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Background Hazardous and harmful alcohol use and high blood pressure are central risk factors related to premature non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality worldwide. A reduction in the prevalence of both risk factors has been suggested as a route to reach the global NCD targets. This study aims to highlight that screening and interventions for hypertension and hazardous and harmful alcohol use in primary healthcare can contribute substantially to achieving the NCD targets. Methods A consensus conference based on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical guidelines, experimental studies, and statistical modelling which had been presented and discussed in five preparatory meetings, was undertaken. Specifically, we modelled changes in blood pressure distributions and potential lives saved for the five largest European countries if screening and appropriate intervention rates in primary healthcare settings were increased. Recommendations to handle alcohol-induced hypertension in primary healthcare settings were derived at the conference, and their degree of evidence was graded. Results Screening and appropriate interventions for hazardous alcohol use and use disorders could lower blood pressure levels, but there is a lack in implementing these measures in European primary healthcare. Recommendations included (1) an increase in screening for hypertension (evidence grade: high), (2) an increase in screening and brief advice on hazardous and harmful drinking for people with newly detected hypertension by physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals (evidence grade: high), (3) the conduct of clinical management of less severe alcohol use disorders for incident people with hypertension in primary healthcare (evidence grade: moderate), and (4) screening for alcohol use in hypertension that is not well controlled (evidence grade: moderate). The first three measures were estimated to result in a decreased hypertension prevalence and hundreds of saved lives annually in the examined countries. Conclusions The implementation of the outlined recommendations could contribute to reducing the burden associated with hypertension and hazardous and harmful alcohol use and thus to achievement of the NCD targets. Implementation should be conducted in controlled settings with evaluation, including, but not limited to, economic evaluation.

Minority rights conditionality has been seen by scholars as a key part of the EU enlargement process. While the focus on minority rights has largely been discussed in terms of democracy and even human rights, this article argues that conditionality was a result of the securitization of minorities rather than part of an agenda to protect or empower. In this article, we look at the methods of desecuritization as factors of 'narratives, norms and nannies'. In response to Paul Roe's conclusions about the impossibility of desecuritizing societal security, we examine whether the EU, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe have the ability to change the societal dynamics among ethnic groups in such a way as to make the desecuritization of societal security more likely. Overall, we illustrate how a focus on 'deconstructivist' and 'constructivist' approaches to societal security has failed to make European organizations important transformative actors in interethnic relations.

Background The impact of declining physical activity and increased sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents globally prompted the development of national and international physical activity guidelines. This research aims to systematically identify and compare national and international physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents and appraise the quality of the guidelines to promote best practice in guideline development. Methods This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Only national, or international physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour guidelines were included in the review. Included guidelines targeted children and adolescents aged between 5 and 18 years. A grey literature search was undertaken incorporating electronic databases, custom Google search engines, targeted websites and international expert consultation. Guideline quality was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II Instrument (AGREE II). Results The search resulted in 50 national or international guidelines being identified. Twenty-five countries had a national guideline and there were three international guidelines (European Union, Nordic countries (used by Iceland, Norway and Sweden), World Health Organization (WHO)). Nineteen countries and the European Union adopted the WHO guidelines. Guidelines varied in relation to date of release (2008 to 2019), targeted age group, and guideline wording regarding: type, amount, duration, intensity, frequency and total amount of physical activity. Twenty-two countries included sedentary behaviour within the guidelines and three included sleep. Total scores for all domains of the AGREE II assessment for each guideline indicated considerable variability in guideline quality ranging from 25.8 to 95.3%, with similar variability in the six individual domains. Rigorous guideline development is essential to ensure appropriate guidance for population level initiatives. Conclusions This review revealed considerable variability between national/international physical activity guideline quality, development and recommendations, highlighting the need for rigorous and transparent guideline development methodologies to ensure appropriate guidance for population-based approaches. Where countries do not have the resources to ensure this level of quality, the adoption or adolopment (framework to review and update guidelines) of the WHO guidelines or guidelines of similar quality is recommended. Trial registration Review registration: PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017072558 .

Within the European Immunogenicity Platform (EIP) (http://www.e-i-p.eu), the Protein Characterization Subcommittee (EIP-PCS) has been established to discuss and exchange experience of protein characterization in relation to unwanted immunogenicity. In this commentary, we, as representatives of EIP-PCS, review the current state of methods for analysis of protein aggregates. Moreover, we elaborate on why these methods should be used during product development and make recommendations to the biotech community with regard to strategies for their application during the development of protein therapeutics.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) were imposed all over Europe with the intent to reduce infection spread. However, reports on the effectiveness of those measures across different European countries are inconclusive up to now. Moreover, attempts to predict the effect of NPIs in a prospective and dynamical manner with the aim to support decision makers in future global health emergencies are largely lacking. Here, we explore causal machine learning to isolate causal effects of NPIs in observational public health data from seven EU countries, taking into account specific challenges like their sequential nature, effect heterogeneity, time-dependent confounding and lack of robustness due to violated assumptions. In a pseudo-prospective scenario planning analysis, we investigate which recommendations our model would have made during the second wave of the pandemic in Germany, demonstrating its capacity to generalize to the near future and identifying effective NPIs. In retrospect, our approach indicates that a wide range of response measures curbed COVID-19 across countries, especially in the early phases of the pandemic. Interestingly, this includes controversial interventions like strict school and border closures, but also recommendation-based policies in Sweden. Finally, we discuss important data- and modeling-related considerations that may optimize causal effect estimation in future pandemics.

Olive oil is considered to be one of the most healthy dietary fats. However, several types of olive oils are present in the market. A key question for the consumer is: What of the olive oils is the best when concerning nutritional purposes? With the data available at present, the answer is: the Virgin Olive Oil (VOO), rich in phenolic compounds. On November 2011, the European Food Safety Authority released a claim concerning the benefits of daily ingestion of olive oil rich in phenolic compounds, such as VOO. In this review, we summarised the key work that has provided the evidence of the benefits of VOO consumption on other types of edible oils, even olive oils. We focused on data from randomised, controlled human studies, which are capable of providing the evidence of Level I that is required for performing nutritional recommendations at population level.

In 1997, the first consensus guidelines for haematopoietic SCT (HSCT) in autoimmune diseases (ADs) were published, while an international coordinated clinical programme was launched. These guidelines provided broad principles for the field over the following decade and were accompanied by comprehensive data collection in the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) AD Registry. Subsequently, retrospective analyses and prospective phase I/II studies generated evidence to support the feasibility, safety and efficacy of HSCT in several types of severe, treatment-resistant ADs, which became the basis for larger-scale phase II and III studies. In parallel, there has also been an era of immense progress in biological therapy in ADs. The aim of this document is to provide revised and updated guidelines for both the current application and future development of HSCT in ADs in relation to the benefits, risks and health economic considerations of other modern treatments. Patient safety considerations are central to guidance on patient selection and HSCT procedural aspects within appropriately experienced and Joint Accreditation Committee of International Society for Cellular Therapy and EBMT accredited centres. A need for prospective interventional and non-interventional studies, where feasible, along with systematic data reporting, in accordance with EBMT policies and procedures, is emphasized.

The construction and demolition waste is one of the heaviest and most voluminous waste streams generated in the European Union. It comprises approximately one third of the waste generated. Recycling this stream waste will provide ecological and sustainable benefits. The recycled aggregates from the construction and demolition waste are beginning to be used in civil construction, as substitutes for natural aggregates. The possible applications of recycled aggregates in the infrastructure construction projects will mainly depend on the quality of the recycled aggregates. This will be determined by the nature and the origin of the construction and demolition waste, and the treatment system used. It requires a comprehensive response by part of the processing agents, mainly construction and demolition companies, and above all public administrations. This work proposes recommendations for the handling of the construction and demolition waste, both in the demolition and in the treatment plants. A quality control system is suggested too.

This study examines the economic implications of digital transformation on public policy formulation and implementation across the European Union (EU). Drawing from a comprehensive dataset provided by the World Bank and the Global Innovation Index of 2023, the research employs decision trees, multilevel regression, and dynamic clustering algorithms to analyze the impact of digitalization on economic efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness in public sector governance. The study integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods, offering a detailed examination of how digital advancements influence public policy processes, including addressing critical challenges such as data privacy, security, and the digital divide. Key results reveal the importance of robust digital infrastructure and digital literacy in enhancing public governance, alongside the necessity of stringent data protection frameworks to reduce economic disparities within the EU. The findings provide policymakers with actionable insights and strategic recommendations for leveraging digital technologies to create a more economically equitable and responsive public sector. This research offers valuable contributions to the discourse on digital policy-making and economic development within the EU, highlighting the dual challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation.

InPhilosophy of Law, Andrei Marmor provides a comprehensive analysis of contemporary debates about the fundamental nature of law--an issue that has been at the heart of legal philosophy for centuries. What the law is seems to be a matter of fact, but this fact has normative significance: it tells people what they ought to do. Is the normative content of a law entirely determined by the facts that make it a law? Are there some normative moral constraints on what the law can be? And can we fully characterize and define the law without assuming a moral conception about what the law ought to be? Finally, is the philosophy of law about describing what law is, or prescribing what it should be? Marmor argues that the myriad questions raised by the factual and normative features of law actually depend on the possibility of reduction--whether the legal domain can be explained in terms of something else, more foundational in nature. In addition to exploring the major issues in contemporary legal thought,Philosophy of Lawprovides a critical analysis of the people and ideas that have dominated the field in past centuries. It will be essential reading for anyone curious about the nature of law.