European Trends Research Articles

Scoping Review of Health Literacy Interventions among Migrant Communities in Europe

Abstract Background The increase in migration trends in Europe has brought attention to the significant health disparities between migrant and native populations, which are largely rooted in social determinants of health such as economic difficulties, language barriers, and limited access to services. Tailored health literacy (HL) interventions can serve as an intermediate factor between social determinants of health and health outcome, thereby holding great potential for addressing these disparities. Despite a growing body of research on migrant health, there remains a gap in our understanding of effective HL interventions for this population. Methods A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) updated guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Electronic searches were carried out across five databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PsychINFO, and CINHAL) and supplemented by a manual search. We included European studies on migrant HL interventions, conducted between 2011 and 2023, and published in English or Portuguese language. Results Out of 1018 records, 7 studies met eligibility criteria. Predominantly situated in Northern and Western Europe (85.5%), interventions primarily targeted female migrants (71.4%) through in-person courses (42.9%). Identified intervention strengths included culturally adapted content, migrant engagement, and access to written materials. Gaps included mental health interventions and community outreach. Conclusions This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of HL interventions targeting migrant populations, highlighting their characteristics, strengths, and gaps. These findings serve as a foundational step towards developing guidelines for effective HL interventions within migrant communities. Key messages • Most European health literacy interventions for migrants target women and are conducted in North or West Europe. • Cultural adaptation and community engagement are key strengths of migrant health literacy interventions, yet gaps remain in mental health support and community outreach efforts.

Increasing trends in hypertension-related mortality in European Union 27 countries from 2011 to 2019

Abstract Background Arterial Hypertension (HT) is one of the most common chronic cardiovascular disease in adults and a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. However, update data regarding the HT-related mortality trends in Europe are lacking. Therefore, we assess the age- and sex- specific trends in HT-related mortality in the 27 European Union Member States (EU-27) between years 2011 and 2029. Methods Data were retrieved from the free publicly available EUROSTAT death certificate database to examine age-adjusted HT-related mortality rates (AAMR) (per 100.000 people) and relative average annual percentage change (AAPC) across all European Union 27 countries (EU27) from 2011 to 2019 using the International Classification of diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I10-I13 and I15. To calculate annual trends in HT-related mortality, we assessed the average annual percent change (AAPC) and relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Joinpoint regression analysis. Results Over the study period, 254.540 HT-related deaths (157,081 males) were listed in EU27. Age-adjusted HT-related death increased from 9.12 to 10.7 per 100,000 people [AAPC: +1.5% (95% CI: 0.8-2.0), p<0.001]. Specifically, the HT-related mortality increased in males [AAPC: +1.8 (95% CI: 0.9-2.6) while decreased in women [AAPC: -1.1 (95% CI: -2.0 to 0.2), p=0.001]. Additionally, the HT-related mortality rates increased in northern [+1.5 (95% CI: 0.7 to 2.3), p<0.001] and eastern [AAPC: +3.9 (95% CI: 2.3 to 5.4), p<0.001] EU-27 states. Conversely, the AAMR plateaued in southern [AAPC: -0.1 (95% ci: 0.6 to 0.7), p=0.96)] and western EU-27 countries [AAPC: 1.0 (95% CI: -0.1 to 2.1, p=0.07] over the same period. Conclusions In EU27, HT-related mortality increased from 2011 to 2019, especially in men. However, significant disparities in HT-related mortality rates still exist between different European regions.

Modern Criticism of Rococo Chinoiserie: Visual Narrative and Their Written Variations of Singerie

Chinoiserie (“ 中国风”) began to appear in Europe in the 13th century, and gradually exerted more and more influence on its art and culture. By the 19th century, it had become an academic term, specifically refers to European art trends influenced by Chinese or more broadly Far Eastern culture. Rococo Chinoiserie (“ 洛可可式中国风”) is a representative art form during the peak period of the development of Chinese style. Singerie(“ 猴戏画”)is a typical representative of Rococo Chinese style. As a humorous painting theme, Singerie depicts the imitation of human activities by apes. It originated from Flemish painting in the 16th century. It became famous with the popularity of French court culture in Europe in the 18th century, and is regarded as an important type of painting in Rococo art. This pattern is a typical representative of “Rococo Chinese style”. It is the result of the convergence of developments in art history, iconography, and biology. However, this result,this creation is based on a voyeuristic visual narrative and a written variation of allegorical painting. This type of drawing constructs space, controls timing, and guides sight in a specific painting form. The realization of its value and function depends on the writing variation of the allegorical painting from “appearance-concept-picture” to “appearance-idea-picture”.

ARTISTIC DIALOGUE IN UKRAINIAN CHAMBER AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AND ITS KEY TRANSFORMATIONS

The article examines the manifestations of artistic dialogue, focusing on chamber and ensemble music by Ukrainian composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Artistic dialogue as a reflection of the main vectors of chamber music development in composers’ explorations influenced the processes of enrichment and transformation of its expressive field, and its specificity shaped the national character of this field. It has been shown that the interaction of the artist with cultural and artistic layers is effective in developing a comprehensive understanding of the processes of musical creativity in the dichotomy between tradition and innovation. Built into the composer’s idea, the communicative features of the artistic dialogue make it possible to outline the specifics of chamber music, its coordinates of cultural and artistic identification such as the internal artistic concept and the external artistic and stylistic space. In the interaction of the artist with various artistic fields, the author traces and identifies the patterns of development and vectors of innovation that influence the development of chamber music as a component of Ukrainian musical culture and contribute to its holistic understanding in the interdependence of artistic processes with European artistic trends and worldviews. The integrity of the expressive field of chamber and ensemble creativity is studied in several artistic and dialogical sections that reveal its essence and key changes. The components of the composer’s worldview and stylistic trends of the time establish the idea of the national character of Ukrainian chamber music of the early twentieth century, where the features of the late romantic style are embodied through Ukrainian coloristics, generous use of Ukrainian intonation and harmony complexes, genre models of folk art, programmatic approach, etc. This is confirmed by Mykola Lysenko’s search for chamber and ensemble genres by his followers, composers of the Halychyna school of composition of the first half of the twentieth century. A more complex version of the embodiment of national elements is the work of Borys Liatoshynsky, where entire creative periods of life are formed at the crossroads of Ukrainian and Slavic themes. Through the study of the composers’ schools, their professional, cultural and artistic attribution, two models of chamber music development are distinguished: hermetically academic, associated with the influences of Lysenko and his followers, and innovative, open to comprehensive genre and style transformations in the dialogical interdependence of academic tradition and experimental explorations, associated with the school of Liatoshynsky. The artistic dialogue in the communication of Ukrainian artists with the innovative processes of European stylistic discourse made it possible to trace the distinctive features of genre transformations in the chamber and instrumental music of the second half of the twentieth century and to identify their fundamental stages. Artistic dialogue is at the heart of the activities of performers of chamber and instrumental music, representing the dialogic nature of composers’ explorations and performers’ interpretations. The performing aspect is covered in several ways: as a process of organizing performance by the community of ensemble players; as a search for a coordinated position in the performing interpretation of the composer’s stylistic image; as a performing and stylistic embodiment of the author’s intention in ensemble interaction

Trends in Healthy Life Years Between 2005 and 2019 in 31 European Countries: The Compression or Expansion of Morbidity?

ObjectivesOur objective was to assess morbidity trends in Europe and to classify European countries based on population ageing theories: the compression, expansion and dynamic equilibrium of morbidity.MethodsThe proportions of healthy life years were calculated for 31 European countries for the period 2005–2019 based on life expectancy values and healthy life years at age 65 years adopted from the Eurostat database. European countries were classified according to morbidity patterns applying the standard deviation distance from the average of relative change method between the selected years.ResultsA large degree of variation in terms of life expectancy and healthy life years at age 65 years was determined between 2005 and 2019. While the life expectancy differences between men and women were consistent across all the European countries, the gender gap concerning healthy life years was more diverse. Approximately one-third of the countries fell into the expansion, compression and dynamic equilibrium categories, respectively.ConclusionSignificant variations were identified in healthy life year trends across European countries, which underscores the need for preventive strategies.

‘The Cultural Mediator between the North and the South, the East and the West’: The 1930 Official Exhibition of Austrian Art in Warsaw

This article explores the official exhibition of Austrian art held in May 1930 at The Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Warsaw. Showcasing 474 artworks by 100 artists, the exhibition spanned the years 1918–1930, a period marked by Austria’s efforts to overcome post-war political isolation. The article examines the exhibition’s rhetoric and its critical reception in Warsaw within the broader context of Polish–Austrian diplomatic relations, influenced by Austria’s challenging political and economic situation and the priorities of the Second Polish Republic. The introductory essay in the exhibition catalogue, authored by Hans Tietze, emphasized Vienna’s seminal role as a cultural center at the crossroads of European artistic trends. This approach aligned with the cultural diplomacy of Johannes Schober’s government, which aimed to underscore a rhetoric of openness to the cultures of other nations, particularly the successors of the Habsburg Empire. This contrasted with the later identity policy of the Bundesstaat Österreich, which elevated Tyrol as emblematic of the core German–Austrian identity constructed in the new state. The analysis reveals that the exhibition represented the peak of Polish–Austrian cultural relations during the interwar years, suggesting the potential for broader engagement. However, this potential was short-lived, ultimately thwarted by the Anschluss of Austria to Germany in 1938.

The impact of artificial intelligence on labor relations

With the rapid development of technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, which poses a threat to all humanity, questions arise regarding its boundaries and its perspective on labor relations. Given the breadth of its impact, the potential influence on labor relations is unknown. The scope of labor law issues that this phenomenon brings is multifaceted and remains an enigma in our labor law area, and the legislator in the Republic of Serbia has not prepared a response in line with European trends. The potential impact on labor relations, and later through some basic labor law procedures that ac-company labor relations, has given the impression in the professional public of undermining employees and eroding their fundamental rights (individual and collective). Artificial intelligence accumulates its full impact on labor relations at the expense of the quality of labor relations. Many world economies rely on and see the benefits of the market offered by artificial intelligence. The rights derived from labor relations in the future will be subject to revision and reconsideration. Individual and collective labor law, the result of centuries of struggle by humanity, will be tested for maturity and adaptability in the 21st century. The authors aim to elucidate the impact of artificial intelligence and how it affects labor relations in the 21st century, as well as to identify the elements–institutes of labor law most affected by this “tool” or “weapon,” as some experts call it.

European Trends in Local Public Administration: Adapting to Globalization

The trend of globalization, accompanied by the dynamic development of social systems, places national states in a completely new position, in which institutions and administrative systems must be adapted. Any intervention in the field of public administration reform implies changes in major components, including central administration, local administration and public services. On the other hand, the development of democracy calls for the establishment of a new relationship between citizens and the administration, increasing and strengthening the role of local authorities and reconsidering the partnership with civil society. There are numerous reasons for the structural and functional modernization of the public administration in Romania, starting from the need for more efficient functioning of government institutions to the aspiration to become a member of the European Union. The present study aims to address these aspects, taking into account the impact of the reform measures at the public administration level that have been undertaken recently. Through the coherent and continuous development of the decentralization process in the next period, we will be able to witness the increase in the quality and efficiency of public services, and local administrations will respond to the demands of citizens and local development in an improved way. Keywords: development, Europe, municipalities, public administration

Národní kategorie a současná historiografie

This article is concerned with the social and cultural conditions underlying the continuing important role of concepts of national history. This continuing viability means that concepts that are ever more strikingly emerging as an alternative to national histories are actually failing to challenge them and often in fact derive from nationalist categories (regional history as the history of regions within nations and so on). The basic circumstances underlying the demand for national histories continue to be considered problematised, but the importance of national identities for European societies remains one of the decisive factors here. In regard to national histories, therefore, the situation offers historiography an extensive but at the same time very problematic opportunity for the legitimisation of the discipline. The article is focused on European trends specifically since the end of the 1980s with particular attention to Czech historiography. In this context, it then touches on several important discussions and disputes in Czech historiography over the last 15 years.

FORMATION OF A NEW PARADIGM OF GLOBAL POLITICAL AND MIGRATION PROCESSES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS IN UKRAINE

The events of February 2022, related to the military aggression of the Russian Federation and a full-scale attack on Ukraine, became the greatest catastrophe of the twenty-first century and the most brutal war on European soil since the Second World War, and is gradually being defined as World War III in terms of its impact on global political and economic relations and the use of military weapons. Although no final assessment has been made (the war is ongoing), the undeniable consequence of Russian aggression has been the violation of the world order built after World War II and the risk of global chaos. One of the most powerful consequences of the war was an unprecedented wave of Ukrainian migration, the lion's share of which was to Europe. And while European countries, faced with an unprecedented influx of refugees, are withstanding the socio-economic burden with dignity, Ukraine has found itself in a demographic catastrophe. The wave of forced migration coincided with long-term demographic problems: a decline in the birth rate, an increase in the number of middle-aged people, and the outflow of population during the war. All these processes will have a steady impact on global migration and political processes. New instruments of state and global regulation of these processes will be required. They will also require the formation of a new paradigm of global economic development. The authors aim to deepen the study of the issue of identifying and assessing the preconditions and consequences of migration processes in the world under the influence of military operations in Ukraine. The paper examines the impact of migration processes on globalisation and economic processes in Europe and the world; the dynamics of the share of labour migrants in the total labour force by income level of destination countries in 2013, 2017, 2020; features of the migration wave of Ukrainians evacuated due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation in 2022; generalised statistical information on the migration processes of Ukrainians during the period of 01.02.2023 – 21.06.2023; detailed statistical data on the number of Ukrainian citizens abroad (as of 01.02.2023), broken down by migrant countries; political and socio-cultural context of the formation of a new paradigm of migration processes. The full implications for Ukrainian migration will be summarised after the war is over, but the following interim conclusions are relevant today. The analysis of migration processes in the world and Europe in the current context suggests that migration is actively taking place and contributes to the development of international integration, as it reduces the number of barriers and increases opportunities. The war in Ukraine will have a significant impact on the economy in terms of the following effects: disruption of global supply chains, increased inflationary pressures, higher energy and raw material prices; food prices will also increase as supplies of wheat and cereals from the Russian Federation and Ukraine are disrupted. and Ukraine have been disrupted; higher energy and commodity prices will cause further inflation, deteriorating economic prospects, reduced confidence and increased financial market risk associated with greater geopolitical tensions; worsening food security in some developing countries in the Middle East and Africa. On the other hand, migration is currently seen as a tool for long-term growth in the EU. The analysis shows that migration provides significant economic benefits, primarily to host countries. Today, the EU is facing a growing shortage of skilled labour due to unfavourable demographic trends in Europe. Given the massive emigration of Ukrainian citizens to the EU, migrants are solving the problem of staff shortages. This is especially true given that Ukrainian emigration provides for adequate social protection and legal support, which guarantees the right to settlement, work and education. The right to employment is readily exercised by Ukrainian migrants, as they are largely people of working age, primarily women. In general, it can be argued that the prospects for regional migration are currently linked to many factors and very uncertain prospects for a return to the pre-2022 or pre-pandemic models of the Eastern Partnership. The war in Ukraine is already escalating into a protracted conflict that will threaten both the economic situation of millions of people and the hopes of temporarily displaced Ukrainians to return home for a long time. As a result, displaced Ukrainians, their host EU countries, and the Ukrainian government will have to deal with the new circumstances, adapting temporary modalities to longer-term solutions.

MOLECULAR SURVEILLANCE OF GONOCOCCAL CIPROFLOXACIN SUSCEPTIBILITY/RESISTANCE IN BULGARIA, 2022-2023

Background: The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a significant public health issue, with Euro-GASP conducting surveillance across the EU-EEA. The advent of molecular diagnostics for N. gonorrhoeae may possibly limit the surveillance data because it is dependent on gonococcal culture for phenotypic susceptibility testing. Ideally, molecular diagnostics should combine identification and resistance detection but the complexity of gonococcal molecular genetics of resistance is a major barrier for test development. Currently, resistance prediction in N. gonorrhoeae is accurate only for fluoroquinolones and there are commercial kits available on the market that allow antimicrobial resistance surveillance and individualized treatment. The study examined Bulgaria's gonococcal fluoroquinolone resistance rate for 2022-2023 by molecular methods and compared it with previous years and EU-EEA trends. Methods: The commercial ResistancePlus® GC assay was used to predict ciprofloxacin susceptibility/resistance in 66 Neisseria gonorrhoeae-positive DNA samples from patients, diagnosed in 2022-2023. Results: The identified fluoroquinolone resistance rate in 2022-2023 was 68.2%. The majority of the cases were males in the age group 20-29 (50.8%), the most common mode of transmission was MSM (77%) and 17% of the cases with known HIV status were positive. Conclusion: This study found a higher than before fluoroquinolone resistance rate (68.2%) in Bulgaria, following the trend in Europe. In the EU-EEA, ciprofloxacin resistance increased to 65.9% in 2022. Molecular testing for predicting susceptibility/resistance is suitable for effective antimicrobial resistance surveillance and individualized treatment decisions.

TOURISM MANAGEMENT EXPLAINED BY THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE AVERAGE TOTAL INCOME PER PERSON AND THE NUMBER OF OVERNIGHT STAYS IN ACCOMMODATION UNITS

In Romania’s tourism industry, in the last decade, following the European trend, small dimensioned accommodation units have appeared, bearing the name of boutique guesthouses or boutique hotels, depending on their accommodation capacity. The boutique guesthouses offer both accommodation services in rooms with traditional Romanian boyar characteristics, with Saxon and Szechuan influences, as well as food services with the same culinary characteristics. A particularity of these accommodation units is that each room had been furnishing according to a traditional noble theme, using either furniture that has been produced in Romanian workshops. Roomꞌ s names have been inspired by the woody essences that can be found in the Romanian forests and a large part of the furniture is made of cherry, beech, fir, oak, elm wood. The specific architecture of the accommodation units has been established in 18th century specific to the rococo and baroque style, predominantly found in buildings constructions in Romanian towns where niche tourism is a small part of mass tourism industry.

Differential diagnosis on measles and rubella discarded cases highlights a sharp increase in parvovirus B19 infections in Milan, Northern Italy, in the first months of 2024.

In line with European trends, since 2023 Lombardy (Northern Italy) is experiencing a resurgence of measles and an increased number of reported cases of fever and rash. Measles discarded cases observed in our region within the context of measles and rubella surveillance from the first few months of 2024 (N = 30) were investigated for parvovirus B19 (B19V) and other rash-associated viruses. Thirteen cases tested positive for B19V DNA, representing a significant increase from previous years (on average 3 cases per year, p < 0.001) and ~40% of all B19V DNA-positive patients we detected since 2017. In 2024, B19V DNA-positive subjects spanned all ages, and the virus was predominant among adolescents and adults (84.6%). Two B19V infected patients were hospitalised, and likely cross-reacting anti-measles virus IgM were found in both. Our data align with the recent reports from the ECDC and various European countries, which are experiencing a surge in B19V infections, and underline the importance of comprehensive measles and rubella surveillance systems that can adapt to changing epidemiological trends.

Drifting further apart? Europe's trends of urban-rural political polarisation should not be overstated

Urban-rural polarisation in political attitudes is widely argued to have become a distinctive feature of many Western democracies. Yet, have urban-rural gaps grown over time, as is often suggested? And, if so, do trends in this regard differ across countries? We address these questions leveraging individual-level data from over 300,000 respondents from the European Social Survey over the period 2002-2020 in 25 countries. Overall, we do find evidence of moderate divergence in outlooks between more urban and more rural publics, examining in particular trust towards the EU and views on migration. We also find that there is divergence in terms of feelings of trust in relation to the political system and levels of satisfaction with democracy since the early 2010s, most likely because of the financial and sovereign debt crises. But these gaps have significantly reduced more recently. Furthermore, trends are heterogenous across countries. Overall, this paper demonstrates that value polarisation along the urban density divide should not be over emphasised as divergence between urban and rural Europe is more moderate than in the US, and very issue-based and country-specific.

Casting Production in Poland Versus European Trends in 21st Century

This article presents changes of the total casting production volumes and of the production of castings made from basic casting alloys in Poland, in Europe and worldwide in years 2001–2021. Analogous casting production parameters were compared for Poland, Europe and countries being the leading European and global manufacturers in years 2001, 2011 and 2021. The leading casting manufacturers in Europe (with the manufacturing volume exceeding 1 million tons in the mentioned years) include Germany, Italy, the Ukraine, France and Spain. For years, the largest casting manufacturer worldwide has been China. In 2001–2021, global casting production increased from ca. 68 million tons to ca. 97 million tons (i.e. by ca. 42%), whereas the European one decreased from ca. 17 million tons to ca. 12 million tons (i.e. by close to 30%). In the analyzed period, the Polish production volume grew from ca. 0.75 million tons to ca. 0.88 million tons (i.e. by ca. 17%). The presented data reveal the decreasing importance of gray cast iron and cast steel and the increasing one of ductile cast iron and aluminum alloys. However, the Polish average annual growth rate for aluminum alloy casting production was 10.3%, whereas the global one was 3% and the European one 0.7%.

Widespread use of anticoagulant rodenticides in agricultural and urban environments. A menace to the viability of the endangered Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) populations

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are one of the most toxic groups of compounds currently used worldwide for rodent pest control. Toxic baits are often, directly or indirectly, ingested by non-target animals, resulting in secondary poisoning and frequently affecting apex predators. Their presence in many species of raptors is quite common, particularly scavenger species, with some of these acting as sentinels for the presence of these substances in the environment. However, there is less data on the presence of ARs in Bonelli's eagle, one of the most endangered eagle species in Spain and which is experiencing a negative population trend in Europe. This medium-sized eagle feeds predominantly on live species, and rarely consumes carrion.In this study, 17 carcasses of Bonelli's eagles from the Eastern Spain were necropsied. Both first and second generation ARs in their livers were analyzed by HPLC-MS-TOF revealing that all the eagles studied had been exposed to at least 5 ARs, out of a total of 10 ARs analyzed, with 7 being the highest number of ARs detected in a sample. Second generation ARs were the most prevalent, particularly bromadiolone and brodifacoum, with the highest concentrations in 94% of the cases. More than a third of the eagles presented a liver concentration of greater than 200 ng/g ARs, suggesting AR poisoning.The elevated presence of these compounds in Bonelli's eagles could be a new cause of mortality for this species or could explain other causes of death, such as the increased mortality in power lines, and should be taken into account for their conservation. At the same time, the presence of these compounds in the environment also represents a risk to public health, as the most frequent species in the diet of Bonelli's eagle (rabbits and partridges) are also hunted and consumed by hunters and their families.

Looking back at the causes of 25-year crop yield stagnation in Europe

Across the world, but especially in Europe, staple crop yields have been stagnating since the mid-1990s, when breakpoints appeared in wheat, maize, and barley yield evolution. We look back here at recent evidence about the most likely causes for crop yield stagnation. If crop yields had followed the 1950-1990 trend in Europe, they would now be 20% higher than in the 1990s, when they started stagnating. Climate change reasonably explains one third of the difference. Recent research shows that increased crop diversity sustains crop yields more effectively than monoculture, but there is to date no estimate in the literature by how much. Finally, the literature suggests that the provision of ecosystem services could help break up crop yield stagnation but to an extent that is not yet quantified.

Generalised morality and contemporary fertility dynamics across European regions

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the concept of generalised morality (GM), a cultural trait measured with the values of respect, obedience, generalised trust and control. Since GM drives economic prosperity and the way nations organise their welfare, we investigate how it matters for contemporary fertility trends. We consider the period between 2000 and 2014, when divergent fertility trends in Europe arose and the Great Recession took place. Using Eurostat and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data for 177 regions in 23 European countries, we demonstrate that GM plays a moderating role with educational expansion and when there is a global shock – here the Great Recession.

Current and Future Effects of Climate Change on Airborne Allergens.

Delineation of the impact of elevated carbon dioxide and concomitant global warming on airborne allergens is performed. European tree pollen trends in general showed earlier start and end dates and increased total pollen release, with some differences both in locale and among species. Earlier flowering was also seen with grasses and weeds. In the case of some boreal trees, flowering was delayed due to a pre-seasonal requirement for necessary accumulated chilling temperature to achieve bud-set. Anthropogenic climate change induced rise in temperature and CO2 levels has resulted in demonstrable increases in aeroallergens. This has been most dramatic in tree pollen annual load, but also seen with grasses and weeds. Collected data is greatest for the Northern Hemisphere, especially the European continent, with supporting data from North America and Australia.

Slovakia: Private foundations and trust-like institutes in Slovakia

Abstract Slovak private law significantly lags behind modern European trends. Family foundations and trusts or trust-like institutions are unknown to Slovak law. None of the recently proposed reforms has yet remedied this inappropriate state. The intergenerational transfer of family property remains very complicated. The use of foreign trust structures is also restricted by Slovak private international law and negative tax consequences. This article provides an overview of the development of Slovak legislation, its current state, efforts to change the regulation of foundations, and the practical ways of evading Slovak law by using foreign legal structures—private foundations and trusts.