THYROID HORMONE CONCENTRATIONS: SOME KINETIC PARAMETERS OF TRIIODOTHYRONINE AND METABOLIC RATE IN 'DOUBLE-MUSCLED' CATTLE

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. STRATH ◽  
J. A. BASARAB ◽  
J. R. THOMPSON ◽  
R. T. BERG

Serum triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) concentrations were determined in 43 cattle of a Beef Synthetic (SY) breed group and 44 cattle of a 'double-muscled' (DM) breed group at the University of Alberta. Animals within the DM breed group were categorized as phenotypically normal, moderate or extreme based on the degree of phenotypic expression of the 'double-muscling' trait. Serum T3 concentration was significantly influenced by the degree of phenotypic expression of the double-muscling trait with phenotypically extreme-muscled DM animals demonstrating an increased T3 concentration as compared with phenotypically normal DM and SY cattle. Serum T3 concentrations in the phenotypically moderate-muscled DM cattle were intermediate. A nonsignificant trend was observed for the phenotypically extreme-muscled DM cattle to have an elevated serum T4 concentration as compared with the other phenotypes. The phenotypically moderate-muscled DM and normal SY cattle tended to be intermediate to phenotypically extreme- and normal-muscled DM cattle in serum T4 concentrations. In another study, some kinetic parameters of T3 were determined in three normal- to moderate-muscled, 19-mo-old DM bulls and three of their extreme-muscled DM half-siblings. The extreme DM cattle exhibited a significantly increased T3 pool size and a trend towards an increased T3 irreversible loss as compared with their half-siblings. The total T3 entry rates in extreme DM cattle and normal- to moderate-muscled cattle were not observed to be significantly different. The metabolic rate of four normal- to moderate-muscled DM bulls and four of their extreme-muscled DM half-siblings were compared. The metabolic rate of the extreme-muscled DM cattle was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of their half-sibling carriers. The increased serum T3 concentration, the larger T3 pool size and the elevated irreversible loss combined with the higher metabolic rate in the extreme DM cattle suggest that this heavily muscled animal type is relatively hyperthyroid. Key words: Thyroxine, triiodothyronine, metabolic rate, double-muscling, cattle

1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.-M. KUBISCH ◽  
M. MAKARECHIAN

The effects of weaning date on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of 367 bull calves weaned 1 mo apart were compared in a 2-yr study at the University of Alberta ranch at Kinsella, Alberta. The calves belonged to three distinct breed groups. Calves were weaned either on 1 Oct. or 1 Nov., at which time they averaged 157 ± 1.5 and 189 ± 1.7 d of age, respectively. After a 4-wk postweaning adjustment period, calves in each group were fed a mixed diet containing 90% concentrate and 10% hay. During the period between the two weaning dates early-weaned calves gained more (P < 0.05) than their unweaned contemporaries, while the performance of the two groups during their respective adjustment periods was similar. The late-weaned group gained 175 g d−1 more (P < 0.05) and consumed 800 g d−1 more feed (P < 0.05) during the 140-d feedlot test while feed efficiency did not differ between the two groups. Average daily rate of gain from birth to 1 Oct. had a significant influence on feedlot gain (b = 0.42). Although late-weaned calves had a higher rate of growth during the feedlot test, their early-weaned contemporaries were 14.3 kg heavier and 7 d younger at slaughter. Significant differences in gain and carcass traits were observed between the three breed groups, but the interaction between breed group and weaning date was not significant, indicating that calves of different genetic backgrounds respond similarly to the effects of age at weaning. The results indicate that under Alberta's climatic conditions and despite lower feedlot gains, weaning calves 1 mo early is a viable alternative to the customary weaning date. Key words: Beef calves, bulls, weaning date, carcass traits


Author(s):  
Tracy Stewart ◽  
Denise Koufogiannakis ◽  
Robert S.A. Hayward ◽  
Ellen Crumley ◽  
Michael E. Moffatt

This paper will report on the establishment of the Centres for Health Evidence (CHE) Demonstration Project in both Edmonton at the University of Alberta and in Winnipeg at the University of Manitoba. The CHE Project brings together a variety of partners to support evidence-based practice using Internet-based desktops on hospital wards. There is a discussion of the CHE's cultural and political experiences. An overview of the research opportunities emanating from the CHE Project is presented as well as some early observations about information usage.


NeuroSci ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Kulpreet Cheema ◽  
William E. Hodgetts ◽  
Jacqueline Cummine

Much work has been done to characterize domain-specific brain networks associated with reading, but very little work has been done with respect to spelling. Our aim was to characterize domain-specific spelling networks (SpNs) and domain-general resting state networks (RSNs) in adults with and without literacy impairments. Skilled and impaired adults were recruited from the University of Alberta. Participants completed three conditions of an in-scanner spelling task called a letter probe task (LPT). We found highly connected SpNs for both groups of individuals, albeit comparatively more connections for skilled (50) vs. impaired (43) readers. Notably, the SpNs did not correlate with spelling behaviour for either group. We also found relationships between SpNs and RSNs for both groups of individuals, this time with comparatively fewer connections for skilled (36) vs. impaired (53) readers. Finally, the RSNs did predict spelling performance in a limited manner for the skilled readers. These results advance our understanding of brain networks associated with spelling and add to the growing body of literature that describes the important and intricate connections between domain-specific networks and domain-general networks (i.e., resting states) in individuals with and without developmental disorders.


Author(s):  
Bukola Salami ◽  
Alleson Mason ◽  
Jordana Salma ◽  
Sophie Yohani ◽  
Maryam Amin ◽  
...  

Immigrants experience poorer health outcomes than nonimmigrants in Canada for several reasons. A central contributing factor to poor health outcomes for immigrants is access to healthcare. Previous research on access to healthcare for immigrants has largely focused on the experience of immigrant adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate how immigrants access health services for their children in Alberta, Canada. Our study involved a descriptive qualitative design. Upon receiving ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, we invited immigrant parents to participate in this study. We interviewed 50 immigrant parents, including 17 fathers and 33 mothers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to the themes that emerged. Findings reveal that systemic barriers contributed to challenges in accessing healthcare for immigrant children. Participants identified several of these barriers—namely, system barriers, language and cultural barriers, relationship with health professionals, and financial barriers. These barriers can be addressed by policymakers and service providers by strengthening the diversity of the workforce, addressing income as a social determinant of health, and improving access to language interpretation services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-12
Author(s):  
Arno Pronk ◽  
Peng Luo ◽  
Qingpeng Li ◽  
Fred Sanders ◽  
Marjolein overtoom ◽  
...  

There has been a long tradition in making ice structures, but the development of technical improvements for making ice buildings is a new field with just a handful of researchers. Most of the projects were realized by professors in cooperation with their students as part of their education in architecture and civil engineering. The following professors have realized ice projects in this setting: Heinz Isler realized some experiments since the 1950s; Tsutomu Kokawa created in the past three decades several ice domes in the north of Japan with a span up to 25 m; Lancelot Coar realized a number of fabric formed ice shell structures including fiberglass bars and hanging fabric as a mold for an ice shell in 2011 and in 2015 he produced an fabric-formed ice origami structure in cooperation with MIT (Caitlin Mueller) and VUB (Lars de Laet). Arno Pronk realized several ice projects such as the 2004 artificially cooled igloo, in 2014 and 2015 dome structures with an inflatable mold in Finland and in 2016–2019, an ice dome, several ice towers and a 3D printed gridshell of ice in Harbin (China) as a cooperation between the Universities of Eindhoven & Leuven (Pronk) and Harbin (Wu and Luo). In cooperation between the University of Alberta and Eindhoven two ice beams were realized during a workshop in 2020. In this paper we will present the motivation and learning experiences of students involved in learning-by-doing by realizing one large project in ice. The 2014–2016 projects were evaluated by Sanders and Overtoom; using questionnaires among the participants by mixed cultural teams under extreme conditions. By comparing the results in different situations and cultures we have found common rules for the success of those kinds of educational projects. In this paper we suggest that the synergy among students participating in one main project without a clear individual goal can be very large. The paper will present the success factors for projects to be perceived as a good learning experience.


1973 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 234-267 ◽  

James Bertram Collip was a pioneer in endocrine research, especially in its biochemical aspects. Following an excellent training in biochemistry under Professor A. B. Macallum, F.R.S., at the University of Toronto, he spent thirteen years at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. There was a momentous year at the University of Toronto about midway through the Edmonton period; this coincided with the discovery of insulin by Sir Frederick G. Banting, F.R.S., and Professor Charles S. Best, F.R.S., and the experience altered the course of his career. Henceforth, Professor Collip’s life was dominated by an urge to discover hormones that would be useful in clinical medicine. Success attended these efforts, first in the isolation of the parthyroid hormone, called parathormone, while he was at the University of Alberta and later in the identification of placental and pituitary hormones during particularly fruitful years at McGill University. There were other important facets to Professor Collip’s career. These included the training of young scientists, many of whom subsequently came to occupy positions of responsibility, work with the National Research Council of Canada, and in his latter years an important contribution as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario. In addition to a life of fulfilment through accomplishments of scientific and medical importance, Professor Collip’s career was enriched by a happy family life and by the friendship of a host of individuals who were attracted to his brilliance as a scientist and his warm personality.


1995 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Stringam ◽  
V. K. Bansal ◽  
M. R. Thiagarajah ◽  
D. F. Degenhardt ◽  
J. P. Tewari

The doubled haploid breeding method and greenhouse screening using cotyledon bio-assay were successfully applied to transfer blackleg resistance from the Australian cultivar Maluka (Brassicas napus), into susceptible advanced B. napus lines from the University of Alberta. This approach for blackleg resistance breeding was effective and efficient as several superior blackleg resistant breeding lines were identified within 4 yr from the initial cross. One of these lines (91–21864NA) was entered in the 1993 trials of the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee. Key words: Blackleg resistance, Leptosphaeria maculans, doubled haploid, Brassica napus


2003 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Lynette Lutes ◽  
Sarvesh Logsetty ◽  
Jan McGuinness ◽  
Joan M. Carlson

Explores the development of a clinical quality improvement pilot project at the University of Alberta Hospital and Stollery Children’s Hospital which aimed to establish a team of individuals that could disseminate a culture of quality improvement and develop a framework for a quality process that could be replicated and repeated. Outcomes of the clinical pilot project included improved performance as well as opportunities to learn some key lessons around team membership and involvement.


1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 751-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. BASARAB ◽  
R. T. BERG ◽  
J. R. THOMPSON

The in vitro glucose consumption and lactic acid production by erythrocytes from 20 cattle of a Beef Synthetic (SY) breed group and 25 cattle of a double-muscled (DM) breed group were determined. There were three age groups and two sexes within each breed group. Animals within the DM breed group were categorized as either phenotypically normal- to moderate-muscled (DM carriers) or extreme-muscled (extreme DM) based on the phenotypic expression of the double-muscling trait and on their breeding history. Both DM phenotypes had higher (P < 0.01) erythrocyte glucose consumption and lactic acid production than normal-muscled, noncarrier cattle of the SY breed group. Extreme DM cattle were not different (P > 0.05) in either their erythrocyte glucose consumption or lactic acid production compared with DM carriers. No difference (P > 0.05) due to breed or phenotype was observed in the molar ratio of lactic acid produced to glucose consumed by erythrocytes. These results suggest that carriers of the Double Muscled Syndrome, regardless of phenotypic expression of the double-muscling trait, have a higher rate of erythrocyte glycolysis than normal cattle. Key words: Cattle, double muscled, erythrocyte, glucose, lactic acid


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 937-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Sinton Gerling ◽  
Arthur W. Bailey ◽  
Walter D. Willms

The response of Festuca hallii (Vassey) Piper to time of burning was examined on the Festuca–Stipa grasslands of the Aspen Parklands at the University of Alberta Ranch located 150 km southeast of Edmonton, Alberta. Two defoliation treatments (burning and mowing) were examined on five dates in 1978 (8 April, 27 April, 1 June, 31 July, and 18 October), corresponding to different phenological stages of F. hallii. Burning and mowing reduced the standing crop of F. hallii produced in the first growing season after treatment, but tiller densities increased. Defoliation in early spring (8 April) had little effect on the standing crop; apparently the increase in tiller density compensated for the reduction in tiller length. Inflorescence density also increased following burning or mowing from 8 April to 1 June. Soil temperature (3 cm deep) on previously burned or mown sites was greater than on the control the year after treatment. Festuca hallii tolerates single burns at any time of the year, but early spring fires have the greatest benefits by increased tillering and standing crop. Key words: standing crop, tiller number, leaf length, litter, defoliation, mowing.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document