The Ottoman Production of Ashkenazi Identity

In the last decade, substantial differences in the epidemiology of, antiretroviral therapy (ART) for, cascade of care in and support to people with HIV in vulnerable populations have been observed between countries in Western Europe, Central Europe (CE) and Eastern Europe (EE). The aim of this study was to use a survey to explore whether ART availability and therapies have evolved in CE and EE according to European guidelines. The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group conducted two identical multicentre cross-sectional online surveys in 2019 and 2021 concerning the availability and use of antiretroviral drugs (boosted protease inhibitors [bPIs], integrase inhibitors [INSTIs] and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs]), the introduction of a rapid ART start strategy and the use of two-drug regimens (2DRs) for starting or switching ART. We also investigated barriers to the implementation of these strategies in each region. In total, 18 centres participated in the study: four from CE, six from EE and eight from Southeastern Europe (SEE). Between those 2 years, older PIs were less frequently used and darunavir-based regimens were the main PIs (83%); bictegravir-based and tenofovir alafenamide-based regimens were introduced in CE and SEE but not in EE. The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly interrupt delivery of ART in most centres. Two-thirds of centres adopted a rapid ART start strategy, mainly in pregnant women and to improve linkage of care in vulnerable populations. The main obstacle to rapid ART start was that national guidelines in several countries from all three regions did not support such as strategy or required laboratory tests first; an INSTI/NRTI combination was the most commonly prescribed regimen (75%) and was exclusively prescribed in SEE. 2DRs are increasingly used for starting or switching ART (58%), and an INSTI/NRTI was the preferred regimen (75%) in all regions and exclusively prescribed in SEE, whereas the use of bPIs declined. Metabolic disorders and adverse drug reactions were the main reasons for starting a 2DR; in the second survey, HIV RNA <500 000 c/ml and high cluster of differentiation (CD)-4 count emerged as additional important reasons. In just 2 years and in spite of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant achievements concerning ART availability and strategies have occurred in CE, EE and SEE that facilitate the harmonization of those strategies with the European AIDS Clinical Society guidelines. Few exceptions exist, especially in EE. Continuous effort is needed to overcome various obstacles (administrative, financial, national guideline restrictions) in some countries.

A Revolutionary Narrative of European History: Bonneville's <i>History of Modern Europe</i> (1789–1792)

Introduction: Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 80% of all stroke cases and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among adults. At the beginning of the 21st century, the age-standardized incidence of stroke in Europe ranged from 95 to 290 cases per 100,000 population. Objective: Our aim was to examine trends in the incidence of ischemic stroke in Europe between 1991 and 2021, by country group, gender, and age group. Method: In our retrospective, quantitative study, we analyzed data from 44 countries in three European country groups (Eastern, Central, and Western Europe) per 100 000 people based on the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database. Descriptive statistics, time series analysis and Kruskal–Wallis test were performed. Results: Between 1991 and 2021, the age-standardized incidence per 100 000 population in men decreased from 206.7 to 147.1 (−28.8%) in Eastern Europe, from 172.1 to 123.8 (−28.1%) in Central Europe, and from 120.7 to 62.3 (−48.4%) (p<0.05) in Western Europe. In women, during the same period, it decreased from 169.8 to 113.9 (−32.9%) in Eastern Europe, from 142.4 to 106.0 (−25.6%) in Central Europe, and from 89.5 to 47.2 (−47.3%) in Western Europe (p<0.05). Significant differences were found between Eastern and Western European countries and between Central and Western European countries for both sexes (1991, 2001, 2011, 2021: p<0.05). The incidence was higher in men than in women every year, especially in the age groups over 55. The largest decrease for both sexes was observed in the 65–69 age group. Based on the analysis by country, the largest decrease was in Portugal (men: –71.1%; women: –69.9%), while in Montenegro, increases of +4.1% for men and +6.3% for women were observed. Conclusion: During the study period, the incidence of ischemic stroke decreased in all three country groups, but the improvement was greater in the Western European country group, which had lower (more favorable) baseline values, than in Central or Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, in 2021, the incidence in Eastern and Central Europe still exceeded the level measured in Western European countries in 1991. Orv Hetil. 2025; 166(42): 1642–1652.

Ivan T. Berend. History Derailed: Central and Eastern Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. xix, 330 pp. Illustrations. Maps. Tables. Bibliography. Index. $39.95, hardcover.This synthesis of nineteenth-century Central and Eastern European history by Ivan T. Berend complements his two other works on the history of this region in the twentieth century and thus provides us with the complete authorial vision of the region's modern history. The value of this book is increased by the fact that, in comparison with a few general works dealing with the region in the twentieth century, there had been a definite lack of generalizing narratives about the area's nineteenth century. This wonderfully written book is the first synthetic work on East Central Europe's nineteenth century that has managed equally successfully to integrate social, cultural and political aspects of the region's history.Since the task of this book was to give the region its proper nineteenth-century history, the author avoids wading into hot discussions on the region's discursive construction and its political implications. Berend does believe that there are some objective features shared by all parts of the region and allowing one to speak about Central Eastern Europe. In his opinion, the countries of this region faced similar economic, social and political problems-all deriving from the developmental lag between them and Western Europe, they designed similar responses to these problems, and they faced similar consequences. Berend's Central and Eastern Europe consists of Austria-Hungary (usually excluding Austria proper), the Balkans (usually excluding Greece), and Poland.The book starts with an explanation of how the basis for the distinctiveness of the region was laid down in the early modern period. By the beginning of the nineteenth century the region's leading intellectuals were well aware of their own countries' backwardness. Just as for these intellectuals, for Berend the most important distinctive features of the region can be revealed through comparing it with the Western European core. Every chapter begins with a brief outline of the developments in Western Europe against which trends in Eastern and Central Europe are discerned and measured.First the author looks at culture. Here the differences between Eastern and Western Europe seem less unbridgeable than in social or political structures. Local thinkers were part of European intellectual life. At the centre of Berend's story is the epoch of Romanticism, which, he believes, in the ease of Central Eastern Europe was conflated with Enlightenment. This particular intellectual blend gave birth to the phenomenon crucial for understanding most of the region's developments throughout the modern period, namely-to nationalism. The author believes that romanticism left its imprint not only on this nationalism but on the totality of the region's mental pattern throughout the whole long nineteenth century.Nationalism was the intellectual movement guiding political responses in theregion to the challenges of the West. Despite the fact that the author is well aware of difficulties in distinguishing between good civic and bad ethnic nationalisms, he believes that because of their belatedness and the specific social structure of the region, the local nationalisms differed significantly from the civic and democratic nationalisms of the West. …

This paper examines the democratic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the contrasting trajectories, challenges, and impacts of democracies in the region post-communism. Whilst countries in Central Europe, such as Poland and the Czech Republic, have established stable parliamentary democracies characterized by cohesive political parties and organized electoral competition, Eastern European nations, especially those influenced by the former Soviet Union, experience volatility, fragmented party systems, and inconsistent governance structures. These differences are rooted in their distinct historical legacies and socio-political contexts and also the research further underscores the significance of political parties in consolidating democratic governance, with more stable and cohesive parties fostering predictable political environments in Central Europe. Conversely, Eastern Europe's parties often face fragmentation, leading to heightened political instability. External influences, notably from Western Europe and Russia, have played critical roles in shaping and impeding democratic consolidations. Western Europe's influence contributed to the development of more cohesive party systems and democratic institutions in Central Europe through integration, international cooperation, and adherence to European Union norms and standards. The study also explores the multifaceted challenges confronting democracy in the region, including weak civil societies, restrictions on media freedom, corruption, and external interference, which undermine democratic legitimacy and public trust. The rise of populist movements and authoritarian tendencies, particularly in Hungary and Poland, poses additional threats to democratic stability, prompting concerns over democratic backsliding and the resilience of institutions. Methodologically, the paper draws from secondary sources, official documents, empirical data, and contemporary media analyses to provide a comprehensive perspective on democratic transitions, governance, and civic engagement. It emphasizes the importance of civic participation, institutional reforms, and the role of civil society to address ongoing challenges effectively. In conclusion, the future of democracy in Eastern and Central Europe hinges on strengthening institutions, fostering civic participation, and mitigating external influences. While notable progress has been achieved, persistent challenges demand continuous efforts to consolidate democratic norms, enhance governance, and build resilient societies capable of withstanding internal and external pressures.

Background and objectivesHIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) is a major public health concern in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia. HIV transmission in this group is growing...

This paper tries to explain regional development in Eastern and Central Europe. A simple West European bias can lead to false interpretations of current spatial processes. The spatial structuring forces in the communist period created a divergent mosaic of regions with different prospects for future development. This differentiated 'spatial outcome' of communism should be taken as point of departure for the new, post-communist era. The interrelativeness of econornical, legal and political reforms after the break-down of communism should be kept in mind. Seven influence groups, on different levels of scale, should be distinguished to understand regional development: the political context, international organisations, macroeconomic reforms, foreign investors, local initiatives, regional policy and geographical location. Together with the inhcrited structures, this leads to a spatial differentiation which is different from the one prevailing in the communisl era.

Data from 90 permanent broad-band stations spread over central and eastern Europe were analysed using Ps receiver functions to study the crustal and upper-mantle structure down to the mantle transition zone. Receiver functions provide valuable information on structural features, which are important for the resolution of European lithospheric dynamics. Moho depths vary from less than 25 km in extensional areas in central Europe to more than 50 km at stations in eastern Europe (Craton) and beneath the Alpine–Carpathian belt. A very shallow Moho depth can be observed at stations in the Upper Rhine Graben area (ca. 25 km), whereas, for example, stations in the SW Bohemian Massif show a significantly deeper Moho interface at a depth of 38 km. Vp/Vs ratios vary between 1.60 and 1.96, and show no clear correlation to the major tectonic units, thus probably representing local variations in crustal composition. Delayed arrivals of converted phases from the mantle transition zone are observed at many stations in central Europe, whereas stations in the cratonic area show earlier arrivals compared with those calculated from the IASP91 Earth reference model. Differential delay times between the P410s and P660s phases indicate a thickened mantle transition zone beneath the eastern Alps, the Carpathians and the northern Balkan peninsula, whereas the transition zone thickness in eastern and central Europe agrees with the IASP91 value. The thickening of the mantle transition zone beneath the eastern Alps and the Carpathians could be caused by cold, deeply subducted oceanic slabs.

PurposeThis paper aims to assess how a hotel geographical location in different parts of Central and Eastern Europe influences the complexity of perception of pro-environmental behavior.Design/methodology/approachTo find out, whether hotel location in a specific country influences the complexity of environmental practices, this study used two closely connected multivariate statistical techniques analyzing gradients: principal components analysis and partial redundancy analysis. The research comprises data collection from seven countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In all, 25 randomly selected hotels (based on star rating) from various countries were approached to complete a questionnaire. Environmental practices were studied based on motivations, perception of barriers, perception of support from different levels of public sector, will of managers to promote pro-environmental measures based on sufficient funding, perception of legislation and perception of various other important factors.FindingsThe study reveals significant differences between hotels in Central Europe and Eastern Europe in the perception of the complexity in implementation of the environmental practices by hotel managers. The character of the present study, however, needs to address the identification of particular aspects that are relevant to the geographical differences among the studied countries.Research limitations/implicationsResearch was limited to a selection of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. There is still probability that managers in hotels from Poland and Croatia could possess different preferences. Other limitation of this study is that only special part of hotels were asked – hotels certified by star grading, out of our scope remained other hotels. It is also known that important factor is precise location of hotel within country – hotels in established tourism destination behave other way that those outside recreational areas. These factors deserve further study within this topic. There are many aspects of sustainability and environmental protection regarding hotel industry. As we have found in our principal correspondence analysis, different environmental measures were different location in biplot – some were affected by country, the other by star grading and affiliation to hotel chain. The complexity deserves to be studied in depth.Practical implicationsThe importance lies first in the identification of the aspects that are governed by geographical differences among the countries studied. These aspects are the initiatives and support from the government and the local governments, which counteract the perception that there is a lack of financial resources and the return on investments is slow. So, based on the data, which included information from various types of hotels from seven CEE countries, the activities of national and local authorities were identified to be the main differentiating variable. The support of the environment-friendly conduct of business in the hotel industry is appreciated by hotel managers from Central Europe. On the other hand, hotel managers from Eastern Europe do not feel any significant support from either national or other public institutions. The second factor of differentiation is represented by the perception of the lack of funds. Hotel managers from Eastern Europe feel strongly about funds limitation. The coherence of both those factors is obvious in the results, as they show the same direction but opposite orientation. It has already been discussed above. When looking at the results, the authors find the perception of availability of funds to be a fundamental difference between hotel management in Central Europe and in Eastern Europe. The lack of funds is perceived more intensively in Eastern Europe than in Central Europe, particularly because of a stronger awareness of direct or indirect support for such activities by national and other public institutions in Central Europe.Social implicationsThe differentiation of the aspects mentioned above comes from the social and culture policies, company policies and business cultures between these two sub-realms. Pro-environmental actions are apparently promoted less publicly in Eastern European countries than in Central European countries. The reaction to the trend for demand of greener hotels is stronger in the West, and its hotels are more likely to have legislation requirements and public support as an incentive to adopt pro-environmental measures in their business operations.Originality/valueThe study is based on data obtained from seven countries. The results revealed a problem of the macro-environmental influence on hotels’ potential to implement environmentally sustainable approaches and procedures throughout the industry.

Contributors. Preface and Acknowledgements. Introduction: Organisation of the Book. Abbreviations. 1. Business Strategies for Economies in Transition of Central and Eastern Europe J.-P. Larcon. 2. Privatisation and Company Restructuring in Central and Eastern Europe: Issues and Progress S. Estrin. 3. Lessons from Czech Privatisation I. Nemcova. 4. Development of Financial Markets: The Czech Case P. Musilek. 5. Competitiveness and Industry Restructuring: The Case of Hungary A. Chikan, E. Czako. 6. The Ethical Fabric of a Transformation Economy: The Case of Hungary L. Zsolnai. 7. Economic Growth and Foreign Direct Investment: The Polish Case M. Romanowska. 8. Transition and Democracy in Romania: The Pain of a Gradualist Restructuring S. Alessandrini. 9. Company Co-Operation between Eastern and Western Europe M. Zagler, C. Ragacs. 10. Swedish Multinationals in Central and Eastern Europe J.-E. Valne, et al. 11. The Enlargement Challenge F. Debie. Index.

ABSTRACTThe small terrestrial gastropod Vertigo pseudosubstriata Ložek, 1954 is one of the rarest glacial indicator species in the Pleistocene of Central and Eastern Europe. In all, this species has been found at only about 15 sites in Europe. V. pseudosubstriata was initially described as a fossil in Central Europe and was discovered only later alive in Central Asia. With regard to its modern distribution, 25 habitats with V. pseudosubstriata have been examined in Tien Shan and in the central and southern Altai. These findings seem to capture the contemporary distribution of the species and provide information on the boundaries of its ecological requirements. These data are of great significance for the interpretation of the fossil assemblages. Since the few fossil specimens in Europe date from very different glacial periods in the Elsterian, Saalian Complex and Weichselian, it can be concluded that V. pseudosubstriata apparently immigrated in at least three distinct waves. Most of the Pleistocene specimens in eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe are reported from archaeological sites of the Upper Middle Weichselian (Gravettian), roughly between 33 and 29 ka cal bp. In this paper, we review all reported modern and fossil occurrences and discuss the species' ecological range.

Worldwide Disparity in the Relation Between CKD Prevalence and Kidney Failure Risk

An education system is democratic inasmuch as it advances and embraces key democratic values. In this chapter, I use a conceptual framework that comprises the values of equality, participation, choice and diversity to analyse schooling in eastern and central Europe during the communist and post-communist eras. Claims are often made that schooling in the region was and continues to be undemocratic. While these claims have some merit, comprehensive analysis based on a range of democratic values shows that the education systems of eastern and central Europe had and have many democratic features. Under the communist era, these education systems placed a strong emphasis on equality of opportunity. In the post-communist era, the democratic values of choice and diversity are being further advanced while retaining a commitment to equality in education. The analysis also shows that in some regards, schooling in eastern and central Europe is (and was) more democratic than schooling elsewhere.

The successes of right -wing populist parties in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a repeated distancing from the European Union, raise the question of whether there is such a thing as European citizenship at all. Citizenship is not understood as formal nationality, but as a sense of belonging. This ties in with the considerations of political cultural research. This article uses representative surveys to address the question: What about European Citizenship in Central and Eastern Europe? The results show that the feeling of belonging to the European Union in Eastern and Central Europe is better than its reputation and not lower than in Western Europe. However, there are differences in the recognition of plurality between the majority (not all) of Eastern European states compared to the majority of Western European states. In particular, the integration of Muslims is more strongly rejected. The same applies to the social acceptance of homosexuality. This partly explains the success of right -wing populists in Central and Eastern Europe and marks a certain cultural difference, which is primarily directed against a wet model of democracy that is considered too open to plurality. In short: Central and Eastern Europeans also see themselves as Europeans and EU members, but their ideas of a European democracy differ from Western ideas – especially in peripheral regions.

The prostitution sector is becoming more international. After the fall of the Iron Curtain the number of prostitutes from eastern and central Europe in the Netherlands increased rapidly. This contribution presents the results of an empirical study on trafficking in women from central and eastern Europe, conducted by researchers of the University of Twente in close cooperation with a team of policemen and crime analysts of a special inter-regional criminal investigation department on organized crime from East Europe and Turkey. Based on empirical data from 1994 to 1996, police sources, information from local police units concerned with supervising prostitution, and interviews with victims and with persons involved in the prostitution business, special attention is given to the modus operandi and nature of the criminal groups involved. Although most of the women leave their country voluntarily, once in the Netherlands they have to work under bad conditions, are more or less imprisoned, and earn only a very small fraction of the amount of money they were promised in their home country. Not all arrested offenders for trafficking in women are members of organized crime groups. A more differentiated picture emerges from the data. The Dutch police files show small, loosely organized cliques of professionals as well as larger organized crime groups having their center in eastern and central Europe or in the Netherlands.