Continental Europe Research Articles

The linkage between autumn Barents-Kara sea ice and European cold winter extremes

While the Arctic's accelerated warming and sea ice decline have been associated with Eurasian cooling, debates persist between those attributing this to sea ice retreat and those to internal variability. Our study examines the association between autumn sea ice variability over the Barents-Kara Seas and extreme cold winters in Europe. Using the observational data and composite analysis, we explore the interannual variability and the potential linkage between sea ice and atmospheric circulation patterns. It reveals a correlation with shifts toward a negative phase of North Atlantic Oscillation and more frequent episodes of the atmospheric blocking over Greenland and the North Atlantic. Furthermore, the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation and enhanced blocking are closely related and mutually reinforcing, shaping the spatial distribution of cold anomalies over much of the European continent. Our results suggest a link between the unusual decrease in Barents-Kara Sea ice during autumn and the occurrence of intense European weather extremes in subsequent winter months, emphasizing the need for delving deeper into this relationship on monthly time scales to enhance our predictive capabilities for midlatitude extreme events.

The role of genetic variability of the host on the resistance to Neospora caninum infection in cattle.

Neospora caninum is one of the most frequently diagnosed abortifacient pathogens in cattle. There is abundant genomic information about the parasite itself, but very little is known about the genetic variability of resistance in the most common intermediate host. The aim of this review was to compile all the available information about the genetic variability associated with the resistance to N. caninum both between and within cattle breeds. We systematically searched for published studies that investigated the influence of genetics of the host on the prevalence of N. caninum and risk of abortion. Beyond the potential confounding effects of feeding systems, management and animal density, some lines of evidence suggest that Holstein, the most popular breed for milk production, has a comparatively higher risk of abortion due to infections by N. caninum, whereas some beef breeds from Continental Europe seem to be more resistant. It is still not clear if different genetic mechanisms of resistance are involved in the two known routes of infection: postnatal ingestion of oocysts or transplacental transmission from the infected dam to the fetus. Genomic information associated with susceptibility to infection and risk of abortion in different cattle breeds is still scarce. The information reported here could be useful to identify new research alternatives and to define novel strategies to deal with this major problem of animal production.

Timing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination and Effects on Menstrual Cycle Changes.

To assess whether menstrual cycle timing (follicular or luteal phase) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine administration is associated with cycle length changes. We used prospectively collected (2021-2022) menstrual cycle tracking data from 19,497 reproductive-aged users of the application "Natural Cycles." We identified whether vaccine was delivered in the follicular or luteal phase and also included an unvaccinated control group. Our primary outcome was the adjusted within-individual change in cycle length (in days) from the average of the three menstrual cycles before the first vaccination cycle (individuals in the unvaccinated control group were assigned a notional vaccine date). We also assessed cycle length changes in the second vaccination cycle and whether a clinically significant change in cycle length (8 days or more) occurred in either cycle. Most individuals were younger than age 35 years (80.1%) and from North America (28.6%), continental Europe (33.5%), or the United Kingdom (31.7%). In the vaccinated group, the majority received an mRNA vaccine (63.8% of the full sample). Individuals vaccinated in the follicular phase experienced an average 1-day longer adjusted cycle length with a first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine compared with their prevaccination average (first dose: 1.00 day [98.75% CI, 0.88-1.13], second dose: 1.11 days [98.75% CI, 0.93-1.29]); those vaccinated in the luteal phase and those in the unvaccinated control group experienced no change in cycle length (respectively, first dose: -0.09 days [98.75% CI, -0.26 to 0.07], second dose: 0.06 days [98.75% CI, -0.16 to 0.29], unvaccinated notional first dose: 0.08 days [98.75% CI, -0.10 to 0.27], second dose: 0.17 days [98.75% CI, -0.04 to 0.38]). Those vaccinated during the follicular phase were also more likely to experience a clinically significant change in cycle length (8 days or more; first dose: 6.8%) than those vaccinated in the luteal phase or unvaccinated (3.3% and 5.0%, respectively; P <.001). COVID-19 vaccine-related cycle length increases are associated with receipt of vaccination in the first half of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase).

The Constitutionalization of Social Rights in Italy, Germany, and Portugal: Legislative Discretion, Minimal Guarantees, and Distributive Integration

Abstract In an international social rights debate disproportionately focused on English-speaking countries, redundant emphasis has been placed on justiciability. While constitutionalization does challenge stable relations between powers, especially in the post-colonial and developing world, solid insights for a workable interpretative method can be derived from continental Europe, where the difficulties typically associated with justiciability have long been settled. The constitutions of Italy, Germany, and Portugal take socioeconomic democracy seriously, tempering socialist claims and refuting libertarian stances, and have managed to spur a legitimate judicial increment of substantive equality. Through a threefold comparison, this paper describes the peculiarities of these fundamental texts across the spectrum of possible constitutional design choices, and draws from comparative constitutional caselaw to highlight a cross-national convergence on a set of interpretative standards. These blend together a strong safeguard of legislative discretion with justiciable minimal guarantees, and a value-assertive orientation of balancing coextensive with the integrationist function of constitutionalized social and economic rights.

Data-Driven Insights: A Decade of Sol Plaatje University's Research Journey and Development

This paper analyses Sol Plaatje University's (SPU) progress on increased research activities. The paper employs bibliometric analysis review method to demonstrate the university's transition from being a predominantly teaching-focused to a more research-oriented institution. A novel, data-driven methodology is also adopted in this paper, to identify and examine SPU’s research niche through publications. This paper’s data were collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The paper’s findings reveal that there was an overall significant increase in research outputs, observable on yearly basis for a decade (2014 to 2023). The yearly increase in research output is recorded from diverse research fields, including machine learning, cryptography, environmental research, and public health. Findings further reveal that SPU has built its international research collaborations within the African and European continents. This paper’s findings contribute to literature on higher education development by offering insights into how newly established universities can transition from a teaching-centric focus to becoming research-active. This paper revealed the importance of strategic planning, interdisciplinary research, and international collaboration in the development of a vibrant research environment.

CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS OF ENERGY GENERATION MARKET DEVELOPMENT ON THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY

The article offers a conceptual vision of the development of the energy market based on the principles of sustainability, which should be characterized by safety, environmental friendliness, adaptability and stability, efficiency (including economic) and accessibility (including social), transparency. The importance of ensuring the adaptability of the development of the energy system due to uneven energy consumption throughout the day and throughout the year, stability, safety of energy generation, and transparency is substantiated, which will be facilitated, among other things, by the synchronization of the energy system of Ukraine with the energy system of continental Europe. The expediency of increasing the use of ecologically neutral sources of electricity, which is important for ensuring sustainable development, is substantiated . The possibilities and features of the development of energy generation from renewable sources are characterized, which include: solar, wind, hydrogen generation , the use of biogas, obtaining energy from household waste, as well as hydrogen and nuclear generation. Despite the ecological neutrality of solar and wind power plants, the need for disposal and processing of individual components at the end of their service life is described, the need to work out such issues in advance, which corresponds to the principles of sustainability. The adaptability of the operation of hydropower plants and their different productivity depending on the methods of using water energy are noted. The types of hydrogen production and the features of hydrogen generation are described, as well as the feasibility of developing biogas energy generation, which will contribute to the "smart" disposal of waste and the rational use of such resources. The dangers associated with nuclear power plants are summarized, the leveling of which will contribute to the safety and stability of their operation. Attention is also paid to types of energy generation that are not environmentally friendly (thermal power plants), which generate electricity by burning fuel (coal, gas). Their share in the energy-generating balance is decreasing, but today they still provide the necessary adaptability in the energy market. To ensure stable, adaptive, efficient operation of the energy market of Ukraine, it is important to ensure the diversification of generation; to maximally realize the potential for the use of renewable energy sources, to generate ecologically clean energy. Keywords: energy generation, ecology, environmental friendliness, stability, adaptability, sustainable development, energy market, energy security.

Influence of Saharan Dust on the Composition of Urban Aerosols in Palermo City (Italy)

The Mediterranean Basin is involved in a recurring phenomenon wherein air masses laden with dust from North Africa impact the southern regions of the European continent. Saharan dust has been associated with increased mortality and respiratory symptoms. Palermo is a large coastal city, and in addition to the impact of desert dust particles, it has a mixture of anthropogenic sources of pollutants. In this study, we collected Saharan dust samples during August 2022 and October 2023, following a high-intensity Saharan dust event, and measured concentrations of 33 major and trace elements as well as Rare Earth Elements (REE). The mineralogical characterization of the deposition dust collected during Saharan events revealed calcite, dolomite, quartz, and clay minerals. The presence of palygorskite is indicative of Saharan events. Seven elements (Ca, Mg, Al, Ti, Fe, K, and Na) account for 98% of the total analyzed inorganic burden. Elemental ratios are valuable tools in atmospheric sciences for estimating sources of air masses. The results highlight that the city of Palermo is mainly affected by dust from the north-western Sahara.

Dementia detection using parameter optimization for multimodal datasets

Dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder, is more prominent among elderly people. This disease is one of the primary contributors amongst other diseases having a high social impact in continents of Europe and America. Treatment of the neurological disorders of dementia patients have become possible due to the Advances in medical diagnosis as in the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques have provided solutions that enable fast, accurate and autonomous detection of diseases at their early stage. This in turn has improvised the entire health care system. This study proposes a diagnostic method, based on ML, for detecting dementia disease. The Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS) database and Alzheimer’s dataset (4 class of images) have been used for testing and training of various ML models. This involves the classification of the dependent variable into demented and non-demented patient. ML models as in Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes, k-nearest neighbor (KNN), Random Forest, Adaptive Boosting (ADA boost), Gradient Boosting, XG Boost, were trained and tested using OASIS dataset. Models were trained with 70% of data and tested on 30% of data. Hyper tuning of parameters of these models was also carried out to check for improvement in the results. Analysis showed that Naïve Bayes was the best amongst all giving 95% accuracy, 98% precision, 93% recall and 95% F1-score.

Corporate commitments to biodiversity disclosure and sustainable board. Do NGO directors on board matter? Recent evidence from S&amp;P 500 companies

AbstractThis study analyzes the impact of the characteristics of sustainable boards and NGO directors on biodiversity disclosures. This research uses data from 481 US companies that are taken from Standard &amp; Poor's 500 (S&amp;P), ASSET4, for the period 2009–2020 (5616 company‐year observations). Data on NGO directors is provided by MSCI's GMI Rankings database. A panel data analysis with fixed effects models is used to estimate the results. The results also indicate that a sustainable board structure (proxied by Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) and Sustainability‐related executive compensation) is positively correlated with biodiversity disclosure. Our empirical results also show that the moderating role of NGO directors has a greater interaction effect with the characteristics of sustainable boards and biodiversity information disclosure initiatives. The results are also consistent for exploitative and nonexploitative industries, as well as for the pre‐ and post SDG (14–15) of the agenda 2030. In addition, the framework of SDG (14‐15) and the strategic plan of partnership with the Agenda of 2030 show a positive relationship with biodiversity disclosure. We then develop a causal relationship through the positive impact of NGO directors serving on the board of directors on a strategy of partnerships, onboarding, and increase/decrease of NGO directors—possible mechanisms by which NGO directors can influence biodiversity disclosure. Overall, our findings suggest that while NGO directors can potentially be appointed to a company's board of directors for legitimization reasons, these directors are associated with better biodiversity disclosure. The study has valuable implications for enduring board members, practitioners, and scholars. The results are supported by theories of legitimacy, stakeholders and resource dependence. However, evidence on this research question is still unknown and critical, especially in the context of stakeholder‐emphasized governance systems (continental Europe, Japan) and developing countries where there is a lack of knowledge application of regulations related to the disclosure of biodiversity.

Kierunki pozaeuropejskie paradyplomacji polskich województw

The main purpose of this article is to present the directions of foreign activity (paradiplomacy) of Polish regional governments with partners from outside Europe. The first, theoretical part shows the essence of paradiplomacy, which is understood as the ability of local government units to conduct political interactions beyond country borders. The empirical part discusses the spatial directions of paradiplomacy of Polish local governments, Polish-chinese regional partnerships and other partnerships from outside Europe. The hypothesis was verified that regional governments, in addition to european and neighbourhood cooperation, also cooperate with geographically distant partners from outside the european continent. The article uses methods typical of social sciences, including case studies and quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Untold Life Stories about Magic and Witchcraft (17th–18th Centuries)

In this study, we aim to present some cases of witchcraft on the European continent. Based on unpublished archival information, the study shows how the state, the Church and the society reacted to magic, witchcraft, and alchemy. The life stories of the magical agents presented in these pages also provide an opportunity to revisit the political and social context from France to Transylvania throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Beyond the beauty of the magical symbolism lies the dramatic fate of those involved, who ended their lives tragically. Their testimonies, however, are important for the researcher who wishes to investigate the magical phenomenon.

Development of a new design methodology for slab track systems

Owing to the rapid increase in the demands of train speed and axle loads, the slab track has been introduced to replace the ballast in the classical ballasted track with reinforced concrete slab or asphalt-bearing layer to improve the track stability, strength, and durability. This paper aims to develop a new methodology for estimating the rail deformations for the most common slab track systems (BÖGL, Shinkansen, and RHEDA 2000. This methodology yielded the first design aid for slab track systems based on design equations and graphs for high-speed systems. Using a regression analysis of more than 300 finite element models which are validated by experimental tests, the relationship between the rail deflection, modulus of elasticity for subgrade and replacement, and the replacement thickness was determined for the most common slab tracks under the American (AREMA) and European (EN) loads. According to EN, it was found that the minimum modulus of elasticity for subgrade to fulfill the rail deflection criterion without a replacement soil ranges from 128 to 143 MPa for the most common slab track systems; meanwhile, for AREMA, it ranges from 59 to 70 MPa. Furthermore, for these slab track systems, one simple design chart was introduced to aid engineers with the design of the slab track replacement layer according to each design code.

European Union Enlargement Policy with Special Reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina – Preferences and Downsides

By virtue of several European visionaries, led by Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet, whose noble goal was to end centuries of wars and bloodshed on the European continent, today we have the European Union, the most successful integration project of the 20th century. The European Union has come a long way to achieve the ultimate goal of political stability, based on equality in diversity, rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights, as well as the economic growth and development of all its members. From the original six countries that founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, the European Union, through seven rounds of enlargement, has grown into a community of 27 prosperous countries, which both individually and together within the Union, have become a significant player on the global political and economic scene. The aim of this paper is to research and analyze the complexity of the European Union enlargement policy, its preferences and downsides, with special emphasis on Bosnia and Herzegovina and its integration processes, following its recent candidate status. The main research objective is to identify the factors that may enable or constrain effective EU enlargement policy and its implementation in BiH. The paper argues that the final goal - the EU acquis transposition and enforcement by enlargement countries - may present the biggest hurdle on the EU trajectory. The research methods include qualitative methods - analysis of the relevant literature, publications, official EU data, as well as the EU and BiH policy documents and strategies.

Virulent systemic feline calicivirus infection: a case report and first description in Ireland

BackgroundVirulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV) infection is an emerging disease. It is distinct from classic oronasal calicivirus infection as it manifests with unique systemic signs including severe cutaneous ulcerations, limb oedema, and high mortality, even in adequately vaccinated cats. Devastating epizootic outbreaks with hospital-acquired infections have been described in the United States, the United Kingdom, continental Europe and Australia with up to 54 cats affected in one outbreak and a mortality rate of up to 86%. This highly contagious and potentially fatal disease has not yet been reported in Ireland.Case presentationAn 11-month-old male neutered vaccinated domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 10-day history of lethargy, decreased appetite and progressively worsening pitting oedema in all four limbs. The signs were first noted after another kitten from a high-density cat shelter was introduced in to the household. Additional physical examination findings included marked pyrexia, and lingual and cutaneous ulcers. Virulent systemic feline calicivirus was diagnosed based on compatible history and clinical signs, exclusion of other causes, and calicivirus isolation by RT-PCR both in blood and oropharyngeal samples. Negative calicivirus RT-PCR in blood following resolution of the clinical signs further supported the diagnosis.ConclusionThis case represents the first known case of VS-FCV infection in Ireland. Given the severity of the clinical signs, and the high risk for epizootic outbreaks, Irish veterinarians should be aware of the disease to ensure prompt diagnosis and implementation of adequate preventive measures, in order to limit the threat that this disease represents for the wider cat population and particularly given the risk of hospital-acquired VS-FCV infection. Virulent systemic calicivirus should be suspected in cats with pyrexia of unknown origin, oedema or ulceration affecting the limbs or the face, and exposure to rescue cats from high-density households.

Recent and future distribution of the alien Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) on the European continent

The alien freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) has rapidly spread throughout Europe over the past decades. This species can cope with a broad range of environmental conditions and has a high reproductive capacity making S. woodiana a successful invader. Due to its negative effects on native freshwater mollusk communities and parasitized fish it is critical to identify suitable habitats where S. woodiana may persist and how these habitats may be altered under future climate projections. We applied multivariate ordination methods to analyze the space-time relationship and a maximum entropy approach (MaxEnt) to predict the recent (1970–2000) and future (2041–2060 and 2081–2100) distribution of S. woodiana using environmental and climate variables for the European continent. After first sightings in 1979 there were only a few new locations and findings which increased unevenly and exponentially to a maximum of about 100 new locations per year followed by decline during the last few years. Under recent climate condition, 2.3% of European watersheds are predicted as highly suitable habitat for S. woodiana and located in the temperate climate zone between 40°N and 60°N. Suitable habitat was associated with lowland watersheds characterized by fluviatile deposits and agriculture. Elevation, the distance between water bodies, land cover and mean temperature of the coldest quarter were the main factors influencing the modeling results. For future climate scenarios, highly suitable habitat increased to 2.4% by the middle of this century and decreased to 2.2% by the end of the century under the ‘least radiative forcing’ scenario. For the intermediate and high radiative forcing in 2050 and 2100, highly suitable habitat decreased to 2.2% and 1.7% and to 2.2% and 2.2%, respectively. Results from our study can be used as a baseline to better understand potential invasion pathways, identify high risk areas, and to initiate early detection and rapid response strategies.

Which ports differ in the copycat effectiveness of the hinterland strategy? Based on port-hinterland distance correlation

ABSTRACT With increasing cargo and intensifying competition, port differentiation needs to be considered for port expansion, investment and other decisions, as the effectiveness of the same strategies may be different for different ports. Under the concept of hinterland, this paper tries to distinguish large ports by the distance correlation with their hinterland. According to the evolution history of hinterland’s spatial structure, only the continent level or more advantaged port are uncorrelated with its continent level hinterland in distance. Following this idea, Granger causality test is applied to differentiate the ports. This paper uses Nighttime Light (NTL) data to represent the human activities of the hinterland for higher spatial accuracy and statistical consistency, rather than common economic indicators such as GDP. In the case of the European continent and surrounding ports, this paper has differentiated the container port by cargo throughput (TP) and liner shipping connectivity (LSC). In result, ports are divided by the presence and absence of port-hinterland distance correlation, and additionally these ports with port-hinterland correlations are divided into 4 groups. Ports can copycat strategies with each other only in same division, because the port-hinterland relationships among different divisions are not same.

The impact of the war in Ukraine on the common security and defense policy of the European Union

The emergence of the war in Ukraine, conditioned by the occupation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and the invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022, is, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the event that will have the greatest geopolitical implications on the international arena, including on the European Union, especially on politics of common security and defence. The ongoing war have a number of long-term implications for the security and stability of the European continent. The degree of possibility of some of the consequences of the Russo-Ukrainian war will be negligible and will be a subject of debate for academics and Western political leaders for many years to come. The purpose of this article is to highlight the main aspects that intervened in the Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Union as a result of the outbreak of a Ucranian war. Thus, the steps taken by the EU to ensure peace on the European continent will be analyzed. Also, some aspects of EU-NATO cooperation in the context of the war in Ukraine will be highlighted.

Presumption of innocence in the doctrinal and regulatory sources of Western Europe (XIX-XX centuries)

The supreme value in a state is man, his rights and freedoms, and the recognition, respect and defense of these rights and freedoms is the basic obligation of the state. The criminal trial represents that field of activity where the issues related to the defense of human rights and freedoms are of special relevance. For this reason, it is of particular importance to study the historical evolution of the means by which the legislator ensures the fulfillment of this constitutional obligation by the state. Medieval criminal procedure regulations regarding the presumption of guilt have been harshly criticized by scientists. However, the most important event that contributed to its emergence in most criminal procedure legislations of several states on the European continent was the Great French Revolution. Its importance was felt far beyond the borders of France, exerting an enormous influence on the political and legal system of several states.

Does ERA5-land capture the changes in the terrestrial hydrological cycle across the globe?

Changes in the terrestrial hydrological cycle determine the future water availability across the globe with profound impacts in different facets of society. Precise estimation of such changes is vital for the effective implementation of water management policies. Among the numerous data products that describe the hydrological cycle components, ERA5-Land is one of the most increasingly used dataset. Still, there has been no assessment of its ability capacity to represent the water cycle shifts variability over land. This study endeavors to bridge this gap by comparing the magnitude and direction of change in precipitation minus evaporation (P—E) and runoff, as estimated globally by the ERA5-Land data product. Our findings reveal significant inconsistencies in the changes identified, with the climatological mean of P—E decreasing more substantially than runoff for numerous regions. Consequently, ERA5 presents a declining water availability for most of the regions, but the magnitude of change is incompatible to the change between P—E and runoff. To further validate, the estimates provided by the ERA5-Land product, two different hydrologic models (TerraClimate and Global Land Data Assimilation System, GLDAS-Noah) are also utilized. TerraClimate demonstrates a more reasonable alignment between changes in P—E and runoff, followed by GLDAS-Noah, particularly for the arid regions lying in the parts of Northern Africa and Southern Asia, the European continent, and the northern parts of Asia. Inconsistencies remain high for the tropical regions for both data products. Still, the estimates of change in water availability are better represented by the hydrologic model-based data sources for most parts of the globe, especially for the regions with low precipitation, such as the regions with arid and continental climates. Our results imply that ERA5-Land should be used with extreme caution when assessing the long-term changes in the terrestrial water cycle. Additionally, pinpointing the regions of the highest bias can help to improve the hydrological coupling of ERA5-Land in future versions of the reanalysis.

Exchange rate instabilities during the Russia-Ukraine war: Evidence from V4 countries

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of the Russian Ruble on the Czech crown, Polish zloty, and Hungarian forint during the Russia-Ukraine war. The euro is used as a comparative base unit in the four exchange rate parities. The Euro was used since the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Russia maintain intensive economic relations with the Eurozone. At the same time, the Visegrad (V4) countries are geographically located in the European continent and are bordered by the Eurozone member states. MethodsThe series stands in daily frequency and indicate the period from February 1, 2022, to February 1, 2023. To generate the results, the VAR impulse response function, variance decomposition, vector error correction model, and granger causality test were performed. ResultsEven though Russia demanded that gas payments be made in Rubles, this fact did not affect the Czech crown, Polish zloty, and Hungarian forint. Due to the fact that gas payments for the V4 countries were agreed in Euros through German contractors. During this period, the strong influence of the Czech crown on the Polish zloty and the Hungarian forint is observed. ImplicationsFrom a policy perspective, the results provide indications for the national governments and regulatory bodies on the implications of the Russian ruble during this conflict. In short, our findings document that the instability of currency pairs is not only economic but also geopolitical. Energy dependence on autocratic states not only endangers national security but can set exchange rates in cardiac arrest. Moreover, the geographical proximity to the conflict zone tends to be decisive in the collapse of national currencies.