RAPID RISK ASSESSMENT Zika virus infection outbreak,

This is the first documented outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKAV) infection in French Polynesia and New Caledonia. During the course of the ZIKAV outbreak, neurological and auto-immune complications have been reported in a context of concurrent circulation of two dengue serotypes (dengue 1 and 3) since February 2013. Vigilance must be enhanced towards imported cases of ZIKAV infection in the EU Member States and EU overseas countries and territories and outermost regions, in particular where effective vectors are present; early detection of cases is essential to reduce the risk of autochthonous transmission. Clinicians and travel medicine clinics should be aware of the situation in the Pacific islands and include ZIKAV infection in their differential diagnosis. An isolated positive result for dengue IgM antibodies among travellers returning from areas affected by Zika should prompt a possible investigation for another flavivirus aetiology. The potential neurological and auto-immune complications might require specific healthcare capabilities and treatment (ICU) which need to be taken into account in an insular context facing a large-scale Zika outbreak. As an emerging pathogen, the laboratory capacity to confirm suspected Zika cases should be strengthened in the region as well as in Europe to differentiate ZIKAV infections from other arboviral dengue-lik

Conclusions

Although there has been vivid academic debate as to what extent Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are motivated by political reasons, it is rather clear that countries can use state-owned investment funds as a tool of their foreign policy. Even Barack Obama, during his initial presidential campaign in 2008 commented: “I am obviously concerned if these… sovereign wealth funds are motivated by more than just market consideration and that’s obviously a possibility”. This book looks at SWF activities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to determine the main motives for SWF presence in CEE. Are the potential financial gains the only reason behind their investments? Are SWF activities in the region dangerous for the stability and security of the CEE countries? The book is pioneering analyses of SWFs behaviour in the region, based on empirical data collected from the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute Transaction Database, arguably the most comprehensive and authoritative resource tracking SWF investment behaviour globally.Rozdział pochodzi z książki: Political Players? Sovereign Wealth Funds’ Investments in Central and Eastern Europe, T. Kamiński (ed.), Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, Łódź 2017.This book was published in frames of project “Political significance of the Sovereign Wealth Funds’ investments in the Central and Eastern Europe”. The project was financed by the Polish National Science Centre (Decision no. DEC-2012/07/B/HS5/03797)

Conclusions

One of the basic problems in local organic food systems seems to be connected to food chains. The range of creative initiatives covers all thinkable fields: information about ecology, farmers' own activities in creating brands and labels, associations, developing ordering and delivery systems, processing, municipal help, marketing campaigns and so on

Conclusions

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Conclusions

After being gone for about a week due to Easter break and a particularly unpleasant sinus/ear infection, I have returned to the Reference Department! I\u27m definitely glad to be back amongst the piles of books that need sorting and the pesky printer that seems to always need more paper. [excerpt

System performance conclusions

The advantages and disadvantages of reducing power levels and using antennas with diameters smaller than 1 Km were evaluated if rectenna costs and land usage requirements become major factors, operating at 5800 megahertz should be considered. Three sequences (random, incoherent phasing, and concentric rings - center to edge) provided satisfactory performance in that the resultant sidelobe levels during startup/ shutdown were lower than the steady-state levels present during normal operations. Grating lobe peaks and scattered power levels were used to determine the array/subarray mechanical alignment requirements. The antenna alignment requirement is 1 min or 3 min depending on phase control configuration. System error parameters were defined to minimize scattered microwave power