Regionale rantsoenen voor melkvee

Voor het beter sluiten van kringlopen werken veehouders in Echt Overijssel! aan regionale rantsoenen met minder geïmporteerde grondstoffen. Praktijkverhalen en rantsoenberekeningen zijn weergegeven. Gemiddelde melkproducties van ongeveer 7.000 kg FPCM per koe per lactatie lijken het best te passen, omdat daarvoor goed gebalanceerde rantsoenen mogelijk zijn van gras/klaver, granen en eventueel wat snijmaïs of beheersgras

Measuring morbidity of children in the community: a comparison of interview and diary data

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the validity of estimates of morbidity experienced at home. METHODS: In the Dutch National Survey of Morbidity and Interventions in General Practice mothers of 1630 children answered a health interview and kept a health diary for 3 weeks (only the first 2 weeks were used). Children's symptoms were recorded during the interview using a check list and monitored in the health diary through open-ended questions. RESULTS: In the interview parents reported symptoms for 65% of their children and in the diary for 54% of children. Ear problems, colds, fever and weakness and anxiety were reported more often in the interview. Mother's mental health was assessed by the General Health Questionnaire; those scoring >4 were assessed as having impaired mental health and these parents reported symptoms for more children in the interview (81%) than in the diary (65%). For similar reference periods, the least educated mothers reported fewer children with symptoms in the diary (45%) than in the interview (66%). More highly educated mothers reported similarly in the diary (67%) and the interview (70%). CONCLUSION: Both data collection methods yield different estimates of community morbidity. Explanations such as telescoping, the seriousness of the symptoms, the amount of psychological distress of the respondent, forgetfulness and literacy limitations are discussed. We recommend that diaries should not be used in less educated populations

Optimised padlock probe ligation and microarray detection of multiple (non-authorised) GMOs in a single reaction

Background To maintain EU GMO regulations, producers of new GM crop varieties need to supply an event-specific method for the new variety. As a result methods are nowadays available for EU-authorised genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but only to a limited extent for EU-non-authorised GMOs (NAGs). In the last decade the diversity of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in food and feed has increased significantly. As a result of this increase GMO laboratories currently need to apply many different methods to establish to potential presence of NAGs in raw materials and complex derived products. Results In this paper we present an innovative method for detecting (approved) GMOs as well as the potential presence of NAGs in complex DNA samples containing different crop species. An optimised protocol has been developed for padlock probe ligation in combination with microarray detection (PPLMD) that can easily be scaled up. Linear padlock probes targeted against GMO-events, -elements and -species have been developed that can hybridise to their genomic target DNA and are visualised using microarray hybridisation. In a tenplex PPLMD experiment, different genomic targets in Roundup-Ready soya, MON1445 cotton and Bt176 maize were detected down to at least 1%. In single experiments, the targets were detected down to 0.1%, i.e. comparable to standard qPCR. Conclusion Compared to currently available methods this is a significant step forward towards multiplex detection in complex raw materials and derived products. It is shown that the PPLMD approach is suitable for large-scale detection of GMOs in real-life samples and provides the possibility to detect and/or identify NAGs that would otherwise remain undetecte

Comparison and transfer testing of multiplex ligation detection methods for GM plants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>With the increasing number of GMOs on the global market the maintenance of European GMO regulations is becoming more complex. For the analysis of a single food or feed sample it is necessary to assess the sample for the presence of many GMO-targets simultaneously at a sensitive level. Several methods have been published regarding DNA-based multidetection. Multiplex ligation detection methods have been described that use the same basic approach: i) hybridisation and ligation of specific probes, ii) amplification of the ligated probes and iii) detection and identification of the amplified products. Despite they all have this same basis, the published ligation methods differ radically. The present study investigated with real-time PCR whether these different ligation methods have any influence on the performance of the probes. Sensitivity and the specificity of the padlock probes (PLPs) with the ligation protocol with the best performance were also tested and the selected method was initially validated in a laboratory exchange study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the ligation protocols tested in this study, the best results were obtained with the PPLMD I and PPLMD II protocols and no consistent differences between these two protocols were observed. Both protocols are based on padlock probe ligation combined with microarray detection. Twenty PLPs were tested for specificity and the best probes were subjected to further evaluation. Up to 13 targets were detected specifically and simultaneously. During the interlaboratory exchange study similar results were achieved by the two participating institutes (NIB, Slovenia, and RIKILT, the Netherlands).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>From the comparison of ligation protocols it can be concluded that two protocols perform equally well on the basis of the selected set of PLPs. Using the most ideal parameters the multiplicity of one of the methods was tested and 13 targets were successfully and specifically detected. In the interlaboratory exchange study it was shown that the selected method meets the 0.1% sensitivity criterion. The present study thus shows that specific and sensitive multidetection of GMO targets is now feasible.</p

Development of a multiplex DNA-based traceability tool for crop plant materials

The authenticity of food is of increasing importance for producers, retailers and consumers. All groups benefit from the correct labelling of the contents of food products. Producers and retailers want to guarantee the origin of their products and check for adulteration with cheaper or inferior ingredients. Consumers are also more demanding about the origin of their food for various socioeconomic reasons. In contrast to this increasing demand, correct labelling has become much more complex because of global transportation networks of raw materials and processed food products. Within the European integrated research project ‘Tracing the origin of food’ (TRACE), a DNA-based multiplex detection tool was developed—the padlock probe ligation and microarray detection (PPLMD) tool. In this paper, this method is extended to a 15-plex traceability tool with a focus on products of commercial importance such as the emmer wheat Farro della Garfagnana (FdG) and Basmati rice. The specificity of 14 plant-related padlock probes was determined and initially validated in mixtures comprising seven or nine plant species/varieties. One nucleotide difference in target sequence was sufficient for the distinction between the presence or absence of a specific target. At least 5% FdG or Basmati rice was detected in mixtures with cheaper bread wheat or non-fragrant rice, respectively. The results suggested that even lower levels of (un-)intentional adulteration could be detected. PPLMD has been shown to be a useful tool for the detection of fraudulent/intentional admixtures in premium foods and is ready for the monitoring of correct labelling of premium foods worldwide

Use and impact of the Alzheimer Experience: a free online media production to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate an online media production called ‘the Alzheimer Experience’ (AlzExp), which was developed to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia. Method: Before and after watching AlzExp, all visitors of AlzExp (February–June 2012) were asked to complete questionnaires on demographics, knowledge about dementia, attitude towards people with dementia (person-centeredness) and the use of AlzExp. McNemar's chi-squared test, multivariate linear regression analysis and paired t-tests were used to analyze change in knowledge, predictors for change in person-centered attitude and differences between subgroups in change in person-centered attitude. Results: Participants in this study (n = 213) were mostly professionals and working with people with dementia, or had someone with dementia among their acquaintances. An increase of person-centered attitude between pre- and posttest was predicted by age, having a professional or personal relationship with someone with dementia, person-centeredness at pre-test and time spent in AlzExp. Professionals had a more person-centered attitude after watching AlzExp, as did younger people, those who spent more time in AlzExp and those who had a lower score at pre-test. Conclusion: The beneficial impact of AlzExp found in this study was modest and in particular present for people who deal with people with dementia (professionally or personally). More insight is needed in the effects of tools aimed at raising public awareness and enhancing knowledge and understanding of dementia to tackle stigmatization associated with dementia and, thereby, improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers

Use and impact of the Alzheimer Experience:a free online media production to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate an online media production called ‘the Alzheimer Experience’ (AlzExp), which was developed to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia. Method: Before and after watching AlzExp, all visitors of AlzExp (February–June 2012) were asked to complete questionnaires on demographics, knowledge about dementia, attitude towards people with dementia (person-centeredness) and the use of AlzExp. McNemar's chi-squared test, multivariate linear regression analysis and paired t-tests were used to analyze change in knowledge, predictors for change in person-centered attitude and differences between subgroups in change in person-centered attitude. Results: Participants in this study (n = 213) were mostly professionals and working with people with dementia, or had someone with dementia among their acquaintances. An increase of person-centered attitude between pre- and posttest was predicted by age, having a professional or personal relationship with someone with dementia, person-centeredness at pre-test and time spent in AlzExp. Professionals had a more person-centered attitude after watching AlzExp, as did younger people, those who spent more time in AlzExp and those who had a lower score at pre-test. Conclusion: The beneficial impact of AlzExp found in this study was modest and in particular present for people who deal with people with dementia (professionally or personally). More insight is needed in the effects of tools aimed at raising public awareness and enhancing knowledge and understanding of dementia to tackle stigmatization associated with dementia and, thereby, improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers

Consequences of the COVID-19 measures for wellbeing aspects of long-term care residents

Om de impact van de COVID-19-maatregelen op bewoners van instellingen voor langdurige zorg te onderzoeken, hielden we in het voorjaar van 2020 twee enquêtes. Leontjevas en collega’s (studie 1) inventariseerden de mening van behandelaren en Van der Roest en collega’s (studie 2) die van zorgmedewerkers, familie en bewoners zonder ernstige cognitieve beperkingen. Dit artikel beschrijft de gecombineerde resultaten over sociale contacten en eenzaamheid, probleemgedrag en affect, en door professionals opgedane inzichten om toe te passen in de toekomst (lessons learned). Verpleeghuispsychologen zijn gevraagd een online enquête, anoniem in te vullen en de link te delen met hun collega-artsen ouderengeneeskunde en verpleegkundig specialisten. Zestien deelnemers zijn vervolgens geïnterviewd via beeldbellen (studie 1). Daarnaast zijn 357 zorgorganisaties uitgenodigd om bewoners zonder ernstige cognitieve beperkingen, naasten en zorgmedewerkers aan een digitale, anonieme enquête te laten deelnemen (studie 2). De ingevulde enquêtes van 323 behandelaren (studie 1) en 193 bewoners, 1609 naasten en 811 medewerkers (studie 2) zijn meegenomen in de analyses. Sociale contacten van bewoners waren veranderd in frequentie en vorm ten opzichte van vóór de maatregelen. Veel bewoners ervaarden eenzaamheid tijdens het bezoekverbod, vooral bewoners zonder cognitieve beperkingen. Er bleek zowel een toename als afname van probleemgedrag en affecten. Verschillende strategieën, ingezet om effecten van COVID-19 maatregelen op welbevinden te verminderen, wilde men behouden. Onze studies toonden een impact van de COVID-19 maatregelen op het welbevinden van bewoners, maar toonden ook succesvolle strategieën van professionals waar zorgverleners in de toekomst voordeel mee kunnen doen