Studies on tableting properties of lactose. Part III. The consolidation behaviour of sieve fractions of crystalline a-lactose\ud monohydrate

The consolidation and compaction behaviour of sieve fractions of crystalline α-lactose monohydrate were studied. From mercury porosimetry measurements tablet pore surface areas were derived. At a certain compaction load it appeared that tablets compressed from small particles were generally stronger and showed a larger surface area than compacts prepared from coarse sieve fractions. By plotting compact strength against pore surface area, a unique linear relationship was obtained. From these results it can be concluded that the actual tablet surface area, being a function of both the initial particle size and applied compaction pressure, is responsible for the compact strength

Providing informal care in a changing society

The ageing of society is leading to significant reforms in long-term care policy and systems in many European countries. The cutbacks in professional care are increasing demand for informal care considerably, from both kin and non-kin. At the same time, demographic and societal developments such as changing family structures and later retirement may limit the supply of informal care. This raises the question as to whether the volume of informal care (in people) will increase in the years ahead. This paper aims to provide a theoretical answer to this question in two steps. First, based on different care models and empirical literature, we develop a behavioural model on individual caregiving, the Informal Care Model. The model states that, in response to the care recipient’s need for care, the intention to provide care is based on general attitudes, quality of the relationship, normative beliefs, and perceived barriers. Whether one actually provides care also depends on the care potential of the social context, being the family, the social network, and the community. Second, we discuss how current policy and societal developments may negatively or positively impact on these mechanisms underlying the provision of informal care. Given the increased need for care among home-dwelling individuals, the model suggests that more people will take up the caregiver role in the years ahead contributing to larger and more diverse care networks. It is concluded that long-term informal care provision is a complex phenomenon including multiple actors in various contexts. More research is needed to test the Informal Care Model empirically, preferably using information on care recipients, informal caregivers and community care in a dynamic design and in different countries. Such information will increase insight in the developments in informal care provision in retrenching welfare states

Cow and herd-level risk factors associated with mobility scores in pasture-based dairy cows

peer-reviewedLameness in dairy cows is an area of concern from an economic, environmental and animal welfare point of view. While the potential risk factors associated with suboptimal mobility in non-pasture-based systems are evident throughout the literature, the same information is less abundant for pasture-based systems specifically those coupled with seasonal calving, like those in Ireland. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the potential risk factors associated with specific mobility scores (0 = good, 1 = imperfect, 2 = impaired, and 3 = severely impaired mobility) for pasture-based dairy cows. Various cow and herd-level potential risk factors from Irish pasture-based systems were collected and analyzed for their association with suboptimal mobility, whereby a mobility score of 0 refers to cows with optimal mobility and a mobility score ≥ 1 refers to a cow with some form of suboptimal mobility. Combined cow and herd-level statistical models were used to determine the increased or decreased risk for mobility score 1, 2, and 3 (any form of suboptimal mobility) compared to the risk for mobility score 0 (optimal mobility), as the outcome variable and the various potential risk factors at both the cow and herd-level were included as predictor type variables. Cow-level variables included body condition score, milk yield, genetic predicted transmitting ability for ‘lameness’, somatic cell score, calving month and cow breed. Herd-level variables included various environmental and management practices on farm. These analyses have identified several cow-level potential risk factors (including low body condition score, high milk yield, elevated somatic cell count, stage of lactation, calving month, and certain breed types), as well as various herd-level potential risk factors (including the amount of time taken to complete the milking process, claw trimmer training, farm layout factors and foot bathing practices) which are associated with suboptimal mobility. The results of this study should be considered by farm advisors when advising and implementing a cow/herd health program for dairy cows in pasture-based systems

The V-ATPase from etiolated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) shoots is activated by blue light and interacts with 14-3-3 proteins.

The vacuolar

School in Bos, een ervaring voor het leven? : Invloed van de natuurwerkweek in Wilhelminaoord op de korte en lange termijn

School in Bos, het buitencentrum van de Gemeente Den Haag, organiseert al meer dan veertig jaar natuurwerkweken voor kinderen van groep 7 en 8 van ruim honderd Haagse basisscholen. Sinds 1974 hebben ongeveer 80.000 kinderen een natuurwerkweek beleefd op het buitencentrum in Wilhelminaoord, Drenthe. De kern van het programma bestaat uit de hoofdthema’s veldbiologie, prehistorie en landschappen en is sinds de oprichting van het buitencentrum in grote lijnen hetzelfde gebleven. Medewerkers van School in Bos ervaren enthousiasme bij de kinderen tijdens de natuurwerkweek. Om meer inzicht te krijgen in de invloed van de natuurwerkweek op de deelnemers, op zowel de korte als de lange termijn, heeft de Stichting Vrienden van School in Bos een onderzoek aangevraagd bij de Wetenschapswinkel van Wageningen University & Research. Opzet onderzoek: In het onderzoek op de korte termijn is nagegaan wat de invloed van de natuurwerkweek is op houding, gedrag en kennis van de basisschoolleerlingen, de huidige deelnemers, op het gebied van natuur en milieu. In het onderzoek op de lange termijn is onderzocht wat de invloed van de natuurwerkweek is op natuurverbondenheid en verantwoordelijkheid voor natuur en milieu van oud-deelnemers. Er is voor een combinatie van onderzoek op zowel de korte als de lange termijn gekozen om zicht te krijgen op de effecten die zich direct manifesteren en effecten die zich later manifesteren en om deze vervolgens te kunnen vergelijken. Dit onderzoek biedt een waardevolle aanvulling op bestaand onderzoek, omdat er weinig (Nederlands) onderzoek is gedaan naar de effecten van meerdaagse buitenprogramma’s op de korte en de lange termijn

Agriculture and trade liberalization in the MENA region: Dynamic impacts of future scenarios

[No abstract available

Terrace Review, May, 28, 1986

Thrombosis and Hemostasi

A zebrafish high throughput screening system used for Staphylococcus epidermidis infection marker discovery.

Animal science

Melkveehouderij en automatisch melken

De bedrijfsvoering op het melkveebedrijf is traditioneel opgebouwd rondom het twee keer daags melken. Met een automatisch melksysteem kan de koppeling van arbeid en melken doorbroken worden. Dit is een zeer belangrijke ontwikkeling voor de bedrijfsvoering van het melkveebedrijf, voor de veehouder zelf en ook voor de koe op het bedrijf