Participatory breeding system for laying hens

Livestock breeds (and breeding systems) developed for intensive production systems often do not perform as expected in organic and extensive systems. For these alternative systems animals need good social and ranging behaviour, which is in general not necessary in intensive systems with greater confinement for the animals. Although this is the case in all the livestock species (e.g. dairy cows, pigs and sheep), in poultry, the differences between organic/free range and conventional systems are comparatively larg

Prospects for the agricultural sector in the Netherlands, Economic and technological explorations

The Dutch agricultural sector is greatly influenced by the global economy; the sector is very much focused on international trade. Every year, the agricultural sector generates an extensive positive export balance of over €20 billion (€23 billion in 2007). The proportion of agricultural products and food in total Dutch exports of goods and services is also fairly high (17%). A large proportion (around 70%) of the activities of the agro-complex is related to foreign sales, so there is heavy dependence on international trade

Broiler farm size in relation tot sustainability aspects

In the Netherlands the number of broiler farms has been reduced by 50%, while farm size doubled between 1990 and 2008. A debate on the positive and negative aspects of large farms emerge. Many entrepreneurs in the broiler sector use increase in scale as strategy to reduce production cost. However, a critical reflection on the process of scaling up is needed. We investigated various aspects of broiler farm size with three farm sizes: small (fewer than 60,000 birds), medium (60,000 to 120,000 birds) and large (more than 120,000 birds). . The study shows that: - profitability (revenues as % of total cost) is higher on larger farms - gross margin (revenues over feed and chick cost) is higher on larger farms - larger broiler farms have a higher labour productivity (kg broiler live weight / hour) - larger farms more often have certified low ammonia emission poultry houses - there is no clear relationship between mortality and broiler farm size - there is no significant relation between the level of medication (antibiotics) and farm size The size of a broiler house and the equipment used is not related to the farm size. As a result there is no influence of farm size on the physical and social environment of the broilers. Our conclusion is, that larger broiler farms have some clear economic advantages. There is no evidence that there is a negative relation between farm size and animal health and animal welfare

VLSI top-down design based on the separation of hierarchies

Despite the presence of structure, interactions between the three views on VLSI design still lead to lengthy iterations. By separating the hierarchies for the respective views, the interactions are reduced. This separated hierarchy allows top-down design with functional abstractions as exemplified by an experimental self-timed CMOS RISC computer design

Trauma leadership and ICU shift-handovers:Identification, observation and integration of key skills

Residents’ work in trauma and intensive care is centered on patients with complex and high-risk conditions and involves close collaboration and coordination within a multidisciplinary team. For two specific skills – trauma leadership and ICU shift-handovers –Nico Leenstra and his team identified the concrete behaviors by which they can be taught, observed and evaluated, and which factors affect their use in practice.Trauma leadershipThrough an interview study with trauma team members and leaders, Leenstra identified the key leadership behaviors of the trauma leader (i.e., information coordination, action coordination, decision making, communication management, and team development), and established the extensive Taxonomy of Trauma Leadership Skills (TTLS). It benefits the design of leadership training. Complementary, a second version (TTLS-SHORT) was developed and evaluated, specifically for its ability to benefit observations, note-taking and reflections on leadership performances. ICU shift-handoversRegarding shift-handovers, Leenstra explored two dimensions. First, he identified physicians’ perceptions regarding the various functions of shift-handovers and how handover conditions may alter the handover process. His findings add to the growing case for handovers in complex settings being educated as more than information transfers, but also revealed dilemmas for engaging in functions such as joint decision making or reflection.Second, Leenstra analyzed the various strategies for structuring handover communication by residents, and evaluated how differing structures affected the reception of handover information. Foremost, he found that stating the working diagnosis early in the handover (as opposed to more towards the end) was associated with more critical reflections and information seeking by the receiver

Provinciaal beleid en dierenwelzijn: analyse gericht op landbouwhuisdieren in Noord- Holland = Provincial policy and animal welfare: analysis for farm animals in the province of North Holland

Provincial States of North Holland wants to consider the options to stimulate proctices for better welfare among farm animals. This report describes these options for the major farm animal species in North Holland: sheep, dairy cattle, farmed fish and horse

Geen panklare oplossing voor haantjes

Jaarlijks worden er in Nederland ongeveer 30 miljoen haantjes, die net uit het ei zijn gekropen, vergast, en daar moet een einde aan komen, vindt minister Verburg samen met de Tweede Kamer. Na onderzoek naar wat Nederlanders vinden van mogelijke technische oplossingen, wordt er aan de optie van selectie op eieren die al in de broedmachine zitten, voorlopig geen onderzoek meer gedaa

A Qualitative Investigation of the Peer Mentor Experience in a Physical Activity Intervention for Mental Health

Interventions that utilize peer mentors to aid in altering the physical activity behaviors and attitudes of individuals have grown in popularity (Mellanby, Rees, & Tripp, 2000). While the mentees’ experiences in such programs have been studied extensively, there is little research that explores the experiences of the mentors. The Western Wellcat program is a peer-led physical activity intervention designed to improve the mental and physical well-being of students with clinical depression and anxiety (Keeler, 2015). In the Western Wellcat program peer mentors serve as supportive, reliable, and knowledgeable exercise partners for their peers (Keeler, 2015). The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the experiences of peer mentors in the Western Wellcat program. Participants included eight former Western Wellcat peer mentors, who participated in the program in 2015 and 2016. Using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, the researcher explored the peer mentors’ motivations to sign up, their expectations for the program, the ways in which the program influenced them, and solicited suggestions they had for program improvement. Inductive coding revealed multiple themes in each area of exploration. The 13 themes that emerged from the peer mentors’ experiences were all related to their personal growth, interpersonal awareness, and professional development. Regarding the peer mentors’ overall experiences, deductive analysis was also performed based on the three basic human psychological needs of the self-determination theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Based on the emerged themes, the self-determination theory adequately explained the peer mentors’ experiences in the Western Wellcat program

Tussen denken en doen

Rede, In verkorte vorm uitgesproken ter gelegenheid van het aanvaarden van het ambt van bijzonder hoogleraar met als leeropdracht Experimentele Neurochirurgische Oncologie aan het Erasmus MC, faculteit van de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam op 5 maart 201