The Dutch N-cascade in the European perspective

The Netherlands is "well known" for its nitrogen problems; it has one of the highest reactive nitrogen (Nr) emission densities in the world. It is a small country at the delta of several large European rivers. Ever since the industrial revolution, there has been a growing excess of nutrients and related emissions into the atmosphere (ammonia, nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide)and into groundwater and surface water (nitrate), leading to a large range of cascading environmental impacts. Vehicular traffic, sewage and animal husbandry are the main sources of oxidized and reduced forms of Nr. This paper provides an overview of the origin and fate of nitrogen in the Netherlands, the various reported impacts of nitrogen, the Dutch and European policies to reduce nitrogen emissions and related impacts. In addition, ways are presented to go forward to potentially solve the problems in a European perspective. Solutions include the improvement of nitrogen efficiencies in different systems, technological options and education.     

The European perspective of diabetes prevention

The dramatic increase in newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes is a major public health concern within the European Union. However, it has been demonstrated that prevention programmes can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. There is a clear consensus amongst healthcare professionals that action is urgently needed at both EU and community levels. The challenge is to implement proven intervention methods effectively into clinical reality. To achieve this, action is needed not only in the field of policy development but also in the development of targeted intervention programmes, which address the needs of people with an increased diabetes risk, clinical- and community-based healthcare professionals, and the general population. The Diabetes Prevention Forum (DPF), founded by the European region of the International Diabetes Federation, consists of European diabetes experts from a range of backgrounds. The DPF is taking immediate action to co-ordinate and improve the information flow between all relevant stakeholders to enable more effective communication, so helping to improve the ability to prevent type 2 diabetes in Europe.     

The taxa of Scottish bracken in a European perspective

Summary

In contrast to the traditional view that Scottish Bracken (Pteridium Scop., Hypolepidaceae sensu Page, 1976) is a single, uniform taxon, evidence is presented that two species, each represented by multiple subspecies, are present in Scotland. These belong to two different species complexes within Pteridium, the P. aquilinum complex and the P. latiusculum complex. The P. aquilinum complex is represented by P. aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, with at least three subspecies: subsp. aquilinum, subsp. atlanticum C.N. Page and subsp. fulvum C.N. Page. The P. latiusculum complex is represented by P. pinetorum C.N. Page & R.R. Mill with at least two subspecies, subsp. pinetorum and subsp. osmundaceum (Christ) C.N. Page. Only P. aquilinum subsp. aquilinum is an aggressive weed which is a widespread problem to man; the others are rare. The paper establishes the nomenclatural priorities, typification, taxonomy, morphology, known distribution and ecology of all bracken taxa so far known from Scotland. The typification of P. aquilinum is discussed. There is no conflict between the two lectotypifications of Try on (1941) and Sheffield et al. (1989); both relate to the common bracken of the mid- and southern-latitudes of Europe, for which the existing epithet aquilinum must therefore be retained. It is pointed out that some of the other European taxa of bracken might well also yet be found within the British Isles, as well as, perhaps, other (especially possible diploid) taxa as yet undescribed.     

Institutions of the European Union: medical perspective

The way through the institutions of the European Union (EU) is very difficult. The difficulties will increase with the expansion of EU to 25 member states, and even more so in the area of medical societies. Following the agenda of the EU, an efficient public health service is a responsibility of every member country. The possibilities of medical interest are pointed out in this paper     

A European perspective on Neospora caninum

Since the identification of Neospora caninum in 1984 as a parasite separate from Toxoplasma gondii by Bjerkas et al., and its subsequent characterization and classification in 1988 by Dubey and co-workers, this parasite has attracted increasing attention, primarily as an important causative agent of abortion in cattle and neuromuscular disease in dogs, but also as a complementary model system to T. gondii for investigating the basic biology of intracellular parasitism. During November 11-14, 1999, the COST 820 Annual meeting (Vaccines against coccidioses) took place in Interlaken, Switzerland. Almost half of the papers presented at that meeting were on N. caninum and neosporosis, reflecting the increasing awareness of the importance of this parasite on part of the scientific community in Europe. On the occasion of the meeting, participants in this COST Action involved in Neospora research in Europe were asked to participate in this invited review in order to document the growing interest in N. caninum and the disease it causes. Thus, this paper is a unique collection of contributions provided by several European experts in the field. It is comprised of 10 reviews or original papers on different aspects of Neospora research including epidemiology, immunology, application and development of serological tools, and molecular characterisation of the parasite currently carried out throughout Europe. In addition, two distinguished invited speakers from overseas (Milton McAllister and John Ellis) provided valuable contributions. This invited review demonstrates that the COST 820 Action has brought together scientists from all over Europe and other parts of the world, and has laid the basis for many fruitful collaborations. The studies described here will contribute in assessing the relevance of neosporosis as a potential risk factor not only for animals, but also for human health.     

A European perspective on maize history

Maize was domesticated at least 8700 years ago in the highlands of Mexico. Genome-wide studies have greatly contributed to shed light into the diffusion of maize through the Americas from its center of origin. Also the presence of two European introductions in southern and northern Europe is now established. Such a spread was accompanied by an extreme diversification, and adaptation to the long days and low temperatures of temperate climates has been a key step in maize evolution. Linkage mapping and association mapping have successfully led to the identification of a handful set of the genetic factors that have contributed to maize adaptation, opening the way to new discoveries. Ultimately, these alleles will contribute to sustain breeding efforts to meet the new challenges raised by the evolution of mankind.     

Estuarine benthic ecology: A European perspective

The study of benthic ecology within European estuaries is discussed. The history of estuarine science, and the definition of an estuary is briefly reviewed. Estuarine benthic ecology is considered with regard to its geographical, economic and political context. It is shown that much recent study has been motivated by attempts to clean up estuaries, which were polluted after decades, or even centuries of pollution. Much has been achieved in the control of pollution, and many estuaries show clear signs of recovery. Particular focus has been on the estuaries entering the North Sea, with the realization that it is not the North Sea that is polluted, but its estuaries. The scientific appraisal of the benthos of estuaries has been particularly assisted by the ecosystem approach, which has both aided our understanding of their function as well as answering some of the questions posed by the impact of mankind. The European Union is identified as a powerful factor in benthic ecology, either through legislation or through the encouragement of collaborative programs, some of which have been particularly important in identifying common factors across a wide geographical spread of estuaries. It is concluded that in general estuaries have got cleaner, but that many problems remain, ranging from eutrophication through to sea-level change. The future of estuarine benthic ecology lies in meeting the new challenges.     

The 5th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress in Berlin: a personal perspective

The 5th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress, held in Berlin, 9–12 June 2004, was attended by a record number of delegates from all continents and offered a large choice of education, state-of-the-art and original research presentations in up to 15 parallel sessions. Some of these were poorly attended, although featuring top-ranked abstracts. The poster sessions remain a problem child. They were not well attended by viewers and largely neglected by presenters, mainly because of the general structure of the meeting. Ways to improve this could be to provide lunch packages and to appoint poster session chairmen. Other changes would involve moving morning hour satellites to other slots. However, in general it was an enjoyable meeting showing important progress in various fields of rheumatology and meeting the expectations of most delegates.     

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress in Lisbon: a personal perspective

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress, held in Lisbon, 18–21 June 2003, had a record turnout of more than 8600 delegates and the abstract submissions increased to 2600. A heat wave and a somewhat substandard venue hampered some of the activities, notably the poster sessions. The scientific program was comprehensive and of a high class, and it was organized in 10–12 parallel sessions. The European League Against Rheumatism standing committees are expanding their activities and stimulating European cooperation (e.g. by creating databases and guidelines, and by starting research programs). The standing committees presented several areas where European cooperative work is in progress. Advances in drug therapy were a prominent theme and were well presented. Commercialism remains a problem for this meeting as for other similar large meetings, where satellite symposia surround the scientific program of the congress and often duplicate this.     

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress in Lisbon: a personal perspective

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress, held in Lisbon, 18-21 June 2003, had a record turnout of more than 8600 delegates and the abstract submissions increased to 2600. A heat wave and a somewhat substandard venue hampered some of the activities, notably the poster sessions. The scientific program was comprehensive and of a high class, and it was organized in 10-12 parallel sessions. The European League Against Rheumatism standing committees are expanding their activities and stimulating European cooperation (e.g. by creating databases and guidelines, and by starting research programs). The standing committees presented several areas where European cooperative work is in progress. Advances in drug therapy were a prominent theme and were well presented. Commercialism remains a problem for this meeting as for other similar large meetings, where satellite symposia surround the scientific program of the congress and often duplicate this.     

Models for forest ecosystem management: a European perspective

BACKGROUND: Forest management in Europe is committed to sustainability. In the face of climate change and accompanying risks, however, planning in order to achieve this aim becomes increasingly challenging, underlining the need for new and innovative methods. Models potentially integrate a wide range of system knowledge and present scenarios of variables important for any management decision. In the past, however, model development has mainly focused on specific purposes whereas today we are increasingly aware of the need for the whole range of information that can be provided by models. It is therefore assumed helpful to review the various approaches that are available for specific tasks and to discuss how they can be used for future management strategies. SCOPE: Here we develop a concept for the role of models in forest ecosystem management based on historical analyses. Five paradigms of forest management are identified: (1) multiple uses, (2) dominant use, (3) environmentally sensitive multiple uses, (4) full ecosystem approach and (5) eco-regional perspective. An overview of model approaches is given that is dedicated to this purpose and to developments of different kinds of approaches. It is discussed how these models can contribute to goal setting, decision support and development of guidelines for forestry operations. Furthermore, it is shown how scenario analysis, including stand and landscape visualization, can be used to depict alternatives, make long-term consequences of different options transparent, and ease participation of different stakeholder groups and education. CONCLUSIONS: In our opinion, the current challenge of forest ecosystem management in Europe is to integrate system knowledge from different temporal and spatial scales and from various disciplines. For this purpose, using a set of models with different focus that can be selected from a kind of toolbox according to particular needs is more promising than developing one overarching model, covering ecological, production and landscape issues equally well.     

Past and present concepts in flow cytometry: a European perspective

The development of flow cytometric instrumentation, methods and research concepts in Europe has been a continuous driving force for the general scientific advancement in this area over the years. This review addresses early European concepts of continuing interest with regard to instrumentation, data analysis, clinical and eperimental DNA analysis, cell function and microbiology at their worldwide first appearence while flow cytometric immunology and immunophenotyping will be covered separately. Flow cytometry represents an efficient approach to the enormous complexity of molecular cell architecture and cell function by the analysis of apparent molecular cell phenotypes in heterogeneous cell samples. The present merger of flow and image cytometry into the method independent cytomics discipline increases the potential of cell analysis very significantly. It opens the way for predictive medicine as well as for predictive cytopathology and predictive cytology in everyday clinical and medical practice. Current progress is driven by joint advances in molecular fluorescence technologies and instrument development. This complements the analysis of genome sequence information in an efficient way.