Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Feeding assays'

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background Diarrhoea (frequent, loose, watery stools) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality globally and affects mainly infants and children under the age of five years. Unhygienic feeding practices and feeding utensils contribute to diarrhoeal incidences. The most common causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide are infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria and parasites Aim The aim of the study was to investigate which out of three particular sterilising methods is the most effective for sterilising feeding bottles and cups. Methods An experimental quantitative approach was most appropriate for the current study. An in vitro experimental study with a descriptive design was utilised under controlled laboratory conditions. The study was conducted at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in April 2009. Results The sample size consisted of 16 samples, of which two were used for each method of sterilisation, namely: two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for sunlight; two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for Milton™; two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for Sunlight™ dishwashing liquid; and control utensils that consisted of two (2) bottles and two (2) cups. The target population for the study comprised infant feeding bottles and feeding cups. The analysis for the APC cultures that was compared in the cups vs. bottles, in order to see whether there was a significant difference between the mean bacteria counts, shows that the average bacteria count (on the ln scale) was 6 cfu/ml and 9 cfu/ml for the cups and bottles, respectively. The t-value was -1.17524. As the ρ-value was 0.2595, no significant difference was found between the cups and bottles. The E. coli cultures were compared in the cups vs. bottles to see whether there was a significant difference between the mean bacteria counts. The results show that the average bacteria count (on the ln scale) was 7 cfu/ml and 7.6 cfu/ml for cups and bottles, respectively. The t-value was -0.211902. The ρ-value was 0.835237, and therefore there was no significant difference between cups and bottles. Conclusion The current study showed no significant difference between the sterilising methods or between the use of either bottles or cups. Therefore, a study with a larger sample size is recommended for further research. Recommendations The researcher recommends that future researchers conduct broader studies, with a larger sample size on the topic. Studies with a larger sample size enabled the real differences to be large enough to be significant. The use of sunlight is recommended as a sterilisation method for infant feeding utensils, as it is both time- and cost-effective. Sunlight is an inexpensive and readily available method of sterilisation; therefore, it can be used by relatively under resourced socio-economic communities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond Diarree (gereelde, los, waterige stoelgang) is een van die hoofoorsake van morbiditeit en sterflikheid wêreldwyd en affekteer hoofsaaklik suigelinge en kinders onder die ouderdom van vyf jaar. Onhigiëniese voedingspraktyke en -gereedskap dra by tot die voorkoms van diarree-gevalle. Die mees algemene oorsake van akute gastroënteritus wêreldwyd word veroorsaak deur aansteeklike agente soos virusse, bakterieë en parasiete. Doel Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek te doen na watter van die drie bepaalde steriliseringsmetodes die mees effektiewe is vir die sterilisering van bottels en koppies. Metodes ’n Eksperimentele kwantitatiewe benadering is die mees geskikte een vir die huidige studie. ’n In vitro-eksperimentele studie met ’n deskriptiewe ontwerp is onder gekontroleerde laboratorium omstandighede aangewend. Die studie is by die Universitet van die Wes-Kaap (UWK) in April 2009 uitgevoer. Resultate Die steekproefgroote het bestaan uit 16 monsters waarvan twee gebruik is vir elke steriliseringsmetode, naamlik: twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies vir sonlig; twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies vir Milton™; twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies vir Sunlight™ skottelgoedopwasmiddel; en kontrole gereedskap wat bestaan het uit twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies. Die teikenbevolking vir die studie het bestaan uit voedingsbottels en -koppies vir suigelinge. Die analise vir die APC-kulture wat vergelyk is in die koppies vs. bottels om te bepaal of daar ’n beduidende verskil is tussen die gemiddelde bakterie-tellings, toon dat die gemiddelde bakterie-telling (op die In-skaal) is 6 cfu/ml en 9 cfu/ml vir die koppies en bottels respektiewelik. Die t-waarde is -1.17524. Aangesien die p-waarde 0.2595 is, is daar geen beduidende verskil gevind tussen die koppies en die bottels nie. Die E. coli-kulture is vergelyk in die koppies vs. bottels om te bepaal of daar ’n beduidende verskil tussen die gemiddelde bakterie-tellings is. Die uitslae wys dat die gemiddelde bakterie-telling (op die In-skaal) is 7cfu/ml en 7.6 cfu/ml vir koppies en bottels respektiewelik. Die t-waarde is -0.211902. Die p-waarde is 0.835237 en dus is daar geen beduidende verskil tussen koppies en bottels nie. Gevolgtrekking Die huidige studie toon dat daar geen beduidende verskil tussen die steriliseringsmetodes of tussen die gebruik van of bottels of koppies is nie. Dus, ’n studie met ’n groter steekproefgrootte word aanbeveel vir toekomstige navorsing. Aanbevelings Die navorser beveel aan dat toekomstige navorsers meer omvattende studies met ’n groter steekproefgrootte oor die onderwerp uitvoer. Studies met ’n groter steekproefgrootte sal veroorsaak dat die werklike verskille vanweë hul grootte genoegsaam sal wees, om beduidend te wees. Die gebruik van sonlig as ’n steriliseringsmetode vir die gereedskap van suigelinge word aanbeveel, aangesen dit beide tyd- en kostebesparend is. Sonlig is ’n goedkoop en maklik verkrygbare metode van sterilisasie; dus kan dit gebruik word deur gemeenskappe wat nie oor die nodige middele beskik nie, vanweë hul sosio-ekonomiese situasies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 101 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 72-78). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

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O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a tendência temporal (2001-2011) de indicadores das práticas alimentares de crianças menores de um ano no município de Assis-SP a partir de sete inquéritos transversais realizados em 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 e 2011 concomitantemente a campanhas de vacinação. Trata-se de uma série histórica. A fonte dos dados é o Projeto AMAMUNIC realizado em Assis – SP , no qual as mães ou responsáveis pelas crianças menores de um ano são entrevistadas, respondendo sobre o consumo (current status) de uma lista de alimentos no dia anterior, entre eles leite materno, outros tipos de leite, água, chá, suco, mingau, comida de sal, alimentos adoçados e outros. Os inquéritos alcançaram cobertura entre 50 e 88% do número estimado de nascidos vivos. Os indicadores da qualidade da alimentação infantil utilizados foram construídos para o presente estudo com base na literatura, considerando-se as informações disponíveis nos bancos de dados e as pequenas diferenças entre os questionários aplicados de 2001 a 2007 (versão 1) e em 2008 e 2011 (versão 2). A análise estatística envolveu regressão linear simples para teste de tendência com avaliação da adequação dos modelos pelo teste de normalidade dos resíduos por Shapiro-Wilk. Todos os indicadores referentes ao aleitamento materno apresentaram aumento positivo, sendo a tendência temporal estatisticamente significativa para Aleitamento Materno Exclusivo em menores de seis meses, com aumento de 1,77pontos percentuais/inquérito e Aleitamento Materno entre as crianças com seis a 12 meses de idade, com aumento de 1,02 ponto percentual/inquérito. O indicador Início do Aleitamento Materno na Primeira Hora de Vida apresentou percentuais “bons” (50 – 89%) segundo a OMS, nos dois anos (2008 e 2011) em que foi estudado. O indicador Oportunidade da alimentação complementar manteve-se estável, alcançando em torno de 80% das crianças na década. Metade das crianças, tanto entre as amamentadas como entre as não amamentadas, não alcançaram a Variedade mínima recomendada de 5 grupos alimentares consumidos no dia anterior. Destaca-se ainda a baixa proporção que alcançou a Frequência Mínima de Refeições, especialmente no grupo de crianças não amamentadas (7,8% em 2008 e 9,6% em 2011). Alimentos industrializados (sucos artificiais, refrigerantes, biscoitos/salgadinhos e alimentos adoçados) foram consumidos pelas crianças menores de seis meses (8,1% comeram biscoito/salgadinho industrializado em 2011) e entre as crianças com idade de seis a 12 meses o percentual de consumidores foi alto, chegando, no caso do consumo de biscoito/salgadinho industrializado, a 76% em 2008 e 65,5% em 2011. Vistos em conjunto, os resultados apontam situação distante das recomendações desde o início até o final do período para a maior parte dos indicadores, com evolução positiva dos indicadores de aleitamento materno e estabilidade nos indicadores relativos a alimentação complementar.
The aim of this study was to analyze temporal trend (2001-2011) of infant feeding practice indicators at Assis-SP, from seven cross-sectional surveys performed in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011 concomitantly with vaccination campaigns. This is a time series. The data source is the AMAMUNIC Project conducted in Assis - SP , in which mothers or guardians of children under one year old are interviewed, inquiring about the consumption (current status) of a list of foods, liquids and solids, the day before, including breast milk, other types of milk, water, tea, juice, porridge, salt food, sweetened foods and others. The surveys cover reached between 50 and 88% coverage of the estimated number of live births in those respective years. The variables / indicators of quality infant feeding used were built for this study based on the literature, considering the information available / not available in databases and small differences between the questionnaires 2001-2007 (version 1) and in 2008 and 2011 (version 2). Statistical analysis involved simple linear regression for trend test the adequacy of models residual analysis by Shapiro-Wilk. All breastfeeding indicators showed positive increase, having the temporal trend statistically significance Exclusive Breastfeeding for infants under six months infant, an increase of 1.77 percentage points by survey year and Breastfeeding among children six to 12 months of age old, an increase of 1.02 percentage points by survey year. Breastfeeding Initiation at the first hour of life presented "good" (50 to 89%) percentage according to the WHO, in the two years (2008 and 2011) they were studied. The Opportunity indicator remained stable, reaching around 80% of children in the decade. Half of the children, breastfed and non-breastfed, did not reach the minimum recommended Variety of 5 food groups consumed the day before. Low proportion that reached the Minimum Meal Frequency, especially in the non-breastfed group (7.8% in 2008 and 9.6% in 2011). Industrialized food (artificial juices, soft drinks, biscuits/snacks and sweetened foods) were consumed by children under six months old (8.1% ate industrialized biscuit / snack in 2011) and among children aged six to 12 months old the percentage of consumers was high, reaching, in case of industrialized biscuits/snacks consumption, up to 76% in 2008 and 65.5% in 2011. Taken together, the results indicate a far status of recommendation from the beginning to the end of the period for most indicators, with positive development in breastfeeding indicators and stability in the complementary feed indicators.

The North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a wide-ranging baleen whale species with a complex life history and population structure. As seasonal migrants, humpback whales are known to inhabit cooler, high-latitude waters when foraging and low-latitudes for mating and calving. Beyond this general migratory pattern, a number of demographic characteristics including, abundance, distribution, seasonal occurrence, and prey preferences remain unknown or poorly described. A complete understanding of humpback whale ecology is therefore lacking. Many methods used to explore these aspects of cetacean ecology are either prohibitively expensive or limited in the scope of what can be learned from their use. Fortunately, in recent years, the analysis of stable isotope ratios of animal tissues has proved a valuable and relatively inexpensive technique for providing information on trophic position, diet, and feeding origins of migratory populations. This study employed techniques in stable isotope ecology to increase knowledge of the population structure, migration routes, and foraging ecology of North Pacific humpback whales. Skin samples were collected from free-ranging humpback whales throughout all known feeding and breeding grounds and were analyzed for stable carbon ([delta]13C) and nitrogen ([delta]15N) isotope ratios. The population structure of humpback whales was first explored through geographic differences in stable isotope ratios. Stable isotope ratios varied significantly with location of sample collection. Based on this analysis, foraging animals were separated into six feeding groups. Classification tree analysis was then used to determine which isotopic variables could be used to predict group membership. Probable migratory linkages were then described by applying results of classification trees to [delta]13C and [delta]15N of animals sampled on breeding grounds. Strong migratory connections between the eastern-most foraging and breeding areas and the western-most areas were reflected in similarities of stable isotope ratios. Foraging ecology was then examined through calculation and comparison of the relative trophic levels of the six feeding groups. Isotopic values suggest some feeding groups are piscivorous, while others feed on a more mixed diet. These results can be used to determine if differences in diet composition between groups result in differences in accrued nutritional benefits, negatively impacting reproductive success and survival relative to fish eating groups. Finally, to gain insight into specific foraging habits, the diet of one group of humpback whales was modeled using an isotope mixing model. The [delta]13C and [delta]15N of Kodiak Island, Alaska humpback whales and several species of potential prey indicate that these animals likely rely heavily on euphausiids (Thysanoessa spinifera), Pacific sandlance (Ammodytes hexapterus), and capelin (Mallotus villosus). This study represents the first application of stable isotope ecology to an entire population of marine mammals. Stable isotope analysis was successfully applied to describe and improve understanding of the demographics of North Pacific humpback whales.
Ph.D.
Department of Biology
Sciences
Conservation Biology PhD

Previous studies have demonstrated that the feeding behaviour of Lumbriculus variegatus may be significantly inhibited during exposure to toxic substances. The potential use of an in situ sediment bioassay, using L.variegatus post-exposure feeding inhibition as an endpoint, was investigated. The bioassay consisted of exposing animals in the field for a six-day exposure period and feeding rates were measured immediately afterwards over a twenty-four hour post-exposure period. The bioassay methodology developed in the laboratory produced a consistent baseline response that was reliable and repeatable. Endpoint sensitivity was demonstrated under laboratory conditions, where bioassay organisms exhibited delayed recovery from feeding inhibition after previous exposure to sediment-associated contaminants. The apparent insensitivity of the bioassay to sediment-associated metals means that the technique should only be used as part of a suite of bioassays that employ representative deposit feeders. The ecological relevance of the bioassay endpoint was also demonstrated by comparing short-term measures of post-exposure feeding inhibition with the longer-term effects of a toxicant on L.variegatus populations. The bioassay methodology was successfully adapted for in situ use. Post-exposure feeding inhibition was detected at contaminated field sites. However, the consistent baseline response produced in the laboratory could not be replicated during deployments of the bioassay at upstream (“clean”) field sites. Increased environmental “noise” may have been a result of a number of confounding factors that could limit the sensitivity of the bioassay endpoint if not adequately controlled. Despite the above concerns, the in situ bioassay is suggested to represent a useful tool, which uses a more realistic field exposure scenario to investigate the effects of sediment-associated toxicants with an important functional component of aquatic ecosystems.

Purpose: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a spectrum disorder that is estimated to effect a significant proportion of the pediatric population (1-3% in USA). SDB is able to disrupt and fragment sleep through frequent arousals and intermittent hypoxia. In addition, the long term effects of SDB in pediatrics have been well-documented; decreases in intelligence quotient (IQ), executive function, school performance, and alertness have all been observed. Although surgical treatments can be quite effective, there are no widely accepted prophylactic measures to prevent SDB development. Recently, breastfeeding duration in infancy has been demonstrated to be correlated with reduced SDB (lower AHI, RAI, and higher SpO2), as well as increases in IQ, executive function, and school performance (independent of SDB). The overarching goal of this dissertation was to examine the potential effects of both breastfeeding duration and SDB severity on the neurological underpinnings associated with observed behavioral and cognitive deficits; namely, correlations with white matter structural volume and fractional anisotropy (FA) scores through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Here, I proposed a unique developmental hypothesis where breastfeeding may ultimately reduce SDB, enabling the preservation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and leading to healthier neurological white matter development.

Method: Twenty-four children with SDB and 19 healthy controls were imaged using MR techniques. White matter volume was measured using the central 13 millimeters of the corpus callosum (CC). DTI of major white matter tracts was also conducted. The SDB group received neurocognitive testing to assess cognitive performance; the control group was assessed using real-world academic report cards. Finally, REM sleep was quantified in infants using overnight polysomnography (PSG), with SDB metrics and infant feeding method also measured. Results: There was no correlation between infant feeding methods and CC volume in either group, nor a significant differences between CC volumes in children with SDB versus those without. However, increased breastfeeding duration was correlated with increased left superior longitudinal fasciculus (LSLF) and left angular bundle (LAB) FA scores in healthy controls. In 8-9 month old infants, increased breastfeeding duration was also correlated with a reduced proportion of REM sleep (%TST), and children with exclusive breastfeeding had reduced SDB in infancy compared to children with any formula feeding. Finally, exclusively formula-fed infants were diagnosed with “primary snoring” more often than those with any amount of breastfeeding.

Conclusions: The findings in this dissertation revealed associations between breastfeeding, SDB, REM sleep, and white matter integrity in the brain. These results support the hypothesis that certain cognitive effects associated with SDB and infant feeding methods may have common underlying anatomical brain changes that subserve these observed phenomena.

A importância em conhecer o padrão alimentar em mosquitos da Família Culicidae permite esclarecer alguns aspectos relacionados à transmissão de zoonoses e estimar o grau de contato humano-vetor que é fator relevante em estudos epidemiológicos. Com o objetivo de explorar o comportamento alimentar dessa Família, em área epizoótica de febre amarela silvestre, foram coletados exemplares nos municípios de Santo Antônio das Missões e Garruchos, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Fêmeas ingurgitadas foram obtidas por aspiração em ambiente de mata, no período de setembro de 2005 a abril de 2007 e identificadas segundo fonte de sangue ingerido através da técnica imunoenzimática ELISA de captura no sistema avidinabiotina. Foram testadas seis fontes de alimento: ave, bovino, eqüino, humano, macaco e rato. Os resultados obtidos mediante a padronização de anticorpos monoclonais possibilitaram demonstrar pela primeira vez o reconhecimento de sangue humano ingerido nesses mosquitos pelo emprego da subclasse IgG1 e comprovar a sensibilidade e especificidade da técnica ELISA de captura. No município de Santo Antônio das Missões, de um total de 190 amostras, 60,9% reagiram para sangue de boi, 23,6% para humano, 9,9% para ave, 1,9% para macaco e 3,7% para combinações de dois hospedeiros. Quanto às amostras referentes ao município de Garruchos, das 158 fêmeas capturadas na área Cachoeirinha pode-se observar reatividade para ave (16%), boi (29,6%), humano (36,8%), cavalo (4%), macaco (0,8%) e combinações de hospedeiros (12,8%), enquanto que para as 149 fêmeas pertencentes à área de São José, detectou-se sangue ingerido de boi em (51,5%), ave e humano (11,5%), macaco (6,2%), cavalo (0,8%) e mistos (18,5%). Aedes scapularis, Aedes crinifer, Culex (Culex) spp., Haemagogus leucocelaenus apresentaram maior número de fêmeas ingurgitadas nos dois municípios. Os resultados obtidos com Aedes scapularis sugerem ecletismo, conforme combinações detectadas em amostras de sangue de diferentes fontes. Haemagogus leucocelaenus apresentou a maior proporção de amostras contendo sangue humano em relação às demais fontes e essa característica traz implicações, por ser espécie incriminada na transmissão e por se tratar de área de ocorrência de epizootias de febre amarela.
The knowledge of mosquitoes Culicidae host feeding patterns permits to clarify some aspects related to zoonosis transmission and to estimate the degree of human-vector contact which is relevant in epidemiological studies. Aiming to explore the feeding behavior of these mosquitoes, specimens were collected in the municipalities of Santo Antônio das Missões and Garruchos, Rio Grande do Sul, an epizootic area of sylvatic yellow fever. Engorged females were collected by aspiration from forested areas from September 2005-April 2007 and their blood meals were identified using the avidin-biotin system of immunoenzymatic ELISA capture. Six blood meal sources were tested: bird, cattle, horse, human, monkey and rat. The result achieved with the species-specific IgG1 mAb was unprecedented for mosquito blood meal identification and reinforced the sensibility and specificity of the immunoenzymatic ELISA capture. Of the 190 samples from Santo Antônio das Missões, 60.9% reacted to cattle, 23.6% to human, 9.9% to bird, 1.9% to monkey and 3.7% to mixed blood meals. In Garruchos, of the 158 females collected in Cachoeirinha, 16.0% reacted to bird, 29.6% to cattle, 36.8% to human, 4.0% to horse, 0.8% to monkey and 12.8% to mixed blood, while of the 149 engorged females from São José, blood from cattle accounted for 51.5%, of blood identified, bird and human 11.5%, monkey 6.2%, horse 0.8% and mixed blood 18.5%. Blood engorged females of Aedes scapularis, Aedes crinifer, Culex (Culex) spp., Haemagogus leucocelaenus predominated in the two municipalities. The results obtained with Aedes scapularis suggests its eclecticism, according to the combinations of blood which were detected from different sources. Haemagogus leucocelaenus was found to have the highest proportion of samples containing human blood in comparison with other sources, which has implications, on account of being incriminated in the transmission and also for taking into consideration the outbreaks reported that underline the risk of yellow fever.

In nature, all organisms face the daily challenges created by a fluctuating environment. Circadian clocks synchronize behaviour and physiology allowing an organism to adapt to and predict daily changes to environmental conditions. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, circadian clocks reside in a set of ~150 neurons in the brain, collectively referred to as the central clock, and in the cells of many peripheral tissues. The central clock regulates daily behavioural rhythms, whereas peripheral clocks are thought to regulate the local metabolic activities of the cells in which they reside. In this thesis, I demonstrate that a peripheral clock resides in the abdominal fat body, a tissue analogous to the mammalian liver and adipocytes. Moreover, I show that flies display a temporal feeding pattern that is partly regulated by a peripheral clock. I propose that the central clock and peripheral clocks coordinate to regulate the timing of fly feeding behaviour.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
生物環境系統工程學研究所
103
Global urbanization in recent decades has caused severe pollution impacts to river ecosystems due to excess metal contaminations by various human activities. The filter-feeding bivalve Corbicula fluminea, which is capable of bioaccumulating metallic contaminants, have been increasingly used as biomonitor for the time-integrated toxic impacts of metallic pollution of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. However, limited studies have been done for long-term biomonitoring programs for riverine metallic pollution using C. fluminea as bioindicator in rapid urbanized Asian countries including Taiwan. In this study, We carried out in-situ exposure experiment using caged C. fluminea in two urban rivers in Taiwan including Danshuei River and Datun River from the highly urbanized region of northern Taiwan aiming to (1) evaluate the relationship between metallic concentrations in water and body tissues of C. fluminea after exposure; (2) determine the bioaccumulation extent of different metals in the body tissues after exposure; (3) reveal the potential accumulative pathways of different metals in C. fluminea by comparing their bioaccumulation patterns among different body tissues; (4) confirm if C. fluminea could serve as an appropriate bioindicator for bioaccumulation monitoring the urban rivers in Taiwan. Our results indicated that most metallic contaminants, including Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb and Cd, could effectively accumulated in the soft tissues of caged C. fluminea during the in-situ exposure in the urban rivers with low to moderately metallic pollution for relatively short period of time (i.e. 21–28 days). Corbicula fluminea had different bioaccumulation tendency for different metallic contaminants. Despite the higher particulate concentrations comparing to the dissolved concentrations were measured for all metals in rivers, C. fluminea demonstrated effective bioaccumulation of dissolved metals than particulate metals. Although there were inter-site differences in the total metallic bioaccumulation capacities of the caged C. fluminea, similar patterns of BAF variation among different body tissues were apparent. The visceral mass was most important type of body tissues showing metallic bioaccumulation suggesting that the contamination pathways was dominated by food uptake. Thus, our findings suggested that C. fluminea served as good biomonitor for the ecotoxicological impacts of most metallic contaminants (e.g. Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd). In particular, C. fluminea could be used as sentinel organisms for Cd contamination in rivers as an early signal for potential ecological risk due to its high sensitivity to Cd contamination. Therefore, we suggested that C. fluminea should be considered as the bioindicator for long-term monitoring of the ecotoxicological impacts of metallic pollution monitoring of urban river environments in Taiwan.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (The WIC Program), began in 1974, and has not seen any major changes to its food packages since then. In 2009, the WIC Program began implementing changes that mandated the inclusion of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy, among other changes. These changes aim to better align the food package benefits of the WIC Program with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Child Feeding Recommendations. The objective of this research was to develop a culturally appropriate original questionnaire for The Texas WIC Program, which aimed to assess the dietary/feeding behaviors of Texas WIC participants both before and after the new WIC food package was implemented. The present study aims to present the methodology of how said survey was developed including pilot study and literature review. A mixed methods, biphasic approach was used to draft, edit and finalize the survey. The first phase consisted of item development, which involved literature review, and expert panel (n= 14) review to refine the instrument prior to piloting. Phase 2 of this research included recruitment of participants, a timed classroom administration of the survey, data collection, analysis and substantive reasoning based on the results of items to be included in the final survey. Quantitative data from survey piloting at two WIC local agency offices was used. Participants (n=54) completed two survey versions during piloting. The final questionnaire included measures of behaviors, attitudes and self-efficacy. Results from piloting showed that the "bubble" survey format had fewer errors and was more easily understood by participants. Incorporating relevant and recent scientific literature as related to survey design within a diverse population with social behavioral theory and mixed methods study design yielded a psychometrically sound instrument that has been used on a large scale and provided relevant data.

Master of Science
Department of Animal Sciences and Industry
Micheal J. Brouk
Two studies were conducted that focused on either the accuracy of hand-held near infrared spectrophotometer (NIR) units and two on-farm testing methods compared to conventional 105°C oven drying of corn silage or the use of a starling resistant supplement in total mixed rations (TMR) for lactating dairy cattle. Study 1 evaluated the accuracy of three NIR units (Digi-Star Moisture Tracker, Topcon Agriculture, Fort Atkinson, WI), food dehydrator (FD) (Nesco®, Two Rivers, WI), and a Koster Tester (KT) (Koster Moisture Tester, Inc., Brunswick, OH) to conventional 105°C forced air oven drying. Samples were taken at four Kansas dairy farms and analyzed for DM daily for 20 d. Two calibrations were tested within each NIR unit: NIRu was the DM predicted from the factory-preset calibration, and NIRc was a bias-adjusted DM prediction based on the average difference of oven-dried corn silage and NIRu over the 20-d study. Average oven DM of corn silage was 38.38% ± 0.59 for the 20-d experiment. All three NIRu measurements were lower (P<0.05) than the oven value. While all 3 NIRc predictions were similar (P>0.05) to oven value. KT value was similar (P>0.05) to the oven, while FD value was over estimated DM. (P<0.05). The hand-held NIRS units accurately predicted DM content of the corn silages when the factory preset calibrations were corrected for bias. While the food dehydrator over-estimated the DM of the corn silage and the Koster Tester accurately predicted DM. Study 2 was designed to evaluate the lactation performance of post-peak dairy cattle when using a starling resistant grain supplement. Sixteen prim- and multiparous Holstein cows were housed individually in a tie-stall barn, milked 3x daily, and fed 2x daily. Cows were fed two nutritionally similar diets: 1. TMR with grain in mash form and 2. TMR with grain supplement in a pellet with a 0.953-cm diameter. This study was designed as a single reversal experiment with two 14 d periods with the first 7 d used for an adaptation period and the last 7 d used for data collection in each period. Dry matter intake (DMI), water intake, and milk production was recorded daily. Feed ingredients, TMRS, refusals, and milk samples were collected the last 3 d of each period for analysis. TMRs and refusals were analyzed for particle size distribution with a Penn State Particle Separator. The pelleted supplement had a higher (P<0.05) percentage of DM retained on the 8.0-19.0mm sieve than the mash supplement as the pellet diameter was >8.0mm and could not pass through that sieve. There was no effect of diet (P>0.05) for DMI, feed efficiency, milk component percentage, and protein yield. There was a diet effect (P<0.05) for milk production, fat-corrected milk, energy-corrected milk, solid-corrected milk, and fat yield with lower observed values when cows were fed the pelleted supplement. This leads to the conclusion while a 0.953-cm diameter pellet will reduce starling consumption, it may result in lower milk production of post-peak Holstein cows.

One advantage of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is the potential for bioremediation by organic-extractive organisms. In British Columbia, a number of marine invertebrate species are being considered for use in open-water IMTA with sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria). These include both filter-feeding bivalves (e.g. cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops) which would consume the finer suspended particulates from the finfish culture component and deposit/detrital feeders (e.g. sea cucumbers, sea urchins, prawns) which would feed on the heavier-settleable solids. The following candidate species were tested for their ability to consume sablefish faeces and uneaten sablefish feed in laboratory feeding trials: green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), basket cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii), blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros), and California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus). Whether they can remove organic material from aquaculture wastes was tested by measuring ingestion rate or clearance rate and absorption efficiency when they were fed a diet of sablefish waste, relative to those fed a natural control diet. Egestion rates in the candidate species were quantified to estimate the potential amount of waste that may be lost from the organic-extractive component. Biophysical properties including shape, size, and settling velocity were measured in faecal pellets egested by the candidate species to provide input data for models to assess dispersal of faeces from IMTA sites. Results from the laboratory feeding trials demonstrate that all candidate species are capable of consuming wastes from sablefish aquaculture and absorbing the organic material. The relative merits and drawbacks of each candidate species are discussed with respect to the results and within the broader context of IMTA. The general conclusion is that, in order to achieve efficient removal of organic material and successful bioremediation, deposit feeders should be included in the organic-extractive component, whether alone or in conjunction with suspension feeders.
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