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Cosmopolitanism, which is often defined as openness to other cultures and individuals, is significant for understanding processes of stratification in contemporary, globalised societies that are home to increasingly diverse populations. In this paper, we broaden the perspective on cosmopolitanism to include cultural, interpersonal, and political dimensions. We test the associations between these types of cosmopolitanism and three types of correlates: socio-demographic characteristics, personal exposure to other cultures, and exposure to other cultures via various media. We analyse data from nine European countries that differ in the characteristics of their population, cultural traditions, and political models. Results indicate that differences between respondents in the nine countries are better explained by individual characteristics than by country characteristics. Furthermore, it is mainly personal and mediated exposure to other cultures, rather than socio-demographic variables, that play a significant role in influencing respondents' cosmopolitan tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has suggested a decline in alcohol use among students, however, only a few papers offer to explain why adolescents are drinking less. According to ESPAD, adolescents' alcohol use is decreasing in Europe, but only Hungary shows an increasing trend. The paper aims to give explanation for the opposite trends. The analysis is based on a cross-national dataset, ESPAD in 2003 and 2019, involving 25 countries (N = 157,790). The background variables cover family, school, leisure time, risk behaviors. Chi-square tests, logit explanatory model, KHB method were applied. In Hungary and in countries with decline the strongest relation with current alcohol use was found for internet use, going out, parental control, daily smoking, and alcohol intake. In countries with decline and in Hungary, stronger parental control, going out less often, smoking less may contribute to a declining trend while a more widespread internet use may contribute to an increasing trend. Hungary shows the same pattern as the countries with decline, so other factors such as a lack of alcohol policy, permissive attitudes, media representation, health awareness may be behind the different trends. Future research should be directed toward providing further explanations for the opposite trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 purpose of this paper is to review the development of leave policies in Europe, both at a regional and national level, and to consider what future directions such policies might take to meet changing conditions and emerging needs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on the work of an international network that the authors founded in 2004, which brings together experts on leave policy from over 40 countries, and in particular on an annual review of national leave policies conducted by network members. Findings: The article presents developments in European legislation on leave policy stretching from 1883 to the present day, and outlines the extent of leave policies in European countries and the wide variations in the design of these policies. It suggests that future directions in leave policy need to address the relationship between this and other policy areas; the need for a life course perspective to leave policy, getting beyond parental leave; and that leave should turn away from being considered an employment benefit towards becoming a universal right to care. Originality/value: The paper provides a concise overview of leave policy in the global region where leave policies began and are today most developed, at both a regional and national level. It is also intended to stimulate debate about the future directions that leave policy might take. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a strong degree of interest over the last 30 years towards immigrant segregation in Europe. This paper aims to contribute towards the existing body of research by extending the multi-scalar analysis of patterns of immigrant residential segregation into a coherent international comparative study of cities of different sizes. We investigate the patterns of immigrant-native segregation at different geographical scales, along with their correlates, in more than a hundred cities in 2011 across Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Our findings suggest that cities in the UK are the most highly segregated in Europe. The positions of the other countries in the 'European segregation ranking' depend upon the considered immigrant group and spatial scale. The national context is consistently the most important factor in understanding segregation at multiple spatial scales. However, even while taking into account the national contexts, the structural-ecological factors remain important predictors of segregation patterns in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study is to analyse the association between job stress and interpersonal relationships on and outside of the job in Europe. The main assumption of the paper is that since social relations at various levels enhance individual well-being, they may counteract stress created by an unfavourable work environment.Methods: The econometric analysis, based on a standard ordered probit model, employs data taken from the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey carried out in 2015 and released in 2017.Results: The results show significant correlations between interpersonal contacts on and outside of the job and job stress. Help and support provided by one's manager decreases the probability of being stressed at work, while receiving help and support from co-workers is likely to increase the probability of job stress occurrence. However, maintaining cooperation and getting on well with colleagues decrease the probability of experiencing stress, confirming the positive and gratifying features of contact with co-workers reported by the literature.Conclusions: While we were not able to establish the direction of causality between job stress and interpersonal relationships (a limitation of this paper), the present work contributes new evidence to the literature on occupational stress. Our results show that interpersonal relationships on and outside of the job can be considered valuable resources that, when available to an individual, are useful for managing stress created by workplace stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we carried out a comparative analysis of three alliances, namely Quercion petraea, Betonico-Quercion and Lathyro-Quercion, which span Central and Eastern European thermophilous oak forests. The main goal was to find out floristic and ecological differences as well as to assess specificities in the phytosociological and layer structure across the syntaxa in different regions of Europe. Cluster analysis was performed based on the Bray-Curtis distance matrix and the flexible beta algorithm. A phytoindication method was applied to determine ecological relationships. Variability in the phytosociological structure was studied by shares of species of different classes of vegetation. The layer structure features were investigated by comparing species with the highest constancy value within each layer. Analysis of the distribution boundaries of differentiating species allowed the geographical boundaries of the three identified syntaxa clusters to be delineated. In the phytosociological structure, the greatest differences were found in the proportion of species of Quercetea pubescentis and Brachypodio-Betuletea classes. The Central and Eastern European syntaxa groups were shown to be significantly different in the constancy-ranked series of major layer-forming species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Sarcoma Policy Checklist was created by a multidisciplinary expert group to provide policymakers with priority areas to improve care for sarcoma patients.Main Body: This paper draws on this research, by looking more closely at how France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom are addressing each of these priority areas. It aims to highlight key gaps in research, policy and practice, as well as ongoing initiatives that may impact the future care of sarcoma patients in different European countries. A pragmatic review of the published and web-based literature was undertaken. Telephone interviews were conducted in each country with clinical and patient experts to substantiate findings. Research findings were discussed within the expert group and developed into five core policy recommendations. The five identified priority areas were: the development of designated and accredited centres of reference; more professional training; multidisciplinary care; greater incentives for research and innovation; and more rapid access to effective treatments. Most of the countries studied have ongoing initiatives addressing many of these priorities; however, many are in early stages of development, or require additional funding and resources.Conclusion: Gaps in access to quality care are particularly concerning in many of Europe's lower-resourced countries. Equitable access to information, clinical trials, innovative treatments and quality specialist care should be available to all sarcoma patients. Achieving this across Europe will require close collaboration between all stakeholders at both the national and European level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While decentralisation has come to be a major policy strategy in many healthcare systems, there is still insufficient evidence about its impact. Most studies have been of developing countries, and they have provided mixed results. This study is the first to test the relevance of political decentralisation across European countries, thus meeting the demand for more studies of decentralisation in developed countries, and building on an indicator of decentralisation reflecting the allocation of authority for both health policy tasks and health policy areas. Methods: As indicators of health system outcome, we employed 2 measures that have not previously been investigated in the context of decentralisation: self-rated health and satisfaction with healthcare system. Using multilevel modelling and controlling for individual-level demographic and socioeconomic variables, the paper utilised the 2014 (7th) and 2016 (8th) round of the European Social Survey (ESS), including more than 70 000 individuals from 20 countries. Results: The results suggest that decentralisation has a positive and significant association with health system satisfaction, but not with self-rated health. Of the different operationalisations, decentralised healthcare provision had the strongest association with health system satisfaction. Conclusion: Our study fails to provide clear support for decentralised health systems. There is a need for more research on the impact of such reforms in order to provide policy-makers with knowledge of desirable governance, organisational designs, management and incentives in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In this paper, the author intends to explain the comparative challenges of a research project and the methodological grounding and justification of the research conclusions. The research project regarded an assignment of the European Commission to assess inclusion measures in primary and secondary education in 10 European countries, i.e. France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK (Contract 2007-2094/001 TRA-TRSPO). National as well as comparative reports were submitted to the Commission in August 2009 and accepted for further publication in October 2009. The present paper will concentrate on the methodological issues and considerations. It will demonstrate that the conclusions were grounded and justified from a methodological perspective, applying an appropriate mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, notwithstanding serious limitations and restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of the pharmacist has undergone profound changes over the recent years. In most European countries, the tendency seems to be that pharmacists are moving from being product-oriented to service-oriented. An interesting series of papers describing care related services of pharmacy in various countries has been published in 2006, but much has changed since then. This paper aims to provide an updated view on the overall health care sector in Europe, with a special focus on services in community pharmacy.Objective: To list and compare health care and community pharmacy structure in Europe; and to discuss the facilitators and barriers that can be found in health care systems and may promote or hinder the implementation of new community pharmacy services.Setting: European community pharmacy practice.Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken where data were collected using an online survey sent to a purposive sample of representatives from 27 European countries. Main outcome measure variation in professional community pharmacy services across Europe.Results: Data were obtained from 22 respondents in 19 countries (70.4%). Health care is mainly provided by a form of public National Health Services in 17 of the 19 countries. Demographic criteria for founding new pharmacies were present in 17 countries. Medicines are exclusively available in pharmacies in approximately one third of the countries. Smoking cessation (93.8%), drug waste management (81.3%) and pharmaceutical care programmes for specific diseases (77.8%) were reported as the most widely disseminated services in European pharmacies.Conclusions: There are still major differences between community pharmacy practice in Europe. Differences are mostly due to the legal framework and remuneration issues, which impact on the range of services available from pharmacies to the community of each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Performing cardiovascular and cancer screenings in target populations can reduce mortality. Visiting a General Practitioner (GP) once a year is related to an increased likelihood of preventive care. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of visiting a GP in the last year on the delivery of preventive services based on sex and household income. Methods: Cross-sectional study using data collected from the European Health Interview Survey 2013–2015 of individuals aged 40–74 years from 29 European countries. The variables included: sociodemographic factors (age, sex, and household income (HHI) quintiles [HHI 1: lowest income, HHI 5: more affluent]), lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and preventive care services (cardiometabolic, influenza vaccination, and cancer screening). Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and multilevel models (level 1: citizen, level 2: country) were performed. Results: 242,212 subjects were included, 53.7% were female. The proportion of subjects who received any cardiometabolic screening (92.4%) was greater than cancer screening (colorectal cancer: 44.1%, gynaecologic cancer: 40.0%) and influenza vaccination. Individuals who visited a GP in the last year were more prone to receive preventive care services (cardiometabolic screening: adjusted OR (aOR): 7.78, 95% CI: 7.43–8.15; colorectal screening aOR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.80–1.95; mammography aOR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.69–1.83 and Pap smear test: aOR: 1.89, 95% CI:1.85–1.94). Among those who visited a GP in the last year, the highest ratios of cardiometabolic screening and cancer screening benefited those who were more affluent. Women underwent more blood pressure measurements than men regardless of the HHI. Men were more likely to undergo influenza vaccination than women regardless of the HHI. The highest differences between countries were observed for influenza vaccination, with a median odds ratio (MOR) of 6.36 (under 65 years with comorbidities) and 4.30 (over 65 years with comorbidities), followed by colorectal cancer screening with an MOR of 2.26. Conclusions: Greater adherence to preventive services was linked to individuals who had visited a GP at least once in the past year. Disparities were evident among those with lower household incomes who visited a GP. The most significant variability among countries was observed in influenza vaccination and colorectal cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Regulation is the tool preferred by policy-makers to manage the quality of residential care for older people. However, it remains unclear which form of regulation is most effective. The residential care sector for older people in Europe offers a unique opportunity to explore this issue as countries vary in how they control quality in the sector. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a comparative approach, collating secondary data from various sources and conducting qualitative comparative analysis on the data. Findings – Three regulatory approaches were in operation – many Northern European countries operate on a self-regulatory basis, and are associated with the highest quality. Many continental countries, the UK and Ireland operate a command-and-control regulatory approach, with a moderate standard of care. Mediterranean and Eastern European countries have limited regulation, with care of a lower standard. However, the type of regulation appears to be a product of the prevailing culture and philosophy of care within each country. Thus, quality outcomes are a measure of financial investment in care. Social implications – Consistent calls for command-and-control style regulation may be misguided; high-quality care requires high-public investment and a professional workforce with the freedom to focus on quality improvement mechanisms. Originality/value – The paper provides a framework for analysing outcomes associated with different types of regulation. While a self-regulatory model is linked with the best outcomes, financial investment and the philosophy of care may be more important factors influencing the quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses historical and technical events in the U.S. and Europe over the last few years that are aimed at modernizing the electric power grid. The U.S. federal government has ratified the “smart grid initiative” as the official policy for modernizing the electricity grid including unprecedented provisions for timely information and control options to consumers and deployment of “smart” technologies. European countries are unified in researching and developing related technologies through various structures supported by the European Union. This paper presents the development of smart grids and an analysis of the methodologies, milestones, and expected evolutions of grid technologies that will transform society in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine the governance of activation in relation to the decentralization and centralization of activation for social assistance recipients in Sweden, The Netherlands and the UK. Design/methodology/approach – This paper outlines broad trends in the governance of activation policies in Europe, focusing on processes of decentralization and centralization in Sweden (characterized by a context of shifting national and local level governance of policies, cultivated within a strong tradition of active labour market policies); The Netherlands (where there has been a deliberate shift in governance towards the local level); and the UK (typified by highly centralized decision making in policy design but local variation in delivery). Findings – The comparison identified different paths of decentralization and examines how these processes interact and overlap with modes of centralization/coordination of policies. Finally, the paper demonstrates the interface between the modes of decentralization and centralization. Originality/value – The investigation of vertical changes in the governance of activation in three country case studies provides an original in-depth analysis of types and paths of decentralization and centralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively few comparative studies have focused specifically upon the socio-economic conditions affecting the welfare of older rural Europeans. Such publications as exist are usually confined to single studies. In presenting a European overview of their 'life-world' this paper focuses upon the general conditions of older rural Europeans, living in different types of countryside within a centre-periphery framework. These conditions are largely dependent upon the interconnectivity (nexus) between regional urban centres and the older people's types of settlement. The extent of the global socio-economic flows between urban centres and countrysides is critical, especially for those living in less accessible and remote European areas. Older people's positive and negative outcomes are seen to occur within four possible urban–rural parameters. The first consists of two-way socio-economic urban–rural flows that are more likely to be of benefit to significant numbers of older persons, especially in urban fringe and accessible countrysides. The second parameter arises when there is a long-standing impasse, where the lack of communication between the rural locality and urban centre hampers socio-economic urban–rural flows, isolating older people, particularly in less accessible and remote countrysides. The third occurs when regional and local urban centres block or cut back socio-economic flows to the countryside. The fourth takes place when the rural communities resist socio-economic urban flows that they regard as a threat to their rural idyll. Exemplars within each of the four urban–rural alternatives help to show the applicability and workability of this four-way exploratory approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of some criticism about social responsibility education in business schools, the paper reports findings from a survey of CSR education (teaching and research) in Europe. It analyses the extent of CSR education, the different ways in which it is defined and the levels at which it is taught. The paper provides an account of the efforts that are being made to "mainstream" CSR teaching and of the teaching methods deployed. It considers drivers of CSR courses, particularly the historical role of motivated individuals and the anticipation of future success being dependent on more institutional drivers. Finally it considers main developments in CSR research both by business school faculty and PhD students, tomorrow's researchers and the resources devoted to CSR research. The conclusion includes questions that arise and further research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood risks are managed differently across Europe. While a number of research studies aim to understand these differences, they tend to pay little attention to the social constructionist aspects of flood risk governance, i.e. the meaning that societies give to flood risk and governance. This paper aims to address this gap by understanding differences in flood risk management approaches (FRMA) from a discursive-institutional perspective. Based on this perspective, an analytical framework was developed to systematically analyse and compare discourses pertaining to flood risk and its governance in six European member states (England (the United Kingdom), Flanders (Belgium), France, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden). Correspondingly, this paper demonstrates how the hegemonic discursive-institutional patterns of flood risk governance differ between the six European countries. These differences may influence the capability of countries to learn from each other, adopt new FRMAs or cooperate with each other. Moreover, the paper argues that differences in discourses partially account for the differences in FRMAs between countries, combined with other factors. Additionally, broader implications are discussed. For example, the research findings imply that some discourses tend to favour or disfavour other discourses, and that they additionally also tend to favour particular FRMAs; e.g. the flood risk discourse pertaining to high manageability of risks seems to favour a governance discourse of collectivity and central governance . The different insights imply that further research is necessary to understand the complex interaction of discourses and institutional arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Estimates of the prevalence of gestational diabetes vary widely. It is important to have a clear understanding of the prevalence of this condition to be able to plan interventions and health care provision. This paper describes a meta-analysis of primary research data reporting the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in the general pregnant population of developed countries in Europe.Methods: Four electronic databases were systematically searched in May 2016. English language articles reporting gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence using universal screening in general pregnant population samples from developed countries in Europe were included. All papers identified by the search were screened by one author, and then half screened independently by a second author and half by a third author. Data were extracted by one author. Values for the measures of interest were combined using a random effects model and analysis of the effects of moderator variables was carried out.Results: A total of 3258 abstracts were screened, with 40 studies included in the review. Overall prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus was 5.4% (3.8-7.8). Maternal age, year of data collection, country, area of Europe, week of gestation at testing, and diagnostic criteria were found to have a significant univariate effect on GDM prevalence, and area, week of gestation at testing and year of data collection remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis. Quality category was significant in multivariate but not univariate analysis.Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows prevalence of GDM that is at the upper end of previous estimates in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite established efficacy for cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIEDs), large differences in CIED implant rates have been documented across and within countries. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of socio-economic, epidemiological and supply side factors on CIED implant rates across 57 Regions in 5 EU countries and to assess the feasibility of using administrative data for this purpose. A total of 1 330 098 hospitalizations for CIED procedures extracted from hospital discharge databases in Austria, England, Germany, Italy and Slovenia from 2008 to 2012 was used in the analysis. Higher levels of tertiary education among the labour force and percent of aged population are positively associated with implant rates of CIED. Regional per capita GDP and number of implanting centres appear to have no significant effect. Institutional factors are shown to be important for the diffusion of CIED. Wide variation in CIED implant rates across and within five EU countries is undeniable. However, regional factors play a limited part in explaining these differences with few exceptions. Administrative databases are a valuable source of data for investigating the diffusion of medical technologies, while the choice of appropriate modelling strategy is crucial in identifying the drivers for variation across countries. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the union formation of the children of immigrants, the so-called second generation, focusses primarily on marriage and cohabitation. Even though dating relationships are often the first romantic relations and lay the foundation for more committed relationships, very little is known about dating among second-generation young adults. This is unfortunate because dating across different origin groups may point to changing or shifting group boundaries, that may only later be reflected in interethnic marriages. In this paper we aim to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the dating behavior of Turkish second-generation young adults in five European countries (the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France) using the comparative TIES survey data. Our results show that it is common for the Turkish second generation to date a partner with a non-Turkish background. And, moreover, that it is important to distinguish between different types of intra-ethnic partnerships. Although only few parents are reported not to approve of the relationship of their child, a substantial part of the second generation seems reluctant to inform their parents about their dating life. With regard to the role of parents, it seems that their influence on the origin of dating partners is limited. In order to enhance our understanding of the meaning of (intergroup-) dating, its determinants and outcomes, future data may focus more on meeting places and the role of peers in a longitudinal way. We argue that dating is an important indicator for intergroup relations that deserves further attention in increasingly diverse societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper addresses Chinese interrogation rules from historical and comparative perspectives by relating them to the very different development of interrogation procedure in Europe. A fuller understanding of the evolution of the rules in both contexts is relevant to the present day controversy concerning the universal versus relative nature of interrogation fairness. The comparative analysis reveals that, in fact, the influence of ancient Greek and Chinese civilizations resulted in a great difference between Europe and China regarding legal cultures and institutional arrangements for criminal interrogation procedure. Considering future legal reforms in China, and given the very different historical and institutional context, the likelihood seems low that an 'autonomous version' of the right to remain silent and the privilege against self-incrimination will develop on China's very different soil. However, traditional native resources are also available to legal reformers to ensure a cooperative interviewing style in criminal questioning, and eliminate police-coerced confessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an empirical study of the between-individual and between-country differences in the popular legitimacy of European healthcare systems. In order to explain two dimensions of popular legitimacy (satisfaction and support for state responsibility), we assess the impact of self-interest motives (income and personal health), ideology (egalitarianism) and institutional arrangements (level of service provision, and private and government health expenditure). For this purpose, data from the European Social Survey Round 4 (ESS-4, 2008–2009) are analysed by means of multilevel models. Universal high support for state responsibility is found, while satisfaction varies considerably, with particularly low levels found in Eastern European and former Soviet Union countries. It appears that individuals are not guided by self-interest motives and ideology alone. In addition to these factors interacting, the results suggest that state-provided healthcare might be in everyone’s interest. Introducing a patient perspective could advance our understanding of healthcare legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim One of the main gaps in the assessment of biodiversity is the lack of a unified framework for measuring its taxonomic and functional facets and for unveiling the underlying patterns. Location Europe, 25 large river basins. Methods Here, we develop a decomposition of functional β-diversity, i.e. the dissimilarity in functional composition between communities, into a functional turnover and a functional nestedness-resultant component. Results We found that functional β-diversity was lower than taxonomic β-diversity. This difference was driven by a lower functional turnover compared with taxonomic turnover while the nestedness-resultant component was similar for taxonomic and functional β-diversity. Main conclusions Fish faunas with different species tend to share the same functional attributes. The framework presented in this paper will help to analyse biogeographical patterns as well as to measure the impact of human activities on the functional facets of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leading international standards for information security management, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 originate from the UK, but are applied worldwide. This paper explores whether the processes of selection, implementation and use of these interrelated standards differ between China and Europe by studying cases of Chinese and European companies. Chinese companies face some additional problems with the standards but manage to get them successfully implemented in a short period of time. Main differences relate to governance and management of standard adoption. This study is innovative in the method used for standardisation research (comparative multi-case study), and the topic: implementation and impact of information security management standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has contributed to confirming the link between education and health in developed countries. The analysis is based on 11 European Union countries. We estimate country-specific health functions, where the dependent variable is self-reported health status and the education attainment is one of the main inputs. All eight waves (1994–2001) of the European Community Household Panel are deployed. A random effects ordered probit is estimated in order to control, to a given extent, for unobserved heterogeneity. Explanatory variables are both time invariant (education attainment and gender) and time varying (gross wages, hours of work, age and living alone). Results confirm the positive impact of secondary education on health in most cases and tertiary education in all cases, even after controlling for other inputs in the health function and taking unobserved heterogeneity into account. Secondary education has an impact on health in all countries in the sample except for The Netherlands and UK. The effect does not differ between secondary and tertiary education in France, Ireland and Greece. The correlation between education and health is interpreted in different but complementary ways by diverse approaches and we may not disentangle the precise mechanism that connects health with education from our results. Anyway, it seems clear that better coordination is needed between education and health policies to effectively improve health literacy. Other relevant results from our study are that women register poorer health than men, age contributes to worsening health status and wages contribute positively to health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper analyzes and compares the current urban green space planning and management experiences of 23 European cities in order to understand the critical factors behind their success and/or failure and to obtain strategic and policy relevant information on the key features of urban green provisions and maintenance. The results of our comparative analysis show that—despite a variety in urban green space policies in cities in Europe—the critical success conditions in planning and management of urban green spaces have emerged in four factors/attributes: (1) the share of green space in urban land use; (2) the changes in these shares over time; (3) the intensity of involvement of the city administration; and (4) the degree of citizen participation. The comparative evaluation of our analysis also shows some interesting results in terms of geographical and regional characteristics in the success level. We can say that three geographical regions, northern Europe, southern Europe, and eastern Europe, with different success levels and characteristics, have emerged in the green picture of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses recent developments in the area of energy and environmental taxes in selected European countries. Its main focus is the more profound tax shifts, sometimes also called environmental fiscal reforms, which involve an increase in energy and environmental taxes and the simultaneous decrease in other taxes, such as taxes on labour. Often the tax shifts have resulted from the recommendations of Green Tax Commissions, on the basis of analyses of the whole fiscal system. In countries where such commissions have not been set up by national governments, fiscal reform packages have been proposed by NGOs and research institutes, but have generally not been fully implemented. The paper also discusses some of the obstacles to the implementation of these reforms, and shows that these obstacles can be overcome. The conclusion of the paper is that the principal benefit of environmental fiscal reforms is environmental, but there are no grounds for thinking that they are economically harmful. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses evidence from organizations with more than 200 employees in several countries across Europe to explore the proposition that industrial relations in Europe is becoming more convergent around a non-union HRM model. The evidence indicates that, although there are some similar moves taking place, national patterns remain distinctive, the IR/HRM distinction may not be sustainable in Europe and there are significant elements of continuity in industrial relations in Europe alongside the changes that are taking place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperation in the delivery of public services is generally framed as desirable, but it is often hindered by serious collective action problems. The article compares inter-municipal cooperation in seven countries with different institutional settings. It investigates the rules of governance characterising these diverse institutional settings and assesses how they deal with the multiple principal problem. The authors find that in almost all cases, all participating municipalities are represented on the supervisory board of the cooperative entity. In contrast, in other less frequent case cooperation is frequently managed through a different tier of local government, thus circumventing the multiple principal problem affecting inter-municipal arrangements in the other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of grandparenting on the grandparents' health has been relatively under-studied. This study examined country differences in the effects of grandchild care provision on the grandparents' depression in Italy, Spain, China, Denmark and Sweden using the longitudinal Harmonised CHARLS and SHARE data collected between 2010–2015. Controlling for the grandparents' depression in 2011, grandmothers providing non-intensive grandparental care in Sweden in 2013 reported lower depression score in 2015 compared to those who did not provide any care in 2013. Chinese grandfathers, Italian and Swedish grandmothers who provided intensive grandchild care reported lower depression score compared to their counterparts who did not provide any grandchild care. This study indicates that the Structural Ambivalence Theory can only partially explain the findings, suggesting further theoretical development in this area. Future research can focus on identifying the causal pathways between grandparenting and wellbeing, and the implications of such pathways for older persons' wellbeing worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe on consultations, surgeries, and traumas in the field of orthopaedic and trauma surgery. Strategies to resume the clinical activities were also discussed. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the 2020 PRISMA statement. All the comparative studies reporting data on the impact of Covid-19 in the field of orthopaedic and trauma surgery in Europe were accessed. Only comparative clinical studies which investigated the year 2020 versus 2019 were eligible. Results: 57 clinical investigations were included in the present study. Eight studies reported a reduction of the orthopaedic consultations, which decreased between 20.9 and 90.1%. Seven studies reported the number of emergency and trauma consultations, which were decreased between 37.7 and 74.2%. Fifteen studies reported information with regard to the reasons for orthopaedic and trauma admissions. The number of polytraumas decreased between 5.6 and 77.1%, fractures between 3.9 and 63.1%. Traffic accidents admissions dropped by up to 88.9%, and sports-related injuries dropped in a range of 59.3% to 100%. The overall reduction of the surgical interventions ranged from 5.4 to 88.8%. Conclusion: The overall trend of consultations, surgeries, and rate of traumas and fragility fractures appear to decrease during the 2020 European COVID pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic era. Given the heterogeneities in the clinical evidence, results from the present study should be considered carefully. Level of evidence: Level IV, systematic review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how parliaments in Europe are adopting digital media to promote public engagement with citizens. Drawing on a meta-analysis of previous similar studies and a content analysis of parliamentary websites, the article concludes that parliaments are selective in their public engagement activities, are still mainly using ICT to report parliamentary business, and are timidly embracing the opportunities brought on by ICT to actively engage citizens. Two innovative mechanisms found in the analysis are discussed in detail: cases of online discussion forums and digital debates on social media and cases of crowdsourcing platforms that integrate citizens' views into the law-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population of Europe grows older, one crucial issue is how the incidence and prevalence of disabilities are developing over time in the older population. In this study, we compare cohort-specific disability trajectories in old age across subsequent birth cohorts in Europe, during the period 2004–2017.We used data from seven waves of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to model trajectories of accumulation of ADL limitations for subsequent birth cohorts of older women and men in different European regions. The results showed that there were sex differences in ADL and IADL limitations in all regions for most cohorts. Women reported more limitations than men, particularly in Eastern and Southern rather than Northern and Western Europe. Among men in Eastern, Northern and Western Europe, later born cohorts reported more disabilities than did earlier born birth cohorts at the same ages. Similar patterns were observed for women in Northern and Western Europe. In contrast, the risk of disabilities was lower in later born cohorts than in earlier born birth cohorts among women in Eastern Europe. Overall, results from this study suggest that disability trajectories in different cohorts of men and women were by and large similar across Europe. The trajectories varied more depending on sex, age and region than depending on cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on the direction of the relationship between civic participation and well-being has evidenced that civic participation is a promoter of well-being among older adults in Europe. Accordingly, the objective of the present study is to identify and analyze the differences between European welfare systems regarding both civic participation and well-being. For this purpose, a logistic multilevel regression analysis was performed as an empirical strategy, using the cross-sectional data from the 9 waves of the European Social Survey (2002–2018). Significant differences in well-being were observed, with Anglo-Saxon elders being the healthiest, and the Nordic the happiest and most satisfied with their lives. In contrast, Eastern European seniors reported the lowest levels of well-being. Also, Nordic countries are the most civically engaged, followed by the Continental and Anglo-Saxon, while Mediterranean and Eastern countries engage the least. However, the impact of civic participation on well-being is strongest for the Mediterranean countries, while its impact on satisfaction and happiness is weakest for the Nordic countries. The 3 models of the multilevel analysis indicate that civic participation has a positive impact on health, happiness and life satisfaction, and that this effect is quite robust. Also, by adding country-level macro variables to the model, it is possible to reduce the random effects and hence to better explain these international differences. Concisely, the impact of civic participation on the well-being of the elderly differs across nations and should therefore be considered by policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talent Development Environments (TDEs) aim to provide the appropriate conditions for youth athletes to realise their full sporting potential. How TDEs are designed and operated is therefore of great importance for the development of elite athletes. Stakeholders are vital in this process, yet their perspectives are poorly understood. This study assessed the quality of TDEs across 5 European countries, comparing athlete, parent and coach perceptions. A total of 571 athletes (Mean age = 15.2 ± 1.5 years), 759 parents and 134 coaches were recruited from TDEs across 27 sports. Participants completed the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire-5 or adapted versions. Overall, perceptions of European TDEs were positive. Coaches reported higher perceptions of TDE quality compared to athletes and parents, athletes reported marginally higher perceptions compared to parents. Across stakeholders, Long-Term Development was highest rated, followed by Communication. Support Network was lowest rated. Stakeholder perceptions varied most for the Holistic Quality Preparation subscale, highlighting perceived differences in TDE support for rounded athlete development. From an organisational perspective, identified strengths and weaknesses provide direction to coach and parent education. Practically, TDE leaders should consider how they can refine stakeholder coordination through integrating stakeholder perceptions as valuable feedback into their environment, especially for intangible factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the relationship between market concentration and diversity, as indicators of market structure, and the healthiness of food and beverage sales across Europe.Design: Market share (MS) data per country were used to calculate market concentration, assessed by the four-firm concentration ratio and market diversity, and by the number of companies with ≥1 % MS and the number of companies uniquely present in one European country. The healthiness of food sales was assessed by applying the NOVA classification (level of processing). Simple and multiple linear regressions were performed to assess the relationship between market concentration, diversity and the healthiness of food and beverage sales.Setting: The European single market.Participants: The twenty-seven European single market member states for which Euromonitor sales data were available at the most fine-grained Euromonitor packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage product subcategory level.Results: Increased market concentration with a country and a product category fixed effect significantly predicted increased sales of ultra-processed packaged food products. There was insufficient data variability in the level of processing of non-alcoholic beverage product categories to formulate conclusions for non-alcoholic beverages. Increased market diversity in turn significantly predicted reduced country-level sales of ultra-processed products.Conclusions: The results indicated a relationship between market structure and the healthiness of packed food products sold on the European market. However, more research with detailed nutritional data is warranted to document and quantify this interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, the widespread transition from the Traditional Staircase (TS) model to the Housing First (HF) model is transforming the way social service providers work with people experiencing homelessness. This study examined social service providers' perspectives in both models regarding factors that facilitate or hinder their work. Data were collected through 17 photovoice projects involving 81 social service providers from eight European countries. The results show factors affecting social service providers' work at three levels: systemic, organizational, and individual. Professionals in TS and HF identified similar topics; however, TS providers discussed more obstacles to work. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European health reforms during the last decades have strengthened patient rights and introduced choice, competition and financial incentives in a sector that has typically been state-directed and centrally controlled. The marketisation of health care has also drawn out profit and introduced private provision. The main argument behind this trend is that market competition will improve service quality and deliver health services more efficiently. Such reforms often fall under the umbrella of New Public Management (NPM), and there is a lack of empirical research on their effects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between healthcare marketisation and health system outcomes across European nations. In order to measure a country's degree of healthcare marketisation we employed indicators of healthcare decommodification. The concept refers to the extent to which an individual's access to healthcare is dependent upon their market position and the extent to which a country's provision of health is independent from the market. These indicators are three measures that assess the financing, provision and coverage of the private sector, and thus reflects the varied role of the market in a health care system: private health care expenditure as amount of GDP, private hospital beds as amount of total hospital bed stock, and public healthcare coverage. As indicator of health system outcome, we employed a measure that has not previously been investigated in the context of healthcare marketisation: satisfaction with health care system. We used multilevel analyses on five waves (2009–2017) of the biannual European Social Survey (ESS), with our final models including more than 120,000 individuals from 21 countries. Our methodological approach allowed us to study both cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships. The strongest substantial associations were between coverage and satisfaction, with high public healthcare coverage being associated with higher satisfaction. • We employ novel measures of healthcare recommodification in multilevel analyses of health system satisfaction. • Privatised provision (the share of hospital beds) was positively associated with satisfaction. • Privatised financing of services was associated with lower satisfaction. • High public healthcare coverage was associated with higher satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road infrastructure has a remarkable economic and social impact on society. This is why road financing has always drawn the attention of policymakers, especially when resources available for government spending become scarce. Nations exhibit differing approaches to dealing with road transportation financing. In the United States, the current system of road funding has been called into question because some regard it as insufficient to meet the amounts now required for road expenditures. By contrast, in most European countries, road charges are very high, but these revenues are not allocated for the funding of roads. This paper analyzes the balance between charging for the use of and expenditure on the road sector in the United States and compares the American policy with those of several European countries (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Switzerland). To that end, a methodology is defined to calculate the annual amount of fee charges levied on light and heavy vehicles in the selected countries in order to compare those charges with annual road expenditures. The results show that road charges in America are noticeably lower than those paid in Europe. Additionally, the research concludes that in Europe, road-generated revenues exceed road expenditures in all the countries studied, so road charges actually subsidize other policies. By contrast, in the United States, the public sector subsidizes the road system in order to maintain the current level of expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In addition to the functional aspects of healthcare integration, an understanding of its normative aspects is needed. This study explores the importance of values underpinning integrated, people-centred health services, and examines similarities and differences among the values prioritised by actors across Europe. Methods: Explorative cross-sectional design with quantitative analysis. A questionnaire of 18 values was conducted across Europe. A total of 1,013 respondents indicated the importance of each of the values on a nine-point scale and selected three most important values. Respondents were clustered in four actor groups, and countries in four European sub-regions. Results: The importance scores of values ranged from 7.62 to 8.55 on a nine-point scale. Statistically significant differences among actor groups were found for ten values. Statistically significant differences across European sub-regions were found for six values. Our analysis revealed two clusters of values: 'people related' and 'governance and organisation'. Discussion and conclusion: The study found that all 18 values in the set are considered important by the respondents. Additionally, it revealed distinctions in emphasis among the values prioritised by actor groups and across sub-regions. The study uncovered two clusters of values that contribute to a conceptually based definition of integrated, people-centred health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the long-lasting interest in religious change, debates on the topic have been heated and are still far from being settled. In order to provide a reliable data source through which to study these dynamics, the CARPE project harmonizes well-known international surveys containing items concerning religiosity (the ESS, Eurobarometer, EVS, ISSP and WVS). This makes it possible to broaden the available observation window, both across countries and over time. Moreover, the opportunities this provides for comparing different survey programmes also enable researchers to analyse the consistency of the results, minimizing the impact of random fluctuations and providing useful information with respect to the degree of confidence which can be placed on the relevant estimates. The main focus of this cumulative approach is the variable regarding church attendance, which has been harmonized in various ways. All in all, the CARPE dataset contains figures of religious practice for 45 countries spanning the period of 1970–2016 and derived from 1665 national surveys. This results in a sample of approximately 1.8 million individual observations. The aim of this contribution is to present the dataset's composition, the harmonization procedure adopted, the strategy used to combine the single datasets and the reliability tests which have been performed. Finally, some possible applications of the CARPE dataset will be introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although extensive research has been conducted into the role of the media in fighting corruption, media organisations and journalists themselves are not immune to it. The issue of corruption in the media remains understudied and has thus far mainly focused on case-studies of specific countries characterised by corruption as a core societal characteristic, as well as of under-developed and developing countries. This study focuses on the issue of media corruption in Europe, based on a comparative analysis between countries of the South and North, investigating the impact of the global economic crisis on media corruption. The research presents clear evidence of increased indications of media corruption in the North of Europe in comparison to the media systems of the European South, the area most affected by the global economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes and discusses how normative journalistic roles are formulated across Europe. The material was obtained from the 2012–2016 wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study, a comparative study designed to assess the state of journalism throughout the world. The advantage of this study over similar undertakings in the past is that we did not confront journalists with ready-made statements but invited them to tell us, in their own words, what they thought the major roles of journalists in their countries ought to be. Open responses of more than 10,200 journalists from twenty-seven European countries yielded 12,860 references. Results show that the most important roles refer to the domain of political life, especially the informational-instructive and the critical-monitorial functions—a finding that is consistent across the twenty-seven countries investigated. Beyond this shared global vision, it is, however, possible to point out some national specificities, keeping in mind that even if the core of the normative roles remains somewhat universal, a detailed comparison of those roles in their cultural context allows us to grasp some differences in their hierarchy and their meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban sprawl is one of the main factors underpinning the changes observed in European landscapes and environment. The analysis of a phenomenon of this sort is conditioned in large part by the availability of documented urban databases, validated by experts and regularly updated. From this point of view the Urban Morphological Zones (UMZs) produced by the European Environment Agency form an important prospect for the future. However, it is essential to set the results of this highly automated approach against the already well-documented national databases. In this paper we investigate the validity of the UMZs for reflecting urban entities, through comparisons with Danish, French, and Swedish national databases for year 2000. We propose a method based on a matching protocol between UMZs and national agglomerations which is based on conceptual and technical choices, in order to take account of the complexity of urban objects. Two main results are pinpointed. On a global level the UMZ database is fully adequate for comparing levels of urbanisation among states. There is no systematic bias in the delineation of urban areas by the UMZs and total urban populations differ only by 5% to 8%. Conclusions should be more cautious when the scale of observation is the town or city itself. In France, mean differences are as small as in Denmark and in Sweden, but certain large agglomerations display marked divergences that depend partly on local urbanisation patterns. We propose a typology of deviations which could be useful for the majority of states that do not have a national morphological urban database, in particular in Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Most commonly, sustainability indicator sets presented as lists do not take into account interactions among indicators in a systematic manner. Vice versa, existing environmental indicator systems do not provide a formalized approach for problem structuring and quantitative decision support. In this paper, techniques for considering indicator relationships are highlighted and a coupled approach between a qualitative and a quantitative method is analysed. Cognitive mapping (CM) is used for structuring indicators and three different causal maps are derived based on established sustainability concepts: (a) criteria and indicators (C&I hierarchy), (b) indicator network, and (c) Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) system. These maps are transferred to the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to allow their application in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). In an application example, Pan-European indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM) are utilized in an ANP-based assessment. The effects of the model structure on the overall evaluation result are demonstrated by means of three reporting periods on Austrian forestry. In a comparative analysis of CM and ANP it is tested whether their measures of indicator significance do correspond. Both centrality in CM and single limited priorities in ANP have been reported to identify key indicators that play an important role in networks. We found out that the correspondence between CM and ANP is the stronger the more rigidly cause-effect relationships are interpreted, which is the case for the DPSIR system of SFM indicators. It is demonstrated that using indicator sets without consideration of the indicator interactions will cause shortcomings for evaluation and assessment procedures in SFM. Given strict and consistent definition of causal indicator relationships, a coupled use of CM and ANP is recommendable for both enhancing the process of problem structuring as well as supporting preference-based evaluation of decision alternatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The global freight distribution system has been impacted by convergence in terms of technology, infrastructure, modes and terminals. Still, in spite of strong converging forces, it can be argued that logistical practices are far from being uniform. This paper analyses the regionalism in freight transport systems by providing a comparative analysis of gateway logistics practices in North America and Europe. It is demonstrated that Europe and North America are not walking the same paths when it comes to the configuration of transport and logistics networks, via operational decisions and the setting of a regulatory framework. The attributes of gateways, corridors, hinterlands, regulation, governance, value chains and labor provide an analytical framework to understand the regionalism of freight distribution in the North American and European contexts, as well as anywhere else. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT- This article explores the relationship between citizenship education and European citizenship in the light of increasingly diverse European societies. It raises the question of whether nation-state models of citizenship need to be rethought to accommodate a supranationally conceptualized European citizenship and asks what kind of citizenship education complies with the demands of this new citizenship. In doing so, the article highlights the challenge of integrating a European dimension into citizenship education and reviews new European programs intended to promote citizenship among young people in particular. The article also presents data on young people's knowledge about, and attitudes toward, the Europe Union. Finally, the article examines the rather meager evidence base of citizenship education in Europe by discussing recent comparative studies. It concludes that citizenship education in Europe, and the implementation of programs to develop it, require further scientific grounding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]