Working towards healthy air in dwellings in Europe.

Poor indoor air quality has been implicated in the increase in allergic and respiratory diseases seen in industrialized countries in recent decades. Although air pollution in the workplace is well studied, much less is known about the consequences of poor air quality in homes. In an attempt to halt or slow down the increase in allergic and respiratory diseases, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations (EFA) carried out the EU-funded project entitled 'Towards Healthy Air in Dwellings in Europe' (THADE).

Mapping the probability of exceeding critical thresholds for cadmium concentrations in soils in The Netherlands.

The probability of exceeding critical thresholds of Cd concentrations in the soil was mapped at a national scale. The critical thresholds in soil were based on food quality criteria for Cd in crops or in organs of cattle (Bos taurus), and were calculated by inverting a regression model for the Cd concentration in the crop, with the Cd concentration in soil, soil organic matter (SOM) content, clay content, and pH as predictors. The probability of exceeding the critical threshold for Cd in soil per node of a 500- x 500-m grid was approximated by Monte Carlo simulation, using the estimated cumulative distribution functions (cdf) of SOM, clay, pH, and Cd as input.

Delusions of parasitosis. A psychiatric disorder to be treated by dermatologists? An analysis of 33 patients.

Delusions of parasitosis is a rare disorder in which patients have the false and fixed belief that they are infested by parasites. It is a psychiatric disorder, but patients usually present to a dermatologist and referral to a psychiatrist is almost always rejected. Treating a patient with delusions of parasitosis requires patience and tact.

Quantifying the potential for independent living in COPD-patients.

In patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), daily physical functioning as quantified by energy expenditure, is limited by decreased ventilatory capacity and increased basal metabolic rate in relation to their physical capacity. Starting from the Dutch Health-Care situation, a measurement interpretation model is presented to quantify individual potential for independent living from energy expenditure, aerobic capacity and lung function. The interpretation model concerns only simple routine measurements.