Evidence-Based Management of Hand Eczema

Hand eczema is a common skin disease with a wide variation in morphology and a complex etiology based on endogenous and exogenous factors.The diagnosis of hand eczema is based on patient history, exposure assessment, physical examination, and the results of patch testing. Management of hand eczema starts with education of the patient on the etiology of the disease, and the needed changes in behavior regarding skin care and preventive measures, and avoidance of relevant exposure factors. In many cases, medical treatment is needed for successful management of the disease; use of medication can only be successful with proper education and avoidance of relevant exposure

Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen testen tijdens bewaren: hoe gaat dat?

De weg die gewasbeschermingsmiddelen moeten gaan om ze op de markt te krijgen. De uitvoering van het registratieonderzoek onder een Erkenning is daarbij een noodzakelijke stap die onderhevig is aan vele wettelijke procedures en regel

S-Carvone as a natural potato sprout inhibiting, fungistatic and bacteristatic compound

S-Carvone, a common monoterpene found in caraway (Carum carvi L.), inhibits the sprouting of potatoes very efficiently at continuous low head space concentrations. The length growth of potato sprouts was inhibited within 2 days following exposure to S-carvone. Sprouts were able to convert S-carvone into more reduced compounds. In addition, growth of the plant-pathogenic fungi Fusarium solani and Fusarium sulphureum was found to be inhibited by S-carvone at concentrations between 1 and 3 mM. At sub-inhibitory concentration, both F. solani and F. sulphureum converted S-carvone into more reduced compounds which were shown to be less toxic as compared to S-carvone. Finally, the growth rate of Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis and Escherichia coli decreased at S-carvone concentrations above 1 mM. This decrease correlated with a dissipation of the proton motive force generated in these cells.

Sustainability Appraisal: The definition deficit

Much work has focused on the development of indicator sets to monitor changes in the sustainability of transport. Such indicator sets are however, often quite divorced from those used in decision-making and fail to include clear sustainability goals to work towards. This research describes the development of a sustainability appraisal framework in conjunction with a series of key decision-makers in England. A case study of a real set of strategy options tested in a metropolitan area is outlined and the results used to assess the extent to which current strategy development in the United Kingdom produces the information required to both assess and communicate progress towards sustainability. The results suggest that although sustainability exists as a concept, it is poorly defined. This definition deficit has serious implications for the types of strategies tested. First, information on some aspects of sustainability is not produced and so these aspects are marginalized. Secondly, the lack of policy goals and the dominant welfare economics assessment paradigm allow unsustainable strategies to be justified provided they perform better than an unsustainable ‘do-minimum’. The paper concludes with some recommendations for the policy and research communities to bridge the current gap in thinking