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This paper is based on longitudinal ethnographic work among Bulgarian migrant women who work as live‐in caregivers and domestic workers in Italian households and explores the analytical potential of place and place making for transmigration literature by conceptualizing the co‐production of place with subjectivities. Such approach sensitizes to mundane practices of care and belonging, which actively create migratory lives of meaning. Drawing on Deleuze's concept of the fold as subjectivity and Clifford's notion of dwelling‐in‐travelling, I propose the term 'dwelling‐in‐folds' – and its mechanism 'folding place' – in order to make sense of temporary migrants' experience of place(s) that foregrounds their ability to connect and reconcile fractures and discontinuities, particularly when doing transnational motherhood. In doing so, the paper folds place empirically – showing how 'dwelling‐in‐folds' is achieved and unfolds place analytically – demonstrating the potential of this concept for sociology and transmigration studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To present the European Network of (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry and discuss issues of concern among (ex-)users and survivors. Method: Material from papers and documents published by and discussed among (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry is used to outline topics of interest. Results: The European Network of (ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP) was founded in 1991 as an association of national/regional organizations of (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry. The network organizes biennial conferences, all delegates are (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry. ENUSP aims include the fight against discrimination of people with experience of the psychiatric system, support for (ex-)user/survivor organizations, influence on policy-making, legislation and human rights debates, demedicalizing psychiatry, and opposition to unidimensional approaches to mental and emotional distress. Conclusion: (Ex-)users and survivors should be involved in monitoring psychiatric services, education and examination of mental health professionals. User/survivor-controlled services constitute an important innovative service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide a framework of mental health care reform across Europe. Method: On the basis of summary quantitative indices and expert ratings of broad aspects of mental health care structure, the process and outcome of psychiatric reform common trends and differences are outlined. Results: There has been a broad trend away from an institutional model of care with the mental hospital as the dominant institution, and community- and general hospital-based mental health services of varying comprehensiveness are in place in most countries. The social and broad community aspects of psychiatric reform have generally been somewhat less successful than changes in service set-up. Assessment of reform outcomes proves particularly difficult. Conclusion: Psychiatric reform processes have achieved some of their aims, and there are broadly similar trends. Regional variation is substantial and may be as important as cross-national differences. Mental health care reform is ongoing across the European region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe mental health care needs and challenges across the WHO European region of 51 nations. Method: Based on morbidity and mortality data from HFA Statistical Database and Health21, the policy framework of WHO Europe, major trends in mental health care needs, psychiatric reform and mental health promotion are discussed. Results: There is a mortality crisis related to mental ill health in Eastern European populations of transition. Destigmatization is required to improve early intervention and humanization of services, and national mental health audits are needed to create the basis for national mental health planning, implementation and monitoring. There are both problems and advances in service restructuring, and comprehensive mental health promotion programmes, preventive and monitoring strategies are required. Conclusion: Partnerships between national and international organizations, especially WHO and the European Union, have to be strengthened to make progress on the way to integrated community mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To present the work of the European Federation of Associations of Families of Mentally Ill People (EUFAMI) and discuss issues of concern to family carers. Method: The problem areas identified and discussed by family carers are presented on the basis of questionnaire surveys organized by EUFAMI. Addresses of national organisations of family carers are included. Results: A range of problem areas are identified; they include subsistence and welfare payments for the severely mentally ill, some shortage of general hospital units, problems of care co-ordination, issues of respect for family carers and family involvement. Conclusion: The aim of best practice in mental health care throughout Europe has not yet been reached. Key activities of EUFAMI are aimed at empowerment of families and best practice in psychiatry in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral health professional (OHP) education is likely to vary across Europe in accordance with an EU directive that is open to broad interpretation. It is not clear how OHP curricula are structured or delivered across Europe. The objectives of Part 2 of this paper series are: (i) to provide an overview of common practices in curriculum structure, the availability of facilities, staffing (faculty) and quality assurance processes and (ii) to consider how the existing programme structures align to stakeholder guidance documents. Methods: A total of 27 questions from a 91‐item questionnaire were used for this manuscript. The questionnaire was developed following the Delphi method to establish consensus from a group of experts. Members of the research team and colleagues from other countries in Europe completed a multi‐step piloting process. An online data hub was created to allow the respondents to be data controllers and respond to the questionnaire. ADEE member schools (n = 144) were invited to provide data. Results: Totally, 71 institutions from 25 European countries provided data between June 2021 and April 2023, which represents a response rate of 49.3% of ADEE members. Data on curriculum approaches, teaching methods, integration of topics of interest, clinical education, staff–student ratios, access to facilities and new technologies, teaching staff (faculty) and quality assurance processes are presented for Primary Dental Degree Programmes. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this series of papers are the first attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of OHP education in Europe. Results showed that the majority of European dental programmes are engaged in providing innovative and scientifically grounded education in order to develop quality future OHPs. Nevertheless, significant variability in the delivery of clinical education across the European OHP schools was notable in this dataset. A comprehensive view of the state of OHP education in Europe is not yet available but the O‐Health‐Edu data hub provides a means for all education providers in Europe to contribute data to reach this goal. It is anticipated that the data hub will be updated and built upon over time to continually establish a clearer picture of the state of OHP education in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate who would vote 'none of the above' (NOTA) if this were available on the ballot paper using original data from eight European countries. In particular, we examine whether NOTA would be used by abstainers and voters to protest within the electoral process. We also test whether socioeconomic factors and specific and diffuse support for democracy and its institutions correlate with a NOTA vote. We find that having NOTA on the ballot would reduce invalid balloting more than abstention and much more than protest party voting. Our results also suggest that NOTA is related to socioeconomic status, political interest, political knowledge and distrust in political institutions and authorities, but not to broadly undemocratic attitudes. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the increasingly large amounts of abstention and invalid voting, as well as the growing distrust of political institutions, in democratic countries. They also hold lessons for electoral reformers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of periods with very high or low air temperatures has aroused general interest for a long time, which is understandable since it has many dangerous effects directly affecting humans. Such perilous climatic phenomena include exceptionally cold and exceptionally warm months, which this study investigates for all Europe and for its five physico‐geographic regions over the 190‐year period of 1831–2020. Therefore, the research in this paper includes two periods characteristic of the history of climate – the late Little Ice Age (LIA) and present‐day warming. The studies are based on average monthly air temperature values from 40 weather stations in Europe. In this paper, exceptionally cold months (ECMs) or exceptionally warm months (EWMs) are considered to have occurred when the average air temperature at a station differed from the respective long‐term average by at least two standard deviations. The highlights of the study include the identification of a drop in the number of ECMs by 20 over the entire 190‐year period, and a highly statistically significant increase in EWMs by 44 between 1980 and 2020. These changes proceeded with different intensities from one physico‐geographic region of Europe to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research demonstrates a positive connection between psychedelics and increased nature relatedness. Enhanced affective ties toward nature are widely framed as being built into the pharmakon itself, and the relevance of experiences remains little understood. This paper turns to neoshamanic ayahuasca ceremonies in Europe, exploring the way specialists and attendants refer to nature in speech and performance. I argue that ritual framings performed during these ceremonies provide fertile ground for affective ties to emerge through substance‐induced experiences. I trace such framings by exploring how medicine and healers are being coded; how specific materialities are rendered meaningful; and how individual experiences are discussed at such retreats. I argue that even while participants prioritize individual healing, personal development, or the satisfaction of psychonautical curiosity, environmentalism appears to be anchored by the proceedings themselves. Thus, this paper opens up for analysis ceremonial substance use as a contact zone where coherence is produced intersubjectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current legislation leaves Oral Health Professional (OHP) education open to wide interpretation and may result in significant variation in educational practice and resultant professional attributes across Europe. Data regarding the current state of OHP education across Europe is limited. The aim of Part 1 of this series is to provide programme‐level data for Primary Dental Degree Programmes, Dental Hygiene and Postgraduate Education. Methods: A 91‐item questionnaire was developed following the Delphi method. The questionnaire and the Articulate glossary of OHP education terms were developed concurrently to facilitate a common understanding of language. Piloting was performed in multiple stages and included institutions internal and external to the research group. The questionnaire was uploaded online and converted to a data hub, allowing dental schools to control their own data and update the data provided whenever they wish. All ADEE member schools (n = 144) were invited to provide data. Forty questions relating to school details, Primary Dental Degree Programmes, Dental Hygiene and Postgraduate Education were included in this part of the series. Results: Seventy‐one institutions from 25 European countries provided data between June 2021 and April 2023, which represents a response rate of 49.3% of ADEE members. Programme‐level data for Primary Dental Degree Programmes, Dental Hygiene and Postgraduate Education is presented including programme length, funding, languages and fees, student numbers and demographics, student admission and selection processes and permission to practice after graduation. Conclusion: This series of papers, as far as the authors are aware, are the first attempts to build a comprehensive picture of the current state of OHP education in Europe. A comprehensive view of the state of OHP education in Europe is not yet available but the O‐Health‐Edu data hub provides a means for all education providers in Europe to contribute data to reach this goal. It is anticipated that the data hub will be updated and built upon over time to continually establish a clearer picture of the state of OHP education in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This consensus paper reports on the process of developing a renewed vision for Oral Health Professional (OHP) education across Europe, and forms part of a larger EU‐funded collaborative Erasmus+ project, "O‐Health‐Edu." The vision aligns with the World Health Organisation milestones (2016) and resolutions (2021), and EU4Health programme (2020) objectives ‐ and projects 20 years into the future, to 2040. This longitudinal vision takes a multi‐stakeholder perspective to deliver OHP education that acts in the best interests of both students and patients, and sits within the context of a wider strategy for general health. Included, it is an infographic to help communicate the vision to various stakeholders of OHP education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildland fire is expected to increase in response to global warming, yet little is known about future changes to fire regimes in Europe. Here, we developed a pyrogeography based on statistical fire models to better understand how global warming reshapes fire regimes across the continent. We identified five large‐scale pyroregions with different levels of area burned, fire frequency, intensity, length of fire period, size distribution, and seasonality. All other things being equal, global warming was found to alter the distribution of these pyroregions, with an expansion of the most fire prone pyroregions ranging respectively from 50% to 130% under 2° and 4°C global warming scenarios. Our estimates indicate a strong amplification of fire across parts of southern Europe and a subsequent shift toward new fire regimes, implying substantial socio‐ecological impacts in the absence of mitigation or adaptation measures. Plain Language Summary: Pyroregions represent the typical range of area burned, fire frequency, intensity, and seasonality that prevail in a region over long periods of time. Pyroregions are thus of great interest given their potential utility to determine regional fire patterns and foresee future alterations in response to global warming. Previous research has investigated the effects of global warming focusing on burned area and fire frequency, yet changes in fire regimes are often overlooked. In this paper, we examined the effects of global warming on pyroregions in Europe. We identified five large‐scale pyroregions reflecting different fire regimes. Future climate projections indicated an increase in fire activity and subsequent expansion of fire prone pyroregions across parts of southern Europe under warmer and drier conditions. The most fire prone pyroregions presented a spatial expansion ranging respectively from 50% to 130% under 2° and 4°C global warming scenarios with potential impacts on society. Limiting global warming would substantially reduce the expansion of the fire prone pyroregions in Europe. Key Points: This is the first study to project future changes in fire regimes on a pan‐European scaleOur projections point to an intensification and expansion of the most fire prone pyroregions in southern Europe under a warmer climateLimiting global warming would substantially reduce the expansion of the area at risk and the transition toward more intense fire regimes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transportation sector has a strong negative impact on the environment and therefore requires new sustainable development measures. This paper proposes a new indicator of sustainability in transport obtained through a multi‐criteria analysis based on Eurostat data and a panel of 10 academics. The results show a positive performance of Sweden in the period 2015–2019 and a small number of countries above the European average. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis based on these experts identifies the critical success factors associated with purchasing electric vehicles. The greatest importance is assigned to purchase cost, followed by battery autonomy. Our analysis proposes that electric vehicles are unable to achieve a sustainable transition unless three conditions are met: (i) use of renewable sources, (ii) local industrial development of the sector, and (iii) battery recycling. Therefore, Europe urgently needs to realize new industrial activities and avoid social unsustainability. The long‐term objective of a policy plan is to promote independence from external sources of energy, materials, and other resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a new synthesis of perforated fish vertebrae in prehistoric and historic Europe, with a particular focus on Poland, within the broader context of Central and Eastern Europe. The earliest examples of such artefacts in Europe date from the Upper Palaeolithic, but compared to other 'beads' manufactured from animal bone, perforated fish vertebrae are rare. This paper examines the diachronic trends in the range of species that have been chosen for such objects, as well as their depositional contexts. Despite the wide range of freshwater and marine species exploited by people, only the vertebrae of a few species—especially pike and catfish—were selected for use as beads. There is a general shift from their deposition in funerary contexts in prehistoric European societies to their association as low‐status objects associated with Christian private devotion in the post‐conversion period. However, this may not reflect continuity in the use of fish vertebrae, with a shift in their symbolism after the conversion to Christianity, given the substantial chronological gaps in the archaeological record. This synthesis nonetheless provides a solid foundation for contextualising future archaeological finds of such artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disability concerns all citizens and its public policies are essential for social improvement. Moreover, the increase in life expectancy will lead to most of the population being part of this group. In Europe, public policies have evolved towards the development of the welfare state, although there are significant differences between countries. Thus, this paper analyses the efficiency of public expenditure on disability among EU countries through a DEA analysis and the relation with social welfare models, as well as target values and improvement proposals, by studying the resulting differences as a consequence of their different social policies. The results confirm a limited relation between social welfare models and public administration styles with the efficiency on public expenditure on disability and that the countries should work in two directions: increasing public expenditure on disability (which would reduce the gap between target and actual disability prevalence values), and efficiently managing public expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic convergence has long been a declared objective of the EU and has been considered the fundamental mechanism for achieving socioeconomic cohesion. Even so, the empirical literature finds a lack of real convergence as geographical clusters have emerged. In this paper, we contribute to the literature on income convergence in the EU by analysing convergence in real disposable income across European countries. In contrast to the previous results on real convergence in the EU, we find that most of the countries are converging to the same equilibrium level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) published the first systematic review that summarized the prevalence of food allergy (FA) and food sensitization in Europe for studies published 2000–2012. However, only summary estimates for tree nut allergy (TNA) were feasible in that work. In the current update of that systematic review, we summarized the prevalence of tree nut allergy/sensitization to individual tree nuts. Six databases were searched for relevant papers published 2012–2021 and 17 eligible studies were added to the 15 studies already identified between 2000 and 2012, giving a total of 32 studies. Of the investigated tree nuts, meta‐analysis was possible for hazelnut, walnut, almond, and in few cases, for cashew, and Brazil nut. The lifetime self‐reported prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI 0.5–1.1) for hazelnut and 0.4% (0.2–0.9) for walnut. The point self‐reported prevalence was 4.0% (2.9–5.2) for hazelnut, 3.4% (2.0–4.9) for Brazil nut, 2.0% (1.1–2.9) for almond, and 1.8% (1.1–2.5) for walnut. Point prevalence of food challenge‐confirmed TNA was 0.04% (0.0–0.1) for hazelnut and 0.02% (0.01–0.1) for walnut. Due to paucity of data, we could not identify any meaningful and consistent differences across age groups and European regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cesarean birth (CB) rates have increased over recent years with concerns over differences between these rates in migrant communities compared with the rates among women in their receiving country. This review aimed at summarizing the available literature regarding the incidence of CB among migrants in Europe. Methods: A systematic search of four electronic databases was carried out, including CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Maternity and Infant Care. Identified studies were screened and their quality assessed. Meta‐analysis was undertaken using Rev Man 5.4 where sufficient data were available. Otherwise, data were synthesized narratively. Results: From the 435 records identified in searches, 21 papers were included. Analysis shows that overall CB rates were significantly lower for Syrian refugee women compared with women in their receiving country (Turkey) and higher for Iranian migrants than women in their host country. Emergency CB rates were significantly higher for migrant women from "Sub Saharan Africa" and the "South East Asia, Asia and Pacific" region than rates in the receiving country. Statistical significance was not found between other populations. Conclusions: This review highlights differences between CB rates in certain migrant groups in comparison with women native to their host country, which merits further investigation for potential explanations. We also identified a need to standardize definitions and population groupings to enable more meaningful analysis. This review also highlights a substantial lack of data on CB rates between different population groups that could negatively impact the provision of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the nature of contemporary societal conflict in Europe, conceptualizing conflict in terms of oppositional identities, represented by the archetypal extreme corner positions between which contestation takes place. By analysing key characteristics of 28,565 Europeans from seven countries in four distinct time periods, we find three archetypal corner positions. Each archetype represents an ideal‐typical configuration of values, attitudes and socio‐demographic characteristics which people identify more or less with. The first archetype (which we label Postmodern Cosmopolitan) represents an urban, higher‐educated person with cosmopolitan values and attitudes. The other two archetypes (Rural traditionalist and Urban Precariat) present images of Europe that are more nationalistic and differ in their political‐economic ideological position. Western and Eastern European countries differ markedly in the distribution of these archetypes over time. The novelty of this paper is our conceptualization and operationalization of the changing nature of societal conflict as changes in oppositional identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some fossil seed cones from the European Neogene identified to the genus Cathaya and published as a fossil‐species, Cathaya vanderburghii, are shown not to belong to Cathaya. In this paper, fossil C. vanderburghii is transferred to Nothotsuga and recombined as Nothotsuga vanderburghii comb. nov. An amended diagnosis and detailed description of N. vanderburghii are given. The fossil cones are characterised by ovoid to conical shape, rhombic to suborbicular and auriculate scales, and slightly exserted ligulate‐spathulate bracts with dentate margin and acute apex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper explores if re‐partnering leads to less traditional divisions of domestic work by comparing men and women in different European countries. Background: Divorce and re‐partnering have become more common, and we question if they are opening the scope for more gender‐balanced arrangements at home and new theoretical approaches. Method: Using the two available waves of the Gender and Generation Survey for Western (France, Germany, and Austria) and Eastern European countries (Bulgaria, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic) for dual‐earner couples, we ran a series of logistic regressions to measure the probability of having traditional divisions of housework. Results: We found less traditional arrangements among re‐partnered individuals, although we observed different patterns in each country. Respondents in Western Europe were less likely to have traditional divisions after separation than those who never experienced a breakup, suggesting that men's and women's successive unions differ from the previous ones in terms of housework sharing. However, in Eastern Europe, this association was only significant for men and not for women. Conclusions: We provided empirical support for a less traditional division of housework among re‐partnered individuals, but the West/East divide was only observed among females. Implications: Our results support the three classic theories that attempted to explain the division of housework between men and women. Nonetheless, they also suggest that among re‐partnered couples, we can consider the additional hypothesis of adaptative strategy, especially among men. This has implications for gender equality and family theories, as it opens the door to consider new theoretical perspectives to explain gender dynamics after union dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the availability and accessibility of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) for people living with HIV in Europe, including the feasibility of cross‐border care. Methods: We used a polymorphous engagement approach, primarily based on digital and email‐based interviews with representatives of national HIV organizations, clinical researchers (infectious disease and/or infertility specialists), European and national professional societies (fertility and/or infectious disease), national regulatory authorities and individual clinics in 14 countries in the WHO European region. The research design and results were also informed by two surveys and a review of the secondary literature, news articles and clinic websites. Results: Although MAR is possible for people living with HIV in 12 out of the 14 countries mapped, accessing services can be challenging for logistical or financial reasons. People living with HIV also face barriers to MAR independent of their HIV status, such as limitations on single women and same‐sex couples accessing services. Cross‐border care is available for most patients who are self‐financing but is limited for publicly funded patients. Conclusions: Even when MAR is available to and accessible for people living with HIV, there may still be barriers to treatment. Further research on patient experiences is needed to understand these discrepancies between availability and accessibility on paper and in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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ABSTRACT This article introduces the subject of this special issue and presents the papers that follow. It traces the origins of the label 'transit migration' to discussions of what was called the 'new migration' in the early 1990s. These migrations related to the particular geopolitical context at the end of the Cold War. Though they established the pre-emptive rationale whereby concern is focused as much on potential migration as on actual movement, there have been four substantial changes since then. As the geopolitical context has changed, so has the geographies of migration, with a general shift of attention from east-west to south-north; the technological supports of migration have improved, allowing migrants easier, cheaper access to different routes; the categories of migrant have proliferated and finally similar movements may be observed all over the world though only those in the vicinity of Europe are labelled as 'transit'. This leads us to a critical stance around the term 'transit' that is common to all papers in this special issue. Nevertheless, despite the problematic term, there is something worthy of attention amongst these new developments around the fringes of Europe. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short paper applies the pitch template developed by Faff (2015a), for a proposed accounting research project on financial reporting of European banks and the global financial crisis. I begin by giving a brief background to writing the pitch. I then give a brief commentary on my pitch, followed by a few key personal reflections on the pitch exercise itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is mandatory in most European countries and evidence shows a move towards mandatory CPD across all Member States in the near future. Malta is one of seven Member States where dental CPD is still voluntary. Discussion: Although dental CPD is a legal requirement for recertification in many countries, integral aspects of dental CPD remain under debate, like whether CPD is truly effective. This is because the methods with which CPD programmes are evaluated are not sufficiently robust to give concrete evidence to determine whether CPD will actually improve quality of care, treatment outcomes and safety for the public. Evaluating the effect of CPD programmes on the public is an extremely difficult task that would require an enormous amount of resources and logistics. The minimum requirements for the number of compulsory CPD hours imposed by regulatory bodies are not evidence‐based but purely arbitrary, and the core topics selected for CPD programmes, although supported by research to some extent, may not reflect the public's and profession's needs. The Dental Association of Malta recognised need for further research on dental CPD and embarked on a 3‐year Dental CPD Research Project. This project will be presented in a two‐part series of articles. This first article is focused on the background of dental CPD in Europe. An understanding of the current issues with CPD and flaws in methods of evaluation formed the basis of the Malta CPD Pilot Project, which will be covered in the next paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prominent theories claim that young Europeans are increasingly socialist as well as divided from their elders on non‐economic issues. This paper asks whether age‐based polarisation is really growing in Europe, using new estimates of the ideological positions of different age groups in 27 European countries across four issue domains from 1981 to 2018. The young in Europe turn out to be relatively libertarian: more socially liberal than the old in most countries but also more opposed to taxation and government spending. These age divides are not growing either: today's differences over social issues and immigration are similar in size to the 1980s, and if anything are starting to fall. Analysis of birth cohorts points to persistent cohort effects and period effects as the explanation for these patterns; there is little evidence that European cohorts become uniformly more right‐wing or left‐wing with age. Hence age‐based polarisation need not be a permanent or natural feature of European politics but is dependent on the changing social, political and economic climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel method to analyze multidimensional poverty by using a large set of feasible weights to summarize the information about the poor, which enables remaining agnostic about the relative importance given to different poverty dimensions. This method allows for the calculation of the individual probability of being poor in a multidimensional perspective. The distribution of individual probabilities can then be combined with Generalized Lorenz dominance techniques to derive unanimous consent for a wide class of social welfare functions with a minimum load of value judgments. The innovations proposed here allow to move from a dual definition of poverty, where poor and non‐poor individuals are classified in a mutually exclusive context, to a continuous measure of deprivation capturing both the extensive and intensive margin of multidimensional poverty. The empirical application of the method consists of measuring multidimensional poverty in ten selected countries using four waves of EU‐SILC data (2008–2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to the understanding of socio-spatial trends and urban systems in Europe, with a specific focus on smaller settlements. First, a morphological delimitation of urban settlements as geographical base is used to identify the different settlement structures that characterise regions across Europe. Secondly, an analysis of population and GDP performances of NUTS 3 regions for the 29 countries of the European space (growth rates in 2001-2011) provides evidence of the variety of territorial phenomena that characterise smaller-settlement regions across Europe. Finally, the paper highlights the diversity and complexity of urbanisation structures in Europe and how general trends observed at larger scale are articulated locally according to prevailing structures of urbanisation. It shows the character of 'embeddedness' of smaller settlements within urban systems and territorial structures and how the socio-economic performances of smaller-settlement regions are defined by a combination of macro trends, national contextualisation, local dynamics and regional path dependency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique contribution of this paper is to empirically compare and contrast demographic change in settlements with a population between 5,000 and under 50,000 (defined as towns) across different national urban systems in Europe with common definitions for the first time. The analysis uses a new data set based on harmonised small area data and harmonised morphological definitions of what a town is. The paper hypothesises first that a general model of demographic growth can be applied across national urban systems and secondly that regional demographic change is a significant predictor of demographic change in towns nested within those regions within this generalised model. A fixed effect multi-level regression analysis tests the importance of town-level and regional factors among towns from five national systems but also within two individual national urban systems. The findings suggest that national context still matters and within some national systems, regional context also strongly predicts demographic change in towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits variations in the timing of telecommunications reforms across Europe to investigate the relationship between the rise of alternative work arrangements and the emergence of the Internet. We evaluate whether sectors that are technologically more dependent on information and communication technologies (ICT) experienced disproportionately larger changes in their employment outcomes after telecommunications reforms were introduced. Our main results point to a disproportionate increase in total employment, part‐time work and home‐based work among ICT‐dependent sectors after the implementation of telecommunications reforms. These results suggest that telecommunications reforms affected labour market arrangements by fostering the adoption of ICT. The results are robust to several specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse discourses about Europe in Greek debates about immigration and citizenship and highlight the complexities of 'Europeanness' as a symbolic resource for argumentation in these debates. Our data consist of lay discourses from 2 rounds of online public deliberation (2009-2010 and 2015) about a controversial new citizenship law in Greece. Our analysis shows that Europe is an ambivalent category. On the one hand, Europe symbolises progress, but, on the other hand, it is also constructed in terms of decline and 'contamination' by multiculturalism. Further, our analysis shows that the category of Europe can be mobilised in contradictory ways, in order to support arguments for and against citizenship rights for migrants. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ways in which constructions of Europe are implicated in processes of othering and inclusion in the context of current immigration debates. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wave of privatisation is unfolding in Europe in the wake of the financial crisis, but it has yet to receive serious scholarly attention. This paper examines the case of Ireland, where an austerity strategy and European Union International Monetary Fund bailout conditionality have given impetus to the transfer of public assets to the private sector. Theoretically, the paper explains the roots of the phenomenon with reference to a reformulated concept of 'accumulation by dispossession' whose usefulness lies in emphasising the politico-economic drivers of privatisation, which have been neglected in the mainstream literature. A typology is presented that argues that accumulation by dispossession manifests itself, in practice, through four main processes: (1) private repossession of assets nationalised during the financial crisis; (2) restructuring of state-owned enterprises; (3) commodification of assets and services hitherto located outside the market; and (4) privatised stimulus through public-private partnerships. The paper's framework should be useful to conceptualise ongoing privatisation processes in other European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 11 March 2020 when officially declared a global pandemic, Covid‐19 (or SARS‐COV2) has turned out to be a multifaceted disease differently affecting countries and individuals. What makes certain countries more vulnerable than others has attracted the interest of scientists from various disciplines. This paper intends to compare the impact of demographic parameters, population health conditions and policy actions on prevalence and fatality levels of Covid‐19 during the first 3 months since its declaration of global pandemic. A country‐level exploratory analysis has been conducted in order to assess how demography, national health conditions and measures taken interact and condition the disease outcomes. Analysis relies on publicly available data on Covid‐19 reported cases, deaths and number of persons tested. Those data are combined with demographic parameters (sex ratio, mean age, population density and life expectancy), health data (cardiovascular death rate, diabetes prevalence, share of smokers among males and females and number of hospital beds) and information about relative national policies aiming the management of the pandemic (lockdown timing and duration). Our analysis confirms the diversity of factors and the complexity of their interaction in explaining the propagation and fatality of the disease across Europe. Our findings question some well‐established attitudes concerning the role of demographic variables and public health conditions in the spread of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Learning Analytics (LA) is an emerging field concerned with measuring, collecting, and analysing data about learners and their contexts to gain insights into learning processes. As the technology of Learning Analytics is evolving, many systems are being implemented. In this context, it is essential to understand stakeholders' expectations of LA across Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for large‐scale implementations that take their needs into account. Objectives: This study aims to contribute to knowledge about individual LA expectations of European higher education students. It may facilitate the strategy of stakeholder buy‐in, the transfer of LA insights across HEIs, and the development of international best practices and guidelines. Methods: To this end, the study employs a 'Student Expectations of Learning Analytics Questionnaire' (SELAQ) survey of 417 students at the Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) Based on this data, Multiple Linear Regressions are applied to determine how these students position themselves compared to students from Madrid (Spain), Edinburgh (United Kingdom) and the Netherlands, where SELAQ had already been implemented at HEIs. Results and Conclusions: The results show that students' expectations at Goethe University Frankfurt are rather homogeneous regarding 'LA Ethics and Privacy' and 'LA Service Features'. Furthermore, we found that European students generally show a consistent pattern of expectations of LA with a high degree of similarity across the HEIs examined. European HEIs face challenges more similar than anticipated. The HEI experience with implementing LA can be more easily transferred to other HEIs, suggesting standardized LA rather than tailor‐made solutions designed from scratch. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Implementing Learning Analytics is a promising but challenging task.SELAQ is a questionnaire that can be used to determine students' expectations of Learning Analytics.Several institutions in Europe applied SELAQ to implement Learning Analytics that meet the needs of their students. What this paper adds to this: This study applies SELAQ for the first time at a German university and compares the results to studies from the UK, Spain, and the Netherlands.The participating students at the German university show relatively homogeneous expectations of Learning Analytics.The expectations towards Learning Analytics of students across Europe are comparable. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Learning Analytics systems should be shared across institutions rather than being implemented separately as tailored solutions.More standardized or modular Learning Analytics systems are reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is the purpose of this study to systematically review the evidence of school-based interventions targeting dietary and physical activity behaviour in primary (6-12 years old) and secondary school (12-18 years old) children in Europe. Eleven studies (reported in 27 articles) met the inclusion criteria, six in primary school and five in secondary school children. Interventions were evaluated in terms of behavioural determinants, behaviour (diet and physical activity) and weight-related outcomes (body mass index [BMI] or other indicators of obesity). The results suggest that combining educational and environmental components that focus on both sides of the energy balance give better and more relevant effects. Furthermore, computer-tailored personalized education in the classroom showed better results than a generic classroom curriculum. Environmental interventions might include organized physical activities during breaks, or before and after school; improved availability of physical activity opportunities in and around the school environment; increased physical education lesson time; improved availability or accessibility of healthy food options; and restricted availability and accessibility of unhealthy food options. More high-quality studies are needed to assess obesity-related interventions in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide an analysis of inequalities and opportunities within European countries. For this purpose, we use microdata from 26 European countries collected using the European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions. This instrument includes harmonised variables to guarantee comparability across countries. Our analysis aims to detect whether European countries converge with respect to income inequality and inequality of opportunity and whether there is a spatial divide between European countries regarding inequalities. Our results show that inequality of opportunity in post‐communist countries is much larger than in the Western European countries. Furthermore, we present evidence of β‐convergence in terms of both income inequality and inequality of opportunity. Accordingly, inequality grows faster in less unequal countries, and therefore countries tend to converge with respect to inequality level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the level of persistence in the temperature anomalies series of 114 European cities. Once this level of persistence has been identified, the time trend coefficients are estimated and the results indicate that most of the series examined display positive trends, supporting thus climate warming. Moreover, the results obtained confirm the hypothesis that long‐memory behaviour cannot be neglected in the study of temperature time series, changing, therefore, the estimated effect of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows how both segregation by sex and segregation by hours shape the occupational space of part-time workers. The level of segregation by sex varies according to the shares of full-time and part-time work in total employment, and the trade-off between increasing the volume of female employment and decreasing segregation by sex is much stronger for full-time work. The author argues that there is less segregation by sex in part-time work than in full-time work, and that it is the gap between the volume of male and female part-time employment that determines the effect of part-time work on segregation in total employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The golden jackal Canis aureus is spreading throughout Europe and settling in countries where it has never been found before. Understanding its trophic ecology is increasingly important as it colonises new areas and ecosystems.This paper aims to review the diet studies that have been performed on the golden jackal in Europe and provide a complete overview of its food intake, feeding behaviour and strategy.Golden jackals were found to eat mainly small mammals (54% biomass), followed by domestic animals, ungulates and plants; together, these items make up 90% of the golden jackal's diet. Birds and lagomorphs were also often found in the diet. Domestic animals and ungulates were primarily consumed as carcasses, and not hunted or killed by golden jackals.The diet composition differs greatly between areas and seasons, which points towards the golden jackal as a highly adaptive opportunistic omnivore, and demonstrates its ability to use many available food resources. The golden jackal provides regulating and maintenance ecosystem services as a scavenger and consumer of crop pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the paper is to identify and explore specifics and trends of international scientific collaboration in the field of strategic management in Europe over the last quarter‐century. Specifically, the study analyses those scholarly connections between countries and cities on the basis of co‐authorship to determine the flow of knowledge from the geographical aspect, as well as the state of collaboration among different authors (co‐authorship and citations' networks), that is, the depth of such network (collaboration intensity) and whether such a scientific community is consistent, i.e. number of connected elements or related networks. This is the first time international scientific collaboration between researchers in the field of strategic management has been studied to such an extent. We employed all sources of relevant data and analyzed 5,237 results from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Through the application of bibliometric analysis, our study offers a comprehensive and up‐to‐date identification and assessment of trends in international scientific collaboration in the strategic management field in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A quarter of the European population lives in ‘polycentric urban regions’ (PURs): clusters of historically and administratively distinct but proximate and well‐connected cities of relatively similar size. This paper explores whether tighter integration can increase agglomeration benefits at the PUR‐level. We provide the first comprehensive list of European PURs (117 in total), establish their level of functional, institutional and cultural integration and measure whether this affects their performance. ‘Performance’ is defined as the extent to which urbanisation economies have developed, proxied by the presence of metropolitan functions. In this first‐ever cross‐sectional analysis of PURs we find that while there is evidence for all dimensions of integration having a positive effect, particularly functional integration has great significance. Regarding institutional integration, it appears that having some form of metropolitan co‐operation is more important than its exact shape. Theoretically, our results substantiate the assumption that networks may substitute for proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of national borders in the process of European integration and its destiny, border areas remain relatively misrecognised. This is particularly true as regards the contemporary geography of border cities across Europe. It is therefore difficult to assess what importance border cities and cross-border urban regions have and how they have evolved in parallel with the transformation of European borders. The aim of this paper is to highlight the urban dimension of border regions in Europe and, in particular, the diversity of configurations present. Through an original cartography of border cities, we hope to draw the attention of the research community interested in borders and border regions to an unfamiliar aspect of European borderlands and some of the issues and questions it raises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite that small and medium-sized towns (SMSTs) have been, and continue to be, a central part of the history of Europe, these places have largely been neglected by urban research. The ESPON TOWN project, on which this Special Issue builds, sought to redress this neglect performing a comparative analysis of their position and role across Europe. In this introductory paper we discuss some of the theoretical and methodological challenges when it came to identifying, studying and analysing SMSTs and the theoretical framework developed to inform our understanding of SMSTs. In particular, three themes are discussed. The first one is about the ontological problem of defining a town. Administrative, morphological and functional perspectives are considered. The second one reflects on a wide array of interpretative approaches about the relationship between towns and their regional context. The third one is about the thematic and multi-scalar perspectives that can characterise the policy approach to towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of the economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on corporate environmental, social, and governance practices (ESG), using 6,562 firm‐year observations from 15 developed European countries covering the period from 2004 to 2017. The results show that during periods of high uncertainty, firms increase their overall ESG performance, corporate environmental performance, and performance in governance. The relationship is valid for emission, resource use, workforce, management, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy subdimensions of ESG. Furthermore, during periods of high uncertainty, firms operating in concentrated industries increase their overall ESG activities and corporate environmental performance. These results suggest that firms use ESG practices as risk‐reducing activities like insurance, during high periods of uncertainty. Overall, consistent with the stakeholder theory, the results indicate that firms increase their ESG practices not only to reduce corporate risk‐taking but also to follow value‐increasing activities during periods of high uncertainty, implying an improved stakeholder engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an absence of absence in legal geography and materialist studies of the law. Drawing on a multi‐sited ethnography of European asylum appeal hearings, this paper illustrates the importance of absences for a fully‐fledged materiality of legal events. We show how absent materials impact hearings, that non‐attending participants profoundly influence them, and that even when participants are physically present, they are often simultaneously absent in other, psychological registers. In so doing we demonstrate the importance and productivity of thinking not only about law's omnipresence but also the absences that shape the way law is experienced and practised. We show that attending to the distribution of absence and presence at legal hearings is a way to critically engage with legal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird species are declining across Europe. Current European policy, that is, the Birds and Habitats Directives, focus on habitat management as a way of halting the declines. This paper explores the role of predation in causing bird population declines and asks if we need to reconsider our approach to the management of generalist predators.We analysed bird population trends and distribution changes across Europe, Britain and Ireland, reflecting an increasing gradient of generalist predator abundance (principally red fox Vulpes vulpes and species of the family Corvidae). We tested if ground‐nesting bird species, considered more vulnerable to predation, were in greater decline compared to other nesting strategies. We also compared Annex I designated species to non‐designated species as a proxy for habitat management.We found that across Europe, 74% of ground‐nesting bird species were in decline, compared to 41% of other species. This was especially evident in Britain, where the pattern was 66% compared to 31%, and in Ireland, 71% compared to 20%. Ground‐nesting species were significantly more likely to be declining than other species.These patterns are consistent with the idea that population declines are at least partially related to the increased abundance of generalist predators. In Britain, ground‐nesting species were less likely to be in decline if covered by Annex I designation. However, in Europe and Ireland, Annex I status did not mitigate the effect of nesting strategy.Policy implications. Current legislation is clearly insufficient to prevent widespread declines in ground‐nesting birds, and this is the case across Europe, in Britain and Ireland. Ignoring the role of generalist predators in modern landscapes may lead to further declines and losses. We urgently need large‐scale experiments to establish causality in the impact of generalist predators on ground‐nesting birds in different landscapes. If we value our ground‐nesting bird species, consideration needs to be given to the control of widespread generalist predators, at least until landscapes are restored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical variability of cancer burden was almost exclusively estimated for common cancers. Since rare cancers (RC) have become an area of priority for basic and clinical research and public health organizations, this paper provides, using a common methodology, a detailed comparison of incidence and survival for RC in the US and Europe. We estimated incidence and net survival of 199 malignant RC from data of 2 580 000 patients collected by 18 US‐SEER and 94 European registries, diagnosed within the most recent common period 2000‐2007. RC were defined according to the criterion of crude annual incidence rates <6/100 000. In total, 196 RC were classified as rare in both populations. Of these, 43 had incidence rates significantly different by at least 0.2 per 100 000:34 higher in the US and 9 higher in Europe. Five‐year net survival for all RC combined significantly differed: 54% in the US and 48% in Europe. Survival for 62 RC was significantly higher in the US vs 6 higher in Europe. Differences were not concentrated in a particular cancer family, and were mostly relevant for cases diagnosed >65+ years of age. Use of standardized methods evidenced that incidence and survival rate of majority of RC were higher in the United States compared to Europe. Possible reasons for such differences, requiring further studies, include distribution of risk factors, ability to diagnose RC, different registration practices, and use of updated International Classification of Diseases for Oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2020, the French President called to war against the COVID‐19 which was followed by the launch of a military operation called Operation Resilience. This use of martial rhetoric initiated an effective mobilisation consisting in logistical assistance to the health sector. While armies are increasingly used to deal with environmental disasters, aside from their traditional role, this paper postulates that the geography of the French and international military engagement can be used to analyse both the institutional strategy of crisis management and the message governments send to their population. Military involvement differs in terms of missions given and of the amount of troops mobilised. It first questions the use of the military in the name of national resilience in the political discourse and the way it displays a symbolic message to the population, before analysing the role of armies in the crisis through the spatiality of their interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]