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Biomedical subjects

J E Swan

Publications and source records attributed to J E Swan.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) measurement of compositional differences in hams, loins, and bellies from conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-fed stress-genotype pigs.

This study was designed to observe the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on lean content of pork carcass primal cuts (hams, loins, and bellies) and to determine the ability of total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) to predict lean content. A total of 64 crossbred growing-finishing barrows were placed on a control (soybean oil) or CLA (0.75%) diet at an average weight of 40 kg. Pigs were penned in pairs according to diet and stress genotype (negative, carrier, and positive) and slaughtered at 115 kg. Stress genotype was included because of known variations in lean content. Hams (IMPS 401A; n = 64), loins (IMPS 410; n = 24), and bellies (IMPS 408; n = 63) were fabricated from carcasses at 24 h postmortem and scanned for electromagnetic (EM) absorption by a MQ-25 EM scanner. Each wholesale cut was scanned in triplicate at 2.5 MHz to yield a peak mean average (PMA) value then separated into lean, fat, bone, and skin components. Bellies were skinned prior to scanning then subjected to a belly bar firmness test before dissection. Supplementation with CLA had no effect (P > 0.05) on lean ham composition. Regression analysis was used for lean weight prediction using primal weight and PMA value as predictors. Lean content prediction of hams by TOBEC resulted in an R2 of 0.80. Loins from CLA-supplemented pigs exhibited increased lean weight (P < 0.05) and PMA values (P < 0.05) compared to controls. Lean prediction of loins by TOBEC resulted in an R2 of 0.66. Bellies from CLA-supplemented pigs had a higher percentage of moisture (P < 0.03) and protein (P < 0.01) and decreased percentage of lipid (P < 0.01). The R2 values from the regression analysis predicting protein, moisture, protein + moisture, and fat-free soft tissue composition of the skinless bellies were 0.67, 0.68, 0.71, and 0.78, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Conjugated linoleic acid improves feed efficiency, decreases subcutaneous fat, and improves certain aspects of meat quality in stress-genotype pigs.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was supplemented to crossbred growing-finishing barrows (n = 60) at 0.75% of the total diet. Pigs were randomly assigned to the CLA or control diets based on stress genotype (negative, carrier, or positive). Gain:feed was higher for CLA diet animals (350 g/kg feed) than for control diet animals (330 g/kg feed) independent of genotype (P < 0.05). No differences were observed for ADG for the diets (P = 0.71) or genotype classes (P = 0.40). Postmortem pH was lower (P < 0.01) by 3 h for CLA-supplemented pigs, with no differences in ultimate pH. No differences (P = 0.16) were observed for ultimate pH between the three genotypes. Conjugated linoleic acid-supplemented pigs exhibited less 10th rib fat depth (2.34 cm vs 2.84 cm) and last rib fat depth (2.46 cm vs 2.72 cm) than control pigs (P < 0.05). Loin muscle area (LMA) was not affected (P = 0.18) by CLA supplementation, but LMA was different (P < 0.02) for genotype; positive genotype carcasses had the largest LMA (45.02 cm2) and negative carcasses had the smallest LMA (36.44 cm2). Carrier carcasses were intermediate for LMA (40.76 cm2). Subjective scores for color were not affected (P = 0.98) by CLA but color was different (P < 0.01), with scores of 1.50, 2.40, and 3.1 for positive, carrier, and negative genotypes, respectively. Subjective marbling scores were increased (P < 0.03) in all genotypes with CLA supplementation. Subjective firmness scores were higher (P < 0.06) for CLA-supplemented pigs and were highly correlated (0.89) to marbling scores. The L* values were higher (P < 0.01) for stress-positive pigs at 24 h postmortem. Also, L* values were higher (P < 0.01) for CLA-fed pigs over 7 d of shelf storage. Sensory characteristics were not different with CLA supplementation for tenderness (P = 0.24), juiciness (P = 0.35), or flavor intensity (P = 0.14). This study showed that LMA was increased with stress-carrier and stress-positive genotypes, but lean color was negatively affected with the presence of the stress gene. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation improves feed efficiency, decreases backfat, and improves pork quality attributes of marbling and firmness of the longissimus muscle. Furthermore, there is seemingly no interaction between the stress-genotype status of pigs and the subsequent effect of CLA on their growth and performance.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2001

Time does not heal all wounds. Patients report lower satisfaction levels as time goes by.

Tracking patient satisfaction over time is an effective way to learn about patient perceptions and can also help draw attention to service areas that need improvement. This research compared patient satisfaction levels immediately following hospital discharge and then again two years later. Both overall satisfaction and satisfaction with particular attributes tended to decrease over time. These findings raise questions about the long-term stability of satisfaction ratings and have implications for the timing of satisfaction surveys.

Feedback↗
PubMed1998

Sources of referral information: a marketing analysis of physician behavior.

The referral process is an important means of obtaining patients and it is necessary to determine ways of influencing the referral process to increase the patient base. This article reports research based on a survey of the referral habits of 806 primary care physicians. The results are examined in the context of physician receptivity to marketer-controlled versus health services sources of referral information.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cranial base tumor visualization through high-performance computing.

Tumors of the skull base in general are considered among the more difficult head and neck pathological entities to treat surgically; some surgeons, in fact, consider lesions in this area inoperable. The most appropriate and safest surgical approach to lesions of the anterior and lateral skull base can be devised only with accurate and precise pre-operative assessment. The literature demonstrates the constant evolution of and search for more efficient less invasive, and safe surgical approaches to this region. With the development of a more exact three-dimensional, interactive anatomical "road map" for each patient's disease and anatomy, the skull base surgeon can not only achieve a more accurate pre-operative assessment leading to a less invasive and less morbid approach, but also can continue to develop and refine new approaches without fear of actual morbidity and mortality. An interdisciplinary team approach, the advent and continued development of faster high performance computers, and the development of new and innovative rendering algorithms can lead to surgical simulation. A prototype of an interactive system has been developed. The system will be iteratively modified through a stepwise evaluation of its clinical usefulness by continually reassessing the system with clinical trials. The current state of the system and the potential benefits are presented.

Brain Mapping↗
PubMed1996

Pilot study on the effects of a computer-based medical image system.

Current medical imaging systems are developed for the purpose of data management. Evaluations of these systems are usually done by assessing users' subjective appreciation rather than objectively gauging performance influence. The present report discusses the evaluation of a medical image presentation system prototype utilizing a cognitive approach. Experimental results showed hypothesized performance improvement attributed to advanced presentation techniques. However, this improvement was almost inadvertently masked by users' previous strategies and interactions with new technology. Overall these data demonstrate the potential benefit of implementing such a system in actual practice as well as provide an example of applying the cognitive approach in evaluating the usability of medical systems.

Cognition↗
PubMed1994

Influencing physician referrals.

Primary care physicians have several external sources of information available when referring a patient to a specialist. The most-used sources were a fellow physician, followed by the specialist, the patient or the patient's family, and to a lesser extent, hospital-controlled sources including referral directories, call services, and sales representatives. The authors tested a cost-benefit model where source usage was predicted to increase as the costs of using the source decreased and benefits increased.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1994

What attributes determine quality and satisfaction with health care delivery?

Patient-based determinants of quality and satisfaction play an important role in choosing a health care provider. This study identifies five attributes of health care delivery that define patients' perceptions of quality and satisfaction. Managerial implications for diagnosing quality concerns of patients are discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1985

Deepening the understanding of hospital patient satisfaction: fulfillment and equity effects.

Patient satisfaction surveys are widely used tools. However, they provide limited managerial information. Additional, useful insights can be gained by analyzing factors that determine satisfaction. This study reports on fulfillment of expectations equity and satisfaction survey items as predictors of overall satisfaction with, and intentions to use, a hospital.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1977

SCP production by Chaetomium cellulolyticum, a new thermotolerant cellulolytic fungus.

Chaetomium cellulolyticum, a newly isolated cellulolytic fungus, showed 50-100% faster growth rates and over 80% more final biomass-protein formation than Trichoderma viride, a well-known high cellulase-producing cellulolytic organism, when cultivated on Solka-floc (a purified, predominantly amorphorous form of cellulose) or partially delignified sawdust (consisting of a mixture of hardwoods) as the sole-carbon source in the fermentation media. However, in both cases, T, viride produced much higher quantities of free cellulases at faster rates and also degraded more substrate than C. cellulolyticum. It is concluded that the synthesis mechanisms and/or the nature of the cellulase complexes of the two types of organisms are quite different such taht C. cellulolyticum is more optimal for single-cell protein (SCP) production, while T. viride is more optimal for the production of extracellular cellulase. It was also found that the amino acid composition of C. cellulolyticum is generally better than that of T. viride and compares favorably with those of the FAO reference protein, alfalfa, and soya meal. In addition, preliminary feeding trials on rats have shown no adverse effects of the SCP produced by C. cellulolyticum fermentations.

Amino Acids↗