Northern European Countries (northern + european_country)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Eine Gabe an St. Nimmerlein?, Zur zeitlichen Dimension der Schuldenbremse

PERSPEKTIVEN DER WIRTSCHAFTSPOLITIK, Issue 3 2010
Friedrich Heinemann
We consider two scenarios: a proportional income shock and a shock on employment which increases the rate of unemployment. We find that automatic stabilizers absorb 38 per cent of a proportional income shock in the EU, compared to 32 per cent in the US. In the case of an unemployment shock 48 per cent of the shock is absorbed in the EU, compared to 34 per cent in the US. Under the assumption that only credit constrained households adjust current spending on consumption goods to current disposable income, the cushioning of disposable income leads to a demand stabilization of 26 to 35 per cent in the EU and 19 per cent in the US. There is large heterogeneity within the EU. Automatic stabilizers in Eastern and Southern Europe are much lower than in Central and Northern European countries. With respect to income stabilization, Germany is above the European average for both scenarios. Demand stabilization in Germany is weaker because the number of liquidity constrained households is below the EU average. [source]


Wie wirken die automatischen Stabilisatoren in der Wirtschaftskrise?

PERSPEKTIVEN DER WIRTSCHAFTSPOLITIK, Issue 2 2010
Deutschland im Vergleich zu anderen EU-Staaten und den USA
We consider two scenarios: a proportional income shock and a shock on employment which increases the rate of unemployment. We find that automatic stabilizers absorb 38 percent of a proportional income shock in the EU, compared to 32 percent in the US. In the case of an unemployment shock 48 percent of the shock is absorbed in the EU, compared to 34 percent in the US. Under the assumption that only credit constrained households adjust current spending on consumption goods to current disposable income, the cushioning of disposable income leads to a demand stabilization of 26 to 35 percent in the EU and 19 percent in the US. There is large heterogeneity within the EU. Automatic stabilizers in Eastern and Southern Europe are much lower than in Central and Northern European countries. With respect to income stabilization, Germany is above the European average for both scenarios. Demand stabilization in Germany is weaker because the number of liquidity constrained households is below the EU average. [source]


Overweight and obesity in Norwegian children: Secular trends in weight-for-height and skinfolds

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2007
PB Júlíusson
Abstract Aim: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in paediatric populations has been rapidly increasing in many countries over the past decades. The aims of the present study were to provide new data on weight-for-height and skinfolds, and to compare these to growth references for children between 3 and 17 years, collected in the same city between 1971 and 1974. Material: The present study is based on cross-sectional data of 4115 children (2086 boys and 2029 girls) aged 4,15 years measured in 2003,6. Results: Overall, 18.0% of the boys and 20.1% of the girls were above the 90th weight-for-height percentile of the 1971,1974 references, 8.0% and 7.2% were above the 97.5th percentile, indicating an upward shift in weight-for-height. An even more prominent increase was observed for skinfold thicknesses; for triceps skinfolds about 30% of the boys and 28% of the girls were above the 90th percentile of the 1971,1974 references, and corresponding values for subscapular skinfolds were 26.5% and 25.9%. Using international cut-off values for body mass index, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.5% and 2.1% in boys, and 14.8% and 2.9% in girls. Conclusions: Our study has demonstrated a significant increase in weight-for-height in Norwegian children over the last 30 years, and that these changes are caused by an increase in fat tissue, as shown by skinfold measurements. The current prevalence of overweight and obesity is comparable to recent estimates from most Western and Northern European countries. [source]


International conference on the healthy effect of virgin olive oil

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 7 2005

Summary 1Ageing represents a great concern in developed countries because the number of people involved and the pathologies related with it, like atherosclerosis, morbus Parkinson, Alzheime's disease, vascular dementia, cognitive decline, diabetes and cancer. 2Epidemiological studies suggest that a Mediterranean diet (which is rich in virgin olive oil) decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease. 3The Mediterranean diet, rich in virgin olive oil, improves the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as the lipoprotein profile, blood pressure, glucose metabolism and antithrombotic profile. Endothelial function, inflammation and oxidative stress are also positively modulated. Some of these effects are attributed to minor components of virgin olive oil. Therefore, the definition of the Mediterranean diet should include virgin olive oil. 4Different observational studies conducted in humans have shown that the intake of monounsaturated fat may be protective against age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. 5Microconstituents from virgin olive oil are bioavailable in humans and have shown antioxidant properties and capacity to improve endothelial function. Furthermore they are also able to modify the haemostasis, showing antithrombotic properties. 6In countries where the populations fulfilled a typical Mediterranean diet, such as Spain, Greece and Italy, where virgin olive oil is the principal source of fat, cancer incidence rates are lower than in northern European countries. 7The protective effect of virgin olive oil can be most important in the first decades of life, which suggests that the dietetic benefit of virgin olive oil intake should be initiated before puberty, and maintained through life. 8The more recent studies consistently support that the Mediterranean diet, based in virgin olive oil, is compatible with a healthier ageing and increased longevity. However, despite the significant advances of the recent years, the final proof about the specific mechanisms and contributing role of the different components of virgin olive oil to its beneficial effects requires further investigations. [source]


Confirming the pinking mechanism of PVC profiles in mild climatic conditions

JOURNAL OF VINYL & ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2003
Jacques Lemaire
Pinking of TiO2 -pigmented PVC can be observed for profiles exposed to the mild environmental conditions of northern European countries. In a previous paper, the pinking phenomenon was accounted for at the molecular level by the formation of polyene sequences, which are not completely photooxidatively bleached in conditions of oxygen starvation. This causation has been confirmed by exposing to visible light in a SEPAP 12.24 apparatus profiles in which pinking was produced during 4 year-weathering in N.W. France. The fast phototransformations in visible light of chloropolyenes in trans -configurations leading to ,-chloropolyenes in cis -configurations accounts for the conversion of pinking into limited graying. It appears that the first and more intense graying observed after the initial exposure to UV and visible light of profiles in the SEPAP 12.24 can be essentially attributed to the photoreduction products of lead stabilizers. Graying could be bleached through thermooxidation at 65°C, could not be converted into pinking, and has no environmental relevance. [source]


Protection against anti,citrullinated protein antibody,positive rheumatoid arthritis is predominantly associated with HLA,DRB1*1301: A meta-analysis of HLA,DRB1 associations with anti,citrullinated protein antibody,positive and anti,citrullinated protein antibody,negative rheumatoid arthritis in four European populations

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 5 2010
Diane van der Woude
Objective The protective effect of HLA,DRB1 alleles on the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of 4 European populations to investigate which HLA,DRB1 alleles are associated with protection in anti,citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA),positive RA and ACPA-negative RA. Methods Data for >2,800 patients and >3,000 control subjects for whom information on HLA,DRB1 typing and ACPA status was available were collected from 4 European countries: Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Spain. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) associated with the different HLA,DRB1 alleles were analyzed in a combined meta-analysis focused on protective alleles and classifications. The analysis of ACPA-positive RA was stratified for the shared epitope (SE) alleles, to correct for skewing due to this association. Results In ACPA-positive RA, the only alleles that conveyed protection after stratification for SE were HLA,DRB1*13 alleles (OR 0.54 [95% CI 0.38,0.77]). The protective effect of the allele classifications based on the DERAA and D70 sequences was no longer present after exclusion of DRB1*13 (for D70, OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.75,1.25]), indicating that DRB1*13, rather than the DERAA or D70 sequence as such, is associated with protection. Among the DRB1*13 alleles, only DRB1*1301 was associated with protection (OR 0.24 [95% CI 0.09,0.59]). Protection appeared to follow a north-to-south gradient, with the strongest association in northern European countries. In ACPA-negative RA, there were no robust associations with HLA,DRB1 alleles. Conclusion Our data do not support any of the classifications of protective alleles and indicate that protection against ACPA-positive RA is predominantly associated with HLA,DRB1*1301. [source]


The experience of EMAS in three European countries: a cultural and competitive analysis

BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 1 2002
Professor Ulrich Steger
EMAS, the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, has been open for participation for six years now. Looking at registrations per country, a concentration of registrations in northern European countries is evident. The first part of this article investigates potential reasons by applying two popular models. Geert Hofstede's four cultural dimensions are used to explain favourable or unfavourable conditions for EMAS in a country. Michael E. Porter's national diamond is used to investigate determinants for national competitiveness and their influence on environmental management. These two frameworks are applied to Germany as a benchmark and France and Spain as representatives of southern European countries. In the second part of the article conclusions are drawn from this investigation on the influence of national culture, conditions and incentives for EMAS in these countries. Lastly actions for increased participation in EMAS of southern European countries are presented. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source]