BACKGROUND Peri-conceptional use of folic acid supplements is recommended to prevent neural tube defects. Correct supplement use seems to be less common among ethnic minorities. We examined ethnic differences in folic acid supplement use before and during pregnancy and possible effect modification by education or planning of pregnancy. METHODS The participants were 811 healthy pregnant women ...

BACKGROUND Over the past 15 years, 300 out of 6000 breeds of all farm animal species identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have gone extinct. Among cattle, many Podolian breeds are seriously endangered in various European areas. Podolian cattle include a group of very ancient European breeds, phenotypically close to the aurochs ancestors (Bos primigeniu...

The genus Castanea (Fagaceae) is widely distributed in the deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere. The striking similarity between the floras of eastern Asia and those of eastern North America and the difference in chestnut blight resistance among species has been of interest to botanists for a century. To infer the biogeographical history of the genus, the phylogeny of Castanea was estim...

Following the failure of the 2004 UN-led referendum, the entry of a divided Cyprus into the European Union has introduced an unprecedented anomaly within the Union’s system. This paper argues that this anomaly entails a complex pattern of contradictions between EU law and the European Union’s political perspective on Cyprus that has weakened both EU law and the European Union’s conflict-resolut...

The remarkable increase in trade flows and in migratory flows of highly educated people are two important features of globalization of the last decades. This paper extends a two-country model of interand intraindustry trade to a rich environment featuring technological differences, skill differences and the possibility of international labor mobility. The model is used to explain the patterns o...

PURPOSE Mediterranean-type dietary pattern has been associated with lower risk of cardiovascular (CVD) and other chronic diseases, primarily in Southern European populations. We examined whether Mediterranean diet score (MDS) is associated with total, CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke mortality in a prospective cohort study in three Eastern European populations. METHODS A total of ...

BACKGROUND Members of the European Society of Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) initiated a study of the demography and policy of paediatric renal care among European countries at the end of the 20th century. METHODS A questionnaire was mailed to the presidents of each of 43 national renal paediatric societies or working groups in Europe. Data on each country's population, income as reflected by i...

INTRODUCTION Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer require dedicated clinical management and care. Little is known about the training and practice of European healthcare providers in regard to AYA and the availability of specialised services. METHODS A link to an online survey was sent to members of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Society for Paediat...

This study assesses attitudes of young adults' (18-30 years old) consumption on local and 12 traditional products in7 European countries. A clustered sample (n=836) from natives of Greece, 13 Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Denmark and France was collected, by distributing 14 questionnaires through social media and university mail services. Sample was examined by 15 implementing Principal...