The European standard series in 9 European countries, 2002/2003 - First results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uter, W; Hegewald, J; Aberer, W; Ayala, F; Bircher, AJ; Brasch, J; Coenraads, PJ; Schuttelaar, Marielouise; Elsner, P; Fartasch, M; Mahler, V.; Fortina, AB; Frosch, PJ; Fuchs, T; Johansen, JD; Menne, T; Jolanki, R; Krecisz, B; Kiec-Swierczynska, M; Larese, F; Orton, D; Peserico, A; Rantanen, T; Schnuch, A

Since January 2001, the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA), supported by European Union funding (contract QLK4-CT-2001-00343), has started to collect patch-test data. This comprises a standardized clinical history and the patch-test results using the European standard series,

European standards applied by Gas Transmission System Operator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witek, M.; Kuchta, K.; Oleszkiewicz, J.; Teperek, T.

2005-01-01

The lecture described actual state of implementation of European standards concerning transmission of natural gas and underlined their importance for proper performance of Transmission System Operator (TSO). European standards implemented to Polish Standards as PN-EN, necessary for TSO, related to design, construction and operation of high pressure gas network were also described. The lecture underlined as well the impact of standards application on preparation process of national regulations. They obligate TSO to create the technical conditions that ensure safety of gas transmission network functioning as well as environmental and surroundings safety. (authors)

Reporting systems in gastrointestinal endoscopy: Requirements and standards facilitating quality improvement: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy position statement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bretthauer, Michael; Aabakken, Lars; Dekker, Evelien; Kaminski, Michal F.; Rösch, Thomas; Hultcrantz, Rolf; Suchanek, Stepan; Jover, Rodrigo; Kuipers, Ernst J.; Bisschops, Raf; Spada, Cristiano; Valori, Roland; Domagk, Dirk; Rees, Colin; Rutter, Matthew D.

2016-01-01

To develop standards for high quality of gastrointestinal endoscopy, the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) has established the ESGE Quality Improvement Committee. A prerequisite for quality assurance and improvement for all gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures is

Towards a new pressure vessel standard in the European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osweiller, F.

1995-01-01

Since 1990 the European Commission has been preparing a new Directive which will regulate the Pressure Equipment sector in the countries of the European Union. CEN Standards devoted to pressure vessels, piping, boilers, are currently being drawn up to complete and implement this Directive. This paper focuses on the European Unfired Pressure Vessel Standard (EPVS) which is in course of development under the responsibility of CEN/TC54. The main aspects of the Standard are outlined: general structure, materials, design, fabrication, inspection and testing. The link with the European Directive is explained in connection with regulatory aspects: conformity assessment, essential safety requirements, classes of vessels, notified bodies, EC mark, status of the standard

Radiation control standards and procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1956-12-14

This manual contains the Radiation Control Standards'' and Radiation Control Procedures'' at Hanford Operations which have been established to provide the necessary control radiation exposures within Irradiation Processing Department. Provision is also made for including, in the form of Bulletins'', other radiological information of general interest to IPD personnel. The purpose of the standards is to establish firm radiological limits within which the Irradiation Processing Department will operate, and to outline our radiation control program in sufficient detail to insure uniform and consistent application throughout all IPD facilities. Radiation Control Procedures are intended to prescribe the best method of accomplishing an objective within the limitations of the Radiation Control Standards. A procedure may be changed at any time provided the suggested changes is generally agreeable to management involved, and is consistent with department policies and the Radiation Control Standards.

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARD FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTITIES- A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana-Maria Pascu

2011-03-01

Full Text Available In the context of the global economic crisis, small and medium enterprises are most affected. That is why the problem that arises more frequently is the harmonization of national legislation with the European legislation. The necessity to implement specific standards for SMEs appeared in order to provide them a beneficial framework for better economic and financial market positioning. In this respect, the International Accounting Standards Board issued in 2009 IFRS for SMEs, a referential aiming to the simplification of accounting procedures, reconciliation and increase of confidence of potential investors (stakeholders. The question of compatibility of these standards with the European Accounting Directives appears in situations where they may choose to use IFRS for SMEs. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the incompatibilities between IFRS for SMEs and the European Accounting Directives and to analyze the results concerning the implementation of the IFRS for SMEs in Europe. Through this article we want to contribute to the SME accounting area of knowledge.

What European gynaecologists need to master: Consensus on medical expertise outcomes of pan-European postgraduate training in obstetrics & gynaecology.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Aa, Jessica E; Tancredi, Annalisa; Goverde, Angelique J; Velebil, Petr; Feyereisl, Jaroslav; Benedetto, Chiara; Teunissen, Pim W; Scheele, Fedde

2017-09-01

European harmonisation of training standards in postgraduate medical education in Obstetrics and Gynaecology is needed because of the increasing mobility of medical specialists. Harmonisation of training will provide quality assurance of training and promote high quality care throughout Europe. Pan-European training standards should describe medical expertise outcomes that are required from the European gynaecologist. This paper reports on consensus development on the medical expertise outcomes of pan-European training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A Delphi procedure was performed amongst European gynaecologists and trainees in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, to develop consensus on outcomes of training. The consensus procedure consisted of two questionnaire rounds, followed by a consensus meeting. To ensure reasonability and feasibility for implementation of the training standards in Europe, implications of the outcomes were considered in a working group thereafter. We invited 142 gynaecologists and trainees in Obstetrics & Gynaecology for participation representing a wide range of European countries. They were selected through the European Board & College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the European Network of Trainees in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Sixty people participated in round 1 and 2 of the consensus procedure, 38 (63.3%) of whom were gynaecologists and 22 (36.7%) were trainees in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Twenty-eight European countries were represented in this response. Round 3 of the consensus procedure was performed in a consensus meeting with six experts. Implications of the training outcomes were discussed in a working group meeting, to ensure reasonability and feasibility of the material for implementation in Europe. The entire consensus procedure resulted in a core content of training standards of 188 outcomes, categorised in ten topics. European consensus was developed regarding the medical expertise outcomes of pan-European training in Obstetrics and

Standardization in library and information science in selected European countries

Science.gov (United States)

Matysek, Anna

2015-02-01

Standardization plays an important role in library and information science (LIS), because it gives rules to identify, classify, access, select, exploit, communicate, exchange and preserve information. Standards are developed by national, European and international organizations. The objective of the study is to present the situation of standardization in library and information science in the countries that joined the European Union in 2004. The research covered Technical Committees that take the problems of LIS, their cooperation with European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The second part of the study is an analysis of LIS standards published in the last 10 years. Data on published documents were gathered from online standards directories. The documents were searched using International Classification for Standards. Retrieved standards were analyzed for their origin and status. The research illustrates the changes in the national standardization, most popular topics and the growing importance of international cooperation in standardization.

SINTAP: draft of a unified European failure assessment procedure. An introduction; SINTAP: Entwurf einer vereinheitlichten europaeischen Fehlerbewertungsprozedur. Eine Einfuehrung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zerbst, U.; Kocak, M. [GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Werkstofforschung; Wiesner, C. [The Welding Institute (TWI), Cambridge (United Kingdom). Structural Integrity Dept.; Hodulak, L. [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Werkstoffmechanik (IWM), Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)

1999-07-01

Fracture mechanics based flaw assessment concepts are increasingly used in industrial regulations and standards. A considerable number of different guidelines and procedures are available which are partly based on each other but also exhibit significant differences. At this background, the EU sponsored SINTAP, an interdisciplinary Brite Euram project. SINTAP stands for 'Structural Integrity Assessment Procedures for European Industry'. From 1996 to 1999 seventeen organisations from nine European countries participated in the project the aim of which was to unify the available procedures. The present report is an introduction into the content, the structure and the scientific background of the procedure which was generated within SINTAP. (orig.) [German] Bruchmechanische Bewertungskonzepte werden international in zunehmendem Masse Bestandteil industrieller Regelwerke und Fachbereichsstandards. Bereits heute existiert eine Vielzahl derartiger Vorschriften und Rechnerprogramme, die teilweise aufeinander aufbauen, teilweise aber auch signifikante Unterschiede aufweisen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde durch die EU von 1996 bis 1999 SINTAP, ein interdisziplinaeres Brite-Euram-Projekt gefoerdert, dessen Ziel in einer Vereinheitlichung der vorhandenen Ansaetze bestand, und an dem siebzehn Institutionen aus neun europaeischen Laendern beteiligt waren. SINTAP steht fuer 'Structural Integrity Assessment Procedures for European Industry'. Der vorliegende Bericht ist eine Einfuehrung in Inhalt, Struktur und wissenschaftlichen Hintergrund der im Ergebnis des Projektes entstandenen SINTAP-Prozedur. (orig.)

18 CFR 725.6 - Principles, standards and procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Principles, standards... Responsibilities § 725.6 Principles, standards and procedures. The Principles, Standards and Procedures established... Orders. These Principles, Standards and Procedures are found in 18 CFR parts 710 through 717. ...

Standardization of Ukrainian touristic services within framework of European integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.V. Milinchuk

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The harmonization of national standards in tourism to international requirements is a prerequisite to perform in accordance with the signed Ukraine and the European Union Association Agreement. The current situation of the national standardization in tourism and directions of its development in the context of European integration are formed in the article. The content and objectives of standardization in the field of tourism are determined. The legislation of the national tourism standardization is reviewed: there are 11 standards in the field of tourism, including 6 interstate standards (GOST which adapted as national. The current system of standards has a numerous outdated requirements, Ukrainian enterprises doesn’t use international standards on the organization of trips of adventure tourism, safety management, customer service on cruise ships and ferries, requirements for tourist services etc. In order to satisfy the requirements of quality of tourism services to the European level is recommended to adapt existing ISO standards to the national tourism legislation and to approve them in 2017.

Electoral rules in Serbia and the European standards on universal suffrage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nastić Maja

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Elections are the most important form of citizens' participation in political decision-making processes in every state. Electoral rules shape the electoral democracy as an essential component of democracy. Elections are the basis for government legitimacy and the cornerstone of democracy, providing that they are organized on the following principles: universal and equal suffrage; free, personal and direct voting by secret ballot. The subject matter of this article is the principle of universal suffrage in the electoral rules in Serbia and its compliance with the European standards. The electoral legislation in Serbia is not homogeneous and it is contained in several legislative acts. The Act on the Election of Members of Parliament is the basic legislative act which regulates the matter of parliamentary elections. The Presidential and local elections are regulated by separate legislative acts, which (along with the Act on the Unified Register of Voters regulate the substantive and procedural framework of Serbian electoral law. Within the framework of European electoral standards, the author explores the relevant provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Article 3 of Protocol No. 1, the OSCE documents (primarily the Copenhagen Criteria and the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters, adopted by the Venice Commission. The author analyzes the national electoral rules and how they provide for the exercise of the principle of universal suffrage, i.e. the right of each citizen to vote and to stand for election, including the envisaged restrictions to this right. Bearing in mind that the universal suffrage right may be exercised only if the state ensures that the electoral register is regularly and efficiently updated, the author specifically focuses on the voters' registration. The exercise of the universal suffrage right will also be considered in terms of candidacy for an MP position. The

21 CFR 120.6 - Sanitation standard operating procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Sanitation standard operating procedures. 120.6... Provisions § 120.6 Sanitation standard operating procedures. (a) Sanitation controls. Each processor shall have and implement a sanitation standard operating procedure (SSOP) that addresses sanitation...

The European ITER test blanket modules: Progress in development of fabrication technologies towards standardization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zmitko, Milan, E-mail: milan.zmitko@f4e.europa.eu [Fusion for Energy (F4E), Josep Pla 2, Barcelona (Spain); Thomas, Noël [ATMOSTAT, F-94815 Villejuif (France); LiPuma, Antonella; Forest, Laurent [CEA-Saclay, DEN, DM2S, SEMT, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Cogneau, Laurence [CEA-DRT, 38000 Grenoble (France); Rey, Jörg; Neuberger, Heiko [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Postfach 3640, Karlsruhe (Germany); Poitevin, Yves [Fusion for Energy (F4E), Josep Pla 2, Barcelona (Spain)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Significant progress on the development of welding procedures for European TBM achieved. • Fabrication processes feasibility based on diffusion and fusion welding demonstrated. • An optimized welding scenario/sequence for TBM box assembly identified. • Future qualification of pF/WPS proposed through realization of a number of QMUs. - Abstract: The paper reviews progress achieved in development of fabrication technologies and procedures applied for manufacturing of the TBM sub-components, like, HCLL and HCPB cooling plates, HCLL/HCPB stiffening plates, and HCLL/HCPB first wall and side caps. The used technologies are based on fusion and diffusion welding techniques taking into account specificities of the EUROFER97 steel. Development of a standardized procedure complying with professional codes and standards (RCC-MRx), a preliminary fabrication/welding procedure specification (pF/WPS), is described based on fabrication and non-destructive and destructive characterization of feasibility mock-ups (FMU) aimed at assessing the suitability of a fabrication process for fulfilling the design and fabrication specifications. The main FMUs characterization results are reported (e.g. pressure resistance and helium leak tightness tests, mechanical properties and microstructure at the weld joints, geometrical characteristics of the sub-components and internal cooling channels) and the key pF/WPS steps and parameters are outlined. Also, fabrication procedures for the TBM box assembly are presently under development for the establishment of an optimized assembly sequence/scenario and development of standardized welding procedure specifications. In conclusions, further steps towards the pF/WPS qualification are briefly discussed.

Requirements and standards facilitating quality improvement for reporting systems in gastrointestinal endoscopy: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Position Statement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bretthauer, Michael; Aabakken, Lars; Dekker, Evelien; Kaminski, Michal F.; Rösch, Thomas; Hultcrantz, Rolf; Suchanek, Stepan; Jover, Rodrigo; Kuipers, Ernst J.; Bisschops, Raf; Spada, Cristiano; Valori, Roland; Domagk, Dirk; Rees, Colin; Rutter, Matthew D.

2016-01-01

To develop standards for high quality in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) has established the ESGE Quality Improvement Committee. A prerequisite for quality assurance and improvement for all GI endoscopy procedures is state-of-the-art

Bank Insolvency Procedures and Market Discipline in European Banking

OpenAIRE

Angkinand, Apanard; Wihlborg, Clas

2005-01-01

Market discipline in banking requires that explicit and implicit insurance schemes for financial sector firms are limited, and that the lack of insurance of important stakeholders is credible. This credibility cannot be achieved without transparent, predictable procedures for distress resolution for banks, including explicit rules for the liquidation of insolvent banks. We find that very few European countries have explicit procedures for dealing with problem banks. The propositions tested in...

European standards in the field of combating cyber crime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matijašević-Obradović Jelena

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cyber crime is a phenomenon which is often written and spoken about, ever since its inception, in theory, judicial and legislative practice of developed countries and international institutions. It had rapidly developed in the last decade of the 20th century, and in the 21st century its evolution has become even more evident. Countries have responded by introducing new measures in their criminal legislation, in an effort to reconcile traditional criminal law with the demands for perception, investigation and demonstration of new criminal acts. This paper presents and analyzes the most significant European standards adopted in order to create more effective national legislation in the field of combating cyber crime. Standards given in the Convention of the Council of Europe but also the European Union Directives have to a large extent been a guide for national legislations in order to regulate the new situations regarding the misuse of information and communication technologies in the most adequate manner. Among other things, this paper pays special attention to the most important Convention in the field of combating cyber crime, which is the Council of Europe Convention on cyber crime, whose objectives include: harmonization of national legislations with regard to substantive provisions in the field of cyber crime, introduction of adequate instruments in national legislations with regard to process provisions in order to create the necessary basis for investigation and prosecution of offenders in this field and establishment of quick and efficient institutions and procedures for international cooperation.

The European standard series in 9 European countries, 2002/2003 -- first results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uter, W; Hegewald, J; Aberer, W

2005-01-01

Since January 2001, the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA), supported by European Union funding (contract QLK4-CT-2001-00343), has started to collect patch-test data. This comprises a standardized clinical history and the patch-test results using the European standard series...... observed. The prevalence of contact allergy to Myroxylon pereirae resin (balsam of Peru) (5.8%) is coming close to the frequency found with the fragrance mix (6.4%). Regarding contact allergy to chromium compounds, different frequencies were noted in the 2 centres focused on occupational dermatitis (2......-marketing surveillance in the field of contact allergy, ESSCA will meet its objective of increased consumer safety across Europe....

European standardization activities on safety of liquid helium cryostats

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

This talk gives a general overview on the challenges of designing safety units for liquid helium cryostats with regard to existing industry standards. It reviews the work of a national working group that published the technical guideline DIN SPEC 4683 in April 2015, which is dedicated to the particular conditions in liquid helium cryostats. Based on both this guideline and equivalent documents from e.g. CEA, CERN, a working group is being formed at the European Committee for Standardization, associated to CEN/TC 268, which will work on a European standard on safety of liquid helium cryostats. The actual status and the schedule of this project are presented.

Standardizing the European Education Policy Space

Science.gov (United States)

Lawn, Martin

2011-01-01

Countries in Europe, through the European Union, are creating, as part of the market and its governance, a new policy space in education. It is being formed through law, regulation, networking and harmonization. The development of standards across the different fields of policy, statistical calculation and commerce underpins and extends the…

The European community and its standardization efforts in medical informatics

Science.gov (United States)

Mattheus, Rudy A.

1992-07-01

A summary of the CEN TC 251/4 ''Medical Imaging and Multi-Media'' activities will be given. CEN is the European standardization institute, TC 251 deals with medical informatics. Standardization is a condition for the wide scale use of health care and medical informatics and for the creation of a common market. In the last two years, three important categories-- namely, the Commission of the European Communities with their programs and the mandates, the medical informaticians through their European professional federation, and the national normalization institutes through the European committee--have shown to be aware of this problem and have taken actions. As a result, a number of AIM (Advanced Informatics in Medicine), CEC sponsored projects, the CEC mandates to CEN and EWOS, the EFMI working group on standardization, the technical committee of CEN, and the working groups and project teams of CEN and EWOS are working on the subject. On overview of the CEN TC 251/4 ''Medical Imaging and Multi-Media'' activities will be given, including their relation to other work.

Russian Higher Education and European Standards of Quality Assurance

Science.gov (United States)

Motova, Galina; Pykko, Ritta

2012-01-01

This article considers the relevance and implementation of European approaches to quality assurance in the context of the Russian educational system. It covers the issues of transformation of the higher education system during the post-Soviet period, specific features of the state accreditation system, the impact of the European Standards and…

ERS/ECDC Statement: European Union standards for tuberculosis care, 2017 update.

Science.gov (United States)

Migliori, Giovanni Battista; Sotgiu, Giovanni; Rosales-Klintz, Senia; Centis, Rosella; D'Ambrosio, Lia; Abubakar, Ibrahim; Bothamley, Graham; Caminero, Jose Antonio; Cirillo, Daniela Maria; Dara, Masoud; de Vries, Gerard; Aliberti, Stefano; Dinh-Xuan, Anh Tuan; Duarte, Raquel; Midulla, Fabio; Solovic, Ivan; Subotic, Dragan R; Amicosante, Massimo; Correia, Ana Maria; Cirule, Andra; Gualano, Gina; Kunst, Heinke; Palmieri, Fabrizio; Riekstina, Vija; Tiberi, Simon; Verduin, Remi; van der Werf, Marieke J

2018-05-01

The International Standards for Tuberculosis Care define the essential level of care for managing patients who have or are presumed to have tuberculosis, or are at increased risk of developing the disease. The resources and capacity in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area permit higher standards of care to secure quality and timely TB diagnosis, prevention and treatment. On this basis, the European Union Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ESTC) were published in 2012 as standards specifically tailored to the EU setting. Since the publication of the ESTC, new scientific evidence has become available and, therefore, the standards were reviewed and updated.A panel of international experts, led by a writing group from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), updated the ESTC on the basis of new published evidence. The underlying principles of these patient-centred standards remain unchanged. The second edition of the ESTC includes 21 standards in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, HIV and comorbidities, and public health and prevention.The ESTC target clinicians and public health workers, provide an easy-to-use resource and act as a guide through all the required activities to ensure optimal diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB. The content of this work is copyright of the authors or their employers. Design and branding are copyright ©ERS 2018.

The Impact of the European Standards and Guidelines in Agency Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Stensaker, Bjorn; Harvey, Lee; Huisman, Jeroen; Langfeldt, Liv; Westerheijden, Don F.

2010-01-01

The emergence of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for Quality Assurance has been seen as an important step towards realising the European Higher Education Area by creating more transparency and accountability in the area of quality assurance. The ESG also include standards as to how quality assurance agencies should be reviewed. In a…

"Heidelberg standard examination" and "Heidelberg standard procedures" - Development of faculty-wide standards for physical examination techniques and clinical procedures in undergraduate medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikendei, C; Ganschow, P; Groener, J B; Huwendiek, S; Köchel, A; Köhl-Hackert, N; Pjontek, R; Rodrian, J; Scheibe, F; Stadler, A-K; Steiner, T; Stiepak, J; Tabatabai, J; Utz, A; Kadmon, M

2016-01-01

The competent physical examination of patients and the safe and professional implementation of clinical procedures constitute essential components of medical practice in nearly all areas of medicine. The central objective of the projects "Heidelberg standard examination" and "Heidelberg standard procedures", which were initiated by students, was to establish uniform interdisciplinary standards for physical examination and clinical procedures, and to distribute them in coordination with all clinical disciplines at the Heidelberg University Hospital. The presented project report illuminates the background of the initiative and its methodological implementation. Moreover, it describes the multimedia documentation in the form of pocketbooks and a multimedia internet-based platform, as well as the integration into the curriculum. The project presentation aims to provide orientation and action guidelines to facilitate similar processes in other faculties.

Antibacterial Efficiency of Benzalkonium Chloride Base Disinfectant According To European Standard 13727, Chemical Analysis and Validation Studies

OpenAIRE

Yıldırım, Çinel; Çelenk, Veysel

2018-01-01

Antibacterial Efficiency of Benzalkonium Chloride Base Disinfectant According To European Standard 13727, Chemical Analysis and Validation Studies This study was aimed to provide principle of the chemical analyses, antibacterial efficiency test and validation procedures of the most commonly used benzalkonium chloride (BAC) base disinfectant as a biocide. Disinfectant which comprised 20 % BAC concentration was used as a prototype product and active substance was verified with chemical analysis...

DNA data in criminal procedure in the European fundamental rights context.

Science.gov (United States)

Soleto, Helena

2014-01-01

Despite being one of the most useful and reliable identification tools, DNA profiling in criminal procedure balances on the border between the limitation and violation of Fundamental Rights that can occur beginning with the collection of the sample, its analysis, and its use; and ending with its processing. Throughout this complex process, violation of human or fundamental rights -such as the right to physical and moral integrity, the right not to be subject to degrading treatment, the right not to incriminate oneself, the right to family privacy together with that of not incriminating descendants or relatives in general, the right to personal development and the right to informative self-determination- is possible. This article presents an analysis of all the above-mentioned DNA treating phases in criminal process in the light of possible violations of some Fundamental Rights, while at the same time discarding some of them on the basis of European human rights protection standards. As the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights shows, the legislation on DNA collection and DNA related data processing or its implementation does not always respect all human rights and should be carefully considered before its adoption and during its application.

The European standard series. European Environmental and Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruynzeel, D P; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Camarasa, J G

1995-01-01

Changes to the European standard series which have taken place since the last officially recommended alterations in 1988, are explained. New to the series is the sesquiterpene lactone mix. The PPD black rubber mix and the quinoline mix have been replaced by single components; one of the p-hydroxy...

European Union competition law, intellectual property law and standardization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geradin, Damien; Contreras, Jorge L.

2016-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the efforts of the European Commission to identify and, when necessary, challenge anticompetitive behaviour with respect to standardization and the licensing of standardized technologies, as well as the case-law of the CJEU on the same subject. The paper starts by

Monitoring the European standard series in 10 centres 1996-2000

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruynzeel, D P; Diepgen, T L; Andersen, Klaus Ejner

2005-01-01

A 5-year retrospective study of the frequency of sensitization to the 25 allergens of the European standard series (ESS) was conducted in 10 centres in 8 European countries. Included were the results of 26 210 patients. The range in sensitivities differed moderately between the centres. Combining...

Chapter 1. Introduction. Recommendations and standard operating procedures for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza epidemic or mass disaster

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sprung, Charles L.; Cohen, Robert; Adini, Bruria; Christian, Michael D.; Camargo, Ruben; Ceraso, Daniel; Azoulay, Elie; Duguet, Alexandre; Guery, Benoit; Reinhart, Konrad; Barlavie, Yaron; Benin-Goren, Odeda; Klein, Motti; Leoniv, Yuval; Margalit, Gila; Rubinovitch, Bina; Sonnenblick, Moshe; Steinberg, Avraham; Weissman, Charles; Wolff, Donna; Kesecioglu, Jozef; de Jong, Menno; Moreno, Rui; An, Youzhong; Du, Bin; Joynt, Gavin M.; Colvin, John; Loo, Shi; Richards, Guy; Artigas, Antonio; Pugin, Jerome; Amundson, Dennis; Devereaux, Asha; Beigel, John; Danis, Marion; Farmer, Chris; Hick, John L.; Maki, Dennis; Masur, Henry; Rubinson, Lewis; Sandrock, Christian; Talmor, Daniel; Truong, Robert; Zimmerman, Janice; Brett, Steve; Montgomery, Hugh; Rhodes, Andrew; Sanderson, Frances; Taylor, Bruce; Monrgomery, Hugh

2010-01-01

In December 2007, the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine established a Task Force to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operating intensive care units (ICU) during an influenza epidemic or mass disaster. To provide direction for health care professionals in the preparation and

Parametric Sensitivity Tests- European PEM Fuel Cell Stack Test Procedures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Araya, Samuel Simon; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2014-01-01

performed based on test procedures proposed by a European project, Stack-Test. The sensitivity of a Nafion-based low temperature PEMFC stack’s performance to parametric changes was the main objective of the tests. Four crucial parameters for fuel cell operation were chosen; relative humidity, temperature......As fuel cells are increasingly commercialized for various applications, harmonized and industry-relevant test procedures are necessary to benchmark tests and to ensure comparability of stack performance results from different parties. This paper reports the results of parametric sensitivity tests......, pressure, and stoichiometry at varying current density. Furthermore, procedures for polarization curve recording were also tested both in ascending and descending current directions....

A European Navy: Can it Complete European Political and Economic Integration?

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

would enjoy a comprehensive and complete defense structure, perhaps even more effective and cost-efficient than is possible with the current lineup ...malfunctions or operator error. A unified and unifying European Navy would standardize basic equipment and procedures , facilitating effective exercises

NET European Network on Neutron Techniques Standardization for Structural Integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youtsos, A.

2004-01-01

Improved performance and safety of European energy production systems is essential for providing safe, clean and inexpensive electricity to the citizens of the enlarged EU. The state of the art in assessing internal stresses, micro-structure and defects in welded nuclear components -as well as their evolution due to complex thermo-mechanical loads and irradiation exposure -needs to be improved before relevant structural integrity assessment code requirements can safely become less conservative. This is valid for both experimental characterization techniques and predictive numerical algorithms. In the course of the last two decades neutron methods have proven to be excellent means for providing valuable information required in structural integrity assessment of advanced engineering applications. However, the European industry is hampered from broadly using neutron research due to lack of harmonised and standardized testing methods. 35 European major industrial and research/academic organizations have joined forces, under JRC coordination, to launch the NET European Network on Neutron Techniques Standardization for Structural Integrity in May 2002. The NET collaborative research initiative aims at further development and harmonisation of neutron scattering methods, in support of structural integrity assessment. This is pursued through a number of testing round robin campaigns on neutron diffraction and small angle neutron scattering - SANS and supported by data provided by other more conventional destructive and non-destructive methods, such as X-ray diffraction and deep and surface hole drilling. NET also strives to develop more reliable and harmonized simulation procedures for the prediction of residual stress and damage in steel welded power plant components. This is pursued through a number of computational round robin campaigns based on advanced FEM techniques, and on reliable data obtained by such novel and harmonized experimental methods. The final goal of

European standards of the civil service integrity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Prudyus

2016-09-01

It was offered for further implementation of the European standards of integrity to develop a new Code of integrity for civil servants and take measures, which contain Anti-Corruption Strategy: adopt a law on the protection of persons who honestly reported regarding corruption offenses (denunciators, in particular a law concerning conducting the inspection of public servants on integrity.

40 CFR 160.81 - Standard operating procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

.... (10) Data handling, storage and retrieval. (11) Maintenance and calibration of equipment. (12... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE STANDARDS Testing Facilities Operation § 160.81 Standard operating procedures... test, control, and reference substances. (4) Test system observations. (5) Laboratory or other tests...

European and International Standards on health and safety in welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, A

2009-01-01

A number of European and International Standards on health and safety in welding have been published in recent years and work on several more is nearing completion. These standards have been prepared jointly by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). The standards development work has mostly been led by CEN/TC 121/SC 9, with excellent technical input from experts within Europe; but work on the revision of published standards, which has recently gathered pace, is now being carried out by ISO/TC 44/SC 9, with greater international involvement. This paper gives an overview of the various standards that have been published, are being revised or are under development in this field of health and safety in welding, seeking to (i) increase international awareness of published standards, (ii) encourage wider participation in health and safety in welding standards work and (iii) obtain feedback and solicit comments on standards that are currently under development or revision. Such an initiative is particularly timely because work is currently in progress on the revision of one of the more important standards in this field, namely EN ISO 10882:2001 Health and safety in welding and allied processes- Sampling of airborne particles and gases in the operator's breathing zone - Part 1: Sampling of airborne particles.

Standardized procedure for tsunami PRA by AESJ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirimoto, Yukihiro; Yamaguchi, Akira; Ebisawa, Katsumi

2013-01-01

After Fukushima Accident (March 11, 2011), the Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ) started to develop the standard of Tsunami Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) for nuclear power plants in May 2011. As Japan is one of the countries with frequent earthquakes, a great deal of efforts has been made in the field of seismic research since the early stage. To our regret, the PRA procedures guide for tsunami has not yet been developed although the importance is held in mind of the PRA community. Accordingly, AESJ established a standard to specify the standardized procedure for tsunami PRA considering the results of investigation into the concept, the requirements that should have and the concrete methods regarding tsunami PRA referring the opinions of experts in the associated fields in December 2011 (AESJ-SC-RK004:2011). (author)

Public information and licensing procedures for nuclear installations. European experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayoux, J.C.; Chevillard, F.; Mutschler, U.; Stubbe, C.

1981-10-01

This paper reviews the licensing procedures for nuclear installations in various European countries and examines the form, content and methods selected for information and consultation of the public. The author stresses the importance of this stage in the procedure, both for the nuclear operator and the public authorities, given the population's concern about the environment. He concludes that, irrespective of its complexity, the nuclear field cannot remain the concern of a few initiates competent to take decisions and that, consequently, this implies creation of new information systems to meet the public's desire to participate more directly in the process. (NEA) [fr

The European Nutrient Database (ENDB) for nutritional epidemiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Charrondiere, U.R.; Vignat, J.; Møller, Anni Rosendal

2002-01-01

a standardized and critically assessed nutrient database for the 10 countries involved in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC): Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. It will be compiled using the general concept......Food composition databases (FCDB), as well as standardized calculation procedures are required for international studies on nutrition and disease to calculate nutrient intakes across countries. Comparisons of national FCDBs have shown that major improvements are needed in standardization...... for a standardized FCDB, food classification and description, and calculation procedures developed for EPIC. National compilers will provide and document a subset of their nutrient data and some will evaluate them. Updated 'Food Table Input' (FTI) software will be used to evaluate and compile the data. The European...

The new european standard on common cements specifications EN 197-1:2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjuán, M. A.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the novelties of European standard EN 197-1:2011 which has been aprobed on 6th August, 2011 are presented. The european standard EN 197-1:2011 has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 19th June, 2012 (C 176/1. The UNEEN 197-1:2011 will be published in Spain in the Official Journal of Spain (B.O.E.. The date of applicability (DAV of the standard as a harmonised European standard is on 1st of July, 2012 and the date of the end of the coexistence period is on 1st of July, 2013. The former EN 197-1:2000 has been the first European standard in the field of the Construction Products Directive (CPD and this first revision include the requirements needed for a common cement to be, in addition, sulphate resisting cement. Therefore, the mandate given by the European Commission to CEN to prepare harmonised standards in the cement field (mandate M114 has been fulfilled.En este artículo se presentan las novedades de la nueva norma europea de especificaciones de cementos comunes UNE-EN 197-1:2011 aprobada el 6 de agosto de 2011 como EN 197-1:2011 y publicada el 19 de junio de 2012 en el Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea (DOUE. Esta norma se publicará en el Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE antes de final de año. La fecha de disponibilidad (date of applicability, DAV es el 1 de julio de 2012 y el periodo de coexistencia finalizará el 1 de julio de 2013. La UNE-EN 197-1:2000 fue la primera norma armonizada dentro del campo de la Directiva de Productos de la Construcción (DPC europea y esta primera revisión incorpora unos nuevos requisitos para establecer cuándo un cemento común, además, es resistente a la acción de los sulfatos. De esta forma, se completa el mandato dado por la Comisión Europea a CEN para la elaboración de normas armonizadas de cementos (mandato M114.

Standard Operating Procedure for Accelerated Corrosion Testing at ARL

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

ARL-TN-0855 ● NOV 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure for Accelerated Corrosion Testing at ARL by... Corrosion Testing at ARL by Thomas A Considine Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL Approved for public...November 2017 2. REPORT TYPE Technical Note 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Standard Operating Procedure for Accelerated

Pediatric otorhinolaryngology anno 2008: towards European standards for training?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Verwoerd, Carel

2009-06-01

The Union Européen des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) has been promoting harmonization of specialist training programs in Europe. Anticipating a future contribution to a European standard for training specialists for tertiary care of children with otorhinolaryngology (ORL)-related problems this Round Table was organized by ESPO. The presentations refer to six European countries. The number of ORL specialists (including pediatric ORL specialists) appeared to vary from +\\/-8 to +\\/-1 per 100,000 inhabitants, suggesting significant differences as far as their contribution to health care is concerned. Numbers for pediatricians vary from 12 to 3 and for family doctors from 50 to 100 per 100,000. In two countries pediatric ORL has the status of an official sub-specialty for tertiary care, requiring at least 2 years of additional training for qualified ORL specialists. In three other countries specific centers for pediatric ORL are present, although the sub-specialty has no official status. In the last a center for pediatric otorhinolaryngology has not yet been established and facilities for training in pediatric ORL are not available. For each country various aspects of current practice of tertiary ORL care for children are presented. It is concluded that a European standard for pediatric ORL could be most useful, if it would not only refer to current diagnostic and therapeutic skills but also to relevant scientific knowledge and skills. However, it should be recognized that the relevance of today\\'s standards is restricted, as medicine and medical technology are rapidly developing.

Standard interface files and procedures for reactor physics codes. Version IV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Dell, R.D.

1977-09-01

Standards, procedures, and recommendations of the Committee on Computer Code Coordination for promoting the exchange of reactor physics codes are updated to Version IV status. Standards and procedures covering general programming, program structure, standard interface files, and file management and handling subroutines are included

Using a standards committee to design practical procedure system improvements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grider, D.A.; Plung, D.

1993-01-01

In the post-Three Mile Island (TMI) environment, numerous reports have been issued on how to improve the quality of procedures used at government and commercial nuclear facilities. The studies tend to be long on what is wrong with existing procedures and short on practical directions on how to fix those faults. Few of these studies have been conducted by practitioners with full-time procedure-managing or procedure writing experience. None of these studies go into detail on how to improve the procedure system itself. Over the last 10 yr, various nuclear facilities within the US Department of Energy (DOE) have carried out individual programs to develop procedures that meet post-TMI standards. However, ∼2 yr ago, DOE formed a Procedures Standards Committee to advise DOE in developing a set of post-TMI guidelines that could be consistently applied throughout all DOE nuclear facilities. The committee has achieved not only its original mission by producing a series of integrated guidance documents but has also evolved a systems approach to procedures management that sets new standards for procedure quality and efficiency. As members of this committee, the authors want to describe what has made the group's approach so successful. The lessons learned may be translatable to a wide range of government and commercial industry procedure programs

Education and training requirements in the revised European Basic Safety Standards Directive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundigl, S.

2009-01-01

The European Commission is currently developing a modified European Basic Safety Standards Directive covering two major objectives: the consolidation of existing European Radiation Protection legislation, and the revision of the European Basic Safety Standards. The consolidation will merge the following five Directives into one single Directive: the Basic Safety Standards Directive, the Medical Exposures Directive, the Public Information Directive, the Outside Workers Directive, and the Directive on the Control of high-activity sealed radioactive sources and orphan sources. The revision of the European Basic Safety Standards will take account of the latest recommendations by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and shall improve clarity of the requirements where appropriate. It is planned to introduce more binding requirements on natural radiation sources, on criteria for clearance, and on the cooperation between Member States for emergency planning and response, as well as a graded approach for regulatory control. One additional goal is to achieve greater harmonisation between the European BSS and the international BSS. Following a recommendation from the Article 31 Group of Experts, the current draft of the modified BSS will highlight the importance of education and training by dedicating a specific title to radiation protection education, training and information. This title will include a general requirement on the Member States to ensure the establishment of an adequate legislative and administrative framework for providing appropriate radiation protection education, training and information. In addition, there will be specific requirements on training in the medical field, on information and training of workers in general, of workers potentially exposed to orphan sources, and to emergency workers. The revised BSS directive will include requirements on the competence of a radiation protection expert (RPE) and of a radiation protection

Investigation of reference levels and radiation dose associated with abdominal EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair) procedures across several European Centres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuthill, E.; Rainford, L. [University College Dublin, Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine, Dublin (Ireland); O' Hora, L.; O' Donohoe, M. [Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin (Ireland); Panci, S. [San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence (Italy); Gilligan, P.; Fox, E. [Mater Private Hospital, Dublin (Ireland); Campion, D. [Mauriziano-Umberto Hospital, Turin (Italy); Trenti, R. [Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna (Italy); Catania, D. [AITRI, Association of Italian Interventional Radiographers, Milan (Italy)

2017-11-15

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is considered the treatment of choice for abdominal aortic aneurysms with suitable anatomy. In order to improve radiation safety, European Directive (2013/59) requires member states to implement diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in radio-diagnostic and interventional procedures. This study aimed to determine local DRLs for EVAR across five European centres and identify an interim European DRL, which currently remains unestablished. Retrospective data was collected for 180 standard EVARs performed between January 2014 and July 2015 from five specialist centres in Ireland (n=2) and Italy (n=3). Data capture included: air kerma-area product (P{sub KA}), total air kerma at the reference point (K{sub a,r}), fluoroscopic time (FT), number of acquisitions, frame rate of acquisition, type of acquisition, patient height, weight, and gender. The mean values for each site A, B, C, D, and E were: P{sub KA}s of 4343 ± 994 μGym{sup 2}, 18,200 ± 2141 μGym{sup 2}, 11,423 ± 1390 μGym{sup 2}, 7796 ± 704 μGym{sup 2}, 31,897 ± 5798 μGym{sup 2}; FTs of 816 ± 92 s, 950 ± 150 s, 708 ± 70 s, 972 ± 61 s, 827 ± 118 s; and number of acquisitions of 6.72 ± 0.56, 10.38 ± 1.54, 4.74 ± 0.19, 5.64 ± 0.36, 7.28 ± 0.65, respectively. The overall pooled 75th percentile P{sub KA} was 15,849 μGym{sup 2}. Local reference levels were identified. The pooled data has been used to establish an interim European DRL for EVAR procedures. (orig.)

Parametric Sensitivity Tests—European Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Stack Test Procedures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Araya, Samuel Simon; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2014-01-01

performed based on test procedures proposed by a European project, Stack-Test. The sensitivity of a Nafion-based low temperature PEMFC stack’s performance to parametric changes was the main objective of the tests. Four crucial parameters for fuel cell operation were chosen; relative humidity, temperature......As fuel cells are increasingly commercialized for various applications, harmonized and industry-relevant test procedures are necessary to benchmark tests and to ensure comparability of stack performance results from different parties. This paper reports the results of parametric sensitivity tests......, pressure, and stoichiometry at varying current density. Furthermore, procedures for polarization curve recording were also tested both in ascending and descending current directions....

Standard Review Plan Maintenance Program implementing procedures document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

The implementing Procedures Document (IPD) was developed by the Inspection Program Projects Branch, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, with assistance from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for the Standard Review Plan Maintenance Program (SRP-MP). The SRP-MP was established to maintain the Standard Review Plan (SRP) on an on-going basis. The IPD provides guidance, including an overall approach and procedures, for SRP-MP tasks. The objective of the IPD is to ensure that modifications to SRP need to reflect current NRC requirements and guidance are identified and that a consistent methodology is used to develop and revise SRP sections

Procedures and Standards Handbook. Version 3.0. What Works Clearinghouse

Science.gov (United States)

What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

2014-01-01

This "What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook (Version 3.0)" provides a detailed description of the standards and procedures of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). The remaining chapters of this Handbook are organized to take the reader through the basic steps that the WWC uses to develop a review protocol, identify…

The skin prick test – European standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinzerling Lucie

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Skin prick testing is an essential test procedure to confirm sensitization in IgE-mediated allergic disease in subjects with rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria, anapylaxis, atopic eczema and food and drug allergy. This manuscript reviews the available evidence including Medline and Embase searches, abstracts of international allergy meetings and position papers from the world allergy literature. The recommended method of prick testing includes the appropriate use of specific allergen extracts, positive and negative controls, interpretation of the tests after 15 – 20 minutes of application, with a positive result defined as a wheal ≥3 mm diameter. A standard prick test panel for Europe for inhalants is proposed and includes hazel (Corylus avellana, alder (Alnus incana, birch (Betula alba, plane (Platanus vulgaris, cypress (Cupressus sempervirens, grass mix (Poa pratensis, Dactilis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Festuca pratensis, Helictotrichon pretense, Olive (Olea europaea, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris, ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Alternaria alternata (tenuis, Cladosporium herbarum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Parietaria, cat, dog, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, and cockroach (Blatella germanica. Standardization of the skin test procedures and standard panels for different geographic locations are encouraged worldwide to permit better comparisons for diagnostic, clinical and research purposes.

Statistics on the use of cardiac electronic devices and electrophysiological procedures in the European Society of Cardiology countries: 2014 report from the European Heart Rhythm Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Raatikainen, M J Pekka; Arnar, David O; Zeppenfeld, Katja; Merino, Jose Luis; Levya, Francisco; Hindriks, Gerhardt; Kuck, Karl-Heinz

2015-01-01

There has been large variations in the use of invasive electrophysiological therapies in the member countries of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The aim of this analysis was to provide comprehensive information on cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) and catheter ablation therapy trends in the ESC countries over the last five years. The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) has collected data on CIED and catheter ablation therapy since 2008. Last year 49 of the 56 ESC member countries provided data for the EHRA White Book. This analysis is based on the current and previous editions of the EHRA White Book. Data on procedure rates together with information on economic aspects, local reimbursement systems and training activities are presented for each ESC country and the five geographical ESC regions. In 2013, the electrophysiological procedure rates per million population were highest in Western Europe followed by the Southern and Northern European countries. The CIED implantation and catheter ablation rate was lowest in the Eastern European and in the non-European ESC countries, respectively. However, in some Eastern European countries with relative low gross domestic product procedure rates exceeded those of some wealthier Western countries, suggesting that economic resources are not the only driver for utilization of arrhythmia therapies. These statistics indicate that despite significant improvements, there still is considerable heterogeneity in the availability of arrhythmia therapies across the ESC area. Hopefully, these data will help identify areas for improvement and guide future activities in cardiac arrhythmia management. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Da Vinci European BioBank: A Metabolomics-Driven Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Carotenuto, Dario; Luchinat, Claudio; Marcon, Giordana; Rosato, Antonio; Turano, Paola

2015-01-01

We present here the organization of the recently-constituted da Vinci European BioBank (daVEB, https://www.davincieuropeanbiobank.org/it). The biobank was created as an infrastructure to support the activities of the Fiorgen Foundation (http://www.fiorgen.net/), a nonprofit organization that promotes research in the field of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. The way operating procedures concerning samples and data have been developed at daVEB largely stems from the strong metabolomics connotation of Fiorgen and from the involvement of the scientific collaborators of the foundation in international/European projects aimed to tackle the standardization of pre-analytical procedures and the promotion of data standards in metabolomics. PMID:25913579

The Effectiveness of International Financial Reporting Standard on the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarhad Hamza Khdir

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of mandatory adoption of IFRS is to enhance the quality of accounting information in worldwide. However, this effort made challenged for European Union as a supranational body to achieve similar advantages of converged the IFRS standards. This study examines the effectiveness of IFRS on the European Union as a supranational body and whether the EU has successfully converged to the IFRS standards. The paper will also analyze if there are any difficulties with switching to the IFRS standards versus the traditional local accounting practices in EU. The results obtained show that the first application of IFRS has adopted among EU countries and the results indicate that the adoption of IFRS leads to improvement in value relevance. The results also imply that the IFRS adoption for EU does not ensure better quality of accounting information and standardized IFRS is not effective to implement for all EU because there is a lot of misperception in terms of these guidelines for preparing financial statement. The culture difference among EU shows that IFRS is not fits size standard for all EU that can lead EU to conform at the same time. The conclusion of this report will provide the answer whether it is or not effective for the EU to fully converge to the IFRS standards as a whole.

Standard operating procedures for ESPEN guidelines and consensus papers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff, Stephan C; Singer, Pierre; Koller, Michael; Barazzoni, Rocco; Cederholm, Tommy; van Gossum, André

2015-12-01

The ESPEN Guideline standard operating procedures (SOP) is based on the methodology provided by the Association of Scientific Medical Societies of Germany (AWMF), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), and the Centre for Evidence-based Medicine at the University of Oxford. The SOP is valid and obligatory for all future ESPEN-sponsored guideline projects aiming to generate high-quality guidelines on a regular basis. The SOP aims to facilitate the preparation of guideline projects, to streamline the consensus process, to ensure quality and transparency, and to facilitate the dissemination and publication of ESPEN guidelines. To achieve this goal, the ESPEN Guidelines Editorial board (GEB) has been established headed by two chairmen. The GEB will support and supervise the guideline processes and is responsible for the strategic planning of ESPEN guideline activities. Key elements of the SOP are the generation of well-built clinical questions according to the PICO system, a systemic literature search, a classification of the selected literature according to the SIGN evidence levels providing an evidence table, and a clear and straight-forward consensus procedure consisting of online voting's and a consensus conference. Only experts who meet the obligation to disclosure any potential conflict of interests and who are not employed by the Industry can participate in the guideline process. All recommendations will be graded according to the SIGN grading and novel outcome models besides biomedical endpoints. This approach will further extent the leadership of ESPEN in creating up-to-date and suitable for implementation guidelines and in sharing knowledge on malnutrition and clinical nutrition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Standards for radiation protection instrumentation: design of safety standards and testing procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meissner, Frank

2008-01-01

This paper describes by means of examples the role of safety standards for radiation protection and the testing and qualification procedures. The development and qualification of radiation protection instrumentation is a significant part of the work of TUV NORD SysTec, an independent expert organisation in Germany. The German Nuclear Safety Standards Commission (KTA) establishes regulations in the field of nuclear safety. The examples presented may be of importance for governments and nuclear safety authorities, for nuclear operators and for manufacturers worldwide. They demonstrate the advantage of standards in the design of radiation protection instrumentation for new power plants, in the upgrade of existing instrumentation to nuclear safety standards or in the application of safety standards to newly developed equipment. Furthermore, they show how authorities may proceed when safety standards for radiation protection instrumentation are not yet established or require actualization. (author)

The Da Vinci European BioBank: A Metabolomics-Driven Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario Carotenuto

2015-04-01

Full Text Available We present here the organization of the recently-constituted da Vinci European BioBank (daVEB, https://www.davincieuropeanbiobank.org/it. The biobank was created as an infrastructure to support the activities of the Fiorgen Foundation (http://www.fiorgen.net/, a nonprofit organization that promotes research in the field of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. The way operating procedures concerning samples and data have been developed at daVEB largely stems from the strong metabolomics connotation of Fiorgen and from the involvement of the scientific collaborators of the foundation in international/European projects aimed to tackle the standardization of pre-analytical procedures and the promotion of data standards in metabolomics.

Procedure of preliminary decision as a supranational judicial keynote of the European Union member states

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delia Magherescu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The procedure of preliminary decision has been for a long time agreed unanimously both by doctrine and jurisprudence and considered as a keynote in developing notional law systems of the European Communities. In the national frame, it is similarly with submitting unconstitutional exception, regulated in several national jurisdictions of the EU Member States. The current paper aims at providing some argues based on a jurisprudence frame of the procedure of preliminary decision made by the Court of Justice of the European Union, as being directory for the national EU Member States’ courts of justice. It also focuses on the judicial issues whose solution is needed in order for the national justice to solve the cases they were invested with.

The Constitutional Fit of European Standardization Put to the Test

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Senden, L.A.J.

2017-01-01

The adoption of harmonized standards (HSs) within the framework of the ‘New Approach’ is a long-standing phenomenon of the European decision-making process. Yet, an important question remains how their use actually fits in with the Union’s legal system, in particular in the light of the changes

Trends and the determination of effective doses for standard X-ray procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, H.M.; Neduzak, C.; Gallet, J.; Sandeman, J.

2001-01-01

Trends in the entrance skin exposures (air kerma) for standard x-ray imaging procedures are reported for the Province of Manitoba, Canada. Average annual data per procedure using standard phantoms and standard ion chambers have been recorded since 1981. For example, chest air kerma (backscatter included) has decreased from 0.14 to 0.09 mGy. Confounding factors may negate the gains unless facility quality control programs are maintained. The data were obtained for a quality assurance and regulatory compliance program. Quoting such data for risk evaluation purposes lacks rigor hence a compartment model for organ apportioning, using organ absorbed doses and weighting factors, has been applied to determine effective dose per procedure. The effective doses for the standard procedures are presented, including the value of 0.027 mSv (1999) calculated for the effective dose in PA chest imaging. (author)

Integrated Pest Management as European standard – is it possible?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Nilsen

2011-08-01

Full Text Available As part of the work within the European Committee for Standardization (CEN, standards for conservation of cultural property are being developed in CEN/TC (Technical Committee 346, Conservation of Cultural Property. In Working Group 4 Environment, a draft is being prepared to create a proposal for standardised Integrated Pest Management. The author of this paper welcomes delegates to the Meeting on Cultural Heritage Pests in Piacenza to contribute to the discussion regarding standardised methods for pest control in the cultural heritage sector.

Modernization and consolidation of the European radiation protection legislation. The new EURATOM radiation protection basic safety standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundigl, S.

2013-01-01

With the development of new basic safety standards for the protection against the dangers arising from ionising radiation, foreseen in Article 2 and Article 30 of the Euratom Treaty, the European Commission modernises and consolidates the European radiation protection legislation. The new Directive offers in a single coherent document, basics safety standards for radiation protection which take account of the status-quo of science and technology, cover all relevant radiation sources, including natural radiation sources, integrate protection of workers, members of the public, patients and the environment, cover all exposure situations, planned, existing, emergency, and harmonise numerical values with international standards. After having received very positive opinions of the Article 31 Group of Experts and the European Economic and Social Committee, the proposed Directive has reached agreement in the Working Party on Atomic Questions of the European Council (WPAQ). The Opinion of the European Parliament is expected in September 2013, which would allow a publication of the Directive in the Official Journal of the European Union by the end of 2013. (orig.)

Procedural aspects of the organization of the comprehensive European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma examination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny G.P. Mathysen

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The comprehensive European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma (EBOD examination is one of 38 European medical specialty examinations. This review aims at disclosing the specific procedures and content of the EBOD examination. It is a descriptive study summarizing the present organization of the EBOD examination. It is the 3rd largest European postgraduate medical assessment after anaesthesiology and cardiology. The master language is English for the Part 1 written test (knowledge test with 52 modified type X multiple-choice questions (in the past the written test was also available in French and German. Ophthalmology training of minimum 4 years in a full or associated European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS member state is a prerequisite. Problem-solving skills are tested in the Part 2 oral assessment, which is a viva of 4 subjects conducted in English with support for native language whenever feasible. The comprehensive EBOD examination is one of the leading examinations organized by UEMS European Boards or Specialist Sections from the point of number of examinees, item banking, and item contents.

Electromagnetic field standards in Central and Eastern European countries: current state and stipulations for international harmonization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gajsek, P; Pakhomov, A G; Klauenberg, B J

2002-04-01

Electromagnetic field standards in the West are based on well-established acute biological effects that could be considered as signaling a potentially adverse health effect. The specific absorption rate, which is proportional to the tissue heating (thermal effects), represents the basic restriction of exposure to Radio-Frequency (RF) fields. On the other hand, Eastern European standards are designed to protect from potential non-thermal effects that might be caused by chronic exposure to very low intensities, where a so-called "power load" (a product of field intensity and duration of exposure) represents the basic limitation. Thus, electromagnetic field standards in Eastern European countries differ considerably from those which are proposed by the International Commission of Non-ionizing Radiation Protection and the Standards Coordinating Committee 28 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. In the present paper, the strategies for development of exposure limit values in electromagnetic fields standards currently in force in Eastern and Central European countries are discussed. Some differences as well as similarities of the national health and safety standards and the main obstacles to harmonization of these standards with those being established by Western national and international organizations and agencies are presented.

Modified arthroscopic Brostrom procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Lui, Tun Hing

2015-09-01

The open modified Brostrom anatomic repair technique is widely accepted as the reference standard for lateral ankle stabilization. However, there is high incidence of intra-articular pathologies associated with chronic lateral ankle instability which may not be addressed by an isolated open Brostrom procedure. Arthroscopic Brostrom procedure with suture anchor has been described for anatomic repair of chronic lateral ankle instability and management of intra-articular lesions. However, the complication rates seemed to be higher than open Brostrom procedure. Modification of the arthroscopic Brostrom procedure with the use of bone tunnel may reduce the risk of certain complications. Copyright © 2015 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

European Standards and Guidelines in a Nordic Perspective: Joint Nordic Project 2005-2006. ENQA Occasional Papers 11

Science.gov (United States)

Vinther-Jorgensen, Tue, Ed.; Hansen, Signe Ploug, Ed.

2006-01-01

This report presents the results of the joint 2005-06 project of the Nordic Quality Assurance Network in Higher Education (NOQA). The project focused on the European standards and guidelines for quality assurance agencies, examining them in a Nordic perspective. The project aimed at interpreting and clarifying the European standards and guidelines…

Biomass and abundance biases in European standard gillnet sampling

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šmejkal, Marek; Ricard, Daniel; Prchalová, Marie; Říha, Milan; Muška, Milan; Blabolil, Petr; Čech, Martin; Vašek, Mojmír; Jůza, Tomáš; Herreras, A.M.; Encina, L.; Peterka, Jiří; Kubečka, Jan

2015-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 3 (2015), e0122437 E-ISSN 1932-6203 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0204; GA ČR(CZ) GPP505/12/P647; GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0032 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : fish sampling * gillnets * large meshes * mesh size selectivity * Improvement of European standard EN 14757 * bream (Abramis brama) Subject RIV: GL - Fishing Impact factor: 3.057, year: 2015

A Standardized Procedure for a Pre-evaluation of the IED Instance

Science.gov (United States)

Panepinto, Deborah; Ruffino, Barbara; Zanetti, Mariachiara; Genon, Giuseppe

2016-04-01

This study presents a procedure, called EICS (Enterprise IPPC Compatibility Study) aimed at evaluating, by means of the calculation of three indexes, the compliance of the processes performed in an industrial plant with the guidelines provided by BREFs (BAT References) Documents. In fact, according to European Directive 2010/75/EU (concerning the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control and repealing European Directive 2008/01/EC), industrial plants must require authorizations to the competent authority stating the conformity of their activity, in order to obtain this conformity they are advised to Best Available Technologies (BAT). The aim of the BATs is to avoid or minimize the impact of an industrial activity on the environment through the prevention of the atmospheric emissions, wastewater discharge and energetic consumption, and the correct waste management thus improving the efficiency of the plant. The procedure shown in the present paper has been tested on several types of industrial plant (cement plants, secondary smelt foundries, paper-mill, and automotive industries as regards their paint lines). In this paper, the application of EICS method to a cement plant is presented: the obtained results highlight a good correlation between the index values and the real situation of the plant.

Standard Ship Test and Inspection Plan, Procedures and Database

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

... construction schedules and increased cost is the area of test and inspection. This project investigates existing rules and regulations for testing and inspection of commercial ships and identifies differences and similarities within the requirements. The results include comparison matrices, a standard test plan, a set of standard test procedures, and a sample test database developed for a typical commercial ship.

The European ITER Test Blanket Modules: Current status of fabrication technologies development and a way forward

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zmitko, Milan, E-mail: milan.zmitko@f4e.europa.eu [Fusion for Energy (F4E), Josep Pla 2, Barcelona (Spain); Galabert, Jose [Fusion for Energy (F4E), Josep Pla 2, Barcelona (Spain); Thomas, Noël [ATMOSTAT, F-94815 Villejuif (France); Forest, Laurent [CEA-Saclay, DEN, DM2S, SEMT, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Bucci, Philippe; Cogneau, Laurence [CEA-DRT, 38000 Grenoble (France); Rey, Jörg; Neuberger, Heiko [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Postfach 3640, Karlsruhe (Germany); Poitevin, Yves [Fusion for Energy (F4E), Josep Pla 2, Barcelona (Spain)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Significant progress on development of welding procedures for European TBM achieved. • Fabrication processes feasibility based on diffusion and fusion welding demonstrated. • TBM box assembly welding scenarios investigated and welding scenarios identified. • Future qualification of pF/WPS proposed through realization of a number of QMUs. - Abstract: The paper reviews fabrication technologies and procedures applied for manufacturing of the TBM sub-components, like, HCLL and HCPB cooling plates, HCLL/HCPB stiffening plates, and HCLL/HCPB first wall and side caps. The used technologies are based on fusion and diffusion welding techniques taking into account specificities of the EUROFER-97 steel. Development of a standardized procedure complying with professional codes and standards (RCC-MRx), a preliminary fabrication/welding procedure specification (pF/WPS), is described as well as a fabrication and characterization of feasibility mock-ups (FMU) aimed at assessing the suitability of a fabrication process for fulfilling the design and fabrication specifications. Also, fabrication procedures for the TBM box assembly are presently under development through collaboration between European Fusion Laboratories and Industry for the establishment of an optimized assembly sequence/scenario and development of standardized welding procedure specifications. Selection of optimized assembly scenario takes into accounts not only the design requirements and fabrication possibilities/constraints but also maximum accessibility to the welds for sound non-destructive examination in compliance with welds classification. A future approach towards qualification of the developed fabrication technologies and procedures, through a number of medium to full-size qualification mock-ups according to European standards, is outlined before construction of the first TBMs.

10 CFR 440.21 - Weatherization materials standards and energy audit procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Weatherization materials standards and energy audit... FOR LOW-INCOME PERSONS § 440.21 Weatherization materials standards and energy audit procedures. (a...) of this section describes the performance and quality standards for renewable energy systems...

A Universal Standard for the Validation of Blood Pressure Measuring Devices: Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/European Society of Hypertension/International Organization for Standardization (AAMI/ESH/ISO) Collaboration Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Stergiou, George S; Alpert, Bruce; Mieke, Stephan; Asmar, Roland; Atkins, Neil; Eckert, Siegfried; Frick, Gerhard; Friedman, Bruce; Graßl, Thomas; Ichikawa, Tsutomu; Ioannidis, John P; Lacy, Peter; McManus, Richard; Murray, Alan; Myers, Martin; Palatini, Paolo; Parati, Gianfranco; Quinn, David; Sarkis, Josh; Shennan, Andrew; Usuda, Takashi; Wang, Jiguang; Wu, Colin O; O'Brien, Eoin

2018-03-01

In the past 30 years, several organizations, such as the US Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the British Hypertension Society, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), have developed protocols for clinical validation of BP measuring devices. However, it is recognized that science, as well as patients, consumers, and manufacturers, would be best served if all BP measuring devices were assessed for accuracy according to an agreed single validation protocol that had global acceptance. Therefore, an international initiative was taken by the AAMI, ESH, and ISO experts who agreed to develop a universal standard for device validation. This statement presents the key aspects of a validation procedure, which were agreed by the AAMI, ESH, and ISO representatives as the basis for a single universal validation protocol. As soon as the AAMI/ESH/ISO standard is fully developed, this will be regarded as the single universal standard and will replace all other previous standards/protocols. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc., and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

European Utility Requirements: European nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komsi, M.; Patrakka, E.

1997-01-01

The work procedure and the content of the European Utility Requirements (EUR) concerning the future LWRs is described in the article. European Utility Requirements, produced by utilities in a number of European countries, is a document specifying the details relating to engineered safety, operating performance, reliability and economics of the reactors to be built by manufacturers for the European market

The European Narcolepsy Network (EU-NN) database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khatami, Ramin; Luca, Gianina; Baumann, Christian R

2016-01-01

Narcolepsy with cataplexy is a rare disease with an estimated prevalence of 0.02% in European populations. Narcolepsy shares many features of rare disorders, in particular the lack of awareness of the disease with serious consequences for healthcare supply. Similar to other rare diseases, only a ......, identification of post-marketing medication side-effects, and will contribute to improve clinical trial designs and provide facilities to further develop phase III trials....... Narcolepsy Network is introduced. The database structure, standardization of data acquisition and quality control procedures are described, and an overview provided of the first 1079 patients from 18 European specialized centres. Due to its standardization this continuously increasing data pool is most...

Standardization of the time for the execution of HANARO start-up and shutdown procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, H. Y.; Lim, I. C.; Hwang, S. R.; Kang, T. J.; Youn, D. B.

2003-01-01

For the standardization of the time to execute HANARO start-up and shutdown procedures, code names were assigned to the individual procedures and the work time were investigated. The data recorded by the operators during start-up and shutdown were statistically analyzed. The analysis results will be used for the standardization of start-up and shutdown procedures and it will be reflected in the procedure document

Environmental challenges and opportunities of the evolving North American electricity market : European electricity generating facilities: an overview of European regulatory requirements and standardization efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, L.

2002-06-01

Several factors are affecting power generating facilities, such as the opening of both electricity and gas markets, and the pressure applied on generators and governments to ensure a steady energy supply for consumers. An additional factor is the pressure for the closing of nuclear power facilities. European siting and emissions requirements for coal-fired and natural gas generating facilities were presented in this background paper. In addition, the author provided an overview of the standardization process in place in Europe. The European Union and its functioning were briefly described, as well as a listing of relevant organizations. The current trends were examined. The document first introduced the European Union, and the next section dealt with Regulatory regime: the internal energy market. The third section examined the issue of Regulatory regime: generation and environmental regulations. Section four presented environmental management systems, followed by a section on standardization. Section six discussed European organizations involved in electricity issues, while the following section dealt with European commission programs. The last section briefly looked at the trends in the electricity sector, broaching topics such as compliance, electricity generation, and emissions trading. 52 refs., 2 tabs

Procedures and Standards for Residential Ventilation System Commissioning: An Annotated Bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stratton, J. Chris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wray, Craig P. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-04-01

Beginning with the 2008 version of Title 24, new homes in California must comply with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007 requirements for residential ventilation. Where installed, the limited data available indicate that mechanical ventilation systems do not always perform optimally or even as many codes and forecasts predict. Commissioning such systems when they are installed or during subsequent building retrofits is a step towards eliminating deficiencies and optimizing the tradeoff between energy use and acceptable IAQ. Work funded by the California Energy Commission about a decade ago at Berkeley Lab documented procedures for residential commissioning, but did not focus on ventilation systems. Since then, standards and approaches for commissioning ventilation systems have been an active area of work in Europe. This report describes our efforts to collect new literature on commissioning procedures and to identify information that can be used to support the future development of residential-ventilation-specific procedures and standards. We recommend that a standardized commissioning process and a commissioning guide for practitioners be developed, along with a combined energy and IAQ benefit assessment standard and tool, and a diagnostic guide for estimating continuous pollutant emission rates of concern in residences (including a database that lists emission test data for commercially-available labeled products).

AGREED-UPON PROCEDURES, PROCEDURES FOR AUDITING EUROPEAN GRANTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Petru VARTEIU

2016-12-01

The audit of EU-funded projects is an audit based on agreed-upon procedures, which are established by the Managing Authority or the Intermediate Body. Agreed-upon procedures can be defined as engagements made in accordance with ISRS 4400, applicable to agreed-upon procedures, where the auditor undertakes to carry out the agreed-upon procedures and issue a report on factual findings. The report provided by the auditor does not express any assurance. It allows users to form their own opinions about the conformity of the expenses with the project budget as well as the eligibility of the expenses.

Objectives, standards and criteria for radioactive waste disposal in the European Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlowski, S.; Schaller, K.H.

1989-01-01

The present report, edited by a working group within the framework of the European Commission research programme on radioactive waste management and disposal, reviews the objectives, standards and criteria for radioactive waste disposal in the European Community with a view to identifying common features and differences in the regulatory frameworks of its Member States. Suggestions for possible harmonization are made. A few common general principles form the basis for legal and regulatory measures. These principles apply to and are discussed for the following: radiation protection (with the systems of dose limitation and control), ethical and sociological questions, environmental and natural resources protection, and nuclear safeguards. A description is given of the implementation of common principles, standards and requirements at Community level, in line with requirements laid down in the European Community Treaties, and in international conventions and recommendations. This is followed by a review of the implementation of basic criteria by national safety authorities. Regulatory measures and national policies, and the approaches used in devising criteria are discussed for both near-surface disposal of low-level waste, and for deep geological disposal of waste in continental geological formations. Finally, the roles and duties of the operators of radioactive waste facilities are reported. More detailed information on particular aspects is presented in the annexes

Standard Review Plan Update and Development Program. Implementing Procedures Document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-05-01

This implementing procedures document (IPD) was prepared for use in implementing tasks under the standard review plan update and development program (SRP-UDP). The IPD provides comprehensive guidance and detailed procedures for SRP-UDP tasks. The IPD is mandatory for contractors performing work for the SRP-UDP. It is guidance for the staff. At the completion of the SRP-UDP, the IPD will be revised (to remove the UDP aspects) and will replace NRR Office Letter No. 800 as long-term maintenance procedures.

The need for a rapid and comprehensive adoption of the revised European standard population in cancer incidence comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Crocetti, Emanuele; Dyba, Tadek; Martos, Carmen; Randi, Giorgia; Rooney, Roisin; Bettio, Manola

2017-09-01

As cancer incidence varies according to age, it is important to rule out differences in age structures in any comparison. A common way of adjusting for these differences is using direct age standardization, which applies age-specific weights from a standard population. Eurostat has recently introduced a revised European standard population (RESP). The effect of using the new standard, in comparison with that introduced in 1976 [European standard population (ESP)], is evaluated. Cancer incidence data for prostate and testis cancer for Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland from the NORDCAN web site, and for Ireland and Italy-Genoa from Cancer Incidence in five Continents-X, were analyzed. Incidence rates were directly age standardized using ESP and RESP. The RESP conferred greater weight to adults and the elderly than the ESP. For prostate cancer, age-standardized rates computed with RESP are consistently higher by between 50 and 60% than those computed with ESP. However, the use of RESP, instead of ESP, has little impact on the pattern of time trends, the relative ranking of countries, the values of relative risks, or the percentage differences between age-standardized rates. For testis cancer, RESP and ESP provide very similar results because this cancer is more common in young men. Both ESP and RESP are in circulation. It is, therefore, important that European cancer registries reach consensus on a single standard to use to avoid erroneous comparisons of data computed with different standards. Given that Eurostat recently introduced RESP and is using this standard for data collected from the European Union Member States, it would make sense to rally behind RESP.

The European Union CREATE project: a model for international standardization of allergy diagnostics and vaccines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chapman, Martin D.; Ferreira, Fatima; Villalba, Mayte; Cromwell, Oliver; Bryan, Donna; Becker, Wolf-Meinhard; Fernández-Rivas, Montserrat; Durham, Stephen; Vieths, Stefan; van Ree, Ronald; Aalbers, M.; Notten, S.; Ooievaar-de Heer, P.; Ferreira, F.; Gademaier, G.; Wallner, M.; Villalba, M.; Rodriguez, R.; Becker, W.-M.; Eberhardt, F.; Lepp, U.; Raulf-Heimsoth, M.; Valenta, R.; Focke, M.; Bryan, D.; Dolman, C.; Das, R. G.; Vieths, S.; Fötisch, K.; Di Felice, G.; Pini, C.; Cromwell, O.; Fiebig, H.; Weber, B.; van Schijndel, H.; Dorpema, J. W.; Marco, F. M.; Monsalve, R.; Barber, D.; Caldas, E. Fernandez; Moingeon, P.; Didierlaurent, A.; André, C.; Kroon, A.; Neubauer, A.; Chapman, M.; Vailes, L.; Tsay, A.; Durham, S.; Custovic, A.; Simpson, B.; Knulst, A.; Rivas, M. Fernández; Mancebo, E. Gonzalez; Bahima, A. Cistero; Moncin, M. M. San Miguel; Mari, A.; Kinaciyan, T.; Quiralte, J.; Pauli, G.; de Blay, F.; Purohit, A.; Rak, S.

2008-01-01

Allergen measurements are used extensively in the formulation of allergy diagnostics and vaccines, yet no purified international allergen standards are available for calibration purposes. The aims of the European Union CREATE project were to develop international standards with verifiable allergen

International laser safety standardization. From the European perspective with an emphasis on materials processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulmeister, K [Div. of Life Sciences, Dept. of Radiation Protection, Oesterreichisches Forschungszentrum Seibersdorf, 2444 Seibersdorf (Austria)

1997-08-01

This report reviews international standards relevant to the safety of laser products and laser installations, with an emphasis on the safety of laser materials processing from the European perspective. In the first paragraphs an overview of the international standards organisations, their relative roles and ways of developing new standards is given. In the second part of the report, work currently underway in the respective standards committees is summarised and specific standards dealing with different aspects of laser safety are discussed. An appendix contains a list of standards organised in standards organisations (IEC, ISO and EN). (author)

International laser safety standardization. From the European perspective with an emphasis on materials processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulmeister, K.

1997-08-01

This report reviews international standards relevant to the safety of laser products and laser installations, with an emphasis on the safety of laser materials processing from the European perspective. In the first paragraphs an overview of the international standards organisations, their relative roles and ways of developing new standards is given. In the second part of the report, work currently underway in the respective standards committees is summarised and specific standards dealing with different aspects of laser safety are discussed. An appendix contains a list of standards organised in standards organisations IEC, ISO and EN). (author)

Sludge characterization as a support to European regulations developments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spinos, Ludovico; Lattarulo, Onofrio

2003-07-01

Sludge management is one of the critical issues facing modern society due to the fast increase in its production as a result of extended sewerage, new work installations and up-grading of existing facilities. The need for a regular and environmentally safe utilisation and disposal of sludges of different origin is well recognised by the EU countries, whose sludge management policy is addressed to both (i) the development of treatment methods able to reduce the mass production and (ii) the application of reuse options instead of simple disposal ones. However, to properly perform sludge management, and correctly fulfill the legal requirements, the definition of standardized characterization methods and procedures is necessary. For this reason, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has established the Technical Committee 308 (TC308) whose scope is the standardisation of methods and procedures employed for sludge characterization, and the production of guidelines for good management practice. A project, named Horizontal, to develop harmonised european standards in the field of sludge, soil and treated biowaste has been also established. (author)

Standardization of SMP procedure and its impact on outcome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachita S Dhurat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cosmetic deformities can result from various types of alopecia or even post hair transplantation procedures. Patients with such deformities seek aesthetically appealing longer-lasting options. Scalp concealers are commonly used by men and women to camouflage these deformities. Scalp micropigmentation (SMP is one of the concealers recently gaining popularity. Objectives: SMP is a novel technique wherein microdot tattoos are placed in a stippling pattern to mimic hair follicles that are cut close to the scalp and various variables affecting its outcome were evaluated. Methods: Forty-five subjects were recruited for the study. The various factors affecting outcome of SMP—angle of needle against the scalp, depth of needle into the scalp, time of the needle contact in scalp, speed of the rotor, resistance of scalp, color of pigment, viscosity of dye, needle number, needle thickness, and pattern of dot placement—were systematically studied in 15 patients through clinical photographs and trichoscopy. Ideal depth of pigment deposition was assessed through histopathological examination. After using these optimum variables, standardized SMP was performed in 30 patients with hair loss (3 patients with cicatricial and 27 patients with diffuse non-cicatricial alopecia. SMP was also used to create an aesthetically denser hairline. The outcome of the procedure was evaluated using standardized global photographs. Results: The ideal parameters were established to achieve standard reproducible results. There were great patient satisfaction and acceptance of the procedure. All the patients showed moderate to great improvement after the procedure with satisfactory scalp coverage. Adverse events were transient which were seen in the form of edema and redness. Conclusion: SMP offers a non-medical, tattoo-based cosmetically appealing and effective “cover-up” that hides the unsightly conditions. The cosmetic tattoo placement creates an illusion of

Towards European urinalysis guidelines. Introduction of a project under European Confederation of Laboratory Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouri, T T; Gant, V A; Fogazzi, G B; Hofmann, W; Hallander, H O; Guder, W G

2000-07-01

Improved standardized performance is needed because urinalysis continues to be one of the most frequently requested laboratory tests. Since 1997, the European Confederation of Laboratory Medicine (ECLM) has been supporting an interdisciplinary project aiming to produce European urinalysis guidelines. More than seventy clinical chemists, microbiologists and ward-based clinicians, as well as representatives of manufacturers are taking part. These guidelines aim to improve the quality and consistency of chemical urinalysis, particle counting and bacterial culture by suggesting optimal investigative processes that could be applied in Europe. The approach is based on medical needs for urinalysis. The importance of the pre-analytical stage for total quality is stressed by detailed illustrative advice for specimen collection. Attention is also given to emerging automated technology. For cost containment reasons, both optimum (ideal) procedures and minimum analytical approaches are suggested. Since urinalysis mostly lacks genuine reference methods (primary reference measurement procedures; Level 4), a novel classification of the methods is proposed: comparison measurement procedures (Level 3), quantitative routine procedures (Level 2), and ordinal scale examinations (Level 1). Stepwise strategies are suggested to save costs, applying different rules for general and specific patient populations. New analytical quality specifications have been created. After a consultation period, the final written text will be published in full as a separate document.

EVALUASI SANITATION STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES KERUPUKAMPLANG DI UD SARINA KECAMATAN KALIANGET KABUPATEN SUMENEP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ach Triharjono

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Industri pangan untuk menghasilkan produk yang memenuhi standar keamanan pangan. Standar tersebut dapat dipenuhi dengan menerapkan 8 aspek kunci Sanitation Standard Operating Prosedures (SSOP. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk memperoleh hasil penerapan 8 aspek kunci Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP dan mengevaluasi penerapan Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP Di UD Sarina Kecamatan Kalianget Kabupaten Sumenep. Jenis penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif dengan lokasi penelitian di UD Sarina Kecamatan Kalianget Kabupaten Sumenep. Hasil penelitian diketahui bahwa penerapan 8 aspek kunci Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP di UD Sarina sudah terlaksana tapi terdapat 3 tahapan kunci yang belum terlaksana dengan baik yaitu pencegahan kontaminasi silang, pengawasan kondisi kesehatan personil dan menghilangkan hama dari unit pengolahan. Hal yang perlu ditingkatkan terkait dengan penerapan SSOP di UD Sarina yaitu masih perlu adanya manual prosedur untuk berbagai pelaksanaan sanitasi yang dilakukan oleh UD Sarina ini

THE CONFORMITY OF MACHINE TOOLS WITH RESPECT TO EUROPEAN SAFETY STANDARDS

CERN Multimedia

TIS/TE

2001-01-01

European regulations require that all motorized machine tools conform to the latest safety standards by the end of the year 2000. CERN must follow these regulations and has already modified most of its machine tools accordingly. However, there is still a small number of machine tools which have not yet been modified as required. These machines should not be used until they are brought up to the required safety standards, failing which the machines should be discarded. One can recognise which machine tools conform with the latest standards by the indication 'CS' on the identification plate of the machine, see foto below. In cases of doubt about the status of a machine tool you should contact K. Altherr/EST or C. Margaroli/TIS for advice.

THE CONFORMITY OF MACHINE TOOLS WITH RESPECT TO EUROPEAN SAFETY STANDARDS

CERN Multimedia

TIS/TE

2000-01-01

European regulations require that all motorized machine tools conform to the latest safety standards by the end of the year 2000. CERN must follow these regulations and has already modified most of its machine tools accordingly. However, there is still a small number of machine tools which have not yet been modified as required. These machines should not be used until they are brought up to the required safety standards, failing which the machines should be discarded. One can recognise which machine tools conform with the latest standards by the indication 'CS' on the identification plate of the machine, see foto below. In cases of doubt about the status of a machine tool you should contact K. Altherr/EST or C. Margaroli/TIS for advice.

40 CFR 75.38 - Standard missing data procedures for Hg CEMS.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Hg CEMS. 75.38 Section 75.38 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Standard missing data procedures for Hg CEMS. (a) Once 720 quality assured monitor operating hours of Hg... substitute data for Hg concentration in accordance with the procedures in ( 75.33(b)(1) through (b)(4...

Physical fitness reference standards in European children: the IDEFICS study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Miguel-Etayo, P; Gracia-Marco, L; Ortega, F B; Intemann, T; Foraita, R; Lissner, L; Oja, L; Barba, G; Michels, N; Tornaritis, M; Molnár, D; Pitsiladis, Y; Ahrens, W; Moreno, L A

2014-09-01

A low fitness status during childhood and adolescence is associated with important health-related outcomes, such as increased future risk for obesity and cardiovascular diseases, impaired skeletal health, reduced quality of life and poor mental health. Fitness reference values for adolescents from different countries have been published, but there is a scarcity of reference values for pre-pubertal children in Europe, using harmonised measures of fitness in the literature. The IDEFICS study offers a good opportunity to establish normative values of a large set of fitness components from eight European countries using common and well-standardised methods in a large sample of children. Therefore, the aim of this study is to report sex- and age-specific fitness reference standards in European children. Children (10,302) aged 6-10.9 years (50.7% girls) were examined. The test battery included: the flamingo balance test, back-saver sit-and-reach test (flexibility), handgrip strength test, standing long jump test (lower-limb explosive strength) and 40-m sprint test (speed). Moreover, cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by a 20-m shuttle run test. Percentile curves for the 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th and 99th percentiles were calculated using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS). Our results show that boys performed better than girls in speed, lower- and upper-limb strength and cardiorespiratory fitness, and girls performed better in balance and flexibility. Older children performed better than younger children, except for cardiorespiratory fitness in boys and flexibility in girls. Our results provide for the first time sex- and age-specific physical fitness reference standards in European children aged 6-10.9 years.

Implementation and translation: from European standards and guidelines for quality assurance to education quality work in higher education institutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerheijden, Donald F.; Kohoutek, Jan; Eggins, Heather

2014-01-01

The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG for short) have been part of the regulative infrastructure of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) since 2005 (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, 2009).

The European Standards and Guidelines and the Evaluation of Agencies in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Hopbach, Achim

2006-01-01

This paper presents preliminary findings from the application of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) to the Accreditation Council's accreditation criteria and the review of three German accreditation agencies done by the German Accreditation Council. It focuses on the main characteristics of the ESG and their implementation into the German…

75 FR 72942 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-29

...: Harry J. Hodges, Flight Procedure Standards Branch (AFS-420), Flight Technologies and Programs Divisions..., SD, Rapid City Rgnl, ILS OR LOC RWY 32, Amdt 19 Newport News, VA, Newport News/Williamsburg Intl, ILS OR LOC RWY 7, Amdt 33 Newport News, VA, Newport News/Williamsburg Intl, ILS OR LOC RWY 25, Amdt 1...

Experimental tests on slip factor in friction joints: comparison between European and American Standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuele Maiorana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Friction joints are used in steel structures submitted to cyclic loading such as, for example, in steel and composite bridges, in overhead cranes, and in equipment subjected to fatigue. Slip-critical steel joints with preloaded bolts are characterized by high rigidity and good performance against fatigue and vibrational phenomena. The most important parameter for the calculation of the bolt number in a friction connection is the slip factor, depending on the treatment of the plane surfaces inside the joint package. The paper focuses on the slip factor values reported in European and North American Specifications, and in literature references. The differences in experimental methods of slip test and evaluation of them for the mentioned standards are discussed. The results from laboratory tests regarding the assessment of the slip factor related to only sandblasted and sandblasted and coated surfaces are reported. Experimental data are compared with other results from the literature review to find the most influent parameters that control the slip factor in friction joint and differences between the slip tests procedures

European project for developing general guidelines for harmonising internal dose assessment procedures (IDEAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrasi, A.; Bailey, M.; Puncher, M.; Berkovski, V.; Eric Blanchardon, E.; Jourdain, J.-R.; Carlo-Maria Castellani, C.-M.; Doerfel, H.; Christian Hurtgen, Ch.; Le Guen, B.

2003-01-01

Several international intercomparison exercises on intake and internal dose assessments from monitoring data led to the conclusion that the results calculated by different participants varied significantly mainly because of the wide variety of methods and assumptions applied in the assessment procedure. Based on these experiences the need for harmonisation of the procedures has been formulated as an EU research project under the 5 th Framework Programme (2001-2005), with the aim of developing general guidelines for standardising assessments of intakes and internal doses. In the IDEAS project eight institutions from seven European countries are participating using inputs also from internal dosimetry professionals from across Europe to ensure broad consensus in the outcome of the project. The IDEAS project is explained

Experimental verification for standard analysis procedure of 241Am in food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Qingfen; Zhu Hongda; Liu Shutian; Pan Jingshun; Yang Dating

2005-01-01

Objective: The briefly experimental verification for 'determination of 241 Am in food' has been described. Methods: The overall recovery, the MDL of method and decontamination experiment has been done by standard analysis procedure. Results: The overall recovery is 76.26 ± 4.1%. The MDL is 3.4 x 10 -5 Bq/g ash, decontamination factor is higher than 10 3 for Po, 10 2 for U, Th, Pu and 60 for 237 Np. Conclusion: The results showed that the overall recovery is quite high and reliable, the MDL of method is able to meet examining 241 Am limited values in foods. the obtained decontamination factors of recommended procedure can meet analysis of 241 Am in food examination. Venifying results of the procedure are satisfied by using 243 Am spike and 241 Am standard reference material. (authors)

Quality standards of the European Pharmacopoeia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouin, Anne-Sophie; Wierer, Michael

2014-12-02

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) provides a legal and scientific reference for the quality control of medicines. It is legally binding in the 38 signatory parties of the Convention on the elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia (37 member states and the European Union). The requirements for a specific herbal drug are prescribed in the corresponding individual monograph and the relevant general monographs. Criteria for pesticides and heavy metals for example are defined in the general monograph on Herbal drugs. The Ph. Eur. also provides general methods including methods for determination of aflatoxins B1 and ochratoxin A. Screening methods for aristolochic acids are applied for herbal drugs that may be subject to adulteration or substitution with plant material containing aristolochic acids. The Ph. Eur. collaborate in many areas with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure close collaboration as regards the respective work programmes and approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Standardized methods for photography in procedural dermatology using simple equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hexsel, Doris; Hexsel, Camile L; Dal'Forno, Taciana; Schilling de Souza, Juliana; Silva, Aline F; Siega, Carolina

2017-04-01

Photography is an important tool in dermatology. Reproducing the settings of before photos after interventions allows more accurate evaluation of treatment outcomes. In this article, we describe standardized methods and tips to obtain photographs, both for clinical practice and research procedural dermatology, using common equipment. Standards for the studio, cameras, photographer, patients, and framing are presented in this article. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

Poor compliance with standard precautions against infections during minor gynaecological procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Maharaj, Dushyant; Lawton, Beverley; Garrett, Sue

2012-06-01

Splash injuries occurring during minor surgical procedures are associated with a significant infective risk to the operator. It is a common misconception that minor operations carry low risks. To determine the prevalence of the practice of Standard Precautions by medical staff in the obstetric and gynaecology (O & G) units of two hospitals in New Zealand, and to assess self-observed splash injury rates. A cross-sectional survey of all doctors working in the O & G units of two public hospitals servicing a population of 435 000. A self-administered questionnaire was provided to 43 doctors with questions related to the use of Standard Precautions, perceived likelihood of infection from a splash and splash injuries sustained during procedures. The response rate was 76.6% (n = 33/43). Of the respondents, only 30.3% (n = 10) used Standard Precautions during minor procedures. Sixty-four per cent (n = 21) routinely used goggles/visor for eye protection. Forty-five per cent (n = 15) thought they were likely to get an infection from a splash, and 55% (n = 18) of clinicians had experienced a splash injury. Of the minor procedures during which splash injuries had occurred, repair of episiotomy 45.8% (n = 11) was the commonest. This survey shows poor compliance with guidelines for Standard Precautions to protect from infection despite self-reported rates of splash injury being high at 55%. Effective interventions are needed to increase compliance and prevent infection. © 2012 The Authors ANZJOG © 2012 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Implementation of standards for individual monitoring in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantuzzi, E.; Alves, J. G.; Ambrosi, P.; Janzekovic, H.; Vartiainen, E.

2004-01-01

A large number of standards are available for radiation protection and individual monitoring purposes. They are published by various organisations, international and national. Moreover, the increasing policy of 'Quality' applied to individual monitoring requires the implementation of standards on Quality Assurance (QA) both in technical and management aspects of a dosimetric service. Implementation of standards is not mandatory; therefore, varying degrees of implementation can be found in different European countries. However, for a number of good reasons, a degree of harmonisation within the European Union (EU) of the requirements and procedures for individual monitoring would be desirable. Harmonisation as applied to dosimetric services does not mean that they should all follow exactly the same procedures, but that they should aim to meet the same general requirements, and their results should be comparable. This article aims to compile information on the use of all standards applied within individual monitoring practices, be it on the calibration of dosemeters or on the QA procedures to be applied to the overall dose evaluation process. Both 'technical standards' and 'quality standards' will be discussed. A list of documents of relevance to subjects such as recommendations and requirements in the field of individual monitoring, whose application could help in the harmonisation of procedures, will also be given. As it is agreed that implementation of quality standards is a relevant framework within which harmonisation can be achieved, guidance on the implementation of quality standards in a dosimetric service is given. Accreditation and approval of dosimetric services will be of relevance in the process of harmonisation of individual monitoring within the EU. In this article, a discussion of various procedures and the meaning of both forms of recognition is also provided. Although most of the text applies to the monitoring of internal and external exposure to

A Comparison of Standard-Setting Procedures for an OSCE in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, David M.; Mann, Karen V.; Muijtjens, Arno M. M.; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

2000-01-01

Compared four standard-setting procedures for an objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) in medical education. Applied Angoff, borderline, relative, and holistic procedures to the data used to establish a cutoff score for a pass/fail decision. The Angoff and borderline procedures gave similar results; however, the relative and holistic…

Improving the safety and quality of nursing care through standardized operating procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Science.gov (United States)

Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Rakic, Severin; Novo, Ahmed; Dropic, Emira; Fisekovic, Eldin; Sredic, Ana; Van Malderen, Greet

2016-06-01

We explored how selected 'positive deviant' healthcare facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina approach the continuous development, adaptation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of nursing-related standard operating procedures. Standardized nursing care is internationally recognized as a critical element of safe, high-quality health care; yet very little research has examined one of its key instruments: nursing-related standard operating procedures. Despite variability in Bosnia and Herzegovina's healthcare and nursing care quality, we assumed that some healthcare facilities would have developed effective strategies to elevate nursing quality and safety through the use of standard operating procedures. Guided by the 'positive deviance' approach, we used a multiple-case study design to examine a criterion sample of four facilities (two primary healthcare centres and two hospitals), collecting data via focus groups and individual interviews. In each studied facility, certification/accreditation processes were crucial to the initiation of continuous development, adaptation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of nursing-related SOPs. In one hospital and one primary healthcare centre, nurses working in advanced roles (i.e. quality coordinators) were responsible for developing and implementing nursing-related standard operating procedures. Across the four studied institutions, we identified a consistent approach to standard operating procedures-related processes. The certification/accreditation process is enabling necessary changes in institutions' organizational cultures, empowering nurses to take on advanced roles in improving the safety and quality of nursing care. Standardizing nursing procedures is key to improve the safety and quality of nursing care. Nursing and Health Policy are needed in Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish a functioning institutional framework, including regulatory bodies, educational systems for developing nurses' capacities or the

Quality Procedures in the European Higher Education Area and Beyond--Visions for the Future: Third ENQA Survey. ENQA Occasional Papers 18

Science.gov (United States)

Grifoll, Josep; Hopbach, Achim; Kekalainen, Helka; Lugano, Nathalie; Rozsnyai, Christina; Shopov, Todor

2012-01-01

Higher education reforms over the last decade, resulting in the establishment of the European Higher Education Area, with new social demands and expectations, have greatly impacted quality assurance in higher education. As a follow-up activity to two previous surveys on external quality procedures, the European Association for Quality Assurance in…

Price adjustment for traditional Chinese medicine procedures: Based on a standardized value parity model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haiyin; Jin, Chunlin; Jiang, Qingwu

2017-11-20

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important part of China's medical system. Due to the prolonged low price of TCM procedures and the lack of an effective mechanism for dynamic price adjustment, the development of TCM has markedly lagged behind Western medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the need to enhance the development of alternative and traditional medicine when creating national health care systems. The establishment of scientific and appropriate mechanisms to adjust the price of medical procedures in TCM is crucial to promoting the development of TCM. This study has examined incorporating value indicators and data on basic manpower expended, time spent, technical difficulty, and the degree of risk in the latest standards for the price of medical procedures in China, and this study also offers a price adjustment model with the relative price ratio as a key index. This study examined 144 TCM procedures and found that prices of TCM procedures were mainly based on the value of medical care provided; on average, medical care provided accounted for 89% of the price. Current price levels were generally low and the current price accounted for 56% of the standardized value of a procedure, on average. Current price levels accounted for a markedly lower standardized value of acupuncture, moxibustion, special treatment with TCM, and comprehensive TCM procedures. This study selected a total of 79 procedures and adjusted them by priority. The relationship between the price of TCM procedures and the suggested price was significantly optimized (p based on a standardized value parity model is a scientific and suitable method of price adjustment that can serve as a reference for other provinces and municipalities in China and other countries and regions that mainly have fee-for-service (FFS) medical care.

Improving the review of standard operating procedures: a novel electronic system for compounding pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Brensel, Robert; Brensel, Scott; Ng, Amy

2013-01-01

Since the New England Compounding Center disaster in 2012, the importance of following correct procedures during every phase of customized pharmacy has been a focus of governmental interest and action as well as public scrutiny. Many pharmacies rely on the rote review of standard operating procedures to ensure that staff members understand and follow protocols that ensure the safety and potency of all compounds prepared, but that approach to continuing education can be cumbersome and needlessly time-consuming. In addition, documenting and retrieving evidence of employee competence can be difficult. In this article, we describe our use of online technology to improve our methods of educating staff about the full range of standard operating procedures that must be followed in our pharmacy. The system we devised and implemented has proven to be effective, easy to update and maintain, very inexpensive, and user friendly. Its use has reduced the time previously required for a read-over review of standard operating procedures from 30 or 40 minutes to 5 or 10 minutes in weekly staff meetings, and we can now easily document and access proof of employees' comprehension of that content. It is our hope that other small compounding pharmacies will also find this system of online standard operating procedure review helpful.

The European standard on planetary protection requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

Debus, André

2006-01-01

Since the beginning of solar system exploration, numerous spacecrafts have been sent towards others worlds, and one of the main goals of such missions is the search for extraterrestrial forms of life. It is known that, under certain conditions, some terrestrial entities are able to survive during cruises in space and that they may contaminate other planets (forward contamination). At another level, possible extraterrestrial life forms are unknown and their ability to contaminate the Earth's biosphere (back contamination) in the frame of sample return missions cannot be excluded. Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty (London/Washington, January 27, 1967) requires the preservation of planets and the Earth from contamination. All nations taking part in this Treaty must prevent forward and back contamination during missions exploring our solar system. Consequently, the United Nations (UN-COPUOS) has delegated COSPAR (Committee of Space Research) to take charge of planetary protection and, at present, all space-faring nations must comply with COSPAR policy and consequently with COSPAR planetary protection recommendations. Starting from these recommendations and the "CNES Planetary Protection Standard" document, a working group has been set up in the framework of the "European Cooperation for Space Standardization" (ECSS) to establish the main specifications for preventing cross-contamination between target bodies within the solar system and the Earth-moon system.

European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Pathobiology Group standard operating procedure for the preparation of human tumour tissue extracts suited for the quantitative analysis of tissue-associated biomarkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, Manfred; Mengele, Karin; Schueren, Elisabeth; Sweep, Fred C G J; Foekens, John A; Brünner, Nils; Laabs, Juliane; Malik, Abha; Harbeck, Nadia

2007-03-01

With the new concept of 'individualized treatment and targeted therapies', tumour tissue-associated biomarkers have been given a new role in selection of cancer patients for treatment and in cancer patient management. Tumour biomarkers can give support to cancer patient stratification and risk assessment, treatment response identification, or to identifying those patients who are expected to respond to certain anticancer drugs. As the field of tumour-associated biomarkers has expanded rapidly over the last years, it has become increasingly apparent that a strong need exists to establish guidelines on how to easily disintegrate the tumour tissue for assessment of the presence of tumour tissue-associated biomarkers. Several mechanical tissue (cell) disruption techniques exist, ranging from bead mill homogenisation and freeze-fracturing through to blade or pestle-type homogenisation, to grinding and ultrasonics. Still, only a few directives have been given on how fresh-frozen tumour tissues should be processed for the extraction and determination of tumour biomarkers. The PathoBiology Group of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer therefore has devised a standard operating procedure for the standardised preparation of human tumour tissue extracts which is designed for the quantitative analysis of tumour tissue-associated biomarkers. The easy to follow technical steps involved require 50-300 mg of deep-frozen cancer tissue placed into small size (1.2 ml) cryogenic tubes. These are placed into the shaking flask of a Mikro-Dismembrator S machine (bead mill) to pulverise the tumour tissue in the capped tubes in the deep-frozen state by use of a stainless steel ball, all within 30 s of exposure. RNA is isolated from the pulverised tissue following standard procedures. Proteins are extracted from the still frozen pulverised tissue by addition of Tris-buffered saline to obtain the cytosol fraction of the tumour or by the Tris buffer supplemented with

Standard contract terms regulation in the proposal for a common European sales law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loos, M.B.M.

2012-01-01

In this paper, the regulation in standard contract terms in the proposal for a Commono European Sales Law (CESL) is compared with the regulation in the Unfair Terms Directive, the Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR) and the Vienna Sales Convention (CISG). The paper starts with an overview of the

Notes on the Particulate Matter Standards in the European Union and the Netherlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hugo Priemus

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The distribution of Particulate Matter in the atmosphere, resulting from emissions produced by cars, trucks, ships, industrial estates and agricultural complexes, is a topical public health problem that has increased in recent decades due to environmental factors in advanced economies in particular. This contribution relates the health impact caused by concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM in ambient air to the PM standards, the size of the particles and spatial planning. Diverging impacts of PM standards in legal regulation are discussed. The authors present a review of the development of legal PM standards in the European Union, with a specific reference to The Netherlands.

Nuclear power and European Union enlargement challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chirica, Teodor; Bilegan, Constantin

2001-01-01

From 1991 through 1996 the European Union signed the Association Agreements with ten East European countries (EE10), namely: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. In the period 1994-1996 European Union received membership applications from all ten countries. The paper analyzes the approach of complying the requirements and regulations for European Union accession in the field of the Romanian nuclear power based on the CANDU technology. In this process, the real challenge is represented by the preparation and implementation of new regulations aiming to improve the general business environment by introducing International Accounting Standards simplification of bankruptcy laws, reform of taxation procedures and secureness of financial instruments. A new stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank was set out in late April 1999 for an one-year loan of 475 million dollars. (authors)

Codes and standards an European point of view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, R.L.; Corsi, F.

1987-01-01

The first part of this paper is related to the European situation in which Construction Codes for FBR components are developed. Attention is given to the different agreements between European Countries. After a description of the present state of Codes development, indications are given on the future work in this field. Several appendix are devoted to the state of Codes in different European Countries and to the action of European Commission

Importance of the European qualification frame (EQF) and its tools for radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt-Hannig, Annemarie

2013-01-01

The harmonization of different radiation protection education and training systems in Europe and the mutual approval of the qualifications acquired abroad are discussed since years. Due to large national differences the mutual approval is usually based on case approaches instead of a standardized procedure. With the European qualification frame for life learning and EVCET (European credit system for vocational education and training) there are tools that could also be used in the sector of radiation protection education and training. The draft of the EURATOM basic safety standards (BSS) guideline includes the requirement of an approval of radiation protection officer certifications.

Buying green and social from abroad: Are biomassfocused voluntary sustainability standards useful for European public procurement?

OpenAIRE

Beuchelt, Tina

2017-01-01

European public procurement is becoming more sustainable. However, for goods with global supply chains, sustainable procurement faces several challenges. This paper highlights the sustainability challenges for biomass-based products, discusses the suitability of biomass-focused voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) to address them, and identifies experiences and knowledge gaps in the use of VSS in European public procurement. The paper is based on a comprehensive literature review and a ca...

The regulatory framework of accounting and accounting standard-setting bodies in the European Union member states

OpenAIRE

Mamić-Sačer, Ivana

2015-01-01

One of the principal features of accounting in the 21st century is harmonisation and stanardisation. Regulation of the European Parliament and European Council No. 1606/2002 harmonizes financial reporting for certain companies in the EU. However, national accounting principles are of great importance for financial reporting. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the application of generally accepted accounting principles, the regulatory accounting framework and the standard-set...

Aligning English grammar testing with European language standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodrič Radmila

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, foreign language testing has gained in significance with the advent of The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2001 (CEFR, a European language document which set comparable standards for learning, teaching and assessing foreign languages. The CEFR was used to set the research aim of this paper - testing grammar at level B2. The main aim of the research was to determine grammatical competence at level B2 and additional aims included: (a determining which particular areas of grammar need to be learned by students at level B2, (b formulating grammatical descriptors for each individual area of grammar, (c determining the test’s threshold level which would fulfil the criteria for grammatical competence at level B2, and (d determining the extent to which students have mastered the given areas. The pre-testing was followed by the main testing on the sample of 164 students in two secondary schools. The results indicated that the quantity and quality of grammatical competence was lower than expected: 47% of the population failed to fulfil the basic level of grammatical competence. The causes may be attributed to the factors of a subjective and objective nature. Level B2 is demanding qualitatively as well as quantitatively, regarding both the formal and the functional complexity and scope of language use, which requires intensive language production, high levels of motivation and sound working habits in order to master the given grammatical structures.

PERL - European research project on characterization of gaskets for bolted flange connections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kockelmann, H.; Hahn, R.

2004-01-01

Great progress was observed in the European standardization in the last years in the field of the design of floating type bolted flange connections. New design rules were developed (EN 1591) which include new definitions of gasket characteristics for the calculation of floating type flanged joints. In addition a new gasket testing standard was drafted (prEN 13555) which assures a comprehensive characterization of gaskets for bolted flanged joints. This draft standard contains some new features which were examined and validated within the European research project PERL (Pressure Equipment - Reduction of Leak Rate). The gasket testing strategy laid down in prEN 13555 is presented in this paper. Some testing results highlighten the measuring procedures and the evaluation of the gasket characteristics. (orig.)

76 FR 54528 - Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) Process for the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-01

...) of the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) Process for the Sequencing of Certification and... on the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) standard operating procedure (SOP) describing the process... comments on the SOP : AIR-100-001; Standard Operating Procedure--Aircraft Certification Service Project...

Calculation of the yearly energy performance of heating systems based on the European Building Energy Directive and related CEN Standards

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Bjarne W.; de Carli, Michele

2011-01-01

According to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) all new European buildings (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) must since 2006 have an energy declaration based on the calculated energy performance of the building, including heating, ventilating, cooling and lighting syst......–20% of the building energy demand. The additional loss depends on the type of heat emitter, type of control, pump and boiler. Keywords: Heating systems; CEN standards; Energy performance; Calculation methods......According to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) all new European buildings (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) must since 2006 have an energy declaration based on the calculated energy performance of the building, including heating, ventilating, cooling and lighting...... systems. This energy declaration must refer to the primary energy or CO2 emissions. The European Organization for Standardization (CEN) has prepared a series of standards for energy performance calculations for buildings and systems. This paper presents related standards for heating systems. The relevant...

European AIDS Clinical Society Second Standard of Care Meeting, Brussels 16-17 November 2016

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Wit, S; Battegay, M; D'Arminio Monforte, A

2018-01-01

The European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) organized a second meeting on Standard of Care in Europe on November 16-17 th, 2016. The aims of the meeting were to discuss and propose actions on three topics, namely: Adherence to guidelines for treatment initiation, treatment monitoring and outcomes, ...

Cross-national comparability of burden of disease estimates: the European Disability Weights Project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise; Pereira, Joaquin; Packer, Claire; Schwarzinger, Michael; Burstrom, Kristina

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the sources of cross-national variation in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in the European Disability Weights Project. METHODS: Disability weights for 15 disease stages were derived empirically in five countries by means of a standardized procedure and the

The regulatory framework of accounting and accounting standard-setting bodies in the European Union member states

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivana Mamić-Sačer

2015-12-01

Full Text Available One of the principal features of accounting in the 21st century is harmonisation and stanardisation. Regulation of the European Parliament and European Council No. 1606/2002 harmonizes financial reporting for certain companies in the EU. However, national accounting principles are of great importance for financial reporting. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the application of generally accepted accounting principles, the regulatory accounting framework and the standard-setting bodies of EU member states. The analysis of these accounting issues was conducted with respect to all 28 EU member states. The results indicate that EU member states regulate their principal accounting issues through separate accounting acts or implement those issues in companies acts. Some EU member states do not have national accounting standards, the national accounting principles being incorporated in companies acts and accounting acts. Nevertheless, national accounting standard-setting bodies are governmental organisations in almost half the member states.

Standardized Procedure Content And Data Structure Based On Human Factors Requirements For Computer-Based Procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bly, Aaron; Oxstrand, Johanna; Le Blanc, Katya L

2015-01-01

Most activities that involve human interaction with systems in a nuclear power plant are guided by procedures. Traditionally, the use of procedures has been a paper-based process that supports safe operation of the nuclear power industry. However, the nuclear industry is constantly trying to find ways to decrease the human error rate, especially the human errors associated with procedure use. Advances in digital technology make computer-based procedures (CBPs) a valid option that provides further enhancement of safety by improving human performance related to procedure use. The transition from paper-based procedures (PBPs) to CBPs creates a need for a computer-based procedure system (CBPS). A CBPS needs to have the ability to perform logical operations in order to adjust to the inputs received from either users or real time data from plant status databases. Without the ability for logical operations the procedure is just an electronic copy of the paper-based procedure. In order to provide the CBPS with the information it needs to display the procedure steps to the user, special care is needed in the format used to deliver all data and instructions to create the steps. The procedure should be broken down into basic elements and formatted in a standard method for the CBPS. One way to build the underlying data architecture is to use an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema, which utilizes basic elements to build each step in the smart procedure. The attributes of each step will determine the type of functionality that the system will generate for that step. The CBPS will provide the context for the step to deliver referential information, request a decision, or accept input from the user. The XML schema needs to provide all data necessary for the system to accurately perform each step without the need for the procedure writer to reprogram the CBPS. The research team at the Idaho National Laboratory has developed a prototype CBPS for field workers as well as the

Standardized Procedure Content And Data Structure Based On Human Factors Requirements For Computer-Based Procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bly, Aaron; Oxstrand, Johanna; Le Blanc, Katya L

2015-02-01

Most activities that involve human interaction with systems in a nuclear power plant are guided by procedures. Traditionally, the use of procedures has been a paper-based process that supports safe operation of the nuclear power industry. However, the nuclear industry is constantly trying to find ways to decrease the human error rate, especially the human errors associated with procedure use. Advances in digital technology make computer-based procedures (CBPs) a valid option that provides further enhancement of safety by improving human performance related to procedure use. The transition from paper-based procedures (PBPs) to CBPs creates a need for a computer-based procedure system (CBPS). A CBPS needs to have the ability to perform logical operations in order to adjust to the inputs received from either users or real time data from plant status databases. Without the ability for logical operations the procedure is just an electronic copy of the paper-based procedure. In order to provide the CBPS with the information it needs to display the procedure steps to the user, special care is needed in the format used to deliver all data and instructions to create the steps. The procedure should be broken down into basic elements and formatted in a standard method for the CBPS. One way to build the underlying data architecture is to use an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema, which utilizes basic elements to build each step in the smart procedure. The attributes of each step will determine the type of functionality that the system will generate for that step. The CBPS will provide the context for the step to deliver referential information, request a decision, or accept input from the user. The XML schema needs to provide all data necessary for the system to accurately perform each step without the need for the procedure writer to reprogram the CBPS. The research team at the Idaho National Laboratory has developed a prototype CBPS for field workers as well as the

The Quality of Teaching Staff: Higher Education Institutions' Compliance with the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance--The Case of Portugal

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Sónia; Tavares, Orlanda; Sin, Cristina

2015-01-01

In recent years, initiatives for the improvement of teaching quality have been pursued both at European and national levels. Such is the case of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) and of legislation passed by several European countries, including Portugal, in response to European policy developments driven by the…

Environmental Sciences Division Toxicology Laboratory standard operating procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kszos, L.A.; Stewart, A.J.; Wicker, L.F.; Logsdon, G.M.

1989-09-01

This document was developed to provide the personnel working in the Environmental Sciences Division's Toxicology Laboratory with documented methods for conducting toxicity tests. The document consists of two parts. The first part includes the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are used by the laboratory in conducting toxicity tests. The second part includes reference procedures from the US Environmental Protection Agency document entitled Short-Term Methods for Estimating the Chronic Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater Organisms, upon which the Toxicology Laboratory's SOPs are based. Five of the SOPs include procedures for preparing Ceriodaphnia survival and reproduction test. These SOPs include procedures for preparing Ceriodaphnia food (SOP-3), maintaining Ceriodaphnia cultures (SOP-4), conducting the toxicity test (SOP-13), analyzing the test data (SOP-13), and conducting a Ceriodaphnia reference test (SOP-15). Five additional SOPs relate specifically to the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larval survival and growth test: methods for preparing fathead minnow larvae food (SOP-5), maintaining fathead minnow cultures (SOP-6), conducting the toxicity test (SOP-9), analyzing the test data (SOP-12), and conducting a fathead minnow reference test (DOP-14). The six remaining SOPs describe methods that are used with either or both tests: preparation of control/dilution water (SOP-1), washing of glassware (SOP-2), collection and handling of samples (SOP-7), preparation of samples (SOP-8), performance of chemical analyses (SOP-11), and data logging and care of technical notebooks (SOP-16)

The importance of production standard operating procedure in a family business company

Science.gov (United States)

Hongdiyanto, C.

2017-12-01

Plastic industry is a growing sector, therefore UD X which engage in this business has a great potential to grow as well. The problem faced by this family business company is that no standard operating procedure is used and it lead to problem in the quality and quantity produced. This research is aim to create a production standard operating procedure for UD X. Semistructure interview is used to gather information from respondent to help writer create the SOP. There are four SOP’s created, namely: classifying SOP, sorting SOP, milling SOP and packing SOP. Having SOP will improve the effectiveness of production because employees already know how to work in each stages of production process.

Procedure of trace element analysis in oyster tissues by using X-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vo Thi Tuong Hanh; Dinh Thi Bich Lieu; Dinh Thien Lam and Nguyen Manh Hung

2004-01-01

The procedure of trace element analysis such as Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb in molluscs (oyster tissues) was established by using X-ray fluorescence techniques. The procedure was investigated from the sample collection, drying, ashing ratio to the analytical techniques by using Cd-109, detector Si (Li) and the peak processing MCAPLUS program was applied for this study. The procedure is based on direct comparison with certified concentrations of international standard reference SRM 1566b Oyster Tissue of National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of commerce, United States of America for Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu and the Standard Addition Methods for Pb. The accuracy of the Standard Addition Methods was estimated by CRM281 Rye Grass of Community Bureau of Reference-BCR, European Commission. The results of 10 samples which were collected from several markets in Hanoi are shown. (author)

Harmonization of welding qualification provisions in RCC-M and European standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemoine, M.; Lainez, B.; Anastassiades, P.

2007-01-01

Since a long time, numerous precautions for welding have been integrated in the nuclear codes, in particular in the RCC-M applicable to pressurized water reactors, in order to guarantee a high quality level of permanent assemblies. In parallel, European and ISO standardization works have led to a harmonisation of practices on qualification of welding processes, welders and operators. In the context of the regulatory evolutions presented during this conference, it was judged appropriate to bring closer the RCC-M practices and those of EN and ISO standards, while taking the precaution of specifying, if necessary, the complementary provisions allowing maintaining guarantees of quality consistent with the prior experience feedback. This paper presents the amendments brought to the RCC-M Code by the 2005 and 2007 addenda, in order to respond to this objective, and develops their motivations. (authors) [fr

Manual for the GAW Precipitation Chemistry Programme: Guidelines, Data Quality Objectives and Standard Operating Procedures

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Allan, Mary A

2004-01-01

This is a manual for the Global Atmosphere Watch Precipitation Chemistry (GAW-PC) Programme. Where possible, it describes standard operating procedures and otherwise provides guidance on methods and procedures...

THE CRITICAL THINKING OF SOME WESTERN EUROPEAN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS AFTER FINANCIAL CRISIS, CORPORATE SCANDALS AND MANIPULATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinh TRAN NGOC HUY

2013-12-01

Full Text Available After the recent global crisis, corporate scandals and bankruptcy in US and Europe, there is some certain evidence on weak auditing, risk management, accounting and audit system. This paper chooses a different analytical approach and among its aims is to give some systematic opinions on corporate governance criteria as a benchmark for stock markets. Firstly, it classifies limited Western European representative corporate governance (CG standards into two (2 groups: The Netherlands and Belgium latest CG principles covered in group 1 and, group 2, including corporate governance principles from Italy and Austria, so-called relative good CG group, while it uses OECD and ICGN principles as reference. Secondly, it identifies through analysis the differences and advantages between the above set of standards which are and have been used as reference principles for many relevant organizations. Third, it establishes a selected comparative set of standards for Western European representative corporate governance system in accordance to international standards. Last but not least, this paper covers some ideas and policy suggestions.

European wind turbine testing procedure developments. Task 1: Measurement method to verify wind turbine performance characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hunter, R.; Friis Pedersen, Troels; Dunbabin, P.

2001-01-01

There is currently significant standardisation work ongoing in the context of wind farm energy yield warranty assessment and wind turbine power performance testing. A standards maintenance team is revising the current IEC (EN) 61400-12 Ed 1 standard forwind turbine power performance testing....... The standard is being divided into four documents. Two of them are drafted for evaluation and verification of complete wind farms and of individual wind turbines within wind farms. This document, and the project itdescribes, has been designed to help provide a solid technical foundation for this revised...... standard. The work was wide ranging and addressed 'grey' areas of knowledge, regarding existing methodologies or to carry out basic research in support offundamentally new procedures. The work has given rise to recommendations in all areas of the work, including site calibration procedures, nacelle...

A standardized procedure for using human corpus cavernosum strips to evaluate drug activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirone, V; Sorrentino, R; di Villa Bianca, R; Imbimbo, C; Palmieri, A; Fusco, F; Tajana, G; Cirino, G

2000-01-01

The main problem of using human corpus cavernosum (HCC) tissue to perform bioassay is linked to its limited availability further complicated by the heterogeneous source of the tissues used. Here, we show that gender reassignment is a reliable source of human tissue without major ethical problems. Indeed, the entire corpus cavernosum is obtained from the surgery procedure, which allows creating a standardized procedure to prepare HCC strip. In addition, human tissue, if kept in the fridge in the condition described, does not loose its ability to contract to phenylephrine (PE; alpha agonist), angiotensin II (AG II) and KCl up to 4 days. Furthermore, once contracted with PE, HCC relaxes to acetylcholine (endothelium-dependent mechanism); sodium nitroprusside (endothelium-independent mechanism); cromakalim (CRK), a K(ATP) channel opener; or alprostadil, a synthetic PGE2 (ALPR). In conclusion, we have standardized a procedure that allows the use of HCC strips to evaluate drug activity and/or to study pathophysiological mechanisms with an intact functional human tissue up to 4 days from the surgery procedure.

“Heidelberg standard examination” and “Heidelberg standard procedures” – Development of faculty-wide standards for physical examination techniques and clinical procedures in undergraduate medical education

Science.gov (United States)

Nikendei, C.; Ganschow, P.; Groener, J. B.; Huwendiek, S.; Köchel, A.; Köhl-Hackert, N.; Pjontek, R.; Rodrian, J.; Scheibe, F.; Stadler, A.-K.; Steiner, T.; Stiepak, J.; Tabatabai, J.; Utz, A.; Kadmon, M.

2016-01-01

The competent physical examination of patients and the safe and professional implementation of clinical procedures constitute essential components of medical practice in nearly all areas of medicine. The central objective of the projects “Heidelberg standard examination” and “Heidelberg standard procedures”, which were initiated by students, was to establish uniform interdisciplinary standards for physical examination and clinical procedures, and to distribute them in coordination with all clinical disciplines at the Heidelberg University Hospital. The presented project report illuminates the background of the initiative and its methodological implementation. Moreover, it describes the multimedia documentation in the form of pocketbooks and a multimedia internet-based platform, as well as the integration into the curriculum. The project presentation aims to provide orientation and action guidelines to facilitate similar processes in other faculties. PMID:27579354

Comparative design of the superstructure of timber bridges, using norm np 005 - 2003 and provisions of european standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiotan Corina

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The norms and standards for design of timber bridges, as well as other structures built from this material, were obsolete, design standards that were used dated from 1978 to 1980. The introduction of European Standards has created a new legislative framework in the field of designing and building timber bridges. Currently the design of such constructions use Norm NP 005-2003 and SR EN 1995-1-1: 2004 Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures. Part 1-1: General. Common rules and rules for buildings, SR EN 1995-2: 2005 Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures. Part 2: Bridges, along with their national annexes. The aim of this paper is to analyze the design of the beams for timber bridges in parallel, using on one hand Norm NP 005 - 2003, and on the other hand provisions of European standards. The design requirements for both norms as well as the results of a case study for a structural element of a timber bridge will be presented.

Procedure and reference standard to determine the structural resolution in coordinate metrology

Science.gov (United States)

Illemann, Jens; Bartscher, Markus; Jusko, Otto; Härtig, Frank; Neuschaefer-Rube, Ulrich; Wendt, Klaus

2014-06-01

A new procedure and reference standards for specifying the structural resolution in coordinate metrology traceable to the SI unit the metre are proposed. With the definition of the structural resolution, a significant gap will be closed to complete ‘acceptance and verification tests’ of the coordinate measuring systems (CMSs) which are specified in the ISO 10360 series dealing with tactile sensors, optical sensors, and x-ray computed tomography measurement systems (CTs). The proposed new procedure uses reference standards with circular rounded edges. The idea is to measure the radius of curvature on a calibrated round edge structure. From the deviation between the measured and the calibrated radius, an analogue Gaussian broadening of the measurement system is determined. This value is a well-defined and easy-to-apply measure to define the structural resolution for dimensional measurements. It is applicable to CMSs which are based on different sensing principles, e.g. tactile, optical and CT systems. On the other hand, it has a physical meaning similar to the classical optical point-spread function. It makes it possible to predict which smallest details the CMS is capable of measuring reliably for an arbitrary object shape. The theoretical background of the new procedure is given, an appropriate reference standard is described and comparative, quantitative measurement data of CMSs featuring different sensors are shown.

Standard operation procedures for conducting the on-the-road driving test, and measurement of the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP).

Science.gov (United States)

Verster, Joris C; Roth, Thomas

2011-01-01

This review discusses the methodology of the standardized on-the-road driving test and standard operation procedures to conduct the test and analyze the data. The on-the-road driving test has proven to be a sensitive and reliable method to examine driving ability after administration of central nervous system (CNS) drugs. The test is performed on a public highway in normal traffic. Subjects are instructed to drive with a steady lateral position and constant speed. Its primary parameter, the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), ie, an index of 'weaving', is a stable measure of driving performance with high test-retest reliability. SDLP differences from placebo are dose-dependent, and do not depend on the subject's baseline driving skills (placebo SDLP). It is important that standard operation procedures are applied to conduct the test and analyze the data in order to allow comparisons between studies from different sites.

[Procedure of seed quality testing and seed grading standard of Prunus humilis].

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Hao; Ren, Guang-Xi; Gao, Ya; Luo, Jun; Liu, Chun-Sheng; Li, Wei-Dong

2014-11-01

So far there exists no corresponding quality test procedures and grading standards for the seed of Prunus humilis, which is one of the important source of base of semen pruni. Therefor we set up test procedures that are adapt to characteristics of the P. humilis seed through the study of the test of sampling, seed purity, thousand-grain weight, seed moisture, seed viability and germination percentage. 50 cases of seed specimens of P. humilis tested. The related data were analyzed by cluster analysis. Through this research, the seed quality test procedure was developed, and the seed quality grading standard was formulated. The seed quality of each grade should meet the following requirements: for first grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 68%, thousand-grain weight 383 g, purity ≥ 93%, seed moisture ≤ 5%; for second grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 26%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 266 g, purity ≥ 73%, seed moisture ≤9%; for third grade seeds, germination percentage ≥ 10%, purity ≥ 50%, thousand-grain weight ≥ 08 g, seed moisture ≤ 13%.

Standard working procedures in production of traditionally fermented Sremska sausage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vesković-Moračanin Slavica

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Investigations conducted within project "Techonological and protective characteristics of autochthonous strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional fermented sausages and possibilities for their implementation in the meat industry" (Project Number: 20127, financed on behalf of the Ministry for Science and Technology of the Republic of Serbia, have provided an answer on the characteristics of the quality of the used raw materials for the production of Sremska sausage - one of the most well-known Serbian traditionally fermented sausages (choice of meat, fatty tissue, additives and spices, and data have been registered in connection with the procedures of their processing, microclimatic conditions have been established (temperature, relative humidity, and air circulation during the entire process of production and fermentation, as well as the presence and types of microorganisms, primarily lactic acid bacteria (BMK, the carrier of lactic fermentation. The most important characteristics of the filling have been established, the smoking regimen, the regimens of fermentation, maturing, drying, as well as the parameters for quality and safety of the finished product. At the same time, the standard working procedure has been determined for the preparation of the meat, fatty tissue, the forming and inserting of the filling into the wrappers, as well as the characteristics of the finished products. The given standard working procedure should serve as a guideline for the meat industry in the production process of this traditional fermented sausage.

The European Energy Regulators Group. A panacea for good governance?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavrijssen, S.A.C.M.

2004-01-01

This article analyses how the European Energy Regulators Group (ERGEG) may promote good governance in the EU. It is concluded that the ERGEG to some extent can stimulate national regulatory authorities into implementing European law more consistently, effectively and proportionally. Since the European Commission has a special responsibility as regards the functioning of the ERGEG, the future role of the ERGEG will depend on whether or not the Commission will leave it some autonomy to develop its advisory-, benchmarking- and coordinating role. Since the European legal framework does not include clear procedural good governance norms, there is a danger that the interests of the market parties are inadequately represented and protected at the European level. Although the ERGEG cannot take legally binding decisions, it is argued that its decisions or common standards may have legal effects. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the European legal framework regulates the right of access to ERGEG documents, the exchange and use of information within the ERGEG, the protection of confidential information, the right of participation and the involvement of the European Parliament [nl

ABOUT THE FINANCIAL REPORTING ON THE CAPITAL MARKETS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: REQUIREMENTS OF USING THE IFRS AND THE EQUIVALENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aristita Rotila

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The need to build a single European market and to ensure the competitiveness of the community capital markets led to the involvement of European Union in the convergence process taking place on a global level in the realm of financial reporting. This paper is a study on financial reporting for the capital markets in the European Union by analyzing the accounting standards that need to be applied. Specifically, this paper highlights a number of issues concerning: the adoption of IAS / IFRS in the European Union and their compulsory aspect in preparing the consolidated financial statements for the companies listed on a regulated market; the requirement’s extension of using the IFRSs adopted in the European Union to the issuers of certain third countries involving a public offer of securities in European Union or performing transactions with securities on a community regulated market; the establish of a mechanism for the determination of equivalence of certain third country accounting standards with IFRSs in force at European level and, consequently, the possibility of using by some third country issuers, in preparing the consolidated financial statements submitted to the European markets, recognized national standards as equivalent to adopted IFRS.

Current issues on a standard for surrogate pregnancy procedures

OpenAIRE

Ha, Jung-Ok

2012-01-01

While Korea does not have any legal statement on surrogacy, treatments are carried out in practice. As a result, every Institutional Review Board (IRB) of each fertility clinic faces an ethical predicament in reviewing each case. There is a need to arrange the institutions' own standards of surrogate pregnancy procedures before the establishment of national or professional regulation. This article examines the legal, social, and medical issues of surrogacy to help IRBs to judge their cases.

Current issues on a standard for surrogate pregnancy procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Jung-Ok

2012-12-01

While Korea does not have any legal statement on surrogacy, treatments are carried out in practice. As a result, every Institutional Review Board (IRB) of each fertility clinic faces an ethical predicament in reviewing each case. There is a need to arrange the institutions' own standards of surrogate pregnancy procedures before the establishment of national or professional regulation. This article examines the legal, social, and medical issues of surrogacy to help IRBs to judge their cases.

Impact of European standard EN15251 in the energy certification of services buildings-A Portuguese study case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexandre, J.L.; Freire, A.; Teixeira, A.M.; Silva, M.; Rouboa, A.

2011-01-01

In Europe, about 40% of the energy is consumed in buildings, more than by industry or transport. However, there is a great potential for energy savings in this field, often at little cost. A new European directive and several European standards, including the comfort standard EN15251, were created to develop comfortable and efficient buildings. This paper presents the interaction of this specific standard with the application of energy efficiency regulations. In order to evaluate the impact of the EN15251 application in commercial buildings, a case study was analyzed using the dynamic simulation software TRNSYS-The Transient Energy System Simulation Tool. The building was set according to the standard conditions specified by the national regulation, and the assessment of comfort requirements of EN15251 was verified. It was found that the current comfort requirements of the Portuguese regulation are not sufficient to achieve by themselves the comfort categories specified in the EN15251. About 55% of the comfort hours could not be assured. Furthermore, reaching the main comfort requirements (temperature/fresh air rates) of the EN15251 does not lead directly to the assessment of the corresponding categories. Results showed that the building stayed one comfort category behind from the desired when the correspondent operative temperatures were secured. On the other hand, it was found possible to achieve the comfort categories by increasing the operative temperature ranges, imposed by the standard, about 1 deg. C. This has a negative consequence, which is the increment of energy consumption. However, there is a large room for maneuver to reduce this consumption into acceptable levels according to the EPBD. - Highlights: → We study the interaction of European standard with energy efficiency regulations. → We evaluate the impact of the EN15251 application in commercial buildings. → Buildings were set according to the standards specified by the national regulation. �

Standard and procedures for measuring and evaluating of the field electromagnetic signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fallas Cordero, Oscar

2007-01-01

Rules and procedures are developed for measuring the intensity of electromagnetic field signals produced by public commercial broadcasters. International and national standards applicable to existing broadcasting area were investigated. The Manual para la Comprobacion Tecnica de las Emisiones of the International Radio Consultative Committee of the International Telecommunications Union was used for reference in the procedures. It was worked in coordination with the Control Nacional de Radio and Radio U to obtain information and to study the teams to present a measurement system for laboratory that meets with the standards suggested and which can encompass a wide range of transmission services. Finally agreed with the analysis and research work done, a series of recommendations were made for improvement, which are considered to implement them in medium and long time. (author) [es

Validation of standard operating procedures in a multicenter retrospective study to identify -omics biomarkers for chronic low back pain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Concetta Dagostino

Full Text Available Chronic low back pain (CLBP is one of the most common medical conditions, ranking as the greatest contributor to global disability and accounting for huge societal costs based on the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Large genetic and -omics studies provide a promising avenue for the screening, development and validation of biomarkers useful for personalized diagnosis and treatment (precision medicine. Multicentre studies are needed for such an effort, and a standardized and homogeneous approach is vital for recruitment of large numbers of participants among different centres (clinical and laboratories to obtain robust and reproducible results. To date, no validated standard operating procedures (SOPs for genetic/-omics studies in chronic pain have been developed. In this study, we validated an SOP model that will be used in the multicentre (5 centres retrospective "PainOmics" study, funded by the European Community in the 7th Framework Programme, which aims to develop new biomarkers for CLBP through three different -omics approaches: genomics, glycomics and activomics. The SOPs describe the specific procedures for (1 blood collection, (2 sample processing and storage, (3 shipping details and (4 cross-check testing and validation before assays that all the centres involved in the study have to follow. Multivariate analysis revealed the absolute specificity and homogeneity of the samples collected by the five centres for all genetics, glycomics and activomics analyses. The SOPs used in our multicenter study have been validated. Hence, they could represent an innovative tool for the correct management and collection of reliable samples in other large-omics-based multicenter studies.

25-Hydroxyvitamin-D3 serum modulation after use of sunbeds compliant with European Union standards: A randomized open observational controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Benedikt; Bachmann, Chantal C; Braun, Ralph; Abraham, Alison G; Serra, Andreas L; Hofbauer, Günther F L

2017-07-01

Regular use of sunbed exposure has been reported to increase 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 [25(OH)D] serum levels. However, the influence of sunbeds compliant with the recent European Union standard EN-60335-2-27 on 25(OH)D serum levels is unknown. We investigated the impact of standard sunbed use compliant with the European Union standard on 25(OH)D serum modulation and well-being. In a randomized controlled study, 25(OH)D serum levels were measured at enrollment, after 1 week, and after completion of the 12-week period of sunbed use with twice weekly exposure and compared with the control group without any sunbed exposure. In the sunbed intervention group (N = 31), a 27% increase of mean 25(OH)D levels was noted 1 week after starting sunbed use (P European Union standard induced a transient increase of 25(OH)D levels, whereas no change in well-being was observed. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Licensing procedure, nuclear codes and standards in the Federal Republic of Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultheiss, G.F.

1980-01-01

The present paper deals with legal background of licensing in nuclear technology and atomic energy use, licensing procedures for nuclear power plants and with codes, standards and guidelines in the Federal Republic of Germany. (orig./RW)

Estimating the Standard Error of the Judging in a modified-Angoff Standards Setting Procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert G. MacCann

2004-03-01

Full Text Available For a modified Angoff standards setting procedure, two methods of calculating the standard error of the..judging were compared. The Central Limit Theorem (CLT method is easy to calculate and uses readily..available data. It estimates the variance of mean cut scores as a function of the variance of cut scores within..a judging group, based on the independent judgements at Stage 1 of the process. Its theoretical drawback is..that it is unable to take account of the effects of collaboration among the judges at Stages 2 and 3. The..second method, an application of equipercentile (EQP equating, relies on the selection of very large stable..candidatures and the standardisation of the raw score distributions to remove effects associated with test..difficulty. The standard error estimates were then empirically obtained from the mean cut score variation..observed over a five year period. For practical purposes, the two methods gave reasonable agreement, with..the CLT method working well for the top band, the band that attracts most public attention. For some..bands in English and Mathematics, the CLT standard error was smaller than the EQP estimate, suggesting..the CLT method be used with caution as an approximate guide only.

Implementation in Russia and the European Union of International Safety Standards of Identity Documents with Biometric Data: Legal Regulation and Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Grigoryevich Volevodz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article contains the findings of a research into particular aspects of use of identity documents with personal biometric data. It considers the international safety standards of documents with biometric data worked out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, pursuant to which those data should be included into machine-readable documents used by their holders for travel to various states. It contains the information on the implementation of these international standards in Russian and European Union law. The author has substantiated a conclusion to the effect that the procedure established in Russia for production and issuance, as well as for use of international, diplomatic and service passports identifying the Russian Federation citizen outside the Russian Federation territory, containing electronic information carriers with personal and biometric personal data, currently conforms to the international safety standards of documents with biometric data. The article surveys the experience of introducing domestic biometric identity documents - electronic passports in various countries of the world, and the problems arising therefrom. It substantiates the advantages and disadvantages of determining a passport of the Russian Federation citizen issued in the form of an identity card with an electronic information carrier, as the main document of the Russian Federation citizen identifying him domestically within the country's territory.

Chapter 8. Medical procedures. Recommendations and standard operating procedures for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza epidemic or mass disaster

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zimmerman, Janice L.; Sprung, Charles L.; Christian, Michael D.; Camargo, Ruben; Ceraso, Daniel; Azoulay, Elie; Duguet, Alexandre; Guery, Benoit; Reinhart, Konrad; Adini, Bruria; Barlavie, Yaron; Benin-Goren, Odeda; Cohen, Robert; Klein, Motti; Leoniv, Yuval; Margalit, Gila; Rubinovitch, Bina; Sonnenblick, Moshe; Steinberg, Avraham; Weissman, Charles; Wolff, Donna; Kesecioglu, Jozef; de Jong, Menno; Moreno, Rui; An, Youzhong; Du, Bin; Joynt, Gavin M.; Colvin, John; Loo, Shi; Richards, Guy; Artigas, Antonio; Pugin, Jerome; Amundson, Dennis; Devereaux, Asha; Beigel, John; Danis, Marion; Farmer, Chris; Hick, John L.; Maki, Dennis; Masur, Henry; Rubinson, Lewis; Sandrock, Christian; Talmor, Daniel; Truog, Robert; Zimmerman, Janice; Brett, Steve; Montgomery, Hugh; Rhodes, Andrew; Sanderson, Frances; Taylor, Bruce

2010-01-01

To provide recommendations and standard operating procedures for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza pandemic or mass disaster with a specific focus on ensuring that adequate resources are available and appropriate protocols are developed to safely perform procedures in

Joint Efforts Towards European HF Radar Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, A.; Mader, J.; Griffa, A.; Mantovani, C.; Corgnati, L.; Novellino, A.; Schulz-Stellenfleth, J.; Quentin, C.; Wyatt, L.; Ruiz, M. I.; Lorente, P.; Hartnett, M.; Gorringe, P.

2016-12-01

During the past two years, significant steps have been made in Europe for achieving the needed accessibility to High Frequency Radar (HFR) data for a pan-European use. Since 2015, EuroGOOS Ocean Observing Task Teams (TT), such as HFR TT, are operational networks of observing platforms. The main goal is on the harmonization of systems requirements, systems design, data quality, improvement and proof of the readiness and standardization of HFR data access and tools. Particular attention is being paid by HFR TT to converge from different projects and programs toward those common objectives. First, JERICO-NEXT (Joint European Research Infrastructure network for Coastal Observatory - Novel European eXpertise for coastal observaTories, H2020 2015 Programme) will contribute on describing the status of the European network, on seeking harmonization through exchange of best practices and standardization, on developing and giving access to quality control procedures and new products, and finally on demonstrating the use of such technology in the general scientific strategy focused by the Coastal Observatory. Then, EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network) Physics started to assemble HF radar metadata and data products within Europe in a uniform way. This long term program is providing a combined array of services and functionalities to users for obtaining free of charge data, meta-data and data products on the physical conditions of European sea basins and oceans. Additionally, the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) delivers from 2015 a core information service to any user related to 4 areas of benefits: Maritime Safety, Coastal and Marine Environment, Marine Resources, and Weather, Seasonal Forecasting and Climate activities. INCREASE (Innovation and Networking for the integration of Coastal Radars into EuropeAn marine SErvices - CMEMS Service Evolution 2016) will set the necessary developments towards the integration of existing European

How to develop a Standard Operating Procedure for sorting unfixed cells

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, Ingrid

2012-01-01

Written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are an important tool to assure that recurring tasks in a laboratory are performed in a consistent manner. When the procedure covered in the SOP involves a high-risk activity such as sorting unfixed cells using a jet-in-air sorter, safety elements are critical components of the document. The details on sort sample handling, sorter set-up, validation, operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance, personal protective equipment (PPE), and operator training, outlined in the SOP are to be based on careful risk assessment of the procedure. This review provides background information on the hazards associated with sorting of unfixed cells and the process used to arrive at the appropriate combination of facility design, instrument placement, safety equipment, and practices to be followed. PMID:22381383

How to develop a standard operating procedure for sorting unfixed cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, Ingrid

2012-07-01

Written standard operating procedures (SOPs) are an important tool to assure that recurring tasks in a laboratory are performed in a consistent manner. When the procedure covered in the SOP involves a high-risk activity such as sorting unfixed cells using a jet-in-air sorter, safety elements are critical components of the document. The details on sort sample handling, sorter set-up, validation, operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance, personal protective equipment (PPE), and operator training, outlined in the SOP are to be based on careful risk assessment of the procedure. This review provides background information on the hazards associated with sorting of unfixed cells and the process used to arrive at the appropriate combination of facility design, instrument placement, safety equipment, and practices to be followed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical audits: who does control what? European guide lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvinen, H.

2009-01-01

The E.C. directive 97/43/EURATOM (M.E.D.-directive) introduced the concept of Clinical Audit for the assessment of medical radiological practices (diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy). The European Commission started in June 2007 a special project to review in detail the status of implementation of Clinical audits in Member States and to prepare European Guidance on Clinical Audits for diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. The purpose of this E.C. project is to provide clear and comprehensive information and guidance on the procedures and criteria for clinical audits in all radiological practices, in order to improve the implementation of Article 6.4 of the M.E.D.-directive. The guidance should be flexible and enable the member States to adopt the model of clinical audit with respect to their national legislation and administrative provisions. By definition, clinical audit is a systematic examination or review of medical radiological procedures. It seeks to improve the quality and the outcome of patient care through structured review whereby radiological practices, procedures and results are examined against agreed standards for good medical radiological procedures. Modifications of the practices are implemented where indicated and new standards applied if necessary. The general objectives of clinical audit should be: to improve the quality of patient care, to promote the effective use of resources, to enhance the provision and organization of clinical services, to further professional education and training. Clinical audits must be at the same time internal (set by the management of the department) and external (set by external auditors at the department). It must not be confused with other evaluation activities such inspections, accreditation or quality system certifications. Clinical audits should address structure, process and outcome such the unit mission, quality assurance, dosimetry and treatments follow-up. The recent

European wind turbine testing procedure developments. Task 1: Measurement method to verify wind turbine performance characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunter, R.; Friis Pedersen, T.; Dunbabin, P.; Antoniou, I.; Frandsen, S.; Klug, H.; Albers, A.; Lee, W.K.

2001-01-01

There is currently significant standardisation work ongoing in the context of wind farm energy yield warranty assessment and wind turbine power performance testing. A standards maintenance team is revising the current IEC (EN) 61400-12 Ed 1 standard for wind turbine power performance testing. The standard is being divided into four documents. Two of them are drafted for evaluation and verification of complete wind farms and of individual wind turbines within wind farms. This document, and the project it describes, has been designed to help provide a solid technical foundation for this revised standard. The work was wide ranging and addressed 'grey' areas of knowledge, regarding existing methodologies or to carry out basic research in support of fundamentally new procedures. The work has given rise to recommendations in all areas of the work, including site calibration procedures, nacelle anemometry, multi-variate regression analysis and density normalisation. (au)

Influence of new customs procedures and logistic security standards on companies competiveness – a Croatian company case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandar Erceg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In today’s global market, companies are constantly confronted with the competition on the local, national and international level. Companies therefore use a variety of strategies and tools to become and/or remain competitive. Potential areas for cost reduction in companies are supply chain management and logistic and customs procedures. Implementation of various logistic standards in supply chain management can provide significant cost savings for the company’s daily operations and thus reduce overall costs and improve the competitiveness. Using different customs procedures and logistic standards to reduce their costs and become more competitive in the market is necessary for Croatian companies. The method of using these tools is not a one-time process and requires constant efforts. Companies therefore have to be ready to improve daily to be and remain competitive. Using a variety of modern customs procedures can save their money and time, not only through these procedures, but also through better use of their employee’s time, their own vehicles and other equipment. The paper analyzes various customs procedures and logistic standards that can help companies save time and money and improve their competitiveness. In the example of Croatian company, which uses various available procedures and standards the benefits of their use are shown. Apart from bringing savings in operations, all these procedures and standards allow the company to be better, cheaper and more attractive to buyers.

Standard audit procedure for continuous emission monitors and ambient air monitoring instruments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-06-15

The instruments were published in an operational policy manual in 2009. This policy aims to introduce standard audit criteria that can be used to determine if continuous emission monitors and ambient air monitoring devices are operating within acceptable parameters. Before delivering upscale points of the instrument to be audited, each one of the audit equipment used in the field is required to be at normal operating conditions. Before the beginning of the audit, each one of the meteorological and flow measurement equipment is required to be conditioned to current conditions. If the audit fails, the instrument will have to be audited quarterly. The establishment of specific procedures based on instrument manufacturer or certifying body operational standards is required in the case of non-continuous monitoring instruments presenting operational principles outside of the audit procedures listed in the document.

10th European Zebrafish Meeting 2017, Budapest: Husbandry Workshop Summary.

Science.gov (United States)

Oltová, Jana; Barton, Carrie; Certal, Ana Catarina; Argenton, Francesco; Varga, Zoltán M

2018-01-02

A husbandry workshop on July 3, 2017, at the 10th European Zebrafish Meeting in Budapest, Hungary (July 3-July 7, 2017), focused on the standardization, optimization, and streamlining of fish facility procedures. Standardization can be achieved for example by developing novel software and hardware tools, such as a fish facility database for husbandry and environmental facility management (Zebrabase, Oltova), or a hand-held, air-pressurized fish feeder for consistent food distribution (Blowfish, Argenton). Streamlining is achieved when work hours are reduced, as with the standardized fish feeder, or by limiting the number and types of fish diets and observing the effect on animal welfare and performance (Barton). Testing the characteristics of new fish diets and observing whether they produce better experimental outcomes (Certal) optimizes diets and improves fish productivity. Collectively, the workshop presentations emphasized how consistency and harmonization of husbandry procedures within and across aquatic facilities yield reproducible scientific outcomes.

The need to qualify Non Destructive Tests (NDT) has been recognized for many years in the European countries engaged in nuclear power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walczak, M.; Wojas, M.

2008-01-01

The European Network for Inspection Qualification, ENIQ, which groups the major part of the nuclear power plant operators in the European Union and in the Applicant Countries, has developed the European methodology for Qualification of Non Destructive Tests. As qualification of NDT is nowadays a standard method in the nuclear industry and in other industries. CEN (European Committee for Standardization) Technical Committee 138 '' Non Destructive Testing '' has established a Working Group, which is responsible for developing a Standard document detailing the CEN Methodology for the qualification of Non Destructive Tests applicable to all industries carrying out Non-Destructive Tests. This Standard document sets out basic principles and provides recommendations and general guidelines for carrying out qualification of NDT. It describes a methodology for qualification of Non-Destructive Tests, applicable to all NDT methods and considers qualification of equipment, procedure and personnel training. This paper presents a short background of the European Methodology for Qualification of Non-Destructive Tests and the Standard document CEN/TR 14748 '' Non-destructive testing - Methodology for qualification of non-destructive tests ''. (author)

HYGIEN AND TECHNOLOGY OF SMOKED SALMON’S PRODUCTION: COMPARISON BETWEEN STANDARD HEALTLY REFERENCE OF EUROPEAN LEGISLATION AND AN EXTRACOMUNITY ONE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.M. Mannocchi

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The work makes a comparison between European and Switzerland legislation through an inspection in an artisan producing smoked salmon factory. The analysis of HACCP plan, technology and microbiological characteristic of finished product, as enshrined in Switzerland law, allow to categorize the business risk level respect the European reference. The criticalities detected are: Listeria monocytogenes and Anisakis spp.. A plain was developed for improving the hygienic characteristic of the production to ensure the alignment of structure to the standards specified by the European requirements and allow to the factory send his products inside the European market.

15 CFR 10.7 - Procedure when a recommended standard is not supported by a consensus.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedure when a recommended standard is not supported by a consensus. 10.7 Section 10.7 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary... recommended standard is not supported by a consensus. If the Department determines that a recommended standard...

Development and pilot of an internationally standardized measure of cardiovascular risk management in European primary care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szecsenyi Joachim

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Primary care can play an important role in providing cardiovascular risk management in patients with established Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD, patients with a known high risk of developing CVD, and potentially for individuals with a low risk of developing CVD, but who have unhealthy lifestyles. To describe and compare cardiovascular risk management, internationally valid quality indicators and standardized measures are needed. As part of a large project in 9 European countries (EPA-Cardio, we have developed and tested a set of standardized measures, linked to previously developed quality indicators. Methods A structured stepwise procedure was followed to develop measures. First, the research team allocated 106 validated quality indicators to one of the three target populations (established CVD, at high risk, at low risk and to different data-collection methods (data abstraction from the medical records, a patient survey, an interview with lead practice GP/a practice survey. Secondly, we selected a number of other validated measures to enrich the assessment. A pilot study was performed to test the feasibility. Finally, we revised the measures based on the findings. Results The EPA-Cardio measures consisted of abstraction forms from the medical-records data of established Coronary Heart Disease (CHD-patients - and high-risk groups, a patient questionnaire for each of the 3 groups, an interview questionnaire for the lead GP and a questionnaire for practice teams. The measures were feasible and accepted by general practices from different countries. Conclusions An internationally standardized measure of cardiovascular risk management, linked to validated quality indicators and tested for feasibility in general practice, is now available. Careful development and pilot testing of the measures are crucial in international studies of quality of healthcare.

CT4 - Cost-Optimum Procedures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Kirsten Engelund; Wittchen, Kim Bjarne

This report collects the status in European member states regarding implementation of the cos optimum procedure for setting energy performance requirements to new and existing buildings.......This report collects the status in European member states regarding implementation of the cos optimum procedure for setting energy performance requirements to new and existing buildings....

The gold standard and the European Monetary Union (EMU) : are the factors that contributed to the breakdown of the gold standard also present in the EMU?

OpenAIRE

Wergeland, Helene

2012-01-01

This thesis seeks to identify the most important factors that contributed to the breakdown of the gold standard in the 1930s, and to see if these factors are present in the European Monetary Union (EMU) today. This is done in order to find out if the same factors might create, or have created, similar instabilities and problems in the EMU as they imposed on the interwar gold standard. The factors regarded as important for the breakdown of the gold standard are (1) the central ...

The primary exposure standard for Co-60 gamma radiation: characteristics and measurements procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laitano, R.F.; Toni, M.P.

1983-01-01

A description is given of a cavity ionization chamber used, as a primary exposure standard, at the Laboratorio di Metrologia delle Radiazioni Ionizzanti of the ENEA in Italy. The primary standard is designed to make absolute measurements of exposure due to the Co-60 gamma radiation. The procedures for the realizationof the exposure unit are also described. Finally results of some international comparisons are reported

Elaborating European Pharmacopoeia monographs for biotherapeutic proteins using substances from a single source.

Science.gov (United States)

Buda, M; Wicks, S; Charton, E

2016-01-01

For more than twenty years, the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) monographs for biotherapeutic proteins have been elaborated using the multisource approach (Procedure 1), which has led to robust quality standards for many of the first-generation biotherapeutics. In 2008, the Ph. Eur. opened up the way towards an alternative mechanism for the elaboration of monographs (Procedure 4-BIO pilot phase), which is applied to substances still under patent protection, based on a close collaboration with the Innovator company, to ensure a harmonised global standard and strengthen the quality of the upcoming products. This article describes the lessons learned during the P4-BIO pilot phase and addresses the current thinking on monograph elaboration in the field of biotherapeutics. Case studies are described to illustrate the standardisation challenges associated with the complexity of biotherapeutics and of analytical procedures, as well as the approaches that help ensure expectations are met when setting monograph specifications and allow for compatibility with the development of biosimilars. Emphasis is put on monograph flexibility, notably by including tests that measure process-dependent microheterogeneity (e.g. glycosylation) in the Production section of the monograph. The European Pharmacopoeia successfully concluded the pilot phase of the P4-BIO during its 156 th session on 22-23 November 2016.

Feasibility of dietary assessment methods, other tools and procedures for a pan-European food consumption survey among infants, toddlers and children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ocké, Marga; Brants, Henny; Dofkova, Marcela

2014-01-01

Purpose To test the feasibility of tools and procedures for a pan-European food consumption survey among children 0-10 years and to recommend one of two tested dietary assessment methods. Methods Two pilot studies including 378 children were conducted in Belgium and the Czech Republic in the Pilot...... more challenging by the interviewers. Conclusions Both dietary assessment methods with related tools and administration protocols were evaluated as feasible. The administration protocol with two 1-day food diaries with completion interviews offers more advantages for the future pan-European survey...

Translation procedures for standardised quality of life questionnaires: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Koller, Michael; Aaronson, Neil K; Blazeby, Jane; Bottomley, Andrew; Dewolf, Linda; Fayers, Peter; Johnson, Colin; Ramage, John; Scott, Neil; West, Karen

2007-08-01

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life (EORTC QL) questionnaires are used in international trials and therefore standardised translation procedures are required. This report summarises the EORTC translation procedure, recent accomplishments and challenges. Translations follow a forward-backward procedure, independently carried out by two native-speakers of the target language. Discrepancies are arbitrated by a third consultant, and solutions are reached by consensus. Translated questionnaires undergo a pilot-testing. Suggestions are incorporated into the final questionnaire. Requests for translations originate from the module developers, physicians or pharmaceutical industry, and most translations are performed by professional translators. The translation procedure is managed and supervised by a Translation Coordinator within the EORTC QL Unit in Brussels. To date, the EORTC QLQ-C30 has been translated and validated into more than 60 languages, with further translations in progress. Translations include all major Western, and many African and Asian languages. The following translation problems were encountered: lack of expressions for specific symptoms in various languages, the use of old-fashioned language, recent spelling reforms in several European countries and different priorities of social issues between Western and Eastern cultures. The EORTC measurement system is now registered for use in over 9000 clinical trials worldwide. The EORTC provides strong infrastructure and quality control to produce robust translated questionnaires. Nevertheless, translation problems have been identified. The key to improvements may lie in the particular features and strengths of the group, consisting of researchers from 21 countries representing 25 languages and include the development of simple source versions, the use of advanced computerised tools, rigorous pilot-testing, certification procedures and insights from a unique cross

Standard Guidelines of Care: Performing Procedures in Patients on or Recently Administered with Isotretinoin.

Science.gov (United States)

Mysore, Venkataram; Mahadevappa, Omprakash H; Barua, Shyamanta; Majid, Imran; Viswanath, Vishalakshi; Bhat, Ramesh M; Talwar, Suresh; Thurakkal, Salim; Aurangabadkar, Sanjeev J; Chatterjee, Manas; Ganjoo, Anil

2017-01-01

Currently, the standard protocol regarding the performance of procedures on patients receiving or having recently received isotretinoin (13- cis -retinoic acid) states that the procedures should not be performed. The recommendations in standard books and drug insert require discontinuation of isotretinoin for 6 months before performing cosmetic procedures, including waxing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser procedures, or incisional and excisional cold-steel surgery. These recommendations have been followed for over two decades despite little evidence for the stated increased risk of scarring. The Association of Cutaneous Surgeons (I) constituted a task force to review the evidence and to recommend consensus guidelines regarding the safety of skin procedures, including resurfacing, energy-device treatments, and dermatosurgical procedures in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration. Data were extracted from the literature through a PubMed search using the keywords "isotretinoin," "safety," "scarring," "keloids," "hypertrophic scarring," and "pigmentation." The evidence was then labeled and circulated to all members of task force for review. The task force is of the opinion that there is insufficient evidence to support the current protocol of avoiding and delaying treatments in the patient group under consideration and recommends that the current practice should be discontinued. The task force concludes that performing procedures such as laser hair removal, fractional lasers for aging and acne scarring, lasers for pigmented skin lesions, fractional radio-frequency microneedling, superficial and medium-depth peels, microdermabrasion, dermaroller, biopsies, radio-frequency ablation, and superficial excisions is safe in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration.

British standard (BS) 5750--quality assurance?

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, D J

1995-04-01

BS5750 is the British Standard on "Quality Systems". Its equivalent in European Standards is EN29000 and in the International Standards Organisation ISO9000. This paper points out that these standards lay down formalised procedures and require documentation but do not ipso facto lead to quality assurance. The author points to the Japanese post-war industrial success as being an example of Total Quality Management within the framework provided by the philosophy of Dr. W. Edwards Deming (1988 and 1993). This philosophy on the management of "systems" to provide high quality products and services is briefly outlined. The author argues that improvement in prosthetic and orthotic services will not be reached through implementation of BS5750 but rather through radical rethinking and the adoption and application of the Deming philosophy.

40 CFR 75.33 - Standard missing data procedures for SO2, NOX, Hg, and flow rate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SO2, NOX, Hg, and flow rate. 75.33 Section 75.33 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Procedures § 75.33 Standard missing data procedures for SO2, NOX, Hg, and flow rate. (a) Following initial...—Missing Data Procedure for SO2 CEMS, CO2 CEMS, Moisture CEMS, Hg CEMS, and Diluent (CO2 or O2) Monitors...

PFGE standard operating procedures for Listeria monocytogenes: harmonizing the typing of food and clinical strains in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Michelon, Damien; Félix, Benjamin; Vingadassalon, Noemie; Mariet, Jean-François; Larsson, Jonas T; Møller-Nielsen, Eva; Roussel, Sophie

2015-03-01

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen responsible for a severe disease known as listeriosis. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) coordinates a network of national public health laboratories (NPHLs) in charge of typing clinical strains. In food, it is the European Union Reference Laboratory for L. monocytogenes (EURL Lm), which manages a network of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs). A pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) standard operating procedure (EURL SOP) has been used routinely at the EURL Lm since 2007. The EURL Lm has recommended that NRLs use the EURL SOP, whereas the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), under contract for ECDC, requested that NPHLs use Halpins' SOP (HSOP) published in 2010 for the PulseNet USA network. An update of Halpins' SOP (uHSOP) was published in 2013. To facilitate the exchange of profiles among human and food European reference laboratories, it is crucial to ensure that the PFGE profiles obtained with these different SOPs are comparable. The aim here was to compare the EURL SOP with HSOP and uHSOP. The panel comprised 114 well-characterized SSI/EURL strains. All were characterized at the EURL using both the EURL SOP and uHSOP. Seventy of the 114 strains were also characterized at the SSI using HSOP. The EURL SOP and uHSOP produced indistinguishable combined (ApaI/AscI) profiles for the 114 strains tested. The EURL SOP and HSOP produced indistinguishable combined profiles for 69 of the 70 strains tested. One strain displayed for the AscI profile an additional low-intensity band at 184 kbp with HSOP. For this strain, SSI and EUR Lm had already observed the same profile from NPHLs and NRLs. However, this deviation is minor as it accounted for about 1% of all the 114 combined profiles. This study should facilitate the exchange of reproducible PFGE profiles among human and food reference laboratories.

Standard testing procedures for optical fiber and unshielded twisted pair at Sandia National Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, R.L.

1993-11-01

This document will establish a working standard for testing optical fiber and unshielded twisted pair cables included in the Lab-wide telecommunications cabling system. The purpose of these standard testing procedures is to deliver to all Sandians a reliable, low-maintenance, state-of-the-art, ubiquitous telecommunications cabling infrastructure capable of satisfying all current and future telecommunication needs.

9 CFR 354.210 - Minimum standards for sanitation, facilities, and operating procedures in official plants.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Minimum standards for sanitation, facilities, and operating procedures in official plants. 354.210 Section 354.210 Animals and Animal Products... sanitation, facilities, and operating procedures in official plants. The provisions of §§ 354.210 to 354.247...

The need for European professional standards and the challenges facing clinical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Humphreys, H; Nagy, E; Kahlmeter, G; Ruijs, G J H M

2010-06-01

Microorganisms spread across national boundaries and the professional activities of clinical (medical) microbiologists are critical in minimising their impact. Clinical microbiologists participate in many activities, e.g. diagnosis, antibiotic therapy, and there is a need for a set of professional standards for Europe with a common curriculum, to build upon the current strengths of the specialty and to facilitate the free movement of specialists within the European Union. Such standards will also better highlight the important contribution of clinical microbiologists to healthcare. There is a move to larger centralised microbiology laboratories often located off-site from an acute hospital, driven by the concentration of resources, amalgamation of services, outsourcing of diagnostics, automation, an explosion in the range of staff competencies and accreditation. Large off-site centralised microbiology laboratories are often distant to the patient and may not facilitate the early detection of microbial spread. Ultimately, the needs of patients and the public are paramount in deciding on the future direction of clinical microbiology. Potential conflicts between integration on an acute hospital site and centralisation can be resolved by a common set of professional standards and a team-based approach that puts patients first.

Modernization and consolidation of the European radiation protection legislation. The new EURATOM radiation protection basic safety standards; Modernisierung und Konsolidierung der europaeischen Strahlenschutzgesetzgebung. Die neuen Euratom-Strahlenschutzgrundnormen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mundigl, S. [Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg (Luxembourg). Directorate-General for Energy, Abt. D3 - Strahlenschutz, EUFO

2013-07-01

With the development of new basic safety standards for the protection against the dangers arising from ionising radiation, foreseen in Article 2 and Article 30 of the Euratom Treaty, the European Commission modernises and consolidates the European radiation protection legislation. The new Directive offers in a single coherent document, basics safety standards for radiation protection which take account of the status-quo of science and technology, cover all relevant radiation sources, including natural radiation sources, integrate protection of workers, members of the public, patients and the environment, cover all exposure situations, planned, existing, emergency, and harmonise numerical values with international standards. After having received very positive opinions of the Article 31 Group of Experts and the European Economic and Social Committee, the proposed Directive has reached agreement in the Working Party on Atomic Questions of the European Council (WPAQ). The Opinion of the European Parliament is expected in September 2013, which would allow a publication of the Directive in the Official Journal of the European Union by the end of 2013. (orig.)

Non-Standard Monetary Policies Implemented By The European Central Bank After The Financial Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meryem Filiz Baştürk

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The financial crisis which began in the U.S. in 2007 influenced all economies on a global scale followingthe collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. As a response to the crisis, central banksstarted to implement non-standard monetary policy tools as well as short-term interest rates alsoknown as standard policy tools in order to help monetary policy transmission channels work effectively.The European Central Bank (ECB implemented non-standard monetary policies as in additionto the standard policy tools during this period. The non-standard monetary policies introducedby the ECB were different from those implemented by other central banks (Fed, Bank of England interms of implementation and results. Firstly, the policies of the ECB were not specific to one singlecountry. Secondly, the banking system was the major source of finance in Europe, which had an impacton the policies. In this regard, the ECB introduced a policy of enhanced credit support consistingof five main elements in order to maintain price stability over the medium term following the crisis.By 2010, public debt in some member countries of the European Union reached high levels, requiringthem to take additional measures. The Securities Markets Programme was introduced to that end.Initially focusing on the debt securities of Greece, Ireland, and Portugal, the Securities Markets Programmewas expanded in August 2011 to cover the debt securities of Italy and Spain. In addition, twoLong-term Refinancing Operations (LTROs were introduced. This article presents a descriptive analysisof the non-standard monetary policy tools introduced by the ECB following the financial crisis.However, the monetary policy implemented in the Euro zone is not specific to one single country, andevery country has a different financial structure, both of which limit the effectiveness of the policiesimplemented. The changing structure of the monetary policy implemented in the aftermath of the crisisaims to

The European project Trappist: transfer, processing and interpretation of 3D NDT data in a standard environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgel, B.; Nockemann, C.

1994-01-01

The European CEC-funded project TRAPPIST aims to provide the pre-requisites to combination of various NDT-methods. The key components to achieve this goal are a multi-method NDT standard data format and a platform-independent software environment. Another important feature is communication of both NDT data and expertise between remote workstations through state-of-the-art European ISDN broadband network. A full scale prototype is under development to demonstrate feasibility of this system. A survey on recent literature showing originality of the TRAPPIST features is included in the paper. (authors). 2 figs., 12 refs

Standard Operating Procedures for Female Genital Sexual Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fugl-Meyer, Kerstin S; Bohm-Starke, Nina; Damsted Petersen, Christina

2012-01-01

Introduction.  Female genital sexual pain (GSP) is a common, distressing complaint in women of all ages that is underrecognized and undertreated. Definitions and terminology for female GSP are currently being debated. While some authors have suggested that GSP is not per se a sexual dysfunction......, but rather a localized genial pain syndrome, others adhere to using clearly sexually related terms such as dyspareunia and vaginismus. Aim.  The aims of this brief review are to present definitions of the different types of female GSP. Their etiology, incidence, prevalence, and comorbidity with somatic......-Meyer KS, Bohm-Starke N, Damsted Petersen C, Fugl-Meyer A, Parish S, and Giraldi A. Standard operating procedures for female genital sexual pain. J Sex Med **;**:**-**....

Standardization of specifications and inspection procedures for LEU plate-type research reactor fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-06-01

With the transition to high density uranium LEU fuel, fabrication costs of research reactor fuel elements have a tendency to increase because of two reasons. First, the amount of the powder of the uranium compound required increases by more than a factor of five. Second, fabrication requirements are in many cases nearer the fabrication limits. Therefore, it is important that measures be undertaken to eliminate or reduce unnecessary requirements in the specification or inspection procedures of research reactor fuel elements utilizing LEU. An additional stimulus for standardizing specifications and inspection procedures at this time is provided by the fact that most LEU conversions will occur within a short time span, and that nearly all of them will require preparation of new specifications and inspection procedures. In this sense, the LEU conversions offer an opportunity for improving the rationality and efficiency of the fuel fabrication and inspection processes. This report focuses on the standardization of specifications and inspection processes of high uranium density LEU fuels for research reactors. However, in many cases the results can also be extended directly to other research reactor fuels. 15 refs, 1 fig., 3 tabs

[European community guidelines and standards in indoor air quality: what proposals for Italy].

Science.gov (United States)

Settimo, Gaetano; D'Alessandro, Daniela

2014-01-01

Indoor air quality is an issue on which to focus because of the increasing number of exposed population and in view of the strong public feeling on this issue. This paper reports the rules of EU and several European countries about indoor air quality, focusing on the initiatives performed in Italy to respond to WHO recommendations. Several EU countries have introduced in their legislation rules relating to indoor air quality. At the moment, in Italy, a reference rule has not been issued. For this reason, up to date main informations concerning some guidelines or reference values in indoor air, to be used for a first comparison, are those obtained by the scientific literature, or by the guidelines issued by other European countries or, for analogy, by other standard values such as limit or reference values regarding outdoor air. Even the EU, while reaffirming the priority of energy efficiency measures, recommends healthier indoor environments and the development of a specific European strategy on the issue of indoor air quality. The National Study Group on indoor pollution of the Italian National Health Institute (ISS), is working for the development of shared technical and scientific documents, in order to provide greater uniformity of actions at national level, waiting for a legal framework for indoor air quality, in the light of the indication already produced by the WHO.

APPLICATION OF EUROPEAN STANDARDS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – INFORMATIONAL RESOURSE OF CONSUMER COOPERATION DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stepan KOSHKAROV

2016-07-01

Full Text Available More than 120 countries use the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS and the International Accounting Standards (IAS. The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU obliges Ukraine to consider European convergence of accounting and reporting. Since 2012 for some entities the use of IFRS has been compulsory, but for others – voluntary. This trend coincides with the imperative necessity of the consumer cooperation of Ukraine to reform its multilevel informational system as a key component of its effective management and successful implementation of controlling. It is proposed to start reforming with the introduction of IFRS and IAS. Consumer cooperation represents cooperative sector of Ukrainian economy and is included into different international and European cooperative associations. With its historic mission to meet the needs of its members, socio-economic and cultural development of rural areas, in terms of the crisis it faces the serious problem of the systemic reforming under existing conditions through the innovative development and use of experience of economically developed countries, especially the EU.

Standard Guidelines of Care: Performing Procedures in Patients on or Recently Administered with Isotretinoin

Science.gov (United States)

Mysore, Venkataram; Mahadevappa, Omprakash H.; Barua, Shyamanta; Majid, Imran; Viswanath, Vishalakshi; Bhat, Ramesh M.; Talwar, Suresh; Thurakkal, Salim; Aurangabadkar, Sanjeev J.; Chatterjee, Manas; Ganjoo, Anil

2017-01-01

Background: Currently, the standard protocol regarding the performance of procedures on patients receiving or having recently received isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) states that the procedures should not be performed. The recommendations in standard books and drug insert require discontinuation of isotretinoin for 6 months before performing cosmetic procedures, including waxing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser procedures, or incisional and excisional cold-steel surgery. These recommendations have been followed for over two decades despite little evidence for the stated increased risk of scarring. Objective: The Association of Cutaneous Surgeons (I) constituted a task force to review the evidence and to recommend consensus guidelines regarding the safety of skin procedures, including resurfacing, energy-device treatments, and dermatosurgical procedures in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration. Materials and Methods: Data were extracted from the literature through a PubMed search using the keywords “isotretinoin,” “safety,” “scarring,” “keloids,” “hypertrophic scarring,” and “pigmentation.” The evidence was then labeled and circulated to all members of task force for review. Results: The task force is of the opinion that there is insufficient evidence to support the current protocol of avoiding and delaying treatments in the patient group under consideration and recommends that the current practice should be discontinued. The task force concludes that performing procedures such as laser hair removal, fractional lasers for aging and acne scarring, lasers for pigmented skin lesions, fractional radio-frequency microneedling, superficial and medium-depth peels, microdermabrasion, dermaroller, biopsies, radio-frequency ablation, and superficial excisions is safe in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration. PMID:29491653

Standard guidelines of care: Performing procedures in patients on or recently administered with isotretinoin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Venkataram Mysore

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Currently, the standard protocol regarding the performance of procedures on patients receiving or having recently received isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid states that the procedures should not be performed. The recommendations in standard books and drug insert require discontinuation of isotretinoin for 6 months before performing cosmetic procedures, including waxing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser procedures, or incisional and excisional cold-steel surgery. These recommendations have been followed for over two decades despite little evidence for the stated increased risk of scarring. Objective: The Association of Cutaneous Surgeons (I constituted a task force to review the evidence and to recommend consensus guidelines regarding the safety of skin procedures, including resurfacing, energy-device treatments, and dermatosurgical procedures in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration. Materials and Methods: Data were extracted from the literature through a PubMed search using the keywords “isotretinoin,” “safety,” “scarring,” “keloids,” “hypertrophic scarring,” and “pigmentation.” The evidence was then labeled and circulated to all members of task force for review. Results: The task force is of the opinion that there is insufficient evidence to support the current protocol of avoiding and delaying treatments in the patient group under consideration and recommends that the current practice should be discontinued.The task force concludes that performing procedures such as laser hair removal, fractional lasers for aging and acne scarring, lasers for pigmented skin lesions, fractional radio-frequency microneedling, superficial and medium-depth peels, microdermabrasion, dermaroller, biopsies, radio-frequency ablation, and superficial excisions is safe in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration.

Collective legal protection: The European approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrušić Nevena

2014-01-01

Full Text Available One of the basic goals of the EU justice policy is to ensure an efficient and effective legal protection, particularly in cross-border disputes and cases concerning the violation of rights guaranteed under the EU legislation. In order to accomplish this goal, the EU embarked on a horizontal harmonization of civil procedure in some sectors and reinforced the institutional cooperation of Member States in the field of civil justice. Concurrently, there were some legal interventions in the field of civil procedure, which contributed to establishing a number of European procedural mechanisms, such as: the European Small Claims Procedure (2007, the European Payment Order Procedure (2006, etc. Many studies and analyses show that procedural mechanisms of collective legal protection are essential for ensuring an efficient and effective legal protection of rights guaranteed by the EU law. The idea of introducing the collective legal protection instruments into the EU law has been present for more than two decades. It has been endorsed by the European Economic and Social Committee, which has played the key role in its promotion. In June 2013, after extensive consultations, the European Commission adopted the Recommendation on common principles for injunctive and compensatory collective redress mechanisms in the Members States concerning violations of rights guaranteed under the EU law. This document has provided a coherent horizontal framework for the collective legal protection at the EU level by establishing the common European principles for collective redress mechanisms which the Member States should incorporate into their national systems. Analysis of the common principles governing the collective legal protection shows that the European approach to shaping the collective redress claims is significantly different from the American class action model, which is considered to be incompatible with the European legal tradition and deemed to provide a wide

Pandemic risk prevention in European countries: role of the ECDC in preparing for pandemics. Development and experience with a national self-assessment procedure, 2005-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicoll, A

2010-12-01

To be effective risk prevention work takes place well before pandemics through the three Ps: Planning, Preparedness and Practise. Between 2005 and 2008 the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) worked with the European Commission (EC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO-Euro) to assist European countries in preparing themselves for a future influenza pandemic. All eligible countries in the European Union and European Economic Area participated with energy and commitment. Indicators of preparedness were developed based on WHO planning guidance and these were set within a simple assessment which included a formal country visit. The procedure evolved considerably with field experience. As the complexity of pandemic preparedness was appreciated it changed from being a classical short external assessment to longer national self-assessments with demonstrable impact, especially when self-assessments were published. There were essential supporting activities undertaken including a series of pan-European pandemic preparedness workshops organised by EC, WHO-Euro, ECDC and countries holding the European Union Presidency. The self-assessments highlighted additional work and documentation that was needed by national authorities from the ECDC. This work was undertaken and the document produced. The benefits of the self-assessments were seen in the 2009 pandemic in that EU/EEA countries performed better than some others. A number of the guidance documents were updated to fit the specific features of the pandemic. However the pandemic revealed many weaknesses and brought new challenges for European countries, notably over communication and vaccines, the need to prepare for a variety of scenarios and to factor severity estimates into preparedness, to improve surveillance for severe disease and to deliver seroepidemiology. Any revised self-assessment procedure will need to respond to these challenges.

European guidelines for the certification of professionals in sleep medicine: report of the task force of the European Sleep Research Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Pevernagie, Dirk; Stanley, Neil; Berg, Sören; Krieger, Jean; Amici, Roberto; Bassetti, Claudio; Billiard, Michel; Cirignotta, Fabio; Garcia-Borreguero, Diego; Tobler, Irene; Fischer, Jürgen

2009-03-01

In recent years, sleep medicine has evolved into a full-grown discipline, featuring a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of patients with sleep disorders. Sleep medicine cuts across the boundaries of different conventional disciplines and is therefore open to medical and non-medical professionals with different specialty backgrounds. The aim of the current paper is to introduce a qualification for those professionals whose main occupation is to practice sleep medicine in the setting of a sleep medicine centre. The drafting of guidelines dealing with requirements for such qualification was entrusted to a task force by the European Sleep Research Society. The guidelines are the result of a progressive consensus procedure in which standards were defined for education, training, and evaluation. The final step along this pathway is a theoretical and practical examination, providing proof of proficiency in the field of sleep medicine. This paper describes the object of specific competences, the scope of sleep medicine, and the qualification procedures that pertain to three professional categories: medical specialists, non-medical professionals with a university master degree (such as psychologists and biologists), and nurses and technologists. Indices of preceding practical experience and theoretical knowledge are presented in Appendices 1 and 2. These guidelines are a European standard. They may be adapted in the future according to new scientific insights. National certification programs that comply with these guidelines may be subject to homologation by the ESRS.

European standards and approaches to EMC in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardsley, D.J.; Dillingham, S.R.; McMinn, K. [AEA Technology, Dorset (United Kingdom)

1995-04-01

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) arising from a wide range of sources can threaten nuclear power plant operation. The need for measures to mitigate its effects have long been recognised although there are difference in approaches worldwide. The US industry approaches the problem by comprehensive site surveys defining an envelope of emissions for the environmental whilst the UK nuclear industry defined many years ago generic levels which cover power station environments. Moves to standardisation within the European community have led to slight changes in UK approach, in particular how large systems can be tested. The tests undertaken on UK nuclear plant include tests for immunity to conducted as well as radiated interference. Similar tests are also performed elsewhere in Europe but are not, to the authors` knowledge, commonly undertaken in the USA. Currently work is proceeding on draft international standards under the auspices of the IEC.

Standard operating procedures improve acute neurologic care in a sub-Saharan African setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiteh, Lamin E S; Helwig, Stefan A; Jagne, Abubacarr; Ragoschke-Schumm, Andreas; Sarr, Catherine; Walter, Silke; Lesmeister, Martin; Manitz, Matthias; Blaß, Sebastian; Weis, Sarah; Schlund, Verena; Bah, Neneh; Kauffmann, Jil; Fousse, Mathias; Kangankan, Sabina; Ramos Cabrera, Asmell; Kronfeld, Kai; Ruckes, Christian; Liu, Yang; Nyan, Ousman; Fassbender, Klaus

2017-07-11

Quality of neurologic emergency management in an under-resourced country may be improved by standard operating procedures (SOPs). Neurologic SOPs were implemented in a large urban (Banjul) and a small rural (Brikama) hospital in the Gambia. As quality indicators of neurologic emergency management, performance of key procedures was assessed at baseline and in the first and second implementation years. At Banjul, 100 patients of the first-year intervention group exhibited higher rates of general procedures of emergency management than 105 control patients, such as neurologic examination (99.0% vs 91.4%; p process quality of neurologic emergency management in under-resourced settings. This study provides Class IV evidence that, for patients with suspected neurologic emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa, neurologic SOPs increase the rate of performance of guideline-recommended procedures. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Containment integrity and leak testing. Procedures applied and experiences gained in European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

Containment systems are the ultimate safety barrier for preventing the escape of gaseous, liquid and solid radioactive materials produced in normal operation, not retained in process systems, and for keeping back radioactive materials released by system malfunction or equipment failure. A primary element of the containment shell is therefore its leak-tight design. The report describes the present containment concepts mostly used in European countries. The leak-testing procedures applied and the experiences gained in their application are also discussed. The report refers more particularly to pre-operational testing, periodic testing and extrapolation methods of leak rates measured at test conditions to expected leak rates at calculated accident conditions. The actual problems in periodic containment leak rate testing are critically reviewed. In the appendix to the report a summary is given of the regulations and specifications applied in different member countries

Participation in European water policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.A. van Ast (Jacko); S.P. Boot (Sander Paul)

2003-01-01

textabstractThis paper considers the possibilities for interactive policy-making in European water management. In the new European Water Framework Directive, public information and consultation are major elements in the procedure (process) that leads to River Basin Management Plans. In general,

A pan-European ring trial to validate an International Standard for detection of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in seafoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartnell, R E; Stockley, L; Keay, W; Rosec, J-P; Hervio-Heath, D; Van den Berg, H; Leoni, F; Ottaviani, D; Henigman, U; Denayer, S; Serbruyns, B; Georgsson, F; Krumova-Valcheva, G; Gyurova, E; Blanco, C; Copin, S; Strauch, E; Wieczorek, K; Lopatek, M; Britova, A; Hardouin, G; Lombard, B; In't Veld, P; Leclercq, A; Baker-Austin, C

2018-02-10

Globally, vibrios represent an important and well-established group of bacterial foodborne pathogens. The European Commission (EC) mandated the Comite de European Normalisation (CEN) to undertake work to provide validation data for 15 methods in microbiology to support EC legislation. As part of this mandated work programme, merging of ISO/TS 21872-1:2007, which specifies a horizontal method for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae, and ISO/TS 21872-2:2007, a similar horizontal method for the detection of potentially pathogenic vibrios other than V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus was proposed. Both parts of ISO/TS 21872 utilized classical culture-based isolation techniques coupled with biochemical confirmation steps. The work also considered simplification of the biochemical confirmation steps. In addition, because of advances in molecular based methods for identification of human pathogenic Vibrio spp. classical and real-time PCR options were also included within the scope of the validation. These considerations formed the basis of a multi-laboratory validation study with the aim of improving the precision of this ISO technical specification and providing a single ISO standard method to enable detection of these important foodborne Vibrio spp.. To achieve this aim, an international validation study involving 13 laboratories from 9 countries in Europe was conducted in 2013. The results of this validation have enabled integration of the two existing technical specifications targeting the detection of the major foodborne Vibrio spp., simplification of the suite of recommended biochemical identification tests and the introduction of molecular procedures that provide both species level identification and discrimination of putatively pathogenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus by the determination of the presence of theromostable direct and direct related haemolysins. The method performance characteristics generated in this have been included in revised

Vitamin D and mortality: Individual participant data meta-analysis of standardized 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 26916 individuals from a European consortium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Gaksch

Full Text Available Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for mortality but previous meta-analyses lacked standardization of laboratory methods for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D concentrations and used aggregate data instead of individual participant data (IPD. We therefore performed an IPD meta-analysis on the association between standardized serum 25(OHD and mortality.In a European consortium of eight prospective studies, including seven general population cohorts, we used the Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP protocols to standardize 25(OHD data. Meta-analyses using a one step procedure on IPD were performed to study associations of 25(OHD with all-cause mortality as the primary outcome, and with cardiovascular and cancer mortality as secondary outcomes. This meta-analysis is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02438488.We analysed 26916 study participants (median age 61.6 years, 58% females with a median 25(OHD concentration of 53.8 nmol/L. During a median follow-up time of 10.5 years, 6802 persons died. Compared to participants with 25(OHD concentrations of 75 to 99.99 nmol/L, the adjusted hazard ratios (with 95% confidence interval for mortality in the 25(OHD groups with 40 to 49.99, 30 to 39.99, and <30 nmol/L were 1.15 (1.00-1.29, 1.33 (1.16-1.51, and 1.67 (1.44-1.89, respectively. We observed similar results for cardiovascular mortality, but there was no significant linear association between 25(OHD and cancer mortality. There was also no significantly increased mortality risk at high 25(OHD levels up to 125 nmol/L.In the first IPD meta-analysis using standardized measurements of 25(OHD we observed an association between low 25(OHD and increased risk of all-cause mortality. It is of public health interest to evaluate whether treatment of vitamin D deficiency prevents premature deaths.

Vocational Training in the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet BALCI

2013-01-01

Full Text Available European Union requires some standards in all areas. Today, the importance of training qualified individuals which holds an important place in the development of countries increases and certain standards are adopted creating common European Union tools in the field of vocational and technical education. In this study, vocational education and training policies system and the standards adopted by the European Union are discussed. Furthermore, this study was accepted as a European Union project in 2010 and the results obtained from the Leonardo Da Vinci Life Learning European Union project called “Web Based Basic Vocational Training” between the years 2010-2012 were presented. Since the partners of these projects are Turkey, Spain and Germany, the structure of vocational education, institutions of public and private vocational education and the diplomas and certificates entitled after these educations are included. As Turkey is on its way to become a European Union member, a number of advices are presented for Turkey to reach its destination about vocational education standards that European Union has aimed. The purpose of the study is not only to be a guide for the young who want to get professional training in the countries that are European Union members or candidates about how and where to have education opportunities but also to give a chance for trainers and training managers, participating in vocational training, so as to glimpse different practices from different countries and compare these practices between the countries of European Union and their countries. The study is also very important as it has the opportunities for training managers to see if their countries' vocational education is close enough to vocational education in European Union.

Environmental procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The European Bank has pledged in its Agreement to place environmental management at the forefront of its operations to promote sustainable economic development in central and eastern Europe. The Bank's environmental policy is set out in the document titled, Environmental Management: The Bank's Policy Approach. This document, Environmental Procedures, presents the procedures which the European Bank has adopted to implement this policy approach with respect to its operations. The environmental procedures aim to: ensure that throughout the project approval process, those in positions of responsibility for approving projects are aware of the environmental implications of the project, and can take these into account when making decisions; avoid potential liabilities that could undermine the success of a project for its sponsors and the Bank; ensure that environmental costs are estimated along with other costs and liabilities; and identify opportunities for environmental enhancement associated with projects. The review of environmental aspects of projects is conducted by many Bank staff members throughout the project's life. This document defines the responsibilities of the people and groups involved in implementing the environmental procedures. Annexes contain Environmental Management: The Bank's Policy Approach, examples of environmental documentation for the project file and other ancillary information

Investigation of strong motion processing procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinaldi, D.; Goula, X.; Menu, J.M.

1988-03-01

The work which is described here presents preliminary results of an on-going research relating to the accurate recording and quality processing of earthquake strong ground motions. The work is the product of a tripartite co-operation between three European Centres (ENEA, PAS-ISP Laboratorio Ingengneria dei Siti, Rome/CEA, IPSN, Fontenay-aux-Roses, ICST, Department of Civil Engineering, London), which have carried out independently similar research in the recent past. Other European Institutes joined the three mentioned organizations for discussions during a Workshop (June 1985) held in Casaccia (ENEA Research Centre of Rome). The aim of the research is a thorough analysis of various factors affecting the recovery of true ground accelerations recorded with analogue instruments. The separate and cumulative effects of the type of recording accelerometer, the digitization equipment and the correction routines have been analysed. Global comparisons have been achieved to obtain a general insight into various standard processing procedures

HOW FAR HAVE WE REACHED IN EUROPEAN COOPERATION IN CIVIL MATTERS? A VIEW ON EUROPEAN ENFORCEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolae-Horia TIT

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The EU judicial cooperation in civil matters system was developed following the needs of member states to achieve a common goal, which is to create a space of mutual recognition of judgements and distribute the juridical effects of the order created under one jurisdiction thru out the entire European space. One of the main pillars of this system is the creation of European Enforcement Orders, judgements or other titles enforceable in a member state without prior recognition of declaration of enforceability. This system has been developed other the years, starting with the European Enforcement Order for uncontested claims, continuing with the European Order for Payment procedure and European Small Claims procedure, and reaching its peak in Regulation (EU 1215/2012. By virtue of this Regulation, entered into force in January 2015, a judgment given in a Member State which is enforceable in that Member State shall be enforceable in the other Member States without any declaration of enforceability being required (art. 39. The article analyses the evolution of EU regulation regarding the enforceability of foreign judgements and the system created under Regulation (EU 1215/2012, given its importance for the judicial cooperation in civil matters and its impact on the legislation of member stated. Also, a brief analysis of the provisions of the new Romanian civil procedure Code is made, given its amendments by Law no. 138/2014.

75 FR 60171 - Proposed Information Collection (Credit Underwriting Standards and Procedures for Processing VA...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-29

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0521] Proposed Information Collection (Credit Underwriting Standards and Procedures for Processing VA Guaranteed Loans) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY... comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act...

78 FR 60379 - Proposed Information Collection (Credit Underwriting Standards and Procedures for Processing VA...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0521] Proposed Information Collection (Credit Underwriting Standards and Procedures for Processing VA Guaranteed Loans) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY... comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act...

Evolution of standardized procedures for adjusting lumber properties for change in moisture content

Science.gov (United States)

David W. Green; James W. Evans

2001-01-01

This paper documents the development of procedures in American Society for Testing and Materials standards for adjusting the allowable properties of lumber for changes in moisture content. The paper discusses the historical context of efforts to establish allowable properties on a consensus basis, beginning in the 19th century. Where possible, the reasons for proposed...

Pathways to psychiatric care in European prison systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Dressing, Harald; Salize, Hans-Joachim

2009-01-01

The aims of this study were to describe and analyse the concepts of provision of mental health services for prison inmates in 24 countries in the European Union and the EFTA. Data were gathered by means of a structured questionnaire that was completed by national experts in the participating countries. This article stresses the different organizational models of mental health care for inmates, different legal standards for screening their mental health status and different pathways to psychiatric care and aftercare. The study revealed serious shortcomings. Even the most rudimentary health reporting standards for mental health care in prison are lacking almost everywhere in Europe. Psychiatric screening and assessment procedures at prison entry and during imprisonment differ substantially and do not fulfil recognized quality standards. In many countries, the appointment of inadequately trained staff to perform such screenings increases considerably the risk that mental disorders or psychiatric needs of the inmates will remain undetected. Furthermore, the pathways to care in the case of an acute psychotic episode differ significantly, since referral to prison hospitals, medical prison wards, forensic hospitals, or general psychiatric hospital are used in various combinations depending on different national legal regulations and on the availability of services or other regional circumstances. Therefore, the collaborating experts place the quality of European prison mental health care into serious question. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Standard Procedure for Grid Interaction Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svensson, Bertil; Lindahl, Sture; Karlsson, Daniel; Joensson, Jonas; Heyman, Fredrik

2015-01-01

Grid events, simultaneously affecting all safety related auxiliary systems in a nuclear power plant, are critical and must be carefully addressed in the design, upgrading and operational processes. Up to now, the connecting grid has often been treated as either fully available or totally unavailable, and too little attention has been paid to specify the grid performance criteria. This paper deals with standard procedures for grid interaction analysis, to derive tools and criteria to handle grid events challenging the safety systems of the plant. Critical external power system events are investigated and characterised, with respect to severity and rate of occurrence. These critical events are then grouped with respect to impact on the safety systems, when a disturbance propagates into the plant. It is then important to make sure that 1) the impact of the disturbance will never reach any critical system, 2) the impact of the disturbance will be eliminated before it will hurt any critical system, or 3) the critical systems will be proven to be designed in such a way that they can withstand the impact of the disturbance, and the associated control and protection systems can withstand voltage and frequency transients associated with the disturbances. A number of representative disturbance profiles, reflecting connecting grid conditions, are therefore derived, to be used for equipment testing. (authors)

75 FR 76082 - Agency Information Collection (Credit Underwriting Standards and Procedures for Processing VA...

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2010-12-07

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0521] Agency Information Collection (Credit Underwriting Standards and Procedures for Processing VA Guaranteed Loans) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY... information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA...

Effects of adding Braun jejunojejunostomy to standard Whipple procedure on reduction of afferent loop syndrome - a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakaei, Farzad; Beheshtirouy, Samad; Nejatollahi, Seyed Moahammad Reza; Rashidi, Iqbal; Asvadi, Touraj; Habibzadeh, Afshin; Oliaei-Motlagh, Mohammad

2015-12-01

Whipple surgery (pancreaticodeudenectomy) has a high complication rate. We aimed to evaluate whether adding Braun jejunojejunostomy (side-to-side anastomosis of afferent and efferent loops distal to the gastrojejunostomy site) to a standard Whipple procedure would reduce postoperative complications. We conducted a randomized clinical trial comparing patients who underwent standard Whipple surgery (standard group) and patients who underwent standard Whipple surgery with Braun jejunojejunostomy (Braun group). Patients were followed for 1 month after the procedure and postoperative complications were recorded. Our study included 30 patients: 15 in the Braun and 15 in the standard group. In the Braun group, 4 (26.7%) patients experienced 6 complications, whereas in the standard group, 7 (46.7%) patients experienced 11 complications (p = 0.14). Complications in the Braun group were gastrointestinal bleeding and wound infection (n = 1 each) and delayed gastric emptying and pulmonary infection (n = 2 each). Complications in the standard group were death, pancreatic anastomosis leak and biliary anastomosis leak (n = 1 each); gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 2); and afferent loop syndrome and delayed gastric emptying (n = 3 each). There was no significant difference between groups in the subtypes of complications. Our results showed that adding Braun jejunojejunostomy to standard Whipple procedure was associated with lower rates of afferent loop syndrome and delayed gastric emptying. However, more studies are needed to define the role of Braun jejunojejunostomy in this regard. IRCT2014020316473N1 (www.irct.ir).

Nuclear power and European Union enlargement challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chirica, T.; Bilegan, C.; Pall, S.; Sandru, P.

2000-01-01

In the nuclear power sector, the main concern for the candidate countries entering the European Union, remains the nuclear safety. New standards and regulation will be issued for improving the general quality of life in a sound environment. For the candidate countries entering the European Union, this situation represents a real challenge. Their national legislation must be improved to meet the European standards. The conditions are different from country to country, and more difficult for those, which operate ''non west European reactor type''. The paper also present the actual status of the Romanian legislation related to nuclear power and environment. There are presented the principles, terms and responsibilities contained in this legislation. The authors discuss some aspects related to the possibilities to improve the national legislation to meet the actual European Commission or EURATOM standards. (author)

European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition syllabus for subspecialty training: moving towards a European standard

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D'Antiga, Lorenzo; Nicastro, Emanuele; Papadopoulou, Alexandra; Mearin, Maria L.; Tzivinikos, Christos; Vandenplas, Yvan; van Goudoever, Hans; Baumann, Ulrich; Troncone, Riccardo; Koletzko, Berthold

2014-01-01

The requirements for and conditions of subspecialty training in paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition (PGHN) are rather variable across European countries. The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) agreed on a training syllabus aimed to

The Regina Elena National Cancer Institute process of accreditation according to the standards of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.

Science.gov (United States)

Canitano, Stefano; Di Turi, Annunziata; Caolo, Giuseppina; Pignatelli, Adriana C; Papa, Elena; Branca, Marta; Cerimele, Marina; De Maria, Ruggero

2015-01-01

The accreditation process is, on the one hand, a tool used to homogenize procedures, rendering comparable and standardized processes of care, and on the other, a methodology employed to develop a culture of quality improvement. Although not yet proven by evidence-based studies that health outcomes improve as a result of an accreditation to excellence, it is undeniable that better control of healthcare processes results in better quality and safety of diagnostic and therapeutic pathways. The Regina Elena National Cancer Institute underwent the accreditation process in accordance with the standards criteria set by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), and it has recently completed the process, acquiring its designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). This was an invaluable opportunity for the Regina Elena Institute to create a more cohesive environment, to widely establish a culture of quality, to implement an institutional information system, and to accelerate the process of patient involvement in strategic decisions. The steps of the process allowed us to evaluate the performance and the organization of the institute and put amendments in place designed to be adopted through 26 improvement actions. These actions regarded several aspects of the institute, including quality culture, information communication technology system, care, clinical trials unit, disease management team, nursing, and patient empowerment and involvement. Each area has a timeline. We chose to present the following 3 improvement actions: clinical trial center, computerized ambulatory medical record, and centrality of patient and humanization of clinical pathway.

Use of cement in concrete according to European standard EN 206-1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Müller

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The manufacture of cements with several main constituents (blended cements is of particular importance with regard to reducing climatically relevant CO2 emissions in the cement industry. A wide variety of common cement products exists in the different EU Member States. They match local manufacturing conditions, throughout meeting particular climatic or other local conditions, including building practices. In general, all cements conforming to European Cement Standard EN 197-1 are suitable for the manufacture of concrete according to European Concrete Standard EN 206-1. Depending on the area of application, however, differences related to the cement type may possibly have to be taken into account to ensure the durability of the concretes manufactured with these cements. These regulations were laid down in National Application Documents (NADs to EN 206-1 dependent upon the exposure classes that a structural element is assigned to. This paper deals with the overall concept of EN 206-1 with regard to concrete durability. It gives an overview of the cement types used in Europe and the areas of application of cements conforming to EN 197-1 in concrete conforming to EN 206-1 and various national annexes. The option of combining several main constituents makes blended cements particularly well suited for combining the advantages of individual main constituents, and thus for developing these cements into even more robust systems. This process requires an integrated assessment of all requirements to be met by cements during manufacture and application. From a technical perspective these include the strength formation potential as well as good workability of the concrete and, in particular, the durability of the concrete made from these cements. The effects that the main constituents have with regard to properties relevant to durability can be utilized in particular in cements made from a combination of limestone/blastfurnace slag or limestone/fly ash as

Transparency of standard terms under the Unfair Contract Terms Directive and the Proposal for a Common European Sales Law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loos, M.B.M.

2015-01-01

This paper discusses whether and to what extent the transparency principle is applicable to standard contract terms legislation under European Union law and what the consequences are when the principle, in so far as it is recognized, is breached. To that extent, it focuses first on the Unfair

Standard procedures for pooling health physics data for epidemiologic studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strom, D.J.; Beck, W.L.; Stansbury, P.S.; Tankersley, W.G.; Watson, J.E. Jr.

1983-01-01

The objectives of the study are: (1) to determine the availability of dosimetry data and supporting documentation at multiple facilities; (2) to develop criteria and methods for optimally retrieving data; (3) to evaluate and document the quality and completeness of data and dosimetry programs; (4) to put dosimetry data (e.g., external, whole body counting, and bioassay data) from various facilities in a single format for epidemiologic analysis; and (5) to document all work for peer review. To achieve these objectives, a ''Dosimetry Records and Radiation Hazards Questionnaire'' was developed to send to the facilities under study. Responses to this questionnaire are used to develop data retrieval criteria and methods, and to retrieve data. Dose data are reformatted into Standard Intermediate Dosimetry Files for editing and characterization. Evaluations of dosimetry programs are performed concurrently. Results of these steps are brought together and analysis files created. Status of this work in the context of the Department of Energy 5-Rem Study is reported. The standard procedures are applicable to single- as well as multiple-facility studies

Evaluation of the ISO standard 11063 DNA extraction procedure for assessing soil microbial abundance and community structure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre Plassart

Full Text Available Soil DNA extraction has become a critical step in describing microbial biodiversity. Historically, ascertaining overarching microbial ecological theories has been hindered as independent studies have used numerous custom and commercial DNA extraction procedures. For that reason, a standardized soil DNA extraction method (ISO-11063 was previously published. However, although this ISO method is suited for molecular tools such as quantitative PCR and community fingerprinting techniques, it has only been optimized for examining soil bacteria. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess an appropriate soil DNA extraction procedure for examining bacterial, archaeal and fungal diversity in soils of contrasting land-use and physico-chemical properties. Three different procedures were tested: the ISO-11063 standard; a custom procedure (GnS-GII; and a modified ISO procedure (ISOm which includes a different mechanical lysis step (a FastPrep ®-24 lysis step instead of the recommended bead-beating. The efficacy of each method was first assessed by estimating microbial biomass through total DNA quantification. Then, the abundances and community structure of bacteria, archaea and fungi were determined using real-time PCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism approaches. Results showed that DNA yield was improved with the GnS-GII and ISOm procedures, and fungal community patterns were found to be strongly dependent on the extraction method. The main methodological factor responsible for differences between extraction procedure efficiencies was found to be the soil homogenization step. For integrative studies which aim to examine bacteria, archaea and fungi simultaneously, the ISOm procedure results in higher DNA recovery and better represents microbial communities.

E-governance European and international standards of opportune impact on decision-making in the Republic of Moldova

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria GOREA

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The scientific publication denotes trends of a scientific and academic research of the practices of the: investigation, development, evaluation, implementation, practical application, renovation and evolutionary domain that refers to the European and international e-government standards who manifest an opportune impact on decision- making process of the Republic of Moldova, which also develops the image of the relational hierarchy of the e-government and the decision-making process by creating some situations modeled and obtained recursively the repercussion aspect of the international standards that can resolve the dilemmas existing in space microenvironment framed in macroenvironment progressing continuously emerging the evolution irreversible of the phenomenon of the globalization etc.

Fiscal policy surveillance in the enlarged European Union: Procedural checks or simple arithmetic?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenendijk, Nico; Batten, Jonathan A.; Kearney, Colm

2006-01-01

In its recommendation on the 2004 update of the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPGs), the European Commission (2004) issued country-specific recommendations for fiscal policy in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries that have recently joined the European Union (EU) (henceforth the

Road tunnels safety according to European legislation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fedor KÁLLAY

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with safety of European road tunnels in accordance with actual European legislation. Standards and recommendations of European Commission, PIARC and other professional bodies of the European Union define minimal technological requirements for equipment and operation of the tunnels in scope of Trans-European Road Network.

U.S. Geological Survey Noble Gas Laboratory’s standard operating procedures for the measurement of dissolved gas in water samples

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Andrew G.

2015-08-12

This report addresses the standard operating procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Noble Gas Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., for the measurement of dissolved gases (methane, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide) and noble gas isotopes (helium-3, helium-4, neon-20, neon-21, neon-22, argon-36, argon-38, argon-40, kryton-84, krypton-86, xenon-103, and xenon-132) dissolved in water. A synopsis of the instrumentation used, procedures followed, calibration practices, standards used, and a quality assurance and quality control program is presented. The report outlines the day-to-day operation of the Residual Gas Analyzer Model 200, Mass Analyzer Products Model 215–50, and ultralow vacuum extraction line along with the sample handling procedures, noble gas extraction and purification, instrument measurement procedures, instrumental data acquisition, and calculations for the conversion of raw data from the mass spectrometer into noble gas concentrations per unit mass of water analyzed. Techniques for the preparation of artificial dissolved gas standards are detailed and coupled to a quality assurance and quality control program to present the accuracy of the procedures used in the laboratory.

European Criminal Law a! er the Lisbon Treaty, or Europeanization of European law, under the co-responsibility of the Member States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arif Riza

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Same as EU Law, that presents a new area of law and that it is still in progress, the EU Criminal Law is developing. The development of EU criminal law, of course, is dictated by the development of European Law itself, or the EU itself. Depending on it, the EU will be a supranational structure, or will undergo changes and become a Federal State, or another unified form. Taking into consideration the importance of this area of law, which is created for cooperation among states to combat organized crime, and especially terrorism, we can have a Criminal Code European and a European code of Criminal Procedure certainly in the near future, namely, a codification of European criminal field. This paper aims to discuss the development of European criminal law, until the Treaty of Lisbon.

Preparatory procedure and equipment for the European x-ray free electron laser cavity implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Reschke

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The European x-ray free electron laser is under construction at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY. The electron beam energy of up to 17.5 GeV will be achieved by using superconducting accelerator technology. Final prototyping, industrialization, and new infrastructure are the actual challenges with respect to the accelerating cavities. This paper describes the preparation strategy optimized for the cavity preparation procedure in industry. For the industrial fabrication and preparation, several new hardware components have been already developed at DESY. The design and construction of a semiautomated rf-measurement machine for dumbbells and end groups are described. In a collaboration among FNAL, KEK, and DESY, an automatic cavity tuning machine has been designed and four machines are under construction. The functionality of these machines with special attention to safety aspects is described in this paper. A new high pressure rinsing system has been developed and is operational.

Surveillance perspective on Lyme borreliosis across the European Union and European Economic Area.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Wijngaard, Cees C; Hofhuis, Agnetha; Simões, Mariana; Rood, Ente; van Pelt, Wilfrid; Zeller, Herve; Van Bortel, Wim

2017-07-06

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Europe. Erythema migrans (EM), an early, localised skin rash, is its most common presentation. Dissemination of the bacteria can lead to more severe manifestations including skin, neurological, cardiac, musculoskeletal and ocular manifestations. Comparison of LB incidence rates in the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) and Balkan countries are difficult in the absence of standardised surveillance and reporting procedures. We explored six surveillance scenarios for LB surveillance in the EU/EEA, based on the following key indicators: (i) erythema migrans, (ii) neuroborreliosis, (iii) all human LB manifestations, (iv) seroprevalence, (v) tick bites, and (vi) infected ticks and reservoir hosts. In our opinion, neuroborreliosis seems most feasible and useful as the standard key indicator, being one of the most frequent severe LB manifestations, with the possibility of a specific case definition. Additional surveillance with erythema migrans as key indicator would add value to the surveillance of neuroborreliosis and lead to a more complete picture of LB epidemiology in the EU/EEA. The other scenarios have less value as a basis for EU-level surveillance, but can be considered periodically and locally, as they could supply complementary insights. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2017.

Students as Stakeholders in the Policy Context of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Institutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Logermann, Frauke; Leisyte, Liudvika; Curaj, Adrian; Matei, Liviu; Pricopie, Remus; Salmi, Jamil; Scott, Peter

2015-01-01

The European Standard and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) of 2005 can be defined as one of the major Bologna documents aimed at furthering the role of students as stakeholders in internal quality assurance processes at higher education institutions (HEIs). Still little is known about

Teachers' use of a self-assessment procedure : the role of criteria, standards, feedback and reflection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diggelen, van M.R.; Brok, den P.J.; Beijaard, D.

2013-01-01

This article reports on the way teachers assess their own coaching competencies regarding the development of vocational education students’ reflection skills. The participating teachers used a self-assessment procedure in which they had to judge themselves with the help of criteria and standards,

THE CITIZENS’ PUBLIC PARTICIPATION UNDER EUROPEAN UNION LAW AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentine Charlotte ENE

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, June 25, 1998 (entered into force Oct. 30, 2001 [hereinafter Aarhus Convention], negotiated under the auspices of the UN/ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, is the result of the efforts to establish international legal standards in the field of citizens’ environmental rights to date. Also, it is the first international document about public participation in environmental matters, developing the principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, which stresses the need for citizen's participation in environmental issues and for access to information on the environment held by public authorities. Public participation, one of the three main pillars provided by Aarhus Convention, could be one of the key factors in involving the citizens in the protection of the environment and strengthening compliance and enforcement of national and European environmental law. Under European Union regulations, the right to participate in environmental decision-making process could be exercise more effectively based on European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI procedure. Therefore, the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI, as introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, allows citizens to request new EU legislation once a million signatures from seven member states have been collected asking the European Commission to do so. This paper explores environmental citizenship within the framework of European Union (EU environmental law.

The euro and the recent European crisis vis-à-vis the gold standard and the great depression: institutionalities, specificities and interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GIULIANO CONTENTO DE OLIVEIRA

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The paper aims to establish interfaces between the Great Depression of the 1930s under the Gold Standard and the recent European Crisis under the Euro. It is argued that, despite their specificities, both crises revealed the potentially harmful effects, in economic and social terms, of institutional arrangements that considerably reduce the autonomy of monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policies of participating countries, without being accompanied by increased cooperation between them, which should be led by a global (in the case of the Great Depression or regional (in the case of the European Crisis hegemonic power, which is not only capable of, but is also willing to act as a buyer and lender of last resort, especially in circumstances characterized by increased uncertainty, the deterioration of the general state of expectations and increased liquidity preference. In fact, central European countries in the past and peripheral European countries nowadays were effectively pushed toward deflationary adjustments in which a reduction of prices and wages was accompanied by a reduction of output and employment levels. Thus, in the absence of the possibility of restoring the autonomy of economic policy, the overcome of the crisis necessarily requires, both before - under the Gold Standard - and nowadays - under the Euro -, joint actions aimed to assure that the responsibility for the adjustment will be equally distributed among all the economies, in order to avoid that some of them benefit at the expense of the others in this process.

Standard operating procedures for female orgasmic disorder: consensus of the International Society for Sexual Medicine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laan, Ellen; Rellini, Alessandra H.; Barnes, Tricia

2013-01-01

As the field of sexual medicine evolves, it is important to continually improve patient care by developing contemporary "standard operating procedures" (SOPs), reflecting the consensus view of experts in sexual medicine. Few, if any, consensus SOPs have been developed for the diagnosis and treatment

Standard-E hydrogen monitoring system shop acceptance test procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, T.C.

1997-10-02

The purpose of this report is to document that the Standard-E Hydrogen Monitoring Systems (SHMS-E), fabricated by Mid-Columbia Engineering (MCE) for installation on the Waste Tank Farms in the Hanford 200 Areas, are constructed as intended by the design. The ATP performance will verify proper system fabrication.

Assessment of organ doses by standard X-ray procedures in the GDR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tautz, M.; Brandt, G.A.

1986-01-01

A modern method has been described to assess the radiation burden by X-ray procedures with consideration of the standards of our Society for Medical Radiology in the GDR. The underlying methodology is a Monte Carlo computer technique, which simulates stochastically the energy deposition of X-ray photons in a mathematically described heterogeneous anthropomorphic phantom by Rosenstein (US Department of Health, Education and Welfare). To apply the procedure specific values for the following parameters must be determined for each dose estimation: projection and view, X-ray field size and location entrance exposure at skin surface, beam quality, source-to-image receptor distance. The base data are obtained in terms of tissue-air ratio. Organ doses were calculated for chest, urography, skull, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pelvis and lymphography. Concluding possibilities have been discussed for reduction of radiation burden. 9 refs., 6 figs., 9 tabs. (author)

Standardized uptake values of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose: the value of different normalization procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schomburg, A.; Bender, H.; Reichel, C.; Sommer, T.; Ruhlmann, J.; Kozak, B.; Biersack, H.J.

1996-01-01

While the evident advantages of absolute metabolic rate determinations cannot be equalled by static image analysis of fluorine-18 fluorodexyglucose positron emission tomographic (FDG PET) studies, various algorithms for the normalization of static FDG uptake values have been proposed. This study was performed to compare different normalization procedures in terms of dependency on individual patient characteristics. Standardized FDG uptake values (SUVs) were calculated for liver and lung tissue in 126 patients studied with whole-body FDG PET. Uptake values were normalized for total body weight, lean body mass and body surface area. Ranges, means, medians, standard deviations and variation coefficients of these SUV parameters were calculated and their interdependency with total body weight, lean body mass, body surface area, patient height and blood sugar levels was calculated by means of regression analysis. Standardized FDG uptake values normalized for body surface area were clearly superior to SUV parameters normalized for total body weight or lean body mass. Variation and correlation coefficients of body surface area-normalized uptake values were minimal when compared with SUV parameters derived from the other normalization procedures. Normalization for total body weight resulted in uptake values still dependent on body weight and blood sugar levels, while normalization for lean body mass did not eliminate the positive correlation with lean body mass and patient height. It is concluded that normalization of FDG uptake values for body surface area is less dependent on the individual patient characteristics than are FDG uptake values normalized for other parameters, and therefore appears to be preferable for FDG PET studies in oncology. (orig.)

Primary calibration of TXRF in comparison with the standard droplet procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobler, M.; Reus, U.; Knoth, J.; Schwenke, H.

2000-01-01

For the determination of contamination on wafer surfaces with total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) normally external 1 ng Ni droplet standards were used for calibration. This method is based on several assumptions about the properties of the standard droplet which are strongly affected by the preparation of the samples. In this paper a study is resented which compares the external droplet method with a calibration procedure using the fundamental physical background of total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry and the properties of Ni bulk material. The particular features of the two methods will be discussed and the obtained results compared to each other. It is demonstrated in this study that the calibration with Ni bulk material is a primary method which offers several advantages compared to the calibration based on droplet standards. These advantages are unique and enable a more reliable and reproducible quantification of contamination on wafer surfaces. This is caused by the fact that the method is standardless and only based on fundamental parameters and natural constants. It is also demonstrated that effects which could be caused by especial features of the measured samples (particle or film, e.g.) or by the degradation of the calibration sample could be excluded. (author)

21 CFR 606.100 - Standard operating procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... units. (9) Procedures for investigating adverse donor and recipient reactions. (10) Storage temperatures... accurately relating the product(s) to the donor. (5) Blood collection procedure, including in-process precautions taken to measure accurately the quantity of blood removed from the donor. (6) Methods of component...

Accounting standards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stellinga, B.; Mügge, D.

2014-01-01

The European and global regulation of accounting standards have witnessed remarkable changes over the past twenty years. In the early 1990s, EU accounting practices were fragmented along national lines and US accounting standards were the de facto global standards. Since 2005, all EU listed

CSNI international standard problem procedures - CSNI Report No. 17 - Revision 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micaelli, J.C.

2004-01-01

. Careful consideration and planning is therefore required. After a brief recall of the ISPs' objectives, this document provides guidelines to be followed during the different phases of an ISP. Two phases are considered. The first one consists in proposing and selecting an ISP, the second one consists in performing an ISP. This revised document was prepared under the Leadership of J.-C. Micaelli (IRSN). It was reviewed and endorsed in September 2003 by the Working Group on the Analysis and Management of Accidents (GAMA), GAMA performed in 2003 a survey on updating CSNI Report No. 17, 'CSNI Standard Problem Procedures', first published in 1977, last updated in 1989. The objective of this activity was to collect proposals regarding the improvement of ISP efficiency with respect to their objectives and the improvement of the quality of the procedures document. Eleven series of questions were asked in the survey, related to: - General structure of the procedures document; - ISP objectives; - Six phases: ISP proposal, ISP specification, ISP results reporting, Preparation of the preliminary data comparison and interpretation report, Post-ISP analysis, Preparation of the final comparison and interpretation report; - Updating of the procedures; - Support to be provided by the participants

New trends in the field of nuclear standardization on national, European and international level with the background of the German 'Energiewende'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, Janine

2014-01-01

Participation in standardization in the nuclear energy field in Germany is still very high, because the involved parties have recognized that standards in the context of the energy transition in Germany will remain very important. However, in the last few years, international standardization has been carried out without German participation. Existing international bodies are currently greatly influenced by the leadership of France, which is also reflected in the content of international standards. In addition, on French initiative, a European body (CEN/TC 430 'Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection') has been set up with the remit to replace all national standards in Europe with international standards. The present article summarizes this development and offers an overview for German experts on how they can respond to this trend. (orig.)

Teachers' Use of a Self-Assessment Procedure: The Role of Criteria, Standards, Feedback and Reflection

Science.gov (United States)

van Diggelen, Migchiel; den Brok, Perry; Beijaard, Douwe

2013-01-01

This article reports on the way teachers assess their own coaching competencies regarding the development of vocational education students' reflection skills. The participating teachers used a self-assessment procedure in which they had to judge themselves with the help of criteria and standards, received feedback from a colleague based on the…

Influence of measurement uncertainty on classification of thermal environment in buildings according to European Standard EN 15251

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolarik, Jakub; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2015-01-01

European Standard EN 15 251 in its current version does not provide any guidance on how to handle uncertainty of long term measurements of indoor environmental parameters used for classification of buildings. The objective of the study was to analyse the uncertainty for field measurements...... measurements of operative temperature at two measuring points (south/south-west and north/northeast orientation). Results of the present study suggest that measurement uncertainty needs to be considered during assessment of thermal environment in existing buildings. When expanded standard uncertainty was taken...... into account in categorization of thermal environment according to EN 15251, the difference in prevalence of exceeded category limits were up to 17.3%, 8.3% and 2% of occupied hours for category I, II and III respectively....

Complications Following Common Inpatient Urological Procedures: Temporal Trend Analysis from 2000 to 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Christian P; Hollis, Michael; Cole, Alexander P; Hanske, Julian; O'Leary, James; Gupta, Soham; Löppenberg, Björn; Zavaski, Mike E; Sun, Maxine; Sammon, Jesse D; Kibel, Adam S; Fisch, Margit; Chun, Felix K H; Trinh, Quoc-Dien

2016-04-01

Measuring procedure-specific complication-rate trends allows for benchmarking and improvement in quality of care but must be done in a standardized fashion. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified all instances of eight common inpatient urologic procedures performed in the United States between 2000 and 2010. This yielded 327218 cases including both oncologic and benign diseases. Complications were identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Each complication was cross-referenced to the procedure code and graded according to the standardized Clavien system. The Mann-Whitney and chi-square were used to assess the statistical significance of medians and proportions, respectively. We assessed temporal variability in the rates of overall complications (Clavien grade 1-4), length of hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality using the estimated annual percent change (EAPC) linear regression methodology. We observed an overall reduction in length of stay (EAPC: -1.59; ptrends showed a significant increase in complications for inpatient ureterorenoscopy (EAPC: 5.53; ptrends of urologic procedures and their complications. A significant shift toward sicker patients and more complex procedures in the inpatient setting was found, but this did not result in higher mortality. These results are indicators of the high quality of care for urologic procedures in the inpatient setting. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of stress in greenhouses frames estimated by aerodynamic coefficients of Brazilian and European standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Gabriel Vieira Neto

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Widely disseminated in both national and international scenarios, greenhouses are agribusiness solutions which are designed to allow for greater efficiency and control of the cultivation of plants. Bearing this in mind, the construction of greenhouses should take into consideration the incidence of wind, and other such aspects of comfort and safety, and ensure they are factored into the design of structural elements. In this study, we evaluated the effects of pressure coefficients established by the European standard EN 13031-1 (2001 and the Brazilian standard ABNT (1988, which are applicable to the structures of greenhouses with flat roofs, taking into account the following variables: roof slope, external and internal pressure coefficients and height-span ratio of the structure. Using the ANSYSTM computer program, zones of columns and roof were discretized by the Beam44 finite element to identify the maximum and minimum stress portions connected to the aerodynamic coefficients. With this analysis, we found that, in the smallest roof slope (a equal to 20°, the frame stress was quite similar for standards adopted. On the other hand, for the greatest inclination (a equal to 26°, the stress was consistently lower under the Brazilian standard. In view of this, we came to the conclusion that the differences between stresses when applying both standards were more significant at the higher degrees of height-span ratio and roof slope.

EPERC: The European Pressure Equipment Research Council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darlaston, J.; McAllister, S.

1998-01-01

The European Pressure Equipment Research Council (EPERC) is a European Network of industries, research laboratories, inspection bodies and governmental institutions set up to foster co-operative research for the greater benefit of the European industry. The concept of a European Research Council originated at the PVRC meeting in Cannes in 1989 and since this time volunteers from the industry, research laboratories and of the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Petten have worked together to create a Statute for EPERC. In the context of the pressure equipment industry, the creation of EPERC is extremely pertinent, since in the near future, a Council directive on pressure equipment will replace the existing national regulations. In parallel to this, work is in progress for the elaboration of European Standards. It is useful to recall that ''Harmonised Standards'' will be the privileged means of complying with the Essential Safety Requirements of the directive. (author)

Radioisotopic studies concerning the efficacy of standard washing procedures for the cleansing of hair before zinc analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckley, R.A.; Dreosti, I.E.

1984-01-01

Various standard procedures were investigated in relation to the removal of exogenously applied 65Zn from human hair and endogenously incorporated 65Zn from rat hair. Human hair was found to adsorb zinc and a variety of other metal ions from aqueous solutions in a manner which suggested some ion-exchange capacity. Uptake of zinc varied considerably between human hair samples, but in most cases accumulation of zinc occurred rapidly and often resulted in hair zinc levels several-fold higher than found in control samples. Extraction of zinc and other metal ions was greatest after treatment with disodium EDTA and sodium lauryl sulfate than after washing with water or aqueous Triton X-100. However, no procedure effectively removed all exogenous zinc, while all treatments extracted varying proportions of the endogenous zinc component. Because of the inability of standard washing procedures to remove exogenous zinc without reducing endogenous or indicator zinc levels, use of hair zinc analyses to indicate nutritional zinc status are inadvisable if hair zinc contamination is likely to have occurred

Quality assurance: Importance of systems and standard operating procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Manghani, Kishu

2011-01-01

It is mandatory for sponsors of clinical trials and contract research organizations alike to establish, manage and monitor their quality control and quality assurance systems and their integral standard operating procedures and other quality documents to provide high-quality products and services to fully satisfy customer needs and expectations. Quality control and quality assurance systems together constitute the key quality systems. Quality control and quality assurance are parts of quality management. Quality control is focused on fulfilling quality requirements, whereas quality assurance is focused on providing confidence that quality requirements are fulfilled. The quality systems must be commensurate with the Company business objectives and business model. Top management commitment and its active involvement are critical in order to ensure at all times the adequacy, suitability, effectiveness and efficiency of the quality systems. Effective and efficient quality systems can promote timely registration of drugs by eliminating waste and the need for rework with overall financial and social benefits to the Company.

Quality assurance: Importance of systems and standard operating procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kishu Manghani

2011-01-01

Full Text Available It is mandatory for sponsors of clinical trials and contract research organizations alike to establish, manage and monitor their quality control and quality assurance systems and their integral standard operating procedures and other quality documents to provide high-quality products and services to fully satisfy customer needs and expectations. Quality control and quality assurance systems together constitute the key quality systems. Quality control and quality assurance are parts of quality management. Quality control is focused on fulfilling quality requirements, whereas quality assurance is focused on providing confidence that quality requirements are fulfilled. The quality systems must be commensurate with the Company business objectives and business model. Top management commitment and its active involvement are critical in order to ensure at all times the adequacy, suitability, effectiveness and efficiency of the quality systems. Effective and efficient quality systems can promote timely registration of drugs by eliminating waste and the need for rework with overall financial and social benefits to the Company.

The advanced therapy classification procedure. Overview of experience gained so far.

Science.gov (United States)

Voltz-Girolt, C; Celis, P; Boucaumont, M; D'Apote, L; Pinheiro, M-H; Papaluca-Amati, M

2011-07-01

The classification procedure, introduced by the European Regulation on advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), has received a tremendous interest from companies, academic and public sponsors developing ATMPs. This procedure gives companies the opportunity to verify whether or not the product they are developing can be considered an ATMP and can therefore benefit from the new regulatory pathway introduced in the European Union for these types of medicinal products. This procedure is optional, free of charge and may take place at any stage of the development of an ATMP in advance of applying for a marketing authorisation. In case of doubt, briefing meetings organised by the European Medicines Agency Innovation Task Force may help preparing for an ATMP classification and are a starting point for the interactions between the Agency and the developers of ATMPs. This article reviews the advantages of the classification procedure for both the developers of ATMPs and the European regulatory network. Since the introduction of this procedure and up to 10 November 2010, the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) has finalised 38 applications for classification.

European activities in radiation protection in medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simeonov, Georgi

2015-01-01

The recently published Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom ('new European Basic Safety Standards', EU BSS) modernises and consolidates the European radiation protection legislation by taking into account the latest scientific knowledge, technological progress and experience with implementing the current legislation and by merging five existing Directives into a single piece of legislation. The new European BSS repeal previous European legislation on which the national systems for radiation protection in medicine of the 28 European Union (EU) Member States are based, including the 96/29/Euratom 'BSS' and the 97/43/ Euratom 'Medical Exposure' Directives. While most of the elements of the previous legislation have been kept, there are several legal changes that will have important influence over the regulation and practice in the field all over Europe-these include, among others: (i) strengthening the implementation of the justification principle and expanding it to medically exposed asymptomatic individuals, (ii) more attention to interventional radiology, (iii) new requirements for dose recording and reporting, (iv) increased role of the medical physics expert in imaging, (v) new set of requirements for preventing and following up on accidents and (vi) new set of requirements for procedures where radiological equipment is used on people for non-medical purposes (nonmedical imaging exposure). The EU Member States have to enforce the new EU BSS before January 2018 and bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with it. The European Commission has certain legal obligations and powers to verify the compliance of the national measures with the EU laws and, wherever necessary, issue recommendations to, or open infringement cases against, national governments. In order to ensure timely and coordinated implementation of the new European legal requirements for radiation protection, the Commission is

Clinical audits: who does control what? European guide lines;Audits cliniques: qui controle quoi? Lignes directrices europeennes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarvinen, H. [Ingenieur es Sciences, Expert en chef pour l' Utilisation des Rayonnements Ionisants A des fins medicales, Autorite de Surete Nucleaire et de Radioprotection (STUK), Helsinki (Finland)

2009-12-15

The E.C. directive 97/43/EURATOM (M.E.D.-directive) introduced the concept of Clinical Audit for the assessment of medical radiological practices (diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy). The European Commission started in June 2007 a special project to review in detail the status of implementation of Clinical audits in Member States and to prepare European Guidance on Clinical Audits for diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. The purpose of this E.C. project is to provide clear and comprehensive information and guidance on the procedures and criteria for clinical audits in all radiological practices, in order to improve the implementation of Article 6.4 of the M.E.D.-directive. The guidance should be flexible and enable the member States to adopt the model of clinical audit with respect to their national legislation and administrative provisions. By definition, clinical audit is a systematic examination or review of medical radiological procedures. It seeks to improve the quality and the outcome of patient care through structured review whereby radiological practices, procedures and results are examined against agreed standards for good medical radiological procedures. Modifications of the practices are implemented where indicated and new standards applied if necessary. The general objectives of clinical audit should be: to improve the quality of patient care, to promote the effective use of resources, to enhance the provision and organization of clinical services, to further professional education and training. Clinical audits must be at the same time internal (set by the management of the department) and external (set by external auditors at the department). It must not be confused with other evaluation activities such inspections, accreditation or quality system certifications. Clinical audits should address structure, process and outcome such the unit mission, quality assurance, dosimetry and treatments follow-up. The recent

VERIFICATION PROCEDURE EUROPEAN FUNDED PROJECTS THROUGH FINANCIAL AUDITS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riana Iren RADU

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The work developed by the authors assumes a definite need for reflection on funding mechanisms and macroeconomic management at all levels of budget deficit, amid the economic crisis unprecedented in the recent history of Romania and the whole of Europe. In this direction, this paper attempts to highlight issues that arise in terms of absorption of European funds for economic development based on this absorption emphasizing the role of grants in the economy and the need to audit projects.

Catalogue of European earthquakes and an atlas of European seismic maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Gils, J.M.

1988-01-01

The Catalogue of European earthquakes and an atlas of European seismic maps has been prepared in the framework of the activities of the CEC Working Group on the safety of ligh-water reactors. Seismic hazards are considered to be an important element of possible external accidents to be taken into account in the design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants. The report relies on the data base available, the historical as well as the present-day data. After a short historical review, actually-used intensity scales are discussed. The scale applied in European countries and the one proposed in the United States of America are compared. The different seismic maps of interest are explained and a mathematical procedure presented which allows, under certain conditions, to draw seismic maps by computer facilities

Variability in recording and scoring of respiratory events during sleep in Europe: a need for uniform standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnardottir, Erna S; Verbraecken, Johan; Gonçalves, Marta; Gjerstad, Michaela D; Grote, Ludger; Puertas, Francisco Javier; Mihaicuta, Stefan; McNicholas, Walter T; Parrino, Liborio

2016-04-01

Uniform standards for the recording and scoring of respiratory events during sleep are lacking in Europe, although many centres follow the published recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The aim of this study was to assess the practice for the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing throughout Europe. A specially developed questionnaire was sent to representatives of the 31 national sleep societies in the Assembly of National Sleep Societies of the European Sleep Research Society, and a total of 29 countries completed the questionnaire. Polysomnography was considered the primary diagnostic method for sleep apnea diagnosis in 10 (34.5%), whereas polygraphy was used primarily in six (20.7%) European countries. In the remaining 13 countries (44.8%), no preferred methodology was used. Fifteen countries (51.7%) had developed some type of national uniform standards, but these standards varied significantly in terms of scoring criteria, device specifications and quality assurance procedures between countries. Only five countries (17.2%) had published these standards. Most respondents supported the development of uniform recording and scoring criteria for Europe, which might be based partly on the existing American Academy of Sleep Medicine rules, but also take into account differences in European practice when compared to North America. This survey highlights the current varying approaches to the assessment of patients with sleep-disordered breathing throughout Europe and supports the need for the development of practice parameters in the assessment of such patients that would be suited to European clinical practice. © 2015 European Sleep Research Society.

Preoperative Decision Making for Nephron-Sparing Procedure in the Renal Mass: Time for Using Standard Tools?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zondervan, Patricia J.; van Lienden, Krijn P.; van Delden, Otto M.; de La Rosette, Jean J. M. C. H.; Laguna, M. Pilar

2016-01-01

To determine if the application of using standard tools on tumor complexity and comorbidity indexes may replace the traditional choice of nephron-sparing procedure (NSP) based on clinical maximal tumor diameter (cMTD), age, and comorbidity. Anatomic complexity scores (PADUA and RENAL) and Charlson

First report on a European round robin for slope measuring profilers

Science.gov (United States)

Rommeveaux, Amparo; Thomasset, Muriel; Cocco, Daniele; Siewert, Frank

2005-08-01

In the framework of the European COoperation in the field of Scientific and Technical research action on "X-ray and Neutron Optic" (COST P7) and following the decision announced in the last International Workshop on Metrology for X-ray and neutron optic (Grenoble, April 2004), the metrology facilities of four European synchrotrons, Bessy, Elettra, ESRF and Soleil, have decided and started a program of instrument inter-comparison. Other synchrotrons are joining us and further interested Institutions are invited to participate in this open measurement comparison. The metrology instruments involved are different kinds of direct slope measurement devices, like the well known Long Trace Profiler (in house made or modified) and the Bessy N.O.M.. The Round Robin was started with 2 flat and 2 spherical mirrors (three made of Zerodur and one of fused silica) made available by Bessy and Elettra. A short radius of curvature spherical mirror of Silicon from SOLEIL was later added. First results show a very close match between the measurements of all facilities provided that the same procedures are followed. In particular, a special attention has to be given to the way of supporting the reference objects, as it will be illustrated by some examples. Another important issue is the characterization of the systematic errors of the different instruments and how they can be reduced or eliminated. The paper expects to open a discussion on the performances of different commercial and custom made or modified profilometers, and over standard procedures for calibration testing, including the definition of standard reference surfaces.

Historical Development of NATO Stanag 6001 Language Standards and Common European Framework (CEF) and the Comparison of Their Current Status

Science.gov (United States)

Solak, Ekrem

2011-01-01

The aim of the article is to shed light on the historical development of language studies in military and social context and to compare the current status of NATO Stanag (Standard Agreement) 6001 language scale with Common European Framework (CEF). Language studies in military context date back to World War II and the emergence of Army Specialized…

A review on test procedure, energy efficiency standards and energy labels for room air conditioners and refrigerator-freezers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahlia, T.M.I.; Saidur, R. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2010-09-15

Air conditioners and refrigerator-freezers are major energy users in a household environment and hence efficiency improvement of these appliances can be considered as an important step to reduce their energy consumption along with environmental pollution prevention. Energy efficiency standards and labels are commonly used tools to reduce the energy uses for household appliances for many countries around the world. The first step towards adopting energy efficiency standards is to establish a test procedure for rating and testing of an appliance. It may be mentioned that an energy test procedure is the technical foundation for energy efficiency standards, energy labels, and other related programs. This paper reviews requirements and specifications of various international test standards for testing and rating of room air conditioners and refrigerators. A review on the development of the energy efficiency standards has been provided as well. Finally, energy labels that provide some useful information for identifying energy efficient products have been reviewed for these appliances. It may be stated that the review will be useful for the developing countries who wish to develop these energy savings strategies. It is also expected to be useful to revise the existing strategies for a few selected countries who already implemented these strategies earlier. (author)

The role of the article 31 experts group in harmonising the standards for radiation protection in the European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Govaerts, P.

2002-01-01

Article 2 of the Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community) treaty requires the establishment of uniform safety standards to be implemented by each member state: Article 2, b: In order to perform its task the community shall establish uniform safety standards to protect the health of workers and of the general public and ensure that they are applied. The scope of those standards is defined by Article 30 and relates to doses compatible with adequate safety; levels of exposure and contamination; the fundamental principles governing the health surveillance of workers. Article 31 stipulates the decision making process with respect to those standards. Article 31: The basic standards shall be worked out by the Commission after it has obtained the opinion of a group of persons appointed by the Scientific and Technical Committee from among scientific experts, and in particular public health experts, in the Member States. The Commission shall obtain the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on these basic standards. After consulting the Assembly the Council shall, on a proposal from the Commission, which shall forward to it the opinions from these Committees, establish the basic safety standards; the Council shall act by a qualified majority

Standard formatted data units-control authority procedures

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

The purpose of this document is to establish a set of minimum and optional requirements for the implementation of Control Authority (CA) organizations within and among the Agencies participating in the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS). By satisfying these requirements, the resultant cooperating set of CA organizations will produce a global CA service supporting information transfer with digital data under the Standard Formatted Data Unit (SFDU) concept. This service is primarily accomplished through the registration, permanent archiving, and dissemination of metadata in the form of Metadata Objects (MDO) that assist in the interpretation of data objects received in SFDU form. This Recommendation addresses the responsibilities, services, and interface protocols for a hierarchy of CA organizations. The top level, consisting of the CCSDS Secretariat and its operational agent, is unique and primarily provides a global coordination function. The lower levels are Agency CA organizations that have primary responsibility for the registration, archiving, and dissemination of MDOs. As experience is gained and technology evolves, the CA Procedures will be extended to include enhanced services and their supporting protocols. In particular, it is anticipated that eventually CA organizations will be linked via networks on a global basis, and will provide requestors with online automated access to CA services. While this Recommendation does not preclude such operations, it also does not recommend the specific protocols to be used to ensure global compatibility of these services. These recommendations will be generated as experience is gained.

Review and comparison of WWER and LWR Codes and Standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckthorpe, D.; Tashkinov, A.; Brynda, J.; Davies, L.M.; Cueto-Felgeueroso, C.; Detroux, P.; Bieniussa, K.; Guinovart, J.

2003-01-01

The results of work on a collaborative project on comparison of Codes and Standards used for safety related components of the WWER and LWR type reactors is presented. This work was performed on behalf of the European Commission, Working Group Codes and Standards and considers areas such as rules, criteria and provisions, failure mechanisms , derivation and understanding behind the fatigue curves, piping, materials and aging, manufacturing and ISI. WWERs are essentially designed and constructed using the Russian PNAE Code together with special provisions in a few countries (e.g. Czech Republic) from national standards. The LWR Codes have a strong dependence on the ASME Code. Also within Western Europe other codes are used including RCC-M, KTA and British Standards. A comparison of procedures used in all these codes and standards have been made to investigate the potential for equivalencies between the codes and any grounds for future cooperation between eastern and western experts in this field. (author)

Microwave-assisted versus conventional decomposition procedures applied to a ceramic potsherd standard reference material by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papadopoulou, D.N.; Zachariadis, G.A.; Anthemidis, A.N.; Tsirliganis, N.C.; Stratis, J.A

2004-03-03

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) is a powerful, sensitive analytical technique with numerous applications in chemical characterization including that of ancient pottery, mainly due to its multi-element character, and the relatively short time required for the analysis. A critical step in characterization studies of ancient pottery is the selection of a suitable decomposition procedure for the ceramic matrix. The current work presents the results of a comparative study of six decomposition procedures applied on a standard ceramic potsherd reference material, SARM 69. The investigated decomposition procedures included three microwave-assisted decomposition procedures, one wet decomposition (WD) procedure by conventional heating, one combined microwave-assisted and conventional heating WD procedure, and one fusion procedure. Chemical analysis was carried out by ICP-AES. Five major (Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg), three minor (Mn, Ba, Ti) and two trace (Cu, Co) elements were determined and compared with their certified values. Quantitation was performed at two different spectral lines for each element and multi-element matrix-matched calibration standards were used. The recovery values for the six decomposition procedures ranged between 75 and 110% with a few notable exceptions. Data were processed statistically in order to evaluate the investigated decomposition procedures in terms of recovery, accuracy and precision, and eventually select the most appropriate one for ancient pottery analysis.

Protecting animals and enabling research in the European Union

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, I. Anna S.; Pinto da Silva, Sandra; Townend, David

2016-01-01

In 1986, European Directive 86/609/EEC, regulating the use of animals in research, was one of the first examples of common legislation to set standards for animal protection across the Member States of the former European Economic Community, now the European Union, with the aim of securing a level...... objectives of the directive, particularly with a focus on securing the same high standards of animal protection across member countries. The analysis focuses on three separate issues: (1) minimum standards for laboratory animal housing and care, (2) restrictions on the use of certain animal species, and (3...

The european approach to quality assurance in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benini, A.

1997-01-01

The european and increasingly the international organizations are emphasizing the importance of appropriate quality assurance programmes in diagnostic radiology. The European Directive (particularly the directive 84/466/EURATOM). the various publications of the International Commission for radiation protection (ICRP), related to protection of the patients and workers and the Basic Safety Standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) might be considered the landmarks of the new approach to the problems of dose reduction and quality in diagnostic radiology. In particular ICRP maintains a watching brief on all aspects related to radiation protection and makes recommendations concerning basic principles. Since ICRP 26 (1977), several ICRP publications have dealt with all the principal fields of diagnostic radiology. The IAEA has recently published the new Basic Safety Standards including guidance levels for the most common diagnostic investigations.Within the European countries the European Union and the European legislation have strong influence of the implementation of radiation protection and Q A at a national level. This has led to a substantial effort in the european countries to establish national standards and basic quality requirements. (author)

Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in European soya bean and rapeseed products fed to growing pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaewtapee, C; Mosenthin, R; Nenning, S; Wiltafsky, M; Schäffler, M; Eklund, M; Rosenfelder-Kuon, P

2018-04-01

This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition and standardized ileal digestibility coefficients (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) of European soya bean and rapeseed products in pigs. Six soya bean and two rapeseed products were used as the sole dietary source of CP and AA, including raw (FFSB) and roasted full-fat soya beans (FFSB R oasted ), soya bean (SBC) and rapeseed cake (RSC), and rapeseed meal (RSM) from Bavaria (Germany), soya bean meal (SBM) from the Danube region (Austria; SBM A ustria ), a commercially available standard SBM (SBM S td ) and an imported genetically modified organism-free SBM (SBM GMO -free ). Eight ileal- cannulated pigs with an initial body weight of 32 ± 2 kg were allotted to a row-column design with eight diets and six periods of seven days each. Trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) ranged from 1.8 in SBM S td to 24.5 mg/g DM in FFSB. The SID of CP and all AA in FFSB R oasted were greater than in FFSB, but lower when compared to SBC and SBM A ustria (p soya bean and rapeseed products as influenced by differences in processing conditions. European SBC and SBM A ustria can be used as alternative to imported SBM GMO -free and SBM S td in diets for growing pigs. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

An Information System for European culture collections: the way forward.

Science.gov (United States)

Casaregola, Serge; Vasilenko, Alexander; Romano, Paolo; Robert, Vincent; Ozerskaya, Svetlana; Kopf, Anna; Glöckner, Frank O; Smith, David

2016-01-01

Culture collections contain indispensable information about the microorganisms preserved in their repositories, such as taxonomical descriptions, origins, physiological and biochemical characteristics, bibliographic references, etc. However, information currently accessible in databases rarely adheres to common standard protocols. The resultant heterogeneity between culture collections, in terms of both content and format, notably hampers microorganism-based research and development (R&D). The optimized exploitation of these resources thus requires standardized, and simplified, access to the associated information. To this end, and in the interest of supporting R&D in the fields of agriculture, health and biotechnology, a pan-European distributed research infrastructure, MIRRI, including over 40 public culture collections and research institutes from 19 European countries, was established. A prime objective of MIRRI is to unite and provide universal access to the fragmented, and untapped, resources, information and expertise available in European public collections of microorganisms; a key component of which is to develop a dynamic Information System. For the first time, both culture collection curators as well as their users have been consulted and their feedback, concerning the needs and requirements for collection databases and data accessibility, utilised. Users primarily noted that databases were not interoperable, thus rendering a global search of multiple databases impossible. Unreliable or out-of-date and, in particular, non-homogenous, taxonomic information was also considered to be a major obstacle to searching microbial data efficiently. Moreover, complex searches are rarely possible in online databases thus limiting the extent of search queries. Curators also consider that overall harmonization-including Standard Operating Procedures, data structure, and software tools-is necessary to facilitate their work and to make high-quality data easily accessible

Recommendation for an administrative procedure for certification and licensing of wind turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harvoee, P.; Hjuler Jensen, P. (eds.)

1986-10-15

The lack of existing rules concerning the setting up of wind turbines makes it possible to establish common standards and certification rules for wind turbines in the whole EEC market. Free trade within EEC is necessary if a European wind turbine industry is to enjoy a fair share of the large global market which is anticipated. The report suggests the setting up of national test stations for certifying wind tubines in the EEC-countries and by cooperation between these test centres to create common certification rules. A draft for this procedure is given.

Conscientious objection to sexual and reproductive health services: international human rights standards and European law and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zampas, Christina; Andión-Ibañez, Ximena

2012-06-01

The practice of conscientious objection often arises in the area of individuals refusing to fulfil compulsory military service requirements and is based on the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as protected by national, international and regional human rights law. The practice of conscientious objection also arises in the field of health care, when individual health care providers or institutions refuse to provide certain health services based on religious, moral or philosophical objections. The use of conscientious objection by health care providers to reproductive health care services, including abortion, contraceptive prescriptions, and prenatal tests, among other services is a growing phenomena throughout Europe. However, despite recent progress from the European Court of Human Rights on this issue (RR v. Poland, 2011), countries and international and regional bodies generally have failed to comprehensively and effectively regulate this practice, denying many women reproductive health care services they are legally entitled to receive. The Italian Ministry of Health reported that in 2008 nearly 70% of gynaecologists in Italy refuse to perform abortions on moral grounds. It found that between 2003 and 2007 the number of gynaecologists invoking conscientious objection in their refusal to perform an abortion rose from 58.7 percent to 69.2 percent. Italy is not alone in Europe, for example, the practice is prevalent in Poland, Slovakia, and is growing in the United Kingdom. This article outlines the international and regional human rights obligations and medical standards on this issue, and highlights some of the main gaps in these standards. It illustrates how European countries regulate or fail to regulate conscientious objection and how these regulations are working in practice, including examples of jurisprudence from national level courts and cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Finally, the article will provide recommendations

Europeanisation of civil procedure: towards common minimum standards?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mańko, R.

2015-01-01

The free movement of judgments in the European Area of Justice presupposes a high level of mutual trust between the judiciaries of the Member States. From the citizens' perspective, the key issue is the balancing of the fundamental rights of claimants and defendants, i.e. the right of access to

EUROPEAN REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE AUDIT REPORTING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Botez

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years, reporting requirements on the statutory audit have been revised and amended to increase the audit report’s communication value. In addition to the stipulations of the International Auditing Standards Package on reporting, revised and enforceable on 15 December 2016, the European Union issued the Directive 2014/56 / EU amending Directive 2006/43 / EC on statutory audits of annual financial statements and consolidated financial statements and EU Regulation no. 537/2014 on specific requirements for the statutory audit of public interest entities, both of which were published on the same date, June 17, 2014 and with the same application deadline, June 17, 2016. These normative acts foresee increased requirements for the reporting procedure in the statutory audit. Thus, the Directive provides for additional content requirements for the audit report, and the regulation requires additional information in the report but also the issuance and provision of other reports by the auditor: report to the audit committee of the public interest entity; In some cases, a report to the public-interest entity's supervisory authority or to the auditor's supervisory authority, and a transparency report published annually on the auditor's website. Our article details this information with direct reference to the content of these European official documents.

Constructing a European Governance Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pontoppidan, Caroline Aggestam; Alijarde, Isabel Brusca; Chow, Danny

Financial crisis has emphasized the need for harmonized public sector accounts in Europe. After a public consultation on the suitability of the IPSAS for EU Member States, the European Commission considers that the proper way is the development of European Union Standards adapted to IPSAS (renaming....... On the basis of that discussion, Eurostat launched another public consultation named; ‘Towards implementing European Public Sector Accounting Standards for EU member states-Public consultation on future EPSAS governance principles and structures’. This paper seeks to provide an in-depth understanding...... of the negotiations and interactions that took place prior to, during and after the issuance of the public consultation on the ‘Suitability of IPSAS’. The focus of this paper is therefore on a systematic analysis of the construction of regional-transnational governance of public sector accounting, using the EPSAS...

Risk-informed in-service inspections of nuclear power plants: European activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simola, K.; Gandossi, L.

2010-01-01

Risk-informed in-service inspection (RI-ISI) methods aim at enhancing ISI effectiveness by taking into account the risk importance of possible inspection sites. These methods are widely applied in US, but in Europe the situation is different, as there are many regulatory environments implying a variety of ISI codes and standards and national guidelines. The objective of the European Network for Inspection Qualification, ENIQ, is to co-ordinate and to manage at European level expertise and resources for the qualification of non-destructive inspection techniques and procedures primarily for the in-service inspection of nuclear components. ENIQ has established a Task Group on Risk (TGR) to work towards developing best practice for RI-ISI methodologies. TGR has published a European framework document for risk-informed in-service inspection, and the group has been working at producing more detailed recommended practices and discussion documents on several RI-ISI related issues. In addition, TGR has been active in initiating international projects, such as the JRC-OECD/NEA coordinated RI-ISI benchmark exercise (RISMET). This paper describes the activities and publications of TGR to date, and summarises the contents and main results of the RISMET RI-ISI benchmark exercise. (orig.)

Toward harmonization of the European food hygiene/veterinary public health curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Smulders, Frans J M; Buncic, Sava; Fehlhaber, Karsten; Huey, Robert J; Korkeala, Hannu; Prieto, Miguel; Steinhauserova, Iva

2012-01-01

Prompted by developments in the agri-food industry and associated recent changes in European legislation, the responsibilities of veterinarians professionally active in veterinary public health (VPH), and particularly in food hygiene (FH), have increasingly shifted from the traditional end-product control toward longitudinally integrated safety assurance. This necessitates the restructuring of university training programs to provide starting competence in this area for veterinary graduates or a sub-population of them. To date, there are substantial differences in Europe in the way in which graduate programs in FH/VPH are structured and in the time allocated to this important curricular group of subjects. Having recognized this, the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) recently instituted a working group to analyze the current situation, with a view to produce standard operating procedures allowing fair and transparent evaluations of universities/faculties constituting its membership and in concurrence with explicit European legislation on the professional qualifications deemed necessary for this veterinary discipline. This article summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations of the working group and seeks to contribute to the international efforts to optimize veterinary training in FH/VPH.

Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms in the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grossman, M.R.; Bryan Endres, A.

2000-01-01

To be successful, laws that regulate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must help society decide rationally when to pause and when to proceed in adopting new biotechnological developments. In the context of European Union (EU) institutions and lawmaking procedures, this article examines European

The European Patent System: Dealing with emerging technologies.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kica, Evisa; Groenendijk, Nico

2011-01-01

In light of recent controversial patent decisions in biotechnology, this article argues that the current European patent examination and opposition procedures do not suffice to balance the patent system These procedures do not provide sufficient guidance for patent examiners to deal effectively with

A comparative study on assessment procedures and metric properties of two scoring systems of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised items: standard and modified scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Sattin, Davide; Lovaglio, Piergiorgio; Brenna, Greta; Covelli, Venusia; Rossi Sebastiano, Davide; Duran, Dunja; Minati, Ludovico; Giovannetti, Ambra Mara; Rosazza, Cristina; Bersano, Anna; Nigri, Anna; Ferraro, Stefania; Leonardi, Matilde

2017-09-01

The study compared the metric characteristics (discriminant capacity and factorial structure) of two different methods for scoring the items of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised and it analysed scale scores collected using the standard assessment procedure and a new proposed method. Cross sectional design/methodological study. Inpatient, neurological unit. A total of 153 patients with disorders of consciousness were consecutively enrolled between 2011 and 2013. All patients were assessed with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised using standard (rater 1) and inverted (rater 2) procedures. Coma Recovery Scale-Revised score, number of cognitive and reflex behaviours and diagnosis. Regarding patient assessment, rater 1 using standard and rater 2 using inverted procedures obtained the same best scores for each subscale of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised for all patients, so no clinical (and statistical) difference was found between the two procedures. In 11 patients (7.7%), rater 2 noted that some Coma Recovery Scale-Revised codified behavioural responses were not found during assessment, although higher response categories were present. A total of 51 (36%) patients presented the same Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores of 7 or 8 using a standard score, whereas no overlap was found using the modified score. Unidimensionality was confirmed for both score systems. The Coma Recovery Scale Modified Score showed a higher discriminant capacity than the standard score and a monofactorial structure was also supported. The inverted assessment procedure could be a useful evaluation method for the assessment of patients with disorder of consciousness diagnosis.

Analysis of the frequency of interventional cardiology in various European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faulkner, K.; Werduch, A.

2008-01-01

The contribution of interventional cardiology procedures to the population dose in Europe is poorly known. The estimation of the population dose from these procedures requires knowledge of both the typical dose received by patients and an estimate of the number of procedures undertaken annually. Data on the number of cardiology procedures in various European countries are available on the internet for a number of countries. However, this data set is incomplete or out of date. This paper describes the statistical analysis undertaken to estimate the number of interventional cardiology procedures in a number of European countries for 2007. Estimates of the number of procedures are given. On average, the number of cardiac catheterizations per million population is 5346, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is 1599 and 1214 stent procedures. In addition, there are an estimated 973 pacemaker insertions per million population. (authors)

European integration assessed in the light of the 'rules vs. standards debate'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F. Weber (Franziska)

2011-01-01

textabstractThe interplay of various legal systems in the European Union (EU) has long triggered a debate on the tension between uniformity and diversity of Member States' (MS) laws. This debate takes place among European legal scholars and is also paralleled by economic scholars, e.g. in the ambit

Assessment of modal-pushover-based scaling procedure for nonlinear response history analysis of ordinary standard bridges

Science.gov (United States)

Kalkan, E.; Kwong, N.

2012-01-01

The earthquake engineering profession is increasingly utilizing nonlinear response history analyses (RHA) to evaluate seismic performance of existing structures and proposed designs of new structures. One of the main ingredients of nonlinear RHA is a set of ground motion records representing the expected hazard environment for the structure. When recorded motions do not exist (as is the case in the central United States) or when high-intensity records are needed (as is the case in San Francisco and Los Angeles), ground motions from other tectonically similar regions need to be selected and scaled. The modal-pushover-based scaling (MPS) procedure was recently developed to determine scale factors for a small number of records such that the scaled records provide accurate and efficient estimates of “true” median structural responses. The adjective “accurate” refers to the discrepancy between the benchmark responses and those computed from the MPS procedure. The adjective “efficient” refers to the record-to-record variability of responses. In this paper, the accuracy and efficiency of the MPS procedure are evaluated by applying it to four types of existing Ordinary Standard bridges typical of reinforced concrete bridge construction in California. These bridges are the single-bent overpass, multi-span bridge, curved bridge, and skew bridge. As compared with benchmark analyses of unscaled records using a larger catalog of ground motions, it is demonstrated that the MPS procedure provided an accurate estimate of the engineering demand parameters (EDPs) accompanied by significantly reduced record-to-record variability of the EDPs. Thus, it is a useful tool for scaling ground motions as input to nonlinear RHAs of Ordinary Standard bridges.

Economic freedoms and labour standards in the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cremers, J.

2016-01-01

The European Union internal market seeks to ensure the free movement of goods, services, capital and citizens. The primacy given to these economic freedoms has culminated in a socio-economic reasoning dominated by competition, bringing about side effects that may pose a threat to working conditions

Constructing an exposure chart: step by step (based on standard procedures)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, Jocelyn L; Cansino, Percedita T.; Taguibao, Angileo P.

2000-01-01

An exposure chart is very important in conducting radiographic inspection of materials. By using an accurate exposure chart, an inspector is able to avoid a trial and error way of determining correct time to expose a specimen, thereby producing a radiograph that has an acceptable density based on a standard. The chart gives the following information: x-ray machine model and brand, distance of the x-ray tube from the film, type and thickness of intensifying screens, film type, radiograph density, and film processing conditions. The methods of preparing an exposure chart are available in existing radiographic testing manuals. These described methods are presented in step by step procedures, covering the actual laboratory set-up, data gathering, computations, and transformation of derived data into Characteristic Curve and Exposure Chart

Clinical quality standards for radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Aim of the study The technological progress that is currently being witnessed in the areas of diagnostic imaging, treatment planning systems and therapeutic equipment has caused radiotherapy to become a high-tech and interdisciplinary domain involving staff of various backgrounds. This allows steady improvement in therapy results, but at the same time makes the diagnostic, imaging and therapeutic processes more complex and complicated, requiring every stage of those processes to be planned, organized, controlled and improved so as to assure high quality of services provided. The aim of this paper is to present clinical quality standards for radiotherapy as developed by the author. Material and methods In order to develop the quality standards, a comparative analysis was performed between European and Polish legal acts adopted in the period of 1980-2006 and the universal industrial ISO 9001:2008 standard, defining requirements for quality management systems, and relevant articles published in 1984-2009 were reviewed, including applicable guidelines and recommendations of American, international, European and Polish bodies, such as the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology (ESTRO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) on quality assurance and management in radiotherapy. Results As a result, 352 quality standards for radiotherapy were developed and categorized into the following three groups: 1 – organizational standards; 2 – physico-technical standards and 3 – clinical standards. Conclusion Proposed clinical quality standards for radiotherapy can be used by any institution using ionizing radiation for medical purposes. However, standards are of value only if they are implemented, reviewed, audited and improved, and if there is a clear mechanism in place to monitor and address failure to meet agreed standards. PMID:23788854

Comparison of ultraviolet A light protection standards in the United States and European Union through in vitro measurements of commercially available sunscreens.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Steven Q; Xu, Haoming; Stanfield, Joseph W; Osterwalder, Uli; Herzog, Bernd

2017-07-01

The importance of adequate ultraviolet A light (UVA) protection has become apparent in recent years. The United States and Europe have different standards for assessing UVA protection in sunscreen products. We sought to measure the in vitro critical wavelength (CW) and UVA protection factor (PF) of commercially available US sunscreen products and see if they meet standards set by the United States and the European Union. Twenty sunscreen products with sun protection factors ranging from 15 to 100+ were analyzed. Two in vitro UVA protection tests were conducted in accordance with the 2011 US Food and Drug Administration final rule and the 2012 International Organization for Standardization method for sunscreen effectiveness testing. The CW of the tested sunscreens ranged from 367 to 382 nm, and the UVA PF of the products ranged from 6.1 to 32. Nineteen of 20 sunscreens (95%) met the US requirement of CW >370 nm. Eleven of 20 sunscreens (55%) met the EU desired ratio of UVA PF/SPF > 1:3. The study only evaluated a small number of sunscreen products. The majority of tested sunscreens offered adequate UVA protection according to US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for broad-spectrum status, but almost half of the sunscreens tested did not pass standards set in the European Union. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

ETSI-Standard Reconfigurable Mobile Device for Supporting the Licensed Shared Access

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyunghoon Kim

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order for a Mobile Device (MD to support the Licensed Shared Access (LSA, the MD should be reconfigurable, meaning that the configuration of a MD must be adaptively changed in accordance with the communication standard adopted in a given LSA system. Based on the standard architecture for reconfigurable MD defined in Working Group (WG 2 of the Technical Committee (TC Reconfigurable Radio System (RRS of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI, this paper presents a procedure to transfer control signals among the software entities of a reconfigurable MD required for implementing the LSA. This paper also presents an implementation of a reconfigurable MD prototype that realizes the proposed procedure. The modem and Radio Frequency (RF part of the prototype MD are implemented with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Graphic Processing Unit (GPU and the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP N210, respectively. With a preset scenario that consists of five time slots from different signal environments, we demonstrate superb performance of the reconfigurable MD in comparison to the conventional nonreconfigurable MD in terms of the data receiving rate available in the LSA band at 2.3–2.4 GHz.

A European experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willson, D.

1981-01-01

The Joint European Torus (JET) is an experiment in nuclear fusion research which was planned as a joint effort between national research laboratories and Euratom. Before approval was given for it to be built it became a political football in the European Communities. This book describes the background against which JET was conceived, designed and planned. It gives a chronological account of the political imbroglio which followed between 1975 and 1978 and indicates how close the project came to collapse at one point. In addition to the two years' delay caused by Ministerial conflicts over its siting, the project suffered many compromises in its financing, its staffing and its organisation. An account is given of the unique structure of the European Communities and its procedures, which shows how idealism constantly faces reality. The role of Euratom is discussed, taking into account the difference between its approach to applications of nuclear fission as opposed to those of nuclear fusion. (author)

Do European Standard Disinfectant tests truly simulate in-use microbial and organic soiling conditions on food preparation surfaces?

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, B; Morin, V N; Rödger, H-J; Holah, J; Bird, C

2010-04-01

The results from European standard disinfectant tests are used as one basis to approve the use of disinfectants in Europe. The design of these laboratory-based tests should thus simulate as closely as possible the practical conditions and challenges that the disinfectants would encounter in use. No evidence is available that the organic and microbial loading in these tests simulates actual levels in the food service sector. Total organic carbon (TOC) and total viable count (TVC) were determined on 17 visibly clean and 45 visibly dirty surfaces in two restaurants and the food preparation surfaces of a large retail store. These values were compared to reference values recovered from surfaces soiled with the organic and microbial loading, following the standard conditions of the European Surface Test for bactericidal efficacy, EN 13697. The TOC reference values for clean and dirty conditions were higher than the data from practice, but cannot be regarded as statistical outliers. This was considered as a conservative assessment; however, as additional nine TOC samples from visibly dirty surfaces were discarded from the analysis, as their loading made them impossible to process. Similarly, the recovery of test organisms from surfaces contaminated according to EN 13697 was higher than the TVC from visibly dirty surfaces in practice; though they could not be regarded as statistical outliers of the whole data field. No correlation was found between TVC and TOC in the sampled data, which re-emphasizes the potential presence of micro-organisms on visibly clean surfaces and thus the need for the same degree of disinfection as visibly dirty surfaces. The organic soil and the microbial burden used in EN disinfectant standards represent a realistic worst-case scenario for disinfectants used in the food service and food-processing areas.

European Patient Summary Guideline: Focus on Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Berler, Alexander; Tagaris, Anastassios; Chronaki, Catherine

2016-01-01

The European Patient Summary (PS) guideline specifies a minimal dataset of essential and important information for unplanned or emergency care initially defined in the epSOS project with aim to improve patients' safety and quality of Care. The eHealth Network of European Union (EU) Member State (MS) representatives established under Article 14 of the EU directive 2011/24 on patient rights to cross-border healthcare adopted PS guideline in November 2013 and since then the guideline has been part of MS strategic eHealth implementation plans, standardization efforts, and concrete regional, national, European and international projects. This paper reviews implementation efforts for the implementation of an operational patient summary service in Greece drawing on challenges and lessons learned for sustainable standards-based large scale eHealth deployment in Europe and abroad, as well as the reuse of best practices from international standards and integration profiles.

Environmental sustainability in European public healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiarini, Andrea; Vagnoni, Emidia

2016-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to enlarge the debate concerning the influence of leadership on environmental sustainability implementation in European public healthcare organisations. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is a viewpoint. It is based on preliminary analysis of European standards dedicated to environmental sustainability and their spread across Europe in public healthcare organisations. Viewpoints concerning leadership are then discussed and asserted. Findings - This paper found a limited implementation of standards such as Green Public Procurement criteria, Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and ISO 14001 in public healthcare. Some clues indicate that the lack of implementation is related to leadership and management commitment. Originality/value - For the first time, this paper investigates relationships between leadership and environmental sustainability in European public healthcare opening further avenues of research on the subject.

European type-approval test procedure for evaporative emissions from passenger cars against real-world mobility data from two Italian provinces.

Science.gov (United States)

Martini, Giorgio; Paffumi, Elena; De Gennaro, Michele; Mellios, Giorgos

2014-07-15

This paper presents an evaluation of the European type-approval test procedure for evaporative emissions from passenger cars based on real-world mobility data. The study relies on two large databases of driving patterns from conventional fuel vehicles collected by means of on-board GPS systems in the Italian provinces of Modena and Firenze. Approximately 28,000 vehicles were monitored, corresponding to approximately 36 million kilometres over a period of one month. The driving pattern of each vehicle was processed to derive the relation between trip length and parking duration, and the rate of occurrence of parking events against multiple evaporative cycles, defined on the basis of the type-approval test procedure as 12-hour diurnal time windows. These results are used as input for an emission simulation model, which calculates the total evaporative emissions given the characteristics of the evaporative emission control system of the vehicle and the ambient temperature conditions. The results suggest that the evaporative emission control system, fitted to the vehicles from Euro 3 step and optimised for the current type-approval test procedure, could not efficiently work under real-world conditions, resulting in evaporative emissions well above the type-approval limit, especially for small size vehicles and warm climate conditions. This calls for a revision of the type-approval test procedure in order to address real-world evaporative emissions. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Cox-maze IV procedure in its second decade: still the gold standard?

Science.gov (United States)

Ruaengsri, Chawannuch; Schill, Matthew R; Khiabani, Ali J; Schuessler, Richard B; Melby, Spencer J; Damiano, Ralph J

2018-04-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and the treatment options include medical treatment and catheter-based or surgical interventions. AF is a major cause of stroke, and its prevalence is increasing. The surgical treatment of AF has been revolutionized over the past 2 decades through surgical innovation and improvements in endoscopic imaging, ablation technology and surgical instrumentation. The Cox-maze (CM) procedure, which was developed by James Cox and introduced clinically in 1987, is a procedure in which multiple incisions are created in both the left and the right atria to eliminate AF while allowing the sinus impulse to reach the atrioventricular node. This procedure became the gold standard for the surgical treatment of AF. Its latest iteration is termed the CM IV and was introduced in 2002. The CM IV replaced the previous cut-and-sew method (CM III) by replacing most of the incisions with a combination of bipolar radiofrequency and cryoablation. The use of ablation technologies, made the CM IV technically easier, faster and more amenable to minimally invasive approaches. The aims of this article are to review the indications and preoperative planning for the CM IV, to describe the operative technique and to review the literature including comparisons of the CM IV with the previous cut-and-sew method. Finally, this review explores future directions for the surgical treatment of patients with AF.

The Cardiology Audit and Registration Data Standards (CARDS), European data standards for clinical cardiology practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.R. Flynn (Rachel); C. Barrett (Conor); F.G. Cosio (Francisco); A.K. Gitt (Anselm); L.C. Wallentin (Lars); P. Kearney (Peter); M. Lonergan (Moira); E. Shelley (Emer); M.L. Simoons (Maarten)

2005-01-01

textabstractAIMS: Systematic registration of data from clinical practice is important for clinical care, local, national and international registries, and audit. Data to be collected for these different purposes should be harmonized. Therefore, during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union (EU)

Dataset and standard operating procedure for newborn screening of six lysosomal storage diseases: By tandem mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan Elliott

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this data article we provide a detailed standard operating procedure for performing a tandem mass spectrometry, multiplex assay of 6 lysosomal enzymes for newborn screening of the lysosomal storage diseases Mucopolysaccharidosis-I, Pompe, Fabry, Niemann-Pick-A/B, Gaucher, and Krabbe, (Elliott, et al., 2016 [1]. We also provide the mass spectrometry peak areas for the product and internal standard ions typically observed with a dried blood spot punch from a random newborn, and we provide the daily variation of the daily mean activities for all 6 enzymes.

Progresses and challenges in supporting activities toward a license to operate European TBM systems in ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poitevin, Y., E-mail: yves.poitevin@f4e.europa.eu [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Ricapito, I.; Zmitko, M. [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Tavassoli, F. [CEA, DEN, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Thomas, N. [ATMOSTAT, F-94815 Villejuif (France); De Dinechin, G. [CEA, DEN, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Bucci, Ph. [CEA DRT, 38000 Grenoble (France); Rey, J. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Postfach 3640, Karlsruhe (Germany); Ibarra, A. [CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Panayotov, D. [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Giancarli, L. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 Saint Paul-lez-Durance (France); Calderoni, P.; Galabert, J.; Vallory, J. [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Aiello, A. [C.R. ENEA Brasimone, I-40032 Camugnano (Italy)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • First EUROFER steel design limits have been introduced in RCC-MRx. • Preliminary fabrication/welding procedure specifications for the European TBM box are under standardization. • Post irradiation examination (PIE) of beryllium pebbles irradiated at 17% of DEMO fluence target has been achieved. • Dynamic modeling of the TBM Systems with EcosimPro{sup ®} has been developed. - Abstract: Licensing a pressurized nuclear equipment like the European Test Blanket Modules (TBM) Systems and, on the longer term, breeder blankets of a fusion demonstration reactor (DEMO), will require presenting to the Regulator and the Agreed Notified Body, along with design and safety analyses, supporting data like consolidated materials data and design limits, qualified fabrication procedures specifications and validated modeling tools that go often over today's state-of-the-art of nuclear industry. TBM systems feature indeed a newly developed structural material and advanced fabrication processes that were not referenced in any nuclear construction codes before, new type of functional materials, complex structures geometry and many interconnected sub-systems exchanging tritium by permeation or fluid mass transfer. For many years now, Europe has structured its development activities on TBM Systems toward the preparation of licensing. First tangible results are now arising: the EUROFER structural material has been introduced in the RCC-MRx nuclear code, supported by a database of several thousands of test records; TBM box fabrication procedure specifications are under standardization by industry in view of their qualification; a modeling tool for accurate simulation of tritium transport in TBM systems has been developed in view of refining conservative inventory data published in preliminary safety reports and optimizing waste management. Remaining challenges are identified and discussed.

Drawing the Line: Same-sex adoption and the jurisprudence of the ECtHR on the application of the “European consensus” standard under Article 14

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junko Nozawa

2013-07-01

Full Text Available One of the main criteria that the European Court of Human Rights uses in determining the parameters of the margin of appreciation has been to find a consensus among the state parties to the Convention as to the definition or interpretation of a specific right.  The way the Court has implemented the methodology of finding a "European consensus" of the discriminatory practice of states under Article 14 has been problematic. Firstly, it is unclear when the Court takes into consideration the practice of member states of the European Council. Secondly, it is unclear how it defines the comparative group and the threshold necessary in defining a consensus. This note looks at the application of the Court of this standard in cases concerning same-sex adoption in light of its most recent decision in X. and Others v. Austria (2013. It is argued that the application of the standard in practice has yielded variable jurisprudence, is inconsistently applied, and risks further fragmenting Contracting States' obligations under the Convention. In using the consensus standard as an interpretive comparative tool, the Court should allow a narrow margin of appreciation only where there is substantial consensus on an issue. It is the author's position that its negative iteration, or the notion that a lack of consensus should yield a wide margin, should not be maintained, as this approach risks further deteriorating the protection of fundamental rights.

European regulation for therapeutic use of stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferry, Nicolas

2017-01-01

The regulation for the use of stem cells has evolved during the past decade with the aim of ensuring a high standard of quality and safety for human derived products throughout Europe to comply with the provision of the Lisbon treaty. To this end, new regulations have been issued and the regulatory status of stem cells has been revised. Indeed, stem cells used for therapeutic purposes can now be classified as a cell preparation, or as advanced therapy medicinal products depending on the clinical indication and on the procedure of cell preparation. Furthermore, exemptions to the European regulation are applicable for stem cells prepared and used within the hospital. The aim of this review is to give the non-specialized reader a broad overview of this particular regulatory landscape.

Audit Risk Assessment in the Light of Current European Regulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciprian-Costel Munteanu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Recent European reforms on audit regulations have been motivated by efforts to increase audit quality, functioning and performance. We believe the adoption of Directive 2014/56 and Regulation 537/2014 strengthened the role of independent audit and risk committees, which will positively contribute towards audit quality. This paper aims to critically assess the status quo of audit risk assessment in current European standards and regulations, by conducting a theoretical analysis of different aspects of audit risk. Our main objective is to stress the importance of detecting inherent and control risk, which lead to material misstatement at the assertion level. They need to be assessed so as to determine the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures necessary to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence. These pieces of evidence enable the auditor to express an opinion on the financial statements at an acceptably low level of audit risk. Therefore, we point to the fact that researchers as well as practitioners and policymakers have to be careful when using audit tools and assessing risk levels, as their conclusions continuously shape the regulations.

Compliance determination procedures for environmental radiation protection standards for uranium recovery facilities 40 CFR part 190

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-03-01

Uranium Milling operations are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and by some States in agreement with the Commission. The radiation dose to any individual from the operation of facilities within the uranium fuel cycle is limited to levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency. These levels are contained in the EPA Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations, in Part 190 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR Part 190). This report describes the procedures used within NRC's Uranium Recovery Licensing Branch for evaluating compliance with these regulations for uranium milling operations. The report contains descriptions of these procedures, dose factors for evaluating environmental measurement data, and guidance to the NRC staff reviewer

Comparison of SKIFS 2004:1 and Tillsynshandbok PSA against the ASME PRA Standard and European requirements on PSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellstroem, Per

2005-04-01

Requirements on PSA for risk informed applications are expressed in different international documents. The ASME PRA standard published in spring 2002 is one such document, PSA requirements are also expressed in the European Utility Requirements (EUR) for new reactors. The Swedish PSA requirements are provided in the Swedish regulators (SKI) statutes SKIFS 2004:1. SKI also has a review handbook for PSA activities (SKI report 2003:48). The review handbook is a support during review of the utilities PSA activities and the PSAs themselves. The review handbook expresses SKIs expectations by providing so called important aspects for both the PSA work and the PSAs, A comparison of SKIFS requirements and the important aspects in the Review handbook, on one side, and the requirements on PSA in EUR and ASME on the other side, is presented. The comparison shows a large difference in the level of detail in the different documents, where ASME is most detailed and specific. This is expected since the SKI review handbook not is a 'PSA guide' in the same way as the ASME PRA standard. A direct comparison of the ASME PRA standard requirements with the important aspects in the review handbook cannot answer the question which ASME capacity level that is achieved by a PSA meeting all important aspects. The conclusion is that it is not likely to achieve capacity level 2 and 3, since very few ASME level 3 attributes are explicitly expressed as important aspects, though many are expressed in general terms. The review handbook important aspects that are most similar to the ASME capacity level 1 attributes are initiating events, sequence analysis, and system analysis while less similarity is found for analysis of operator actions data analysis, quantification and containment analysis (level 2). Less similarity is found for capacity level 2 and 3. However, the number of additional ASME attributes on capacity level 2 and 3 are few. There are also important aspects in the review handbook that

The CIPM list of recommended frequency standard values: guidelines and procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Riehle, Fritz; Gill, Patrick; Arias, Felicitas; Robertsson, Lennart

2018-04-01

A list of standard reference frequency values (LoF) of quantum transitions from the microwave to the optical regime has been recommended by the International Committee for Weights and Measures (Comité international des poids et mesures, CIPM) for use in basic research, technology, and for the metrology of time, frequency and length. The CIPM LoF contains entries that are recommended as secondary representations of the second in the International System of Units, and entries that can be used to serve as realizations of the definition of the metre. The historical perspective that led to the CIPM LoF is outlined. Procedures have been developed for updating existing, and validating new, entries into the CIPM LoF. The CIPM LoF might serve as an entry for a future redefinition of the second by an optical transition.

The Importance and Degree of Implementation of the European Standards and Guidelines for Internal Quality Assurance in Universities: The Views of Portuguese Academics

Science.gov (United States)

Manatos, Maria J.; Rosa, Maria J.; Sarrico, Cláudia S.

2015-01-01

This research seeks to explore academics' perceptions of the importance and degree of implementation of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) for internal quality assurance. It uses empirical evidence from Portugal, gathered via a questionnaire given to all university academics. Results show…

Documentation for assessment of modal pushover-based scaling procedure for nonlinear response history analysis of "ordinary standard" bridges

Science.gov (United States)

Kalkan, Erol; Kwong, Neal S.

2010-01-01

The earthquake engineering profession is increasingly utilizing nonlinear response history analyses (RHA) to evaluate seismic performance of existing structures and proposed designs of new structures. One of the main ingredients of nonlinear RHA is a set of ground-motion records representing the expected hazard environment for the structure. When recorded motions do not exist (as is the case for the central United States), or when high-intensity records are needed (as is the case for San Francisco and Los Angeles), ground motions from other tectonically similar regions need to be selected and scaled. The modal-pushover-based scaling (MPS) procedure recently was developed to determine scale factors for a small number of records, such that the scaled records provide accurate and efficient estimates of 'true' median structural responses. The adjective 'accurate' refers to the discrepancy between the benchmark responses and those computed from the MPS procedure. The adjective 'efficient' refers to the record-to-record variability of responses. Herein, the accuracy and efficiency of the MPS procedure are evaluated by applying it to four types of existing 'ordinary standard' bridges typical of reinforced-concrete bridge construction in California. These bridges are the single-bent overpass, multi span bridge, curved-bridge, and skew-bridge. As compared to benchmark analyses of unscaled records using a larger catalog of ground motions, it is demonstrated that the MPS procedure provided an accurate estimate of the engineering demand parameters (EDPs) accompanied by significantly reduced record-to-record variability of the responses. Thus, the MPS procedure is a useful tool for scaling ground motions as input to nonlinear RHAs of 'ordinary standard' bridges.

Standardized procedure for eddy-current testing of stainless steel, thin-walled nuclear fuel element cladding tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barat, P; Raj, B; Bhattacharya, D K [Reactor Research Centre, Kalpakkam (India)

1982-10-01

Thin-walled nuclear fuel cladding tubes made of AISI 316 stainless steel have been examined by eddy-current testing. Standardization of the procedures has required investigations on optimizing the test frequency, finding a method to locate a defect with respect to the probe reference end, and the use of standard defects and sequential metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing, to understand the influence of the nature of defects on the impedance output signals. Test frequency and method of locating the defect were optimized by the use of standard defects made by machining in reference cladding tubes. Subsequent metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing revealed mainly clusters of inclusions but also other types of defects. The effect of the distribution of inclusions along the length of the tube on the impedance output is discussed.

[Falling Short of Minimum Volume Standards, Exemptions and Their Consequences from 2018 Onwards. Complex Procedures on Oesophagus and Pancreas in German Hospitals from 2006 to 2014].

Science.gov (United States)

de Cruppé, Werner; Geraedts, Max

2018-03-16

The minimum volume standards for hospitals in Germany, in force since 2004, provide four exemptions for non-complying hospitals. This study investigates the extent and importance of these exemptions for complex procedures on the oesophagus and pancreas for all non-complying hospitals and for the revised minimum volume regulations in force since the beginning of 2018. Longitudinal, descriptive analyses of data on minimum volume standards and their exemptions for complex procedures on the oesophagus and pancreas, as presented by the hospital quality report cards of the reporting years from 2006 to 2014. For each year and both procedures, about 120 hospitals with some 500 cases report non-compliance with the minimum volume standards. Of these a third report no exemptions (with 180 procedures), a third state emergencies (110), and another third report exemptions due to internal hospital restructuring (210). Ensuring geographical access to care as an exemption is of no importance. After the three year exemption period for installation of a new service line, 20% of the hospitals with procedures on the oesophagus and 30% on the pancreas complied with the minimum volume standards. After the two-year period for staff realignment, the figures were 40 and 50%, respectively. Exemptions do not entirely explain all procedures performed by hospitals not complying with the minimum volume standards. The revised minimum volume regulations' restructuring of exemptions to "emergencies" and "new or renewed service lines" with a two year exemption period, are concordant with the empirical findings of this study. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

DISCIPLINAIRIE LIABILITIES OF THE EUROPEAN PUBLIC SERVANTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela Tofan

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Work discipline is essential for the proper conduct of business within an organization with implications for productivity and efficiency. Disciplinary liability arises as a direct result of breach of service obligations and rules of behaviour. At EU level, disciplinary responsibility of community public servant is governed by the provisions of the Statute of the European Community published in the Official Journal of the European Community no. L 56 March 4, 1968 and amended on numerous occasions. This paper proposes an analysis of concrete conditions which require disciplinary liability of the European public servant, disciplinary sanctions and procedures for implementing them.

Specialized food composition dataset for vitamin D content in foods based on European standards: Application to dietary intake assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Milešević, Jelena; Samaniego, Lourdes; Kiely, Mairead; Glibetić, Maria; Roe, Mark; Finglas, Paul

2018-02-01

A review of national nutrition surveys from 2000 to date, demonstrated high prevalence of vitamin D intakes below the EFSA Adequate Intake (AI) (d vitamin D) in adults across Europe. Dietary assessment and modelling are required to monitor efficacy and safety of ongoing strategic vitamin D fortification. To support these studies, a specialized vitamin D food composition dataset, based on EuroFIR standards, was compiled. The FoodEXplorer™ tool was used to retrieve well documented analytical data for vitamin D and arrange the data into two datasets - European (8 European countries, 981 data values) and US (1836 data values). Data were classified, using the LanguaL™, FoodEX2 and ODIN classification systems and ranked according to quality criteria. Significant differences in the content, quality of data values, missing data on vitamin D 2 and 25(OH)D 3 and documentation of analytical methods were observed. The dataset is available through the EuroFIR platform. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic Procedures for Medical Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Electronic procedures are replacing text-based documents for recording the steps in performing medical operations aboard the International Space Station. S&K Aerospace, LLC, has developed a content-based electronic system-based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML) standard-that separates text from formatting standards and tags items contained in procedures so they can be recognized by other electronic systems. For example, to change a standard format, electronic procedures are changed in a single batch process, and the entire body of procedures will have the new format. Procedures can be quickly searched to determine which are affected by software and hardware changes. Similarly, procedures are easily shared with other electronic systems. The system also enables real-time data capture and automatic bookmarking of current procedure steps. In Phase II of the project, S&K Aerospace developed a Procedure Representation Language (PRL) and tools to support the creation and maintenance of electronic procedures for medical operations. The goal is to develop these tools in such a way that new advances can be inserted easily, leading to an eventual medical decision support system.

Review of cause-based decision tree approach for the development of domestic standard human reliability analysis procedure in low power/shutdown operation probabilistic safety assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, D. I.; Jung, W. D.

2003-01-01

We review the Cause-Based Decision Tree (CBDT) approach to decide whether we incorporate it or not for the development of domestic standard Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) procedure in low power/shutdown operation Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA). In this paper, we introduce the cause based decision tree approach, quantify human errors using it, and identify merits and demerits of it in comparision with previously used THERP. The review results show that it is difficult to incorporate the CBDT method for the development of domestic standard HRA procedure in low power/shutdown PSA because the CBDT method need for the subjective judgment of HRA analyst like as THERP. However, it is expected that the incorporation of the CBDT method into the development of domestic standard HRA procedure only for the comparision of quantitative HRA results will relieve the burden of development of detailed HRA procedure and will help maintain consistent quantitative HRA results

A Guide for Developing Standard Operating Job Procedures for the Tertiary Chemical Treatment - Lime Precipitation Process Wastewater Treatment Facility. SOJP No. 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrasek, Al, Jr.

This guide describes the standard operating job procedures for the tertiary chemical treatment - lime precipitation process of wastewater treatment plants. Step-by-step instructions are given for pre-start up, start-up, continuous operation, and shut-down procedures. In addition, some theoretical material is presented along with some relevant…

Development of a standardized training course for laparoscopic procedures using Delphi methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bethlehem, Martijn S; Kramp, Kelvin H; van Det, Marc J; ten Cate Hoedemaker, Henk O; Veeger, Nicolaas J G M; Pierie, Jean Pierre E N

2014-01-01

Content, evaluation, and certification of laparoscopic skills and procedure training lack uniformity among different hospitals in The Netherlands. Within the process of developing a new regional laparoscopic training curriculum, a uniform and transferrable curriculum was constructed for a series of laparoscopic procedures. The aim of this study was to determine regional expert consensus regarding the key steps for laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy using Delphi methodology. Lists of suggested key steps for laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy were created using surgical textbooks, available guidelines, and local practice. A total of 22 experts, working for teaching hospitals throughout the region, were asked to rate the suggested key steps for both procedures on a Likert scale from 1-5. Consensus was reached with Crohnbach's α ≥ 0.90. Of the 22 experts, 21 completed and returned the survey (95%). Data analysis already showed consensus after the first round of Delphi on the key steps for laparoscopic appendectomy (Crohnbach's α = 0.92) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Crohnbach's α = 0.90). After the second round, 15 proposed key steps for laparoscopic appendectomy and 30 proposed key steps for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were rated as important (≥4 by at least 80% of the expert panel). These key steps were used for the further development of the training curriculum. By using the Delphi methodology, regional consensus was reached on the key steps for laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy. These key steps are going to be used for standardized training and evaluation purposes in a new regional laparoscopic curriculum. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

European social dialogue as multi-level governance: towards more autonomy and new dependencies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marginson, P.; Keune, M.

2012-01-01

Almost twenty years ago the Maastricht Treaty introduced procedures for European Social Dialogue, as part of a larger package of measures to strengthen the social dimension of European integration. Through the Treaty provisions (articles 154-155 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), the

Standardization in smart grids. Introduction to IT-related methodologies, architectures and standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uslar, Mathias; Specht, Michael; Daenekas, Christian; Trefke, Joern; Rohjans, Sebastian; Gonzalez, Jose M.; Rosinger, Christine; Bleiker, Robert [OFFIS - Institut fuer Informatik, Oldenburg (Germany)

2013-03-01

Introduction to Standardization for Smart Grids. Presents a tutorial and best practice of Smart Grid Prototype Projects. Written by leading experts in the field. Besides the regulatory and market aspects, the technical level dealing with the knowledge from multiple disciplines and the aspects of technical system integration to achieve interoperability and integration has been a strong focus in the Smart Grid. This topic is typically covered by the means of using (technical) standards for processes, data models, functions and communication links. Standardization is a key issue for Smart Grids due to the involvement of many different sectors along the value chain from the generation to the appliances. The scope of Smart Grid is broad, therefore, the standards landscape is unfortunately very large and complex. This is why the three European Standards Organizations ETSI, CEN and CENELEC created a so called Joint Working Group (JWG). This was the first harmonized effort in Europe to bring together the needed disciplines and experts delivering the final report in May 2011. After this approach proved useful, the Commission used the Mandate M/490: Standardization Mandate to European Standardization Organizations (ESOs) to support European Smart Grid deployment. The focal point addressing the ESO's response to M/490 will be the CEN, CENELEC and ETSI Smart Grids Coordination Group (SG-CG). Based on this mandate, meaningful standardization of architectures, use cases, communication technologies, data models and security standards takes place in the four existing working groups. This book provides an overview on the various building blocks and standards identified as the most prominent ones by the JWG report as well as by the first set of standards group - IEC 61850 and CIM, IEC PAS 62559 for documenting Smart Grid use cases, security requirements from the SGIS groups and an introduction on how to apply the Smart Grid Architecture Model SGAM for utilities. In addition

Medical standards for radiation workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rae, S.

1977-01-01

The Council of the European Communities in its Directive of June 1, 1976 has laid down revised basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the danger of ionising radiation. The Directive requires each Member State of the Community 'for the guidance of medical practitioners.....to draw up a list, which need not be exhaustive, of the criteria which should be taken into account when judging a worker's fitness to be exposed to ionising radiation'. Medical officers with current responsibility for radiation workers in the U.K. therefore met recently for informal exploratory discussion at the National Radiological Protection Board's headquarters, and an account is given of the views expressed there about the composition of the required 'list', and the possibility of standardizing the procedure adopted. Consideration was given to the objectives of medical examinations, the form of examination, and specific conditions which may give rise to difficulty in making a fitness assessment. These conditions are skin abnormalities, blood abnormalities, cataract, pregnancy, and psychological and psychiatric conditions. It was concluded that the medical examination of radiation workers, including blood examinations, are of value to the extent that they form part of any good general occupational health practice. The promulgation of the Euratom Directive has provided an opportunity for reviewing and standardising procedures for medical surveillance in the light of current knowledge concerning average occupational radiation doses and dose-response relationships. (U.K.)

ENIQ: European Network for Inspection Qualification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Champigny, F.; Crutzen, S.; Lemaitre, P.

1995-01-01

Many countries are currently considering their own approach to inspection qualification and are carefully assessing experience to date. ENIQ, which stands for European Network for Inspection Qualification, groups the major part of the utilities in Western Europe. The general objective of ENIQ is to coordinate and manage at European level expertise and resources for the assessment and qualification of NDE inspection techniques and procedures, primarily for nuclear components. Also non-nuclear heavy duty components will be considered. Within ENIQ there is a growing consensus of opinion on the general principles of a European approach towards inspection qualification. In this paper the main activities, organization and actual status of ENIQ will be discussed

PROCEDURE FOR ANALYSIS COMPLIANCE WITH QUALITY STANDARDS OFFER OF THE BUFFET RESTAURANT CASONA MELIA SANTIAGO DE CUBA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar Parada-Pérez

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The company hotel Cuban faces the challenge of the competitiveness and the client’s satisfaction in an environment that demands of actions that they assure the quality. This article has as objective to show the application of a procedure for the evaluation of the standards of quality of the offer in the restaurant buffet La Casona of the Hotel Meliá Santiago de Cuba. The results achieved by the application of the procedure allow to perfect the process of taking of decisions and it contributes to the efficiency of the hotel and the elevation of the quality of the service. 

Dis-harmony in European natural gas market(s). Discussion of standards and definitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karasz, Michael [The Energy House GmbH, Muenchen (Germany); Pustisek, Andrej [Hochschule fuer Technik, Stuttgart (Germany); Drasdo, Peter

2013-06-15

The European Union attempts to harmonise the European natural gas market(s). In general, this is supported on national levels. Nevertheless, such harmonisation is not yet fully accomplished: neither for the rules nor for the quality specifications nor for the physical quantities and their units. Even if the current economic impact of such dis-harmony is negligible, i.e. that market participants for the time being do not have to bear additional costs caused by the lack of harmonisation, participants in the commodity market are exposed to contractual risks. Potentially, this might lead to reduced competition and reduced liquidity of each single and the European internal market for natural gas. However, as the costs for a potential harmonisation of European gas markets are estimated to be significant, the dilemma is evident and the 'political' solution of the 'harmonisation problem' will necessarily deviate from the traders' one. (orig.)

The EPIC nutrient database project (ENDB): a first attempt to standardize nutrient databases across the 10 European countries participating in the EPIC study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slimani, N.; Deharveng, G.; Unwin, I.

2007-01-01

because there is currently no European reference NDB available. Design: A large network involving national compilers, nutritionists and experts on food chemistry and computer science was set up for the 'EPIC Nutrient DataBase' ( ENDB) project. A total of 550-1500 foods derived from about 37 000...... standardized EPIC 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDRS) were matched as closely as possible to foods available in the 10 national NDBs. The resulting national data sets ( NDS) were then successively documented, standardized and evaluated according to common guidelines and using a DataBase Management System...

Comparison of IEEE383-2003 and IEC60505-2004 standards for harmonization of environmental qualification procedure of electric cable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Seog; Jeong, Sun Chul; Park, Kyung Heum; Jang, Kyung Nam

2010-01-01

Needs for harmonization of international equipment qualification(EQ) standards have been raised several years due to purchasing problem of nuclear equipment supplied from abroad country. To meet the regulatory requirement of domestic nuclear power plant, manufacturers have to qualify their equipment in accordance with each standard such as IEEE, IEC and RCC-E. Double qualification increase the equipment cost, which result in high construction cost. Even the unification of each standard have been discussed several years, we have got the long way to go yet. Comparison and harmonization of each international standard will give help to purchase the equipment qualified by not endorsed standard. Environmental qualification, seismic qualification and EMI/EMC qualification are major targets for harmonization. Since concern about cable qualification of 60 years life has been raised recently, harmonization of cable qualification standard also needs to be discussed. KEPRI launched a project for harmonization of EQ relative standards such as IEEE, IEC and RCC-E. A study for harmonization of IEEE323 and IEC60780 is known in progress by IEEE committee. In this paper, harmonization of international standards for cable qualification will be discussed. IEEE383 standard is qualification standard for electric cable broadly used in Asian pacific area while IEC60505 is mostly used in European area. Since these two standards have different requirements for environmental qualification of cable, problem can be happened in the plant site when they purchase cable qualified by not endorsed standard. IEEE383-2003 and IEC60505-2004 is the latest version of each standard. Comparison results and recommendations for harmonization of these two standards are introduced herein

77 FR 65823 - Control of Air Pollution From Aircraft and Aircraft Engines; Emission Standards and Test Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-31

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Parts 87 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0687; FRL-9678-1] RIN 2060-AO70 Control of Air Pollution From Aircraft and Aircraft Engines; Emission Standards and Test Procedures Correction In rule document 2012-13828 appearing on pages 36341-36386 in the issue of Monday, June 18, 2012, make the following corrections: Sec. 87.2...

Pragmatics of policy: the compliance of dutch environmental policy instruments to European union standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruitwagen, Sonja; Reudink, Melchert; Faber, Albert

2009-04-01

Despite a general decrease in Dutch environmental emission trends, it remains difficult to comply with European Union (EU) environmental policy targets. Furthermore, environmental issues have become increasingly complex and entangled with society. Therefore, Dutch environmental policy follows a pragmatic line by adopting a flexible approach for compliance, rather than aiming at further reduction at the source of emission. This may be politically useful in order to adequately reach EU targets, but restoration of environmental conditions may be delayed. However, due to the complexity of today's environmental issues, the restoration of environmental conditions might not be the only standard for a proper policy approach. Consequently this raises the question how the Dutch pragmatic approach to compliance qualifies in a broader policy assessment. In order to answer this question, we adapt a policy assessment framework, developed by Hemerijck and Hazeu (Bestuurskunde 13(2), 2004), based on the dimensions of legitimacy and policy logic. We apply this framework for three environmental policy assessments: flexible instruments in climate policy, fine-tuning of national and local measures to meet air quality standards, and derogation for the Nitrate Directive. We conclude with general assessment notes on the appliance of flexible instruments in environmental policy, showing that a broad and comprehensive perspective can help to understand the arguments to put such policy instruments into place and to identify trade-offs between assessment criteria.

European investment projects in third countries: Legally green?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.N. Ratsiborinskaya (Daria)

2012-01-01

textabstractThis article provides an overview of the corporate self-regulation by five European-based multilateral financial institutions where European environmental acquis is applied in investment projects in the third countries. Academic research on environmental standards suffers from a certain

Reporting nuclear cardiology: a joint position paper by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI).

Science.gov (United States)

Trägårdh, Elin; Hesse, Birger; Knuuti, Juhani; Flotats, Albert; Kaufmann, Philipp A; Kitsiou, Anastasia; Hacker, Marcus; Verberne, Hein J; Edenbrandt, Lars; Delgado, Victoria; Donal, Erwan; Edvardsen, Thor; Galderisi, Maurizio; Habib, Gilbert; Lancellotti, Patrizio; Nieman, Koen; Rosenhek, Raphael; Agostini, Denis; Gimelli, Alessia; Lindner, Oliver; Slart, Riemert; Ubleis, Christopher

2015-03-01

The report of an imaging procedure is a critical component of an examination, being the final and often the only communication from the interpreting physician to the referring or treating physician. Very limited evidence and few recommendations or guidelines on reporting imaging studies are available; therefore, an European position statement on how to report nuclear cardiology might be useful. The current paper combines the limited existing evidence with expert consensus, previously published recommendations as well as current clinical practices. For all the applications discussed in this paper (myocardial perfusion, viability, innervation, and function as acquired by single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography or hybrid imaging), headings cover laboratory and patient demographics, clinical indication, tracer administration and image acquisition, findings, and conclusion of the report. The statement also discusses recommended terminology in nuclear cardiology, image display, and preliminary reports. It is hoped that this statement may lead to more attention to create well-written and standardized nuclear cardiology reports and eventually lead to improved clinical outcome. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

European Society of Anaesthesiology and European Board of Anaesthesiology guidelines for procedural sedation and analgesia in adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hinkelbein, Jochen; Lamperti, Massimo; Akeson, Jonas; Santos, Joao; Costa, Joao; De Robertis, Edoardo; Longrois, Dan; Novak-Jankovic, Vesna; Petrini, Flavia; Struys, Michel M. R. F.; Veyckemans, Francis; Fuchs-Buder, Thomas; Fitzgerald, Robert

2018-01-01

Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) has become a widespread practice given the increasing demand to relieve anxiety, discomfort and pain during invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The role of, and credentialing required by, anaesthesiologists and practitioners performing PSA has been

Comparisons of non-destructive examination standards in the framework of fracture mechanics approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reale, S.; Corvi, A.

1993-01-01

One of the aims of the various Engineering Standards related to Non-destructive Examination (NDE) is to identify and limit some characteristics of defects in a structure, since the degree of damage of a structure can be associated with these defect characteristics. One way that the damage level can be evaluated is by means of Fracture Mechanics. The objective of the present paper is to compare and identify the differences in the flaw acceptance criteria of national NDE Standards so as to suggest some guidelines for a future common European Standard. This paper examines the Standards adopted in France (RCC-MR), Germany (DIN), Italy (ASME) and the UK (BSI). It concentrates on both ultrasonic and radiographic inspection methods. The flaw acceptance criteria in these standards relating to non-destructive tests performed on a component during manufacturing are compared and evaluated by the Fracture Mechanics CEGB R6 procedure. General guidelines and results supporting the significance of the Fracture Mechanics approach are given. (Author)

Considerations of nano-QSAR/QSPR models for nanopesticide risk assessment within the European legislative framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Villaverde, Juan José; Sevilla-Morán, Beatriz; López-Goti, Carmen; Alonso-Prados, José Luis; Sandín-España, Pilar

2018-09-01

The European market for pesticides is currently legislated through the well-developed Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009. This regulation promotes the competitiveness of European agriculture, recognizing the necessity of safe pesticides for human and animal health and the environment to protect crops against pests, diseases and weeds. In this sense, nanotechnology can provide a tremendous opportunity to achieve a more rational use of pesticides. However, the lack of information regarding nanopesticides and their fate and behavior in the environment and their effects on human and animal health is inhibiting rapid nanopesticide incorporation into European Union agriculture. This review analyzes the recent state of knowledge on nanopesticide risk assessment, highlighting the challenges that need to be overcame to accelerate the arrival of these new tools for plant protection to European agricultural professionals. Novel nano-Quantitative Structure-Activity/Structure-Property Relationship (nano-QSAR/QSPR) tools for risk assessment are analyzed, including modeling methods and validation procedures towards the potential of these computational instruments to meet the current requirements for authorization of nanoformulations. Future trends on these issues, of pressing importance within the context of the current European pesticide legislative framework, are also discussed. Standard protocols to make high-quality and well-described datasets for the series of related but differently sized nanoparticles/nanopesticides are required. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The European Utility Requirement Document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, I.I.

1999-01-01

The major European electricity producers work on a common requirement document for future LWR plants since 1992. They aim at requirements acceptable together by the owners, the public and the authorities. Thus the designers can develop standard LWR designs acceptable everywhere in Europe and the utilities can open their consultations to vendors on common bases. Such a standardisation promotes an improvement of generation costs and of safety : public and authorities acceptance should be improved as well ; significant savings are expected in development and construction costs. Since the early stages of the project, the EUR group has grown significantly. It now includes utilities from nine European countries. Utilities from two other European countries are joining the group. Specific cooperation agreements are also in progress with a few extra-European partners

Standards for holdup measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zucker, M.S.

1982-01-01

Holdup measurement, needed for material balance, depend intensively on standards and on interpretation of the calibration procedure. More than other measurements, the calibration procedure using the standard becomes part of the standard. Standards practical for field use and calibration techniques have been developed. While accuracy in holdup measurements is comparatively poor, avoidance of bias is a necessary goal

Standard operating procedures in the disorders of orgasm and ejaculation.

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, Chris G; Jannini, Emmanuele; Waldinger, Marcel; Rowland, David

2013-01-01

Ejaculatory/orgasmic disorders are common male sexual dysfunctions and include premature ejaculation (PE), inhibited ejaculation, anejaculation, retrograde ejaculation, and anorgasmia. To provide recommendations and guidelines of the current state-of-the-art knowledge for management of ejaculation/orgasmic disorders in men as standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the treating health care professional. The International Society of Sexual Medicine Standards Committee assembled over 30 multidisciplinary experts to establish SOPs for various male and female sexual medicine topics. The SOP for the management of disorders of orgasm and ejaculation represents the opinion of four experts from four countries developed in a process over a 2-year period. Expert opinion was based on grading of evidence-based medical literature, limited expert opinion, widespread internal committee discussion, public presentation, and debate. PE management is largely dependent upon etiology. Lifelong PE is best managed with PE pharmacotherapy (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and/or topical anesthetics). The management of acquired PE is etiology specific and may include erectile dysfunction (ED) pharmacotherapy in men with comorbid ED. All men seeking treatment for PE should receive basic psychosexual education. Graded behavioral therapy is indicated when psychogenic or relationship factors are present and is often best combined with PE pharmacotherapy in an integrated treatment program. Delayed ejaculation, anejaculation, and/or anorgasmia may have a biogenic and/or psychogenic etiology. Men with age-related penile hypoanesthesia should be educated, reassured, and instructed in revised sexual techniques which maximize arousal. Retrograde ejaculation is managed by education, patient reassurance, and pharmacotherapy. Additional research is required to further the understanding of the disorders of ejaculation and orgasm. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

From European Standard to User Service

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobi, Ole Illum; Lind, Morten

1997-01-01

Today’s public administration and planning need access to proper spatial information. The tremendous growth in the area of maps and other geographically referenced databases increases the needs of the user as well as the supplier of information for an overview of the jungle of spatial data....... The answer to this need is a metadata service that gives relevant and up-to-date, at-your-fingertips information on available geographical datasets.As a result of the work in the standardization organizations, we are now, luckily, able to take the first steps towards an implementation of metadata services...... in the design of the next generation of metadata services.On the basis of recent Danish experiences with implementation of the CEN/TC 287 standard into a WWW Geographical Information metadata service, we will present and discuss some general issues: The conceptual strategy, the implementation of dataset...

Assessment of external costs for transport project evaluation: Guidelines in some European countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petruccelli, Umberto, E-mail: umberto.petruccelli@unibas.it

2015-09-15

Many studies about the external costs generated by the transport system have been developed in the last twenty years. To standardize methodologies and assessment procedures to be used in the evaluation of the projects, some European countries recently have adopted specific guidelines that differ from each other in some aspects even sensibly. This paper presents a critical analysis of the British, Italian and German guidelines and is aimed at cataloguing the external cost types regarded and the assessment methods indicated as well as to highlight the differences of the results, in terms of applicability and reliability. The goal is to contribute to a European standardization process that would lead to the drafting of guidelines suited for all EU countries. - Highlights: • The analyzed guidelines agree on the methods to evaluate costs from air pollution, greenhouse gases and accidents. • They recommend respectively: dose-resp. approach; costs to reduce/permit emissions; whole direct, indirect and social costs. • For noise, DE guide indicates defensive expenditure or SP methods; IT guide, SP method; UK guide, the hedonic prices one. • For on territory impact, DE guide regards only the barrier effect; the IT one, also the soil consumption and system effects. • British guide proposes a qualitative methodology to estimate the impact on various landscapes and environments.

Challenges in standardization of blood pressure measurement at the population level.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolonen, Hanna; Koponen, Päivikki; Naska, Androniki; Männistö, Satu; Broda, Grazyna; Palosaari, Tarja; Kuulasmaa, Kari

2015-04-10

Accurate blood pressure measurements are needed in clinical practice, intervention studies and health examination surveys. Blood pressure measurements are sensitive: their accuracy can be affected by measurement environment, behaviour of the subject, measurement procedures, devices used for the measurement and the observer. To minimize errors in blood pressure measurement, a standardized measurement protocol is needed. The European Health Examination Survey (EHES) Pilot project was conducted in 2009-2012. A pilot health examination survey was conducted in 12 countries using a standardized protocol. The measurement protocols used in each survey, training provided for the measurers, measurement data, and observations during site visits were collected and evaluated to assess the level of standardization. The EHES measurement protocol for blood pressure was followed accurately in all 12 pilot surveys. Most of the surveys succeeded in organizing a quiet and comfortable measurement environment, and staff instructed survey participants appropriately before examination visits. In all surveys, blood pressure was measured three times, from the right arm in a sitting posture. The biggest variation was in the device used for the blood pressure measurement. It is possible to reach a high level of standardization for blood pressure measurements across countries and over time. A detailed, standardized measurement protocol, and adequate training and monitoring during the fieldwork and centrally organized quality assessment of the data are needed. The recent EU regulation banning the sale of mercury sphygmomanometer in European Union Member States has set new challenges for the standardization of measurement devices since the validity of oscillometric measurements is device-specific and performance of aneroid devices depends very much on calibration.

Managing Operating Procedures in Distributed Collaborative Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Hool, A.; Beuzelin Ollivier, M.-G.; Roubert, F.

2013-04-01

In recent years, large distributed collaborative projects have become very prominent in scientific research, allowing exchanges between laboratories located in different institutions and countries and between various domains of competence. Particularly the work on nanotoxicity - a field which has only been under investigation for a few years and is still lacking regulatory framework - highlighted the need for well-controlled methods, as well as rules for the handling and disposal of used materials. To obtain comparable and reproducible results of experiments conducted in a distributed context, the standardisation and proper documentation of the applied methods is crucial. The European project NanoDiaRA, whose aim is to develop nanoparticles and biomarkers for the early diagnosis of inflammatory disease, faces this situation as it involves 15 European partners and brings together different scientific cultures and professional backgrounds. Protocols especially developed for Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and a management system were designed and implemented within the NanoDiaRA project to fulfil those needs. The main goals were the establishment of standardised Standard Operating Procedures assuring transparency and reproducibility and the provision of access to these protocols to every project partner, as well as their clear allocation to carry out precise measurements and production steps.

Managing Operating Procedures in Distributed Collaborative Projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hool, A; Ollivier, M-G Beuzelin; Roubert, F

2013-01-01

In recent years, large distributed collaborative projects have become very prominent in scientific research, allowing exchanges between laboratories located in different institutions and countries and between various domains of competence. Particularly the work on nanotoxicity – a field which has only been under investigation for a few years and is still lacking regulatory framework – highlighted the need for well-controlled methods, as well as rules for the handling and disposal of used materials. To obtain comparable and reproducible results of experiments conducted in a distributed context, the standardisation and proper documentation of the applied methods is crucial. The European project NanoDiaRA, whose aim is to develop nanoparticles and biomarkers for the early diagnosis of inflammatory disease, faces this situation as it involves 15 European partners and brings together different scientific cultures and professional backgrounds. Protocols especially developed for Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and a management system were designed and implemented within the NanoDiaRA project to fulfil those needs. The main goals were the establishment of standardised Standard Operating Procedures assuring transparency and reproducibility and the provision of access to these protocols to every project partner, as well as their clear allocation to carry out precise measurements and production steps.

A procedure to obtain a refined European land use/cover map

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Batista e Silva, F.; Lavalle, C.; Koomen, E.

2013-01-01

Available land use/cover maps differ in their spatial extent and in their thematic, spatial, and temporal resolutions. Due to the costs of producing such maps, there is usually a trade-off between spatial extent and resolution. The only European-wide, consistent, and multi-temporal land use/cover

HARMONIZED EUROPE OR EUROPEAN HARMONY?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cosmin Marinescu

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Recent evolutions in Europe raise questions on the viability of the present economic and social model that defines the European construction project. In this paper, the author will try to explain the viability of institutional European model that sticks between free market mechanisms and protectionism. The main challenge for the EU is about the possibility to bring together the institutional convergence and the welfare for all Europeans. This is the result of the view, still dominant, of European politics elite, according to which institutional harmonization is the solution of a more dynamic and prosper Europe. But, economic realities convince us that, more and more, a harmonized, standardized Europe is not necessarily identical with a Europe of harmony and social cooperation. If „development through integration” seems to be harmonization through „institutional transplant”, how could then be the European model one sufficiently wide open to market, which creates the prosperity so long waited for by new member countries?

Specific safety measures for emergency lanes and shoulders of motorways : a proposal for motorways' authorities in the framework of the European research project Safety Standards for Road Design and Redesign SAFESTAR, Workpackage 1.1.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braimaister, L.

1999-01-01

This workpackage is one of seven workpackages of the European SAFESTAR project, launched by DG VII. Directing on safety standards and recommendations for the Trans-European Roadway Network (TERN), the workpackage considered safety measures on emergency lanes (stopping strips), which are inherent

European consensus on the histopathology of inflammatory bowel disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Magro, F; Langner, C; Driessen, A; Ensari, A; Geboes, K; Mantzaris, G J; Villanacci, V; Becheanu, G; Borralho Nunes, P; Cathomas, G; Fries, W; Jouret-Mourin, A; Mescoli, C; de Petris, G; Rubio, C A; Shepherd, N A; Vieth, M; Eliakim, R

2013-11-01

The histologic examination of endoscopic biopsies or resection specimens remains a key step in the work-up of affected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and can be used for diagnosis and differential diagnosis, particularly in the differentiation of UC from CD and other non-IBD related colitides. The introduction of new treatment strategies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) interfering with the patients' immune system may result in mucosal healing, making the pathologists aware of the impact of treatment upon diagnostic features. The European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) and the European Society of Pathology (ESP) jointly elaborated a consensus to establish standards for histopathology diagnosis in IBD. The consensus endeavors to address: (i) procedures required for a proper diagnosis, (ii) features which can be used for the analysis of endoscopic biopsies, (iii) features which can be used for the analysis of surgical samples, (iv) criteria for diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and (v) special situations including those inherent to therapy. Questions that were addressed include: how many features should be present for a firm diagnosis? What is the role of histology in patient management, including search for dysplasia? Which features if any, can be used for assessment of disease activity? The statements and general recommendations of this consensus are based on the highest level of evidence available, but significant gaps remain in certain areas. Copyright © 2013 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved.

ESN information bulletin. European science notes information bulletin reports on current European/Middle eastern science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orendorf, C.R.

1989-10-01

The European Science Notes Information Bulletin (ESNIB) 89-09 is a compilation of reports on recent developments in European science of specific interest to the U.S. research and development community, and is issued in support of the mission of the Office of Naval Research European Office. Issue Number 89-09, in addition to European area news, notes, and abstracts, contains reports in the fields of Acoustics, Computer Science, Condensed-Matter Physics, Materials Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, and Solid-State Physics. It is not intended to be part of the scientific literature. The value of the ESNIB to Americans is to call attention to current activity in European science and technology and to identify the institutions and people responsible for these efforts. The ESNIB authors are primarily ONREUR staff members; other reports are prepared by or in cooperation with staff members of the USAF European Office of Aero space Research and Development or the U.S. Army Research, Development and Standardization Group. Scientists from the U.S. who are traveling in Europe may also be invited to submit reports.

Development of quality standards of medicinal mistletoe – Helicanthes elastica (Desr. Danser employing Pharmacopoeial procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.N. Sunil Kumar

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Helicanthes elastica (Desr. Danser (Loranthaceae, commonly known as Indian mango mistletoe, is a parasitic shrub found widely growing on mango trees in southern India. Development of monographic quality standards is need of the hour for Pharmacopoeial/extra-Pharmacopoeial and folk medicinal plants. Systematic pharmacognostical evaluation of leaves of H. elastica has been carried out employing Pharmacopoeial procedures of testing herbal drugs. Macro–microscopic features of H. elastica leaf were recorded. Ethanolic extract was tested positive for alkaloids, steroids, carbohydrates, tannins, saponins and phenols. HPTLC fingerprint profile was developed for the identification of extracts using reference standard β-sitosterol glucoside. Results of the present investigation would serve as a source of pharmacognostical information and a document to control the quality of H. elastica (Desr. Danser. Keywords: HPTLC, Mango mistletoe, Medicinal plant monograph, Quality control

Cleaning power and abrasivity of European toothpastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wülknitz, P

1997-11-01

For 41 toothpastes available to European consumers in 1995, the cleaning efficacy was evaluated in comparison with abrasivity on dentin (RDA value). For cleaning power assessment, a modified pellicle cleaning ratio (PCR) measurement method was developed. The method is characterized by a five-day tea-staining procedure on bovine front teeth slabs on a rotating wheel, standardized brushing of the slabs in a V8 cross-brushing machine, and brightness measurement by a chromametric technique. All tested products were in accordance with the new DIN/ISO standard 11,609 for toothpastes in terms of dentin abrasivity. Not a single product exceeded an RDA value of 200. The majority of toothpastes (80%) had an RDA value below 100. Only three products surpassed the reference in cleaning power. Most products (73%) had a cleaning power (PCR value) between 20 and 80. The correlation between cleaning power and dentin abrasion was low (r = 0.66), which can be explained with the different influence on dentin and stains by factors like abrasive type, particle surface and size, as well as the chemical influence of other toothpaste ingredients. Some major trends could be shown on the basis of abrasive types. The ratio PCR to RDA was rather good in most silica-based toothpastes. A lower ratio was found in some products containing calcium carbonate or aluminum trihydrate as the only abrasive. The addition of other abrasives, such as polishing alumina, showed improved cleaning power. Some active ingredients, especially sequenstrants such as sodium tripolyphosphate or AHBP, also improve the PCR/RDA ratio by stain-dissolving action without being abrasive. The data for some special anti-stain products did not differ significantly from standard products. Compared with data measured in 1988, a general trend toward reduced abrasivity without loss of cleaning efficacy could be noticed on the European toothpaste market. This may be mostly due to the increased use of high-performance abrasives such

The primary exposure standard of ENEA for medium energy X-ray: characteristics and measurements procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laitano, R.F.; Toni, M.P.

1983-01-01

A description is given of a medium energy X-ray free-air chamber used, as primary exposure standard, at the Laboratorio di Metrologia delle Radiazioni Ionizzanti of the Enea in Italy. The main features of an X-ray facility for the production of radiation between 40 KeV and 400 KeV are also described. The measurements procedures are then analyzed with respect to the realization of the exposure unit in the relevant energy range. Finally the results of some international comparisons are reported

Radiological emergency preparedness arrangements in the European Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanner, V.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the different procedures established within the European Commission, which are relevant to radiological emergency planning and response. Although emergency preparedness is a national responsibility within the European Union, the Commission has clearly defined operational tasks in terms of emergency information exchange and community foodstuff regulations. In addition the Commission promotes research programmes and training courses in the field

Feasibility of dietary assessment methods, other tools and procedures for a pan-European food consumption survey among infants, toddlers and children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ocké, Marga; Brants, Henny; Dofkova, Marcela; Freisling, Heinz; van Rossum, Caroline; Ruprich, Jiri; Slimani, Nadia; Temme, Elisabeth; Trolle, Ellen; Vandevijvere, Stefanie; Huybrechts, Inge; de Boer, Evelien

2015-08-01

To test the feasibility of tools and procedures for a pan-European food consumption survey among children 0-10 years and to recommend one of two tested dietary assessment methods. Two pilot studies including 378 children were conducted in Belgium and the Czech Republic in the Pilot studies for Assessment of Nutrient intake and food Consumption among Kids in Europe. One protocol included a 3-day food diary which was checked with a parent, and data were entered afterwards using EPIC-Soft. The alternative protocol consisted of two non-consecutive 1-day food diaries followed by EPIC-Soft completion interviews. Both protocols included general and food propensity questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. The protocols were compared using evaluation questionnaires among the participating parents and study personnel. The parents found the questionnaires and instructions for filling in the food diaries understandable. Food description and food quantification was evaluated as problematic by 29 and 15% of the participants for the 3-day diaries versus 15 and 12% for the 1-day diaries. The protocol with 1-day food diaries was evaluated as less burdensome by the parents and logistically more challenging by the interviewers. Both dietary assessment methods with related tools and administration protocols were evaluated as feasible. The administration protocol with two 1-day food diaries with completion interviews offers more advantages for the future pan-European survey in children 0-10 years. The positive evaluation of feasibility of tools and materials is an important step towards harmonised food consumption data at European level among the younger age groups.

The impact of Romanian adhesion to European Union on exterior trade

OpenAIRE

Craciunas, Diana

2009-01-01

Analysis of the Romanian external trade policies in European integration context underlining the external trade policy of Romania which according with European Union policies after the joining to the European Union, the improvement and adaptation of external trade policy to the European standards through internal and external measures and the commercial effect of the extensions of the European Union over non member countries of Europe and on the European Union position in the international co...

Accounting standards for small and medium-sized entities. Evidence from Spain

OpenAIRE

Milanés Montero Patricia; Albarrán Lozano Irene; Texeira Quirós Joaquín; Esteban Pérez Calderón

2011-01-01

By approving Regulation 1606/2002, the European Commission entrusts the local European Union regulators with the difficult decision as to whether making the International Accounting Standards (IAS/IFRS) extensive for their Small and Medium sized Entities or not. International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-sizzed Entities (hereinafter IFRS for SMEs) was published in 2009, and the European Commission had also decided to seek the opinion of EU stakeholders on this Standard. W...

A standardized procedure for eddy-current testing of stainless steel, thin-walled nuclear fuel element cladding tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barat, P.; Raj, B.; Bhattacharya, D.K.

1982-01-01

Thin-walled nuclear fuel cladding tubes made of AISI 316 stainless steel have been examined by eddy-current testing. Standardization of the procedures has required investigations on optimizing the test frequency, finding a method to locate a defect with respect to the probe reference end, and the use of standard defects and sequential metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing, to understand the influence of the nature of defects on the impedance output signals. Test frequency and method of locating the defect were optimized by the use of standard defects made by machining in reference cladding tubes. Subsequent metallography of natural defects detected by eddy-current testing revealed mainly clusters of inclusions but also other types of defects. The effect of the distribution of inclusions along the length of the tube on the impedance output is discussed. (author)

A standard operating procedure for the surgical implantation of transmitters in juvenile salmonids

Science.gov (United States)

Liedtke, T.L.; Beeman, J.W.; Gee, L.P.

2012-01-01

Biotelemetry is a useful tool to monitor the movements of animals and is widely applied in fisheries research. Radio or acoustic technology can be used, depending on the study design and the environmental conditions in the study area. A broad definition of telemetry also includes the use of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, either separately or with a radio or acoustic transmitter. To use telemetry, fish must be equipped with a transmitter. Although there are several attachment procedures available, surgical implantation of transmitters in the abdominal cavity is recognized as the best technique for long-term telemetry studies in general (Stasko and Pincock, 1977; Winter, 1996; Jepsen, 2003), and specifically for juvenile salmonids, Oncorhynchus spp. (Adams and others, 1998a, 1998b; Martinelli and others, 1998; Hall and others, 2009). Studies that use telemetry assume that the processes by which the animals are captured, handled, and tagged, as well as the act of carrying the transmitter, will have minimal effect on their behavior and performance. This assumption, commonly stated as a lack of transmitter effects, must be valid if telemetry studies are to describe accurately the movements and behavior of an entire population of interest, rather than the subset of that population that carries transmitters. This document describes a standard operating procedure (SOP) for surgical implantation of radio or acoustic transmitters in juvenile salmonids. The procedures were developed from a broad base of published information, laboratory experiments, and practical experience in tagging thousands of fish for numerous studies of juvenile salmon movements near Columbia River and Snake River hydroelectric dams. Staff from the Western Fisheries Research Center's Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL) frequently have used telemetry studies to evaluate new structures or operations at hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin, and these evaluations typically

Test Standard Revision Update: JESD57, "Procedures for the Measurement of Single-Event Effects in Semiconductor Devices from Heavy-Ion Irradiation"

Science.gov (United States)

Lauenstein, Jean-Marie

2015-01-01

The JEDEC JESD57 test standard, Procedures for the Measurement of Single-Event Effects in Semiconductor Devices from Heavy-Ion Irradiation, is undergoing its first revision since 1996. In this talk, we place this test standard into context with other relevant radiation test standards to show its importance for single-event effect radiation testing for space applications. We show the range of industry, government, and end-user party involvement in the revision. Finally, we highlight some of the key changes being made and discuss the trade-space in which setting standards must be made to be both useful and broadly adopted.

Population health and status of epidemiology in Western European, Balkan and Baltic countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Seniori Costantini, Adele; Gallo, Federica; Pega, Frank; Saracci, Rodolfo; Veerus, Piret; West, Robert

2015-02-01

This article is part of a series commissioned by the International Epidemiological Association, aimed at describing population health and epidemiological resources in the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. It covers 32 of the 53 WHO European countries, namely the Western European countries, the Balkan countries and the Baltic countries. The burdens of mortality and morbidity and the patterns of risk factors and inequalities have been reviewed in order to identify health priorities and challenges. Literature and internet searches were conducted to stock-take epidemiological teaching, research activities, funding and scientific productivity. These countries have among the highest life expectancies worldwide. However, within- and between-country inequalities persist, which are largely due to inequalities in distribution of main health determinants. There is a long tradition of epidemiological research and teaching in most countries, in particular in the Western European countries. Cross-national networks and collaborations are increasing through the support of the European Union which fosters procedures to standardize educational systems across Europe and provides funding for epidemiological research through framework programmes. The number of Medline-indexed epidemiological research publications per year led by Western European countries has been increasing. The countries accounts for nearly a third of the global epidemiological publication. Although population health has improved considerably overall, persistent within- and between-country inequalities continue to challenge national and European health institutions. More research, policy and action on the social determinants of health are required in the region. Epidemiological training, research and workforce in the Baltic and Balkan countries should be strengthened. European epidemiologists can play pivotal roles and must influence legislation concerning production and access to high-quality data. © The

The euro and the European Central Bank

OpenAIRE

Jeffrey M. Wrase

1999-01-01

The formation of a monetary union by 11 European countries has received a lot of notice from the press since January 1, 1999, when the union's common currency, the euro, was officially introduced. To facilitate adoption of a single currency, these same countries have established a central bank that sets a common monetary policy for the members of the monetary union. In this article, Jeff Wrase gives some background on the European monetary union, outlines the procedure for introduction of the...

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Rapid and Efficient Production of Stevia Tissue Culture Seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norazlina Noordin; Peng, C.S.; Rusli Ibrahim

2015-01-01

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a non-caloric natural sweetener which is 300 times sweeter than cane sugar. Extracts from stevia leaves has vast application in food and beverages based industries, can be added to tea and coffee, cooked or baked goods, processed foods and confectionary goods. Recently, stevia attained awareness owing to its natural, non-caloric sweetness by diet/ health conscious and diabetic persons (Arpita et al., 2011). This natural sweetener has high commercial value in global market, it was estimated that global market value for stevia is be around USD11 billion by year 2015. Although stevia is being largely popularized in Malaysia and other countries but large-scale propagation procedures for the continuous supply of planting materials in commercial plantation has yet to be established, optimized and standardized. Furthermore, propagation through stevia seeds is often very difficult due to self-incompatibility which results in sterile seeds (Sakaguchi et al., 1982). Tissue culture is the only rapid process for the mass propagation of stevia and there have been few reports of in vitro growth of stevia (Miyagaya et al., 1986) and in vitro micropropagation from shoot tip and leaf (Uddin et al., 2006). Hence, study was carried out to establish a suitable protocol for in vitro propagation of S. rebaudiana Bertoni that can be further up-scaled for mass propagation of stevia seedlings. The established Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will ensure rapid and efficient production of stevia tissue culture seedlings for continuous supply of planting materials for commercial stevia plantations in Malaysia. Preparation of growth medium, multiplication of shoots, rooting of plant lets and hardening of ex-vitro rooted plant lets is discussed in this paper. (author)

Bank Insolvency Procedures and Market Discipline in European Banking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Angkinand, Apanard; Wihlborg, Clas

2005-01-01

for pre-determined bank insolvency procedures that could enable banks to expand cross-border in branches. In the empirical part we show that credibility of non-insurance is maximized with a partial deposit insurance scheme, and that the coverage can be decreased if effective rule-based distress resolution......Predetermined, operational procedures for dealing with banks in distress are conspicuously absent across the world with very few exceptions. Instead governments and regulatory authorities intervene when banks approach failure. Bail-outs of important creditors, sometimes including shareholders......, and blanket guarantees for creditors become the norm. We argue that efficient incentives of banks' creditors, as well as of shareholders and managers, require predetermined rules for dealing with banks in distress, and a group of creditors that are credibly non-insured. Cross-border banking increases the need...

Comparison of Test Procedures and Energy Efficiency Criteria in Selected International Standards & Labeling Programs for Copy Machines, External Power Supplies, LED Displays, Residential Gas Cooktops and Televisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Nina [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Zhou, Nan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Fridley, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-03-01

This report presents a technical review of international minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), voluntary and mandatory energy efficiency labels and test procedures for five products being considered for new or revised MEPS in China: copy machines, external power supply, LED displays, residential gas cooktops and flat-screen televisions. For each product, an overview of the scope of existing international standards and labeling programs, energy values and energy performance metrics and description and detailed summary table of criteria and procedures in major test standards are presented.

Extended device profiles and testing procedures for the approval process of integrated medical devices using the IEEE 11073 communication standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Janß, Armin; Thorn, Johannes; Schmitz, Malte; Mildner, Alexander; Dell'Anna-Pudlik, Jasmin; Leucker, Martin; Radermacher, Klaus

2018-02-23

Nowadays, only closed and proprietary integrated operating room systems (IORS) from big manufacturers are available on the market. Hence, the interconnection of components from third-party vendors is only possible with increased time and costs. In the context of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-funded project OR.NET (2012-2016), the open integration of medical devices from different manufacturers was addressed. An integrated operating theater based on the open communication standard IEEE 11073 shall give clinical operators the opportunity to choose medical devices independently of the manufacturer. This approach would be advantageous especially for hospital operators and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) of medical devices. Actual standards and concepts regarding technical feasibility and the approval process do not cope with the requirements for a modular integration of medical devices in the operating room (OR), based on an open communication standard. Therefore, innovative approval strategies and corresponding certification and test procedures, which cover actual legal and normative standards, have to be developed in order to support the future risk management and the usability engineering process of open integrated medical devices in the OR. The use of standardized device and service profiles and a three-step testing procedure, including conformity, interoperability and integration tests are described in this paper and shall support the manufacturers to integrate their medical devices without disclosing the medical devices' risk analysis and related confidential expertise or proprietary information.

The use of faces as stimuli in neuroimaging and psychological experiments: a procedure to standardize stimulus features.

Science.gov (United States)

Gronenschild, Ed H B M; Smeets, Floortje; Vuurman, Eric F P M; van Boxtel, Martin P J; Jolles, Jelle

2009-11-01

In psychological experiments involving facial stimuli, it is of great importance that the basic perceptual or psychological characteristics that are investigated are not confounded by factors such as brightness and contrast, head size, hair cut and color, skin color, and the presence of glasses and earrings. Standardization of facial stimulus materials reduces the effect of these confounding factors. We therefore employed a set of basic image processing techniques to deal with this issue. The processed images depict the faces in grayscale, all at the same size, brightness, and contrast, and confined to an oval mask revealing only the basic features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth. The standardization was successfully applied to four different face databases, consisting of male and female faces and including neutral as well as happy facial expressions. An important advantage of the proposed standardization is that featural as well as configurational information is retained. We also consider the procedure to be a major contribution to the development of a de facto standard for the use of facial stimuli in psychological experiments. Such methodological standardization would allow a better comparison of the results of these studies.

A comparison of European and American practices and procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Britz, W.L.

1988-01-01

A comparison of European and American practices and exposures indicates that greater emphasis has been placed on the reduction of individual and collective personnel radiation exposures in the European nuclear reactors. Several factors which contribute to their lower radiation doses are: (1) a strong management commitment to achieving low exposure; (2) plant design and modifications to reduce exposure; (3) good staffing, training, and work planning; (4) good chemistry control; (5) utilization of innovative technical methods for reducing plant exposures; (6) good regulatory environment. A significant effort has been made to reduce radiological exposures in the US and the past few years indicates good success. These are due to the efforts of Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and the nuclear industry, and the culmination of Many Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-initiated multi-plant actions in the period 1979-83 which resulted in many plant modifications and high exposures. Even though the US exposures have been reduced considerably, there is still opportunity for improvement. More consideration needs to be given to materials use (reduction of corrosion activation products), management, chemistry operations, and incorporating a good radiological protection attitude and more responsibility in all nuclear plant personnel. For the future, we as a country need to define our collective exposure goals for our next generation of nuclear reactors so that they can now be incorporated into the design. Other countries have established these goals, but the US has not. These goals should bear a relationship to average individual occupational exposures so that a logical and meaningful relationship between the 2 is developed into future design and operations. The goal should be reasonable from a health effect viewpoint so that monies are not expended without justification

The use of community herbal monographs to facilitate registrations and authorisations of herbal medicinal products in the European Union 2004-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Peschel, Wieland

2014-12-02

The provisions for the simplified registration of traditional herbal medicinal products in the European Union were introduced by Directive 2004/24/EC amending Directive 2001/83/EC (Chapter 2a) in 2004. Since implementation in the European member states until December 2012 a total of 1015 registrations (traditional use) and 514 authorisations (well-established use) have been granted for products containing substances/ preparations from about 200 different herbal drugs. The overall number of received applications with more than one third still under assessment suggests a further increase for the next years. This review summarises the main features of registered and authorised herbal medicinal products in the EU and evaluates available data against provisions of Directive 2004/24/EC and European standards established by the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products at the European Medicines Agency. The supportive function of Community herbal monographs is described as regards availability and their use in national procedures, which is complemented by an analysis of specific future challenges from experiences made with the implementation of Directive 2004/24/EC so far. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Piloting the European Unified Patient Identity Management (EUPID) Concept to Facilitate Secondary Use of Neuroblastoma Data from Clinical Trials and Biobanking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebner, Hubert; Hayn, Dieter; Falgenhauer, Markus; Nitzlnader, Michael; Schleiermacher, Gudrun; Haupt, Riccardo; Erminio, Giovanni; Defferrari, Raffaella; Mazzocco, Katia; Kohler, Jan; Tonini, Gian Paolo; Ladenstein, Ruth; Schreier, Guenter

2016-01-01

Data from two contexts, i.e. the European Unresectable Neuroblastoma (EUNB) clinical trial and results from comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) analyses from corresponding tumour samples shall be provided to existing repositories for secondary use. Utilizing the European Unified Patient IDentity Management (EUPID) as developed in the course of the ENCCA project, the following processes were applied to the data: standardization (providing interoperability), pseudonymization (generating distinct but linkable pseudonyms for both contexts), and linking both data sources. The applied procedures resulted in a joined dataset that did not contain any identifiers that would allow to backtrack the records to either data sources. This provided a high degree of privacy to the involved patients as required by data protection regulations, without preventing proper analysis.

Species-specific diagnostic assays for Bonamia ostreae and B. exitiosa in European flat oyster Ostrea edulis: conventional, real-time and multiplex PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramilo, Andrea; Navas, J Ignacio; Villalba, Antonio; Abollo, Elvira

2013-05-27

Bonamia ostreae and B. exitiosa have caused mass mortalities of various oyster species around the world and co-occur in some European areas. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has included infections with both species in the list of notifiable diseases. However, official methods for species-specific diagnosis of either parasite have certain limitations. In this study, new species-specific conventional PCR (cPCR) and real-time PCR techniques were developed to diagnose each parasite species. Moreover, a multiplex PCR method was designed to detect both parasites in a single assay. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of each new method were evaluated. These new procedures were compared with 2 OIE-recommended methods, viz. standard histology and PCR-RFLP. The new procedures showed higher sensitivity than the OIE recommended ones for the diagnosis of both species. The sensitivity of tests with the new primers was higher using oyster gills and gonad tissue, rather than gills alone. The lack of a 'gold standard' prevented accurate estimation of sensitivity and specificity of the new methods. The implementation of statistical tools (maximum likelihood method) for the comparison of the diagnostic tests showed the possibility of false positives with the new procedures, although the absence of a gold standard precluded certainty. Nevertheless, all procedures showed negative results when used for the analysis of oysters from a Bonamia-free area.

Film replacement by digital x-ray detectors - the correct procedure and equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewert, U.; Zscherpel, U.; Bavendiek, K.

2004-01-01

New digital detectors were developed for medical applications, which have the potential to substitute the X-ray film and revolutionise the radiological technique. Digital Detector Arrays (DDA: Flat Panel Detectors, Line Detectors) and Imaging Plates (Computed Radiography) allow a fast detection of radiographic images in a shorter time and with higher dynamic than film applications. Companies report about a reduction of exposure time down to 5 - 25% in comparison to NDT film exposures. This provides together with the reduction of consumables economical (and also ecological) benefits and short amortisation periods. But this does not always provide the same image quality as NDT film. The requirements of the European and USA standards for film radiography are analysed to derive correct requirements for the digital image quality and procedures for prediction and measurement of image quality. Basically the USA standards seem to be more tolerant for these new innovative technologies. New standard proposals use signal/noise ratio and unsharpness as dominant parameters for image quality. Specialised measurement procedures are described. The properties of the new detectors can be controlled by electronics and exposure conditions. New names appear in literature like 'direct radiography' and 'film replacement techniques'. The basic advantage of the new digital techniques is the possibility to use numeric procedures for image interpretation. Industrial radiology can be optimised for crack detection as well as for analysis of flaw depth and shape measurement. Automated flaw detection, measurement of part dimensions and detection of completeness are used for serial part inspection devices. Parallel to the development of DDA's, an extraordinary increase of Computed Tomography (CT) applications can be observed. (author)

Collective effective dose in Europe from x-ray and nuclear medicine procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bly, R.; Jaervinen, H.; Jahnen, A.; Olerud, H.; Vassileva, J.; Vogiatzi, S.

2015-01-01

Population doses from radiodiagnostic (X-ray and nuclear medicine) procedures in Europe were estimated based on data collected from 36 European countries. For X-ray procedures in EU and EFTA countries (except Liechtenstein) the collective effective dose is 547 500 man Sv, resulting in a mean effective dose of 1.06 mSv per caput. For all European countries included in the survey the collective effective dose is 605 000 man Sv, resulting in a mean effective dose of 1.05 mSv per caput. For nuclear medicine procedures in EU countries and EFTA (except Liechtenstein) countries the collective effective dose is 30 700 man Sv, resulting in a mean effective dose of 0.06 mSv per caput. For all European countries included in the survey the collective effective dose is 31 100 man Sv, resulting in a mean effective dose of 0.05 mSv per caput. (authors)

Influence of the Thermal Inertia in the European Simplified Procedures for the Assessment of Buildings’ Energy Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca Evangelisti

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims to highlight the importance of thermal inertia in buildings. Nowadays, it is possible to use energy analysis software to simulate the building energy performance. Considering Italian standards, these analyses are based on the UNI TS 11300 that defines the procedures for the national implementation of the UNI EN ISO 13790. These standards require an energy analysis under steady-state condition, underestimating the thermal inertia of the building. In order to understand the inertial behavior of walls, a cubic Test-Cell was modelled through the dynamic calculation code TRNSYS and three different wall types were tested. Different stratigraphies, characterized by the same thermal transmittance value, composed by massive elements and insulating layers in different order, were simulated. Through TRNSYS, it was possible to define maximum surface temperatures and to calculate thermal lag between maximum values, both external and internal. Moreover, the attenuation between external surface temperatures and internal ones during summer (July was calculated. Finally, the comparison between Test-Cell’s annual energy demands, performed by using a commercial code based on the Italian standard UNITS 11300 and the dynamic code, TRNSYS, was carried out.

Production of Emotional Facial Expressions in European American, Japanese, and Chinese Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Camras, Linda A.; And Others

1998-01-01

European American, Japanese, and Chinese 11-month-olds participated in emotion-inducing laboratory procedures. Facial responses were scored with BabyFACS, an anatomically based coding system. Overall, Chinese infants were less expressive than European American and Japanese infants, suggesting that differences in expressivity between European…

Play the European card

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majewski, O.

1999-01-01

Dr. Otto Majewski, Chief Executive Officer of the Bayernwerk AG utility, in his capacity as Chairman of the European Nuclear Council pointed out at ENC 98 in Nice that national energy policies constituted a major danger to the use of nuclear power. At the same time, he indicated ways and means by which to evade that danger. The decisions taken in Sweden and in the Federal Republic of Germany to opt out of the use of nuclear power show that national energy policies can seriously jeopardize the use of nuclear power. Bayernwerk CEO Dr. Majewski urged nuclear power plant operators to counteract these tendencies by playing the European card. Nuclear power anyway was a classical topic of European cooperation which, in the past, had resulted in higher safety standards and in the development of the EPR. It should also be attempted, by working on European institutions, to strengthen the use of nuclear power, even on a national level. He invoked economic arguments against nuclear opponents, especially the preservation of competitiveness by means of lower electricity prices, and arguments of climate protection. (orig.) [de

The challenge of the standardization of nursing specializations in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranchal, A; Jolley, M J; Keogh, J; Lepiesová, M; Rasku, T; Zeller, S

2015-12-01

The evolution of health care is driving the need for specialist nursing knowledge. Specialist nurses have undertaken a formal training that focuses on a specific clinical area or population and are legitimated by a professional award or legal status. Specialist nurses are better able to provide the most specific and most appropriate care for both people and populations. This paper considers nursing's loose understanding of 'specialization' and the impact this has on those who seek employment outside their own nation but within the family of nations known as the European Union (EU). There is a lack of standardization for nursing specializations across the European Union that leads to lack of mobility across countries. Reports were reviewed from within the European Union, including specialist nursing groups and regulatory nursing bodies. Nurse specialists can be regarded as operating at nursing's 'leading edge'; however, it is here that nursing lacks organization and common standards. This is readily apparent in a EU bound together by the principle of freedom of movement and common professional and academic standards. It is now time for European Union nurses to look beyond the common standards for pre-registration courses and to consider the development of common standards for specialist nursing. Historical attempts to achieve common standards for specialist nursing have largely been unsuccessful due to the diversity of approaches to nurse specialization. It is time now for this challenge to be re-addressed so that specialist nurses can more freely work throughout the European Union. There is a pressing need for policy makers to define specialist nursing and to enable European Union-wide standards. © 2015 International Council of Nurses.

A British standard for inspection qualification - a step on the road to European harmonization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waites, C.; Leyland, K.S.; Whittle, M.J.

1993-01-01

The safety case for the Sizewell 'B' reactor requires the ultrasonic inspection of certain components to be validated independently of those directly responsible for reactor construction and operation. This paper describes how this has been done. To illustrate the way in which validation needs to be tailored to particular requirements, an example is given involving the application of a time-of-flight detection (TOFD) technique to in-service inspection of a weld from an offshore installation. The experience gained from the application above and from other work has enabled an approach to validation to be set out in a British Standard Draft for Development. The intent is to provide a methodology within which individual validations can be developed in a consistent and coherent way. A European Methodology for Inspection Qualification also builds on this and other experience and aims to promote a common approach within Europe. The intent is to define a qualification approach to NDT which provides the necessary confidence in the test in the most cost-effective way possible. (author)

Judicial civil procedure dragging out in Kosovo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rrustem Qehaja

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article tends to deal with one of the most worrying issues in the judicial system of Kosovo the problem of judicial civil procedure dragging out. The article analyses the reasons of these dragging outs of the judicial civil procedure focusing on the context of one of the basic procedural principles in civil procedure-the principle of economy or efficiency in the courts. Dragging out of civil procedure in Kosovo has put in question not only the basic principles of civil procedure, but it also challenges the general principles related to human rights and freedoms sanctioned not only by the highest legal act of the country, but also with international treaties. The article tends to give a reflection to the most important reasons that effect and influence in these dragging outs of civil procedure, as well as, at the same time aims to give the necessary alternatives to pass through them by identifying dilemmas within the judicial practice. As a result, the motives of this scientific paper are exactly focused at the same time on identifying the dilemmas, as well as presenting ideas, to overstep them, including the judicial practice of the European Court of Human Rights on Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, by which it is given the possibility to offering people efficient and within a reasonable time legal protection of their rights before national courts. For these reasons, the paper elaborates this issue based on both, the legal theory and judicial practice.

Practical decommissioning experience with nuclear installations in the European Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skupinski, E.

1992-01-01

Initiated by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), this seminar was jointly organized by the AEA, BNFL and the CEC at Windermere and the sites of Windscale/Sellafield, where the former Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor and the Windscale piles are currently being dismantled. The meeting aimed at gathering a limited number of European experts for the presentation and discussion of operations, results and conclusions on techniques and procedures currently applied in the dismantling of large scale nuclear installations in the European Community

Telelearning standards and their application in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Duplaga, Mariusz; Juszkiewicz, Krzysztof; Leszczuk, Mikolaj

2004-01-01

Medial education, both on the graduate and postgraduate levels, has become a real challenge nowadays. The volume of information in medical sciences grows so rapidly that many health professionals experience essential problems in keeping track of the state of the art in this domain. e-learning offers important advantages to medical education continuation due to its universal availability and opportunity for implementation of flexible patterns of training. An important trace of medical education is developing practical skills. Some examples of standardization efforts include: the CEN/ISSS Workshop on Learning Technology (WSLT), the Advanced Learning Infrastructure Consortium (ALIC), Education Network Australia (EdNA) and PROmoting Multimedia access to Education and Training in European Society (PROMETEUS). Sun Microsystems' support (Sun ONE, iPlanetTM ) for many of the above-mentioned standards is described as well. Development of a medical digital video library with recordings of invasive procedures incorporating additional information and commentary may improve the efficiency of the training process in interventional medicine. A digital video library enabling access to videos of interventional procedures performed in the area of thoracic medicine may be a valuable element for developing practical skills. The library has been filled with video resources recorded at the Department of Interventional Pulmonology; it enhances training options for pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons. The main focus was put on demonstration of bronchofiberoscopic and videothoracoscopic procedures. The opportunity to browse video recordings of procedures performed in the specific field also considerably enhances the options for training in other medical specialties. In the era of growing health consumer awareness, patients are also perceived as the target audience for medical digital libraries. As a case study of Computer-Based Training systems, the Medical Digital Video Library is

Globalization and Europeanization. A Projection on a European Model of Public Administration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ani Matei

2008-04-01

, also by standards. These assertions, to which we can add also others, are leading to a new model of public administration, whose area overlaps with the space of European Union, incorporating the effects of globalization under its European expression, Europeanization. Consequently, the proposed model, emphasizing the process of European Union construction will comprise transparency, accountability and participation of the interested parties to public decision. The new public administration aims to use efficiently the resources in order to create favourable conditions for its citizens to become more competitive on the world market and to reduce the gap between the poorest and the richest inhabitants of the world. The current paper aims to conceptualize and to describe a model of public administration. The architecture of this model will be that of a complex system, with a mixed architecture, emphasizing connections with different intensities among its various levels: European, regional, national etc. The feedback mechanisms will be different and specific for each level and they will be ensured by different institutions on compatible normative grounds(1.

CEN standards for solar thermal systems - State of the art and expectted impact

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ree, B.G.C. van der; Pauschinger, Th.

1996-01-01

Since 1994, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee TC 312 has been active in producing European Standards for thermal solar energy systems and components. In this paper, an overview of the present State of the Art of the draft standards is presented. These standards

Where Human Rights Meet Administrative Law: Essential Elements and Limits to Delegation: European Court of Justice, Grand Chamber C-355/10: European Parliament v. Council of the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Heijer, M.; Tauschinsky, E.

2013-01-01

Case C-355/10 deals with institutional questions and with the delicate issue of intercepting migrants at sea, and thus with fundamental rights. The European Parliament had sought the annulment of a decision of the Council, adopted under the regulatory procedure with scrutiny (PRAC), on the grounds

A Guide for Developing Standard Operating Job Procedures for the Screening & Grinding Process Wastewater Treatment Facility. SOJP No. 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Deal, Gerald A.; Montgomery, James A.

This guide describes standard operating job procedures for the screening and grinding process of wastewater treatment facilities. The objective of this process is the removal of coarse materials from the raw waste stream for the protection of subsequent equipment and processes. The guide gives step-by-step instructions for safety inspection,…

‘What Europeans Saw of Europe’: Medial Construction of European Identity in Information Films and Newsreels in the 1950s

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Bruch

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This article examines Austrian, British, French and German newsreels and European information films produced in the period from 1948 to 1958 either by private and semi-private newsreel companies or transnational, supranational and national institutions like the Economic Cooperation Administration, Council of Europe, European Coal and Steel Community. These newsreel items and short films are not only records from the beginning and consolidation of the European integration project but also political instruments in this process. On the one hand, they informed the public about the new institutions, their purposes as well as their decision-making procedures; on the other hand, they were intended to create a European identity by rewriting a collective cultural and historical memory. By means of these films, some of them being part of the public relations campaigns of various European institutions and newsreel companies, a consistent picture of ‘Europe’ was shaped. This audiovisual representation of Europe as a geographical and historical entity, or, respectively, ‘the idea of European integration’, was not only a result of a political discourse but also a cultural continuation of a centuries-old iconographic tradition. This article aims at broadening the academic debate on a European identity by analysing the political communication process of the European Integration in the 1950s.

Environmental risk assessment of water quality in harbor areas: a new methodology applied to European ports.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Aina G; Ondiviela, Bárbara; Puente, Araceli; Juanes, José A

2015-05-15

This work presents a standard and unified procedure for assessment of environmental risks at the contaminant source level in port aquatic systems. Using this method, port managers and local authorities will be able to hierarchically classify environmental hazards and proceed with the most suitable management actions. This procedure combines rigorously selected parameters and indicators to estimate the environmental risk of each contaminant source based on its probability, consequences and vulnerability. The spatio-temporal variability of multiple stressors (agents) and receptors (endpoints) is taken into account to provide accurate estimations for application of precisely defined measures. The developed methodology is tested on a wide range of different scenarios via application in six European ports. The validation process confirms its usefulness, versatility and adaptability as a management tool for port water quality in Europe and worldwide. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National and International Standardization (International Organization for Standardization and European Committee for Standardization Relevant for Sustainability in Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Morbiducci

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainability in construction has a short history in terms of principles, standardizations and applications. From the Brundtland Report “Our Common Future”, a new vision of the resource deficits, climate impacts and the social responsibility gave growth to the idea of sustainability also in design and construction. Consequently, in around 2000, the international and national organizations for standardization started to develop standards for the application of sustainable principles. This paper gives an overview of existing and planned standards, and examples on how to use them as a framework for the development of methods and tools for assessment.

New veterinary medicinal products authorised by centralised procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Sturzu

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Veterinary medicinal products that are subject to authorization via the centralized procedure according to Regulation (EC no. 726/2004 are included in the Community register of veterinary medicines, that is published on the European Commission website and product information of them are published on the website of the European Medicines Agency. Each competent authority involved in the linguistic review process of product information annexed to the Marketing Authorization for medicinal products authorized centrally (SPC, leaflet, information about the marketing authorization holder, product labeling conditions, approve the version in the language mother of each Member State. In the second half of 2011 have received marketing authorization via the centralized procedure a total of four veterinary medicinal products, presented above.

Effect of standards on new equipment design by new international standards and industry restraints

Science.gov (United States)

Endelman, Lincoln L.

1991-01-01

The use of international standards to further trade is one of the objectives of creating a standard. By having form fit and function compatible the free interchange of manufactured goods can be handled without hindrance. Unfortunately by setting up standards that are peculiar to a particular country or district it is possible to exclude competition from a group of manufacturers. A major effort is now underway to develop international laser standards. In the May I 990 issue of Laser Focus World Donald R. Johnson the director of industrial technology services for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST formerly the National Bureau of Standards) is quoted as follows: " The common means of protectionism has been through certification for the market place. " The article goes on to say " Mr. Johnson expects this tradition to continue and that the new European Community (EC) will demand not just safety standards but performance standards as well. . . . the American laser industry must move very quickly on this issue or risk being left behind the European standards bandwagon. " The article continues laser companies must get involved in the actual standards negotiating process if they are to have a say in future policy. A single set of standards would reduce the need to repeatedly recalibrate products for different national markets. " As a member of ISO TC-72 SC9 I am

STANDARDIZATION OR ADAPTATION IN COSMETICS WEBSITES MARKETING ? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca Constantinescu-Dobra

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The websites marketing is becoming an important tool both for multinationals and SMEs, in their effort to internationalizing their business.This study focuses on the international opportunities that are present within the European markets. The paper aims at identifying the degree of websites marketing standardization vs. adaptation, as a marketing tool for cosmetic products. Moreover, the study examines in a comparative manner the standardization strategy of multinationals and small and medium enterprises (SMEs, leaders in European markets, for different cosmetic cathegories.The evaluation of online advertising standardization is based on the modified Model for Testing Advertising Standardization, developed by Whitelock and Chung. The web sites degree of localizations areanalyzed based upon 98 criteria, as resulted from an adapted methodology of ProfNet Institut fur Internet Marketing, Munster (Germany. The sample includes the 101 leaders from European markets.The research outcomes reflect a standardized websites marketing policy for SMEs and localized for multinationals. Also, for perfumes, dental care products and toiletry, European cosmetic leaders implementstandardized websites marketing policies and balanced for the other cosmetics categories. The hypothesis concerning a strong correlation between standardization and handling dimension was supported.

Regulatory and standard issues on hydrogen in 2009. Investigation report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tigreat, Delphine

2009-01-01

This report proposes an overview of the French and European regulations and standards regarding the use of hydrogen as an energy vector. The European and French regulations concern hydrogen production, storage and use on site and in transports of hazardous goods, the homologation of hydrogen powered vehicles, or the transport of hydrogen in ducts. Some standards are presented. A comparison is proposed between France and Germany, other European countries and the USA

Manual of Standard Operating Procedures for Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Laboratories are crucial to national veterinary drug residue monitoring programmes. However, one of the main challenges laboratories encounter is obtaining access to relevant methods of analysis. Thus, in addition to training, providing technical advice and transferring technology, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has resolved to develop clear and practical manuals to support Member State laboratories. The Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Development of Radiometric and Allied Analytical Methods to Strengthen Residue Control Programs for Antibiotic and Anthelmintic Veterinary Drug Residues has developed a number of analytical methods as standard operating procedures (SOPs), which are now compiled here. This publication contains SOPs on chromatographic and spectrometric techniques, as well as radioimmunoassay and associated screening techniques, for various anthelmintic and antimicrobial veterinary drug residue analysis. Some analytical method validation protocols are also included. The publication is primarily aimed at food and environmental safety laboratories involved in testing veterinary drug residues, including under organized national residue monitoring programmes. It is expected to enhance laboratory capacity building and competence through the use of radiometric and complementary tools and techniques. The publication is also relevant for applied research on residues of veterinary drugs in food and environmental samples

Patient doses in interventional cardiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domienik, J.; Papierz, S.; Jankowski, J.; Peruga, J.Z.

2008-01-01

In most countries of European Union legislation requires the determination of the total skin dose to patient resulting from interventional procedures to assess the risk of deterministic effect. To this end, various dose indicators like dose area product (DAP), cumulative dose (CD) and entrance dose at the patient plane (EFD) are used in clinical practice. The study aims at relating those dose indicators with doses ascribe to the most irradiated areas of the patient skin usually expressed in terms of local maximal skin dose (MSD). For the study the local MSD and related to their areas are investigated and compared for coronary angiography CA and intervention (PCI). Two methods implying radiographic films Kodak EDR2 and matrixes of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) are applied for direct measurements of dose distribution for selected procedures. Both methods are compared. Additionally, for patient dosimetry the following data: MSD, CD, EFD, fluoroscopy time (FT), number of acquired images, total DAP, fluoro-DAP and record-DAP were collected for randomly selected procedure. The statistical quantities like: median, 3 rd quartile, mean and standard deviation for all dosimetric parameters are determined. Preliminary study showed that the values of data collected for coronary procedures are in the ranges 0,7 - 27,3 min for fluoroscopy time, 50 - 350 Gy cm 2 for total DAP, 300 - 2000 mGy for CD, 140 - 2000 mGy for EFD and 100 - 1500 mGy for local maximal skin dose. For interventions the ranges are, accordingly 3,0 - 43,6 min , 25 - 450 Gy cm 2 , 270 - 6600 mGy, 80 - 2600 mGy and 80 - 1500 mGy. As a result of the study the correlations between dose indicators and local MSD are analyzed. The concentration of dose on irradiated films are going to be investigated in some detail as well. (author)

Discharge communication from inpatient care: an audit of written medical discharge summary procedure against the new National Health Service Standard for clinical handover.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Daniel Brooks; Parsons, Shaun R; Gill, Stephen D; Hughes, Andrew J

2015-04-01

To audit written medical discharge summary procedure and practice against Standard Six (clinical handover) of the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards at a major regional Victorian health service. Department heads were invited to complete a questionnaire about departmental discharge summary practices. Twenty-seven (82%) department heads completed the questionnaire. Seven (26%) departments had a documented discharge summary procedure. Fourteen (52%) departments monitored discharge summary completion and 13 (48%) departments monitored the timeliness of completion. Seven (26%) departments informed the patient of the content of the discharge summary and six (22%) departments provided the patient with a copy. Seven (26%) departments provided training for staff members on how to complete discharge summaries. Completing discharge summaries was usually delegated to the medical intern. The introduction of the National Service Standards prompted an organisation-wide audit of discharge summary practices against the external criterion. There was substantial variation in the organisation's practices. The Standards and the current audit results highlight an opportunity for the organisation to enhance and standardise discharge summary practices and improve communication with general practice.

2012 European School of High-Energy Physics

CERN Document Server

Mulders, M; ESHEP 2012

2014-01-01

The European School of High-Energy Physics is intended to give young physicists an introduction to the theoretical aspects of recent advances in elementary particle physics. These proceedings contain lecture notes on the Standard Model of electroweak interactions, quantum chromodynamics, flavour physics, physics beyond the Standard Model, neutrino physics, and cosmology.

European guidelines for workplace drug testing in urine.

Science.gov (United States)

Taskinen, Sanna; Beck, Olof; Bosch, Tessa; Brcak, Michaela; Carmichael, Duncan; Fucci, Nadia; George, Claire; Piper, Mark; Salomone, Alberto; Schielen, Wim; Steinmeyer, Stefan; Weinmann, Wolfgang

2017-06-01

These European Guidelines for Workplace Drug Testing in Urine have been prepared and updated by the European Workplace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS). The first version of these urine guidelines was published in 2002. Since then, the guidelines have been followed by many laboratories in different European countries and their role has been essential particularly in countries lacking legislation for workplace drug testing. In 2014, the EWDTS started a guidelines updating project and published a new version of the urine guidelines in 2015. Here we represent this updated version of the urine guidelines. The European Guidelines are designed to establish best practice procedures whilst allowing individual countries to operate within the requirements of national customs and legislation. The EWDTS recommends that all European laboratories that undertake legally defensible workplace drug testing should use these guidelines as a template for accreditation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare e-Feedback Versus "Standard" Face-to-Face Verbal Feedback to Improve the Acquisition of Procedural Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Jundi, Wissam; Elsharif, Mohamed; Anderson, Melanie; Chan, Phillip; Beard, Jonathan; Nawaz, Shah

Constructive feedback plays an important role in learning during surgical training. Standard feedback is usually given verbally following direct observation of the procedure by a trained assessor. However, such feedback requires the physical presence of expert faculty members who are usually busy and time-constrained by clinical commitments. We aim to evaluate electronic feedback (e-feedback) after video observation of surgical suturing in comparison with standard face-to-face verbal feedback. A prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing e-feedback with standard verbal feedback was carried out in February 2015 using a validated pro formas for assessment. The study participants were 38 undergraduate medical students from the University of Sheffield, UK. They were recorded on video performing the procedural skill, completed a self-evaluation form, and received e-feedback on the same day (group 1); observed directly by an assessor, invited to provide verbal self-reflection, and then received standard verbal feedback (group 2). In both groups, the feedback was provided after performing the procedure. The participants returned 2 days later and performed the same skill again. Poststudy questionnaire was used to assess the acceptability of each feedback among the participants. Overall, 19 students in group 1 and 18 students in group 2 completed the study. Although there was a significant improvement in the overall mean score on the second performance of the task for all participants (first performance mean 11.59, second performance mean 15.95; p ≤ 0.0001), there was no difference in the overall mean improvement score between group 1 and group 2 (4.74 and 3.94, respectively; p = 0.49). The mean overall scores for the e-feedback group at baseline recorded by 2 independent investigators showed good agreement (mean overall scores of 12.84 and 11.89; Cronbach α = 0.86). Poststudy questionnaire demonstrated that both e-feedback and standard verbal feedback

Do all the European surgeons perform the same D2? The need of D2 audit in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Bencivenga, Maria; Verlato, Giuseppe; Mengardo, Valentina; Weindelmayer, Jacopo; Allum, William H

2018-06-04

Although D2 lymphadenectomy is the standard of care for radical intent surgical treatment of gastric cancer, the real compliance with D2 dissection in Europe is still unknown. The aim of the present study is to analyze the variation in lymph-node harvesting reported after D2 dissection in European series and to present a European project aiming at evaluating the real compliance with D2 lymphadenectomy. A PubMed search for papers using the key words "D2 lymphadenectomy" and "gastric cancer" from 2008 to 2017 was undertaken. Only studies by European authors in English language reporting the number of retrieved lymph nodes after D2 lymphadenectomy were included. The results of literature review were descriptively reported. The literature survey yielded 16 studies: 2 RCTs, 3 observational multicentre studies, and 11 observational monocentric studies. A large variability was found in the number of retrieved nodes, which, overall, was the lowest in the surgical series from Eastern Europe (16.6 and 19.9 in the Lithuanian and Hungarian series, respectively) and the highest in an Italian RCT. The within-study variability was also quite high, especially in multicentre RCTs and observational studies. Sample size tended to have a larger effect on the variability of lymph nodes retrieved than on its actual value. However, in both cases, the relation was not significant, due to the low number of studies considered. There is a large variability in the number of retrieved nodes after D2 dissection in European series. This reflects, at least partly, different approaches to D2 lymphadenectomy by European surgeons and may be responsible of the different outcomes observed in patients with gastric cancer across Europe. Therefore, there is the need to standardize the practice of D2 gastrectomy in Europe and to define possible variations of D2 procedures according to tumour's characteristics.

Seminar on standards, standardization, quality control and interlaboratory test programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

de Bievre, P. [Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements, Geel (Belgium)

1978-12-15

The author gives a resume on the proper use of standards and standardization of measurement procedures. Results of measurements obtained on the same instrument and on the same series of standards of different isotopic compositions are displayed.

40 CFR 761.79 - Decontamination standards and procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

.... (b) Decontamination standards. Chopping (including wire chopping), distilling, filtering, oil/water... burned and marketed in accordance with the requirements for used oil in § 761.20(e), disposed of in... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Decontamination standards and...

Paving the road for a European postgraduate training curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Aa, Jessica E; Goverde, Angelique J; Teunissen, Pim W; Scheele, Fedde

2016-08-01

The 'Project for Achieving Consensus in Training' has been initiated by the European Board & College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology to harmonise training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology throughout Europe. In this project called the EBCOG-PACT, a state of the art pan-European training curriculum will be developed. Implementation of a pan-European curriculum will enhance harmonisation of both quality standards of women's healthcare practice and standards of postgraduate training. Secondly, it will assure equal quality of training of gynaecologists, promoting mobility throughout Europe. Thirdly, it will enhance cooperation and exchange of best practices between medical specialists and hospitals within Europe. The project is expecting to deliver (1) a description of the core and electives of the curriculum based on previously defined standards of care, (2) a societally responsive competency framework based on input from societal stakeholders and (3) strategies for education and assessment based on the current literature. Also, the project focuses on implementation and sustainability of the curriculum by delivering (4) a SWOT-analysis for the implementation based on insights into transcultural differences, (5) recommendations for implementation, change management and sustainability based on the SWOT analysis (6) and finally a handbook for other specialties initiating European curriculum development. The development and the implementation of this modern pan-European curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynaecology aims to serve as an example for the harmonisation of postgraduate training in Europe. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

European Utility Requirements: leveling the European electricity producers' playing ground for new NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard Roche

2006-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Since 1992, the European Utility Requirement (EUR) document has been developed by the major European electricity producers. The main driver to this work has been the construction of a unified European market. The electricity producers have set out design requirements adapted to this new European environment, while keeping in mind experience feedback from operating NPPs worldwide. The EUR document is now fully operational and its set of generic requirements have been recently used as bid specification in Finland and in China. The EUR document keeps developing in two directions: 1- completing the assessment of the projects that could be proposed by the vendors for the European market. Five projects have been assessed between 1999 and 2002: BWR90, EPR, EP1000, ABWR and SWR1000. Two new projects are being assessed, the Westinghouse AP1000 and the Russian VVER AES92. It is currently planned to publish these two new assessments in the first half of 2006. Others may be undertaken meanwhile. 2- revision of the generic requirements. A revision C of the volume 4 dedicated to power generation plant is being completed. It includes responses to vendors comments and feedback from the TVO call for bid for Finland 5. A revision D of the volumes 1 and 2 dedicated to nuclear islands is foreseen. The main contributions to this revision are the harmonization actions going on in Europe about nuclear safety (WENRA study on reactor safety harmonization, EC works, evolution of the IAEA guides and requirements), the harmonization works on the conditions of connection to the European HV grid as well as harmonization works on other matters, like codes and standards. This has given a unified frame in which the future nuclear plants can be designed and built. In this frame development of standards designs usable throughout Europe without major design change is possible, thus helping to increase competition, and ultimately to save investment and operating costs

A final step towards the European wind loading code

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staalduinen, P.C. van; Geurts, C.P.W.

1999-01-01

The process of the transition of national wind loading codes into a European Prestandard ENV 1991-2-4 for wind loading is being discussed. Backgrounds of this undertaking are being explained and specific technical issues to be resolved when drafting the final version of a European Standard for Wind

Patient controlled sedation using a standard protocol for dressing changes in burns: patients' preference, procedural details and a preliminary safety evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Andreas; Steinvall, Ingrid; Bak, Zoltan; Sjöberg, Folke

2008-11-01

Patient controlled sedation (PCS) enables patients to titrate doses of drugs by themselves during different procedures involving pain or discomfort. We studied it in a prospective crossover design using a fixed protocol without lockout time to examine it as an alternative method of sedation for changing dressings in burned patients. Eleven patients with >10% total burn surface area (TBSA) had their dressings changed, starting with sedation by an anaesthetist (ACS). The second dressing change was done with PCS (propofol/alfentanil) and the third time the patients had to choose ACS or PCS. During the procedures, data on cardiopulmonary variables, sedation (bispectral index), pain intensity (VAS), procedural details, doses of drugs, and patients' preferences were collected to compare the two sedation techniques. The study data indicated that wound care in burned patients is feasible with a standardized PCS protocol. The patients preferred PCS to ACS on the basis of self-control, and because they had less discomfort during the recovery period. Wound care was also considered adequate by the staff during PCS. No respiratory (respiratory rate/transcutaneous PCO(2)) or cardiovascular (heart rate/blood pressure) adverse events were recorded at any time during any of the PCS procedures. The doses of propofol and alfentanil and BIS index decrease were less during PCS than ACS. Procedural pain was higher during PCS but lower after the procedure. We suggest that PCS using a standard protocol is an interesting alternative to anaesthetist-provided sedation during dressing changes. It seems effective, saves resources, is safe, and at same time is preferred by the patients. The strength of these conclusions is, however, hampered by the small size of this investigation and therefore further studies are warranted.

Standard Operating Procedure for the Grinding and Extraction of Lead in Paint using Nitric Acid and a Rotor/Stator System Powered by a High Speed Motor

Science.gov (United States)

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) describes a new, rapid, and relatively inexpensive one step procedure which grinds the paint samples removed from the substrate and simultaneously quantitatively extracts the Pb from the paint in only one step in preparation for quantitativ...

Procedures for health risk assessment in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seeley, M.R.; Tonner-Navarro, L.E.; Beck, B.D.; Deskin, R.; Feron, V.J.; Johanson, G.; Bolt, H.M.

2001-01-01

This report compares cancer classification systems, health risk assessment approaches, and procedures used for establishing occupational exposure limits (OELs), in various European countries and scientific organizations. The objectives were to highlight and compare key aspects of these processes and

European Surgical Education and Training in Gynecologic Oncology: The impact of an Accredited Fellowship.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiva, Luis M; Mínguez, Jose; Querleu, Denis; Cibula, David; du Bois, Andreas

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to understand the current situation of surgical education and training in Europe among members of the European Society of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO) and its impact on the daily surgical practice of those that have completed an accredited fellowship in gynecologic oncology. A questionnaire addressing topics of interest in surgical training was designed and sent to ESGO members with surgical experience in gynecologic oncology. The survey was completely confidentially and could be completed in less than 5 minutes. Responses from 349 members from 42 European countries were obtained, which was 38% of the potential target population. The respondents were divided into 2 groups depending on whether they had undergone an official accreditation process. Two thirds of respondents said they had received a good surgical education. However, accredited gynecologists felt that global surgical training was significantly better. Surgical self-confidence among accredited specialists was significantly higher regarding most surgical oncological procedures than it was among their peers without such accreditation. However, the rate of self-assurance in ultraradical operations, and bowel and urinary reconstruction was quite low in both groups. There was a general request for standardizing surgical education across the ESGO area. Respondents demanded further training in laparoscopy, ultraradical procedures, bowel and urinary reconstruction, and postoperative management of complications. Furthermore, they requested the creation of fellowship programs in places where they are not now accredited and the promotion of rotations and exchange in centers of excellence. Finally, respondents want supporting training in disadvantaged countries of the ESGO area. Specialists in gynecologic oncology that have obtained a formal accreditation received a significantly better surgical education than those that have not. The ESGO responders recognize that their society should

Interoperability of Standards for Robotics in CIME

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kroszynski, Uri; Sørensen, Torben; Ludwig, Arnold

1997-01-01

Esprit Project 6457 "Interoperability of Standards for Robotics in CIME (InterRob)" belongs to the Subprogramme "Integration in Manufacturing" of Esprit, the European Specific Programme for Research and Development in Information Technology supported by the European Commision.The first main goal...... of InterRob was to close the information chain between product design, simulation, programming, and robot control by developing standardized interfaces and their software implementation for standards STEP (International Standard for the Exchange of Product model data, ISO 10303) and IRL (Industrial Robot...... Language, DIN 66312). This is a continuation of the previous Esprit projects CAD*I and NIRO, which developed substantial basics of STEP.The InterRob approach is based on standardized models for product geometry, kinematics, robotics, dynamics and control, hence on a coherent neutral information model...

Uniform interpretation of european patent law with a special view on the creation of a common patent court

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luginbühl, SL

2009-01-01

The European Patent Convention (EPC) provides for a common application and examination procedure for European patents. Therefore, European patents are granted on the basis of uniform European law which is applied and interpreted by the EPO, as well as by a great number of national judges and members

Elaboration and implementation of standard operational procedure for quality assurance of cone beam CT image in radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonatto, Larisse N.; Estacio, Daniela R.; Lopes, Juliane S.; Sansson, Angela; Duarte, Lucas O.; Sbaraini, Patricia; Silva, Ana M. Marques da; Streck, Elaine E.

2016-01-01

The objective of this article is to present the implementation of the quality Control of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) image, generated by the On-Board Imager, integrated with the linear accelerator Trilogy. Standard operating procedures (POPs) have been developed based on the literature and manuals of the simulator object Catphan 504 and the On-Board Imager. The following POPs were developed: acquisition of the CBCT image; linearity of CT number; uniformity; spatial resolution; low contrast resolution; spatial linearity; thickness of the cut. The validation of the elaborated procedures was done from an experimental acquisition of the simulator object. The results obtained in the validation of the POPs are in compliance with the parameters established by the manufacturer of the simulator object, as well as those obtained in the acceptance of the On-Board Imager device.

Qualification, training, licensing and retraining of operating shift personnel in nuclear power plants. Presentation of different procedures in the countries of the European Community, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfeffer, W.; Kraut, A.

1985-01-01

This study aims at evaluating and compiling the procedures to reach the necessary qualification applied in the countries of the European Community, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and the United States of America. Additionally to the presentation of practice the report is to show similarities - as far as they were identified - and special topics or aspects worth mentioning. In the report the following topics are dealt with: tasks of the shift personnel, nomenclature for different groups of personnel; shift staffing of the control room; criteria for personnel selection when new shift staff; personnel qualification necessary for recruitment; training of shift personnel; retraining for preservation of the qualification standard; training facilities, especially simulators; licensing or authorization of shift personnel; training and education organization. The study is based on the evaluation of EC documents as well as well as general publications and reports. To check the results and to integrate some lacking information the report was discussed in a meeting of an ad hoc subgroup of the CEC working group dealing with the safety of light-water reactors, joined by specialists from Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. 121 refs

The role of European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Working Group for Preanalytical Phase in standardization and harmonization of the preanalytical phase in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cornes, Michael P; Church, Stephen; van Dongen-Lases, Edmée

2016-01-01

Patient safety is a leading challenge in healthcare and from the laboratory perspective it is now well established that preanalytical errors are the major contributor to the overall rate of diagnostic and therapeutic errors. To address this, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Labor......Patient safety is a leading challenge in healthcare and from the laboratory perspective it is now well established that preanalytical errors are the major contributor to the overall rate of diagnostic and therapeutic errors. To address this, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry...... and Laboratory Medicine Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (EFLM WG-PRE) was established to lead in standardization and harmonization of preanalytical policies and practices at a European level. One of the key activities of the WG-PRE is the organization of the biennial EFLM-BD conference on the preanalytical...... summarises the work that has and will be done in these areas. The goal of this initiative is to ensure the EFLM WG-PRE produces work that meets the needs of the European laboratory medicine community. Progress made in the identified areas will be updated at the next preanalytical phase conference and show...

On anti-earthquake design procedure of equipment and pipings in near future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, H.

1981-01-01

The requirement of anti-earthquake design of nuclear power plants is getting severe year by year. The author will try to discuss how to control its severity and how to find a proper design procedure for licensing of new plants under such severe requirements. On the other hand we suffered from the enormous volumes of documents. To decrease such volumes, the format of documents should be standardized as well as the design procedure standardization. Starting from this point, we need the research and development on the following subjects: i) Standardization of design procedure. ii) Standardization of document. iii) Establishment of standard review procedure using computer. iv) Standardization of earthquake-resistant designed equipment. v) Standardization of anti-earthquake design procedure of piping systems. vi) Introducing margin evaluation procedure to design procedure. vii) Introducing proving test procedure of active component to design procedure. viii) Establishment of evaluation of human reliability in design, fabrication, inspection procedures. ix) Establishment of the proper relation of seismic trigger level and post-earthquake design procedures. (orig./HP)

Measuring Implicit European and Mediterranean Landscape Identity: A Tool Proposal

Science.gov (United States)

Fornara, Ferdinando; Dentale, Francesco; Troffa, Renato; Piras, Simona

2016-01-01

This study presents a tool – the Landscape Identity Implicit Association Test (LI-IAT) – devoted to measure the implicit identification with European and Mediterranean landscapes. To this aim, a series of prototypical landscapes was selected as stimulus, following an accurate multi-step procedure. Participants (N = 174), recruited in two Italian cities, performed two LI-IATs devoted to assess their identification with European vs. Not-European and Mediterranean vs. Not-Mediterranean prototypical landscapes. Psychometric properties and criterion validity of these measures were investigated. Two self-report measures, assessing, respectively, European and Mediterranean place identity and pleasantness of the target landscapes, were also administered. Results showed: (1) an adequate level of internal consistency for both LI-IATs; (2) a higher identification with European and Mediterranean landscapes than, respectively, with Not-European and Not-Mediterranean ones; and (3) a significant positive relationship between the European and Mediterranean LI-IATs and the corresponding place identity scores, also when pleasantness of landscapes was controlled for. Overall, these findings provide a first evidence supporting the reliability and criterion validity of the European and Mediterranean LI-IATs. PMID:27642284

Policy making, Comitology and the Balance of power in the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steunenberg, Bernard; Steunenberg, B.; Koboldt, Christian; Schmidtchen, Dieter

1996-01-01

Using simple game theory, this paper analyzes the working properties of the different procedures laid down in the comitology decision, i.e., the European Council's decision on procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission. Furthermore, it addresses the question of

Influence of new customs procedures and logistic security standards on companies competiveness – a Croatian company case study

OpenAIRE

Erceg, Aleksandar

2014-01-01

In today’s global market, companies are constantly confronted with the competition on the local, national and international level. Companies therefore use a variety of strategies and tools to become and/or remain competitive. Potential areas for cost reduction in companies are supply chain management and logistic and customs procedures. Implementation of various logistic standards in supply chain management can provide significant cost savings for the company’s daily operations an...

Reliability and Validity of 10 Different Standard Setting Procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpin, Glennelle; Halpin, Gerald

Research indicating that different cut-off points result from the use of different standard-setting techniques leaves decision makers with a disturbing dilemma: Which standard-setting method is best? This investigation of the reliability and validity of 10 different standard-setting approaches was designed to provide information that might help…

2013 European School of High-Energy Physics

CERN Document Server

Perez, G; ESHEP 2013

2015-01-01

The European School of High-Energy Physics is intended to give young physicists an introduction to the the- oretical aspects of recent advances in elementary particle physics. These proceedings contain lecture notes on the Standard Model of electroweak interactions, quantum chromodynamics, Higgs physics, physics beyond the Standard Model, flavour physics, and practical statistics for particle physicists.

Marketing Standards for Enterprises and Higher Educational Institutions: the EU and Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaldak Hanna P

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The article considers the marketing standards for enterprises and higher educational institutions in the EU and Ukraine. The basic components of the formation of the marketing standards in our country and the European Union member countries are identified, some legislative restrictions on advertising in certain EU countries are systematized. The features of the EU standards are determined. The main idea of the article is to examine the European marketing standards, determine the level of their adaptation to the national ones, as well as collect data on the effectiveness of the application of marketing standards to higher educational institutions, provide quality education and establish collaboration with the European partner universities. The general understanding of the quality of education, use of harmonized approaches and evaluation criteria is important for the European integration. The majority of national organizations have a number of difficulties associated with the undeveloped system of indicators oriented towards the client and other interested parties. The application of the EU marketing standards sets an appropriate vector of development for the domestic economy and opens up new competitive opportunities

An electric mandate. The EU procedure for harmonising cross-border network codes for electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jevnaker, Torbjoerg

2012-07-01

The research question addressed in this report is why the EU procedure for developing network codes for electricity was enacted in its particular form. Passed by the EU in 2009, European organisations partly outside of the formal EU structure were given a mandate to make rules that would apply across the EU. This was puzzling given the observed resistance on part of the member states to let go of national control over energy issues. Drawing on institutionalist perspectives, the analysis shows that the procedure would not have been passed without support from and compromise among the Commission, European Parliament and the member states in Council; that parts of the procedure imitated existing practices within related policy areas; that horizontal and vertical specialization within the nation-states along with a Commission actively promoting transnational cooperation changed the feedback mechanisms, which changed the direction of European energy market regulation; and finally, that the new actors played an active role vis-a-vis EU bodies as the latter were legislating on the procedure. (Author)

Measuring fuel moisture content in Alaska: standard methods and procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodney A. Norum; Melanie. Miller

1984-01-01

Methods and procedures are given for collecting and processing living and dead plant materials for the purpose of determining their water content. Wild-land fuels in Alaska are emphasized, but the methodology is applicable elsewhere. Guides are given for determining the number of samples needed to attain a chosen precision. Detailed procedures are presented for...

Quality control for diagnostic oral microbiology laboratories in European countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. Smith

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Participation in diagnostic microbiology internal and external quality control (QC processes is good laboratory practice and an essential component of a quality management system. However, no QC scheme for diagnostic oral microbiology existed until 2009 when the Clinical Oral Microbiology (COMB Network was created. At the European Oral Microbiology Workshop in 2008, 12 laboratories processing clinical oral microbiological samples were identified. All these were recruited to participate into the study and six laboratories from six European countries completed both the online survey and the first QC round. Three additional laboratories participated in the second round. Based on the survey, European oral microbiology laboratories process a significant (mean per laboratory 4,135 number of diagnostic samples from the oral cavity annually. A majority of the laboratories did not participate in any internal or external QC programme and nearly half of the laboratories did not have standard operating procedures for the tests they performed. In both QC rounds, there was a large variation in the results, interpretation and reporting of antibiotic susceptibility testing among the laboratories. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate the need for harmonisation of laboratory processing methods and interpretation of results for oral microbiology specimens. The QC rounds highlighted the value of external QC in evaluating the efficacy and safety of processes, materials and methods used in the laboratory. The use of standardised methods is also a prerequisite for multi-centre epidemiological studies that can provide important information on emerging microbes and trends in anti-microbial susceptibility for empirical prescribing in oro-facial infections.

Evaluation of a standardized procedure for [corrected] microscopic cell counts [corrected] in body fluids.

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Emerson, Jane F; Emerson, Scott S

2005-01-01

A standardized urinalysis and manual microscopic cell counting system was evaluated for its potential to reduce intra- and interoperator variability in urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cell counts. Replicate aliquots of pooled specimens were submitted blindly to technologists who were instructed to use either the Kova system with the disposable Glasstic slide (Hycor Biomedical, Inc., Garden Grove, CA) or the standard operating procedure of the University of California-Irvine (UCI), which uses plain glass slides for urine sediments and hemacytometers for CSF. The Hycor system provides a mechanical means of obtaining a fixed volume of fluid in which to resuspend the sediment, and fixes the volume of specimen to be microscopically examined by using capillary filling of a chamber containing in-plane counting grids. Ninety aliquots of pooled specimens of each type of body fluid were used to assess the inter- and intraoperator reproducibility of the measurements. The variability of replicate Hycor measurements made on a single specimen by the same or different observers was compared with that predicted by a Poisson distribution. The Hycor methods generally resulted in test statistics that were slightly lower than those obtained with the laboratory standard methods, indicating a trend toward decreasing the effects of various sources of variability. For 15 paired aliquots of each body fluid, tests for systematically higher or lower measurements with the Hycor methods were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Also examined was the average difference between the Hycor and current laboratory standard measurements, along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the true average difference. Without increasing labor or the requirement for attention to detail, the Hycor method provides slightly better interrater comparisons than the current method used at UCI. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Licensing procedures and registration of medical doctors in the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacs, Eszter; Schmidt, Andrea E; Szocska, Gabor; Busse, Reinhard; McKee, Martin; Legido-Quigley, Helena

2014-06-01

The current proposals to update the European Union (EU) directive on professional qualifications will have potentially important implications for health professions. Yet those discussing it will struggle to find basic information on key issues such as licensing and registration of physicians in different countries. A survey was conducted among national experts in 14 EU member states, supplemented by literature and independent expert review. The questionnaire covered five components of licensing and registration: (1) definitions, (2) regulatory basis, (3) governance, (4) the process of registration and (5) flow and quantity of applications. We identify seven areas of concern: (1) the meaning of terminology, which is inconsistent; (2) the role of language assessments and the responsibility for them; (3) whether approval to practise should be lifelong or time limited, subject to periodic assessment; (4) the need for improved systems to identify those deemed no longer fit to practise in one member state; (5) the complexity of processes for graduates from non-EU/European Economic Area (EAA) countries; (6) public access to registers; and (7) transparency of systems of governance. The systems of licensing and registration of doctors in Europe have developed within specific national contexts and vary widely. This creates inevitable problems in the context of free movement of professionals and increasing mobility. © 2014 Royal College of Physicians.

The debate on law propositions about energy by the European Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerebel, C.

2008-01-01

After a presentation of the third Energy Package put forward by the European Commission on the 19 September 2007, and a presentation of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) presented by the Commission on the 22 November 2007, the author more precisely presents the contents of the European Union Energy and Climate Package of January 2008. Several aspects are addressed: renewable energies, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture and storage, and public aids for these different themes. A graph gives a description of the co-decision procedure

Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems recommendation for space data system standards: Telecommand. Part 2.1: Command operation procedures

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

This recommendation contains the detailed specification of the logic required to carry out the Command Operations Procedures of the Transfer Layer. The Recommendation for Telecommand--Part 2, Data Routing Service contains the standard data structures and data communication procedures used by the intermediate telecommand system layers (the Transfer and Segmentation Layers). In particular, it contains a brief description of the Command Operations Procedures (COP) within the Transfer Layer. This recommendation contains the detailed definition of the COP's in the form of state tables, along with definitions of the terms used. It is assumed that the reader of this document is familiar with the data structures and terminology of part 2. In case of conflict between the description of the COP's in part 2 and in this recommendation, the definition in this recommendation will take precedence. In particular, this document supersedes section 4.3.3.1 through 4.3.3.4 of part 2.

Organizational, technical, physical and clinical quality standards for radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Bogusz-Czerniewicz, Marta; Kaźmierczak, Daniel

2012-01-01

Background Indisputably, radiotherapy has become an entirely interdisciplinary specialty. This situation requires efficient planning, verification, monitoring, quality control and constant improvement of all aspects of service delivery, referring both to patients’ (including diagnosis, prescription and method of treatment, its justification, realization and follow up) and organizational, technical and physics matters. Aim The aim of this work was to develop technical, physics and clinical quality standards for radiotherapy. This paper presents chosen standards for each of the aforementioned category. Materials and methods For the development of quality standards the comparison analysis of EU and Polish acts of law passed between 1980 and 2010 was conducted, the universal industrial ISO norm 9001:2008 referring to quality management system was reviewed. Recommendations of this norm were completed with detailed quality standards based on the author's 11 year work experience and the review of articles on quality assurance and quality control standards for radiotherapy published between 1984 and 2009 and the review of current recommendations and guidelines of American, International, European and National bodies (associations, societies, agencies such as AAPM, ESTRO, IAEA, and OECI) for quality assurance and quality management in radiotherapy. Results As a result 352 quality standards for radiotherapy were developed and categorized into the following three groups: (1) organizational standards, (2) physics and technical standards and (3) clinical standards. Conclusions Proposed quality standards for radiotherapy, can be used by any institution using ionizing radiation for medical procedures. Nevertheless standards are only of value if they are implemented, reviewed, audited and improved and if there is a clear mechanism in place to monitor and address failure to meet agreed standards. PMID:24377023

Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures | Bioenergy | NREL

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Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures NREL develops laboratory analytical procedures (LAPs) for the analysis of raw and upgraded pyrolysis bio-oils. These standard procedures have been validated and allow for reliable bio-oil analysis. Procedures Determination

New tendencies in isotopic analysis of pesticide residues from wines by mass spectrometry in concordance with the European standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costinel, Diana; Lazar, Roxana Elena; Vremera, Raluca; Irimescu, Rodica; Saros-Rogobete, Gili

2006-01-01

Multi-isotope analysis, the determination of isotope ratios by mass spectrometry or magnetic resonance spectroscopy, becomes increasingly used in the food industry and by national food control laboratories as a method of authenticating both raw materials and finished products. These highly sophisticated techniques are capable of determining the botanical and geographical origin of a wide variety of foodstuffs, thus providing a means of detecting product adulteration and controlling mislabelling practices which are virtually impossible to circumvent. The European Union has officially adopted the used of isotope analysis as a means of controlling sugar addition in wines. Its successful implementation in the wine-producing Member States has considerably reduced the financial losses which the Community had incurred due to over - capitalisation. Coupling mass spectrometer with gas chromatograph is used for quantitative and qualitative analysis of traces of pesticides from food. The presence of pesticides in foods is harmful for the nervous system, the cardiovascular apparatus and decreases the immunity of human body. In addition, ensuring the foods quality and safety is a requirement, which must be fulfilled for the integration in EU. The subject of this paper is the presentation of the tests results of the isotopic analysis for pesticide residues in wines, in concordance with European Standard. (authors)

Development of a standard operating procedure for mammography equipment used in calibration of ionized chambers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, Yklys Santos; Potiens, Maria da Penha Albuquerque

2011-01-01

Mammography is one widely used technique in the detection of breast cancer. In order to optimize the results achieving better images with lower dose rates, a quality assurance programme must be applied to the equipment. Some control tests use ionization chambers to measure air kerma and other quantities. These tests can only be reliable if the ionization chambers used on them are correctly calibrated. In the present work, it was developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for quality control tests in a commercial mammography equipment installed in the Calibration Laboratory (LCI) at IPEN - Brazilian Institute for energy and nuclear research). Seven tests were performed in the equipment: Tube voltage and exposition time accuracy and reproducibility, linearity and reproducibility of Air kerma and Half Value Layer (HVL). Then, it was made a measurement of the air kerma in the mammography equipment, using a reference ionization chamber with traceability to a primary laboratory in Germany (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt - PTB), that was later compared with the air kerma measured in an industrial irradiator. This industrial X-ray generator was recently used in the implementation of X-radiation Standards beams, mammography level, following the Standard IEC 61267. The HVL values varied from 0.36 (25kV) to 0.41 mmA1 (35kV), and the measured air kerma rates were between 9.78 and 17.97 mGy/min. (author)

ROMANIA FEATURES OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT

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BUȘAN GABRIELA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Regional development is a new concept that aims to boost and diversify economic activities, stimulate private sector investment, contribute to reducing unemployment and lead to an improvement in living standards. Development and harmonious arrangement of the territory is an imperative of any civilized state for the welfare of all its citizens.Regionalization is a top-down process, which has as a starting point regional imbalances and regionalism is a bottom-up process of representing how the region perceives regional consciousness considered as a homogeneous territory by its residents and the community. European reality is that where there is regionalization regionalism was imposed because "the future of Europe must be built by a balance between Brussels, states and regions." Regionalization is in fact the result of trends in territorial organization in European countries today. However, we can speak of a "Europe of regions" where regions are public corporate body that answers the need for territoralisation certain policies. This paper aims to define the first part, the concepts of region and regionalization in order to subsequently provide procedural issues on regional development policy. At the same time, it will highlight the main aspects of economic development, taking into account the economic, social, cultural. The last part of the paper we summarize the effects of policies on regional development regions of our country, guiding us as socio-economic situation.

MATLAB-implemented estimation procedure for model-based assessment of hepatic insulin degradation from standard intravenous glucose tolerance test data.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Nardo, Francesco; Mengoni, Michele; Morettini, Micaela

2013-05-01

Present study provides a novel MATLAB-based parameter estimation procedure for individual assessment of hepatic insulin degradation (HID) process from standard frequently-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT) data. Direct access to the source code, offered by MATLAB, enabled us to design an optimization procedure based on the alternating use of Gauss-Newton's and Levenberg-Marquardt's algorithms, which assures the full convergence of the process and the containment of computational time. Reliability was tested by direct comparison with the application, in eighteen non-diabetic subjects, of well-known kinetic analysis software package SAAM II, and by application on different data. Agreement between MATLAB and SAAM II was warranted by intraclass correlation coefficients ≥0.73; no significant differences between corresponding mean parameter estimates and prediction of HID rate; and consistent residual analysis. Moreover, MATLAB optimization procedure resulted in a significant 51% reduction of CV% for the worst-estimated parameter by SAAM II and in maintaining all model-parameter CV% MATLAB-based procedure was suggested as a suitable tool for the individual assessment of HID process. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and evaluation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for quality control tests and radiological protection activities in a Nuclear Medicine Service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krempser, Alexandre R., E-mail: krempser@peb.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PEB/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Biomedica; Soares, Alexandre B. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IF/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica; Corbo, Rossana [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (FM/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Radiologia

2011-07-01

The quality management in Nuclear Medicine Services is a requirement of national and international standards. The Brazilian regulatory agency in health surveillance, the Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA), in its Resolucao de Diretoria Colegiada (Collegiate Directory Resolution) no. 38, requires the elaboration of documents describing the technical and clinical routine activities. This study aimed to elaborate, implement and evaluate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for quality control tests and radiological protection activities in the Nuclear Medicine Service of a university hospital. Eighteen SOPs were developed, involving tasks related to dose calibrator, gamma camera, Geiger-Muller detectors and radiological protection activities. The performance of its application was evaluated for a period of six months. It was observed a reduction in 75% of reported operational errors and 42% of the number of reported incidents with contamination by radioactive material. The SOPs were adequate and successful in its application. New procedures involving clinical activities will also be developed and evaluated. (author)

Proposal for a European standard dealing with measuring methods for fine particulate emissions of solid-fuel fired furnaces; Vorschlag einer europaeischen Staubmessnorm fuer Feststoff-Feuerstaetten - Ausarbeitung und Untersuchung eines Typenpruef-Messverfahrens fuer Staubemissionen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaegauf, Ch. [Oekozentrum, Langenbruck (Switzerland); Griffin, T. [Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz/ITFE, Muttenz (Switzerland)

2007-10-15

The European standards for type testing of solid fuel burning appliances require only the measurement of carbon monoxide emissions. Many European countries urge the standardisation committees to establish standards for the regulation of fine particulate emissions from flue gases since they face exceeding threshold values of particulate matter in the ambient air. The Technical Committee CEN/TC 295 for the standardisation of solid fuel burning appliances assigned the Centre for Appropriate Technology in Langenbruck, Switzerland with the development of a European Technical Specification (CEN TS) for the determination of particulate emission. The new draft of the TS is based on constant volume sampling (CVS) of the entire flue gas flow in a dilution tunnel. The scientific research has been done in the Swiss test laboratory for solid fuel burning appliances and boilers at the University of Applied Sciences, in Basle. The TS is designed in such a way that it can be integrated into the test cycles required by various European standards. The investigation covered work on parameters such as dilution factor, sampling temperature and isokinetics. Tests with a wood log burning appliance and a pellet stove showed that emissions in the dilution tunnel were between 7% and 26% for the pellet stove and from 40% up to 160% higher if they were sampled directly from the stack using heated gravimetric filters. It was demonstrated that the differences between the emissions seen in the dilution tunnel and those from the stack increased along with increasing levels of incomplete combustion. (author)

Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures | Bioenergy | NREL

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Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures NREL develops laboratory analytical procedures (LAPs) for standard biomass analysis. These procedures help scientists and analysts understand more about the chemical composition of raw biomass

(60)Co in cast steel matrix: A European interlaboratory comparison for the characterisation of new activity standards for calibration of gamma-ray spectrometers in metallurgy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tzika, Faidra; Burda, Oleksiy; Hult, Mikael; Arnold, Dirk; Marroyo, Belén Caro; Dryák, Pavel; Fazio, Aldo; Ferreux, Laurent; García-Toraño, Eduardo; Javornik, Andrej; Klemola, Seppo; Luca, Aurelian; Moser, Hannah; Nečemer, Marijan; Peyrés, Virginia; Reis, Mario; Silva, Lidia; Šolc, Jaroslav; Svec, Anton; Tyminski, Zbigniew; Vodenik, Branko; Wätjen, Uwe

2016-08-01

Two series of activity standards of (60)Co in cast steel matrix, developed for the calibration of gamma-ray spectrometry systems in the metallurgical sector, were characterised using a European interlaboratory comparison among twelve National Metrology Institutes and one international organisation. The first standard, consisting of 14 disc shaped samples, was cast from steel contaminated during production ("originally"), and the second, consisting of 15 similar discs, from artificially-contaminated ("spiked") steel. The reference activity concentrations of (60)Co in the cast steel standards were (1.077±0.019) Bqg(-1) on 1 January 2013 12h00 UT and (1.483±0.022) Bqg(-1) on 1 June 2013 12h00 UT, respectively. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The European system of veterinary specialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Romagnoli, Stefano

2010-01-01

Veterinary specialist diplomas were available in many European countries during the second half of the 20th century. However, such an early recognition of the importance of veterinary specialization actually delayed the concept of the European veterinary specialist in Europe, compared with the United States, where the first specialist colleges were established in the 1960s, because it was felt that the national system was functioning properly and there was therefore no need for a new structure in the European countries. The European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) was established in 1996, and currently there are 23 specialist colleges with more than 2,600 veterinarians officially listed in the EBVS register as European specialists. The Advisory Committee on Veterinary Training (ACVT) approved the establishment of EBVS but never implemented a supervising body (with ACVT representation). Such a body, the European Coordinating Committee on Veterinary Training, was later implemented by the profession itself, although it still lacked a political component. Each college depends on the EBVS, which has the function to define standards and criteria for monitoring the quality of college diplomates. To become a European Diplomate, veterinarians must have gone through an intensive period of training supervised by a diplomate, after which candidates must pass an examination. Although the term European veterinary specialist still does not have any legal recognition, national specialist qualifications are being phased out in many countries because of the inherent higher quality of EBVS specialist qualifications.

Production of emotional facial expressions in European American, Japanese, and Chinese infants.