The article analyses the role of the Commission, the Parliament, and the Council in the two main legislative procedures in the European Union: co-operation and co-decision (I). We use the legislative ...history of some 5,000 parliamentary amendments. These procedures have been the subject of a great deal of theoretical debate. According to conventional wisdom the co-decision procedure increases the powers of the European Parliament. Revisionist approaches, however, suggest that the conditional agenda-setting powers accorded to the Parliament by the co-operation procedure are more important than the veto powers ascribed by co-decision.
A supramolecular solvent consisting of vesicles, made up of equimolecular amounts of decanoic acid (DeA) and tetrabutylammonium decanoate (Bu
4NDe), dispersed in a continuous aqueous phase, is ...proposed for the extraction of benzimidazolic fungicides (BFs) from fruits and vegetables. Carbendazim (CB), thiabendazole (TB) and fuberidazole (FB) were extracted in a single step and no clean-up or concentration of extracts was needed. The high extraction efficiency obtained for BFs was a result of the different types of interactions provided by the supramolecular solvent (e.g. hydrophobic and hydrogen bonds) and the high number of solubilisation sites it contains. Besides simple and efficient, the proposed extraction approach was rapid, low-cost, environment friendly and it was implemented using conventional lab equipments. The target analytes were determined in the supramolecular extract by LC/fluorescence detection. They were separated in a Kromasil C
18 (5
μm, 150
mm
×
4.6
mm) column using isocratic elution mobile phase: 60:40 (v/v) 50
mM phosphate buffer (pH 4)/methanol and quantified at 286/320
nm (CB) and 300/350
nm (TB and FB) excitation/emission wavelengths, respectively. Quantitation limits provided by the supramolecular solvent-based microextraction (SUSME)/LC/fluorescence detection proposed method for the determination of CB, TB and FB in fruits and vegetables were 14.0, 1.3 and 0.03
μg
kg
−1, respectively, values far below the current maximum residue levels (MRLs) established by the European Union, i.e. 100–2000
μg
kg
−1 for CB, 50–5000
μg
kg
−1 for TB and 50
μg
kg
−1 for FB. The precision of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation, for inter-day measurements (
n
=
13) was 3.3% for CB (50
μg
kg
−1), 3.5% for TB (10
μg
kg
−1) and 2.8% for FB (0.5
μg
kg
−1) and recoveries for fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruits, apples, pears and bananas) and vegetables (potatoes and lettuces) fortified at the μg
kg
−1 level were in the interval 93–102%.
Starting July the 1st 1997, Bulgaria adopted a Currency Board (CB) monetary system. This paper aims at investigating if the adoption of the CB monetary system, which involves the cost of losing ...monetary autonomy, has provided a relatively better (with respect to other CEEC) monetary integration of Bulgaria with the European Monetary Union (EMU). Since Bulgarian monetary variables are endogenous under a CB, we focus on the ECB and FED interest rates as the main sources on monetary volatility. First, we find that ECB shocks are more rapidly absorbed and have less significant impact of domestic variables, with respect to other external monetary shocks (FED rate changes). Second, the responses of Bulgarian variables following changes in the ECB interest rate present lower persistence and significance, with respect to what the previous literature emphasized for other CEEC with monetary autonomy. This latter result still holds when accounting for different sources of cross-country heterogeneity outlined in the literature, thus supporting that the adoption of the CB may have worked as a rather good device in terms of integration of Bulgaria into the EMU.
► We analyze the effect of external monetary shocks in the Bulgarian Currency Board. ► Shocks in the ECB interest rate have little impact on the Bulgarian economy. ► Compared to ECB shocks, changes in the FED rate have more impact on Bulgarian variables. ► Both types of shocks have lower effects compared to their effects in other CEECs. ► The Bulgarian CB worked as a good device for the integration of Bulgaria into the EMU.
On the Strength and Validity of Hazard Banding Scheffers, Theo; Doornaert, Blandine; Berne, Nathalie ...
The Annals of occupational hygiene,
11/2016, Letnik:
60, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Odprti dostop
Hazard Banding (HB) is a process of allocating chemical substances in bands of increasing health hazard based on their hazard classifications. Recent Control Banding (CB) tools use the ...classifications of the United Nations Global Harmonized System (UN GHS) or the European Union Classifications, Labelling and Packaging (EU CLP) which are grouped over 5 HBs. The use of CB is growing worldwide for the risk control of substances without an Occupational Exposure Limit Value (OELV). Well-known CB-tools like HSE-COSHH Essentials, BAuA-Einfaches Maßnahmenkonzept Gefahrstoffe (EMKG), and DGUV-IFA-Spaltenmodell (IFA) use however different GHS/CLP groupings which may lead to dissimilar HBs and control regimes for individual substances. And as the choice for a CB tool seems to be determined by geography and/or local status these differences may hamper a global, aligned HSE approach. Therefore, the HB-engines of the three public CBs and an in-company (Solvay) CB called ‘Occupational Exposure Banding’ (S-OEB) were compared mutually and ranked in their relation with the OELV as the ‘de facto’ standard. This was investigated graphically and using a 5 strength indicator, statistical method. A data set of 229 substances with high-quality GHS/CLP classifications and OELVs was used. HB concentration ranges, as linked to S-OEB and COSHH, were validated against the corresponding OELV distributions. The four HB-engines allocate between 23 and 64% of the 229 substances in the same bands. The remaining substances differ at least one band, with IFA placing more substances in a higher hazard band, EMKG doing the opposite and COSHH and S-OEB in between. The overall strength scores of S-OEB, IFA, and EMGK HB-engines are higher than COSHH, with S-OEB having the highest overall strength score. The lower ends of the concentration ranges defined for the 3 ‘highest’ hazard bands of S-OEB were in good agreement with the 10th percentiles of the corresponding OELV distributions obtained from the substance data set. The lower ends of the COSHH concentration ranges comply with the 10th percentiles of the COSHH OELV distributions for dust/aerosol but not for vapour/gas substances. Both the S-OEB and COSHH concentration ranges underestimate the overall width of the OELV distributions that can span 2–3 orders of magnitude. As the performance of the S-OEB HB-engine meets our criteria of being at least as good as the public engines, it will be used as a standard within Solvay’s global operations. In addition, the method described here to evaluate the strength of HB-engines and the validity of their corresponding concentration ranges is a useful tool enabling further developments and worldwide alignment of HB.
This article examines the underpinnings of central bank (CB) reform in Turkey, with a focus on the role of external anchors, namely the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund. It ...argues that although international actors played a substantial role in triggering CB reform in 2001, they failed to determine its parameters. The high costs of CB reform in the calculations of the ruling politicians allowed the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey to gain partial operational autonomy, which fell short of fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria for accession to the EU. This article ends by arguing that due to the duration of high costs, the Bank continues to hold partial autonomy today.
Cord blood (CB) is a valuable community resource, and expectant parents should be counselled correctly to make informed decisions about its uses. Public Banks have been developed to store CB for ...allogenic transplantation to treat diseases curable by hematopoietic SC; thus parents should be encouraged to donate their newborn's CB to a public bank when possible. The business of personal storage of CB has grown considerably, both in United States and Europe, for 2 main reasons: (1) parental interest in giving their children "biologic insurance" in case a disease develops in future years that can be treated with an autologous SC transplant, and (2) aggressive marketing by banks offering private storage of CB. The European Union's position statement questions the legitimacy of service offered by commercial banks as the possibility of using one's own cord blood SC for regenerative medicine is currently hypothetic. In Italy the sale of CB collection and storage services for personal use is illegal, however autologous collection for storage in private banks outside the country, has been significantly increasing in the past 2 years. Information and counselling strategies are currently being developed by the Italian CB Banks Network. Study. We report about a counselling survey on autologous CB collection performed by personnel of Torino Cord Blood Bank. Study period: july 2007-september 2008. Counselling case number: 150 (80% by telephone calls); mean age of prospective mothers : 34 (24-37); not correctly informed: 35% (group A), correctly informed, but requiring advice for decision: 65%, of these: 70% enquiring about the quality standards, cell dose of stored units, and accreditation of the commercial CB bank (group B), 15% requiring further information about real benefit of autologous use (group C), 15% requiring use for diseases currently not curable by SC transplant (group D). Counseling results. After receiving exhaustive explanations (mean call-talk duration 20 minutes) decision making was against autologous storage in 100% of cases for group A and B, 90% for C and 60% for group D. During the study our Bank committee has prepared a summary of findings, conclusions, and recommendations in lay terms using a question-andanswer format. Conclusion. Public donation of CB must be recommended whenever possible, but a correct counselling requires both periodical assessing of recommendations as well as an updated reviewing of emerging data.
To investigate the relation between medication-related factors and adherence in people with schizophrenia in outpatient treatment.
The sample comprised 409 outpatients (ICD-10 diagnosis of ...schizophrenia) with clinician-rated instability in four European cities (Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Verona, Italy; Leipzig, Germany; London, Great Britain). Adherence was assessed using the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (patient perspective), and the Clinician Rating Scale (clinician perspective). Examined medication-related factors were type (atypical vs. typical), application (oral vs. depot), daily dose frequency of antipsychotic medication (Medication History Scale), number of side effects (Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale), and patient attitudes toward medication (Drug Attitude Inventory). Multiple regression analysis was used to identify predictors of adherence by medication-related factors.
Adherence, as rated by patient and clinician, was predicted by patient attitude towards medication, but was unrelated to type of drug, formulation or side effects of antipsychotic medication. A high daily dose frequency was associated with better adherence, but only when rated by the patient.
In order to improve adherence there is a need to seriously consider and attempt to improve patient attitude toward medication. However, type of antipsychotic and other medication-related factors may not be as closely related to adherence as it has often been suggested.
It is often taken for granted that modernity emerged in Europe and diffused from there across the world. This book questions that assumption and re-examines the question of European modernity in the ...light of world history.
In northeastern Italy, according to Italian legislation, authorized public facilities can accept the donation and preservation of cord blood stem cells (CB-SC). Attitudes and knowledge in pregnant ...women differs between the local and immigrant (non-European Union EU) population. In this study we assessed the choices that pregnant women have with respect to the public and private harvesting system and the main reasons driving their decisions. We examined the ethnic origin of the families and compared tests for syphilis screening and leukocyte (WBC) counts in the CB-SC bags that are required for validation of the collection.
Out of a population of 3450 pregnant patients at the Institute for Maternal and Child Health of Trieste, northeast Italy, 772 women agreed to cord blood harvesting and the associated lab tests. Of these, 221 women (28.6%) were from immigrant families of non-EU countries. Their ethnic affiliation was recorded, and tests were performed for syphilis screening and for nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) interference with the WBC count in CB-SC bags to assess cellularity and to determine if storage was appropriate.
Of the 772 pregnant women, 648 (84.0%) accessed the public collection system, which is free of charge, and 124 (15.0%) accessed the private fee-based system. One woman from the non-EU group opted for the private fee-based system. Of the 3450 pregnant women screened for syphilis at the Institute for Maternal and Child Health, the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) tests were the main tests performed (66.0% of total cases) because many gynecologists in the public harvesting system apply the Italian regulations of the 1988 Decree, while the private system requires tests on syphilis and leaves the option to the lab physicians to select the best determination method. We found that the chemiluminescence method was more specific (97.0%) than the TPHA (83.0%) and nontreponemal rapid plasma reagin VDRL (75.0%) tests (P < 0.05, χ(2) test). The specificity link between the two automatic methods versus microscopes for WBC dosing and NRBC interference was r(2) = 0.08 (ADVIA 120) and r(2) = 0.94 (XE-2100). The public system does not include human T-cell lymphotropic virus testing; this is reserved for the population from endemic zones.
In northeastern Italy current legislation prevents the establishment of private fee-based banks for storage of CB-SC. The cryopreservation, for future autologous personal or family use, is possible only by sending to foreign private banks, with a further fee of €300. These regulations confirm that Italian legislation tries to increase the anonymous allogenic donations and the number of CB-CS bags stored in the free-cost public system, that are available to anyone with therapeutic needs. Private banking is used almost exclusively by the wealthier local population. In the public system, many physicians continue to use older Italian laws regarding syphilis diagnosis, and NRBC interference on WBC count may have an impact on cord blood harvesting. Our findings suggest that in the EU there is no consensus policy on donor management. The value of storage for potential use within the family is useful only with collaboration between the public and the private systems.
Summary
There is considerable evidence that the endocannabinoid (endogenous cannabinoid) system plays a significant role in appetitive drive and associated behaviours. It is therefore reasonable to ...hypothesize that the attenuation of the activity of this system would have therapeutic benefit in treating disorders that might have a component of excess appetitive drive or over‐activity of the endocannabinoid system, such as obesity, ethanol and other drug abuse, and a variety of central nervous system and other disorders. Towards this end, antagonists of cannabinoid receptors have been designed through rational drug discovery efforts. Devoid of the abuse concerns that confound and impede the use of cannabinoid receptor agonists for legitimate medical purposes, investigation of the use of cannabinoid receptor antagonists as possible pharmacotherapeutic agents is currently being actively investigated. The compound furthest along this pathway is rimonabant, a selective CB1 (cannabinoid receptor subtype 1) antagonist, or inverse agonist, approved in the European Union and under regulatory review in the United States for the treatment of obesity. This article summarizes the basic science of the endocannabinoid system and the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid receptor antagonists, with emphasis on the treatment of obesity.
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