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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life in Europe and globally. The pandemic affects both individuals and the broader society across many domains, including physical and psychological health, the economy and general welfare. The measures taken to counteract the pandemic have significantly altered daily life and, along with the threat of contracting the coronavirus and uncertainties surrounding future developments, created a complex system of stressors with a negative impact on public mental health. This paper aims to outline the ESTSS strategy to address mental health issues related to COVID-19 and focuses on (1) trauma-informed policies, (2) capacity building, (3) collaborative research and (4) knowledge-exchange. To facilitate implementation of a trauma-informed approach and appropriate measures, ESTSS has developed a toolkit of recommendations on mental health and psychosocial assistance to be provided during the different phases of crisis and its aftermath. To promote capacity building, ESTSS offers a certification programme based on a curriculum in psychotraumatology and corresponding on-line training to the European community of mental health professionals. To assure evidence-based approaches and methods tailored to current circumstances, ESTSS has initiated a pan-European research project with international cooperation aimed at studying the mental health consequences of the pandemic, with a focus on psychological trauma and other stress-related reactions. To foster knowledge-exchange, the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (EJPT), the official journal of ESTSS, is publishing a special issue on COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), like many other research funders, requires its grantees to make papers available via open access (OA). This article investigates the effect of publishing in OA journals and international collaboration within and between European and sub-Saharan African countries on citation impact and likelihood of falling into the top 1% and top 10% most cited papers in poverty-related disease (PRD) research. Methods: Disease-specific research publications were identified in the Web of Science™ and MEDLINE using Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. Data on the open accessibility of scientific literature were derived from 1science oaFindr. Publication data, including relative citation counts, were extracted for 2003–2015. Regression models were applied to quantify the relationship between relative citations and presence in the 1% and top 10% most cited papers versus OA and international collaboration. Results: The results show that since 2003 papers on PRDs have become increasingly available in OA. Among all PRD areas, malaria research is most frequently published in OA and in international collaboration. The adjusted regression analyses show that holding other factors constant, publishing research in OA and in international collaboration has a significant and meaningful citation advantage over non-OA or non-international collaborative research. Publishing papers as part of a European-wide or European- sub-Saharan African collaboration increases research impact. In contrast, such collaboration advantage is not observed for research output involving sub-Saharan Africa only which seems to decrease research impact. Conclusions: Our results indicate that there is a real, measurable citation advantage for publishing PRD research in OA and international collaboration. However, the international collaboration advantage seems to be region-specific with increased research impact for European-wide and European-sub-Saharan African collaborations but a decrease in research impact of collaborations confined to sub-Saharan African research institutions. Further research is required to further verify this finding and to understand the underlying factors related to this observed decrease in research impact. To target future research capacity building activities in sub-Saharan Africa it is important to assess whether the observed decreased impact reflects the scientific competencies and geographic distribution of individual researchers or institutional-, national- or funder-specific research requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the impact of a scholarly paper is of great significance, yet the effect of geographical distance of cited papers has not been explored. In this paper, we examine 30,596 papers published in Physical Review C, and identify the relationship between citations and geographical distances between author affiliations. Subsequently, a relative citation weight is applied to assess the impact of a scholarly paper. A higher-order weighted quantum PageRank algorithm is also developed to address the behavior of multiple step citation flow. Capturing the citation dynamics with higher-order dependencies reveals the actual impact of papers, including necessary self-citations that are sometimes excluded in prior studies. Quantum PageRank is utilized in this paper to help differentiating nodes whose PageRank values are identical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The total demand for freight transport in Europe has increased significantly in recent decades, but most of it has been handled by road transport. To fulfil the modal shift targets set in the EU White Paper 2011, it will be necessary to double rail's market share from today's 18 %, by 2050. Translating this into reality means rail will have to handle 3 to 4 times the cargo volume it does today. With this in mind, the paper develops a vision of an efficient rail freight system in 2050. Methodology: To achieve the above objective, the research applies literature survey and group discussion methodology and applying a system approach. Keeping on board the EU Transport White Paper 2011 modal shift targets, as well as future freight demand and customer requirements, the current research attempts to answer the following three critical questions: Results: The authors find that the service quality can be improved by better planning, application of appropriate ICT-systems and adoption of an integrated supply chain approach. A more customer-orientated service can also be achieved by further deregulation of rail. There is also an urgent need for a faster implementation of Rail Freight Corridors (RFC). As well as liner trains, future rail freight services should be offering end-point trains, with semi/ fully automated loading/unloading equipment in hub-terminals, as well as terminals at sidings to improve the availability of intermodal operation. Conclusion: To offer a competitive price and reliable service, a reduction in operating costs will be vital by implementing a number of measures, including operation of heavier and longer trains, wider loading gauge, higher average speed, and better utilisation of wagon space and all assets. This will bring increased capacity, as well as better timetable planning, signalling systems and infrastructure improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to analyze the development of rural tourism in Europe and the tourist specifics of countries with renowned destinations, focusing on the impact of COVID-19 from 2019 to 2022 and its influence on tourism trends. By utilizing data and documentation from the pandemic period, we aim to identify emerging trends in Europe and evaluate the sector's ability to recover to pre-pandemic levels. The analysis and conclusions are inevitably shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic period, with its effects compared against specified parameters. The statistical analysis, utilizing specific indices, shows that the pandemic had a negative impact on tourism activities, resulting in significant declines and underscoring the sector's vulnerability during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic atrophy is an eye disease that greatly interferes with the daily lives of patients and their families, posing a serious threat to the aging European demographic. Over the past 30 months, this initiative has assembled leading experts in the field of ophthalmology to share insights on the necessary policy steps that need to be taken to overcome this challenge on an EU-wide scale. Through analyzing best practices in Germany, Italy, France, and Spain, this consensus paper sets out a series of policy recommendations, which, if implemented, could greatly benefit all individuals affected by geographic atrophy. Amongst other features, these countries have provided valuable examples of awareness campaigns and an overall commitment to inclusive and comprehensive policies. The policy recommendations emerging from this paper include the adoption of comprehensive screening programs, retinal disease screening in the EU Driving License Directive, the development of a white paper at the European Commission, and the creation of Council recommendations on eye health screening. Given the significant improvements made at the national level throughout the EU, countries will require unitary support at the European level to further develop their policies and successfully address the burden of geographic atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critique of planning and new proposals to reform the English planning system and "rethink planning from first principles" have led to the introduction of rules-based principles into what is regarded as the paradigm of a discretionary planning system, culminating in a recent White Paper, which it is claimed will create a faster and better planning system than the existing discretionary approach. But are these proposals based on an oversimplified understanding of the differences between discretionary and regulatory models, neglecting, for example, the negotiation between stakeholders and the flexibility which also exists in regulatory planning systems? Our contribution will review some of the recent changes of the English planning system and reflect on experiences with zoning in European countries to bust the myth that the planning reform claims to address: the possibility to combine faster decision making with better place making and less interference from local planning authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of recently accelerating global warming, the changes in vegetation trends are vital for the monitoring of the dynamics of both whole ecosystems and individual species. Detecting changes within the time series of specific forest ecosystems or species is very important in the context of assessing their vulnerability to climate change and other negative phenomena. Hence, the aim of this paper was to identify the trend change points and periods of greening and browning in multi-annual time series of the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) of four main forest-forming tree species in the temperate zone: pine, spruce, oak and beech. The research was conducted over the last two decades (2002–2022), and was based on vegetation indices data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). To this end, several research approaches, including calculating the linear trends in the moving periods and BEAST algorithm, were adapted. A pattern of browning then greening then constant was detected for coniferous species, mostly pine. In turn, for broadleaved species, namely oak and beech, a pattern of greening then constant was identified, without the initial phase of browning. The main trend change points seem to be ca. 2006 and ca. 2015 for coniferous species and solely around 2015 for deciduous ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Internal business factors are vital to how a company achieves its goals. The present study of internal drivers of pharmaceutical company performance is very insightful, as it has the potential to boost further competitiveness, it may allow health authority personnel to have guidelines to make strategic decisions, as well as inspire investor confidence, ensure regulatory compliance and performance benchmarking, and support talent acquisition and retention. In addition, it can identify the important internal factors that need to receive more priority. Purpose of the article: The European pharmaceutical industry is currently facing multiple challenges. This paper aims to map the relative relationships among the internal factors that influence the business performance of pharmaceutical companies in Europe by using the DEMATEL approach. Method: There are two phases of the present study, an extensive literature review and the use of the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. To identify the key internal drivers and their cause-and-effect relationship with pharmaceutical company performance in Europe, data from experts were obtained using the predesigned DEMATEL questionnaire. Findings & value added: The extensive literature review from the Web of Science and Scopus databases found that seven internal factors are very demanding in the case of European pharmaceutical business performance. The main elements that have the highest impact on pharmaceutical business performance in Europe are human resources competencies, the information system, technological competitiveness, and the patent system. However, financial profitability, research and development competencies, alliances with other companies, and supply chain management are the factors that are affected more by other factors. The study is the first attempt to identify the internal business performance of the pharmaceutical sector in Europe by working with pragmatic and perceptive decisions from pharmaceutical stakeholders in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we provide integrative description (morphological and genetic) of the new eutardigrade species Mesobiotus mandalorisp. nov. from central Poland, found during research on the vertical distribution of Tardigrada in the Czerniejewskie Forests. Mesobiotus mandalorisp. nov. belongs to the harmsworthi group, but it differs from the members of this group in some morphometric characters of the bucco-pharyngeal apparatus, claws and/or eggs. Morphologically, Meb. mandalorisp. nov. is most similar to Meb. pseudocoronatus, but it differs from it by a larger bare egg diameter and smaller number of egg processes on egg circumference. Morphometrical data were supported by results of comparative genetic analysis of four molecular markers: 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS2 and COI. According to COI the new species is most similar to Meb. skorackii with the genetic distance of 21.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses 24 European Union countries in terms of food security in 2021. In this paper, we develop a composite food security index considering various weights of indicators. The data were obtained from the FAOSTAT and Eurostat databases. The weights of 10 input indicators were estimated using a principal component analysis-based factor analysis model. The results showed that the harmonised index of consumer prices -- food had the greatest impact on the food security index, while the impact of median equivalised net income and moderate or severe food insecurity had the lowest impact. Ireland achieved the highest ranking according to the Food Security Index. Bulgaria experienced the most unfavourable situation among EU countries. Slovakia ranked 22nd out of 24 countries due to its lowest protein supply, including animal-derived proteins. As part of the analysis, our research compared the food security index with the official Global Food Security Index. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.84 indicated a robust correlation between the two indexes. Consequently, this newly developed Food Security Index is appropriate for assessing the food security status of European Union countries. Furthermore, it broadens the assessment of food security by including countries that are not in the commonly used Global Food Security Index (GFSI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the attitudes of European socio-political elites towards migration, with a particular focus on their views on current migration movements that are partly common and partly divergent, depending on the interests that guide them and their societies. Regarding the attitudes of socio-political elites towards the migrant issue, it is observed that the creators of European policies mainly advocate for the ‘externalisation’ of control over the migration issue, primarily involving the relocation of migrant rights outside the EU borders and disregarding their human rights. There is also a noticeable trend of informal deviation from the principles of human rights and freedoms associated with the migration problem, approaching the perspectives of the so-called Visegrád Group, while fundamentally remaining on liberal positions in this domain. The subject of this paper is the relationship between European socio-political elites and current migrations, and the methods applied in the paper include scientific-descriptive, comparative, and content analysis. The aim of the paper is to analyse the most dominant attitudes and indicate the consequences of specific decisions made by individual European socio-political elites regarding migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of economic instruments within environmental policy has become a challenging topic for policymakers, governments and scholars. Environmental taxes have emerged as a prevailing preference in developed countries to promote sustainability. Recently, a particular focus has been given to waste generation and disposal, shifting the attention from greenhouse gases to another important source of environmental pollution. This paper investigates the effect of national environmental taxes and policies on industrial waste. A fixed effects model is used for 34 countries across Europe from 2004 to 2022. The results suggest that environmental taxes and energy policies reduce industrial (hazardous and non-hazardous) waste. However, environmental tax reforms should take into consideration the deterioration in environmental quality, the increase in economic costs and undesirable social consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raimonds Cinovskis (1930–1998) devoted his entire life to plants, especially to the research of dendroflora in Latvia, as well as in the Baltic states in general, and he also participated in botanical expeditions in several places in Asia. He introduced many new names of plant taxa, described new taxa, and made new name combinations. Although the plant names he created are widely used by Latvian botanists and can also be found in the seed exchange catalogues issued by local botanic gardens, these names have never been (with some exceptions) evaluated before. This paper summarises all of the names of plant taxa introduced by R. Cinovskis. It was established that R. Cinovskis introduced more than 200 new names of plant taxa or new name combinations for plants belonging to 11 plant families — Betulaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Cupressaceae, Grossulariaceae, Juglandaceae, Pinaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae, Sapindaceae, and Ulmaceae. The majority of the names of plant taxa were for plants of the rose family (Rosaceae). Critically evaluating the compliance of the names introduced by R. Cinovskis with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, it was concluded that the majority of the names were published illegitimately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, samples of mosses, lichens and cryptogams (mosses mixed with lichens) collected from Słowiński National Park (northern Poland) were studied for water bears (Tardigrada). In total, 27 tardigrade taxa were identified: 21 to the species level, one identified as „cf." and three to the genus level, with six species (Eremobiotus ginevrae, Hypsibius dujardini, Hypsibius scabropygus, Milnesium beasleyi, Minibiotus intermedius and Notahypsibius pallidoides) being new records for Poland. Two possibly new for science species were also found, belonging to genera Diphascon and Mesobiotus. Additionally, a very rare eutardigrade Pseudohexapodibius degenerans has been found in the samples analyzed in the present study for the first time outside of the type locality. The effects of habitat and substrate on species richness were also investigated and showed no significant differences between mosses and lichens, as well as all substrates except for concrete walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aims to explore the role of professional diagnostic rapid testing of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), especially COVID-19 and influenza, ensuring proper disease management and treatment in Europe, and particularly in Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania. The paper was constructed based on a review of scientific evidence and national and international policies and recommendations, as well as a process of validation by four experts. The development of new testing technologies, treatment options, and increased awareness of the negative multidimensional impact of ARI profiles transformed differential diagnosis into a tangible and desirable reality. This review covers the following topics: (1) the multidimensional impact of ARIs, (2) ARI rapid diagnostic testing platforms and their value, (3) the policy landscape, (4) challenges and barriers to implementation, and (5) a set of recommendations illustrating a path forward. The findings indicate that rapid diagnostic testing, including at the point of care (POC), can have a positive impact on case management, antimicrobial and antibiotic stewardship, epidemiological surveillance, and decision making. Integrating this strategy will require the commitment of governments and the international and academic communities, especially as we identified room for improvement in the access and expansion of POC rapid testing in the focus countries and the inclusion of rapid testing in relevant policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust towards unknown others is a fundamental issue in trust research. Actually, it can be said that this problematization is a generative source for the whole scientific framing of trust, regardless of its specific perspective, whether it is a psychological, situational, institutional or structural-cultural interpretation. This means that the notion of 'generalized trust' is definitely a core concept and a reference point for all research agendas in the field of trust studies. However, this status of the notion is heavily criticized both from a theoretical and empirical point of view. The current paper tries to contribute to these academic discourses by proposing an extended reading of the concept of trust towards unknown others. By doing this, the paper suggests that the focus cannot be only on the aspect of how one perceives others' trustworthiness, which is measured by the so-called 'standard trust variable'; it should also be considered how the given agent relates herself/himself to other people's otherness. Therefore, the argument simply claims that trusting people in general means being open to others' otherness. If this link cannot be explored, then trust in unknown others is constrained and limited. Using data obtained from the last two rounds of the European Social Survey, the paper presents a 31-country-based comparative statistical analysis realized on both macro- and micro-levels in order to find out whether the above-described theoretical linkage is verifiable or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores business models for community energy storage (CES) and examines their potential and feasibility at the local level. By leveraging Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approaches and real-world case studies in Europe and India, it presents insights into CES deployment opportunities, challenges, and best practices. Different business models, including community energy cooperatives, utility–community partnerships, demand response, energy services, and market mechanisms, are analyzed. The proposed method combines the MCDM method PROMETHEE II with the fuzzy set theory to obtain a complete CES business model ranking, addressing project uncertainties. The analysis emphasizes CES's role in balancing local renewable energy supply and demand, facilitating energy sharing, and achieving energy independence. Findings prioritize models like Community Cooperative, Energy Arbitrage, and Energy Arbitrage Peak Shaving for CES with renewables. Environmental benefits include reduced diesel use and greenhouse gas emissions. Efficient cooperatives are advocated to recover costs and enable competitive energy prices. The paper highlights the need for novel value propositions to boost the energy transition in local communities. This research contributes to the discourse on CES business models, fostering knowledge exchange and promoting effective strategies for sustainable energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper discusses the relationship between environmental and economic performance and the influence of corporate strategies with regard to sustainability and the environment. After formulating a theoretical model, results are reported from an empirical analysis of the European paper manufacturing industry. New data are used to test hypotheses derived from the theoretical model, using environmental performance indices representing different corporate environmental strategy orientations. In particular, an emissions-based index largely reflecting end-of-pipe strategies and an inputs-based index reflecting integrated pollution prevention are distinguished. For the emissions-based index, a predominantly negative relationship between environmental and economic performance is found, whereas for the inputs-based index no significant link is found. This is consistent with the theoretical model, which predicts the possibility of different relationships. The results also show that for firms with pollution prevention-oriented corporate environmental strategies, the relationship between environmental and economic performance is more positive, thus making improvements in corporate sustainability more likely. Based on this last insight, managerial implications of this are discussed with regard to strategy choices, investment decisions and operations management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Jewish heritage tourism is a relatively new form of niche tourism which appeared in Europe in the 1990s, because of a renewed understanding of cultural and historical values of Jewish heritage. By its inclusion in tourism, Jewish heritage has become a visible component in destinations, which has led to the renovation of synagogues, opening of Jewish museums, organization of festivals, and also to the gentrification of neglected Jewish quarters in many European cities. The goal of this paper is to analyse the most common methods, selection of stakeholders, elements, research locations and spatial scope used in studies of Jewish heritage tourism. The analysis includes 28 scientific papers from databases and focuses on the research methods used in those papers. The results show that the most common methods used in studies of Jewish heritage tourism are content analysis and interviews. These methods have proven to be suitable for determining the state and representation of Jewish heritage in each destination, while for a higher level of integration of Jewish heritage in tourism, other methods are more appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether the acceptability of different types of business- and individual-level non-compliance has different impacts on the likelihood of participation in undeclared work. Design/methodology/approach: To evaluate this, data is reported on the EU27 and the UK from the special Eurobarometer survey no. 498, using a novel statistical methodology that deals with two potential sources of bias: sample selection error (avoidance to answer to the question about participation to undeclared work) and misclassification in the response variable (false statements about engagement in undeclared work). Findings: This reveals the association between tax morale and participation in undeclared work. It shows that citizens find far more unacceptable undeclared work conducted by firms than individuals, but both are significantly associated with participation in undeclared work although the greatest effect is clearly exerted by individual-level tax morale. Originality/value: This paper uses a methodology that accounts for the potential bias related to sample selection error and misclassification in the response variable of participation in undeclared work and sheds light on different components of tax morale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study characterized the extent to which (1) financial barriers and (2) abortion care-seeking within a person's country of residence were associated with delays in abortion access among those travelling to England and the Netherlands for abortion care from European countries where abortion is legal on broad grounds in the first trimester but where access past the first trimester is limited to specific circumstances. Methodology: We drew on cross-sectional survey data collected at five abortion clinics in England and the Netherlands from 2017 to 2019 (n = 164). We assessed the relationship between difficulty paying for the abortion/travel, acute financial insecurity, and in-country care seeking on delays to abortion using multivariable discrete-time hazards models. Results: Participants who reported facing both difficulty paying for the abortion procedure and/or travel and difficulty covering basic living costs in the last month reported longer delays in accessing care than those who had no financial difficulty (adjusted hazard odds ratio: 0.39 95% CI 0.21–0.74). This group delayed paying other expenses (39%) or sold something of value (13%) to fund their abortion, resulting in ~ 60% of those with financial difficulty reporting it took them over a week to raise the funds needed for their abortion. Having contacted or visited an abortion provider in the country of residence was associated with delays in presenting abroad for an abortion. Discussion: These findings point to inequities in access to timely abortion care based on socioeconomic status. Legal time limits on abortion may intersect with individuals' interactions with the health care system to delay care. Plain Language Summary: This paper explores delays in accessing abortion care associated with financial and medical system barriers. We focus on residents of countries in Europe where abortion is available on broad grounds in the first trimester seeking abortion care outside of their country of residence. This study demonstrates an association between difficulty covering abortion costs for people facing financial insecurity and in-country care seeking and delays in accessing abortion abroad. Policy barriers, medical system barriers, as well as financial barriers may interact to delay access to care for people in European countries with broad grounds for abortion access in the first trimester but restrictions thereafter, especially for people later in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing European population is driving the demand for age-friendly communities that support older individuals' health and well-being. As communities navigate this transition, Transition Design emerges as a promising approach for addressing complex social and environmental challenges. This study explores the potential of Transition Design to create age-friendly communities in Europe. Drawing on examples from several European countries, this paper describes the key principles of Transition Design and how they can be applied to the development of age-friendly communities. This article highlights the importance of participatory processes in involving older people and other stakeholders in the design process, and discusses the role of technology in creating more accessible and inclusive environments. It also considers some of the challenges of implementing a transition design approach in a European context. In conclusion, this study asserts that Transition Design offers a promising approach for creating sustainable, inclusive, and responsive age-friendly communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guarantees of Origin (GOs) were introduced in order to enhance transparency about the origin of green electricity produced in Europe, and to deliberately empower end-consumers to participate in the sustainable energy transition. The separation of electricity and the GO trade has resulted in a prosperous GO market that, however, has been characterized by non-transparency and opportunistic behavior. Historic price development has been opaque and can therefore not be used to forecast future GO prices. This paper, firstly, provides a thorough overview of the European GO market and an analysis of the historic price development; secondly, it proposes a model, the first of its kind, for determining future price developments of European GOs for different renewable energy technologies in different countries up to 2040. For household consumers, GO price determination is based on willingness-to-pay estimates from the literature, whereas for non-household consumers, the model introduces a novel approach to determine the willingness to pay for green electricity. Four different scenarios are considered (Status Quo, Sustainable Development, Full Harmonization, and Ideal Development) and annual GO data are used. The findings indicate that GO prices can be expected to increase on average in the next years, with prices ranging from 1.77 to 3.36 EUR/MWh in 2040. Sensitivity analysis shows that 'WTP percentages' have the highest influence on GO prices. It can be concluded that future GO prices will remain challenging to predict, even with the support of sophisticated models, due to the expected supply and demand-driven market growth affecting the market equilibrium prices for different GOs in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global energy consumption is growing rapidly, with the frequency and intensity of extreme events constantly increasing, posing a long-term threat to power supply and consumption. Therefore, analyzing the spatiotemporal characteristics of electricity consumption and quantitatively assessing the impact of extreme events on electricity consumption are of great significance. Based on fine-grained electricity consumption data from Europe for the years 2019–2022, this paper employs a data mining perspective and four methods including Z-score, Isolation Forest, Local Outlier Factor, and Autoencoder to detect abnormal electricity consumption during extreme events. Additionally, it combines indicators such as elastic loss, vulnerability, and duration to measure the impact of extreme events on electricity consumption. It is found that low temperatures could lead to abrupt changes in electricity consumption, with Northern Europe being more significantly affected by low temperatures. The COVID-19 pandemic had the most significant impact on electricity consumption in Europe, with the middle part of Europe being the hardest hit during the first wave of the pandemic. Electricity anomalies during the pandemic period were related to national pandemic control policies and exhibited some lag. High temperatures persisted for a longer duration in the middle part of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioclimatic model is a new method for palaeoclimatic reconstruction built on the assumption of a significant correlation between climate and mammal community composition. The goal of this approach is to infer past climatic conditions using mammal fossil associations as source data. The study used mammal faunas from all over the world to develop the bioclimatic model. As an example of the potential of the model, we have applied it to Quaternary faunas from Eurasia. The proposed model was constructed by applying multivariate discriminant analysis to modern mammal faunas and climates from throughout the world. The model was validated with a different set of modern faunas than those used in the discriminant analysis, including some from transitional zones between different climates (ecotones). To test the reliability of the method in the Pleistocene, the results have been compared to those obtained with data from other disciplines, such as palaeobotany. The results obtained in the validation of the model show that more than 90% of the localities have been classified correctly. Comparisons of results in the late Pleistocene-Holocene of Barová between a palaeobotanical study and the bioclimatic analysis show the latter to be highly accurate. The results for early Pleistocene faunas show somewhat drier and more open climatic conditions for Europe than the present day, with larger areas of steppe environments. The bioclimatic model could be used to infer climatic conditions from mammal faunas. The results presented in this work provide a preliminary example of the potential that bioclimatic analysis has as a tool for palaeoclimatic inference. Finally, this method offers the opportunity to standardize data coming from vertebrate palaeontology for use in the construction and evaluation of climatic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the volatility transmission between European Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs) and implied stock market volatility. A Dynamic Conditional Correlation Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity model is applied to determine the dynamic correlation between returns of Europe's GSIBs and the world's most prominent measure of market "fear", the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). The results identify a higher negative co-relationship between the VIX and GSIB returns during the COVID-19 period compared with the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), with one-day lagged changes in the VIX negatively Granger-causing bank returns. The asymmetric impact of changes in implied volatility is examined by quantile regressions, with the findings showing that in the lower quartile–where extreme negative bank returns are present–jumps in the VIX are highly significant. This effect is more pronounced during COVID-19 than during the GFC. Additional robustness analysis shows that these findings are consistent during the periods of the Swine Flu and Zika virus epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sciarids (Diptera, Sciaridae) are small, mostly dark-colored insects whose larvae usually develop in decaying remains of plants that are penetrated by fungal hyphae. Typical habitats for sciarids are shady forests and wet meadows, but some species can migrate from natural biotopes to anthropogenic ecosystems and live as synanthropes. The genus Sciara Meigen, 1803 is an original genus of the Sciaridae family and includes 55 valid Sciara species in the world fauna. Sciara species play an important role as detritivores, facilitating the decomposition of decaying wood and leaf litter in biotopes. In the paper, the diversity of Sciara in Ukraine is analyzed with some remarks on their ecology, phenology and distribution. On the territory of Ukraine during the field seasons 2015–2022, we collected eight Sciara species—S. analis Schiner, 1864, S. flavimana Zetterstedt, 1851, S. hebes (Loew, 1869), S. helvola Winnertz, 1867, S. hemerobioides (Scopoli, 1763), S. humeralis Zetterstedt, 1851, S. incerta Winnertz, 1867 and S. ruficauda Meigen, 1818. All specimens are kept in the collections of the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine (SIZK). According to the results of our research, the four species S. flavimana, S. hebes, S. helvola and S. incerta are being registered for the first time in Ukraine. New localities are given for S. analis, S. hemerobioides, S. humeralis and S. ruficauda. The distribution, morphological peculiarities, ecology and phenology of registered species are also briefly discussed. A key to 12 European Sciara species is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on Max Scheler's political-programmatic writings produced during and after World War I, this contribution intends to examine the content and consistency of the ideal of a cultural-spiritual unity of Europe (as distinct from its political, legal, or economic unity), and to provide a basis for discussing its plausibility and fruitfulness for the present time. About 100 years ago, the philosopher thought about the future of Europe, and claimed to be able to infer concrete orientations for political action from fundamental philosophical insights. Thus, the paper proceeds from conceptual foundations to their application to concrete practical problems. The first section intends to outline the concept of cultural unity and the principle of solidarity between cultural unities; this makes it possible, in the second part, to distinguish the European cultural sphere from others; the final section gives a positive determination of the specific unity of European culture, including some educational consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1986, Spain joined the European Communities, and seven years later the European Union was established. The paper examines the issue of Catalonia's activity in the EC/EU between 1986 and 2021. The paper aims to present the evolution of the policy of Catalonia in the EC/EU in the context of building its political position. In order to carry out the research on Catalonia's participation in the EC/EU as an element of developing its autonomist policy, the author will use specific research questions. The research problem includes Catalonia's relations with the central authorities of the Spanish state, Catalonia's participation in the shaping of Spain's relations with the EC/EU, and the direct and indirect participation of the Catalan administration in the EC/EU. For an in-depth analysis, the author refers to quantitative and qualitative data and literature on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews research on education and childbearing in Europe over the last decade. Early demographic research attributed declining fertility in advanced economies in the second half of the twentieth century to increasing female educational levels. The twenty-first century has witnessed further increases in educational attainment coupled with trend reversals in fertility. The relationship between education and fertility has become more complex, sparking renewed interest in the interplay between the two life domains. We examine how educational enrolment and attainment influence individuals' fertility behaviour - both fertility timing and level - and how the relationship between education and fertility is shaped by contextual factors such as family policies, macroeconomic shocks, and normative changes in gender attitudes. We also summarise the recent literature on educational gradients in male fertility and review methodological developments to address issues of self-selection and unmeasured heterogeneity in the study of education and fertility. Finally, this paper identifies and discusses challenges and important areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many power systems, the increased penetration of inverter-based renewable generation will cause a decrease in kinetic energy storage, leading to higher frequency excursions after a power disturbance. This is the case of the future Nordic Power System (NPS). The look-ahead study reported in this paper shows that the chosen units participating in Frequency Containment Reserves (FCR) cannot keep the frequency above the prescribed threshold following the outage of the largest plant. This analysis relies on a detailed model of the Northern European grid. The latter is compared to the classical single-mass equivalent, and the impact of voltage-dependent loads is assessed in some detail. Next, the paper focuses on emergency power control of the HVDC links that connect the NPS to the rest of the European grid, which can supplement or even replace part of the FCR. The proper tuning of that control is discussed. Finally, the analysis is extended to the HVDC links connecting the future North Sea Wind Power Hub under two configurations, namely low and zero inertia. The impact of outages in the latter sub-system is also assessed. The material to simulate the system with industrial software is made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opening up of the railway to competition in Europe has been accompanied by many technical challenges never before seen in the railway field. One of these challenges concerns precise energy metering. As European railways have been a monopoly until now, the current systems can only measure the energy consumption of a single operator. In accordance with European law, the installation of an energy meter has been mandatory in new or refurbished rolling stocks since 2014. Nevertheless, these energy meters are still not fully reliable, with misreadings and missing readings being common occurrences. To address the problem of energy metering data reliability, this paper presents a method for validating the reading measurement based on a physical model and validates it in two different case studies. For the issue of energy metering data availability, different estimators are developed, and their performance are shown with the aim of calculating the missing consumptions for both case studies. Finally, the paper suggests how these methods may be implemented in other types of trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gender gap in voting for far-right parties is significant in many European countries. While most studies focus on how men and women differ in their nationalist and populist attitudes, it is unknown how the socio-economic and political promotion of women is associated with the gender gap in far-right political orientation. The following paper compares the effect of four different spheres of gender equality on this gender gap. By estimating multilevel logit models for more than 25 European countries and testing the mechanism via a socially conservative attitude toward gendered division of work, I find that the visible field of representation in particular—measured by the share of women in parliament and women on boards—is associated with a gender gap in far-right orientation. This paper contributes to the literature in two important ways: first, it combines policy feedback with cultural backlash theory, enlarging the scope of both theories; second, it demonstrates the importance of gender equality policies for the study of the far-right gender gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential contribution that interconnectors can provide to efficiently support the security of interconnected power systems. The proposed modelling setup introduces a radical paradigm shift in the operation of the interconnectors and in their interactions with multiple markets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that models a simultaneous allocation of the interconnector capacity for the exchange of energy and of inertia-dependent primary frequency response. The benefits and impact of this new methodology are evaluated with typical market indicators (e.g., social welfare and interconnector revenues) under two different paradigms: a centralized approach where the interconnectors are operated to minimize the system operational cost and a market-based framework where the interconnectors are privately-owned assets with self-interested objectives. By modelling the interconnectors as “price-maker”, the proposed work quantifies the potential inefficiencies of market solutions while considering key elements such as capacity withdrawing. A case study of the GB-France systems assesses the value of interconnectors on system efficiency and security under the considered paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports the first occurrence of Seira ferrarii Parona, 1888 from Hungary. On this occasion, molecular analyses were performed on both S. ferrarii and another historical species of the genus, S. pallidipes Reuter, 1895, originally described from Hungary. Using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing, the complete mitogenomes were assembled and annotated using MitoZ. To test the phylogenetic placement of both species, we performed maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses using a matrix containing 14 Seirinae species and two outgroups. Both resultant trees showed that the European populations of the sampled Seira spp. likely derive from ancestral branches of Seirinae, compared to the Asian and American populations. Our results put in question the monophyly of the genus Seira, as already observed in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a central issue linked to research conducted on an eclectic conglomeration of people connected in various ways to the principal European site of the Japanese new religion of Tenrikyō. Although the center itself is in a Parisian suburb and the majority of its key actors are Japanese, the people connected to this center and its associated social world span beyond the Paris region and include various nationalities, countries of residence, and even religious identities. Moreover, the people connected to this center and the presence of the Tenrikyō religion in Europe are largely one and the same, but not entirely. A question commonly posed to the researcher by "outsiders" is how many Tenrikyō "members" there are in Paris, France, and/or Europe, and if they are Japanese or the nationality of the local country (French, German, etc.) The complexities of answering such questions are the focus of this discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses a real-time optimization-based reference calculation integrated with a control structure for Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) operating under normal and constrained situations (where it has reached current and/or voltage limitations, as it may occur during system faults). Firstly, a nonlinear optimization problem has been developed in which it prioritizes to satisfy the AC grid current set-points imposed by the transmission System Operator (TSO). The constrained nonlinear optimization problem is formulated based on the steady-state model of the MMC, whereby the prioritization is achieved through distinct weights defined in the Objective Function’s (OF) terms. The resultant optimization problem, however, is highly nonlinear requiring high computation burden to be solved in real-time. To cope with this issue, this paper applies a Linear Time-Varying (LTV) approximation, which permits to represent the nonlinear dynamics of the system as constant parameters, while a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) system is used to formulate the optimization constraints. The converter’s current references are determined in real-time by solving a constrained linearized optimization problem at each control time step, which considers the TSO’s demands, the current MMC operating point and its physical limitations. Theoretical analyses comparing the responses of the linear and nonlinear optimization problems are performed to validate the accuracy of the LTV approximation. Finally, the linearized-optimization problem is integrated with the MMC controllers, evaluated under different AC and DC network conditions and compared with conventional control strategies, where it is shown that the presented method can be potentially employed to obtain the MMC current references for distinct network scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Spring in Europe has been trending earlier for almost half a century. Long-distance migrant birds, such as the Willow Warbler and Pied Flycatcher, which breed in Europe, have arrived earlier too. It is broadly accepted that warming springs in temperate regions explain the earlier arrival of migrants. However, migration started weeks earlier and thousands of kilometres away. There must be additional cues elsewhere triggering migration. Meteorologists have developed measures of atmospheric circulation which are related to climate variability in wide regions. One of them is the Southern Oscillation Index, which reflects El Niño/La Niña that cause droughts and floods in the southern hemisphere. Other atmospheric circulation patterns, measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation Index and Indian Ocean Dipole, help predict total rainfall for a whole season in various parts of Africa and Europe. Good rains are associated with plant growth and with insect abundance. Insects provide food for most of these migrants. Therefore, this paper asks the question: "Is the timing of arrival of long-distance migrants in spring related to the climates they experience in the places where they are over the year prior to arrival in Europe?" This paper says the answer is "Yes". Earlier springs in temperate regions since the 1980s, attributed to climate change, are thought to influence the earlier arrival of long-distance migrant passerines. However, this migration was initiated weeks earlier in Africa, where the Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole, North Atlantic Oscillation drive climatic variability, and may additionally influence the migrants. Multiple regressions investigated whether 15 indices of climate in Africa and Europe explained the variability in timing of arrival for seven trans-Saharan migrants. Our response variable was Annual Anomaly (AA), derived from standardized mistnetting from 1982–2021 at Bukowo, Polish Baltic Sea. For each species, the best models explained a considerable part of the annual variation in the timing of spring's arrival by two to seven climate variables. For five species, the models included variables related to temperature or precipitation in the Sahel. Similarly, the models included variables related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (for four species), Indian Ocean Dipole (three), and Southern Oscillation (three). All included the Scandinavian Pattern in the previous summer. Our conclusion is that climate variables operating on long-distance migrants in the areas where they are present in the preceding year drive the phenological variation of spring migration. These results have implications for our understanding of carry-over effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a case study approach, the paper traces how technological expectations have been influential in the creation of European institutions, R&D programmes and regulatory instruments and how they have contributed to processes of European integration. The first case study shows how the promises of a coming 'Atomic Age' have been mobilized to support the foundation of the European Atomic Energy Community and, thus, contributed to European integration in the post-WW2 era. The second case study analyses how the security stream within the EU's framework programmes for R&D is shaped by the promise of 'technosecurity' and enacts the normative claim of the EU's security integration in the post-Cold War era. The third case study analyses how the EU's AI strategy and AI act articulate the vision of a 'human-centric AI' and how this vision is related to the EU's current attempt to restore citizens' trust in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on an understanding of the global immigration control regime as one of legal violence. It analyses the specialist literature that reveals the existence of an economy of deportability, understood as the unequal distribution of the forms of state power in the lives and freedoms of non-nationals, with gender playing a preponderant role. Taking a gender perspective, a selection of texts from the past two decades are reviewed that analyse the deportation and anti-trafficking apparatus in Europe, the United States and South America. The literature corroborates the existence of a gendered economy of deportability that generates social suffering that, in different ways and to differing degrees, shapes the (im)migrant presence in the national order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the relevance of the agricultural sectors for the European countries' development, but also the volatile features of agriculture, with unforeseen risks induced by climate, ensuring durable economic progress is foremost for the companies. This paper aims to assess the associations of the key parties in corporate governance (directors, managers, advisers, and shareholders), employees and the independence level with the main outcomes and capacity/size of the European companies operating in agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture activities. Using a newly compiled and complex dataset of 3 184 active companies from Europe, provided by the ORBIS database, advanced modelling approaches were employed, based on the robust regression (RREG) and Gaussian Graphical Model (GGM). The main findings emphasised that: directors, managers, and advisors had a strong positive influence on the firms' size, boosting their turnover, and the shareholders' funds; advisors induced positive connections with the companies' liquidity; the number of employees exerted positive impacts on the firms' size and outcomes of these companies; the independence level exerted a negative impact on the firms' size and outcomes. Finally, specific measures must be addressed to primarily reconsider the number of directors and managers and the shareholders' participation in the ownership of these companies due to their unfavourable exerted effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the timeliness and relevance of secularization theories in Europe. It seeks to understand how the classical theories of secularization—rationalization, societalization, functional differentiation, and existential security—and their theoretical innovations—namely, cultural diversity—help describe religious phenomena in a specific set of European countries—Austria, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain. In this context, cultural diversity shows the strongest negative correlation with religiosity. These findings arise from the correlation between the different theories of secularization, the independent variables, and an index of religiosity, the dependent variable. Cultural diversity, as a good predictor to explain secularization in Europe, shows how contact with different religious and non-religious worldviews enhances a mutual fragilization that can lead individuals from uncertainty to the rejection of religious beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the spatial differentiation and the variation in the number of significant accidents (divided into: collisions, derailments, level-crossing accidents, accidents to persons caused by rolling stock in motion and fires) in relation to operation work in selected European countries from 2010 to 2017, using CSIs. CSIs (Common Safety Indicators) are statistical information relating to rail safety collected and made available by the European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR), which obtains them from European Union member states as well as from Norway and Switzerland. The analysis revealed the presence of a large disproportion in the number of accidents between Western and Eastern European countries, with a general decrease between 2010 and 2017 in both groups. The structure of significant accidents was also examined - accidents to persons caused by rolling stock in motion accounted for the majority, while level-crossing accidents also had a high proportion, suggesting that external factors (outside the railway system) largely influenced railway accident rates during the studied period. Particular attention was paid in the article to Poland, which at the beginning of the period under study was negatively distinguished in terms of the number of significant accidents, the number of derailments and the number of accidents to persons caused by rolling stock in motion not only in comparison with Western European countries, but also Eastern European countries, and at the end of the period in each category reached lower values than the latter group of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of an effective method for studying the local headings of migrants using 'orientation cages' has made it possible to study the migration patterns of small passerine nocturnal migrants. Numerous papers have been published on varied samples of local data collected using this method. A rough generalization was presented at the 2019 Meeting of the European Ornithologists Union and subsequently published in The Ring. Case studies on data collected for the Blackcap have already been published, and further studies on other species were suggested. The presented work is the next study of this kind, on the migration pattern of the Garden Warbler, using data from orientation tests collected in autumn as part of the work of the SEEN (SE European Bird Migration Network). The data comprises 2,593 tests performed at 31 ringing sites in Central/Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The paper continues the discussion of application of the method to present migration patterns in a geographically wide territory. The general data evaluation methods in this work are exactly as described in the earlier papers. The paper discusses azimuths of arrival and departure tracks at every ringing site, their linearity, number relations between departing and arriving headings, and the general pattern of migration streams followed by different groups of migrants. The hypothesis put forth earlier, stating that the arrival/departure heading axes shown in studies using orientation cages are situated linearly, is once again confirmed and can be used as a general assumption in this type of study. The average deviations are very small and are negligible for drawing general migration patterns. In some cases, however, there were deviations caused by the geographic location of the study site. This problem should be discussed in more detail when more species data become available. Nine migration streams are defined in the study area, which are presented, for simplicity, using different names and colours on maps. Southward and south-eastward streams are dominant and distributed similarly to the streams of the Blackcap. The most pronounced is a stream shown in yellow (YELLOW stream), which is directed from the wide area of central and eastern Europe to the Arabian Peninsula. The BLACK and NAVY streams are the most intriguing (running nearly longitudinally) and require a great deal of attention in further analyses of migration in the Mediterranean. Two styles of presentation of the species migration pattern are discussed, of which the location style of presentation seems to be more precise. The simpler presentation style that shows only general heading axes could be used to compare the general patterns of different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the problem of constructing codes correcting deletions in arrays. Under this model, it is assumed that an $n \times n$ array can experience deletions of rows and columns. These deletion errors are referred to as $({t_{\mathrm {r}}}, {t_{\mathrm {c}}})$ -criss-cross deletions if ${t_{\mathrm {r}}}$ rows and ${t_{\mathrm {c}}}$ columns are deleted, while a code correcting these deletion patterns is called a $({t_{\mathrm {r}}}, {t_{\mathrm {c}}})$ -criss-cross deletion correction code. The definitions for criss-cross insertions are similar. It is first shown that when $t_{r}=t_{c}$ the problems of correcting criss-cross deletions and criss-cross insertions are equivalent. The focus of this paper lies on the case of (1, 1)-criss-cross deletions. A non-asymptotic upper bound on the cardinality of (1, 1)-criss-cross deletion correction codes is shown which assures that the redundancy is at least $2n-3+2\log n$ bits. A code construction with an existential encoding and an explicit decoding algorithm is presented. The redundancy of the construction is at most $2n+4 \log n + 7 +2 \log e$. A construction with explicit encoder and decoder is presented. The explicit encoder adds an extra $5\log n + 5$ bits of redundancy to the construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electronic informed consent (eIC) may offer various advantages compared to paper-based informed consent. However, the regulatory and legal landscape related to eIC provides a diffuse image. By drawing from the perspectives of key stakeholders in the field, this study aims to inform the creation of a European guidance framework on eIC in clinical research. Methods: Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants from six stakeholder groups. The stakeholder groups included representatives of ethics committees, data infrastructure organizations, patient organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry as well as investigators and regulators. All were involved in or knowledgeable about clinical research and were active in one of the European Union Member States or at a pan-European or global level. The framework method was used for data analysis. Results: Stakeholders underwrote the need for a multi-stakeholder guidance framework addressing practical elements related to eIC. According to the stakeholders, a European guidance framework should describe consistent requirements and procedures for implementing eIC on a pan-European level. Generally, stakeholders agreed with the definitions of eIC issued by the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration. Nevertheless, it was raised that, in a European guidance framework, it should be emphasized that eIC aims to support rather than replace the personal interaction between research participants and the research team. In addition, it was believed that a European guidance framework should include details on the legality of eIC across European Union Member States and the responsibilities of an ethics committee in the eIC assessment process. Although stakeholders supported the idea to include detailed information on the type of eIC-related materials to be submitted to an ethics committee, opinions varied on this regard. Conclusion: The creation of a European guidance framework is a much needed factor to advance eIC implementation in clinical research. By collecting the views of multiple stakeholder groups, this study advances recommendations that may facilitate the development of such a framework. Particular consideration should go to harmonizing requirements and providing practical details related to eIC implementation on a European Union-wide level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper reviews the regulations of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in 30 European countries with the goal of identifying the regulatory trends and clusters as of May 2022. Methods: To that end, we reviewed the regulation that directly or indirectly might have an impact on OTC medicines. The data were gathered from the national legislation, reports from international organizations, and the existent literature. The 12 regulatory items obtained were classified into four categories: price, pharmacy ownership, distribution modes, and dispensing restrictions. In addition, these items were also employed in the cluster analysis. Results: Pharmacy ownership is mainly private, and in the majority of countries, OTC medicines are not subject to any pricing system. Almost every country studied allows online selling of OTC medicines, and 16 countries allow non-pharmacy retail to sell OTC medicines as well. The dispensing restrictions applicable in pharmacy retail are similar in the countries studied: they rely on the staff, OTC medicines are placed behind the counter and the doses dispensed tend to be restricted. Concerning non-pharmacy retail, additional dispensing restrictions might be imposed, such as the establishment of buyers' minimum age, the requirement of a pharmacist to supervise the operations, a regulation on the location in the store, and further restrictions on the package sizes, strength, or pharmaceutical form. The cluster analysis resulted in an initial division between countries that widely allow the sale of OTC medicines in non-pharmacy retail and countries, where pharmacy retail has an OTC monopoly. Based on the regulations, 7 subsequent groups were identified evidencing wide regulatory heterogeneity within the countries studied. Conclusions: Our findings point out that OTC medicines are in general not subject to pricing systems, selling is allowed online, and ownership of pharmacies is mostly private. However, regarding dispensing restrictions, pharmacy chains, and establishment restrictions of pharmacies, we found heterogeneity that is also visible in our cluster analysis, since we identified 7 clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative analyses frequently examine respondents' self-rated health (SRH), assuming that it is a valid and comparable measure of generic health. However, given SRH's vagueness, this assumption is questionable due to (1) manifold nonhealth influences, such as personal characteristics including optimism, interviewer effects on the rating, and cultural contexts, as well as (2) potential gender, age-or country-specific expectations for one's health or frames of reference. Conceptually, two major components of SRH can be distinguished: latent health and reporting behavior. While latent health exclusively refers to objective health status, reporting behavior collectively refers to non-health characteristics (NH) affecting SRH. The present paper is primarily concerned with the latter and aims to identify whether and how NH bias SRH, including possible differences by gender, age, and country of residence. The presented analyses are based on data from 16,183 participants in five countries drawn from the fifth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Latent health is controlled via a wide array of health indicators and the residuals are examined with a model covering NH from three different sources: the interviewer, the respondent, and the country of residence. To identify subgroup-specific response behaviors, all analyses are carried out separately by gender, three age groups (50-64, 65-79, and 80+ years), and country of residence. The analyses uncovered influences of - among others-the interviewer's SRH, the respondent's life satisfaction, and the country of residence on SRH, while other factors differed by subgroup. The amount of explained variance due to such reporting behavior (with a mean of seven percent) can be deemed meaningful, considering that controlling for latent health already explains around half of SRH's variance. The greatest source of non-health influences was respondent characteristics, with the interviewer and country having smaller effects. These results illustrate the importance of taking NH into account when using SRH measures. Future research on complementing SRH with factual questions in survey design is advisable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]