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Biomedical subjects

R L Moser

Publications and source records attributed to R L Moser.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

In vivo estimation of body composition of mature gilts using live weight, backfat thickness, and deuterium oxide.

Thirty-seven Duroc x (Yorkshire x Landrace) (DYL) and 21 Yorkshire x Landrace (YL) gilts were used to develop equations that predict body composition of replacement-age breeding swine. Before slaughter, gilts were weighed, ultrasonically scanned for 10th rib backfat thickness, and infused with D2O (.25 g/kg live weight). The D2O space (kilograms) was calculated from body water D2O concentration determined at equilibrium (150 and 210 min after infusion). Regression models predicting empty body (Eb) components for DYL and YL groups were fitted using all possible variable combinations (D2O space, live weight, and[or] backfat depth). Variables selected in best-fit models for Eb water, protein, fat, and ash for data from DYL gilts differed from variables selected from data from YL gilts. Average prediction errors (kilograms; [predicted residual sum of squares divided by n]1/2) of best-fit equations were 2.37, 2.03 (Eb weight), 2.36, 1.66 (Eb water), 1.07, .47 (Eb protein), and 2.76, 2.89 (Eb fat) for DYL and YL data sets, respectively. Cross-validation by applying DYL equations to YL data, and vice versa, resulted in larger prediction errors. Likewise, larger errors were obtained when equations published elsewhere were applied to DYL and YL data sets. No cited source provided a set of equations that consistently minimized prediction errors of all Eb components of both DYL and YL gilts. Results indicate that prediction equations using D2O space, live weight, and(or) backfat thickness are accurate in estimating body composition only in animals physiologically resemble the population in which the equations were derived.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1993

Pharmacological evidence for the release of galanin from rat stomach.

The neuropeptide galanin has been shown to occur in nerve fibres in the circular muscle layer of the rat stomach. The present experiments aimed at demonstrating a functional correlate for this observation by testing the motor effects of galanin on circular strips of the rat gastric corpus in vitro. Exogenous galanin elicited only small contractions of the smooth muscle which were dose-related but did not show a clear sigmoid dose-response relationship. These responses were resistant to atropine plus guanethidine or TTX. When the muscle strips were electrically stimulated, they showed pronounced rebound contractions after the end of the stimulus. These rebound contractions were significantly reduced by either desensitizing the strips to galanin or by addition of spantide. It is concluded that galanin is released from the myenteric plexus in the stomach and acts to modulate gastric contractions either postsynaptically or by modifying the release of tachykinins.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Selective microscopic examination of gallbladders, hernia sacs, and appendices.

The usefulness of many "routine" medical procedures is being challenged in the health care atmosphere of today. This study was undertaken to determine the utility of routine microscopic pathologic examination of three frequently submitted surgical specimens. Pathology reports of 39,568 consecutive specimens, 17,105 appendices, 14,654 hernia sacs, and 7,809 gallbladders, submitted over a 49-year period, were reviewed. Microscopic examination of these tissues detected few unexpected findings. In those instances in which unexpected findings were discovered the primary surgery was curative or additional surgery would not have altered the prognosis. When careful, thorough gross examination by the surgeon and pathologist failed to disclose significant abnormalities or confirmed obvious disease such as inflammation, microscopic examination of these tissues might have been eliminated without a change in patient outcome. Although it could be argued that this microscopic pathologic correlation may be helpful for quality control and/or feedback of surgical decision making, the data indicate that gross examination alone may be sufficient in most cases, since unexpected microscopic findings are rare. The indications for microscopic examination of appendices, hernia sacs, and gallbladders are listed. Substantial savings of resources and time may be expected when selective microscopic examination is used.

Appendix↗
PubMed1988

Effect of reduced growth rate on the prevalence and severity of osteochondrosis in gilts.

Ninety-six recently weaned gilts were assigned to 3 groups. Group-1 gilts were fed a corn-soybean meal diet ad libitum and were killed when they weighed 110 kg. Gilts in groups 2 and 3 were fed 70% of the feed consumed by group-1 gilts. Group-2 gilts were killed when they weighed 110 kg, and group-3 gilts were killed at the same age as group-1 gilts. At slaughter, the right pelvic and thoracic limbs from all gilts were removed, and the distal end of each femur and humerus was sectioned serially at 5-mm intervals. Articular-epiphyseal cartilage complexes from these sites were examined grossly, radiographically, and histologically. Effects of treatment (ad libitum vs limited energy intake) and average daily gain on the prevalence and severity of lesions were analyzed statistically, using chi 2 analysis, a categoric-modeling technique, analysis of variance, and correlation coefficients. Of humeri and femora, 49 and 70%, respectively, had lesions of osteochondrosis, and 86% of the gilts had a lesion at one or both sites. Group-2 gilts (killed at 110 kg, but approx 70 days older than group-1 gilts) had significantly lower prevalence (P = 0.009) and severity (P = 0.002) of osteochondrosis of the distal end of the femur than did gilts in groups 1 and 3. When each group was evaluated individually, gilts that had a higher average daily gain had an increased prevalence and severity of lesions.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1986

Effects of oral doses of corn oil and other factors on preweaning survival and growth of piglets.

Piglets were provided supplemental energy as oral doses of corn oil to find whether such treatment might improve survival or weight gains. A total of 1,840 piglets from 182 litters was used. Piglets were allotted to dosed and control treatments within litter on the basis of body weight. Dosed piglets received a total of 8 ml of corn oil in four doses during the first 48 h postpartum. The survival rate to weaning was high and not affected (P greater than .10) by the corn oil doses. Deaths of piglets low in birth weight were delayed by the fat doses, suggesting some utilization. The fat doses did not affect piglet weight gain. Factors affecting preweaning survival and growth of piglets were also evaluated using data from the same piglets. Specific factors investigated were sex, parity of dam, birth weight, litter size and the mean and standard deviation of piglet birth weights within litters. Male piglets were heavier at birth than females, but there was no sex effect on weight at 7 d or at weaning. Small males were less likely to survive to 3 d than were small females. Litters from primiparous sows were smaller at birth and weaning, but had lower percentages of stillbirths and of preweaning deaths than did those from multiparous sows. Piglets from primiparous sows were more uniform in birth weight. Piglets that were heavier at birth grew faster and were more likely to survive. Litter size affected growth but not survival of piglets. A heavier average birth weight in the litter reduced slightly the growth rate of individual piglets. An increase in variability of piglet birth weight within a litter was associated with an increase of the percentages of stillbirths and of preweaning mortality. A few litters accounted for a major portion of the mortality. Much of the variation in piglet mortality and growth was not explained by factors considered.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1986

Effect of age, weaning and diet on digestive enzyme levels in the piglet.

Thirty-seven pigs were used to evaluate the effects of age and weaning on the level of protease in the gastric mucosa and trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase in the pancreas. There was a positive allometry of the pancreas and gastric mucosa associated with age and with weaning to a solid diet. Increases with age in total activity of chymotrypsin, trypsin, amylase and gastric proteases were due to increases in both tissue weight and enzyme activity per gram of tissue. A general depression in pancreatic enzymatic activities, but not in gastric proteolytic activity, was found during the first week following weaning. Forty pigs were used in a second trial to evaluate the effects of age and weaning diet on the same digestive enzymes. Total activity of all enzymes assayed increased with time postweaning. Increases in total activity of lipase and chymotrypsin were due primarily to increased pancreatic weight postweaning. Amylase, trypsin and gastric protease increases were due both to increased tissue weight and increased activity per gram of tissue. There were no effects of diet on the weight of gastric mucosa or the level of activity of the gastric proteases. Pigs fed a diet containing 20% whey had larger pancreases (P less than .10) at slaughter and a greater, but nonsignificant, mean activity per gram of pancreas for all pancreatic enzymes. It appears that the pig has sufficient pancreatic and gastric enzyme activity so that performance should not be limited, with the possible exception of the period shortly after weaning. However diet digestibility and subsequent pig performance may be more directly related to the extent of release of these enzymes into the intestine and the conditions that exist therein.

Aging↗
PubMed1986

Integration of factors affecting sow efficiency: a modeling approach.

A dynamic, partially stochastic mathematical model describing the reproductive performance of a sow herd is presented. The model stimulates a herd that averages 17.27 sow days/pig produced, with a mean of 9.06 pigs weaned/litter and 2.327 litters produced/sow each year. Several alternative options are simulated. Of these, the ones that increase the litter size at weaning appear most beneficial in terms of both biological and economic efficiencies.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1985

Response of growing-finishing pigs to decreasing floor space allowance and(or) virginiamycin in diet.

Five hundred forty crossbred pigs were utilized in four trials (10 replications) at two stations to determine the separate and interacting effects of decreasing floor space allowance with or without the addition of virginiamycin to the diet on performance of growing-finishing pigs. Pigs were allowed .37, .33 or .28 m2/pig during the growing phase (23 to 55 kg) and .74, .66, .56 m2/pig during the finishing phase (55 to 100 kg) and fed either a corn-soybean meal control diet or the control diet plus 11 mg of virginiamycin/kg of diet. Floor space allowances were achieved by varying pen size, so the number of pigs and feeder space per pig were constant for all pens. During the growing phase, daily gain (P less than .01) daily feed intake (P less than .05) and feed conversion ratio (P less than .05) decreased as floor space allowance decreased. During the finishing phase and for the total test period, daily gain (P less than .01) and feed conversion ratio (P less than .05) were reduced but daily feed intake was not affected (P greater than .05) by restricted floor space allowance. The addition of virginiamycin to the diet had no effect on pig performance. The virginiamycin X floor space allowance interaction was not significant, suggesting that pigs fed a diet with or without virginiamycin responded similarly to restricted floor space allowance. The data suggest that the addition of virginiamycin to the diet was ineffective in overcoming the decrease in performance of growing-finishing pigs caused by crowded conditions.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1982

Necrotizing arteritis and spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage in Sjögren syndrome.

A 37-year-old woman with primary Sjögren syndrome developed mixed cryoglobulinemia and systemic vasculitis. Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurred as a result of necrotizing anterior spinal arteritis. Although rarely seen in mixed cryoglobulinemia, central nervous system complications have recently been documented in Sjögren syndrome. The patient's serum contained antibodies to the Ro(SSA) cytoplasmic antigen, and these antibodies were concentrated in the cryoglobulin fraction. Anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies are associated with the occurrence of vasculitis in patients with Sjögren syndrome, which suggests that the spinal arteritis and subarachnoid hemorrhage in this patient may have been directly related to the underlying connective tissue disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Usual interstitial pneumonitis in infancy. Clinical and pathologic evaluation.

Interstitial lung disease is uncommon in infancy and childhood, and the long-term clinical and pathologic evolution of this entity in infants has not been published previously. We describe an infant with a steroid-sensitive chronic interstitial pneumonitis for which the clinical and histopathologic progression of the disease are presented. A family history of interstitial pneumonitis consistent with an autosomal dominant trait was present, and Pneumocystis carinii were found in the lung biopsy specimen.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1980

Immune complex myositis associated with viral hepatitis.

Sarcolemmal osmiophilic deposits were demonstrated by electron microscopy in the striated muscle of a patient who developed viral hepatitis associated myositis. HBsAg, IgG, and C3 were found in the same location, suggesting that the deposits represent immune complexes and the primary cause of myositis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Effect of dietary lactose on gain, feed conversion, blood, bone and intestinal parameters in postweaning rats and swine.

Two trials were conducted to determine the effect of lactose on performance, bone integrity and certain blood constituents in postweaning rats and swine. The effect of lactose on calcium and phosphorus and percentage ash content of the small intestine was also determined. In both trials, average daily gains were not influenced by the feeding of diets containing 30% lactose. Feed conversion was depressed in both rats and pigs when 30% lactose was fed. Transitory diarrhea was observed in rats fed 30% lactose, but not in swine. In the rat trial, no significant differences due to treatment were observed for serum Ca of P, but a linear increase (P < .01) in alkaline phosphatase was observed as lactose increased in the diet. Analysis of blood constituents from multiple bleedings during the pig trial showed that in the first 2 weeks, alkaline phosphatase was increased (P < .01) in pigs fed lactose and slightly decreased in those not fed lactose. Lactose affected the change in serum Ca for 0 to 10 weeks (P < .05) as indicated by a marked reduction in serum Ca of pigs not fed lactose and a slight increase for those fed lactoss. Serum calcium decreased in the absence of lactose but increased in the presence of lactose (P < .05) in pigs fed .4% Ca diets. In both trials, breaking strength parameters (peak force and stress) were not affected by dietary lactose. Bones from pigs fed no lactose had a higher stress to strain ratio (P < .05) than those from pigs fed lactose. In the rat trial, stress to strain ratio was variable across all treatments. Percentage of bone ash increased (P < .01) as lactose increased in the diet. Dietary treatments did not affect the mineral content of specific gut segments.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Lung cancer in chloromethyl ether workers.

During the period from 1948 to 71, some workers in a chemical plant were exposed to chloromethyl ethers in varying degrees and for varying durations. A historical cohort study of 1,446 male production employees from 1960 through 1975 showed both an increased risk of lung cancer as compared to that in the general population among 465 exposed workers and a dose-response relationship. Significantly increased risk occurred only among men with moderate and heavy chemical exposure. Smoking habit could account for some of the cases of lung cancer that developed in men with light chemical exposure and for cases among unexposed workers. Microscopic sections of most of the lung cancers were reviewed, and the results suggested that small-cell carcinoma was a specific response to inhalation of chloromethyl ethers.

Adenocarcinoma↗