Caesarean section (C-section) rates in the United Kingdom continue to increase and are a concern. Births to migrants account for 30.3% of live births in England and Wales. Other international studies have observed varying rates of C-section for migrant populations in comparison to women born within the country itself. Comparison of incidence rates of Caesarean section birth between migrant populations and women born in the United Kingdom (UK) was undertaken to inform the UK context and address an existing dearth of data. This study included analysis of 11,361 records from the Born in Bradford cohort study. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate crude and adjusted odd ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence of total, elective, and emergency C-section births between migrant populations and UK-born women. Women from "South Asia" and "Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia" demonstrate lower incidences of total C-section with a significantly lower elective C-section. Women from Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrate significantly high rates of total C-section (38% increased odds). High variation in the incidence of C-section amongst migrant populations was observed, replicating findings from the few other international studies. Further in-depth exploration is required to understand the impact of this variation on maternal and neonatal health disparities, and to assess the contribution of potential pathophysiological and sociocultural factors on related decision-making processes.

Contrasting nutrient retention in alpine soils: the role of soil microbiome in phosphorus and nitrogen mobility in scree and meadow environments.

IntroductionUrolithiasis and renal colic-like pain symptoms are prevalent conditions influenced by many factors, including diet. Regional assessments, particularly in culturally distinct areas, are essential for understanding specific risk patterns and for developing targeted public health strategies and educational programs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify associations between urolithiasis, renal colic-like pain symptoms, and diet, including body weight, in a representative sample of adult Poles.MethodsA population-representative online survey of 10,029 adults was conducted using census-based quota sampling to ensure balanced representation by age, sex, and residence across all 16 Polish voivodships, including urban and rural areas.ResultsNormal-weight individuals had the lowest prevalence of urolithiasis and renal colic-like pain symptoms; overweight, obese, and underweight persons had higher prevalences (p < 0.001). Eighteen food items were linked to urolithiasis, with beef, legumes, soy, soda, coffee, and fast food found as independent predictors of urolithiasis. Nineteen foods were associated with renal colic-like pain symptoms, with processed meat, soy, legumes, fruit juices, soda, instant meals, and fast food identified as independent predictors of symptoms. Fast food showed the strongest effects, with daily consumption nearly tripling the risk of urolithiasis (OR=2.847; p = 0.001) and increasing renal colic-like pain symptoms by 64.5% (OR=1.645; p = 0.006) compared with no consumption of fast food.ConclusionsThis study provides the first comprehensive, population-based analysis of urolithiasis, renal colic-like pain symptoms, and dietary patterns in Central and Eastern Europe. Our findings demonstrate that both conditions are influenced by body weight and a range of dietary factors.

The silicon photovoltaics market is transitioning from the incumbent passivated emitter rear cell to the higher efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact technology and it is crucial to understand the environmental impact of this change. Here, we conduct life cycle assessment to compare both technologies quantitatively and identify environmental savings in 15 of 16 environmental impact categories for tunnel oxide passivated contact. This includes a 6.5% reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, per watt peak at the expense of 15.2% increase in metal resource use, for photovoltaic modules manufactured in China and transported to central Europe. A critical factor in photovoltaics manufacturing is the carbon intensity of the electricity mix. We model the impact of photovoltaics production across different global regions, incorporating future electricity mix scenarios and a projection for photovoltaics deployment. Our model provides a forecast of the environmental impact of global photovoltaics manufacturing and identifies a potential reduction of 8.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 2035, depending on manufacturing location.

Previous studies on kafirins in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) have focused mainly on grain and sprouts grown under tropical and subtropical climate conditions, while data on the content and fractional composition of kafirins in sorghum sprouts cultivated in temperate climates are scarce. In particular, the influence of the northern growing conditions, characteristic of Central Europe, on sorghum storage proteins has not yet been described, despite the fact that sorghum is currently cultivated in Poland. This study aimed to determine the total kafirin content and the distribution of α-, β-, and γ-kafirin fractions in sprouts of white and red sorghum grown under temperate climate conditions in Poland. Six-day-old sprouts were freeze-dried and extracted using a Tris-HCl/SDS/β-mercaptoethanol buffer. Kafirin content was quantified using the Bradford assay, SDS-PAGE, and HPLC, with method validation performed for accuracy, precision, and linearity. Total kafirin content ranged from 5.5 to 7.0 g/100 g dry matter (DM), with α-kafirin as the predominant fraction (4.2–5.0 g/100 g DM), followed by β-kafirin (0.5–1.0 g/100 g DM) and γ-kafirin (0.2–0.6 g/100 g DM). Sprouts of red sorghum varieties showed significantly higher total kafirin levels and a greater proportion of the γ-fraction, which may be associated with differences in protein structural properties and could suggest potential bioactivity, as indicated by previous literature. However, no direct functional or bioactivity assays were performed in this study. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences among selected sorghum varieties in total kafirin content and the proportion of the γ fraction (p &lt; 0.05), with α being the dominant fraction in all tested samples. These results provide, for the first time, detailed data on the kafirin composition of sorghum sprouts grown in a temperate climate and address a key gap in the literature concerning the effect of environmental conditions on sorghum storage proteins. The findings support further research on the use of sorghum sprouts as a raw material for functional foods, protein-enriched products, and animal feed under European growing conditions.

Use of selective decontamination of the digestive tract in burn patients: A European survey.

Abstract Understanding past landscapes through sedimentary pollen records relies on precise knowledge of modern pollen–vegetation relationships. In mountain environments, however, altitudinal gradients, geomorphological complexity and prevailing air currents affect pollen deposition and make reconstructions of vegetation dynamics harder. This study investigates whether pollen assemblages can effectively differentiate between open habitats above and below the timberline (forest limit) in the Krkonoše mountains, or whether the effects of strong atmospheric circulation outweigh the diverging characteristics of these sites. We used 23 years of annual pollen trap data and vegetation surveys from 19 open sites distributed across an altitudinal gradient. Pollen deposition patterns were analysed using hierarchical clustering, ordination and dissimilarity analyses. Pollen assemblages from above and below the forest limit were statistically distinct, with differences driven mainly by quantitative variation rather than qualitative changes in composition of pollen types. The primary gradient was expressed by the proportion of long-distance transported pollen types, which dominated alpine and subalpine areas. Arboreal taxa formed a major component of background pollen, accompanied by low but consistent levels of wind pollinated herbs commonly interpreted as indicators of human impact. Other herbaceous taxa generally reflected their local presence, except for Vaccinium -t., which was under-represented. For sites above and below the upper forest limit, we characterised pollen composition in terms of percentages and accumulation rates, and established presence/absence thresholds for Pinus , Picea , Fagus , Abies , Betula , Corylus , Alnus , Quercus , Cerealia and Urtica . These findings improve our understanding of the role of long-distance pollen transport in high mountain treeless areas and provide baseline data for interpreting fossil pollen records from high elevation sites in Central Europe.

High tree-ring mercury reveals a century of extreme emissions and contamination in a Central European pollution hotspot.

How Phillips curve dynamics enhance business cycle synchronization analysis in Central and Eastern Europe

Losses of specialist and expansion of thermophilic generalist macro-moths in nature reserves of Central Europe

Evaluative sub-source and activity level reporting in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

The article aims to provide a analysis of the evolution of the Intermarium and Three Seas Initiative concepts, tracing their historical origins, ideological continuity, and influence on shaping the strategic interaction between Ukraine and Poland from 1918 to 2025. Particular attention is devoted to the transformation of Józef Piłsudski’s interwar federalist project, its reinterpretation within the Polish émigré intellectual milieu (especially in the works of Jerzy Giedroyc), and its contemporary institutionalisation within the Three Seas Initiative and the Lublin Triangle. The study seeks to reveal how these conceptual frameworks shaped political decisions, security priorities, and regional strategies of Kyiv and Warsaw. For the first time, the article demonstrates Intermarium and Trimarium as successive stages within a single intellectual tradition that underpins the political imagination of Central and Eastern Europe. It argues that Prometheism, Giedroyc’s doctrine and modern regional formats represent different phases of one conceptual continuum aimed at strengthening regional subjectivity and ensuring Ukraine’s independence. The study reveals that, in the twenty-first century, Ukraine is no longer a peripheral participant but becomes one of the central actors of the Baltic–Black Sea region, for whom regional platforms constitute instruments of security, infrastructural integration and geopolitical agency. The analysis confirms that, despite diverse historical contexts, the concepts of Intermarium and the Three Seas Initiative share a common objective: creating a stable and cooperative space within Central and Eastern Europe. They have shaped the dynamics of the Ukrainian-Polish strategic partnership, contributed to overcoming historical disputes and enabled the formation of a new model of regional security. The institutional formats of the Three Seas Initiative and the Lublin Triangle demonstrate a shift from interwar «utopian federalism» to pragmatic infrastructural and security regionalism. For Ukraine, these processes signify a transition from a buffer-state role to an active regional power capable of influencing the architecture of the Baltic–Black Sea–Adriatic area. Keywords: Intermarium, Three Seas Initiative, Trimarium, Prometheism, Lublin Triangle, Central and Eastern Europe, Ukrainian-Polish relations, Baltic-Black Sea region.

Abstract Late Antiquity in the Mediterranean region and its border areas marks a period of significant historical change characterised by large-scale population movements and intense cultural interactions that are not yet fully understood. To offer new insights into these local-scale interactions, we employed stable isotope analyses of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to reconstruct diet and spatial mobility for 17 individuals from the rural Sicilian sites of Scorrione (Modica) and Cisternazzi (Ragusa). Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope results reveal that most of the analysed individuals relied predominantly on plant protein for their diets. Stable oxygen isotope data indicate that some of the buried individuals likely originated from Central Europe or Northern Africa. By combining the archaeological evidence with scientific analyses, the study contributes to our understanding of the dietary habits and cultural interactions in Sicily during Late Antiquity.

International validation of a staging system for ciliary body and choroidal melanomas using estimated tumour volume.

In this paper, we analyse a certain stirrup type that is rare in Central and Eastern Europe. It is characterized by a flat, narrow platform, strongly curved arms, and a rectangular eye. Based on the examination of the assemblages, these stirrups most likely developed in the Balkans in the first decades of the 7th century and were in use in the first half of the century.

Leptospirosis is a globally-distributed zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Despite its importance, little is known about the ecological and epidemiological aspects of Leptospira spp. infection in wild carnivores, particularly martens. This study investigated the presence of Leptospira spp. in stone martens (Martes foina) and pine martens (Martes martes) in northern Poland using serological (MAT) and molecular (real-time PCR and MLST) methods. Samples from 129 martens collected between 2012 and 2022 revealed an 18% seroprevalence and a 13% PCR-positivity rate. Seroreactivity against six Leptospira spp. serovars was identified, all associated with rodent transmission cycles.. Molecular analysis confirmed the presence of sequence types ST117 and ST110, previously reported in small mammals in Central Europe. Martens are susceptible hosts for Leptospira spp.. Given their adaptability and overlapping habitats with livestock and humans, they also represent valuable targets for integrated surveillance within the One Health framework. This study provides the first evidence of Leptospira spp. sequence types and serological diversity in martens in Poland, and offers valuable insights into the epidemiology of wildlife leptospirosis.

ABSTRACT By the end of the nineteenth century, the (European) urban lifestyle had become the role model for a modern way of life. In East Central Europe, in the multi-ethnic borderlands of the continental empires, the urban life and lifestyle also became a precondition and pattern for modern national life, defining and sharpening ways of mobilizing ethnic groups. Indeed, some of the components of urban life and lifestyle became a medium for spreading national consciousness. Vice versa, the urban lifestyle acquired national features. Using the particularly vivid example of multi-ethnic Lviv, this article discusses the emergence of urban lifestyles with a national character under the ‘umbrella’ of the Habsburg monarchy. In doing so, it shows that provisions of administrative organization provided tools for centrifugal ambitions.

Graphite-tempered vessels are important diagnostic finds of the Late Iron Age La Tène culture of Central Europe, yet they are still enigmatic. One of the most interesting phenomena connected to them is a group of more-or-less sophisticated symbols, the so-called ‘base marks’ (Bodenzeichen in German), added before the firing to the exterior of the base of a small proportion of these vessels. The paper presents five new examples from two Late Iron Age sites, Perkáta-Nyúli-dűlő and Báta-Öreghegy (Hungary), supplementing the current assemblage of such finds from the Carpathian Basin. The description of new finds is completed by a discussion of the possible functions of these symbols and some economic-cultural and chronological conclusions based on their occurrence.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has often been cast as a straightforward engine of growth, yet its record across Central and Eastern Europe tells a more tangled story where outcomes hinge on the interplay of education, governance, and the timing of external shocks. This study embeds fixed effects panel econometrics within a systems framework, treating FDI as a subsystem of socio-economic dynamics. Using a long-run panel of eleven economies from 2000 to 2023, the analysis models path dependence and regime shifts through interaction terms and period-specific dummies set against a systems-thinking backdrop. The analysis shows that for the average CEE economy, FDI’s contribution has waxed and waned: it dragged on growth during the early transition years (2000–2007), settled into a neutral role after the global financial crisis, and proved unpredictable in the pandemic era. Romania stands out, however, with a marked “FDI premium” quantified as approximately 0.7 pp of growth per pp of FDI that seems to stem from reinforcing loops between rising tertiary enrolment and productivity spillovers. Mapping these feedbacks brings to light virtuous circles where human capital and resilience make or break the benefits of foreign capital. The policy message is plain: nurture the positive loops through investment in skills and firm linkages, keep institutions nimble enough to adapt, and watch for early warning signs of systemic strain.

Abstract Climate change is increasing the probability of wildfires in the non-fire-prone forests of Central Europe. Systematic knowledge on tree resistance to fire would help to improve the future management of forests to ensure their long-term adaptation to climate change impacts. However, a systematic classification of the fire resistance of tree species occurring in Central Europe remains largely unexplored. While observations from surface-fire-dominated ecosystems show that bark constitutes an important interface between fire and tree physiology, the influence of bark traits remains an open question, due to conflicting study results. To address this gap, we conducted heating experiments on stem discs with intact bark, assessing bark thermal conductivities of six tree species common in Europe (the native species Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Larix decidua, Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, and the non-native Pseudotsuga menziesii ). By applying generalised additive models, we further investigated the influence of bark traits (thickness, moisture content, density), relative height along the tree stem, and tree species identity on insulation capability. Our results indicate that bark thickness may be the most robust predictor for assessing bark-related resistance to surface fires (i.e. insulation capability). A decrease in thermal resistance was observed with increasing relative height of the sample along the tree stem. Further, we found evidence for decreasing thermal resistance with increasing bark moisture content, but no significant effect of bark density on bark insulation capability. We identified significant interspecific differences in bark insulation capability between the investigated tree species, particularly in combination with species-specific patterns of bark investment. Accordingly, our results suggest higher resistance to fire for L. decidua , P. menziesii , and P. sylvestris , while A. alba , P. abies , and especially F. sylvatica may be associated with lower fire resistance. Our results underscore the need to incorporate diverse tree species' characteristics into assessments of disturbance resistance in the face of climate change.