A Model-based Assessment of Oseltamivir Prophylaxis Strategies to Prevent Influenza in Nursing Homes

Postexposure prophylaxis can prevent more influenza virus infections among nursing home patients per dose than continuous prophylaxis

Learning together to manage together : improving participation in water management

International audienceThe printed edition of the handbook "Learning together to manage together – improving participation in water management" was published in January 2006. Ecologic actively contributed to the development of the handbook, which is one of the main outputs of the European project Harmonising Collaborative Planning (HarmoniCOP). The HarmoniCOP handbook is the result of an extensive participatory working process involving a multidisciplinary team of scientists, government officials, water managers, and stakeholders of different sectors. The methodology featured in the book is based on the concept of "social learning" advocating collaboration between the different stakeholders from the earliest moment possible. The target groups of the handbook broadly includes all actors involved in the practical implementation of the WFD, such as decision-makers, administrators, NGOs, water users etc. The handbook offers practical guidance to the development of participation processes that meet the actual needs of stakeholders and aims to serve as a reference book for the selection of adequate participatory methods. In the context of the handbook, public participation is understood as a continuously ongoing process

Emerging Diseases in European Forest Ecosystems and Responses in Society

New diseases in forest ecosystems have been reported at an increasing rate over the last century. Some reasons for this include the increased disturbance by humans to forest ecosystems, changed climatic conditions and intensified international trade. Although many of the contributing factors to the changed disease scenarios are anthropogenic, there has been a reluctance to control them by legislation, other forms of government authority or through public involvement. Some of the primary obstacles relate to problems in communicating biological understanding of concepts to the political sphere of society. Relevant response to new disease scenarios is very often associated with a proper understanding of intraspecific variation in the challenging pathogen. Other factors could be technical, based on a lack of understanding of possible countermeasures. There are also philosophical reasons, such as the view that forests are part of the natural ecosystems and should not be managed for natural disturbances such as disease outbreaks. Finally, some of the reasons are economic or political, such as a belief in free trade or reluctance to acknowledge supranational intervention control. Our possibilities to act in response to new disease threats are critically dependent on the timing of efforts. A common recognition of the nature of the problem and adapting vocabulary that describe relevant biological entities would help to facilitate timely and adequate responses in society to emerging diseases in forests