Zicht op agrarische prijzen

This report provides insight into the activities of LEI in the field of the collection, determi-nation and reporting of agricultural prices. Background information is also provided regarding the developments in the field of those agricultural prices. Moreover, the report looks into the problems for agriculture and horticulture that are connected with the devel-opments of agricultural markets and prices.Demand and Price Analysis,

“Surprise Gift” Purchases of Small Electric Appliances: A Pilot Study

Understanding decision-making processes for gifts is of strategic importance for companies selling small electrical appliances as gifts account for a large part of their sales. Among all gifts, the ones that are surprising are the most valued by recipients. However, research about decision-making processes involved in surprise gift purchases is lacking. This article shows, for example, that design and money back guarantees are more important for the purchase of surprise gifts than other gifts. The brand name, however, appears to be less important. Also, surprise gifts are more often bought on the spot, without extended information search (similar to impulse purchases)

Gedroogde groenvoeders en herziening van het EU-beleid

Gedroogde groenvoeders en herziening van het EU-beleid laat de mogelijke gevolgen zien van het ontkoppelen van de steun aan de groenvoederdrogerij en voor de betreffende sector in Nederland. Het rapport geeft een beeld van de sector in Nederland en van de positie van Nederland in de EU op dit terrein. Geconcludeerd wordt dat ontkoppeling, afhankelijk van ontwikkelingen op de markten van granen en veevoeders en van de energieprijzen, kan leiden tot een krimp van het drogen van groenvoeders in Nederland. Een volledige afbouw van de bedrijfstak kan niet worden uitgesloten. This report on 'dried green feed and review of EU policy' reveals the possible consequences of decoupling support to the green feed dryers for the relevant sector in the Netherlands. The report describes the sector in the Netherlands and the position of the Netherlands in the EU in this field. It concludes that, depending on the grain and feed markets and energy prices, decoupling could cause a decline in drying green feed in the Netherlands. The complete dismantling of the sector is not inconceivable

Groenvoederdrogerijen door ontkoppeling Europese steun onder druk

Door de afbouw van de steun voor het drogen van verse groenvoeders zal de productie van deze voedermiddelen in Nederland verder afnemen. Het wegvallen van de steun maar ook de sterk gestegen energieprijzen leiden ertoe dat de drogerijen niet meer concurrerend kunnen blijven produceren ten opzichte van vergelijkbare mengvoeders

Groenvoederdrogerijen : analyse economische draagkracht voor milieu-eisen

Dit rapport geeft inzicht in de betekenis en omvang van het drogen van groenvoeders in Nederland en de EU. Een belangrijk aanknopingspunt is de aard en de ontwikkeling van de EU-regeling voor deze producten. De resultaten van het onderzoek, dat is uitgevoerd in opdracht van het Ministerie van VROM, zijn van belang voor de vraag of de drogerijen draagkracht hebben voor het aanscherpen van milieueisen

Replacing temporomandibular joints

The masticatory system plays an important role during biting, chewing, swallowing, speech, singing and other functions, all directly affecting quality of life. For proper functioning, both temporomandibular joints and the connecting mandible, together with the masticatory muscles and contiguous tissue components, play a major role. In a healthy situation, the masticatory muscles supply the mandible with the required movements and biting and chewing forces, while the left and right mandibular condyles slide smoothly along their articular eminences. Disturbances of the masticatory system can lead to a wide range of both muscular and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) conditions and pathology, resulting in pain, limited mouth opening, headaches, clicking or popping sounds in the TMJ and impaired masticatory functioning. TMJ disturbances and muscle problems influence each other and may lead to chronic pain and functional impairment. The TMJ prosthesis design is a mixture of well-known and accepted techniques, and new inventions. Among the well-known techniques are screw fixation and the use of proven biocompatible materials. The main new developments are a double articulation, including an inferiorly located centre of rotation, a self-adjusting skull part that is built from stock parts and a rigid screw-prosthesis connection

Uniqueness and Non-uniqueness in the Einstein Constraints

The conformal thin sandwich (CTS) equations are a set of four of the Einstein equations, which generalize the Laplace-Poisson equation of Newton's theory. We examine numerically solutions of the CTS equations describing perturbed Minkowski space, and find only one solution. However, we find {\em two} distinct solutions, one even containing a black hole, when the lapse is determined by a fifth elliptic equation through specification of the mean curvature. While the relationship of the two systems and their solutions is a fundamental property of general relativity, this fairly simple example of an elliptic system with non-unique solutions is also of broader interest.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; abstract and introduction rewritte

Transcriptome analysis of a phenol-producing Pseudomonas putida S12 construct: Genetic and physiological basis for improved production

The unknown genetic basis for improved phenol production by a recombinant Pseudomonas putida S12 derivative bearing the tpl (tyrosine-phenol lyase) gene was investigated via comparative transcriptomics, nucleotide sequence analysis, and targeted gene disruption. We show upregulation of tyrosine biosynthetic genes and possibly decreased biosynthesis of tryptophan caused by a mutation in the trpE gene as the genetic basis for the enhanced phenol production. In addition, several genes in degradation routes connected to the tyrosine biosynthetic pathway were upregulated. This either may be a side effect that negatively affects phenol production or may point to intracellular accumulation of tyrosine or its intermediates. A number of genes identified by the transcriptome analysis were selected for targeted disruption in P. putida S12TPL3. Physiological and biochemical examination of P. putida S12TPL3 and these mutants led to the conclusion that the metabolic flux toward tyrosine in P. putida S12TPL3 was improved to such an extent that the heterologous tyrosine-phenol lyase enzyme had become the rate-limiting step in phenol biosynthesis. Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved

Landbouwverkenning provincie Fryslân tot 2020

In deze toekomstverkenning voor de Friese landbouw, in opdracht van de provincie Fryslân, wordt naast inzicht in de huidige kracht van de agrarische sector, vooral een beeld gegeven van de mogelijke kansen en bedreigingen die relevante beleids- en marktontwikkelingen met zich mee zullen brengen. Op basis van de SWOT wordt een verwacht beeld geschetst van hoe de Friese landbouw zich richting 2020 ontwikkelt. De toekomstverkenning richt zich vooral op de sectoren melkveehouderij, akkerbouw, glastuinbouw en biologische landbouw. De verkenning levert bouwstenen op voor een verdere invulling van het toekomstig provinciaal beleid voor de agrarische secto

Identification and molecular characterization of an efflux system involved in Pseudomonas putida 12 multidrug resistance

The authors previously described srpABC, an operon involved in proton-dependent solvent efflux in the solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas putida S12. Recently, it was shown that organic solvents and not antibiotics induce this operon. In the present study, the authors characterize a new efflux pump, designated ArpABC, on the basis of two isolated chloramphenicol-sensitive transposon mutants. The arpABC operon is involved in the active efflux of multiple antibiotics, such as tetracycline, chloramphenicol, carbenicillin, streptomycin, erythromycin and novobiocin. The deduced amino acid sequences encoded by the three genes involved show a striking resemblance to proteins of the resistance/nodulation/cell division family, which are involved in both organic solvent and multiple drug efflux. These findings demonstrate that ArpABC is highly homologous to the MepABC and TtgABC efflux systems for organic solvents and multiple antibiotics. However, ArpABC does not contribute to organic solvent tolerance in P. putida S12 but is solely involved in multidrug resistance