Forum For Exchange Of Knowledge Research Articles

Second International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit

Dear esteemed guests, distinguished speakers, honorable delegates, and all participants worldwide Welcome to the International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit, a premier event that brings together leading minds from across the globe to address some of the most pressing challenges in animal and human health. This year's Summit, held as a hybrid event in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA, from September 30 to October 3, 2024, is dedicated to deepening our understanding of the intricate relationships between avian influenza and the broader One Health framework. As we gather in a time of unprecedented change and global interconnectedness, the Summit offers a unique platform for experts, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the emerging issues that define the landscape of avian influenza. Our discussions will span the latest scientific research, innovative strategies for disease control, and the broader implications for public health, agriculture, and wildlife. Through a combination of in-person and virtual sessions, we aim to foster collaboration, share cutting-edge insights, and develop actionable solutions that can address the complex challenges at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health. This Summit is not just a forum for knowledge exchange but a catalyst for forging the partnerships and policies necessary to protect global health in an increasingly interconnected world. We are excited to embark on this journey with you and look forward to the groundbreaking discussions and discoveries that will emerge over the next few days. Sincerely, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias Chairman

1161 Fostering International Surgical Trainee Collaboration: The UK-Iceland Trainee Collaborative

Abstract The Foundation In 2019, the UK Iceland Trainee Collaborative emerged in response to Iceland’s adoption of the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP), aligning training portfolios with the UK’s practices. A collaboration between core surgical trainees, this new initiative aimed to champion the transition of Icelandic trainees to a new portfolio system, as well as foster a new relationship to encourage combined research and projects between the two nations. The Progression Beyond portfolio alignment, the collaboration expanded into a multifaceted educational platform. Monthly seminars and an annual conference, initially delivered online, provided a forum for knowledge exchange, featuring research showcases, consultant talks, and insights into portfolio optimization and program developments. The Impact The collaborative facilitated seamless integration of ISCP into Icelandic trainees’ competency progression, mirroring UK practices. The annual conference, delivered in person in its 3rd edition in Reykjavik, Iceland, in October 2023, received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with high delegate satisfaction rates, highlighting the leadership skills honed by core surgical trainees leading this initiative. The Future The collaborative now aims to intensify research partnerships between UK and Icelandic trainees, deepening knowledge exchange and advancing collective understanding. The trajectory for 2024 involves strengthening bonds and knowledge sharing among trainees from both nations through collaborative research initiatives. We hope the annual conference will continue to grow and will alternate between the two nations, strengthening the relationship.

Factors Influencing Farmers’ Choices of Responses to Climatic Stressors in Tanzania

The viability of food production by smallholder farmers in Tanzania's semi-arid regions is threatened by climate variability and change. This study's main goal was to comprehend the available options for farmers in Tanzania's Great Ruaha River Sub-Basin and the factors that influenced their decisions. We used both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Primary data were gathered through focus groups and household questionnaire surveys, while secondary data came from records collected by government organizations. A logistic regression analysis was undertaken so as to determine factors that influence smallholder farmers’ perceptions and choice of response measures during dry years. Smallholder farmers mostly relied on their prior knowledge and locally accessible resources when developing their response strategies. Findings indicate that climate awareness, gender, age, education level, village location, wealth rank, and farmer experience are factors that have a substantial impact on farmers' decisions regarding choice of adaptation strategies to climate change. Therefore, decision-makers at all levels of government, from local authorities to the national level, should play a crucial role in improving adaptation strategies appropriate for a given climatic shock on the research area. The study suggests that GRRB farmers increase their knowledge and understanding of climate change. In order to successfully adapt to climate change, farmers should also work to create associations that will operate as a forum for knowledge exchange about indigenous farming techniques.

Negotiating Armageddon: civil defence in NATO and Denmark 1949-59

ABSTRACT This article follows NATO civil defence planning in the first decade of its existence and asks if and to what extend this affected civil defence in Denmark, a small member state on the front line. The investigation shows a marked shift in NATO planning from the mid-1950s with the advent of the hydrogen bomb. It also shows that Denmark was not unmindful of NATOs recommendations, but in some cases insisted that regional factors must decide practical outcomes. However, even when it did not decide outcomes, NATO brokered cooperation and served as forum for exchange of knowledge.

Models of maternal and child healthcare for African refugees: protocol for an exploratory, mixed-methods study

IntroductionThere is a paucity of research examining models of maternal and child health (MCH) care for refugees in high-income countries. Attention has focused on tailoring existing healthcare services to meet...

Editorial

Since 2007 High Temperatures-High Pressures regularly publishes invited articles selected from presentations given during the International Workshop on Subsecond Thermophysics (IWSSTP). These well-established workshops take place every three years at various locations. They are aimed to provide a forum for exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas on the latest developments and trends in the field of thermophysical property measurement. A special focus is given to measurements under extreme conditions, at high temperatures or pressures, and/or on the study of the behavior of matter under conditions close by or far away from thermodynamic equilibrium. Timescales range from milliseconds to picoseconds, necessitating rapid resistive or inductive (volume) heating, laser pulse heating, levitation techniques on ground and under microgravity, as well as other recently developed fast investigation techniques. The 12th IWSSTP, which this present special issue is devoted to, took place from June, 3rd to June, 6th, 2019. It was a pleasure and a great privilege for me and the Institute of Materials Physics in Space of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne to organize the current event and welcome the international community as hosts. This time, the 12th IWSSTP coincided with the 50th anniversary since the launch of High Temperatures – High Pressures which gave reason to celebrate.

Connecting Water Professionals to Get Things Done

Connecting Water Professionals to Get Things Done

Partnership between patients, nurse leaders and researchers: Outcomes of a web-based KT strategy for hospital discharge planning and care transitions in oncology.

A research project brought together patient partners, nurse leaders from six clinical settings in Quebec and researchers to develop and test a web technology, the Forum for Knowledge Exchange (FKE), in order to improve discharge planning practices and oncological care transitions. The project led to the creation of a FKE accessible to the oncology sector of the Francophonie. It revealed an innovative strategy of knowledge transfer (KT) based on the FKE and was fed by collaborative work among partners, where the patient partners played a vital role. The results highlighted the importance, for health research, of giving a voice to patient partners in close collaboration with clinicians and researchers so that clinical practices are better adapted to the actual needs of patients and of their relatives.

Nurses Taking the Lead: A Community Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Forum on Substance Abuse and Addiction in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, is experiencing a substance use and addiction crisis with devastating consequences. To engage local stakeholders on substance use and addiction issues, nurse researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, Prince Albert Campus, planned and organized a one-day community engagement and knowledge exchange forum. The forum provided the opportunity for interested community groups, members and individuals to share their experiences and to explore novel ways to prevent and respond to the substance abuse and addiction challenges in the region. Participants included community leaders, people and families living with addiction, service providers, local stakeholders, health professionals, researchers and Indigenous Elders. This paper describes the process and outcomes of this event and describes the role of nurse scholars in leading these efforts.

LO28: The Featured Leadership & Organization Workplace (FLOW) Hacks Series: Using the FOAMed domain for knowledge exchange and transfer of emergency department quality improvement projects

Introduction/Innovation Concept: Emergency departments (ED) across Canada have experienced increased patient volumes and greater demands on resources. Quality improvement (QI) projects have become common in the ED with the goal of providing better and more efficient care. These projects typically attempt to improve resource utilization or patient experience. Unfortunately, the opportunity to share and exchange information among physicians about QI projects is limited. The Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAMed) domain provides a good opportunity for physicians to share their successes and challenges when implementing QI projects. The Featured Leadership & Organizational Workplace (FLOW) Hacks is an ongoing dissemination project hosted on CanadiEM.org that aims to provide ED physicians with a forum for knowledge exchange and transfer. Methods: Emergency physician leaders from across Canada have been recruited to share their QI experiences. The FLOW Hacks are summarized as a standardized set of questions that aim to convey the most important aspects of the QI project. The physician responses are published on a monthly basis as a feature on the site. Our objective is to represent EDs from across Canada and of variable size. Curriculum, Tool, or Material: Our standardized questions collect information not only on the innovation and team members but also the methodology used for the QI initiative, the data collected, and the performance measures used to assess the outcome. There is a particular focus placed on the challenges that were encountered in implementing the initiative, how they were overcome, and how they would change their approach if they could redo the project. The goal of this format is to showcase the best QI initiatives in Canada so that others can replicate the work and learn from the challenges and success of the authors. Conclusion: The FLOW Hacks series is an innovative project to disseminate QI projects to emergency physicians and managers. In the next phase of this project we will conduct a qualitative analysis of the published FLOW Hacks to identify the common mistakes and best practices in implementation of QI initiatives.

The Spirit Project: Strengthening the Capacities for Fostering Innovation Along Potato Value Chains in East Africa

Abstract The project SPIRIT was conducted in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya from 2012 to 2016 with the aim of increasing the contribution of agricultural science, technology and innovation to social development in East Africa. The project involved literature research, on-site visits and meetings with farmers, research institutions and stakeholders, information compilation, database establishment and a project webpage. A strategy with three main objectives and associated actions was implemented. The first objective focused on the improvement of scientific and technological knowledge of East African research organizations. For this, state-of the-art research on innovative technologies and practices for enhanced product quality was assessed; a web-based knowledge-sharing platform was created; the “East Africa Potato Research and Knowledge Exchange Forum” was constituted and six meetings with visits were realized. The second objective focused on private and civil society actors and governmental services and aimed at reinforcing their capacities for generating and adopting innovative technologies and practices. Sixteen innovation sessions were conducted. Guidelines for enhancing product quality along the potato value chain in East Africa were elaborated and disseminated. The third objective targeted governmental bodies with competences in policy-making for promoting changes in policies. Proposals for policymakers were developed and transferred to relevant authorities.

Negotiating multisectoral evidence: a qualitative study of knowledge exchange at the intersection of transport and public health

BackgroundFor the prevention and control of chronic diseases, two strategies are frequently highlighted: that public health should be evidence based, and that it should develop a multisectoral approach. At the end of a natural experimental study of the health impacts of new transport infrastructure, we took the opportunity of a knowledge exchange forum to explore how stakeholders assessed, negotiated and intended to apply multisectoral evidence in policy and practice at the intersection of transport and health. We aimed to better understand the challenges they faced in knowledge exchange, as well as their everyday experiences with working in multisectoral remits.MethodsIn 2015, we conducted participant observation during an interactive event with 41 stakeholders from national and local government, the third sector and academia in Cambridge, UK. Formal and informal interactions between stakeholders were recorded in observational field notes. We also conducted 18 semistructured interviews reflecting on the event and on knowledge exchange in general.ResultsWe found that stakeholders negotiated a variety of challenges. First, stakeholders had to negotiate relatively new formal and informal multisectoral remits; and how to reconcile the differing expectations of transport specialists, who tended to emphasise the importance of precedence in guiding action, and health specialists’ concern for the rigour and synthesis of research evidence. Second, research in this field involved complex study designs, and often produced evidence with uncertain transferability to other settings. Third, health outcomes of transport schemes had political traction and were used strategically but not easily translated into cost-benefit ratios. Finally, knowledge exchange meant multiple directions of influence. Stakeholders were concerned that researchers did not always have skills to translate their findings into understandable evidence, and some stakeholders would welcome opportunities to influence research agendas.ConclusionsThis case study of stakeholders’ experiences indicates that multisectoral research, practice and policymaking requires the ability and capacity to locate, understand and communicate complex evidence from a variety of disciplines, and integrate different types of evidence into clear business cases beyond sectoral boundaries.

Effective International Knowledge Exchange to Rehabilitate Rivers in Urban Delta’s with RDM approach

In coastal and low-lying vulnerable delta cities, such as the Rotterdam Metropolitan region and Metropolitan Manila, there has been an increase in vulnerability of urban flooding and water quality problems. New approaches address the current and future effects of climate change and increase urban quality, reduce vulnerability and increase water quality. New arrangements for international cooperation are set up in order to address these problems in the project ‘IWASTO’ (‘to correct and to prevent’) where several organisations from the Philippines and The Netherlands join forces to rehabilitate rivers and introduce new innovations for water quality monitoring and waste collection using the ‘Research Design and Manufacaturing (RDM)’ approach. One of the concrete results from this RDM approach in 2016 is the development and implementation of the ‘Longganisa’, a waste collection tool that was designed by a Dutch- Philippine team. In addition, the waterquality was measured and mapped with innovating methods using apps in order to locate and prioritize highly polluted areas. In the near future measures will be implemented to rehabilitate the rivers in Manila and a knowledge exchange forum will be set up to share the best management practices on international scale in countries as Indonesia, India and China.

Negotiating multisectoral evidence: a qualitative study of knowledge exchange in transport and public health

BackgroundEvidence-based public health requires research to support policy. There is a large amount of literature on strategies for knowledge translation or more discursive knowledge exchange. However, little evidence exists for their effectiveness and underlying mechanisms, especially with regard to multisectoral, multidisciplinary evidence in knowledge mobilisation. Taking the opportunity of a knowledge exchange forum at the end of a natural experimental study, we investigated how stakeholders assess, negotiate, and use multisectoral evidence. MethodsParticipants represented both existing and newly interested stakeholders of the natural experimental study, from national and local government, the third sector, and academia. We conducted participant observation during an interactive event with 41 stakeholders and semi-structured interviews with 17 of them. Formal and informal interactions between stakeholders were recorded in field notes. Interviews considered the event format and content as well as knowledge exchange in general. Thematic content analysis of field notes and transcripts was undertaken. FindingsStakeholders working across sectors expressed uncertainties about finding a common language between research and practice and between sectors, and about who had the capacity to translate across these boundaries. They also expressed differing expectations of evidence. Whereas public health specialists tended to have a hierarchical view of evidence that favoured trials, transport specialists tended to prefer case studies as precedents for workable solutions. However, stakeholders encountered uncertainties about their preferred evidence. Population health studies generated more complex results than did those of apparently clear-cut randomised controlled trials; case studies highlighted the context-dependency of evidence and difficulties in transferring insights across settings. Finally, stakeholders had to reconcile uncertainties about “health in all remits”. Despite its premise, public health was not always acknowledged to contribute to the goals of other policy sectors, and stakeholders had to negotiate competing priorities, such as those between health improvement and economic growth, or between integrated and designated budgets. InterpretationThis case study of stakeholders' experiences indicates that multisectoral research, practice, and policymaking require the ability and capacity to locate, understand, and communicate complex evidence from a variety of disciplines, and integrate different types of evidence into clear business cases. FundingFunded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme (project number 09/3001/06) as part of the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study; and initially funded by the Centre for Diet and Activity Research, a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence, with funding from the British Heart Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council (MRC), NIHR, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration. DO is supported by the MRC (MC_UU_12015/6). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or the preparation of the abstract.

Welcome Remarks

At Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), we take pride in expanding new ideas and promoting lifelong knowledge. UNITEN has an academic environment where exceptional students and scholars worldwide can be inspired to excel in their fields of study and research. The BOLD 2020 strategic plan for Universiti Tenaga Nasional represents a commitment to improving quality, and an aspiration to be recognised among the leading institutions of higher learning in Malaysia and in the rest of the world.Sustainable research in the energy sector is one of the key agenda of UNITEN. This is clearly worded in its mission statement as; “We strive to advance knowledge and learning experience through research and innovation that will best serve human society”. BOLD 2020 has also set a goal for Advancing Research in the Energy Industry, in line with UNITEN as “The National Energy University”. UNITEN’s commitment in promoting research activities is evident from the amount of research undertaken that continues to increase year after year.The Centre for Renewable Energy, CRE, was established by UNITEN, as a centre of excellence for research and development in Renewable Energy. The core of CRE's strategic direction is in research and development programmes mainly in understanding renewable resources for energy, to the conversion of these resources to renewable electricity and fuels. CRE has established its core strength through continuous, innovative and excellent research achievements. CRE provides a sustainable platform for strategic partnerships between the authorities, industry and academia into greater achievements in national renewable energy development with the vision to be the leading centre of excellence and regional knowledge hub in renewable energy. The centre's pool of scientists and researchers support critical market objectives to accelerate research from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions. The centre thereby directly contributes to our nation's goal for finding new renewable ways to power our homes, industries, businesses, and transportation.My heartiest congratulations to CRE and the ICARET 2016 Organizing Committee for putting together this important event, providing an intellectual forum for exchange of knowledge and information in the development of renewable energy (RE), and its related enabling technologies. The outcomes and proceedings of the conference will be an important input to the Nation’s effort on Green Technology and Renewable Energy implementation.I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all participants and wish all of you the very best in your deliberations and discussions on this important topic of renewable energy.Thank you.

International Congress on Mycorrhizae: mycorrhizal symbiosis a key factor for improving plant productivity and ecosystems restoration.

The Mycorrhizae and Mediterranean Ecosystems Group (MYCOMED), the African Network on Mycorrhiza (AFRINOM) and the French Mycorrhizologist Network (RAMYF) co-organized an International Congress on BMycorrhizal Symbiosis a Key Factor for Improving Plant Productivity and Ecosystems Restoration^ in Marrakech, Morocco, October 15–17, 2014. Three hundred participants from 45 different countries attended the congress, which included 65 oral presentations and 100 posters. Abstracts of all talks and posters can be found at the website (http://icmycorrhizae2014.uca.ma) of Cadi Ayyad University. The congress was an international forum for exchange of knowledge and expertise between scientists developing fundamental and applied mycorrhizal research as well as companies commercializing mycorrhizal inoculum. The objectives were to update scientific and technical knowledge on mycorrhizal fungi as providers of key ecological services, to valorize the mycorrhizal symbiosis in practices in the socioeconomic environment of Mediterranean and tropical areas and to share the experiences of scientists with young researchers, policy makers and end-users. The contents addressed included three topics: (i) biology, ecology and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in tropical and Mediterranean environments; (ii) mycorrhizal symbiosis and plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and (iii) valorization and transfer of mycorrhizal biotechnologies in agro-ecological engineering strategies and the socio-economic environment of tropical and Mediterranean areas. In the opening conference on the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza for plant health, Prof. Paola Bonfante (Italy) provided an overview on the cellular and molecular mechanisms which allow plants to take up essential minerals in model legume plants, and revealed how mycorrhiza may have a systemic impact on the fruit transcriptomics and nutrient content in agricultural important crops such as tomato. Dr. Marc Buee (France) introduced topic (i) by raising the fundamental question of how to connect metagenomics and mycorrhizal fungal ecology. Through various examples, spanning from local to large-scale studies using biogeographic approaches, he presented the advantages and risks of highthroughput sequencing to investigate ectomycorrhizal fungal ecology, with unprecedented scales of sampling, and illustrated how fungal genome resources feed metagenomics to increase knowledge on the ecology of mycorrhizal fungal communities and assemblages. In introducing topic (ii), Prof. Guillaume Becard (France) talked about plant mechanisms that discriminate beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms via microbial signals. These molecular signals are involved in the processes of nodulation, mycorrhization, root development and basal plant immunity. They could have a huge potential for sustainable agriculture because of their implication in enhancing plant nutrition, growth and defense against pathogens and pests. Dr. Silvio Gianinazzi (France) introduced topic (iii) by presenting the domestication of beneficial soil microorganisms as an innovative technology for agriculture. He suggested that Mohamed Hafidi, Ahmed Qaddoury, Robin Duponnois, Daniel Wipf, Mohamed Hijri and Amadou Bâ contributed equally to this work.

Journal of Dynamic Behavior of Materials: A New Forum for Knowledge Exchange on Dynamic Material Response, High Strain-Rate Effects, Shock, and Materials Under Extreme Loading

We are excited to introduce the Journal of Dynamic Behavior of Materials (JDBM) as the new journal of the Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM). We wish to invite you to submit your best work on the study of the dynamic behavior of materials to the journal and help in getting the word out to your colleagues. Information on the journal can be found at http://springer.com/40870. The field of dynamic behavior of materials is undergoing a revolution with increasing interdisciplinary focus and unprecedented new level of diagnosis at the bench scale and numerous user facilities. Classic loading techniques including split Hopkinson pressure (Kolsky) bar, gas/ powder guns, and high-explosives are being pushed to increased levels of precision, linked with new and novel diagnostics enabling previously unattainable levels of in situ measurement combined with advanced high resolution and three-dimensional post-mortem observation. National User Facilities are enhancing their capacities for studying materials in extremes with new facilities being developed ranging from SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source, the Dynamic Compression Sector at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, the Z-Machine at Sandia National Laboratories, the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes at Los Alamos National Laboratory. An exciting collaboration at GSI in Darmstadt is incorporating expertise from pRad and LANSCE at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the USA and the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics in Russia using the PRIOR microscope with great potential for studying dynamic materials processes. The Diamond Light Source located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in the UK has been offering great levels of postmortem investigation of damage from dynamic loading. Exciting capabilities exist at these and other facilities around the world to advance the state-of-the-art for studies of dynamic behavior of materials. Advances in modeling & simulation of dynamic loading and material response have paralleled these experimental advances. Continued evolution in computing hardware is enabling calculations with extraordinary fidelity in representation of highly coupled complex physics. Great advances have been made in density functional theory, molecular dynamics, and dislocation dynamics based material models. Simulations based on these theories have historically had to be performed at very high strain-rates and in very short time and length scales. Advances in these models and the hardware on which these simulations are performed have brought them into line with the regimes of many platforms for dynamic experiments. New theories and models of material behavior are being developed to take advantage of understanding material at the mesoscale. Continuum level constitutive models are being proposed and developed with greater levels of physical underpinning and predictive ability. The state-of-the art in modeling & simulation and experiments along with the interdisciplinary approach to modern science and engineering have lead to significant payoff from hybrid experimental-computational approaches. Advances in simulation are enabling the development and optimization of experiments, with better understanding of the underlying physics and data capture. Conversely, advances in experimentation are pushing better models, codes, and simulations. The JDBM offers a single source to bring this broad, vibrant international community together. This peer E. N. Brown (&) Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA e-mail: en_brown@lanl.gov

Long-term impact of a real-world coordinated lifestyle promotion initiative in primary care: a quasi-experimental cross-sectional study.

BackgroundIntegration of lifestyle promotion in routine primary care has been suboptimal. Coordinated care models (e.g. screening, brief advice and referral to in-house specialized staff) could facilitate lifestyle promotion practice; they have been shown to increase the quality of services and reduce costs in other areas of care. This study evaluates the long-term impact of a coordinated lifestyle promotion intervention with a multidisciplinary team approach in a primary care setting.MethodsA quasi-experimental, cross-sectional design was used to compare three intervention centres using a coordinated care model and three control centres using a traditional model of lifestyle promotion care. Outcomes were inspired by using the RE-AIM framework: reach, the proportion of patients receiving lifestyle promotion; effectiveness, self-reported attitudes and competency among staff; adoption, proportion of staff reporting daily practice of lifestyle promotion and referral; and implementation, of the coordinated care model. The impact was investigated after 3 and 5 years. Data collection involved a patient questionnaire (intervention, n = 433–497; control, n = 455–497), a staff questionnaire (intervention, n = 77–76; control, n = 43–56) and structured interviews with managers (n = 8). The χ2 test or Fisher exact test with adjustment for clustering by centre was used for the analysis. Problem-driven content analysis was used to analyse the interview data.ResultsThe findings were consistent over time. Intervention centres did not show higher rates for reach of patients or adoption among staff at the 3- or 5-year follow-up. Some conceptual differences between intervention and control staff remained over time in that the intervention staff were more positive on two of eight effectiveness outcomes (one attitude and one competency item) compared with control staff. The Lifestyle team protocol, which included structural opportunities for coordinated care, was implemented at all intervention centres. Lifestyle teams were perceived to have an important role at the centres in driving the lifestyle promotion work forward and being a forum for knowledge exchange. However, resources to refer patients to specialized staff were used inconsistently.ConclusionsThe Lifestyle teams may have offered opportunities for lifestyle promotion practice and contributed to enabling conditions at centre level but had limited impact on lifestyle promotion practices.

Biology, ecology, behavior, host status and management of invasive and native fruit flies of Europe, Africa and the Middle East

Accelerated by global warming, climate change and human mobility, Biological Invasions of fruit flies (Tephritidae) have become a serious issue for fruit and vegetable production, as well as for international trading of agricultural commodities. Fruit flies threaten the economies of many countries all over the globe. The frequency of recent invasion events, in Africa, Middle East and Europe, highlights the weaknesses of existing systems in prevention, detection, eradication and containment efforts. The rapid dispersion of Bactrocera invadens (B. dorsalis group) throughout Africa and its recent establishment in South and West Africa, combined with detections in Northern African countries, as well as dispersion of the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata in Egypt, Libya and possibly in the Middle East and Tunisia, sets all Mediterranean countries in alert. Apparently, there is an urgent need for cooperation among countries of Europe, Africa and the Middle East towards confronting invasive fruit flies. The 2nd International Meeting of TEAM (Tephritid Workers of Europe, Africa and the Middle East), that took place in Kolymbari, Greece from July 2 to 6 2012, provided the forum for knowledge exchange regarding fruit flies in the above area. The meeting included three plenary talks, three specific symposia and a round table on issues related to fruit fly invasion ranging from genetics and ecology to economics, policy and management. Additional oral and poster presentations covered several aspects of fruit fly biology, ecology, behaviour and management including major invasive fruit fly species. The current special issue of the Journal of Applied Entomology includes 9 papers that reflect part of the subjects discussed during the 2nd International TEAM meeting. Indeed, 3 of 9 papers address scientific questions regarding B. invadens (B. dorsalis group), including behavioural and physiological aspects of the oviposition decisions (Migani et al. 2013), demographic traits (Salum et al. 2013) and determination of non-host status for bananas (Cugala et al. 2013). There is an additional paper (Sookar et al. 2013) that presents an interesting approach regarding the management of B. cucurbitae (an invasive species in Africa and the Indian Ocean region). Three papers present interesting experimental results regarding the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, that seems to be a continuous issue for fruit fly workers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. These papers deal with the susceptibility of kiwi fruit to medfly infestation (Papachristos et al. 2013), the dispersal ability of released flies in an area wide project (Navarro-Llopis et al. 2012) and the extension of ‘self –life’ for transgenic medfly determined for sterile insect releases (Ogaugwu et al. 2013). One additional paper covers aspects of the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae genetic changes during domestication under mass rearing conditions (Zygouridi et al. 2013). Last but not least, the paper of Lux (2013) presents a stochastic model of the on-farm behaviour of fruit flies towards establishing precision intensive management strategies. There are many who we would like to thank for their contribution to publish the current special issue that includes papers presented in the 2nd International TEAM meeting. We wish to thank (i) the editorial group of the Journal of Applied Entomology, especially Stefan Vidal and Christine Denys who supported our efforts in a very efficient and professional manner, (ii) all the authors and reviewers, and (iii) the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Decentralized Regional Administration of Crete, Greece and the University of Thessaly for providing financial support.

Reporting Health Communication Activities for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in Europe

Health communication is part of the public health response to the significant continuing threat of communicable diseases in Europe. However, the nature and extent of health communication activities in the context of Europe aimed at the prevention and control of communicable diseases is currently unknown. This severely restricts capacity development as neither strengths nor gaps in knowledge and practice are evident and therefore cannot be addressed. This article reports on the initial phase of a research project aimed at supporting the optimal use and development of health communication activities in the European Union and the European Economic Area. The study used a mixed-methods design—an e-survey and telephone interviews—with participants from 30 countries to identify activities, followed by an opportunistic group interview with 15 key stakeholders to identify perceived needs of public health bodies in relation to identified gaps. Results indicate that health communication activities are not clearly delineated in national public health structures and policies, there is an emphasis on crisis communication, and limited evaluation of activities and education and training opportunities for health communication are required. The facilitation of partnership working with a forum for knowledge exchange between Member States would enhance efficacious health communication.