Austrian Provinces Research Articles

Addressing healthcare vulnerabilities in nursing homes : Insights from human rights monitoring in two Austrian provinces.

Current demographic changes bear challenges for national care systems due to higher life expectancy of older citizens. Largely cut off from society, nursing home residents are at risk for violence, neglect, and other potential human rights violations. This study aimed to investigate healthcare vulnerabilities in nursing homes and evaluate the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). Between 2017 and 2019, 55 monitoring visits were conducted in 32 nursing homes. Study outcomes from two Austrian provinces included data on infrastructure, occupancy, staffing, resident's demographics and medical conditions, as well as measures related to the functioning of the NPM. Accessibility with mobility aids was sufficient in 87%, but assistance for persons with visual or hearing impairments solely in 20-40% of the institutions. An understaffing with nursing assistants (-5.2 full-time equivalents in Carinthia) and home helpers (-1.6 in Carinthia and Styria) was present. Less than 20% of the personnel received advanced training related to dementia and neuropsychiatric care. While 50% of the residents were diagnosed with apsychiatric disorder, approximately 36% received support from an appointed legal guardian. Of the monitoring visits 58.1% were conducted due to anonymous complaints and urgent referrals. The median processing times of the NPM and the provincial governments exceeded 250 days. Human rights monitoring reveals critical aspects in nursing home care, including insufficient accessibility, understaffing and inadequate training. Although the authorities' handling times hinder prompt responses, the NPM may foster systemic improvements and accountability within nursing homes.

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 evolution by a centralised pipeline and weekly focused sequencing, Austria, January 2021 to March 2023

Background The COVID-19 pandemic was largely driven by genetic mutations of SARS-CoV-2, leading in some instances to enhanced infectiousness of the virus or its capacity to evade the host immune system. To closely monitor SARS-CoV-2 evolution and resulting variants at genomic-level, an innovative pipeline termed SARSeq was developed in Austria. Aim We discuss technical aspects of the SARSeq pipeline, describe its performance and present noteworthy results it enabled during the pandemic in Austria. Methods The SARSeq pipeline was set up as a collaboration between private and public clinical diagnostic laboratories, a public health agency, and an academic institution. Representative SARS-CoV-2 positive specimens from each of the nine Austrian provinces were obtained from SARS-CoV-2 testing laboratories and processed centrally in an academic setting for S-gene sequencing and analysis. Results SARS-CoV-2 sequences from up to 2,880 cases weekly resulted in 222,784 characterised case samples in January 2021–March 2023. Consequently, Austria delivered the fourth densest genomic surveillance worldwide in a very resource-efficient manner. While most SARS-CoV-2 variants during the study showed comparable kinetic behaviour in all of Austria, some, like Beta, had a more focused spread. This highlighted multifaceted aspects of local population-level acquired immunity. The nationwide surveillance system enabled reliable nowcasting. Measured early growth kinetics of variants were predictive of later incidence peaks. Conclusion With low automation, labour, and cost requirements, SARSeq is adaptable to monitor other pathogens and advantageous even for resource-limited countries. This multiplexed genomic surveillance system has potential as a rapid response tool for future emerging threats.

Fostering Open Data Practices in Research-Performing Organizations

Open data provide the scientific community and other stakeholders with unrestricted access to data. Open data serve as a foundation for reproducing research findings, while also facilitating collaboration and enabling novel discoveries. However, open data practices are still not commonly applied. To contribute to the implementation of open data strategy in academia in Austria and beyond, a collection of local strategies from regional universities and higher education institutions in the Austrian provinces of Styria and Carinthia was compiled through workshop-based discussions between participants from research support service units at research-performing organizations. The collection was further organized into categories based on application time scenarios, target groups, and involved parties, as well as corresponding thematic focus. A strategic guide consisting of various measures has been developed to encourage the adoption of open data practices from an organizational standpoint. Designed for adaptability, it aims to be applicable and modifiable by all interested research and higher education institutions, regardless of their priorities and resources. Our guideline aids research organizations in crafting a tailored strategy to enhance their data dissemination practices, thereby increasing their research visibility and impact.

The defender of orphans

In the middle of the 17th century a transformation of states can be observed. The strives of early absolutist states were aimed at the increase of their economic and, in turn, their military potential. These goals were served by social policy measures aimed at increasing economic effi ciency and increasing state revenues. The development of central administration and regulations for orphan aff airs also served to maintain labour force and economic potential. The preservation of orphans’ property was intended to keep the economy going, and in the case of destitutes, orphanages intended to concentrate the workforce. The measures introduced in the German principalities soon appeared in the provinces of the Habsburg Monarchy. In the first quarter of the 17th century, the first theoretical work on orphan aff airs was written, and in the second half of the century it was followed by the first royal decree based on the principles set out in this volume. The aim of these provisions was to ensure the preservation and the control of the assets of the orphans by state means. Similar provisions to the Monarchy’s provinces were enacted in the Hungarian Kingdom in the last third of the 17th century. The offices introduced in the Austrian provinces, the separate Orphan’s Court (árvaszámvevőszék), the keeping of register on orphans (árvakönyv), and the continuous scrutiny of guardians were introduced in the free royal towns in the first third of the 18th century. All of this went parallel with the administrative reforms ordered in towns. The reform measures introduced regarding orphan affairs were realized at a varying pace one town to another, but by the end of the first third of the 18th century, the orphan regulations developed in the Austrian provinces had become established in all the free royal towns.

Trnovo parish house as a lodging for Emperor Charles VI on his way to receive the acts of hereditary homage (Erbhuldigungen) of the Inner Austrian provinces in 1728

Trnovo parish house as a lodging for Emperor Charles VI on his way to receive the acts of hereditary homage (Erbhuldigungen) of the Inner Austrian provinces in 1728

Residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs in diets of dairy cattle from conventional and organic farms in Austria

Modern agriculture depends highly on pesticides and pharmaceutical preparations, so controlling exposure to these substances in the feed and food chain is essential. This article presents the first study on residues of a broad spectrum of pesticides and veterinary drugs in the diets of dairy cattle. One hundred and two representative samples of the complete diets, including basal feed rations and additional fed concentrate, were collected in three Austrian provinces (Styria, Lower and Upper Austria) in 2019 and 2020. The samples were tested for >700 pesticides, veterinary drugs and related metabolites using a validated method based on liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI–MS/MS). In total, 16 residues (13 pesticides and three veterinary drug residues) were detected. > 90% of the diets contained pesticide residues and <10% veterinary drug residues, whereas banned pesticides were not found. The most frequent pesticide residues were fluopyram (62%), piperonyl butoxide (39%) and diethyltoluamide (35%). The following pesticides exceed the default EU maximum residue level (MRL) (10 μg kg−1) for products exclusively used for animal feed production: Benzovindiflupyr (proportion of samples > MRLs: 1%), bixafen (2%), fluopyram (6%), ipconazole (1%) and tebuconazole (3%). Three residues (dinitrocarbanilide, monensin and nicarbazin) of veterinary drugs were identified, all below the MRLs. Over 60% of the evaluated samples contained mixtures of two to six residues/sample. Only one pesticide (diethyltoluamide) presented a significant difference among regions, with higher concentrations in Upper Austria. Brewery's spent grains were the dietary ingredient that showed the strongest correlation to pesticide residues. These findings evidence the realistic scenario of highly occurrent low doses of pesticides cocktails in the feed/food chain, which may affect the animal, human and environmental health. Since the risk assessments are based on single pesticides, the potential synergistic effect of co-occurring chemicals (“cocktail effect”) requires further investigations.

Assessing excess mortality in Vienna and Austria after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

In Austria, the first confirmed COVID-19 death occurred in early March 2020. Since then, the question as to whether and, if so, to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic has increased overall mortality has been raised in the public and academic discourse. In an effort to answer this question, Statistics Vienna (City of Vienna, Department for Economic Affairs, Labour and Statistics) has evaluated the weekly mortality trends in Vienna, and compared them to the trends in other Austrian provinces. For our analysis, we draw on data from Statistics Austria and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), which are published along with data on the actual and the expected weekly numbers of deaths via the Vienna Mortality Monitoring website. Based on the definition of excess mortality as the actual number of reported deaths from all causes minus the expected number of deaths, we calculate the weekly prediction intervals of the expected number of deaths for two age groups (0 to 64 years and 65 years and older). The temporal scope of the analysis covers not only the current COVID-19 pandemic, but also previous flu seasons and summer heat waves. The results show the actual weekly numbers of deaths and the corresponding prediction intervals for Vienna and the other Austrian provinces since 2007. Our analysis underlines the importance of comparing time series of COVID-19-related excess deaths at the sub-national level in order to highlight within-country heterogeneities.

Characteristics of unpaved roads in the late 18th century – early 19th century, and the design of the first wooden trackway as a forerunner to the Bukovyna railways

In the history of Bukovinian social life in the 1840–1850s, an important role is played by the fierce struggle for the introduction of rail transport. This struggle took place in the deepening crisis of the feudal system and the development of capitalism in the Austrian Empire. Primitive medieval methods of transporting goods and passengers by waterways and unpaved roads, which for centuries met the needs of feudal Bukovyna, became a brake on the economic, social and political progress of the Bukovyna region. The beginning of the transport revolution in England had a huge public response in Austria-Hungary. The rapidly developing relationship between scientists and engineers from Austria, Western Europe and America in this period made a large contribution to the process, as the newest means of transportation were spreading in the early 19th century, first of all, in the industrialized regions of Europe. These regions had enough funds for the construction of roads because they could develop different methods of production. Today we are mostly interested in the projects of construction of typical means of transportation on agricultural lands with practically no industry. In the early 19th century, Bukovyna was one of them. The purpose of this article is to thoroughly analyze unpaved roads of the late 18th – early 19th century, as well as the project of the first wooden trackway as the forerunner of the Bukovyna railways. To achieve this purpose, the authors first reviewed how railways were constructed in the Austrian Empire during 1830s – 1850s. Then, in contrast with the first railway networks that emerged and developed in the Austrian Empire, the authors made an analysis of the condition and characteristics of unpaved roads in Bukovyna. The government's attention to Bukovyna's roads was explained by their military, economic and political significance for the Austrian Empire by the end of the 18th – early 19th century. There was a number of state trackways built on the territory of Bukovyna which crossed the region and ensured the military interconnection of two Austrian provinces named – Galicia and Transylvania, as well as approached the borders of the Russian Empire and the Danube principalities. At the same time, they helped to restore the suspended trade flow in Bukovyna. In addition, the authors considered the first attempt to create a wooden trackway as a prototype and predecessor of the Bukovyna railway. It is evident that such an idea played a significant role in shaping the development strategy of the region in the minds of Austrian and Bukovinian officials, and became a forerunner for main and regional railways in Bukovyna.

Employment Effects of Different Municipal Waste Treatment Systems Based on Data from Austria

Although waste management has long been an important economic sector, its employment effects have so far been neglected in economic calculations. Recently, employment effects have been addressed in the European Green Deal or the Climate Neutrality Strategy. A scientific calculation is, however, still missing. To close this gap, our paper develops a set of alternative models as to residual waste treatment and investigates their potential to produce direct employment effects. The models include employment required for treatment plants plus employees needed in collection and transports. The models range from basic to sophisticated, from unregulated landfilling via 100 % waste incineration to mechanical-biological treatment to improved separate collection and advanced recycling. Data for devising these models were derived from a secondary analysis (e.g. residual waste analyses of the Austrian provinces) and from expert interviews. Although the models are simplified and build on generic waste management systems, they allow for a rough estimation of employment effects: The more sophisticated the waste management system, the more employees are necessary. In all models, but especially in improved separate collection, collection accounts for a significant part of the additional employment. The models show an increase in employment many times over with the improved separate collection model compared to the other models. Although our results can only be scaled up to European Union level in a limited way, we can state that shifting from less sophisticated waste management models to more desirable ones can involve an increase in employment of at least some 40.000 jobs.

Behavior in the use of face masks in the context of COVID-19.

ObjectivesInvestigation of potential erroneous behavior in the general public's use of face masks during the COVID‐19 pandemic.DesignWe conducted a naturalistic observational study in the period from April to June 2020.SampleIn two western Austrian provinces, a total of 2080 persons were observed in front of 24 grocery stores.MeasurementThe frequencies and types of erroneous behavior in the use of face masks were collected using a standardized observation form.ResultsA total of 2080 persons were observed. Almost one‐third of all observations (n = 648; 31.2%) showed erroneous behavior before positioning the face masks. Another 935 (45.0%) persons touched the face mask front during the adjustment via mouth and nose, 501 (24.1%) persons touched the face mask front in the period after the adjustment. A total of 116 (5.6%) persons showed erroneous behavior in each sequence of the observation unit. Overall, almost half of all people observed showed at least one erroneous behavior within the observation period.ConclusionsThe behavior of the general public in handling face masks is highly error‐prone. Decision makers must increasingly provide accompanying information and educational measures in order to encourage the population at risk to use face masks correctly.

Isolating the effect of compulsory voting laws on political sophistication: Leveraging intra-national variation in mandatory voting laws between the Austrian Provinces

Compulsory voting laws introduce a legal requirement to vote that substantially increases in voter turnout. Additionally, this study provides evidence that a legal requirement to vote also generates a more politically informed population. A comparative case study leverages intra-national variation in mandatory voting regulations across the Austrian Provinces over time. The analysis constructs novel measures intended to quantify recent and accumulated exposure to compulsory voting laws. The results suggest that exposure to mandatory voting laws caused Austrian citizens to increase their political interest and attention to political news, as well as their level of information about party platforms on whether or not to expand EU integration. As a whole, the study suggests that compulsory voting not only increases voter turnout; it also leads to an increase in political information.

„Maestri muratori” și constructori transilvăneni, în cadrul programului arhitectural al „Episcopiei Greco-Catolice Gherla”, în perioada 1853-1918

"“Maestri muratori” and Transylvanian builders, within the architectural program of the “Greek Catholic Episcopate Gherla” between 1853 and 1918. In the second half of the 19th century, in Transylvania there was a demand for specialized labor, on construction sites such as the construction of railways, the construction of roads and bridges for which Italians came from areas with a recognized constructive tradition, such as those in the Trentino area, are encouraged and supported by the Austrian administration to emigrate. The Italian emigrants in Transylvania, mostly working in the field of construction, were a community poor in resources, but rich in human resources and entrepreneurship. In the alternative, these Italian builders, “master builders”, permanently established in Transylvania will contract smaller construction sites, proposals of wealthier rural parish communities, the case of former border villages able to financially support more elaborate constructions, morpho-stylistically and decoratively, regulated under the umbrella of the same imperial restrictions under which it was built in all Austrian provinces of the period. In the absence of relevant archival data on the paternity of the buildings discussed here, the priority tool of this study to identify the collaboration of Italian “master builders” is the stylistic investigation based on the certainty of their presence in the context of three church buildings related to the reference period: from Cășeiu, built by Antonio Baizero from Udine, the Roman Catholic church from Ileanda, built by Italian emigrants to serve their religious service and the church from Livada (Dengeleag), built by Lorenzo Zottich, possibly belonging to a second generation of emigrant builders Italians in Transylvania. All these constructions have common stylistic features, integrated into one of the three representative categories, identified within the “Greek Catholic Episcopate of Gherla”, namely the most elaborate architectural model agreed by the Austrian authorities: rural churches with a single tower on the facade, tower with a neoclassical baroque-inspired profiling that also involves the most complex local level of labor of the moment. In the context of the lack of relevant archival data on the constructive paternity in most of these buildings, the identification of the presence and participation of Italian builders on construction sites within the “Greek Catholic Diocese of Gherla” uses as main study tool, stylistic analysis of monuments, which results in the launch of hypotheses meant to be validated in the future through applied studies by the archive. Morpho-constructive characteristics similar to the churches in Cășeiu, Ileanda, Livada (Dengeleag) crowned by the presence of the neo-baroque tower, the corrugated cornice that integrates decorative clocks, with a high level of difficulty in terms of construction, indicate a possible presence of Italian emigrant builders: Orman, Cluj County (1865-1867), Livada - Dindeleag, Cluj County (1868), Buciumi, Sălaj County (1872), Rus, Sălaj County (1890-1894), Poieni, Cluj County (1892), Apahida (1892), Borșa (1900), Dobricul Mare, Bistrița Năsăud county (1902), Sâncraiu Almașului, Sălaj county (1902), Agrieș, Bistrița Năsăud county (1905-1906), Șieu Cristur (1906), Bistrița Năsăud county, Lunca Ilvei (1906-1910), Bistrița Năsăud county, Chizeni (1910), Bistrița Năsăud county, Urișor (inc. 1910), Cluj county, Rohia, Maramureș county (1911), Church from Sașa (1907-1911), Alba county, Diviciorii Mici, Cluj county, (1912), Surduc, Sălaj county (1913), Câțcău, Cluj county (1914). However, the final demonstration remains to be validated following documented related archival studies. Keywords: Italian emigrants, Greek catholic architecture, “Greek Catholic Episcopate Gherla”, Greek catholic church from Cășeiu, Italian Roman catholic church in Ileanda, Greek catholic church from Livada (Dengeleag), Lorenzo Zottich, Antonio Baizero da Udine "

Detection of Crenosoma spp., Angiostrongylus vasorum and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in Gastropods in Eastern Austria.

Canine and feline cardiorespiratory parasites are of utmost relevance in veterinary medicine. Key epizootiological information on major pet metastrongyloids, i.e., Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis infecting dogs, and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior infecting cats, is missing from Austria. This study investigated their occurrence in 1320 gastropods collected in the Austrian provinces of Styria, Burgenland, Lower Austria, and in metropolitan Vienna. Metastrongyloid larvae were microscopically detected in 25 samples, and sequence analysis confirmed the presence of metastrongyloids in nine samples, i.e., A. vasorum in one slug (Arion vulgaris) (0.07%), C. vulpis in five slugs (one Limax maximus and four A. vulgaris) (0.4%), A. abstrusus in two A. vulgaris (0.17%), and the hedgehog lungworm Crenosoma striatum was detected in one A. vulgaris. The present study confirms the enzooticity of major cardiorespiratory nematodes in Austria and that canine and feline populations are at risk of infection.

Vaccination Status and Attitude among Measles Cluster Cases in Austria, 2019.

On 21 January 2019, public health authorities of two neighboring Austrian provinces reported an increase in measles cases. We investigated this occurrence to identify clusters of epidemiologically linked cases and the associated vaccination status in order to generate hypotheses on those factors explaining the size of the measles clusters. Probable cases were residents of the provinces of Styria or Salzburg with clinical presentation of measles after 1 January 2019 who were linked to a confirmed case using RNA virus detection. We collected data on age, rash onset, certificate-based vaccination status and reasons for being unvaccinated. Contact history was used to identify chains of transmission. By 11 March, we identified 47 cases, with 40 (85.1%) in unvaccinated patients. A cluster of 35 cases with a median age of seven years (IQR: 1–11) occurred between 9 January and 20 February in the province of Styria due to one transmission chain with four case generations. Of 31 vaccine-eligible cases, 25 (80.6%) were unvaccinated, of which 13 refused vaccination. Between 10 January and 1 March, we identified 12 cases as part of five unlinked clusters in the province of Salzburg. Each of these five clusters consisted of two generations: the primary case and the successive cases (median age: 22 years, IQR: 11–35). Eleven of 12 cases occurred in unvaccinated patients, with none of the 11 having a vaccination-refusing attitude. An extended measles cluster in a vaccination-refusing community, compared to five short-lived clusters concurrently occurring in the neighboring province, illustrates how vaccine refusal may hamper control of transmission.

Research by Dr. Myron Korduba on the problems of geography of the population of Bukovina

The creative work of Dr. Myron Korduba (1876 - 1947) in the geography of the population of Bukovina in the early twentieth century is analyzed. Scientists are given a thorough comprehensive geographical assessment of the population of the region, studied the levels of education of the inhabitants of Bukovina, the structure of employment and its distribution by major social strata. The boundaries of the Ukrainian and Romanian "ethnographic territories" of Bukovina are clearly delineated as a basis for establishing appropriate state borders. With the arrival of Chernivtsi at the turn of the century and employment in the Second Academic Gymnasium, a young, full of energy Dr. Myron Korduba plunged into the whirlpool of active socio-political life. He had clearly expressed Ukrainian-centric state views, which he vigorously defended and scientifically substantiated. Therefore, it seems quite natural that his increased attention to politico-geographical and geopolitical research, important areas of which we have considered earlier. A significant place in the creative work of the scientist, of course, is also occupied by geographical and pedagogical developments. Studying the work of a scientist in the geography of the population of Bukovina, we should pay attention to the extremely valuable for the study of problems of regional development - analysis-review of Myron Korduba on official census materials published by the regional statistical bureau. It is important, as M. Korduba claims, that the publisher is not limited to information only for 1900, but also provides data for both 1880 and 1890 for comparison. It was necessary to dwell on the most important indicators of the last census of the population of Bukovyna also because neither the Bukovynian nor the Galician communities were acquainted in detail with these materials. First of all, Myron Korduba pays attention to population density and its geographical distribution in the counties of the region. According to the average - 70 people per 1 km² in 1900 Bukovina ranked 9th among the Austrian provinces (in 1890 - 10th place after Istria). Kitsman and Sadagur counties of Bukovina were "most densely populated" - 125 and 123 people per 1 km, respectively. The counties of DornaVatra and Seletyn had the lowest population density in the region (22 and 13 people per 1 km). For comparison, M. Korduba provides data on the average population density in the Czech Republic - 121 people per 1 km². In his analysis of the geography of the region's population, the reviewer focuses significantly on the language issue. He notes that in 1900, Ukrainian was spoken by 41.2% of all residents of Bukovina, Wallachian - 31.7%, German - 22.0%, Polish - 3.7%. Dr. Myron Korduba's brief but extremely informative study "Bukowina / Bukowina v nástinuhistorickémaetnografickém", published in Czech in the series "PoznejmeUkrainu", is of great interest for a comprehensive understanding of the problems of the geography of the region's population. This article by the scholar is all the more significant because it was published during the Paris Peace Conference and, in particular, the preparation of the Saint-Germain and future Sevres peace treaties, which legitimized the transfer of Bukovina to the Kingdom of Romania. Based on the above, Dr. Myron Korduba gives the following generalizations: neither historically nor ethnographically, Bukovyna can be considered as a "purely Romanian land", as Ukrainians make up a relative majority of the region's population; the communities of Zastavna, Kitsman, Vashkivtsi, Vyzhnytsia, and the environs of Selyatyn are purely Ukrainian; the political districts of Chernivtsi and Seret, as well as the Ukrainian parts of the communities of Storozhynets and Kimpolungu, have a Ukrainian majority. It is the relative majority of nationalities in a given area that should be decisive in the "division of Bukovina into regions with different nationalities"; although the region's capital, Chernivtsi, is dominated by Jews, Ukrainians are second only to Jews. The city is surrounded by Ukrainian communities and borders a small "Romanian island of several villages." Therefore, it is natural to "deliver" Chernivtsi to the Ukrainian part of Bukovyna.

Mitigating human agency in regional development: the behavioural side of policy processes

ABSTRACT In recent decades, regional development has seen a wave of collective policy-making processes such as the European smart specialization approach or participatory approaches to tourism strategy formulation. These processes are confronted by several challenges based on behavioural patterns related to human agency. This paper conceptualizes collective regional policy-making processes in a behavioural perspective. It argues that concepts known from behavioural economics can contribute to our understanding of the agency-related challenges in collective regional policy-making processes, and that mitigating the role of human agency can help overcome these behavioural challenges. Case studies from three Austrian provinces show how major challenges to collective policy-making processes can be explained behaviourally, and how these challenges can be countered by mitigating strategies that employ expertise, moderation, indirect participation, delegation of prioritization and evidence.

Regional implementation of a novel policy approach: The role of minerals safeguarding in land-use planning policy in Austria

The sustainable supply of raw materials to an expanding global population and rising consumption requires novel governance approaches. Such approaches have recently come to include the topic of ‘minerals safeguarding’. In Austria, the objective of minerals safeguarding has translated into an internationally recognised policy instrument, the Austrian Raw Materials Plan. Our paper investigates how the novel policy approach of safeguarding is translated into provincial and regional land use planning policy in Austria. Following a comparative approach of nine Austrian provinces via document analysis and interviews with policy makers, the analysis indicates diverse forms of implementation: We identify different degrees of uptake and implementation in land use planning policy across goals, instruments and mechanisms. Given the limited amount of research about safeguarding, this paper contributes to a broader understanding of safeguarding practices in public policy (goals, process and instruments), offers insights of’ strong, mixed, and soft’ safeguarding approaches, and provides input for a conceptual model of safeguarding. Our study highlights the importance of political agenda setting for the deployment of land use planning instruments, the need for coordination and communication (between and amongst different levels of government) in the policy process, and a need to assess effectiveness of safeguarding policies.

Release of hatchery-reared brown trout (Salmo trutta) as a threat to wild populations? A case study from Austria

In spite of growing evidence pointing to ecological and genetic risks to wild fish populations, artificial propagation and stocking remain common practices for recreational fishery management. Moreover, even a cursory level of monitoring and evaluation of these risks is neglected, especially where fisheries are managed by private entities. Against this backdrop and with the goal of establishing a more integrated system of ecosystem-based management, this study aims to identify potential threats from the current practices and patterns of brown trout management in Austria. We surveyed 26 private brown trout hatchery operations in three Austrian provinces to examine and categorize the practices in the production of brown trout for stocking. Specifically, we examined the rearing practices and the “trading networks” among trout farmers for characteristics such as rearing history, operating principles, broodstock origins and maintenance, and output figures. Several risk-associated practices emerged, including introduction of brood from divergent lineages outside of Austrian watersheds, translocation and mixing of fish across major watersheds within Austria, and reinforced domestication across multiple generations of captivity. These practices jeopardize native populations by disrupting local adaptations resulting from mixing of native and non-native lineages, reducing genetic diversity within lineages from population bottlenecks, and lowering success of wild populations from domestication selection within the hatchery environment. The findings, which identify threats rather than directly measure impacts, are discussed within the context of concerns on the role of conserving intraspecific diversity for native brown trout fisheries. We conclude by suggesting the integration of ecological and genetic principles into propagation and stocking practices to achieve fishery management strategies more compatible with maintaining natural diversity and adaptive potential of brown trout in Austria.

Historical and legal assessment of incorporation of Western Ukrainian lands to the composition of Austrian Empire in the second half of the ХVІІІ century

The preconditions of incorporation of Western Ukrainian lands into the structure of the Austrian monarchy in the second half of the XVIII century are analyzed. and given a historical legal assessment. It is noted that the accession of the West Ukrainian lands to the Austrian Empire was typical of the era of European absolutism by the act of incorporation, which pursued a certain strategic goal of the Austrian government: the expansion and strengthening of the Austrian borders and the improvement of the connection between the Austrian provinces, first of all, between Semigorod and newly joined in 1772 Galicia.It was shown that the peculiarity of the organization of public administration in the western territories of Austria and Austria-Hungary consisted in the fact that the formation and functioning of the administrative apparatus during 1772-1918 was carried out exclusively by the Austrian authorities. The western Ukrainian population, in violation of social, national, religious rights, was forced to submit to the introduction of a foreign Austrian and Hungarian law. This contributed to the assimilation of the Western Ukrainian population, the deepening of the crisis of Ukrainian spirituality and culture in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. To the negative consequences of the incorporation of Western lands Austria and Austria-Hungary also include the impossibility of developing processes of Ukrainian state-building, preserving its own national state, law, culture.It was emphasized that Western Ukrainian lands, in spite of the assimilation measures of Austria and Austria-Hungary, remained an integral part of the ethnic territory of the Ukrainian people. During the Austrian and Austro-Hungarian period, the Western Ukrainian population maintained its language, customs, dignity, and a sense of unity with the entire Ukrainian nation. Halychyna as the center of the West Ukrainian lands has always been the «Ukrainian Pyomon», where the old traditions of its own statehood and political independence were actively developing. It was in Galicia that the historical right of the Ukrainian people to independent existence and cultural and political development was consistently grounded. During the historical development in Galicia, we also experience a developed sense of the roots of ethnonational life, belonging to the Ukrainian tradition.

Prices of raw-wood assortments in selected markets of central Europe and their development in the future

The aim of the paper is to evaluate the price development of timber assortments in selected countries in Central Europe, to compare the prices and identify the factors influencing the prices, and to quantify the extent of their impact on the prices. A further aim is to predict the price development based on comparing various models for predicting time series of prices. The analyses of the price development was carried out for the assortments of spruce, fir, and beech sawlogs in Slovakia, Czech Republic, and selected Austrian provinces. The analyzed period covered the years from 2001 to 2017 per individual months. Following the selected factors, the study was focused on the timber price development, and subsequently the prediction up to the end of 2019 was calculated. The most significant factor having a negative impact on the price development was the global economic crisis. Following all the prediction methods, the next two years can expect an increase in the prices of sawlogs, except the beech sawlogs in Austria. Analysis of the price developments in the selected countries confirmed that all global factors reflected the price level trends approximately equally in all countries.