Linkage Between European and East Asian Heatwaves on Synoptic Scales

Concurrent extreme weather events in geographically distant areas potentially cause high-end risks for societies.By using network analysis,the present study managed to identify significant nearly-simultaneous occurrences of heatwaves between the grid cells in East Asia and Eastern Europe,even though they are geographically far away from each other.By further composite analysis,this study revealed that hot events first occurred in Eastern Europe,typically with a time lag of3-4 days before the East Asian heatwave events.An eastward propagating atmospheric wave train,known as the circumglobal teleconnection(CGT)pattern,bridged the sequent occurrences of extreme events in these two remote regions.Atmospheric blockings,amplified by surface warming over Eastern Europe,not only enhanced local heat extremes but also excited a CGT-like pattern characterized by alternative anomalies of high and low pressures.Subsequent downstream anticyclones in the middle and upper troposphere reduced local cloud cover and increased downward solar radiation,thereby facilitating the formation of heatwaves over East Asia.Nearly half of East Asian heatwave events were preceded by Eastern European heatwave events in the 10-day time range before East Asian heatwave events.This investigation of heatwave teleconnection in the two distant regions exhibits strong potential to improve the prediction accuracy of East Asian heatwaves.

Continuities of Historical Crises and Discourses of Europe From the “Neo-Latin Past” to the 21st Century

Europe and the EU have been facing many crises and challenges in recent years.From Brexit and rising nationalism to economic problems and unanimous refugee policies,most of them remain unsolved.Instead of moving forward with the European integration project,Europe seems to regress in many instances.Considering this turmoil,it seems all the more important to historicize the affirmative discourse of Europe and to expand the knowledge of the European unification process with novel insights into its history.Only if a broad understanding of its roots and developments prevails,the conflicts of the present can be better evaluated and addressed.Particularly one set of so far neglected sources from Europe’s past serves as guiding light in that respect:the early modern Europe literature written in the Latin language.Between 1400 and 1800,Latin enjoyed a similar status in promoting scientific discoveries,negotiating political affairs and generally communicating on an international level as modern-day English.By offering a brief glance at some historically influential Latin texts from the early modern discourse of Europe,this article will show that the early modern European crises strikingly resemble Europe’s current crises despite the difference in political,social,and economic circumstances.The discourse of Europe has from the beginning been a stable discourse,characterized by the same recurring questions for centuries.When used as reference point for the crises of the 21st century,the prospects for the European integration look better than presumed.

Can environmental sustainability be decoupled from economic growth? Empirical evidence from Eastern Europe using the common correlated effect mean group test

The European Union(EU) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) aim to develop long-term policies for their respective member countries. Having observed increasing dangers to the environment posed by rising economic growth, they are seeking pathways to enable policy action on economic growth and environmental sustainability. Given the facts in theoretical and empirical studies, this study assessed the validity of the decoupling hypothesis by investigating asymmetricity in the relationship between environmental sustainability and economic growth in nine Eastern European countries from 1998 to 2017 using the cross-section augmented Dickey-Fuller(CADF) unit root, panel corrected standard error(PCSE), common correlated effect mean group(CCEMG), and Dumitrescu Hurlin causality approaches. Both population growth and drinking water are used as controlled variables. The outcomes establish strong cointegration among all the variables of interest. According to the results of CCEMG test, economic growth exerts short-term environmental degradation but has long-term environmental benefits in Eastern Europe;and population growth and drinking water exert a positive effect on environmental sustainability in both the short-and long-run. The results of Dumitrescu Hurlin causality test indicate that environmental sustainability is unidirectionally affected by economic growth. Based on these outcomes, we suggest the following policies:(1) the EU and OECD should implement member-targeted policies on economic growth and fossil-fuel use towards regulating industrial pollution, water use, and population control;and(2) the EU and OECD member countries should invest in environmental technologies through green research and development(R&D) to transform their dirty industrial processes and ensure productive energy use.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Challenges and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening and HPV Vaccinations in Ukraine and Eastern Europe

Objectives: To identify the obstacles and issues that hinder effective cancer prevention efforts in Ukraine. The study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the barriers to cancer prevention, including both infrastructure and behavioral factors, and identify potential solutions to address these challenges. Study Design: Comprehensive literature review. Methods: The following databases were searched: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health). The keywords used in the search included “Cervical Cancer”, “Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (HPV)”, “Ukraine”, “Eastern Europe”, “Healthcare Infrastructure in Disasters”, “Cervical Cancer Prevention”, “Pap Smear”, and “HPV Testing”. Results: A total of 3500 articles were screened. A total of 65 articles met the inclusion criteria. Limited public awareness and limited access to vaccination and screening, combined with inadequate treatment facilities lead to higher rates of cervical cancer. The COVID pandemic, war with Russia, and the Chernobyl disaster are significant factors for the low level of vaccination in Ukraine. Conclusion: The prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in Ukraine face significant challenges due to the inadequate HPV vaccination rates and screening by cytology. Efforts to improve funding and increase education of both the population and health care providers are necessary to increase interventions such as HPV vaccination, cervical cytology, and HPV testing to reduce cervical cancer rates in Ukraine.

Archaeological Mineralogy and the Dawn of Gemmology:Prehistoric(7th-5th Millennium BC)Gem Minerals and Gold from the Balkans（South-East Europe）

The territory of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe is reviewed, from the point of gemmology, as the cradle of gem and decorative minerals and metals in European prehistory. During the local Neolithic period (end of 7 th -6 th millennium BC), as material for tools or for beads, nephrite (with the earliest known Balkan nephrite culture), jadeite-omphacite and quartz (different varieties) were introduced to make pendants and idols. Large quantities of copper and gold artifacts are known since the Chalcolithic period (5 th millennium BC)(unique for the region;the largest in number of gold artifacts is the Varna I Chalcolithic necropolis in Bulgaria). The gemmological materials in the Balkans are known for malachite, antigorite serpentinite, turquoise, rock crystal, carnelian, jasper, jet and obsidian. In the Varna I necropolis (mid 5 th millennium BC) are recorded the first known complex faceted carnelian beads with 32 facets, as well as some of the most important gemmological techniques and procedures such as faceting, tumbling, annealing, miniaturization and standardization. As pigments for pottery, cinnabar, graphite and gold were used in different prehistoric sites. The earliest salt production in the Balkans is known from sites in Romania and Bulgaria, and because of its trade, salt is positively linked to a population rich with prestigious goods. The introduced possible Chalcolithic weight unit “van”(2 carats) is supposed to be the earliest known in prehistoric times.

Modernism in Europe and in China,taking Lukcs Brecht and Lu Xun as examples

Lukcs argues that modernist writers are preoccupied with formal experiment and fails to see their literary merits.Brecht criticizes Lukcs for not paying attention to class struggle and rejects the kind of formal unity admired by Lukcs.Lu Xun,like Brecht,insisted on the class nature of literature,emphasizing the fighting function of literature in a time when the nation was faced with Japanese invasion.

The Research on Whether Honda's Products Choose Uniformly in European Markets

The report will use the cultural factors to segment Honda's Europe market and how would Honda market its product in each segment.

Prostate cancer screening in Europe and Asia

Prostate cancer(PCa)is the second most common cancer among men worldwide and even ranks first in Europe.Although Asia is known as the region with the lowest PCa incidence,it has been rising rapidly over the last 20 years mostly due to the introduction of prostate-specific antigen(PSA)testing.Randomized PCa screening studies in Europe show a mortality reduction in favor of PSA-based screening but coincide with high proportions of unnecessary biopsies,overdiagnosis and subsequent overtreatment.Conclusive data on the value of PSA-based screening and hence the balance between harms and benefits in Asia is still lacking.Because of known racial variations,Asian countries should not directly apply the European screening models.Like in the western world also in Asia,new predictive markers,tools and risk stratification strategies hold great potential to improve the early detection of PCa and to reduce the worldwide existing negative aspects of PSA-based PCa screening.

Mapping mountain areas: learning from Global, European and Norwegian perspectives

Defining the spatial extent of mountain areas has long been a challenge. In the present century, the availability of digital elevation models(DEMs) incorporated into geographic information systems(GIS) has allowed the definition of mountain areas based on topographic and other criteria. This paper presents the various delineations of mountains that have been prepared at three scales – global, regional(Europe), and national – and explores the reasons and processes leading to these delineations, and how they have been used. A detailed case study is then presented for Norway. Overall, two types of approaches to mapping mountains have been taken: first, considering mountains per se, based on elevation and/or topography; second, considering them among other categories, e.g., landforms or biogeographical, environmental or landscape zones. All attempts to map mountain areas derive essentially from the objectives of those commissioning and/or undertaking the work; a unitary definition remains unlikely.

Epidemiology of hepatitis E in South-East Europe in the "One Health" concept

The significance of hepatitis E virus(HEV)as an important public health problem is rising.Until a decade ago,cases of HEV infection in Eur-ope were mainly confined to returning travelers,but nowadays,hepatitis E represents an emerging zoonotic infection in many European countries.The aim of this manuscript is to perform a systematic review of the published literature on hepatitis E distribution in humans,animals and environmental samples("One Health"concept)in the South-Eastern European countries.Comparison of the available data showed that the anti-HEV seroprevalence in the South-Eastern Europe varies greatly,depending on the population studied,geographical area and methods used.The IgG seroprevalence rates in different population groups were found to be 1.1%-24.5%in Croatia,up to 20.9%in Bulgaria,5.9-%17.1%in Romania,15%in Serbia,up to 9.7%in Greece and 2%-9.7%in Albania.Among possible risk factors,older age was the most significant predictor for HEV seropositivity in most studies.Higher seroprevalence rates were found in animals.HEV IgG antibodies in domestic pigs were detected in 20%-54.5%,29.2%-50%,38.94%-50%and 31.1%-91.7%in Serbia,Bulgaria,Romania and Croatia,respectively.In wild boars seroprevalence rates were up to 10.3%,30.3%and 31.1%in Romania,Slovenia and Croatia,respectively.A high HEV RNA prevalence in wild boars in some countries(Croatia and Romania)indicated that wild boars may have a key role in the HEV epidemiology.There are very few data on HEV prevalence in environmental samples.HEV RNA was detected in 3.3%and 16.7%surface waters in Slovenia and Serbia,respectively.There is no evidence of HEV RNA in sewage systems in this region.The available data on genetic characterization show that human,animal and environmental HEV strains mainly belong to the genotype 3.

Spatial distribution of the potential forest biomass availability in Europe

Background: European forests are considered a crucial resource for supplying biomass to a growing bio-economy in Europe. This study aimed to assess the potential availability of forest biomass from European forests and its spatial distribution. We tried to answer the questions(i) how is the potential forest biomass availability spatially distributed across Europe and(ii) where are hotspots of potential forest biomass availability located?Methods: The spatial distribution of woody biomass potentials was assessed for 2020 for stemwood, residues(branches and harvest losses) and stumps for 39 European countries. Using the European Forest Information SCENario(EFISCEN) model and international forest statistics, we estimated the theoretical amount of biomass that could be available based on the current and future development of the forest age-structure, growing stock and increment and forest management regimes. We combined these estimates with a set of environmental(site productivity, soil and water protection and biodiversity protection) and technical(recovery rate, soil bearing capacity) constraints, which reduced the amount of woody biomass that could potentially be available. We mapped the potential biomass availability at the level of administrative units and at the 10 km × 10 km grid level to gain insight into the spatial distribution of the woody biomass potentials.Results: According to our results, the total availability of forest biomass ranges between 357 and 551 Tg dry matter per year. The largest potential supply of woody biomass per unit of land can be found in northern Europe(southern Finland and Sweden, Estonia and Latvia), central Europe(Austria, Czech Republic, and southern Germany),Slovenia, southwest France and Portugal. However, large parts of these potentials are already used to produce materials and energy. The distribution of biomass potentials that are currently unused only partially coincides with regions that currently have high levels of wood production.Conclusions: Our study shows how the forest biomass potentials are spatially distributed across the European continent, thereby providing insight into where policies could focus on an increase of the supply of woody biomass from forests. Future research on potential biomass availability from European forests should also consider to what extent forest owners would be willing to mobilise additional biomass from their forests and at what costs the estimated potentials could be mobilised.

Automated tree detection and crown delineation using airborne laser scanner data in heterogeneous East-Central Europe forest with different species mix

Identifying tree locations is a basic step in the derivation of other tree parameters using remote sensing techniques, particularly when using airborne laser scanning. There are several techniques for identifying tree positions. In this paper, we present a raster-based method for determining tree position and delineating crown coverage. We collected data from nine research plots that supported different mixes of species. We applied a raster-based method to raster layers with six different spatial resolutions and used terrestrial measurement data as reference data. Tree identification at a spatial resolution of 1.5?m was demonstrated to be the most accurate, with an average identification ratio (IR) of 95% and average detection ratio of 68% being observed. At a higher spatial resolution of 0.5?m, IR was overestimated by more than 600%. At a lower spatial resolution of 3?m, IR was underestimated at less than 44% of terrestrial measurements. The inventory process was timed to enable evaluation of the time efficiency of automatic methods.

Trends in aerosol optical properties over Eastern Europe based on MODIS-Aqua

This study provides characteristics of aerosol columnar properties,measured over ten countries in Eastern Europe from 2002 to 2019.Aerosol optical depth(AOD)and Angstrom exponent(AE)were obtained with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)Collection 6.1 merged Dark Target and Deep Blue aerosol product.The product is validated using ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network(AERONET)situated at Minsk,Belsk,Moldova and Kyiv.The results showed that 76.15%of retrieved AOD data are within the expected error.It was established that 64.2%of AOD points are between 0 and 0.2 and 79.3%of all AE points are over 1.Mean AOD values in the region vary from 0.130±0.04(Moldova)to 0.193±0.03(Czech Republic)with mean value in the region 0.162±0.05.Seasonal mean AOD(AE)values were at the maximum during the summer from 0.231±0.05(1.482±0.09 in winter)to minimum 0.087±0.04 during the winter(1.363±0.17 in summer).Gradual AOD reduction is observed in all countries with annual trend from-0.0050(Belarus)to-0.0029(Russia).Finally,the relationship between AOD and AE was studied to classify various aerosol types and showed seasonal non-uniformity of their contribution depending on variation in sources.The entire region is under significant impact of various aerosol types,including clean continental(CC),mixed(MX)and anthropogenic/burning(AB)aerosols types that are at 59.77%,24.72%,and 12.97%respectively.These results form an important basis for further regional studies of air quality and distribution of sources of pollution.

The Last 15,000 Years: Climate-Controlled and “Rare-Event”-Triggered/Rise and Fall of Holocene Cultures in the Near/Middle East and in Central Europe—Evidence and Background

Pushed by the results of a preceding publication on the possibly Quaternary Jebel Waqf as Suwwan Meteorite Crater, Jordan [5], where an amazing coincidence of Rapid Climate Changes (RCCs) with Rise and Fall of Neolithic and Bronze Age Cultures became evident for the Near/Middle East, this paper deals with the same subject, however, relating to the complete Holocene period in the same area and, additionally, in Central Europe as well. By application of modern climatic data [6] comprising isotope analysis (δ18O, 14C, 10Be), acid and aerosol events, and greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4) Greenland ice cores as well as other astro-/geophysical and geological parameters, an overwhelming coincidence/relation/interdependence of both natural and cultural evidences becomes obvious throughout the last 15,000 years across the Northern Hemisphere. Apart from solar output and other astrophysical processes, most important climate- and Earth-related parameters are Mega-Volcanism (i.e.Santorini Greece: ~3640 yr cal. B. P.), Impact Events (i.e. during Mesolithic: ~9600 yr cal. B. P), rapid oceanic current change (DO-Events), and Plate Tectonics (possibly Atlantis-Event: ~11,500 yr cal. B.P. = Pleistocene/Holocene boundary). The most essential parameter is a significant temperature change related to more or less restricted latitude realms of the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, glacier advance/retreat controls the mobility of peoples (i.e. Nations' Migration, Teutonic Empires) and the access to ore deposits (Au, Ag, Cu, Sn, Zn, Pb, Fe) located in Alpine Mountain Ranges (i.e. End-Neolithic, Early Bronze Age). Myths like the Gilgamesh Epos and John Apocalypse convincingly reveal realistic contents relating to natural hazards like tsunamis, impact and flooding events. They unmisunderstandably make obvious that Myths may provide valuable contributions, especially to Geosciences. Some of the controlling parameters interrelate with others or present a kind of hierarchy: Mega-Volcanism/impact events à ejecta à wildfires, heat storms à cosmic winter, sint winter à stop of photosynthesis à mass extinction environmental pollution à greenhouse effects. Significant events (21 cases in total) occurred on i.e.

Creation of a Geo-Spatial Database to Analyse Railways in Europe (1830-2010). A Historical GIS Approach

The GIS is a tool that allows us to study the logic of the distribution of phenomena that occur on the Earth’s surface. In this article, we propose exploring its potential for historical research over long periods. Here, we present a Historical GIS (HGIS) of the railways of Europe for the period 1830-2010. This is a response to the need to carry out spatialtemporal analyses in order to evaluate the territorial impact of the railway and its influence on the distribution of population. The main objectives of this work are: to publicise the existence of this spatial database;to explain the approach followed in order to produce it;and to highlight some of the results that have already been achieved by using it. To date, the possibilities offered by HGIS have hardly been explored in research into the territorial impact of the railway. Similarly, until now, little work has been done in this area at the European scale. The most innovative aspects of this HGIS therefore lie in the methodology used and the subject treated.

Research on representative brand and operation mode of second-hand clothing in Europe

In order to study the current situation and operation mode of second-hand clothing brand in Europe,this paper makes a field investigation on the second-hand clothing shops in European countries.Through classification of the inspected shops,five representative brands with certain popularity and influence and different operation modes in Europe are selected out from high-grade antique boutiques,non-profit charity organizations,professional retailers and middle-grade consignment shops in the second-hand clothing market.This paper analyzes and discusses the development history of stores,the source of goods,the form of stores,and the operation mode,so as to provide a reference for the development and standardization of the second-hand clothing market in China.

Eckfeld Maar:Window into an Eocene Terrestrial Habitat in Central Europe

To mark the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Rheinische Naturforschende Gesellschaft in 2009 and of the centennial of the Mainz Natural History Museum in 2010, we present a short account of our present knowledge of the Eckfeld Maar after 20 years of continuous research. This paper does not attempt to include all of the detailed results on the geology of the Eckfeld site or its biota. To date, nearly 250 papers and books have been published since the start of our project. An up-to-date list of these publications can be found at www.eckfeldermaar.de.

Access to biologicals in Crohn's disease in ten European countries

AIM To analyze access(availability, affordability and acceptability) to biologicals for Crohn's disease(CD) in ten European countries and to explore the associations between these dimensions, the uptake of biologicals and economic development.METHODS A questionnaire-based survey combined with desk research was carried out in May 2016. Gastroenterologists from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden were invited to participate and provide data on the availability of biologicals/biosimilars, reimbursement criteria, clinical practice and prices, and use of biologicals. An availability score was developed to evaluate the restrictiveness of eligibility and administrative criteria applied in the countries. Affordability was defined as the annual cost of treatment as a share of gross domestic product(GDP) per capita. Correlations with the uptake of biologicals, dimensions of access and GDP per capita were calculated.RESULTS At the time of the survey, infliximab and adalimumab were reimbursed in all ten countries, and vedolizumab was reimbursed in five countries(France, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden). Reimbursement criteria were the least strict in Sweden and Germany, and the strictest in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Between countries, the annual cost of different biological treatments differed 1.6-3.3-fold. Treatments were the most affordable in Sweden(13%-37% of the GDP per capita) and the least affordable in the Central and Eastern European countries, especially in Hungary(87%-124%) and Romania(141%-277%). Biosimilars made treatments more affordable by driving down the annual costs. The number of patients with CD on biologicals per 100000 population was strongly correlated with GDP per capita(0.91), although substantial differences were found in the uptake among countries with similar economic development. Correlation between the number of patients with CD on biologicals per 100000 population and the availability and affordability was also strong(-0.75,-0.69 respectively). CONCLUSION Substantial inequalities in access to biologicals were largely associated with GDP. To explain differences in access among countries with similar development needs further research on acceptance.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Patterns of Practice and Outcomes in Europe and China:An Analysis of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association Congenital Heart Surgery Database

Background:The European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association(ECHSA)Congenital Heart Surgery Database(CHSD)was founded in 1999 and is open for worldwide participation.The current dataset includes a large amount of surgical data from both Europe and China.The purpose of this analysis is to compare patterns of practice and outcomes among pediatric congenital heart defect surgeries in Europe and China using the ECHSA-CHSD.Methods:We examined all European(125 centers,58,261 operations)and Chinese(13 centers,23,920 operations)data in the ECHSA-CHSD from 2006-2018.Operative mortality,postoperative length of stay,median patient age and weight were calculated for the ten benchmark operations for China and Europe,respectively.Results:Benchmark procedure distribution frequencies differed between Europe and China.In China,ventricular septal defect repair comprised approximately 70%of procedures,while Norwood operations comprised less than one percent of all procedures.Neonatal cardiac procedures were rare in China overall.For procedures in STAT mortality category 1,Chinese centers had lower operative mortality rates,while procedures in categories 3 and 5 mortality is lower in European centers.Operative mortality over the time period decreased from 3.89%to 1.64%for the whole cohort,with a sharper decline in China.This drop coincides with an increase of submitted procedures over this 13-year-period.Conclusion:Chinese centers had higher programmatic volume of congenital heart surgeries,while European centers have a more complex case mix.Palliation for patients with functionally univentricular heart was performed less commonly in China.These comparison of patterns of practice and outcomes demonstrate opportunities for continuing bidirectional transcontinental collaboration and quality improvement.

Heart Failure Issues and Management:A European Perspective

Heart failure poses an increasing problem for global health care systems.The epidemiological data which have been accrued over the last 30 years have predominantly been accumulated from experience within North America and Europe.The European experience in heart failure,although similar to that in North America,has recently demonstrated differences in hospitalization which may underlie the differences between health care system confi gurations.Despite the predicted increase in the number of patients affected by heart failure,over the last 30 years a clear management algorithm has evolved for the use of pharmacotherapies,device-based therapies,and mechanical therapies,including left ventricular assist devices and cardiac transplantation.Although the treatment of such patients has been clearly delineated in national and international guidelines,the underuse of all available and appropriate therapies remains a signifi cant problem.The purpose of this review is to provide a European perspective on management of heart failure.