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Estimation of the Extent of Bacterial Contamination in Bag Residues and its Influence on In Sacco Measurements of Forage Nitrogen Degradation in Rumen
Get PDFThe nylon bag technique has been used for many years to explain variations in intake and/or digestibility between forages (Van Keuren and Heinemann, 1962; Demarquilly and Chenost, 1969). More recently, this technique has appeared a relatively simple method to estimate the extent and rate of feeds (particularly protein) degradation in the rumen (Mehrez and Orskov, 1977; Madsen and Hvelplund, 1985). In all these studies, it is implicitely accepted that the nitrogen remaining in bags after a stay of variable duration in the rumen corresponds to non degraded feed nitrogen. However, in recent years, several authors (Mathers and Aitchison, 1981 with DAPA and Varvikko and Lindberg, 1985 with 15N) have shown that a variable fraction of residual nitrogen is, in fact, bacterial protein. This bacterial contamination leads to an underestimation of feed protein degradability in the rumen, the extent of which varies according to the type of feed (Varvikko and Lindberg, 1985). The variations in percentage bacterial protein in bag residues and, more recently, the correction of forage protein degradability estimates which are necessary, have not yet been well defined due to the small number of feeds studies. This paper presents measurements of the impact of microbial contamination on forage protein degradability estimated by the in sacco method. They make it possible to calculate from simple chemical criteria the underestimation of forage protein degradability which would occur if the contamination is not taken into consideration. To obtain a number of results sufficient to provide this estimation, it was necessary to determine the bacterial contamination of bag residues for a wide range of forages. The technique of decontamination of bag contents was prefered to the longer and more costly direct measurement of bacterial protein with markers (DAP, 15N and s35)
Fermentation Characteristics of Temperate Forage Stems Digested in Vitro
Get PDFDigestion of herbage by ruminants is limited primarily by concentration of neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) in herbage and degradability of this cell-wall material. Because mature stems usually contain more NDF than immature stems or leaves the proportion of stems approaching maturity is normally\u27 the dominant morphological factor that determines digestibility of herbage (Buxton and Hornstein, 1986). On the basis of digestibility, NDF can be divided into two fractions: potentially digestible NDF (PDNDF) and indigestible NDF (IDNDF; Mertens and Ely, 1982), which is not digested regardless of length of fermentation. Digestion of NDF can be characterized by a two-stage process involving a lag followed by microbial degradation. Both duration of lag and digestion rate of PDNDF determine the time required for PDNDF is digestion. The digestion lag is probably related to hydration rate of NDF and/or time needed for microbial association with NDF. Digestion rate of PDNDF seems to be related to intrinsic chemical and physical characteristics of the NDF (Buxton, 1989). This study was undertaken to determine the influence of digestion lag, rate of digestion, and stem characteristics on total digestion time of PDNDF
Rumen Degradation of Various Grass Species at Different Stages of Growth
Get PDFThe species and cultivars sown depends on the farming system practiced. These developing swards are however, always invaded by native species including Agrostis, Paa and Festuca spp. which are generally referred to as \u27weed\u27 grasses. While the merits of Lolium spp. are well documented (Minson et al. 1960; Norton, 1982) information on the weed grasses is limited (Haggar, 1976). The potential for milk and meat production is dependent on the supply of utilizable nutrients to the animal\u27s tissues which in turn is largely governed by the ability of rumen microbes to degrade plant cell walls. Although the degradability of dry matter can be quantitatively determined using nylon bag methods, this gives no information on plant tissues that are resistant to microbial enzymes. Direct observation by microscopy of the degradation process has the potential to yield this valuable information. The objective of this work was to determine the degradability characteristics of different grasses at four stages of growth
Introducing an Eating Disorder Protocol in the Pediatric Primary Care Setting
Get PDFBackground: The incidence of eating disorders has been on the rise, often beginning in adolescence and continuing well into adulthood. Consequences of untreated disrupted eating patterns can affect multiple body systems and are responsible for thousands of deaths annually. Despite these facts, research and data regarding eating disorders in adolescent patients are severely deficient. There is also a lack of standardization regarding assessing eating disorders in the pediatric primary care setting, as there are no specific guidelines or screening processes recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for the detection of eating disorders.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to pilot an eating disorder protocol to a pediatric primary care clinic in Jasper, Indiana. The target population for this project were adolescents ages 12-17 years presenting for routine wellness exams.
Design: A quasi-experimental design was used for this project to evaluate interventions.
Methods: A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate intervention strategies’ impact on eating disorder screening rates in the pediatric primary care setting. A 4-week retrospective chart review was conducted prior to implementing the eating disorder protocol. The protocol consisted of administrating the EDE-QS to all patients 12 to 17 years of age who presented for a wellness examination. The protocol also included education to participating providers, which consisted of eating disorder significance, consequences, the importance and current data that exists in favor of routine screening, treatment recommendations set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and resources for further information. Current practices in relation to referrals were utilized, including psychiatrists and counselors, nutritionists and dieticians, feeding clinics, and inpatient treatment at outside facilities. A 4-week prospective chart review was conducted to understand the change in screening rates and the prevalence of eating disorder behaviors among this age group. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient to discover strengths of relationships between patient responses and age, as well as patient responses and BMI.
Results: Zero patients out of 37 were screened in the retrospective chart review. Twenty patients were screened using the EDE-QS in the 4-week prospective review. Nine responded with a score of 0, while 11 scored with a 1 or higher. The overall mean score was 3.45. Five patients scored above the EDE-Q mean global score of 1.4 and five patients reported behaviors specific for eating disorder behaviors. The Weight Concern subscale yielded the highest scores, with all 11 patients who responded with a 1 or greater on the EDE-QS revealing some degree of weight concern, despite majority of participants being considered “healthy weight,” per their BMI. There were positive correlations between age and EDE-QS scores and BMI and EDE-QS scores, but relationships were weak (p=.653, p=.698 respectively) and not clinically significant given sample size and other limitations.
Conclusion: The EDE-QS has proven to have the potential to be a useful tool in the primary care setting, as it is brief and requires a shorter recall from patients when compared to other versions. There were no clinically significant patterns or trends in data to suggest that patients with specific demographics are at risk due to limited sample size and lack of diversity. Further research is needed for accurate conclusions to be made regarding eating disorders in adolescents
THE USE OF PEER-TO-PEER OBSERVATION AND FEEDBACK CYCLES TO ADDRESS FACTORS IMPACTING PERCEIVED PROFESSIONAL SELF-EFFICACY OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS IN A KENTUCKY SCHOOL DISTRICT: A MIXED METHODS ACTION RESEARCH STUDY
Get PDFResearch has shown that the school librarian occupies a unique and singular role in school settings. As such, their belief in their ability to master professional competencies is often self-referential and subject to negative influence from external organizational forces. This Mixed-Methods Action Research study explored the effect targeted institutional support for professional practice, via Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback cycles, has on perceptions of professional self-efficacy among the school librarians in one district.
A literature review focused on self-efficacy theory and school library research relating to role perception, organizational positioning, professional competencies, and job satisfaction anchored the diagnosis phase of this study. Informal conversations with stakeholders and a review of organizational data combined with the literature to refine a problem of practice. Reconnaissance findings indicated that school librarians value peer collaboration and respect feedback offered by their peers at other schools. Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback cycles were identified as an appropriate vehicle to effect positive changes in self-efficacy beliefs and related professional growth. Five volunteer participants completed eight P2P cycles over the course of four months. The study findings suggest that intentionally integrating P2P cycles into professional growth plans for school librarians could address lingering challenges with isolation and organizational siloing. Though findings are not generalizable, they do support existing research regarding high yield professional learning strategies and professional support for school librarians
HAND ME DOWN
No full textHand Me Down is a collection of poetry and visual art by Meg Whelan. This thesis examines how trauma is an act of fracture and how poesis is an act of holding the pieces. This work thematically explores grief, challenges religion, documents sexual violence, reckons with intergenerational abuse, witnesses queer discovery, and upholds a healing love. Hand Me Down is an effort to understand what has been handed down to the poet, how she has been handed down, what her hands might do with what they hold, and what she might hand down in her lifetime
No Hope?: Queer Negativity, Afropessimism, and the Limits of Futurity
Get PDFSince their inceptions, black and queer studies have sought to articulate the positions of “black” and “queer” within American social life—often converging on the goal of liberation. This thesis examines the intersection of two “negative” theoretical frameworks—Afropessimism and anti-social queer theory (or “queer negativity”)—to interrogate both the limits and generative potential of radical negativity. Though emerging from distinct intellectual traditions, these frameworks conceptualize blackness and queerness as constitutive negations—gaps within the dominant social order that render those so marked inassimilable to normative notions of humanity. While the convergences of these theories can be illuminating, their shared pessimism risks obscuring alternative modes of life and hope that emerge in spite of this negation. To explore this tension, I analyze James Baldwin’s Another Country (1962) and Octavia E. Butler’s Dawn (1987)—texts frequently cited for their bleak portrayals of black life—focusing on their engagements with queerness and their complex articulations of hope. What emerges is a sort of oppositional hope: a rejection of the existing order that does not transcend negation but works within and through it, gesturing toward (if not quite reaching) black/queer futures that resist current logics of intelligibility and envision new possibilities for being
Evaluating the Outcomes of an Educational Intervention for Providers and Two-Week Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in Adults
Get PDFAbstract
Background: Approximately 1.28 billion adults worldwide have hypertension (HTN), which greatly increases the risk of morbidity and premature death. Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has been shown to increase efficacy of treatment decisions, but is underused in primary care. About 46% of adults are unaware that they have hypertension and only about 21% of those who have been diagnosed have it controlled.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to evaluate a previous practice improvement project and improve the HBPM process for sustainability.
Methods This HBPM study utilized a retrospective study design combined with a practice improvement project to strengthen the evidence and provide insight for future usage of the two-week HBPM handout. The setting was UK Phyllis D. Corbitt Clinic as this clinic provides primary care for the local Wilmore Community. The PI piloted the HBPM process by identifying adults with a blood pressure \u3e130/80, have a home blood pressure cuff, and provided them with a HBPM handout to be completed and returned in two weeks. The PI utilized UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) to provide the MRNs of 100 patients with a BP \u3e130/80 before and 74 patients after education was completed with the APRNs of Wilmore at a staff meeting to evaluate the usage of smart phrase “.homebpinstructions”, CPT codes, and demographic data.
Results: Education for the APRNs and use of the HBPM smart phrase “.homebpinstructions” resulted in a decrease of 3.63mmHg in the systolic blood pressure after education and a decrease of 2.19mmHg in the diastolic blood pressure. The smart phrase “.homebpinstructions” and CPT codes 99473 and 99474 were underutilized, however the smart phrase usage that included the HBPM handout was increased by 12.2 %. Due to the lack of patients in the HBPM (n=2) quality improvement portion of this project, analysis of this data was not possible.
Conclusion: This DNP project demonstrates the use of provider and patient education for improvement of blood pressure control as well as usage of HBPM. The HBPM handout and smart phrase can be easily disseminated to further clinics and healthcare systems who use EPIC as an EHR. Providers should be aware of the current guidelines from AHA for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension to improve patient outcomes and prevent stroke and heart disease in these patients. Furthermore, future research is needed to focus on eliminating barriers to returning the HBPM handout and improve compliance with HBPM
EFFECTS OF DIETARY ENERGY SOURCE AND STRESS ON EQUINE INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY AND INFLAMMATION
Get PDFDietary concentrate is often provided to exercising horses to meet energy requirements. However, both high-starch and high-fat diets may be associated with alterations in intestinal barrier function. To investigate this, 32 mature horses were fed one of four isocaloric dietary concentrate treatments (n = 8 per treatment): 1) a concentrate with cracked corn providing 4 g starch⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 and 0.2 g fat⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 (CC), 2) a concentrate with puffed corn providing 4 g starch⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 and 0.2 g fat⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 (PC), 3) a concentrate with puffed corn and soybean oil providing 2 g starch⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 and 0.6 g fat⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 (moderate-fat; MF), or 4) a concentrate with puffed corn and soybean oil providing 1 g starch⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 and 1.2 g fat⋅kg BW-1⋅d-1 (high-fat; HF). Baseline measurements were taken during week -2 (PRE). Gradual adaptation to treatment diets occurred during weeks -1 and 0. Horses were maintained on the concentrate diets until the end of the study (week 7). Fecal pH was measured PRE and in weeks 3 and 5, and postprandial plasma glucose and insulin kinetics were assessed during week 3. Gut permeability was measured using plasma appearance of three orally-dosed non-metabolizable sugar analogues, mannitol, lactulose, and sucralose. Gut permeability and whole blood inflammatory cytokine mRNA were measured PRE and in weeks 5 and 7, and salivary cortisol was measured during a 12-hour stress test (short transport and individual housing) in week 7. Fecal pH was less (P ≤ 0.04) in horses fed CC and HF compared to those fed PC or MF. Horses fed HF had greater (P = 0.004) plasma sucralose area under the curve (AUC) than horses fed PC. Plasma sucralose AUC was also greater (P ≤ 0.06) for horses fed HF and CC than those fed MF and PC respectively. Horses fed CC had numerically greater plasma sucralose concentrations than those fed PC after 6 hours post-dosing, while those fed HF had numerically greater plasma lactulose concentrations before 6-hours post dosing. Salivary cortisol concentration remained greater than baseline during the stress test but was not influenced by dietary treatment (P = 0.08). During the week 7 stress test, peak concentration and AUC for all markers of gut permeability were increased (P ≤ 0.02) compared to week 5 (no stress), and concentrations of all markers were numerically greater before 6 hours post-dosing in week 7 compared to week 5. Whole blood IL-1β and Il-6 mRNA were increased (P ≤ 0.01) during the week 7 stress test compared to PRE and week 5. Taken together, these results indicate that dietary energy source and stress can impact equine small intestinal and hindgut permeability
Hardcore and Metal Music in Music Therapy: A Functional Guide for Music Therapists and Music Therapy Students
Get PDFHardcore and metal music have long been misrepresented, stigmatized, and dismissed in music academia, and overlooked in music therapy literature and education. However, these genres hold significant emotional, cultural, and therapeutic value for many listeners, offering unique opportunities for connection, expression, catharsis, and healing. This thesis presents a practical, introductory guide to help music therapists and music therapy students gain an understanding of why, when, and how to effectively and authentically incorporate hardcore and metal music into clinical practice. The project explores the historical development of these genres; sociocultural associations and considerations, including stigmatization, sensationalism, and the juxtaposing sociopolitical dynamics within hardcore and metal scenes; and existing literature pertaining to their potential therapeutic impact. Core musicianship techniques, versatile music technology tools, and a structured application of the Therapeutic Function of Music (TFM) framework are presented to support clinical adaptation. Key insights include the importance of examining personal and systemic biases, developing genre-relevant musical fluency, and embracing technology to authentically represent these styles. Further research is needed to explore the complex and nuanced relationship between these genres and mental health, as well as their application in music therapy-specific contexts. This thesis highlights the clinical potential of hardcore and metal music and encourages further dialogue, research, and innovation surrounding the clinical use and education of overlooked genres in music therapy to broaden the field’s capacity to support diverse musical identities and lived experiences