859,163 research outputs found
Development of coal-feeding systems at the Morgantown Energy Research Center
Get PDFSystems for feeding crushed and pulverized coal into coal conversion reactor vessels are described. Pneumatic methods for feeding pulverized coal, slurry feeders, and coal pumps, methods for steam pickup, and a method for drying a water-coal slurry in a steam fluidized bed subsequent to feeding the coal into a reactor vessel are included
Derived Demand for Cattle Feeding Inputs
Get PDFDerived demand relationships among four weight categories of feeder cattle entering Texas feedlots and feed were examined using a Generalized McFadden dual cost function specified as an error correction model. Relationships among own- and cross-price elasticities provide evidence for at least two cattle feeding enterprises, feeding lightweight feeder cattle (calves) and feeding heavier cattle. These results indicate systematic differences in demand relationships among the different weight classes, providing explanation and insight into mixed results from earlier studies. Seasonality differed across weight categories, providing additional support for multiple cattle feeding enterprises. A third step was added to the Engle-Granger two-step estimation procedure to incorporate information provided in the second step.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
OPTIMAL FEED COST STRATEGIES ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY AND LATE CALVING SEASONS
Get PDFInteger programming models were used to examine optimal monthly feeding strategies and costs for March and May calving alternatives. Body condition scores were allowed to fluctuate throughout the year except for calving and breeding periods. The May calving strategy decreased annual feeding costs by $20 per cow.Livestock Production/Industries, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
Mouse circadian plasma leptin and active ghrelin rhythms under ad libitum and scheduled feeding
Get PDFThesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2007Light is the strongest timing cue for the circadian system, but non-photic cues can also entrain the master circadian clock, i.e., suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). In one of our mouse line (ENTR), all mice entrain to scheduled feeding, while in another (NON-ENTR) only 4 % entrain. In order to explore key physiological pathways involved in that process, I quantified the circadian rhythms of plasma leptin and active ghrelin of these two lines of mice under a 12:12 hour light-dark cycle with ad libitum feeding and six hours of food availability during the light period. Plasma active ghrelin induced opposite circadian rhythms compared to leptin, which were most pronounced under scheduled feeding when leptin was highest during and right after the food availability period; active ghrelin was highest at night when food was not available. Compared to ad libitum feeding, the overall concentration of leptin decreased and active ghrelin concentration increased significantly under scheduled feeding. The plasma active ghrelin circadian rhythms of ENTR mice were more robust with higher amplitude rhythms than the NON-ENTR mice under ad libitum feeding and scheduled feeding. I hypothesize that the high amplitude plasma active ghrelin circadian rhythm provides a signal for the ENTR mice to entrain to scheduled feedingIntroduction -- Materials and methods -- Animals under ad libitium feeding -- Animals under scheduled-feeding -- Procedure for obtaining blood samples -- Biochemical analysis -- Statistics -- Results -- Body weight -- Plasma leptin concentrations -- Plasma active ghrelin concentrations -- Behavioral entrainment to scheduled feeding -- Discussion --Circadian plasma leptin levels under different feeding conditions -- Circadian plasma ghrelin levels under different feeding conditions -- Relationship between circadian plasma leptin and active ghrelin levels after scheduled feeding -- Conclusions -- Literature cited
On the methodology of feeding ecology in fish
Get PDFFeeding ecology explains predator’s preference to some preys over others in their habitat and their competitions thereof. The subject, as a functional and applied biology, is highly neglected, and in case of fish, a uniform and consistent methodology is absent. The currently practiced methods are largely centred on mathematical indices and highly erroneous because of non-uniform outcomes. Therefore, it requires a relook into the subject to elucidate functional contributions and to make it more comparable and comprehensive science. In this article, approachable methodological strategies have been forwarded in three hierarchical steps, namely, food occurrence, feeding biology and interpretative ecology. All these steps involve wide ranges of techniques, within the scope of ecology but not limited to, and traverse from narrative to functional evolutionary ecology. The first step is an assumption-observation practice to assess food of fish, followed by feeding biology that links morphological, histological, cytological, bacteriological or enzymological correlations to preferred food in the environment. Interpretative ecology is the higher level of analysis in which the outcomes are tested and discussed against evolutionary theories. A description of possible pedagogics on the methods of feeding ecological studies has also been forwarded
Complementary feeding methods: Associations with feeding and emotional responsiveness
Get PDFLearning to eat complementary foods is a crucial milestone for infants, having implications across development. The most used method for introducing complementary foods is Traditional Spoon-Feeding (TSF). However, the alternative method Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is increasingly becoming used as it has been associated with positive outcomes. Research analyzing associations between complementary feeding methods and responsive parenting is practically non-existent. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze differences in emotional and feeding responsiveness between caregivers who previously implemented traditional vs. non-traditional feeding approaches. Caregivers (mostly mothers) of 179 children between 3 and 5 years were asked about the complementary feeding method that they had followed previously (70.4% reported using the TSF, 16.8% said they used the BLW and 12.8% used both methods simultaneously). In addition, they reported on their feeding practices using the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire and on their responses to children’s distress using the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale. The results showed that parents who reported using a non-traditional (BLW or both) complementary feeding method reported less pressure to eat and minimization of reactions to children’s negative emotions, compared to parents who used a traditional method (although these reported using more problem-focused reactions). The findings suggest that complementary feeding methods and responsive parenting may be linked, leaving the question of which one sets the stage for the other.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A retrospective study of breast milk feeding in infants with oral clefts
Full text linkOBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to gather information from mothers’ of children born with orofacial clefts (OFC) in order to more accurately describe their early feeding experiences, from the time of diagnosis through the first six months of life.
METHODS: We surveyed mother’s whose babies with OFC were treated at Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH) Craniofacial Clinic and were born on or after 1/1/2013 through 12/31/2016. Survey questions were geared toward understanding overall difficulty with feeding, access to supplies for feeding, and methods and duration of any breast milk feeding.
RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of mothers wanted to exclusively breastfeed for the first 16 weeks prior to the OFC diagnosis, of which 79% attempted breastfeeding and 74% attempted any breast milk feeding. Donor milk was used in 18% of mothers and 41% supplemented with formula in the delivery hospital. The majority of women were knowledgeable about facts of breastfeeding and 41% reported they received information from a lactation specialist in their delivery hospital. The level of stress reported by mothers stayed relatively the same over first 4 weeks of life and dropped by 16 weeks. The majority of women who used a breast pump pumped for 0 to 20 minutes in first week and then 0 to 30 minutes between weeks 4 to 16. Thirty percent of mothers reported receiving information specifically from a craniofacial nurse and craniofacial pediatrician before delivery and 36% reported receiving information from a craniofacial nurse and craniofacial pediatrician after their birth hospital stay.
CONCLUSION: Initial study results of feeding practices, knowledge of breast milk feeding, and feeding experiences of mothers with babies born with OFCs show that most mother’s intended to exclusively breastfeed prior to their birth and that the majority of women were reasonably informed about the benefits of breastfeeding. We also found that after the delivery of their child with an OFC more mothers reported having difficulty with feeding and wanted to provide breast milk longer than they were able to do so. Once the data collection is complete the survey data will be stratified for prenatal versus postnatal diagnosis and also when a breast pump was obtained. This information and additional data will be collected from a second phase of the study, which is a medical chart abstraction to look at the child’s demographics and growth chart data for the first six months of life
The Potential Role of Mother-in-Law in Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: A Mixed Methods Study from the Kilimanjaro Region, Northern Tanzania.
Get PDFIn the Kilimanjaro region the mother-in-law has traditionally had an important role in matters related to reproduction and childcare. The aim of this study was to explore the role of the mothers-in-law in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) service utilization and adherence to infant feeding guidelines. The study was conducted during 2007-2008 in rural and urban areas of Moshi district in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Mixed methods were used and included focus group discussions with mothers-in-law, mothers and fathers; in-depth interviews with mothers-in-law, mothers, fathers and HIV-infected mothers, and a survey of 446 mothers bringing their four-week-old infants for immunisation at five reproductive and child health clinics. The study demonstrated that the mother-in-law saw herself as responsible for family health issues in general and child care in particular. However she received limited trust, and couples, in particular couples living in urban areas, tended to exclude her from decisions related to childbearing and infant feeding. Mothers-in-law expected their daughters-in-law to breastfeed in a customary manner and were generally negative towards the infant feeding methods recommended for HIV-infected mothers; exclusive replacement feeding and exclusive breastfeeding. Decreasing influence of the mother-in-law and increasing prominence of the conjugal couples in issues related to reproduction and child care, reinforce the importance of continued efforts to include male partners in the PMTCT programme. The potential for involving mothers-in-law in the infant feeding component, where she still has influence in some areas, should be further explored
Can sacrificial feeding areas protect aquatic plants from herbivore grazing? Using behavioural ecology to inform wildlife management
Get PDFEffective wildlife management is needed for conservation, economic and human well-being objectives. However, traditional population control methods are frequently ineffective, unpopular with stakeholders, may affect non-target species, and can be both expensive and impractical to implement. New methods which address these issues and offer effective wildlife management are required. We used an individual-based model to predict the efficacy of a sacrificial feeding area in preventing grazing damage by mute swans (Cygnus olor) to adjacent river vegetation of high conservation and economic value. The accuracy of model predictions was assessed by a comparison with observed field data, whilst prediction robustness was evaluated using a sensitivity analysis. We used repeated simulations to evaluate how the efficacy of the sacrificial feeding area was regulated by (i) food quantity, (ii) food quality, and (iii) the functional response of the forager. Our model gave accurate predictions of aquatic plant biomass, carrying capacity, swan mortality, swan foraging effort, and river use. Our model predicted that increased sacrificial feeding area food quantity and quality would prevent the depletion of aquatic plant biomass by swans. When the functional response for vegetation in the sacrificial feeding area was increased, the food quantity and quality in the sacrificial feeding area required to protect adjacent aquatic plants were reduced. Our study demonstrates how the insights of behavioural ecology can be used to inform wildlife management. The principles that underpin our model predictions are likely to be valid across a range of different resource-consumer interactions, emphasising the generality of our approach to the evaluation of strategies for resolving wildlife management problems
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