Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Williams

Publications and source records attributed to J Williams.

At least 901 records · Page 50Linked to original sources

Growth and calcium metabolism in horses fed varying levels of protein.

The effect of level of protein intake on growth and calcium metabolism was studied in 24 foals. Starting at four months old, the foals were fed one of three diets containing all nutrients, with the exception of protein, at levels recommended by the United States National Research Council Subcommittee on Horse Nutrition for a 12 month period. The protein levels in the three diets were 9 per cent (low protein) 14 per cent (NRC recommended level) and 20 per cent (high protein). The foals fed the low protein diet were changed to the high protein diet after 140 days when they were nine months old. There were no significant differences in the rates of growth in weight, height, cannon circumference or in hoof growth and feed utilisation of the horses fed the 14 or the 20 per cent protein diets. However, growth, feed intake and feed utilisation by the foals fed the low (9 per cent) protein diet were significantly depressed. The average daily gains for the first 140 days for the 9, 14 and 20 per cent protein treatment groups were 64, 631 and 687 g in weight, 0.57, 0.83 and 0.87 mm in height and 0.04, 0.13 and 0.14 m in forecannon circumference, respectively. The average daily feed intakes for the 140 day period for the three groups were 2.7, 4.4 and 4.7 kg, respectively. After the change to the high protein diet the foals that had been fed the low protein diet maintained a higher rate of gain in bodyweight, height and cannon circumference, and utilised feed more efficiently than the other two groups throughout the second 140 days of the experiment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Cellular transformation by adenovirus type 5 is influenced by the viral DNA polymerase.

Early region 2B (E2B) of the group C adenoviruses encodes a number of proteins, including the 140-kilodalton DNA polymerase, which plays a role in the initiation of viral DNA replication. Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants with mutations mapping to E2B are conditionally defective for both DNA replication in human cells and transformation of rat cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis shows that the E2B mutant ts36 possesses a single point mutation specific to the viral DNA polymerase; this transition of a C to a T at position 7623 changes leucine residue 249 in the polymerase to a phenylalanine. A wild-type (ts+) revertant possesses a codon specifying the original leucine at position 249. Phenotypic analysis of revertant and wild-type viruses derived by marker rescue from ts36 shows that these variants are wild type for both viral DNA replication and transformation. Thus, the single point mutation in the polymerase gene of ts36 is responsible for both defects.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

The sweat test.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Cystic Fibrosis↗

Predicting maximal exercise ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Shortness of breath is a chief complaint of many individuals with cardiopulmonary diseases. Exercise testing is often used to help differentiate cardiac from pulmonary involvement. In assessing pulmonary dysfunction during exercise it is essential to know the point at which ventilatory limitation will occur. Numerous authors have presented regression equations based on the FEV1 for predicting either MVV or VEmax. Resting pulmonary function studies were obtained from 53 patients with COPD. Symptom-limited maximal exercise testing was completed on a cycle ergometer using increments of 10 watts/min. Each regression equation for predicting MVV or VEmax was then applied to the data set. Results showed that the FEV1 correlated with the measured VEmax (r = .81) as did PEF (r = .81), MVV (r = .78), IC (r = .78), DCO (r = .68), VA (r = .67), VE (r = .65) and FVC (r = .64). Single post-bronchodilator FEV1 measurements ranged from 0.56 to 1.64 L (mean 1.0 L) while VEmax ranged from 16 to 78 L/min (mean 37.69 L/min). The equation VEmax = 37.5 X FEV1 was the most robust equation found in the literature for predicting VEmax in this sample. This equation was not statistically different from the line of identity when predicted VEmax was plotted against the measured VEmax. The intercept was 0.91 with a slope of 0.98. In addition, this equation had a smaller mean square error in predicting VEmax than those of the other equations investigated.

Adult↗

Inhibited interferon-gamma but normal interleukin-3 production from rats flown on the space shuttle.

Rats were flown on Space Shuttle SL-3 for 1 week. When spleen cells were removed from these rats and challenged with concanavalin-A, interferon-gamma production was severely inhibited, while interleukin-3 production was unaffected compared to ground-based control rats. These data indicate that there is a defect in interferon-gamma production in rats that have been exposed to spaceflight. This defect could contribute to, and be one reason for, immunosuppression observed after spaceflight.

Animals↗

46,XX male. A case report.

The 46,XX male is rare, with an incidence of 1 in over 9,000 newborn males. The diagnosis is most often made in the postpubertal period. A case of a 46,XX male was diagnosed in the neonatal period and further confirmed by the results obtained from amniocentesis performed earlier, in the second trimester.

Adult↗

Mucosal IgA production and lymph cell traffic following prolonged low level infections of Ostertagia circumcincta in sheep.

Some aspects of the local immune response to daily challenge with 2000 Ostertagia circumcincta larvae were studied by monitoring changes in the composition of gastric lymph of naive and previously infected sheep. The main changes in the naive group were increases in lymphoblast output and concentrations of pepsinogen whereas lymph albumin values decreased markedly and IgA concentrations were usually unchanged. In contrast, in the previously infected sheep, the continuous challenge stimulated only transient increases in lymphoblast and IgA containing cell traffic whereas lymph IgA and pepsinogen concentrations remained elevated throughout the experiment. By temporarily interrupting the challenge in a second group of previously infected sheep it was shown that elevated IgA and pepsinogen values were maintained only if larval intake was continuous.

Abomasum↗

Salt consumption and the effect of salt on mineral metabolism in horses.

The voluntary salt consumption of mature unexercised horses was measured weekly for up to 45 weeks. Voluntary intake among horses was quite variable ranging from 19 to 143 g of salt per day and was inversely related to total salt intake (salt in feeds plus voluntary intake). Mean daily voluntary salt consumption was 53 g. Season of the year did not influence voluntary intake. In preference tests which evaluated every two choice combination of 0.2% and 4% NaCl in test diets fed daily for four days, ponies generally preferred diets containing the lower amount of salt. In similar preference studies which used NaHCO3 as a sodium source, ponies always preferred the diet containing the lower level of NaHCO3. Metabolism studies employing diets containing 1, 3 or 5% NaCl showed that urinary excretion was the major excretory pathway for sodium and chloride. Fecal excretion, intestinal absorption and retention of sodium were not affected by level of salt intake. Urinary calcium excretion was unaffected by salt intake but calcium and phosphorus absorption and retention were enhanced when ponies were fed diets containing 3 or 5% sodium chloride. Magnesium and copper metabolism were unaffected by salt intake. Horses voluntarily consume relatively large amounts of sodium chloride but it is likely that not all voluntary consumption is related to the salt requirement of the horse. Habit and taste preference could also be involved. Salt consumption at the levels used in these studies does not appear to be detrimental to the metabolism of other minerals in the horse.

Animals↗

Variations in binding of [3H]5-HT to cortical membranes during the female rat estrous cycle.

The binding of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([3H]5-HT) to cortical membranes was examined in female rats during diestrus, proestrus and estrus. Serotonin binding was lowest during the early afternoon of proestrus and highest during the afternoon of estrus with diestrous values in between. The high estrous values were associated with a significant increase in Bmax and a decrease in Kd. However, the increase in binding actually took place during the late afternoon of proestrus, when there was a rapid increase in binding from noon to 18.00 h. Binding remained at this elevated level throughout the next day. There were no changes in the binding of [3H]ketanserin or [3H]spiroperidol to cortical membranes during the estrous cycle, so the differential binding of [3H]5-HT is most likely the result of variations in 5-HT1 rather than 5-HT2 receptors. These observations of changes in serotonin binding in a brain area nearly devoid of sex steroid receptors suggest that the hormonal fluctuations accompanying the female estrous cycle influence brain areas other than those classically thought to regulate neuroendocrine function.

Animals↗