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Wheat is the most common concentrate fed to grazing dairy cows in Australia, but no studies have examined the effects of wheat proportion in a pasture-based diet on milk production and methane emissions. In this 47-d experiment, 32 Holstein dairy cows were offered 1 of 4 diets during d 1 to 36. Cows in each of the dietary treatment groups were individually offered no wheat (W0) or wheat at 3 kg of dry matter (DM)/d (W3), 6 kg of DM/d (W6), or 9 kg of DM/d (W9). The remainder of the diet was 2.2 kg of DM of concentrate mix and freshly harvested perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) such that all individual cows were offered a total diet of approximately 20.2 kg of DM/d. From d 37 to 47 the diets of cows receiving treatments W0 and W3 remained unchanged, but cows in treatments W6 and W9 received the W3 diet. Individual cow feed intakes, milk yields, milk compositions, and methane emissions were measured for d 31 to 35 (period 1) and d 45 to 47 (period 2). During period 1, the mean intakes of cows offered the W0, W3, W6, and W9 diets were 19.2, 20.4, 20.2, and 19.8 kg of DM/d. Diet caused differences in energy-corrected milk, and means for W0, W3, W6, and W9 were 29.5, 32.4, 33.0, and 32.9 kg/d, respectively. Milk fat percentage differed with respective means of 3.93, 3.94, 3.69, and 3.17. Diets also caused differences in methane emissions, with means for W0, W3, W6, and W9 of 440, 431, 414, and 319 g/d. During period 1, the cows fed the W9 diet produced less methane and had lower methane yields (g/kg of DMI) and intensities (g/kg of energy-corrected milk) than cows fed the W3 diet. However, in period 2 when the wheat intake of cows in the W9 treatment was reduced to the same level as in the W3 treatment, their methane emissions, yields, and intensities were similar to those offered the W3 treatment, yet protozoa numbers in ruminal fluid were still much lower than those in cows offered the W3 treatment. Our research shows that for diets based on perennial ryegrass and crushed wheat, only the diet containing more than 30% crushed wheat resulted in substantially depressed milk fat concentration and reduced methane emissions, methane yield, and methane intensity. Thus, although feeding a diet with a high proportion of wheat can cause substantial methane mitigation, it can come at the cost of depression in milk fat concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principle aim of this study was to estimate the number of sessions of psychotherapy needed for clients suffering from psychiatric illness to return to a normal state of functioning or reliably improve. This would be helpful for treatment planning and policy decisions regarding how much therapy is enough. The progress of 125 clients entering psychological treatment in two university training clinics was tracked on a session-by-session basis using a naturalistic design. Recovery and reliable improvement were the bi-nomial events of interest used in a survival analysis that estimated the number of weekly treatment sessions needed to meet criteria. Using survival analysis it was estimated that it would take about 8 sessions for 50% of clients to show reliable improvement and 21 sessions for about 85% to meet this criterion. Recovery took more treatment, with 50% of clients estimated to recover after 14 sessions and 70% requiring 23. On the basis of the present results we conclude that the present policy of the Australian Government in both the public and private sector regarding the number of sessions needed for clients entering psychological treatments to show a benefit is much less than is, in fact, necessary. The findings of the current study are roughly consistent with those found elsewhere and suggest a minimum benefit should be closer to 20 sessions. The current policy appears to be suitable for only about one-third of clients who carry the burden of psychological illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-factor experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary astaxanthin concentration on the skin colour of snapper. Snapper (mean weight=129 g) were held in white cages and fed one of seven dietary levels of unesterified astaxanthin (0, 13, 26, 39, 52, 65 or 78 mg astaxanthin kg−1) for 63 days. Treatments comprised four replicate cages, each containing five fish. The skin colour of all fish was quantified using the CIE L*, a*, b* colour scale after 21, 42 and 63 days. In addition, total carotenoid concentrations of the skin of two fish cage−1 were determined after 63 days. Supplementing diets with astaxanthin strongly affected redness ( a*) and yellowness ( b*) values of the skin at all sampling times. After 21 days, the a* values increased linearly as the dietary astaxanthin concentration was increased before a plateau was attained between 39 and 78 mg kg−1. The b* values similarly increased above basal levels in all astaxanthin diets. By 42 days, a* and b* values increased in magnitude while a plateau remained between 39 and 78 mg kg−1. After 63 days, there were no further increases in measured colour values, suggesting that maximum pigmentation was imparted in the skin of snapper fed diets >39 mg kg−1 after 42 days. Similarly, there were no differences in total carotenoid concentrations of the skin of snapper fed diets >39 mg kg−1 after 63 days. The plateaus that occurred in a* and b* values, while still increasing in magnitude between 21 and 42 days, indicate that the rate of astaxanthin deposition in snapper is limited and astaxanthin in diets containing >39 mg astaxanthin kg−1 is not efficiently utilized. Astaxanthin retention after 63 days was greatest from the 13 mg kg−1 diet; however, skin pigmentation was not adequate. An astaxanthin concentration of 39 mg kg−1 provided the second greatest retention in the skin while obtaining maximum pigmentation. To efficiently maximize skin pigmentation, snapper growers should commence feeding diets containing a minimum of 39 mg unesterified astaxanthin kg−1 at least 42 days before sale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty one infants born less than 30 weeks׳ gestational age were randomised to receive either 40 (n=11), 80 (n=9) or 120 (n=11) mg/kg/day of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) respectively as an emulsion, via the feeding tube, commenced within 4 days of the first enteral feed. Twenty three infants were enroled in non-randomised reference groups; n=11 who had no supplementary DHA and n=12 who had maternal DHA supplementation. All levels of DHA in the emulsion were well tolerated with no effect on number of days of interrupted feeds or days to full enteral feeds. DHA levels in diets were directly related to blood DHA levels but were unrelated to arachidonic acid (AA) levels. All randomised groups and the maternal supplementation reference group prevented the drop in DHA levels at study end that was evident in infants not receiving supplementation. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12610000382077., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)