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

Background: The European Parliament's directive on open data indicates the direction to follow for all public institutions in Europe. The portal Polish Platform of Medical Research (PPM) required more information about researcher attitudes and training requirements for strategic planning. Objectives: The aim was to assess (1) the status of knowledge about research data management among medical researchers in Poland, and (2) their attitudes towards data sharing. This knowledge may help to inform a training program and adapt PPM to the requirements of researchers. Methods: The authors circulated an online survey and received responses from 603 researchers representing medical sciences and related disciplines. The survey was conducted in 2019 at seven Polish medical universities and at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine. Analysis used descriptive statistics. Results: Data sharing was not widespread (55.7% only shared with their research team, 9.8% had shared data on an open access basis). Many cited possible benefits of research data sharing but were concerned about drawbacks (e.g. fraud, plagiarism). Discussion: Polish medical scientists, like many researchers, are not aware of the processes required for safe data preparation for sharing. Academic libraries should develop roles for data librarians to help train researchers. Conclusion: Fears about the dangers of data sharing need to be overcome before researchers are willing to share their own research data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atypical forms of employment (part-time work, mini-jobs, fixed-term contracts and solo self-employment) have gained in importance overall in recent years in many European countries. They are often part of an irregular career pattern and carry a high risk of unemployment. In a 6-country comparison (Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark and Poland) we consider whether and in what way national social protection laws cover the various forms of non-standard employment and the specific risks these entail. Significant variations were found in coverage standards and practices between countries as well as substantial variability within countries in their responses to different types of non-standard employment. A need for further and improved coordination of both social legislation and tax law is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]