Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D J Farrell

Publications and source records attributed to D J Farrell.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

A case of intrauterine fetal death associated with maternal Campylobacter coli bacteraemia.

Campylobacter species are known to cause infectious abortion in domestic animals. In humans, Campylobacter are an important cause of enteritis, an occasional cause of systemic infection and have had a rare association with abortion and perinatal infection. A case history of spontaneous abortion, at 26 weeks' duration, associated with maternal bacteraemia, due to Campylobacter coli is presented. Transmission, pathogenesis, treatment, and the need for further investigation are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Tissue artefacts caused by sponges.

Artefacts which occur during the processing of small biopsy specimens can cause sufficient tissue distortion to impair interpretation and can be a considerable source of nuisance. Triangular artefacts were noted in renal and liver biopsy specimens which were caused by foam sponges in embedding cassettes. Scanning electron microscopic examination of the sponges showed they comprised a mesh of scimitar-shaped rigid spikes which closely match the artefacts seen in the tissues.

Artifacts↗
PubMed1992

Dieulafoy's vascular malformation as a cause of large intestinal bleeding.

Four cases of Dieulafoy's vascular malformation of the caecum are reported. Three were associated with massive large bowel haemorrhage, one of which was fatal. The remaining case had a calibre persistent submucosal artery within the caecum that was found incidentally in a resection specimen. This vascular malformation should be considered when dealing with specimens resected for massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Energy exchanges of broilers, selected for fatness and leanness, on diets with and without a repartitioning agent.

1. Two experiments were undertaken for 3 or 5 d in respiration chambers, on two experimental lines of broiler chickens (aged 25-38 d) selected for leanness and fatness. Diets were without or with 0.4 mg cimaterol per kg. 2. The lean line with sexes combined (experiment 1), or with females only, had a significantly greater heat production than the fat line. Net availability of metabolisable energy for gain (kg) was 0.54 for the lean birds and and 0.84 for the fat birds. 3. Cimaterol did not have an effect on any of the variables examined.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1991

The relationship between dietary crude protein and dietary lysine requirement by broiler chicks on diets with and without the "ideal" amino acid balance.

Experiments were designed with groups of broiler chickens to test whether the requirement for dietary lysine was related to the CP content of diets that had either a surplus or the recommended requirement of critical amino acids. Diets of equal energy were formulated using a summit and basal diet to obtain a range of CP contents from 14 to 26% (Experiment 1) with surplus critical amino acids or from 12 to 25% (Experiment 2) with the "ideal" amino acid balance. In both experiments at each CP level, there was an optimum lysine content for weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Diets with ideal amino acid balances gave less of a response as measured by growth rate and FCR than those with surpluses. Combining all data gave a significant improvement in both weight gain and FCR with increasing intake of dietary lysine. It would appear that because performance was highest on diets with the highest crude protein, there may be a requirement for CP per se. Alternatively, because all diets contained substantial amounts of synthetic amino acids, broilers may have a requirement for amino acid peptides that is not met by free amino acids.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1990

Energy exchange of two breeds of hens in respiration chambers.

The heat production for two breeds of laying hens was estimated by indirect respiration calorimetry. Using multiple linear regression techniques, egg energy output was identified as a significant contributor to variability in heat production (P = .0113). Heat production of the hens decreased with increasing egg energy output. Body weight, feed intake, egg energy output, and genetic stock were all significant contributors to variability in heat production. Comparisons of traditional techniques (relating energy balance to metabolizable energy intake) and multiple regression techniques (heat production as a function of body weight, feed intake, egg energy output, and genetic stock) for evaluating calorimetry data were made.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Calorimetric measurements made on rats during repeated periods of weight gain and weight loss.

1. Rats in respiration chambers were grown for 32 days and their weight reduced by 27-40% on three occasions and realimentated. After the first cycle rats lost body weight more rapidly and regained that weight more quickly than previously. 2. The initial growth phase took 32 days compared with only 8 days in the final period. Each gram of weight gain was associated with 13-14 kJ of dietary net energy during the last two periods of realimentation compared with 19-20 kJ during the first period. 3. Calorimetric measurements showed that although maintenance energy requirement increased during the periods of growth, mean net availability of metabolizable energy was 0.91 compared to 0.60 during weight loss. 4. During the final period much of the weight gain was in the form of lean (67%) but the majority of energy retained was as fat (67-70%).

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The prediction of body composition in poultry by estimation in vivo of total body water with tritiated water and deuterium oxide.

1. Birds (n 169) which varied in age, live weight, nutritional history, physiological state and genotype were slaughtered and analysed for total body water. Before slaughter, birds were injected with the water isotopes tritiated water (TOH) or deuterium oxide (D2O), or both, to determine TOH space or D2O space, or both, as estimates of total body water in vivo. 2. At the mean total body water of all birds determined by desiccation, of 1096.4 (SD 424.1) g, TOH space and D2O space overestimated total body water by 10.4 and 8.5% respectively. The difference between the isotopes was significant (P less than 0.05). 3. Based on recovery of isotope it was postulated that the main reason for the observed overestimation of total body water in vivo was incomplete recovery of isotope due to the vacuum sublimation technique. The mean recovery (%) of added isotope to whole blood after vacuum sublimation was 93.0 (SD 2.6) and 92.4 (SD 5.5) of the theoretical concentrations of TOH and D2O respectively. 4. Nevertheless, accurate prediction of total body water was obtained from regression equations which included live weight and isotope-dilution space. Values required logarithmic (base 10) transformation before derivation of linear and multiple linear regression equations, and the precision of prediction was determined by the residual standard deviation (RSD). 5. Total body water could be predicted with nearly equal accuracy from live weight or isotope-dilution space (RSD 0.025 and 0.020 respectively). Prediction of carcass protein was more accurate from live weight (RSD 0.033) than from TOH space (RSD 0.036), and inclusion of both variables resulted in only a marginal decrease in RSD to 0.031. 6. The prediction of carcass fat and energy was markedly improved by the inclusion of isotope-dilution space in conjunction with live weight compared with live weight alone. 7. The relations show the developmental nature of body composition of domestic fowl given diets adequate in nutrients. The prediction equations demonstrate the precision possible for studies in which estimates of body composition in poultry are required without slaughter.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Influence of food restriction during rearing on the body composition of layer-strain pullets and hens.

The influence of two methods of food restriction during rearing on the body and liver composition of layer-type birds was investigated during and after restriction. In each of two experiments groups of birds were reared on one of three treatments: ad libitum food intake (A), time-limited food restriction (TR) or proportional food restriction (PR). All birds were fed ad libitum during the laying phase. In experiment 1, six birds from each treatment were selected at random for estimation of body and liver composition and killed at 70, 101, 162, 218 and 337 d of age. In experiment 2 four birds were selected from each treatment at 280 and 467 d of age. Body composition was predicted in experiment 2 at various times such as sexual maturity, using equations based on deuterium oxide dilution techniques. Body composition changes caused by food restriction were related to the length of restriction. Towards its end the major changes were: decreased body fat, increased total body water and increased water content of the fat-free mass for TR and PR birds compared to A birds. Some changes were not due to a reduced liveweight. Food restriction during rearing did not change body composition permanently, although predicted body fat at sexual maturity (experiment 2) was lower and protein content higher for TR and PR than for A birds. There was no demonstrable relationship between the body fat content predicted at sexual maturity and subsequent rate of lay (experiment 2).

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Relationship between starvation heat production and body size in the domestic fowl.

The relationship between starvation heat production (SHP) in kJ/d and body weight (W) in kg for the domestic fowl was examined by compiling calorimetric data on 78 immature and 222 mature fowls. Linear regression analyses were performed after transformation of the data to a logarithmic scale (base = 10). The derived relationship (re-transformed) for mature birds was found to be: SHP = 406 W0.602 The weight exponent (b) was significantly (P less than 0.01) different to the value of 0.75 normally used for mature birds.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Production responses of layer strain hens to food restriction during rearing.

Production responses of laying hens to food restriction during rearing were measured in two trials. Food was restricted by two methods: time restriction (TR, food continuously available for 24 to 30 h each 72 h) and proportion restriction (PR, daily allocations of about 60 to 70% of that consumed by ad libitum fed birds (F]. The rearing treatments were applied from 42 to 162 d and from 56 to 168 d of age in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. All birds were fed ad libitum in the laying period to 437 d and 476 d of age in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. Body weight was reduced significantly in both experiments by both methods of restriction, but more so by TR. Marked compensatory growth accompanied the high food intake following the end of food restriction. There was a significant increase in average egg weight concommitant with a change in the relationship between egg weight and age. Possibly this is due to an altered pattern of food intake at onset of lay.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Energy and nitrogen metabolism of broilers selected over ten generations for increased growth rate, food consumption and conversion of food to gain.

Energy and nitrogen (N) metabolism were studied in 6-week-old male birds taken from 4 lines of chickens selected for 10 generations for increased weight gain (line W), increased food consumption (line F), increased conversion of food to gain (line E) or at random (controls, line C). Calorimetric measurements were made 8 times on each line while fed ad libitum in large open-circuit respiration chambers for 3 d, and 11 to 13 times without food in smaller closed-circuit respiration chambers for 24 h. The F line ate 60% more food, produced 90% more excreta and 34% more heat and retained 80% more energy and 35% more N in their bodies than lines E and C. Line W was intermediate. When differences in body weight were taken into account, the E and W lines had lower heat production than the C line, while the F line ate 40% more food, produced 30% more heat and retained 70% more energy and 30% more N than the E line. In lines W, F, E and C respectively, the mean metabolisability of dietary energy (%) was 69.4, 62.9, 70.1 and 67.8; the fasting heat production (mean +/- SE) was 481 +/- 9, 569 +/- 10, 485 +/- 9, and 508 +/- 9 kJ/kgW d; the net availability of metabolisable energy (NAME) was 0.68 +/- 0.05, 0.76 +/- 0.04, 0.85 +/- 0.06 and 0.73 +/- 0.04; the estimated daily maintenance energy requirements were 671 +/- 15,866 +/- 14,701 +/- 13, and 742 +/- 11 kJ ME/kgW; and the proportion of N retained per unit increase in N intake was 0.38 +/- 0.08, 0.50 +/- 0.06, 0.56 +/- 0.10 and 0.53 +/- 0.06. The contribution of line differences in the above traits to large line differences in efficiency of food utilisation is discussed.

Animals↗