Quality Lab Research Articles

Evaluation of Cow-Side Meters to Determine Somatic Cell Count in Individual Cow Quarter and Bulk-Tank Milk Samples.

Intramammary infections, which cause mastitis, can increase treatment and labor costs, decrease milk production, and affect milk quality. Meters that measure quarter somatic cell count (SCC) could be used to make more informed dry cow therapy decisions. The objective of this study was to compare the RT-10 iPhone adapter (RT-10; Dairy Quality Inc., Newmarket, ON, Canada), DeLaval Cell Counter (DSCC; DeLaval, Gurnee, IL, USA), Porta Check Quick Test (PortaCheck, White City, OR, USA), California Mastitis Test (ImmuCell, Portland, ME USA), pH meter (Hanna Instruments, Smithfield, RI, USA), electrical conductivity meter (OHAUS, Parsippany, NJ, USA), and the dual laser infrared temperature thermometer (Klein Tools, Lincolnshire, IL, USA) for measuring SCC in individual Holstein mammary quarters in comparison to a reference standard, the Fourier Transform Spectrometer 600 Combi System (Combi; Bentley Instruments, Chaska, MN, USA). Meters were evaluated using 658 individual cow quarter samples and 100 bulk-tank samples to measure SCC. Individual quarter milk samples from 160 cows from four commercial dairy herds were collected just before dry off and tested within 4 h of collection. To test bulk-tank SCC, 100 bulk-tank milk samples (25 mL) were collected from UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Milk Quality Lab. Meter SCC values were regressed on observed Combi SCC. Goodness of fit was then evaluated by partitioning the mean square predicted error (MSPE). For individual quarter SCC, RT-10 had the highest coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.86), lowest MSPE, and highest proportion of MSPE due to random variation (96%). Both the RT-10 and DSCC had the highest sensitivity and specificity for identifying quarter SCC above and below 200,000 cells/mL. For bulk-tank SCC, DSCC had the highest coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.45), lowest MSPE, and highest proportion of MSPE due to random variation (80%). The RT-10 and DSCC could be used to measure individual quarter SCC to determine which cows to treat at dry off potentially reducing antibiotic use.

'MH-21,' A NOVEL HIGH-YIELDING AND RUSTS RESISTANT BREAD WHEAT VARIETY FOR IRRIGATED AREAS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Developing high-yielding wheat varieties tolerant to abiotic and biotic stresses is a challenge wheat breeder currently face. Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad, Pakistan, has released 65 wheat varieties, including MH-21, for several zones since its establishment in 1906. MH-21, with the varietal code V-12304, gave 11.2% and 10.28% more grain yield than the check variety (Faisalabad-08), respectively, in preliminary (2011–2012) and regular yield trials (2012–2013). Then, testing it in outstation yield trials proceeded over 21 locations in Punjab province (2013–2014) and 18 locations all over Pakistan (2014–2015, 2017–2018, and 2019– 2020) for yield and disease constancy, simultaneous with agronomic field trials and quality lab testing during 2014–2018 and 2014–2016, respectively. It exhibited an amber seed color, semi-erect growth habit at booting, erect flag leaf attitude, hairiness auricle, awned yellowish ear, and elevated shoulder and beak shape of glumes traits. DNA fingerprinting of MH-21 ensued to compare its genetic background with previously registered 21 wheat varieties. Given the promising stable performance in multi-locations over the years for better grain yield, nutritional quality, and resistance against rusts, the Punjab Seed Council approved V12304 in 2021 with the name „MH-21‟ for general cultivation in irrigated areas of Punjab, Pakistan.

Measuring Online Engineering Laboratory Satisfaction During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract : The idea of remote/virtual laboratories is still limited in Engineering due to the nature of engineering applications, equipment, and the competencies students are expected to gain as future engineers. Once COVID-19 hit, there was no time to think, review, and study how educational institutions can integrate remote/distance learning laboratories into their curriculum. Universities in our country and the rest of educational institutions around the globe rushed to find solutions to make sure students still get the best learning experience and gain the core concepts as expected. Many had to make instant decisions and purchase software, simulators, and/or record technical experiments and share them with students. In many majors, this wasn't an issue and there were many resources accessible to students that required minimal direction from educators. However, for engineering majors, simulators are not available for all labs and even if they are available, educational institutions are required to provide them to students with suitable documentation and usage instructions. In addition, recording a demonstration for experiments doesn't provide students with the handson experience they are aiming for. Adopt and learn was the main theme during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is what our department did to guarantee a quality lab experience for its students and later communicate valuable feedback to achieve the best level of learning. This paper focused on getting an insight into the lab experience for students in Digital Communications and Analog Communications laboratories during the COVID pandemic. Measuring the satisfaction level of students' experience was via conducting surveys with a focus on three main skills which are: hands-on experience, teamwork, and communication skills. Keywords: Engineering Education; Online Laboratories; COVID-19; Electrical Engineering.

Threading QSEN Competencies Across a Baccalaureate Nursing Program: The Development of Dedicated QSEN Labs.

In response to the development of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies and noting lower standardized test scores, nursing faculty at a midwestern United States university developed three safety and quality labs throughout a traditional baccalaureate curriculum. These labs intentionally integrated the QSEN competencies and occurred over three semesters of the nursing program. Students' learning activities aligned with the QSEN competencies and were leveled across the labs. Throughout all the labs, all six QSEN competencies provided a framework for students to learn the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to the profession of nursing. Students spent most of their time in the labs learning the QSEN competency of safety, followed by teamwork and collaboration, quality improvement, patient-centered care, informatics, and evidenced-based practice. The QSEN competencies provided a framework to teach pre-licensure nursing students the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential in the profession of nursing. Safety and Quality I focused on foundational skills and individual patient safety. Safety and Quality II introduced intermediate skills with an emphasis on safety. The third and final lab introduced students to advanced quality improvement, teamwork and collaboration, and system safety. After the completion of the labs, the students stated they had gained knowledge and confidence in the application of all six QSEN competencies. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(9):526-528.].

Manure Flushing vs. Scraping in Dairy Freestall Lanes Reduces Gaseous Emissions

The objective of the present study was to mitigate ammonia (NH3), greenhouse gases (GHGs), and other air pollutants from lactating dairy cattle waste using different freestall management techniques. For the present study, cows were housed in an environmental chamber from which waste was removed by either flushing or scraping at two different frequencies. The four treatments used were (1) flushing three times a day (F3), (2) flushing six times a day (F6), (3) scraping three times a day (S3), and (4) scraping six times a day (S6). Flushing freestall lanes to remove manure while cows are out of the barn during milking is an industry standard in California. Gas emissions were measured with a mobile agricultural air quality lab connected to the environmental chamber. Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions were decreased (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05) in the flushing vs. scraping treatments, respectively. Scraping increased NH3 emissions by 175 and 152% for S3 and S6, respectively vs. F3. Ethanol (EtOH) emissions were increased (p < 0.001) when the frequency of either scraping or flushing was increased from 3 to 6 times but were similar between scraping and flushing treatments. Methane emissions for the F3 vs. other treatments, were decreased (p < 0.001). Removal of dairy manure by scraping has the potential to increase gaseous emissions such as NH3 and GHGs.

Impact of Agricultural Practices on Water Quality of Old Woman Creek Watershed, Ohio

The effect of agricultural practices on water quality of Old Woman Creek (OWC) watershed was evaluated in a hydrological model using the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) climate data and 20 different global circulation models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). A hydrological model was set up in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), while calibration was done using a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm and Pareto Optimization with PRISM climate data. Validation was done using the measured data from the USGS gage station at Berlin Road in the OWC watershed and water quality data were obtained from the water quality lab, Heidelberg University. Land use scenario simulations were conducted by varying percentages of agricultural land from 20% to 40%, 53.5%, 65%, and 80% while adjusting the forest area. A total of 105 simulations was run for the period 2015–2017: one with PRISM data and 20 with CMIP5 model data for each of the five land use classes scenarios. Ten variables were analyzed, including flow, sediment, organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, mineral phosphorus, chlorophyll a, CBOD, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. For all the variables of interest, the average of the 20 CMIP5 simulation results show good correlation with the PRISM results with an underestimation relative to the PRISM result. The underestimation was insignificant in organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll a, CBOD, and total phosphorus, but was significant in CMIP5 flow, sediment, mineral phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen. A weak negative correlation was observed between agricultural land percentages and flow, and between agricultural land percentages and sediment, while a strong positive correlation was observed between agricultural land use and the water quality variables. A large increase in farmland will produce a small decrease in flow and sediment transport with a large increase in nutrient transport, which would degrade the water quality of the OWC estuary with economic implications.

Effect of Projected Land Use and Climate Change on Water Quality of Old Woman Creek Watershed, Ohio

The separate and synergistic effects of land use and climate change on water quality variables in Old Woman Creek (OWC) watershed were evaluated using a hydrological model set up in Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the OWC watershed. Model calibration was done using a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and pareto optimization. The Parameter-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) climate data and the 20 different Global Circulation Models (GCMs) developed by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase five (CMIP5) were used. Validation was done using the streamflow data from USGS gaging station and water quality data from the water quality lab, Heidelberg University. The simulation was divided into two land use scenarios: Scenario 1 for constant land use and Scenario 2 where land use was varied. Both land use simulations were run in four time periods to account for climate change: historical (1985–2014), current to near future (2018–2045), mid-century (2046–2075), and late-century (2076–2100) climate windows. For the historical period, the average of all the simulations made from the 20 different CMIP5 GCMs shows good agreement with the PRISM results for flow and the water quality variables of interest with smaller inter-model variability compared to PRISM results. For the other three climate windows, the results of Scenario 1 show an increase in flow and eight water quality variables (sediment (total suspended sediment), organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus (particulate p), mineral phosphorus (soluble reactive p), chlorophyll a, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD), dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen) across the climate windows but a slight decrease in one water quality variable, mineral phosphorus in the mid-century. The results of Scenario 2 show a greater increase in flow, and the eight water quality variables across the climate windows show a relatively larger decrease in one water quality variable (mineral phosphorus). The projected land use change has little impact compared to the projected climate change on OWC watershed in the 21st century.

Groundwater Data Collection and Analysis in Baharia Oasis

Groundwater is considered as one of the main resources especially in remote area. The ground water samples are taken from different areas in the study area (Baharia Oasis). Groundwater samples have been analyzed in specialized water quality lab. It was noticed that the iron concentration percentage is higher than the standard limit in most of areas. Using Geographic Information System, the percentage of iron concentration in different unknown areas could be predicted. The results showed that min iron concentration is 0.07 mg/l and the max is 10.5 mg/l. It is recommended to apply an oxidation process in different wells and predict the others using the same process to provide people with safe and sustain drinking water.

Assessment of groundwater quality and its suitability for the inhabitants of Andrott Island, Lakshadweep

Groundwater serves as the main sources of drinking water for the Islanders. Now a days, the groundwater is contaminated due to sea water intusion and continuous anthropogenic activities. A proper understanding of the groundwater quality is important to meet the increasing demand and also for the future planning and development of the water resources. Andrott island is the largest Island in Lakshadweep having an area of 4.90 km2 with a population density of 2312 person/km2 (2011 Census). It lies in the east–west direction, between 10° 48′ and 10° 50′ N latitude and 73° 39′ and 73° 42′ E longitude. It is 293 km (158 nautical miles) away from Kochi (mainland). This paper aims to appraise the spatial distribution of groundwater quality of Andrott Island using geospatial approach. Detailed physico-chemical studies had been carried out to identify potential fresh groundwater resources and quantifying vulnerable parts of Andrott Island. BIS standard has been adopted to assess the quality of ground water at each sampling locations. 50 Samples were collected from water quality lab Andrott Island and GPS has been used to collect the sampling point locations. The statistical analysis has been performed using standard methods, by calculating correlation coefficients between different pairs of parameters. Spatial interpolation technique inverse distance weighted (IDW) has been used to estimate the spatial distribution of the groundwater parameters. The final integrated WQI map shows three priority classes such as good, poor and very poor groundwater quality zones of the study area and provides a guideline for the suitability of groundwater for domestic purposes. The result of the study estimated that 82% of pre Monsoon and 64% of post Monsoon samples fall under poor water category and the rest is categorized under good and very poor as per the WQI classification. The present study is helpful in proper planning and management of available water resources for drinking purposes.

Digital image processing and spectral data source in seed analysis

Abstract Image processing is currently gaining lots of attention at seed quality labs as well as grain quality labs for being nondestructive, faster, and more objective than traditional seed or grain analysis methods. While seed analysts focus on quality parameters that will ensure vigorous plants, grain analysts focus on parameters related to safety or grading of the grain using roughly the same methods. We observed that few techniques on image processing have been used and that image data source roughly shapes research work done. The main data sources are visible light, hyperspectral imaging in the infrared section, and X-ray. Laser speckle is not so common but was also included. We have also noted that ultrasound imaging and magnetic resonance are also used for analysis, but these data sources were left out because of little work found.

An audit of Preanalytical errors as a quality measure in central clinical laboratory of Rural Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Introduction: Quality lab reports require high degree of precision and accuracy. This study was undertaken to study pre-analytical errors as a quality measure in Central Clinical Laboratories of rural Tertiary Care Hospital. Materials and Methods: This study was a non-participatory observational study for a period of two months from 6/7/2019 to 6/9/2019 conducted at HIMS, UP, India. After obtaining clearance from Institutional Human Ethical committee, study was undertaken in Central Clinical Laboratory(CCL). The blood samples of OPD and IPD were included. Checklist for pre-analytical errors was followed. Results: Total 13604 blood samples were received in CCL in study periodand pre-analytical error was found to be 398 (2.93%). The commonest error was inadequate (underfilled/Overfilled) samples(1.15%), second commonest was Clotted sample (0.99%), Hemolyzed samples were 0.26%, Lipemic samples were 0.15%, and remaining were diluted sample, incorrect vaccutainer and sample spillage each accounted for 0.08%, followed by test ID form missing (0.06%) and specimen ID and order form mismatch (0.02%). There was a statistical difference between pre-analytical errors in IPD(3.68%) and OPD(0.87%) samples with p value less than Conclusion: Pre-analytical errors are avoidable and could be manage by preventive and corrective measures and proper education and skill enhancing training to paramedical staff and efficient monitoring by Lab managers. Keywords: Blood samples, Central clinical laboratory, Pre-analytical errors.

Researchof Water Quality and its Chemical Parameters by Titration Method and Instrumenal Method

he water quality analysis is an important aspect in understanding the behavior of water and what can they be used for. This study gives us a valuable information on the general properties of water quality parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, TDS, Bicarbonate, Sulfate, Nitrate, chloride etc. of the study area . Water samples were analyzed at the water quality lab. NIH, Roorkee for pH, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. The pH of water varied from 7.14 to 7.75. The electrical conductivity (EC) of sample falls from 620µS/cm to 2000µS/cm. The overall total dissolved solids in water of study area varied from 120mg/l to 900mg/l. Overall the range of the Chloride in water of the study area tend to falls between 13mg/l to 375mg/l. Sulfate of all the water samples that were collected from the study area have ranged from 28mg/l to 250mg .The range of the Bicarbonate of all the water samples varied from 320mg/l to 1051mg/l. The study area helps to know about water quality parameters and how to find their values by usingtwo methods : 1) titration method 2) instrumental method .It also helps us to apply these water quality parameters in ArcGis. It helps us to show the values of different parameters in different blocks ofambala for different years In this we have studied different blocks of ambala district Haryana .We have taken the samples from different places from the blocks and also samples are from wells, canal , rivers, ponds.

The mentalization-based therapy adherence and quality scale (MBT-AQS): Reliability in a clinical setting

The Mentalization-Based Treatment Adherence and Quality Scale (MBT-AQS) is a 17-item measure of treatment adherence and quality of individual mentalization-based therapy (MBT). Until now, reliability research on the scale has primarily been conducted by highly experienced raters from the Norwegian MBT Quality Lab who were part of its development. Hence, it can be questioned whether only experts in research settings can achieve satisfying levels of reliability on the scale. In this study, we investigated whether a satisfying level of reliability on the MBT-AQS could be obtained by experienced MBT therapists in a clinical setting following a brief one-day training course. The overall reliabilities for six raters were good for adherence (.67) and for quality (.62). Thus, the MBT-AQS was found to be an appropriate MBT adherence rating instrument with clinical and educational utility outside of the Norwegian MBT Quality Lab. However, ambiguity of some constructs, low frequency of certain item ratings and low levels of MBT quality challenge reliability. This is discussed in the context of utilizing the scale for clinical and supervising purposes

A novel fouling measurement system: Part I. design evaluation and description

The enhanced tube is being used more often in water-chiller condensers because of their superior performance in heat transfer. Both the predicted and real-world performance of these heat exchangers is affected by the fouling build-up on the heat transfer surfaces. Thus, accurate quantification of fouling thermal resistance is required to address the correlation between the fouling resistance of heat transfer tubes and operation conditions. A newly developed Fouling Measurement System (FMS) supports research on the relationships between fouling development and operation condition by measuring fouling thermal resistance on the heat transfer surface. Part I of this two-part series describes the design and evaluation of FMS. An uncertainty analysis of fouling thermal resistance was conducted to identify measurement component contributions to the uncertainty of final results and guide component selection. In Part II, FMS commissioning was performed, and a primary fouling test and analysis on cooling water quality were conducted. The FMS consists of three subsystems: heat pump subsystem, cooling/chilled water subsystem and control and data acquisition (DAQ) subsystem. The FMS has three heat pumps individually installed with a shell-and-tube condenser and separately equipped with a cooling/chilled water supply loop. In the cooling/chilled water subsystem, these three heat pumps share the same cooling water pool and chilled water pool, which ensures that the cooling/chilled water supplied to each heat pump is uniform. A cooling water tower was installed outside the Air Quality Lab in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to cool down the cooling water of the FMS, and to evaporate water and keep the cooling water at the required range. In the control and DAQ subsystem, the control of water temperature, water quality, water velocity, and refrigerant saturation temperature are described.

Adding Value on M. Infraspinatus Caudal Tip

ObjectivesAdding value to beef products is an alternative to improve industry profitability. Recently, the m. subscapularis was presented to consumers as a novel beef cut that provides great eating experience due to its tenderness. The caudal tip of the m. infraspinatus is often left on the rib after separation of the chuck and it is usually used as 80/20 trim. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate tenderness and cooking yields of the m. infraspinatus caudal tip and verify the opportunity of exploring this cut as an added-value product.Materials and MethodsBoth m. subscapularis and caudal tip of m. infraspinatus were obtained from a commercial abattoir. Muscles were fabricated from A-maturity carcasses, USDA Choice-graded. A total of 15 m. subscapularis and 30 caudal tips of the m. infraspinatus were transferred under refrigeration to the University of Nevada, Reno Meat Quality Lab, where they were aged until complete 15 d post mortem at 5°C. Due to its size, two caudal tips were randomly combined into a single sample. A total of 15 experimental units per treatment (muscle) were analyzed for Warner-Bratzler Shear Force and cooking yields. Samples were cooked on a tabletop grill and after temperature reached 35°C, samples were flipped and cooked until temperature reached 70°C at the geometric center. After cooking, samples were cooled for 24h (cooled to approximately 5°C) and at least 6 cores (1.27 cm in diameter) were obtained from each sample. Cores were sheared with a Warner-Bratzler blade where the crosshead speed was 500 mm/min with a 100kg load cell. Data was analyzed by using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) as a CRD.ResultsAlthough numerical differences were observed for cooking yields, results did not differ statistically (P = 0.78). For m. subscapularis and caudal tip of m. infraspinatus, cooking loss was 21.37 and 20.99% of total weight, respectively. Similar WBSF values were observed for both muscles (P = 0.11). Values for objective tenderness for m. subscapularis and the caudal tip of m. infraspinatus were 2.35 and 2.63 Kgf, respectively.ConclusionThe m. infraspinatus caudal tip showed similar cooking yields and objective tenderness when compared to m. subscapularis. Results of this work suggest that it is possible to add value to m. infraspinatus caudal tip and improve industry profitability.

A study of adequacy of completion of clinical biochemistry laboratory request forms

Background: Laboratory request forms are essential communication tool between the clinicians and laboratory personnel. In view of the meagerness of studies exploring request forms as a part of preanalytical errors, we planned to evaluate the request forms received at the clinical biochemistry laboratory. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of the details of laboratory request forms that had been submitted to biochemistry department. Materials and Methods: This lab audit was carried out at the clinical biochemistry laboratory of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The forms Laboratory request forms were segregated to evaluate the extent of completion of each form, completion of the columns, legibility of the clinician`s handwriting. The results were expressed in percentages. Results: A total of three thousand and fifty (3050) request forms were analyzed. The location of the patient and referring department were missing in 35.3% and 29.4% of the forms respectively. Provisional diagnosis was provided only in 53.3% of the request forms. Conclusion: This study concludes that the location of the patient, probable diagnosis, medical officer`s signature had not been entered in the request forms. As laboratory plays a crucial role in the patient diagnosis, incomplete data in the request form might significantly affects the lab service which in turn affects the patient’s health care system. The standard of filling of laboratory request forms needs to improve to provide a high quality lab service.

Milk production, quality, and consumption in Jimma (Ethiopia): Facts and producers’, retailers’, and consumers’ perspectives

Four studies were performed to quantify milk production, quality and consumption in the town Jimma, Ethiopia. First, 47 dairy farmers and 44 milk retailers were interviewed to gain more insights in dairy farming and marketing, and associated constraints. Second, bulk milk samples (n=188) were collected for 4 consecutive weeks to investigate milk quality [Total Bacterial Counts (TBC), Coliform Counts (CC), Somatic Cell Counts (SCC), and antimicrobial residues]. Third, (bulk) milk samples from 32 farms, 46 milk retailers and the 3 local milk collection centers were collected to determine the presence of oxacillin susceptible–and oxacillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Fourth, 208 adult inhabitants were interviewed to gain more insight in milk consumption and associated concerns of consumers. The average dairy farm included in the studies consisted of 5 lactating cows, produced 43 liters of milk per day and was owned by male, literate adults. Milk was sold to retailers (71% of the production) and directly to customers (25%) without any quality control, whereas 4% was self-consumed. Shortage of animal nutrition and adulteration of the milk were the main constraints for farmers and retailers, respectively. The median TBC, CC and SCC were 122,500CFU/mL, 1,005CFU/mL and 609,500cells/mL, respectively. Antimicrobial residues were detected in 20% of all samples. In general, the milk quality was considered to be poor (TBC>10,000CFU/mL, and/or CC>100CFU/mL, and/or SCC>400,000cells/mL and/or presence of antimicrobial residues) in 97% of all samples. S. aureus was isolated from 12 (38%), 13 (33%), and 2 out of 3 of the milk samples originating from the dairy farms, the milk retailers, and the milk collection centers, respectively. Seven (26%) of the isolates were resistant to oxacillin suggesting the presence of MRSA (Lee, 2003). Local milk is occasionally consumed by adults but more frequently by children. Adults mainly drink spontaneously fermented milk (57% of 105 interviewees consuming local milk) whereas most milk for children is boiled (86% of 110 households with children consuming local milk). Most consumers are concerned about adulteration and milk borne diseases but not about antimicrobial residues. Educated consumers (secondary school or higher) were more likely to boil milk for own consumption, to be concerned about antimicrobial residues in milk, to be concerned about milk borne diseases and to be willing to pay more for milk with proven good quality compared to poorly educated consumers.We conclude that milk quality incentives should be introduced in Jimma, and investments should be made in knowledge transfer, training, milk collection systems and a central milk quality lab.

Technical Writing for Introductory Science Courses – Proficiency Building for Majors and Non‐majors.

Technical writing is a necessary skill for many allied health professionals, yet students tend to get very little instruction in gaining proficiency for this skill. Undergraduate students gained technical writing proficiency through a series of exercises within inquiry based labs while enrolled in either General Biology (BIO112) or Anatomy and Physiology (BIO261/262) at the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI). Tutorials were developed and created by members of the Virtual Academic Writing Lab & Tutoring (VAULT) Project that provided supplemental instruction for technical writing deliverables within the lab courses. Building assignments throughout the course used rubrics that measured student attempts and provided on‐time feedback that allowed for students to hewn their writing skills. Building assignments were introduced as segments (in the following order; Plagiarism/Citation, Methods, Results, Introduction, Discussion, Abstract), and students were given multiple attempts for success. All students gained incremental proficiency in technical writing and by the end of the semester were able to write a high quality lab report that successfully met the proficiency standard. Writing precisely and concisely is a skill that must be taught for today's allied health professionals as they are the first line communicators between patients and managed health care. These methods show that all students can gain proficiency in technical writing without an undue grading burden to the course instructor.

Moisture concentration variation of silages produced on commercial farms in the South-central USA.

Preservation of forage crops as silage offers opportunity to avoid the high risk of rain-damaged hay in the humid south-central USA. Recent developments with baled silage or baleage make silage a less expensive option than typical chopped silage. Silage has been important in the region primarily for dairy production, but baleage has become an option for the more extensive beef cattle industry in the region. Silage samples submitted to the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Forage Quality Lab from 2006 through 2013 were assessed for dry matter (DM) and forage nutritive characteristics of chopped silage and baleage of the different forage types from commercial farms primarily in Louisiana and Mississippi. Of the 1,308 silage samples submitted, 1,065 were annual ryegrass (AR) with small grains (SG), the warm-season annual (WA) grasses, sorghums and pearl millet, and the warm-season perennial (WP) grasses, bermudagrass and bahiagrass, providing the remaining samples. Concentration of DM was used to indicate an effective ensiling opportunity, and AR silage was more frequently within the target DM range than was the WA forage group. The AR samples also indicated a high-quality forage with average crude protein (CP) of 130 g/kg and total digestible nutrient (TDN) near 600 g/kg. The cooler winter weather at harvest apparently complicated harvest of SG silage with chopped SG silage lower in both CP and TDN (104 and 553 g/kg, respectively) than either AR silage or baleage of SG (137 and 624 g/kg for CP and TDN, respectively). The hot, humid summer weather along with large stems and large forage quantities of the WA grasses and the inherently higher fiber concentration of WP grasses at harvest stage indicate that preservation of these forage types as silage will be challenging, although successful commercial silage samples of each forage type and preservation approach were included among samples of silages produced in the region.

Marker-assisted selection for recognizing wheat mutant genotypes carrying HMW glutenin alleles related to baking quality.

Allelic diversity of HMW glutenin loci in several studies revealed that allelic combinations affect dough quality. Dx5 + Dy10 subunits are related to good baking quality and Dx2 + Dy12 are related to undesirable baking quality. One of the most regular methods to evaluate the baking quality is SDS-PAGE which is used to improve baking quality labs. Marker-assisted selection is the method which can recognize the alleles related to baking quality and this method is based on polymerase chain reaction. 10 pairs of specific primers related to Dx2, Dx2.1, Dx5, Dy10, and Dy12 subunits were used for recognizing baking quality of some wheat varieties and some mutant genotypes. Only 5 pairs of them could show the specific bands. All subunits were recognized by the primers except Dx2.1. Some of the primers were extracted from previous studies and the others were designed based on D genome subunits of wheat. SDS-PAGE method accomplished having confidence in these marker's results. To realize the effect of mutation, seed storage proteins were measured. It showed that mutation had effect on the amount of seed storage protein on the mutant seeds (which showed polymorphism).