Water models and scenarios inventory for the Danube region

This technical report presents an inventory of existing models currently used in the Danube Region by local, regional, national authorities and scientific institutes for the development of a hydro-economic multi-model ensemble for the Danube with a common database. It also presents a first identification of regional scenarios of policy options relevant for river basin management planning.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

The Application of Change Management Methods at Business Organization Operating in Hungary: Challenges in the Business and Cultural Environment and First Practical Experiences

The aim of this paper is to review the business and cultural challenges of applying Western change management philosophies and practices and to report about relevant firm level experiences observed within the transition period toward a market economy. The authors identify trends in the actual macro and micro economic and cultural environment, necessitating, driving and/or restraining these behaviorally planned change programs. After introducing the challenges change administrators confront with when planning and implementing change programs, they report on how the change management approaches, strategies and tools found as valuable in other cultures - especially in North America and We-stem Europe - were applied by some foreign and indigenous organizations in a country pioneering recent changes in the CEE region in many respects. The authors group their general observations and hypothetical suggestions about the change management practices of companies they had practical experiences with around the following topics: the organizations' attitude toward managing constant change, the existence of practices pursued on different levels of change processes, and specific change strategies and tools applied for managing change. They suggest that practices like institutionalizing mechanisms for dealing with constant change, Introducing behaviorally based change management programs and using a v2Aety of specific tools for guiding change processes were characteristic more of the change administration of foreign/multinational companies. At the - wholly or partly Hungarian owned. Recently privatized and strategically redirected - companies the change interventions were less targeted to behavioral aspects. Change practices of the latter companies rather aimed at the change focus, and partly, also the related formal subsystems level. The authors suggest hypothetical explanations for the reluctance to use new change management principles and Identify possible patterns of failure in transplanting Western method.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39585/3/wp198.pd

Occlusion of retinal capillaries caused by glial cell proliferation in chronic ocular inflammation

The inner blood-retinal barrier is a gliovascular unit in which glial cells surround capillary endothelial cells and regulate retinal capillaries by paracrine interactions. During chronic ocular inflammation, microvascular complications can give rise to vascular proliferative lesions, which compromise visual acuity. This pathologic remodelling caused by proliferating Müller cells determines occlusion of retinal capillaries. The aim of the present study was to identify qualitative and quantitative alterations in the retinal capillaries in patients with post-traumatic chronic ocular inflammation or post-thrombotic vascular glaucoma. Moreover, we investigated the potential role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in retinal inflammation. Our electron microscopy findings demonstrated that during chronic ocular inflammation, thickening of the basement membrane, loss of pericytes and endothelial cells and proliferation of Müller cells occur with irreversible occlusion of retinal capillaries. Angiogenesis takes place as part of a regenerative reaction that results in fibrosis. We believe that VEGF and pro-inflammatory cytokines may be potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of this disease although further studies are required to confirm these findings

The Application of Change Management Methods at Business Organization Operating in Hungary: Challenges in the Business and Cultural Environment and First Practical Experiences

The aim of this paper is to review the business and cultural challenges of applying Western change management philosophies and practices and to report about relevant firm level experiences observed within the transition period toward a market economy. The authors identify trends in the actual macro and micro economic and cultural environment, necessitating, driving and/or restraining these behaviorally planned change programs. After introducing the challenges change administrators confront with when planning and implementing change programs, they report on how the change management approaches, strategies and tools found as valuable in other cultures - especially in North America and We-stem Europe - were applied by some foreign and indigenous organizations in a country pioneering recent changes in the CEE region in many respects. The authors group their general observations and hypothetical suggestions about the change management practices of companies they had practical experiences with around the following topics: the organizations' attitude toward managing constant change, the existence of practices pursued on different levels of change processes, and specific change strategies and tools applied for managing change. They suggest that practices like institutionalizing mechanisms for dealing with constant change, Introducing behaviorally based change management programs and using a v2Aety of specific tools for guiding change processes were characteristic more of the change administration of foreign/multinational companies. At the - wholly or partly Hungarian owned. Recently privatized and strategically redirected - companies the change interventions were less targeted to behavioral aspects. Change practices of the latter companies rather aimed at the change focus, and partly, also the related formal subsystems level. The authors suggest hypothetical explanations for the reluctance to use new change management principles and Identify possible patterns of failure in transplanting Western method.

Water scenarios for the Danube River Basin: Elements for the assessment of the Danube agriculture-energy-water nexus

This report provides background material for the identification and elicitation of scenarios relevant for the futures of the agriculture-energy-ecosystems-water nexus in the Danube region. We present a summary of the regional climate scenarios available as input for water resources simulations, and the consequent long term average water balance figures estimated using a Budyko framework. Then we introduce the LUISA model for the simulation of land use-related variables in the region. Finally, we include a contribution by a water expert from the Danube region, presenting an initial reasoning on important elements to be addressed in scenario simulations. This report is intended as a reader for water professionals, stakeholders and decision makers in the Danube region, in order to stimulate the foresight of scenarios worth being simulated with JRC models, so to further our understanding of the water-energy-agriculture-ecosystems nexus and its management in the mid- and long-term.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Age and diabetes related changes of the retinal capillaries: an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study

Normal human aging and diabetes are associated with a gradual decrease of cerebral flow in the brain with changes in vascular architecture. Thickening of the capillary basement membrane and microvascular fibrosis are evident in the central nervous system of elderly and diabetic patients. Current findings assign a primary role to endothelial dysfunction as a cause of basement membrane (BM) thickening, while retinal alterations are considered to be a secondary cause of either ischemia or exudation. The aim of this study was to reveal any initial retinal alterations and variations in the BM of retinal capillaries during diabetes and aging as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, we investigated the potential role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in diabetic retina.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed on 46 enucleated human eyes with particular attention to alterations of the retinal capillary wall and Müller glial cells. Inflammatory cytokines expression in the retina was investigated by immunohistochemistry.Our electron microscopy findings demonstrated that thickening of the BM begins primarily at the level of the glial side of the retina during aging and diabetes. The Müller cells showed numerous cytoplasmic endosomes and highly electron-dense lysosomes which surrounded the retinal capillaries. Our study is the first to present morphological evidence that Müller cells start to deposit excessive BM material in retinal capillaries during aging and diabetes. Our results confirm the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β within the retina as a result of diabetes.These observations strongly suggest that inflammatory cytokines and changes in the metabolism of Müller glial cells rather than changes in of endothelial cells may play a primary role in the alteration of retinal capillaries BM during aging and diabetes

European Freshwater Ecosystem Assessment: Cross-walk between the Water Framework Directive and Habitats Directive types, status and pressures

The EU policies on the freshwater environment and nature and biodiversity are closely linked. The aims of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Habitat Directive (HD) are to achieve good status for water bodies (WFD) and for habitats and species (HD) respectively. The types of rivers and lakes and their ecological status and pressures under the WFD are not directly comparable to the conservation status and threats for freshwater habitats and species under the HD (EC 2011a). The objective of this study has been to explore the possibilities of linking WFD and HD information on types of water bodies and habitats, and their status, pressures and measures, using WISE WFD information on types, ecological status, pressures and measures (EEA 2012, ETC-ICM 2012) and HD information on habitat types, conservation status and threats (EC 2007). The results may be used as input to the EEA Freshwater Ecosystem Assessment in 2015, and also for future European assessments of specific objectives, status and trends for various types of rivers and lakes after the reporting of the WFD 2nd RBMPs and the next HD article 17 reporting. The outcome may also be used as a basis for discussions of the potential and limitations for WFD and HD synergies in terms of monitoring programmes, assessment systems and measures to improve status. The general methodology used in this report is to analyse data and information reported by Member States on WFD types, ecological status and pressures in river and lake water bodies and on Habitats Directive freshwater habitats and their conservation status and threats. The major data sources used are the WISE-WFD database and the HD Article 17 databaseJRC.H.1-Water Resource