The four freedoms in the EU: Are they inseparable? Bertelsmann Stiftung EUROPA Briefing 2017

The four freedoms govern the movement of goods, persons, services and capital within the EU. They are the cornerstones of the Single Market and the common currency. Many citizens see them as the greatest achievement of the European unification project. Brexit has reignited the discussion surrounding the free movement of people - that is the opportunity to live and work in any EU country. Technically speaking, it is possible to separate the four freedoms, but does it make political sense

Convergence: Are the Eurozone countries too different? Bertelsmann Stiftung EUROPA Briefing 2017

The Eurozone countries are economically different. The crisis has rendered some of these differences more acute and this could destabilize the currency union. The Eurozone countries therefore need to agree on which type of convergence is most important to them and the best way to achieve it. In what areas should they converge? What differences could or should remain? And what policy instruments are required to achieve this

European taxes: Do we need them? Bertelsmann Stiftung EUROPA Briefing 2017

In the European Union, each member state is responsible for its tax system. Different national regimes help with tax competition, but can also lead to tax evasion or unfair rules in the Single Market. That is why better coordination or even standardisation of taxes is debated. What tax regulations are there already in the Single Market? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of a European tax? And what reforms are being discussed in Europe

Imbalances: Should the EU intervene? Bertelsmann Stiftung EUROPA Briefing 2017

Economic imbalances keep recurring in the EU. Differences in trade balances dominate the debate. Germany has been generating very high surpluses for years and meets criticism for this reason. Are imbalances a threat to the EU, and what role does the euro play in this? Should politicians adjust differences in the balance of trade? And if so, is that up to national governments or the EU

Risk Associated with E-Cigarette Use and Marketing Messages on Other Tobacco Products Use and Dependence Symptoms among Adolescents

E-cigarettes became available in the United States during 2007. Studies using national data have found an increase in e- cigarette use among adolescents as early as 2011. In 2014, e-cigarettes became the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents; however, little is known about its association with other tobacco products use. Therefore, the present study aimed to: 1) Examine the association between initiating tobacco use via e-cigarettes and subsequent use of other tobacco products; 2) Examine the association between the exposure to e-cigarettes marketing messages and tobacco use; 3) Describe symptoms of nicotine dependence associated with e-cigarette use, compared with cigarette and dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes. All aims were carried out among data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) 2014 and 2015. The participants of NYTS were adolescents, and they self-reported their demographic characteristics and tobacco use in an anonymous 81-item pencil-paper questionnaire. Findings from logistic regression modeling showed that initiating tobacco use via e-cigarettes was significantly associated with subsequent current use of cigarettes (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-4.0), cigars (AOR= 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4), smokeless tobacco (AOR= 3.1; 95% CI, 2.2-5.4), or any tobacco products (AOR= 4.4; 95% CI, 3.5-5.6). In addition, living with someone who used e-cigarettes at home significantly increased the likelihood of using tobacco products. Notably, e-cigarette marketing exposure was significantly associated with current use of cigarettes (AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6), hookah (AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.03-1.7), cigars (AOR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6), and polytobacco (i.e. more than one tobacco product) use (AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.5-2.1). Among adolescent daily tobacco users, 35.6% of e-cigarette users and 85.3% of cigarette users reported one or more dependence symptoms. These proportions increased to 74.3% among e-cigarette and 93.3% of cigarette dual (i.e. combined) users. Strong craving was the most commonly reported symptom with a range of 16.1-58.9% among different types of smokers in the study. In conclusion, exposure to e-cigarette marketing messages and e-cigarette use were associated with use of other tobacco products. Furthermore, e-cigarette use is addictive. Despite cigarette and dual (i.e. e-cigarette and cigarette) users being more likely to report dependence symptoms than e-cigarette users, the addictiveness of e-cigarettes occurred at appreciable rates. Collectively, the findings suggest that e-cigarettes are associated with dependence symptoms and use of tobacco products and suggest that stricter regulations are needed to prevent adolescent access to and use of e-cigarettes

Hull vibration analysis of a small multipurpose fishing vessel from Newfoundland and Labrador

Regarded as one of the most dangerous industries for workers, commercial fishing is a high-risk industry that provides a living for millions around the world. It is imperative for designers to analyze and obtain practical solutions for the reduction of these unnecessary hazards. The need to quantify and analyze the risk areas onboard fishing vessels has been pressed by authorities worldwide from the increasing number of injuries and fatalities in this industry. Fishing vessels are mainly known for their high levels of vibrations due to their layout and relatively small size. Vibration mitigation on fishing vessels impacts both vessel equipment and onboard crew. Benefits of reduction include protection of sensitive ship equipment and hydro-acoustic apparatus, low noise emitted to the water so as not to scare fish schools, and increased safety of the onboard crew. Fish harvesters working in these vessels are in constant prolonged exposure causing a decrease in comfort levels leading to an unsafe work environment. The approach of this study is to effectively capture the dynamics of a case study fishing vessel in terms of vibrations, providing a practical methodology for designers to implement