European Commission Guidelines Research Articles

Tackling Unintended Consequences of EU Sanctions: NGOs' Advocacy for Humanitarian Exceptions

AbstractSanctions are increasingly prominent foreign policy tools, but research on the policy process that leads to specific sanction design is limited. Sanctions can have unintended effects on the provision of humanitarian aid in sanctioned countries, which has led to calls for humanitarian exceptions in sanction design. This study focuses on non‐governmental organizations' (NGOs) advocacy for a humanitarian perspective on European Union (EU) sanctions in the period 2020–2021. Building on the Advocacy Coalition Framework and the triangulation of qualitative data sources including interviews and document analysis, this study describes an advocacy coalition of humanitarian NGOs in Brussels, their advocacy strategies and the effectiveness of these strategies. The analysis highlights the coalition's common policy beliefs and documents three advocacy strategies: coalition building, knowledge leadership and lobbying. The analysis then traces the link between these strategies and recent policy changes, namely, clearer European Commission guidelines on the implementation of humanitarian derogations. This policy change was further facilitated by policy brokers and an external shock, the Covid‐19 pandemic. The findings shed light on an understudied design feature of sanctions, i.e., humanitarian exceptions, and on the role of non‐governmental actors in shaping sanction designs.

Proposed Methodology for Climate Change Adaptation of Water Infrastructures in the Mediterranean Region

Water Infrastructure (WI) is one of the most important sectors of Critical Infrastructure (CI); it encompasses drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. The WI is vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change (CC) that can disrupt its functionality; thus, it needs to be adapted to CC, especially in the Mediterranean region, where these effects are expected to intensify during the twenty-first century. For this adaptation a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) is required in the development of WI to identify the important climate hazards and to recommend the required measures for the adaptation of the WI to these hazards. In the present work, a CRVA methodology is developed and presented based on a literature survey and the relevant European Commission guidelines; it is structured around five key steps: (1) Description of the WI, (2) Climate change assessment, (3) Vulnerability assessment, (4) Risk assessment, and (5) Assessment of adaptation measures. The application of the methodology is illustrated indicatively to a wastewater system in Greece for which preliminary estimations are performed, results are discussed, and conclusions are drawn. The proposed methodology can be modified for application to other sectors of CI; moreover, is a valuable resource in academic curricula and ongoing research initiatives.

Evaluating the persistence of malachite green residues in tilapia and pacu fish

Although banned in food-producing animals, residues of malachite green (MG) and its primary metabolite, leucomalachite green (LMG), have been found in fish due to illegal use in aquaculture and the release of industrial wastewater, which represent a serious risk to food and environmental securities. This study aimed to investigate the residue depletion profile of MG and LMG in edible tissues of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) cultured simultaneously under the same environmental conditions to support control measures in case of abuse. An analytical method involving QuEChERS sample preparation and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was developed, validated, and applied to quantify MG and LMG residues in fish fillets from two depletion experiments after treatment by immersion bath (MG at 0.10 mg L-1 for 60 min). During the experiment, the average water temperature was 30 ºC, while the pH was 6.9. The method is selective, precise (CV = 0.4 - 22%) and accurate (recovery 92 - 114%). The limits of detection and quantification are 0.15 and 0.5 ng g-1, respectively. In both species, the sum of MG and LMG residues were quantified up to the 32nd day post-exposure, and the concentrations were significantly higher in the pacu fillets (up to 3284 ng g-1) than in Nile tilapia (up to 432 ng g-1). The sums of MG and LMG residues were below 2 ng g-1 at 44 days and 342 days for Nile tilapia and pacu, respectively – the Minimum Required Performance Limit (MRPL) for analytical methods intended to monitor forbidden substances in food according to old European Commission guidelines. The persistence of MG residues in pacu may be attributed to its higher lipid content, which favors the accumulation of the non-polar metabolite LMG. These results provide insights into the concern about human, animal, and environmental health risks resulting from unauthorized use or aquatic contamination by industrial wastewater containing MG residues.

Occurrence, spatial variation, seasonal difference, and risk assessment of neonicotinoid insecticides, selected agriculture fungicides, and their transformation products in the Yangtze River, China: From the upper to lower reaches

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) and agricultural fungicides (including strobilurin, azole, and morpholine fungicides) are widely used, while data on their contamination in the Yangtze River of China and the risks posed by them are limited. The occurrence and distribution of ten NNIs, twenty-one transformation products (TPs) of them, seventeen agricultural fungicides, and six TPs of them were investigated in the main stream of the Yangtze River. Surface water samples (n = 144) were obtained from 72 sampling points in dry season and wet season. Among the NNIs, the detection frequencies (DFs) of acetamiprid (ACE), clothianidin, dinotefuran, flonicamid, imidacloprid (IMI), thiacloprid (THCP), and thiamethoxam (THM) were higher than 85%, with the median concentrations ranged from 0.06 ng/L (THCP) to 3.63 ng/L (IMI). The DFs of the TPs descyano-acetamiprid, desmethyl-acetamiprid (DM-ACE), N-[(6-Chloropyridin-3-yl) methyl] methylamine, desnitro-clothianidin, desnitro-imidacloprid, desnitro-thiamethoxam, imidacloprid-urea, and thiamethoxam-urea (THM-urea) were higher than 80%, with the median concentrations ranged from 0.25 ng/L for DM-ACE to 2.41 ng/L for THM-urea. Some agricultural parent fungicides, including azoxystrobin (AZS), carbendazim (CBDZ), difenoconazole, dimethomorph, propiconazole, pyraclostrobin, and tebuconazole (TBCZ), were detected in all the samples; others were also detected in more than 80% of the samples except for fluoxastrobin (12.5%). The median concentrations of the frequently detected fungicides ranged from 0.02 ng/L (trifloxystrobin) to 26.8 ng/L (CBDZ). The DFs of the fungicide TPs azoxystrobin acid (AZS acid), difenoconazole-alcohol, tebuconazole-tert-butylhydroxy (TBCZ-OH), and 5-hydroxymethyl-tricyclazole were higher than 75%, with the median concentrations ranged from 0.09 ng/L (TBCZ-OH) to 1.80 ng/L (AZS acid). The summed concentrations of the NNIs and their TPs at the sampling points varied between 0.23 and 418 ng/L, and the summed concentrations of the selected fungicides and their TPs varied from 0.29 to 1160 ng/L. The spatial distribution of most target analytes revealed an increasing trend in their concentrations from the upstream to downstream Yangtze River (250 times increase in their cumulative concentration). Most target pesticides in this study had significantly higher concentrations during wet season than those during dry season. Furthermore, ecological risk assessment suggested that ACE, IMI, THM, CBDZ, TBCZ, and thifluzamide in some samples (n = 1, 11, 1, 1, 1, and 6, respectively) posed high risks to the ecosystem (risk quotient > 1). Priority attention should be paid to the ecological risk posed by these pesticides. Thirty-seven samples had concentrations of individual target analytes over 100 ng/L and four samples had cumulative concentrations of the target analytes over 500 ng/L, exceeding the European Commission guideline values. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a widespread occurrence of the NNIs, agricultural fungicides, and their TPs in the mainstream of the Yangtze River and potential ecological risks posed by some of them.

Bioaccumulation of trace metal ions in the blue swimmer crab tissues Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf.

The blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus, is an edible abundant crustacean found in many seas around the world, including the Arabian Gulf. In this study, the concentrations of six metal ions in the white and brown meats of P. pelagicus from four sites in Bahrain were determined. P. pelagicus was found to accumulate Zn2+ and Cu2+ higher than other metal ions in the order of Zn2+ > Cu2+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+ > Cr3+, while Pb2+ was not detected. The overall average concentrations of Zn2+, Cu2+, Cr3+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ in white meat were 236.2, 69.5, 0.109, 0.159, and 0.273 mg/kg, while in brown meat, they were 235.4, 199.2, 0.133, 1.25, and 4.87 mg/kg based on dry weight, respectively. Concentrations of Pb2+ and Cd2+ were safe according to Bahrain's and European Commission guidelines. The estimated weekly intake (EWI) values of Zn2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ via consumption of crab's white meat (edible tissue) were 102.1, 30.1, 0.042, and 0.12 µg/kg/week, respectively, which are far lower than the maximum recommended values established by the FAO/WHO. The hazard quotient (HQ) values of individual trace metal ions and the synergistic effects of total trace metal ion (hazard index) were below 1, indicating that there is no potential health risk on the consumption of crab edible tissues (white meat). However, elevated levels of Cd2+ (0.05-1.73 mg/kg wet weight) in the brown meat (hepatopancreas) were detected. The female P. pelagicus accumulated high levels of Zn2+ and Cu2+ in the white meat, as well as Cu2+ in the brown meat compared to males. Additionally, it was found that Cu2+ and Cd2+ were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in brown meat compared to white meat. Higher concentrations (p < 0.05) of Zn2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ were observed in crabs collected from sites that have harsher environmental conditions.

The Directorate-General for Translation’s gender-neutral English guidelines (1998-2022)

Abstract Ten years before the European Parliament adopted the Gender-neutral language in the European Parliament multilingual guidelines (2008), the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation had already included a section on this subject in the third edition of its English Style Guide (1998). The original text was later reproduced in other European Union’s style guides, namely the Interinstitutional Style Guide, the European Commission Style Guide and the ephemeral European Commission Guidelines for Inclusive Communication, withdrawn shortly after publication due to political and religious complaints. After a quarter of a century, the guidelines have drifted apart through their respective updates. What are the exact inconsistencies of the current style guides? How do the changes reflect developments in the field of inclusive language? And do the guidelines include gendered terms and expressions relevant for EU linguists? A unified EU policy on linguistic sexism across its languages and institutions expressed in a set of relevant and coherent language guidelines seems vital to enabling and fostering the implementation of non-sexist language as a gender mainstreaming tool in the EU.

Optimization and Validation of Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction for Simultaneous Determination of Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in Senna Leaves and Pods Using HPLC-FLD with Pre-Column Derivatization.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) was optimized for the simultaneous extraction of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2) from powdered senna leaves and pods. Detection was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) and pre-column derivatization. The parameters affecting the DLLME extraction efficiency were evaluated. Chloroform (200 µL) was used as an extraction solvent, 500 µL of distilled water was used as a dispersive solvent, and the extraction was performed at pH 5.6 with no salt added. The optimized method was validated using leaves and pods according to the European Commission guidelines. The linear range for all aflatoxins was 2-50 µg/kg, with values for regression coefficients of determination exceeding 0.995. The recoveries of spiked senna leaves and pods were in the ranges of 91.77-108.71% and 83.50-102.73%, respectively. The RSD values for intra-day and inter-day precisions were in the ranges of 2.30-7.93% and 3.13-10.59%, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification varied in the ranges of 0.70-1.27 µg/kg and 2.13-3.84 µg/kg, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied for the quantification of aflatoxins in 60 real samples of dried senna leaves and pods.

Effects of acetic acid on toxic metal content and proximatecomposition in the muscle of blood cockle (Anadara granosa)

Blood cockle Anadara granosa is an important food source and one of the most commonly cultured species in the Mekong delta. But, cockle is a filter feeder, it can accumulate toxic metals from the water environment. This study aims conducted to evaluate the soaking effects of acetic acid in different concentrations at different times on the levels of Cd and Pb and proximate nutritional composition in the soft tissues. The levels of Pb in cockle tissue collected from Binh Dai district, Ben Tre province were over the permissible limits set by the European Commission (EC) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MOH) (1.5 mg/kg). Concentrations of Cd in tissue were higher than the EC guideline of 1.0 mg/kg but lower than the MOH guideline of 2.0 mg/kg. The results showed that the removal efficiencies of two metals in cockle tissues with acetic acid were increased with increasing a range of acid concentration and soaking time. The highest removal efficiency of Cd and Pb was achieved with an acetic acid concentration of 5% and soaking in 15 minutes with minimum loss in the nutritive value of cockle tissue. After the soaking process, the levels of Cd and Pb in the tissue of the cockle were below the permissible limits recommended by the EC and the MOH.

Increasing Source-Object Distance: A Computed Radiography-based Strategy to Reducing Radiation Dose in Occipital-Frontal Skull X-Ray

Introduction: Exploring potential optimization strategies and developing evident practices is critical. Previous studies show that radiation dose can be reduced by increasing the source-image distance (SID). Although most studies use digital radiography, many hospitals in underdeveloped countries still use computed radiography (CR). Therefore, research will investigate the relationship between SID and Entrance surface dose (ESD) using the CR. Methods: This study involved the measurement of radiation dose and image quality of a radiological procedure performed at a reference SID; 100cm and the tested SIDs; 110cm, 120cm, and 130cm, using constant technical factors (70kVp, 25mAs, grid). A LiF; Mg Ti thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD-100) chip was placed in the center of the radiation field of the OF10° skull radiography examination to measure ESD. Image quality was assessed using the European Commission guidelines and graded using relative visual assessment analysis (VGA). Results: Significant ESD reduction from 21% and 45% when SID was increased from 100cm to 130cm (p &lt;0.001), where SID was negatively correlated with ESD (r= - 0.98). The VGA scores showed no statistical difference in the image quality of the OF10° skull radiography examination for the tested and reference images (p=0.21). VGA scores for 120cm images showed the highest image quality among the SIDs tested with a dose reduction of 37%. Conclusion: ESD was statically reduced when SID was increased from 100cm to 130cm, while image quality was diagnostically acceptable. The study suggests that 120cm is the optimal SID when both dose and image quality are considered.

Monitoring of Pesticide Contamnation of Selected Legume Crops Imported in UAE

Food contamination with pesticide residues is a serious concern. In United Arab Emirates, ministry of climate change and environment (MOCCAE) carries out incidence/level monitoring in order to acquire data on the presence and amounts of pesticide residues in particular commodity/chemical combinations. This monitoring aimed to provide the necessary information on quantitative and qualitative pesticide multiresidues in imported legume crops.&#x0D; Sampling plan of 2375 selected legume imported into the UAE has been examined as part of an official surveillance program, these samples include beans, peas, peanuts, lupine and lentils, they were collected from across United Arab Emirates (UAE) ports of entry during 2020 and 2021 by certified staff. These samples were analyzed by modified QuEChERS method for pesticide residue screening based on multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with gas and/or liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for monitoring more than 400 pesticides residues in these legume crops. The method used in this study was validated following the European Commission guidelines achieving good recovery values in the range 70–120% with relative standard deviation values lower than 20% and providing limits of quantification of the method in the low mg/kg range, in accordance with the maximum residue limits set by European policies and CODEX.&#x0D; The results showed that the majority (98.8%) of legume crops samples analyzed had compliance with the legislation in force in UAE and 29 samples (1.2%) contained residues above MRLs established by the Codex Committee on pesticide residues as well as by the European Union. This monitoring is a part of a surveillance study for pesticide control in food samples.&#x0D; Based on the results current monitoring program provide a valuable source of information for estimating dietary exposure of UAE consumers to pesticide residues, and to check compliance with the national maximum residue levels in legume samples.

Monitoring of Pesticide Multi Residues in Selected Cereals Crop Grains in United Arab Emirates

Assessing the contamination of cereals and their manufactured products with pesticide residues is a topic of global importance, and monitoring studies are needed to analyze multiple residues at trace levels. Current study was conducted to monitor pesticide residues in various cereals (corn, oats, rice, barley, sorghum and wheat) imported into the UAE as part of official surveillance. A total of 1,440 samples were collected during 2020 and 2021.&#x0D; Modified QuEChERS method for pesticide residue screening based on multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with advanced gas and/or liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry were optimized for monitoring 400 pesticides residues in cereals, and the method was validated for oats, rice, barley and corn matrices, following the European Commission guidelines achieving good recovery values in the range 70–120% with relative standard deviation values lower than 20% and providing limits of quantification of the method in the low mg/kg range, in accordance to the maximum residue limits set by European policies and CODEX.&#x0D; Results from monitoring showed that among the Cereals Grains samples, 903 samples (62.7%) were free from detectable residues, while 419 samples (29.09%) contained residues and 121 samples (8.4%) had residues exceeded the MRLs allowed by the EU legislation and/or COEDX. Tricyclazole, Thiamethoxam, Carbendazim and Buprofesin were the most frequently detected exceeded the MRLs in samples.

A REVIEW OF EUROPEAN GUIDELINES FOR PATIENT BLOOD MANAGEMENT WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON ANTIFIBRINOLYTIC DRUG ADMINISTRATION FOR CARDIAC SURGERY

<h3>Introduction</h3> Patient blood management (PBM) is a proactive approach towards improving the quality and appropriateness of care. PBM has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2011. The aim is to manage anaemia and bleeding in surgical patients with the objective to minimise the need for transfusion. AntiVbrinolytics play a major role in cardiac surgery, where the risk of perioperative bleeding is high and affects most patients. AntiVbrinolytics effectively reduce bleeding, transfusions, re-operations, and associated morbidity and mortality. They represent an essential part of the pharmacological arsenal of PBM. The authors compared the current available European guidelines in PBM and analysed the place of different antiVbrinolytics in cardiac surgery, according to these guidelines. <h3>Methods</h3> A literature search on European PBM guidelines was performed in December 2020 and repeated in January 2021 using PubMed, Cochrane Database and Google Scholar databases. <h3>Results</h3> Thirteen documents were identiVed, from 6 countries (France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania, UK), provided by European Commission or European and/or national learned societies. Of these 13 articles, 10 mentioned cardiac surgery, with 1 fully dedicated to it, and 8 were actual PBM guidelines. <h3>Discussion</h3> Despite the trend towards high-level PBM practices, and the implementation of PBM programs actively supported by the European Commission, national or international PBM guidelines for European countries appear to be both few and heterogeneous in form and content. At the European level, guidelines on bleeding management were published in 2017 by the ESAIC and those dedicated to cardiac surgery were published in 2018 jointly by the EACTS and the EACTA. All the current available guidelines follow and agree on the deVnition of PBM as deVned by the WHO, supported by three pillars: optimizing blood volume, minimising blood loss and optimizing the patient's tolerance to anaemia. Most of them were divided according to the three main surgical phases: preoperative, perioperative and post-operative. Anaemia management appears as a cornerstone of PBM in all guidelines, followed by limiting blood loss during surgical procedures to reduce transfusions and limit the risk of reoperation for bleeding. In this context, the European and national PBM guidelines all recommend the prophylactic use of antiVbrinolytics to avoid or reduce perioperative bleeding. However, they differ in the type of antiVbrinolytic recommended, when it should be given and how (bolus or infusion or both), including the dose and timing. Indeed, when mentioned, the dosing to be used generally differs from one guideline to another. Most guidelines recommend only the use of tranexamic acid. Aprotinin is rarely mentioned, partly because of its recent reintroduction in Europe (Table 1). The implementation of PBM practices in Europe is still challenging, as there is a real need for more homogenous guidance in PBM and in the use of antiVbrinolytics, especially in cardiac surgery. New clinical data to promote the use of antiVbrinolytics could be of interest to improve, accelerate and deploy PBM implementation at a large scale.

KUALITAS FOTO POLOS PASIEN DENGAN DAN TANPA LAVEMENT

ABSTRACT&#x0D; Introduction: Patient preparation aims to minimize the appearance of air and feces which can interfere with doctors assessing anatomy and pathology on radiographs, and in some cases can even cause a delay in IVP examination. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between KUB examination patients with and without patient preparation (Abbasi A, Siyal A and Soomro M.I, 2015). Preparation of IVP patients between outpatients and inpatients at Prof. Hospital. Dr. Margono Soekardjo Purwokerto differs in the presence or absence of lavement.&#x0D; Method: This type of research is descriptive research. The population of the study was request sheets for photos and plain photo radiographs for BNO IVP examination with indications of hydronephrosis. The exclusion criteria for this study were patients aged ≥ 50 years to avoid the effects of constipation. The assessment uses a questionnaire that refers to The European Commission Guideline For Evaluation Of Radiographic Images and the assessment criteria determined by the researcher.&#x0D; Results: up to 6 patients came from the Inpatient Installation and 6 patients came from the Outpatient Installation. Inpatient installation has a higher total score for renal outline. Inpatient installation has a lower total score for visualization of the right psoas line and bone system, but gives the same score for the left psoas line. The Inpatient Installation has a higher total score for visualizing a lot of air and feces than the Outpatient Installation for the proximal colon area, while the distal colon area has the same score. In the distal colonic area, more radiographs from inpatient settings show air and stool features that may interfere with diagnosis than outpatient settings. This can be caused by visits from guests when visiting patients. The tendency of guests to bring food and chat with patients can affect this.&#x0D; Conclusion: In general, radiographs from outpatients and inpatients can clearly show the organs which include, the entire urinary tract area from the upper pole of the kidney to the basal bladder, renal outline, psoas line and bone system, but visualization of a lot of air and feces is more higher than the Outpatient Installation for the proximal colon area, while the distal colon area has the same score.

Study on existence of Pesticides in Indian Grapes and their Compliance for Export to EU Nations through Advanced Analytical Instrumentation

India is one of the leading exporters of grapes to the international market. Maharashtra leads the country in production, accounting for about 81.22 percent of total output and the highest productivity. It is exporting an increasing amount of its products to European countries. Farmers use lot of pesticides to grow grapes economically and get a higher yield. As a result, it is critical to ensure that such pesticide residues do not end up in food at levels that pose an unacceptable risk to humans. To mitigate such risk, the European Commission has established maximum residue limits (MRLs) to safeguard consumers against the deleterious effects of pesticide residues in food. This study aimed to determine how well grapes adhered to the European Commission's guidelines during the 2017-20 seasons. During 2017-20, 208 pesticides were tested in each of the 4861 grape samples using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS devices. According to the findings, during the three seasons, 8.1 percent to 13.8 percent of grape samples were contaminated with pesticides above the MRL. It suggests that either the preharvest interval was not followed for plucking grapes or pesticides were applied at a dose that is higher than recommended. Chlorpyrifos, buprofezin, 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol, nitenpyram 4-Chloro-3-methyl phenol, abamectin and forchlorfenuron (CPPU) are the pesticides that were found in most of the samples.

Assessment of pesticide residues contamination in cereals and pseudo-cereals marketed in the Canary Islands

In this work, the development of an analytical method for the evaluation of a wide variety of pesticide residues in cereals and pseudo-cereals widely consumed has been carried out. A QuEChERS method was used as extraction and clean-up procedure prior to separation and quantification of the target analytes by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry using a single quadrupole-time-of-flight analyser. The methodology was validated for oat, rye, spelt, barley and quinoa matrices, following the European Commission guidelines (SANTE/11312/2021), achieving good absolute recovery values in the range 60–124% with relative standard deviation values lower than 20% and providing limits of quantification of the method in the low mg/kg range, in accordance with the maximum residue limits established by European policies. Finally, considering the importance of cereals in general population diet, the analysis of 60 samples was carried out in order to assure their safe consumption.

Socially Responsible Activity of Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises—Benefits for the Enterprise

As a research hypothesis, it was assumed that micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprise SMEs undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mainly guided by the benefits obtainable from this activity. The aim of the study was to identify the achievable and achieved benefits of undertaking CSR by SME enterprises. SMEs are not obliged to report this activity. The exploration included literature studies and empirical research, according to the expert method, in three stages: (1) selection of experts, (2) collection of information using the CAWI and CATI method, (3) development and interpretation of research results. Research has indicated that CSR is becoming closer to SMEs. The research has shown that experts are implementing CSR and gaining benefits from it. It has also shown that experts’ knowledge of CSR is insufficient, which results in many opportunities resulting from the implementation of this activity being overlooked. The European Commission (EC) guidelines introduced an obligation of reporting CSR only for listed companies; indirectly, this obligation will also affect other companies. Voluntary reporting will increase the knowledge of CSR and bring many benefits to SMEs, provided that a legal framework is created to facilitate the implementation of CSR and its reporting.

Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) and Image Quality Evaluation for Digital Mammography in a Nigerian Facility

Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for digital mammography and image quality evaluation are important optimization tools in medical imaging. High quality mammograms are essential to the successful early detection of breast cancer. The objective of the study is to establish DRLs for digital mammography and to assess image quality of the mammograms for optimization. DRLs were established using thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips to estimate the mean glandular dose for both cranio-caudal and medio-lateral oblique projections. The TLD chips were calibrated. The DRLs were set at the 75th percentile of the distribution of the median value of mean glandular dose. Image quality was assessed using European Commission guideline for mammographic image quality assessment. Results for DRLs were 0.53 mGy for cranio-caudal and also 0.53 mGy for medio-lateral oblique. Image quality evaluation showed criteria scores for cranio-caudal and medio-lateral oblique projections as 76 % and 61.2 % respectively. The mammograms scored the highest and lowest score of 100 % and 44 % on criteria 2 and criteria 6 (absence of skin fold) respectively for cranio-caudal projections while for the mediolateral oblique projections, criteria 1 (all breast tissue clearly shown) and criteria 5 (inframammary angle clearly demonstrated) have the highest and lowest score of 96 % and 8 % respectively. The study showed that the DRLs in this study was lower than the established values in other regions of Nigeria and international established values. Image quality was within acceptable level. DRLs for digital mammography and image quality evaluation are important optimization tool that should be adopted by every radiology department with mammography unit.

Multiannual assessment of the desert dust impact on air quality in Italy combining PM10 data with physics-based and geostatistical models.

Desert dust storms pose real threats to air quality and health of millions of people in source regions, with associated impacts extending to downwind areas. Europe (EU) is frequently affected by atmospheric transport of desert dust from the Northern Africa and Middle East drylands. This investigation aims at quantifying the role of desert dust transport events on air quality (AQ) over Italy, which is among the EU countries most impacted by this phenomenon. We focus on the particulate matter (PM) metrics regulated by the EU AQ Directive. In particular, we use multiannual (2006-2012) PM10 records collected in hundreds monitoring sites within the national AQ network to quantify daily and annual contributions of dust during transport episodes. The methodology followed was built on specific European Commission guidelines released to evaluate the natural contributions to the measured PM-levels, and was partially modified, tested and adapted to the Italian case in a previous study. Overall, we show that impact of dust on the yearly average PM10 has a clear latitudinal gradient (fromless than1 togreater than10µg/m3 going from north to south Italy), this feature being mainly driven by an increased number of dust episodes per year with decreasing latitude. Conversely, the daily-average dust-PM10 (≅12µg/m3) is more homogenous over the country and shown to be mainly influenced by the site type, with enhanced values in more urbanized locations. This study also combines the PM10 measurements-approach with geostatistical modelling. In particular, exploiting the dust-PM10 dataset obtained at site- and daily-resolution over Italy, a geostatistical, random-forest model was set up to derive a daily, spatially-continuous field of desert-dust PM10 at high (1-km) resolution. This finely resolved information represent the basis for a follow up investigation of both acute and chronic health effects of desert dust over Italy, stemming from daily and annual exposures, respectively.

Decision support tools for developing sustainable transportation systems in the EU: A review of research needs, barriers, and trends

Transportation is an indispensable activity for the socio-economic development of countries. However, it is one of the most energy consuming and polluting activities and its environmental impact is expected to increase in the future. As a conse- quence, there is a growing need for managing in a more efficient and sustainable manner this sector. This paper investigates the main issues in developing sustain- able transportation systems with a focus on the European Union, highlighting recent trends to identify the foremost research areas whose advancement will reduce the environmental impact of this sector. Following the European Commission guidelines, three sub-themes are focused: Supply Chain Networks, intermodal transportation of freights, and passenger transportation in urban area. Based on a literature review, each sub-theme is analyzed in terms of needs, barriers, and recent research trends. Some contributions to accomplish the identified needs and overcome the detected barriers are reported as baselines to address the future research agenda. The main findings fit with most of the industrialized countries, that are expected to make more significant reductions in their environmental impact. At the same time, by highlighting examples of good practices and identifying limits to adaptation, this work can also support developing countries in tackling this issue.

OP181 Adapting Evidence To Produce A Health Technology Assessment Of Mammography Screening: An Example From The West Bank

IntroductionHealth technology assessment (HTA) can play a key role in evidence-based decision-making. However, HTA requires resources that might be lacking in low-income settings. To test the feasibility of adapting existing evidence as part of the HTA process, this project evaluated the effectiveness and economic impact of breast cancer screening programs for women over 40 years in the West Bank, where mammography screening is provided for free in governmental clinics.MethodsWe conducted a search for systematic reviews, HTAs and guidelines in electronic databases. We included the most recent global systematic review and meta-analysis that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The European Network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) adaptation toolkit was used to guide adaptation and undertake a budget impact analysis of the economic impact of mammography screening. We build capacity by working as a team of HTA experts and first-time HTA researchers. The results were disseminated to raise awareness for HTA.ResultsThe European Commission Guidelines on Breast Cancer Screening were identified as most recent global systematic review with meta-analyses, out of 2,365 references. The adapted evidence may inform policies on screening in the West Bank. Our experience is that adaption requires extensive skills and resources, including finding, assessing, and adapting relevant evidence. The EUnetHTA toolkit is useful, but also adds to the workload. Furthermore, local stakeholder engagement is important in topic selection, to access information, and to contextualize global evidence to the local setting.ConclusionsThis study is currently ongoing, but preliminary findings show that producing an HTA by adapting existing evidence in resource-limited settings is feasible. There is a need for nuanced guidance on transferability of evidence from other settings. Future studies should investigate innovative methods to optimize the adaption process. Capacity building in adaptation is important to ensure the production of quality HTA products. Inclusion of local team members and stakeholders is important for future development of HTA in the region.