PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Watts

Publications and source records attributed to T Watts.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Gene expression patterns accompanying a dietary shift in Drosophila melanogaster.

The ability of many organisms to switch to new hosts can be critical to their survival in the wild. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying such shifts are poorly understood. In this study, we used complementary DNA (cDNA) microarrays to ask if changes in gene expression are observed in response to a dietary shift in Drosophila melanogaster, a dietary generalist. We found significant and repeatable differential expression in a number of genes related to metabolic function and stress, suggesting that a functional genomics approach will be useful in seeking loci involved in the ability of flies to utilize different resources.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

A microfluorometric method for quantifying RNA and DNA in terrestrial insects.

Evidence is accumulating for a mechanistic linkage between body phosphorus content and growth and reproduction of individual organisms, due in part to variation in allocation of resources to ribosomal RNA. Testing this connection requires reliable methods of quantifying the nucleic acid content of individual organisms. Although methods for quantifying nucleic acids are available for a wide array of organisms, adaptation of such methods for study of insects has been neglected. Sensitive stains and high throughput fluorometric measurements are now available that substantially improve past methodologies. Here we present methods for the extraction and quantification of insect RNA and DNA based on the use of N-lauroylsarcosine and sonication for extraction, the nucleases RNase and DNase, and the use of microplate fluorescent assays to quantify nucleic acids as percent of body weight in insects. We illustrate the method using Drosophila and curculionid weevils.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Methodologies analysing individual practice in health care: a systematic review.

AIM OF THE REVIEW: The aim of the systematic review was to identify, explore and evaluate the current level of knowledge of methodologies used in comparative analyses of the individual practice of doctors, nurses and midwives. RATIONALE: The question of how roles and responsibilities might be shared differently between professional groups in order to promote improved, cost-effective health care requires a systematic analysis of existing roles and practice. To do this effectively, knowledge of the methodologies available for such an analysis is essential. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature published since 1989 comparing the practice of doctors, nurses and midwives was undertaken. FINDINGS: The findings are presented in tabular format and include the following categories of published methodologies: experimental/quasi-experimental; descriptive/nonexperimental and qualitative studies. The discussion centres on a critique of quantitative methodologies used to analyse individual practice in relation to role substitution and diversification. The potential contribution of qualitative methodologies in the analysis of individual practice is discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that the current level of knowledge is biased towards quantitative research. It is argued that the assessment of health care roles and responsibilities would be well served by a more balanced approach that recognizes the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative work.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Search for new particles decaying to t&tmacr; in p&pmacr; collisions at radicals = 1.8 TeV

We use 106 pb (-1) of data collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab to search for narrow-width, vector particles decaying to a top and an antitop quark. Model independent upper limits on the cross section for narrow, vector resonances decaying to t&tmacr; are presented. At the 95% confidence level, we exclude the existence of a leptophobic Z' boson in a model of top-color-assisted technicolor with mass M(Z')<480 GeV/c(2) for natural width gamma = 0.012M(Z'), and M(Z')<780 GeV/c(2) for gamma = 0.04M(Z').

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Limits on light gravitino production and new processes with large missing transverse energy in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt

Events collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) with an energetic jet plus large missing transverse energy can be used to search for physics beyond the standard model. We see no deviations from the expected backgrounds and set upper limits on the production of new processes. We consider in addition the production of light gravitinos and set a limit at 95% confidence level on the breaking scale sqrt[F]>/=217 GeV, which excludes gravitino masses smaller than 1.1x10(-5) eV/c(2).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Diffractive dijets with a leading antiproton in &pmacr;p collisions at sqrt

We report results from a study of events with a leading antiproton of beam momentum fraction 0.905 7 GeV. Using the dijet events, we evaluate the diffractive structure function of the antiproton and compare it with expectations based on results obtained in diffractive deep inelastic scattering experiments at the DESY ep collider HERA.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells in first trimester fetal blood.

The yolk sac and aorto-gonad-mesonephros region are well recognized as the principal sites of hematopoiesis in the developing embryo, and the liver is the principal site of hematopoiesis in the fetus. However, little is known about circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in early fetal life. We investigated the number and characteristics of circulating progenitors in first trimester blood of 64 human fetuses (median gestational age, 10(+4) weeks; range, 7(+6)-13(+6) weeks). CD34+ cells accounted for 5.1 +/- 1.0% of CD45+ cells in first trimester blood, which is significantly more than in term cord blood (0.4 +/- 0.03%; P =.0015). However, the concentration of CD34+ cells (6.6 +/- 2.4 x 10(4)/mL) was similar to that in term cord blood (5.6 +/- 3.9 x 10(4)/mL). The total number of progenitors cultured from unsorted mononuclear cells (MNCs) in first trimester blood was 19.2 +/- 2.1 x 10(3)/mL, which is similar to that in term cord blood (26.4 +/- 5.6 x 10(3)/mL). All lineages were seen: colony-forming unit-GEMM (CFU-GEMM), CFU-GM, BFU-e, BFU-MK, and CFU-MK. Clonogenic assays of CD34+ cells purified from first trimester samples produced mainly two lineages: BFU-e (39.0 +/- 9.6 x 10(3)/mL CD34+ cells) and CFU-GEMM (22.6 +/- 4.7 x 10(3)/mL CD34+ cells). Short-term liquid culture of first trimester blood MNCs in SCF + IL-3 + Flt-3 (stem cell factor + interleukin-3 + Flt-3) increased, by 7-fold, the numbers of CFU-GEMM and induced a dramatic increase in BFU-e (65.6 +/- 12.1-fold). These data show that significant numbers of committed and multipotent progenitors with capacity for expansion circulate in first trimester fetal blood and can be CD34 selected. These cells should be suitable targets for gene transfer and stem cell transplantation and, because fetal hematopoietic progenitors have been demonstrated in the maternal circulation from early gestation, may also be manipulated for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of major genetic disorders. (Blood. 2000;95:1967-1972)

Antigens, CD34↗
PubMed2000

Production of Upsilon(1S) mesons from chi(b) decays in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt

We have reconstructed the radiative decays chi(b)(1P)-->Upsilon(1S)gamma and chi(b)(2P)-->Upsilon(1S)gamma in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV, and measured the fraction of Upsilon(1S) mesons that originate from these decays. For Upsilon(1S) mesons with p(Upsilon)(T)>8.0 GeV/c, the fractions that come from chi(b)(1P) and chi(b)(2P) decays are [27.1+/-6.9(stat)+/-4. 4(syst)]% and [10.5+/-4.4(stat)+/-1.4(syst)]%, respectively. We have derived the fraction of directly produced Upsilon(1S) mesons to be [50.9+/-8.2(stat)+/-9.0(syst)]%.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Search for a fourth-generation quark more massive than the Z0 boson in p&pmacr; collisions at radicals = 1.8 TeV

We present the results of a search for pair production of a fourth-generation charge -1 / 3 quark (b(')) in sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV p&pmacr; collisions using 88 pb(-1) of data obtained with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We assume that both quarks decay via the flavor-changing neutral current process b(')-->bZ(0) and that the b(') mass is greater than m(Z)+m(b). We studied the decay mode b(')b(');-->Z(0)Z(0)b&bmacr; where one Z0 decays into e(+)e(-) or &mgr;(+)&mgr;(-) and the other decays hadronically, giving a signature of two leptons plus jets. An upper limit on the sigma(p&pmacr;-->b(')b(');)x[B(b(')-->bZ(0))](2) is established as a function of the b(') mass. We exclude at 95% confidence level a b(') quark with mass between 100 and 199 GeV/c(2) for B(b(')-->bZ(0)) = 100%.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Transverse momentum and total cross section of e(+)e(-) pairs in the Z-boson region from p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt

The transverse momentum and total cross section of e(+)e(-) pairs in the Z-boson region of 66<M(ee)<116 GeV/c(2) from p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV are measured using 110 pb(-1) of collisions taken by the Collider Detector at Fermilab during 1992-1995. The total cross section is measured to be 248+/-11 pb. The differential transverse momentum cross section is compared with calculations that match quantum chromodynamics perturbation theory at high transverse momentum with the gluon resummation formalism at low transverse momentum.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Measurement of the helicity of W bosons in top quark decays

We use the transverse momentum spectrum of leptons in the decay chain t-->bW with W-->lnu to measure the helicity of the W bosons in the top quark rest frame. Our measurement uses a t&tmacr; sample isolated in 106+/-4 pb(-1) of data collected in p&pmacr; collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV with the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Assuming a standard V-A weak decay, we find that the fraction of W's with zero helicity in the top rest frame is F0 = 0.91+/-0. 37(stat)+/-0.13(syst), consistent with the standard model prediction of F0 = 0.70 for a top mass of 175 GeV/c(2).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Observation of diffractive b-quark production at the fermilab tevatron

We report a measurement of the fraction of b quarks produced diffractively in &pmacr;p collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.8 TeV. Diffraction is identified by the absence of particles in a forward pseudorapidity region. From events with an electron of transverse momentum 9.5<p(e)(T)<20 GeV/ c within the pseudorapidity region |eta|<1.1, the ratio of diffractive to total b-quark production rates is found to be R(&bmacr;b) = [0.62+/-0.19(stat)+/-0.16(syst)]%. This result is comparable in magnitude to corresponding ratios for W and dijet production but significantly lower than expectations based on factorization.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Protective capacity of the Pasteurella haemolytica transferrin-binding proteins TbpA and TbpB in cattle.

The transferrin-binding proteins TbpA and TbpB from Pasteurella haemolytica biotype A serotype 1 were tested for their ability to confer protection against experimental P. haemolytica infection when administered to calves in vaccine formulations containing one or both antigens. Vaccine groups included TbpB (single immunization), TbpB (two immunizations), TbpA, TbpA+TbpB and a placebo. All animals that received TbpB had measurable antibody titres against the antigen at the time of challenge, while those that received TbpA did not show an antibody response. The TbpA+TbpB group showed the best protection against experimental challenge. Protection correlated with anti-TbpB antibody levels. The enhanced protection in the TbpA+TbpB group suggests TbpA contributed to protection through the induction of a non-antibody-mediated immune response. Sera from the TbpB-immunized animals was cross-reactive with TbpBs from other P. haemolytica serotypes.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1999

Ileal and jejunal Peyer's patches play distinct roles in mucosal immunity of sheep.

The majority of pathogens enter the body through mucosal surfaces and it is now evident that mucosal immunity can provide effective disease protection. However, the induction of mucosal immunity will require efficient targeting of mucosal vaccines to appropriate mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. An animal model, based upon the surgical preparation of sterile intestinal 'loops' (blind-ended segments of intestine), was developed to evaluate mucosal and systemic immune responses to enteric vaccines in ruminants. The effectiveness of end-to-end intestinal anastomoses was evaluated and fetal surgery did not disrupt normal intestinal function in lambs up to 6-7 months after birth. The immunological competence of Peyer's patches (PP) within the intestinal 'loops' was evaluated with a human adenovirus 5 vector expressing the gD gene of bovine herpesvirus-1. This vaccine vector induced both mucosal and systemic immune responses when injected into intestinal 'loops' of 5-6-week-old lambs. Antibodies to the gD protein were detected in the lumen of intestinal 'loops' and serum and PP lymphocytes proliferated in response to gD protein. The immune competence of ileal and jejunal PP was compared and these analyses confirmed that jejunal PP are an efficient site for the induction of mucosal immune responses. This was confirmed by the presence of gD-specific antibody-secreting cells in jejunal but not ileal PP. Systemic but not mucosal immune responses were detected when the vaccine vector was delivered to the ileal PP. In conclusion, this model provided an effective means to evaluate the immunogenicity of potential oral vaccines and to assess the immunological competence of ileal and jejunal Peyer's patches.

Adenoviruses, Human↗