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European Countries (european + country)
Kinds of European Countries Selected AbstractsCreative Class and Regional Growth: Empirical Evidence from Seven European CountriesECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2009Ron A. Boschma abstract This article analyzes the regional distribution and economic effect of the "creative class" on the basis of a unique data set that covers more than 500 regions in 7 European countries. The creative class is unevenly geographically distributed across Europe; the analyses show that a regional climate of tolerance and openness has a strong and positive effect on a region's share of these people. Regional job opportunities also have a large effect on the size of a region's population of the creative class. The findings reveal some evidence of a positive relationship among creative class occupation, employment growth, and entrepreneurship at the regional level in a number of European countries. On the basis of the analysis, however, it is not clear whether human capital, measured by creative occupation, outperforms indicators that are based on formal education, or if formal education has the stronger effect. [source] Atypical myopathy: New insights into the pathophysiology, prevention and management of the conditionEQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION, Issue 5 2008G. van Galen Summary Atypical myopathy (AM) is a frequently fatal seasonal pasture myopathy that has emerged in several European Countries in recent years. Currently, the aetiology of AM is unknown but recent surveys of confirmed cases have led to new insights into the pathophysiology, prevention and management of the condition. [source] Graduate Employment and Work in Selected European CountriesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 2 2000Ulrich Teichler First page of article [source] European Integration and Manufactures Import Demand: An Empirical Investigation of Ten European CountriesGERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 3 2002Ray Barrell This paper studies import demand in ten European countries over the period 1970,95, and our objective is to investigate whether the process of European integration has affected imports. We provide evidence for parametric change in traditional import demand equations, suggesting that important variables or structural factors are missing from the long-run equations. We present equations based on new trade theory, where effects of technology and foreign direct investment are present. Once we include these there is little evidence that the creation of the Single Market has directly increased aggregated imports in European countries. [source] Integrating Health and Social Care Services for Older Persons: Evidence from Nine European CountriesHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2006Jon Glasby No abstract is available for this article. [source] Unraveling Home and Host Country Effects: An Investigation of the HR Policies of an American Multinational in Four European CountriesINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2005PHIL ALMOND This article argues that the institutional "home" and "host" country effects on employment policy and practice in multinational corporations (MNCs) need to be analyzed within a framework which takes more account both of the multiple levels of embeddedness experienced by the MNC, and processes of negotiation at different levels within the firm. Using in-depth case study analysis of the human resource (HR) structure and industrial relations and pay policies of a large U.S.-owned MNC in the IT sector, across Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, the article attempts to move towards such a framework. [source] Habitat indices for rivers: derivation and applicationsAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue S1 2010Ian P. Vaughan Abstract 1.River Habitat Survey (RHS) is the standard riverine hydromorphology survey in the UK and modified versions have been adopted in several other European Countries. It aims to broadly characterize physical features over 500,m reaches, but in so doing records more than 100 variables, often making interpretation and data analysis challenging. In such instances, synoptic treatment of the data, creating simple indices such as Habitat Modification and Habitat Quality Assessment scores, can prove beneficial. 2.The derivation of seven new indices is described, summarizing nearly half of the variables used by RHS and providing a quantitative overall summary of river reaches. 3.Derived using an objective analysis of the RHS database (cf expert judgement), one index describes bedrock/boulder channels, two indices describe bank and riparian vegetation and a further two describe aspects of sediment transport and deposition. Two distinct types of modification,,,bank reinforcement and channel re-sectioning,,,are also quantified. 4.Rigorous testing indicates that the indices are reliable across the complete range of conditions and countries in the UK. 5.The new indices are readily interpreted and while providing a simple overview of a river reach, they are objective and quantitative, lending themselves to a range of management and research applications. They have already been used successfully in quantifying riverine bird habitats and this, along with other applications, is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] European Employment Models in Flux: A Comparison of Institutional Change in Nine European Countries , Edited by Gerhard Bosch, Steffen Lehndorff and Jill RuberyBRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 1 2010Colin Crouch First page of article [source] Social and emotional detachment: A cross-cultural comparison of the non-disruptive behavioural psychopathic traits in childrenCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2009Eirini Manti Background,Questions about the international reliability and validity of aspects of psychopathy have been raised for adults, but hardly considered when applying the constructs to children. Aims/objectives,Our aim was to compare the psychometrics of a new instrument to measure psychopathic traits in children between two countries , the Netherlands and Greece. We also tested the hypothesis that, in both countries, both narcissistic-egocentric and callous-unemotional dimensions would be related to observed behavioural disorders. Methods,The Social and Emotional Detachment Questionnaire was used to assess narcissistic-egocentric and callous-unemotional dimensions of personality in representative national and community samples of 4,12-year-old children in the Netherlands and Greece, respectively. Parents filled in the questionnaires anonymously and also provided ratings of conduct disorders. Results,A two-dimensional construct of the psychopathic syndrome depicting, respectively, narcissistic and unemotional traits was reliable and valid in both countries, although there was considerable correlation between these two dimensions, which we designated ,social detachment' and ,emotional detachment', respectively. In both countries, the composite of social and emotional detachment was associated with aggressive and antisocial conduct disorders. Conclusions/implications,The reliability, validity and predictive value of this questionnaire must be tested further, for example, through multiple informants and longitudinally, but our findings that the tool performs robustly in two very different European countries is encouraging in terms of its potential value as a clinical screening tool and a tool for furthering the understanding of serious behavioural disorders in children. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Differences between European birthweight standards: impact on classification of ,small for gestational age'DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 11 2006K Hemming PhD We describe a quantitative and comparative review of a selection of European birthweight standards for gestational age for singletons, to enable appropriate choices to be made for clinical and research use. Differences between median values at term across standards in 10 regions and misclassification of 'small for gestational age'(SGA), were studied. Sex and parity differences, exclusion criteria, and methods of construction were considered. There was wide variation between countries in exclusion criteria, methods of calculating standards, and median birthweight at term. The lightest standards (e.g. France's medians are 255g lower than Norway's medians) were associated with fewer exclusion criteria. Up to 20% of the population used in the construction of the Scottish standard would be classified as SGA using the Norwegian standard. Substantial misclassification of SGA is possible. Assumptions about variation used in the construction of some standards were not justified. It is not possible to conclude that there are real differences in birthweight standards between European countries. Country-based standards control for some population features but add misclassification due to the differing ways in which standards are derived. Standards should be chosen to reflect clinical or research need. If standards stratified by sex or parity are not available, adjustments should be made. In multinational studies, comparisons should be made between results using both a common standard and country-based standards. [source] Psychiatric services for people with severe mental illness across western Europe: what can be generalized from current knowledge about differences in provision, costs and outcomes of mental health care?ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2006T. Becker Objective:, To report recent findings regarding differences in the provision, cost and outcomes of mental health care in Europe, and to examine to what extent these studies can provide a basis for improvement of mental health services and use of findings across countries. Method:, Findings from a number of studies describing mental health care in different European countries and comparing provision of care across countries are reported. Results:, The development of systems of mental health care in western Europe is characterized by a common trend towards deinstitutionalization, less in-patient treatment and improvement of community services. Variability between national mental healthcare systems is still substantial. At the individual patient level the variability of psychiatric service systems results in different patterns of service use and service costs. However, these differences are not reflected in outcome differences in a coherent way. Conclusion:, It is conceivable that the principal targets of mental healthcare reform can be achieved along several pathways taking into account economic, political and sociocultural variation between countries. Differences between mental healthcare systems appear to affect service provision and costs. However, the impact of such differences on patient outcomes may be less marked. The empirical evidence is limited and further studies are required. [source] Premixed insulin treatment for type 2 diabetes: analogue or human?DIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 5 2007Alan J. Garber The progressive nature of type 2 diabetes makes insulin initiation a necessary therapeutic step for many patients. Premixed insulin formulations containing both basal and prandial insulin (so called biphasic insulin) are often prescribed because they are superior to long- or intermediate-acting insulin in obtaining good metabolic control. In addition, they are considered as an attractive alternative to classical basal-bolus therapy as fewer daily injections are required. Premixed insulin formulations include conventional (e.g. biphasic human insulin 70/30, or 30/70 in European countries, BHI 30) and newer premixed human analogues (e.g. biphasic insulin aspart 70/30, or 30/70 in Europe, BIAsp 30; insulin lispro mix 75/25,Mix 75/25, or Mix 25/75 in Europe). Like conventional premixed human insulin, premixed insulin analogues contain a fixed proportion of soluble, rapid-acting insulin analogue, with protaminated analogue comprising the remainder. Unlike conventional premixes, analogue premixes have more physiological pharmacokinetic and therapeutically more desirable pharmacodynamic profiles than premixed human insulin. Consequently, postprandial glycaemic control is better with premixed insulin analogues than with premixed human insulin. In nontreat-to-target registration trials, the lowering of haemoglobin A1c with premixed insulin analogues was not inferior to that seen with premixed human insulin. Minor hypoglycaemia was similar for premixed analogue and premixed human insulins, while major hypoglycaemia appears to be rare with either formulation. The occurrence of adverse events, other than hypoglycaemia, was also similar between various premix insulins. The premixed insulin analogues, BIAsp 30 and Mix 75/25, like the fast-acting analogues from which they are derived, also allow flexible injection timing, relative to meal timing, thus improving adherence, compliance and quality of life compared with premixed human insulin. Overall, the evidence suggests that premixed insulin analogues are cost effective and have useful advantages over premixed human insulin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. [source] The relevance of international consortia in studies on the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes: the role of ET1DGNDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 3 2006Flemming Pociot Abstract The Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium (T1DGC), funded September 2002, is a collaborative effort to develop resources for the purpose of identifying risk genes for type 1 diabetes. One of the aims is to establish a renewable resource of DNA on 2500 affected sib-pair families. Regional networks have been established and in continental Europe, the European Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Network (ET1DGN) is responsible for identifying and collecting families. Most European countries have shown interest in this study and many have started recruiting families. The consortium is open to participation and there are several ways one can participate as a member of the consortium. ET1DGN suggests going beyond the tasks of T1DGC and establishing a well-organized network for additional and future studies in Europe. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Diabetes trends in EuropeDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue S3 2002Philippe Passa Abstract Estimates and projections suggest an epidemic expansion of diabetes incidence and prevalence in Europe. To evaluate trends in type 1 and type 2 diabetes in seven European countries (Finland, Denmark, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy), a variety of information is available, including population-based studies on small or large cohorts of subjects representative of the general population in a particular country, European co-operative studies, and sales figures for insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents that allow extrapolation of the number of pharmacologically treated diabetic patients. The incidence of type 1 diabetes in young people is increasing in most European countries, as is its prevalence in all age groups. Type 2 diabetes is the major contributor to the epidemic rise in diabetes. From 1995 to 1999, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased considerably, particularly in the UK, Germany, and France. Costs of ambulatory and in-hospital diabetic care (including antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and hypolipidemic agents) have increased even more rapidly than has the number of affected patients. Diabetes trends in Europe are alarming; health care professionals involved in diabetes care must be made aware of these detrimental trends, and health care delivery to patients with diabetes must be improved. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Insulin therapy in EuropeDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue S3 2002Werner A. Scherbaum Abstract The prevalence of type 1 diabetes is rising in all European countries, particularly in Scandinavia and the UK. Insulin therapy in Europe is strongly influenced by the results of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), both of which showed the importance of tight metabolic control in patients with diabetes. The importance of tight glycemic control is also emphasized in the Saint Vincent Declaration, which established 5-year goals for antidiabetic therapy in Europe. Insulin therapy in Europe has been significantly improved over the past 10,years, owing to a number of developments. These include increased use of intensive insulin therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes; the development of new insulin analogs, including insulin glargine for injection therapy and short-acting agents that are particularly suitable for use in pumpsand the establishment of comprehensive and standardized treatment goals and guidelines. Nevertheless, important obstacles must still be overcome to optimize therapy for patients with diabetes and reduce the long-term complications of this disease. These obstacles include low public awareness of diabetes and its symptoms, training of physicians as well as patients that is often insufficient to ensure adherence to professional guidelines for diabetes care, and limitations in communication among professional care providers. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A 10-year (1996,2005) prospective study of the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Moscow in the age group 0,14 yearsDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 8 2008E. A. Pronina Abstract Aims To provide data on the incidence of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Moscow, determined prospectively from 1996 to 2005 for a total of > 10 million subjects aged < 15 years. Methods Data on T1D incidence in patients with newly discovered T1D resident in Moscow diagnosed between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2005 were analysed. Primary ascertainment was based in endocrinology departments of children's hospitals in Moscow. A secondary source were the archives of Moscow Region where patients are registered to obtain exemption from paying for medication. Results We identified 2031 new cases of T1D patients with a degree of ascertainment through primary and secondary sources of 94%. Overall the incidence rate of the disease was 12.9 per 100 000 per year (95% confidence interval 12.3, 13.4). The cumulative risk of the disease was 0.28 per 1000 in the age group 0,4 years, 0.84 in the age group 5,9 years and 1.8 in the age group 10,14 years. The incidence rate in girls increased by a mean of 6% per year in all age groups (P < 0.05 for all comparisons), whereas in boys it increased by a mean of 7% in the age group 10,14 years. Thirty percent of cases presented with diabetic ketoacidosis and coma at diagnosis, whereas hyperglycaemia without ketonuria was present in 20% of patients. Conclusions This is the first study to report on validated incidence data for T1D in Moscow. We conclude that the incidence of T1D in Moscow is comparable to that of those European countries having intermediate incidence rates, and that the incidence is increasing. [source] European comparison of costs and quality in the prevention of secondary complications in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (2000,2001)DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 7 2002A. Gandjour Abstract Aims To compare the out-patient costs and process quality of preventing secondary complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Methods A total of 188 European physician practices assessed annual services for one hypothetical average patient (cost evaluation) and 178 practices reported retrospective data on one or two real patients (quality evaluation) in 2000/2001. In countries with a detailed fee-for-service schedule (Germany, Italy, and Switzerland) reimbursement fees were used to approximate costs. These fee-for-service schedules were also used to develop index (average) fees for all countries, in order to measure resource utilization. The following process quality indicators were evaluated: control of HbA1c; control of lipids; urine test for (micro)albuminuria; control of blood pressure; foot examination; neurological examination; eye examination; and patient education. For each country an average quality rating was calculated by weighting the response to each quality indicator with the level of scientific evidence. Results Average quality ratings ranged from 0.40 in The Netherlands to 0.62 in the UK (0 = lowest rating; 1 = highest rating). Total annual costs for secondary prevention were higher in Switzerland than in Germany and Italy (EUR475, EUR381, and EUR283, respectively). Resource utilization was highest in Germany and lowest in the UK. Conclusions The overall quality of preventive services documented was found to be poor in the seven European countries studied. The UK rated as both the most effective and the most efficient country in providing secondary prevention in Type 2 diabetes. [source] Glycaemia and insulinaemia in elderly European subjects (70,75 years)DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 2 2001A. U. Teuscher SUMMARY Aims To determine glycaemia and insulinaemia in elderly subjects aged 70,75 years, living across Europe, who participated in the EURONUT-SENECA (Survey in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly, a Concerted Action) study. Methods Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin concentrations were measured in 1830 subjects aged 70,75 years living in 15 traditional towns in 11 European countries. For the diagnosis of diabetes, the recommendations of the 1997 report of the American Diabetes Association ,Expert Committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus' were used. Results A total of 31.6% of the study subjects had either diabetes (17.5%) or impaired fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (14.1%). Fifty-one per cent of the subjects with diabetes were unaware of the disease. No difference in diabetes prevalence was found for sex, but male subjects were more likely to have impaired FPG than female subjects (16.8 vs. 11.5%, P = 0.001). Hyperinsulinaemia (fasting insulin levels in the highest quartile) was associated with increased FPG, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio. Conclusions It was found that a substantial number of elderly Europeans have impaired glucose homeostasis, with diabetes and impaired FPG being present in almost a third of European subjects aged 70,75 years. [source] Plasma lipids and urinary albumin excretion rate in Type 1 diabetes mellitus: the EURODIAB IDDM Complications StudyDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 1 2001M. B. Mattock SUMMARY Aims To examine the relationship between increased urinary albumin excretion rate and fasting plasma lipids among male and female respondents to the EURODIAB IDDM Complications Study, and attempt to explain inconsistencies in previous reports. Methods A cross-sectional study of 3250 randomly selected Type 1 diabetic patients from 31 diabetes clinics in 16 European countries was carried out between 1989 and 1990. Plasma lipids and urinary albumin were measured centrally. The present analysis was confined to the subgroup of 2205 patients attending after a 10,12 h overnight fast. Mean age was 33 years (sd 10) and mean duration of Type 1 diabetes mellitus was 15 years (sd 9). Results The prevalence of microalbuminuria (24-h urinary albumin excretion rate 20,200 ,g/min) was 21.7% (95% confidence interval 19.9,23.5) and macroalbuminuria (24-h urinary albumin excretion rate >,200 ,g/min) 7.8% (6.6,9.0). In comparison to patients with normal urinary albumin excretion rate (< 20 ,g/min), and after controlling for age, sex, glycaemic control, duration of diabetes and current smoking, macroalbuminuria was associated with significantly (P < 0.01) increased fasting plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio and, in women, reduced HDL-cholesterol. In men and women with microalbuminuria, the only significant association was with increased plasma triglycerides. Conclusions These data confirm that there is an association between fasting plasma lipids and increasing urinary albumin excretion rate in European Type 1 diabetic patients. In microalbuminuric patients, however, the association was weaker than previously reported and partly explained by confounding factors. [source] Insulin aspart vs. human insulin in the management of long-term blood glucose control in Type 1 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trialDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 11 2000P. D. Home SUMMARY Aims To compare the efficacy of insulin aspart, a rapid-acting insulin analogue, with that of unmodified human insulin on long-term blood glucose control in Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Methods Prospective, multi-centre, randomized, open-labelled, parallel-group trial lasting 6 months in 88 centres in eight European countries and including 1070 adult subjects with Type 1 diabetes. Study patients were randomized 2:1 to insulin aspart or unmodified human insulin before main meals, with NPH-insulin as basal insulin. Main outcome measures were blood glucose control as assessed by HbA1c, eight-point self-monitored blood glucose profiles, insulin dose, quality of life, hypoglycaemia, and adverse events. Results After 6 months, insulin aspart was superior to human insulin with respect to HbA1c with a baseline-adjusted difference in HbA1c of 0.12 (95% confidence interval 0.03,0.22) %Hb, P < 0.02. Eight-point blood glucose profiles showed lower post-prandial glucose levels (mean baseline-adjusted ,0.6 to ,1.2 mmol/l, P < 0.01) after all main meals, but higher pre-prandial glucose levels before breakfast and dinner (0.7,0.8 mmol/l, P < 0.01) with insulin aspart. Satisfaction with treatment was significantly better in patients treated with insulin aspart (WHO Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) baseline-adjusted difference 2.3 (1.2,3.3) points, P < 0.001). The relative risk of experiencing a major hypoglycaemic episode with insulin aspart compared to human insulin was 0.83 (0.59,1.18, NS). Major night hypoglycaemic events requiring parenteral treatment were less with insulin aspart (1.3 vs. 3.4% of patients, P < 0.05), as were late post-prandial (4,6 h) events (1.8 vs. 5.0% of patients, P < 0.005). Conclusions These results show small but useful advantage for the rapid-acting insulin analogue insulin aspart as a tool to improve long-term blood glucose control, hypoglycaemia, and quality of life, in people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. [source] Type 1 diabetes mellitus in Czech children diagnosed in 1990,1997: a significant increase in incidence and male predominance in the age group 0,4 yearsDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 1 2000O. Cinek Summary Aims To overview total, age-and sex-specific incidence rates of type 1 diabetes mellitus and their trends in Czech children 0,14 years of age in the period of 1990,1997. Methods Type 1 DM cases were ascertained by two independent sources, data of general population were obtained from the annual demographic reports of the State Statistic Bureau. Incidence rates were computed using both ascertainment sources combined. Results In the study period 1.1.1990,31.12.1997, the total incidence was 10.1 (95% CI 9.6,10.6) per 100 000/year in both sexes, 10.0 (95% CI 9.4,10.7) in boys, and 10.2 (95% CI 9.5,11.0) in girls. The total age-standardized incidence was 9.9 (95% CI 9.4,10.4). The total incidence had a significant increasing trend over the study period (P = 10,4, annual increment 4.3%). A significant increasing trend was also found in the groups of children 0,4 (P = 0.033, increment 6.9%) and 5,9 years at diagnosis (P = 0.038, increment 4.8%). Statistically significant male predominance was observed in the group diagnosed at age 0,4 years (boys/girls ratio of incidence 1.33, P = 0.035). Conclusions We report the first population-based epidemiological data on incidence of childhood Type 1 DM in the Czech Republic. The incidence has increased significantly during the last 8 years. The present incidence is at an intermediate level compared to other European countries. [source] Dutch solutions for liquid-based cytology: Analysis of unsatisfactory slides and HPV testing of equivocal cytologyDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 9 2006Mathilde E. Boon M.D., Ph.D. Abstract The liquid-based techniques to obtain microscopy slides for cervical screening have replaced conventional smears almost completely in the USA, but not in all European countries. The decision making process to use liquid-based cytology (LBC) for nationwide screening programs depends on the health system. In a pilot study of over 7,000 screenees, we analyzed the unsatisfactory LBC slides and tested the equivocal cytologies for HPV by using the LiPA test. For comparison over 48,000 conventional screening data were used. Compared to conventional smears, the LBC slides were highly cellular, the state of fixation was much better, and obscuring blood did not exist. The unsatisfactory rate showed an increase from 262/100,000 (conventional smears) to 357/100,000 (LBC slides) due to too thick, undiagnosable epithelial fragments on the LBC slides. HPV testing of the equivocal cytology leads to a better patient management and less unnecessary referrals. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34:644,648. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS): development of an instrumentfor the description and classificationof mental health servicesACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2000S. Johnson Objective: This paper describes the development of an instrument for description and classification of mental health services and for measurement of service use. Purposes to be served by the instrument include: (i) identification of gaps in the spectrum of services in a catchment area; (ii) obtaining background information which may be important to understanding why apparently similar interventions lead to different outcomes in different areas; (iii) investigating how introduction of a particular type of service influences use of other local services; and (iv) understanding the relationship between sociodemographic factors and service use. Method: The instrument was developed through meetings of an international expert panel and pilot stages in several European countries. Results: Use of the European Mapping Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS) appears feasible in several countries and allowed description and classification of the full range of services identified within each of the study catchment areas. Conclusion: The ESMS promises to fill a gap in the technology available for mental health services research. Further practical experiences of its use for a variety of purposes in a variety of settings are now needed to indicate how far the ESMS does successfully generate data which are useful to researchers and planners. [source] Mental health and alcohol, drugs and tobacco: a review of the comorbidity between mental disorders and the use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugsDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 6 2006EVA JANE-LLOPIS Abstract This paper reviews some major epidemiological studies undertaken in high-income countries during the last 15 years which have reported the prevalence of mental disorders and substance use disorders and their relationship. Comorbidity between mental and substance use disorders is highly prevalent across countries. In general, people with a substance use disorder had higher comorbid rates of mental disorders than vice versa, and people with illicit drug disorders had the highest rates of comorbid mental disorders. There is a strong direct association between the magnitude of comorbidity and the severity of substance use disorders. While causal pathways differ across substances and disorders, there is evidence that alcohol is a casual factor for depression, in some European countries up to 10% of male depression. Policies that reduce the use of substances are likely to reduce the prevalence of mental disorders. Treatment should be available in an integrated fashion for both mental and substance use disorders. There is a need to expand the evidence base on comorbidity, particularly in low-income countries. [source] The role of migratory ducks in the long-distance dispersal of native plants and the spread of exotic plants in EuropeECOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2009Anne-Laure Brochet Little is known about the role of migratory waterfowl in the long-distance dispersal (LDD) of seeds. We studied the gut contents of 42 teals Anas crecca collected in the Camargue, southern France, and found intact seeds of 16 species. There was no relationship between the probability that a given seed species was found intact in the lower gut, and the seed hardness or size. The number of seeds found in the oesophagus and gizzard (a measure of ingestion rate) was the only significant predictor of the occurrence of intact seeds in the lower gut, so studies of waterfowl diet can be used as surrogates of dispersal potential. In a literature review, we identified 223 seed species recorded in 25 diet studies of teal, pintail Anas acuta, wigeon A. penelope or mallard A. platyrhynchos in Europe. We considered whether limited species distribution reduces the chances that a seed can be carried to suitable habitat following LDD. Overall, 72% of plant species recorded in duck diets in southern Europe (36 of 50) were also recorded in the north, whereas 97% of species recorded in duck diets in the north (137 of 141) were also recorded in the south. This suggests a great potential for LDD, since most dispersed plants species occur throughout the migratory range of ducks. Migratory ducks are important vectors for both terrestrial and aquatic plant species, even those lacking the fleshy fruits or hooks typically used to identify seeds dispersed by birds. Finally, we show ducks are important vectors of exotic plant species. We identified 14 alien to Europe and 44 native to Europe but introduced to some European countries whose seeds have been recorded in duck diet. [source] Trophic level modulates carabid beetle responses to habitat and landscape structure: a pan-European studyECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2010ADAM J. VANBERGEN 1. Anthropogenic pressures have produced heterogeneous landscapes expected to influence diversity differently across trophic levels and spatial scales. 2. We tested how activity density and species richness of carabid trophic groups responded to local habitat and landscape structure (forest percentage cover and habitat richness) in 48 landscape parcels (1 km2) across eight European countries. 3. Local habitat affected activity density, but not species richness, of both trophic groups. Activity densities were greater in rotational cropping compared with other habitats; phytophage densities were also greater in grassland than forest habitats. 4. Controlling for country and habitat effects, we found general trophic group responses to landscape structure. Activity densities of phytophages were positively correlated, and zoophages uncorrelated, with increasing habitat richness. This differential functional group response to landscape structure was consistent across Europe, indicated by a lack of a country × habitat richness interaction. Species richness was unaffected by landscape structure. 5. Phytophage sensitivity to landscape structure may arise from relative dependency on seed from ruderal plants. This trophic adaptation, rare in Carabidae, leads to lower phytophage numbers, increasing vulnerability to demographic and stochastic processes that the greater abundance, species richness, and broader diet of the zoophage group may insure against. [source] Mixed biodiversity benefits of agri-environment schemes in five European countriesECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 3 2006D. Kleijn Abstract Agri-environment schemes are an increasingly important tool for the maintenance and restoration of farmland biodiversity in Europe but their ecological effects are poorly known. Scheme design is partly based on non-ecological considerations and poses important restrictions on evaluation studies. We describe a robust approach to evaluate agri-environment schemes and use it to evaluate the biodiversity effects of agri-environment schemes in five European countries. We compared species density of vascular plants, birds, bees, grasshoppers and crickets, and spiders on 202 paired fields, one with an agri-environment scheme, the other conventionally managed. In all countries, agri-environment schemes had marginal to moderately positive effects on biodiversity. However, uncommon species benefited in only two of five countries and species listed in Red Data Books rarely benefited from agri-environment schemes. Scheme objectives may need to differentiate between biodiversity of common species that can be enhanced with relatively simple modifications in farming practices and diversity or abundance of endangered species which require more elaborate conservation measures. [source] ECONOMICS, RELIGION AND THE DECLINE OF EUROPE,ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 4 2004Niall Ferguson This article asks whether there is any casual connection between the contemporaneous decline in industriousness and religiosity in Europe over the past 25 years. In the United States working hours and levels of religious faith and observance have held steady or even increased over this period. But in most European countries they have declined together. Could this be a posthumous vindication of Max Weber's thesis about the Protestant work ethic and the rise of capitalism? Though there clearly are some important links between religion and economic behaviour, the article concludes that the evidence does not perfectly fit Weber's theory, which emphasised abstinence rather than consumption as a determinant of economic development. [source] WHY HAS CRIME FALLEN?ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2002AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE In this paper we consider the reasons why the general level of recorded crime has been falling in the United States and many European countries in the last ten years. We review the time-series statistical evidence on the determinants of crime, and investigate the extent to which these determinants are matched with survey evidence on the offending behaviour of young people. This survey evidence is particularly revealing on the perceptions of young people to various sorts of deterrents, and it also highlights a strong association between illicit drug use and involvement in crime. [source] Creative Class and Regional Growth: Empirical Evidence from Seven European CountriesECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2009Ron A. Boschma abstract This article analyzes the regional distribution and economic effect of the "creative class" on the basis of a unique data set that covers more than 500 regions in 7 European countries. The creative class is unevenly geographically distributed across Europe; the analyses show that a regional climate of tolerance and openness has a strong and positive effect on a region's share of these people. Regional job opportunities also have a large effect on the size of a region's population of the creative class. The findings reveal some evidence of a positive relationship among creative class occupation, employment growth, and entrepreneurship at the regional level in a number of European countries. On the basis of the analysis, however, it is not clear whether human capital, measured by creative occupation, outperforms indicators that are based on formal education, or if formal education has the stronger effect. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||