(C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved “
“Consen

(C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Consensus opinion suggests that hematuria found

by dipstick and not confirmed on microscopic examination this website (<2 erythrocytes per high power field) signifies a false-positive reagent strip test result. Standard practice is to repeat the dipstick test several days later and if still positive to confirm by microscopic examination. If discordant results are obtained, experts recommend reflex testing for urinary myoglobin and hemoglobin concentrations. The question is whether or not this approach represents good laboratory practice. These recommendations are not evidence based. We conclude that the reference range for red blood cells on the reagent strip should be increased to 25×10(6) cells/L for young men, and 50×10(6) cells/L for the rest of the adult population, ranges consistent with flow cytometry reports. Confirmation reflex testing using tests that have inferior sensitivity, precision and probably accuracy is not recommended.”
“Objective: The adenoid has long been recognized as an important factor in the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion. The aim of this study was to determine if there is any relationship between light microscopic histopathologic parameters of adenoid tissue and otitis

media with effusion.

Methods: The study group consists of 30 children aged from 2 to 8 years old with bilateral otitis media with effusion who were selected also for adenoidectomy due to obstructive symptoms of hypertrophied adenoid. The control group included 30 age-matched patients who undergone adenoidectomy A-1155463 in vivo due to same indications but without even unilateral otitis media with effusion. Adenoid specimens were examined under light microscopy by an expert pathologist who not aware of the specimens were belongs to which group. Nine histopathologic parameters of the specimens were compared between the

two groups.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between these groups (p values > 0.05).

Conclusions: The role of the adenoids in pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion is beyond its histopathologic changes at least in the level of light microscopic findings. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Many Canadian renal transplant recipients receive either cyclosporine or tacrolimus as a long-term immunosuppressive DMH1 ic50 agent. We investigated the effect of these drugs on quality of life (QoL) in Canadian transplant recipients.

Methods: We included adult single-organ recipients undergoing a transplant between July 1997 and March 2005, whose graft function was >= 18 months, recruited across 13 Canadian sites including 5 transplant centers (TCs) and 8 satellite centers (SCs). Patients were stratified 3: 1 by cyclosporine vs. tacrolimus based on calcineurin inhibitor(s) (CNIs) received at 6 months posttransplant and matched 1:1 by TC vs. SC.

In the case of high grade prostate cancer (Gleason score >= 7)

In the case of high grade prostate cancer (Gleason score >= 7), H4K20triMe and H3K9Ac accompanying with the pre-operation prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level could also predict the risk of the biochemical recurrence after RP. In combination with the Gleason score and pre-operation

PSA level, the acetylation and methylation of histones H3 and H4 can predict the biochemical recurrence of the prostate cancer following RP.”
“An 8-year-old girl became ventilator-dependent due to severe bronchiolitis obliterans/interstitial pneumonia Fludarabine JAK/STAT inhibitor caused by cord-blood cell transplantation for neuroblastoma. Her mother’s right lower lobe was twice as large as her right chest cavity. She successfully underwent living-donor, right, single-lobe lung transplantation and simultaneous left pneumonectomy under conditions of cardiopulmonary bypass. At 18 months after transplantation, the patient returned to

school life and is currently able to carry out daily activities without supplemental oxygen. J Heart Lung Transplant 2011;30:471-4 (C) 2011 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. All rights reserved.”
“In present work, lead-free single crystal 0.94Na(1/2)Bi(1/2)TiO(3)-0.06BaTiO(3) (NBBT94/6) with PLX4032 dimension of Phi 40 mm x 10 mm was grown by a precisely controlled top seeded solution growth method. The crystal structure measurement result indicates that the NBBT94/6 single crystal exhibits the feature of rhombohedral-tetragonal phase coexistence at room temperature. The crystallographic orientation dependence of electrical properties for NBBT94/6 single crystal was investigated in detail. The

remnant polarizations (P-r) of < 001 >, < 001 >, and < 111 > oriented crystals are 16.02 mu C/cm(2), 22.16 mu C/cm(2), and 27.23 mu C/cm(2), respectively. The corresponding coercive fields (E-c) are 24.89, 20.72, and 15.36 kV/cm. Moreover, a double hysteresis loop appears at the depolarization temperature. High piezoelectric properties d(33) of C188-9 360 pC/N and k(t) of 62% were obtained in the < 001 > oriented crystals due to the engineered domain configuration which make them promising candidates for environmental friendly solid-state actuator applications. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3516259]“
“The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal malnutrition during lactation on prostate growth and estradiol serum concentration in the prostate of pups. At delivery, nine Wistar rats were separated into three groups: control group (C) with free access to a standard laboratory diet containing 22% protein; protein-energy-restricted group (PER) with free access to an isoenergy and protein-restricted diet containing 8% protein; and energy-restricted group (ER) receiving standard laboratory diet in restricted quantities, which were calculated according to the mean ingestion of the PER group. All pups were killed at weaning.

Recent findings

The development of these novel agents,

Recent findings

The development of these novel agents, each with a distinct mechanism of action, is the fruition of sedulous preclinical research and well designed clinical trials. Cabazitaxel, a next generation taxane, was the first Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the postdocetaxel setting. The recognition of sustained androgen dependence of CRPC has led to the identification of more potent and selective inhibitors of androgen

synthesis and androgen-receptor signaling, such as abiraterone Smoothened Agonist concentration and enzalutamide, respectively. Radium-223, an a-emitting radionuclide still under regulatory review, recently showed a significant survival benefit for CRPC. Finally, sipuleucel-T, a form of immunotherapy, may benefit a subset of patients in the postdocetaxel setting.

Summary

Post-docetaxel management of CRPC has undergone a dramatic yet welcome paradigm change in the past 3 years. With multiple life-prolonging agents available, it now becomes imperative to coordinate how and when these new therapies should be used and sequenced to achieve optimal patient outcomes.”
“OBJECTIVE: To estimate agreement and correlation between the tuberculin skin test A-1155463 datasheet and an interferon gamma release assay for detecting latent tuberculosis (TB) infection in pregnant women.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of pregnant women initiating prenatal care at a university-affiliated

public hospital between January 5, 2009, and March 15, 2010. Eligible women received a questionnaire about TB history and risk factors as well as the tuberculin skin test and phlebotomy for the interferon gamma release assay. Agreement

and correlation between tests were estimated, and different cutoffs for interferon gamma release assay positivity were used to assess effect on agreement. Furthermore, predictors of test positivity and test discordance were evaluated using multivariable analysis.

RESULTS: Of the 220 enrolled women, 199 (90.5%) returned for tuberculin skin test evaluation. Over 70% were Hispanic and 65% were born in a country with high TB prevalence. Agreement between the tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma Bcl-2 activation release assay was 77.39 (kappa=0.26). This agreement was not significantly changed using different cutoffs for the assay. Birth bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination was associated with tuberculin skin test positivity (odds ratio [OR] 4.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-13.48, P=.01), but not interferon gamma release assay positivity. There were no statistically significant predictors of the tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma release assay result discordance; however, birth in a high-prevalence country was marginally associated with tuberculin skin test-positive and interferon gamma release assay-negative results (OR 2.94, 95% CI 0.86-9.97 P=.08).

4 % vs 7 1 %)

Serum estradiol levels above the 90th

4 % vs. 7.1 %).

Serum estradiol levels above the 90th percentile on the day of hCG administration is associated with lower oocyte fertilization rate; however, such levels do not impact embryo development, implantation, clinical pregnancy or spontaneous miscarriage rates.”
“Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) has not been widely used after gastrectomy, although,

in other abdominal surgery, it benefits patients selleck chemical more than patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA). We attempted to determine the effect of PCEA compared with PCIA on postoperative pain control and recovery after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

A randomized controlled clinical trial that included patients undergoing D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer was conducted for this study. Patients were randomized to a morphine-bupivacaine PCEA group and a morphine PCIA group. Postoperative outcomes such as pain, fasting blood 17-AAG mouse glucose (FBG), time to first passage of flatus, complications, and time staying in hospital after surgery were compared with an intention-to-treat

analysis.

Between March 2010 and October 2010, 67 patients were randomized and 60 were evaluated. The PCEA group showed lower pain scores both at rest and on coughing after the operation (P < 0.05). FBG after the operation was significantly lower in the PCEA group than that in the PCIA group (P < 0.05). Time to first passage of flatus after surgery was shorter in the PCEA group (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences regarding the incidence of complications between the two groups in terms of the clinical records. The length of hospital stay in the PCEA group was 10.7 +/- A 1.7 days, which was significantly shorter than that in the PCIA group (11.9 +/- A 1.8 days, P < 0.05).

After gastrectomy https://www.selleckchem.com/products/dorsomorphin-2hcl.html for gastric cancer, PCEA, compared with PCIA, offered safer

pain relief with superior pain control and resulted in a lower stress response and a quicker return of bowel activity.”
“Objective. To measure serum 25(OH) D levels of pregnant women in the last trimester during the winter season and to determine the factors affecting their serum levels.

Methods. In all, 79 pregnant women in the third trimester were examined between November 2008 and March 2009. Serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, and 25(OH) D levels were measured. Maternal age, education, socioeconomic status (SES), nutrition, dressing habits, and level of sunlight exposure were determined and their correlation with serum 25(OH) D levels were statistically compared.

Results. The mean serum 25(OH)D level of the study group was 11.95 +/- 7.20 ng/ml, and the prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D < 10 ng/ml] in pregnant women was 45.6%.

In this study, we utilize longitudinal data from the Woodlawn Stu

In this study, we utilize longitudinal data from the Woodlawn Study of a community cohort of urban African Americans (N = 702) to

examine the effects of heavy adolescent marijuana use (20 or more times) on adult criminal involvement, including MK-2206 manufacturer perpetration of drug, property and violent crime, as well as being arrested and incarcerated. Utilizing propensity score matching to take into account the shared risk factors between drug use and crime, regression analyses on the matched samples show that heavy adolescent marijuana use may lead to drug and property crime and criminal justice system interactions, but not violent crime. The significant associations of early heavy marijuana use with school dropout and the progression to cocaine and/or heroin use only partially account for these findings. Results suggest that the prevention of heavy marijuana use

among adolescents could potentially reduce the perpetration of drug and property crime in adulthood, as well as the burden on the criminal justice system, but would have little effect on violent crime. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“This study attempted to elaborate the existence of a specific neurologic pattern observed in children who experienced neonatal hypoglycemia. Twenty-seven patients with seizure and history of neonatal hypoglycemia were compared with 28 children suffering from idiopathic occipital epilepsy. selleck kinase inhibitor In both groups the most common type of seizure activities included eye movements and impaired consciousness responding well to treatment; however, ictal vomiting was more common in controls. Subjects were in epileptic and nonepileptic groups. Ninety percent of cases showed

abnormal signal of the posterior head region on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A large number showed posterior abnormalities on electroencephalography (EEG). Visual loss with abnormal visual evoked potential was the most frequent visual finding. Fifty-five percent showed mild psychomotor retardation. This study demonstrates that neonatal hypoglycemia can induce a syndrome with a specific clinical spectrum consisting of epilepsy, visual disturbances, and psychomotor retardation. Hypoglycemia-occipital syndrome is an entity without statistically significant semiologic differences from the idiopathic type.”
“Purpose: To test the hypothesis that magnetic resonance (MR) CX-6258 imaging can be used to monitor both intraparenchymal injection of NaCl solution and subsequent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) within tissues pretreated with NaCl, report the low- and high-field-strength MR appearance of NaCl-enhanced RFAs, and compare MR findings with pathologic findings.

Materials and Methods: Ten ex vivo calf liver specimens were injected with saturated NaCl (seven were mixed with methylene blue during MR fluoroscopic monitoring) and reexamined with fast imaging with steady-state progression (FISP), true FISP, reversed FISP (PSIF), and fast spin-echo T2-weighted MR sequences.

We have developed luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS) t

We have developed luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS) that harnesses light-emitting proteins to generate high-definition antibody profiles that are optimal for both diagnostics this website and biomarker discovery. Here, we describe the results and implications from a range of LIPS-antibody profiling studies performed in our laboratory. These include highly sensitive diagnostics for domestic and global pathogens, insights into infection-related diseases, discovery of new biomarkers for human diseases, subcategorization of symptoms and identification of pathogenic

autoantibodies against self-proteins. These investigations highlight the types of humoral response profiles associated with different diseases, provide new information related to disease pathogenesis and offer a framework for incorporating LIPS antibody profiling into global health initiatives and disease monitoring.”
“Purpose of review

There has been a substantial increase in the number of studies of neonatal resuscitation and it is timely to review the accumulating evidence.

Recent findings

There AC220 have been major changes in the way that newly born infants are managed in the delivery

room. Colour is no longer recommended as a useful indicator of oxygenation or effectiveness of resuscitation. Pulse oximetry provides rapid, continuous and accurate information on both oxygenation and heart rate. Resuscitation of term infants should begin with air, with the provision of blended oxygen to maintain oxygen saturations similar to those of term infants requiring no resuscitation. Positive end-expiratory pressure during initial ventilation aids lung aeration and establishment of functional residual capacity. Respiratory function monitoring

allows operators to identify factors adversely affecting ventilation, including leak around the face mask and airway obstruction. Clamping of the umbilical cord should be delayed for at least 1 min for infants not requiring resuscitation.

Summary

The Mocetinostat cost International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation guidelines on the management of newborn infants were updated in 2010 and incorporate much of the newly available evidence. The use of intensive care techniques in the delivery room is promising but requires further evaluation. Monitoring techniques and interventions need to be adapted for use in developing countries.”
“SHARE is a unique panel database of micro data on health, socio-economic status and social and family networks covering most of the European Union and Israel. To date, SHARE has collected three panel waves (2004, 2006, 2010) of current living circumstances and retrospective life histories (2008, SHARELIFE); 6 additional waves are planned until 2024.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel bipolar

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel bipolar RF-based fractional device for the treatment of photoaged Asian faces. METHODS Twenty-six Korean women (mean age 56, skin phototype III-IV) received three consecutive fractional RF treatments at 4-to 6-week intervals. Outcome assessments included standardized photography physician evaluation of fine lines, https://www.selleckchem.com/small-molecule-compound-libraries.html pores, smoothness and tightness, brightness, and overall appearance; degree of elastosis; subjective improvement scale; and patient satisfaction.

RESULTS Fractional RF treatments produced moderate (26-50%) and incremental

improvements in each category of physician evaluation. In particular, degree of smoothness and tightness, selleck chemicals brightness, and overall appearance improved significantly 6 weeks after the third session from before the third session. The degree of elastosis was 5.46 at baseline, which decreased significantly to 4.05 at 6-week follow-up. Patient self-assessment paralleled

the physician assessment. Adverse events were limited to mild erythema, swelling, and scabs, which usually shed 3.9 days after treatment.

CONCLUSION Fractional bipolar RF treatment is an effective treatment for facial photodamage in Asians, with a favorable safety profile.”
“Purpose: Until recently, neuronal death in ischemic stroke infarction was ascribed exclusively to necrotic process. However, experimental animal models of cerebral ischemia suggest apoptosis to play a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. The aim of this study was to determine the level and monitor the dynamics of soluble Fas/APO 1 (sFas/APO 1) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of acute ischemic stroke patients.

Material and Methods: This prospective study included 23 patients with first ever, computed tomography verified acute ischemic stroke and 20 control subjects with other functional neurologic disorders. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid sFas/APO 1 levels were determined on several occasions. Blood samples were obtained on day 1, 3 and 12, and lumbar puncture on day 3 BI-D1870 research buy and 12 of disease onset. Quantitative sandwich ELISA method was used

on sFas/APO 1 determination.

Results: On day 1 of disease onset, serum and cerebrospinal fluid sFas/APO 1 levels were significantly higher in stroke patients as compared to control subjects, and then gradually declined during the period of monitoring.

Conclusion: Study results confirmed the dynamic pattern of sFas/APO 1 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with acute ischemic stroke, suggesting the possible role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction.”
“We have demonstrated the short pulse, high power microwave radiation source using an ultraviolet laser-induced sheet plasma mirror in a gas-filled x-band rectangular waveguide from the conventional microwave sources and components. A laser-induced sheet plasma with an overdense plasma acts as a plasma mirror.

60 EAA units), and (3) managing enrolment in a complicated trial

60 EAA units), and (3) managing enrolment in a complicated trial design where two medical teams LY3023414 chemical structure are involved (the intensivist as the blinded caregiver and nephrologists as the unblinded performers of the intervention). The study is nearing the halfway mark and is currently experiencing excellent recruitment success. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“The plague of obesity afflicts an increasing group

of people. Moreover type 2 diabetes, which is the most serious illness accompanying excessive weight, is becoming more and more common. Traditional methods of obesity treatment, such as diet and physical exercise, fail. This applies especially to people with class III obesity. The only successful way of treating obesity in their case is bariatric surgery. There are three types of bariatric surgery: restrictive procedures (reducing stomach volume), malabsorptive procedures, and mixed procedures, which combine both methods. In spite of the risk connected with the surgery and complications after it, bariatric procedures are advised to patients with class III obesity and class II with an accompanying illness which increases the probability of death. It has been proved

that bariatric surgery not only eliminates obesity but also very frequently (in 90% of cases) leads to the remission of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the remission occurs very fast – it takes place a long time before the patients reduce their weight, even within a few days after surgery. Detailed studies have GSK3326595 mw shown that the remission of diabetes is caused mostly by the change of the gastro-intestinal hormones’ profile, resulting from the surgery. These hormones include GLP-1, GIP, peptide YY, click here ghrelin and oxyntomodulin. Additionally, the change of the amount of adipose tissue

after the surgery influences the level of adipokines, i.e. the hormones of the adipose tissue, among which the most important are leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Thus, bariatric surgery not only changes the shape of the gastrointestinal tract but it also modulates the hormonal activity. Bariatric surgery is considered as therapy not only for the obese but also for diabetic patients.”
“Objective. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of simple asthma control questionnaires in assessing the asthma control in our practice setting. Methods. The Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Therapy Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ), and mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (mini AQLQ) were administered to previously diagnosed asthma patients. Spirometry was performed to obtain the prebronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). The relationship between test scores (ACT and ATAQ) and the FEV1 and mini AQLQ scores, respectively, was explored. Results. A total of 106 patients (mean age 41 +/- 15.3 years, 61 (57.5%) females) participated in the study.

This was also true for rs402710 Moreover, the frequency of the G

This was also true for rs402710. Moreover, the frequency of the GGCTCT haplotype was higher and the TTTTTT frequency was lower in patients, especially those with lung adenocarcinoma. Aberrant linkage disequilibrium among the three SNPs was found in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We conclude that multiple variants at 5p15.33 contribute to susceptibility to lung adenocarcinoma.”
“We investigate the influence of force field parameterization on the atomic-level description of the interface structure between Si(001) and its amorphous oxide

[Si(001)/a-SiO2] with systematic application of continuous random network model-based Metropolis Monte Carlo (CRN-MMC) simulations. Particular emphasis is given to the nature of the potentials SHP099 chemical structure in both the crystalline Si and a-SiO2 phases, especially the quantifiable relative rigidity between phases. To assess their reliability, the energetics and mechanical properties of the interface models generated from the CRN-MMC approach with different see more Keating-like potential parameters were compared with those calculated

using density functional theory. We statistically characterized the structural parameters and interface abruptness from various potential models of varying interface O coverage ratio in terms of bond angle, ring size, and suboxide distributions; lateral Si-O-Si bridge bond interface densities; and strain energy profiles along [001]. Comparison of our simulation results and existing experimental observations shows that a sufficiently hard character of the a-SiO2 phase parameterization is essential in generation of atomically accurate depictions of the Si(001)/a-SiO2 interface. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3581110]“
“Although it is known that reproducibility

of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) is superior to office BP in middle-aged subjects, little is known in older age groups. Hence, we compared the long-term reproducibility of ambulatory and office BP readings in subjects over the age of 75 years. A cohort of 72 subjects 75-90 years of age (mean, 82 years PF-03084014 supplier at baseline) had repeat office and ambulatory BPs 2 years apart under similar conditions. On the same day, patients underwent office BP measurements by a semi-automated device and then by ambulatory BP monitoring. Awake and sleep periods were divided according to a diary kept by each patient. The agreement between studies was assessed using the standard deviation of the differences (SDD) and Bland-Altman plots. There were minimal mean changes in office, 24-h, and awake and sleep mean BP values between baseline and 2 years later. The SDDs between visits were lower for 24-h BP compared with the office BP (11.7/5.9 mm Hg versus 17.8/9.0 mm Hg, P<0.01). The SDD for 24-h BP was also lower than the SDDs for the awake and sleep BP (P<0.05).

One such neoplasm is the phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor, mixed co

One such neoplasm is the phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor, mixed connective tissue variant (PMTMCT), an unusual entity with unique morphologic and biochemical features. Most of these tumors are 3-deazaneplanocin A Epigenetics inhibitor found at appendicular sites with only rare cases reported in the jaws. We describe a PMTMCT involving the mandible in a patient with a protracted history of osteomalacia. A review of the current literature is provided with emphasis on the clinical and histologic features, etiopathogenesis, and management of PMTMCT in the setting of TIO. (Oral Surg Oral Med

Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009; 108: 925-932)”
“Study Design. A rabbit model of disc degeneration adjacent to a lumbar spinal fusion.

Objective. To use a rabbit model to determine the long-term changes in the intervertebral discs at the levels above (cephalad) and below (caudad) 2 fused lumbar levels.

Summary

of Background Data. Lumbar spinal fusion is generally carried out to eliminate click here motion at a specific lumbar level. However, it is commonly thought that by eliminating motion at a level, one increases the motion at the adjacent levels cephalad and caudad the fused levels. There have been studies that have reported on degeneration occurring at the cephalad and caudad levels adjacent to the fused levels.

Methods. A total of 9 New Zealand white, female rabbits: 4 rabbits in the control group and 5 rabbits in the experimental group. The 5 rabbits in the experimental group underwent a posterolateral 2-level lumbar spinal fusion from L3 to L5. The changes in the lumbar

discs were assessed using radiographs, magnetic resonance (MR) images, AZD7762 concentration and histology at 6 months and 12 months.

Results. The results at 6 months are less clear than those at 12 months. The results at 12 months for the experimental group are (1) the intervertebral disc height decreased at the caudad adjacent level and to a lesser extent at the cephalad adjacent level; (2) the MRI scores for the discs at the caudad and cephalad adjacent levels showed severe loss of signal intensity as compared to the discs at the same levels in the control group. This loss was more pronounced at the caudad level where the loss of signal intensity was similar to that seen at the fused levels; (3) the histologic analysis showed severe degenerative changes with a lack of live cells in the nucleus pulposus and in the endplate at the caudad adjacent level. At the cephalad level, live cells were apparent (albeit few) in the nucleus pulposus, and there was a more normal looking endplate with live cells.

Conclusion. The intervertebral discs at both the cephalad and the caudad levels adjacent to the 2 fused lumbar levels in this rabbit-model experiment carried out over 12 months after surgery showed degenerative changes asassessed using disc-height measurements, MR images, and histology, and the effect was more severe at the caudad adjacent level.