Prevalence and molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in organic pig herds in The Netherlands.

The prevalence of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among conventional pig herds in the Netherlands is high (around 71%). Nevertheless, information about the prevalence of MRSA among organic pig herds is lacking. Here, we report a study on 24 of the 49 organic pig herds in the Netherlands.

Influence of alternative lifestyles on self-reported body weight and health characteristics in women.

Background: Alternative lifestyles are often associated with distinct practices with respect to nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and usage of complementary medicine. Evidence concerning effects of these lifestyle-related practices on health status is still fragmentary.

Objective: To describe maternal health characteristics related to alternative lifestyles, with emphasis on body-weight status, during pregnancy and maternity periods.

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine in primary care: what do patients want?

Objective: To explore patients' perspectives towards integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in primary care.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used. This included a survey on use, attitudes and disclosure of CAM, an e-panel consultation and focus group among patients with joint diseases.

Health effects of an organic diet--consumer experiences in the Netherlands.

Background: Health is one of the main reasons for consumers to buy organic; however, scientific evidence for a health effect is still limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived health effects experienced by consumers of organic food using a free access online questionnaire.

Results: A total of 566 respondents participated, of whom 30% reported no health effects.

Application of an untargeted metabolomics approach for the identification of compounds that may be responsible for observed differential effects in chickens fed an organic and a conventional diet.

The aim of this study was to apply an untargeted NMR and LC-MS-based metabolomics approach to detect potential differences between an organically and a conventionally produced feed, which caused statistically significant differences in growth, in the response to an immunological challenge and in the gene expression profiles in the small intestine of laying hens. A fractionation procedure was set up to create multiple fractions of the feed, which were subsequently analysed by NMR and UPLC-TOF/MS operating in positive mode. Comparison of the profiles revealed that the most apparent differences came from the isoflavones in the soy as well as a compound with a molecular mass of 441.