bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Isoform of Liver Receptor Homolog-1 Is Regulated by Steroidogenic Factor-1 and the Specificity Protein Family in Ovarian Granulosa Cells
Authors: Kawabe Shinya , Yazawa Takashi , Kanno Masafumi , Usami Yoko , Mizutani Tetsuya , Imamichi Yoshitaka , Ju Yunfeng , Matsumura Takehiro , Orisaka Makoto , Miyamoto Kaoru
Published: March 2013

Liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) is a member of the nuclear receptor 5A (NR5A) subfamily. It is expressed in granulosa cells of the ovary and is involved in steroidogenesis and ovulation. To reveal the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of LRH-1, we determined its transcription start site in the ovary using KGN cells, a human granulosa cell tumor cell line. 5′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR revealed that human ovarian LRH-1 was transcribed from a novel transcription start site, termed exon 2o, located 41 bp upstream of the reported exon 2. The novel LRH-1 isoform was expressed in the human ovary but not the liver. Promoter analysis and an EMSA indicated that a steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) binding site and a GC box upstream of exon 2o were required for promoter activity, and that SF-1 and specificity protein (Sp)-1/3 bind to the respective regions in ovarian granulosa cells. In KGN cells, transfection of SF-1 increased ovarian LRH-1 promoter activity and SF-1-dependent reporter activity was further enhanced when peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) was cotransfected. In Drosophila SL2 cells, Sp1 was more effective than Sp3 in enhancing promoter activity, and co-transfection of the NR5A-family synergistically increased activity. Infection with adenoviruses expressing SF-1 or PGC-1α induced LRH-1 expression in KGN cells. These results indicate that the expression of human LRH-1 is regulated in a tissue-specific manner, and that the novel promoter region is controlled by the Sp-family, NR5A-family and PGC-1α in ovarian granulosa cells in a coordinated fashion.
Introduction
Authors: Mufti Aamir R.
Published: March 2013

This introduction explains the structure of the special issue “Antinomies of the Postsecular,” which is divided into two discrete parts. It also briefly summarizes the contributions included in the issue.
Part 1: Why I Am Not a Postsecularist
Authors: Gourgouris Stathis
Published: March 2013

Postsecularist discourse, as it has been fashioned in recent years, cannot really handle the problem of atheism—especially an atheism predicated not on the nonexistence of God but on the irrelevance of God. Arguing for the latter takes atheism outside the epistemological orbit of belief. What enables the whole framework to stand together is a tragic view of the universe, which privileges the immanent sense of wonder over the transcendental sense of miracle.
Introduction to Tv's The Wire
Authors: Brown Joshua
Published: March 2013

Joshua Brown introduces a critical retrospective on creator David Simon's five-season (2002–8) HBO series, The Wire, with its riveting portrayal of blue-collar life in postindustrial Baltimore. In this section, Arts and Media, four scholars place the drama within its larger sociohistorical context. Focusing on season 2's depiction of the city's conflict-ridden waterfront in an era of globalization, Peter Cole extols the show's treatment of race, class, and union themes as embedded in a compelling narrative with believable characters. Jennifer Luff worries that in plumbing the depths of institutional urban decay and depravity—and thus lumping together the transgressions of schools, cops, politicians, and media types alongside bankers, drug dealers, and long-shoremen—The Wire may end up substituting moral revulsion for a more penetrating political analysis of the city's fate. Similarly, Thomas Jessen Adams believes that Simon, in his juxtaposition of a once-buoyant “producerist” blue-collar world since dragged down by deindustrialization, inadvertently risks projecting a gender-based nostalgia of once-happy times. In a final comment, Jennifer Klein extends the gender theme with an emphasis on the changing role of women (unevenly captured in the series) within global capitalism.
How muscle fiber lengths and velocities affect muscle force generation as humans walk and run at different speeds
Authors: Arnold Edith M. , Hamner Samuel R. , Seth Ajay , Millard Matthew , Delp Scott L.
Published: March 2013

The lengths and velocities of muscle fibers have a dramatic effect on muscle force generation. It is unknown, however, whether the lengths and velocities of lower limb muscle fibers substantially affect the ability of muscles to generate force during walking and running. We examined this issue by developing simulations of muscle-tendon dynamics that calculate the lengths and velocities of muscle fibers from electromyographic recordings of eleven lower limb muscles and kinematic measurements of the hip, knee, and ankle made as five subjects walked at speeds of 1.0-1.75 m/s and ran at speeds of 2.0-5.0 m/s. We analyzed the simulated fiber lengths, fiber velocities, and forces to evaluate the influence of force-length and force-velocity properties on force generation at different walking and running speeds. The simulations revealed that force generation ability (i.e., the force generated per unit of activation) of eight of the eleven muscles was significantly affected by walking or running speed. Soleus force generation ability decreased with increasing walking speed, but the transition from walking to running increased the force generation ability by reducing fiber velocities. Our results demonstrate the influence of soleus muscle architecture on the walk-to-run transition and the effects of muscle-tendon compliance on the plantarflexors' ability to generate ankle moment and power. The study presents data that permit lower limb muscles to be studied in unprecedented detail by relating muscle fiber dynamics and force generation to the mechanical demands of walking and running.
Modulation of joint moments and work in the goat hindlimb with locomotor speed and surface grade
Authors: Arnold Allison S. , Lee David V. , Biewener Andrew A.
Published: March 2013

Goats and other quadrupeds must modulate the work output of their muscles to accommodate the changing mechanical demands associated with locomotion in their natural environments. This study examined which hindlimb joint moments goats use to generate and absorb mechanical energy on level and sloped surfaces over a range of locomotor speeds. Ground reaction forces and the three-dimensional locations of joint markers were recorded as goats walked, trotted, and galloped over 0°, +15°, and -15° sloped surfaces. Net joint moments, powers, and work were estimated at the goats' hip, knee, ankle and metatarsophalangeal joints throughout the stance phase via inverse dynamics calculations. Differences in locomotor speed on the level, inclined, and declined surfaces were characterized and accounted for by fitting regression equations to the joint moment, power and work data plotted versus non-dimensionalized speed. During level locomotion, the net work generated by moments at each of the hindlimb joints was small (less than 0.1 J/kg body mass) and did not vary substantially with gait or locomotor speed. During uphill running, by contrast, mechanical energy was generated at the hip, knee, and ankle, and the net work at each of these joints increased dramatically with speed (p < 0.05). The greatest increases in positive joint work occurred at the hip and ankle. During downhill running, mechanical energy was decreased in two main ways: goats generated larger knee extension moments in the first half of stance, absorbing energy as the knee flexed, and goats generated smaller ankle extension moments in the second half of stance, delivering less energy. The goats' hip extension moment in mid-stance was also diminished, contributing to the decrease in energy. These analyses offer new insight into quadrupedal locomotion, clarifying how the moments generated by hindlimb muscles modulate mechanical energy at different locomotor speeds and grades, as needed to accommodate the demands of variable terrain.
High thermal sensitivity of blood enhances oxygen delivery in the high-flying bar-headed goose
Authors: Meir Jessica U. , Milsom William K.
Published: March 2013

The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) crosses the Himalayan Mountains twice a year at altitudes where oxygen (O2) levels are less than half those at sea-level and temperatures are below -20°C. Although it has been known for over three decades that the major hemoglobin (Hb) component of bar-headed geese has an increased affinity for O2, enhancing O2 uptake, the effects of temperature and interactions of temperature and pH on bar-headed goose Hb-O2 affinity have not previously been determined. An increase in breathing of the hypoxic and extremely cold air experienced by a bar-headed goose at altitude (due to the enhanced hypoxic ventilatory response in this species) could result in both reduced temperature and reduced levels of CO2 at the blood/gas interface in the lungs, enhancing O2 loading. In addition, given the strenuous nature of flapping flight, particularly in thin air, blood leaving the exercising muscle should be warm and acidotic, facilitating O2 unloading. To explore the possibility that features of blood biochemistry in this species could further enhance O2 delivery, we determined the P50 (PO2 at which Hb is 50% saturated) of whole blood from bar-headed geese under conditions of varying temperature and [CO2]. We found that blood-O2 affinity was highly temperature sensitive in bar-headed geese compared to other birds and mammals. Based on our analysis, temperature and pH effects acting on blood-O2 affinity (cold alkalotic lungs and warm acidotic muscle) could increase O2 delivery by 2 fold during sustained flapping flight at high-altitudes compared to what would be delivered by blood at constant temperature and pH.
Estimating physiological tolerances - a comparison of traditional approaches to nonlinear regression techniques
Authors: Marshall Dustin , Bode Michael , White Craig R.
Published: March 2013

Traditionally, physiologists have estimated the ability of organisms to withstand lower partial pressures of oxygen by estimating the partial pressure at which oxygen consumption begins to decrease (known as the 'critical Po2' or 'Pc'). For almost 30 years, the principal way in which Pc has been estimated has been via piecewise 'broken stick' regression. Broken stick regression (BSR) was a useful approach when more sophisticated analyses were less available, but BSR makes a number of unsupported assumptions about the underlying form of the relationship between the rate of oxygen consumption and oxygen availability. The BSR approach also distils a range of values into a single point with no estimate of error. In accordance with more general calls to fit functions to continuous data, we propose the use of nonlinear regression (NLR) to fit various curvilinear functions to oxygen consumption data in order to estimate Pc. Importantly, our approach is back-compatible so that data collected using traditional methods in earlier studies can be compared to data collected using our technique. When we compared the performance of our approach relative to the traditional BSR approach for real world and simulated data, we found that under realistic circumstances, the NLR was more accurate and provided more powerful hypothesis tests. We recommend that future studies make use of NLR to estimate Pc, and also suggest that this approach might be more appropriate for a range of physiological studies that use BSR currently.
A Key Factor for Ultrafast Rates of Photoinduced Electron Transfer among Five Flavin Mononucleotide Binding Proteins: Effect of Negative, Positive, and Neutral Charges at Residue 13 on the Rate
Authors: Taniguchi Seiji , Chosrowjan Haik , Tanaka Fumio , Nakanishi Takeshi , Sato Shuta , Haruyama Yoshihiro , Kitamura Masaya
Published: March 2013

Crystal structures of E13K [Glu13 with negative charge in wild type (WT) was replaced by Lys with positive charge] and E13R (Glu13 was replaced by Arg with positive charge) of flavin mononucleotide-binding protein (FMN-bp) from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Miyazaki F) were determined by X-ray diffraction method. Ultrafast fluorescence dynamics of FMN in these proteins were measured by fluorescence up-conversion. The average lifetimes of E13K and E13R were 0.198 and 0.186 ps, which are compared to the reported lifetimes of WT, E13T (Glu13 was replaced by Thr with neutral charge) and E13Q (Glu13 was replaced by Gln with neutral charge) FMN-bp, 0.220, 0.872, and 1.10 ps, respectively. These ultrashort lifetimes are ascribed to photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from Trp32, Tyr35, and Trp106 to the excited isoalloxazine. The observed lifetimes of the five FMN-bp isoforms were simultaneously analyzed with both Marcus and Hush, and Kakitani and Mataga ET theories, in order to characterize the ET mechanisms. It was concluded that the electrostatic (ES) energy between the photoproducts and ionic charges inside the proteins is a key factor for the ET rate in the flavoproteins.
Hygienic habits are a risk factor for adult-onset asthma
Authors: Polunina Anna G
Published: March 2013

Multiple etiologies have been shown to contribute to asthma development, with excessive hygiene and microbial deprivation being one of the strongest risk factors for asthma onset in pediatric populations. The present study evaluated the contribution of hygienic habits in the development of adult-onset asthma. Twenty three adult-onset asthma patients (age of onset ranged from 21 to 71 years old) and 36 controls were asked to respond to a questionnaire concerning their frequency of shower taking and hand washing. Nine of the 23 (39.1%) asthmatic patients reported taking showers twice per day, compared to 2 controls (5.6%; χ2 = 15.4, p=0.017). In addition, sixteen (69.6%) of the asthmatic patients reported very frequent hand washing (≥ 7 times per day), whereas only 6 (16.7%) controls reported less frequent (2 – 6 times per day) hand washing habits. These data confirm that excessive hygienic habits are associated with the development of adult-onset asthma.
Quantifying the evolution of soil fabric during shearing using scalar parameters
Authors: FONSECA J. , O'SULLIVAN C. , COOP M.R. , LEE P.D.
Published: March 2013

The packing density of a soil is typically described in terms of the scalar parameters void ratio, specific volume or porosity. Within a critical-state soil mechanics framework, the response of a sand is considered to depend on its ‘state', that is, the combination of void ratio and effective stress. When soil is considered from a particle-scale perspective, the packing density is often described using the coordination number (CN), that is, the average number of contacts per particle. Using particles with simple geometries, discrete-element method (DEM) simulations, photoelastic tests and experiments on analogue soils (e.g. glass ballotini) have all demonstrated a correlation between CN and mechanical response. This study investigates whether these correlations apply to real soils using direct measurement of the fabric via micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). A variety of scalar fabric descriptors was measured during the triaxial compression of both intact and reconstituted Reigate sand samples. While each of the parameters considered provides useful information, the contact index (CI), a parameter that takes the contact area into account, was found to be a more sensitive metric in assessing the effects of fabric than coordination number, branch vector length or void size.
Hybrid Breeding in Barley
Authors: Mühleisen Jonathan , Maurer Hans Peter , Stiewe Gunther , Bury Paul , Reif Jochen C.
Published: March 2013

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has been largely neglected in hybrid breeding research of autogamous cereals. The objectives of our study were (i) to study the amount of heterosis, (ii) examine the potential to predict hybrid performance based on midparent values or general combining ability (GCA) effects, and (iii) draw conclusions on the prospects for hybrid breeding in barley. Grain yield performance of 124 hybrids of six‐rowed winter barley, their 27 male and 38 female parental lines, as well as nine line and six hybrid varieties and one hybrid in registration was investigated in plot‐based multi‐environment trials. In a two‐stage analysis, best linear unbiased estimators and variance components of hybrids and parental lines were calculated. Midparent heterosis averaged 11.3%, with a range from 0.7 to 19.9%. Better‐parent heterosis was slightly lower with an average of 9.2%. Maximum commercial heterosis (i.e., the difference between the hybrid performance and the performance of the best line variety) was 7.6%, which clearly underlines the significance of hybrid barley breeding. Accuracy to predict hybrid performance was only moderate based on midparent values (r = 0.46; P < 0.001) and GCA effects (r = 0.38; P < 0.001). Consequently, there is a need for alternative approaches to predict hybrid performance in barley.
Vapor Intrusion Models for Petroleum and Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds: Opportunities for Future Improvements
Authors: Bekele Dawit N. , Naidu Ravi , Bowman Mark , Chadalavada Sreenivasulu
Published: March 2013

The natural attenuation (NA) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is becoming recognized as a means of remediating contaminated sites and is generating widespread research interest. Recently, researchers incorporated NA into a vapor intrusion model (VIM) to more precisely predict the potential risk to humans and to more effectively screen contaminated sites. The NA of VOCs is a complex phenomenon that includes a range of biogeochemical reactions and physical processes. In this review, the various processes are discussed, including factors contributing to natural attenuation of VOCs in the unsaturated subsurface and their implications for site screening and risk assessment by a VIM. Vapor intrusion is the subject of active research focusing on a complex transport medium (subsurface soils) for which reliable and accurate mathematical models are required. The application of mathematical algorithms to simulate these complex processes often requires simplification and certain assumptions. Consequently, the simplifications and assumptions influence the model's predictive output. An overview of the theoretical basis and model algorithms of recently published models that account for the NA of volatile petroleum hydrocarbons in subsurface soils is provided. We also highlight the need to include the NA of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the VIM.
Solute Mass Transfer Effects in Two‐Dimensional Dual‐Permeability Modeling of Bromide Leaching From a Tile‐Drained Field
Authors: Gerke Horst H. , Dusek Jaromir , Vogel Tomas
Published: March 2013

Preferential flow (PF) depends on processes and structures in soil at the small scale and can affect flow and transport processes at much larger scales. For studying PF processes, the discharge and solute effluent from subsurface drained experimental fields has frequently been used as a field‐integrated signal that included combined effects of macropore flow and lateral transport toward the drain. The objective of this study was to better understand effects of the mass transfer coefficients on bromide (Br) leaching in a two‐dimensional (2D) dual‐permeability concept. The Br leaching was simulated for data of a Br tracer irrigation experiment on a drained field (5000 m2 area) at Bokhorst (Germany), where soils developed from glacial till sediments. Flow and transport in 2D vertical cross‐sections was described using a numerical 2D dual‐permeability model. For applied Br, influx of Br only in the soil matrix (SM) domain, only in the preferential flow (PF) domain, and proportional to the water influx in both domains was considered to assess the impact of small‐scale redistribution processes occurring at the structured soil surface on field‐ and plot‐scale transport. Three values of the water and four of the solute mass transfer rate coefficients were tested to imitate local effects (e.g., of clay‐organic coatings) on the inter‐domain mass transfer. The local‐scale solute mass transfer between PF and SM domains had a clear impact on Br concentrations in drain effluent at the field scale; concentrations mainly increased more rapidly with smaller values of the diffusive mass transfer coefficient. In the 2D flow domain, representing the plot scale, mass transfer rates were temporally and spatially variable with varying importance of diffusive and advective components depending on the influx rates; local effects were still significant at the field scale. Small‐scale properties and processes such as domain‐specific infiltration and mass transfer in structured soil seem important for improving the description of larger‐scale flow and transport processes.
Sensitivity Analysis of Soil Fumigant Transport and Volatilization to the Atmosphere
Authors: Spurlock Frank , Šimůnek Jirka , Johnson Bruce , Tuli Atac
Published: March 2013

Interest in the use of vadose zone transport models for fumigant risk assessment is increasing. Good modeling practice includes an assessment of model sensitivity and output uncertainty. This computational study evaluated the sensitivity of HYDRUS‐1D‐ and HYDRUS 2D/3D‐simulated fumigant cumulative flux, maximum 6‐h period mean flux density, and soil gas concentrations to 15 model input variables using Monte Carlo Latin hypercube analysis. The input variables included fumigant physicochemical properties, agricultural film (tarp) properties, and soil properties. Three different application scenarios were investigated: tarped broadcast, tarped bedded shank injection, and a tarped drip line‐source application. Model sensitivity to initial water content (θi), saturated water content (θs), and tarp permeability varied among scenarios depending on the relative importance of soil gas diffusive resistance and tarp mass transfer resistance to fumigant volatilization. Model outputs were sensitive to fumigant air–water partition and gas‐phase diffusion coefficients, two parameters that probably have a small contribution to overall modeling uncertainty because accurate estimation methods for these parameters are available. Sensitivities to the fumigant degradation rate were high in all scenarios, and sensitivity to tarp permeability was high only when substantial volatilization occurred from the tarped portion of soil surfaces. Existing literature data for both degradation and tarp permeability are highly variable; parameterizing these processes using literature estimates may contribute substantially to model uncertainty. In several cases, the highest output sensitivities were to θs. For model comparisons to site‐specific field data, soil texture‐based estimates of θs are potentially large contributors to model uncertainty; direct measurement is recommended.
Diffusivity and Sorptivity of Berea Sandstone Determined using Neutron Radiography
Authors: Kang M. , Perfect E. , Cheng C.L. , Bilheux H.Z. , Gragg M. , Wright D.M. , Lamanna J.M. , Horita J. , Warren J.M.
Published: March 2013

Neutron radiography is increasingly being used to study the dynamics of water movement in variably saturated porous media. It has been applied to visualize water imbibition in both natural and engineered materials, including soil, rock, brick, concrete, and glass. The sorptivity, S, and unsaturated diffusivity, D(θ), are important parameters for describing water movement under partially saturated conditions. Estimates of S and D(θ) have been obtained using a variety of techniques, including neutron imaging. However, we could find no previous reports of such measurements for the Berea sandstone, regardless of the method employed. Berea sandstone is a widespread, medium‐ to fine‐grained terrestrial sandstone of Mississippian age that is used extensively as a standard porous medium in the geology and petroleum engineering fields. We used the CG‐1D neutron imaging facility at the High Flux Isotope Reactor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to estimate S and D(θ) from radiographs acquired every 26 s. A 25 μm thick LiF/ZnS scintillator was employed in conjunction with a DW936 IkonL ANDOR charge coupled device (CCD) camera system, giving a spatial imaging resolution of ∼75 μm. Four replicate cores were investigated. The positions of the observed wetting fronts were linearly regressed against the square root of time. Sorptivity values calculated from the slopes of these relations ranged from 0.89 to 1.46 mm s−1/2. Further analysis yielded D(θ) functions. These functions were very reproducible and showed good agreement with independent D(θ) values calculated from relative permeability and capillary pressure‐saturation data for Berea sandstone. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first published estimates of S and D(θ) for Berea sandstone. Our results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of neutron imaging in providing high quality, quantitative data for the computation of unsaturated flow parameters.
Robust design of power system stabilizer using bacterial foraging algorithm
Authors: Abdul Hameed K. , Palani S.
Published: March 2013

In this paper, a novel bacterial foraging algorithm (BFA) based approach for robust and optimal design of PID controller connected to power system stabilizer (PSS) is proposed for damping low frequency power oscillations of a single machine infinite bus bar (SMIB) power system. This paper attempts to optimize three parameters (Kp, Ki, Kd) of PID-PSS based on foraging behaviour of Escherichia coli bacteria in human intestine. The problem of robustly selecting the parameters of the power system stabilizer is converted to an optimization problem which is solved by a bacterial foraging algorithm with a carefully selected objective function. The eigenvalue analysis and the simulation results obtained for internal and external disturbances for a wide range of operating conditions show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed BFAPSS. Further, the time domain simulation results when compared with those obtained using conventional PSS and Genetic Algorithm (GA) based PSS show the superiority of the proposed design.
Spatio-temporal Analysis of Unemployment Rate in Poland
Authors: Lewandowska-Gwarda Karolina
Published: March 2013

The aim of this paper is to present results of spatio-temporal analysis of unemployment rate in Poland, with the usage of advanced spatial econometric methods. The analysis was done on data collected for ‘powiat’ level between 2006 and 2010. GlS and ESDA tools were applied for visualization of the spatiotemporal data and identification of spatial interactions between polish counties on labor market. Multi-equation spatial econometric models were used to describe unemployment rate in relation to selected social-economic variables.
Smart Specialization of Workforce Structure in the European Union Countries – Dynamic Analysis Applying Shift-Share Analysis Method
Authors: Sobczak Elżbieta
Published: March 2013

The objective of the hereby paper is to present dynamic analysis and assessment of workforce structure in the European Union countries based on structural and geographical shift-share analysis. Workforce structure in economic sectors, distinguished based on R&D work intensity in the European Union countries in the period of 2008-2010, was the subject of diversification and transformations assessment. Shift-share analysis enabled the decomposition of occurring changes into regional, structural and global effects as well as the identification of the, so called, allocation effect resulting in the classification of the studied countries with regard to combinations of local specialization and competitive advantages. The performed research also allowed for the identification different kinds of workforce structure characterized by smart specialization (significant share of workforce in high-tech manufacturing sector or high-tech services sector) and the assessment of generated structural and competitive effects.
Multicountry and Regional Macroeconometric Models
Authors: Welfe Władysław
Published: March 2013

Multicountry models were developed in the previous century to serve the analyses and projections of the world economy and/or its regions (for instance Latin America). They distinguish the largest countries and the rest of the world (ROW) composed of particular countries. Hence, their structure is based on the specifications of equations for individual countries using full statistical information available at the countries level. The regional macroeconomic models are built for either administrative or geographical units distinguished within large countries (USA, China, Russia). Their structure should be in principle similar to those of the national economy. However, the statistical information of the regional economies is typically uncomplete: no sufficient information is available on exports and imports of the region, migrations and financial flows. Appropriate approximations are necessary. As in majority of countries the prices and wages movements are in general unified over the country, the variables representing the national level excerpt an impact on the regional variables. The regional impact on the national variables is rather unusual. The paper shows the skeleton model applied in the multicountry models and the skeleton of the macroeconomic regional model. The specific properties of the regional model are discussed and the possibilities of its extensions analysed.
Reproduction performance of cows with single, twin and triplet calves
Authors: Sawa Anna , Bogucki Mariusz , Krężel-Czopek Sylwia
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to analyse data on 74,081 calvings, subsequent lactation performance and culling of 23,588 Black-and-White cows improved with Holstein-Friesians. The animals represented the active population in Pomerania and Kujavia, first calved in 2000 and 2001, and were culled before the end of 2008. Frequency of calvings, which averaged 1.5% for twin births and just 0.02% for triplet births, increased with age of cow and also with increasing milk yield in the preceding lactation. Performance results showed that mothers of twins were superior to mothers of single calves in terms of milk yield (1.3 kg milk/day milking). Despite the greater perinatal mortality of twins and triplets, multiple pregnancies gave rise to a greater number of calves compared to single pregnancies. However, multiple pregnancies were accompanied by adverse effects such as increased proportion of complications requiring human assistance, mechanical assistance and veterinary intervention (1.2 × more). Fertility of the cows deteriorated after multiple pregnancies, with particularly unfavourable indicators of fertility found for triplet births, decreased chance of survival to the next calving, and increased culling rates in cows, especially due to udder diseases, infertility, reproductive diseases, old age, metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases, and locomotor system diseases. It was found that the increasing milk yield was paralleled by the increasing proportion of multiple pregnancies. This has highlighted the need for early and reliable diagnosis and management of twin pregnancies, which is supposed to facilitate parturition and ensure survival of calves.
Biochemical indicators in serum of free-ranging roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Slovenia
Authors: Žele Diana , Vengušt Gorazd
Published: March 2013

The aim of the study was to present the serum biochemical values in free-ranging roe deer as useful indicators of the health status of the animal. Blood samples of 63 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) were collected during regular annual harvest in Slovenia and analysed for biochemical indicators. The following mean values were recorded: aspartate aminotransferase (3 µkat), alanine aminotransferase (0.7 µkat), alkaline phosphatase (1.5 µkat), lactate dehydrogenase (11.8 µkat), gamma glutamyltransferase (1.9 µkat), creatine kinase (16.3 µkat), urea (6.3 mmol/l), creatinine (136.9 μmol/l), total serum proteins (65.5 g/l), cholesterol (4.1 mmol/l), triglycerides (2.6 mmol/l), albumin (28.3 g/l), sodium (143.9 mmol/l), chlorine (106.4 mmol/l), calcium (2.5 mmol/l), inorganic phosphorus (4.1 mmol/l) and magnesium (1.6 mmol/l). This is the first report on concentration of serum glutamate dehydrogenase (0.16 µkat) and serum iron (34.9 µmol/l) in roe deer. There were no differences in the values of biochemical indicators between males and females (P< 0.05). To our knowledge this is the first extended research on this topic in roe deer.
Use of the modified Insall Salvati method for determination of vertical patellar position in dogs with and without cranial cruciate ligament rupture considering the morphology of the cranio-proximal tibia
Authors: Kňazovický Dávid , Ledecký Valent , Hluchý Marián , Ďurej Marek
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate if the modified Insall Salvati (IS) method can be applied for the canine patient despite differences of proximal tibial morphology, and if such potential differences are also seen in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Insall Salvati method is a simple and convenient method for determination of the vertical position of patella, by dividing the length of patella by length of the patellar ligament. The influence of the variable proximal tibial morphology on the modified (IS) index was measured and the value of modified IS index in healthy dogs (n = 25) was compared with dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture (n = 26). Medio-lateral radiographs of 102 stifles were evaluated. Patellar ligament length (PLL), patellar length (PL), modified IS ratio and the height of insertion point of patellar ligament on tibial tuberosity were measured. Data of the IS ratio were compared with the value of the height of the insertion point with no significant difference (P= 0.36). There was no significant difference (P= 0.07) in the PLL:PL ratio between dogs affected or unaffected with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Based on the results of this study we can conclude that the morphology of the cranio-proximal tibia and the height of insertion point of the patellar ligament do not have an influence on the value of the modified IS index both in healthy dogs and in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture.
Healing dynamics of porcine pancreatic parenchyma after radiofrequency ablation - in vivo experimental pilot study
Authors: Hlavsa Jan , Procházka Vladimír , Crha Michal , Svobodová Iva , Andrašina Tomáš , Raušer Petr , Urbanová Lucie , Pavlík Tomáš , Lorenzová Jana , Nečas Alois , Kala Zdeněk
Published: March 2013

Radiofrequency ablation is a tumour destruction method, widely used in human as well veterinary medicine. Recently, it has been applied to pancreatic disorder treatment. However, little is known about healing of the pancreatic parenchyma after radiofrequency ablation as it is important for the prevention of complications and treatment strategy. The aim of this experimental in vivo study on pigs was to evaluate the pancreatic parenchyma healing dynamics after damage by radiofrequency ablation. Radiofrequency ablations of the duodenal lobe of the pancreas were performed on 8 cross-bred laboratory pigs. They were euthanized in pairs at seven, fourteen, forty and eighty days after the procedure. Histological and cytological changes of the ablated zone were evaluated after autopsy. It was proved that pancreatic necrosis after radiofrequency ablation heals by means of fibrotic scar. There was no sign of exocrine and endocrine regeneration, respectively, during 80 days after the procedure. This is the first study verifying that the healing process of an ablation zone in the pancreatic parenchyma after radiofrequency ablation is similar to healing in the liver, lung, heart and other parenchymal organs.
Lessons of History in Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Smith Donald F.
Published: March 2013

The future of veterinary medicine is best understood in the context of history. What began as a profession rooted in urban centers in proximity to horses, physicians, and medical schools, was transformed into a land grant–based agricultural profession with the arrival of the internal combustion engine in the early twentieth century. Most of the United States' current veterinary colleges are still located in towns or small cities in the middle section of the country, outside the largest metropolitan areas where most veterinarians practice companion-animal medicine. Throughout veterinarian history, substantial numbers of US students have been educated in foreign colleges and this continues today, creating an even greater geographic imbalance between the veterinary educational process and US population centers and major medical schools. Three themes deserve special attention as we celebrate the profession's 150th anniversary. We must first move beyond the land-grant culture and develop a more geographically balanced approach to establishing new veterinary colleges that are also in closer association with schools of medicine and public health. We must also facilitate more opportunities for women leadership in organized veterinary medicine, in practice ownership, in academia, and in the corporate structures that educate, hire, and interface with veterinarians. Finally, we need to expand our understanding of One Health to include the concept of zooeyia (the role of animals in promoting human health), as well as continue to emphasize veterinarians' special roles in the control and management of zoonotic diseases and in advancing comparative medicine in the age of the genome.
Use of microscope-integrated near-infrared indocyanine green videoangiography in the surgical treatment of intramedullary cavernous malformations: report of 8 cases
Authors: Endo Toshiki , Aizawa-Kohama Misaki , Nagamatsu Kenichi , Murakami Kensuke , Takahashi Akira , Tominaga Teiji
Published: March 2013

Object

The characteristics and efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG) videoangiography in cavernous malformation (CM) have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential utility of ICG videoangiography in the surgical treatment of intramedullary CMs.

Methods

The authors conducted a retrospective review of 8 cases involving 5 men and 3 women who had undergone surgery for intramedullary CM between January 2008 and July 2011. All patients were evaluated by means of MRI. The MRI findings and clinical history in all cases suggested intramedullary CM as a preoperative diagnosis. In 2 of 8 cases, dilated venous structures associated with CMs were demonstrated. In one of these cases, there were coexisting extramedullary CMs. Intraoperatively, ICG fluorescence was observed for 5 minutes using microscope-integrated videoangiography.

Results

In all 8 cases, intra- and extramedullary CMs were seen as avascular areas on ICG videoangiography. Indocyanine green videoangiography helped surgeons to localize and predict margins of the lesions before performing myelotomy. Importantly, in the cases with associated venous anomalies, ICG videoangiography was useful in delineating and preserving the venous structures. In extramedullary CMs located dorsal to the spinal cord, gradual ICG infiltration was seen, starting at 110 seconds and maximal at 210 seconds after injection. Postoperative MRI confirmed total removal of the lesions in all cases, and subsequent recovery of all patients was uneventful.

Conclusions

Indocyanine green videoangiography provided useful information with regard to the detection of lesion margins by demonstrating intramedullary CMs as avascular areas. In cases associated with venous anomalies, ICG contributed to safe and complete removal of the CMs by visualizing the venous structure. In extramedullary CMs, ICG videoangiography demonstrated the characteristic of slow blood flow within CMs.
Inhibition of epidural fibrosis after microendoscopic discectomy with topical application of mitomycin C: a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial
Authors: Liu Lei , Sui Tao , Hong Xin , Wu Xiaotao , Cao Xiaojian
Published: March 2013

Object

The authors conducted a study to evaluate the effects and the safety of locally applied mitomycin C (MMC) on epidural fibrosis after microendoscopic discectomy (MED).

Methods

Seventy-five patients undergoing single-level unilateral MED for lumbar disc herniation were randomly assigned to receive cotton wool impregnated with either 0.5 mg/ml MMC or saline applied at the site of discectomy for 5 minutes. Outcome measures included degrees of pain severity, functional disability, physical symptoms, and quantitative evaluation of postoperative epidural fibrosis shown on follow-up lumbar contrast-enhanced MRI.

Results

Sixty-two patients completed the follow-up. Neither serious drug adverse effects nor clinically significant laboratory adverse effects were observed. Patients in both groups showed similar clinical recoveries postoperatively. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2 treatments was shown in a quantitative evaluation of postoperative MRI-documented epidural fibrosis in the MMC group and the saline group using a modified grading system. The mean cross-sectional areas of epidural fibrosis were 7.32–70.06 mm2 in the MMC group and 22.94–90.48 mm2 in the saline group. The epidural fibrosis index ranged from 0.0296 to 0.3267 in the MMC group and from 0.1191 to 0.3483 in the saline group. A significant difference was also observed using the Ross grading system to evaluate postoperative MR images.

Conclusions

Although no benefit was observed clinically, the authors observed a notable reduction of epidural fibrosis after MED radiologically, with 0.5 mg/ml MMC locally applied and no clinical side effects. Clinical trial registration no.: ChiCTR-TRC-10001079 (http://www.chictr.org/cn/proj/show.aspx?proj=326).
Catheter fixation and ligation: a simple technique for ventriculostomy management following endovascular stenting
Authors: Sweeney Justin M. , Vasan Rohit , van Loveren Harry R. , Youssef A. Samy , Agazzi Siviero
Published: March 2013

The object of this study was to describe a unique method of managing ventriculostomy catheters in patients on antithrombotic therapy following endovascular treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. The authors retrospectively reviewed 3 cases in which a unique method of ventriculostomy management was used to successfully avoid catheter-related hemorrhage while the patient was on dual antiplatelet therapy. In this setting, ventriculostomy catheters are left in place and fixed to the calvarium with titanium straps effectively ligating them. The catheter is divided and the distal end is removed. The proximal end can be directly connected to a distal shunt system during this stage or at a later date if necessary. The method described in this report provided a variety of management options for patients requiring external ventricular drainage for subarachnoid hemorrhage. No patient suffered catheter-related hemorrhage.

This preliminary report demonstrates a safe and effective method for discontinuing external ventricular drainage and/or placing a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in the setting of active coagulopathy or antithrombotic therapy. The technique avoids both the risk of hemorrhage related to catheter removal and reinsertion and the thromboembolic risks associated with the reversal of antithrombotic therapy. Some aneurysm centers have avoided the use of stent-assisted coiling in cases of ruptured aneurysms to circumvent ventriculostomy-related complications; however, the method described herein should allow continued use of this important treatment option in ruptured aneurysm cases. Further investigation in a larger cohort with long-term follow-up is necessary to define the associated risks of infection using this method.
Imaging detection of endolymphatic sac tumor–associated hydrops
Authors: Butman John A. , Nduom Edjah , Kim H. Jeffrey , Lonser Russell R.
Published: March 2013

Object

To determine if physiologically based MRI sequences can be used to detect endolymphatic sac tumor (ELST)–associated hydrops, the authors performed contrast-enhanced delayed FLAIR imaging in consecutive ELST patients with clinical findings consistent with hydrops.

Methods

Consecutive patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease and clinical findings of endolymphatic hydrops and ELSTs underwent contrast-enhanced delayed FLAIR MRI. Clinical, audiological, operative, and imaging findings were analyzed.

Results

Three patients (2 male, 1 female) with 4 ELSTs (1 patient had bilateral ELSTs) were identified who had clinical findings consistent with endolymphatic hydrops. Computed tomography and MRI evidence of an ELST was found in all patients. Their mean age at initial evaluation was 39.7 years (range 28–51 years). All patients demonstrated progressive sensorineural hearing loss that was associated with episodic vertigo and tinnitus. Contrast-enhanced delayed FLAIR MRI clearly demonstrated dilation of the membranous labyrinth consistent with hydrops in the affected ears but not the unaffected ears. Two patients underwent resection of the associated ELST that resulted in stabilization of progressive hearing loss, as well as amelioration of tinnitus and vertigo.

Conclusions

Contrast-enhanced delayed FLAIR MRI can be used to detect ELST-associated hydrops. Noninvasive MRI detection of hydrops can permit earlier detection of ELSTs in patients with VHL disease and provides direct insight into a mechanism that underlies ELST-associated audiovestibular morbidity.
Analysis and Design of a Higher Current ZVS-PWM Converter for Industrial Applications
Authors: Golbon Navid , Moschopoulos Gerry
Published: March 2013

A new auxiliary circuit that can be implemented in DC-DC and AC-DC ZVS-PWM converters is proposed in the paper. The circuit is for ZVS-PWM converters used in applications where high-frequency operation is needed and the load current is higher than that of typical ZVS-PWM converters. In the paper, the operation of a new ZVS-PWM converter is described, its steady-state operation is analyzed, and a procedure for its design is derived and then demonstrated. The feasibility of the new converter is confirmed by experimental results obtained from a prototype.
Spatial Search Techniques for Mobile 3D Queries in Sensor Web Environments
Authors: Yin Junjun , Carswell James
Published: March 2013

Developing mobile geo-information systems for sensor web applications involves technologies that can access linked geographical and semantically related Internet information. Additionally, in tomorrow’s Web 4.0 world, it is envisioned that trillions of inexpensive micro-sensors placed throughout the environment will also become available for discovery based on their unique geo-referenced IP address. Exploring these enormous volumes of disparate heterogeneous data on today’s location and orientation aware smartphones requires context-aware smart applications and services that can deal with “information overload”. 3DQ (Three Dimensional Query) is our novel mobile spatial interaction (MSI) prototype that acts as a next-generation base for human interaction within such geospatial sensor web environments/urban landscapes. It filters information using “Hidden Query Removal” functionality that intelligently refines the search space by calculating the geometry of a three dimensional visibility shape (Vista space) at a user’s current location. This 3D shape then becomes the query “window” in a spatial database for retrieving information on only those objects visible within a user’s actual 3D field-of-view. 3DQ reduces information overload and serves to heighten situation awareness on constrained commercial off-the-shelf devices by providing visibility space searching as a mobile web service. The effects of variations in mobile spatial search techniques in terms of query speed vs. accuracy are evaluated and presented in this paper.