Search

Prevention of hip fractures is of critical public health importance. In a cohort of adults from eight European countries, evidence was found that increased adherence to Mediterranean diet, measured by a 10-unit dietary score, is associated with reduced hip fracture incidence, particularly among men. Evidence on the role of dietary patterns on hip fracture incidence is scarce. We explored the association of adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) with hip fracture incidence in a cohort from eight European countries. A total of 188,795 eligible participants (48,814 men and 139,981 women) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition study with mean age 48.6 years (+/- 10.8) were followed for a median of 9 years, and 802 incident hip fractures were recorded. Diet was assessed at baseline through validated dietary instruments. Adherence to MD was evaluated by a MD score (MDs), on a 10-point scale, in which monounsaturated were substituted with unsaturated lipids. Association with hip fracture incidence was assessed through Cox regression with adjustment for potential confounders. Increased adherence to MD was associated with a 7 % decrease in hip fracture incidence [hazard ratio (HR) per 1-unit increase in the MDs 0.93; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) = 0.89-0.98]. This association was more evident among men and somewhat stronger among older individuals. Using increments close to one standard deviation of daily intake, in the overall sample, high vegetable (HR = 0.86; 95 % CI = 0.79-0.94) and high fruit (HR = 0.89; 95 % CI = 0.82-0.97) intake was associated with decreased hip fracture incidence, whereas high meat intake (HR = 1.18; 95 % CI = 1.06-1.31) with increased incidence. Excessive ethanol consumption (HR high versus moderate = 1.74; 95 % CI = 1.32-2.31) was also a risk factor. In a prospective study of adults, increased adherence to MD appears to protect against hip fracture occurrence, particularly among men.

Research and Technology Development (RTD) cooperation between Europe and Latin America in the field of biofuels is seen as important contribution to the development of a future more sustainable transport sector worldwide. Several LA countries have large potential for the production of biofuels which may be untapped through increased RTD cooperation with European research institutes and industries. The project BioTop (Biofuels Assessment on Technical Opportunities and Research Needs for Latin America), supported by the European Commission in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), aimed to foster collaboration between European and Latin American stakeholders in the production of biofuels by identifying priority RTD needs and opportunities and to increase awareness among European and Latin American stakeholders about technical opportunities and the large potential of biofuel production in LA. Research and technology roadmaps have been elaborated to present a set of RTD needs on the following biofuels conversion technologies: 1st generation bioethanol, 2nd generation bioethanol, pure plant oil (PPO) and biodiesel, biomethane, Biomass-to-Liquids (BtL) fuels, and biorefineries. In addition, synthesised country-specific roadmaps have been developed for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. These roadmaps illustrate short-, medium-and long-term developments and research gaps in order to support the production of biofuels in Latin America and to identify priority areas for (public and private) RTD efforts. Thereby, the roadmaps include proposed RTD timeframes and highlight specific research topics in order to close knowledge gaps that hinder an effective development path of biofuel technologies in Latin America., Proceedings of the 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-10 June 2011, Berlin, Germany, pp. 2724-2732

The transport sector today mainly depends on fossil fuels, and (liquid) biofuels provide opportunities to substitute a significant share of these. Thus, the European Union (EU) has implemented several policies, such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD), to support the use of biofuels, relying on both domestically produced and imported biofuels. Due to the high potential for biofuel production in Latin America (LA), Europe seeks to enhance research cooperation with LA. This requires suitable legal and policy framework conditions in both continents, supporting joint Research and Technology Development (RTD) projects on biofuels. In the framework of the BioTop project supported by the EC in FP7, such EU-LA cooperation is supported, and common research needs are identified. The present paper shows the interim results of the BioTop project. As main outcome, proposals for common future EU-LA cooperation projects on biofuels are presented, focussing on improved conversion technologies, sustainability, standardisation, and trade of biofuels. This includes recommendations on strategic priorities in the future research agendas of EU and LA. Furthermore, the paper provides an overview of biofuel markets and policies in LA, as well as an update on the ongoing biofuel sustainability discussion from different perspectives in EU and LA, depending on cultural aspects, history and economy of the producing countries, objectives of importing countries, and on environmental and social targets., Proceedings of the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 3-7 May 2010, Lyon, France, pp. 2177-2187

På vegne af Skov- og Naturstyrelsen har Risø og samarbejdspartnere gennemført et teknologisk fremsyn om miljøvenligt landbrug. Et teknologisk fremsyn er en systematisk dialog om, hvordan man forbereder sig på fremtidige udfordringer, som ikke har manifesteret sig endnu. Fremsynet gør, at beslutningstagerne ide kortsigtede beslutningsprocesser bliver mere bevidste om de udfordringer og muligheder, der findes på længere sigt. I dette tilfælde er fremsynet gennemført i dialog med et bredt sammensat panel af eksperter og landbrugets aktører, hvorman har stillet de miljømæssige udfordringer for fremtidens landbrug over for de teknologiske muligheder. Blandt deltagerne var økologiske og konventionelle landmænd, repræsentanter fra industri, myndigheder og forskningsinstitutioner samt Landbrugsraadet, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening og FDB. Formålet har været at granske navnlig de miljømæssige udfordringer, landbruget vil stå overfor i fremtiden – og derudfra pege på miljøvenlige teknologiske og strukturelle løsninger til, hvordan Landbruget kommer fra 2004 til 2024 med dialog og omtanke. Fokus i forhold til de miljømæssige udfordringer har især været rettet mod kvaliteten af vand, luft og jord samt det landskabsæstetiske. Derimod har naturbeskyttelsen – i denne sammenhæng - haft mindre fokus.

Risø and the co-operators have on behalf of the Forest and Nature Agency completed a technological foresight on environmentally friendly agriculture based on green technologies. A technological foresight is a systematic dialogue on how one prepares forfuture challenges, which have not yet manifested. The foresight makes the decision-makers more aware of those challenges and possibilities that exist in the long-term. The foresight is in this case carried out in dialogue with a widely combined panel ofexperts and agricultural players, where one has placed the environmental challenges of the future’s agriculture to the test of technological possibilities. Amongst the participants were ecological and conventional farmers, representatives from industry,authorities and research institutions as well as from the Agricultural Council of Denmark, the Danish Conservation for the Protection of Nature, and The Co-operative Retail and Wholesale Society of Denmark. The purpose has been to thoroughly examinethose environmental challenges which agriculture is up against in the future - and point towards technological and structural solutions as to how agriculture will develop from 2004 to 2024 with dialogue and consideration. Focus in relation to theenvironmental challenges has especially been directed towards the quality of water, air and soil as well as the aesthetical landscape. On the other hand, the protection of nature has, in this case, had less focus.