bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves
Authors: Petzer Inge-Marié , Karzis Joanne , Lesosky Maia , Watermeyer Johanna C , Badenhorst Renette
Published: March 2013

Background

Heifers can calve down with intramammary infections (IMI) and udder damage. This will have a negative impact on their longevity, future milk yield and financial return. Co-housed pre-weaned calves that are fed fresh milk have the opportunity to suckle each other’s teats and may infect udders of fellow heifer calves with pathogens present in milk. The prevalence of IMI in pregnant heifers in South Africa (SA) which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves, is not known. Quarter secretion samples from both pregnant heifers (n = 2065) and dry cows (n = 5365) were collected for microbiological analysis from eight SA dairy herds. All heifers tested in this study were co-housed pre-weaning and were fed fresh milk as calves.

Results

The prevalence of coagulase negative staphylococci,Staphylococcus aureus,Streptococcus agalactiae, environmental streptococci, coliforms and samples with no bacterial growth in heifers was 26%, 0.9%, 0.08%, 1.4%, 0.4% and 66%, respectively. The overall prevalence ratio between heifers and cows forStaphylococcus aureusIMI was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.98). Four of the individual herds had prevalence ratios of less than one (p < 0.05), one herd had a prevalence ratio of 3.15 (95% CI: 1.52, 6.32), and the remaining 3 herds had a prevalence ratio not significantly different from 1.0. Marginally significant differences were found betweenStaphylococcus aureusIMI in pregnant heifers compared to cows in their second and later lactations (p = 0.06, p = 0.05, respectively) but no significant differences between heifers and cows in their first lactation.

Conclusions

The presence ofStreptococcus agalactiaeIMI in heifers came as a surprise, especially as herd infection rates were low. The high prevalence ratio ofStaphylococcus aureusbetween heifers and cows in one herd warrants further investigation due to the potential danger of udder damage in a young cow at the start of her productive life. The IMI in heifers with host adapted pathogens can also act as a source of new IMI for lactating dairy cows.
Measurement of cystatin C functional activity in the cerebrospinal fluid of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and control subjects
Authors: Wilson Meghan E , Boumaza Imene , Bowser Robert
Published: March 2013

Background

Cystatin C is a constitutively expressed and abundant cysteine protease inhibitor within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recent studies have reported a significant reduction in cystatin C concentration in the CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and several other neurodegenerative diseases, relative to healthy controls. Cystatin C can exhibit both neuroprotective and neurotoxic properties, suggesting that altered CSF cystatin C concentrations could potentially impact the pathogenesis or progression of these disorders. However, it is unclear if alterations in cystatin C concentration result in physiologically relevant differences in its functional activity within the CSF. Measurements of the cysteine protease inhibitory activity of cystatin C within the CSF have not been reported, and the relationship between CSF cystatin C concentration and activity levels in different disease contexts has not been investigated.

Methods

We used a papain inhibition assay to evaluate the total cystatin C activity in CSF samples from 23 ALS patients, 23 healthy controls, and 23 neurological disease controls. Cystatin C concentrations in these samples were previously measured by ELISA. Correlations between cystatin C concentration and activity were assessed with nonparametric statistics. Activity ratios were compared among diagnostic groups using both one-way ANOVA and repeated measures statistics.

Results

Total cystatin C activity was found to be directly proportional to its protein concentration in all subjects, and cystatin C activity was not altered in ALS patients. In addition, our data suggest that cystatin C is the predominant cysteine protease inhibitor in human CSF.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate the successful measurement of the functional activity of cystatin C in the CSF, and show that total cystatin C activity can be inferred from its total protein concentration. Our results also suggest that cystatin C is the major cysteine protease inhibitor in human CSF and altered CSF cystatin C concentration may play a role in the pathobiology of ALS and other neurological diseases.
Structure-activity-relationship study of N-acyl-N-phenylpiperazines as potential inhibitors of the Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters (EAATs): improving the potency of a micromolar screening Hit is not truism
Authors: Huynh Tri HV , Demmer Charles S , Abrahamsen Bjarke , Marcher Emil , Frykman Mikael , Jensen Anders A , Bunch Lennart
Published: March 2013

The excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are transmembrane proteins responsible for the uptake of (S)-glutamate from the synaptic cleft. To date, five subtypes EAAT1-5 have been identified for which selective inhibitors have been discovered for EAAT1 and EAAT2. By screening of a commercially available compound library consisting of 4,000 compounds, N-acyl-N-phenylpiperazine analog (±)-

exo

-1 was identified to be a non-selective inhibitor at EAAT1-3 displaying IC50 values in the mid-micromolar range (10 μ M, 40 μ M and 30 μ M at EAAT1, 2 and 3, respectively). Subsequently, we designed and synthesized a series of analogs to explore the structure-activity-relationship of this scaffold in the search for analogs characterized by increased inhibitory potency and/or EAAT subtype selectivity. Despite extensive efforts, all analogs of (±)-

exo

-1 proved to be either inactive or to have least 3-fold lower inhibitory potency than the lead, and furthermore none of the active analogs displayed selectivity for a particular subtype amongst the EAAT1-3. On the basis of our findings, we speculate that (±)-

exo

-1 binds to a recess (deepening) on the EAAT proteins than a well-defined pocket.
Association between alcohol consumption and symptom severity and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia
Authors: Kim Chul H , Vincent Ann , Clauw Daniel J , Luedtke Connie A , Thompson Jeffrey M , Schneekloth Terry D , Oh Terry H
Published: March 2013

Introduction

Although alcohol consumption is a common lifestyle behavior with previous studies reporting positive effects of alcohol on chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis, no studies to this date have examined alcohol consumption in patients with fibromyalgia. We examined the association between alcohol consumption and symptom severity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods

Data on self-reported alcohol consumption from 946 patients were analyzed. Subjects were grouped by level of alcohol consumption (number of drinks/week): none, low (≤3), moderate (>3 to 7), and heavy (>7).

Univariate analyses were used to find potential confounders, and analysis of covariance was used to adjust for these confounders. Tukey HSD pairwise comparisons were used to determine differences between alcohol groups.

Results

Five hundred and forty-six subjects (58%) did not consume alcohol. Low, moderate, and heavy levels of alcohol consumption were reported for 338 (36%), 31 (3%), and 31 patients (3%), respectively. Employment status (P <0.001), education level (P = 0.009), body mass index (P = 0.002) and opioid use (P = 0.002) differed significantly among groups with drinkers having higher education, a lower BMI, and a lower frequency of unemployment and opioid use than nondrinkers. After adjusting for these differences, the measures including the number of tender points (P = 0.01), FIQ total score (P = 0.01), physical function (P <0.001), work missed (P = 0.005), job ability (P = 0.03), and pain (P = 0.001) differed across groups, as did the SF-36 subscales of physical functioning (P <0.001), pain index (P = 0.002), general health perception (P = 0.02), social functioning (P = 0.02), and the physical component summary (P <0.001). Pairwise comparison among the 4 groups showed that the moderate and low alcohol drinkers had lower severity of fibromyalgia symptoms and better physical QOL than nondrinkers.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that low and moderate alcohol consumption was associated with lower fibromyalgia symptoms and better QOL compared to no alcohol consumption. The reasons for these results are unclear. Since recent studies have demonstrated that γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) levels are low in fibromyalgia, and alcohol is known to be a GABA-agonist, future studies should examine whether alcohol could have a salutary effect on pain and other symptoms in fibromyalgia.
American Society of Clinical Oncology/Oncology Nursing Society Chemotherapy Safety Standards
Authors: Gullatte Mary
Published: March 2013

Oncology nurses have used chemotherapy standards to develop educational materials and guidelines for standardization and safety and anticipate future opportunities to partner in translating evidence into practice.
Dexamethasone-Mediated Changes in Adipose Triacylglycerol Metabolism Are Exaggerated, Not Diminished, in the Absence of a Functional GR Dimerization Domain
Authors: Roohk Donald J. , Mascharak Smita , Khambatta Cyrus , Leung Ho , Hellerstein Marc , Harris Charles
Published: March 2013

The glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR) has multiple effector mechanisms, including dimerization-mediated transactivation of target genes via DNA binding and transcriptional repression mediated by protein-protein interactions. Much attention has been focused on developing selective GR modulators that would dissociate adverse effects from therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects. The GRdim/dim mouse has a mutation in the dimerization domain of GR and has been shown to have attenuated transactivation with intact repression. To understand the role of GR dimerization-dependent targets in multiple tissues, we measured metabolic fluxes through several disease-relevant GC target pathways using heavy water labeling and mass spectrometry in wild-type and GRdim/dim mice administered the potent GC dexamethasone (DEX). Absolute triglyceride synthesis was increased in both wild-type and GRdim/dim mice by DEX in the inguinal and epididymal fat depots. GRdim/dim mice showed an exaggerated response to DEX in both depots. De novo lipogenesis was also greatly increased in both depots in response to DEX in GRdim/dim, but not wild-type mice. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of DEX on bone and skin collagen synthesis rates was greater in wild-type compared with GRdim/dim mice. Wild-type mice were more sensitive to DEX-dependent decreases in insulin sensitivity than GRdim/dim mice. Wild-type and GRdim/dim mice were equally sensitive to DEX-dependent decreases in muscle protein synthesis. Chronic elevation of GCs in GRdim/dim mice results in severe runting and lethality. In conclusion, some metabolic effects of GC treatment are exaggerated in adipose tissue of GRdim/dim mice, suggesting that selective GR modulators based on dissociating GR transactivation from repression should be evaluated carefully.
Organizational Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Bisphenol-A and Diethylstilbestrol on Arcuate Nucleus Circuitry Controlling Food Intake and Energy Expenditure in Male and Female CD-1 Mice
Authors: MacKay Harry , Patterson Zachary R. , Khazall Rim , Patel Shoyeb , Tsirlin Dina , Abizaid Alfonso
Published: March 2013

The endocrine disrupting compound bisphenol-A (BPA) has been reported to act as an obesogen in rodents exposed perinatally. In this study, we investigated the effects of early-life BPA exposure on adult metabolic phenotype and hypothalamic energy balance circuitry. Pregnant and lactating CD-1 dams were exposed, via specially prepared diets, to 2 environmentally relevant doses of BPA. Dams consumed an average of 0.19 and 3.49 μg/kg per day of BPA in the low and high BPA treatments prenatally and an average of 0.36 and 7.2 μg/kg per day of BPA postnatally. Offspring were weaned initially onto a normal (AIN93G) diet, then as adults exposed to either a normal or high-fat diet (HFD). Males exposed to the high dose of BPA showed impaired glucose tolerance on both diets. They also showed reduced proopiomelanocortin fiber innervation into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, and when exposed to HFD, they demonstrated increased neuropeptide Y and Agouti-related peptide expression in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). Females exposed to the high BPA dose were heavier, ate more, and had increased adiposity and leptin concentrations with reduced proopiomelanocortin mRNA expression in the ARC when consuming a HFD. BPA-exposed females showed ARC estrogen receptor α expression patterns similar to those seen in males, suggesting a masculinizing effect of BPA. These results demonstrate that early-life exposure to the obesogen BPA leads to sexually dimorphic alterations in the structure of hypothalamic energy balance circuitry, leading to increased vulnerability for developing diet-induced obesity and metabolic impairments, such as glucose intolerance.
Creb1-Mecp2-mCpG Complex Transactivates Postnatal Murine Neuronal Glucose Transporter Isoform 3 Expression
Authors: Chen Yongjun , Shin Bo-Chul , Thamotharan Shanthie , Devaskar Sherin U.
Published: March 2013

The murine neuronal facilitative glucose transporter isoform 3 (Glut3) is developmentally regulated, peaking in expression at postnatal day (PN)14. In the present study, we characterized a canonical CpG island spanning the 5′-flanking region of the glut3 gene. Methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing identified methylation of this CpG (mCpG) island of the glut3 gene, frequency of methylation increasing 2.5-fold with a 1.6-fold increase in DNA methyl transferase 3a concentrations noted with advancing postnatal age (PN14 vs PN3). 5′-flanking region of glut3-luciferase reporter transient transfection in HT22 hippocampal neurons demonstrated that mCpGs inhibit glut3 transcription. Contrary to this biological function, glut3 expression rises synchronously with mCpGs in PN14 vs PN3 neurons. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (IP) revealed that methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (Mecp2) bound the glut3-mCpGs. Depending on association with specific coregulators, Mecp2, a dual regulator of gene transcription, may repress or activate a downstream gene. Sequential chromatin IP uncovered the glut3-mCpGs to bind Mecp2 exponentially upon recruitment of Creb1 rather than histone deacetylase 1. Co-IP and coimmunolocalization confirmed that Creb1 associated with Mecp2 and cotransfection with glut3-mCpG in HT22 cells enhanced glut3 transcription. Separate 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine pretreatment or in combination with trichostatin A reduced mCpG and specific small interference RNAs targeting Mecp2 and Creb1 separately or together depleting Mecp2 and/or Creb1 binding of glut3-mCpGs reduced glut3 expression in HT22 cells. We conclude that Glut3 is a methylation-sensitive neuronal gene that recruits Mecp2. Recruitment of Creb1-Mecp2 by glut3-mCpG contributes towards transactivation, formulating an escape from mCpG-induced gene suppression, and thereby promoting developmental neuronal glut3 gene transcription and expression.
Living on the Multidimensional Edge: Seeking Hidden Risks Using Regular Variation
Authors: Das Bikramjit , Mitra Abhimanyu , Resnick Sidney
Published: March 2013

Multivariate regular variation plays a role in assessing tail risk in diverse applications such as finance, telecommunications, insurance, and environmental science. The classical theory, being based on an asymptotic model, sometimes leads to inaccurate and useless estimates of probabilities of joint tail regions. This problem can be partly ameliorated by usinghidden regular variation(see Resnick (2002) and Mitra and Resnick (2011)). We offer a more flexible definition of hidden regular variation that provides improved risk estimates for a larger class of tail risk regions.
Secondary structure of bacteriophage T4 gene 60 mRNA: Implications for translational bypassing
Authors: Todd Gabrielle C. , Walter Nils G.
Published: March 2013

Translational bypassing is a unique phenomenon of bacteriophage T4 gene 60 mRNA wherein the bacterial ribosome produces a single polypeptide chain from a discontinuous open reading frame (ORF). Upon reaching the 50-nucleotide untranslated region, or coding gap, the ribosome either dissociates or bypasses the interruption to continue translating the remainder of the ORF, generating a subunit of a type II DNA topoisomerase. Mutational and computational analyses have suggested that a compact structure, including a stable hairpin, forms in the coding gap to induce bypassing, yet direct evidence is lacking. Here we have probed the secondary structure of gene 60 mRNA with both Tb3+ ions and the selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) reagent 1M7 under conditions where bypassing is observed. The resulting experimentally informed secondary structure models strongly support the presence of the predicted coding gap hairpin and highlight the benefits of using Tb3+ as a second, complementary probing reagent. Contrary to several previously proposed models, however, the rest of the coding gap is highly reactive with both probing reagents, suggesting that it forms only a short stem–loop. Mutational analyses coupled with functional assays reveal that two possible base-pairings of the coding gap with other regions of the mRNA are not required for bypassing. Such structural autonomy of the coding gap is consistent with its recently discovered role as a mobile genetic element inserted into gene 60 mRNA to inhibit cleavage by homing endonuclease MobA.
Intervention- versus physiology-based risk assessment scores for predicting cardiac arrest: a pilot study
Authors: Choukalas Christopher G , Kellman Suzanne , Keese Michelle L , Loor Michelle , Vasington Marzanna , O’Connor Michael F , Edelson Dana P
Published: March 2013

There is increasing interest in predicting and avoiding cardiac arrest in hospitalized patients. Multiple studies have used vital signs or scores based upon them, such as the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS). Scoring systems that measure supportive care, such as the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and the 28-item Therapeutic Interventions Scoring System (TISS-28) might be superior to systems used in previous studies. This study was performed to determine if a system using SOFA and/or TISS would be superior in detecting clinical deterioration prior to cardiac arrest.

Using a retrospective chart review, MEWS, SOFA and TISS-28 scores were calculated for twenty patients at baseline and then in the 24 hours prior to their cardiac arrest. Supportive interventions and nursing care (SOFA and TISS-28) changed more than measures of physiology (MEWS) in the period prior to cardiac arrest, likely due to the fact that vital sign deterioration can be delayed by supportive measures. These results support the idea that a SOFA and/or TISS-28 scoring system might be superior to the MEWS, which could be used to make hospital rapid response teams more effective.
Exact Approaches to Multilevel Vertical Orderings
Authors: Chimani Markus , Hungerländer Philipp
Published: March 2013

We present a semidefinite programming (SDP) approach for the problem of ordering vertices of a layered graph such that the edges of the graph are drawn as vertical as possible. This multilevel vertical ordering (MLVO) problem is a quadratic ordering problem and conceptually related to the well-studied problem of multilevel crossing minimization (MLCM). In contrast to the latter, it can be formulated such that it does not merely consist of multiple sequentially linked bilevel quadratic ordering problems, but as a genuine multilevel problem with dense cost matrix. This allows us to describe the graphs' structures more compactly and therefore obtain solutions for graphs too large for MLCM in practice.

In this paper we give motivation and mathematical models for MLVO. We formulate linear and quadratic programs, including some strengthening constraint classes, and an SDP relaxation for MLVO. We compare all approaches both theoretically and experimentally and show that MLVO's properties render linear and quadratic programming approaches inapplicable, even for small sparse graphs, while the SDP works surprisingly well in practice. This is in stark contrast to other ordering problems like MLCM, where such graphs are typically solved more efficiently with integer linear programs. Finally, we also compare our approach to related MLCM approaches.
An Efficient Semidefinite Programming Relaxation for the Graph Partition Problem
Authors: Sotirov Renata
Published: March 2013

We derive a new semidefinite programming relaxation for the general graph partition problem (GPP). Our relaxation is based on matrix lifting with matrix variable having order equal to the number of vertices of the graph. We show that this relaxation is equivalent to the Frieze-Jerrum relaxation for the maximum k-cut problem with an additional constraint that involves the restrictions on the subset sizes. Because the new relaxation does not depend on the number of subsets k into which the graph should be partitioned we are able to compute bounds for large k. We compare theoretically and numerically the new relaxation with other semide-finite programming (SDP) relaxations for the GPP. The results show that our relaxation provides competitive bounds and is solved significantly faster than any other known SDP bound for the general GPP.
Business advocacy in Asian PTAs: a model of selective corporate lobbying with evidence from Japan
Authors: Solís Mireya
Published: March 2013

What explains the pattern of selective business interest in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) with active campaigning for and utilization of tariff preferences for some trade agreements, but not others? Under what conditions can business advocates of PTA policy mount an effective lobbying campaign to influence policy outcomes (i.e., shaping decisions onwhoto negotiate with andwhatto negotiate about)? These are important questions given that analyses of Asian PTAs frequently assign a negligible role to business interests either out of apathy or lobbying weakness. To understand the pattern of selective business lobbying for PTAs, I develop a theoretical model with three main independent variables: venue selection, preference intensity, and advocacy effectiveness, and apply it to the case of Japan to test its usefulness. My model shows that the conditions for effective business PTA campaigning are exacting: loss avoidance, high technical expertise, and influence-seeking strategies that maximize access opportunities given institutional constraints. And yet when these factors align, business interests do influence PTA outcomes. My research shows that the current trend to characterize the agency of PTA proliferation as either state-led or business-driven needs to be re-examined as it is more useful to think about state-society constellations in favor or against PTAs.
Chemical Perspectives on Alkali and Earth Alkaline Nitrate and Nitrite Salts for Concentrated Solar Power Applications
Authors: Cordaro Joseph G.
Published: March 2013

Molten salts have been widely considered as the leading candidate heat transfer fluids (HTF) used in high temperature, concentrated solar power plants. Specifically, nitrate and nitrite based salts have been investigated as a HTF and even deployed in pilot plants generating up to 19.9 MW of electricity at operating temperatures above 500 °C. New plant designs requiring higher operating temperatures for better efficiencies are pushing the stability limit of HTF. This paper presents an overview of the thermophysical properties of nitrate and nitrite salts and discusses thermodynamic and kinetic stability limitations as they relate to concentrated solar power generation.
Wind Flow Conditions in Offshore Wind Farms: Validation and Application of a CFD Wake Model
Authors: Westerhellweg Annette , Cañadillas Beatriz , Kinder Friederike , Neumann Thomas
Published: March 2013

Since August 2009, the first German offshore wind farm ‘alpha ventus’ is operating close to the wind measurement platform FINO1. Within the research project RAVE-OWEA the wind flow conditions in ‘alpha ventus’ were assessed in detail, simulated with a CFD wake model and compared with the measurements. Wind data measured at FINO1 have been evaluated for wind speed reduction and turbulence increase in the wake. Additionally operational data were evaluated for the farm efficiency. The atmospheric stability has been evaluated by temperature measurements of air and water and the impact of atmospheric stability on the wind conditions in the wake has been assessed. As an application of CFD models the generation of power matrices is introduced. Power matrices can be used for the continual monitoring of the single wind turbines in the wind farm. A power matrix based on CFD simulations has been created for ‘alpha ventus’ and tested against the measured data.
A new trend in the complex I research field
Authors: Ohnishi Tomoko , Ohnishi S. Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2013

To date, the 17th European Bioenergetics Conference (EBEC) in Freiburg, Germany (September 15–20, 2012) was the most exciting conference for the complex I (NADH-Q oxidoreductase) research field. A whole day of oral presentations was dedicated to complex I, including three plenary lectures and 11 symposium talks. In addition, 43 posters were dedicated to complex I projects. Here is a brief summary of an exciting paradigm shift from ‘structure major’ to ‘structure plus function’, clearly observed in the complex I research field.
Maternal weight gain in women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Horosz Edyta , Bomba-Opon Dorota A. , Szymanska Monika , Wielgos Miroslaw
Published: March 2013

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the perinatal outcomes in gestational diabetes in women with body mass index (BMI)-adjusted gestational weight gain (GWG) according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2009 recommendations.

Material and methods: The clinic’s database was used to analyze 675 singleton GDM pregnancy outcomes. GWG for the entire pregnancy was compared to IOM recommendations and adjusted for prepregnancy BMI categories: underweight <18.5; normal 18.5–24.9; overweight 25–29.9; and obese >30. The study group was divided into three categories: below IOM limits, within IOM limits and above IOM limits.

Results: Only 37% of women achieved the proper weight gain (n=256). Almost 30% of women with GDM (n=196) had an excessive weight gain. GWG above limits was associated with a significantly higher neonatal measurements and a higher rate of large-for-gestational-age neonates. In underweight and normal-prepregnancy-weight women, no relation between GWG and birth-weight percentile was noted. For the overweight and obese women, a positive significant correlation between GWG until GDM diagnosis and birth-weight percentile was noted (P=0.002), which was not present when GWG until delivery was considered.

Conclusions: Limited weight gain in overweight and obese women with gestational diabetes mellitus results in favourable pregnancy outcomes.
Percutaneous laser disc decompression: A minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of intervertebral disc prolapse – the Bangladesh perspective/Perkutane Laser-Diskusdekompression: Ein minimal-invasives Verfahren zur Behandlung von Bandscheibenvorfall – Ein Erfahrungsbericht aus Bangladesch
Authors: Ali Yakub M. , Sarwar Jahangir M. , Hossain Mohammad S. , Sarker Manash C. , Kayes Mohammad N. , Rahman Muhammed M.
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this paper is to assess the clinical effectiveness of percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) for patients with radicular pain due to intervertebral disc hernia and to describe our experience in this field in Bangladesh.

PLDD is a procedure in which herniated intervertebral discs are treated by the reduction of intradiscal pressure by laser energy. This is introduced by a needle inserted into the nucleus pulposus under local anesthesia and fluoroscopic monitoring. Small volume nucleus vaporization results in a sharp fall in intradiscal pressure, with the consequent migration of herniation away from the nerve root. PLDD has been reported to be a safe, effective, minimally invasive treatment option for patients with a herniated disc.

This observational random prospective analysis was carried out during the period from November 2007 to December 2011. PLDD was performed on 4622 herniated discs of 2580 patients (1420, male; 1160, female), whose age ranged between 18 and 85 years. A total of 47 cases were failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). All patients were followed up (ranging from 1 month to 36 months, with a median of 12 months) and were evaluated according to MacNab criteria.

Amongst the 2580 patients, 2296 (89.0%) reported immediate pain relief, 230 (8.9%) patients were uncertain and the remaining 54 (2.1%) did not have immediate pain relief. In the subsequent follow up, according to MacNab criteria a good response was seen in 1935 (75.0%) cases and a fair response in 335 (13.0%) cases. The response to the treatment was poor in 310 patients (12.0%). A second session of PLDD was performed on 292 (11.3%) patients made up of 162 patients (6.3%) due to multi-level (>2 discs) prolapse, 102 patients (3.9%) due to an extensive prolapse of one or two discs and 28 patients (1.0%) because of a relapse. In two cases of a prolapsed dorsal spine (T

PLDD is an effective and minimally invasive procedure which has almost no side effects or complications, can be performed under local anesthesia, results in no scarring or spinal instability, and still does not hinder the scope of open surgery in failed cases. PLDD is also effective in cases of FBSS.
A comparison of two metamodel-based methodologies for multiple criteria simulation optimization using an injection molding case study
Authors: Villarreal-Marroquín María G. , Svenson Joshua D. , Sun Fangfang , Santner Thomas J. , Dean Angela , Castro José M.
Published: March 2013

This paper compares two metamodel-based methodologies for multi-criteria simulation optimization (SO), using the injection molding of a disposable camera front housing as a case study. The first methodology uses linear regression metamodels and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to iteratively identify potential Pareto solutions, while the second one uses a Gaussian process metamodel and calculates an expected improvement to determine the new input runs sequentially. A one-to-one comparison of the approaches is presented using two optimization examples. The first example involves two process outputs and the second involves three. The approaches are evaluated using the same number of simulations, and are compared in terms of the quality of the obtained Pareto front, based on the hypervolume indicator. Advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed.
Experimental, modeling and optimization study on the mechanical properties of epoxy/high-impact polystyrene/multi-walled carbon nanotube ternary nanocomposite using artificial neural network and genetic algorithm
Authors: Fereidoon Abdolhosein , Mashhadzadeh Amin Hamed , Rostamiyan Yasser
Published: March 2013

In spite of Epoxy resin’s good tensile strength, are brittle in nature and have poor resistance at the front of crack propagation. In enhancing simultaneously the mechanical strength and fracture toughness of epoxy-based nanocomposites, high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) as thermoplastic phase and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as nanofiller phases are used incorporately to obtain ternary epoxy-based nanocomposites. Tensile, flexural, compression and impact are the four different mechanical properties. Artificial neural network was used to present models for predicting the mechanical behavior of epoxy/HIPS/MWCNT nanocomposites. Also, this model used as a fitness function of genetic algorithm as a powerful optimization method to find the optimum value of the above-mentioned mechanical properties. The effective parameters investigated were HIPS, MWCNT and hardener. From the result, it was found that the combination of HIPS and MWCNT nanofillers significantly increases tensile, compression and impact strength of neat resin by up to 52%, 43% and 334%, respectively, but flexural strength did not change positively. Also, elongation at break for tensile, flexural and compression rose to 223%, 36% and 26% of neat epoxy, respectively. The morphology of fracture surface was studied by scanning electron microscopy.
Autobiography and Authoriality in a Madrigal Book: Leonardo Meldert’s Primo libro a cinque (1578)
Authors: Piperno Franco
Published: March 2013

At first glance Leonard Meldert’s Primo libro a cinque (1578) seems to represent a synthesis of the composer’s activity at the court of Guidubaldo II Della Rovere, Duke of Urbino—where the composer arrived in 1573—and his private service, beginning late in 1574, to the duke’s brother, Cardinal Giulio Della Rovere, to whom his madrigal collection is dedicated. But a deeper investigation of the book’s structure and content reveals that it tells another story. Almost all of the pieces were composed either in Pesaro for Guidubaldo—or, rather, for Guidubaldo’s beloved daughter-in-law Lucrezia d’Este from Ferrara—or in Fossombrone or Urbino for Cardinal Giulio, and the selection of texts appears consistent with the literary tastes of the Urbino court (where the young Tasso, too, lived for a while and staged, for the first and only time, his pastoral comedy Aminta). But the inner structure of the book appears, surprisingly, to be modeled according to a sort of autobiographical plan. The twenty madrigals are clearly divided, by modal as well as literary strategies, into three sections: the outer ones, in cantus durus, set conventional happy love scenes to music; the central one, in cantus mollis, presents an incredible series of texts expressing deep suffering due to a bad situation (the composer forced to silence, an angry “signore” ignoring the composer’s words, etc.). The importance given to the affect of suffering is partly explained by Meldert’s dedication letter, in which he says that Guidubaldo’s death in September 1574 left him without “speranza di protezione” (without any hope of protection) and that some time elapsed before he was able to recover thanks to the patronage of Cardinal Giulio. Thus the three parts of the book may respectively refer to a) an initial happy period with Guidubaldo, b) a second period of uncertainty under the new duke Francesco Maria II (who dismissed his father’s musical chapel along with many of his former servants), and c) a third newly felicitous period in the cardinal’s service. Moreover, a philological study of the texts chosen by Meldert reveals that during the troubled and painful period he was probably trying to establish connections with other musical circles (in particular that of Antonio Londonio in Milan) in an attempt to redirect his life and career. Taking this data as my starting point, in this paper I will reconsider the common view of the relations between a madrigal book and its patron/dedicatee as well as the new idea of “authoriality” (i.e., authorial presence) that is reflected in a musical publication of the second half of the sixteenth century.
Giovanni Maria Nanino’s Early Patrons in Rome
Authors: Newcomb Anthony
Published: March 2013

The first edition of the First Book for five voices of Giovanni Maria Nanino has been lost, and with it its dedication. A close reading of several of the texts in the book offers clues to the date of that first edition and the circle or circles of patronage that may have nourished the book’s origin. This study is concerned principally with the final group of four “occasional” texts in the book—texts apparently referring to particular persons or occasions—and the much-set amorous lyric in the center of the book. I propose that these five madrigals are connected to a circle of patronage in the late 1560s in Florence and Rome, and that the patrons are Isabella de’ Medici, her husband, Paolo Giordano Orsini, and his distant relative Cardinal Flavio Orsini. In addition to Nanino I discuss the composers Stefano Rossetti, Filippo di Monte, and Maddalena Casulana.
Antico or Moderno? Reception of Gesualdo’s Madrigals in the Early Seventeenth Century
Authors: Deutsch Catherine
Published: March 2013

In recent decades scholars have tended to gauge Gesualdo’s “modernity” or “conservatism” according to the relation in which his music stands to contrapuntal rules and their transgression. It is striking, however, that no consensus has ever existed on this issue. Interestingly, the same types of judgments proposed by modern critics (notably Lowinsky and Dahlhaus) can also be found also in the writings of such contemporaries of Gesualdo as Vincenzo Giustiniani, Pietro Della Valle, Giovanni Battista Doni, and Severo Bonini. In the first half of the seventeenth century Gesualdo’s music, though almost always presented as “modern” or “new,” was depicted as both a model of good counterpoint and an example of compositional rule breaking. Severo Bonini’s Discorsi e regole (ca. 1650)—a text that Gesualdo scholars have not taken into account until now—is particularly enlightening for the study of this apparent contradiction. This article analyzes the various phases of the reception of Gesualdo’s madrigals during the first half of the seventeenth century, as well as the way that the modernity of his music—often regarded as an alternative to early baroque accompanied monody—has been continually redefined.
Alfonso Fontanelli’s Cadences and the Seconda Pratica
Authors: La Via Stefano
Published: March 2013

In his brilliant studies and accurate editions Anthony Newcomb has shown Alfonso Fontanelli’s contributions to the definition of “the new Ferrarese style of the 1590s” and, therefore, to the birth of the seconda pratica. My article focuses on a specific aspect of Fontanelli’s polyphonic writing: the handling of cadences for not only syntactical and tonally structural but also expressive purposes. The literary-musical analyses of some of the most representative settings published in Fontanelli’s two books of madrigals (1595 and 1604)—including masterpieces such as “Tu miri, o vago ed amoroso fiore” (Anonymous), “Io piango, ed ella il volto” (Petrarca), “Lasso, non odo più Filli mia cara” (Anonymous), and “Dovrò dunque morire” (Rinuccini)—shows, above all, the unusually wide range of Fontanelli’s cadential palette. He used not only traditional models (such as the perfect, authentic, Phrygian, and half cadences) but also a great variety of alternative solutions (including what Newcomb has named “evaporated” and “oblique” cadences) that are often so experimental and bold as to escape rigid classification. In the context of a basically chromatic, dissonant, harmonically restless, and tonally unfocused polyphonic flow such cadential variety seems to reflect Fontanelli’s intention not only to underscore the conceptual and emotional meanings represented in the verbal text but also to sharpen their large-scale affective contrasts. In these and other experimental traits of his “cadential style” Fontanelli further developed (possibly through the mediation of Jacques de Wert, and also under the influence of composers such as Luzzaschi and Gesualdo) those basic compositional techniques and exegetic principles that Cipriano de Rore, the real father of the seconda pratica, had already established in his later madrigals, and that Vincenzo Galilei, in turn, had neatly codified in his treatise on counterpoint (ca. 1588–1591).
Criptógamos do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo, SP. Algas, 31: Euglenophyceae (Euglenaceae não-pigmentadas)
Authors: Bicudo Carlos Eduardo de Mattos
Published: March 2013

Levantamento florístico dos representantes não-pigmentados da família Euglenaceae (Euglenophyceae) do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo, Brasil. Três gêneros (Acusmonas, Gyropaigne e Menoidium) e três espécies (uma de cada gênero) foram identificados. Cada espécie ocorreu somente em uma localidade.
Criptógamos do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo, SP. Algas, 32: Dinophyceae (famílias Dinococcaceae, Gymnodiniaceae e Hemidiniaceae)
Authors: Bicudo Carlos Eduardo de Mattos
Published: March 2013

Levantamento florístico dos representantes das famílias Dinococcaceae, Gymnodiniaceae e Hemidiniaceae (Dinophyceae) do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo, Brasil. Cinco gêneros (Amphidinium, Dinococcus, Gymnodinium, Hemidinium e Katodinium) e 14 espécies (quatro de Amphidinium, quatro de Hemidinium, três de Gymnodinium, duas de Katodinium e uma de Dinococcus) e duas variedades que não são as típicas de suas respectivas espécies foram identificados. Amphidinium kesslitzii Schiller var. kesslitzii, Gymnodinium fuscum (Ehrenberg) Stein e Hemidinium brasiliense C. Bicudo & Skvortzov ocorreram em duas localidades cada um, enquanto que as demais apenas em um local.
Flora Polínica da Reserva do Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga (São Paulo, Brasil): Famílias: 67-Ericaceae, 96-Olacaceae e 126-Trigoniaceae
Authors: Corrêa Angela Maria da Silva , Barros Maria Amélia Vitorino da Cruz
Published: March 2013

No presente trabalho foram estudados os grãos de pólen de cinco espécies, pertencentes às famílias Ericaceae (Agarista oleifolia (Cham.) G. Don., Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr.) Meissn., Olacaceae (Heisteria silvianii Schwacke) e Trigoniaceae (Trigonia nivea Camb., T. paniculata Warm.), ocorrentes na "Reserva do Parque Estadual da Fontes do Ipiranga". Para todos os táxons estudados são apresentadas descrições, ilustrações, e observações.
Forage Nutritive Value and Preference of Cool‐Season Grasses under Horse Grazing
Authors: Allen Elizabeth , Sheaffer Craig , Martinson Krishona
Published: March 2013

Cool‐season grasses are rarely evaluated under horse grazing. The objectives of this study were to evaluate preference and forage nutritive value of cool‐season grasses while grazed by horses (Equus caballus L.). Research was conducted in 2010 and 2011 in Minnesota. Four horses rotationally grazed tall fescue [Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub], meadow fescue [Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv.], quackgrass [Elymus repens (L.) Gould], smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), meadow bromegrass (Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus Pior.), and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) monthly during the growing season. Kentucky bluegrass, timothy, and meadow fescue were the most preferred grasses, with most grazing events removing >60% of the available forage, while meadow bromegrass, creeping foxtail, reed canarygrass, and orchardgrass were less preferred, with grazing removing <50% of available forage (P ≤ 0.0027). Perennial ryegrass, quackgrass, and smooth bromegrass had a higher concentration of crude protein than Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass, creeping foxtail, or timothy (P ≤ 0.0027). Quackgrass had a lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration than creeping foxtail or smooth bromegrass (P = 0.0001). Perennial ryegrass and meadow fescue were higher in NDF digestibility, while creeping foxtail and Kentucky bluegrass were lower (P = 0.0001). Timothy, Kentucky bluegrass, meadow fescue, and perennial ryegrass had higher nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations than meadow bromegrass, orchardgrass, or reed canarygrass (P ≤ 0.0001). Horses showed distinct preferences among grasses; however, only NSC was positively correlated with horse preference.
Annual Crop Residue Production and Nutrient Replacement Costs for Bioenergy Feedstock Production in United States
Authors: Chatterjee Amitava
Published: March 2013

One billion megagrams of cellulosic feedstock will be needed to meet the target of bioenergy production by 2030. Most of these feedstocks will be from crop residues. Crop residues are the source of nutrients in agroecosystems, and their removal for bioenergy production may threaten soil sustainability. Nutrient replacement costs to replenish the N, P, and K removals were estimated for different crops across 10 U.S. farm regions. In the United States, 518 Tg (1 Tg = 1012 g) of crop residues were produced annually based on 5‐yr (2007–2011) average crop production data. Corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] contributed 61, 12, and 16% of the total production, respectively. Soybean residues had the lowest nutrient replacement cost of US$17 Mg−1 of residue biomass, whereas the cost significantly increased for tuber crops such as sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris, US$92 Mg−1) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L., US$71 Mg−1). Considering production and nutrient replacement cost, soybean and wheat are two potential sources of bioenergy feedstocks.
Pollen Longevity and Dispersion Models for Switchgrass
Authors: Ecker Geoffrey , Meyer Thomas , Auer Carol
Published: March 2013

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a North American grass that is being improved through conventional breeding and genetic engineering to create a biofuel feedstock. However, the introduction of novel traits has created concerns about pollen‐mediated gene flow and negative environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to model switchgrass pollen dispersal using a Lagrangian approach informed by data on pollen longevity and size. With outdoor exposure, the viability of pollen from three cultivars declined over 60 min, but rare events showed pollen longevity of up to 100 min. To model pollen dispersal, wind fields were measured in two locations and on two dates to create case studies representing light wind conditions with buoyant turbulence or stronger winds with pressure‐driven, nonturbulent conditions. In the first case study, switchgrass pollen entrained in light wind conditions with buoyancy‐driven turbulence moved up to approximately 3.5 km from the source with a maximum flight time of 6000 s. In the second case study, pollen released in stronger winds with pressure‐driven conditions moved up to approximately 6.5 km with a maximum flight time of approximately 1300 s. In both cases, the majority of pollen grains were deposited closer to the source. These case studies provide information helpful for predicting pollen‐mediated transgene flow, isolating field trials, creating containment and coexistence strategies, and conserving valued switchgrass populations in coastal areas and prairies.
Capturing the Heterogeneity of the Error Variances of a Group of Genotypes in Crop Cultivar Trials
Authors: Singh Murari , Tadesse Wuletaw , Sarker Ashutosh , Maalouf Fouad , Imtiaz Muhammad , Capettini Flavio , Nachit Miloudi
Published: March 2013

Appropriate experimental designs provide an efficient estimate of cultivar performance by allowing better control of experimental error. The standard approach assumes homogeneity of experimental error variances across plots. However, a given trial may involve genotypes having different scales of response and/or associated with plots with different error variances. This study on cereal and legume trials detected the heterogeneity of the error variances associated with genotypes or groups of genotypes. A hierarchical clustering method, using absolute plot residuals, was used to group the genotypes. The heterogeneity of the error variances was determined using the difference in the deviances resulting from models based on an assumed homogeneity and heterogeneity of the error variances and on an adjusted level of significance for the chosen threshold for cluster formation. The efficiency of pairwise genotype comparisons, based on heterogeneous error variances, ranged from 105 to 116% for the cereals and from 124 to 254% for the legumes. Variations in the estimates of heritability and genetic gain resulting from selection were substantial. Accounting for the heterogeneous error variances, on average, led to higher estimates of heritability and genetic gain in each of the crop trials examined. This study found that heterogeneous variance, varying with the groups of genotypes, was frequent. The approach presented here is recommended for the analysis of cultivar trials.