Search Results (7,345)

Background/Purpose: Primary urethral cancer is a rare malignancy, accounting for less than 1% of all urogenital cancers. Current epidemiological data from Europe are scarce and outdated. Therefore, the analyzes and comparison of the incidence and mortality of PUC in selected European countries, with particular focus on Poland, based on the most recent available registry data, were performed. Methods: Our study is based on country-level data and is descriptive in nature. Incidence data for PUC were obtained from the national cancer registries of Poland, Latvia, Slovenia, and Hungary. Mortality data were sourced from the WHO Mortality Database. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated for two time intervals (2000–2009 and 2010–2019). Age-standardized mortality rates for individuals aged ≥45 years were calculated using the European Standard Population (ESP2013). Trends in incidence and mortality in Poland were analyzed using a five-year moving average. Results: The highest incidence of PUC was observed in Hungary, while Poland showed the lowest incidence. Latvia had the highest ASMRs for both sexes, whereas Poland and Greece reported the lowest mortality rates. Despite slight annual fluctuations, the overall PUC mortality rate in Poland has remained stable. Our study is limited by the relatively short analyzed period (2000–2021), restricted availability of C68.0 incidence data from national cancer registries, and incomplete mortality data in the WHO mortality database. Conclusions: This first contemporary comparative analysis of PUC epidemiology in Europe highlights the rarity of this malignancy and the limited data availability. Based on the knowledge drawn from the literature presented in the article on the impact of centralization on the increase in overall survival and the decrease in mortality in rare cancers, the authors believe that centralization of care can improve PUC patient outcomes. Full article

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a zoonotic pathogen of public health concern, requiring a One Health approach to clarify its transmission and distribution. However, its prevalence and genomic characteristics in livestock and companion animals remain underexplored in low-income countries. We investigated prevalence and genomic features of STEC in animals in western Ghana, representing the first genomic report of STEC in Ghana. Fecal samples (97) were collected from goats (n = 33), sheep (n = 33), dogs (n = 30), and a cat (n = 1), with STEC detected in 12.1% of goats and sheep samples. Whole-genome sequencing identified serotypes O38:H26, O43:H2, and O157:H7. stx1c and stx2b genes were detected in O38:H26 and O43:H2, whereas stx2c and key virulence genes (chuA, eae, esp, nle, tir, and toxB) were exclusively found in O157:H7. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that O38:H26 isolates form a cluster closely related to clinical strains from the UK. O43:H2 isolates exhibited diverse stx profiles, linking animal, environmental, and clinical strains from North America and the UK. O157:H7 isolates were genetically similar to European clinical and food-derived strains, suggesting that goats and sheep are important STEC reservoirs in Ghana, offering data for public health risk assessment and effective One Health-based control strategies. Full article

Background: Behçet-like syndrome (BLS) refers to the presence of Behçet’s disease (BD) features occurring in association with distinct clinical–pathological conditions such as inborn errors of immunity, myeloproliferative disorders, infections, or drug exposure. BLS may differ clinically from BD and is increasingly recognized as a separate entity. Distinguishing BLS from primary BD is essential for appropriate management, and studying BLS may provide insights into BD pathogenesis. Objectives: To summarize clinical features, treatments, and genetic abnormalities reported in BLS, we reviewed all published cases up to January 2024. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase was performed using the terms “Behçet-like syndrome”, “Behçet-like disease”, and “Pseudo-Behçet disease”. We included English-language reports of patients > 12 years old with a defined underlying etiology and Behçet-like manifestations, defined by ≥2 ICBD criteria and/or gastrointestinal involvement, mucosal ulcers, thrombosis, or non-recurrent disease. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, histological, and treatment data were extracted and analyzed descriptively. Results: Of 679 publications, 53 met inclusion criteria, comprising 100 patients with BLS. The median age was 44 years (IQR 22–52), with a female predominance (1:2). Fifty-three percent were from non-European countries. A genetic disorder was identified in 70% of cases, while HLA-B51 was present in 10%. Frequent manifestations included skin lesions (68%), fever (56%), intestinal involvement (43%), and joint symptoms (43%). Treatments included glucocorticoids (65%), conventional DMARDs (32%), and biologics (22%), mainly anti-TNF agents. Antiviral/antibiotic therapy was used in 9% and chemotherapy in 15%. Two patients with trisomy-8 MDS underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Conclusions: Diverse conditions—including monogenic diseases, immune defects, myeloproliferative disorders, infections, and drug-related reactions—can produce Behçet-like features. Our findings highlight differences in clinical expression and treatment response across BLS etiologies. Recognizing BLS is essential for appropriate management and may contribute to a deeper understanding of BD pathogenesis and future targeted therapies. Full article

This study examines how inclusive finance organisations are adapting to the European Union (EU)’s digital–green twin transition and how regulatory design can reinforce this alignment. Drawing on qualitative insights from 26 institutions—including microfinance organisations, small and medium-sized enterprise finance providers and socially oriented fintechs—across the EU and neighbouring countries, the analysis identifies how digitalisation, financial inclusion and environmental sustainability are being integrated into organisational strategies. The findings show that hybrid models, built on partnerships between nationally rooted microfinance institutions and cross-border fintech platforms, enable scalable, high-tech, high-touch ecosystems that align closely with sustainability objectives. The study argues that a coordinated EU-wide regulatory sandbox would advance inclusive, green financial innovation and build resilience across the inclusive finance ecosystem. Full article

This study investigates whether national innovation systems contribute to sustainable well-being in emerging EU Member States by examining the long-run relationship between innovation performance and a multidimensional Quality of Life Index (QoLI). Using a balanced panel covering 2013–2024 for ten countries, the analysis integrates the Global Innovation Index, economic development dynamics, and demographic pressure to assess whether innovation-led progress translates into broad societal benefits. Panel cointegration tests confirm a stable long-run equilibrium among variables, while FMOLS estimation reveals three key results: (i) While the bivariate Pearson correlation indicates a positive association between innovation capacity and quality of life, the multivariate FMOLS estimation reveals a statistically significant negative long-run effect of innovation performance on QoLI, once economic development and demographic pressures are jointly controlled for. (ii) Economic development contributes positively to sustainable well-being, reinforcing the role of income-driven improvements in living conditions, and (iii) population size exerts a strong negative effect, reflecting demographic stress and unequal access to essential services. The findings indicate an innovation–well-being gap in which technological progress advances faster than the institutional and social mechanisms needed to ensure equitable diffusion. These results underscore the need to reorient innovation strategies toward inclusive growth, social accessibility, and environmental resilience so that innovation systems can effectively support sustainable well-being in emerging European economies. Full article

Background: Language barriers remain a major obstacle to equitable healthcare access for immigrants and refugees across Europe. Greece, as both a transit and host country, faces persistent challenges in providing linguistically and culturally appropriate care. Methods: This study presents a narrative literature review synthesizing international, European, and Greek evidence on the effects of limited language proficiency, professional interpretation, and intercultural mediation on healthcare access, patient safety, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. Peer-reviewed studies and selected grey literature were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Results: The evidence consistently demonstrates that the absence of professional interpretation is associated with substantially higher rates of clinically significant communication errors, longer hospital stays, increased readmissions, and higher healthcare costs. In contrast, the use of trained medical interpreters and intercultural mediators improves comprehension, shared decision-making, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. Comparative European data from Italy, Spain, Germany, and Sweden show that institutionalized interpretation systems outperform Greece’s fragmented, NGO-dependent approach. Greek studies further reveal that limited proficiency in Greek is associated with reduced service utilization, longer waiting times, and lower patient satisfaction. Conclusions: This narrative review highlights the urgent need for Greece to adopt a coordinated, professionally staffed interpretation and intercultural mediation framework. Strengthening linguistic support within the healthcare system is essential for improving patient safety, equity, efficiency, and the integration of migrant and refugee populations. Full article

Agriculture in the European Union operates in a context where productivity, output growth, and sustainability increasingly shape policy priorities and economic choices. This research explores how these elements have interacted and influenced one another from 2000 to 2024, focusing on the dynamic relationships among economic performance, sustainability, labor productivity, and agricultural output across EU member states. The methodology is straightforward: it starts with factor analysis to uncover the fundamental structures linking key variables and to clarify connections that are often hidden in aggregated data. Building on these insights, a General Linear Model provides a clearer picture of how economic performance and sustainability affect changes in labor productivity and agricultural output, revealing the mechanisms through which these factors promote or hinder agricultural progress. To enhance understanding, cluster analysis groups EU countries according to shared patterns, enabling interpretation of national differences within broader structural trends rather than as isolated cases. The findings show that countries with stronger economies and more consistent sustainability initiatives tend to achieve higher productivity and output, while the clusters identified demonstrate significant differences that explain the diverse development paths within the Union. Full article

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a central role in employment and regional economic development, yet they are highly vulnerable to shocks such as pandemics, energy price spikes, and supply chain disruptions. Scenario modelling, stress testing, and digital twins are used to assess resilience, yet most applications focus on large firms in single-country settings. This article develops a model to stress test the resilience of Slovenian SMEs, calibrated with parameters and mechanisms derived from South African SME resilience studies. A system dynamics model with stocks for cash, inventory, and productive capacity is specified and subjected to demand, supply, financial, and compound shock scenarios, with and without resilience measures such as liquidity buffers, customer and supplier diversification, and basic digital planning capabilities. Results indicate non-linear tipping points where small reductions in liquidity sharply increase the likelihood of distress, and show that combinations of liquidity, diversification, and collaborative supply chain practices reduce the depth and duration of output losses. The study demonstrates how evidence from an African context can inform resilience strategies in a small European economy and provides a transparent, portable modelling architecture that can be adapted to other settings. Implications are discussed for SME managers and for policies supporting sustainable, resilient enterprise ecosystems. Full article

Radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer worldwide. Following the implementation of the European Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM, regular measurements of radon concentrations in workplaces have been carried out in European countries for approximately ten years. This provides a basis for assessing the exposure of workers and the general population to radon, as well as for determining the need to implement measures aimed at reducing this exposure. In addition to commonly used methods that focus on eliminating radon sources or minimizing its ingress into buildings, there are also temporary measures available, such as using air purifiers to improve indoor air quality. Although they are not recommended as a standalone or definitive solution, they can be useful as an interim measure—until appropriate actions to reduce indoor radon concentrations are implemented. In this study, five commercially available air purifiers were tested under controlled laboratory conditions to assess their impact on radon and its decay products. The results show that none of the tested devices significantly reduced gaseous radon concentrations. However, the air purifiers were highly effective in removing radon progeny, achieving a 95–99% reduction in potential alpha energy concentration (PAEC) and reducing the equilibrium factor from 48 to 76% to 0–2%. From a sustainability perspective, these findings are relevant for public health protection, responsible consumer decision-making, and evidence-based indoor air quality management. By distinguishing between ineffective radon gas removal and effective reduction of dose-relevant decay products, this study supports sustainable risk mitigation strategies and helps prevent the misuse of energy- and resource-intensive technologies for purposes they cannot fulfill. Full article

Background: The tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) asciminib, bosutinib, dasatinib, imatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib have been approved for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) therapy. However, pharmacovigilance reports associated with these drugs are neither consistent nor homogenous, with reports of pulmonary toxicity, which could limit their utilization. To better clarify TKIs’ pulmonary risk, we used the European database EudraVigilance to conduct a study on adverse events suspected to be caused by the TKIs asciminib, bosutinib, dasatinib, imatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib when used for CML therapy. Methods: Suspected adverse reactions to TKIs in the EudraVigilance database (2020–2024) coming from European countries and the United Kingdom were analyzed and compared through a disproportionality analysis. Results: The most frequent alerts concerned the respiratory disorders “pleural effusion” (PE) and “pulmonary arterial hypertension” (PAH) in relation to dasatinib and bosutinib use. Among the TKIs, the prescription of dasatinib is associated with a higher occurrence of PE and PAH, while the prescription of bosutinib induces PE at a minor frequency that nonetheless carries a significant risk for PAH, occurring more often in women. Conclusions: The results indicate that respiratory disorders induced by the TKIs dasatinib and bosutinib need to be diagnosed in a timely manner, and suggest that caution should be taken when prescribing these TKIs to patients affected by CML and pulmonary comorbidities. Full article

The evaluation of human exposure to environmental contaminants is a highly relevant topic for carrying out appropriate risk assessments and management. For this reason, although exposure assessment studies are continuously increasing, it is important to increase knowledge on the subject, especially when data gaps exist. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of substances for which the available data in the literature are not abundant compared to other more studied contaminants. In particular, the data available for the Italian population are even more limited. This study aimed to characterize the exposure of women of reproductive age to PBDEs in different Italian regions. We focused on the study on women of reproductive age because they are a sensitive category, and, furthermore, the exposure of mothers allows us to estimate that of newborns. Study results showed that the most abundant congeners in terms of relative concentration were BDE-153 > BDE-47 > BDE-100 > BDE-99, with median estimates, respectively, of 0.670, 0.245, 0.110, and 0.100 ng/g lipid in serum samples. Overall, the average exposure of the study population to the selected flame retardants appears to be relatively low compared to other industrialized countries. The observed levels could be related to the decline of PBDE concentrations in Europe due to a ban in the European Union on most PBDE commercial technical mixtures from 2001 onwards. Full article

This study examines European citizens’ attitudes and willingness to pay for biobased materials in construction and renovation. A survey conducted across nine countries with over 4500 participants revealed a generally positive attitude toward using recycled materials, such as glass and wood, while skepticism persisted toward biobased options. Many respondents expressed willingness to pay more for biobased and innovative materials, though a notable proportion would pay less for recycled and reused components. The findings highlighted significant national differences in attitudes and preferences, underscoring the influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors on the adoption of circular economy practices in the construction sector. Full article

This paper addresses the highly important and timely issue of the energy transition, a topic of particular relevance within the European Union (EU), which has long been a global leader in pursuing climate neutrality. The article proposes a novel framework for monitoring energy transition progress and its temporal dynamics across the EU countries, adopting a decade-long analytical horizon. The research employs the Dynamic Energy Transition Assessment (DETA) method, which is structured around five key pillars of the energy transition: (1) decarbonization and the shift toward clean energy; (2) energy security and system resilience; (3) energy justice, health impacts, and affordability; (4) energy efficiency and energy management; (5) development, innovation, and modernization of energy infrastructure. Applying this method enabled the study to meet its central objective: evaluating the level of development of these pillars, analyzing the balance among them, and examining both the direction and speed of changes over time. This dynamic approach integrates three core components of transformation processes, state, quality (coherence), and pace of change, offering an innovative combination of structural and temporal perspectives. The originality of this framework lies in its ability to capture the multidimensional and evolving nature of the energy transition. The study is based on 19 indicators, with indicator weights determined through Entropy and Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) analytical methods, while pillar weights were assigned using the AHP method in alignment with EU strategic priorities. The findings reveal substantial variation and dynamism in the implementation of energy transition processes across the EU countries. Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Portugal, and Spain demonstrate the highest performance in terms of both quality and dynamism, whereas Malta, Cyprus, and Luxembourg perform the weakest. The proposed methodology and the resulting assessment of the level, quality, and dynamics of transformation processes offer broad practical applications. In particular, they can support the monitoring of progress toward EU climate and energy policy goals and inform management and decision-making aimed at achieving a resilient, sustainable, and equitable energy transition. Full article

Historically, the number of United Kingdom (UK) emigrants has exceeded the number of immigrants, but this trend began to change in the early 1970s. The UK government has been enforcing strict immigration controls to reduce the number of immigrants, especially asylum seekers. The country even left the European Union to better control its borders and consider new arrivals based on their skills. However, despite tighter immigration policies, long-term international migration to the UK has continued to grow. The ongoing, and to some extent gendered and racialised, migration fix has not provided a sustainable solution for the country. Instead, it has increased the vulnerability and anxiety of refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants. Informed by a scoping review and the concept migration fix, this article examines UK immigration policies since World War II. This article is important for understanding the migration fix in UK immigration and asylum policies and their effects on asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants. Full article

Urban forests and green spaces are increasingly promoted as Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to mitigate climate risks, enhance human well-being, and support resilient and sustainable cities. Focusing on the theme of optimizing urban green space ecosystem services to foster resilient and sustainable cities, this study systematically analyzes 861 relevant publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection from 2005 to 2025. Using bibliometric analysis and scientific knowledge mapping methods, the research examines publication characteristics, spatial distribution patterns, collaboration networks, knowledge bases, research hotspots, and thematic evolution trajectories. The results reveal a rapid upward trend in this field over the past two decades, with the gradual formation of a multidisciplinary knowledge system centered on environmental science and urban research. China, the United States, and several European countries have emerged as key nodes in global knowledge production and collaboration networks. Keyword co-occurrence and cluster analyses indicate that research themes are mainly concentrated in four clusters: (1) ecological foundations and green process orientation, (2) nature-based solutions and blue–green infrastructure configuration, (3) social needs and environmental justice, and (4) macro-level policies and the sustainable development agenda. Overall, the field has evolved from a focus on ecological processes and individual service functions toward a comprehensive transition emphasizing climate resilience, human well-being, and multi-actor governance. Based on these findings, this study constructs a knowledge ecosystem framework encompassing knowledge base, knowledge structure, research hotspots, frontier trends, and future pathways. It further identifies prospective research directions, including climate change adaptation, integrated planning of blue–green infrastructure, refined monitoring driven by remote sensing and spatial big data, and the embedding of urban green space ecosystem services into the Sustainable Development Goals and multi-level governance systems. These insights provide data support and decision-making references for deepening theoretical understanding of Urban Green Space Ecosystem Services (UGSES), improving urban green infrastructure planning, and enhancing urban resilience governance capacity. Full article