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Biomedical subjects

J E Hunter

Publications and source records attributed to J E Hunter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Studies on effects of dietary fatty acids as related to their position on triglycerides.

This article reviews published literature on how the stereospecific structure of dietary triglycerides may affect lipid metabolism in humans. Animal studies have shown enhanced absorption of fatty acids in the sn-2 position of dietary triglycerides. Increasing the level of the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid in the sn-2 position (e.g., by interesterification of the fat to randomize the positions of the fatty acids along the glycerol backbone) has been shown in rabbits to increase the atherogenic potential of the fat without impacting levels of blood lipids and lipoproteins. In contrast, enhancing the level of stearic acid in the sn-2 position has not been found to affect either atherogenic potential or levels of blood lipids and lipoproteins in rabbits. Fatty acids other than palmitic and stearic have not been studied systematically with respect to possible positional effects. A limited number of human studies have shown no significant effects of interesterified fats on blood lipid parameters. However, it is unknown whether modifying the stereospecific structure of dietary triglycerides would affect atherogenicity or other long-term health conditions in humans. It is possible that incorporation of palmitic acid into the sn-2 position of milk fat is beneficial to the human infant (as a source of energy for growth and development) but not to human adults. Additional research is needed to determine whether processes like interesterification, which can be used to alter physical parameters of dietary fats (e.g., melting characteristics), may result in favorable or unfavorable long-term effects in humans.

Absorption↗
PubMed2000

Prevalence of Bordetella bronchiseptica in cats attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence by isolation of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in healthy cats and in cats showing signs of upper respiratory tract (URT) disease attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region. METHODS: The nasal cavity and oropharynx of 100 cats of mixed sex and age were swabbed and the swabs cultured for B. bronchiseptica. The population of cats surveyed was that attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and included healthy cats, cats with clinical signs of URT disease, cats with a recent history of URT disease, cats from single cat households, cats from multiple-cat households, and cats from a colony. RESULTS: Bordetella bronchiseptica was recovered from 7 cats (5 from pharyngeal samples and 2 from nasal samples). Five of the 7 cats appeared to be healthy at the time of sampling, whilst 2 showed clinical signs of URT disease. Six of the 7 culture-positive cats were from a cat colony. The prevalence of B. bronchiseptica in healthy cats sampled was 7% and in cats with URT disease was 8%. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that B. bronchiseptica infection is present, but the prevalence of infection is low, in both healthy cats and in cats with URT disease attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is unlikely that B. bronchiseptica infection is a frequent cause of feline URT disease of cats in this region.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Campylobacter fetus fetus abortions in vaccinated ewes.

AIMS: To investigate the cause of an outbreak of ovine abortion in 1996 in a flock of 300 two-tooth (rising 2-year-old) ewes vaccinated against Campylobacter fetus fetus infection and to subsequently characterise the strain of C. fetus fetus isolated from aborted foetuses. METHODS: Standard bacteriological methods were used to identify C. fetus fetus isolates which were then antigenically typed and subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and compared to the vaccine strain. RESULTS: C. fetus fetus was identified as the causal agent of the abortions despite the ewes having been vaccinated before ram introduction and at the time of ram removal. Four isolates cultured from aborted material were indistinguishable when compared using antigenic typing and PFGE, but all differed from the vaccine strain. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the available typing systems, it is proposed that PFGE may be a useful tool to establish the distribution and strain variation of C. fetus fetus. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This field case indicates the need for further study of non-vaccine C. fetus fetus strains which cause abortion in vaccinated ewes, and of the importance of these strains to the New Zealand sheep industry.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Aspergillosis in hihi (Notiomystis cincta) on Mokoia Island.

AIM: An intensive 2-year field study of 65 hihi (or stitchbirds) on Mokoia Island provided an opportunity to investigate the causes of mortality of this endangered species in a free-living environment. METHODS: The birds were observed daily during the breeding season (October to March) and every 4 weeks during the remainder of the year. Any abnormalities in behaviour, voice and body weight were recorded and all sick or dead birds which could be recovered were taken to the laboratory for necropsy. RESULTS: Thirty-one birds died during the period of this study. Aspergillosis was found to be the cause of death in six of nine adult birds examined post mortem. Some of the affected birds experienced subtle voice changes before becoming ill and all birds had granulomatous lesions in airsacs or lungs at necropsy. A further eight birds for which carcasses could not be found or which were autolysed showed similar clinical signs before death or disappearance. CONCLUSION: Because Aspergillus is an opportunist pathogen it seems likely that affected birds were immunosuppressed. This may have occurred during the breeding season which in this species is highly stressful. The presence of fungal material in bronchial exudate and the occurrence of the disease in mates, raises the possibility that aspergillosis in hihi may be contagious.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

The accuracy of frozen section by tumor weight for ovarian epithelial neoplasms.

This study evaluated the effect ovarian weight has on the accuracy of frozen sections in serous and mucinous ovarian tumors. The study group included 294 patients who had an initial frozen section (189 serous and 105 mucinous tumors) at surgery. The pathology reports were separated into subgroups (benign, borderline, or malignant). Tumors were broken down into three weight categories: < or = 450 g, > 450 to < or = 1360 g, and > 1360 g. In each weight category, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predicative values were calculated on frozen sections. The mean weight of the ovarian tumors was 1042 g. As the weight increased in serous tumors, the sensitivity fell from 96.2 to 93.8 to 75%, respectively, in each weight category. The same trend was noted with mucinous tumors as sensitivity fell from 91.7 to 87.5 to 66.7%, respectively. With an increase in the size of ovarian tumors, a decrease in the sensitivity of frozen section was observed. With tumors greater than 1360 g, sensitivity was only 69%. Twenty-three percent of ovarian tumors revealing borderline diagnosis at frozen section were malignant on the final pathology report, with the greatest misclassification in > 1360-g mucinous tumors (50%). For patients with large ovarian tumors, consideration should be given to performing staging at the time of the initial laparotomy.

Epithelium↗
PubMed1997

A case of "watery mouth" in a New Zealand Romney lamb.

Watery mouth was diagnosed as the cause of illness and subsequent death in a 3-day-old Romney lamb which had not received early colostrum. The history, clinical signs and post-mortem findings were typical of the disease as seen in other countries, including Great Britain. The diagnosis was based on the clinical signs and was supported by an absence of post-mortem findings of other specific neonatal diseases. The potential importance of watery mouth under conditions of intensive husbandry in New Zealand is discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Megabacteriosis in a flock of budgerigars.

Megabacteriosis was diagnosed as the cause of depression and wasting in a flock of breeding budgerigars in the Manawatu. Large numbers of megabacteria were detected in direct smears from mucosal scrapings of the proventriculus of two birds and in the faeces of live birds. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstrating a chronic proventriculitis histologically associated with megabacterial organisms. Treatment of seven individuals with amphotericin B resulted in clinically sustained weight gain over a 10-week period. Treatment of the whole flock resulted in the resumption of normal condition, behaviour and activity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Allergy to cocamidopropyl betaine may be due to amidoamine: a patch test and product use test study.

Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) is an amphoteric surfactant commonly used in personal care products and surface cleaners. Patch testing with commercially-available CAPB has yielded occasional reactions indicative of allergic contact dermatitis. To determine if subjects with previous positive patch tests would react in provocative use tests of products containing CAPB, and to study various contaminants in commercial CAPB supplies for allergenicity in these subjects, 10 subjects previously positive to CAPB on patch testing used a hair shampoo, hand soap, and body wash containing CAPB for 1-6 weeks or until a reaction developed. Later, they were patch tested to 2 different purity grades of CAPB and 3 possible manufacturing contaminants (dimethylaminopropylamine, amidoamine, and sodium monochloroacetate). 7 of the 10 subjects developed dermatitis from 1 or more CAPB-containing products at some point during the study. 9 of the 10 use-test subjects were then patch tested, and 6 of these subjects showed a reaction to amidoamine (0.1% aq.). None reacted to dimethylaminopropylamine (0.1% pet.). 1 subject reacted to CAPB but not to amidoamine. In the follow-up patch testing with CAPB that was free of amidoamine, there were no positive reactions. Most subjects who were patch-test-positive showed a reaction when using CAPB-containing skin and hair care products. The chemical amidoamine, which is used in the synthesis of CAPB and which is a known contaminant of CAPB preparations, is likely to be the actual sensitizer in most cases rather than CAPB itself. The results do not rule out the possibility that CAPB itself may be an allergen in rare cases.

Acetates↗
PubMed1996

The prognostic implication of ascites in advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

Ovarian carcinoma accounts for greater than 50% of the gynecologic cancer deaths in the United States each year. One of the central reasons for this dismal outcome is that many patients present with advanced disease. In this series, a retrospective review of 130 patients with stage III and IV invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma was performed to determine the prognostic significance of ascites. Patients were divided into two study groups based upon the presence or absence of ascites. Survival for the entire study group was 15%, but differed markedly when separated for the presence of ascites. In these patients, ascites was associated with a statistically decreased 5-year survival of 5% versus 45% without ascites (P = 0.0001). Individuals were found to be similar in each group when examined for age, height, weight, cell type, grade, and surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment modalities. More patients proportionately with stage IIIC disease had ascites than those without ascites (P = 0.0015). More of the individuals without ascites underwent second-look laparotomies and achieved a negative result than those with ascites (P = 0.04; P = 0.0038). We conclude that ascites in the presence of stage III and IV disease produces an almost uniformly fatal outcome.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1995

The effect of cooling and hypertonic exposure on murine oocyte function, fertilization, and development.

Several individual but related steps are involved in the cryopreservation process, including the addition of cryoprotectants at various temperatures, cooling to subzero temperatures, and long-term storage. The process is completed by rewarming and removal of cryoprotectants prior to a return to physiological conditions. In this series of experiments we have attempted to distinguish the effects of some of these procedures. Control, untreated ovulated mouse oocytes showed 95% in vitro fertilization (190/200) and 92% subsequent development to hatching blastocyst (184/200). Exposure of oocytes to either isotonic or hypertonic media at 37 degrees C did not significantly change the rate of fertilization (90%, 108/120; and 89%, 154/174, respectively) or subsequent embryonic development (85%, 102/120; and 82%, 143/174, respectively). Slow cooling in isotonic medium (-3 degrees C/min) to 0 degree C had no effect on the rate of fertilization (83%, 103/124), but rapid cooling (> 1000 degrees C/min) to 0 degree C resulted in a significant reduction in fertilization rate to 75% (151/202). When oocytes suspended in a hypertonic solution were cooled using slow or rapid rates, there were marked decreases in fertilization to 26% (61/231) and 56% (156/278), respectively. Subsequent embryonic growth was reduced to 15% (34/231) after slow cooling and 26% (72/278) after rapid cooling. Exposure of oocytes to glycerol at 37 degrees C and dimethyl sulfoxide at 0 degree C reduced the fertilization rate to 57% (67/118) and 73% (103/145), respectively, with a corresponding reduction in embryonic growth to 52% (61/118) and 65% (94/145), but there were no additional effects of cooling or hypertonic exposure after addition of cryoprotectants.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment: a comparison of social learning and temperament models.

This family study examined two models regarding the intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment. The model based on social learning assumptions asserted that corporal punishment influences aggressive child behavior. The model based on temperament theory suggested that aggressive child behavior impacts upon parental use of corporal punishment. Participants were 1,536 parents of 983 college students. Corporal punishment was assessed from father, mother, and child perspectives. Path analyses revealed that the social learning model was most consistent with the data.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Vitrification of human oocytes following minimal exposure to cryoprotectants; initial studies on fertilization and embryonic development.

Investigations were made into the low temperature preservation of pre-ovulatory human oocytes by vitrification using a method of brief exposure of the oocytes to the vitrification solution at room temperature. Assessments of morphological survival, fertilization and embryonic development were recorded. All those oocytes exposed to the vitrification solution alone were morphologically normal and 86% of them were fertilized after incubation with spermatozoa. All the fertilized ova (86%) underwent cell division. Following cooling to -196 degrees C, morphological survival (65%) and fertilization (45%) rates remained high. However, in all vitrified oocytes, embryonic cell division and further development were inhibited. From our study it appears that fresh human oocytes can be vitrified using only brief exposure to cryoprotective agents and survive to undergo fertilization. However, progress remains to be made in achieving further embryonic development.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1995

The impact of data-analysis methods on cumulative research knowledge: statistical significance testing, confidence intervals, and meta-analysis.

The methods of data analysis used in research have a major effect on the development of cumulative knowledge. Traditional methods based on statistical significance testing have systematically retarded the growth of cumulative research by making it virtually impossible to discern the real meaning of research literatures. Meta-analysis makes it possible to demonstrate graphically the high price the research enterprise has paid for its reliance on significance testing. But in addition to these demonstrations, reform will require that researchers come to understand that the benefits they see as flowing from the use of significance tests are illusory. In research practice and in training of researchers, we must use and teach appropriate data analysis methods: point estimates of effect sizes and confidence intervals within individual studies, and meta-analysis in the integration of multiple studies to produce final conclusions. These reforms are essential to the progress of cumulative research knowledge.

Analysis of Variance↗