method. Our findings demonstrate that unemployment rate, inflation, budget balance, non-governmental credit, non-performing loan rates, concentration rate and capitalization rate negatively impact on the banking profitability in the CEE banking sectors. According to these findings, some policy recommendations were elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the susceptibility of the Dobson spectrophotometer No. 118 to stray-light interference. In this regard, a series of total ozone content measurements were carried out in Athens, Greece for air-mass values (μ) extending up to μ = 5. The monochromatic-heterochromatic stray-light derived by Basher's model was used in order to evaluate the specific instrumental parameters which determine if this instrument suffers from this problem or not. The results obtained indicate that the Athens Dobson instrument appears to have an insignificant stray-light error. The comparison of the values of the same parameters measured 15 years ago with the present ones indicates the good maintenance of the Dobson spectrophotometer No. 118. This fact is of crucial importance because the variability of the daily total ozone observations collected by the Athens Dobson Station since 1989 has proved to be representative to the variability of the mean total ozone observed over the whole mid-latitude zone of the Northern Hemisphere. This stresses the point that the Athens total ozone station, being the unique Dobson station in south eastern Europe, may be assumed as a ground-truth station for the reliable conversion of the satellite radiance observations to total ozone measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialysis is a replacement therapy for patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Patients on dialysis are at high risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV), which has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. There is a wide range of prevalence of HCV in dialysis populations around the world. It is still unknown how prevalent HCV infection is among worldwide dialysis patients (including those undergoing hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). A review was conducted to estimate the global epidemiology of hepatitis C in dialysis patients. We searched PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), Global Index Medicus and Web of Science until October 2022. A manual search of references from relevant articles was also conducted. Heterogeneity was evaluated by the χ2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic, and the sources of heterogeneity were investigated using subgroup analysis. In order to assess publication bias, funnel plots and Egger tests were conducted, and pooled HCV prevalence estimates were generated using a DerSimonian and Laird meta-analysis model. The study is registered with PROSPERO under CRD42022237789. We included 634 papers involving 392160 participants. The overall HCV case fatality rate was 38.7% (95% CI = 28.9–49). The global prevalence of HCV infection in dialysis population group were 24.3% [95% CI = 22.6–25.9]. As indicated by UNSD region, country, dialysis type, and HCV diagnostic targeted; Eastern Europe had the highest prevalence of 48.6% [95% CI = 35.2–62], Indonesia had 63.6% [95% CI = 42.9–82], hemodialysis patients had 25.5% [95% CI = 23.8–27.3], and anti-HCV were detected in 24.5% [95% CI = 22.8–26.2]. Dialysis patients, particularly those on hemodialysis, have a high prevalence and case fatality rate of HCV infection. Hemodialysis units need to implement strict infection control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine internal and external factors as well as main obstacles to managers'/owners' participation in education and training. Design/methodology/approach: The sample comprises managers of 151 Bulgarian predominantly micro- and small-size enterprises. The data was gathered in 2020 through direct standardized interviews at the respondent's workplace. This study uses quantitative estimation methods including binominal and multinominal logistic regression as well as nonparametric testing. Findings: Regarding the findings in the relevant studies, the results confirm that the larger firm's size, the existence of human resource management strategy and practices as well as learning-oriented culture stimulate employer-financed management training. The lack of trainers with relevant need-specific expertise appears to be a major barrier. Additionally, the outputs highlight the role of other important determinants not being extensively discussed so far such as the level of development of the region in which the company operates, involvement in R&D and innovation activity as well as the issue of trust in trainer. Practical implications: This study provides insights into (under)investments in continuing vocational training which might lead to practical implications for businesses, education and government policy in lifelong learning. Moreover, this study focuses on a country with one of the lowest participation rates in adult education across Europe which allows for a better understanding of similar examples. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first paper examining determinants of management training in Bulgaria and one of the few in the European context. It gives support to the existing literature but adds new findings as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between foreign direct investment (FDI), trade openness, and economic growth are complex and analyzed by many researchers. Still, there are some gaps in our knowledge as literature documents positive, negative, and ambiguous impact of FDI and trade openness on economic growth. This paper addresses one of these gaps and focuses on the similarities and differences among countries from Central and Eastern Europe and West Africa. The econometric analysis covers the 1995-2022 period and employs panel data methods to reveal the long-term positive impact of FDI and trade openness on economic growth in West African countries and long-term positive impact of FDI on economic growth in Central and Eastern European countries. We also demonstrate that apart from cross-border linkages captured by FDI and trade flows, economic growth in Central and Eastern European countries positively correlates with global economic development, however, in case of West Africa this effect is statistically insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper revisits one of the fundamental questions of International Business (IB) scholarship, investigating the ways through which multinational enterprises (MNEs) establish legitimacy when entering a foreign market. We address this question in a novel context of Central and Eastern European (CEE) firms venturing into Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), employing a multiple case study approach. We investigate the process of legitimacy formation by Polish firms entering SSA for market-seeking reasons. We find that the firms studied use their initial liabilities of foreignness, outsidership, and origin as starting points for pragmatic, moral, and cognitive legitimacy-building by developing narratives that neutralize the distance between themselves and important local stakeholders. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the contingent nature of 'liabilities' in IB literature and shed light on the role of narratives in the internationalization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the validity of the degree of Intra-Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) trade pattern in the pulp and paper trade between Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Ways of solving the raw material problem in the pulp industry; Share of Soviet wood in pulpwood requirements; Analysis of trade flows in the paper trade exports; Statistical data on paper production and consumption of Eastern Europe.

Overall living conditions improved significantly in Romania during 2010-2020, even though over the entire period Romania has been one of the countries with the highest income inequality, poverty and social exclusion rates among the EU member states. Many research and policy analyses pointed out the improvements in social outcomes, as success stories of the economic and social reforms in Romania, despite the poor results from a European comparative perspective. Yet, starting with 2015, the number of those warning about concerning disparities between rural and urban areas increased. However, no systematic analyses focused on the dynamics of these geographical disparities. Thus, the paper proposes an analysis of the dynamics of the disparities between rural communities and cities. It argues that high and consistently growing disparities in all welfare indicators between these two extreme residential types can be better understood, explained, and addressed by applying the concept of geographical polarization to sustainable welfare. The paper provides a broad overview of the determinants of the growing polarization of sustainable welfare. It argues that European and national strategies have been crucial in guiding the social reforms in Romania, but not enough to prevent substantial loss of opportunities. The fast-paced transition to a market economy and to European institutions sparked an uneven and opportunistic development of its social policy framework. Finally, the concept of polarization of sustainable welfare, intimately linked to that of inequality of opportunities, allows a change of narrative and, therefore, also a change in focus regarding the need for social intervention, from remedial re-distributive measures and policies to strategies of enhancing individual and collective capabilities to sustain welfare over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bibliography on subjects related to Slavic and Eastern European studies is presented, which includes Anindita Banerjee's book "We Modern People: Science Fiction and the Making of Russian Modernity," Juliet Bellow's book "Modernism on Stage: The Ballets Russes and the Parisian Avant-Garde," and Carmen Bugan's book "Seamus Heaney and East European Poetry in Translation."

The scope of this paper is the interpretation of sustainability through the university as a traditionally recognized, value-based institution of knowledge, based on the example of Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary. Its aim is to interpret sustainability from different aspects, using the example of Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary. For this purpose, the paper reviews the development policy directions of the past period and institutional realizations through public databases. The results of the research show that there are different dynamics and focus in terms of resources and development implementations. From the point of view of sustainability, it represents that the use of resources with different dynamics and focus is a challenge for the institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mechanism of individual constitutional complaints has been in place in most European states. In the constitutional legal practice of European states, constitutional complaints as the specific procedural instrument for protecting a person's constitutional rights and freedoms have become an increasingly acceptable, applicable, and justifiable measure. However, Lithuania has introduced this mechanism of human rights protection only with constitutional amendments of 2019. This article examines the legal regulation governing the institution of constitutional complaints, as well as the use of this institution in Lithuania in 2019-2022. The research aims to shed light on the choice of the Lithuanian model of constitutional complaints and its main features, as well as to identify the problematic aspects of this model. Methods: To reveal theoretical and practical aspects of the question under consideration, this article combines different methods of scientific inquiry, including analysis of documents, as well as the logical, systemic, critical, comparative, teleological, and linguistic methods of analysis. The method of document content analysis was used to analyse the content of relevant normative and jurisprudential research sources. This approach used the text of the analysed documents to identify relevant words and phrases, contextualise their usage, and link the acquired data to statements in specialised literature. The analysis hinged on theoretical methods, particularly systemic and logical analysis, used to analyse virtually all the aspects discussed in the paper. Comparative analysis was used to compare the legal regulation of the constitutional complaint model in other Central and Eastern European countries and the Lithuanian legal regulation on similar issues. Teleological and linguistic methods of analysis have been used to clarify the content of the ambiguously understood provisions governing the individual constitutional complaint model, the true intentions of the legislator, and the meaning of the concepts contained in the legislation. The paper also analyses the statistical information on the admissibility of constitutional complaints in Lithuania and other aspects of using this human rights protection mechanism in 2019-2022. Results and conclusion. The paper concludes that after the amendments to the Constitution concerning the consolidation of individual constitutional complaints entered into force in 2019, Lithuania can no longer be categorised among the states with a limited scope of entities entitled to apply to the constitutional court and that the consolidation of the institution of individual constitutional complaints in Lithuania was undoubtedly a necessary step. The paper also concludes that most of the elements of the Lithuanian constitutional complaint model in the context of effective human rights protection should be viewed positively and align with the tendencies existing in other Central and Eastern European states. However, it's essential to acknowledge that Lithuania's national model of constitutional complaints falls short in providing certain effective legal remedies that have proved to be successful in other states of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a systematic review of studies on the situation of Eastern European Roma. It examines themes of community, identity, and mobility published in the literature between 2002 and 2022 in the social science, law, and education fields. Studies were identified methodically by searching multidisciplinary electronic databases and hand searching. The studies found were imported into Mendeley, and titles and abstracts were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A list of search terms with SKOS descriptors (thesaurus) was generated to cover the relevant topics. A data extraction table was drawn up with a set of fields for each of the studies. Items included bibliographic information, study type, study characteristics, participant characteristics, variables, main findings, and limitations. The database searches yielded a total of 6577 records. After an individual hand-search review of the texts, a total of 14 studies were considered and included. We concluded that very little research has been done on the central themes of the study. In addition, there are no texts that look in depth at the issue of education as a tool for poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the productivity change of the commercial banks in the CEE countries over the post-crisis period 2013–2018. The productivity change is measured by the Malmquist Productivity Index and its sub-components, applying two approaches—the asset-oriented and profit-oriented intermediation approaches. The analysis uses data from a balanced panel of 181 commercial banks in 11 CEE countries. We find that commercial banks' productivity, measured with the asset-oriented intermediation approach, decreased in most of the CEE countries over 2013–2018, with a decline ranging, on average, from 1% to 6.9%, driven mainly by a decline in technical efficiency. Nevertheless, estimates using the profit-intermediation approach point to productivity growth in commercial banks in all CEE countries, ranging, on average, from 0.5% to 6.3%. The empirical findings imply the need for the CEE commercial banks to further digital transformation and cost rationalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines how the radical right parties´ leaders work with emotions while addressing their voters and sympathizers on Twitter/X social media. We focus on the "supply side" on the level of leaders´ discourses. The goal is to demonstrate how they work with emotions, especially those of fear and anger. The context represents Russian aggression against Ukraine, because, typically, circumstances of a crisis bolster the ability of radical right leaders to use emotional rhetoric devices. Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia represent three particularly relevant and distinctive cases among the CEE countries according to the relevance, relative strength, and stability of radical right parties. We examined social media, particularly Twitter, since it is one of the most prominent tools of political communication today, especially for populists. We collected the data of all Tweets between February 24, 2022 and February 24, 2023. We combined a systematic quantitative content analysis with a more in-depth qualitative analysis of the key characteristics of the discursive construction of the two most salient emotions: anger and fear. We did not confirm the assumption that they would utilise the war in Ukraine since most tweets addressed issues related to domestic politics. The research, however, confirmed that despite differences, anger and fear play a substantial role in the emotional repertoire and represent necessary rhetorical devices. Our findings concur with the literature on radical right populism and its employment of emotional discourse. We found that even a crisis in international politics has been reframed primarily as a domestic issue and integrated into classical discursive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current social science problem is the use of quantitative or statistical research methods rather than qualitative and descriptive methods in social studies. That, in consequence, creates a contradiction in the process of genuine selection of a research method according to the specificity of the research subject. Therefore, the article aims to emphasise the necessity of the natural selection of a research method considering the subject of research and, moreover, to draw attention to the problem of overusing the survey method and statistical analysis as the primary type of research method used in scientific papers in social sciences prepared and published in Eastern Europe. The example from management sciences was used as a reference point for constructing the argument. The asymmetric assessment of research methods used in management sciences is applied in this article. The disadvantages of quantitative methods and the advantages of qualitative methods are highlighted. The findings indicate a necessity to integrate qualitative and quantitative research methodologies through a mixed approach, particularly within the domain of management sciences. Additionally, there is a compelling rationale to reassess the prevailing standards and methodologies in research, as well as the expectations of publishers in the field of social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Opole Studies in Administration & Law (OSAO) / Opolskie Studia Administracyjno-Prawne (OSAP) is the property of University of Opole / Uniwersytet Opolski 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.)

Contact restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the rapid expansion of remote work. With this expansion, new opportunities arise for the typical migrant-sending countries in Central and Eastern Europe to remotely involve their diaspora in their labor market. The aim of this paper is, by using the case study of Latvia, to show the potential of cross-border remote work for alleviating human capital losses caused by emigration. We assess the main obstacles and necessary adjustments in taxes, social benefits, labor market regulation and other areas to facilitate the labor market transition and show what incentives the country can use to become a place of choice for performing remote work for the diaspora. Combining the perspectives of employers, employees and the government, this study sheds new light on the challenges and opportunities related to the rise of remote work for countries suffering from emigration. The comprehensive analysis builds on triangulating secondary data, analysis of policy documents, a survey of employers, as well as a survey and in-depth interviews with cross-border remote workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collection of papers also shows how broad regional science is and how diversified regional policy issues are. Papers published in this special issue were collected over the last 2 years. The above-mentioned general rules and findings are to be applied when reading papers collected in this special issue. [Extracted from the article]

The term internationalization has been mainly used to show the expansion of economic activities of firms outside of their home country where they aim at capturing a bigger market. The Central and Eastern Europe region has gone through a process of market transition over the past few decades, yet the business internationalization process has played an important role in the states' economies. The aim of this paper is to analyze the firm internationalization process in the new member states and the Western Balkans countries and gain a better understanding of the process and its course over time. Due to different geopolitical circumstances, the Western Balkan countries did not attract as many investors as much as the EU member states in CEE did that have had a constant flow of investments once they were members of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the initial critical points of the EU's weakness in quickly responding to the crisis and the Chinese assertiveness in using vaccine diplomacy to achieve European political objectives. With the case study based on indicative research on public opinion, the paper provides a more profound understanding of the impact of Chinese-related activities in the CEE region, particularly concerning EU coherence and solidarity. The paper concludes that the Chinese presence in Europe via "vaccine diplomacy" threatens the unity of the EU and the CEE region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to study the spillover effects between energy markets and stock markets with emphasis on the significant crisis periods of the last 15 years, the period of the financial crisis that officially started in 2008, the pandemic period, generically called COVID-19, and the recent confrontation in Eastern Europe. Understanding the volatility transmission mechanisms between the energy and capital markets and also from the energy markets back and the spillover effects that result is very important. We use multivariate GARCH models to highlight a spillover effect between energy commodities and equities in Central and Eastern Europe. The highest correlations are recorded for CEE stock markets with electricity and Brent, and the lowest for CEE stock markets with gas. The biggest symmetric shocks between energy and CEE stock markets occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, the biggest asymmetric shocks occurred during the financial crisis (for gas) and the Ukrainian invasion (for Brent). We also find that volatility is more sensitive to its lagged values in the marketplace than it is to new information. The impact and contagion of shocks caused by the oil market are greater than those of other energy markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this scientific paper, we will conduct a multiple regression analysis using the nongovernmental credit (NGC) as the dependent variable and the inflation rate, unemployment rate and the M2 -- money supply as independent variables, over a ten-year period, specifically the period of 2013-2022. The study was conducted analyzing the macroeconomic data of Romania and the purpose of this paper is to perform multiple regression analysis method to determine how turbulences such as the pandemic crisis, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the energy crisis, have impacted the nongovernmental lending activity and to find whether there is a significant association as determining factors (a correlation) between the mentioned variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: In the contemporary world, innovations are the driving force of economic development and new products, designs, trademarks and creative projects are of key importance to everyday economic decisions. Both economic theories and empirical research concern relations between innovations and foreign trade. This article belongs to this research trend and is devoted to an analysis of relations between innovations and export competitiveness in selected Central and Eastern European countries. Purpose: The paper is aimed at assessing the impact of innovation competitiveness on export competitiveness in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Research methodology: The paper contains an analysis with the use of standardised innovation competitiveness and export competitiveness indices. Countries and industry sectors are analysed in terms of the frequency of occurrence of these indices with various combinations of their signs. The impact of innovation competitiveness on export competitiveness has been tested using dynamic models of panel data. Results: The conducted research indicates that technological advantage usually has a considerable positive impact on the trade competitiveness of Central and Eastern European countries but the strength of the impact depends on the branch of industry. Generally, the influence of technological competitiveness on trade competitiveness is stronger in highly and moderately technologically advanced industries than in industries characterised by low technological advancement. Novelty: The evaluation of the influence of innovation competitiveness on export competitiveness in Central and Eastern European countries using standardised competitiveness indices and a dynamic model of panel data is an added value in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Luridica is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego 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.)

This paper presents the rapid and dynamic transition of the Bulgarian book from the Late Middle Ages to Modernity between 1806 and 1878. Special attention is paid to the work of Hristo G. Danov—one of the founders of modern Bulgarian book publishing, book printing and book trade. His business spread within the vast geographical area of Central and Eastern Europe, between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires' capitals. The research focuses on topics such as transnational book communication, book travel from place to place and multilingual printing book context. It presents how the printed book as a new means of text dissemination was used during the Bulgarian Revival—the difficult process that had to balance with many geopolitical, religious and social factors, as well as characteristics of daily life in the Ottoman Empire. Besides the Bulgarian national context, this paper refers to the organization of book publishing in geographical and economic aspects, the pursuit of an intellectual project through an active search for authors, texts and ideas, and the relation between book publishing and politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbulent market conditions, well-publicized advantages, and potential individual, social, and environmental risks make blockchain-based cryptocurrencies a popular focus of the public and scientific communities. This paper contributes to the literature on the future of crypto markets by analyzing a promising cryptocurrency innovation from a customer-centric point of view; it explores the factors influencing user acceptance of a hypothetical social network-backed cryptocurrency in Central Europe. The research model adapts an internationally comparative framework and extends the well-established unified theory of acceptance and use of the technology model with the concept of perceived risk and trust. We explore user attitudes with a survey on a large Hungarian sample and analyze the database with consistent partial least square structural equation modeling methodology. The results show that users would be primarily influenced by the expected usefulness of the new technology assuming it is easy to use. Furthermore, our analysis also highlights that while social influence does not seem to sway user opinions, consumers are susceptible to technological risks, and trust is an important determinant of their openness toward innovations in financial services. We contribute to the cryptocurrency literature with a future-centric technological focus and provide new evidence from an under-researched geographic region. The results also have practical implications for business decision-makers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper details the results of an evaluation of the level of consensus amongst clinicians on the use of ataluren in both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients with nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (nmDMD). The consensus was derived using a modified Delphi methodology that involved an exploration phase and then an evaluation phase. Methods: The exploration phase involved 90-minute virtual 1:1 interviews of 12 paediatric neurologists who cared for 30–120 DMD patients each and had patient contact every one or two weeks. The respondents managed one to ten nmDMD patients taking ataluren. The Discussion Guide for the interviews can be viewed as Appendix A. Following the exploration phase interviews, the interview transcripts were analysed by an independent party to identify common themes, views and opinions and developed 43 draft statements that the Steering Group (authors) reviewed, refined and endorsed a final list of 42 statements. Details of the recruitment of participants for the exploration and evaluation phases can be found under the Methods section. Results: A consensus was agreed (> 66% of respondents agreeing) for 41 of the 42 statements using results from a consensus survey of healthcare professionals (n = 20) experienced in the treatment of nmDMD. Conclusions: The statements with a high consensus suggest that treatment with ataluren should be initiated as soon as possible to delay disease progression and allow patients to remain ambulatory for as long as possible. Ataluren is indicated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy that results from a nonsense mutation in the dystrophin gene, in ambulatory patients aged 2 years and older (see Summary of Product Characteristics for each country) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social & Education History / Historia Social y de la Educación is the property of Social & Education History / Historia Social y de la Educacion 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.)

Background: The Cytisus ratisbonensis group (Fabaceae) includes small shrubs with attractive yellow flowers, used in ornamental cultivation. It is widely distributed in southern forest, forest steppe and steppe zones of Eastern Europe, both in the lowlands and low mountains. This group is notorious for its taxonomic complexity and difficulties in identification, which accounted for incongruent taxonomic treatments and common identification errors, and resulted in a poor understanding of the distribution areas. The increasing availability of herbarium collections and accumulation of human observations through digital resources require their critical taxonomic revision and update in order to provide reliable data for plant species mapping, conservation and analysis of distribution areas. New information: This paper describes a distributional dataset of East European species of the Cytisus ratisbonensis group, which was prepared for the pan-European grid mapping project, Atlas Florae Europaeae. The taxonomic revision includes seven species and two interspecific hybrids and is based on the critical evaluation of diagnostic characters, nomenclature and synonymy. The territorial scope of this study is Eastern Europe, but it also includes some data from Central Europe, the Caucasus and the neighbouring territories of Siberia and Kazakhstan, which are included in order to trace eastern and south-eastern limits of the species distributions and to establish reliable synonymy. We report 3699 native occurrence records included in the dataset; these records are based on major herbarium collections which are known to hold specimens from Eastern Europe (DNZ, KRA, KRAM, KW, LE, LW, LWKS, MHA, MSK, MSKH, MSKU, MW), complemented by selected specimens from other herbaria (BUNS, CSAU, H, NNSU, NS, NSK, OXF, PVB, RWBG, TUL). The herbarium collections were examined largely de visu, but partly online. Besides the herbarium specimens, recognisable photographs documenting human observations on online platforms (florafauna.by, iNaturalist, Plantarium, UkrBIN) were also examined and included. All specimen records are accompanied with textual data and georeferences, which were produced for this dataset. Point and contour distribution maps are created for each accepted species. According to the distributional data, the Cytisus ratisbonensis group may be classified as temperate lowland and steppic in Eastern Europe. Among European endemic shrubs, C. cinereus (as C. paczoskii) was assessed in 2017 as Near Threatened, whereas its new IUCN protection status is proposed as Least Concern because the new data demonstrated that its distribution area is much greater than previously believed. A species restricted to the Crimea, C. wulffii, is assessed here for the first time as Vulnerable because of its restricted area and small population size (criteria D1,2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disorder affecting both males and females caused by genetic abnormalities in the gene encoding the enzyme α-galactosidase A. FD-affected patients represent a highly variable clinical course with first symptoms already appearing in young age. The disease causes a progressive multiple organ dysfunction affecting mostly the heart, kidneys and nervous system, eventually leading to premature death. Disease-specific management of FD includes enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase α and β or pharmacological oral chaperone migalastat. Migalastat is a low-molecular-mass iminosugar, that reversibly binds to active site of amenable enzyme variants, stabilizing their molecular structure and improving trafficking to the lysosome. Migalastat was approved in the EU in 2016 and is an effective therapy in the estimated 35–50% of all patients with FD with amenable GLA gene variants. This position statement is the first comprehensive review in Central and Eastern Europe of the current role of migalastat in the treatment of FD. The statement provides an overview of the pharmacology of migalastat and summarizes the current evidence from the clinical trial program regarding the safety and efficacy of the drug and its effects on organs typically involved in FD. The position paper also includes a practical guide for clinicians on the optimal selection of patients with FD who will benefit from migalastat treatment, recommendations on the optimal selection of diagnostic tests and the use of tools to identify patients with amenable GLA mutations. Areas for future migalastat clinical research have also been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over more than three decades since the fall of state socialism in Central and Eastern Europe, the position of the Roma in the region is rather ambivalent. Numerous European institutions, inter-governmental development agencies, national governments and European and national/local non-governmental organizations are involved in a pan-European effort to turn the tide for the Roma. The paper argues that although there are numerous efforts to implement development policies and programs to bridge the gap between Roma and non-Roma, there is still a gap between the discourses and inclusion policies developed at the European and national level and those at the sub-national level. There is a tendency to move away from the framing of Roma as an “at risk” group to seeing them as “dangerous people”, who pose threats to the security of others. The paper uses two sets of data sources. First, it employs a secondary analysis of three recent databases: – SocioRoMap – Sociographic mapping of Roma communities in Romania for community-level monitoring of changes regarding Roma integration (2017) and two surveys conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2011 and 2016). The second data source is based on semi-structured interviews carried out in several research projects that the author has participated in over the last few years. In conclusion, I argue that the two political projects of institutional developmentalism and securitization of the lifestyle of the poorest Roma can coexist, but the abandonment of the former can lead to complex social problems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research paper is to summarize a wide range of issues of an archaeological and early historical nature, actualized in the reviews of M. Hrushevsky. The scientific novelty of the study is in the first special attempt at a complex reconstruction of archaeological and early historical subject matters of M. Hrushevsky's heritage. Conclusions. The scope of M. Hrushevsky's archaeological interests is noted. Having been trained by V. Antonovych in archaeology, having practical experience in field excavations, and creating platforms for professional communication in the form of museums and journals, the scholar formed a panoramic vision of the achievements and problems of contemporary science. The picture of the state of archaeology in the late 19th -- early 20th century offered by him was characterized by academic correctness, the accuracy of critical observations, and the innovative nature of proposals. He strived for the disciplinary modernization of Eastern European archaeological science, which, according to the reasoned opinion of M. Hrushevsky, was delayed at the stage of forming an empirical base. Of particular importance at the time was the scholar's defense of Ukrainian archaeological interests in typologizing the historical cultures in our ethnic lands in a polemic with Russian, Polish, and Western European colleagues. Such activity had a considerable public impact and was an organic component of the scholar's struggle for recognition of the academic rights of Ukrainian science. In general, today, most of M. Hrushevsky's observations, expressed in discussions with fellow archaeologists, are mainly of historiographical interest. However, his calls to avoid haste in the classification of archaeological material, to interpret it in the widest possible cultural context, to select reflectively a theoretical and methodological array of tools, and to treat artifacts of the past with responsibility are relevant guidelines for Ukrainian science even nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out to analyze Kaikō Takeshi's travelogue "Kako to mirai no kuniguni - Chūgoku to Tōō" ("Countries of Past and Future - China and Eastern Europe"), which describes Kaikō's first experience of Eastern Europe and China. As a writer who got to be well-recognized for his reportage writing and novels based on his own experience, Kaikō's initial struggle abroad turned out to be the opportunity that lit his inner desire to continue searching for the truth, leading him towards the exploration of the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction, which is the writing he is still most well remembered for today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the impact of COVID-19-induced disruptions on supply chains, specifically focusing on the interconnectedness of supply chains and the transmission effects they cause. The gravity model framework, together with difference-in-differences analysis, is employed to analyze monthly trade patterns among Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, Western European countries, and other trading partner countries. The model presented accounts for the country's roles in global value chains (GVCs) by incorporating data related to exports, imports of intermediate and capital goods, and imports of final consumption goods. CEE countries have demonstrated a certain resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, they were not immune to adverse consequences due to disrupted supply chains, primarily in the imports of intermediate and capital goods. We find that the countries that suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic the least demonstrated remarkable resilience against disrupted GVCs. The findings of our study enrich the literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for the CEE region, by providing a framework for understanding the pandemic's impact on international trade. The results show that supply shock might be greater than demand shocks on production and trade dynamics. Furthermore, our results suggest that policymakers seek adaptability to changing supply and demand patterns, while enterprises should consider broader diversification both within the region and locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turcology Research is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals 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.)

This paper aims to analyse the individual perceptions of belonging to social networks among migrants living in northern Spain, exploring various dimensions such as perceived inclusion and life satisfaction. A quantitative analysis was employed with data collected through a survey of 373 migrants from different ethnic backgrounds. The findings indicate that (1) women have higher levels of perceived satisfaction with their life and social networks; (2) young migrants have higher levels of friendship networks; (3) the highest levels of perceived inclusion were found among Central Europeans, followed by individuals from Latin America, Asia, Africa and, finally, Eastern Europe; and (4) each social network under analysis was positively correlated with perceived inclusion and satisfaction with life. In summary, the results emphasise that a greater presence of networks is associated with higher levels of perceived inclusion and life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, typically inherited as a recessive trait, is a genetic condition predominantly observed in Central and Eastern Europe, with birth prevalence in Poland amounting to 1/118,336. In most European countries, e.g., in Poland since 2014, this disorder is included in newborn screening. Case Presentation: This paper presents the ophthalmic symptoms of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency in three pediatric patients. Visual acuity testing, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed and data were collected over several years (2017–2022). In case 1, a female born in 2010, exhibited abnormalities in the central part of the posterior pole, mainly in the macula, and included choriocapillaris atrophy and severe disruption of the outer retinal layer. Case 2, a female born in 2012, presented with progressive shortsightedness and choroid atrophy documented with angio-OCT. Case 3, a male born in 2013, experienced recurrent hospitalizations due to metabolic decompensations and presented with mild myopia, thinning of the choroid layer, and slight pigment dispersion with macular sparing. Conclusion: The main ophthalmic symptoms of LCHAD deficiency were choroidal atrophy, disorganization of the outer retinal layer, and myopia. Choroidal atrophy and pigment dispersion were consistently the earliest signs of LCHAD-associated chorioretinopathy. Although the progression of chorioretinopathy in each case resulted from metabolic decompensation, one documented case revealed that not every metabolic crisis results in ophthalmological changes. Nonetheless, strict adherence to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet remains crucial to prevent gradual deterioration and vision loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the challenges generated by the new layout of the global economy, in general, and in the Central and Eastern Europe, in particular. The recent pandemic, energetic crises and military conflicts emphasize the influence of digitalization on the public law, from the design of the institutional mechanism to the new regulatory perspective of the fiscal treatment for the income generated by individual and natural persons. The particularities of the digital dimension of the global economy have justified the need to use similar/compatible regulation worldwide for almost all the fields of the public law. This tendency is even more dominant for the fiscal law field, a distinctive area of public law and the main tool used by the states to determine the state's annual income. It is expected that all the governments aim at maximizing their revenues, using the constitutional protection for the sovereign right to determine taxes. The result is often inefficient, as the states engage in a tight competition between each other for the larger part of the taxable income. The short-term benefit from such conduct is unbalanced by the mid- and long-term distortion of the economic activities, asking for innovative solutions. The recent developments in international organization negotiation and the domestic perspective on the fiscal regime of the digital income have determined changes in the design of the public law concepts, favoring the mutual agreements on taxation and undermining the role of the national legislations on the topic. The assessment of these recent evolutions in local, regional and international taxation shows important changes in the design of the public law concepts in the digital economy: the imperative to draw multilateral agreements on taxation and the challenges of constitutional law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a socialist society where public transit was the primary form of transportation to the modern “Silicon Valley” of Eastern Europe, where the streets are flooded with cars. Cluj has changed over the years; overturned by university students for most of the year, the city and encompassing communes have experienced significant growth, which stresses the existing socialist infrastructure and causes high levels of strategic planning to accommodate the present and future transportation plans. Moreover, the CTP is no exception; as the only provider of public transportation in Cluj, it is at the centrefold of this predicament and needs to distinguish itself as a success within Cluj to provide for the community's needs. In this paper, we look at data from multiple sources to analyze what drives people's choice of transportation and pinpoint some fundamental notions as to why people choose private vehicles and other forms of transportation over public transit. Then, using SWOT and PEST analysis, we look to find solutions to benefit the community. Many options are available to develop more fluidity in the city, change the notion of public transportation, and create reliance on public transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The arrival of the African swine fever (ASF) epizootic in the European continent has pushed public veterinary authorities to act immediately in order to contain its spread by applying the regulatory guidance of the current Animal Health Law of the European Union (Regulations EU 2016/429). Control and surveillance measures, in accordance with Regulations 2020/687 and 2023/594, have been implemented. Moreover, protection and surveillance areas have been created around the infected holdings and the wild boar cases. This paper analyzes the advantages and critical points of the legal framework for the control of ASF in wild boar, focusing on the role of official veterinary services in European Union Member States (EU MS). Recently, the African swine fever (ASF) epizootic has been reported in domestic pigs and wild boars in several European Union Member States (EU MS) and epidemiological evidence has accumulated which indicates that wild boar play a key role in maintaining and spreading the disease. Thanks to the experience gained when managing ASF outbreaks in Sardinia (Italy) and Eastern Europe, Directive 2002/60 CE was issued. This directive represented an important step forward in controlling the disease, particularly the risk of spreading the virus to wild animals. Since 2021, according to Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which is also called "Animal Health Law—AHL", when the MS competent authority suspects or confirms ASF (a cat. A listed disease) in wild animals, it is mandatory to conduct surveillance in the wild boar population and implement the necessary control measures. Within AHL, Regulations (EU) 2020/687 and 2023/594 established special ASF control measures in kept and wild porcine animals, and their products and by-products, focusing on and underlying old and new responsibilities that vets (both public and private ones) have to accomplish under the new regulations. The new change in the legal framework deals with specific measures to be applied in the wild and represents a great challenge for MS veterinary services. Some of these measures have been well established in the last two decades, particularly those related to application in the farming system, while other measures are still new to veterinary health management and require a holistic approach in terms of intensity, considering all geographical, ecological, productive, cultural and social features of the involved EU MS. In this contribution, the authors intend to focus on specific measures which have been issued in order to limit or stop the spread of ASF in a wild, "boundless" ecosystem. These measures expand the field of competence of the official veterinary service to wild areas in addition to farm activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective implementation of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the main challenges in regard to the organization of local energy microgrids with buildings. One of the solutions is the use of dynamic building façades with photovoltaic (PV) panels, in particular the innovative perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This paper describes a case study performed on a pilot installation of perovskite PV panels located in Poland, Central-Eastern Europe. Results of preliminary measurements on this installation are provided in terms of verifying its energy efficiency and the possibility of selecting settings for the façade dynamics control system. Our experiments have considered the sun-tracking mechanism and its energy consumption as well as the impact of weather conditions at different times of the year. The energy efficiency results for the PV system, with average levels below 10%, are rather low. Therefore, even small energy savings in the operation of the PV system itself are significant. Changes in control scenarios for sun-tracking have been proposed and have obtained a reduction from 5% to 1% of energy consumption in autumn and from almost 3.2% to 0.6% in spring, in relation to overall energy produced by the PV system. The need for further experimental research from the perspective of the development and extension of the analyzed installation is pointed out as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Media Research / Zeszyty Prasoznawcze is the property of Jagiellonian University Press 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.)