2011 | Action Number: MP0701

Modern Polymeric Materials For Environmental Applications- Vol.4 Issue 1

• Author(s): K. Pielichowski (Ed)
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-83-930641-1-3

Proceedings of the 4th International Seminar including COST MP0701 Workshop. Krakow, 1-3 Dec. 2010

2011 | Action Number: E55

COST E55 - Design for Robustness of Timber Structures

• Author(s): J. D. Sørensen , P. Dietsch, P. H. Kirkegaard & J. Köhler
• Publisher(s): Shaker Verlag
• http://www.shaker.eu/en/content/catalogue/index.asp?lang=en&ID=8&ISBN=978-3-8322-9949-1
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-8322-9949-1

This guideline was prepared within the COST Action E55 "Modelling of the performance of timber structures" WG3 "Robustness of Structures". The main objective of the Action is to provide the basic framework and knowledge required for the efficient ans sustainable use of timber as a structural and building material. Focus is directed on the aspects of design, construction, assessment and maintenance of competitive and high performance timber structures. The Action mainly considers high performance structures where the load-bearing capacity is of predominant interest; for example, structures such as timber bridges, large-span halls and roofs, and also load-bearing elements of other types of timber structures.

2011 | Action Number: 728

Integrated Systems of Meso-Meteorological and Chemical Transport Models

• Author(s): A. Baklanov, A. Mahura & R. S. Sokhi (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Springer
• http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences+and+geography/meteorology+%26+climatology/book/978-3-642-13979-6
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-642-13979-6

This book, as the outcome of the COST-728/NetFAM workshop, focuses on the follow­ing main topics: 1) on-line coupled meteorology-chemistry modelling with two-way feedbacks, 2) off-line coupled modelling and interfaces, 3) validation and case studies including air quality related episodes, and 4) integration of atmospheric chemical transport (ACT) models with numerical weather prediction (NWP).
This book is one of the first attempts to give an overall look on such integrated meso-meteorology and chemistry modelling approach. It reviews the current situation with the on-line and off-line coupling of mesoscale meteorological and ACT models worldwide as well as discusses advantages and shortcomings, best practices, and gives recommendations for on-line and off-line coupling of NWP and ACT models, implementation strategy for different feedback mechanisms, direct and indirect effects of aerosols and advanced interfaces between both types of models. The book is oriented towards numerical weather prediction and air quality modelling communities.

2011 | Action Number: BM0802

Thematic Series in Parasites & Vectors - Protozoan parasites and cell death

• Author(s): Hilary Hurd (ed)
• Publisher(s): BioMed Central
• http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/series/protozoan_cell_death

A key component of the life history of metazoans is the ability of their cells to undergo cell death programmes characterised by a sequence of morphological and biochemical changes. Parasites and pathogens can induce or inhibit these programmes in ways that may determine the outcome of disease. Evidence that programmed cell death also occurs in unicellular organisms, including parasitic protozoans, is rapidly growing. Although they display the same morphological markers as metazoans, molecular mechanisms and functions clearly differ. It is thus timely to consider our current understanding of life or death decisions in both protozoans and the host cells they inhabit.Reviews have been compiled by members of the COST Action BM0802, Life or Death of Protozoan Parasites.

2011 | Action Number: 734

Climate Variability and Change and Related Impacts on Agroecosystems in Southeast and Central Europe as well as Southeast USA

• Author(s): V. Alexandrov, J. Eitzinger & G. Hoogenboom
• Publisher(s): Bolid-Ins
• Download from external website
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-954-394-055-4

This book is related to all WGs objectives but especially to WG2, which key deliverables are: a collection of climatic data for several European regions according to agroclimatic indices, simulation models and hazards; verification of data and solving of problems arising from missing, nonhomogeneous and erroneous data; assessment of required resolution for practical agroclimatological applications as a function of variables, areas and agricultural aspects; definition of statistical protocols to analyse the climatic series, in order to evaluate mean and variability patterns; determination of current trend of agroclimatic indices, simulation model outputs and hazards.

2011 | Action Number: FA0601

Special Section: Fisheries Reproductive Biology in "Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science"

• Author(s): S. K. Lowerre-Barbieri et al.
• Publisher(s): Francis & Taylor
• http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t927035358
• ISBN/ISSN: 1942-5120

This is the monograph from FRESH Workshop on histology held in June 2009 in Cádiz. The objectives of this workshop were to present a wide range of histological approaches being used to better understand the reproductive dynamics of fishes and to promote discussion of reproductive themes critical to sustainable fisheries within an histological context. A major consideration of the workshop were the effects of fecundity, atresia, intersex, and other histological indicators on reproductive potential, and how these histological observations can be used as ecosystem status indicators.

2011 | Action Number: MP0701

Modern Polymeric Materials For Environmental Applications- Vol. 4 Issue 2

• Author(s): K. Pielichowski (Ed)
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-83-930641-1-3

Proceedings of the 4th International Seminar including COST MP0701 Workshop. Krakow, 1-3 Dec. 2010

2011 | Action Number: 734

Satellite Data Availability, Methods and Challenges for the Assessment of Climate Change and Variability Impacts on Agriculture

• Pages: 137
• Author(s): L. Toulios and G. Stancalie (Eds.)
• https://www.cost734.eu

This book presents the results of the studies on satellite data availability, methods and challenges for the assessment of climate change and variability impacts on agriculture, which were obtained by working group 2.1 in the COST Action 734. The main objective of the Action was the evaluation of possible impacts from climate change and variability on agriculture and the assessment of critical thresholds for various European areas. Secondary objectives were: the collection and review of existing agroclimatic indices and simulation models, to assess hazard impacts on various European agricultural areas relating hazards to climatic conditions; building climate scenarios for the next few decades; the definition of harmonised criteria to evaluate the impacts of climate change and variability on agriculture and the definition of warning systems guidelines. This book specifically focuses on the findings of working group 2.1 who addressed remote sensing including the evaluation and assessment of the use of satellite data for agro-climate research, and in particular their integration into high-quality, globally-integrated climate products.

2011 | Action Number: 539

COST 539 Final Publication - Special Issue of the International Journal: Processing and Application of Ceramics

• Author(s): V. V. Srdic (Ed)
• Publisher(s): Faculty of Technology University of Novi Sad
• http://www.tf.uns.ac.rs/publikacije/PAC/tablesofcontents.html
• ISBN/ISSN: 1820-6131

This issue of the journal Processing and Application of Ceramics is prepared as the Final Publication of COST 539 Action “Electroceramics from nanopowders produced by innovative methods-ELENA”. It contains a selection of 14 refereed papers addressed to the activities in COST 539 Action summarised on the scientific context and objectives:

• Nanopowder metrology
• Assessment of the different nanosized synthesis methods for their applicability in the production of nanosized powders, films, nanotubes, nanowires for electroceramics applications
• Confinement and interface-related effects, coreshell and graded structures in electro-ceramics
• Modelling and size effects in nanostructured ceramics and films
• Local studies of properties (domains, dielectric mapping, piezoelectric, etc) in particles of nanopowders, nanocomposites, films and ferroelectric nanostructures

The improvement on that scientific context is of strong importance for European Communities and the research of this field obviously touches issues of economic, environmental, social, organizational, politic, networking and funding interest.
The COST 539 Action aimed to be a platform for presenting state of the new developments in the broad area of fabrications, properties and applications of nanostructured electroceramics produced by innovative methods from nanopowders. The Action also aimed to be a forum for strengthening the networking in the research cooperation, particularly in the Thematic Call of EU Research Programmes.

2011 | Action Number: IS0702

A World Court of Human Rights – Consolidated Statute and Commentary

• Author(s): J. Kozma, M. Nowak and M. Scheinin
• Publisher(s): Neuer Wissenschaftlicher Verlag GmbH
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-7083-0734-3

Today a plenitude of legal instruments for the protection of a vast number of human rights exists. Many of these rights have reached almost universal ratification. Regional courts have developed and their jurisdiction has brought relief to individual victims of human rights violations and has influenced national legislation and practice. The perpetrators of the most severe human rights violations can be held responsible before the International Criminal Court. Why is it, then, that we are still facing systematic and widespread violations, and that the gap between the high aspirations and the sobering reality, between human rights law and its implementation still exists?
The establishment of a World Court of Human Rights could help bridging the gap between codified rights and reality. The idea of such a Court dates back to 1947. Due to the Cold War, however, the proposal did not find consensus among States. Thus the World Court of Human Rights was never realised and remained stigmatised as utopian.
Probably due to this sense of political infeasibility, scholars have never undertaken to look into the legal possibilities of drafting a statute for the Court. The authors of this publication tried not only to come up with a solid statute but also took into consideration major challenges to the protection of human rights in our time.

2011 | Action Number: TU0702

Real-Time Monitoring Surveillance and Control of Road Networks Under Adverse Weather Conditions. Effects of weather on traffic and pavement: State of the art and best practices

• Pages: 146
• Author(s): Nour-Eddin El Faouzi (Ed)
• Publisher(s): INRETS
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-2-85782-688-0

This State of the Art report summarises the work done within the COST Action TUO702 'Real-time monitoring, surveillance and control of road networks under adverse weather conditions'. The report provides a comprehensive synthesis about the effects of adverse weather conditions on road safety as well as the best practices which are available in various countries.

2011 | Action Number: 729

Final Report COST Action 729: Assessing and Managing Nitrogen Fluxes in the Athmosphere-Biosphere System in Europe

• Author(s): Albert Bleeker & Jan Willem Erisman (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Wageningen Academic Publishers
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-90-817039-1-8

This book provides a concise overview of the COST Action 729 by offering a summary of the major findings and scientific and policy processes, reports of the national contributions and by providing summaries of the international workshops and conferences on ammonia in the environment, NATURA 2000, Nitrogen and biodiversity and Integrated modelling tools. The books shows how the COST Action 729 has contributed to a large extent to the development of nitrogen science and its (policy) application by the European nitrogen community, together with the ESF-NinE programme and NitroEurope.

2011 | Action Number: A35

Contexts of Property in Europe. The Social Embeddedness of Property Rights in Land in Historical Perspective

• Author(s): Rosa Congost & Rui Santos (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Brepols
• http://www.brepols.net/Pages/ShowProduct.aspx?prod_id=IS-9782503532271-1
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-2-503-53227-1

The essays in this book tap the potential of the historical analysis of social contexts in which property rights are embedded – social relations, power and agency, political institutions, culture – to understand how landed resources are actually appropriated. This exploratory approach seeks both to take advantage of the existing theory of property rights, as it is applied by the institutionalist outlook on economic history, and to go beyond it by explicitly incorporating social processes and factors in the analysis of property institutions. With this common aim in mind, the book covers a wide variety of historical cases throughout space and time, from the late Middle Ages in the Czech lands and in Tuscany to the very recent de-collectivisation of the countryside in former socialist countries, which will contribute rich and grounded insights to the discussion of the topic and of its implications.

2011 | Action Number: C27

Minor Communities and Natural and Cultural Heritage: an Asset or a Liability?

• Author(s): D. Damianakos, P. Ventura and N. Zavrides (Eds)
• Publisher(s): McGraw Hill
• http://www.medicina.mcgraw-hill.it/catLibro.asp?item_id=2676
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-88-386-7263-7

The sustainable development of deprived urban communities has become a critical issue due to the combined phenomena of population growth and urbanisation in the last 50 years. A marked improvement in the policy options open to small and deprived urban communities constitute a guarantee in the drive towards sustainable development.
For the last four years, the group of international experts involved in the COST Action C27 (Sustainable Development Policies for Minor Deprived Urban Communities) has successfully singled out indicators and specific techniques that analyse threats to sustainability leading to cultural heritage dereliction, specific planning protocols and techniques for guaranteeing the effectiveness of planning tools, and finally ad hoc eco-engineering techniques in order to start or help the revitalisation processes; all of which were developed in order to provide information to local authorities and create a civic society able to challenge unsustainable local development proposals.