Marine Conservation and Accession: The Future for the Croatian Adriatic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackelworth, Peter; Holcer, Draško; Jovanović, Jelena; Fortuna, Caterina

2011-04-01

The European Union (EU) is the world's largest trading bloc and the most influential supra-national organisation in the region. The EU has been the goal for many eastern European States, for Croatia accession remains a priority and underpins many of its national policies. However, entry into the EU requires certain commitments and concessions. In October 2003 the Croatian parliament declared an ecological and fisheries protection zone in the Adriatic. Under pressure the zone was suspended, finally entering into force in March 2008 exempting EU States. There are other marine conflicts between Croatia and the EU, particularly the contested maritime border with Slovenia, and the development of the Croatian fishing fleet in opposition to the Common Fisheries Policy. Conversely, attempts to harmonise Croatian Nature Protection with the EU Habitats Directive, facilitated by pre-accession funding, has galvanised conservation policy. Since 2005 two marine protected areas have been declared, significantly increasing the marine ecosystem under protection. Finally, the development of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive is the latest EU attempt to integrate environmental policy in the maritime realm. This will have an effect not only on member States but neighbouring countries. For marine nature protection to be effective in the region the Adriatic Sea needs to be viewed as a mutually important shared and limited resource not a bargaining chip. Negotiations of the EU and Croatia have been watched closely by the other Balkan States and precedents set in this case have the potential to affect EU expansion to the East.

Varying Eu2+ magnetic order by chemical pressure in EuFe2(As1-xPx)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapf, S.; Wu, D.; Bogani, L.; Jeevan, H. S.; Gegenwart, P.; Dressel, M.

2011-10-01

Based on low-field magnetization measurements on a series of single crystals, we present a scheme of the Eu2+ spin alignment in EuFe2(As1-xPx)2. We explain observations of the Eu2+ ordering previously reported, reconciling different existing phase diagrams. The magnetic moments of the Eu2+ ions are slightly canted, yielding a ferromagnetic contribution along the c direction that becomes stronger with pressure, until superconductivity sets in. The spin-density wave as well as the superconducting phase coexist with an antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling of the canted spins. Reducing the interlayer distance finally leads to a ferromagnetic Eu2+ interlayer coupling and to the suppression of superconductivity.

IPTS/ESTO Studies on Reforms of Agriculture, Education and Social Systems within the Context of Enlargement and Demographic Change in the EU. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

This document summarizes a comparative analysis of the interconnections between technological and socioeconomic developments in agriculture and rural development, human capital formation, and social systems in the 13 candidate countries (CCs) for admission into the European Union (EU) and in the 15 countries of the EU. Specific topics considered…

Transport thermal properties of LiTaO 3 pyroelectric sensor from 15 K to 400 K and its application to the study of critical behavior in EuCo 2As 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oleaga, A.; Shvalya, V.; Sefat, Athena Safa

2016-01-04

ac photopyroelectric calorimeters in the standard back configuration, where LiTaO 3 is one of the most popular materials to be used as a detector, are commonly used to study phase transitions in solids and liquids. In order to extract the specific heat of a studied sample, a good knowledge of the thermal effusivity of the sensor as a function of temperature is needed. This function has been obtained for the first time in the range 15 K to 400 K by independently measuring LiTaO 3 thermal diffusivity and specific heat and combining both of them to give thermal effusivity. Usingmore » this photopyroelectric setup and LiTaO 3 as sensor, we have carried out the study of the critical behavior of the antiferromagnetic ordering of the Eu 2+ spins in EuCo 2As 2 (a compound with similar structure as EuFe 2As 2, from which superconductors have been developed) at low temperature by measuring its specific heat. Furthermore, the critical parameters found for EuCo 2As 2 (α=–0.017,A +/A –=1.06) agree with the 3D-XY universality class, indicating that the spins present an in-plane arrangement for Eu 2+, in agreement with magnetic measurements in the literature.« less

Core continuing professional development (CPD) topics for the European dentist.

PubMed

Bailey, S; Bullock, A; Cowpe, J; Barnes, E; Thomas, H; Thomas, R; Kavadella, A; Kossioni, A; Karaharju-Suvanto, T; Suomalainen, K; Kersten, H; Povel, E; Giles, M; Walmsley, A D; Soboleva, U; Liepa, A; Akota, I

2013-05-01

In the context of free movement, EU-citizens need assurance that dental practitioners providing their care have a degree/license to practice that meets EU-standards and that they maintain their knowledge and skills through ongoing education. One aim of the 'DentCPD' project (HYPERLINK 'http://www.dentcpd.org' www.dentcpd.org) was to identify and agree essential CPD requirements for EU dentists. This paper reports the consensus process and outcomes. Agreement on core components of CPD was achieved through a three stage process: an online survey of dental educators' (n = 143) views on compulsory topics; a paper-based questionnaire to practitioners (n = 411); leading to a proposal discussed at the Association for Dental Education (ADEE) 2011 Lifelong Learning special interest group (SIG). From the online survey and practitioner questionnaire, high levels of agreement were achieved for medical emergencies (89%), infection control (79%) and the medically compromised patient (71%). The SIG (34 attendees from 16 countries) concluded that these three CPD topics plus radiation protection should be core-compulsory and three CPD topics should be core-recommended (health and safety, pain management, and safeguarding children & vulnerable adults). They also agreed that the teaching of all topics should be underpinned by evidence-based dentistry. Building four core topics into CPD requirements and making quality-approved education and training available will ensure that all dentists have up-to-date knowledge and skills in topic areas of direct relevance to patient safety. In turn, this will contribute to patients having access to comparably high standards of oral health care across Europe. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The role of the concept of "history of safe use" in the safety assessment of novel foods and novel food ingredients. Opinion of the Senate Commission on Food Safety (SKLM) of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

PubMed

Engel, Karl-Heinz; Vogel, Rudi F; Knorr, Dietrich; Habermeyer, Michael; Kochte-Clemens, Barbara; Eisenbrand, Gerhard

2011-06-01

The Council of the European Union has proposed a revision on the EU regulation on novel foods and novel food ingredients concerning safety assessment of traditional foods from non-EU countries and their introduction onto the EU market. The proposal stipulates that such foods may be placed on the EU market if their history of safe use in the country of origin is appropriately documented. The present statement of the SKLM gives an overview on current discussions on practical implementation of the "history of safe use" concept as well as examples of its application. The SKLM, in principle, agrees with these concepts, underscores, however, in connection with convincing evidence for a "history of safe use" the need for a range of additional information to achieve a comprehensive risk assessment. In the opinion of the SKLM such information must comprise compositional data as well as experience on adverse effects. A list of questions considered essential is presented. The following opinion was adopted on December 23rd 2010. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Risk formulation for the sonic effects of offshore wind farms on fish in the EU region.

PubMed

Kikuchi, Ryunosuke

2010-02-01

In 2007, European leaders agreed to source 20% of their energy needs from renewable energy; since that time, offshore wind farms have been receiving attention in the European Union (EU). In 2008, the European Community submitted a proposal to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in order to combat marine noise pollution. In consideration of these facts, the present paper aims to deduce a preliminary hypothesis and its formulation for the effect of offshore wind farm noise on fish. The following general picture is drawn: the short-term potential impact during pre-construction; the short-term intensive impact during construction; and the physiological and/or masking effects that may occur over a long period while the wind farm is in operation. The EU's proposal to UNEP includes noise databases that list the origins of man-made sounds; it is advisable that offshore wind farms should be listed in the noise databases in order to promote rational environment management. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of the PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) concentration on the optical properties of Eu-doped YAG phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hora, Daniela A.; Andrade, Adriano B.; Ferreira, Nilson S.; Teixeira, Verônica C.; dos S. Rezende, Marcos V.

2016-10-01

The influence of the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) concentration on the synthesis and structural, morphological and optical properties of Y3Al5O13: Eu (Eu-doped YAG) was systematically investigated in this work. The final concentration of PVA in the preparation step influenced the crystallite size and also the degree of particle agglomeration in Eu-doped YAG phosphors. X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) emission spectra results indicated typical Eu3+ emission lines and an abnormally intense 5D0 → 7F4. The intensity parameters Ω2 and Ω4 were calculated and indicated the PVA concentration affects the ratio Ω2:Ω4. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results showed Eu valence did not change and the symmetry around the Eu3+ is influenced by the PVA concentration. XEOL-XAS showed the luminescence increases as a function of energy.

Acceptability of the Conceptions of Higher Education Quality to First Year Students of the Study Field of Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Žibeniene, Gintaute; Savickiene, Izabela

2014-01-01

The article presents which conceptions of higher education quality are most acceptable to first-year students of the study field of pedagogy. It is significant to analyse students' opinions as more than 10 years ago the EU member states agreed that higher education institutions bear responsibility for the quality of higher education. Being members…

High-brightness and high-color purity red-emitting Ca3Lu(AlO)3(BO3)4:Eu3+ phosphors with internal quantum efficiency close to unity for near-ultraviolet-based white-light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaoyong; Wang, Shaoying; Li, Bin; Sun, Qi; Guo, Heng

2018-03-15

In this work, we reported on high-brightness Eu 3+ -activated Ca 3 Lu(AlO) 3 (BO 3 ) 4 (CLAB) red-emitting phosphors. Under 397 nm excitation, the CLAB:Eu 3+ phosphors showed intense red emissions at around 621 nm with CIE coordinates of (0.657, 0.343). The optimal doping concentration of Eu 3+ ions was found to be 30 mol. %, and the CLAB:0.3Eu 3+ sample possessed high-color purity of 93% and ultra-high internal quantum efficiency as great as 98.5%. Importantly, the CLAB:0.3Eu 3+ also had good thermal stability. Finally, a white-light-emitting diode (WLED) lamp with good color-rendering index was fabricated by using a 365 nm ultraviolet chip and the phosphor blends of CLAB:0.3Eu 3+ red-emitting phosphors, (Ba,Sr) 2 SiO 4 :Eu 2+ green-emitting phosphors, and BaMgAl 10 O 7 :Eu 2+ blue-emitting phosphors.

Rapid and highly efficient preconcentration of Eu(III) by core-shell structured Fe3O4@humic acid magnetic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yang, Shitong; Zong, Pengfei; Ren, Xuemei; Wang, Qi; Wang, Xiangke

2012-12-01

In this study, humic acid-coated Fe(3)O(4) magnetic nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs) were synthesized using a chemical coprecipitation method and characterized in detail. The XRD analysis results showed that HA coating did not change the phase of Fe(3)O(4) cores. The TEM image suggested that Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs had nearly uniform size without the observation of aggregation. The Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs were stable in solution and could be easily separated from aqueous solution using a magnetic separation method. A batch technique was adopted to investigate the removal efficiency of Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs toward Eu(III) under various environmental conditions. The kinetic process of Eu(III) sorption on Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs reached equilibrium within <30 min. The fast sorption kinetics and high sorption amount were attributed to the plentiful surface sites provided by the surface-coated HA macromolecules. The Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs was able to remove ~99% of Eu(III) in aqueous solution at pH 8.5. Except for SO(4)(2-) anions, the coexisting electrolyte ions had no significant competition effects on the removal of Eu(III) by Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs. The obvious sorption-desorption hysteresis suggested that the removal of Eu(III) was dominated by inner-sphere surface complexation. The sorption isotherm agreed well with the Langmuir model, having a maximum sorption capacity of 6.95 × 10(-5) mol g(-1). The leaching test showed that the Eu(III)-loaded Fe(3)O(4)@HA colloids were capable to maintain high thermodynamic stability for long aging times. The findings herein suggested that Fe(3)O(4)@HA MNPs could be potentially used as a highly effective material for the enrichment and preconcentration of radionuclide Eu(III) or other trivalent lanthanides/actinides in geological repositories or in nuclear waste management.

AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN USA - TECHNICAL TOOLS AND LINKAGE TO HUMAN HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

This is an invited presentation to the Air4EU Final Conference to held in Prague, Czech Republic, on 10 November 2006. Air4EU is a jointly-sponsored, three-year European effort to provide recommendations on air quality assessment by monitoring and modeling for regulated pollutan...

EU to review implications of tax

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scott, A.

1997-05-21

The European Council of Ministers has postponed discussion of the European Commission`s proposed energy tax and has authorized a study to reevaluate the technical and legal implications and the costs and benefits of the tax. The reevaluation comes as a ray of hope to European chemical industry officials, who are concerned about the effects of the tax on the industry`s international competitiveness. The commission`s proposal would tax natural gas, electricity, and coal in the European Union (EU) for the first time. It would raise taxes throughout the EU to one level. In its current form the energy tax would devastatemore » the European industry`s competitiveness outside the region, says European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) counsel Claude Culem. We`re willing to improve emissions to achieve environmental goals - we don`t need energy taxes, Culem tells CW. The whole project is dangerous, not necessarily in the short term, but certainly in the long term. European Parliament ministers are scheduled to debate the issue with the Dutch government, which holds the EU presidency, and hope to wrap up proceedings over the summer. The tax may only be adopted when ministers agree on it unanimously. If it is approved, it would be implemented in two stages, in 2000 and 2002.« less

Conductivity Dynamics of the Metal to Insulator Transition in EuNiO3/LANiO3 Superlattices

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-07

lead to emergent phenomena with the insulator -to- insulator transition (IMT) being one of the most enigmatic from fundamental and applied perspectives...2015 Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited Final Report: Conductivity Dynamics of the Metal to Insulator Transition in EuNiO3/LANiO3...Conductivity Dynamics of the Metal to Insulator Transition in EuNiO3/LANiO3 Superlattices Report Title In numerous transition metal oxides (TMO

[EU law on marketing authorization of medicines. History, current state of development and perspectives].

PubMed

Nettesheim, Martin

2008-07-01

The article describes the development of EU policies and regulations on the marketing authorization of medicines. First, it describes the changing perspective of the EU towards the regulation of such authorizations. While its original focus was on the liberalization of national markets, it has today assumed overarching political responsibility for the development and marketing of medicines. Second, the article describes the current, rather fragmented regulatory system. Finally, political perspectives on the integration of markets for medicines are developed.

Luminescence and thermal stability tuning in (Ba,Mn)3(Gd,Y)Na(PO4)5F:Eu2+ phosphors via cation-substitution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, Juan; Lv, Lemin; Gao, Junsong; Wei, Yi; Feng, Yuxin; Yan, Chunjie; Li, Guogang

2018-04-01

In this work, [Y3+-Gd3+] and [Mn2+-Ba2+] substitutions were designed in Ba3GdNa(PO4)5F:Eu2+ system, which were marked as BG1-xYxNPF:Eu2+ and B1-yMyGNPF:Eu2+, respectively. It is found that their luminescence properties and thermal stability could be obviously tuned. For BG1-xYxNPF:Eu2+ series, under 365 nm UV light, the emission spectra exhibited a continuous red-shift from 458 nm (x = 0) to 485 nm (x = 1) with the corresponding luminescence varying from blue light to cyan light. For B1-yMyGNPF:Eu2+ series, it was observed the coexistence of blue-green and enhanced red emission of Eu2+ and the appearance of Eu3+ emission when Mn2+ partly substituted Ba2+, resulting in a final white emission. In addition, the thermal stabilities of B1-yMyGNPF:Eu2+ were obviously improved with Mn2+ doping. The corresponding luminescence and thermal stability tuning mechanisms were investigated.

Final report of coordination and cooperation with the European Union on embankment failure analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There has been an emphasis in the European Union (EU) community on the investigation of extreme flood processes and the uncertainties related to these processes. Over a 3-year period, the EU and the U.S. dam safety community (1) coordinated their efforts and collected information needed to integrate...

Measurement of Eu and Yb in aqueous solutions by underwater laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Bhatt, Chet R.; Jain, Jinesh C.; Goueguel, Christian L.; ...

2017-09-13

In this paper, we report the use of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect dissolved Eu and Yb in bulk aqueous solutions. Ten strong emission lines of Eu and one strong emission line of Yb were identified in the underwater LIBS spectra obtained by using Czerny–Turner spectrometer within the wavelength range of 375–515 nm. Temporal evolution of plasma and the effect of laser pulse energy on the spectral emission were studied. Finally, calibration curves using the concentration range from 500 to 10,000 ppm were developed and limits of detection for Eu and Yb were estimated to be 209 andmore » 156 ppm, respectively.« less

Measurement of Eu and Yb in aqueous solutions by underwater laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhatt, Chet R.; Jain, Jinesh C.; Goueguel, Christian L.

In this paper, we report the use of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect dissolved Eu and Yb in bulk aqueous solutions. Ten strong emission lines of Eu and one strong emission line of Yb were identified in the underwater LIBS spectra obtained by using Czerny–Turner spectrometer within the wavelength range of 375–515 nm. Temporal evolution of plasma and the effect of laser pulse energy on the spectral emission were studied. Finally, calibration curves using the concentration range from 500 to 10,000 ppm were developed and limits of detection for Eu and Yb were estimated to be 209 andmore » 156 ppm, respectively.« less

Sodium citrate (Na{sub 3}Cit)-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of uniform spindle-like SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ren, Xiaolei; Zhang, Yu; Li, Qiuyu

2014-11-15

Graphical abstract: A facile hydrothermal method for the synthesis of uniform spindle-like SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors with the assistance of sodium citrate (Na{sub 3}Cit). - Highlights: • Well-crystallized spindle-like SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors have been synthesized. • The influence of the reaction temperature and reaction time were clearly shown. • The dosage of Na{sub 3}Cit has a strong effect on the spindle-like SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors. • The growth mechanism for the formation of final samples was proposed. - Abstract: Highly uniform spindle-like SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors have been prepared by a facile hydrothermal method using sodium citrate (Na{sub 3}Cit)more » as the chelating reagent. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were used to characterize the resulting samples. The dosage of sodium citrate, reaction temperature and reaction time play key roles in the formation of the final samples. The possible formation mechanism for SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors has been proposed. Upon excitation by ultraviolet radiation, the as-synthesized SrMoO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} phosphors show the characteristic {sup 5}D{sub 0}–{sup 7}F{sub J} (J = 1, 2, 3, 4) emission lines with red emission {sup 5}D{sub 0}–{sup 7}F{sub 2} (613 nm) as the most prominent group.« less

Monitoring of hydroxyapatite conversion by luminescence intensity of Eu3+ ions during mineralization of Eu3+-doped β-Ca2SiO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yin; Chen, Jie; Li, Yadong; Seo, Hyo Jin

2014-11-01

β-Dicalcium silicate (β-Ca2SiO4) doped with Eu3+ was synthesized by sol-gel method. The luminescence intensity of the mineralization products formed during the hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HA) conversion of Eu3+-doped β-Ca2SiO4, in 0.25 M K2HPO4 solution, were detected using luminescence spectroscopy. The results indicated that the luminescence intensity of Eu3+ ion gradually depressed with prolonged mineralization time, and it could hardly be detected with the complete transformation from β-Ca2SiO4:Eu3+ to hydroxyapatite. The change of Eu3+ ionic concentrations in the mineralization products and the final solutions after conversion reaction, were further examined using energy-dispersive X-ray and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. This suggested that the process of mineralization can be monitored with the luminescence intensity of Eu3+ ions in the mineralization products. The current study will open up a new and simple in vivo avenue for in situ monitoring hydroxyapatite conversion with a fiber luminescence spectrometer.

An Assessment of Coherence Between Early Warning and Response Systems and Serious Cross-Border Health Threats in the European Union and Turkey

PubMed Central

Elif Ekmekci, Perihan

2017-01-01

Disease outbreaks have attracted the attention of the public health community to early warning and response systems (EWRS) for communicable diseases and other cross-border threats to health. The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have published regulations in this area. Decision 1082/2013/EU brought a new approach the management of public health threats in EU member states. Decision 1082/2013/EU brought several innovations, which included establishing a Health Security Committee; preparedness and response planning; joint procurement of medical countermeasures; ad hoc monitoring for biological, chemical, and environmental threats; EWRS; and recognition of an emergency situation and interoperability between various sectors. Turkey, as an acceding country to the EU and a member of the WHO, has been improving its national public health system to meet EU legislations and WHO standards. This article first explains EWRS as defined in Decision 1082/2013/EU and Turkey’s obligations to align its public health laws to the EU acquis. EWRS in Turkey are addressed, particularly their coherence with EU policies regarding preparedness and response, alert notification, and interoperability between health and other sectors. Finally, the challenges and limitations of the current Turkish system are discussed and further improvements are suggested. PMID:27511433

A project to establish a skills competency matrix for EU nurses.

PubMed

Cowan, David T; Norman, Ian J; Coopamah, Vinoda P

Enhanced nurse workforce mobility in the European Union (EU) is seen as a remedy to shortages of nurses in some EU countries and a surplus in others. However, knowledge of differences in competence, culture, skill levels and working practices of nursing staff throughout EU countries is not fully documented because currently no tangible method exists to enable comparison. The European Healthcare Training and Accreditation Network (EHTAN) project intends to address this problem by establishing an assessment and evaluation methodology through the compilation of a skills competency matrix. To this end, subsequent to a review of documentation and literature on nursing competence definition and assessment, two versions of a nursing competence self-assessment questionnaire tool have been developed. The final competence matrix will be translated and disseminated for transnational use and it is hoped that this will inform EU and national policies on the training requirements of nurses and nursing mobility and facilitate the promotion of EU-wide recognition of nursing qualifications.

Export competitiveness of dairy products on global markets: the case of the European Union countries.

PubMed

Bojnec, Š; Fertő, I

2014-10-01

This paper analyzed the export competitiveness of dairy products of the European Union (EU) countries (EU-27) on intra-EU, extra-EU, and global markets, using the revealed comparative advantage index over the 2000-2011 period. The results indicated that about half of the EU-27 countries have had competitive exports in a certain segment of dairy products. The results differed by level of milk processing and for intra-EU and extra-EU markets, and did so over the analyzed years. Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands are old EU-15 countries with competitive dairy exports (from the lowest to the highest according to the level of milk processing). The majority of the new EU-12 countries have faced difficulties in maintaining their level of export competitiveness, at least for some dairy products and market segments. The more competitive EU-12 countries in dairy exports were the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and Poland. The duration of export competitiveness differed across the dairy groups of products according to the level of milk processing, indicating the importance of dairy chain product differentiation for export competitiveness and specialization. The export competitiveness of the higher level of processed milk products for final consumption can be significant for export dairy chain competitiveness on global markets. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mid-Term Assessment of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and Final Evaluation of the Action Plan on Drugs 2013-2016: Final report.

PubMed

Emilie, Balbirnie; Matthew, Davies; Emma, Disley; Cristina Gonzalez, Monsalve; Stephen, Hartka; Stijn, Hoorens; Kristy, Kruithof; Martin, Sacher; Jirka, Taylor

2018-01-01

The aim of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 is to contribute to a reduction in drug demand and drug supply within the EU. The Strategy has so far been implemented by an Action Plan covering the period 2013-2016. This article sets out the findings of an evaluation that assesses the degree of implementation of the Strategy and the Action Plan in terms of outputs and, where possible, impacts. It looks at the extent to which the objectives of the Strategy have been achieved. The evaluation aims to provide evidence to support the European Commission's decision about whether to propose a new Action Plan for the period 2017-2020 and, if so, what changes would be needed compared to the current plan. Through applying a mixed-methods approach, the evaluation examined the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and coherence of the actions undertaken on the basis of the EU Drugs Strategy and the Action Plan, as well as their EU added value. The evaluation makes 20 recommendations, addressed to the European Commission, Member States, the European Council and other stakeholders. The key recommendation for the Commission is that a new Action Plan should be implemented for the period 2017-2020. This should be an updated version of the current Action Plan, rather than taking a new approach or introducing more new actions.

Persistent Luminescence in Non-Eu2+-Doped Compounds: A Review

PubMed Central

Van den Eeckhout, Koen; Poelman, Dirk; Smet, Philippe F.

2013-01-01

During the past few decades, the research on persistent luminescent materials has focused mainly on Eu2+-doped compounds. However, the yearly number of publications on non-Eu2+-based materials has also increased steadily. By now, the number of known persistent phosphors has increased to over 200, of which over 80% are not based on Eu2+, but rather, on intrinsic host defects, transition metals (manganese, chromium, copper, etc.) or trivalent rare earths (cerium, terbium, dysprosium, etc.). In this review, we present an overview of these non-Eu2+-based persistent luminescent materials and their afterglow properties. We also take a closer look at some remaining challenges, such as the excitability with visible light and the possibility of energy transfer between multiple luminescent centers. Finally, we summarize the necessary elements for a complete description of a persistent luminescent material, in order to allow a more objective comparison of these phosphors. PMID:28811409

Solvent-induced assembly of two helical Eu(III) metal-organic frameworks and fluorescence sensing activities towards nitrobenzene and Cu2+ ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Ranran; Chen, Zhiwei; Wang, Suna; Yao, Qingxia; Li, Yunwu; Lu, Jing; Li, Dacheng; Dou, Jianmin

2017-08-01

Two helical Eu(III) metal-organic frameworks, namely, {[Eu(L)(DMF)(H2O)]·0.5DMF}n (1) and [Eu(L)(DEF)(H2O)]n (2) (H3L=3,5-bis(2-carboxylphenoxy)benzoic acid, DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide, DEF=N,N-diethylformamide), have been solvothermally synthesized in different solvents, respectively. Both complexes possess helical structures through the connectivity of Eu atoms and phenolic-oxygen containing branches of the flexible multicarboxylate ligand. Based on different helices, these two complexes exhibited hexagonal and tetragonal channels, respectively. Both complexes possess (3,6)-connected (4.62)2(42.610.83) topology but with different long Schlafli symbol. The solvent plays an important role in the formation of the final frameworks. Both complexes can sensitively and selectively detect nitrobenzene and Cu2+ ions.

Emigration-related attitudes of the final year medical students in Croatia: a cross-sectional study at the dawn of the EU accession

PubMed Central

Kolčić, Ivana; Čikeš, Mihaela; Boban, Kristina; Bućan, Jasna; Likić, Robert; Ćurić, Goran; Đogaš, Zoran; Polašek, Ozren

2014-01-01

Aim To investigate the emigration-related attitudes of final year medical students in Croatia at the dawn of the EU accession in 2013. Methods All final-year medical students at four Croatian medical schools (Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, and Osijek) were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey on emigration attitudes. Results Among 260 respondents (response rate 61%), 90 students (35%) reported readiness for permanent emigration, expecting better quality of life (N = 22, 31%), better health care organization (N = 17, 24%), more professional challenges (N = 10, 14%), or simply to get a job (N = 8, 11%), while the least common expectation were greater earnings (N = 7, 10%). The most common target countries were Germany (N = 36, 40%), USA and Canada (N = 15, 17%), and UK (N = 10, 11%). In a multivariate analysis, readiness for permanent emigration was associated with an interest in undertaking a temporary training abroad (odds ratio [OR] 6.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.83-16.72), while the belief that the preferred specialty could be obtained in Croatia appeared protective against emigration (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.12-0.59). Conclusion Despite shortages of health care workers in Croatia, the percentage of students with emigration propensity was rather high. Prevalent negative perception of the Croatian health care and recent Croatian accession to the EU pose a threat of losing newly graduated physicians to EU countries. PMID:25358878

Eutrophication and contaminant data management for EU marine policies: the EMODnet Chemistry infrastructure.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinci, Matteo; Lipizer, Marina; Giorgetti, Alessandra

2016-04-01

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) initiative has the following purposes: to assemble marine metadata, data and products, to make these fragmented resources more easily available to public and private users and to provide quality-assured, standardised and harmonised marine data. EMODnet Chemistry was launched by DG MARE in 2009 to support the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requirements for the assessment of eutrophication and contaminants, following INSPIRE Directive rules. The aim is twofold: the first task is to make available and reusable the big amount of fragmented and inaccessible data, hosted in the European research institutes and environmental agencies. The second objective is to develop visualization services useful for the tasks of the MSFD. The technical set-up is based on the principle of adopting and adapting the SeaDataNet infrastructure for ocean and marine data which are managed by National Oceanographic Data Centers and relies on a distributed network of data centers. Data centers contribute to data harvesting and enrichment with the relevant metadata. Data are processed into interoperable formats (using agreed standards ISO XML, ODV) with the use of common vocabularies and standardized quality control procedures .Data quality control is a key issue when merging heterogeneous data coming from different sources and a data validation loop has been agreed within EMODnet Chemistry community and is routinely performed. After data quality control done by the regional coordinators of the EU marine basins (Atlantic, Baltic, North, Mediterranean and Black Sea), validated regional datasets are used to develop data products useful for the requirements of the MSFD. EMODnet Chemistry provides interpolated seasonal maps of nutrients and services for the visualization of time series and profiles of several chemical parameters. All visualization services are developed following OGC standards as WMS and WPS. In order to test new strategies for data storage, reanalysis and to upgrade the infrastructure performances, EMODnet Chemistry has chosen the Cloud environment offered by Cineca (the Consortium of Italian Universities and research institutes) where both regional aggregated datasets and analysis and visualization services are hosted. Finally, beside the delivery of data and the visualization products, the results of the data harvesting provide a useful tool to identify data gaps where the future monitoring efforts should be focused.

Comparative study of the methods used for treatment and final disposal of sewage sludge in European countries.

PubMed

Kelessidis, Alexandros; Stasinakis, Athanasios S

2012-06-01

Municipal wastewater treatment results to the production of large quantities of sewage sludge, which requires proper and environmentally accepted management before final disposal. In European Union, sludge management remains an open and challenging issue for the Member States as the relative European legislation is fragmentary and quite old, while the published data concerning sludge treatment and disposal in different European countries are often incomplete and inhomogeneous. The main objective of the current study was to outline the current situation and discuss future perspectives for sludge treatment and disposal in EU countries. According to the results, specific sludge production is differentiated significantly between European countries, ranging from 0.1 kg per population equivalent (p.e.) and year (Malta) to 30.8 kg per p.e. and year (Austria). More stringent legislations comparing to European Directive 86/278/EC have been adopted for sludge disposal in soil by several European countries, setting lower limit values for heavy metals as well as limit values for pathogens and organic micropollutants. A great variety of sludge treatment technologies are used in EU countries, while differences are observed between Member States. Anaerobic and aerobic digestion seems to be the most popular stabilization methods, applying in 24 and 20 countries, respectively. Mechanical sludge dewatering is preferred comparing to the use of drying beds, while thermal drying is mainly applied in EU-15 countries (old Member States) and especially in Germany, Italy, France and UK. Regarding sludge final disposal, sludge reuse (including direct agricultural application and composting) seems to be the predominant choice for sludge management in EU-15 (53% of produced sludge), following by incineration (21% of produced sludge). On the other hand, the most common disposal method in EU-12 countries (new Member States that joined EU after 2004) is still landfilling. Due to the obligations set by Directive 91/271/EC, a temporary increase of sludge amounts that are disposed in landfills is expected during the following years in EU-12 countries. Beside the above, sludge reuse in land and sludge incineration seem to be the main practices further adopted in EU-27 (all Member States) up to 2020. The reinforcement of these disposal practices will probably result to adoption of advanced sludge treatment technologies in order to achieve higher pathogens removal, odors control and removal of toxic compounds and ensure human health and environmental protection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Assessment of Coherence Between Early Warning and Response Systems and Serious Cross-Border Health Threats in the European Union and Turkey.

PubMed

Ekmekci, Perihan Elif

2016-12-01

Disease outbreaks have attracted the attention of the public health community to early warning and response systems (EWRS) for communicable diseases and other cross-border threats to health. The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have published regulations in this area. Decision 1082/2013/EU brought a new approach the management of public health threats in EU member states. Decision 1082/2013/EU brought several innovations, which included establishing a Health Security Committee; preparedness and response planning; joint procurement of medical countermeasures; ad hoc monitoring for biological, chemical, and environmental threats; EWRS; and recognition of an emergency situation and interoperability between various sectors. Turkey, as an acceding country to the EU and a member of the WHO, has been improving its national public health system to meet EU legislations and WHO standards. This article first explains EWRS as defined in Decision 1082/2013/EU and Turkey's obligations to align its public health laws to the EU acquis. EWRS in Turkey are addressed, particularly their coherence with EU policies regarding preparedness and response, alert notification, and interoperability between health and other sectors. Finally, the challenges and limitations of the current Turkish system are discussed and further improvements are suggested. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:883-892).

Troubled Partnership. U.S.-Turkish Relations in an Era of Global Geopolitical Change

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Kingdom, and France were allowed to monitor the no-fly zone over northern Iraq after the conclusion of the Gulf War, but the U.S. use of İncirlik Air...the privileged-partnership idea advo- cated by some EU members, such as France , because that alternative implies less-than-full acceptance of...agreed that Turkey has such different values that it is not part of the West. The highest levels of agreement came from Germany (76 percent), France

The EU Arms Embargo on China, from 2001 to the Present: Implications for the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

navigation, tourism , and a “new mechanism for industrial policy dialogue.” In January 2004 China and France agreed to a “joint declaration to deepen...claim to contribute materially to the key defense issues in the region.”15 Second, European defense industries lack the massive domestic sales of...interests that lies at the heart of United States laws for transatlantic defense cooperation at both the governmental and industrial levels and would

Measuring the Contribution of Higher Education to Innovation Capacity in the EU. Final Report: Revised Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Commission, 2017

2017-01-01

This current study is part of the actions taken aiming to analyse the links between the operations and effects of higher-education institutions on the capacity to innovate in the economies in Europe. Providing insights into the contribution of higher education to the innovative capacity of the EU economies is crucial for policy making and the…

Measuring the Contribution of Higher Education to Innovation Capacity in the EU. Executive Summary of the Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Commission, 2017

2017-01-01

This current study is part of the actions taken aiming to analyse the links between the operations and effects of higher-education institutions on the capacity to innovate in the economies in Europe. Providing insights into the contribution of higher education to the innovative capacity of the EU economies is crucial for policy making and the…

Different pattern of brain pro-/anti-oxidant activity between depleted and enriched uranium in chronically exposed rats.

PubMed

Lestaevel, P; Romero, E; Dhieux, B; Ben Soussan, H; Berradi, H; Dublineau, I; Voisin, P; Gourmelon, P

2009-04-05

Uranium is not only a heavy metal but also an alpha particle emitter. The main toxicity of uranium is expected to be due to chemiotoxicity rather than to radiotoxicity. Some studies have demonstrated that uranium induced some neurological disturbances, but without clear explanations. A possible mechanism of this neurotoxicity could be the oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species imbalance. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a chronic ingestion of uranium induced anti-oxidative defence mechanisms in the brain of rats. Rats received depleted (DU) or 4% enriched (EU) uranyl nitrate in the drinking water at 2mg(-1)kg(-1)day(-1) for 9 months. Cerebral cortex analyses were made by measuring mRNA and protein levels and enzymatic activities. Lipid peroxidation, an oxidative stress marker, was significantly enhanced after EU exposure, but not after DU. The gene expression or activity of the main antioxidant enzymes, i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), increased significantly after chronic exposure to DU. On the contrary, oral EU administration induced a decrease of these antioxidant enzymes. The NO-ergic pathway was almost not perturbed by DU or EU exposure. Finally, DU exposure increased significantly the transporters (Divalent-Metal-Transporter1; DMT1), the storage molecule (ferritin) and the ferroxidase enzyme (ceruloplasmin), but not EU. These results illustrate that oxidative stress plays a key role in the mechanism of uranium neurotoxicity. They showed that chronic exposure to DU, but not EU, seems to induce an increase of several antioxidant agents in order to counteract the oxidative stress. Finally, these results demonstrate the importance of the double toxicity, chemical and radiological, of uranium.

Patterns of clinical mentorship in undergraduate nurse education: A comparative case analysis of eleven EU and non-EU countries.

PubMed

Dobrowolska, Beata; McGonagle, Ian; Kane, Roslyn; Jackson, Christine S; Kegl, Barbara; Bergin, Michael; Cabrera, Esther; Cooney-Miner, Dianne; Di Cara, Veronika; Dimoski, Zvonko; Kekus, Divna; Pajnkihar, Majda; Prlić, Nada; Sigurdardottir, Arun K; Wells, John; Palese, Alvisa

2016-01-01

In spite of the number of studies available in the field and policy documents developed both at the national and the international levels, there is no reliable data available regarding the variation of roles occupied by clinical mentors (CMs) across countries. To describe and compare the CM's role; responsibilities; qualifications; employment requirements and experience in undergraduate nurse education as enacted in 11 European Union (EU) and non- EU countries. A case study design. A panel of expert nurse educators from 11 countries within and outside of the EU (Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and the USA). A questionnaire containing both quantitative and qualitative questions was developed and agreed by the panel using a Nominal Group Technique (NGT); four cycles of data collection and analysis were conducted involving key experts in nursing education in each country. In all countries, there are at least two types of clinical mentorship dedicated to undergraduate nursing students: the first is offered by higher education institutions, and the second is offered by health care providers. Variation was noted in terms of profile, responsibilities and professional requirements to act as a CM; however, the CM role is mainly carried out by registered nurses, and in most countries there are no special requirements in terms of education and experience. Those who act as CMs at the bedside continue to manage their usual caseload, thus the role adds to their work burden. Whilst it is imperative to have respect for the different national traditions in undergraduate nurse education, the globalisation of the nursing workforce and greater opportunities for student mobility during the course of their undergraduate education suggests that in areas such as clinical mentorship, jurisdictions, particularly within the EU, should work towards greater system harmonisation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relevant Measures to Prevent the Spread of African Swine Fever in the European Union Domestic Pig Sector

PubMed Central

Jurado, Cristina; Martínez-Avilés, Marta; De La Torre, Ana; Štukelj, Marina; de Carvalho Ferreira, Helena Cardoso; Cerioli, Monica; Sánchez-Vizcaíno, José Manuel; Bellini, Silvia

2018-01-01

During the past decade, African swine fever (ASF) has spread from the Caucasus region to eastern European Union countries affecting domestic pig and wild boar populations. In order to avert ASF spread, mitigation measures targeting both populations have been established. However, despite these efforts, ASF has been reported in thirteen different countries (Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moldova, Czech Republic, and Romania). In the absence of an effective vaccine or treatment to ASF, introduction and spread of ASF onto domestic pig farms can only be prevented by strict compliance to control measures. This study systematically reviewed available measures to prevent the spread of ASF in the EU domestic pig sector distinguishing between commercial, non-commercial, and outdoor farms. The search was performed in PubMed and using a common browser. A total of 52 documents were selected for the final review process, which included scientific articles, reports, EU documents and official recommendations, among others. From this literature review, 37 measures were identified as preventive measures for the introduction and spread of ASF. Subsequently, these measures were assessed by ASF experts for their relevance in the mitigation of ASF spread on the three mentioned types of farms. All experts agreed that some of the important preventive measures for all three types of farms were: the identification of animals and farm records; strict enforcement of the ban on swill feeding; and containment of pigs, so as to not allow direct or indirect pig–pig and/or pig–wild boar contacts. Other important preventive measures for all farms were education of farmers, workers, and operators; no contact between farmers and farm staff and external pigs; appropriate removal of carcasses, slaughter residues, and food waste; proper disposal of manure and dead animals, and abstaining from hunting activities during the previous 48 h (allowing a 48 h interval between hunting and being in contact with domestic pigs). Finally, all experts identified that the important preventive measures for non-commercial and outdoor farms is to improve access of those farms to veterinarians and health services. PMID:29713637

Relevant Measures to Prevent the Spread of African Swine Fever in the European Union Domestic Pig Sector.

PubMed

Jurado, Cristina; Martínez-Avilés, Marta; De La Torre, Ana; Štukelj, Marina; de Carvalho Ferreira, Helena Cardoso; Cerioli, Monica; Sánchez-Vizcaíno, José Manuel; Bellini, Silvia

2018-01-01

During the past decade, African swine fever (ASF) has spread from the Caucasus region to eastern European Union countries affecting domestic pig and wild boar populations. In order to avert ASF spread, mitigation measures targeting both populations have been established. However, despite these efforts, ASF has been reported in thirteen different countries (Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moldova, Czech Republic, and Romania). In the absence of an effective vaccine or treatment to ASF, introduction and spread of ASF onto domestic pig farms can only be prevented by strict compliance to control measures. This study systematically reviewed available measures to prevent the spread of ASF in the EU domestic pig sector distinguishing between commercial, non-commercial, and outdoor farms. The search was performed in PubMed and using a common browser. A total of 52 documents were selected for the final review process, which included scientific articles, reports, EU documents and official recommendations, among others. From this literature review, 37 measures were identified as preventive measures for the introduction and spread of ASF. Subsequently, these measures were assessed by ASF experts for their relevance in the mitigation of ASF spread on the three mentioned types of farms. All experts agreed that some of the important preventive measures for all three types of farms were: the identification of animals and farm records; strict enforcement of the ban on swill feeding; and containment of pigs, so as to not allow direct or indirect pig-pig and/or pig-wild boar contacts. Other important preventive measures for all farms were education of farmers, workers, and operators; no contact between farmers and farm staff and external pigs; appropriate removal of carcasses, slaughter residues, and food waste; proper disposal of manure and dead animals, and abstaining from hunting activities during the previous 48 h (allowing a 48 h interval between hunting and being in contact with domestic pigs). Finally, all experts identified that the important preventive measures for non-commercial and outdoor farms is to improve access of those farms to veterinarians and health services.

Acute, but not chronic, exposure to d-cycloserine facilitates extinction and modulates spontaneous recovery of a conditioned taste aversion.

PubMed

Mickley, G Andrew; Remus, Jennifer L; Ramos, Linnet; Wilson, Gina N; Biesan, Orion R; Ketchesin, Kyle D

2012-01-18

D-cycloserine, the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor partial agonist, has been reported to facilitate the extinction of learned fears acquired in both naturalistic and laboratory settings. The current study extended this literature by evaluating the ability of either chronic or acute administrations of DCS to modulate the extinction and spontaneous recovery of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Twenty-three hour fluid-deprived Sprague-Dawley rats acquired a strong CTA following 3 pairings of a conditioned stimulus (CS; 0.3% oral saccharin)+unconditioned stimulus [US; 81 mg/kg (i.p.) lithium chloride (LiCl)]. In separate groups of rats, we then employed 2 different extinction paradigms: (1) CS-only (CSO-EXT) in which saccharin was presented every-other day, or (2) Explicitly Unpaired (EU-EXT) in which both saccharin and LiCl were presented but on alternate days. Previous studies have indicated that the EU-EXT procedure speeds up the extinction process. Further, spontaneous recovery of a CTA emerges following CSO-EXT but the EU-EXT paradigm causes a suppression of spontaneous recovery. DCS (15 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered immediately after daily liquid presentations (saccharin or water, alternate days) during the extinction period. In an acute drug manipulation, DCS (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline control injections were administered for 4 days only. This was done during one of 3 different phases of extinction [i.e., static (2-5%), early dynamic (8-16%), or middle dynamic (20-40%) saccharin reacceptance]. Other animals assigned to the chronic DCS condition received daily DCS (15 mg/kg, i.p.) throughout extinction. Changes in saccharin drinking in these animals were compared to the data from rats that received no drug (saline controls). Once rats met our criterion for asymptotic extinction (90% reacceptance of the CS) they entered a 30-day latency period during which they received water for 1 h/day. The day after the completion of the latency period, a final opportunity to drink saccharin was provided (spontaneous recovery test). Saline-treated control rats that went through the EU-EXT procedure achieved asymptotic extinction more quickly than did the CSO-EXT rats and did not exhibit a spontaneous recovery of the CTA. Chronic DCS treatments did not significantly reduce the time to achieve asymptotic CTA extinction in rats exposed to either CSO or EU extinction methods. Further, animals treated with DCS throughout EU-EXT exhibited a spontaneous recovery of the CTA whereas the saline-treated, EU-EXT rats did not. Thus, chronic DCS treatment did not shorten the time to extinguish a CTA and this treatment eliminated the ability of EU-EXT to block spontaneous recovery of the CTA. Acute DCS treatments were more effective in reducing the time required to extinguish a CTA than were chronic drug treatments. Moreover, the timing of these acute DCS treatments affected spontaneous recovery of the CTA depending on the extinction method employed. Acute DCS administrations later in extinction were more effective in reducing spontaneous recovery than were early administrations if the rats went through the CSO-EXT procedure. However, late-in-extinction administrations of DCS facilitated spontaneous recovery of the CTA in rats that experienced the EU-EXT method. These data agree with other findings suggesting that DCS treatments are more effective when administered a limited number of times. Our data extend these findings to the CTA paradigm and further suggest that, depending on the extinction paradigm employed, acute exposure to DCS can speed up CTA extinction and reduce spontaneous recovery of the aversion. The timing of the acute DCS treatment during extinction is generally less important than its duration in predicting the rate of CTA extinction. However, the timing of acute DCS treatments during extinction and the method of extinction employed can interact to affect spontaneous recovery of a CTA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NMR determination of an incommensurate helical antiferromagnetic structure in EuCo 2 As 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, Q. -P.; Higa, N.; Sangeetha, N. S.

In this paper, we report 153Eu, 75As, and 59Co nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) results on EuCo 2As 2 single crystal. Observations of 153Eu and 75As NMR spectra in zero magnetic field at 4.3 K below an antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering temperature T N = 45 K and its external magnetic field dependence clearly evidence an incommensurate helical AFM structure in EuCo 2As 2. Furthermore, based on 59Co NMR data in both the paramagnetic and the incommensurate AFM states, we have determined the model-independent value of the AFM propagation vector k = (0,0,0.73 ± 0.07)2π/c, where c is the c lattice parameter.more » Finally, the incommensurate helical AFM state was characterized by only NMR data with model-independent analyses, showing NMR to be a unique tool for determination of the spin structure in incommensurate helical AFMs.« less

NMR determination of an incommensurate helical antiferromagnetic structure in EuCo 2 As 2

DOE PAGES

Ding, Q. -P.; Higa, N.; Sangeetha, N. S.; ...

2017-05-05

In this paper, we report 153Eu, 75As, and 59Co nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) results on EuCo 2As 2 single crystal. Observations of 153Eu and 75As NMR spectra in zero magnetic field at 4.3 K below an antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering temperature T N = 45 K and its external magnetic field dependence clearly evidence an incommensurate helical AFM structure in EuCo 2As 2. Furthermore, based on 59Co NMR data in both the paramagnetic and the incommensurate AFM states, we have determined the model-independent value of the AFM propagation vector k = (0,0,0.73 ± 0.07)2π/c, where c is the c lattice parameter.more » Finally, the incommensurate helical AFM state was characterized by only NMR data with model-independent analyses, showing NMR to be a unique tool for determination of the spin structure in incommensurate helical AFMs.« less

European Union health policy and its implications for national convergence.

PubMed

Cucic, S

2000-06-01

This paper explores the relevance for health care of European Union (EU) legislation, regulation and policies. Reports, communications and other materials of the European Commission and other relevant European bodies are screened for their implications for health care, primarily on the national health system level. The paper provides a brief overview of EU history and its main institutions, followed by an analysis of health (care)-related provisions in the EU's main legal documents--its treaties. The impact of the EU actions on health protection is considered with regard to both actions in the field of public health and health protection requirements in its policies. In the public health area, information systems that are now being developed are discussed, followed by an outline of health protection requirements in EU policies that can have an impact on health systems. These policies are then analysed using the political factions model. Finally an attempt is made to predict future developments, stressing the need for a far-reaching synchronization of national systems.

Land Recycling: from Science to Practice - A Sustainable Development of Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanowicz, A.

2015-12-01

Member States (MS) of the European Union have experience significant urban sprawl in the last 3 decades. The urban sprawl was driven mainly by internal (MS or EU) or external migration but also by EU policies (including funds and projects) and by changes in life style (e.g. moving away from cities; second homes). This presentation will aim at showing a number of EU wide analysis on: aging population, depopulation of some of the EU regions; agricultural production and scenarios projections of thereof. Various EU funded projects and programs have analyzed ways how future cities and how EU future land use could developed. Number of those solutions where further investigated with case studies/small scale implementations. However, in recent years the 2012 EU road map to resource efficiency and UN Sustainable Development Goals have called respectively for 'no net land take by 2050' and land neutrality. Thus, the process of implementing innovative solutions for land use has started and some of the cities and regions are well ahead in moving towards XXI century society. In order to streamline/share knowledge and steer EU wide discussion on this the European Commission in its road map to resource efficiency announced a Communication on land as a resource. This presentation will attempt to synthesize current discussion on the topic of 'land as a resource' and include examples of implemented innovative solutions for aging population, land recycling for urban developments and green spaces within the current EU policy context. Finally, some appreciation of the adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals regarding land and soil from the EU perspective will be given.

Eu3 + amidst ionic copper in glass: Enhancement through energy transfer from Cu+, or quenching by Cu2 +?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, José A.

2017-02-01

A barium-phosphate glass system doped with europium(III) and containing a high concentration of copper(I) together with a copper(II) remnant has been studied spectroscopically. The main object is to elucidate whether the orange-red emission of Eu3 + ions succeeds through sensitization via luminescent Cu+ ions or else is preferentially quenched by non-radiative transfer to Cu2 +. A characterization of the melt-quenched glass was first performed by UV/Vis optical absorption, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared absorption spectroscopy. A photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and emission decay dynamics assessment was subsequently performed. Despite the concentration of Cu+ being estimated to be much higher than that of Cu2 +, the data shows that quenching of Eu3 + PL by Cu2 + dominates. The lifetime analysis of emitting centers Cu+ and Eu3 + points to the origin of the manifestation being that the Eu3 + → Cu2 + non-radiative transfer rate responsible for the quenching is almost two times higher than that for the Cu+ → Eu3 + transfer accountable for the enhancement. Finally, an effort was made for the determination of Cu2 + in the glass containing Cu+, Cu2 + and Eu3 + ions based on the Eu3 + (5D0) emission decay rates. It was found to be in excellent agreement with the UV/Vis spectrophotometric approach, thus supporting the utility of Eu3 + ions for optical sensing of copper(II) in the solid state.

Theoretical studies on structural, magnetic, and spintronic characteristics of sandwiched Eu(n)COT(n+1) (n = 1-4) clusters.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiuyun; Ng, Man-Fai; Wang, Yanbiao; Wang, Jinlan; Yang, Shuo-Wang

2009-09-22

Europium (Eu)-cyclootetatrene (COT = C(8)H(8)) multidecker clusters (Eu(n)COT(n+1), n = 1-4) are studied by relativistic density functional theory calculations. These clusters are found to be thermodynamically stable with freely rotatable COT rings, and their total magnetic moments (MMs) increase linearly along with the number of Eu atoms. Each Eu atom contributes about 7 mu(B) to the cluster. Meanwhile, the internal COT rings have little MM contribution while the external COT rings have about 1 mu(B) MM aligned in opposite direction to that of the Eu atoms. The total MM of the Eu(n)COT(n+1) clusters can thus be generalized as 7n - 2 mu(B) where n is the number of Eu atoms. Besides, the ground states of these clusters are ferromagnetic and energetically competitive with the antiferromagnetic states, meaning that their spin states are very unstable, especially for larger clusters. More importantly, we uncover an interesting bonding characteristic of these clusters in which the interior ionic structure is capped by two hybrid covalent-ionic terminals. We suggest that such a characteristic makes the Eu(n)COT(n+1) clusters extremely stable. Finally, we reveal that for the positively charged clusters, the hybrid covalent-ionic terminals will tip further toward the interior part of the clusters to form deeper covalent-ionic caps. In contrast, the negatively charged clusters turn to pure ionic structures.

Preparation, photoluminescent properties and luminescent dynamics of BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Wei; College of Life Science, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian, Liaoning 116600; Hua, Ruinian, E-mail: rnhua@dlnu.edu.cn

2014-12-15

Graphical abstract: Rice-shaped BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors were synthesized via one-pot hydrothermal process. The as-prepared BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} are composed of many particles with an average diameter of 40 nm. When excited at 260 nm, the sharp line emission located at 361 nm of Eu{sup 2+} was observed. The optimum doping concentration of Eu{sup 2+} was confirmed to be 5 mol%. The strong ultraviolet emission of Eu{sup 2+} ions in BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanoparticles suggests that these nanoparticles may have potential applications for sensing, solid-state lasers and spectrometer calibration. - Highlights: • BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors were synthesized via amore » mild hydrothermal process. • The Van and Huang models were used to research the mechanism of concentration quenching. • The optimum doping concentration of Eu2+ was confirmed to be 5 mol%. - Abstract: Eu{sup 2+}-doped BaAlF{sub 5} nanophosphors were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The final products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. XRD results showed that the prepared samples are single-phase. The FE-SEM and TEM images indicated that the prepared BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors are composed of many rice-shaped particles with an average diameter of 40 nm. When excited at 260 nm, BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors exhibit the sharp line emissions of Eu{sup 2+} at room temperature. The optimum doping concentration of Eu{sup 2+} was confirmed to be 5 mol%. The Van and Huang models were used to study the mechanism of concentration quenching and the electric dipole–dipole interaction between Eu{sup 2+} can be deduced to be a dominant for quenching fluorescence in BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors. The strong ultraviolet emission of Eu{sup 2+} in BaAlF{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} nanophosphors suggests that these nanoparticles may have potential applications for sensing, spectrometer calibration and solid-state lasers.« less

Luminescence properties and energy transfer of site-sensitive Ca(6-x-y)Mg(x-z)(PO(4))(4):Eu(y)(2+),Mn(z)(2+) phosphors and their application to near-UV LED-based white LEDs.

PubMed

Kwon, Ki Hyuk; Im, Won Bin; Jang, Ho Seong; Yoo, Hyoung Sun; Jeon, Duk Young

2009-12-21

On the basis of the structural information that the host material has excellent charge stabilization, blue-emitting Ca(6-x-y)Mg(x)(PO(4))(4):Eu(y)(2+) (CMP:Eu(2+)) phosphors were synthesized and systematically optimized, and their photoluminescence (PL) properties were evaluated. Depending upon the amount of Mg added, the emission efficiency of the phosphors could be enhanced. The substitution of Eu(2+) affected their maximum wavelength (lambda(max)) and thermal stability because the substitution site of Eu(2+) could be varied. To obtain single-phase two-color-emitting phosphors, we incorporated Mn(2+) into CMP:Eu(2+) phosphors. Weak red emission resulting from the forbidden transition of Mn(2+) could be enhanced by the energy transfer from Eu(2+) to Mn(2+) that occurs because of the spectral overlap between the photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectrum of Mn(2+) and the PL spectrum of Eu(2+). The energy transfer process was confirmed by the luminescence spectra, energy transfer efficiency, and decay curve of the phosphors. Finally, the optimized Ca(6-x-y)Mg(x-z)(PO(4))(4):Eu(y)(2+),Mn(z)(2+) (CMP:Eu(2+),Mn(2+)) phosphors were applied with green emitting Ca(2)MgSi(2)O(7):Eu(2+) (CMS:Eu(2+)) phosphors to ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED)-pumped white LEDs. The CMS:Eu(2+)-mixed CMP:Eu(2+), Mn(2+)-based white LEDs showed an excellent color rendering index (CRI) of 98 because of the broader emission band and more stable color coordinates than those of commercial Y(3)Al(5)O(12):Ce(3+) (YAG:Ce(3+))-based white LEDs under a forward bias current of 20 mA. The fabricated white LEDs showed very bright natural white light that had the color coordinate of (0.3288, 0.3401), and thus CMP:Eu(2+),Mn(2+) could be regarded as a good candidate for UV LED-based white LEDs.

Optical spectroscopy of lanthanide ions in ZnO-TeO2 glasses.

PubMed

Rolli, R; Wachtler, K; Wachtler, M; Bettinelli, M; Speghini, A; Ajò, D

2001-09-01

Zinc tellurite glasses of compositions 19ZnO-80TeO2-1Ln2O3 with Ln = Eu, Er, Nd and Tm were prepared by melt quenching. The absorption spectra were measured and from the experimental oscillator strengths of the f-->f transitions the Judd-Ofelt parameters ohm(lambda) were obtained. The values of the ohm(lambda) parameters are in the range usually observed for oxide glasses. For Nd3+ and Er3+, luminescence spectra in the near infrared were measured and the stimulated emission cross sections sigma(p) were evaluated for some laser transitions. The high values of sigma(p), especially for Nd3+, make them possible candidates for optical applications. Fluorescence line narrowing (FLN) spectra of the Eu3+ doped glass were measured at 20 K, and the energies of the Stark components of the 7F1 and 7F2 states were obtained. A crystal field analysis was carried out assuming a C2v site symmetry. The behaviour of the crystal field ratios B22/B20 and B44/B40 agrees reasonably well with the values calculated using the geometric model proposed by Brecher and Riseberg. The crystal field strength at the Eu3+ sites appears to be very low compared to other oxide glasses.

[European Union Network for Patient Safety and Quality of Care (PASQ). Development and preliminary results in Europe and in the Spanish National Health System].

PubMed

Agra-Varela, Y; Fernández-Maíllo, M; Rivera-Ariza, S; Sáiz-Martínez-Acitorez, I; Casal-Gómez, J; Palanca-Sánchez, I; Bacou, J

2015-01-01

The joint action, European Union Network for Patient Safety and Quality of Care: PaSQ, aims to promote patient safety (PS) in the European Union (EU) and to facilitate the exchange of experiences among Member States (MS) and stakeholders on issues related to quality of care, PS, and patient involvement. The development and preliminary results are presented here, especially as regards the Spanish National Health System (SNHS). PaSQ is developed through 7 work packages, primarily aimed at sharing good practices (GP), which were identified using specific questionnaires and selected by means of explicit criteria, as well as to implement safe clinical practices (SCP) of proven effectiveness and agreed among MS. A total of 482 GP (39% provided by Spanish professionals) were identified. The 34 events organised in the EU, 11 including Spanish participation, facilitate sharing these practices. A total of 194 Health Care centres (49% in Spain) are implementing SCP (hand hygiene, safe surgery, medication reconciliation, and paediatric early warning scores) ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES: PaSQ is making it possible to strengthen collaboration between organizations and professionals at EU and SNHS level regarding PS and quality of care. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Fluorescent LaVO4:Eu(3+) micro/nanocrystals: pH-tuned shape and phase evolution and investigation of the mechanism of detection of Fe(3+) ions.

PubMed

Zhu, Yaqiong; Ni, Yonghong; Sheng, Enhong

2016-06-07

LaVO4:Eu(3+) micro/nanocrystals with various shapes were hydrothermally synthesized by adjusting the pH of the system at 180 °C for 12 h in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The shape and phase of the final product were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Experiments showed that when the other conditions were kept unchanged, the shape of the final product changed from hollow microspheres constructed by nanorods to long nanorods, to short nanorods and finally to grains with microscale sizes with the pH increase from 4.0, 7.0, 11.0 to 13.0 in the system. Meanwhile, the t-LaVO4 phase was always obtained from the system at pH below 13.0 and the m-LaVO4 phase was formed at pH 13.0. It was found that the final product with various shapes presented different luminescence performances. LaVO4:Eu(3+) nanorods obtained from the system at pH 11.0 displayed the strongest luminescence and good fluorescence stability in water. Also, the above strong PL spectrum could be quenched by Fe(3+) ions without the interference of other ions, indicating that the present product could be used as an efficient fluorescent probe for highly selective detection of Fe(3+) ions in water systems. The fluorescence quenching mechanism was investigated simultaneously.

Using Eu(3+) as an atomic probe to investigate the local environment in LaPO4-GdPO4 monazite end-members.

PubMed

Huittinen, Nina; Arinicheva, Yulia; Schmidt, Moritz; Neumeier, Stefan; Stumpf, Thorsten

2016-12-01

In the present study, we have investigated the luminescent properties of Eu(3+) as a dopant in a series of synthetic lanthanide phosphates from the monazite group. Systematic trends in the spectroscopic properties of Eu(3+) depending on the size of the host cation and the dopant to ligand distance have been observed. Our results show that the increasing match between host and dopant radii when going from Eu(3+)-doped LaPO4 toward the smaller GdPO4 monazite decreases both the full width at half maximum of the Eu(3+) excitation peak, as well as the (7)F2/(7)F1 emission band intensity ratio. The decreasing Ln⋯O bond distance within the LnPO4 series causes a systematic bathochromic shift of the Eu(3+) excitation peak, showing a linear dependence of both the host cation size and the Ln⋯O distance. The linear relationship can be used to predict the energy band gap for Eu(3+)-doped monazites for which no Eu(3+) luminescent data is available. Finally, mechanisms for metal-metal energy transfer between host and dopant lanthanides have been explored based on recorded luminescence lifetime data. Luminescence lifetime data for Eu(3+) incorporated in the various monazite hosts clearly indicated that the energy band gap between the guest ion emission transition and the host ion absorption transition can be correlated to the degree of quenching observed in these materials with otherwise identical geometries and chemistries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vaccination policies of immigrants in the EU/EEA Member States-the measles immunization example.

PubMed

Bica, Mihai A; Clemens, Ralf

2018-06-01

In 2015-16, the European Union/European Economic Area Member States (EU/EEA MSs) experienced an unprecedented volume and rate of migration, posing serious challenges to existing national immunization systems and strategies and raising the questions of where, when and who to vaccinate. We assessed existing strategies for vaccinating immigrant populations in the EU/EEA using measles as an example of the most important vaccine-preventable diseases. In this cross-sectional study, conducted from March to May 2016, an electronic questionnaire was sent to the Heads of National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) or equivalent policy-making bodies in each of the 31 EU/EEA Member States. Responses were entered into a structured database and validated by survey responders for final analysis. Validated responses from all 31 EU/EEA NITAGs or equivalents showed that there is no common measles immunization policy for European immigrants. Policies vary widely from no policy at all (9 of 31, 29%) to vaccination of all comers (2 of 31, 6%), or vaccination of selected cohorts based on vaccination history (17 of 31, 55%) or serum antibody analysis (2 of 31, 6%). Further, the operational responsibilities for immigrant vaccination and documentation methods are not unified within the EU/EEA region. With some notable exceptions immunization policies to contain spread of infectious diseases through migration are either non-existent or vary widely between countries in the EU/EEA. With freedom of movement within the EU/EEA there ought to be harmonization and a common EU/EEA vaccination strategy to replace national policies for immigrant populations.

Temporal Trends (1999-2015) in the Impact Factor of Biomedical Journals Published by US and EU Scientific Societies.

PubMed

Falagas, Matthew E; Kyriakidou, Margarita; Spais, George; Argiti, Efstathia; Vardakas, Konstantinos Z

2018-04-19

The impact factor has emerged as the most popular index of scientific journals' resonance. In this study we aimed to examine the impact factor trends of journals published by scientific bodies in the United States of America (USA) and Europe (EU). We randomly chose 11 categories of Journal of Citation Reports and created three research classes: clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, and basic science. The impact factor values for the years 1999-2015 were abstracted, and the impact factor of US and EU journals was studied through the years. A total of 265 journals were included in the final analysis. The impact factor of US journals was higher than that of EU journals throughout the study period. In addition, for both US and EU journals the median impact factor increased throughout the study period. The rate of annual change in the impact factor throughout the study period was lower for US than EU journals (1.85% versus 3.55%, P=0.019). A higher median annual increase was seen in the impact factor during the period 1999-2008 compared to the period 2009-2015 for both US (P<0.001) and EU (P=0.001) journals. In fact, during the second period the US median impact factor value did not show significant changes (P=0.31), while the EU median impact factor continued to increase (P<0.001). The impact factor of EU journals increased at a significantly higher rate than and approached that of the US journals during the last 16 years.

Pure rhombohedral Bi1-x EuxPO4 nano-/micro-structures: fast synthesis, shape evolution and luminescence properties.

PubMed

Yu, Dongyan; Liang, Yujun; Zhang, Mengfei; Li, Guogang; Yan, Chunjie

2016-02-01

BiPO4 and Eu-doped BiPO4 crystals were synthesized via a simple precipitation route at room temperature, employing Bi(NO3)3 and (NH4)2HPO4 as the reactants, Eu2O3 as the dopant and citric acid as a template. X-ray powder diffraction analyses showed that pure rhombohedral BiPO4 form was obtained, and was the preferential orientation growth of the crystal. Field emission scanning electron microscope observations showed that the concentration of Bi(3+) obviously changed the products' morphologies from nanosphere, hollow sphere to hexagonal prism. The acidity of the solution and the contents of citric acid and Eu(3+) ion tailored the size of the final crystals. Effects of concentration of Eu(3+) ion on the luminescence emission intensity were also investigated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

European Union's strategy on endocrine disrupting chemicals and the current position of Slovenia.

PubMed

Perharič, Lucija; Fatur, Tanja; Drofenik, Jernej

2016-06-01

In view of the European Union regulations 1107/2009 and 528/2012, which say that basic substances in plant protection and biocidal products marketed in the European Union (EU) should not have an inherent capacity to cause endocrine disruption, an initiative was started to define scientific criteria for the identification of endocrine disruptors (EDs). The objectives of the EU strategy on EDs are to protect human health and the environment, to assure the functioning of the market, and to provide clear and coherent criteria for the identification of EDs that could have broad application in the EU legislation. Policy issues were to be addressed by the Ad-hoc group of Commission Services, EU Agencies and Member States established in 2010, whereas the scientific issues were to be addressed by the Endocrine Disruptors Expert Advisory Group (ED EAG), established in 2011. The ED EAG adopted the 2002 World Health Organization (WHO) definition of endocrine disruptor and agreed that for its identification it is necessary to produce convincing evidence of a biologically plausible causal link between an adverse effect and endocrine disrupting mode of action. In 2014, the European Commission proposed four ED identification criteria options and three regulatory options, which are now being assessed for socio-economic, environmental, and health impact. Slovenia supports the establishing of identification criteria and favours option 4, according to which ED identification should be based on the WHO definition with the addition of potency as an element of hazard characterisation. As for regulatory options, Slovenia favours the risk-based rather than hazard-based regulation.

Instrument intercomparison in the high-energy mixed field at the CERN-EU reference field (CERF) facility.

PubMed

Caresana, Marco; Helmecke, Manuela; Kubancak, Jan; Manessi, Giacomo Paolo; Ott, Klaus; Scherpelz, Robert; Silari, Marco

2014-10-01

This paper discusses an intercomparison campaign performed in the mixed radiation field at the CERN-EU (CERF) reference field facility. Various instruments were employed: conventional and extended-range rem counters including a novel instrument called LUPIN, a bubble detector using an active counting system (ABC 1260) and two tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs). The results show that the extended range instruments agree well within their uncertainties and within 1σ with the H*(10) FLUKA value. The conventional rem counters are in good agreement within their uncertainties and underestimate H*(10) as measured by the extended range instruments and as predicted by FLUKA. The TEPCs slightly overestimate the FLUKA value but they are anyhow consistent with it when taking the comparatively large total uncertainties into account, and indicate that the non-neutron part of the stray field accounts for ∼30 % of the total H*(10). © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Metallic behavior induced by potassium doping of the trigonal antiferromagnetic insulator EuMn 2 As 2

DOE PAGES

Anand, V. K.; Johnston, D. C.

2016-07-22

Here, we report magnetic susceptibility χ, isothermal magnetization M, heat capacity C p, and electrical resistivity ρ measurements on undoped EuMn 2As 2 and K-doped Eu 0.96K 0.04Mn 2As 2 and Eu 0.93K 0.07Mn 2As 2 single crystals with the trigonal CaAl 2Si 2-type structure as a function of temperature T and magnetic field H. EuMn 2As 2 has an insulating ground state with an activation energy of 52 meV and exhibits antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering of the Eu +2 spins S=7/2 at T N1=15 K from C p(T) and χ(T) data with a likely spin-reorientation transition at T N2=5.0 K.more » The Mn +2 3d 5 spins-5/2 exhibit AFM ordering at T N=142 K from all three types of measurements. The M(H) isotherm and χ(T) data indicate that the Eu AFM structure is both noncollinear and noncoplanar. The AFM structure of the Mn spins is also unclear. A 4% substitution of K for Eu in Eu 0.96K 0.04Mn 2As 2 is sufficient to induce a metallic ground state. We found evidence for a difference in the AFM structure of the Eu moments in the metallic crystals from that of undoped EuMn 2As 2 versus both T and H. For metallic Eu 0.96K 0.04Mn 2As 2 and Eu 0.93K 0.07Mn 2As 2, an anomalous S-shape T dependence of ρ related to the Mn magnetism is found. Upon cooling from 200 K, ρ exhibits a strong negative curvature, reaches maximum positive slope at the Mn T N≈150 K, and then continues to decrease but more slowly below T N. Finally, this suggests that dynamic short-range AFM order of the Mn spins above the Mn T N strongly suppresses the resistivity, contrary to the conventional decrease of ρ that is only observed upon cooling below T N of an antiferromagnet.« less

Temporal Trends (1999–2015) in the Impact Factor of Biomedical Journals Published by US and EU Scientific Societies

PubMed Central

Falagas, Matthew E.; Kyriakidou, Margarita; Spais, George; Argiti, Efstathia; Vardakas, Konstantinos Z.

2018-01-01

Objective The impact factor has emerged as the most popular index of scientific journals’ resonance. In this study we aimed to examine the impact factor trends of journals published by scientific bodies in the United States of America (USA) and Europe (EU). Methods We randomly chose 11 categories of Journal of Citation Reports and created three research classes: clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, and basic science. The impact factor values for the years 1999–2015 were abstracted, and the impact factor of US and EU journals was studied through the years. Results A total of 265 journals were included in the final analysis. The impact factor of US journals was higher than that of EU journals throughout the study period. In addition, for both US and EU journals the median impact factor increased throughout the study period. The rate of annual change in the impact factor throughout the study period was lower for US than EU journals (1.85% versus 3.55%, P=0.019). A higher median annual increase was seen in the impact factor during the period 1999–2008 compared to the period 2009–2015 for both US (P<0.001) and EU (P=0.001) journals. In fact, during the second period the US median impact factor value did not show significant changes (P=0.31), while the EU median impact factor continued to increase (P<0.001). Conclusion The impact factor of EU journals increased at a significantly higher rate than and approached that of the US journals during the last 16 years. PMID:29517962

Tuberculosis treatment outcome monitoring in European Union countries: systematic review

PubMed Central

van Hest, Rob; Ködmön, Csaba; Verver, Suzanne; Erkens, Connie G.M.; Straetemans, Masja; Manissero, Davide; de Vries, Gerard

2013-01-01

Treatment success measured by treatment outcome monitoring (TOM) is a key programmatic output of tuberculosis (TB) control programmes. We performed a systematic literature review on national-level TOM in the 30 European Union (EU)/European Economic Areas (EEA) countries to summarise methods used to collect and report data on TOM. Online reference bibliographic databases PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify relevant indexed and non-indexed literature published between January 2000 and August 2010. The search strategy resulted in 615 potentially relevant indexed citations, of which 27 full-text national studies (79 data sets) were included for final analysis. The selected studies were performed in 10 EU/EEA countries and gave a fragmented impression of TOM in the EU/EEA. Publication year, study period, sample size, databases, definitions, variables, patient and outcome categories, and population subgroups varied widely, portraying a very heterogeneous picture. This review confirmed previous reports of considerable heterogeneity in publications of TOM results across EU/EEA countries. PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE indexed studies are not a suitable instrument to measure representative TOM results for the 30 EU/EEA countries. Uniform and complete reporting to the centralised European Surveillance System will produce the most timely and reliable results of TB treatment outcomes in the EU/EEA. PMID:22790913

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pązik, Robert, E-mail: R.Pazik@int.pan.wroc.pl; Zawisza, Katarzyna; Wroclaw University, Faculty of Chemistry, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-338 Wroclaw

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Convenient citric route was used for preparation of the Ca{sub 9}Al(PO{sub 4}){sub 7}:Eu{sup 3+} powders. ► We found that the thermal dependency of the Eu{sup 3+} emission shows two different temperature ranges. ► 80% of Eu{sup 3+} luminescence intensity is kept at 430 K. ► The possible quenching pathways were constructed using simplified one coordinate energy diagram. -- Abstract: The citric route was employed for synthesis of the pure phase Ca{sub 9}Al(PO{sub 4}){sub 7}:Eu{sup 3+} (CAlP:Eu{sup 3+}) powders as an attractive alternative to the solid state reaction (no need of multistep and long thermalmore » treatment). Structural properties of the final product were studied by means of X-ray diffraction as well as Rietveld refinement was conducted in order to calculate the cell parameters. The thermal behavior of the emission was studied using excitation line well matched with the {sup 7}F{sub 0} → {sup 5}D{sub 4} absorption band covering broad range of temperature. Activation energy was estimated to be equal to 10,550 cm{sup −1}. The thermal behavior of the Eu{sup 3+} luminescence in CAlP crystal lattice shown that the almost 80% of intensity is kept up to 430 K.« less

Correlation of Structure, Tunable Colors, and Lifetimes of (Sr, Ca, Ba)Al₂O₄:Eu2+, Dy3+ Phosphors.

PubMed

Xie, Qidi; Li, Bowen; He, Xin; Zhang, Mei; Chen, Yan; Zeng, Qingguang

2017-10-18

(Sr, Ca, Ba)Al₂O₄:Eu 2+ , Dy 3+ phosphors were prepared via a high temperature solid-state reaction method. The correlation of phase structure, optical properties and lifetimes of the phosphors are investigated in this work. For the (Sr, Ca)Al₂O₄:Eu 2+ ,Dy 3+ phosphors, the different phase formation from monoclinic SrAl₂O₄ phase to hexagonal SrAl₂O₄ phase to monoclinic CaAl₂O₄ phase was observed when the Ca content increased. The emission color of SrAl₂O₄:Eu 2+ , Dy 3+ phosphors varied from green to blue. For the (Sr, Ba)Al₂O₄:Eu 2+ , Dy 3+ phosphors, different phase formation from the monoclinic SrAl₂O₄ phase to the hexagonal BaAl₂O₄ phase was observed, along with a shift of emission wavelength from 520 nm to 500 nm. More interestingly, the decay time of SrAl₂O₄:Eu 2+ , Dy 3+ changed due to the different phase formations. Lifetime can be dramatically shortened by the substitution of Sr 2+ with Ba 2+ cations, resulting in improving the performance of the alternating current light emitting diode (AC-LED). Finally, intense LEDs are successfully obtained by combining these phosphors with Ga(In)N near UV chips.

Fracto-mechanoluminescent light emission of EuD4TEA-PDMS composites subjected to high strain-rate compressive loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Donghyeon; Castaño, Nicolas; Bhakta, Raj; Kimberley, Jamie

2017-08-01

The objective of this study is to understand light emission characteristics of fracto-mechanoluminescent (FML) europium tetrakis(dibenzoylmethide)-triethylammonium (EuD4TEA) crystals under high strain-rate compressive loading. As a sensing material that can play a pivotal role for the self-powered impact sensor technology, it is important to understand transformative light emission characteristics of the FML EuD4TEA crystals under high strain-rate compressive loading. First, EuD4TEA crystals were synthesized and embedded into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer to fabricate EuD4TEA-PDMS composite test specimens. Second, the prepared EuD4TEA-PDMS composites were tested using the modified Kolsky bar setup equipped with a high-speed camera. Third, FML light emission was captured to yield 12 bit grayscale video footage, which was processed to quantify the FML light emission. Finally, quantitative parameters were generated by taking into account pixel values and population of pixels of the 12 bit grayscale images to represent FML light intensity. The FML light intensity was correlated with high strain-rate compressive strain and strain rate to understand the FML light emission characteristics under high strain-rate compressive loading that can result from impact occurrences.

The NanoSustain and NanoValid project--two new EU FP7 research initiatives to assess the unique physical-chemical and toxicological properties of engineered nanomaterials.

PubMed

Reuther, Rudolf

2011-02-01

In 2010, the EU FP NanoSustain project (247989) has been successfully launched with the objective to develop innovative solutions for the sustainable use, recycling and final treatment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). The same year, NanoValid (263147), a large-scale integrating EU FP7 project has been initiated and contract negotiations with the European Commission commenced, to develop new reference methods and materials applicable to the unique properties of ENMs. The paper presented will give an overview on the main objectives of these 2 new European research initiatives, on main tasks to achieve objectives, and on the impact on current standardization efforts and technical innovations.

Structure, thermal and luminescence properties of Eu/Tb(BA)3phen/PAN fibers fabricated by electrospinning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shiwei; Xie, Guangbo; Zhang, Jingjing; Zhang, Sen; Li, Tingju

2018-04-01

Novel high luminescence fibers often exhibit potential applications in the fields of color displays and sensor systems. In this study, Eu(BA)3phen and Tb(BA)3phen powders was successfully synthesized by solvothermal reactions, firstly. Then, three kinds of novel flexible Eu(BA)3phen/PAN, Tb(BA)3phen/PAN and Eu/Tb(BA)3phen/PAN (BA = benzoic acid, phen = phenanthroline, PAN = Polyacrylonitrile) fibers had been successfully prepared by electrospinning technology. The characterizations of the final products have been investigated in detail. It was found that the diameter of the as-prepared fibers were almost uniform with the fabricated complexes doping into PAN successfully. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the thermal stability of the pure PAN fiber could be improved by the incorporation of the complex, although only 1 wt % was added. Furthermore, in Eu/Tb(BA)3phen complex, the fluorescence intensity of Eu3+ ions was remarkably increased by adding Tb3+ ions. This is primarily due to an energy transfer from the 5D4 level of Tb (III) to the 5D0 level of Eu (III) ions, where Tb3+ acted as sensitizer. The corresponding luminescent fibers displayed the same regularity as the complexes. Moreover, with the increasing of the incorporation of complexes into PAN, the fluorescence intensities were significantly enhanced and reached its maximum value at 2.5 wt % for Eu(BA)3phen/PAN fibers and 2.0 wt% for Tb(BA)3phen/PAN fibers. The further intensity decreased with the increasing content of the complexes because of typical emission concentration quenching.

Spectroscopic study and enhanced thermostability of combustion-derived BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ blue phosphors for solid-state lighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradal, Nathalie; Potdevin, Audrey; Chadeyron, Geneviève; Bonville, Pierre; Caillier, Bruno; Mahiou, Rachid

2017-02-01

Blue-emitting BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ (BAM:Eu), suitable for applications in a next generation of Hg-free lamps based on UV LEDs, was prepared by a microwave induced solution combustion synthesis, using urea as combustion fuel and nitrates as oxidizers. Purity control of the as-synthesized blue phosphor was undertaken by a washing step followed by a reduction one. Structural and morphological properties of the outcoming phosphors have been considered. Synthesis process allows producing a well-crystallized and nanostructured BAM phase within only few minutes. The influence of reduction treatment on the relative amounts of Eu2+/Eu3+ in our samples has been investigated through an original study by magnetization and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Furthermore, a complete optical study has been carried out and allowed us to determine the europium localization in the three possible sites in BAM matrix. The percentage of Eu2+ increased twofold after the reduction treatment, entailing an increase in the luminescence efficiency upon UV excitation. Finally, temperature-dependent luminescence of combustion-derived powders has been studied till 170 °C and compared to that of commercial BAM:Eu. MISCS-derived phosphors present a higher thermal stability than commercial one: whereas the emission efficiency of this last was reduced by 64%, the one of combustion-derived BAM:Eu experienced an only 12% decline. Furthermore, while commercial BAM suffered from a severe blue-shift with increasing temperature, our phosphors keep its color quality with a good stability of the photometric parameters.

A Transition from Localized to Strongly Correlated Electron Behavior and Mixed Valence Driven by Physical or Chemical Pressure in ACo 2As 2 (A = Eu and Ca)

DOE PAGES

Tan, Xiaoyan; Fabbris, Gilberto; Haskel, Daniel; ...

2016-02-03

In this paper, we demonstrate that the action of physical pressure, chemical compression, or aliovalent substitution in ACo 2As 2 (A = Eu and Ca) has a general consequence of causing these antiferromagnetic materials to become ferromagnets. In all cases, the mixed valence triggered at the electropositive A site results in the increase of the Co 3d density of states at the Fermi level. Remarkably, the dramatic alteration of magnetic behavior results from the very minor (<0.15 electron) change in the population of the 3d orbitals. The mixed valence state of Eu observed in the high-pressure (HP) form of EuComore » 2As 2 exhibits a remarkable stability, achieving the average oxidation state of +2.25 at 12.6 GPa. In the case of CaCo 2As 2, substituting even 10% of Eu or La into the Ca site causes ferromagnetic ordering of Co moments. Similar to HP-EuCo 2As 2, the itinerant 3d ferromagnetism emerges from electronic doping into the Co layer because of chemical compression of Eu sites in Ca 0.9Eu 0.1Co 1.91As 2 or direct electron doping in Ca 0.85La 0.15Co 1.89As 2. Finally, the results reported herein demonstrate the general possibility of amplifying minor localized electronic effects to achieve major changes in material’s properties via involvement of strongly correlated electrons.« less

Efficient multicolor tunability of ultrasmall ternary-doped LaF3 nanoparticles: energy conversion and magnetic behavior.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Navadeep; Khan, L U; Vargas, J M; Ospina, Carlos; Coaquira, J A Q; Zoppellaro, Giorgio; Brito, H F; Javed, Yasir; Shukla, D K; Felinto, M C F C; Sharma, Surender K

2017-07-19

Luminescence-tunable multicolored LaF 3 :xCe 3+ ,xGd 3+ ,yEu 3+ (x = 5; y = 1, 5, 10, and 15 mol%) nanoparticles have been synthesized via a low cost polyol method. Powder X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the hexagonal phase of the LaF 3 :xCe 3+ ,xGd 3+ ,yEu 3+ nanophosphors with average sizes (oval shape) ranging from 5 to 7 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses show the uniform distribution of Ce 3+ , Gd 3+ , and Eu 3+ dopants in the LaF 3 host matrix. The photoluminescence spectra and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements guarantee the presence of Eu 2+ , corroborated through DC susceptibility measurements of the samples displaying paramagnetic behavior at 300 K, whereas weak ferromagnetic ordering is shown at 2 K. The non-radiative energy transfer processes from the 4f( 2 F 5/2 ) → 5d state (Ce 3+ ) to the intraconfigurational 4f excited levels of rare earth ions and simultaneous emissions in the visible region from the 4f 6 5d 1 (Eu 2+ ) and 5 D 0 (Eu 3+ ) emitting levels, leading to overlapped broad and narrow emission bands, have been proclaimed. The energy transfer mechanism proposes involvement of the Gd 3+ ion sub-lattice as the bridge and finally trapping by Eu 2+/3+ , upon excitation of the Ce 3+ ion. The calculation of experimental intensity parameters (Ω 2,4 ) has been discussed and the highest emission quantum efficiency (η = 85%) of the Eu 3+ ion for the y = 10 mol% sample is reported. The advantageous existence of the Eu 2+ /Eu 3+ ratio along with variously doped nanomaterials described in this work, results in tunable emission color in the blue-white-red regions, highlighting the potential application of the samples in solid-state lighting devices, scintillation devices, and multiplex detection.

The impact of Septoria tritici Blotch disease on wheat: An EU perspective.

PubMed

Fones, Helen; Gurr, Sarah

2015-06-01

Zymoseptoria tritici is the causal agent of one of the European Union's most devastating foliar diseases of wheat: Septoria tritici Blotch (STB). It is also a notable pathogen of wheat grown in temperate climates throughout the world. In this commentary, we highlight the importance of STB on wheat in the EU. To better understand STB, it is necessary to consider the host crop, the fungal pathogen and their shared environment. Here, we consider the fungus per se and its interaction with its host and then focus on a more agricultural overview of the impact STB on wheat. We consider the climatic and weather factors which influence its spread and severity, allude to the agricultural practices which may mitigate or enhance its impact on crop yields, and evaluate the economic importance of wheat as a food and animal feed crop in the UK and EU. Finally, we estimate the cost of STB disease to EU agriculture. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The impact of Septoria tritici Blotch disease on wheat: An EU perspective

PubMed Central

Fones, Helen; Gurr, Sarah

2015-01-01

Zymoseptoria tritici is the causal agent of one of the European Union’s most devastating foliar diseases of wheat: Septoria tritici Blotch (STB). It is also a notable pathogen of wheat grown in temperate climates throughout the world. In this commentary, we highlight the importance of STB on wheat in the EU. To better understand STB, it is necessary to consider the host crop, the fungal pathogen and their shared environment. Here, we consider the fungus per se and its interaction with its host and then focus on a more agricultural overview of the impact STB on wheat. We consider the climatic and weather factors which influence its spread and severity, allude to the agricultural practices which may mitigate or enhance its impact on crop yields, and evaluate the economic importance of wheat as a food and animal feed crop in the UK and EU. Finally, we estimate the cost of STB disease to EU agriculture. PMID:26092782

Evidence based policy making in the European Union: the role of the scientific community.

PubMed

Majcen, Špela

2017-03-01

In the times when the acquis of the European Union (EU) has developed so far as to reach a high level of technical complexity, in particular in certain policy fields such as environmental legislation, it is important to look at what kind of information and data policy decisions are based on. This position paper looks at the extent to which evidence-based decision-making process is being considered in the EU institutions when it comes to adopting legislation in the field of environment at the EU level. The paper calls for closer collaboration between scientists and decision-makers in view of ensuring that correct data is understood and taken into consideration when drafting, amending, negotiating and adopting new legal texts at all levels of the EU decision-making process. It concludes that better awareness of the need for such collaboration among the decision-makers as well as the scientific community would benefit the process and quality of the final outcomes (legislation).

Control of ice chromatographic retention mechanism by changing temperature and dopant concentration.

PubMed

Tasaki, Yuiko; Okada, Tetsuo

2011-12-15

A liquid phase coexists with solid water ice in a typical binary system, such as NaCl-water, in the temperature range between the freezing point and the eutectic point (t(eu)) of the system. In ice chromatography with salt-doped ice as the stationary phase, both solid and liquid phase can contribute to solute retention in different fashions; that is, the solid ice surface acts as an adsorbent, while a solute can be partitioned into the liquid phase. Thus, both adsorption and partition mechanisms can be utilized for ice chromatographic separation. An important feature in this approach is that the liquid phase volume can be varied by changing the temperature and the concentration of a salt incorporated into the ice stationary phase. Thus, we can control the relative contribution from the partition mechanism in the entire retention because the liquid phase volume can be estimated from the freezing depression curve. Separation selectivity can thereby be modified. The applicability of this concept has been confirmed for the solutes of different adsorption and partition abilities. The predicted retention based on thermodynamics basically agrees well with the corresponding experimental retention. However, one important inconsistency has been found. The calculation predicts a step-like discontinuity of the solute retention at t(eu) because the phase diagram suggests that the liquid phase abruptly appears at t(eu) when the temperature increases. In contrast, the corresponding experimental plots are continuous over the wider range including the subeutectic temperatures. This discrepancy is explained by the existence of the liquid phase below t(eu). A difference between predicted and measured retention factors allows the estimation of the volume of the subeutectic liquid phase.

The Relation Between Emotion Understanding and Theory of Mind in Children Aged 3 to 8: The Key Role of Language

PubMed Central

Grazzani, Ilaria; Ornaghi, Veronica; Conte, Elisabetta; Pepe, Alessandro; Caprin, Claudia

2018-01-01

Although a significant body of research has investigated the relationships among children’s emotion understanding (EU), theory of mind (ToM), and language abilities. As far as we know, no study to date has been conducted with a sizeable sample of both preschool and school-age children exploring the direct effect of EU on ToM when the role of language was evaluated as a potential exogenous factor in a single comprehensive model. Participants in the current study were 389 children (age range: 37–97 months, M = 60.79 months; SD = 12.66), to whom a False-Belief understanding battery, the Test of Emotion Comprehension, and the Peabody Test were administered. Children’s EU, ToM, and language ability (receptive vocabulary) were positively correlated. Furthermore, EU scores explained variability in ToM scores independently of participants’ age and gender. Finally, language was found to play a crucial role in both explaining variance in ToM scores and in mediating the relationship between EU and ToM. We discuss the theoretical and educational implications of these outcomes, particularly in relation to offering social and emotional learning programs through schools.

The Relation Between Emotion Understanding and Theory of Mind in Children Aged 3 to 8: The Key Role of Language.

PubMed

Grazzani, Ilaria; Ornaghi, Veronica; Conte, Elisabetta; Pepe, Alessandro; Caprin, Claudia

2018-01-01

Although a significant body of research has investigated the relationships among children's emotion understanding (EU), theory of mind (ToM), and language abilities. As far as we know, no study to date has been conducted with a sizeable sample of both preschool and school-age children exploring the direct effect of EU on ToM when the role of language was evaluated as a potential exogenous factor in a single comprehensive model. Participants in the current study were 389 children (age range: 37-97 months, M = 60.79 months; SD = 12.66), to whom a False-Belief understanding battery, the Test of Emotion Comprehension, and the Peabody Test were administered. Children's EU, ToM, and language ability (receptive vocabulary) were positively correlated. Furthermore, EU scores explained variability in ToM scores independently of participants' age and gender. Finally, language was found to play a crucial role in both explaining variance in ToM scores and in mediating the relationship between EU and ToM. We discuss the theoretical and educational implications of these outcomes, particularly in relation to offering social and emotional learning programs through schools.

Enhancing the role of science in the decision-making of the European Union.

PubMed

Allio, Lorenzo; Ballantine, Bruce; Meads, Richard

2006-02-01

Used well, science provides effective ways of identifying potential risks, protecting citizens, and using resources wisely. It enables government decisions to be based on evidence and provides a foundation for a rule-based framework that supports global trade. To ensure that the best available science becomes a key input in the decisions made by EU institutions, this abridged version of a working paper produced for the European Policy Centre, a leading, independent think tank, considers how science is currently used in the policy and decision-making processes of the EU, what the limitations of scientific evidence are, and how a risk assessment process based on scientific 'good practices' can be advantageous. Finally, the paper makes recommendations on how to improve the use of science by EU institutions.

Explaining the present GM business strategy on the EU food market: the gatekeepers' perspective.

PubMed

Inghelbrecht, Linde; Dessein, Joost; Van Huylenbroeck, Guido

2015-01-25

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops and their applications is partially suppressed in European Union (EU) agriculture, even if one would expect otherwise given their complementarity with the neoliberal and industrialised EU agricultural regime in place. By applying a qualitative content analysis, this paper analyses how food manufacturers and retailers (referred to as gatekeepers in the food industry) explain and defend the exclusion of GM-labelled food products on the EU market. The study design places emphasis on the role of perceptions in the strategic behaviour of gatekeepers and on the role of interaction in this regard, as we assume that the way in which gatekeepers perceive the 'rules of the game' for commercialising GM crop applications on the EU food market will be influenced by their interaction with other agribusiness actors. In a first stage, the analysis determines thematic congruence in the (types of) perceptions that explain an agribusiness actor's overall interpretation of the EU business environment for GM crop applications. This perceived 'structuring arena' (SA) for GM crop applications - as conceptualised within our framework - contains areas of either internal and external tensions, that have a compelling or non-committal influence on the agribusiness actor's interpretation. In a second stage, the analysis particularly defines how gatekeepers in the food industry perceive and experience the SA for GM crop applications on the EU market, and how these perceptual tensions subsequently influence their strategic behaviour for GM-labelled products on the EU market. Finally, we highlight how these perceptions and actions (or inaction) suppress the main changes in practice that are necessary to manage this wicked problem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlation of Structure, Tunable Colors, and Lifetimes of (Sr, Ca, Ba)Al2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ Phosphors

PubMed Central

Xie, Qidi; Li, Bowen; He, Xin; Zhang, Mei; Chen, Yan; Zeng, Qingguang

2017-01-01

(Sr, Ca, Ba)Al2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors were prepared via a high temperature solid-state reaction method. The correlation of phase structure, optical properties and lifetimes of the phosphors are investigated in this work. For the (Sr, Ca)Al2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors, the different phase formation from monoclinic SrAl2O4 phase to hexagonal SrAl2O4 phase to monoclinic CaAl2O4 phase was observed when the Ca content increased. The emission color of SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors varied from green to blue. For the (Sr, Ba)Al2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors, different phase formation from the monoclinic SrAl2O4 phase to the hexagonal BaAl2O4 phase was observed, along with a shift of emission wavelength from 520 nm to 500 nm. More interestingly, the decay time of SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ changed due to the different phase formations. Lifetime can be dramatically shortened by the substitution of Sr2+ with Ba2+ cations, resulting in improving the performance of the alternating current light emitting diode (AC-LED). Finally, intense LEDs are successfully obtained by combining these phosphors with Ga(In)N near UV chips. PMID:29057839

Growth and luminescent properties of Ce and Eu doped Cesium Hafnium Iodide single crystalline scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodama, Shohei; Kurosawa, Shunsuke; Yamaji, Akihiro; Pejchal, Jan; Král, Robert; Ohashi, Yuji; Kamada, Kei; Yokota, Yuui; Nikl, Martin; Yoshikawa, Akira

2018-06-01

In order to obtain new scintillators with high light output and high effective atomic number (Zeff), we performed anion-substitution for Cs2HfCl6 (CHC) scintillator, and then, we succeeded in growing Cs2HfI6 (CHI) single crystalline scintillator. It had Zeff of 58, which is the same as that of CHC, and had high light output of ∼70,000 photons/MeV with 700 nm emission. However, its scintillation decay time of ∼2.5 μs was slow for practical use as gamma-ray monitor. In this study, we performed Ce3+/Eu2+ doping to Hf4+ site to improve decay time of CHI, introducing the fast 5d-4f luminescence. Ce:CHI and Eu:CHI single crystals were finally obtained by the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger method. The luminescence spectra of the Ce:CHI and Eu:CHI were very similar to that of the non-doped CHI, which would mean that no 5d-4f luminescence of Ce3+/Eu2+ was observed. The measured light output and decay time of Ce:CHI were ∼48,000 photon/MeV and 2.3 ± 0.1 μs, respectively. As for Eu:CHI, light output and decay time were ∼69,000 photon/MeV and 2.8 ± 0.1 μs, respectively.

EU FP7 project 'CAMbrella' to build European research network for complementary and alternative medicine.

PubMed

Weidenhammer, Wolfgang; Lewith, George; Falkenberg, Torkel; Fønnebø, Vinjar; Johannessen, Helle; Reiter, Bettina; Uehleke, Bernhard; von Ammon, Klaus; Baumhöfener, Franziska; Brinkhaus, Benno

2011-01-01

The status of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the EU needs clarification. The definition and terminology of CAM is heterogeneous. The therapies, legal status, regulations and approaches used vary from country to country but there is widespread use by EU citizens. A coordination project funded by the EU has been launched to improve the knowledge about CAM in Europe. The project aims to evaluate the conditions surrounding CAM use and provision in Europe and to develop a roadmap for European CAM research. Specific objectives are to establish an EU network involving centres of research excellence for collaborative projects, to develop consensus-based terminology to describe CAM interventions, to create a knowledge base that facilitates the understanding of patient demand for CAM and its prevalence, to review the current legal status and policies governing CAM provision, and to explore the needs and attitudes of EU citizens with respect to CAM. Based on this information a roadmap will be created that will enable sustainable and prioritised future European research in CAM. CAMbrella encompasses 16 academic research groups from 12 European countries and will run for 36 months starting from January 2010. The project will be delivered in 9 work packages coordinated by a Management Board and directed by a Scientific Steering Committee with support of an Advisory Board. The outcomes generated will be disseminated through the project's website, peer review open access publications and a final conference, with emphasis on current and future EU policies, addressing different target audiences. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Eu3+-doped β-Ga2O3 nanophosphors: annealing effect, electronic structure and optical spectroscopy.

PubMed

Zhu, Haomiao; Li, Renfu; Luo, Wenqin; Chen, Xueyuan

2011-03-14

A comprehensive survey of electronic structure and optical properties of rare-earth ions-doped semiconductor is of vital importance for their potential applications. In this work, Eu(3+)-doped β-Ga(2)O(3) nanocrystals were synthesized via a combustion method. The evolution of the optical properties of nanophosphors with increasing the annealing temperature was investigated in detail by means of excitation and emission spectra at room temperature and 10 K. Eu(3+) ions were proved to be incorporated into the crystal lattice of the β-Ga(2)O(3) phase after annealing the as-prepared nanoparticles at 1100 °C. It was observed that the substitution of Eu(3+) for Ga(3+) occurred at merely single site, in spite of two crystallographically nonequivalent sites of Ga(3+) in β-Ga(2)O(3). Spectroscopic evidence corroborated and clarified the local symmetry of C(s) for Eu(3+) at this single site. From the high-resolution excitation and emission spectra, 71 crystal-field levels of Eu(3+) in β-Ga(2)O(3) were identified and analyzed in terms of 19 freely varied free-ions and crystal-field parameters based on C(s) symmetry. The standard deviation of the final fitting is as low as 12.9 cm(-1), indicating an excellent agreement between experimental and calculated energy levels. The temperature-dependent luminescence dynamics of the (5)D(0) multiplet for Eu(3+) in β-Ga(2)O(3) phosphors has also been revealed for the first time from 10 to 300 K.

The EU paediatric regulation: still a large discrepancy between therapeutic needs and approved paediatric investigation plans.

PubMed

Wimmer, Stefan; Rascher, Wolfgang; McCarthy, Suzanne; Neubert, Antje

2014-10-01

Prior to the implementation of the EU Paediatric Regulation, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) defined unmet paediatric needs for active substances already available on the market. Seven years after the Paediatric Regulation came into force, we investigated the extent to which previously identified needs have led to programmes for generating evidence necessary for the regulatory approval of medicines for managing childhood conditions. The websites of the EMA and the European Commission Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) were systematically screened to identify active substances from the assessment of paediatric needs, off-patent priority list, agreed Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIP) and 7th Framework Programme (FP7) projects related to paediatric medicines. A total of 357 active substances with paediatric needs were identified by June 2013. 511 PIPs were agreed by the Paediatric Committee at the EMA (PDCO), including 51 (14.3 %) PIPs for a previously identified need. Amongst those, 21 were off-patent at the time of the PIP approval, 15 of which received funding from the European Commission's FP7. According to the assessment of paediatric needs, evidence is particularly needed for active substances treating cardiovascular diseases (n = 61), cancer (n = 40) and in the field of anaesthesiology (n = 38). Whereas oncology drugs (n = 66) were frequently represented in PIPs, drugs for cardiovascular diseases (n = 39) and anaesthesiology (n = 3) rarely were. Most PIPs are attributable to marketing authorisations of new active substances, whereas off-patent drugs which are commonly used off-label remain unstudied to a large extent. More effort including ongoing research funding is essential to further regularise and standardise paediatric pharmacotherapy.

Teenagers and young adults with cancer in Europe: from national programmes to a European integrated coordinated project.

PubMed

Stark, D; Bielack, S; Brugieres, L; Dirksen, U; Duarte, X; Dunn, S; Erdelyi, D J; Grew, T; Hjorth, L; Jazbec, J; Kabickova, E; Konsoulova, A; Kowalczyk, J R; Lassaletta, A; Laurence, V; Lewis, I; Monrabal, A; Morgan, S; Mountzios, G; Olsen, P R; Renard, M; Saeter, G; van der Graaf, W T; Ferrari, A

2016-05-01

Over 14 000 patients aged 15-24 are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer in the European Union (EU) each year. Teenagers and young adults (TYA) often fall down gaps between children's and adults cancer services. The specific challenges of providing optimal care to them are described, but we present a summary of recent progress. Progress to overcome these challenges is happening at different rates across Europe. We summarise the European national projects in this field but more recently we have seen the beginnings of European coordination. Within the EU 7th Funding Programme (FP7) European Network for Cancer Research in Children and Adolescents programme (ENCCA), a specific European Network for Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer has held a series of scientific meetings, including professionals, patients and caregivers. This group has proposed unanswered research questions and agreed key features of a high-quality service that can improve outcomes for TYA with cancer, including the primacy of collaboration between adult and paediatric services to eliminate the gap in the management of TYA with cancer. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantitative stress measurement of elastic deformation using mechanoluminescent sensor: An intensity ratio model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Tao; Guo, Songtao; Li, Yongzeng; Peng, Di; Zhao, Xiaofeng; Liu, Yingzheng

2018-04-01

The mechanoluminescent (ML) sensor is a newly developed non-invasive technique for stress/strain measurement. However, its application has been mostly restricted to qualitative measurement due to the lack of a well-defined relationship between ML intensity and stress. To achieve accurate stress measurement, an intensity ratio model was proposed in this study to establish a quantitative relationship between the stress condition and its ML intensity in elastic deformation. To verify the proposed model, experiments were carried out on a ML measurement system using resin samples mixed with the sensor material SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+. The ML intensity ratio was found to be dependent on the applied stress and strain rate, and the relationship acquired from the experimental results agreed well with the proposed model. The current study provided a physical explanation for the relationship between ML intensity and its stress condition. The proposed model was applicable in various SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+-based ML measurement in elastic deformation, and could provide a useful reference for quantitative stress measurement using the ML sensor in general.

Application of the criteria for classification of existing chemicals as dangerous for the environment.

PubMed

Knacker, T; Schallnaß, H J; Klaschka, U; Ahlers, J

1995-11-01

The criteria for classification and labelling of substances as "dangerous for the environment" agreed upon within the European Union (EU) were applied to two sets of existing chemicals. One set (sample A) consisted of 41 randomly selected compounds listed in the European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (EINECS). The other set (sample B) comprised 115 substances listed in Annex I of Directive 67/548/EEC which were classified by the EU Working Group on Classification and Labelling of Existing Chemicals. The aquatic toxicity (fish mortality,Daphnia immobilisation, algal growth inhibition), ready biodegradability and n-octanol/water partition coefficient were measured for sample A by one and the same laboratory. For sample B, the available ecotoxicological data originated from many different sources and therefore was rather heterogeneous. In both samples, algal toxicity was the most sensitive effect parameter for most substances. Furthermore, it was found that, classification based on a single aquatic test result differs in many cases from classification based on a complete data set, although a correlation exists between the biological end-points of the aquatic toxicity test systems.

A resolution congratulating the Miami Heat for winning the 2013 National Basketball Association Finals.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL

2013-06-25

Senate - 06/25/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Structures and Materials Panel. Summary Record of the Panel Meeting (50th) held at War Museum, Athens, Greece Spring-1980.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

3D ) configurations and each member agreed to send his final MEMBERS comments to the Coordinator by 31 MAY 1980 The draft report specified three...34conventional" 3D wings, The Working Group agreed to add two supercritical wings. 1. The GELAC/NLR/FDL/NASA wing (clean) 2. The ZKP wing (with oscillating...Similarly Mr Ziummermannagreed to provide all necessary data for the ZKP wing by 31 MAY 1980. The BLAND Coordinator is to submit his final 3D report

Legal issues regarding gene editing at the beginning of life: an EU perspective.

PubMed

De Miguel Beriain, Iñigo

2017-09-01

The development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas gene-modification technologies has opened impressive possibilities for the biomedical sciences. However, their application to human embryos and early fetuses has raised huge ethical and legal discussions because it affects the human germline. This paper provides a critical and in-depth analysis of the current legal framework on this topic in the EU context and at the national level in the member states. It also offers an alternative interpretation of the regulation, so as to help researchers, practitioners, policy makers and society as a whole to find efficient responses to challenges that cannot wait for a legally updated answer. As a final result, this paper will show that eugenic uses of CRISP-Cas and any kind of modification intended to alter the human germ line are generally banned in the EU context, while basic research on human embryos is mostly permitted. The legal status of therapeutic applications of CRISPR-Cas on early fetuses, however, has not been adequately addressed by the EU zone regulation.

Regulatory and associated political issues with respect to Bt transgenic maize in the European union.

PubMed

Saeglitz, Christiane; Bartsch, Detlef

2003-06-01

Legislation at the national level in Europe as well as that developed by the European Union (EU) generally permits release and commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). However, only 10 plant/event combinations were registered as of 2002: three maize events (Bt176, Mon810, and Bt11), with the other seven divided among carnation (3), oil-seed rape (2), tobacco (1), and raddiccio (1). Of these, only one maize event (Bt176) has been registered as a legal variety, and this was in Spain, where 22,000ha have been planted annually since 1998. In this paper, we first provide an overview on the complexity of EU GMO legislation. Then we discuss the minor role that results of EU-funded biosafety research have had on governmental policy. Finally, we provide information about initiatives for post-commercialization monitoring plans of Bt maize in Europe. As a result of the slow progress to date, we conclude that commercialization of GMOs will be seriously delayed in the EU for the next several years.

Assessing potential impacts of the EVFTA on Vietnam's pharmaceutical imports from the EU: an application of SMART analysis.

PubMed

Vu, Huong Thanh

2016-01-01

This paper by adopting the Software on Market Analysis and Restrictions on Trade assessed the ex-ante impact of tariff elimination under the European-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) on Vietnam's pharmaceutical imports from the EU based on two scenarios. The results showed that although Vietnam's tariff removal for the EU's medicines would not result in a significant increase in Vietnam's imports from the EU, Vietnam's deeper integration with ASEAN + 3 and TPP (the Trans-Pacific Partnership) nations would affect quite slightly on its imports from the EU. Therefore, the EU would be still the most important and biggest source of pharmaceuticals for Vietnam in the near future. In addition, there might be an uneven distribution in Vietnam's import increases by the EU nation, pharmaceutical group and product. The simulation results also pointed out that the EVFTA's trade creation effect would be higher than trade diversion effect and therefore the agreement would improve welfare of Vietnam. When Vietnam extends its coverage of tariff elimination to also TPP and ASEAN + 3, Vietnam's welfare would potentially increase more but Vietnam would face with the relatively high increases of pharmaceutical imports from not only the EU but also the US, Australia, South Korea, Thailand and China. Bases on these results, the paper argued that both the Vietnamese government and pharmaceutical enterprises should not neglect the EVFTA and its impacts on the pharmaceutical sector, and perceive clearly the uneven distribution of Vietnam's import changes from the EU by nation and by product to design appropriate business and investment strategy. In addition, Vietnam should take measures to diversify its European import markets to be less dependent on the traditional ones in the current context of the EU. Finally, Vietnam should promote the integration in the pharmaceutical sector with all three groups of nations, especially ASEAN and ASEAN's key partners, to reduce trade diversion effect and raise the welfare of Vietnam, given that Vietnam should consider carefully the point of time to remove tariff for each group to avoid the sudden increase in its pharmaceutical imports.

78 FR 29239 - Final Priority; Technical Assistance To Improve State Data Capacity-National Technical Assistance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

... reporting requirements. Changes: None. Focus TA on Assessment and Discipline Data Comment: Three commenters agreed with the importance of focusing on assessment and discipline data, and two commenters agreed with... decisions and actions associated with data collection and reporting. One commenter stated that assessment...

Site Occupation of Eu2+ in Ba2- xSr xSiO4 ( x = 0-1.9) and Origin of Improved Luminescence Thermal Stability in the Intermediate Composition.

PubMed

Lin, Litian; Ning, Lixin; Zhou, Rongfu; Jiang, Chunyan; Peng, Mingying; Huang, Yucheng; Chen, Jun; Huang, Yan; Tao, Ye; Liang, Hongbin

2018-06-18

Knowledge of site occupation of activators in phosphors is of essential importance for understanding and tailoring their luminescence properties by modifying the host composition. Relative site preference of Eu 2+ for the two distinct types of alkaline earth (AE) sites in Ba 1.9995- x Sr x Eu 0.0005 SiO 4 ( x = 0-1.9) is investigated based on photoluminescence measurements at low temperature. We found that Eu 2+ prefers to be at the 9-coordinated AE2 site at x = 0, 0.5, and 1.0, while at x = 1.5 and 1.9, it also occupies the 10-coordinated AE1 site with comparable preference, which is verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, by combining low-temperature measurements of the heat capacity, the host band gap, and the Eu 2+ 4f 7 ground level position, the improved thermal stability of Eu 2+ luminescence in the intermediate composition ( x = 1.0) is interpreted as due to an enlarged energy gap between the emitting 5d level and the bottom of the host conduction band (CB), which results in a decreased nonradiative probability of thermal ionization of the 5d electron into the host CB. Radioluminescence properties of the samples under X-ray excitation are finally evaluated, suggesting a great potential scintillator application of the compound in the intermediate composition.

Seismic structure of the European crust and upper mantle based on adjoint tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, H.; Bozdag, E.; Peter, D.; Tromp, J.

2013-12-01

We present a new crustal and upper mantle model for the European continent and the North Atlantic Ocean, named EU60. It is constructed based on adjoint tomography and involves 3D variations in elastic wavespeeds, anelastic attenuation, and radial/azimuthal anisotropy. Long-wavelength elastic wavespeed structure of EU60 agree with previous body- and surface-wave tomographic models. Some hitherto unidentified features, such as the Adria microplate, naturally emerge from smoothed starting model. Subducting slabs, slab detachment, ancient suture zones, continental rifts and back-arc basins are well resolved in EU60. For anelastic structure, we find an anti-correlation between shear wavespeeds and anelastic attenuation at shallow depths. At greater depths, this anti-correlation becomes relatively weak, in agreement with previous attenuation studies at global scales. Consistent with radial anisotropy in 1D reference models, the European continent is dominated by features with radially anisotropic parameter xi>1, indicating the presence of horizontal flow within the upper mantle. In addition, subduction zones, such as the Apennines and Hellenic arcs, are characterized as vertical flow with xi<1 at depths greater than 150~km. For azimuthal anisotropy, we find that the direction of fast anisotropic axis is well correlated with complicated tectonic evolution in this region, such as extension along the North Atlantic Ridge, trench retreat in the Mediterranean and counter-clockwise rotation of the Anatolian Plate. The ``point spread function'' is used to assess image quality and analyze tradeoff between different model parameters.

Elemental analysis of printed circuit boards considering the ROHS regulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wienold, Julia, E-mail: julia.wienold@bam.de; Recknagel, Sebastian, E-mail: sebastian.recknagel@bam.de; Scharf, Holger, E-mail: holger.scharf@bam.de

2011-03-15

The EU RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council) bans the placing of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants on the EU market. It necessitates methods for the evaluation of RoHS compliance of assembled electronic equipment. In this study mounted printed circuit boards from personal computers were analyzed on their content of the three elements Cd, Pb and Hg which were limited by the EU RoHS directive. Main focus of the investigations was the influence ofmore » sample pre-treatment on the precision and reproducibility of the results. The sample preparation steps used were based on the guidelines given in EN 62321. Five different types of dissolution procedures were tested on different subsequent steps of sample treatment like cutting and milling. Elemental analysis was carried out using ICP-OES, XRF and CV-AFS (Hg). The results obtained showed that for decision-making with respect to RoHS compliance a size reduction of the material to be analyzed to particles {<=}1.5 mm can already be sufficient. However, to ensure analytical results with relative standard deviations of less than 20%, as recommended by the EN 62321, a much larger effort for sample processing towards smaller particle sizes might be required which strongly depends on the mass fraction of the element under investigation.« less

Spectrum syntheses of high-resolution integrated light spectra of Galactic globular clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakari, Charli M.; Shetrone, Matthew; Venn, Kim; McWilliam, Andrew; Dotter, Aaron

2013-09-01

Spectrum syntheses for three elements (Mg, Na and Eu) in high-resolution integrated light spectra of the Galactic globular clusters 47 Tuc, M3, M13, NGC 7006 and M15 are presented, along with calibration syntheses of the solar and Arcturus spectra. Iron abundances in the target clusters are also derived from integrated light equivalent width analyses. Line profiles in the spectra of these five globular clusters are well fitted after careful consideration of the atomic and molecular spectral features, providing levels of precision that are better than equivalent width analyses of the same integrated light spectra, and that are comparable to the precision in individual stellar analyses. The integrated light abundances from the 5528 and 5711 Å Mg I lines, the 6154 and 6160 Å Na I lines, and the 6645 Å Eu II line fall within the observed ranges from individual stars; however, these integrated light abundances do not always agree with the average literature abundances. Tests with the second parameter clusters M3, M13 and NGC 7006 show that assuming an incorrect horizontal branch morphology is likely to have only a small ( ≲ 0.06 dex) effect on these Mg, Na and Eu abundances. These tests therefore show that integrated light spectrum syntheses can be applied to unresolved globular clusters over a wide range of metallicities and horizontal branch morphologies. Such high precision in integrated light spectrum syntheses is valuable for interpreting the chemical abundances of globular cluster systems around other galaxies.

EuCARD2: enhanced accelerator research and development in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaniuk, Ryszard S.

2013-10-01

Accelerator science and technology is one of a key enablers of the developments in the particle physic, photon physics and also applications in medicine and industry. EuCARD2 is an European research project which will be realized during 2013-2017 inside the EC FP7 framework. The project concerns the development and coordination of European Accelerator Research and Development. The project is particularly important, to a number of domestic laboratories, due to some plans to build large accelerator infrastructure in Poland. Large accelerator infrastructure of fundamental and applied research character stimulates around it the development and industrial applications as well as biomedical of advanced accelerators, material research and engineering, cryo-technology, mechatronics, robotics, and in particular electronics - like networked measurement and control systems, sensors, computer systems, automation and control systems. The paper presents a digest of the European project EuCARD2 which is Enhanced European Coordination for Accelerator Research and Development. The paper presents a digest of the research results and assumptions in the domain of accelerator science and technology in Europe, shown during the final fourth annual meeting of the EuCARD - European Coordination of Accelerator R&D, and the kick-off meeting of the EuCARD2. There are debated a few basic groups of accelerator systems components like: measurement - control networks of large geometrical extent, multichannel systems for large amounts of metrological data acquisition, precision photonic networks of reference time, frequency and phase distribution, high field magnets, superconducting cavities, novel beam collimators, etc. The paper bases on the following materials: Internet and Intranet documents combined with EuCARD2, Description of Work FP7 EuCARD-2 DoW-312453, 2013-02-13, and discussions and preparatory materials worked on by Eucard-2 initiators.

A descriptive survey study of violence management and priorities among psychiatric staff in mental health services, across seventeen european countries.

PubMed

Cowman, Seamus; Björkdahl, Anna; Clarke, Eric; Gethin, Georgina; Maguire, Jim

2017-01-19

In mental health services what is commonplace across international frontiers is that to prevent aggressive patients from harming themselves, other patients or staff, coercive measures and foremost, violence management strategies are required. There is no agreement, recommendations or direction from the EU on which measures of coercion should be practiced across EU countries, and there is no overall one best practice approach. The project was conceived through an expert group, the European Violence in Psychiatry Research Group (EViPRG). The study aimed to incorporate an EU and multidisciplinary response in the determination of violence management practices and related research and education priorities across 17 European countries. From the EVIPRG members, one member from each country agreed to act as the national project coordinator for their country. Given the international spread of respondents, an eDelphi survey approach was selected for the study design and data collection. A survey instrument was developed, agreed and validated through members of EVIPRG. The results included a total of 2809 respondents from 17 countries with 999 respondents who self-selected for round 2 eDelphi. The majority of respondents worked in acute psychiatry, 54% (n = 1511); outpatient departments, 10.5% (n = 295); and Forensic, 9.3% (n = 262). Other work areas of respondents include Rehabilitation, Primary Care and Emergency. It is of concern that 19.5% of respondents had not received training on violence management. The most commonly used interventions in the management of violent patients were physical restraint, seclusion and medications. The top priorities for education and research included: preventing violence; the influence of environment and staff on levels of violence; best practice in managing violence; risk assessment and the aetiology and triggers for violence and aggression. In many European countries there is an alarming lack of clarity on matters of procedure and policy pertaining to violence management in mental health services. Violence management practices in Europe appear to be fragmented with no identified ideological position or collaborative education and research. In Europe, language differences are a reality and may have contributed to insular thinking, however, it must not be seen as a barrier to sharing best practice.

Health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib vs interferon-alpha in a phase III trial: final results and geographical analysis.

PubMed

Cella, D; Michaelson, M D; Bushmakin, A G; Cappelleri, J C; Charbonneau, C; Kim, S T; Li, J Z; Motzer, R J

2010-02-16

In a randomised phase III trial, sunitinib significantly improved efficacy over interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) as first-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We report the final health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results. Patients (n=750) received oral sunitinib 50 mg per day in 6-week cycles (4 weeks on, 2 weeks off treatment) or subcutaneous IFN-alpha 9 million units three times weekly. Health-related quality of life was assessed with nine end points: the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General and its four subscales, FACT-Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-15) and its Disease-Related Symptoms subscale (FKSI-DRS), and EQ-5D questionnaire's EQ-5D Index and visual analogue scale. Data were analysed using mixed-effects model (MM), supplemented with pattern-mixture models (PMM), for the total sample and the US and European Union (EU) subgroups. Patients receiving sunitinib reported better scores in the primary end point, FKSI-DRS, across all patient populations (P<0.05), and in nine, five, and six end points in the total sample, in the US and EU groups respectively (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the US and EU groups for all end points with the exception of the FKSI item 'I am bothered by side effects of treatment' (P=0.02). In general, MM and PMM results were similar. Patients treated with sunitinib in this study had improved HRQoL, compared with patients treated with IFN-alpha. Treatment differences within the US cohort did not differ from those within the EU cohort.

Facile preparation and formation mechanism of Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ red-emitting phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yang; Wang, Yunli; Wang, Ming; Shao, Yiran; Zhu, Yingchun

2018-05-01

The red-emitting Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ phosphors have been synthesized in a new facile process using (oxy)nitride precursors by inductive calcination under N2 atmosphere at ordinary pressure. Different from the prevailing methods, lower cost raw materials, simpler pretreatment, without harsh conditions and a shorter reaction time are achieved. It was found that red-emitting Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ phosphors were synthesized with high crystallinity and purity after 1 h inductive calcination. The formation mechanism was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and Fluorescence microscopy. It was demonstrated that a hexagonal mesophase of Sr-doped α-Si3N4 was primarily formed in the reaction process, which transformed into the final product of the orthorhombic Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ phosphors. During the reaction process, the color of the samples transforms from greenish-yellow to orange and eventually to red. The as-prepared phosphors have a wide excitation in the range of 250 ∼ 570 nm which matches blue light chips and give a red-light emission peaking at 610 nm. The results indicate a promising prospect for a simple, efficient and inexpensive way to prepare Sr2Si5N8:Eu2+ phosphors for blue/UV-based warm-white LEDs and other fluorescent applications.

Authorisation within the European Union of vaccines against antigenically variable viruses responsible for major epizootic diseases.

PubMed

Mackay, D K J

2007-08-01

Antigenically variable viruses are responsible for some of the most contagious and economically important diseases that affect domestic livestock. The serious consequences of such diseases in terms of economic loss, and human and animal health, were clearly demonstrated by recent epizootics of foot and mouth disease, and outbreaks of avian influenza and bluetongue in the European Union (EU). For such diseases, government authorities need to be able to respond, if appropriate, by making use of vaccines that are suited to the epidemiological situation. The current EU regulatory framework is not well adapted for approval and maintenance of vaccines where the antigens included have to be chosen to reflect the epidemiological need. An extensive revision of the technical requirements for authorisation of veterinary medicinal products within the EU is currently underway. Additionally, a major revision of the regulations that control how such authorisations are kept up-to-date is about to start. This provides an ideal opportunity to introduce into EU legislation the concept of the 'multistrain dossier' whereby a potentially large number of approved strains may be included within a marketing authorisation and the final vaccines may be blended to include strains according to need. In addition, new strains may be added onto the marketing authorisation by means of a rapid regulatory procedure should new antigenic variants actually or potentially threaten the EU.

Emergent universe with wormholes in massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, B. C.; Majumdar, A. S.

2018-03-01

An emergent universe (EU) scenario is proposed to obtain a universe free from big-bang singularity. In this framework the present universe emerged from a static Einstein universe phase in the infinite past. A flat EU scenario is found to exist in Einstein’s gravity with a non-linear equation of state (EoS). It has been shown subsequently that a physically realistic EU model can be obtained considering cosmic fluid composed of interacting fluids with a non-linear equation of state. It results a viable cosmological model accommodating both early inflation and present accelerating phases. In the present paper, the origin of an initial static Einstein universe needed in the EU model is explored in a massive gravity theory which subsequently emerged to be a dynamically evolving universe. A new gravitational instanton solution in a flat universe is obtained in the massive gravity theory which is a dynamical wormhole that might play an important role in realizing the origin of the initial state of the emergent universe. The emergence of a Lorentzian universe from a Euclidean gravity is understood by a Wick rotation τ = i t . A universe with radiation at the beginning finally transits into the present observed universe with a non-linear EoS as the interactions among the fluids set in. Thus a viable flat EU scenario where the universe stretches back into time infinitely, with no big bang is permitted in a massive gravity.

Practical experiences with an extended screening strategy for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in real-life samples.

PubMed

Scholtens, Ingrid; Laurensse, Emile; Molenaar, Bonnie; Zaaijer, Stephanie; Gaballo, Heidi; Boleij, Peter; Bak, Arno; Kok, Esther

2013-09-25

Nowadays most animal feed products imported into Europe have a GMO (genetically modified organism) label. This means that they contain European Union (EU)-authorized GMOs. For enforcement of these labeling requirements, it is necessary, with the rising number of EU-authorized GMOs, to perform an increasing number of analyses. In addition to this, it is necessary to test products for the potential presence of EU-unauthorized GMOs. Analysis for EU-authorized and -unauthorized GMOs in animal feed has thus become laborious and expensive. Initial screening steps may reduce the number of GMO identification methods that need to be applied, but with the increasing diversity also screening with GMO elements has become more complex. For the present study, the application of an informative detailed 24-element screening and subsequent identification strategy was applied in 50 animal feed samples. Almost all feed samples were labeled as containing GMO-derived materials. The main goal of the study was therefore to investigate if a detailed screening strategy would reduce the number of subsequent identification analyses. An additional goal was to test the samples in this way for the potential presence of EU-unauthorized GMOs. Finally, to test the robustness of the approach, eight of the samples were tested in a concise interlaboratory study. No significant differences were found between the results of the two laboratories.

The European initiative on low-dose risk research: from the HLEG to MELODI.

PubMed

Belli, Mauro; Tabocchini, Maria Antonella; Jourdain, Jean-René; Salomaa, Sisko; Repussard, Jacques

2015-09-01

The importance of low-dose risk research for radiation protection is now widely recognised. The European Commission (EC) and five European Union (EU) Member States involved in the Euratom Programme set up in 2008 a 'High Level and Expert Group on European Low Dose Risk Research' (HLEG) aimed at identifying research needs and proposing a better integration of European efforts in the field. The HLEG revised the research challenges and proposed a European research strategy based on a 'Multidisciplinary European LOw Dose Initiative' (MELODI). In April 2009, five national organisations, with the support of the EC, created the initial core of MELODI (http://www.melodi-online.eu) with a view to integrate the EU institutions with significant programmes in the field, while being open to other scientific organisations and stakeholders, and to develop an agreed strategic research agenda (SRA) and roadmap. Since then, open workshops have been organised yearly, exploring ideas for SRA implementation. As of October 2014, 31 institutions have been included as members of MELODI. HLEG recommendations and MELODI SRA have become important reference points in the radiation protection part of the Euratom Research Programme. MELODI has established close interactions through Memorandum of Understanding with other European platforms involved in radiation protection (Alliance, NERIS and EURADOS) and, together with EURADOS, with the relevant medical European Associations. The role of Joint Programming in priority setting, foreseen in the forthcoming EU Horizon 2020, calls for keeping MELODI an open, inclusive and transparent initiative, able to avoid redundancies and possible conflicts of interest, while promoting common initiatives in radiation protection research. An important issue is the establishment of a proper methodology for managing these initiatives, and this includes the set-up of an independent MELODI Scientific Committee recently extended to Alliance, NERIS and EURADOS, with the aim of identifying research priorities to suggest for the forthcoming Euratom research calls. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A resolution observing Juneteenth Independence Day, June 19, 1865, the day on which slavery finally came to an end in the United States.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI

2013-06-19

Senate - 06/19/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The EDCA Finally Passed. Great! But What Does That Mean? | DoDLive

Science.gov Websites

-made or natural disaster. Last month, the State and Defense Departments announced the slate of five the existing military infrastructure, such as runways, at these five agreed locations. During his trip , Secretary Carter toured one of the five EDCA agreed locations - Antonio Bautista Air Base - and announced

A microscopic solution to the magnetic detwinning mystery in EuFe2As2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiwald, J.; Mazin, I. I.; Nandi, S.; Xiao, Y.; Gegenwart, P.

One of the greatest recent advances in studying nematic phenomena in Fe-based superconductors was the mechanical detwinning of the 122-family compounds. Unfortunately, these techniques generate considerable stress in the investigated samples, which contaminates the results. Recently, we observed that a minuscule magnetic field of the order of 0.1 T irreversibly and persistently detwins EuFe2As2, opening an entirely new avenue for addressing nematicity. However, further development was hindered by the absence of a microscopic theory explaining this magnetic detwinning. In fact, Eu2+ has zero orbital moment and does not couple to the lattice, and its exchange coupling with the Fe sublattice cancels by symmetry. Moreover, further increase of the field to 1 T leads to a reorientation of Fe domains, while even larger fields 10 T reorient the domains once again. We will present a new microscopic model, based on a sizable biquadratic coupling between the Fe 3 d and Eu 4 f moments. This model quantitatively explains our old and new magnetization and neutron diffraction data, thus removing the veil of mystery and finally opening the door to full-scale research into magnetic detwinning and nematicity in Fe-based superconductors.

Regulatory landscape for cell therapy--EU view.

PubMed

McBlane, James W

2015-09-01

This article addresses regulation of cell therapies in the European Union (EU), covering cell sourcing and applications for clinical trials and marketing authorisation applications. Regulatory oversight of cell sourcing and review of applications for clinical trials with cell therapies are handled at national level, that is, separately with each country making its own decisions. For clinical trials, this can lead to different decisions in different countries for the same trial. A regulation is soon to come into force that will address this and introduce a more efficient clinical trial application process. However, at the marketing authorisation stage, the process is pan-national: the Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) is responsible for giving the final scientific opinion on all EU marketing authorisation applications for cell therapies: favourable scientific opinions are passed to the European Commission (EC) for further consultation and, if successful, grant of a marketing authorisation valid in all 28 EU countries. In its review of applications for marketing authorisations (MAAs) for cell therapies, the CHMP is obliged to consult the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT), who conduct detailed scientific assessments of these applications, with assessment by staff from national regulatory authorities and specialist advisors to the regulators. Copyright © 2015.

Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator Engineering Unit 2 (ASRG EU2) Final Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oriti, Salvatore M.

2015-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has recently completed the assembly of a unique Stirling generator test article for laboratory experimentation. Under the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) flight development contract, NASA GRC initiated a task to design and fabricate a flight-like generator for in-house testing. This test article was given the name ASRG Engineering Unit 2 (EU2) as it was effectively the second engineering unit to be built within the ASRG project. The intent of the test article was to duplicate Lockheed Martin's qualification unit ASRG design as much as possible to enable system-level tests not previously possible at GRC. After the cancellation of the ASRG flight development project, the decision was made to continue the EU2 build, and make use of a portion of the hardware from the flight development project. GRC and Lockheed Martin engineers collaborated to develop assembly procedures, leveraging the valuable knowledge gathered by Lockheed Martin during the ASRG development contract. The ASRG EU2 was then assembled per these procedures at GRC with Lockheed Martin engineers on site. The assembly was completed in August 2014. This paper details the components that were used for the assembly, and the assembly process itself.

32 CFR 536.59 - Settlement or approval authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... empowered to settle, pay or compromise a claim in full or in part, provided the claimant agrees. “Final action authority” means the officer empowered to deny or make a final offer on a claim. Determining the proper officer empowered to approve or make final action on a claim depends on the claims statute...

32 CFR 536.59 - Settlement or approval authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... empowered to settle, pay or compromise a claim in full or in part, provided the claimant agrees. “Final action authority” means the officer empowered to deny or make a final offer on a claim. Determining the proper officer empowered to approve or make final action on a claim depends on the claims statute...

32 CFR 536.59 - Settlement or approval authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... empowered to settle, pay or compromise a claim in full or in part, provided the claimant agrees. “Final action authority” means the officer empowered to deny or make a final offer on a claim. Determining the proper officer empowered to approve or make final action on a claim depends on the claims statute...

32 CFR 536.59 - Settlement or approval authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... empowered to settle, pay or compromise a claim in full or in part, provided the claimant agrees. “Final action authority” means the officer empowered to deny or make a final offer on a claim. Determining the proper officer empowered to approve or make final action on a claim depends on the claims statute...

32 CFR 536.59 - Settlement or approval authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... empowered to settle, pay or compromise a claim in full or in part, provided the claimant agrees. “Final action authority” means the officer empowered to deny or make a final offer on a claim. Determining the proper officer empowered to approve or make final action on a claim depends on the claims statute...

Determination of 30 elements in coal and fly ash by thermal and epithermal neutron-activation analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, J.J.; Steinnes, E.

1977-01-01

Thirty elements are determined in coal and fly ash by instrumental neutron-activation analysis using both thermal and epithermal irradiation. Gamma-ray spectra were recorded 7 and 20 days after the irradiations. The procedure is applicable to the routine analysis of coals and fly ash. Epithermal irradiation was found preferable for the determination of Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, Cs, Ba, Sm, Tb, Hf, Ta, W, Th and U, whereas thermal irradiation was best for Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, La, Ce, Nd, Eu, Yb and Lu. Results for SRM 1632 (coal) and SRM 1633 (fly ash) agree with those of other investigators. ?? 1977.

Fiscal Year 2008 Phased Construction Completion Report for EU Z2-33 in Zone 2, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bechtel Jacobs

The Record of Decision for Soil, Buried Waste, and Subsurface Structure Actions in Zone 2, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE/OR/01-2161&D2) (Zone 2 ROD) acknowledged that most of the 800 acres in Zone 2 were contaminated, but that sufficient data to confirm the levels of contamination were lacking. The Zone 2 ROD further specified that a sampling strategy for filling the data gaps would be developed. The Remedial Design Report/Remedial Action Work Plan for Zone 2 Soils, Slabs, and Subsurface Structures, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE/OR/01-2224&D3) (Zone 2 RDR/RAWP) defined the sampling strategy as themore » Dynamic Verification Strategy (DVS), generally following the approach used for characterization of the Zone 1 exposure units (EUs). The Zone 2 ROD divided the Zone 2 area into seven geographic areas and 44 EUs. To facilitate the data quality objectives (DQOs) of the DVS process, the Zone 2 RDR/RAWP regrouped the 44 EUs into 12 DQO scoping EU groups. These groups facilitated the DQO process by placing similar facilities and their support facilities together and allowing identification of data gaps. The EU groups were no longer pertinent after DQO planning was completed and characterization was conducted as areas became accessible. As the opportunity to complete characterization became available, the planned DVS program and remedial actions (RAs) were completed for EU Z2-33. Remedial action was also performed at two additional areas in adjacent EU Z2-42 because of their close proximity and similar nature to a small surface soil RA in EU Z2-33. Remedial actions for building slabs performed in EU Z2-33 during fiscal year (FY) 2007 were reported in the Fiscal Year 2007 Phased Construction Completion Report for the Zone 2 Soils, Slabs, and Subsurface Structures at East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE/OR/01-2723&D1). Recommended RAs for EU Z2-42 were described in the Fiscal Year 2006 Phased Construction Completion Report for the Zone 2 Soils, Slabs, and Subsurface Structures at East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE/OR/01-2317&D2). Remedial actions performed in the Balance of Site (BOS) Laboratory Area of EU Z2-33 and two small areas in EU Z2-42 are described in Sects. 5 through 10 of this Phased Construction Completion Report (PCCR). The purpose of this PCCR is to address the following: (1) Document DVS characterization results for EU Z2-33; (2) Describe and document the risk evaluation and determine if the EU meets the Zone 2 ROD requirements for unrestricted industrial use to 10 ft bgs; (3) Identify additional areas not defined in the Zone 2 ROD that require remediation based on the DVS evaluation results; and (4) Describe RAs performed in the EU Z2-33 BOS Laboratory Area and two small areas in EU Z2-42. Approximately 18 acres in EU Z2-33 are addressed in this PCCR. Based on the results of the DVS evaluation and RAs performed, all 18 acres are recommended for unrestricted industrial use to 10 ft bgs. Three Federal Facility Agreement sites are addressed and recommended for no further action within this acreage, including: (1) K-1004-L Recirculating Cooling Water Lines Leak Sites; (2) K-1044 Heavy Equipment Repair Shop; and (3) K-1015-A Laundry Pit. Remedial actions for EU Z2-33 were developed in response to DVS characterization results described in the EU Z2-33 Technical Memorandum (Appendix A) and to support reindustrialization of the East Tennessee Technology Park as a commercial industrial park. Remediation criteria were designed for the protection of a future industrial worker who normally would not have the potential for exposure to soil below 10ft bgs. Accordingly, the Zone 2 ROD required land use controls to prevent disturbance of soils below 10 ft deep and to restrict future land use to industrial/commercial activities. In response to stakeholder comments, the U.S. Department of Energy agreed to re-evaluate the need for such land use restrictions. This document includes a screening evaluation to determine the likelihood of land use controls in EU Z2-33 being modified to: (1) eliminate the restriction on disturbance of soils below 10 ft bgs where data indicate the absence of residual contamination at any depth that would result in an unacceptable risk to the future industrial worker, and (2) permit alternative land uses that would be protective of future site occupants. Results of this screening evaluation indicate a low probability that restrictions on disturbing soil below 10 ft bgs could be safely eliminated for EU Z2-33. A qualitative screening evaluation considered the likelihood of unrestricted land use being protective of future site occupants. Based on this qualitative assessment, all 18 acres addressed in this PCCR were assigned a low probability for consideration of release for unrestricted land use.« less

Assessments of direct human exposure: the approach of EU risk assessments compared to scenario-based risk assessment.

PubMed

Wormuth, Matthias; Demou, Evangelia; Scheringer, Martin; Hungerbühler, Konrad

2007-08-01

The awareness of potential risks emerging from the use of chemicals in all parts of daily life has increased the need for risk assessments that are able to cover a high number of exposure situations and thereby ensure the safety of workers and consumers. In the European Union (EU), the practice of risk assessments for chemicals is laid down in a Technical Guidance Document; it is designed to consider environmental and human occupational and residential exposure. Almost 70 EU risk assessment reports (RARs) have been finalized for high-production-volume chemicals during the last decade. In the present study, we analyze the assessment of occupational and consumer exposure to trichloroethylene and phthalates presented in six EU RARs. Exposure scenarios in these six RARs were compared to scenarios used in applications of the scenario-based risk assessment approach to the same set of chemicals. We find that scenarios used in the selected EU RARs to represent typical exposure situations in occupational or private use of chemicals and products do not necessarily represent worst-case conditions. This can be due to the use of outdated information on technical equipment and conditions in workplaces or omission of pathways that can cause consumer exposure. Considering the need for exposure and risk assessments under the new chemicals legislation of the EU, we suggest that a transparent process of collecting data on exposure situations and of generating representative exposure scenarios is implemented to improve the accuracy of risk assessments. Also, the data sets used to assess human exposure should be harmonized, summarized in a transparent fashion, and made accessible for all risk assessors and the public.

Metaheuristics-Assisted Combinatorial Screening of Eu2+-Doped Ca-Sr-Ba-Li-Mg-Al-Si-Ge-N Compositional Space in Search of a Narrow-Band Green Emitting Phosphor and Density Functional Theory Calculations.

PubMed

Lee, Jin-Woong; Singh, Satendra Pal; Kim, Minseuk; Hong, Sung Un; Park, Woon Bae; Sohn, Kee-Sun

2017-08-21

A metaheuristics-based design would be of great help in relieving the enormous experimental burdens faced during the combinatorial screening of a huge, multidimensional search space, while providing the same effect as total enumeration. In order to tackle the high-throughput powder processing complications and to secure practical phosphors, metaheuristics, an elitism-reinforced nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), was employed in this study. The NSGA-II iteration targeted two objective functions. The first was to search for a higher emission efficacy. The second was to search for narrow-band green color emissions. The NSGA-II iteration finally converged on BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphors in the Eu 2+ -doped Ca-Sr-Ba-Li-Mg-Al-Si-Ge-N compositional search space. The BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphor, which was synthesized with no human intervention via the assistance of NSGA-II, was a clear single phase and gave an acceptable luminescence. The BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphor as well as all other phosphors that appeared during the NSGA-II iterations were examined in detail by employing powder X-ray diffraction-based Rietveld refinement, X-ray absorption near edge structure, density functional theory calculation, and time-resolved photoluminescence. The thermodynamic stability and the band structure plausibility were confirmed, and more importantly a novel approach to the energy transfer analysis was also introduced for BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphors.

Synthesis, Structure, and Complex Magnetism of MIr 2In 8 (M = Eu, Sr)

DOE PAGES

Calta, Nicholas P.; L. Bud’ko, Sergey; Rodriguez, Alexandra P.; ...

2016-03-07

In this paper, we report the synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties of two new polar intermetallic compounds, EuIr 2In 8 and SrIr 2In 8. Both were synthesized in good yield using In metal as a reactive flux medium, enabling the growth of large crystals for physical property measurements. They crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pbam with the CeFe 2Al 8 structure type, which is sometimes also referred to as the CaCo 2Al 8 structure type. The two analogues have unit cell parameters of a = 13.847(3) Å, b = 16.118(3) Å, and c = 4.3885(9) Å for Mmore » = Eu and a = 13.847(3) Å, b = 16.113(3) Å, and c = 4.3962(9) Å for M = Sr at room temperature. SrIr 2In 8 is a diamagnetic metal with no local magnetic moments on either the Sr or Ir sites, and the diamagnetic contribution from core electrons overwhelms the expected Pauli paramagnetism normally seen in intermetallic compounds. Magnetism in EuIr 2In 8 is dominated by the local Eu moments, which order antiferromagnetically at 5 K in low applied fields. Increasing the field strength depresses the magnetic ordering temperature and also induces a spin reorientation at lower temperature, indicating complex competing magnetic interactions. Finally, low-temperature heat capacity measurements show a significant enhancement of the Sommerfeld coefficient in EuIr 2In 8 relative to that in SrIr 2In 8, with estimated values of γ = 118(3) and 18.0(2) mJ mol –1 K –2, respectively.« less

75 FR 57188 - Rhode Island: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-20

... regarding EPA's Zinc Fertilizer Rule in a separate final rule (following the proposed rule) as it... the Zinc Fertilizer Rule. Today's action responds to that comment but does not agree with it and, thus, finalizes the Agency's decision to authorize Rhode Island for EPA's Zinc Fertilizer Rule. In addition, the...

The accession countries benefit in the field of plant protection products.

PubMed

Stanek, A

2004-04-01

Ten candidate countries are expected to join EU in 2004. In the field of plant protection product (PPP) regulation, at EU level, acceding states will have roles in evaluation for listing of active substances in Annex I of Directive 91/414/EEC and ensuring that at national level, regulatory procedures comply with the acquis communautaire. This paper briefly outlines the impact of the acquis on the roles of Member States at both EU and national levels. It then briefly explains the current Czech Republic regulatory system as operated by the State Phytosanitary Administration and the National Institute of Public Health and the steps that the Czech Republic will have to take to implement the acquis requirements. Finally it makes an assessment as to how successful implementation of the acquis will prove beneficial to the acceding states and the parties which rely on the service that the regulatory authorities provide (i.e. the public, farmers and growers and the agrochemical industry).

77 FR 40059 - Findings of Research Misconduct

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary Findings of Research Misconduct... Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case: Sinae Kim, Ph.D., Emory University..., Department of Medicine, EU, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Heart, Lung, and...

A resolution to provide for the approval of final regulations issued by the Office of Compliance to implement the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 that apply to the Senate and employees of the Senate.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY

2010-12-10

Senate - 12/10/2010 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution honoring the men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle Program on reaching the historic milestone of the 135th and final flight of the Space Transportation System.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL

2011-07-13

Senate - 07/13/2011 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

A resolution congratulating the Navy and the current and former officers and crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise (CVN 65) on completion of the 26th and final deployment of the vessel.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA

2013-01-02

Senate - 01/02/2013 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

High pressure and synchrotron radiation studies of solid state electronic instabilities. Final technial report, May 1, 1984--April 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pifer, J.H.; Croft, M.C.

This report discusses Eu and General Valence Instabilities; Ce Problem: L{sub 3} Spectroscopy Emphasis; Bulk Property Emphasis; Transition Metal Compound Electronic Structure; Electronic Structure-Phonon Coupling Studies; High Temperature Superconductivity and Oxide Materials; and Novel Materials Collaboration with Chemistry.

Downscaling of RCM outputs for representative catchments in the Mediterranean region, for the 1951-2100 time-frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deidda, Roberto; Marrocu, Marino; Pusceddu, Gabriella; Langousis, Andreas; Mascaro, Giuseppe; Caroletti, Giulio

2013-04-01

Within the activities of the EU FP7 CLIMB project (www.climb-fp7.eu), we developed downscaling procedures to reliably assess climate forcing at hydrologically relevant scales, and applied them to six representative hydrological basins located in the Mediterranean region: Riu Mannu and Noce in Italy, Chiba in Tunisia, Kocaeli in Turkey, Thau in France, and Gaza in Palestine. As a first step towards this aim, we used daily precipitation and temperature data from the gridded E-OBS project (www.ecad.eu/dailydata), as reference fields, to rank 14 Regional Climate Model (RCM) outputs from the ENSEMBLES project (http://ensembles-eu.metoffice.com). The four best performing model outputs were selected, with the additional constraint of maintaining 2 outputs obtained from running different RCMs driven by the same GCM, and 2 runs from the same RCM driven by different GCMs. For these four RCM-GCM model combinations, a set of downscaling techniques were developed and applied, for the period 1951-2100, to variables used in hydrological modeling (i.e. precipitation; mean, maximum and minimum daily temperatures; direct solar radiation, relative humidity, magnitude and direction of surface winds). The quality of the final products is discussed, together with the results obtained after applying a bias reduction procedure to daily temperature and precipitation fields.

Luminescence optimization of MBO 3:Eu 3+ (M=Y, Gd, Al) red phosphor by spray pyrolysis using combinatorial chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youl Jung, Kyeong

2010-08-01

Conventional solution-based combinatorial chemistry was combined with spray pyrolysis and applied to optimize the luminescence properties of (Y x, Gd y, Al z)BO 3:Eu 3+ red phosphor under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation. For the Y-Gd-Al ternary system, a compositional library was established to seek the optimal composition at which the highest luminescence under VUV (147 nm) excitation could be achieved. The Al content was found to mainly control the relative peak ratio (R/O) of red and orange colors due to the 5D 0→ 7F 2 to 5D 0→ 7F 1 transitions of Eu 3+. The substitution of Gd atoms in the place of Y sites did not contribute to change the R/O ratio, but was helpful to enhance the emission intensity. As a result, the 613 nm emission peak due to the 5D 0→ 7F 2 transitions of Eu 3+ was intensified by increasing the Al/Gd ratio at a fixed Y content, resulting in the improvement of the color coordinate. Finally, the optimized host composition was (Y 0.11, Gd 0.10, Al 0.79)BO 3 in terms of the emission intensity at 613 nm and the color coordinate.

Rare earth niobate coordination polymers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muniz, Collin N.; Patel, Hiral; Fast, Dylan B.

Rare-earth (RE) coordination polymers are infinitely tailorable to yield luminescent materials for various applications. In this paper we described the synthesis of a heterometallic rare-earth coordination compound ((CH 3) 2SO) 3(RE)NbO(C 2O 4) 3 ((CH 3) 2SO) = dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO, (C 2O 2 = oxalate), (RE=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb). The structure was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction of the La analogue. The Nb =O and DMSO terminal-bonding character guides assembly of an open framework structure with noncentrosymmetric RE-coordination geometry, and large spacing between the RE centers. A second structure was observed by PXRD for themore » smaller rare earths (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb); this structure has not yet been determined. The materials were further characterized using FTIR, and photoluminescence measurements. Characteristic excitation and emission transitions were observed for RE = Nd, Sm, Eu, and Tb. Quantum yield (QY) measurements were performed by exciting Eu and Tb analoges at 394 nm (QY 66%) and 464 nm (QY 71%) for Eu; and 370 nm (QY=40%) for Tb. Finally, we attribute the high QY and bright luminescence to two main structure-function properties of the system; namely the absence of water in the structure, and absence of concentration quenching.« less

Legal frameworks and key concepts regulating diversion and treatment of mentally disordered offenders in European Union member states.

PubMed

Dressing, Harald; Salize, Hans Joachim; Gordon, Harvey

2007-10-01

There is only limited research on the various legal regulations governing assessment, placement and treatment of mentally ill offenders in European Union member states (EU-member states). To provide a structured description and cross-boundary comparison of legal frameworks regulating diversion and treatment of mentally disordered offenders in EU-member states before the extension in May 2004. A special focus is on the concept of criminal responsibility. Information on legislation and practice concerning the assessment, placement and treatment of mentally ill offenders was gathered by means of a detailed, structured questionnaire which was filled in by national experts. The legal regulations relevant for forensic psychiatry in EU-member states are outlined. Definitions of mental disorders given within these acts are introduced and compared with ICD-10 diagnoses. Finally the application of the concept of criminal responsibility by the law and in routine practice is presented. Legal frameworks for the processing and placement of mentally disordered offenders varied markedly across EU-member states. Since May 2004 the European Union has expanded to 25 member states and in January 2007 it will reach 27. With increasing mobility across Europe, the need for increasing trans-national co-operation is becoming apparent in which great variation in legal tradition pertains.

Globalisation, transnational policies and adult education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milana, Marcella

2012-12-01

Globalisation, transnational policies and adult education - This paper examines policy documents produced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the European Union (EU) in the field of adult education and learning. Both these entities address adult education as an explicit object of policy. This paper investigates how globalisation processes are constructed as policy problems when these transnational political agents propose adult education as a response. The author's main argument is that while UNESCO presents the provision of adult education as a means for governments worldwide to overcome disadvantages experienced by their own citizenry, the EU institutionalises learning experiences as a means for governments to sustain regional economic growth and political expansion. After reviewing the literature on globalisation to elucidate the theories that inform current understanding of contemporary economic, political, cultural and ecological changes as political problems, she presents the conceptual and methodological framework of her analysis. The author then examines the active role played by UNESCO and the EU in promoting adult education as a policy objective at transnational level, and unpacks the specific problem "representations" that are substantiated by these organisations. She argues that UNESCO and EU processes assign specific values and meanings to globalisation, and that these reflect a limited understanding of the complexity of globalisation. Finally, she considers two of the effects produced by these problem representations.

Rare earth niobate coordination polymers

DOE PAGES

Muniz, Collin N.; Patel, Hiral; Fast, Dylan B.; ...

2018-01-03

Rare-earth (RE) coordination polymers are infinitely tailorable to yield luminescent materials for various applications. In this paper we described the synthesis of a heterometallic rare-earth coordination compound ((CH 3) 2SO) 3(RE)NbO(C 2O 4) 3 ((CH 3) 2SO) = dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO, (C 2O 2 = oxalate), (RE=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb). The structure was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction of the La analogue. The Nb =O and DMSO terminal-bonding character guides assembly of an open framework structure with noncentrosymmetric RE-coordination geometry, and large spacing between the RE centers. A second structure was observed by PXRD for themore » smaller rare earths (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb); this structure has not yet been determined. The materials were further characterized using FTIR, and photoluminescence measurements. Characteristic excitation and emission transitions were observed for RE = Nd, Sm, Eu, and Tb. Quantum yield (QY) measurements were performed by exciting Eu and Tb analoges at 394 nm (QY 66%) and 464 nm (QY 71%) for Eu; and 370 nm (QY=40%) for Tb. Finally, we attribute the high QY and bright luminescence to two main structure-function properties of the system; namely the absence of water in the structure, and absence of concentration quenching.« less

Simultaneous in situ determination of both U-Th-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopes in monazite by laser ablation using a magnetic sector ICP-MS and a multicollector ICP-MS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudie, D. J.; Fisher, C. M.; Hanchar, J. M.; Davis, W. J.; Crowley, J. L.; Ayers, J. C.

2012-12-01

We present a method for the simultaneous in situ determination of U-Th-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopes in monazite, using a laser ablation (LA) system coupled to both a magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR) ICP-MS and a multicollector (MC) ICP-MS. The ablated material is split using a glass Y-connector and transported simultaneously to both mass spectrometers via helium carrier gas. The MC-ICP-MS is configured to provide relative Ce, Gd, and Eu contents, in addition to Sm and Nd. This approach obtains both age (U-Pb), tracer isotope (Sm-Nd), and REE element data (Ce, Gd, and Eu), in the same ablation volume, thus reducing sampling problems associated with fine-scale zoning and other internal structures. The accuracy and precision of the U-Pb data are demonstrated using six well characterized monazite reference materials from the Geological Survey of Canada (three of which are currently used as SHRIMP standards) and agree well with previously determined ID-TIMS ages. The accuracy of the Sm-Nd isotopic data was assessed by comparison to TIMS measurements on a well-characterized in-house monazite standard. The dual LA-ICP-MS method was applied to the Birch Creek Pluton (BCP) in the White Mountains, California in a case study to test the utility of U-Th-Pb dating coupled with Sm-Nd (and Ce, Gd, Eu) isotopic data for solving geologic problems. Previous work on the Cretaceous BCP [1] used Th-Pb ages coupled with O isotopic data to constrain hydrothermal fluid events, as recorded in monazite. The original study suggested that the high delta 18O monazite in Paleozoic country rocks adjacent to the BCP grew in response to fluid alternation associated with the intrusion of the BCP, based on overlapping age with the BCP. New monazite split-stream U-Pb and Sm-Nd data show that monazite from the BCP pluton and monazite from altered country rock have homogenous and overlapping initial Nd isotopic composition, further strengthening the proposal that monazite in altered country rock can be a tracer of fluid alternation events. The split-stream U-Pb ages agrees with new high precision ID-TIMS U-Pb ages from the same monazite grains. These results demonstrate how monazite age and Sm-Nd isotopic data, coupled with delta 18O, can identify hydrothermal monazite and constrain the timing and potential sources of fluid events. [1] Ayers et al., Geology 34 (2006) 653-656.

ASTRONET: Strategic Planning for European Astronomy 2005-2025

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, Johannes; Mourard, Denis

2015-08-01

European astronomy, with ESO and ESA, is supported by a wide variety of independent national agencies or similar bodies, which jointly provide ~98% of the total funding (with ~2% EU grants). In 2005 these agencies concluded that common strategic planning would be a more cost-effective approach, so they founded a consortium, ASTRONET (http://www.astronet-eu.org/), to prototype such an effort for all of Europe, with EU support. A bottom-up process resulted in a Science Vision (2007) and Infrastructure Roadmap (2008) for European astronomy, with recent updates (2014).These ASTRONET reports cover all branches of astronomy; infrastructures at all electromagnetic wavelengths as well as particles etc., on the ground and in space; laboratory work, software and archiving; and training, recruitment and public outreach. In short, they are agreed blueprints for what Europe plans to accomplish in the next 1-2 decades.Subsequently, a systematic and sustained pragmatic effort has been made to implement the strategy laid out in the Roadmap, including a common European participation in projects and facilities of global dimensions. Decisions on the organisation and construction of several major research facilities have been taken as foreseen (E-ELT, SKA, CTA,…), and they are on track for completion around 2025. The task for global astronomy is now to optimise the overall scientific returns and cost-effectiveness of these investments across wavelength domains, scientific disciplines, and political and financial borders. Accordingly, ASTRONET is currently transforming itself into a permanent, self-sustaining activity reaching out to the world.The ideal of a fully integrated global astronomy may not be reached until ~2050, but no science is better suited than astronomy to set such an example: One Universe surrounds us all, and one Earth is our platform. The IAU General Assembly is a springboard towards this goal.

10 Years of Native Seed Certification in Germany - a Summary.

PubMed

Mainz, Ann Kareen; Wieden, Markus

2018-06-21

Many renaturation projects and compensation areas are based on the use of seeds from regional indigenous wild plants, in the following: native or regional seeds. Despite this, such seeds make up only a small proportion of the total number of seeds used for greening projects - in Germany, for example, it is only around 1% (= 200 t/yr). Although the market for regional seeds is small, it is highly competitive. High-priced native seeds compete with flower mixes of unspecified origin and can only be differentiated from them by reliable quality seals. A quality assurance system based on seed legislation (EU Directive 2010/60, preservation mixtures) has been developed in a few European countries. However, quality assurance ends with the sale of the seeds. Thus, seed use remains unmonitored and often unsuitable material, or material foreign to the region, is planted in restoration areas. Unfortunately, nature conservation has not made seed-based restoration one of its key issues, neither at the European, nor at the national level. Currently there are many different local and regional standards, methods and private certificates that are confusing for users and which provide little continuity and predictability for producers. We recommend the establishment of an EU directive or a broadly agreed recommendation to the EU member states, spearheaded by nature conservation, which would define the standards for producing and using native seeds (e.g. harmonized regions that cross national borders, quality regulations). At the same time, wild plant interest groups should combine existing structures in order to strengthen seed-based restoration through international cooperation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A framework to start the debate on neonatal screening policies in the EU: an Expert Opinion Document.

PubMed

Cornel, Martina C; Rigter, Tessel; Weinreich, Stephanie S; Burgard, Peter; Hoffmann, Georg F; Lindner, Martin; Gerard Loeber, J; Rupp, Kathrin; Taruscio, Domenica; Vittozzi, Luciano

2014-01-01

The European Union (EU) Council Recommendation on rare diseases urged the member states to implement national and EU collaborative actions to improve the health care of rare disease patients. Following this recommendation, the European Commission launched a tender on newborn screening (NBS) to report on current practices of laboratory testing, form a network of experts and provide guidance on how to further implement NBS screening in a responsible way, the latter of which was provided in an Expert Opinion document. After consultation of experts from EU member states, (potential) candidate member states and European Free Trade Association countries, in a consensus meeting in June 2011, 70 expert opinions were finalized. They included the need to develop case definitions for all disorders screened for to facilitate assessment and international outcome studies. Decision whether a screening program should be performed can be based on screening criteria updated from the traditional Wilson and Jungner (1968) criteria, relating to disease, treatment, test and cost. The interest of the child should be central in the assessment of pros and cons. A European NBS body should assess evidence on (new) screening candidate disorders. For rare conditions, best level evidence should be used. The health system should ensure treatment to cases diagnosed by screening, controlled and revised by follow-up outcome studies. Screening methodology should aim to avoid unintended findings, such as mild forms and carrier status information, as much as possible. Activities to improve NBS in Europe, such as training and scientific evaluation, could benefit from collaboration at EU level and beyond.

Recommendations on reintroduction of agalsidase Beta for patients with fabry disease in europe, following a period of shortage.

PubMed

Linthorst, Gabor E; Burlina, Alessandro P; Cecchi, Franco; Cox, Timothy M; Fletcher, Janice M; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla; Giugliani, Roberto; Hollak, Carla E M; Houge, Gunnar; Hughes, Derralynn; Kantola, Iikka; Lachmann, Robin; Lopez, Monica; Ortiz, Alberto; Parini, Rossella; Rivera, Alberto; Rolfs, Arndt; Ramaswami, Uma; Svarstad, Einar; Tondel, Camilla; Tylki-Szymanska, Anna; Vujkovac, Bojan; Waldek, Steven; West, Michael; Weidemann, F; Mehta, Atul

2013-01-01

The interruption of the manufacturing process of agalsidase beta has led to a worldwide shortage of this drug. In the EU, nearly all patients initially reduced their agalsidase beta dose, and many of these switched to agalsidase alfa (Replagal Shire HGT). The clinical consequences of this period of drug shortage need to be further evaluated. A gradual increase of agalsidase beta supply is now expected. This implies that patients could resume or even commence agalsidase beta treatment. Guidance for prioritization of patients is needed to support equitable distribution of agalsidase beta to EU member states. To achieve this, in absence of level I clinical evidence, a draft consensus proposal was initiated and distributed. No full consensus was achieved, as there is disagreement regarding the indications for switching patients from agalsidase alfa to agalsidase beta. Some physicians support the concept that the 1.0 mg/kg EOW dose of agalsidase beta is more effective than agalsidase alfa at 0.2 mg/kg EOW, while others believe that at recommended dose, the preparations are equivalent. In light of these difficulties and the uncertainties with respect to supply of agalsidase beta, recommendations were agreed upon by a subgroup of physicians. These current recommendations focus on prioritization of criteria indicative of disease progression.

7 CFR 15f.26 - May I seek judicial review of the final determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false May I seek judicial review of the final determination? 15f.26 Section 15f.26 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741 What if I Do Not Agree With the Final Determination by USDA? § 15f.26 May I seek judicial review...

7 CFR 15f.26 - May I seek judicial review of the final determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false May I seek judicial review of the final determination? 15f.26 Section 15f.26 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741 What if I Do Not Agree With the Final Determination by USDA? § 15f.26 May I seek judicial review...

7 CFR 15f.26 - May I seek judicial review of the final determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false May I seek judicial review of the final determination? 15f.26 Section 15f.26 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741 What if I Do Not Agree With the Final Determination by USDA? § 15f.26 May I seek judicial review...

7 CFR 15f.26 - May I seek judicial review of the final determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false May I seek judicial review of the final determination? 15f.26 Section 15f.26 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741 What if I Do Not Agree With the Final Determination by USDA? § 15f.26 May I seek judicial review...

7 CFR 15f.26 - May I seek judicial review of the final determination?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false May I seek judicial review of the final determination? 15f.26 Section 15f.26 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741 What if I Do Not Agree With the Final Determination by USDA? § 15f.26 May I seek judicial review...

Russia-A New Empire Under Construction. The Russian Policy towards Former Communist Satellites-Mechanisms of Exertion of Influence

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

the agreement, seeking rather better cooperation within the EU than with the USA. Finally, the very last involvement of the Polish President Lech ...nuclear weapons if 164 See the Polish President Lech Kaczyński speech cited in “Umowa w sprawie tarczy podpisana (Anti

Evaluating the ethical acceptability of animal research.

PubMed

Bout, Henriëtte J; Fentener van Vlissingen, J Martje; Karssing, Edgar D

2014-11-01

The ethical acceptability of animal research is typically evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Legislation such as Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes provides guidance for ethical evaluation of animal use proposals but does not dictate the outcome, leaving this determination to the ethical review committees of individual institutions. The authors assess different ethics models and how these are reflected in the guidelines of Directive 2010/63/EU. They also describe a matrix for carrying out harm-benefit analyses of animal use proposals, which they identified by examining the practices of three ethical review committees in the Netherlands. Finally, they discuss how this matrix can be applied by ethical review committees at other institutions.

Reimbursement challenges with cancer immunotherapeutics

PubMed Central

Kudrin, Alex

2012-01-01

Today the task of cancer vaccine developers is not only to excel in cancer immunology and art of conducting immunotherapy trials but also in the analysis and forecasting the cost-effectiveness of the final product. This article reviews methodology used by EU health-technology bodies in the appraisal of new therapies based on economic and clinical values and different budgetary uncertainties. Increasingly, new oncology treatments were able to access EU market only under provision of risk-sharing agreements with payers and examples of such agreements are given here. Cancer vaccine developers should consider early collection of patient reported outcomes in order to project additional clinical and economic value with immunotherapy. Furthermore, early interaction with different stakeholders including patient organizations, physicians and payer bodies can facilitate market access. PMID:22894969

Size-fractionated PM10 monitoring in relation to the contribution of endotoxins in different polluted areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traversi, D.; Alessandria, L.; Schilirò, T.; Gilli, G.

2011-07-01

Particulate pollution is an environmental concern that is widespread and difficult to resolve. Recently various regulatory improvements around the world have been agreed upon to tackle this problem, especially as related to the fine fraction of particulates, which more closely correlates to human health effects than other fractions. The size-fractionation of inhalable particles and their organic composition represent a new area of research that has been poorly explored thus far. Endotoxins are a type of natural organic compound that can be found in particulate matter. They are correlated with Gram-negative bacterial contamination. Health outcomes associated with exposure to these toxins are not specific and often overlap with the health effects of PM (Particulate Matter) exposure, including asthma, bronchitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome and organic dust toxic syndrome. Very little information is available on the endotoxin distribution in different PM10 size fractions. This study examined PM10 size fractions and their endotoxin content. Sampling was conducted at five different locations: one urban, two rural and two rural sites that were highly influenced by large-scale farm animal production facilities. For each location, six different PM10 fractions were evaluated. PM10 sub-fractions were categorised as follows: PM 10-7.2 (1.15-31.30 μg m -3); PM 7.2-3.0 (1.86-30.73 μg m -3); PM 3.0-1.5 (1.74-13.90 μg m -3); PM 1.5-0.95 (0.24-10.57 μg m -3); PM 0.95-0.49 (1.22-14.33 μg m -3) and PM <0.49 (13.15-85.49 μg m -3). The ranges of endotoxin levels determined were: PM 10-7.2 (0.051-5.401 endotoxin units (EU) m -3); PM 7.2-3.0 (0.123-7.801 EU m -3); PM 3.0-1.5 (0.057-1.635 EU m -3); PM 1.5-0.95 (0.040-2.477 EU m -3); PM 0.95-0.49 (0.007-3.159 EU m -3) and PM <0.49 (0.039-3.975 EU m -3). Our results indicated consistency of the PM1 fraction at all of the sites and the predominant presence of endotoxins in the coarse fraction. The observed abatement of the PM10 and endotoxin levels was very high (above 1:10) as little as 50 m from the pollution source. This kind of model is useful to both improve our knowledge about PM10 endotoxin distribution and to evaluate the potential risks for the health of neighbouring populations.

Highly luminescent and triboluminescent coordination polymers assembled from lanthanide β-diketonates and aromatic bidentate O-donor ligands.

PubMed

Eliseeva, Svetlana V; Pleshkov, Dmitry N; Lyssenko, Konstantin A; Lepnev, Leonid S; Bünzli, Jean-Claude G; Kuzmina, Natalia P

2010-10-18

The reaction of hydrated lanthanide hexafluoroacetylacetonates, [Ln(hfa)(3)(H(2)O)(2)], with 1,4-disubstituted benzenes afforded a new series of one-dimensional coordination polymers [Ln(hfa)(3)(Q)](∞), where Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, and Lu and Q = 1,4-diacetylbenzene (acbz), 1,4-diacetoxybenzene (acetbz), or 1,4-dimethyltherephtalate (dmtph). X-ray single crystal analyses reveal [Ln(hfa)(3)(acbz)](∞) (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb) consisting of zigzag polymeric chains with Ln-Ln-Ln angles equal to 128°, while the arrays are more linear in [Eu(hfa)(3)(acetbz)](∞) and [Eu(hfa)(3)(dmtph)](∞), with Ln-Ln-Ln angles of 165° and 180°, respectively. In all structures, Ln(III) ions are 8-coordinate and lie in distorted square-antiprismatic environments. The coordination polymers are thermally stable up to 180-210 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. Their volatility has been tested in vacuum sublimation experiments at 200-250 °C and 10(-2) Torr: the metal-organic frameworks with acetbz and dmtph can be quantitatively sublimed, while [Ln(hfa)(3)(acbz)](∞) undergoes thermal decomposition. The triplet state energies of the ancillary ligands, 21,600 (acetbz), 22,840 (acbz), and 24,500 (dmtph) cm(-1), lie in an ideal range for sensitizing the luminescence of Eu(III) and/or Tb(III). As a result, all of the [Ln(hfa)(3)(Q)](∞) polymers display bright red or green luminescence due to the characteristic (5)D(0) → (7)F(J) (J = 0-4) or (5)D(4) → (7)F(J) (J = 6-0) transitions, respectively. Absolute quantum yields reach 51(Eu) and 56(Tb) % for the frameworks built from dmtph. Thin films of [Eu(hfa)(3)(Q)](∞) with 100-170 nm thickness can be obtained by thermal evaporation (P < 3 × 10(-5) Torr, 200-250 °C). They are stable over a long period of time, and their photophysical parameters are similar to those of the bulk samples so that their use as active materials in luminescent devices can be envisaged. Mixtures of [Ln(hfa)(3)(dmpth)](∞) with Ln = Eu and Tb yield color-tunable microcrystalline materials from red to green. Finally, the crystalline samples exhibit strong triboluminescence, which could be useful in the design of pressure and/or damage detection probes.

Multi-component lanthanide hybrids based on zeolite A/L and zeolite A/L-polymers for tunable luminescence.

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Yan, Bing

2015-02-01

Some multi-component hybrids based on zeolite L/A are prepared. Firstly, zeolite A/L is loaded with lanthanide complexes (Eu-DBM or Tb-AA (acetylacetone = AA, dibenzoylmethane = DBM)) into its channels. Secondly, 3-methacryloyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS) is used to covalently graft onto the surface of functionalized zeolite A/L (Si-[ZA/L⊃Eu-DBM(Tb-AA)]). Thirdly, lanthanide ions (Eu(3+)/Tb(3+)) are coordinated to the functionalized zeolite A/L and ligands (phen(1,10-phenanthroline) or bipy (2,2'-bipyridyl)) are introduced by a ship-in-bottle method. The inside-outside double modifications of ZA/L with lanthanide complexes afford the final hybrids and these are characterized by means of XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis DRS, SEM and luminescence spectroscopy, some of which display white or near-white light emission. Furthermore, selected above-mentioned hybrids are incorporated into PEMA/PMMA (poly ethyl methylacryate/poly methyl methacrylate) hosts to prepare luminescent polymer films. These results provide abundant data that these hybrid materials can be expected to have potential application in various practical fields.

Luminescence in Sulfides: A Rich History and a Bright Future

PubMed Central

Smet, Philippe F.; Moreels, Iwan; Hens, Zeger; Poelman, Dirk

2010-01-01

Sulfide-based luminescent materials have attracted a lot of attention for a wide range of photo-, cathodo- and electroluminescent applications. Upon doping with Ce3+ and Eu2+, the luminescence can be varied over the entire visible region by appropriately choosing the composition of the sulfide host. Main application areas are flat panel displays based on thin film electroluminescence, field emission displays and ZnS-based powder electroluminescence for backlights. For these applications, special attention is given to BaAl2S4:Eu, ZnS:Mn and ZnS:Cu. Recently, sulfide materials have regained interest due to their ability (in contrast to oxide materials) to provide a broad band, Eu2+-based red emission for use as a color conversion material in white-light emitting diodes (LEDs). The potential application of rare-earth doped binary alkaline-earth sulfides, like CaS and SrS, thiogallates, thioaluminates and thiosilicates as conversion phosphors is discussed. Finally, this review concludes with the size-dependent luminescence in intrinsic colloidal quantum dots like PbS and CdS, and with the luminescence in doped nanoparticles.

Eu(2+)-Activated Phase-Pure Oxonitridosilicate Phosphor in a Ba-Si-O-N System via Facile Silicate-Assisted Routes Designed by First-Principles Thermodynamic Simulation.

PubMed

Yun, Young Jun; Kim, Jin Kyu; Ju, Ji Young; Choi, Seul Ki; Park, Woon Ik; Jung, Ha-Kyun; Kim, Yongseon; Choi, Sungho

2016-09-06

Eu(2+)-activated single phase Ba(2+)-oxonitridosilicate phosphors were prepared under a mild synthetic condition via silicate precursors, and their luminescent properties were investigated. Both the preferred oxonitridosilicate formation as for the available host compounds and thermodynamic stability within the Ba-Si-O-N system were elucidated in detail by the theoretical simulation based on the first-principles density functional theory. Those results can visualize the optimum synthetic conditions for Eu(2+)-activated highly luminescent Ba(2+)-oxonitridosilicates, especially Ba3Si6O12N2, as promising conversion phosphors for white LEDs, including Ba3Si6O9N4 and BaSi2O2N2 phases. To prove the simulated design rule, we synthesized the Ba3Si6O12N2:Eu(2+) phosphor using various silicate precursors, Ba2Si4O10, Ba2Si3O8, and BaSiO3, in a carbothermal reduction ambient and finally succeeded in obtaining a phase of pure highly luminescent oxonitridosilicate phosphor without using any solid-state nitride addition and/or high pressure synthetic procedures. Our study provides useful guidelines for robust synthetic procedures for developing thermally stable rare-earth-ion activated oxonitridosilicate phosphors and an established simulation method that can be effectively applied to other multigas systems.

Sorption behavior of Eu(III) from an aqueous solution onto modified hydroxyapatite: kinetics, modeling and thermodynamics.

PubMed

Gad, H M H; Youssef, M A

2017-08-16

Nano-pore hydroxyapatite (HAP) was prepared using physical activation of raw and chemically modified [using Acid; HNO 3 (HAPA) or Base; NaOH (HAPB)] bone char (BC) by heating at 900°C for 1 hr to obtain HAP9, HAPA9 and HAPB9, respectively. Investigation the effects of thermal and chemical treatment of prepared nano-hydroxyapatite on elemental analysis, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, surface area and consequently, the sorption behavior of Eu (III) ions onto the prepared nano-pore hydroxyapatite. Batch adsorption technique was used and the obtained results revealed that the optimum pH = 5.0. The % removal of europium (III) using HAPA9 and HAPB9 reach to 100% within 15 min, while HAP9 after 180 min and the pseudo-second-order was found to be fit to the experimental data. According to Langmuir model, the maximum sorption capacities (q m ) were 123.8, 384.9 and 74.2 mg g -1 for HAP9, HAPA9 and HAPB9, respectively. The reaction is spontaneous according to ΔG° value. HCl (0.5 M) was the most efficient desorbing agent for recovery of Eu(III) and regeneration of adsorbents. Finally, nano-pore hydroxyapatite (HAP) was low cost and very effective adsorbent for sorption or recovery of Eu(III) from aqueous solutions and remediation of environmental pollution.

Elimination-Fusion Self-Assembly of a Nanometer-Scale 72-Nucleus Silver Cluster Caging a Pair of [EuW10 O36 ]9- Polyoxometalates.

PubMed

Zhang, Shan-Shan; Su, Hai-Feng; Wang, Zhi; Wang, Xing-Po; Chen, Wen-Xian; Zhao, Quan-Qin; Tung, Chen-Ho; Sun, Di; Zheng, Lan-Sun

2018-02-06

The largest known polyoxometalate (POM)-templated silver-alkynyl cluster, [(EuW 10 O 36 ) 2 @Ag 72 (tBuC≡C) 48 Cl 2 ⋅4 BF 4 ] (SD/Ag20), was isolated under solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized. It was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) as a {EuW 10 } 2 -in-{Ag 72 } clusters-in-cluster rod-like compound. The high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) shows that such a double anion-templated cluster is assembled from a crucial single anion-templated Ag 42 intermediate in the solution. The crystallization of Ag 42 species (SD/Ag21), followed by SCXRD, gave an important clue about the assembly route of SD/Ag20 in solution: the Ag 42 cluster eliminates six silver atoms laterally, then fuses together at the vacant face to form the final Ag 72 cluster (elimination-fusion mechanism). The characteristic emission of [EuW 10 O 36 ] 9- is well maintained in SD/Ag20. This work not only provides a new method for the synthesis of larger silver clusters as well as the functional integration of the silver cluster and POMs, but also gives deep insights about the high-nuclear silver cluster assembly mechanism. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Identification of the CAD gene from Eucalyptus urophylla GLU4 and its functional analysis in transgenic tobacco.

PubMed

Chen, B W; Xiao, Y F; Li, J J; Liu, H L; Qin, Z H; Gai, Y; Jiang, X N

2016-12-02

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyzes the final step in lignin biosynthesis. The genus Eucalyptus belongs to the family Myrtaceae, which is the main cultivated species in China. Eucalyptus urophylla GLU4 (GLU4) is widely grown in Guangxi. It is preferred for pulping because of its excellent cellulose content and fiber length. Based on GLU4 and CAD gene expression, a Eucalyptus variety low in lignin content should be obtained using transgenic technology, which could reduce the cost of pulp and improve the pulping rate, and have favorable prospects for application. However, the role and function of CAD in GLU4 is still unclear. In the present study, EuCAD was cloned from GLU4 and identified using bioinformatic tools. Subsequently, in order to evaluate its impact on lignin synthesis, a full-length EuCAD RNAi vector was constructed, and transgenic tobacco was obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A significant decrease in CAD expression and lignin content in transgenic tobacco demonstrated a key role for EuCAD in lignin biosynthesis and established a regulatory role for RNAi. In our study, the direct molecular basis of EuCAD expression was determined, and the potential regulatory effects of this RNAi vector on lignin biosynthesis in E. urophylla GLU4 were demonstrated. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the study of lignin biosynthesis in Eucalyptus.

Increasing lanthanide luminescence by use of the RETEL effect.

PubMed

Leif, Robert C; Vallarino, Lidia M; Becker, Margie C; Yang, Sean

2006-08-01

Luminescent lanthanide complexes produce emissions with the narrowest-known width at half maximum; however, their significant use in cytometry required an increase in luminescence intensity. The companion review, Leif et al., Cytometry 2006;69A:767-778, described a new technique for the enhancement of lanthanide luminescence, the Resonance Energy Transfer Enhanced Luminescence (RETEL) effect, which increases luminescence and is compatible with standard slide microscopy. The luminescence of the europium ion macrocyclic complex, EuMac, was increased by employing the RETEL effect. After adding the nonluminescent gadolinium ion complex of the thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (TTFA) ligand or the sodium salt of TTFA in ethanol solution, the EuMac-labeled sample was allowed to dry. Both a conventional arc lamp and a time-gated UV LED served as light sources for microscopic imaging. The emission intensity was measured with a CCD camera. Multiple time-gated images were summed with special software to permit analysis and effective presentation of the final image. With the RETEL effect, the luminescence of the EuMac-streptavidin conjugate increased at least six-fold upon drying. Nuclei of apoptotic cells were stained with DAPI and tailed with 5BrdUrd to which a EuMac-anti-5BrdU conjugate was subsequently attached. Time-gated images showed the long-lived EuMac luminescence but did not show the short-lived DAPI fluorescence. Imaging of DNA-synthesizing cells with an arc lamp showed that both S phase and apoptotic cells were labeled, and that their labeling patterns were different. The images of the luminescent EuMac and fluorescent DAPI were combined to produce a color image on a white background. This combination of simple chemistry, instrumentation, and presentation should make possible the inexpensive use of the lanthanide macrocycles, Quantum Dyes, as molecular diagnostics for cytological and histopathological microscopic imaging. (c) 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology.

A promising RVO4:Eu(3+), Li(+)@SiO2 (R = Gd, Y and Gd/Y) red-emitting phosphor with improved luminescence (cd/m(2)) and colour purity for optical display applications.

PubMed

Rambabu, Urlagaddala; Munirathnam, Nagegownivari Ramachandra; Reddy, Busireddy Sudhakar; Chatterjee, Sandip

2016-02-01

Red emission intensity was optimized in three stages, by investigating the effects of: (i) host composition (Gd, Y and Gd/Y), (ii) codoping Li(+) as a sensitizer and, finally, (iii) with a SiO2 shell coating as a protecting layer. Lanthanide vanadate powder phosphors were synthesized using a modified colloidal precipitation technique. The effects of SiO2 coating on phosphor particles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-EDAX, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. An improvement in the PL intensity on Li codoping was due to improved crystallinity, which led to higher oscillating strengths for the optical transitions, and also a lowering of the inversion symmetry of Eu(3+) ions. Red emission intensity due to (5)D0  → (5)D2 transition of the phosphor Y0.94VO4:Eu(3+)0.05, Li(+)0.01 was enhanced by 22.28% compared with Y0.95VO4:Eu(3+)0.05, and was further improved by 58.73% with SiO2 coating. The luminescence intensity (I) and colour coordinates (x, y) of the optimized phosphor Y0.94VO4:Eu(3+)0.05, Li(+)0.01@SiO2, where I = 13.07 cd/m(2) and (x = 0.6721, y = 0.3240), were compared with values for a commercial red phosphor (Y2O2S:Eu(3+)), where I = 27 cd/m(2) and (x = 0.6522, y = 0.3437). The measured colour coordinates are superior to those of the commercial red phosphor, and moreover, match well with standard NTSC values (x = 0.67, y = 0.33). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Examination performances of German and international medical students in the preclinical studying-term – A descriptive study

PubMed Central

Huhn, D.; Resch, F.; Duelli, R.; Möltner, A.; Huber, J.; Karimian Jazi, K.; Amr, A.; Eckart, W.; Herzog, W.; Nikendei, C.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Medical students with a migration background face several specific problems during their studies. International surveys show first indications that this group of students performs worse in written, oral or practical exams. However, so far, nothing is known about the performance of international students in written pre-clinical tests as well as in pre-clinical State Examinations for German-speaking countries. Method: A descriptive, retrospective analysis of the exam performances of medical students in the pre-clinical part of their studies was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of Heidelberg in for the year 2012. Performance in written tests of the final exams in the second (N=276), third (N=292) and fourth semester (N=285) were compared between German students, students from EU countries and students from non-EU countries. Same comparison was drawn for the performance in the oral exam of the First State Examination in the period from 2009 - 2012 (N=1137). Results: German students performed significantly better than students with a non-EU migration background both in all written exams and in the oral State Examination (all p<.05). The performance of students with an EU migration background was significantly better than that of students with a non-EU background in the written exam at the end of the third and fourth semester (p<.05). Furthermore, German students completed the oral exam of the First State Examination significantly earlier than students with a non-EU migration background (<.01). Discussion: Due to its poorer performance in written and oral examinations and its simultaneously longer duration of study, the group of non-German medical students with a country of origin outside of the European Union has to be seen as a high-risk group among students with a migration background. For this group, there is an urgent need for early support to prepare for written and oral examinations. PMID:25228931

Enlargement Futures Project: Expert Panel on Technology, Knowledge and Learning. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gourova, Elissaveta; Ducatel, Ken; Gavigan, James; Scapolo, Fabiana; Di Pietrogiacomo, Paola

The next 10 years provide an opportunity for the European Union (EU) to renew the science and technology (S&T) base and build necessary knowledge-society capacities and capabilities in Pre-Accession Countries (PACs). Applied research has faced a major downsize; redressing the balance in the research and development systems is urgently needed.…

DAGAL: Detailed Anatomy of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapen, Johan H.

2017-03-01

The current IAU Symposium is closely connected to the EU-funded network DAGAL (Detailed Anatomy of Galaxies), with the final annual network meeting of DAGAL being at the core of this international symposium. In this short paper, we give an overview of DAGAL, its training activities, and some of the scientific advances that have been made under its umbrella.

Probing the Influence of Disorder on Lanthanide Luminescence Using Eu-Doped LaPO4 Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Lanthanide-doped nanocrystals (NCs) differ from their bulk counterparts due to their large surface to volume ratio. It is generally assumed that the optical properties are not affected by size effects as electronic transitions occur within the well-shielded 4f shell of the lanthanide dopant ions. However, defects and disorder in the surface layer can affect the luminescence properties. Trivalent europium is a suitable ion to investigate the subtle influence of the surface, because of its characteristic luminescence and high sensitivity to the local environment. Here, we investigate the influence of disorder in NCs on the optical properties of lanthanide dopants by studying the inhomogeneous linewidth, emission intensity ratios, and luminescence decay curves for LaPO4:Eu3+ samples of different sizes (4 nm to bulk) and core–shell configurations (core, core–isocrystalline shell, and core–silica shell). We show that the emission linewidths increase strongly for NCs. The ratio of the intensities of the forced electric dipole (ED) and magnetic dipole (MD) transitions, a measure for the local symmetry distortion around Eu3+ ions, is higher for samples with a large fraction of Eu3+ ions close to the surface. Finally, we present luminescence decay curves revealing an increased nonradiative decay rate for Eu3+ in NCs. The effects are strongest in core and core–silica shell NCs and can be reduced by growth of an isocrystalline LaPO4 shell. The present systematic study provides quantitative insight into the role of surface disorder on the optical properties of lanthanide-doped NCs. These insights are important in emerging applications of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals. PMID:28919934

Influence of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}, Tb{sup 3+} transparent films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morales-Ramírez, Ángel de Jesús; García-Murillo, Antonieta, E-mail: angarciam@ipn.mx; Carrillo-Romo, Felipe de Jesús

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}, Tb{sup 3+} films were synthesized by sol–gel and by dip-coating technique. • Effects of annealing treatment on structural and optical properties were studied. • Optogeometrical characteristics of synthesized films were analyzed. • X-ray diffraction results showed that Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}, Tb{sup 3+} crystallizes at 700 °C. • High reddish emission on transparent films with at least 1 μm thick was observed. - Abstract: High-optical quality Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} 5 mol%, X Tb{sup 3+} (X = 0–0.04 mol%) thin films were prepared by the sol–gel process and dip-coating technique. The procedure was asmore » follows: lutetium, europium and terbium nitrates were used as precursors, and ethanol as a solvent. Etylenglycol (EG) was added as a sol stabilizer, and the pH was adjusted by acetic acid. After 10 dipping-cycles, followed by an annealing process (600–900 °C) for 1 h, transparent, smooth and crack-free films (ra = 8–9 nm) were formed. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed crystallized films into the cubic structure at 800 °C. The ellipsometry results showed that the thickness of the films varied from 1 to 1.4 μm at 1000 and 600 °C, respectively. Finally, the films presented a typical Eu{sup 3+} red emission at 611 nm ({sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 2}); furthermore, the effect of the Tb{sup 3+} content showed that the highest emission intensity corresponded to the lower Tb{sup 3+} content.« less

A European classification of services for long-term care—the EU-project eDESDE-LTC

PubMed Central

Weber, Germain; Brehmer, Barbara; Zeilinger, Elisabeth; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2009-01-01

Purpose and theory The eDESDE-LTC project aims at developing an operational system for coding, mapping and comparing services for long-term care (LTC) across EU. The projects strategy is to improve EU listing and access to relevant sources of healthcare information via development of SEMANTIC INTER-OPERABILITY in eHEALTH (coding and listing of services for LTC); to increase access to relevant sources of information on LTC services, and to improve linkages between national and regional websites; to foster cooperation with international organizations (OECD). Methods This operational system will include a standard classification of main types of care for persons with LTC needs and an instrument for mapping and standard description of services. These instruments are based on previous classification systems for mental health services (ESMS), disabilities services (DESDE) and ageing services (DESDAE). A Delphi panel made by seven partners developed a DESDE-LTC beta version, which was translated into six languages. The feasibility of DESDE-LTC is tested in six countries using national focal groups. Then the final version will be developed by the Delphi panel, a webpage, training material and course will be carried out. Results and conclusions The eDESDE-LTC system will be piloted in two EU countries (Spain and Bulgaria). Evaluation will focus primarily on usability and impact analysis. Discussion The added value of this project is related to the right of “having access to high-quality healthcare when and where it is needed” by EU citizens. Due to semantic variability and service complexity, existing national listings of services do not provide an adequate framework for patient mobility.

European initiatives to develop information systems in oceanography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Grand, P.

2009-04-01

Various initiatives are currently in preparation or ongoing at the European level to improve information systems in Earth Sciences and oceanographic systems are at the forefront of these efforts. Europe is playing a leading role in the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) that aims to implement the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The GEO Architecture and Data Committee, oversees the development of the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) which consists of a web-based portal, a clearinghouse for searching data, information and services, registries containing information about GEOSS components and associated standards and best practices. This development is detailed in the various tasks of the GEO Work Plan . Several European projects in the marine domain funded under the research framework program participate in the development of the GEOSS. EMODNET is another initiative to develop a system that will allow a better identification and access to marine data that are being collected, that will permit the identification of data gaps and that will shape a data collection and monitoring infrastructure directly suited to multiple applications. A number of measures have already been taken at EU level - the INSPIRE Directive obliges Member States to facilitate discovery of data holdings, the Environmental Information Directive requires them to release the data when asked, the Public Sector Information Directive facilitates the re-use of public data and the revised Data Collection Regulation has improved the availability of fisheries data. Moreover, prototype marine data catalogues and quality procedures for measurement laboratories have been developed through successive EU research programmes. EMODNET is complementary to other EU initiatives in the marine domain. Parameters made available through EMODNET will facilitate the GMES marine core service which aims to deliver both short term and seasonal forecasts, hindcasts, nowcasts, and time series and climate change scenario simulations. EMODNET will provide the access to raw and processed data necessary to calculate the indicators that Member States are obliged to provide through WISE-Marine to meet the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Moving to the definitive EMODNET will require significant funding. Given that EMODNET is very much focused on a sea-basin scale and given the impetus accorded to territorial cohesion by the EU maritime policy, discussions will begin to determine whether cohesion funding could support the initiative. At the same time moves will begin to integrate EMODNET with initiatives under the EU's research infrastructure programmes and the Common Fisheries Policy Data Collection Regulation. The objective is to achieve by 2014 an operational and sustainable EMODNET with earmarked funding and an agreed governance structure.

Stability constants for mono- and dioxalato-complexes of Y and the REE, potentially important species in groundwaters and surface freshwaters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schijf, J.; Byrne, R. H.

2001-04-01

We present the first measured set of stability constants for mono- and dioxalato-complexes of yttrium and all rare earths except Pm (Y+REE), Oxβ n = [MOx n3-2n] [M 3+] -1 [Ox 2-] -n(where [ ] ≡ concentrations, M ≡ Y+REE, and Ox 2- ≡ C 2O 42-). Aqueous solutions of Y+REE were titrated with oxalic acid in the presence of a cation-exchange resin, and Y+REE concentrations in the solution phase were measured by ICP-MS. This method allows investigation of all Y+REE simultaneously under identical conditions and is thus very sensitive to subtle inter-element variations in log Oxβ n. Experiments were performed at a single ionic strength ( I = 0.05 M), but at two values of pH. Patterns of log Oxβ 1 and log Oxβ 2, determined from our experiments, are similar in shape and reminiscent of those for carbonato-complexes. The average ratio of stepwise stability constants K 2/K 1 = Oxβ 2/( Oxβ 1) 2 is 0.05 ± 0.02 for Y+REE excluding La and Ce. Literature values of Oxβ 1(Eu) for 0.03 mol/L ≤ I ≤ 1 mol/L were used to derive the relation log Oxβ 1(Eu) = log Oxβ 10(Eu) - 6.132√ I/(1 + 1.47√ I) + 0.902 I, where log Oxβ 10(Eu) is the stability constant at infinite dilution. Applying this relation to all Y+REE, the following values of log Oxβ 10 (at zero ionic strength) were found: 6.66 (Y), 5.87 (La), 5.97 (Ce), 6.25 (Pr), 6.31 (Nd), 6.43 (Sm), 6.52 (Eu), 6.53 (Gd), 6.63 (Tb), 6.74 (Dy), 6.77 (Ho), 6.83 (Er), 6.89 (Tm), 6.95 (Yb), 6.96 (Lu). These values, which are based on direct measurements for each individual Y+REE, agree quite well with published extrapolations that are mostly based on linear free-energy relationships. Total oxalate concentrations of 10 -5-10 -3 M have been reported for soil solutions. Free oxalate ions persist at much lower pH than free carbonate ions and a simple speciation model demonstrates that oxalato-complexes can dominate Y+REE speciation in mildly acidic groundwaters of low-to-moderate alkalinity.

Balancing Acts

MedlinePlus

... frames were skipping. It was disorienting," the Pittsburgh accountant recalls. The dizziness didn't go away. Finally ... treatment. "Happy to make a small contribution to public health," he agreed to participate in a clinical ...

Final report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission: will we get the health care governance reform we need?

PubMed

Stoelwinder, Johannes U

2009-10-05

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) has recommended that Australia develop a "single health system", governed by the federal government. Steps to achieving this include: a "Healthy Australia Accord" to agree on the reform framework; the progressive takeover of funding of public hospitals by the federal government; and the possible implementation of a consumer-choice health funding model, called "Medicare Select". These proposals face significant implementation issues, and the final solution needs to deal with both financial and political sustainability. If the federal and state governments cannot agree on a reform plan, the Prime Minister may need to go to the electorate for a mandate, which may be shaped by other economic issues such as tax reform and intergenerational challenges.

77 FR 26316 - Progress Energy Florida; Final Environmental Impact Statement for Combined Licenses for Levy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-03

..., Rockville, Maryland, 20852 or from NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC's Web site at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html . The ADAMS accession numbers for the... . In addition, the following four public libraries have agreed to make the final EIS available to the...

Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel submitted its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education, and it was officially released to the public on that date, as well. The Panel agrees that the delivery system in mathematics education--the system that translates mathematical knowledge into…

Desired and Undesired Effects of Energy Labels--An Eye-Tracking Study.

PubMed

Waechter, Signe; Sütterlin, Bernadette; Siegrist, Michael

2015-01-01

Saving energy is an important pillar for the mitigation of climate change. Electric devices (e.g., freezer and television) are an important player in the residential sector in the final demand for energy. Consumers' purchase decisions are therefore crucial to successfully reach the energy-efficiency goals. Putting energy labels on products is often considered an adequate way of empowering consumers to make informed purchase decisions. Consequently, this approach should contribute to reducing overall energy consumption. The effectiveness of its measurement depends on consumers' use and interpretation of the information provided. Despite advances in energy efficiency and a mandatory labeling policy, final energy consumption per capita is in many countries still increasing. This paper provides a systematic analysis of consumers' reactions to one of the most widely used eco-labels, the European Union (EU) energy label, by using eye-tracking methodology as an objective measurement. The study's results partially support the EU's mandatory policy, showing that the energy label triggers attention toward energy information in general. However, the energy label's effect on consumers' actual product choices seems to be rather low. The study's results show that the currently used presentation format on the label is insufficient. The findings suggest that it does not facilitate the integration of energy-related information. Furthermore, the current format can attract consumers to focus more on energy-efficiency information, leading them to disregard information about actual energy consumption. As a result, the final energy consumption may increase because excellent ratings on energy efficiency (e.g., A++) do not automatically imply little consumption. Finally, implications for policymakers and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Towards tributyltin quantification in natural water at the Environmental Quality Standard level required by the Water Framework Directive.

PubMed

Alasonati, Enrica; Fettig, Ina; Richter, Janine; Philipp, Rosemarie; Milačič, Radmila; Sčančar, Janez; Zuliani, Tea; Tunç, Murat; Bilsel, Mine; Gören, Ahmet Ceyhan; Fisicaro, Paola

2016-11-01

The European Union (EU) has included tributyltin (TBT) and its compounds in the list of priority water pollutants. Quality standards demanded by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) require determination of TBT at so low concentration level that chemical analysis is still difficult and further research is needed to improve the sensitivity, the accuracy and the precision of existing methodologies. Within the frame of a joint research project "Traceable measurements for monitoring critical pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive" in the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), four metrological and designated institutes have developed a primary method to quantify TBT in natural water using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and species-specific isotope dilution mass spectrometry (SSIDMS). The procedure has been validated at the Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) level (0.2ngL(-1) as cation) and at the WFD-required limit of quantification (LOQ) (0.06ngL(-1) as cation). The LOQ of the methodology was 0.06ngL(-1) and the average measurement uncertainty at the LOQ was 36%, which agreed with WFD requirements. The analytical difficulties of the method, namely the presence of TBT in blanks and the sources of measurement uncertainties, as well as the interlaboratory comparison results are discussed in detail. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geography, Economic Education and Global Education: European and Austrian Aspects of the "Fifobi--Developing Business Competencies in School" Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Ingrid

2012-01-01

Purpose: The EU-funded research project "Fifobi--Fit for Business--developing business competencies in school" (2009-2012) focused on the implementation of economic education in seven European countries. The purpose of the project and this paper is to investigate the current programmes that exist within the final two years of compulsory…

An Approach to Cluster EU Member States into Groups According to Pathways of Salmonella in the Farm-to-Consumption Chain for Pork Products.

PubMed

Vigre, Håkan; Domingues, Ana Rita Coutinho Calado; Pedersen, Ulrik Bo; Hald, Tine

2016-03-01

The aim of the project as the cluster analysis was to in part to develop a generic structured quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) model of human salmonellosis due to pork consumption in EU member states (MSs), and the objective of the cluster analysis was to group the EU MSs according to the relative contribution of different pathways of Salmonella in the farm-to-consumption chain of pork products. In the development of the model, by selecting a case study MS from each cluster the model was developed to represent different aspects of pig production, pork production, and consumption of pork products across EU states. The objective of the cluster analysis was to aggregate MSs into groups of countries with similar importance of different pathways of Salmonella in the farm-to-consumption chain using available, and where possible, universal register data related to the pork production and consumption in each country. Based on MS-specific information about distribution of (i) small and large farms, (ii) small and large slaughterhouses, (iii) amount of pork meat consumed, and (iv) amount of sausages consumed we used nonhierarchical and hierarchical cluster analysis to group the MSs. The cluster solutions were validated internally using statistic measures and externally by comparing the clustered MSs with an estimated human incidence of salmonellosis due to pork products in the MSs. Finally, each cluster was characterized qualitatively using the centroids of the clusters. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Preparation and Scintillating Properties of Sol-Gel Eu3+, Tb3+ Co-Doped Lu2O3 Nanopowders

PubMed Central

de Jesús Morales Ramírez, Ángel; Murillo, Antonieta García; de Jesús Carrillo Romo, Felipe; Hernández, Margarita García; Palmerin, Joel Moreno; Guerrero, Rosario Ruiz

2011-01-01

Nanocrystalline Eu3+, Tb3+ co-doped Lu2O3 powders with a maximum size of 25.5 nm were prepared by the sol-gel process, using lutetium, europium and terbium nitrates as precursors, and ethanol as a solvent. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to study the chemical changes during the xerogel annealing. After the sol evaporation at 100 °C, the formed gel was annealed from 300 to 900 °C for 30 min under a rich O2 atmosphere, and the yielded product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to characterize the microstructural behavior and confirm the crystalline structure. The results showed that Lu2O3 nanopowders start to crystallize at 400 °C and that the crystallite size increases along with the annealing temperature. A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of samples annealed at 700 and 900 °C was carried out in order to analyze the microstructure, as well as the size, of crystallites. Finally, in regard to scintillating properties, Eu3+ dopant (5 mol%), Tb3+ codoped Lu2O3 exhibited a typical red emission at 611 nm (D°→7F2), furthermore, the effect of Tb3+ molar content (0.01, 0.015 and 0.02% mol) on the Eu3+ radioluminiscence was analyzed and it was found that the higher emission intensity corresponds to the lower Tb3+ content. PMID:22016655

Does EU's energy dependence on Russia increase price volatility for consumers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yekeler, Zeynep

Europe's dependence on natural gas imports from Russia has raised questions about energy risk and the vulnerability of the European countries, especially after the supply cuts in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012. The implementation of the Third Energy Package to finally unify European energy markets by linking the states located on the periphery to the well connected gas hubs in Northern Europe has been slow due to a lack of political will across Europe. This has enabled Russian Gazprom to retain its position as a major player in European markets and hinder any European effort to diversify the energy portfolio of the region. Using residential natural gas and electricity price data from 2000 through 2014, this paper analyzes the impact of EU's import reliance on natural gas from Russia and the supply disruptions on the volatility of natural gas and electricity prices through a fixed effects regression model. Results indicate that while the size of Russian natural gas imports does not significantly affect natural gas and electricity price volatility in EU countries, security supply measures such as natural gas stocks matter, especially for Southeast European countries that consistently pay more according to the results. The paper concludes by discussing the importance of formulating policies that not only aim to reduce overall EU dependence but minimize Southeastern Europe's vulnerabilities. Policy suggestions include increasing cross-border interconnectors and storage capacity as well as increasing LNG import capacity by building regasification terminals in periphery countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia.

Assessment of ocean models in Mediterranean Sea against altimetry and gravimetry measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenoglio-Marc, Luciana; Uebbing, Bernd; Kusche, Jürgen

2017-04-01

This work aims at assessing in a regional study in the Mediterranean Sea the agreement between ocean model outputs and satellite altimetry and satellite gravity observations. Satellite sea level change are from altimeter data made available by the Sea Level Climate Change Initiative (SLCCI) and from satellite gravity data made available by GRACE. We consider two ocean simulations not assimilating satellite altimeter data and one ocean model reanalysis assimilating satellite altimetry. Ocean model simulations can provide some insight on the ocean variability, but they are affected by biases due to errors in model formulation, specification of initial states and forcing, and are not directly constrained by observations. Their trend can be quite different from the altimetric observations due to surface radiation biases, however they are physically consistent. Ocean reanalyses are the combination of ocean models, atmospheric forcing fluxes and ocean observations via data assimilation methods and have the potential to provide more accurate information than observation-only or model-only based ocean estimations. They will be closer to altimetry at long and short timescales, but assimilation may destroy mass consistency. We use two ocean simulations which are part of the Med-CORDEX initiative (https://www.medcordex.eu). The first is the CNRM-RCM4 fully-coupled Regional Climate System Model (RCMS) simulation developed at METEOFRANCE for 1980-2012. The second is the PROTHEUS standalone hindcast simulation developed at ENEA and covers the interval 1960-2012. The third model is the regional model MEDSEA_REANALYSIS_PHIS_006_004 assimilating satellite altimeter data (http://marine.copernicus.eu/) and available over 1987-2014. Comparison at basin and regional scale are made. First the steric, thermo-steric, halosteric and dynamic components output of the models are compared. Then the total sea level given by the models is compared to the altimeter observations. Finally the mass component derived from GRACE is compared to the difference between the total sea level and the steric component. We observe large differences between the ocean models and discuss the model which best agrees with the CCI sea level product at short and at longer timescales. We consider departure in sea level trends, inter-annual variability and seasonal cycle. The work is part of the Sea Level Climate Change Initiative project.

Design of a general-purpose European compound screening library for EU-OPENSCREEN.

PubMed

Horvath, Dragos; Lisurek, Michael; Rupp, Bernd; Kühne, Ronald; Specker, Edgar; von Kries, Jens; Rognan, Didier; Andersson, C David; Almqvist, Fredrik; Elofsson, Mikael; Enqvist, Per-Anders; Gustavsson, Anna-Lena; Remez, Nikita; Mestres, Jordi; Marcou, Gilles; Varnek, Alexander; Hibert, Marcel; Quintana, Jordi; Frank, Ronald

2014-10-01

This work describes a collaborative effort to define and apply a protocol for the rational selection of a general-purpose screening library, to be used by the screening platforms affiliated with the EU-OPENSCREEN initiative. It is designed as a standard source of compounds for primary screening against novel biological targets, at the request of research partners. Given the general nature of the potential applications of this compound collection, the focus of the selection strategy lies on ensuring chemical stability, absence of reactive compounds, screening-compliant physicochemical properties, loose compliance to drug-likeness criteria (as drug design is a major, but not exclusive application), and maximal diversity/coverage of chemical space, aimed at providing hits for a wide spectrum of drugable targets. Finally, practical availability/cost issues cannot be avoided. The main goal of this publication is to inform potential future users of this library about its conception, sources, and characteristics. The outline of the selection procedure, notably of the filtering rules designed by a large committee of European medicinal chemists and chemoinformaticians, may be of general methodological interest for the screening/medicinal chemistry community. The selection task of 200K molecules out of a pre-filtered set of 1.4M candidates was shared by five independent European research groups, each picking a subset of 40K compounds according to their own in-house methodology and expertise. An in-depth analysis of chemical space coverage of the library serves not only to characterize the collection, but also to compare the various chemoinformatics-driven selection procedures of maximal diversity sets. Compound selections contributed by various participating groups were mapped onto general-purpose self-organizing maps (SOMs) built on the basis of marketed drugs and bioactive reference molecules. In this way, the occupancy of chemical space by the EU-OPENSCREEN library could be directly compared with distributions of known bioactives of various classes. This mapping highlights the relevance of the selection and shows how the consensus reached by merging the five different 40K selections contributes to achieve this relevance. The approach also allows one to readily identify subsets of target- or target-class-oriented compounds from the EU-OPENSCREEN library to suit the needs of the diverse range of potential users. The final EU-OPENSCREEN library, assembled by merging five independent selections of 40K compounds from various expert groups, represents an excellent example of a Europe-wide collaborative effort toward the common objective of building best-in-class European open screening platforms. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multifunctional nanocomposites of lanthanide (Eu3+, Tb3+) complexes functionalized magnetic mesoporous silica nanospheres covalently bonded with polymer modified ZnO.

PubMed

Yan, Bing; Shao, Yan-Fei

2013-07-14

Methacrylic-group-modified ZnO nanoparticles (designated ZnO-MAA) prepared through the sol-gel process are copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to form ZnO-MAA-PHEMA hybrid system. ZnO-MAA-PHEMA unit is functionalized with 3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl isocyanate (TEPIC) to form ZnO-MAA-PHEMA-Si hybrids, and then is incorporated with oleic acid-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles by co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and ZnO-MAA-PHEMA-Si. Subsequently, ZnO-polymer covalently bonded mesoporous silica nanospheres are assembled using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant as template. Furthermore, lanthanide (Eu(3+), Tb(3+)) complexes with nicotinic acid (NTA), isonicotinic acid (INTA) and 2-chloronicotinic (CNTA) are introduced by coordination bonds, resulting in the final multifunctional nanocomposites. The detailed physical characterization of these hybrids is discussed in detail. It reveals that they possess both magnetic and luminescent properties. Especially Eu(ZnO-MMS)(CNTA)3 and Tb(ZnO-MMS)(NTA)3 present high quantum yield values of 32.2% and 68.5%, respectively. The results will lay the foundation for further application in biomedical and biopharmaceutical fields.

Temperature-controlled down-conversion luminescence behavior of Eu3+ -doped transparent MF2 (M = Ba, Ca, Sr) glass ceramics.

PubMed

Zhou, B; E, C Q; Bu, Y Y; Meng, L; Yan, X H; Wang, X F

2017-03-01

Eu 3 + -doped transparent glass ceramics containing MF 2 (M = Ba, Ca, Sr) nanocrystals were fabricated using a melt-quenching method, and the resulting structures were studied using X-ray diffraction. Levels 5 D 1 and 5 D 0 of Eu 3 + ions were verified as thermally coupled levels using the fluorescence intensity ratio method. The fluorescence intensity ratios, optical temperature sensitivity and thermal quenching ratios of the transparent glass ceramics were studied as a function of temperature. With an increase in temperature, the relative sensitivity (S R ) decreased sharply at first, then slowly increased, before finally decreasing. The minimum S R values of GCBaF 2 (GCB), GCCaF 2 (GCC) and GCSrF 2 (GCS) were 2.8 × 10 -4 , 0.8 × 10 -4 and 1.9 × 10 - 4  K -1 at 360, 269 and 319 K, respectively. Glass ceramics with an intense emission intensity can be used to convert the measured spectrum into temperature and may have an important role in temperature detectors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Smart Europium-Ruthenium Complex as Anticancer Prodrug: Controllable Drug Release and Real-Time Monitoring under Different Light Excitations.

PubMed

Li, Hongguang; Xie, Chen; Lan, Rongfeng; Zha, Shuai; Chan, Chi-Fai; Wong, Wing-Yan; Ho, Ka-Lok; Chan, Brandon Dow; Luo, Yuxia; Zhang, Jing-Xiang; Law, Ga-Lai; Tai, William C S; Bünzli, Jean-Claude G; Wong, Ka-Leung

2017-11-09

A unique, dual-function, photoactivatable anticancer prodrug, RuEuL, has been tailored that features a ruthenium(II) complex linked to a cyclen-europium chelate via a π-conjugated bridge. Under irradiation at 488 nm, the dark-inactive prodrug undergoes photodissociation, releasing the DNA-damaging ruthenium species. Under evaluation-window irradiation (λ irr = one-photon 350 nm or two-photon 700 nm), the drug delivery process can be quantitatively monitored in real-time because of the long-lived red europium emission. Linear relationships between released drug concentration and ESI-MS or luminescence responses are established. Finally, the efficiency of the new prodrug is demonstrated both in vitro RuEuL anticancer prodrug over some existing ones and open the way for decisive improvements in multipurpose prodrugs.

Computational discovery of lanthanide doped and Co-doped Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} for optoelectronic applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choudhary, Kamal; Chernatynskiy, Aleksandr; Phillpot, Simon R.

2015-09-14

We systematically elucidate the optoelectronic properties of rare-earth doped and Ce co-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) using hybrid exchange-correlation functional based density functional theory. The predicted optical transitions agree with the experimental observations for single doped Ce:YAG, Pr:YAG, and co-doped Er,Ce:YAG. We find that co-doping of Ce-doped YAG with any lanthanide except Eu and Lu lowers the transition energies; we attribute this behavior to the lanthanide-induced change in bonding environment of the dopant atoms. Furthermore, we find infrared transitions only in case of the Er, Tb, and Tm co-doped Ce:YAG and suggest Tm,Ce:YAG and Tb,Ce:YAG as possible functional materials formore » efficient spectral up-conversion devices.« less

Geochemistry and Temperatures Recorded by Zircon During the Final Stages of the Youngest Toba Tuff Magma Chamber, Sumatra, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaither, T.; Reid, M. R.; Vazquez, J. A.

2009-12-01

The ~74 ka eruption of the Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) in Sumatra, Indonesia, was one of the largest single volcanic eruptions in geologic history, on par with other voluminous silicic eruptions such as the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff of Yellowstone and the Bishop Tuff of Long Valley, California. We are exploring how zircon and other accessory mineral phases record compositional and thermal changes that occurred in the YTT magma, and the important clues these crystal scale records hold for magma chamber dynamics and processes that lead up to supervolcano eruptions. In this study, we report trace element (REE, U, Th, Ti, and Hf) characteristics, Ti-in-zircon crystallization temperatures, and apparent REE partition coefficients obtained for YTT zircon rims. Twenty-nine zircons from pumices with a compositional range of 70-76 wt% SiO2 were analyzed on the UCLA Cameca ims 1270 ion microprobe. The grains were mounted so that only the outermost ~1.5 microns of the crystals were analyzed. Median Zr/Hf ratios of 34 to 38 characterize zircons from the pumices; the high silica rhyolite grains have lower Zr/Hf. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are strongly LREE-depleted. Positive Ce anomalies are large (Ce/Ce* ranges up to 88) and Eu/Eu* varies by a factor of four (0.05 to 0.21). Eu/Eu*, Nd/Yb, and Th/U decrease with decreasing Zr/Hf, showing that the variation in zircon rim compositions may be related by co-precipitation of feldspar and allanite along with zircon. Titanium contents also decrease with decreasing Zr/Hf, suggesting that the chemical differences could be related to temperature changes. REE partition coefficients calculated from zircon rim compositions and pumice glass compositions give a good fit to a lattice strain model. They are also quite similar to the partition coefficients of Sano et al. (2002) which have been shown to be successful at reproducing melt compositions in other settings. Temperatures of crystallization calculated using the Ti-in-zircon geothermometer (Watson et al., 1996), assuming a melt aTiO2 of 0.5, yield very low median values (even without a possible pressure correction of -40 to -80°C), ranging from 640-667°C. Virtually all of the zircon rims record temperatures lower than eruption temperatures of 700-780°C estimated for the YTT by Chesner (1998) using FeTi oxide equilibria. It is possible that the low zircon temperatures reflect uncertainties in the Ti-in-zircon geothermometer but they are nonetheless permissive of re-entrainment of zircon from a near-solidus mush close to the time of eruption. The analytically significant chemical variations within the individual zircon populations, especially those of Zr/Hf, Eu/Eu*, and Nd/Yb, suggest that crystals from distinct compositional domains were brought together during a final merging/coalescence of magma that catalyzed the eruption.

The influence of the European paediatric regulation on marketing authorisation of orphan drugs for children

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Drug development for rare diseases is challenging, especially when these orphan drugs (OD) are intended for children. In 2007 the EU Paediatric Drug Regulation was enacted to improve the development of high quality and ethically researched medicines for children through the establishment of Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIPs). The effect of the EU Paediatric Drug Regulation on the marketing authorisation (MA) of drugs for children with rare diseases was studied. Methods Data on all designated orphan drugs, their indication, MA, PIPs and indication group (adult or child) were obtained from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The outcome and duration of the process from orphan drug designation (ODD) to MA, was compared, per indication, by age group. The effect of the Paediatric Drug Regulation, implemented in 2007, on the application process was assessed with survival analysis. Results Eighty-one orphan drugs obtained MA since 2000 and half are authorised for (a subgroup of) children; another 34 are currently undergoing further investigations in children through agreed PIPs. The Paediatric Drug Regulation did not significantly increase the number of ODDs with potential paediatric indications (58% before vs 64% after 2007 of ODDs, p = 0.1) and did not lead to more MAs for ODs with paediatric indications (60% vs 43%, p = 0.22). ODs authorised after 2007 had a longer time to MA than those authorised before 2007 (Hazard ratio (95% CI) 2.80 (1.84-4.28), p < 0.001); potential paediatric use did not influence the time to MA (Hazard ratio (95% CI) 1.14 (0.77-1.70), p = 0.52). Conclusions The EU Paediatric Drug Regulation had a minor impact on development and availability of ODs for children, was associated with a longer time to MA, but ensured the further paediatric development of drugs still off-label to children. The impact of the Paediatric Drug Regulation on research quantity and quality in children through PIPs is not yet clear. PMID:25091201

Searching for solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by agricultural policy decisions--Application of system dynamics modeling for the case of Latvia.

PubMed

Dace, Elina; Muizniece, Indra; Blumberga, Andra; Kaczala, Fabio

2015-09-15

European Union (EU) Member States have agreed to limit their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sectors not covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (non-ETS). That includes also emissions from agricultural sector. Although the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has established a methodology for assessment of GHG emissions from agriculture, the forecasting options are limited, especially when policies and their interaction with the agricultural system are tested. Therefore, an advanced tool, a system dynamics model, was developed that enables assessment of effects various decisions and measures have on agricultural GHG emissions. The model is based on the IPCC guidelines and includes the main elements of an agricultural system, i.e. land management, livestock farming, soil fertilization and crop production, as well as feedback mechanisms between the elements. The case of Latvia is selected for simulations, as agriculture generates 22% of the total anthropogenic GHG emissions in the country. The results demonstrate that there are very limited options for GHG mitigation in the agricultural sector. Thereby, reaching the non-ETS GHG emission targets will be very challenging for Latvia, as the level of agricultural GHG emissions will be exceeded considerably above the target levels. Thus, other non-ETS sectors will have to reduce their emissions drastically to "neutralize" the agricultural sector's emissions for reaching the EU's common ambition to move towards low-carbon economy. The developed model may serve as a decision support tool for impact assessment of various measures and decisions on the agricultural system's GHG emissions. Although the model is applied to the case of Latvia, the elements and structure of the model developed are similar to agricultural systems in many countries. By changing numeric values of certain parameters, the model can be applied to analyze decisions and measures in other countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of the European paediatric regulation on marketing authorisation of orphan drugs for children.

PubMed

Kreeftmeijer-Vegter, Annemarie Rosan; de Boer, Anthonius; van der Vlugt-Meijer, Roselinda H; de Vries, Peter J

2014-08-05

Drug development for rare diseases is challenging, especially when these orphan drugs (OD) are intended for children. In 2007 the EU Paediatric Drug Regulation was enacted to improve the development of high quality and ethically researched medicines for children through the establishment of Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIPs). The effect of the EU Paediatric Drug Regulation on the marketing authorisation (MA) of drugs for children with rare diseases was studied. Data on all designated orphan drugs, their indication, MA, PIPs and indication group (adult or child) were obtained from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The outcome and duration of the process from orphan drug designation (ODD) to MA, was compared, per indication, by age group. The effect of the Paediatric Drug Regulation, implemented in 2007, on the application process was assessed with survival analysis. Eighty-one orphan drugs obtained MA since 2000 and half are authorised for (a subgroup of) children; another 34 are currently undergoing further investigations in children through agreed PIPs. The Paediatric Drug Regulation did not significantly increase the number of ODDs with potential paediatric indications (58% before vs 64% after 2007 of ODDs, p = 0.1) and did not lead to more MAs for ODs with paediatric indications (60% vs 43%, p = 0.22). ODs authorised after 2007 had a longer time to MA than those authorised before 2007 (Hazard ratio (95% CI) 2.80 (1.84-4.28), p < 0.001); potential paediatric use did not influence the time to MA (Hazard ratio (95% CI) 1.14 (0.77-1.70), p = 0.52). The EU Paediatric Drug Regulation had a minor impact on development and availability of ODs for children, was associated with a longer time to MA, but ensured the further paediatric development of drugs still off-label to children. The impact of the Paediatric Drug Regulation on research quantity and quality in children through PIPs is not yet clear.

Multichannel Luminescence Properties of Mixed-Valent Eu2+/Eu3+ Coactivated SrAl3BO7 Nanocrystalline Phosphors for Near-UV LEDs.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoming; Xie, Weijie; Lü, Ying; Feng, Jingchun; Tang, Xinghua; Lin, Jun; Dai, Yuhua; Xie, Yu; Yan, Liushui

2017-11-20

Up to now, orchestrating the coexistence of Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ activators in a single host lattice has been an extremely difficult task, especially for the appearance of the characteristic emission of Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ in order to generate white light. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate a new Eu 2+ /Eu 3+ coactivated SrAl 3 BO 7 nanocrystalline phosphor with abundant and excellent multichannel luminescence properties. A series of Eu 2+ /Eu 3+ coactivated SrAl 3 BO 7 nanocrystalline phosphors were prepared through a Pechini-type sol-gel method followed by a reduction process. With excitation of UV/NUV light, the prepared SrAl 3 BO 7 :Eu 2+ ,Eu 3+ phosphors show not only the characteristic f-f transitions of Eu 3+ ion ( 5 D J → 7 F J,J' , J, J' = 0-3), but also the 5d → 4f transitions of Eu 2+ ion with comparable intensity from 400 to 700 nm in the whole visible spectral region. The luminescence color of the SrAl 3 BO 7 :Eu 2+ ,Eu 3+ phosphor can be tuned from blue, blue-green, white, and orange to orange-red by changing the excitation wavelength, the overall doping concentration of europium ions (Eu 2+ , Eu 3+ ), and the relative ratio of Eu 2+ to Eu 3+ ions to some extent. A single-phase white-light emission has been realized in SrAl 3 BO 7 :Eu 2+ ,Eu 3+ phosphor. The obtained SrAl 3 BO 7 :Eu 2+ ,Eu 3+ phosphor has potential application in the area of NUV white-light-emitting diodes.

Popular universities: An alternative vision for lifelong learning in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stromquist, Nelly P.; da Costa, Romina B.

2017-10-01

At its inception in 1993, the European Union (EU) did not consider education one of the pillars of its regional cohesiveness and identity. As time went by, recognition of the potential role of education at individual and social levels increased. This concern for education, however, is much more centred on the acquisition of knowledge and skills towards developing a competitive labour force than towards facilitating the integration of all citizens in the European community - a bias which is reflected in EU policies and recommendations. At local levels, communities need to offer educational opportunities to all members of society, irrespective of their social, cultural and linguistic background and their level of education. In many EU member countries, this kind of learning is offered by popular universities (PUs), which are not state-funded and run in close collaboration with their respective local communities. The authors of this paper carried out a qualitative survey, collecting data on PUs in Spain and France. Their purpose was to examine how European PU offerings align with community needs, and to what extent they address emerging issues such as immigration, the refugee crisis, an aging population and youth unemployment. In the evaluation of their comparative survey, the authors link the grassroots approaches of PUs in Spain and France to the broader European Union (EU) discourse on lifelong learning (LLL) as seen in policy documents such as the European Commission's Memorandum on Lifelong Learning. Finally, they examine the ways in which PUs' approach to LLL works to contest the dominant consensus on the meaning and scope of lifelong learning, offering an alternative way forward.

Enhancing the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education: the diabetes literacy project.

PubMed

Van den Broucke, S; Van der Zanden, G; Chang, P; Doyle, G; Levin, D; Pelikan, J; Schillinger, D; Schwarz, P; Sørensen, K; Yardley, L; Riemenschneider, H

2014-12-01

Patient empowerment through self-management education is central to improving the quality of diabetes care and preventing Type 2 Diabetes. Although national programs exist, there is no EU-wide strategy for diabetes self-management education, and patients with limited literacy face barriers to effective self-management. The Diabetes Literacy project, initiated with the support of the European Commission, aims to fill this gap. The project investigates the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education, targeting people with or at risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the 28 EU Member States, as part of a comprehensive EU-wide diabetes strategy. National diabetes strategies in the EU, US, Taiwan, and Israel are compared, and diabetes self-management programs inventorized. The costs of the diabetes care pathway are assessed on a per person basis at national level. A comparison is made of the (cost)-effectiveness of different methods for diabetes self-management support, and the moderating role of health literacy, organization of the health services, and implementation fidelity of education programs are considered. Web-based materials are developed and evaluated by randomized trials to evaluate if interactive internet delivery can enhance self-management support for people with lower levels of health literacy. The 3-year project started in December 2012. Several literature reviews have been produced and protocol development and research design are in the final stages. Primary and secondary data collection and analysis take place in 2014. The results will inform policy decisions on improving the prevention, treatment, and care for persons with diabetes across literacy levels. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Pressure-induced amorphization and collapse of magnetic order in the type-I clathrate Eu8Ga16Ge30

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardegan, J. R. L.; Fabbris, G.; Veiga, L. S. I.; Adriano, C.; Avila, M. A.; Haskel, D.; Giles, C.

2013-10-01

We investigate the low temperature structural and electronic properties of the type-I clathrate Eu8Ga16Ge30 under pressure using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) techniques. The XRD measurements reveal a transition to an amorphous phase above 18 GPa. Unlike previous reports on other clathrate compounds, no volume collapse is observed prior to the crystalline-amorphous phase transition which takes place when the unit cell volume is reduced to 81% of its ambient pressure value. Fits of the pressure-dependent relative volume to a Murnaghan equation of state yield a bulk modulus B0=65±3 GPa and a pressure derivative B0'=3.3±0.5. The Eu L2-edge XMCD data shows quenching of the magnetic order at a pressure coincident with the crystalline-amorphous phase transition. This information along with the persistence of an Eu2+ valence state observed in the XANES spectra up to the highest pressure point (22 GPa) indicates that the suppression of XMCD intensity is due to the loss of long range magnetic order. When compared with other clathrates, the results point to the importance of guest ion-cage interactions in determining the mechanical stability of the framework structure and the critical pressure for amorphization. Finally, the crystalline structure is not found to recover after pressure release, resulting in an amorphous material that is at least metastable at ambient pressure and temperature.

Proteome changes in rat serum after a chronic ingestion of enriched uranium: Toward a biological signature of internal contamination and radiological effect.

PubMed

Petitot, F; Frelon, S; Chambon, C; Paquet, F; Guipaud, O

2016-08-22

The civilian and military use of uranium results in an increased risk of human exposure. The toxicity of uranium results from both its chemical and radiological properties that vary with isotopic composition. Validated biomarkers of health effects associated with exposure to uranium are neither sensitive nor specific to uranium radiotoxicity and/or radiological effect. This study aimed at investigating if serum proteins could be useful as biomarkers of both uranium exposure and radiological effect. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were chronically exposed through drinking water to low levels (40mg/L, corresponding to 1mg of uranium per animal per day) of either 4% (235)U-enriched uranium (EU) or 12% EU during 6 weeks. A proteomics approach based on two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry (MS) was used to establish protein expression profiles that could be relevant for discriminating between groups, and to identify some differentially expressed proteins following uranium ingestion. It demonstrated that the expressions of 174 protein spots over 1045 quantified spots were altered after uranium exposure (p<0.05). Using both inferential and non-supervised multivariate statistics, we show sets of spots features that lead to a clear discrimination between controls and EU exposed groups on the one hand (21 spots), and between 4% EU and 12% EU on the other hand (7 spots), showing that investigation of the serum proteome may possibly be of relevance to address both uranium contamination and radiological effect. Finally, using bioinformatics tools, pathway analyses of differentially expressed MS-identified proteins find that acute phase, inflammatory and immune responses as well as oxidative stress are likely involved in the response to contamination, suggesting a physiological perturbation, but that does not necessarily lead to a toxic effect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical similarity assessment of rituximab biosimilar CT-P10 to reference medicinal product

PubMed Central

Lee, Kyoung Hoon; Kim, Yeon Jung; Kang, Hyun Ah; Kim, Sung Hwan; Lee, So Jung; Lim, Ki Jung; Jung, Soon Kwan; Chang, Shin Jae

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT CT-P10 (Truxima™) was recently approved as the world's first rituximab biosimilar product in the European Union (EU) and South Korea. To demonstrate biosimilarity of CT-P10 with the reference medicinal product (RMP), extensive 3-way similarity assessment has been conducted between CT-P10, EU-Rituximab and US-Rituximab, focusing on the physicochemical and biological quality attributes. A multitude of state-of-the-art analyses revealed that CT-P10 has identical primary and higher order structures compared to the original product. Purity/impurity profiles of CT-P10 measured by the levels of aggregates, fragments, non-glycosylated form and process-related impurities were also found to be comparable with those of RMPs. In terms of the post-translational modification, CT-P10 contains slightly less N-terminal pyro-glutamate variant, which has been known not to affect product efficacy or safety. Oligosaccharide profiling has revealed that, although CT-P10 contains the same conserved glycan species and relative proportion with the RMPs, the content of total afucosylated glycan in CT-P10 was slightly higher than in EU- or US-Rituximab. Nevertheless, the effect of the observed level of afucosylation in CT-P10 drug product on Fc receptor binding affinity or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity was found to be negligible based on the spiking study with highly afucosylated sample. Arrays of biological assays representative of known and putative mechanisms of action for rituximab have shown that biological activities of CT-P10 are within the quality range of RMPs. Recent results of clinical studies have further confirmed that the CT-P10 exhibits equivalent clinical efficacy and safety profiles compared to EU- and US-Rituximab. The current 3-way similarity assessment together with clinical study results confidently demonstrate that CT-P10 is highly similar with EU- and US-Rituximab in terms of physicochemical properties, biological activities, efficacy, and safety for its final approval as a biosimilar product. PMID:29469653

High prevalence but limited evidence in complementary and alternative medicine: guidelines for future research

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The use of complementary and alternative Medicine (CAM) has increased over the past two decades in Europe. Nonetheless, research investigating the evidence to support its use remains limited. The CAMbrella project funded by the European Commission aimed to develop a strategic research agenda starting by systematically evaluating the state of CAM in the EU. CAMbrella involved 9 work packages covering issues such as the definition of CAM; its legal status, provision and use in the EU; and a synthesis of international research perspectives. Based on the work package reports, we developed a strategic and methodologically robust research roadmap based on expert workshops, a systematic Delphi-based process and a final consensus conference. The CAMbrella project suggests six core areas for research to examine the potential contribution of CAM to the health care challenges faced by the EU. These areas include evaluating the prevalence of CAM use in Europe; the EU cititzens’ needs and attitudes regarding CAM; the safety of CAM; the comparative effectiveness of CAM; the effects of meaning and context on CAM outcomes; and different models for integrating CAM into existing health care systems. CAM research should use methods generally accepted in the evaluation of health services, including comparative effectiveness studies and mixed-methods designs. A research strategy is urgently needed, ideally led by a European CAM coordinating research office dedicated to fostering systematic communication between EU governments, the public, charitable and industry funders, researchers and other stakeholders. A European Centre for CAM should also be established to monitor and further a coordinated research strategy with sufficient funds to commission and promote high quality, independent research focusing on the public’s health needs and pan-European collaboration. There is a disparity between highly prevalent use of CAM in Europe and solid knowledge about it. A strategic approach on CAM research should be established to investigate the identified gaps of knowledge and to address upcoming health care challenges. PMID:24499316

Experiences of foreign European nurses in The Netherlands.

PubMed

de Veer, Anke; den Ouden, Dirk-Jan; Francke, Anneke

2004-04-01

As a result of the shortage of nurses, Dutch health care organizations want to recruit nurses from outside Europe (e.g. Indonesia, South Africa). The Dutch government, however, is not encouraging this policy and prefers to recruit within the European Union. In order to better support such nurses, it is important to know the problems European nurses encounter in The Netherlands. This study is about the experience of nurses from other European countries in The Netherlands. This paper addresses itself to three principal questions. First, how many nurses qualified in other EU or EU candidate states are starting to work in The Netherlands. Second, why do they come to The Netherlands. And finally what problems do they encounter when working in The Netherlands. A questionnaire has been send to all registered nurses trained in another EU or EU candidate state. The response has been 987 or 67%. Thus, far approximately 1500 nurses from other EU/candidate states have come to The Netherlands. Personal reasons, including marriage, are the most important reasons for their coming here. Half of the nurses took one or more courses before starting work in nursing in The Netherlands. These were often Dutch language courses. The nurses had to make a number of adjustments. Major difficulties were unfamiliarity with Dutch laws and the fiscal and social security systems, recognition of their qualifications and application for permits. Some basic issues, such as how to write a letter of application, caused problems. The language and unfamiliarity with the Dutch health care system made it difficult to find a job. When they had gained employment in nursing these problems remained the most serious. The conclusion is that international employment mobility in nursing is rather low in the case of The Netherlands. If the Dutch government decides to encourage the employment of nurses from abroad, several measures can be taken to make working in The Netherlands more attractive.

Analytical similarity assessment of rituximab biosimilar CT-P10 to reference medicinal product.

PubMed

Lee, Kyoung Hoon; Lee, Jihun; Bae, Jin Soo; Kim, Yeon Jung; Kang, Hyun Ah; Kim, Sung Hwan; Lee, So Jung; Lim, Ki Jung; Lee, Jung Woo; Jung, Soon Kwan; Chang, Shin Jae

2018-04-01

CT-P10 (Truxima™) was recently approved as the world's first rituximab biosimilar product in the European Union (EU) and South Korea. To demonstrate biosimilarity of CT-P10 with the reference medicinal product (RMP), extensive 3-way similarity assessment has been conducted between CT-P10, EU-Rituximab and US-Rituximab, focusing on the physicochemical and biological quality attributes. A multitude of state-of-the-art analyses revealed that CT-P10 has identical primary and higher order structures compared to the original product. Purity/impurity profiles of CT-P10 measured by the levels of aggregates, fragments, non-glycosylated form and process-related impurities were also found to be comparable with those of RMPs. In terms of the post-translational modification, CT-P10 contains slightly less N-terminal pyro-glutamate variant, which has been known not to affect product efficacy or safety. Oligosaccharide profiling has revealed that, although CT-P10 contains the same conserved glycan species and relative proportion with the RMPs, the content of total afucosylated glycan in CT-P10 was slightly higher than in EU- or US-Rituximab. Nevertheless, the effect of the observed level of afucosylation in CT-P10 drug product on Fc receptor binding affinity or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity was found to be negligible based on the spiking study with highly afucosylated sample. Arrays of biological assays representative of known and putative mechanisms of action for rituximab have shown that biological activities of CT-P10 are within the quality range of RMPs. Recent results of clinical studies have further confirmed that the CT-P10 exhibits equivalent clinical efficacy and safety profiles compared to EU- and US-Rituximab. The current 3-way similarity assessment together with clinical study results confidently demonstrate that CT-P10 is highly similar with EU- and US-Rituximab in terms of physicochemical properties, biological activities, efficacy, and safety for its final approval as a biosimilar product.

Implementation of the Single European Code in a Multi-Tissue Bank.

PubMed

Schroeter, Jan; Schulz, Tino; Schroeter, Bernard; Fleischhauer, Katrin; Pruß, Axel

2017-11-01

The traceability of tissue and cells transplants is important to ensure a high level of safety for the recipients. With the final introduction of the Single European Code (SEC) in April 2017 in the EU a consistent system among all member states became mandatory. The regulations for the SEC on EU and national level were evaluated. An overview on the different parts of the SEC with detailed explanations is given. Our own experiences with the implementation of the SEC in our multi-tissue bank are reported in addition. The implementation of the SEC in our multi-tissue bank could be successfully realized. However, it revealed a number of difficulties, especially the sterile labeling of certain tissue transplants and the complex update of the existing database. The introduction of the SEC has made a contribution to the safety of recipients of tissue and cells transplants through a system of comprehensive and transparent traceability.

Self Healing Percolation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scala, Antonio

2015-03-01

We introduce the concept of self-healing in the field of complex networks modelling; in particular, self-healing capabilities are implemented through distributed communication protocols that exploit redundant links to recover the connectivity of the system. Self-healing is a crucial in implementing the next generation of smart grids allowing to ensure a high quality of service to the users. We then map our self-healing procedure in a percolation problem and analyse the interplay between redundancies and topology in improving the resilience of networked infrastructures to multiple failures. We find exact results both for planar lattices and for random lattices, hinting the role of duality in the design of resilient networks. Finally, we introduce a cavity method approach to study the recovery of connectivity after damage in self-healing networks. CNR-PNR National Project ``Crisis-Lab,'' EU HOME/2013/CIPS/AG/4000005013 project CI2C and EU FET project MULTIPLEX nr.317532.

Temperature response of several scintillator materials to light ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Ramos, M.; Jiménez-Ramos, M. C.; García-Muñoz, M.; García López, J.

2017-07-01

Ion beam induced luminescence has been used to study the response of scintillator screens of Y2O3:Eu3+ (P56) and SrGa2S4:Eu2+ (TG-Green) when irradiated with light ions (protons, deuterium and helium particles). The absolute efficiency of the samples has been studied as a function of the ion energy (with energies up to 3.5 MeV), the beam current and the operating temperature. The evolution of the scintillator yield with ion fluence has been carried out for all the scintillators to estimate radiation damage. Finally, measurements of the decay time of these materials using a system of pulsed beam accelerated particles have been done. Among the screens under study, the TG-Green is the best suited material, in terms of absolute efficiency, temporal response and degradation with ion dose, for fast-ion loss detectors in fusion devices.

Ideological Responses to the EU Refugee Crisis

PubMed Central

van Prooijen, Jan-Willem; Krouwel, André P. M.; Emmer, Julia

2017-01-01

The 2016 European Union (EU) refugee crisis exposed a fundamental distinction in political attitudes between the political left and right. Previous findings suggest, however, that besides political orientation, ideological strength (i.e., political extremism) is also relevant to understand such distinctive attitudes. Our study reveals that the political right is more anxious, and the political left experiences more self-efficacy, about the refugee crisis. At the same time, the political extremes—at both sides of the spectrum—are more likely than moderates to believe that the solution to this societal problem is simple. Furthermore, both extremes experience more judgmental certainty about their domain-specific knowledge of the refugee crisis, independent of their actual knowledge. Finally, belief in simple solutions mediated the relationship between ideology and judgmental certainty, but only among political extremists. We conclude that both ideological orientation and strength matter to understand citizens’ reactions to the refugee crisis. PMID:29593852

The importance of data collection for timely and accurate risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilsenan, MB

2017-09-01

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for food safety risk assessments at EU level. It provides independent scientific advice on risks associated with the food chain to support EU risk management decisions. Since its establishment, EFSA has amassed a wealth of data to underpin its risk assessments, such as food consumption data, monitoring data and experimental data. Increasing transparency of its risk assessments is a core objective of EFSA. EFSA aims to enhance the quality and transparency of its outputs by giving insofar as possible access to data and methods underpinning its scientific outputs. This paper provides an overview of the role of EFSA, its core data collections and their regulatory framework, as well as data quality and standardisation aspects. Finally, the paper elaborates on EFSA’s 2020 strategy in relation to data, and describes EFSA scientific data warehouse and Knowledge Junction in this regard.

Control of Eu Luminescence Centers by Codoping of Mg and Si into Eu-Doped GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dong-gun; Wakamatsu, Ryuta; Koizumi, Atsushi; Terai, Yoshikazu; Fujiwara, Yasufumi

2013-08-01

The effects of Mg and Si codoping on Eu luminescence properties have been investigated in Eu-doped GaN (GaN:Eu). The Mg codoping into GaN:Eu produced novel luminescence centers consisting of Eu and Mg, and increased photoluminescence (PL) intensity in Eu,Mg-codoped GaN (GaN:Eu,Mg). However, this increased PL intensity was quenched by thermal annealing in N2 ambient, which is due to activation of Mg acceptors. In GaN:Eu,Mg codoped additionally with Si (GaN:Eu,Mg,Si), on the other hand, the Eu-Mg centers disappeared, while an additional luminescence center appeared. Furthermore, the additional luminescence center showed no quenching under N2 annealing because Si donors compensated for the Mg acceptors in GaN. Thermal quenching of the luminescence center was also approximately half of that in GaN:Eu. These results indicate that the codoping with additional impurities in GaN:Eu is a powerful technique to control Eu luminescence centers for realization of improved device performance in red light-emitting diodes using GaN:Eu.

Controlled synthesis and novel photoluminescence properties of BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}/Eu{sup 2+} nanocrystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Li; Li, Ying; Wang, Guofeng, E-mail: wanggf75@gmail.com

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Tetragonal phase BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu nanocrystals were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method. • Under 398 nm excitation, the emissions from Eu{sup 2+} and Eu{sup 3+} ions were observed. • The emission band of Eu{sup 2+} from BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu was observed to broaden with increasing Eu concentration. - Abstract: Tetragonal phase BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu nanocrystals were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method and a subsequent calcination treatment. The structures and morphologies of nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The photoluminescence properties of BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu were investigated in detail. Under 398 nmmore » excitation, the emissions from Eu{sup 2+} and Eu{sup 3+} ions were observed, indicating that Eu{sup 2+} and Eu{sup 3+} ions coexisted in BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu nanocrystals. Especially, the emission band of Eu{sup 2+} from BaTiO{sub 3}:Eu was observed to broaden with increasing Eu concentration. When the Eu concentration was 0.5 mol%, the {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 0} and {sup 5}D{sub 1} → {sup 7}F{sub 0} emissions were observed. In addition, under 537 nm excitation, the emission intensity increased with increasing Eu concentration.« less

A Strategy to enhance Eu3+ emission from LiYF4:Eu nanophosphors and green-to-orange multicolor tunable, transparent nanophosphor-polymer composites

PubMed Central

Kim, Su Yeon; Won, Yu-Ho; Jang, Ho Seong

2015-01-01

LiYF4:Eu nanophosphors with a single tetragonal phase are synthesized, and various strategies to enhance the Eu3+ emission from the nanophosphors are investigated. The optimized Eu3+ concentration is 35 mol%, and the red emission peaks due to the 5D0 →7FJ (J = 1 and 2) transitions of Eu3+ ions are further enhanced by energy transfer from a sensitizer pair of Ce3+ and Tb3+. The triple doping of Ce, Tb, and Eu into the LiYF4 host more effectively enhances the Eu3+ emission than the core/shell strategies of LiYF4:Eu(35%)/LiYF4:Ce(15%), Tb(15%) and LiYF4:Ce(15%), Tb(15%)/LiYF4:Eu(35%) architectures. Efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu3+ through Tb3+ results in three times higher Eu3+ emission intensity from LiYF4:Ce(15%), Tb(15%), Eu(1%) nanophosphors compared with LiYF4:Eu(35%), which contains the optimized Eu3+ concentration. Owing to the energy transfer of Ce3+ → Tb3+ and Ce3+ → Tb3+ → Eu3+, intense green and red emission peaks are observed from LiYF4:Ce(13%), Tb(14%), Eu(1-5%) (LiYF4:Ce, Tb, Eu) nanophosphors, and the intensity ratio of green to red emission is controlled by adjusting the Eu3+ concentration. With increasing Eu3+ concentration, the LiYF4:Ce, Tb, Eu nanophosphors exhibit multicolor emission from green to orange. In addition, the successful incorporation of LiYF4:Ce, Tb, Eu nanophosphors into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) facilitates the preparation of highly transparent nanophosphor-PDMS composites that present excellent multicolor tunability. PMID:25597900

Analysis of environmental impact assessment (EIA) system in Turkey.

PubMed

Coşkun, Aynur Aydın; Turker, Ozhan

2011-04-01

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) System, which embodies the "prevention principle" of the environmental law, is an important tool for environmental protection. This tool has a private importance for Turkey since it is a developing country, and it entered the Turkish law in 1983 with the Environmental Law. Besides, the EIA Regulation, which shows the application principles, became effective in 1993. Because Turkey is a candidate for European Union (EU), the EIA Regulation has been changed due to the EU compliance procedure, and its latest version became valid in 2008. This study aims to emphasize The EIA system in Turkey to supervise the efficiency of this procedure and point the success level. In the introduction part, general EIA concept, its importance, and some notations are mentioned. Following that, the legislation, which builds the EIA system, has been analyzed starting from the 1982 Turkish Constitution. Then, the legislation rules are explained due to the basic steps of the EIA procedure. In order to shed light upon the application, the EIA final decisions given until today, the results, and their distributions to the industries are assessed. In the final part of the study, a SWOT analysis is made to mention the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and threats of the EIA system in Turkey.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Global Issue, A Global Response

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The site explains the importance of the Stockholm Convention, a legally binding international agreement finalized in 2001, in which governments agreed to act to reduce or eliminate the production, use, and/or release of certain of these pollutants.

75 FR 38675 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2008-011, Government Property

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-02

...The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to revise FAR part 45, Government Property, and its associated clauses.

Integrated Light Chemical Abundance Analyses of 7 M31 Outer Halo Globular Clusters from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakari, Charli; Venn, Kim; Mackey, Dougal; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Dotter, Aaron L.; Wallerstein, George

2015-01-01

Detailed chemical abundances of globular clusters provide insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies and their globular cluster systems. This talk presents detailed chemical abundances for seven M31 outer halo globular clusters (with projected radii greater than 30 kpc), as derived from high resolution integrated light spectra. Five of these clusters were recently discovered in the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). The integrated abundances show that 4 of these clusters are metal-poor ([Fe/H] < -1.5) while the other 3 are more metal-rich. The most metal-poor globular clusters are α-enhanced, though 3 of the 4 are possibly less α-enhanced than MW stars (at the 1σ level). Other chemical abundance ratios ([Ba/Eu], [Eu/Ca], and [Ni/Fe]) are consistent with origins in low mass dwarf galaxies (similar to Fornax). The most metal-rich cluster ([Fe/H] ~ -1) stands out as being chemically distinct from Milky Way field stars of the same metallicity---its chemical abundance ratios agree best with the stars and clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal (Sgr) than with the Milky Way field stars. The other metal-rich clusters, H10 and H23, look similar to the LMC and Milky Way field stars in all abundance ratios. These results indicate that M31's outer halo is being at least partially built up by the accretion of dwarf satellites, in agreement with previous observations.

Oral health systems in Europe. Part I: Finance and entitlement to care.

PubMed

Anderson, R; Treasure, E T; Whitehouse, N H

1998-09-01

To describe and compare the oral health systems in 18 European countries. Semi-structured, in-depth validation interviews were carried out with key informants from the main national dental associations of EU and associated countries. The interviews were structured around the responses to a previously completed questionnaire, the topics and terminology of which had been agreed in advance with the collaborating associations. The resulting descriptions of dental practice and the dental workforce in each country were returned for further validation and correction by the collaborating associations. Ultimate editorial control over the review of each country's oral health system rested with the authors. Oral health care is mainly financed by government-regulated or compulsory social insurance in seven of the 18 countries examined here: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland. Providing universal or near-universal coverage by membership of insurance institutions, these systems provide oral health care for about 180 million people across Europe, and almost half of all EU citizens. In the Nordic countries and the UK entitlement to care is typically based upon residence or citizenship, and apart from in Norway and Iceland is provided within a tax-funded and government-organised health service. In southern Europe, Norway, Ireland and Iceland oral health care is largely financed directly by the patient, with occasional support through private insurance. Some publicly-funded and organised services do exist in these countries but generally only for specific population groups (e.g. children, unemployed), or in particular regions.

Study of Eu{sup 3+} → Eu{sup 2+} reduction in BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu prepared in different gas atmospheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rezende, Marcos V. dos S., E-mail: mvsrezende@gmail.com; Valerio, Mário E.G.; Jackson, Robert A.

2015-01-15

Highlights: • The effect of different gas atmospheres on the Eu reduction process was studied. • The Eu reduction was monitored analyzing XANES region at the Eu L{sub III}-edge. • Hydrogen reducing agent are the most appropriate gas for Eu{sup 2+} stabilization. • Only a part of the Eu ions can be stabilized in the divalent state. • A model of Eu reduction process is proposed. - Abstract: The effect of different gas atmospheres such as H{sub 2}(g), synthetic air, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen (N{sub 2}) on the Eu{sup 3+} → Eu{sup 2+} reduction process during the synthesis ofmore » Eu-doped BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} was studied using synchrotron radiation. The Eu{sup 3+} → Eu{sup 2+} reduction was monitored analyzing XANES region when the sample are excited at the Eu L{sub III}-edge. The results show that the hydrogen reducing agent are the most appropriate gas for Eu{sup 2+} stabilization in BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} and that only a part of the Eu ions can be stabilized in the divalent state. A model of Eu reduction process, based on the incorporation of charge compensation defects, is proposed.« less

Polynuclear Speciation of Trivalent Cations near the Surface of an Electrolyte Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bera, Mrinal K.; Antonio, Mark R.

Despite long-standing efforts, there is no agreed upon structural model for electrolyte solutions at air-liquid interfaces. We report the simultaneous detection of the near-surface and bulk coordination environments of a trivalent metal cation (europium) in an aqueous solution by use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Within the first few nanometers of the liquid surface, the cations exhibit oxygen coordination typical of inner-sphere hydration of an aquated Eu3+ cation. Beyond that, outer-sphere ion-ion correlations are observed that are otherwise not present in the bulk electrolyte. The combination of near-surface and bulk sensitivities to probe metal ion speciation in electrolyte solutions is achievedmore » by detecting electron-yield and X-ray fluorescence signals from an inverted pendant drop. The results provide new knowledge about the near-surface chemistry of aqueous solutions of relevance to aerosols and ion transport processes in chemical separations and biological systems.« less

7 CFR 622.2 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., water quality management, ground water supply, agricultural pollution control, and other water management. (d) After a final plan for works of improvement is agreed upon between NRCS and the sponsors and... proper utilization of land, flood prevention, agricultural water management including irrigation and...

Demonstration and purchase of PG binder testing equipment phase 1 and 2 : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

A pooled fund project was undertaken to purchase new asphalt binder testing equipment for state : transportation agencies. The seven states that agreed to participate included: Connecticut, : Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Islan...

Preparation, characterization and application of EVA film containing Eu3+ complex with 1-tridecanecarboxylic acid ligand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jin; Lin, Baoping

2017-11-01

In this study, on the basis of complex Eu(DBM)3Phen which was widely applied in polymer matrices, quaternary complex Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA) was synthesized by the introduction of 1-tridecanecarboxylic acid (TA). XRD analyses show that Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA) inclines to amorphization compared with Eu(DBM)3Phen which is crystal. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) film doped with Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA) was prepared by casting method. SEM and AFM analyses show that the compatibility of Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA) with EVA is better than that of Eu(DBM)3Phen with EVA. Under the same addition amount of Eu3+ complexes, visible light transmittance of Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA)/EVA film is obviously greater than that of Eu(DBM)3Phen/EVA film, and the fluorescence intensity of Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA)/EVA film is only slightly lower than that of Eu(DBM)3Phen/EVA film. With the optimum addition amount of Eu3+ complexes, the energy conversion efficiency of the polycrystalline silicon solar cell coated with Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA)/EVA film is improved to 12.14%, and in comparison, that of the solar cell coated with Eu(DBM)3Phen/EVA film is only 11.98%. Hence Eu(DBM)2Phen(TA)/EVA film has a potential prospect as luminescent down-shifting material.

Brain drain: final year medical students' intentions of training abroad.

PubMed

Bojanic, Ana; Bojanic, Katarina; Likic, Robert

2015-06-01

In Croatia, a new European Union (EU) member state since July 2013, there is already a shortage of around 3280 doctors to reach the European average. To investigate the emigration intentions of the current cohort of final year medical students at Zabreb School of Medicine. An electronic questionnaire was used in June 2013 to assess the attitudes of 232 final year medical students towards working conditions abroad and expectations for career opportunities in Croatia following accession to the EU. With an overall response rate of 87%, more than half of the surveyed students (106/202, 53%) intended to travel abroad, either for specialty (52/202, 26%) or subspecialty (54/202, 27%) training. More female students (58/135, 43%) than male students (17/62, 27%) indicated they would not emigrate. Most attractive emigration destinations were: Germany (34/121, 28%), USA (19/121, 16%), the UK (19/121, 16%), Switzerland (16/121, 13%) and Canada (11/121, 9%). The most important goals that respondents aimed to achieve through training abroad were to excel professionally (45/120, 38%), to prosper financially (20/120, 17%) and to acquire new experiences and international exposure (31/120, 26%). Students' motivating factors, goals for and positive beliefs about training abroad, as well as negative expectations regarding career opportunities in Croatia, may point towards actions that could be taken to help make Croatia a country that facilitates medical education and professional career development of young doctors. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The EU(7)-PIM list: a list of potentially inappropriate medications for older people consented by experts from seven European countries.

PubMed

Renom-Guiteras, Anna; Meyer, Gabriele; Thürmann, Petra A

2015-07-01

The aim of the study was to develop a European list of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for older people, which can be used for the analysis and comparison of prescribing patterns across European countries and for clinical practice. A preliminary PIM list was developed, based on the German PRISCUS list of potentially inappropriate medications and other PIM lists from the USA, Canada and France. Thirty experts on geriatric prescribing from Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden participated; eight experts performed a structured expansion of the list, suggesting further medications; twenty-seven experts participated in a two-round Delphi survey assessing the appropriateness of drugs and suggesting dose adjustments and therapeutic alternatives. Finally, twelve experts completed a brief final survey to decide upon issues requiring further consensus. Experts reached a consensus that 282 chemical substances or drug classes from 34 therapeutic groups are PIM for older people; some PIM are restricted to a certain dose or duration of use. The PIM list contains suggestions for dose adjustments and therapeutic alternatives. The European Union (EU)(7)-PIM list is a screening tool, developed with participation of experts from seven European countries, that allows identification and comparison of PIM prescribing patterns for older people across European countries. It can also be used as a guide in clinical practice, although it does not substitute the decision-making process of individualised prescribing for older people. Further research is needed to investigate the feasibility and applicability and, finally, the clinical benefits of the newly developed list.

Carbon footprints of heating oil and LPG heating systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Eric P., E-mail: ejohnson@ecosite.co.uk

For European homes without access to the natural gas grid, the main fuels-of-choice for heating are heating oil and LPG. How do the carbon footprints of these compare? Existing literature does not clearly answer this, so the current study was undertaken to fill this gap. Footprints were estimated in seven countries that are representative of the EU and constitute two-thirds of the EU-27 population: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland and the UK. Novelties of the assessment were: systems were defined using the EcoBoiler model; well-to-tank data were updated according to most-recent research; and combustion emission factors were used thatmore » were derived from a survey conducted for this study. The key finding is that new residential heating systems fuelled by LPG are 20% lower carbon and 15% lower overall-environmental-impact than those fuelled by heating oil. An unexpected finding was that an LPG system's environmental impact is about the same as that of a bio heating oil system fuelled by 100% rapeseed methyl ester, Europe's predominant biofuel. Moreover, a 20/80 blend (by energy content) with conventional heating oil, a bio-heating-oil system generates a footprint about 15% higher than an LPG system's. The final finding is that fuel switching can pay off in carbon terms. If a new LPG heating system replaces an ageing oil-fired one for the final five years of its service life, the carbon footprint of the system's final five years is reduced by more than 50%.« less

Developing e-Bug web games to teach microbiology.

PubMed

Farrell, David; Kostkova, Patty; Lazareck, Lisa; Weerasinghe, Dasun; Weinberg, Julius; Lecky, Donna M; Adriaenssens, Niels; Koprivová Herotová, Tereza; Holt, Jette; Touboul, Pia; Merakou, Kyriakoula; Koncan, Raffaella; Olczak-Pienkowska, Anna; Avô, António Brito; Campos, José; McNulty, Cliodna A M

2011-06-01

As a complement to the e-Bug teaching pack, two e-Bug games were developed to provide content that aimed to entertain as well as to educate. A set of agreed learning outcomes (LOs) were provided by the scientific partners of the e-Bug Project and the games were developed using user-centred design techniques (the needs, wants and limitations of the potential game players were assessed at each stage of the design process). The e-Bug games were designed for two age groups: Junior (9-12 year olds); and Senior (13-15 year olds). A study using focus groups was done to gain an understanding as to the types of games enjoyed by the target users. According to the preliminary study, the Junior Game was developed as a platform game and the Senior Game was developed as a story-based detective game. The Junior Game consists of five levels, each associated with a set of LOs. Similarly, the Senior Game consists of four missions, each comprising five stages using problem-based learning techniques and LOs. In this paper, the process of development for each game is described in detail and an illustration is provided of how each game level or mission addresses the target LOs. Development of the games used feedback acquired from children in four schools across the UK (Glasgow, London and two in Gloucester). The children were selected according to their willingness to participate. European Partners of the e-Bug Project also provided further support, translation and requests for modifications. The knowledge gained of LOs and further evaluation of the games is continuing, and preliminary results are in press. The final versions of the games, translated into 11 European languages, are available online via www.e-bug.eu.

Functionalisation of lanthanide complexes via microwave-enhanced Cu(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition.

PubMed

Szíjjártó, Csongor; Pershagen, Elias; Borbas, K Eszter

2012-07-07

Cu(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions were used to functionalise lanthanide(III)-complexes (Ln; La, Eu and Tb) incorporating alkyne or azide reactive groups. Microwave irradiation significantly accelerated the reactions, enabling full conversion to the triazole products in some cases in 5 min. Alkyl and aryl azides and alkyl and aryl alkynes could all serve as coupling partners. These reaction conditions proved efficient for cyclen-tricarboxylates and previously unreactive cyclen-tris-primary amide chelates. The synthesis of heterobimetallic (Eu/Tb, EuTb17 and Eu/La, EuLa17) and heterotrimetallic (Eu/La/Eu) complexes was achieved in up to 60% isolated yield starting from coumarin 2-appended alkynyl complexes Tb16 or La16 and an azido-Eu complex Eu4, and bis-alkynyl La-complex La5 and Eu4, respectively. EuTb17 displayed dual Eu(III) and Tb(III)-emission upon antenna-centred excitation.

Temperature dependent luminescence and energy transfer properties of Na2SrMg(PO4)2:Eu2+, Mn2+ phosphors.

PubMed

Geng, Dongling; Shang, Mengmeng; Zhang, Yang; Lian, Hongzhou; Lin, Jun

2013-11-21

Eu(2+) singly and Eu(2+)/Mn(2+) co-doped Na2SrMg(PO4)2 (NSMP) phosphors have been prepared via a high-temperature solid-state reaction process. Upon UV excitation of 260-360 nm, the NSMP:xEu(2+) phosphors exhibit a violet band located at 399 nm and a blue band centered at 445 nm, which originate from Eu(2+) ions occupying two different crystallographic sites: Eu(2+)(I) and Eu(2+)(II), respectively. Excitation wavelengths longer than 380 nm can selectively excite Eu(2+)(II) to emit blue light. Energy transfer processes in the Eu(2+)(I)-Eu(2+)(II) and Eu(2+)-Mn(2+) pairs have been observed and investigated by luminescence spectra and decay curves. The emission color of as-prepared samples can be tuned by changing the relative concentrations of Eu(2+) and Mn(2+) ions and adjusting the excitation wavelength. Under UV excitation of 323 nm, the absolute quantum yield of NSMP:0.005Eu(2+) is 91%, which is higher than most of the other Eu(2+)-doped phosphors reported previously. The temperature dependent luminescence properties and decay curves (4.3-450 K) of NSMP:Eu(2+) and NSMP:Eu(2+), Mn(2+) phosphors have been studied in detail. Thermal quenching of Eu(2+) has been observed while the emission band of Mn(2+) shows a blue-shift and an abnormal increase of intensity with increasing temperature. The unusual thermal quenching behavior indicates that the NSMP compound can serve as a good lattice host for Mn(2+) ions which can be used as a red-emitting phosphor. Additionally, the lifetimes for Eu(2+)(I) and Eu(2+)(II) increase with increasing temperatures.

Direct excitation luminescence spectroscopy of Eu(III) complexes of 1,4,7-tris(carbamoylmethyl)-1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclododecane derivatives and kinetic studies of their catalytic cleavage of an RNA analog.

PubMed

Nwe, Kido; Richard, John P; Morrow, Janet R

2007-11-28

The macrocycles 1,4,7-tris(carbamoylmethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetrazacyclododecane (1), 1,4,7-tris[(N-ethyl)carbamoylmethyl]-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (2), 1,4,7-tris[(N,N-diethyl)carbamoylmethyl]-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (3) and their Eu(III) complexes are prepared. Studies using direct Eu(III) excitation luminescence spectroscopy show that all three Eu(III) complexes exhibit only one predominant isomer with two bound waters under neutral to mildly basic conditions (Eu(X)(H(2)O)(2) for X = 1-3). There are no detectable ligand ionizations over the pH range 5.0-8.0 for Eu(3), 5.0-8.5 for Eu(2) or 5.0-9.5 for Eu(1). The three Eu(III) complexes show a linear dependence of second-order rate constants for the cleavage of 4-nitrophenyl-2-hydroxyethylphosphate (HpPNP) on pH in the range 6.5-8.0 for Eu(3), 7.0-8.5 for Eu(2) and 7.0-9.0 for Eu(1). This pH-rate profile is consistent with the Eu(III) complex-substrate complex being converted to the active form by loss of a proton and with Eu(III) water pK(a) values that are higher than 8.0 for Eu(3), 8.5 for Eu(2) and 9.0 for Eu(1). Inhibition studies show that Eu() binds strongly to the dianionic ligand methylphosphate (K(d) = 0.28 mM), and more weakly to diethylphosphate (K(d) = 7.5 mM), consistent with a catalytic role of the Eu(III) complexes in stabilizing the developing negative charge on the phosphorane transition state.

Strong Eu2+ light emission in Eu silicate through Eu3+ reduction in Eu2O3/Si multilayer deposited on Si substrates

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Eu2O3/Si multilayer nanostructured films are deposited on Si substrates by magnetron sputtering. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate that multicrystalline Eu silicate is homogeneously distributed in the film after high-temperature treatment in N2. The Eu2+ silicate is formed by the reaction of Eu2O3 and Si layers, showing an intense and broad room-temperature photoluminescence peak centered at 610 nm. It is found that the Si layer thickness in nanostructures has great influence on Eu ion optical behavior by forming different Eu silicate crystalline phases. These findings open a promising way to prepare efficient Eu2+ materials for photonic application. PMID:23618344

Luminescent rare earth vanadate nanoparticles doped with Eu3+ and Bi3 for sensing and imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escudero, Alberto; Carrillo-Carrión, Carolina; Zyuzin, Mikhail; Hartmann, Raimo; Ashraf, Sumaira; Parak, Wolfgang J.

2016-03-01

Nanoparticles (NPs) are attracting interest in nanomedicine due to their potential medical applications, ranging from optical biolabels and contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging to carriers for drug and gene delivery for disease therapy.[1] Rare earth (RE) based nanophosphors exhibit important advantages compared with other available luminescent materials, such as quantum dots and nanostructures functionalized with organic dyes, due to their lower toxicities, photostabilities, high thermal and chemical stabilities, high luminescence quantum yields, and sharp emission bands.[2] Yttrium orthovanadate NPs doped with Eu3+ and Bi3+, functionalized with poly acryl acid (PAA), and excitable by near-ultraviolet light have been synthesized by homogeneous precipitation at 120 °C from solutions of rare earth precursors (yttrium acetylacetonate and europium nitrate), bismuth nitrate, sodium orthovanadate, and PAA, in an ethylene glycol/water mixture. Quasispheres with sizes from 93 to 51 nm were obtained. The as synthesized NPs were already functionalized with PAA. The NPs showed the typical red luminescence of Eu3+, which can be excited with near-UV light through an energy transfer from the vanadate anion. The presence of Bi3+ shifts the maximum of the broad excitation band from 280 nm to 342 nm. This excitation path is much more efficient than the direct excitation of the Eu3+ electronic levels, and results in a much higher luminescence. The NPs can be uptaken by HeLa cells, and are eventually located in the lysosomes after being internalized. Finally, the functionalization with PAA provides -COOH anchors for adding functional ligands of biomedical interest that can be used for sensing applications.

Production-phase greenhouse gas emissions arising from deliberate withdrawal and destruction of fresh fruit and vegetables under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.

PubMed

Porter, Stephen D; Reay, David S; Bomberg, Elizabeth; Higgins, Peter

2018-08-01

Since 1962 the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) has enabled payment of subsidy to some food producers for withdrawal of specific commodities - including fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) - where market prices have fallen below a pre-set level. These deliberate withdrawals have led to large amounts of usable food (~60% of withdrawals) being destroyed on farms across the EU. Such wasted food incurs a significant climate change cost through its production-phase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Here, we assess the magnitude of this FFV withdrawal and destruction, its spatial and temporal trends, and its associated GHG emissions between 1989 and 2015. We find the total mass of avoidable FFV losses occurring as a result of these EU CAP market interventions for this 26-year period to be 23.6Mt. The production-phase GHG emissions associated with the withdrawn FFV that was subsequently destroyed amount to 5.1Mt CO 2 e over this period. We also find that, with each successive Common Market Organisation (CMO) reform there has been a marked reduction (~95% between 1989 and 2015) in the quantity of such deliberate withdrawals. Surprisingly, however, whilst the absolute quantity of FFV withdrawn and destroyed has fallen, the proportion of withdrawals that is destroyed remained roughly static at an average of about 60%. Finally, to inform debate on action needed to address FFV specifically, and food loss and waste more generally, we highlight potential scenarios and mechanisms to reduce withdrawals, avoid FFV destruction and improve alternative use of withdrawn food in the future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward the application of ecological concepts in EU coastal water management.

PubMed

de Jonge, Victor N

2007-01-01

The EU Water Framework Directive demands the protection of the functioning and the structure of our aquatic ecosystems. The defined means to realize this goal are: (1) optimization of the habitat providing conditions and (2) optimizing the water quality. The effects of the measures on the structure and functioning of the aquatic ecosystems then has to be assessed and judged. The available tool to do this is 'monitoring'. The present monitoring activities in The Netherlands cover target monitoring and trend monitoring. This is insufficient to meet the requirements of the EU. It is, given the EU demands, the ongoing budget reductions in The Netherlands and an increasing flow of unused new ecological concepts and theories (e.g. new theoretical insights related to resource competition theory, intermediate disturbance hypothesis and tools to judge the system quality like ecological network analysis) suggested to reconsider the present monitoring tasks among governmental services (final responsibility for the program and logistic support) and the academia (data analyses, data interpretation and development of concepts suitable for ecosystem modelling and tools to judge the quality of our ecosystems). This will lead to intensified co-operation between both arena's and consequently increased exchange of knowledge and ideas. Suggestions are done to extend the Dutch monitoring by surveillance monitoring and to change the focus from 'station oriented' to 'area oriented' without changing the operational aspects and its costs. The extended data sets will allow proper calibration and validation of developed dynamic ecosystem models which is not possible now. The described 'cost-effective' change in the environmental monitoring will also let biological and ecological theories play the pivotal role they should play in future integrated environmental management.

JRC GMO-Amplicons: a collection of nucleic acid sequences related to genetically modified organisms

PubMed Central

Petrillo, Mauro; Angers-Loustau, Alexandre; Henriksson, Peter; Bonfini, Laura; Patak, Alex; Kreysa, Joachim

2015-01-01

The DNA target sequence is the key element in designing detection methods for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Unfortunately this information is frequently lacking, especially for unauthorized GMOs. In addition, patent sequences are generally poorly annotated, buried in complex and extensive documentation and hard to link to the corresponding GM event. Here, we present the JRC GMO-Amplicons, a database of amplicons collected by screening public nucleotide sequence databanks by in silico determination of PCR amplification with reference methods for GMO analysis. The European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF) provides these methods in the GMOMETHODS database to support enforcement of EU legislation and GM food/feed control. The JRC GMO-Amplicons database is composed of more than 240 000 amplicons, which can be easily accessed and screened through a web interface. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at pooling and collecting publicly available sequences related to GMOs in food and feed. The JRC GMO-Amplicons supports control laboratories in the design and assessment of GMO methods, providing inter-alia in silico prediction of primers specificity and GM targets coverage. The new tool can assist the laboratories in the analysis of complex issues, such as the detection and identification of unauthorized GMOs. Notably, the JRC GMO-Amplicons database allows the retrieval and characterization of GMO-related sequences included in patents documentation. Finally, it can help annotating poorly described GM sequences and identifying new relevant GMO-related sequences in public databases. The JRC GMO-Amplicons is freely accessible through a web-based portal that is hosted on the EU-RL GMFF website. Database URL: http://gmo-crl.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jrcgmoamplicons/ PMID:26424080

JRC GMO-Amplicons: a collection of nucleic acid sequences related to genetically modified organisms.

PubMed

Petrillo, Mauro; Angers-Loustau, Alexandre; Henriksson, Peter; Bonfini, Laura; Patak, Alex; Kreysa, Joachim

2015-01-01

The DNA target sequence is the key element in designing detection methods for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Unfortunately this information is frequently lacking, especially for unauthorized GMOs. In addition, patent sequences are generally poorly annotated, buried in complex and extensive documentation and hard to link to the corresponding GM event. Here, we present the JRC GMO-Amplicons, a database of amplicons collected by screening public nucleotide sequence databanks by in silico determination of PCR amplification with reference methods for GMO analysis. The European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF) provides these methods in the GMOMETHODS database to support enforcement of EU legislation and GM food/feed control. The JRC GMO-Amplicons database is composed of more than 240 000 amplicons, which can be easily accessed and screened through a web interface. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at pooling and collecting publicly available sequences related to GMOs in food and feed. The JRC GMO-Amplicons supports control laboratories in the design and assessment of GMO methods, providing inter-alia in silico prediction of primers specificity and GM targets coverage. The new tool can assist the laboratories in the analysis of complex issues, such as the detection and identification of unauthorized GMOs. Notably, the JRC GMO-Amplicons database allows the retrieval and characterization of GMO-related sequences included in patents documentation. Finally, it can help annotating poorly described GM sequences and identifying new relevant GMO-related sequences in public databases. The JRC GMO-Amplicons is freely accessible through a web-based portal that is hosted on the EU-RL GMFF website. Database URL: http://gmo-crl.jrc.ec.europa.eu/jrcgmoamplicons/. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

Supporting the Evaluation and Implementation of Musculoskeletal Models of Care: A Globally Informed Framework for Judging Readiness and Success.

PubMed

Briggs, Andrew M; Jordan, Joanne E; Jennings, Matthew; Speerin, Robyn; Bragge, Peter; Chua, Jason; Woolf, Anthony D; Slater, Helen

2017-04-01

To develop a globally informed framework to evaluate readiness for implementation and success after implementation of musculoskeletal models of care (MOCs). Three phases were undertaken: 1) a qualitative study with 27 Australian subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop a draft framework; 2) an eDelphi study with an international panel of 93 SMEs across 30 nations to evaluate face validity, and refine and establish consensus on the framework components; and 3) translation of the framework into a user-focused resource and evaluation of its acceptability with the eDelphi panel. A comprehensive evaluation framework was developed for judging the readiness and success of musculoskeletal MOCs. The framework consists of 9 domains, with each domain containing a number of themes underpinned by detailed elements. In the first Delphi round, scores of "partly agree" or "completely agree" with the draft framework ranged 96.7%-100%. In the second round, "essential" scores ranged 58.6%-98.9%, resulting in 14 of 34 themes being classified as essential. SMEs strongly agreed or agreed that the final framework was useful (98.8%), usable (95.1%), credible (100%) and appealing (93.9%). Overall, 96.3% strongly supported or supported the final structure of the framework as it was presented, while 100%, 96.3%, and 100% strongly supported or supported the content within the readiness, initiating implementation, and success streams, respectively. An empirically derived framework to evaluate the readiness and success of musculoskeletal MOCs was strongly supported by an international panel of SMEs. The framework provides an important internationally applicable benchmark for the development, implementation, and evaluation of musculoskeletal MOCs. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

The European Prader-Willi Syndrome Clinical Research Database: an aid in the investigation of a rare genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder.

PubMed

Holland, A; Whittington, J; Cohen, O; Curfs, L; Delahaye, F; Dudley, O; Horsthemke, B; Lindgren, A-C; Nourissier, C; Sharma, N; Vogels, A

2009-06-01

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex phenotype that changes with age. The rarity of the syndrome and the need to control for different variables such as genetic sub-type, age and gender limits clinical studies of sufficient size in any one country. A clinical research database has been established to structure data collection and to enable multinational investigations into the development of children and adults with PWS. As part of a joint basic science and clinical study of PWS funded through Framework 6 of the European Union (EU), an expert multidisciplinary group was established that included clinicians involved in PWS research and clinical practice, expert database software developers, and representatives from two national PWS Associations. This group identified the key issues that required resolution and the data fields necessary for a comprehensive database to support PWS research. The database consists of six 'index' entry points and branching panels and sub-panels and over 1200 data 'fields'. It is Internet-based and designed to support multi-site clinical research in PWS. An algorithm ensures that participant data are anonymous. Access to data is controlled in a manner that is compatible with EU and national laws. The database determines the assessments to be used to collect data thereby enabling the combining of data from different groups under specifically agreed conditions. The data collected at any one time will be determined by individual research groups, who retain control of the data. Over time the database will accumulate data on participants with PWS that will support future research by avoiding the need for repeat data collection of fixed data and it will also enable longitudinal studies and treatment trials. The development of the database has proved to be complex with various administrative and ethical issues to be addressed. At an early stage, it was important to clarify the exact function of the database. It was agreed that it was primarily to support grant-funded research rather than clinical practice. The most complex issues that had to be addressed were concerned with data ownership and establishing the rules for data entry, retrieval and sharing that are compatible with data protection laws, and which are likely to be acceptable to participants and their families and to individual research groups.

Investigation of the feasibility of CARS measurements in scramjet combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirley, J. A.; Hall, R. J.; Eckbreth, A. C.

1980-01-01

Results are presented of analytical and experimental investigations to determine the feasibility of using coherent anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) to measure temperature and species concentration in supersonic combustion experiments. The CARS spectra of H2O, O2 and H2 were measured in laboratory flames. Computer code calculated spectra agree very well with the measured spectra. Temperature, and O2 and H2 concentration profiles have been determined from CARS spectra in a laboratory H2 air flat diffusion flame. Temperature measurements agree with radiation corrected thermocouple measurements within 5 to 10 percent, depending on species concentration. The feasibility of measuring O2 concentrations up to 10 percent, from the spectral shape was demonstrated. H2 concentrations determined from CARS intensities agree with spontaneous Raman measurements within a factor of two. Finally, a conceptual design was formulated for diagnostics in the Langley Research Center scramjet combustion facility.

Impact of wine manufacturing practice on the occurrence of fining agents with allergenic potential.

PubMed

Deckwart, Marina; Carstens, Carsten; Webber-Witt, Manuella; Schäfer, Volker; Eichhorn, Lisa; Schröter, Franziska; Fischer, Markus; Brockow, Knut; Christmann, Monika; Paschke-Kratzin, Angelika

2014-01-01

Proteinogenic wine fining agents are hidden allergens and could present a risk for consumers with allergies. Therefore, the European Parliament adopted Directive 2003/89/EC amending Directive 2000/13/EC to declare ingredients, contaminations and processing aids that are known to trigger allergic reactions. The Amendment Regulation (EU) 1266/2010 excluded the labelling of wines which are processed with hen's egg and products thereof until 30 June 2012 to get more scientific findings. After 1 July 2012 wine fining agents have to be declared if above 0.25 mg l(-1) (Regulation (EU) 579/2012 in conjunction with article 120 g of Regulation (EU) 1234/2007). The Organisation International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) advises this limit of detection (LOD) for potential allergenic residues of proteins. Wine fining agents are processing aids and according to the wine producer's knowledge will be removed after coagulation by filtration or other production steps. Due to lack of scientific data, residues of fining agents in the final product could not be excluded. In this risk assessment, highly sensitive ELISA methods for ovalbumin of known origin for wine have been developed. The objective was to investigate the presence of allergen residues in wine after certain technological treatments were applied to remove the wine fining agents. For all developed ELISA methods the LODs are in the low µg l(-1) range between 5 and 10 µg l(-1) fining agent, whereas the LOQ varies between 5 and 80 µg l(-1) fining agent. The results of the investigation of well-known wines and fining agents demonstrate that white wines fined with white or ovalbumin from hen's egg could retain allergens. The use of certain technological procedures during wine processing leads to different results. In white wine, bentonite or sheet filtration followed by sterile filtration lead to wines containing no detectable amounts of ovalbumin. In red wine, especially the final sterile filtration removes the fining agents.

Pressure-induced valence change and moderate heavy fermion state in Eu-compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, Fuminori; Okauchi, Keigo; Sato, Yoshiki; Nakamura, Ai; Akamine, Hiromu; Ashitomi, Yosuke; Hedo, Masato; Nakama, Takao; Takeuchi, Tetsuya; Valenta, Jaroslav; Prchal, Jiri; Sechovský, Vladimir; Aoki, Dai; Ōnuki, Yoshichika

2018-05-01

A pressure-induced valence transition has attracted much attention in Eu-compounds. Among them, EuRh2Si2, EuNi2Ge2, and EuCo2Ge2 reveal the valence transition around 1, 2, and 3 GPa, respectively. We have succeeded in growing single crystals of EuT2X2 (T: transition metal, X: Si, Ge) and studied electronic properties under pressure. EuRh2Si2 indicates a first-order valence transition between 1 and 2 GPa, with a large and prominent hysteresis in the electrical resistivity. At higher pressures, the first-order valence transition changes to a cross-over regime with an intermediate valence state. Tuning of the valence state with pressure is reflected in a drastic change of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity in EuRh2Si2 single crystals. Effect of pressure on the valence states on EuRh2Si2, EuIr2Si2, EuNi2Ge2, and EuCo2Ge2, as well as an isostructural related compound EuGa4, are reviewed.

Ferromagnetic behavior in mixed valence europium (Eu2+/Eu3+) oxide EuTi1-xMxO3 (M = Al3+ and Ga3+)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akahoshi, Daisuke; Horie, Hiroki; Sakai, Shingo; Saito, Toshiaki

2013-10-01

We have investigated the Ti-site substitution effect on the magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic insulator EuTiO3 with a Néel temperature of ˜5 K. Partial substitution of Ti4+ with heterovalent Al3+ or Ga3+ turns the corresponding amount of magnetic Eu2+ into non-magnetic Eu3+. Both EuTi1-xAlxO3 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) and EuTi1-xGaxO3 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) exhibit ferromagnetic (FM) insulating behavior below ˜4 K. The Eu2+/Eu3+ mixed valence state probably contributes to the emergence of the FM behavior. Fine control of the magneto-electric (ME) phases of EuTi1-xAlxO3 and EuTi1-xGaxO3 would lead to intriguing ME phenomena such as giant ME effect.

First-principles calculation on electronic structure and optical property of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} phosphor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tong, Zhi-Fang, E-mail: tongzhifang1998@126.com; Wei, Zhan-Long; Xiao, Cheng

The crystal structure, electronic structure and optical properties of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} with varying Eu doping concentrations are computed by the density functional theory (DFT) and compared with experimental results. The results show that the lattice parameters of primitive cells of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x} become smaller and Eu–N bond length shortens as Eu concentration increases. The band structure of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x} exhibits a direct optical band gap and it's propitious to luminescence. The energy differences from the lowest Eu 5d state to the lowest Eu 4f state decrease with increasing Eumore » concentrations. The analysis of simulative absorption spectra indicates that the electron transition from Eu 4f states to 5d states of both Eu and Ba atoms contributes to the absorption of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x}. Under the coupling effect between Eu and Ba, Ba in BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2} exhibits longer wavelength absorption and increases absorption efficiency. The emission wavelength is deduced by measuring energy differences from the lowest Eu 5d state to the lowest Eu 4f state, and the result is in good agreement with experimental value within experimental Eu{sup 2+} doping range. - Graphical abstract: The structure and optical property of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} are computed by DFT and its absorption mechanism is analysed. Results show that absorption peak α is from the host lattice absorption. The absorption peaks β, γ and δ are from Eu 4f to Eu 5d and Ba 6s 5d states. The absorption is attributed to the coupling effect of Eu and Ba atom. - Highlights: • The crystal, electronic structure and optical properties of BaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sup 2+} are computed by DFT. • The lattice parameters of primitive cells reduces and Eu–N bond length shortens as Eu{sup 2+} increases. • The energy gap from Eu 5d state to Eu 4f state decrease with increasing Eu concentrations. • Both Eu and Ba atoms contributes to the absorption of Ba{sub 1−x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Eu{sub x}. • The deduced emission wavelength is in good agreement with experimental value.« less

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-23

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.euTopics of interest include: Data evaluation Cross section measurements Experimental techniques Uncertainties and covariances Fission properties Current and future facilities ; International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) ;Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Eric Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto Losito Vasilis Vlachoudis;Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-20

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu. Topics of interest include: Data evaluation, Cross section measurements, Experimental techniques, Uncertainties and covariances, Fission properties, and Current and future facilities. International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France), T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary), E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain), F. Gunsing (CEA, France), F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium), A. Junghans (FZD, Germany), R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman), Marco Calviani, Samuel Andriamonje, Eric Berthoumieux, Carlos Guerrero, Roberto Losito, Vasilis Vlachoudis. Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

Garbil, Roger

2018-04-16

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu. Topics of interest include: Data evaluation; Cross section measurements; Experimental techniques; Uncertainties and covariances; Fission properties; Current and future facilities. International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France)T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain)F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany)R. Nolte (PTB, Germany)S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden). Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman); Marco Calviani; Samuel Andriamonje; Eric Berthoumieux; Carlos Guerrero; Roberto Losito; Vasilis Vlachoudis; Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

Lantz, Mattias; Neudecker, Denise

2018-05-25

Part 5 of The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.euTopics of interest include: Data evaluation Cross section measurements Experimental techniques Uncertainties and covariances Fission properties Current and future facilities International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France) T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary)E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain) F. Gunsing (CEA, France)F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium) A. Junghans (FZD, Germany) R. Nolte (PTB, Germany) S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Eric Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto Losito Vasilis Vlachoudis Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

Wilson, J.N.

2018-05-24

Part 7 of The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive.EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.euTopics of interest include: Data evaluation; Cross section measurements; Experimental techniques; Uncertainties and covariances; Fission properties; Current and future facilities;International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France) T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary) E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain) F. Gunsing (CEA, France) F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium) A. Junghans (FZD, Germany) R. Nolte (PTB, Germany) S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman) Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Eric Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto Losito Vasilis Vlachoudis Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean.

NURE aerial gamma-ray and magnetic reconnaissance survey of portions of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Volume II. New Mexico-Roswell NI 13-8 quadrangle. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The results of a high-sensitivity, aerial gamma-ray spectrometer and magnetometer survey of the Roswell two degree quadrangle, New Mexico are presented. Instrumentation and methods are described in Volume I of this final report. The work was done by Carson Helicopters, Inc., and Carson Helicopters was assisted in the interpretation by International Exploration, Inc. The work was performed for the US Department of Energy - National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program. Analysis of this radiometric data yielded 238 statistically significant eU anomalies. Of this number, seventy-four were considered to be sufficient strength to warrant further investigation.

Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-24

The Final Scientific EFNUDAT Workshop - organized by the CERN/EN-STI group on behalf of n_TOF Collaboration - will be held at CERN, Geneva (Switzerland) from 30 August to 2 September 2010 inclusive. EFNUDAT website: http://www.efnudat.eu. Topics of interest include: Data evaluation; Cross section measurements; Experimental techniques; Uncertainties and covariances; Fission properties; Current and future facilities. International Advisory Committee: C. Barreau (CENBG, France) T. Belgya (IKI KFKI, Hungary) E. Gonzalez (CIEMAT, Spain) F. Gunsing (CEA, France) F.-J. Hambsch (IRMM, Belgium)A. Junghans (FZD, Germany) R. Nolte (PTB, Germany) S. Pomp (TSL UU, Sweden) & Workshop Organizing Committee: Enrico Chiaveri (Chairman)Marco Calviani Samuel Andriamonje Eric Berthoumieux Carlos Guerrero Roberto Losito Vasilis Vlachoudis; Workshop Assistant: Geraldine Jean

Lanthanide luminescent displacement assays: the sensing of phosphate anions using Eu(III)-cyclen-conjugated gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Massue, Julien; Quinn, Susan J; Gunnlaugsson, Thorfinnur

2008-06-04

1.Eu, a cyclen based Eu(III)-thiol conjugate, was incorporated onto the surface of water-soluble gold nanoparticles to give AuNP-1.Eu. The self-assembly between AuNP-1.Eu and the antenna 2 resulted in the formation of the highly luminescent lanthanide system, AuNP-1.Eu-2, at pH 7.4. The sensing of flavin monophosphate 3 is demonstrated, whereby 3 displaced the antenna 2 in AuNP-1.Eu-2, resulting in the formation of AuNP-1.Eu-3 and quenching of the Eu(III) emission.

Eu 2+ –Eu 3+ valence transition in double, Eu-, and Na-doped PbSe from transport, magnetic, and electronic structure studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiendlocha, Bartlomiej; Kim, SunPhil; Lee, Yeseul

The Eu atoms in Pb 1-xEu xSe have long been assumed to be divalent. We show that p-type doping of this magnetic semiconductor alloy with Na can modify the effective Eu valence: a mixed, Eu 2+–Eu 3+ state appears in Pb 1-x-yEu xNa ySe at particular values of y. Magnetization, carrier concentration, resistivity, and thermopower of Pb 1-x-yEu xNa ySe are reported for a number of samples with different x and y. A pronounced increase in thermopower at a given carrier concentration was identified and attributed to the presence of enhanced ionized impurity scattering. A strong decrease in the holemore » concentration is observed in Pb1-yNaySe when Eu is added to the system, which we attribute to a Eu 2+–Eu 3+ self-ionization process. This is evidenced by magnetization measurements, which reveal a significant reduction of the magnetic moment of Pb 1-xEu xSe upon alloying with Na. Further, a deviation of magnetization from a purely paramagnetic state, described by a Brillouin function, identifies antiferromagnetic interactions between the nearest-neighbor Eu atoms: a value of J ex/k B = -0.35 K was found for the exchange coupling parameter. The conclusion of a Eu 2+–Eu 3+ self-ionization process being in effect is supported further by the electronic structure calculations, which show that an instability of the 4f 7 configuration of the Eu 2+ ion appears with Na doping. In conclusion, schematically, it was found that the Eu 4f levels form states near enough to the Fermi energy that hole doping can lower the Fermi energy and trigger a reconfiguration of a 4f electronic shell.« less

Eu 2+ –Eu 3+ valence transition in double, Eu-, and Na-doped PbSe from transport, magnetic, and electronic structure studies

DOE PAGES

Wiendlocha, Bartlomiej; Kim, SunPhil; Lee, Yeseul; ...

2017-03-27

The Eu atoms in Pb 1-xEu xSe have long been assumed to be divalent. We show that p-type doping of this magnetic semiconductor alloy with Na can modify the effective Eu valence: a mixed, Eu 2+–Eu 3+ state appears in Pb 1-x-yEu xNa ySe at particular values of y. Magnetization, carrier concentration, resistivity, and thermopower of Pb 1-x-yEu xNa ySe are reported for a number of samples with different x and y. A pronounced increase in thermopower at a given carrier concentration was identified and attributed to the presence of enhanced ionized impurity scattering. A strong decrease in the holemore » concentration is observed in Pb1-yNaySe when Eu is added to the system, which we attribute to a Eu 2+–Eu 3+ self-ionization process. This is evidenced by magnetization measurements, which reveal a significant reduction of the magnetic moment of Pb 1-xEu xSe upon alloying with Na. Further, a deviation of magnetization from a purely paramagnetic state, described by a Brillouin function, identifies antiferromagnetic interactions between the nearest-neighbor Eu atoms: a value of J ex/k B = -0.35 K was found for the exchange coupling parameter. The conclusion of a Eu 2+–Eu 3+ self-ionization process being in effect is supported further by the electronic structure calculations, which show that an instability of the 4f 7 configuration of the Eu 2+ ion appears with Na doping. In conclusion, schematically, it was found that the Eu 4f levels form states near enough to the Fermi energy that hole doping can lower the Fermi energy and trigger a reconfiguration of a 4f electronic shell.« less

Synthesis and effect of Ce and Mn co-doping on photoluminescence characteristics of Ca6AlP5O20:Eu novel phosphors.

PubMed

Shinde, K N; Dhoble, S J

2013-01-01

A series of Ca6AlP5O20 doped with rare earths (Eu and Ce) and co-doped (Eu, Ce and Eu,Mn) were prepared by combustion synthesis. Under Hg-free excitation, Ca6AlP5O20:Eu exhibited Eu(2+) (486 nm) emission in the blue region of the spectrum and under near Hg excitation (245 nm), Ca6AlP5O20:Ce phosphor exhibited Ce(3+) emission (357 nm) in the UV range. Photoluminescence (PL) peak intensity increased in Ca6AlP5O20:Eu,Ce and Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn phosphors due to co-activators of Ce(3+) and Mn(2+) ions. As a result, these ions played an important role in PL emission in the present matrix. Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Ce and Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn phosphors provided energy transfer mechanisms via Ce(3+) → Eu(2+) and Eu(2+) → Mn(2+), respectively. Eu ions acted as activators and Ce ions acted as sensitizers. Ce emission energy was well matched with Eu excitation energy in the case of Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Ce and Eu ions acted as activators and Mn ions acted as sensitizers in Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn. This study included synthesis of new and efficient phosphate phosphors. The impact of doping and co-doping on photoluminescence properties and energy transfer mechanisms were investigated and we propose a feasible interpretation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Agouron and immune response to commercialize remune immune-based treatment.

PubMed

James, J S

1998-06-19

Agouron Pharmaceuticals agreed in June to collaborate with The Immune Response Corporation on the final development and marketing of an immune-based treatment for HIV. Remune, the vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is currently in Phase III randomized trials with 2,500 patients, and the trials are expected to be completed in April 1999. Immune-based treatments have been difficult to test, as there is no surrogate marker, like viral load, to determine if the drug is working. Agouron agreed to participate in the joint venture after reviewing encouraging results from preliminary trials in which remune was taken in combination with highly active antiretroviral drugs.

Towards sustainable management of huntable migratory waterbirds in Europe

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madsen, Jesper; Guillemain, Matthieu; Nagy, Szabolcs; Defos du Rau, Pierre; Mondain-Monval, Jean-Yves; Griffin, Cy; Williams, James Henty; Bunnefeld, Nils; Czajkowski, Alexandre; Hearn, Richard; Grauer, Andreas; Alhainen, Mikko; Middleton, Angus; Johnson, Fred A.

2015-01-01

The EU Birds Directive and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement provide an adequate legal framework for sustainable management of migratory waterbird populations. The main shortcoming of both instruments is that it leaves harvest decisions of a shared resource to individual Member States and Contracting Parties without providing a shared information base and mechanism to assess the impact of harvest and coordinate actions in relation to mutually agreed objectives. A recent update of the conservation status of waterbirds in the EU shows that almost half of the populations of species listed on Annex II of the Birds Directive have a declining short-term trend and over half of them are listed in Columns A and B of AEWA. This implies that their hunting could either only continue under the framework of an adaptive harvest management plan or their hunting should be regulated with the view of restoring them in favourable conservation status. We argue that a structured approach to decision-making (such as adaptive management) is needed, supported with adequate organisational structures at flyway scale. We review the experience with such an approach in North America and assess the applicability of a similar approach in the European context. We show there is no technical reason why adaptive harvest management could be not applied in the EU or even AEWA context. We demonstrate that an informed approach to setting allowable harvests does not require detailed demographic information. Essential to the process, however, are estimates of either the observed growth rate from a monitoring program or the growth rate expected under ideal conditions. In addition, periodic estimates of population size are needed, as well as either empirical information or reasonable assumptions about the form of density dependence. We show that such information exists for many populations, but improvements are needed to improve geographic coverage, reliability and timely data availability. We highlight the importance of the International Waterbird Census and specialised goose and seaduck monitoring in estimating population sizes and observed growth rate of the populations. We encourage further investments into the development of these schemes. We also recognise the importance of migration studies to improve our understanding of delineations of populations. We also highlight that, with a few exceptions, the available data does not allow the European Commission, competent authorities of the Members States or other AEWA Contracting Parties to assess levels of harvest and their sustainability and, therefore, regulate hunting accordingly. Therefore, we recommend that annual reporting on 2 harvest levels of waterbird populations would be gradually introduced in the EU and the AEWA region. We propose that future AEWA and EU action plans and management plans for Annex II species should apply the principles of adaptive harvest management framework and make provisions for setting up adequate monitoring and information management systems and organisational structures to manage the decision-making process. We suggest that internationally coordinated management structures are established to facilitate dialogue, learning and communication between stakeholders with different interests and cultural backgrounds.

Controlled synthesis of Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ doped ZnS quantum dots and their photovoltaic and magnetic properties

DOE PAGES

Horoz, Sabit; Yakami, Baichhabi; Poudyal, Uma; ...

2016-04-27

Eu-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) have been synthesized by wet-chemical method and found to form in zinc blende (cubic) structure. Both Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ doped ZnS can be controllably synthesized. The Eu 2+ doped ZnS QDs show broad photoluminescence emission peak around 512 nm, which is from the Eu2+ intra-ion transition of 4f 6d1 – 4f 7, while the Eu 3+ doped samples exhibit narrow emission lines characteristic of transitions between the 4f levels. The investigation of the magnetic properties shows that the Eu 3+ doped samples exhibit signs of ferromagnetism, on the other hand, Eu 2+ dopedmore » samples are paramagnetic of Curie-Weiss type. The incident photon to electron conversion efficiency is increased with the Eu doping, which suggests the QD solar cell efficiency can be enhanced by Eu doping due to widened absorption windows. This is an attractive approach to utilize benign and environmentally friendly wide band gap ZnS QDs in solar cell technology.« less

Abnormal Eu behavior at formation of H2O- and Cl-bearing fluids during degassing of granite magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukanin, Oleg

2010-05-01

One of the important features of REE behavior in the process of decompression degassing of granite melts is the presence of europium anomalies in REE spectrum of forming fluid phase. Negative Eu anomaly in REE spectrum of fluids enriched by chlorine that were formed under high pressures at early stages of degassing relative to REE spectrum of granite melts may take place. Negative Eu anomaly in fluid is replaced by positive one with pressure decrease and decline of Cl concentration in fluid [1, 2]. Observable unique features of europium redistribution between fluid and melt find an explanation in such a fact that Eu in contrast to the other REE under oxidation-reduction conditions, being typical for magmatic process, is present in acidic silica-alumina melts in two valency forms Eu3+ and Eu2+ whereas the dominant form for the other REE in such a melts is (REE)3+ [3, 4]. From the analysis of melt-fluid exchange reactions with participation of two valency forms of europium Eu3+ and Eu2+ follows that the total distribution coefficient of Eu between fluid and melt D(Eu)f-m is equal as a first approximation to [5, 6]: D(Eu)f-m = a1α [C(Cl)f]3 + a2 (1 - α)[C(Cl)f]2, where C(Cl)f - the concentration of Cl in fluid, α = Eu3+/(Eu3+ + Eu2+), i.e. fraction of Eu3+ from the general amount of europium in the melt, and, a1anda2- constants that can be approximately estimated from empirical data upon Eu fluid/melt distribution. The equation given allows to estimate the influence of oxidizing condition of europium on sign and size of Eu anomaly, which is expressed by Eu/Eu# ratio, where Eu is real concentration of europium in fluid being in equilibrium with melt with constant Eu3+/(Eu3+ + Eu2+) ratio, and Eu# is possible "virtual" concentration of europium that could be in the same fluid provided that all europium as other REE as well were exclusively present in trivalent form. The sign and size of Eu anomaly in fluid depends upon Cl concentration in fluid and Eu3+/Eu2+ ratio in melt. The abnormal behavior of Eu shows itself the stronger, the lower fO2and, accordingly, the more fraction of Eu2+is present in melt. The work is supported of the Geosciences Department of the Russian Academy of Science (the program 2- 2010) and RFBR (grant 08-05-00022). References [1] Reed M.J., Candela Ph.A., Piccoli Ph.M. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 2000. V. 140. P. 251-262. [2] Lukanin O.A., Dernov-Pegarev V.F. Vestnik Otd. Nauk Zemle RAN, No 1(25)'2007 URL: http://www.scgis.ru/russian/cp1251/h_dgggms/1-2007/informbul-1_2007/term-30e.pdf [3] Drake M.J. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 1975. V. 39. P. 55-64. [4] Wilke M. Behrens H. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 1999. V. 137. P. 102-114. [5] Lukanin O.A. Vestnik Otd. Nauk o Zemle RAN, No 1(26)'2008. URL: http://www.scgis.ru/russian/cp1251/h_dgggms/1-2008/informbul-1_2008/magm-20e.pdf [6] Lukanin O.A., Dernov-Pegarev V.F. Geochemistry International, 2010 (in press)

Total and inorganic arsenic in Iranian rice.

PubMed

Cano-Lamadrid, Marina; Munera-Picazo, Sandra; Burló, Francisco; Hojjati, Mohammad; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2015-05-01

It is well known that arsenic (As) exposure, particularly to inorganic species (i-As), has adverse effects on humans. Nowadays, the European Union (EU) has still not regulated the maximum residue limit of As in commercial samples of rice and rice-based products, although it is actively working on the topic. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is collecting data on total arsenic (t-As) and i-As from different rice-producing regions not only from EU countries but also from other parts of the world to finally set up this maximum threshold. As Iran is a rice-producing country, the aim of this work was to evaluate the contents of t-As and i-As in 15 samples of Iranian white, nonorganic, and aromatic rice collected from the most important rice-producing regions of the country. The means of t-As and i-As were 120 and 82 μg/kg, respectively. The experimental i-As mean in Iranian rice was below the Chinese standard for the i-As in rice, 150 μg/kg, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) limit, 200 μg/kg. Therefore, Iranian rice seems to have reasonable low i-As content and it is safe to be marketed in any market, including China and the EU. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

European union regulatory developments for new vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems.

PubMed

Sesardic, Dorothea; Dobbelaer, Roland

2004-06-23

Interest in vaccine adjuvants and new delivery systems has grown rapidly over the past few years. New vaccine candidates have emerged, which, because of their poor immunogenicity, rely on adjuvants to improve their presentation and targeting and to potentiate their protective immune response. Better understandings of the mechanisms of action, together with logistic and economical considerations have resulted in an explosion of technologies. However, there have been few new registered products for human use, and antigens incorporated into immunostimulating reconstituted influenza virosomes have only relatively recently been licensed in European Union (EU) countries. Influenza vaccine, adjuvanted with water in oil emulsion containing squalene (adjuvant MF59C1) is now also approved. Although current EU regulations focus on traditional adjuvants, notably aluminium and calcium salts, advances have been made in regulatory considerations. The European agency for the evaluation of medicinal products, through its working parties, is actively drafting guidance on requirements for the evaluation of new adjuvants in vaccines. This paper summarises the new developments in EU regulatory aspects relevant to adjuvant quality at development stages, during the manufacturing process, and at the final bulk stage of adjuvant with antigen, and also summarises regulatory expectation regarding safety at pre-clinical and clinical stages. The paper highlights the regulatory concerns and existing bottlenecks that have led to slow approval of new technologies.

Effects of Eu doping and O vacancy on the magnetic and optical properties of ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling-Feng, Qu; Qing-Yu, Hou; Xiao-Fang, Jia; Zhen-Chao, Xu; Chun-Wang, Zhao

2018-02-01

We calculated the electronic structure and optical properties of Eu mono-doped ZnO systems with or without O vacancy. We also determined the relative energy of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic orders of Eu-double-doped ZnO systems. The double-doped systems possess high Curie temperature and achieve room temperature ferromagnetism. The magnetism in the Eu mono-doped system without O vacancy is caused by the -Eu3+-O2--Eu3+- bound magnetopolaron (BMP) model. The magnetism of Eu mono-doped ZnO systems with O vacancy is more stable than that without O vacancy, and such magnetism is attributed to the -Eu3+-VO++-Eu3+- BMP model. The absorption spectrum for mono-doped systems is red shifted, and this finding confirms that Eu-mono-doped ZnO is a candidate photocatalyst for various applications. Therefore, Eu-double-doped ZnO can be practically used as an unambiguous diluted magnetic semiconductor.

Luminescence and Site Occupancy of Eu2+ in Ba2 Ca(BO3)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pan-Lai; Wang, Zhi-Jun; Yang, Zhi-Ping; Guo, Qing-Lin

2011-01-01

A green phosphor Ba2Ca(BO3)2:Eu2+ was synthesized by a high temperature solid-state reaction method under a reductive atmosphere. The luminescence and site occupancy of Eu2+ in Ba2Ca(BO3)2 are investigated. Ba2Ca(BO3)2:Eu2+ shows one green band (537 nm) under 400 nm near ultraviolet excitation which is suitable for UV LED. Ca2+ and Ba2+ ions in Ba2Ca(BO3)2 are replaced by Eu2+ ions, the Ba2Ca(BO3)2:Eu2+ shows a dissymmetrical emission band. The influence of Eu2+ doping concentrations on the emission intensity of Ba2Ca(BO3)2:Eu2+ is studied. It is found that the emission intensity is influenced by the Eu2+ concentration and reaches the maximum value at 2% Eu2+. According to the Dexter theory, the concentration quenching mechanisms of Eu2+ in Ba2Ca(BO3)2 are the d-dinteraction.

Fano Resonance of Eu2+ and Eu3+ in (Eu,Gd)Te MBE Layers