The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire: development and validation of age appropriate versions for infants and toddlers.

BACKGROUND: In order to measure and understand trajectories of parental feeding practices and their relationship with child eating and weight, it is desirable to perform assessment from infancy and across time, in age-appropriate ways. While many feeding practices questionnaires exist, none is presently available that enables tracking of feeding practices from infancy through childhood. The aim of the study was to develop a version of the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) for parents with infants and toddlers (< 2 years) to be used in conjunction with the original FPSQ for older children (≥2 years) to measure feeding practices related to non-responsiveness and structure across childhood. METHODS: Constructs and items for the FPSQ for infants and toddlers were derived from the existing and validated FPSQ for older children and supplemented by a review of the literature on infant feeding questionnaires. Following expert review, two versions of the questionnaire were developed, one for milk feeding parents and one for solid feeding parents. Data from two studies were combined (child ages 0-24 months) to test the derived constructs with Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the milk feeding (N = 731) and solid feeding (N = 611) versions. RESULTS: The milk feeding version consisted of four factors (18 items) and showed acceptable model fit and good internal reliability: 'feeding on demand vs. feeding routine' (α = 0.87), 'using food to calm' (α = 0.87), 'persuasive feeding' (α = 0.71), 'parent-led feeding' (α = 0.79). The same four factors showed acceptable model fit for the solid feeding version (21 items), likewise with good internal reliability (α = 0.74, 0.86, 0.85, 0.84 respectively). Two additional factors (13 items) were developed for the solid feeding version that appeared developmentally appropriate only for children aged 12 months or older: 'family meal environment' (α = 0.81) and 'using (non-)food rewards' (α = 0.92). The majority of factor-factor correlations were in line with those of the original FPSQ. CONCLUSIONS: The FPSQ milk and solid feeding versions are the first measures specifically developed as precursors to the FPSQ to measure parental feeding practices in children < 2 years, particularly practices related to non-responsiveness and structure. Further validation in more diverse samples is required.

Evaluation of IS900-PCR assay for detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies Paratuberculosis infection in cattle using quarter milk and bulk tank milk samples.

A study was conducted to evaluate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of IS900-PCR assay for detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in pooled quarter milk and bulk tank milk. Feces, blood and pooled quarter milk from 1493 lactating cattle on 29 herds were analyzed. Bulk tank milk (n = 29 bulk tanks) samples were also examined. Culture analysis revealed that 10.9%, 2.8%, and 20.6% of fecal, pooled quarter milk samples and bulk tanks were positive for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, respectively. While 13.5% and 27.5% of pooled quarter milk samples and bulk tanks were positive by IS900 PCR assay, respectively. Moderate to high antibody titers for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis were detected in 223 of 1493 (14.4%) cows. Cows positive on fecal culture were taken as true positives relative to which the IS900 PCR assay was evaluated. The sensitivity and predictive value of KELA, pooled quarter milk culture, and IS900 PCR assay increased with lactation age. While the specificity of the tests decreased with increase in lactation age. Overall, the IS900 PCR assay using pooled quarter milk samples had a sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of 0.87, 0.95 and 0.71, respectively. The IS900 PCR assay using bulk tank milk had poor sensitivity (0.21), specificity (0.5) and predictive value (0.6). Pooled quarter milk culture analysis had a very low sensitivity (0.17). The kinetics ELISA had lower sensitivity (0.59), specificity (0.90) and predictive value (0.43) as compared to the IS900 PCR assay using pooled quarter milk samples. Results from our study suggest that IS900 PCR assay using bulk tank milk may not be useful for screening herds with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infected animals. In conclusion, use of IS900 PCR assay for cows in 2(nd) lactation and higher, using aseptically collected pooled quarter milk samples, can be a useful tool for screening and monitoring lactating cattle in herds with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection.

Pooled fecal culture sampling for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis at different herd sizes and prevalence.

A stochastic spreadsheet model was developed to obtain estimates of the costs of whole herd testing on dairy farms for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) with pooled fecal samples. The optimal pool size was investigated for 2 scenarios, prevalence (a low-prevalence herd [< or = 5%] and a high-prevalence herd [> 5%]) and for different herd sizes (100-, 250-, 500- and 1,000-cow herds). All adult animals in the herd were sampled, and the samples of the individuals were divided into equal sized pools. When a pool tested positive, the manure samples of the animals in the pool were tested individually. The individual samples from a negative pool were assumed negative and not tested individually. Distributions were used to model the uncertainty about the sensitivity of the fecal culture at farm level and Map prevalence. The model randomly allocated a disease status to the cows (not shedding, low Map shedder, moderate Map shedder, and heavy Map shedder) on the basis of the expected prevalence in the herd. Pooling was not efficient in 100-cow and 250-cow herds with low prevalence because the probability to detect a map infection in these herds became poor (53% and 88%) when samples were pooled. When samples were pooled in larger herds, the probability to detect at least 1 (moderate to heavy) shedder was > 90%. The cost reduction as a result of pooling varied from 43% in a 100-cow herd with a high prevalence to 71% in a 1,000-cow herd with a low prevalence. The optimal pool size increased with increasing herd size and varied from 3 for a 500-cow herd with a low prevalence to 5 for a 1,000-cow herd with a high prevalence.

Effectiveness of an individualized multidisciplinary programme for managing unsettled infants.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the effectiveness of an individualized multidisciplinary residential programme for managing young unsettled infants and whether changes in unsettled behaviour were maintained. METHODS: One hundred and nine clients of a Tresillian residential unit with singleton infants aged less than 20 weeks were studied before, during and after intervention. Mothers completed a 24 h infant activity record prior to admission, during the stay and 1 month after discharge. Intervention consisted of settling techniques, parent education, support and counselling. RESULTS: By day 4 of admission, the mean duration of unsettled (fussing, crying) behaviour had decreased significantly and mean sleeping time and awake/content times both increased significantly (P < 0.001). These changes were maintained 1 month after discharge. Changes in behaviour were particularly marked for very unsettled infants. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of formal controls, the individualized programme appears effective in managing the behaviour of unsettled infants.

Longitudinal analyses of chest radiographs from the European Carbon Black Respiratory Morbidity Study.

High levels of exposure to carbon black have been linked with an increased prevalence of chest radiograph abnormalities. However, it is unclear to what extent current levels of exposure in the carbon black manufacturing industry are associated with new cases of and progression in small opacities. Longitudinal analyses were carried out on data from workers in the European carbon black manufacturing industry who provided three full-size chest radiographs sequentially between 1987-1995. All chest radiographs were independently read by three experienced readers according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) classification. After exclusion of participants with previous lung diseases or injuries, females, unreadable chest radiographs and from factories with a low participation rate, data from 675 workers were available for the longitudinal analyses. An association was observed between cumulative carbon black exposure and new cases of chest radiograph abnormalities (ILO category > or = 1/0) and progression in small opacities. These associations were mainly related to changes in chest radiographs from workers at one factory. A large percentage of workers with chest radiograph abnormalities reversed to normal chest films; however, after adjusting for other factors, this was not associated with levels of exposure to carbon black dust. In conclusion, the results show that exposure to carbon black is associated with increased risk of chest radiographic abnormalities, which may be reversible after reduction or cessation of exposure.

The pathology of spontaneous paratuberculosis in the North American bison (Bison bison).

Gross and histopathologic examinations were performed on 70 North American bison (Bison bison) from a Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis culture-positive herd. The bison examined were part of a breeding herd totaling 2,800 animals. Eight of 70 (11%) animals had gross findings of intestinal mucosal thickening, and 16 of 70 (23%) of the animals had enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Histologic lesions compatible with Johne's disease were diagnosed in 30 of 70 (43%) bison on the basis of the demonstration of noncaseating granulomatous inflammatory infiltrates and of one or more acid-fast bacilli characteristic of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis. A suspicious diagnosis of Johne's disease was obtained in 11 of 70 (16%) bison on the basis of the observation of noncaseating granulomatous inflammatory infiltrates without demonstrable acid-fast bacteria. Twenty-nine of 70 (41%) animals were assessed as histologically paratuberculosis free. Histologic results were compared to Johne's disease tests such as culture, serology, and polymerase chain reaction, which were performed on some of the cohort animals.

Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from cull dairy cows in New York state and comparison of culture methods used during preharvest food safety investigations.

A number of protocols for the cultural detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in clinical fecal specimens have been proposed. In the present study direct plating of cattle feces was compared to three different broth enrichment protocols, i.e., a protocol with modified E. coli broth with novobiocin, a protocol with Trypticase soy broth with cefixime and vancomycin, and a protocol with Gram-Negative Broth with novobiocin, for their relative abilities to detect E. coli O157:H7 in feces. In all enrichment protocols, dilutions of the enrichment broths onto 150-mm sorbitol-MacConkey agar plates to which cefixime and tellurite were added were used along with reading of agar plates at both 24 and 48 h. Fecal samples came from a preharvest food safety project in which feces from New York cull dairy cattle from a northeastern packing plant along with experimentally inoculated adult dairy cow feces were tested. The performances of the broth enrichments were comparable to each other, but the broth enrichments were superior to direct plating in their ability to detect E. coli O157:H7. Regardless of the culture protocol used, recovery of E. coli O157:H7 is more likely from fresh fecal specimens than from frozen samples. An overall prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 fecal shedding by New York cull dairy cattle of 1.3% was found in specimens just before processing at the packing plant.

Vestibular influences on cat lumbar paravertebral muscles.

Recordings were made from nerves innervating ventral lumbar paravertebral muscles (quadratus lumborum) during natural vestibular stimulation in vertical planes. The best direction of vestibular stimulation for producing an increase in nerve activity was near nose-up pitch in two-thirds of the animals, but was near nose-down pitch in the others. The response gain (re. position) was flat across the frequency range of 0.05-1 Hz, and the responses persisted throughout 11-s static tilts. These data suggest that otolith organs activated by pitch influence activity in the lumbar paravertebral muscles. These responses may serve to stabilize the vertebral column during movements involving body pitch, such as vertical climbing.

Pressor response elicited by nose-up vestibular stimulation in cats.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether selective activation of vestibular receptors produces changes in blood pressure. Blood pressure was recorded during trapezoidal head rotations in cats with extensive denervations to eliminate nonlabyrinthine inputs that could be produced by the movements. Large (50 degrees) nose-up trapezoidal head tilts produced an increase in blood pressure of approximately 18 mmHg; ear-down tilt produced little change in blood pressure. The changes in blood pressure began approximately 1.4 s after the plateau of the stimulus. The responses to nose-up tilt were abolished following intracranial transections of the VIIIth cranial nerves. These data suggest that vestibular inputs elicited by nose-up movements of the head act to rapidly increase blood pressure. This mechanism may contribute to counteracting the orthostatic hypotension induced by nose-up body rotation in quadrupeds.

Changes in outflow to respiratory pump muscles produced by natural vestibular stimulation.

1. Activity was recorded from abdominal (expiratory) and phrenic (inspiratory) nerves during natural vestibular stimulation in multiple vertical planes and the horizontal plane in decerebrate cats. Vestibular stimulation was produced by rotating the head in animals whose upper cervical dorsal roots were transected to remove inputs from neck receptors; the upper airway and carotid sinus were denervated, and the vagus nerves were transected to assure that the head rotations did not elicit visceral or pulmonary inputs. 2. The plane of head rotation that produced maximal modulation of respiratory nerve activity (response vector orientation) was measured at one or more frequencies between 0.05 and 0.5 Hz. The dynamics of the response were then studied with sinusoidal (0.05-2 Hz) stimuli aligned with this orientation. In some animals, sinusoidal horizontal rotations of the head at 0.5 and 1 Hz or static head tilts in the pitch and roll planes were also delivered. 3. Typically, maximal modulation of abdominal nerve outflow was elicited by head rotations in a plane near pitch; nose-up rotations produced increased outflow, and nose-down rotations reduced nerve discharges. The gains of the responses (relative to stimulus position) remained relatively constant across stimulus frequencies, and the phases were consistently near stimulus position, like regularly firing otolith afferents. Static nose-up tilt produced elevated abdominal nerve activity throughout the stimulus period, providing further evidence that pitch-sensitive otolith receptors contribute to the response. Horizontal head rotations had little influence on abdominal nerve discharges. 4. The abdominal nerve responses to head rotation were abolished by chemical or aspiration lesions of the medial and inferior vestibular nuclei, which is concordant with the responses resulting from activation of vestibular receptors. Transections of axons arising from bulbospinal neurons in the ventral respiratory group, which are known to be the predominant source of expiratory signals to the spinal cord, reduced but did not abolish the vestibuloabdominal reflex. Thus it is likely that nonrespiratory neurons also participate in generating this response. 5. Nose-up pitch of the head; and in particular large (50 degrees) static tilts, produced small increases in phrenic nerve activity. Ear-down tilt and horizontal rotation of the head produced no responses in the phrenic nerve. 6. The existence of vestibular inputs to some respiratory motoneurons suggests that the vestibular system has influences on muscles in addition to those typically considered to have antigravity roles, and participates globally in adjusting muscle activity during movement and changes in posture.

Farm-specific approach to paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) control.

Uncertainties in the understanding of Johne's disease make the pursuit of disease control confusing for producers and veterinarians. Genetic control recommendations have limited adoption or success because they fail to account for the unique circumstances of individual farms. A systematic and pragmatic approach for developing farm control plans is presented. It targets the development of plans that are adapted to individual farm circumstances and are thus more likely to be implemented and effective.

Paratuberculosis: a potential zoonosis?

Available literature on the controversial role of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis as an etiologic agent in human Crohn's disease is reviewed. Despite almost 15 years of investigation, the question of causal or consequential association between Johne's disease and Crohn's disease continues to linger.

Vestibular influences on hypoglossal nerve activity in the cat.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if selective activation of vestibular receptors during movement produces changes in hypoglossal nerve activity. Responses were recorded from the hypoglossal nerves during trapezoidal and sinusoidal head rotations in cats with extensive denervations to eliminate non-labyrinthine inputs that could be produced by the movements. Large (50 degrees) nose-up trapezoidal tilts produced an increase in nerve discharge; ear-down tilt was also effective in one-fourth of the animals. The responses to nose-up tilt were abolished following intracranial transections of the VIIIth cranial nerves. Smaller (20 degrees) sinusoidal head rotations in the roll, pitch and yaw planes were ineffective in producing responses. These data suggest that vestibular inputs elicited by nose-up pitch contribute to tongue protrusion and participate in maintaining airway patency by preventing the tongue from falling to the back of the mouth.

Statistical analysis of results of carcinogenicity studies of synthetic vitreous fibres at Research and Consulting Company, Geneva.

Five inhalation studies of synthetic vitreous fibres have recently investigated experimental tumorigenic responses to four different refractory ceramic fibres (RCF), two fibre glasses, one stone (rock) wool and one slag wool. Except for one RCF, the source materials were typical commercial products. Three studies included positive control groups exposed to chrysotile or crocidolite asbestos. The studies were conducted using state-of-the-art technologies for fibre size separation, fibre lofting and nose-only inhalation exposure. The target average fibre size was 20 microns long by 1 micron diameter. Hamsters exposed to a kaolin RCF yielded a mesothelioma rate of 38%, but no lung cancers. There were no tumours among the chrysotile-exposed hamsters. At the highest dose of 30 mg m-3 in rat studies, the commercial RCF all produced significant numbers of lung tumours, and some mesotheliomas. The fourth RCF, which had been heat-treated to simulate an after-service fibre, did not produce a significant excess of lung cancers, but did produce one mesothelioma. A rat multi-dose experiment with three lower doses of the kaolin RCF yielded one mesothelioma among 379 rats, but no excess of lung tumours. The overall dose-response relation for lung cancer did not appear to be linear, consistent with the possibility of a threshold close to the Maximum Tolerated Dose. No insulation wool (glass, stone or slag) exposure group had a lung tumour rate that differed statistically significantly from the tumour rate for the respective concurrent control groups, sham-exposed to filtered air. There was no significant difference in the total tumour rates between the four insulation wool groups and the control animals, and no significant dose-response relation above the respective sham-exposed control tumour rates. The total lung tumour rates for rats in both chrysotile and crocidolite exposure groups were significantly raised. One animal in each asbestos-exposed group developed a mesothelioma, whereas no air control or insulation wool-exposed animal did so.

Study of the respiratory health of employees in seven European plants that manufacture ceramic fibres.

OBJECTIVES: To study the relation between occupational exposure to ceramic fibres during manufacture and respiratory health. METHODS: The respiratory health of 628 current employees in the manufacture of ceramic fibres in seven European plants in three countries was studied with a respiratory questionnaire, lung function tests, and chest radiography. Simultaneous plant hygiene surveys measured subjects' current exposure to airborne ceramic fibres from personal samples with optical microscopy fibre counts. The measured exposures were combined with occupational histories to derive estimates of each subject's cumulative exposure to respirable fibres. Symptoms were related to current and cumulative exposure to ceramic fibres and lung function and findings from chest radiographs were related to cumulative exposure. RESULTS: The mean duration of employment was 10.2 years and mean (range) cumulative exposure was 3.84 (0-22.94) (f.ml-1.y). Eye and skin symptoms were frequent in all plants and increased significantly, as did breathlessness and wheeze, with increasing current exposure. Dry cough and stuffy nose were less common in the least exposed group but did not increase with increasing exposure. After adjustment for the effects of age, sex, height, smoking, and past occupational exposures to respiratory hazards, there was a significant decrease in both forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced midexpiratory flow related to cumulative exposure in current smokers (P < 0.05) and in FEV1 in ex-smokers (P < 0.05). Small opacities were found in 13% of the chest radiographs; their prevalence was not related to cumulative exposure to ceramic fibres. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that exposure to ceramic fibres is associated with irritant symptoms similar to those seen in other exposures to man made mineral fibres (MMMFs) and that cumulative exposure to respirable ceramic fibres may cause airways obstruction by promoting the effects of cigarette smoke.

World health organization (WHO) consensus questionnaire on validity of methods for assessment of carcinogenicity of man-made fibers.

In May 1992, the WHO European Office held an expert consultation on the assessment of carcinogenicity of man-made fibers. WHO decided to determine whether the conclusions of such an expert consultation would be supported by scientific opinion internationally. For this experiment, WHO sent the 28 conclusions of the consultation, as a Consensus Questionnaire, to scientists worldwide seeking agreement, or otherwise, with the conclusions. Two hundred scientists responded. For every conclusion, at least 70% of respondents agreed, and for over half the conclusions more than 90% agreed. For some conclusions there were significant differences by country of respondent and/or by work environment. Respondents from the U.S.A., or in Government employ, tended to agree with the questions less often, and those from Germany, or from Industry, most often. The disagreements were most often related to questions concerned with the models for assessing carcinogenicity, but in every case the disagreements were expressed by fewer than one in three of respondents. There was minority opinion that the inhalation model was not adequately sensitive for assessing human hazards and that the intraperitoneal test could give validated answers on the carcinogenicity of fibers. Three questions demonstrated significant variability in response rate both from country to country and by work environment group. Each of the original WHO conclusions was concerned with shortcomings of the intraperitoneal test, when used for carcinogenicity classification. For these questions, the overall agreement rates were 85 to 91%. Respondents from U.S.A. and from Government disagreed with the WHO conclusions more often than others. Those from Germany and in Research agreed most often. This experiment has shown that the Consensus Questionnaire approach can be used to seek international scientific opinion. It has also shown that the conclusions of future expert consultations need to be formulated in a manner suitable for the Consensus Questionnaire approach, to avoid the ambiguities that can arise if too many concepts are included within a single conclusion.

A quasi-experimental evaluation of Students Against Driving Drunk.

The current research was designed to assess the effectiveness of one nationally prominent and highly publicized driving while intoxicated (DWI) prevention program for youth, Students Against Driving Drunk (S.A.D.D.). Process and outcome data were collected over a 2-year period in two states--California and New Mexico. In each state, one treatment school which implemented S.A.D.D. was compared to a closely matched comparison school on a variety of DWI-related measures over three waves of survey data collection. Process data indicated that in neither school was the entire S.A.D.D. model implemented. Student participation was moderate in the California school and marginal in the New Mexico school. There was also little evidence that S.A.D.D. stimulated increased curriculum attention to DWI issues. Outcome data provided no evidence for effects of S.A.D.D. on any of the DWI measures. General maturational trends in these variables were observed in the study cohorts, but these trends were not differentiated between the treatment and comparison schools. There was also no support for the concern that S.A.D.D. may stimulate student drinking by encouraging alternative means of transportation for intoxicated students.