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Ninety steers (259.9 ± 36.18 kg BW) were used in a 56-d experiment to assess the effects of flavoring additives on feeding behavior, feed efficiency, growth performance, and temperament of newly arrived feedlot cattle. Steers were homogenously distributed by BW into six pens (15 head/pen) and pen was randomly assigned to one of 3 treatments (2 pens/treatment): a standard feedlot receiving diet (CT); or the same diet with a flavoring additive comprised of either sweeteners (SW) or a mix of basic tastes (MX) at 1 g/kg (Lucta SA, Barcelona, Spain). Pens were equipped with a feed intake monitoring system (Growsafe Systems, Airdrie, Canada), while BW and chute exit flight speed were measured bi-weekly during the study. Data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model accounting for repeated measures. There were multiple treatment × time interactions (P < 0.05), where DMI per meal was greater in SW than CT and MX on wk 3 and 5, respectively, and in MX than CT and SW on wk 3 and 7, respectively. The number of visits to the feed bunk per day was greater in MX than CT on wk 2, it was greater in SW than MX on wk 4, and it was greater in CT than in MX and SW on wk 4, and wk 7 and 8, respectively. The eating rate was greater in SW than MX on wk 4 and 5 and greater than CT and on wk 4. Although the cumulative responses for DMI, ADG and feed efficiency (FE; kg BW/kg DM) were not significant (P > 0.1), FE was greater in SW and MX than CT from 27 to 41 d. Despite these positive effects on FE, there was no feeding pattern associated with the inclusion of flavoring additives in the diet of receiving feedlot cattle.

India has a huge burden of head and neck cancer and specifically oral cancer. Supportive oral care is not a standard of care in our population and is often neglected. Currently, there are no specific guidelines for such care in India which could be followed. The aim of this study is to validate a novel institutional supportive oral care protocol (SOCP) for head and neck cancer patients. This protocol is specific to our population developed for head and neck/dental oncology experts working in cancer centres to provide comprehensive care. This is a cross-sectional validity study. Fifteen dental oncology experts working in cancer centres/hospitals across India and six oncology experts from our centre were enrolled. All experts provided their inputs on 41 points of the SOCP. The data was analysed for item validity, content validity index and inter-rater agreement. The statistical analyses used were kappa measure for inter-rater agreement and content validity index for item-wise agreement. Out of 861 responses from all the reviewers, 91% agreed, 8.4% agreed with modification and 0.6% disagreed. The content validity index and agreement between reviewers ranged from 0.9 to 1 for kappa measure. The SOCP of our institution was shown to be a valid protocol. SOCP addresses oral and dental supportive care and rehabilitation as part of overall comprehensive care for head and neck cancer patients in our population.

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