Energy and Macronutrient Intakes With Eating Occasions Consumed by European Children From Ages 3 to 8 Years: The EU Childhood Obesity Project Study

Objectives We characterized the distribution of energy and macronutrient intakes across eating occasions (EO) in a longitudinal study in children from 3 to 8 yrs in 5 European countries. Methods In the Childhood Obesity Project Study, 3-day weighed food records were collected at 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 yrs of age for children from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. Food intakes were assigned to EO based on country-specific times of the day and EO size. A consistent pattern with 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, supper) and 2 snacks (morning, afternoon) was identified. We analyzed longitudinal changes in diurnal energy and nutrient intake with age and estimated mixed effects models with child-specific intercept and slope for age. Age was analysed as quadratic term. Results The analyzed food intakes of 740 children showed the proportion of energy consumed within the day as follows: lunch (30.3%±8.3, M ± SD), supper (25.3%±8.0), breakfast (18.6%±6.6) and snacks (afternoon (16.3%±7.2); morning (10.1%±6.7)). Italian children had the lowest intake during morning (5.4%± 3.8) and the highest proportion of skipping morning snack (49%). The portion of fat and protein (as % total energy intake per EO) was high at lunch (fat 36.3%±9.1; protein 18.1%±5.2) and supper (fat 39.1%±10.9; protein 17.7%±5.6) and for carbohydrates at snacks (61.6%±11.6) and breakfast (53.7%±11.7), respectively. In Spain, fat and protein intakes were above study average at all EO. Energy intakes at snacks varied significantly with age (morning βage = -36.22kcal, βage2 = 3.29kcal; afternoon βage = 28.37 kcal, βage2 = −3.21kcal; P >0.001). There were no diurnal energy and nutrient differences between sexes. Conclusions The studied children consumed the major portions of dietary energy, protein and fat at lunch and supper, while most carbohydrates were provided with snacks and breakfast. With increasing age, energy intakes varied with morning and afternoon snacks. Further studies should explore whether diurnal variation of dietary intakes is associated with health outcomes. Funding Sources Partial financial support was received from the Commission of the European Community, the EU Seventh Framework Programme, project EarlyNutrition, the EU H2020 project PHC-2014-DynaHealth and the European Research Council Advanced Grant META-GROWTH.

Probabilistic safety assessment for internal and external events/European projects H2020-NARSIS and FP7-ASAMPSA_E

The 7th EU Framework programme project Advanced Safety Assessment Methodologies: “Extended PSA” (ASAMPSA_E, 2013–2016) was aimed at promoting good practices to extend the scope of existing Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSAs) and the application of such “extended PSA” in decision-making in the European context. This project led to a collection of guidance reports that describe existing practices and identify their limits. Moreover, it allowed identifying some idea for further research in the framework of collaborative activities. The H2020 project “New Approach to Reactor Safety ImprovementS” (NARSIS, 2017–2021) aims at proposing some improvements to be integrated in existing PSA procedures for NPPs, considering single, cascade and combined external natural hazards (earthquakes, flooding, extreme weather, tsunamis). The project will lead to the release of various tools together with recommendations and guidelines for use in nuclear safety assessment, including a Bayesian-based multi-risk framework able to account for causes and consequences of technical, social/organizational and human aspects and a supporting Severe Accident Management decision-making tool for demonstration purposes, as well.

CEREAL SPECIES EFFECT ON PROTEIN CONTENT IN PEA GRAINS IN LEGUME CEREAL MIXTURES DEPENDING CROPPING SYSTEM

Within the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme project “Enhancing of legumes growing in Europe through sustainable cropping for protein supply for food and feed” (EUROLEGUME) producing of the knowledge required for the implementation of legume supported cropping system in sustainable agriculture was done. The main objective of this study was to investigate spring cereal species effect on protein content in pea grains depending cropping system (organic and conventional). The research involved two field pea (Pisum sativum var.arvense L.) cultivars – ‘Kirke’ and ‘Bruno’, and two spring cereal species: spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) grown in mixtures. The results demonstrated that in pea-cereal mixtures cereal species can affect the protein content of grains of pea. Depending cultivar the effect was different. In grains of cv ‘Bruno’ crude protein content was highest; the higher the protein of grains fixed in yield from organic field.

Robotic Platform for High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Surgery Under Ultrasound Tracking: The FUTURA Platform

Focused Ultrasound Therapy Using Robotic Approaches (FUTURA) is a European seventh research framework programme project aimed at creating an innovative platform for Focused Ultrasound Surgery (FUS). Merging robotics together with noninvasive ultrasound monitoring and therapy has the goal to improve flexibility, precision and accuracy of the intervention, thus enabling a large use of FUS for the treatment of different pathologies. The FUTURA platform, based on FUS therapy under US tracking, has been set up with the first clinical target of kidney cancer treatment. Experiments for assessing the accuracy of the FUS delivery with the FUTURA platform have been carried out under in vitro static conditions and presented here as preliminary outcomes of this study.

Skill of a global forecasting system in seasonal ensemble streamflow prediction

In this study we assess the skill of seasonal streamflow forecasts with the global hydrological forecasting system FEWS-World which has been set up within the European Commission 7th Framework Programme project Global Water Scarcity Information Service (GLOWASIS). FEWS-World incorporates the global hydrological model PCR-GLOBWB. We produce ensemble forecasts of monthly discharges for 20 large rivers of the world, with lead times of up to 6 months, forcing the system with bias-corrected seasonal meteorological forecast ensembles from the ECMWF and with probabilistic meteorological ensembles obtained following the ESP procedure. Here, the skill from the ESP ensembles, which contain no actual information on weather, serves as a benchmark to assess the additional skill that may be obtained using ECMWF seasonal forecasts. We use the Brier Score to quantify the skill of the system in forecasting high and low flows, defined as discharges higher than the 75th and lower than the 25th percentiles for a given month respectively. We determine the theoretical skill by comparing the results against model simulations and the actual skill in comparison to discharge observations. We calculate the ratios of actual to theoretical skill in order to quantify the percentage of the theoretical skill that is achieved. The results suggest that the skill of ECMWF S3 forecasts is close to that of the ESP forecasts. While better meteorological forecasts could potentially lead to an improvement in hydrological forecasts, this cannot be achieved yet using the ECMWF S3 dataset.

TEACHER TRAINING AT CHEMISTRY FACULTIES – MUTUAL BENEFITS? A CASE STUDY BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE IRRESISTIBLE PROJECT

The training of teachers at educational science faculties prepares them better to deal with class management, individualization of teaching, evaluating, problems with motivation, etc. Teachers educated at chemistry faculties have a profound and well-established knowledge in the field of chemistry, but they demonstrate limited pedagogical skills. Recently, the collaboration between chemists, researchers in chemistry education and chemistry teachers has become more intense. In 2013, the Jagiellonian University joined the 7th Framework Programme project – IRRESISTIBLE (http://www.irresistible-project.eu). The goal of the project IRRESISTIBLE is to design activities that foster the involvement of students and the public in the process of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). A case study based on the example of the IRRESISTIBLE project is presented. Some interesting results are discussed. Key words: educational science, science education, teacher education.

The Italian registry of cystic echinococcosis (RIEC): the first prospective registry with a European future

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a worldwide zoonosis, is highly endemic in southern and eastern Europe. Its actual prevalence is unknown due to the lack of efficient reporting systems designed to take into account the particular features of the disease. Neglect of CE makes diagnosis and clinical management difficult outside referral centres, with inconsistencies in clinical practice and often unnecessary procedures carried out that have associated risks and costs. The Italian registry of CE (RIEC) is a prospective multicentre registry of CE patients seen from January 2012 in Italian health centres; data are voluntarily submitted to the registry. Its aims are to show the prevalence of CE in Italy, bring the importance of this infection to the attention of health authorities, encourage public health policies towards its control, and stimulate biological, epidemiological and clinical research on CE. From January 2012 to February 2014, a total 346 patients were enrolled in 11 centres, outnumbering national reports of many CE-endemic European countries. We discuss preliminary data and challenges of the RIEC, template for the European registry of CE, which has been implemented within the Seventh Framework Programme project HERACLES (Human cystic Echinococcosis ReseArch in CentraL and Eastern Societies) since September 2014.