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Most of the available scientific literature concerning claw vacuum drops and fluctuations (identical to teat-end vacuum) during machine milking has been published in the 1960s and 1970s. Fewer studies have been carried out more recently on modern types of dairy cows, and milking machines, and have been evaluated with modern statistical methods and software. Based on the accessible information, there are indications that reduced milking performance, leading to long machine-on time mainly as a consequence of a combination of vacuum drops and different types of fluctuations, may influence udder health in a negative way although scientific proofs are scarce. Based on an ISO note, the claw vacuum should remain within a range of 32–42 kPa during peak milk flow to ensure fast, complete and gentle milking. This range of vacuum pressure allows adequate liner movement and a sufficient pressure on the teat during the massage (d-) phase is guaranteed. Thus, liner slips caused by too low claw vacuum are avoided. On the other hand, the teat-end vacuum should not be much higher than 42 kPa as it can cause damage of teat tissue mainly during periods of low milk flow when it is almost identical with the system vacuum. Depending on the used system of milk transport through the tubes, the teat-end vacuum drops to some extent, intensified during periods of high milk flow and reduced during periods of low or absent milk flow at the start and end of milking. Hence, a general increase of system vacuum throughout milking is not suitable, as high teat-end vacuum acting on the teat during milking phases with low milk flow rates have to be avoided. However, a reduction of machine-on time and high vacuum load on the teat during low milk flow can potentially be achieved by early cluster removal, before complete cessation of milk flow. Ideally, this goal can be reached at quarter milking (as used in automatic milking systems) where each teatcup is individually removed based on the milk flow of the individual teat, and milking at very low or no milk flow can easily be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The results of a survey to determine the first-choice practice intentions of midwestern pharmacy students and to describe and quantify the factors affecting their decisions are reported. Questionnaires were sent to 12 pharmacy schools in American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy District IV and distributed during November 1988 to January 1989. The questionnaires were given to entry-level pharmacy students who were in their final year of study. The students were asked to indicate their preferred practice setting upon graduation and to rate the importance of 21 factors that a pharmacist might consider when selecting a first position. A total of 715 usable responses were received (response rate, 6.75%). OF the respondents, 83.2% were enrolled in B.S. degree programs and 16.8% in entry-level Pharm.D. degree programs. The distribution of first choices of a practice area was as follows: chain community pharmacy, 33.1%; hospital pharmacy, 27.6%; independent community pharmacy, 12.4%; industry, 8.4%; "other," 5.5%; ambulatory-care clinic, 5.2%; graduate school, 3.8%; department store, discount store, or grocery store, 1.7%; home health care, 1.5%; and nursing home, 0.8%. The three factors ranked as most important in affecting the choice of a practice area were personal fulfillment, salary, and the opportunity to use one's abilities and education. The ranking of the factors varied depending on the practice area chosen. Midwestern pharmacy students were most interested in chain community and hospital pharmacy practice settings. Retail-oriented students placed salary concerns first, whereas clinically oriented students emphasized personal fulfillment. These findings have implications for recruitment strategies.