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Background: Before administration of myelosuppressive chemotherapy, complete blood counts (CBC) collected at the hospital/nursing stations are evaluated to avoid severe bone marrow suppression. This maintains disease fixation which often reduces their quality of life. This mixed-method study examined at home self-testing of CBC, the test quality, and the effects on patients' mental well-being., Methods: Patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy were recruited and trained to perform capillary finger prick CBC testing at home using the HemoScreen Point-of-Care instrument and to upload the test results to the hospital's IT system subsequently. A venous reference CBC sample was taken and tested at the hospital on the day of self-testing. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended components were performed to investigate the user experience and the impact of self-testing on the patients' everyday lives., Results: Thirty-nine patients completed the self-testing education using the HemoScreen instrument. Eight patients withdrew, while the remaining 31 patients performed 161 home tests (2-11 tests per patient) over a 4-month period. The test results compared well with the venous reference CBCs except for platelet counts (correlation coefficient 0.26). Qualitative interviews with nine of the 31 patients emphasized that the patients were comfortable using the self-testing instrument and becoming an active partner in their own treatment., Interpretation: CBC self-testing at home produced clinically valid hemoglobin and white blood cell counts with the added benefit that the patients became active partners in their own treatment course, which was of great importance for the patients and increased their wellbeing.

This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the agreement between two sampling methods for the detection of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens in calves using high-throughput real-time qPCR (ht-RT-qPCR). In total, 233 paired nasal swab (NS) and non-endoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL) samples were collected from 152 calves from 12 Danish cattle herds. In 202 of the observations, the calves were examined using a standardized clinical protocol. Samples were tested for three viruses (bovine respiratory syncytial virus, bovine corona virus, and influenza D virus) and six bacteria ( Histophilus somni , Mannheimia haemolytica , Mycoplasma bovis , Mycoplasma species, Pasteurella multocida , and Truepurella pyogenes ). The results showed age-related differences in disease and pathogen occurrence, with the highest detection rates in calves aged 35 days or older. Poor to moderate agreement was found between the NS and nBAL results. The presence of Mannheimia haemolytica in both NS and nBAL in younger calves and in nBAL in older calves was associated with clinical BRD. There was a potential link between BRD and influenza D virus in older calves, although it was only found in one herd in a small sample size. Overall, NS was a relatively poor predictor of pathogens in the lower respiratory tract. The present study confirms the complexity of pathogen detection in BRD, with marked influences of age and the sampling method on pathogen detection and disease associations.

Introduction: Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis ( B. infantis ) may play a key role in infant gut development. This trial evaluated safety, tolerability, and efficacy of B. infantis LMG11588 supplementation., Methods: This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study conducted in the Philippines included healthy breastfed and/or formula-fed infants (14-21 days old) randomized for 8 weeks to a control group (CG; n  = 77), or any of two B. infantis experimental groups (EGs): low (Lo-EG; 1*10 8 CFU/day; n  = 75) or high dose (Hi-EG; 1.8*10 10 CFU/day; n  = 76). Primary endpoint was weight gain; secondary endpoints included stooling patterns, gastrointestinal symptoms, adverse events, fecal microbiome, biomarkers, pH, and organic acids., Results: Non-inferiority in weight gain was demonstrated for Hi-EG and Lo-EG vs. CG. Overall, probiotic supplementation promoted mushy-soft stools, fewer regurgitation episodes, and increased fecal acetate production, which was more pronounced in the exclusively breastfed infants (EBF) and positively correlated with B. infantis abundance. In EBF, fecal pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-8) were reduced. Strain-level metagenomic analysis allowed attributing the increased abundance of B. infantis in EGs versus CG, to LMG11588 probiotic colonization. Colonization by autochthonous B. infantis strains was similar between groups., Discussion: B. infantis LMG11588 supplementation was associated with normal infant growth, was safe and well-tolerated and promoted a Bifidobacterium -rich microbiota driven by B. infantis LMG11588 colonization without disturbing the natural dispersal of autochthonous B. infantis strains. In EBF, supplementation stimulated microbial metabolic activity and beneficially modulated enteric inflammation., Competing Interests: Authors employed by Nestlé Nutrition and Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Switzerland were involved in the study design (CIC), data analysis (CM, MN, KV, GLC, AF, BB, CB, CIC), as well as preparation and decision to submit the manuscript (TS, MN, KV, GLC, AF, BB, CIC). In addition, JMM, JKV, PM, and HBN, employees of Clinical Microbiomics, were involved in data analysis and preparation of the manuscript. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Capeding, Phee, Ming, Noti, Vidal, Le Carrou, Frézal, Moll, Vogt, Myers, Nielsen, Boulangé, Samuel, Berger and Cercamondi.)

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired dysphagia has severe consequences for patients including increased morbidity and mortality. Standard operating procedures, however, including systematic evaluation of swallowing function and access to specialised assessment and training may be limited. Dysphagia management relies on multiprofessional collaboration, but practice is variable and nonstandardised., Objective: The objective of this study was to explore and compare nurses', physicians', and occupational therapists' perceptions of dysphagia management in the ICU., Materials and Methods: Six focus group interviews with 33 participants (23 nurses, four physicians, and six occupational therapists) were conducted and analysed using the framework method with a matrix developed from the first interview. Content from the interviews was plotted into the matrix, condensed, and refined., Findings: Clinical dysphagia management depended on recognising signs of dysphagia in patients at risk. Assessment, therapeutic methods, and care differed among professional groups according to knowledge and roles. Interprofessional collaboration and responsibility for dysphagia management across the care continuum was determined by availability of resources, practical skills, knowledge, and formal decision-making competence and judged effective when based on mutual respect and recognition of healthcare professionals' different perspectives., Conclusion: Systematic interprofessional collaboration in ICU dysphagia management requires working towards a common goal of preventing aspiration and rehabilitating the patients' ability to swallow safely. This is based on dysphagia assessment, using appropriate therapeutic interventions, sharing knowledge, and improving skills among professional groups., (Copyright © 2022 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Bovine respiratory and enteric diseases have a profound negative impact on animal, health, welfare, and productivity. A vast number of viruses and bacteria are associated with the diseases. Pathogen detection using real-time PCR (rtPCR) assays performed on traditional rtPCR platforms are costly and time consuming and by that limit the use of diagnostics in bovine medicine. To diminish these limitations, we have developed a high-throughput rtPCR system (BioMark HD; Fluidigm) for simultaneous detection of the 11 most important respiratory and enteric viral and bacterial pathogens. The sensitivity and specificity of the rtPCR assays on the high-throughput platform was comparable with that of the traditional rtPCR platform. Pools consisting of positive and negative individual field samples were tested in the high-throughput rtPCR system in order to investigate the effect of an individual sample in a pool. The pool tests showed that irrespective of the size of the pool, a high-range positive individual sample had a high influence on the cycle quantification value of the pool compared with the influence of a low-range positive individual sample. To validate the test on field samples, 2,393 nasal swab and 2,379 fecal samples were tested on the high-throughput rtPCR system as pools in order to determine the occurrence of the 11 pathogens in 100 Danish herds (83 dairy and 17 veal herds). In the dairy calves, Pasteurella multocida (38.4%), rotavirus A (27.4%), Mycoplasma spp. (26.2%), and Trueperella pyogenes (25.5%) were the most prevalent pathogens, while P. multocida (71.4%), Mycoplasma spp. (58.9%), Mannheimia haemolytica (53.6%), and Mycoplasma bovis (42.9%) were the most often detected pathogens in the veal calves. The established high-throughput system provides new possibilities for analysis of bovine samples, since the system enables testing of multiple samples for the presence of different pathogens in the same analysis test even with reduced costs and turnover time., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Goecke, Nielsen, Petersen and Larsen.)

Changes in funerary practices are key to the understanding of social transformations of past societies. Over the course of the Nordic Bronze Age, funerary practices changed from inhumation to cremation. The aim of this study is to shed light on this fundamental change through a cross-examination of archaeometric provenance data and archaeological discussions of the context and layouts of early cremation graves. To this end, we conducted 19 new provenance analyses of strontium isotopes from Early Nordic Bronze age contexts in Thisted County and Zealand and Late Bronze Age contexts from Thisted County and Vesthimmerland (Denmark). These data are subsequently compared with data from other extant relevant studies, including those from Late Bronze Age Fraugde on the Danish island of Fyn. Overall, the variations within our provenience data suggest that the integration and establishment of cremation may not have had a one-to-one relationship with in-migration to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark. Moreover, there seems to be no single blanket scenario which dictated the uptake of cremation as a practice within this part of Southern Scandinavia. By addressing habitus in relation to the deposition of cremations as juxtaposed with these provenance data¸ we hypothesize several potential pathways for the uptake of cremation as a new cultural practice within the Danish Nordic Bronze Age and suggest that this may have been a highly individual process, whose tempo may have been dictated by the specificities of the region(s) concerned., Competing Interests: The authors have declared no competing interests exist.

Across the international dairy industry, the vast majority of dairy herds have dehorned cows. Farmers choose to dehorn calves for different reasons such as easier handling of non-horned cattle and reduced risk of injuries in animals and staff. This review focuses on disbudding by use of hot-iron cautery as is practiced by dairy farmers in calves <3 months of age. We examine welfare effects of the use of NSAIDs in combination with a local anesthetic including indicators relevant for the three major welfare concerns-affective states, basic health, and functioning as well as the possibility to behave naturally. Across indicators of animal welfare, the majority of available evidence suggest that the use of NSAIDs in combination with a local anesthetic is advantageous in terms of animal welfare, and no studies suggest that NSAIDs are a disadvantage to animal welfare. However, irrespective of the welfare concern, use of NSAIDs combined with a local anesthetic does not fully eliminate the welfare challenges from disbudding. Further research is needed in order to fully understand the effects of this medication protocol on calf welfare, including knowledge about the duration of healing and the presence of long-term pain. At present, this lack of knowledge challenges the precise formulation of adequate pain management-in terms of medication protocol, duration, dosage, and type of administration.

Digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious disease of cattle affecting the skin of the claw. The disease presents with a range of severities and can be associated with lameness. Information about the disease dynamics of DD is scarce. Parity and lactation stage have been identified as risk factors for DD and studies have also indicated that not all cows are equal regarding their risk of recurrent disease and prospects for cure from DD. The aim of this study was to investigate host heterogeneity to DD and to identify disease patterns of DD and factors associated with the development and resolution of lesions. In three commercial dairy herds, 742 lactating cows were observed for DD lesions weekly for 11 or 12 weeks. The effects of parity, lactation stage and duration of preceding episode on the hazard of transitions between healthy and lesion states were analysed using a multilevel multistate discrete-time model. One or more DD lesions were observed in 460 cows and lesions were observed in 2426 out of 10,585 observations. In total, 1755 uncensored episodes with DD lesions were observed. Early lactation was associated with a reduced risk of developing lesions compared with mid and late lactation. Lesions that developed in late lactation had a greater likelihood of resolution compared with lesions that developed during early lactation. There was a reduced risk of lesions developing in parity 3 compared with parity 1 cows, but an increased risk of lesions developing in parity 2 compared with parity 1 cows. In the present study, the mean duration of uncensored DD episodes was 1.7 weeks indicating that the duration of the majority of DD lesions might be shorter than the 42 days reported previously. The transitions between disease states suggest that DD is a dynamic disease, and that the early stage lesions are more transient than expected from previous studies. We conclude that studies with shorter observation intervals than one week are needed to fully understand and describe the individual and group dynamics of DD., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to identify possible risk factors for poor cow hind limb cleanliness in Danish loose-housed, lactating dairy cows. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study of 1315 cows in 42 commercial Danish dairy herds with primarily Danish Holstein cows. The effect of four cow-level factors (parity, days in milk, daily lying time and lameness) and eight herd-level factors (herd size, milk production, milking system, floor type, access to pasture grazing, floor scraping frequency, hoof bathing frequency and hoof washing frequency) on the risk of having dirtier hind limbs were analysed using ordinal logistic regression fitting a proportional odds model. Cow hind limb cleanliness was scored using an ordinal score from 1 to 4: 1 being clean and 4 being covered in dirt. The odds ratios (ORs) estimated from the proportional odds model depict the effect of a risk factor on the odds of having a higher rather than a lower cleanliness score. First parity cows had an increased risk of being dirtier compared with third parity or older cows (OR=1.70). Compared with late lactation, early and mid lactation were associated with an increased risk of being dirtier (OR=2.07 and 1.33, respectively). Decreasing the daily time lying by 30 min was associated with an increased risk of being dirtier (OR=1.05). Furthermore, an increased risk of being dirtier was found in herds with no pasture access (OR=3.75).

Studies of the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum have revealed some of the mechanisms which these desiccation-tolerant plants use to survive environments with extreme dehydration and restricted seasonal water. Most resurrection plants are polyploid with large genomes, which has hindered efforts to obtain whole genome sequences and perform mutational analysis. However, the application of deep sequencing technologies to transcriptomics now permits large-scale analyses of gene expression patterns despite the lack of a reference genome. Here we use pyro-sequencing to characterize the transcriptomes of C. plantagineum leaves at four stages of dehydration and rehydration. This reveals that genes involved in several pathways, such as those required for vitamin K and thiamin biosynthesis, are tightly regulated at the level of gene expression. Our analysis also provides a comprehensive picture of the array of cellular responses controlled by gene expression that allow resurrection plants to survive desiccation.

Digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious disease of cattle affecting the skin adjacent to the claws. Disease dynamics of DD have been described to some extend, but we still need to quantify the duration of lesions and look into non-treatment factors affecting this. The aim of this study was to estimate the duration of lesions due to DD and to evaluate parity and lactation stage as potential risk factors for longer duration of such lesions. An estimate of the duration of lesions will be a valuable parameter in the evaluation of the economic impact of the disease and will additionally allow estimates of incidence based on prevalence figures. From May 2007 until November 2008, lesions associated with DD in the hind legs of 151 Danish Holstein cows at the Danish Cattle Research Centre were clinically scored on fifteen occasions. The mean interval between recordings was 39 days. Onset and end of each new case were estimated as midway between recordings prior to a change in the presence or absence of a lesion. Kaplan-Meier survival functions and Cox proportional hazard regression were performed to estimate the duration and analyse differences in the duration of lesions between primi- and multiparous cows and between different stages in lactation at onset of the lesion. The median duration of lesions were estimated to be 42 days, less than most previous published estimates. The relatively aggressive regime of topical treatment in the study herd might have shortened the duration of the lesions. Furthermore the comparatively long interval between recordings introduced an element of uncertainty in this estimate. No significant effects of parity or days in milk at lesion onset on the duration of DD were found using these data though lesions developed earlier in the lactation may have a longer duration. Further data would be needed to confirm the latter.

The concentrations of the two acute phase proteins, serum amyloid A and haptoglobin, in serum and milk were compared in 10 cows with clinical mastitis, 11 cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions and 10 clinically healthy control cows. The concentrations of both acute phase proteins were higher in the serum and milk of the cows with mastitis than in the cows in the other two groups. Four of the cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions had serum amyloid A concentrations in serum above 100 microg/ml, but negligible concentrations in milk, indicating that a pathogen must be present in the mammary gland for serum amyloid A to accumulate in milk. The acute phase protein concentrations in milk increased significantly with increasing somatic cell count, suggesting that they may be indicators of the severity of an infection.

The objective was to assess the influence of different waste storage systems on the emission of bioaerosols and gases from compostable household waste. Batches of waste were stored for 14 days in different storage systems: ventilated containers (compostainers) with or without added structure material and closed containers with or without a preservation additive. The microbial potential of the waste was measured with a rotating drum after storage. The weight loss in the compostainers (39%) was higher than in the closed containers (9%). Hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans developed in the closed container, and the concentration of ammonia increased continuously in both systems to 140 ppm. The microbial content for the incubated waste was high for closed containers compared to compostainers, and waste in closed containers generated a liquid rich in endotoxin and bacteria. The aerosols emitted from the waste consisted mainly of fungal spores, especially Aspergillus fumigatus, and no significant differences were observed between the systems. The endotoxin potential was high for waste stored in closed containers. The use of a preservative prevented microbial growth and reduced the emission of bioaerosols and gases substantially.

Many sources add to the concentration of bioaerosols in livestock buildings, and source control is the number one priority for keeping a low concentration. Straw is a common but dusty bedding material in livestock buildings and the present study is focused on the dustiness of chopped straw (barley) as affected by lignosulfonate (LS) as a dust suppressant. A LS-solution was aerosolized in a spray chamber fitted to an existing bedding chopper to allow the chopped straw to adsorb the LS-solution. The dustiness of straw treated with LS was compared to non-treated straw. As storage conditions may affect dustiness, the study included treated straw kept for 4 weeks in sealed plastic bags. Dustiness of the chopped straw was measured in terms of the potential of the straw to emit bioaerosols in a rotating drum. The LS-treated straw proved low in dustiness compared to the non-treated straw. The dustiness with respect to the mass of dust was reduced by at least a factor of 6, and for fungi and endotoxin the factors of reduction were 4 and 3, respectively. Dustiness of LS-treated straw kept in plastic bags was reduced by a factor of 2 for mass of dust and by a factor of 4 for endotoxin, but dustiness for fungi was increased by a factor of 3. It is concluded that lignosulfonate has potential as a dust suppressant for chopped straw.

The purpose of this study was to improve the exposure assessment of airborne microorganisms by means of image processing of fluorescence microscopy images. This technique reduces the analysis time and also offers the opportunity to measure the size distribution of the microorganisms. We developed and implemented an automatic focusing procedure in order to count and size evaluate the microorganisms in the sample. However, automatic focusing was not possible if there were any impurities such as larger particles present. Therefore, manual focusing of the microscope had to be applied in connection with automatic counting and size evaluation when assessing the exposure of workers handling materials containing microorganisms, for example. This is also an improvement as it is faster than the fully manual standard methods. The new methods developed in this study correlated (r2 > 0.85) with the standard method for samples of E. coli and for samples of generated airborne bioaerosols from household waste, although a correction factor is necessary. No correlation was found for samples of generated bioaerosols from composted waste. This work has established a possibility for improving exposure assessment of airborne microorganisms by means of image processing instead of manual counting.

During the last decade, a growing interest in recycling of domestic waste has emerged, and action plans to increase the recycling of domestic waste have been agreed by many governments. A common feature of these plans is the implementation of new systems and equipment for the collection of domestic waste which has been separated at source. However, only limited information exists on possible occupational health problems related to such new systems. Occupational accidents are very frequent among waste collectors. Based on current knowledge, it appears that the risk factors should be considered as an integrated entity, i.e. technical factors (poor accessibility to the waste, design of equipment) may act in concert with high working rate, visual fatigue due to poor illumination and perhaps muscle fatigue due to high work load. Musculoskeletal problems are also common among waste collectors. A good deal of knowledge has accumulated on mechanical load on the spine and energetic load on the cardio-pulmonary system in relation to the handling of waste bags, bins, domestic containers and large containers. However, epidemiologic studies with exposure classification based on field measurement are needed, both to further identify high risk work conditions and to provide a detailed basis for the establishment of occupational exposure limits for mechanical and energetic load particularly in relation to pulling, pushing and tilting of containers. In 1975, an excess risk for chronic bronchitis was reported for waste collectors in Geneva (Rufèner-Press et al., 1975) and data from the Danish Registry of Occupational Accidents and Diseases also indicate an excess risk for pulmonary problems among waste collectors compared with the total work force. Surprisingly few measurements of potentially hazardous airborne exposures have been performed, and the causality of work-related pulmonary problems among waste collectors is unknown. Recent studies have indicated that implementation of some new waste collection systems may result in an increased risk of occupational health problems. High incidence rates of gastrointestinal problems, irritation of the eye and skin, and perhaps symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (influenza-like symptoms, cough, muscle pains, fever, fatigue, headache) have been reported among workers collecting the biodegradable fraction of domestic waste. The few data available on exposure to bio-aerosols and volatile compounds have indicated that these waste collectors may be simultaneously exposed to multiple agents such as dust containing bacteria, endotoxin, mould spores, glucans, volatile organic compounds, and diesel exhaust. Several studies have reported similar health problems as well as high incidence rates of pulmonary disease among workers at plants recycling domestic waste.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A cross-sectional study of chicken catchers was carried out by personal sampling of air contaminants. The catchers used either the drawer method (DM) or truck method (TM) for loading chickens into cages. DM catchers were exposed to higher concentrations of hazardous substances than TM catchers, except for ammonia. In terms of geometric means total dust concentrations were 11.3 mg/m3 (DM catchers) and 8.1 mg/m3 (TM catchers). Full-shift dust exposure exceeded the Danish occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 3 mg/m3 for organic dust by at least a factor of 2. From paired personal sampling data the concentration of respirable dust ranged from 18% to 28% of the total dust concentration. The average exposure level to bacterial endotoxin in total dust at 82 ng/m3 for DM catchers and 42 ng/m3 for TM catchers exceeded a limit of 10 ng/m3 recommended for poultry processing industry workers in the United States. Endotoxin content of airborne dust averaged 6.5 +/- 4.9 ng/mg. Exposure to microorganisms was determined by microscopy (total count) and by culturing (viable count). The geometric means for total count (microorganisms/m3) were 7.0 x 10(8) (DM catchers) and 4.9 x 10(8) (TM catchers) and for viable count 3.2 x 10(7) cfu/m3 (DM catchers) and 1.4 x 10(7) cfu/m3 (TM catchers). The ratio of microorganisms counted by microscopy to levels of viable microorganisms ranged from 5 to 200, implying a strong underestimation of exposure levels from viable counts alone. It was concluded that Danish chicken catchers were exposed beyond recommended limits for the air contaminants evaluated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In order to reduce the strain on the environment from the deposition of waste in landfills and combustion at incineration plants, several governments throughout the industrialized world have planned greatly increased recycling of domestic waste by the turn of the millennium. To implement the plans, new waste recycling facilities are to be built and the number of workers involved in waste sorting and recycling will increase steadily during the next decade. Several studies have reinforced the hypothesis that exposure to airborne microorganisms and the toxic products thereof are important factors causing a multitude of health problems among workers at waste sorting and recycling plants. Workers at transfer stations, landfills and incineration plants may experience an increased risk of pulmonary disorders and gastrointestinal problems. High concentrations of total airborne dust, bacteria, faecal coliform bacteria and fungal spores have been reported. The concentrations are considered to be sufficiently high to cause adverse health effects. In addition, a high incidence of lower back injuries, probably due to heavy lifting during work, has been reported among workers at landfills and incineration plants. Workers involved in manual sorting of unseparated domestic waste, as well as workers at compost plants experience more or less frequent symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS) (cough, chest-tightness, dyspnoea, influenza-like symptoms such as chills, fever, muscle ache, joint pain, fatigue and headache), gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and diarrhoea, irritation of the skin, eye and mucous membranes of the nose and upper airways, etc. In addition cases of severe occupational pulmonary diseases (asthma, alveolitis, bronchitis) have been reported. Manual sorting of unseparated domestic waste may be associated with exposures to large quantities of airborne bacteria and endotoxin. Several work functions in compost plants can result in very high exposure to airborne fungal spores and thermophilic actinomycetes. At plants sorting separated domestic waste, e.g. the combustible fraction of waste composed of paper, cardboard and plastics, the workers may have an increased risk of gastrointestinal symptoms and irritation of the eyes and skin. At such plants the bioaerosol exposure levels are in general low, but at some work tasks, e.g. manual sorting and work near the balers, exposure levels may occasionally be high enough to be potentially harmful. Workers handling the source-sorted paper or cardboard fraction do not appear to have an elevated risk of occupational health problems related to bioaerosol exposure, and the bioaerosol exposure is generally low.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Health related problems among Danish garbage collectors have been reported. Separated compostable household waste was analyzed for endotoxin and microorganisms in an experimental study. Aerosols and liquid (percolate) from the waste were sampled over two 14-day periods during storage in containers.

Two surveys studied day-to-day variations in exposures to dust and endotoxin and those caused by different tasks and the content of fat in the feed. The exposure to "total" particulate matter (TPM) was just below and at the same level, respectively, as the Danish occupational exposure limit of 5.0 mg/m3 for organic dust. No variation with task distance from the animals was found, but the results indicated decreased exposure when fat was added to the feed. The endotoxin exposure level was lower than previously reported. High correlations were found between TPM, respirable dust, and endotoxin.

Objective: To evaluate factors associated with non-compliance with having second vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis in a treatment centre in Dhaka to determine which children were most at risk of not completing immunisation., Design: Cohort study of infants given first dose of the vaccine and followed up six weeks later to ascertain compliance with having second dose. Factors associated with non-compliance were evaluated., Setting: Dhaka treatment centre of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh., Subjects: 136 unimmunised children aged 6 weeks to 23 months who lived within reach of the treatment centre. At time of the six week follow up 16 of the children could not be traced and seven had died., Interventions: All children received their first dose of the vaccine. In each case health education workers had informed the mother about the value of immunisation, and she was given clear instructions to bring the child back after four weeks for the second dose., Main Outcome Measure: Rate of non-compliance with advice to return child for second vaccination., Results: 46 of 113 children (41%) received the second dose of the vaccine. Factors most closely associated with mothers' failure to comply with the second dose were lack of education and low income. Children whose mothers knew most about immunisation at first interview were more likely to have their second dose., Conclusions: Preventive health care services such as immunisation are appropriately offered in treatment centres, but compliance among children varies with socioeconomic status and mother's education. Further research should be aimed at ways to make health education more effective among uneducated parents.

Fusidic acid viscous eye drops, Fucithalmic (R), is a new eye antibiotic preparation which shows sustained-release properties. The long-lasting antibiotic concentrations in tear fluid can be ascribed to the carbomer used in the vehicle. Fusidic acid viscous eye drops was found to give significantly higher tear fluid concentrations than chloramphenicol viscous eye drops, the latter based on methylcellulose when investigated in rabbit eyes and dog eyes. In volunteers the excretion half-life of fusidic acid from tears was found to be 1.9 h. From a pharmacokinetic point of view and from already available clinical data, fusidic acid viscous eye drops would seem to be effective when given only twice daily.