Stallen reinigen met schoonmaakrobot

Het reinigen van afdelingen is op veel varkensbedrijven een tijdrovende en onaangename klus die niettemin gedaan moet worden. Mogelijk biedt een schoonmaakrobot een oplossing voor dit probleem. Op Praktijkcentrum Sterksel wordt de komende tijd een schoonmaakrobot uitgetest om de voor- en nadelen hiervan in kaart te brengen

Energiegebruik in de kraamstal

In het PraktijkKompas van september 2003 bent u al geonformeerd over het energiemonitoringsysteem op Praktijkcentrum Sterksel. In 2004 zult u regelmatig artikelen in het PraktijkKompas lezen over het thema energie, waarin onder meer resultaten van de monitoring aan bod komen. Dit keer nemen we het energiegebruik in de kraamstal onder de loep

Niet-chirurgische embryotransplantatie

Praktijkcentrum Sterksel verbetert de genetische kwaliteit van de zeugenstapel door middel van niet-chirurgische embryotransplantatie. In juni zijn de eerste embryo's ingebracht. Naast de verbetering van kwaliteit van de zeugenstapel wordt onderzocht of niet-chirurgische embryotransplantatie een interessante techniek is voor bredere toepassing in de praktijk. Het project wordt uitgevoerd in samenwerking met TOPIGS

Low sclerostin levels after long-term remission of acromegaly

Purpose Bone health is compromised in acromegaly resulting in vertebral fractures (VFs), regardless of biochemical remission. Sclerostin is a negative inhibitor of bone formation and is associated with increased fracture risk in the general population. Therefore, we compared sclerostin concentrations between well-controlled acromegaly patients and healthy controls, and assessed its relationship with bone mineral density (BMD), and VFs in acromegaly. Methods Seventy-nine patients (mean age 58.9 +/- 11.4 years, 49% women) with controlled acromegaly, and 91 healthy controls (mean age 51.1 +/- 16.9 years, 59% women) were included. Plasma sclerostin levels (pg/mL) in patients were measured with an ELISA assay, whereas in controls, serum levels were converted to plasma levels by multiplication with 3.6. In patients, VFs were radiographically assessed, and BMD was assessed using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Results Median sclerostin concentration in controlled acromegaly patients was significantly lower than in healthy controls (104.5 pg/mL (range 45.7-234.7 pg/mL) vs 140.0 pg/mL (range 44.8-401.6 pg/mL), p < 0.001). Plasma sclerostin levels were not related to age, current growth hormone (GH) or insulin-like factor-1 (IGF-1) levels, gonadal state, treatment modality, remission duration, or BMD, VF presence, severity or progression. Conclusion Patients with long-term controlled acromegaly have lower plasma sclerostin levels than healthy controls, as a reflection of decreased osteocyte activity. Further longitudinal studies are needed to establish the course of sclerostin during different phases of disease and its exact effects in acromegalic osteopathy.Diabetes mellitus: pathophysiological changes and therap

Stallen reinigen met schoonmaakrobot

Het reinigen van afdelingen is op veel varkensbedrijven een tijdrovende en onaangename klus die niettemin gedaan moet worden. Mogelijk biedt een schoonmaakrobot een oplossing voor dit probleem. Op Praktijkcentrum Sterksel wordt de komende tijd een schoonmaakrobot uitgetest om de voor- en nadelen hiervan in kaart te brengen

Energiegebruik in de kraamstal

In het PraktijkKompas van september 2003 bent u al geonformeerd over het energiemonitoringsysteem op Praktijkcentrum Sterksel. In 2004 zult u regelmatig artikelen in het PraktijkKompas lezen over het thema energie, waarin onder meer resultaten van de monitoring aan bod komen. Dit keer nemen we het energiegebruik in de kraamstal onder de loep

Niet-chirurgische embryotransplantatie

Praktijkcentrum Sterksel verbetert de genetische kwaliteit van de zeugenstapel door middel van niet-chirurgische embryotransplantatie. In juni zijn de eerste embryo's ingebracht. Naast de verbetering van kwaliteit van de zeugenstapel wordt onderzocht of niet-chirurgische embryotransplantatie een interessante techniek is voor bredere toepassing in de praktijk. Het project wordt uitgevoerd in samenwerking met TOPIGS

Safety and quality of food contact materials. Part 1: Evaluation of analytical strategies to introduce migration testing into good manufacturing practice

The results of a research project (EU AIR Research Programme CT94-1025) aimed to introduce control of migration into good manufacturing practice and into enforcement work are reported. Representative polymer classes were defined on the basis of chemical structure, technological function, migration behaviour and market share. These classes were characterized by analytical methods. Analytical techniques were investigated for identification of potential migrants. High-temperature gas chromatography was shown to be a powerful method and H-1-magnetic resonance provided a convenient fingerprint of plastic materials. Volatile compounds were characterized by headspace techniques, where it was shown to be essential to differentiate volatile compounds desorbed from those generated during the thermal desorption itself. For metal trace analysis, microwave mineralization followed by atomic absorption was employed. These different techniques were introduced into a systematic testing scheme that is envisaged as being suitable both for industrial control and for enforcement laboratories. Guidelines will be proposed in the second part of this paper

APC Mutations Are Associated With Increased Bone Mineral Density in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

The canonical Wnt pathway plays a key regulatory role in osteoblastogenesis and bone mass acquisition through its main effector, beta-catenin Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) represents the key intracellular gatekeeper of beta-catenin turnover, and heterozygous germline mutations in the APC gene cause familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) Whether APC mutations affect bone mass has not been previously investigated We conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating skeletal status in FAP patients with a documented APC mutation Twenty-two FAP patients with a mean age of 42 years (545% women) were included in this study Mean bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores were significantly increased above normal at all measured sites lumbar spine (p < 01), total hip (p < 01), femoral neck (p < 05), and trochanter (p < 01) Z-scores were +1 or greater in 14 patients (63 6%) and +2 or greater in 5 (22 7%) Mean values of bone turnover markers were within normal ranges There was a significant positive correlation between procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and beta-crosslaps (beta-CTX) (r = 0 70, p < 001) and between these markers and sclerostin and BMD measurements We demonstrate that FAP patients display a significantly higher than normal mean BMD compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls in the presence of a balanced bone turnover Our data suggest a state of "controlled" activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in heterozygous carriers of APC mutations, most likely owing to upregulation of cytoplasmic beta-catenin levels (C) 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral ResearchDiabetes mellitus: pathophysiological changes and therap