The most widely accepted definition of health impact assessment (HIA), from a consensus conference in Gothenburg organised by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) European Centre for Health Policy, defines HIA as ‘a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution o...

the provision of an adequate quantity of cells with proper function and purity is one of the main challenges of tissue engineering studies. stem cells, with their self-renewal and differentiation capacity, are considered one of the main cell sources in the field of tissue engineering. previously, the use of chemical factors seemed to be the only possible way for stem cell differentiation. howev...

Little is known of the dynamics of plant cell wall matrix polysaccharides in response to the impact of mechanical stress on plant organs. The capacity of the imposition of a mechanical stress (periodic brushing) to reduce the height of the inflorescence stem of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings has been used to study the role of pectic arabinans in the mechanical properties and stress responsivene...

The influence of nanoclay on the impact damage resistance of glass fiber–epoxy composites has been investigated using high-velocity repeated ice impact tests. The incorporation of nanoclay into epoxy enhances the impact resistance of the composites. The impact of ice is a realistic scenario for composite structures such as aircraft fuselages, wing skins and fan blades and it is not a completely...

Between 2001 and 2003 the London Health Commission undertook health impact assessments (HIAs) on a series of strategies developed by the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. The HIAs were rapid, each involving a literature review and a participant workshop. In all cases the reports made a series of recommendations that were given to the Mayor. The HIAs led to changes and ensured th...

Trait-based approaches provide a mechanistic framework to understand and predict the structure and functioning of microbial communities. Resource utilization traits and trade-offs are among key microbial traits that describe population dynamics and competition among microbes. Several important trade-offs have been identified for prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial taxa that define contrasting ...

This paper presents a critical analysis of health impact assessment (HIA) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) in the context of institutional policy and practice. It begins with a brief background to the origins and aims of HIA. Core developments in health and environmental sectors pertaining to HIA in the ROI are then considered. A series of significant developments have taken place in these sect...