Treatment of asthma in children:Revised international guidelines not suitable for use in the Netherlands

- The most recent revision of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines for the treatment of asthma propose to classify and monitor the disease based on asthma control. This concept is attractive but not evidence based. - Based on methodological shortcomings the revised GINA guidelines fail to meet the standards for evidence-based guidelines. - Inhaled corticosteroids are and remain the cornerstone of asthma management in children. - Extensive explanation to children and their parents, intensive follow-up, and instruction of and adherence to a correct inhalation technique are key factors in effective treatment of asthma in children.</p

Treatment of asthma in children:Revised international guidelines not suitable for use in the Netherlands

- The most recent revision of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines for the treatment of asthma propose to classify and monitor the disease based on asthma control. This concept is attractive but not evidence based. - Based on methodological shortcomings the revised GINA guidelines fail to meet the standards for evidence-based guidelines. - Inhaled corticosteroids are and remain the cornerstone of asthma management in children. - Extensive explanation to children and their parents, intensive follow-up, and instruction of and adherence to a correct inhalation technique are key factors in effective treatment of asthma in children.</p

Treatment of asthma in children:Revised international guidelines not suitable for use in the Netherlands

- The most recent revision of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines for the treatment of asthma propose to classify and monitor the disease based on asthma control. This concept is attractive but not evidence based. - Based on methodological shortcomings the revised GINA guidelines fail to meet the standards for evidence-based guidelines. - Inhaled corticosteroids are and remain the cornerstone of asthma management in children. - Extensive explanation to children and their parents, intensive follow-up, and instruction of and adherence to a correct inhalation technique are key factors in effective treatment of asthma in children.</p

Treatment of asthma in children:Revised international guidelines not suitable for use in the Netherlands

- The most recent revision of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines for the treatment of asthma propose to classify and monitor the disease based on asthma control. This concept is attractive but not evidence based. - Based on methodological shortcomings the revised GINA guidelines fail to meet the standards for evidence-based guidelines. - Inhaled corticosteroids are and remain the cornerstone of asthma management in children. - Extensive explanation to children and their parents, intensive follow-up, and instruction of and adherence to a correct inhalation technique are key factors in effective treatment of asthma in children.</p

Treatment of asthma in children:Revised international guidelines not suitable for use in the Netherlands

- The most recent revision of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines for the treatment of asthma propose to classify and monitor the disease based on asthma control. This concept is attractive but not evidence based. - Based on methodological shortcomings the revised GINA guidelines fail to meet the standards for evidence-based guidelines. - Inhaled corticosteroids are and remain the cornerstone of asthma management in children. - Extensive explanation to children and their parents, intensive follow-up, and instruction of and adherence to a correct inhalation technique are key factors in effective treatment of asthma in children.</p

Real-time analysis of δ13C- and δD-CH4 in ambient air with laser spectroscopy:method development and first intercomparison results

In situ and simultaneous measurement of the three most abundant isotopologues of methane using mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy is demonstrated. A field-deployable, autonomous platform is realized by coupling a compact quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer (QCLAS) to a preconcentration unit, called trace gas extractor (TREX). This unit enhances CH4 mole fractions by a factor of up to 500 above ambient levels and quantitatively separates interfering trace gases such as N2O and CO2. The analytical precision of the QCLAS isotope measurement on the preconcentrated (750 ppm, parts-per-million, µmole mole−1) methane is 0.1 and 0.5 ‰ for δ13C- and δD-CH4 at 10 min averaging time. Based on repeated measurements of compressed air during a 2-week intercomparison campaign, the repeatability of the TREX–QCLAS was determined to be 0.19 and 1.9 ‰ for δ13C and δD-CH4, respectively. In this intercomparison campaign the new in situ technique is compared to isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) based on glass flask and bag sampling and real time CH4 isotope analysis by two commercially available laser spectrometers. Both laser-based analyzers were limited to methane mole fraction and δ13C-CH4 analysis, and only one of them, a cavity ring down spectrometer, was capable to deliver meaningful data for the isotopic composition. After correcting for scale offsets, the average difference between TREX–QCLAS data and bag/flask sampling–IRMS values are within the extended WMO compatibility goals of 0.2 and 5 ‰ for δ13C- and δD-CH4, respectively. This also displays the potential to improve the interlaboratory compatibility based on the analysis of a reference air sample with accurately determined isotopic composition

Commissioning of inline ECE system within waveguide based ECRH transmission systems on ASDEX upgrade

A CW capable inline electron cyclotron emission (ECE) separation system for feedback control, featuring oversized corrugated waveguides, is commissioned on ASDEX upgrade (AUG). The system is based on a combination of a polarization independent, non-resonant, Mach-Zehnder diplexer equipped with dielectric plate beam splitters [2, 3] employed as corrugated oversized waveguide filter, and a resonant Fast Directional Switch, FADIS [4, 5, 6, 7] as ECE/ECCD separation system. This paper presents an overview of the system, the low power characterisation tests and first high power commissioning on AUG

Codes of Fair Competition: The National Recovery Act, 1933-1935, and the Women’s Dress Manufacturing Industry

Controversial issues prevalent in today’s ready-to-wear apparel industry include the right of workers to join unions, the proliferation of sweatshops and sweatshop conditions, and design piracy. The idea of forming codes of conduct to establish criteria of ethical business practices is not new to the apparel industry. Indeed, the women’s dress manufacturing industry discussed and debated codes of fair competition under the New Deal Policies of the National Recovery Act (NRA) of 1933 to 1935. Primary sources for this study included governmental hearings in the establishment of the NRA Dress Code, The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Journal of the Patent Office Society. The history of the NRA codes implemented in the U.S. women’s ready-to-wear apparel industry provides an important case study highlighting the difficulties and complexities of creating and achieving industry-wide standard practices through self-regulation. The failure of the NRA demonstrates that even with the joint cooperation of industry, labor, and consumer groups and the backing of the force of law, codes of fair competition proved impossible to enforce

Updated precision measurement of the average lifetime of B hadrons

The measurement of the average lifetime of B hadrons using inclusively reconstructed secondary vertices has been updated using both an improved processing of previous data and additional statistics from new data. This has reduced the statistical and systematic uncertainties and gives \tau_{\mathrm{B}} = 1.582 \pm 0.011\ \mathrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.027\ \mathrm{(syst.)}\ \mathrm{ps.} Combining this result with the previous result based on charged particle impact parameter distributions yields \tau_{\mathrm{B}} = 1.575 \pm 0.010\ \mathrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.026\ \mathrm{(syst.)}\ \mathrm{ps.