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Coppicing is a form of forest management in European broadleaved forests. While it is still practised in south-eastern Europe, in central and western Europe it was almost completely replaced by high forest management. Currently, there are increasing efforts to reintroduce coppice management into former coppice woods. However, little comprehensive knowledge is available about the extent and management of coppice reintroduction and the processes governing it. In this paper, we present an overview of localities in the Czech Republic where coppice reintroduction was taking place in 2020. We identified 8 localities and conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with experts involved in their management in order to understand what motivated them to restart coppicing and what obstacles they have had to face. The main motivation of site managers is nature conservation, while the most important obstacles are operational issues, such as bureaucracy, complicated land ownership and legal responsibilities or lack of workforce. Other motivating factors identified in other European countries (production of a renewable energy source and potential for rural employment) have so far played a minor role in the Czech Republic. We conclude that a major challenge for future forest policies will be to utilise the economic experiences of regions with active coppicing to foster the spread of coppice woods in order to combine renewable energy production with biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the period of post-communist transition, Central Europe witnessed complex and multifaceted mobility processes; permanent outmigration, of an ethnic or labour-related nature, coexisted with temporary, seasonal, or crossborder movements and an increasing influx of foreigners. To study these complex processes, we have chosen to apply a holistic and comprehensive approach, rather than limit conceptual considerations to one theory of migration determinants. We focus on eleven post-communist countries that joined the European Union (EU-11) and on the period extending from around 1989, covering the EU's eastward enlargement, to the present. The aim of this study is twofold: first, we propose a general conceptual framework, based on the aspirations/capabilities approach, to present the main determinants of emigration from this part of the European continent. Second, in relation to each determinant, we formulate research questions postulated by selected theories of international migration and present the evidence, based on existing empirical studies, that addresses these questions. The paper contributes to the literature by providing a broad interpretation of post-transition mobility and pointing to commonly overlooked explanatory factors. We highlight the importance of economic factors that have enhanced and directed the outward migration from the EU-11 to selected EU member states and selected economic sectors; in particular, as regards capabilities, these factors include the lifting of labour market restrictions, high demand in the secondary sector of labour markets, and the roles of migration networks and the migration industry. Emphasis is also placed on aspirational factors, such as labour market failures and the substantial aspirational gap resulting from improvements in high educational attainment in the countries of origin. The aspirations/capabilities approach serves well as a general framework of migration determinants, but its explanatory power is enhanced by reference to other, more specific theories of migration. We show that a combination of the complementary approaches provides a more refined and in-depth picture of migration from the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many rural regions of Central Europe have witnessed a massive inflow of non-EU nationals, turning them into new migration destinations (NDMs). The majority of these regions were not prepared for this change and international migration became a hot-button topic. However, as the negative consequences of demographic change are getting more prominent in rural Central Europe, these regions should search for new ways to stimulate the integration of newly-arrived migrants. This can be done with the help of “social innovations.” This paper provides a literature overview on the aforementioned topics, as well as an analysis of the results of the Arrival Regions Project (Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE) that tested nine different social innovation approaches to support the integration of non-EU nationals in rural Central Europe. The results of the project confirmed that social innovation approaches are an effective and easy-toimplement way to support integration of non-EU nationals living in rural Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the salient features of the recent populist turn in Europe has been a redefinition of the European. Traditionally, (far) right-wing parties defined themselves as Eurosceptic and focused on national identity. Increasingly, however, they have referred to pan-European heritage, although against the mainstream conceptualization of it. The article looks at the case of Hungary and the image of Europe constructed by the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose rhetoric has become a key reference point for other European populist movements. The past decade his government has witnessed, on the one hand, a tendency to redefine what is European against the dominant and institutionalized interpretations, and, on the other, an attempt to single-out the concept of Central Europe as the locus for maintaining and nurturing European values in contrast to perceived Western decline. This paper examines this discourse through a close reading of major speeches delivered by Orbán on the anniversaries of historical events. Analysis of these speeches reveals the ideological foundations of his political project and presents historical and philosophical interpretations of the European political situation. It seeks to identify how Orbán's discourse evolved across time, by putting the speeches about the past into the present political context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the returns and volatility co-movements of the selected Central European currencies, namely the Czech koruna, Hungarian forint and Polish zloty against the European euro. The research uses the daily data covering the 15 years' period of membership of these countries in the EU (May 2004 - April 2019). The preliminary analyses based on calculation of the Pearson's unconditional correlations and of crosssectional standard deviation of exchange rate returns are followed by estimation of symmetric diagonal BEKK-GARCH and asymmetric diagonal BEKKGARCH models to assess both the dynamics of conditional volatility and the volatility co-movements of analysed Central European currencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the potential of observations of the Earth's surface by means of remote sensing (survey), specifically via direct (active) visual prospection from low altitude to identify and map small components (such as postholes) of archaeological contexts, namely aboveground post-built structures dated to the Early Iron Age (appr. 800–380 B.C.). This work gives an example of archaeological data on buried settlement constructions identified by aerial reconnaissance (i.e., by a non-invasive method), the interpretation—and primarily dating—of which is based on information achieved by excavation practice (recently performed predominantly during rescue campaigns). This research points to the fact that nonetheless to the traditional idea on the limited potential of crop-marked archaeological heritage in terms of dating (the ability of cropmarks displayed over pits, ditches, graves, etc., to produce exact ground-plans of even small buried features, so that their original function and dating can be determined) the number of more or less precisely datable archaeological sites and features buried under the surface is growing, including wooden structures once constructed on the ground (i.e., not sunken under the ground) and leaving on cereal crops just tiny spots/dots regularly spaced into lines. These are features (constructions) with identical ground plans (postholes placed in 4 × 3 and/or 3 × 3 patterns) of which commonly just one in a group of them situated on one site is enclosed by a perimeter line—a foundation for a wall or a trench for a palisade. Consequently, a retrospective survey of air-photo analog archives and digital repositories now brings new evidence on the chronological setting of many crop-marked Early Iron Age sites that previously remained undated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that personal and group migration (as a subset of mobility) was a central feature of Linearbandkeramik (c. 5500-4900 cal BC) life, and not confined to short-term events along the agricultural frontier. The first part summarises the data currently available on individual migration (mostly interpreted as female exogamy) and the migration of households or groups of households. It is noted that in current models, migratory behaviour is often seen as pertaining to lower-status groups or that it constitutes a crisis response. In the second part of the paper, I outline the evidence, both isotopic and archaeological, for migration as a constant behaviour and show where this has opened up avenues for new research, notably concerning the use of non-loess areas. In turn, narratives suggesting an increase in hierarchical differences throughout the LBK as a whole are challenged. It is argued that migration was an accepted social strategy that could be used to gain status, and counteracted the creation of hereditary and durable social stratification in established settlement sites. Seeing migration as a constant in LBK life can thus lead to a reinterpretation of other aspects of this early farming society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main research question is whether history is doomed to divide or whether it may unite. The author argues that, on the one hand, the rejection of the concept of truth in historiography may lead to treating history as a reservoir of selective argument in political struggles. In this sense, history will always divide. However, on the other hand, truth may be achieved. Scholars have several ways to test how far from the truth is a statement concerning history. There are six basic rules to test it, which are discussed in the article. The concept of national identity, culture perceived as the backbone of national identity and the regional cooperation context are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text of this paper analyses the issue of political and territorial transformations in Central Europe as reflected in postage stamps issued from 1918 to the present day. Stamp production, as a historical source, also reflects modern history in the form of jubilee issues and the choice of the subjects presented, thereby contributing towards the shaping of our collective memory. This paper recommends their didactic use in history teaching on the basis of an account and analysis of these subjects. The process described leads to an effective alternative educational medium that strengthens interdisciplinary co-operation between school history teaching and media studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stone hunting points have generated substantial interest and it is often used as a fossil guide to enable the identification and characterization of complex technologies or "cultures". However, the armatures remain poorly understood in Central Europe, despite various original types. This paper explains the key points from Unit K11 of Dolní Věstonice II (South Moravia, Czech Republic). The collection is not directly dated; however, through the typology, it is included in the Gravettian sensu lato. Despite the limited sample of 33 fragments of armatures, it is possible to identify recurrent features. These stone artifacts differ slightly from the other microliths of the Pavlovian sensu stricto , which are dated 27,500–25,500 uncal BP. The main objectives of this article are to report the presence of and describe the microlithic points and to discuss possible analogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social learning can offer a useful lens to analyse multi-actor cooperation processes and their outcomes. In this paper, a conceptual framework based on learning theories is applied to a recent transnational spatial planning process in Central Europe to analyse how the cooperation agenda was shaped, a joint strategy developed, and to understand the possible policy effects of this process. The findings allow a reflection on the potentials of, and challenges for, multi-actor cooperation on spatial planning in large regions covering several countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many paradoxes characterise the case of Romani communities, who have been dubbed one of Europe's most eminent 'problems'. On the one hand, European states are increasingly acknowledging Romani people as a victim group of National Socialism and the Second World War while, on the other hand, politics and public debate continue to discriminate against contemporary Romani communities. As part of identity politics, Romani organisations have been highlighting their history of persecution, a process initiated at the time when the memory of National Socialism has become established as the core of European collective memory. This paper examines how narratives of a violent past have been integrated into Austrian 'national memory' and how this intersects with the construction of Romani victimhood history – often as a consequence of Romani organisation's own efforts of telling their community's history. I argue that the mainstreaming of Romani suffering is first due to a successful integration of Romani victims into the framework of a new understanding of 'racially' diverse Austrian victimhood. Second, I trace the role of individual protagonists within these processes of acknowledgment and highlight the relevance of gendered positions in developing a new racialised history of persecution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In her paper, the author examines images of Central Europe created in various popular genres (campus novels, quasi-guidebooks, films, essays) as well as interpretations of the Central European myth from countries of the region. The aim is to reflect on two main Central European narratives. One is a vision of retrospective utopia of lost harmonious coexistence of cultures, religions and nations. The other - an image of the "misery of small Central European states", of a backward region, immersed in never-ending ethnic conflicts. The author seeks to address the question of how these narratives influence the interpretation of the systemic transition process and of contemporary problems that the region is facing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper was the determination of the circulation conditions of occurrence of strong and very strong frost in Central Europe. A frost day was defined as a day with the minimum temperature lower than 0 °C and maximum temperature higher than 0 °C. Moreover, a division of frost was performed in terms of value of minimum temperature, resulting in the designation of mild frost (up to − 2.0 °C), moderate frost (from − 2.1 to − 4 °C), strong frost (from − 4.1 to − 6 °C) and very strong frost (< − 6 °C). The study was based on data from the years 1966–2015 from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, Deutscher Wetterdienst and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR). The analysis of baric conditions employed values of pressure at sea level, height of isobaric surface of 500 hPa and air temperature at a level of 850 hPa, as well as their anomalies. The spatial analysis showed that the number of frost days in spring and autumn increased from the west to the east of Central Europe. A decrease in the number of frost days, however, is observed over the prevailing area. Average conditions favouring the occurrence of strong and very strong frost both in spring and autumn were related to higher than average pressure at sea level over the prevailing area of the Euro-Atlantic sector. Such baric conditions caused advections of cool air masses from the northern sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the topic of European imbalances. They are defined as large and persistent differences in the current account position of European countries, which are closely connected to the emergence of the financial crisis and the subsequent sovereign debt crisis in 2008. A build-up in current account deficits had been observed from the mid-1990s, namely in two peripheral regions of the EU. However, little attention was paid to the potential differences between the Southern and Central European peripheries of the EU. The emergence of large and persistent current account deficits in Southern Europe was accompanied by a significant shift in gains from global value chains. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the factors that co-determined the changes in the geographic structure of GVCs in Europe. These changes decreased GVC income in Southern Europe, increased it in Central Europe and contributed to the build-up of account imbalances in Southern Europe. Despite the fact that Central Europe was among the deficit regions in European imbalances, the four Central European countries substantially increased their gains from global value chains as well as GVC participation. The shift in GVC activity towards Central Europe between 1995 and 2011 was driven not only by total labour costs but also by better regulatory quality. At the same time, TNCs switching from Southern to Central Europe had to accept worse quality contract enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is a critical verification of the late Middle Pleistocene stratigraphy in Poland in connection with stratigraphical schemes in the neighbouring countries. Although a terrestrial record of the Middle Pleistocene is almost complete in western and southern Europe, it is full of gaps in central and eastern Europe. Eight key sites in Poland and one in Belarus were selected to compile environmental and palaeoclimate data for a revised stratigraphy from the termination of MIS 12 to MIS 6, and the chronology was based on correlation with oxygen isotope stratigraphy and OSL ages. The late Middle Pleistocene record starts with the Holsteinian lake sequences, some of which have been initiated already at the end of MIS 12, persisted through MIS 11 and terminated in mid-MIS 10. In the examined sites, MIS 11 is represented also by deposits of meandering rivers in a temperate climate. In contrast, there is no evidence for deposition in most of MIS 10 and in MIS 9. A warmer and presumably wet episode at the beginning of MIS 8 lead to local erosion, followed by development of small lakes. Modest ice sheet advance into central Europe occurred in the second part of MIS 8, as reflected by a till, glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine deposits and presumably, also by permafrost and ice wedges in western Belarus. MIS 7 seems to have been generally warm and wet when small lakes and meandering rivers could develop. Such mild conditions were interrupted with cool and probably drier episodes when braided rivers and limited pedogenesis occurred. Saalian ice sheet cover of central Europe in MIS 6 was widespread, but even more importantly, in this stage periglacial environments were dominant, as shown by continuous permafrost, intensive aeolian activity and development of ice wedges and involutions. Braided rivers developed during short wetter intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The pollen indicators of farming in Central European Plain c.a. 5050–4800 BCE excludes depopulation after the LBK collapse. • Rondels as the ceremonial centers played a leading role in building a new network social ties after the LBK collapse. • The pollen and radiocarbon data indicate that some rondelles had solid construction and could functioned nearly 300 years. Rondels are the oldest monumental ceremonial objects in Europe. They appeared some 200 years after the demise of the Linear Pottery culture (c. 4800 BCE). They have given a new shape to the resurgent 'Danubian Neolithic World'. However, despite intensive research, it is still unclear (1) how the transition process took place after the fall of the LBK; (2) how long rondels were function; and (3) under what circumstances they were abandoned. In this paper, we present a new approach to this problem based on an analysis of the biography of a single object based on the integration of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data. We assume that the high-resolution pollen analysis of lake sediments provides critical data on the dynamics of population change (hiatuses, sharp declines and increases in population size) and how the environment is affected (felling of specific tree species, fires, cultivation of particular crops, grazing intensity). They provide a better understanding of the sequence of settlement and construction changes as well as alterations in material culture available in the archaeological record. The subject of the analysis is a site in the Lower Oder Valley (north-west Poland), at the furthest northern periphery of the 'Danubian World'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of functional regional taxonomy and concrete definitions of functional regions based on prevailing population flows have been discussed in many regional studies. The resulting regions have been given various names (travel‐to‐work areas, local labour market areas, housing market areas, etc.) based on the character of the input data and the method of their definition. However, in most cases only one country (or part thereof) at a time has been analysed. The paper brings a unique definition of functional regions with comparable parameters suitable for international comparisons. Three Central European countries with different settlement and regional structures are analysed. The functional regions in all countries are objectivised through the operation with the constraint function, which estimates natural and non‐normative values for the self‐containment and size parameters. Two interaction measures are used in the regionalisation algorithm. Besides the methodological contribution, the role of spatial behaviour is briefly discussed, and an interpretation of the results and a proposal for the possible application of functional regions in regional planning and regional analysis in international research tasks is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tors represent one of the most characteristic landforms in the uplands and mountains of Central Europe, including the Sudetes, Czech-Moravian Highlands, Šumava/Bayerischer Wald, Fichtelgebirge or Harz. These features occur in a range of lithologies, although granites and gneisses are particularly prone to tor formation. Various models of tor formation and development have been presented, and for each model the tors were thought to have evolved under specific environmental conditions. The two most common theories emphasised their progressive emergence from pre-Quaternary weathering mantles in a two-stage scenario, and their development across slopes under periglacial conditions in a one-stage scenario. More recently, tors have been analysed in relation to ice sheet extent, the selectivity of glacial erosion, and the preservation of landforms under ice. In this paper we describe tor distribution across Central Europe along with hypotheses relating to their formation and development, arguing that specific evolutionary histories are not supported by unequivocal evidence and that the scenarios presented were invariably model-driven. Several examples from the Sudetes are presented to demonstrate that tor morphology is strongly controlled by lithology and structure. The juxtaposition of tors of different types is not necessarily evidence that they differ in their mode of origin or age. Pathways of tor remodelling and degradation under subaerial conditions are identified and it is argued that processes of tor formation and development are ongoing. Thus, tors are not reliable indicators of past environments, because they are considerably influenced by both geological factors, such as lithology and structure, and geomorphological factors such as hillslope setting.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the geobotanical division of Poland, Pomerania was treated as a separate subdivision, divided into "coastal plains" and the "Pomeranian uplands" or, in the newest regionalization, the "Pomeranian division". The goal of this paper is to determine how well the distinctiveness of Pomerania is floristically justified. A total of 1,467 native species occur within the area of Pomerania, representing 57.5% of the native flora of Poland. Fifty-seven species distinguishing Pomerania were selected and their phytogeographic features were discussed and compared to the Polish vascular flora. The distribution of 32 species (56.1%) is characterized as (sub)Atlantic/oceanic. Of the taxa that characterize Pomerania, 47.45% represent the northern element of the Polish flora and 7.01% the western element; species of the eastern element do not exist in Pomerania. The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method was used for collective distribution analysis of the 57 selected taxa. The analyzes were performed using 41 environmental variables. All the species analyzed are strictly linked to the western and the North Atlantic part of Europe. Statistical evaluation of the MaxEnt model yielded an AUC value of 0.75 for both training and test. The most important environmental variables are minimum high (min_h), temperature annual range (bio07), and mean temperature of driest quarter (bio09). The results of the MaxEnt analysis allowed us also to verify the boundaries of the region and suggest new criteria for them. The southern limit of Pomerania should run along the northern boundary of the terminal moraine belt. Also, the area east of the Vistula does not contain abundant representatives of the flora characteristic for Pomerania. The results of the present study may be used for a broader discussion on the revision of the geobotanical division of Poland, at least in its northern part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass rings used to be one of the most common jewellery types in the 10th–13th centuries in Central Europe, especially Silesia. The popularity of this type of decoration in this area could indicate its local origin. The chemical composition of the glass seems to confirm this theory. The Silesian glass rings analysed in this paper were made of high‐lead alkaline and non‐alkaline glass or of lead‐ash glass. There was also a close relationship between the colour of the finished products and the chemical composition of the glass. This provides new data for the study of the problem of production and distribution of glass jewellery in Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the electoral issues relating to modem international migration. The main topics of paper are the political electoral integration of immigrants in the Central European countries and also the opportunities for voting abroad. Voting from abroad is very important possibility for the citizens living abroad and for other expatriots. The Czech, Slovak and Polish political experience in this field is relatively long, but for Hungary it is new problem which has only existed for a couple of years. At present, all Central European countries allow their citizens living abroad to vote in parliamentary elections in some form or another, while some of them also permit voting in direct presidential elections. There are two models regarding to the political integration of immigrants: The more liberal model, which is typical for Hungary and Slovakia and more restrictive Czech and Polish model. Hungary and Slovakia permit the electoral participation on the local and regional level not only for the EU citizens living there, but for the third countries nationals too. The Czech Republic and Poland have opened their local electoral level only for the EU citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Austrian network of isotopes in rivers comprises about 15 sampling locations and has been operated since 1976. The Danube isotope time series goes back to 1963. The isotopic composition of river water in Central Europe is mainly governed by the isotopic composition of precipitation in the catchment area; evaporation effects play only a minor role. Short-term and long-term isotope signals in precipitation are thus transmitted through the whole catchment. The influence of climatic changes has become observable in the long-term stable isotope time series of precipitation and surface waters. Environmental 3H values were around 8 TU in 2015, short-term 3H pulses up to about 80 TU in the rivers Danube and March were a consequence of releases from nuclear power plants. The complete isotope data series of this network will be included in the Global Network of Isotopes in Rivers database of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2017. This article comprises a review of 50 years isotope monitoring on rivers and is also intended to provide base information on the (isotope-)hydrological conditions in Central Europe specifically for the end-users of these data, e.g. for modelling hydrological processes. Furthermore, this paper includes the 2006-2015 supplement adding to the Danube isotope set published earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Palynology is the leading method when testing human footprints in ancient landscapes. • Linear Band Pottery culture (LBK) is the oldest farming culture in central Europe. • The discovery of cereals 300 years older than the model of Neolithisation predicted. • The results postulate to reject demographic pressure as a main factor of Neolithisation. A precisely dated, high-resolution palynological profile shows that around 5680 BCE a community that grew crops and raised livestock settled on the northern periphery of the area later covered by the LBK colonisations. This indicates that pioneer farmers reached this region around 300 years earlier than estimated by recognised models of the Neolithisation process. These findings point to the need for a revision of the Neolithisation model, not only regarding dating but also in terms of reassessing the role played by demographic pressure. The authors believe that the impact of the latter is widely overestimated, because the migration could also be caused by conflicts resulting from ethnic diversity and competition for prestige and access to the most valuable lands. Cooperation with hunter-gatherer communities could have been an additional factor that may have been particularly significant during the period of pioneering colonisation. The paper discusses the role of palynology in contemporary research on Neolithisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to summarize the outcomes of the Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) conference held in Warsaw in February 2016. The main aim of this conference was to facilitate a discussion on European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) guidelines implementation across the region and neighbouring countries and to present the current obstacles in benchmarking HIV care in Europe. Methods During a 2-day meeting, there were country-based presentations using a predefined template so as to make the data comparable and focus the discussion. Areas covered were country epidemiology, surveillance, national strategy for treatment and prevention, standards of care, access to care and treatment availability. Each participant filled in a questionnaire investigating HIV guidelines usage per country. Results In total, 16 Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and neighbouring countries were represented at the conference: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Turkey. EACS guidelines version 7.1 were used in 14 (87%) countries. In 11 (69%) countries, national guidelines were available, of which eight had been recently updated. Half of the countries declared that they use World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines, over one-third the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) HIV testing guidelines and one in five the International Antiviral Society USA (IAS-USA) Panel guidelines from 2012. Conclusions Participants declared their will to promote the widespread use of EACS guidelines for HIV infection in the CEE region and neighbouring countries by signing the Warsaw Declaration. They also emphasized the need to increase publishing of data from national cohorts in that region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomic identification remains a challenge for fossil small mammals, in particular in the case of morphologically close species. These identifications are especially essential in the case of species with different ecological tolerances for paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic inferences. Among rodents which depend on peculiar environments, the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor) only inhabits boreal forests and is a bryophage specialist burrowing under specific moss covers. In the fossil record, its identification has long been problematic and Myopus has often been mixed up with the tundra lemming (Lemmus sp.), a rodent inhabiting the arctic open landscape. By applying geometric morphometrics on fossil Lemmini specimens from Late Pleistocene Central Europe, this paper demonstrates the occurrence of Myopus at least during Marine Isotopic Stage 3 and Last Glacial Maximum in the region. Its presence has a strong impact on paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions as demonstrated by the application of the Bioclimatic analysis method suggesting a colder climate as well as the identification of a taiga biozone that remained undetected if this species is not included. This work definitively attests the essential contribution of geometric morphometric analyses to a better understanding of small mammal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Grub/Kranawetberg, a multilayered Gravettian site in Lower Austria, is one of many Gravettian open-air sites of Central Europe. These sites are well-known since a long time for their settlement structures, but also rich lithic inventories as well as organic tools, personal adornments, and art objects (e.g., Pavlov, Dolní Vestonice). While old excavation and recording techniques do not allow a detailed intrasite spatial analysis of these sites, the ongoing fieldwork at Grub/Kranawetberg provides us with abundant and detailed information about spatial organization of a Gravettian open-air site in Central Europe. The site is excavated since 1993 and yielded four archaeological horizons with abundant finds (including numerous personal adornments) and some evident structures. The main focus of this paper is on the GIS-based methodology of intrasite spatial analysis, especially emphasizing the possibilities of recognizing formation processes, size-sorting and locating a possible dwelling. Application of various methods, among them piece-plotting, mapping of find quantities, application of kernel density estimates and ring and sector analysis, in the 1995 and 1996 excavation area showed latent structures which are interpreted as evidence for a dwelling in this area of the site. In the last part of the paper the evidence of Grub/Kranawetberg is discussed and compared with other European Gravettian sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse how farm production and input use (land, variable inputs, labour, and capital) is related to farm access to credit in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) transition countries. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on a unique farm level panel data set with 37,409 observations and employing a matching estimator, this paper analyses how farm access to credit affects farm input allocation and farm efficiency in the CEE transition countries. The large size of the FADN data set has an additional advantage. It allows the authors to employ a semi-parametric estimator based on the propensity score matching. Using more than 37,409 observations assures that the loss in efficiency of semi-parametric estimates, as compared to parametric ones, is not a problem. This is important for at least two reasons. First, applying a semi-parametric propensity score matching (PSM) estimator allows to control for any heterogeneity in the relationship between farm performance and their observable characteristics (in particular access to credit). Second, matching estimators are robust in situations where farms having access to credit systematically differ from those that do not. Findings – It is found that farms are asymmetrically credit constrained between inputs. The use of variable inputs and capital investment increases up to 2.3 percent and 29 percent, respectively, per 1,000 EUR of additional credit. The authors' estimates suggest also that farm access to credit increases the total factor productivity up to 1.9 percent per 1,000 EUR of additional credit, indicating that an improved access to credit results in adjusting the relative input intensities on farms. This finding is further supported by a negative effect of better access to credit on labour, suggesting that these two are substitutes. Interestingly, farms are found not to be credit constrained with respect to land. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, the present paper is the first to investigate the importance of access to credit for farm performance in the CEE region as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents new approach to study spatial and temporal variability of bioclimatic conditions. The new Universal Thermal Climate Index UTCI was applied in this purpose. UTCI bases on multi-note human heat balance Fiala model and it represents heat stress in man caused by meteorological conditions. The seasonal and regional variability of bioclimate was assessed on an example of selected European cities: Kołobrzeg, Warsaw, Świeradów, Prague, Budapest, Ljubljana and Milan. Daily meteorological data (air temperature, vapour pressure, wind speed and total cloud cover) for the period 1991-2000 was used in this purpose. Annual course of UTCI values and the frequency of UTCI categories are discussed. Significant regional differences between studied cities were found. The results confirm frequent occurrence of unfavourable thermal conditions in Mediterranean region in summer months. However, heat stress was frequently observed in summer in all compared stations. Spatial variability in detail local scale was studied on the examples of selected regions of Poland (Mazovia Lowland, Warsaw). The results show that occurrence of strong heat stress depends not only on general meteorological conditions but also on land use. The greatest heat stress is observed mostly in urbanised areas especially in the central parts of cities and inside industrial districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the proposition in 1975 of the European Neogene Mammal (MN) scale by Pierre Mein, the amount of taxonomical, stratigraphical and chronological information around Europe has increased exponentially. In this paper, the stratigraphical schemes of three of the best studied areas for the Lower and Middle Miocene, the Aragonian type area in Spain and the Upper Freshwater Molasse from the North Alpine Foreland Basin in Switzerland and Bavaria, are compared. The correlation of their local biostratigraphies are discussed. Sixteen rodent''s events are studied and ranked in the three areas according to their local biostratigraphy. This study shows, and quantifies for the first time, the significant asynchronies of the different included rodent events. The MN-system is discussed in the light of those results. In accordance, we propose that it is still useful but only in a biochronological way, as a sequence of time-ordered reference localities allowing coarse long-distance correlations. In order to obtain better temporal resolution, this system has to be combined with local biostratigraphies that are well calibrated to the time scale, implementing the information about synchrony and diachrony of mammal events in different areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary causative agent in cervical cancer, are licensed. This paper contains the Central European Vaccination Advisory Group (CEVAG) guidance statement on the introduction of HPV vaccines in central Europe. Eight countries currently have medical representatives on CEVAG: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey. By raising awareness and disseminating information, CEVAG aims to promote the efficient and safe use of vaccines to prevent, control and if possible eliminate infectious diseases. In January 2008, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control published a report entitled Guidance for the Introduction of HPV Vaccines in EU Countries. Members of CEVAG have taken the information relevant to their countries from this report and, with consideration of local issues, produced these guidance recommendations for the introduction of HPV vaccines in the CEVAG region, which may be adapted for use in individual countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical maps are critical for long-term land use reconstructions; however, quantifying the uncertainty involved in comparing historical maps with recent data remains a considerable challenge. To date, many works have focused on the technical aspects of comparing historical and contemporary materials, but the potential sources of uncertainty inherent in historical data remain poorly understood. In this paper, we analyze the impacts of the topographic accessibility and cartographer's field position on the content quality of historical Austrian second military survey maps by referring to independent census data. Our results show that the topographic accessibility and visibility from the cartographer's surveying table points had very little impact on the map content quality and that the surveying table point locations were uniformly distributed throughout the area, regardless of the landscape conditions. These findings demonstrate that the second military survey maps can be seen as valuable and consistent historical data sources, making them especially useful for long-term land use research in Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a comparative approach to early farming, arguing that bioarchaeological work on Neolithic Europe can inform understanding of earlier cultivation and herding in the Near East, where the ‘package’ of crops and livestock emerged in the PPNB period. Evidence for intensive cultivation (‘garden agriculture’) integrated with small-scale herding is outlined for south-east and central Europe before turning to crop and caprine husbandry practices during the PPNB. It is concluded that integration of small-scale cultivation and herding during the PPNB facilitated the spread of agriculture to Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International railway passenger services have seen considerable changes in Europe over the past few decades. Using international railway connections within and reaching outside the V4 countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) in 1990–2019 as a sample, our paper explores trends and patterns in that matter in Central Europe. We have found that the characteristic focus on relatively very frequent short or medium-distance connections using the best equipped railway corridors – paralleled by a considerable reduction of the remaining services – has also been clearly in evidence in this part of the world. However, trends and patterns in Central Europe are not necessarily a mirror image of what has occurred in Western Europe. For instance, although a considerable shortening of travel times has indeed been observed, it has been achieved – characteristically – thanks to the improved permeability of state borders after the enlargement of the EU in 2004, with only moderate improvements to infrastructure being made. Central Europe therefore seems to be the prime example of an area in which contextual, political and geopolitical factors are the keys to understanding the dynamics of changes in transport systems. On the other hand, evidence from this region may give rise to some reflections on the possible roles for the European long-distance rail transport in the future. To begin with, our results show 800 km to be the threshold beyond which the competitive position of rail becomes significantly lower. Secondly, competitive pressure from innovative newcomers (Regiojet, LeoExpress, Arriva) clearly makes national incumbents more flexible and pro-active. Thirdly, the noticeable spatial re-orientation of international railway connections from the V4 countries towards Vienna and Munich (at the expense of Berlin) that we have observed is partly related to the appeal of these cities as multimodal gates with excellent locations within European transport networks. It would therefore seem that the railways in this part of Europe have been attempting to become an integral part of the international multi-modal long-distance transport system. • A noticeable re-arrangement of international long-distance railway connections in Central Europe in 1990–2019. • The fall of Berlin's gravity in Central Europe and the increasing appeal of Vienna as a multimodal gate providing access to Western Europe. • Conventional rail can play an important role in international passenger transport, but 800 km is a clear threshold beyond which its competitive position becomes significantly lower. • Innovative new railway operators also enter international connections – the result of market liberalization. • Central Europe is the prime example of an area in which contextual, political and geopolitical factors are the keys to understanding the dynamics of changes in transport systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the principles of sustainable mobility, public transport (PT) is becoming a new paradigm to measure the accessibility of a region. This paper analyses PT accessibility for commuters that travel in cross-border areas of Central Europe, a region that has registered a significant growth of transnational movements in the last 20 years. A specific geographic area (i.e. the boundary between Hungary and Austria) is then deepened, according to its territorial and socio-economic peculiarities. Here, the indicators usually adopted in a gravity model (i.e. distance between origins and destinations and their number of inhabitants) do not completely match with the registered movements; rather, the average income and the work opportunities available in the destinations explain the cross-border flows better. Then, a Cross-Border Commuting PT Accessibility based on the Relative Network Efficiency Indicator is made for the main connections and compared with the Domestic Commuting PT Accessibility. This analysis highlights that 1) cross-border accessibility by PT is limited for several rural destinations that have few inhabitants but a non-negligible number of cross-border commuters; 2) the differences in PT attractiveness between domestic and transnational journeys are still very high and are mainly due to long travel times, complex multimodal chains, and unappealing fares. These results suggest the importance of an integrated approach among operators from different territories, which are called upon to bridge the existing technical, coordination and cooperation gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various research fields, from archaeology to landscape history and ecology, it is important to know the date of the origin of historical settlements (i.e. towns, villages, hamlets, isolated farms) as precisely as possible. In Central Europe, there are two primary ways to obtain the date when a settlement was founded: "historical dating" (based on historical written sources) and "archaeological dating" (based on archaeological findings). Historical dating usually does not reflect the real time of origin, since the first reference to a settlement in written sources can be recorded many years after the real origin of the settlement. However, the time lag is unknown. Until now, no study has attempted to show exactly how the time lag differs in different centuries, or whether the time lag has been affected by any geographical factors. This paper compares the dates of origin from archaeological data and from written sources of medieval and early modern settlements (n = 527, AD 850–1600) in the present-day Czech Republic. We also tested the influence of local environmental conditions on the time lag. Our comparison shows that the time lag has been decreasing with the passing of calendar years (from a time lag of 250 years for AD 1000 to approx. 80 years for AD 1400). Towns and places close to major towns also have a shorter time lag in their historical dating (the difference is almost 100 years). These results make an interpretation of the historical dating of medieval towns and villages more complicated. The length of the time lag and its dispersion means that, for the purposes of settlement dating, historical dating needs to be combined with other dating methods (especially in the medieval period). Our results also identify a possible bias in the chronology of landscape transformation. • Written sources are not reliable for dating medieval settlements in Central Europe. • We have assessed the concordance between written sources and archaeological data. • The usual time lag in written sources decreases with increasing calendar year. • Around AD 1200, the typical time lag of written sources is 150 years. • Around AD 1600, written sources agree with archaeological data in 70% of the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]