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Concurrent cocaine and alcohol use is among the most frequent drug combination, and among the most dangerous in terms of deleterious outcomes. Cocaine increases extracellular monoamines by blocking dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) transporters (DAT, NET and SERT, respectively). Likewise, ethanol also increases extracellular monoamines, however evidence suggests that ethanol does so independently of DAT, NET and SERT. Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) is an emergent key player in the regulation of monoamine signaling. Using a battery of in vitro, in vivo electrochemical, and behavioral approaches, as well as wild-type and constitutive OCT3 knockout mice, we show that ethanol’s actions to inhibit monoamine uptake are dependent on OCT3. These findings provide a novel mechanistic basis whereby ethanol enhances the neurochemical and behavioral effects of cocaine and encourage further research into OCT3 as a target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of ethanol and ethanol/cocaine use disorders., Concurrent cocaine and alcohol use is among the most frequent drug combination, and among the most dangerous in terms of deleterious outcomes. Cocaine increases extracellular monoamines by blocking dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) transporters (DAT, NET and SERT, respectively). Likewise, ethanol also increases extracellular monoamines, however evidence suggests that ethanol does so independently of DAT, NET and SERT. Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) is an emergent key player in the regulation of monoamine signaling. Using a battery of in vitro, in vivo electrochemical, and behavioral approaches, as well as wild-type and constitutive OCT3 knockout mice, we show that ethanol’s actions to inhibit monoamine uptake are dependent on OCT3. These findings provide a novel mechanistic basis whereby ethanol enhances the neurochemical and behavioral effects of cocaine and encourage further research into OCT3 as a target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of ethanol and ethanol/cocaine use disorders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up a debate on official health communication and thus set a new norm in the healthcare marketing. In the focus of the analysis of this paper is marketing communication of the Croatian COVID-19 vaccine campaign Misli na druge – cijepi se! (Think of others – get vaccinated!) with the main research questions: how the public institutions in Croatia communicated the COVID-19 challenges and educated the public about vaccination as one of the prevention strategies; whether campaigns as official health communication have adopted the principles of creativity and how they used visual elements in the campaign. Findings show that the campaign adopted the principles of creativity as it used the antithesis in a campaign message, logo and testimonials, however, the campaign failed to reach the target vaccination numbers.

Background, aim and scope Since 1990 the UN ECE Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys provide data inventories of the atmospheric heavy metal bioaccumulation across Europe. In the survey 2005 the nitrogen (N) accumulation was measured for the first time in most of the participating countries. In Germany, the surveys were conducted in close cooperation of the relevant authorities of both the Federal Republic and the sixteen states. Therefore, statistical evaluations of the moss survey data with regard to the whole German territory and single federal states are of interest. This article concentrates on Saxony, dealing with the mapping of the spatiotemporal trends of metal accumulation from 1990 to 2005, the spatial patterns of nitrogen accumulation in 2005, and the spatial variability of bioaccumulation due to characteristics of the sampling sites and their surroundings. Exemplified for Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb) the metal loads in mosses are furthermore related to modelled deposition data provided from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP). Materials and methods In Saxony Pleurozium schreberi (1990, 1995 most frequent moss species, thereafter second most), Hypnum cupressiforme (1990, 1995 second most, thereafter most frequent moss species), Scleropodium purum and Brachytecium rutabulum (1995, 2000) were sampled at up to 83 sites. All sampling sites were described with regard to topographical and ecological characteristics and several criteria to be fulfilled according to the guideline. Together with the measurements this metadata was combined with other information regarding land use in the surroundings of the sampling sites in the WebGIS MossMet. The spatial structure of the metal bioaccumulation was analysed and modelled by variogram analyses and then mapped by applying different kriging techniques. Furthermore, multi metal indices (MMI) were derived for both the sampling sites and raster maps with help of percentile statistics: The MMI1990

The ICP Vegetation is an international programme that reports on the effects of air pollutants on natural vegetation and crops [1]. It reports to the Working Group on Effects (WGE) of the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). In particular, the ICP Vegetation focuses on the following air pollution problems: quantifying the risks to vegetation posed by ozone pollution and the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and nitrogen to vegetation. In addition, the ICP Vegetation is taking into consideration impacts of nitrogen on vegetation (including interactions with ozone), consequences for biodiversity and the interactions between air pollutants and climate change. At the 23rd Task Force Meeting we will report on the achievements of the ICP Vegetation in 2009, in particular regarding progress made with items to be reported to the WGE in 2010 [2]: • Ozone biomonitoring experiment with bean in 2009; • Ozone impacts in Mediterranean areas; • Ozone flux modelling methods and their application to different climatic regions; • Outcome of workshop on ‘Flux-based assessment of ozone effects for air pollution policy’; • Progress with European heavy metals and nitrogen in mosses survey 2010/11; • Relationship between heavy metal concentration in mosses and EMEP modelled deposition. In addition, we will discuss the contribution of ICP Vegetation to the common workplan items of the WGE for 2010 [2]. Apart from looking back to our achievements in 2009, throughout the Task Force Meeting we will be discussing our future plans, in particular the medium-term workplan of the ICP Vegetation (2011 – 2012).

Background, aim and scope Since 1990 the UN ECE Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys provide data inventories of the atmospheric heavy metal bioaccumulation across Europe. In the survey 2005 the nitrogen accumulation was measured for the first time in most of the participating countries. In Germany, the surveys were conducted in close cooperation of the relevant authorities of both the Federal Republic and the sixteen states. Therefore, statistical evaluations of the moss survey data with regard to the whole German territory and single federal states are of interest. This article concentrates on Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, dealing with the mapping of the spatiotemporal trends of metal accumulation from 1990 to 2005, the spatial patterns of nitrogen accumulation in 2005, and the spatial variability of bioaccumulation due to characteristics of the sampling sites and their surroundings. Materials and methods The bioaccumulation of up to 40 trace elements in mosses was determined according to a Europe-wide harmonised methodology. The according experimental protocol regulates the selection of sampling sites and moss species, the chemical analysis and quality control and the classification of the measured values for mapping spatial patterns. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania all sampling sites were described with regard to topographical and ecological characteristics and several criteria to be fulfilled according to the guideline. Together with the measurements this metadata was combined with other information regarding land use in the surroundings of the sampling sites in the WebGIS MossMet. The spatial structure of the metal bioaccumulation was analysed and modelled by variogram analyses and then mapped by applying different kriging techniques. Furthermore, multi metal indices (MMI) were derived for both the sampling sites and raster maps with help of percentile statistics: The MMI1990–2005 was calculated for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Ti, V and Zn. The statistical associa

The ICP Vegetation is an international programme that reports on the effects of air pollutants on natural vegetation and crops [1]. It reports to the Working Group on Effects (WGE) of the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). In particular, the ICP Vegetation focuses on the following air pollution problems: quantifying the risks to vegetation posed by ozone pollution and the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and nitrogen to vegetation. In addition, the ICP Vegetation is taking into consideration impacts of nitrogen on vegetation (including interactions with ozone), consequences for biodiversity and the interactions between air pollutants and climate change. At the 23rd Task Force Meeting we will report on the achievements of the ICP Vegetation in 2009, in particular regarding progress made with items to be reported to the WGE in 2010 [2]: • Ozone biomonitoring experiment with bean in 2009; • Ozone impacts in Mediterranean areas; • Ozone flux modelling methods and their application to different climatic regions; • Outcome of workshop on ‘Flux-based assessment of ozone effects for air pollution policy’; • Progress with European heavy metals and nitrogen in mosses survey 2010/11; • Relationship between heavy metal concentration in mosses and EMEP modelled deposition. In addition, we will discuss the contribution of ICP Vegetation to the common workplan items of the WGE for 2010 [2]. Apart from looking back to our achievements in 2009, throughout the Task Force Meeting we will be discussing our future plans, in particular the medium-term workplan of the ICP Vegetation (2011 – 2012).

Purpose Under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution mosses are used to map the bioaccumulation of heavy metals and nitrogen throughout Europe. To this end, since 1990 mosses were sampled and analyzed chemically every five years. The goal of this article is to apply the moss survey data for assessing the bioaccumulation of Cd, Pb and N in German Natura 2000 Sites of Community Importance (SCI). Methods The temporal trends of the heavy metal bioaccumulation within SCIs were analyzed using a multi metal index (MMI) calculated by means of geostatistics and percentile statistics. For nitrogen, only monitoring values for 2005 were available for the assessment. The geostatistically estimated values of the metal and nitrogen concentrations in mosses were transformed to estimated deposition values by use of regression analyses. Subsequently, the results were integrated into the assessment of the German SCIs. Results Highest metal loads within SCIs were detected in 1990, followed by a continuous decrease to 2000 and a significant increase until 2005. Regarding N, a median of 1.5 % nitrogen in the dry mass was calculated. The deposition values calculated from the moss estimates resulted in median values of 0.33 g/ha/a for Cd, 8.2 g/ha/a for Pb and 16.7 kg/ha/a for nitrogen. Conclusions The Moss-Monitoring is the only environmental monitoring programme which enables statistically sound estimations of the exposure of SCI to environmental contaminants in terms of heavy metal and nitrogen deposition and bioaccumulation.