Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R J Brown

Publications and source records attributed to R J Brown.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Collaborative evaluation of rolling ball viscometer for measuring somatic cells in abnormal milk.

The Ruakura rolling ball viscometer was evaluated in 3 laboratories along with currently approved instrumental methods for measuring somatic cells in milk and the Wisconsin mastitis test. Replacement of the Teepol reagent with Wisconsin mastitis test reagent in the rolling ball viscometer was also evaluated. Both repeatability and reproducibility were satisfactory for all methods evaluated. The instrumental methods each gave higher readings than the other 3 methods. Use of Wisconsin mastitis test reagent in the rolling ball viscometer improved both repeatability and reproducibility. Additional work on standardization is suggested to match rolling ball viscometer readings with those of the instrumental methods.

Animals↗

Preferential codon usage in genes.

We present a method which permits comparison of the preferential use of degenerate codons within any gene. The method makes use of the triplet frequencies in the noncoding frames to assess whether a preference is specific to the reading frame. Preference is given a statistical meaning by use of the analysis of variance coupled to Duncan's multiple range test. Preferential use of degenerate codons is gene-specific and independent of gene size. The data suggest that any correlation between codon frequency distribution and tRNA levels is unreliable. In those animal genes examined, codons ending in C or G are preferred; in animal viruses tested, codons ending in U or A are preferred. Similarly, the bacterial genes and the genes of single-stranded DNA phages that we analyzed differed from each other as well as from eukaryotic genes in the third base of the codon.

Animals↗

A survey of scrub and murine typhus in the Ancol section of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Rickettsia tsutsugamushi was isolated from L. (L.) arenicola chiggers and three species of rats in an area of scrub and sedge along the Bay of Jakarta. This is the only finding in Indonesia of a cycle of the agent of scrub typhus associated with L. (L.) arenicola. A serologic survey of nearly 300 persons living in two kampungs near the site at which rickettsiae were recovered revealed one individual with antibodies to R. tsutsugamushi. Murine typhus, with a seropositivity rate of 6.5%, may be endemic at low levels.

Animals↗

Preliminary investigation of a possible lung worm (Parafilaroides decorus), fish (Girella nigricans), and marine mammal (Callorhinus ursinus) cycle for San Miguel sea lion virus type 5.

Colostrum-deprived neonatal Northern fur seal pups (Callorhinus ursinus) were exposed to San Miguel sea lion virus type 5 (SMSV-5) by feeding them fish (Girella nigricans) infected with virus or fish infected with both the sea lion lung worm larvae (Parafilaroides decorus) and virus. Virus infection was demonstrated in 8 of 9 pups, and 1 of these developed a vesicular lesion on the flipper. In this sequence, P decorus larvae exposed to SMSV-5 were fed to G nigricans held at 15 C in a salt water aquarium; 32 days later, these fish were killed, then fed to the fur seal pups. The vesicle developed 22 days subsequent to this and SMSV-5 was reisolated from the lesion. The SMSV-5 was shown to persist for at least 23 days in infected neonatal fur seals. Attempts to establish P decorus infection in Northern fur seal pups were apparently unsuccessful.

Animals↗

Human parasitoses in Bali, Indonesia.

A survey of intestinal and blood parasites of man was conducted on the island of Bali, Indonesia in 1974. A total of 270 stool specimens from three villages were examined. Both Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were found in more than 90% of those examined, and hookworm eggs in 59%. Other intestinal helminth and protozoan parasites found were: Enterobius vermicularis, Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba coli, Endolimax nana, and Iodamoeba bütschlii. Taeniid proglottids, Hymenolepis diminuta and dicrocoeliid-like trematode eggs were each found once. No microfilariae were found in 284 blood smears examined, however, in the village of Kusamba, Plasmodium vivax (3 cases) and Plasmodium falciparum (2 cases) were diagnosed.

Adolescent↗

Selection and pairing of 'normal' rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) for research: procedures, techniques, and observations.

A selection process has been developed by the authors to insure investigators that animal subjects used in their experiments will accurately reflect biological changes associated with the project design. The procedure involved the following: complete physical examination; complete hemogram, serum electrolytes, serum biochemistry, body weight; and anthropometric determinations; aging by dentition; electrocardiography; total-body radiography; fecal culture; fecal ova, and parasite examinations; and examination of other conditions. Arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated and used to eliminate monkeys whose values varied from the mean by more than two standard deviations.

Animals↗

Clinical description of tetanus in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).

Nineteen cases of clinical tetanus developed in Bolivian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) which were housed in outdoor corrals with soil-based floors. The disease was initially characterized by stiffness in gait followed by extensor rigidity, trismus and opisthotonus. Eleven of the 19 monkeys (58%) had evidence of external wounds. The case fatality rate was 100%. Tetanus accounted for 12% of adult female and 19% of adult male mortalities in the colony. Immunization with tetanus toxoid was effective in reducing the incidence of tetanus.

Animals↗