Epidemiological studies of the relationship between occupational exposures and chronic non-specific lung disease

In this thesis the relationship between occupational exposures, lung function and Chronic Non-Specific Lung Disease is studied. The study comprises an epidemiological analysis of data from the British Pneumoconiosis Field Research among coal miners and an analysis of data gathered in the Zutphen Study, a Dutch general population study.These findings point to a few general conclusions. Occupation and occupational exposures are clearly related to respiratory symptoms and reductions in lung function. The relationship between smoking and CNSLD incidence appeared to be a stronger one than the relationship between occupation, occupational exposures and CNSLD incidence. However, considerable odds ratios and relative risks were found for specific exposures and some occupations. The etiological fraction for occupational exposures with CNSLD incidence is estimated to be 10-30% for the Zutphen Study. Relationships found argue for new studies among recently exposed populations. No evidence for a relationship between occupational exposures and total mortality was found. The relationship with CNSLD mortality after allowing for smoking habits and age is less clear. Studies with more detailed exposure information and larger statistical power are 'needed to elucidate the relationship between occupation and CNSLD mortality.</TT

Reduction of antibiotic use in animals "let's go Dutch".

Use of antibiotics for animals in the Netherlands has reduced considerably over the last 5 years. This reduction is the result of a change in policy towards the use of antibiotics in veterinary practice and is characterized by a series of coherent political decisions which changed the playing field for farmers and veterinarians considerably. In the years before the reducing trend in use of antibiotics started off, the Netherlands was a relative high consumer of antibiotics in veterinary practice. The trends in antibiotic use will be explored in this paper, in particular focussing on the reducing trends in recent years, and the measures which led to the strong reducing trend which can be observed over a period of more than 3 years now

Hydrogen-powered road vehicles : the health benfits and drawbacks of a new fuel

Because of the political, social and environmental problems associated with dependency on fossil fuels, there is considerable interest in alternative energy sources. Hydrogen is regarded as a promising option, particularly as a fuel for road vehicles. The Dutch Energy Research Centre (ECN) recently published a vision of the future, in which it suggested that by 2050 more than half of all cars in the Netherlands could be running on hydrogen. A switch to using hydrogen as the primary energy source for road vehicles would have far-reaching social consequences. As with all technological developments, opportunities would be created, but drawbacks would inevitably be encountered as well. Some of the disadvantages associated with hydrogen are already known, and are to some degree manageable. It is likely, however, that other drawbacks would come to light only once hydrogen-powered cars were actually in use. With that thought in mind, and in view of the social significance of a possible transition to hydrogen, it was decided that the Health Council should assess the positive and negative effects that hydrogen use could have on public health. It is particularly important to make such an assessment at the present early stage in the development of hydrogen technologies, so that gaps in existing scientific knowledge may be identified and appropriate strategies may be developed for addressing such gaps. This report has been produced by the Health and Environment Surveillance Committee, which has special responsibility for the identification of important correlations between environmental factors and public health

Концепция создания гормонального контрацептивного средства с оптимальной фармакодинамикой

Приведены сведения о фундаментальных исследованиях стероидных соединений с гестагенной активностью, результатом которых стало создание дроспиренона. Представлены данные клинических исследований, доказывающие надежность контрацептивного эффекта нового препарата "Ярина(r)", содержащего дроспиренон и одновременно позволяющего получить ряд дополнительных преимуществ: повышение качества жизни, положительное влияние на общее самочувствие, хороший контроль цикла, уменьшение тяжести предменструальных симптомов, проявлений акне и себореи.The authors report about fundamental studies of steroid compounds with gestagenic activity, which stimulated Drospirenon production.The data of clinical investigations proving the reliability of contraceptive effect of a new drug Yarina(r) containing Drospirenon and allowing to obtain a number of additional advantages: improvement of the quality of life, positive influence on the general health, good control of the cycle, reduction of premenstrual signs severity, manifestations of acne and seborrhea are reported

Emissies van endotoxinen uit de veehouderij: een literatuurstudie voor ontwikkeling van een toetsingskader = Emissions of endotoxins from animal production: a literature survey for development of an assessment framework

In this literature review, the state of knowledge is summarized on endotoxin emissions from animal production. Furthermore, the design of an assessment framework for endotoxins for use in permit granting is explored. Finally, lacking knowledge to develop such a framework has been determined

Risk factors for persistence of livestock-associated MRSA and environmental exposure in veal calf farmers and their family members: an observational longitudinal study

Objectives: Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) emergence is a major public health concern. This study was aimed at assessing risk factors for persistently carrying MRSA in veal calf farmers and their family members. We also evaluate the dynamics of MRSA environmental load during the veal-calf production cycle. Design: Observational, longitudinal, repeated cross-sectional study. Setting: 52 veal calf farms in the Netherlands. Participants: From the end of 2010 to the end of 2011, a total of 211 farmers, family members and employees were included in the study. Primary outcome and secondary outcome measures: Nasal swabs were taken from participants on days 0, 4, 7 and week 12. A persistent MRSA carrier was defined as a person positive for MRSA on days 0, 4 and 7. Participants filled in an extensive questionnaire to identify potential risk factors and confounders. For estimation of MRSA prevalence in calves and environmental contamination, animal nasal swabs and Electrostatic Dust Collectors were taken on day 0 and week 12. Results: The presence of potential animal reservoirs (free-ranging farm cats and sheep) and the level of contact with veal calves was positively associated with persistent MRSA carriage. Interestingly, at the end of the study (week 12), there was a twofold rise in animal prevalence and a significantly higher MRSA environmental load in the stables was found on farms with MRSA carriers. Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that environmental contamination with MRSA plays a role in the acquisition of MRSA in farmers and their household members and suggests that other animal species should also be targeted to implement effective control strategies