De graslandkalender

De graslandkalender is in de praktijk geontroduceerd in 1974. Daarvoor kwamen allerlei vormen voor die varieerden van een weideboek tot een kastje met mm-papier op rollen. De oude vormen beperkten zich voornamelijk tot registratie. De nieuwe vorm biedt naast de mogelijkheid van registratie ook de mogelijkheid tot planning

Modelling approach to simulate reductions in LDL cholesterol levels after combined intake of statins and phytosterols/-stanols in humans

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To examine the effects on LDL cholesterol of the combined use of statins and phytosterols/-stanols, in vivo studies and clinical trials are necessary. However, for a better interpretation of the experimental data as well as to possibly predict cholesterol levels given a certain dosing regimen of statins and phytosterols/-stanols a more theoretically based approach is helpful. This study aims to construct a mathematical model to simulate reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in persons who combine the use of statins with a high intake of phytosterols/-stanols, e.g. by the use of functional foods.</p> <p>Methods and Results</p> <p>The proposed model includes the cholesterol pool size in the liver and serum levels of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol. Both an additional and a multiplicative effect of phytosterol/-stanol intake on LDL cholesterol reduction were predicted from the model. The additional effect relates to the decrease of dietary cholesterol uptake reduction, the multiplicative effect relates to the decrease in enterohepatic recycling efficiency, causing increased cholesterol elimination through bile. From the model, it was demonstrated that a daily intake of 2 g phytosterols/-stanols reduces LDL cholesterol level by about 8% to 9% on top of the reduction resulting from statin use. The additional decrease in LDL cholesterol caused by phytosterol/-stanol use at the recommended level of 2 g/d appeared to be similar or even greater than the decrease achieved by doubling the statin dose.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We proposed a simplified mathematical model to simulate the reduction in LDL cholesterol after separate and combined intake of statins and functional foods acting on intestinal (re)absorption of cholesterol or bile acids in humans. In future work, this model can be extended to include more complex (regulatory) mechanisms.</p

Normen voor de voedervoorziening

In de achter ons liggende jaren zijn er grote veranderingen in de weidebouw en de veevoe-ding geweest. Ook de komende jaren zal op de rundveebedrijven nog veel veranderen. Om hierop in te spelen in voorlichting en onderzoek is de vraag naar normen voor weidebouw en voor veevoeding groot

Mogelijkheden voor reductie van medicijngebruik door gezonde voeding(sproducten) in zorginstellingen

De nadruk van dit rapport ligt op de volgende twee vragen: 1) In hoeverre kan voeding het gebruik van geneesmiddelen in het algemeen in verpleeghuizen beïnvloeden? Hierbij valt onderscheid te maken in: a) Wat is de rol van omgevingsinvloeden (sociale context)? b) Voedingsproducten: welke specifieke producten kunnen medicijngebruik verminderen? 2) Wat is de kostenefficiëntie van de vervanging van medicijnen door gezonde voedingsproducten? In hoeverre betekent investeren in voeding een besparing op medicijnen of verpleging

Normen voor de voedervoorziening

Op een bedrijf worden veel beslissingen genomen. Dit wordt met behulp van programmeringen en begrotingen gedaan, daarvoor zijn technische en financiële gegevens nodig. Wat betreft de voedervoorziening werd tot de jaren zeventig gewerkt met de netto zetmeelwaardeproduktie van grasland als aanbod en met de voedernormen van het CVB als behoefte, zonder voldoende rekening te houden met de onderlinge samenhang van deze twee grootheden. Een werkgroep heeft daarom voor kalveren, pinken en melkkoeien een groot aantal graslandgebruiksplannen opgesteld. Voor melkkoeien zijn daarin een aantal gebruiksmogelijkheden als alternatieven voor het bedrijf opgenomen, zoals onbeperkt weiden, beperkt weiden en zomerstalvoedering. Algemene uitgangspunten zijn uitvoerig in dit rapport weergegeven. Hiertoe rekenen we grasgroei, kwaliteit van het gras, verliezen bij de benutting en voederopname en -behoefte van het vee. Ook de bewerking van uitgangspunten tot normen wordt behandeld. Zowel van kalveren, pinken, melkkoeien en een combinatie van kalveren en pinken zijn de verkregen kengetallen aan de hand van een voorbeeld toegelicht. De daarmee verkregen normen zijn in tabellen verwerkt. De wijze waarop deze tabellen zijn samengesteld, is eveneens weergegeve

A Rotating Disc Electrochemical Reactor to Produce Iron Powder for the Co2-Free Iron Fuel Cycle

Iron (Fe) is a promising candidate for energy carriers due to its high energy density, abundance, and transportability. Energy is released during the combustion of iron powder. Iron oxide particles are the product of combustion, which can be easily collected and reduced back to metallic iron, thus enforcing an iron fuel cycle. Electrochemical reduction of iron oxide in alkaline media is a promising approach for the reduction process as it is CO2-free and requires low temperature/energy. In the context of the iron fuel cycle, we promote electroreduction with dendrite-rich structures rather than compact deposit layers for easy harvesting and conversion of deposits to iron powder. This study presents the design and performance of an electrochemical reactor with a rotating disc system, designed for the continuous production of electrolytic iron powder. The reactor facilitates an integrated and automated process of electroreduction of iron oxide (from electroreduction to cleaning, drying, and dendrite/powder harvesting). Our proof of concept experiments show that iron deposits with dendritic structures can be produced in various conditions (anode configurations and rotating speeds), and are mainly located on the disc edge. The growth of dendrites at the edge of the disc favour harvesting and conversion to iron powder. Current efficiencies of more than 85-90 % are achieved in this study. Insights from the present study open new perspectives for the circularity of the iron fuel cycle. Furthermore, this technique provides a novel contribution to powder production in sustainable iron/steel-making technologies

A Pharmaceutical Care Program to Improve Adherence to Statin Therapy:A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-known beneficial effects of statins, many patients do not adhere to chronic medication regimens. OBJECTIVE: To implement and assess the effectiveness of a community pharmacy based pharmaceutical care program developed to improve patients' adherence to statin therapy. METHODS: An open-label, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted at 26 community pharmacies in the Netherlands. New users of statins who were aged 18 years or older were randomly assigned to receive either usual care or a pharmacist intervention. The intervention consisted of 5 individual counseling sessions by a pharmacist during a 1-year period. During these sessions, patients received structured education about the importance of medication adherence, lipid levels were measured, and the association between adherence and lipid levels was discussed. Adherence to statin therapy was assessed as discontinuation rates 6 and 12 months after statin initiation, and as the medication possession ratio (MPR), and compared between the pharmaceutical care and usual care groups. RESULTS: A total of 899 subjects (439 in the pharmaceutical care group and 460 in the usual care group) were evaluable for effectiveness analysis. The pharmaceutical care program resulted in a significantly lower rate of discontinuation within 6 months after initiating therapy versus usual care (HR 0.66, 95% Cl 0.46 to 0.96). No significant difference between groups was found in discontinuation at 12 months (HR 0.84, 95% Cl 0.65 to 1.10). Median MPR was very high (>99%) in both groups and did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of a community pharmacy based pharmaceutical care program to improve medication adherence in new users of statins. Frequent counseling sessions (every 3 months) are necessary to maintain the positive effects on discontinuation. Although improvements are modest, the program can be applied easily to a larger population and have a large impact, as the interventions are relatively inexpensive and easy to, implement in clinical practice