Head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) are tumors of parasympathetic origin, predominantly associated with pseudohypoxia and pathogenic variants (PVs) in succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) subunits, mainly based on studies in Europeans/Americans. This work aimed to assess the genetics of HNPGLs in a large Chinese cohort and compare them with European cases. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of HNPGLs from 2 Chinese tertiary-care centers and 2 European centers. Participants included 222 Chinese and 205 European HNPGL patients. Main outcome measures included clinical presentation and genetic status assessed via next-generation sequencing of tumor/blood samples. The Chinese HNPGL cohort consisted mainly of carotid body HNPGLs (86.9%), fewer jugulotympanic (12.2%), and no vagal HNPGLs. Jugulotympanic HNPGLs showed higher recurrence than carotid body HNPGLs (30.4% vs 8.5%; P = .009). PVs were detected in 62.2% of Chinese patients, predominantly in SDHx genes. PV frequency was higher in carotid body than jugulotympanic HNPGLs (65.8% vs 37%; P = .004), and in more male than female patients (75.9% vs 54.0%; P = .001). Compared to those without SDHx PVs, SDHx PVs carriers were younger (41.0 vs 49.0; P < .001), with more multifocal tumors (20.8% vs 7.6%; P = .007) and less often female (53.1% vs 76.1%; P < .001). Compared with Europeans, Chinese patients were younger (45.0 vs 54.3; P < .001), with fewer multilocal HNPGLs (0.9 vs 13.7%; P < .001), lower rates of recurrence (13.7% vs 28.0%; P = .007), but similar metastasis rates (3.9% vs 5.0%; P = .668). This is the first report of HNPGLs in a large Chinese cohort. Clinical presentation and practice as well as ancestry all likely contribute to the differences observed between Chinese and European patients.

Since 2010, a proliferation of digital tools, such as smartphone apps, have been tested to encourage energy-related behaviour change in European research projects. However, there has been little analysis on the intervention design and the alignment with behaviour change theory. The paper proposes a framework for a standardized taxonomy for better cross-comparison and knowledge transfer between projects, and as a tool for design and replication of interventions. The taxonomy is applied to 29 digital tools from EU-funded research projects and identifies the behaviour change techniques employed and the proposed theory-based mechanisms of action driving behaviour change. The analysis finds a wide diversity in the mechanisms of action, with clustering around motivation, intention, knowledge, feedback processes, social influences, beliefs about capabilities, and behavioural regulation. The techniques for behaviour change used in the analysed cases are found to both align to underlying theories of behaviour change, but also deviate from theory, potentially due to context, resources, or personal experience. While it appears that EU funders have an appetite for digital-based interventions for energy behaviour change, there is little consensus on effective design. Looking forward, a more systematic use of techniques in order to evaluate and improve the impact, cost-effectiveness, and longevity of these approaches seems pertinent to capture the potential value of digital tools for behaviour change. • Taxonomy developed to standardize design and learnings of digital energy behaviour interventions. • Taxonomy was mapped onto 29 European energy-related behaviour change intervention cases from 2010 to 2025. • The use of techniques to activate specific behaviour change mechanisms broadly lacked theory-practice alignment. • Inconsistent taxonomy hinders knowledge transfer and effectiveness evaluation between and beyond EU-funded projects.

Co-production of low technical readiness level climate science through prototyping with users. Prospects in a European case study

ABSTRACT Holocaust distortion is a threat to Holocaust sites today. How does this manifest in practice, and can we always distinguish between those who operate in good faith on the one hand, and bad actors on the other? This paper explores its impact at European case studies of mass graves. The paper has three overall aims: first, to explore Holocaust distortion in Europe today; second, to discuss how Holocaust distortion impacts mass graves in particular, creating ‘Schrödinger’s mass graves.’ Third, this paper questions the motives of ‘good faith’ actors, who reveal themselves as quite the opposite through their actions towards experts.

ABSTRACT Recently, debates on how structural racism operates in higher education institutions and whether these institutions may be more sensitive to racialised students and faculty are present in multiple arenas. Whereas the existing literature in US and British universities about these matters is increasing, the reality of Southern European universities remains less visible. The aim of this study is to explore what are the challenges and possibilities perceived by racialised students and faculty to carry out several antiracist initiatives within the university. More specifically, we analyse some initiatives developed in a Catalan university aiming to generate a counter narrative towards the existing institutional racism. Fieldwork of this ongoing research consists of twenty-one semi-structured interviews with university leaders as well as racialised students and faculty who have participated and still do in these initiatives over the past ten years to ascertain possibilities for institutional change.

Anticipating future socioeconomic conditions through scenarios supports effective land-use planning and management that safeguards biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). This study introduces a novel participatory scenario development protocol to design consistent, nested regional scenarios tailored for BES assessments of agricultural land-use. The protocol is applied in four European case studies (subnational regions in Austria, Estonia, Germany, and Switzerland), combining regional narratives with quantitative developments aligned with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways for European agri-food systems for 2050 (Eur-Agri-SSPs). Two innovative scenario components are introduced: (i) land-use and management practices and (ii) land-use-biodiversity actions, including private and public instruments. These components are typically neglected in larger-scale scenario applications. Despite shared European boundary conditions from the Eur-Agri-SSPs, the regional scenarios exhibit substantial variation, driven by current land-use structures and stakeholder input. Scenario elements, shaped by existing funding schemes and socioeconomic contexts, vary substantially across scenarios and regions. Examples include the share of organic farms and the level of payments for agri-environment-climate measures. In Münsterland (Germany) and Lääne County (Estonia), current agri-environment payments are significantly lower than in Schwarzbubenland (Switzerland) or the Wienerwald (Austria), and this is reflected in the SSP1 ("..sustainable paths") and SSP2 ("..established paths") scenarios. This study demonstrates the value of regional extensions of the SSP framework, grounded in participatory processes, to support context-specific BES assessments. It contributes to scenario research by presenting key challenges and recommendations for nested participatory scenario design and by bridging the gap between global and continental frameworks and subnational implementation needs.

The Roles of Policy-Oriented University Alliances: A European Case

After the 1990s, in addition to the European cases, scholars working on human trafficking also put major attention to Southeast Asia. This article contributes to the discourse on the nexus between labour migration and human trafficking by analysing the politics surrounding counter-trafficking policymaking in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. This study investigates two interrelated domestic factors influencing the evolution of the state's counter-trafficking framework: (1) the integration of labour protection within a populist policy agenda and (2) the securitisation of labour migration. Combined with the global discourse on labour trafficking, such intertwining factors have resulted in the counter-trafficking approach which tends to criminalise actors within the labour migration sector. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2024 in multiple sites in Indonesia, this research argues that domestic political dynamics, when considered alongside broader global debates on human trafficking, have significantly shaped the government's direction in counter-trafficking policy development.

Mountains are visually striking landforms that influence climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity through the steep gradients they create. Their dynamic environments attract diverse life forms, including humans-who depend on mountains for resources, refuge, and inspiration. Human concern with protecting and managing these landscapes has led to legal designations such as national parks, nature reserves, and, increasingly, restoration initiatives. Yet efforts to define mountains universally remain contested: global mapping suggests they cover between 12 and 30% of Earth's land surface, but mountains beneath ice sheets or oceans remain excluded. To explore how perceptions of mountains shape their definition and value, we examine three European cases: Mt. Snøhetta (Norway), the Dolomites (Italy), and Mt. Parnassos (Greece). Each illustrates how science, myth, and culture inform human-mountain relationships. We introduce the "Næss dilemma," highlighting the paradox that while empathy for mountains depends on interaction, such engagement inevitably alters what we seek to preserve.

Abstract Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to rural communities in the Global South, yet the social transformation pathways through which these communities navigate climate impacts remain inadequately understood. This paper examines the intersection of climate change and social transformation in Bahraich District, Uttar Pradesh, one of India's most climate-vulnerable regions. Drawing on empirical climate data spanning 1979–2025, hazard assessments, and a systematic review of community adaptation literature, the study addresses three research questions: (1) What specific climate changes has Bahraich experienced over the past four decades? (2) How are these changes driving social transformation across agricultural practices, livelihoods, and community structures? (3) What pathways exist for just and inclusive adaptation? The findings reveal that Bahraich has experienced a temperature increase of 0.9°C since 2010, a 54.2% reduction in annual rainfall, and a 43.3% worsening in climate severity scores, with drought expected every five years. These biophysical changes are catalyzing profound social transformations: agricultural system reorganization, livelihood diversification, migration pattern shifts, and emerging community-based adaptation strategies. Drawing on comparative insights from Nepal, Vietnam, Peru, and European case studies, the paper proposes an integrated framework for equitable climate transformation centred on four pillars: climate justice and equity, community resilience, participatory governance, and ethically deployed technological tools. The study contributes to scholarship on climate-induced social transformation while offering actionable recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working in similar contexts across the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

This article conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) on Hidden Champions&amp;mdash;highly specialized, globally leading firms that remain relatively unknown to the public. Although interest in these firms has grown, academic research is dispersed across disciplines and regions. To consolidate this knowledge, the study reviews 58 peer-reviewed articles published between 1992 and 2024 from Scopus and Web of Science, following transparent selection criteria. The synthesis identifies five key thematic clusters: strategic niche focus, innovation-based advantage, leadership and organizational culture, internationalization, and relational capital. Findings show that Hidden Champions combine a narrow market focus with long-term strategic commitment, embedded innovation routines, distinctive leadership, early international expansion, and strong relational networks that reinforce their global niche dominance. While these patterns largely align with Simon&amp;rsquo;s foundational work, recent studies highlight customer-proximate innovation, global customer intimacy, and deeper ecosystem embeddedness. The review also notes a geographical evolution: European cases still predominate, but contributions from Asia and other regions are rising. By integrating fragmented insights into a unified framework, this article advances theory building and proposes a research agenda stressing broader geographic coverage, longitudinal designs, and greater attention to digitalization, dynamic capabilities, and sustainability.

Building and managing university-external stakeholder relations in regional innovation ecosystems (RIE) has been a challenge for European higher education institutions. How does a Central Eastern European mid-range university sustain such relations, and what factors promote and hinder their effective operation? Using multimethod qualitative research and the Regional Innovation Impact model, our data shed light on the operating conditions of the ’RII Delivery Space’, confirming such promoting factors as supply-demand match, actors’ relevant resources, openness and trust between key people, esp. alumni, while low proactivity, divergent interests, distrust among RIE actors, shortage of personnel, a different educational profile and path dependency impede collaborations. This questions the effectiveness of university contributions to the regional innovation ecosystem, despite a well-institutionalised partner management system with strong personal relations, and underlines meaningful communication and ongoing trust-building as key promoting factors. The findings endorse the regional innovation paradox in Europe, divergent RIE actor interests, and the time and capacity barriers listed in the European and Central Eastern European higher education literature. However, the lack of proactivity and the need for wider communication among RIE actors are specific to this case.

A0185 Three-dimensional image-guided robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for tumors in horseshoe kidneys: A European multicentre case series (YAU RCC – UroCCR)

ABSTRACT The dominance of private cars in urban areas has led to increased parking demand, often at little or no cost to drivers despite the high value of urban land. Efforts to reform parking policies, particularly through the introduction of higher fees and removal of on-street parking, frequently encounter public and political resistance. This paper introduces and explores the concept of Mobility Benefit Districts (MBDs), an adaptation of Shoup’s Parking Benefit Districts. MBD aims to increase public acceptability of parking charges by earmarking revenues for sustainable mobility and involving residents through participatory budgeting. Through a systematic literature review and analysis of eight European case studies, we explored examples that implemented at least one of two core elements of MBD: (1) the earmarking of parking revenues for alternative mobility and public space improvements, and (2) participatory processes in the allocation of these funds. We assessed policy measures and real-world examples regarding their impact on transport, acceptability and liveability. Our analysis revealed a general lack of literature addressing parking fee hypothecation. We also identified minimal community engagement during the implementation of measures, barring political and public acceptability. For the design and implementation of MBD, we emphasise the importance of enabling legal frameworks at a neighbourhood-level, continuous participatory processes, and strategic framing of MBD benefits to build public support.

Floodplains are dynamic ecosystems that provide a multitude of ecosystem services (ES), yet they have historically been managed primarily for a limited set of human benefits, often at the expense of biodiversity and multi-functionality. This review synthesises current knowledge in ES and the multi-functionality of floodplains. It further highlights the potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to restore and enhance floodplain multi-functionality and ES through ecologically sound and socially inclusive approaches. Focusing on non-monetary ES assessment tools, such as the RESI and IDES frameworks, the study synthesises lessons from three European case studies (Danube River Basin, River Nebel in Germany and Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit in Serbia). These case studies demonstrate the application of ES indices at basin, regional and local scales for prioritisation, restoration evaluation and stakeholder-informed decision-making. We further discuss trade-offs and synergies amongst ES and highlight participatory approaches that integrate stakeholder perspectives in NbS design and implementation. This review underscores the importance of multi-scale assessments in implementing sustainable floodplain management strategies and supports decision-makers in applying NbS for resilient landscapes that balance ecological, social and economic benefits. Highlights Floodplain restorations are Nature-based solutions enhancing many ecosystem services; Non-monetary assessments of ES allow for consistent evaluation of multi-functionality across scales; Case studies reveal trade-offs between regulating and provisioning ES, emphasising the need for integrated floodplain management; Integration of stakeholders into Nature-based solution planning will increase their acceptance and maximise the benefit for nature and society; ES mapping and multi-functionality metrics at multiple scales offer strategic tools for implementing EU biodiversity and climate strategies, including the 2024 Nature Restoration Law.

The major anxiety disorders (ANX; including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and phobias) are highly prevalent, often onset early and cause substantial global disability. Although distinct in their clinical presentations, they probably represent differential expressions of a dysregulated threat-response system. Here, we present a genome-wide association meta-analysis comprising 122,341 European ancestry ANX cases and 729,881 controls. We identified 58 independent genome-wide significant risk variants and 66 genes with robust biological support. In an independent sample of 1,175,012 self-report ANX cases and 1,956,379 controls, 51 out of the 58 associations replicated. As predicted by twin studies, we found substantial genetic correlation between ANX and depression, neuroticism and other internalizing phenotypes. Follow-up analyses demonstrated enrichment in all major brain regions and highlighted GABAergic signaling as one potential mechanism implicated in ANX genetic risk. These results advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of ANX and prioritize genes for functional follow-up studies.

This study uses contingent valuation to estimate the welfare improvement from upgrading a local football stadium to comply with the first-tier requirements to avoid the local second-tier club being forced to relocate its home matches outside the municipality if it wins promotion. The survey was conducted simultaneously with a public hearing held by Helsingør Municipality (in Denmark) regarding the stadium upgrade. Eliciting willingness to pay using a single-bounded dichotomous choice question (referendum-style) for 1,354 respondents, the total economic value is estimated to be between €9.1 and €17.7m, aggregated for the 30,176 municipal households. Based on the non-use values, the maximum level of public subsidies that can be justified is estimated to be between €5.8 and €11.7m. Assuming a plausible 40% budget overrun, the non-use values amount to 40% to 86% of the budgeted capital construction costs, a considerably higher proportion than found in earlier contingent valuation studies, which can primarily be ascribed to the relatively low costs of upgrading the stadium.

Abstract. The exchange of adaptation-relevant climate information between scientists, stakeholders and the general public is marked by a gap between user needs and provided information. This multidimensional gap can be described in terms of temporal and spatial scales, variable selection, specificity of needs, and consideration of uncertainty. To bridge this gap, we argue for a multi-way format of co-creating (a) a viable form of information exchange and (b) the relevant information itself, while recognising the needs of users and capabilities of providers. This is to ensure that relevant information can be provided to users who are motivated to apply them. We here describe the offer-need gap in the Main River catchment (central Germany), which is increasingly characterized by climate change and user-induced water scarcity, and present a framework for bridging the gap in stakeholder dialogues.

Smart urban tourism: cross-sector collaboration and artificial intelligence in the service of sustainable urban development: a European case study approach

This study provides a structured comparative analysis of how democratic and authoritarian regimes integrate cybersecurity into their national security architectures, with particular attention to the severely under-researched Central-Eastern European EU member states (Hungary and Slovakia). Using a most-different-systems design, the article contrasts the multi-stakeholder, cooperative model of a major rule-of-law democracy (United States) with the centralized, digital-sovereignty-driven approaches of three major authoritarian powers (China, Russia, Iran) and two smaller EU members. In addition to institutional structures and oversight mechanisms, the analysis explicitly incorporates public trust dynamics as a critical variable of cybersecurity resilience. Findings show that democratic systems generate higher legitimacy but slower operational tempo, whereas authoritarian models achieve rapid capability integration at the expense of societal trust and private-sector autonomy. In the Central-Eastern European cases, the interplay of NIS2 obligations and pronounced centralizing tendencies produces distinctive governance patterns that deviate from both the classic “cooperating cyberfare state” and the “smart total-control” archetypes. The study demonstrates that sustained public trust—fostered through transparent communication, accountable institutions and meaningful societal inclusion—acts as a force multiplier for cybersecurity resilience across all regime types. By filling three identified gaps (small EU member states, cross-regime empirical depth, and public-trust integration), the article advances both the comparative politics of cybersecurity governance and practical policy recommendations for strengthening transatlantic and intra-EU cyber resilience.