Long-term outcome of redo discectomy for recurrent lumbar disc herniations.

PURPOSE: Recurrent lumbar disc herniation (RLDH) is an important cause of morbidity and healthcare costs. The goal of this investigation is to assess surgical outcomes and their predictors in patients who underwent revision discectomy for RLDH, with a minimum follow-up of ten years, to shed light on the best treatment to offer to these patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent revision discectomy to treat RLDH between 2004 and 2011 in our Department were enrolled. Demographic, clinical, and surgical data were collected. The need of third intervention for RLDH was the primary outcome. Patient's satisfaction, Core Outcome Measures Index, Oswestry Disability Index, and EuroQoL-5D scores were also evaluated. RESULTS: This study includes 55 patients, with a mean follow-up time of 144 months [112-199]. In this period, a third intervention was needed in 30.9% (n = 17) of patients. Most recurrences took place in the first 2 years after the second surgery (58.8%, n = 10) and the risk of needing a third surgery decreased over time. After 5 years, the probability of not having surgery for recurrence was 71% [CI 95%: 60-84%], with a tendency to stabilize after that. An interval between the first discectomy and the surgery for recurrence shorter than 7.6 months was identified as a predictor for a second recurrence. CONCLUSION: The risk of needing a third surgery seems to stabilize after five years. Patients with an early recurrence after the first discectomy seem to have a higher risk of a new recurrence, so an arthrodesis might be worth considering.

Anxiety and depression risk in patients with allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases appear to be associated with mood disorders. However, particularly regarding allergic rhinitis (AR), such association has not been adequately systematically reviewed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the association between AR and depression and anxiety. METHODOLOGY: We performed an electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for observational studies assessing the association between AR and depression and anxiety. Such association was quantified by means of random-effects meta-analysis, with estimation of pooled odds ratio (OR). Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analysis. RESULTS: We included a total of 24 primary studies, of which 23 assessed depression and 11 assessed anxiety. Of these, 12 studies presented OR from multivariable regression models and were included in our meta-analysis. AR was associated with higher odds of depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: AR appears to be associated with high risk of depression and anxiety. While our results point to the importance of mental comorbidities among patients with AR, longitudinal studies are needed adopting uniform definitions and presenting results stratified by AR severity.

Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens Reared on two Different Litter Materials and at two Stocking Densities.

1. This study evaluated the performance and meat quality of broiler chickens reared on two litter materials and at two stocking densities.2. The chicks were allotted in a completely randomised design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two litter materials (wood shavings or rice straw) and two stocking densities (24 or 30 kg/m2), with six replicates per treatment. Broiler performance, carcase yield, prime cuts, blood plasma proteins, the enzymes alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, edible viscera, immune organs, intestine weight and length, abdominal fat, breast meat colour, pH, weight loss by defrosting, weight loss by cooking and shear force were evaluated.3. The density of 24 kg/m2 positively influenced feed consumption and weight gain. The type of litter had a positive influence on feed conversion, with a lower value for birds raised on wood shavings.4. Breast production was improved in birds reared at a density of 24 kg/m2 when compared to birds reared at a density of 30 kg/m2. The rice straw bedding negatively affected abdominal fat (resulting in higher percentages) when compared to birds reared on wood shavings.5. The types of litter affected the enzyme aspartate aminotransferase in birds raised on wood shavings, although these values were not increased to the point of influence on the physiological functions of broilers.6. The colour of the breast meat, pH, temperature, weight loss after thawing or cooking, shear force, cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, total proteins, glucose or alanine aminotransferase content were not influenced by the stocking densities or bedding.7. The use of wood shavings as poultry bedding at a stocking density of 24 kg/m2resulted in the best performance for broiler chickens at 42 days of age.

Profiling the immunity status of children with non-polio acute flaccid paralysis who had not received any doses of oral polio vaccine in the South-South region, Nigeria 2011-2014.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the immunity status of children with non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (NP AFP) reported through the AFP surveillance system in the South-South region of Nigeria. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was conducted using AFP surveillance data collected routinely between January 2011 and December 2014 by the Disease Surveillance Department of the regional health service and the World Health Organization (WHO)-accredited regional reference polio laboratory. All cases of AFP reported to the Disease Surveillance Network from all six zones during this period were included in the study. METHODS: In total, 5111 cases of AFP in children aged ≤15 years were reported between 2011 and 2014. These cases were investigated and verified by WHO surveillance officers using a standard questionnaire, which captured the number of doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) received by the child. Two stool samples were collected for each case, 24-48 h apart, within 14 days of the onset of paralysis, and transported to the national polio laboratory under reverse cold chain storage. Data retrieved were stored in an AFP database hosted by the WHO server. EPIINFO software was used to query the database and extract the information required for analysis in this study. RESULTS: The percentage of children who had received at least three doses of OPV (which serves as a threshold to measure immunity status) decreased from 87% in 2011 to 82% in 2014. The percentage of children who had not received any doses of OPV decreased from 2% in 2011 to 1% in 2014. Forty-eight percent of the children who had not received any doses of OPV were aged <1 year. CONCLUSION: Given the decrease in OPV immunity status, the region risks re-introduction of poliovirus. Swift steps should be taken to improve the immunization coverage, which would boost immunity status in Nigeria.

Genetic models for breed quality and navel development scores and its associations with growth traits in beef cattle.

Estimation and prediction ability of linear and threshold models for yearling breed quality score (BQ) and navel development score at weaning (WN) and yearling (YN), considering variances, heritabilities, and rank correlations based on the breeding values predicted for bulls, were compared. Furthermore, it was determined whether BQ, WN, and YN are genetically associated with growth traits (BWG: birth to weaning weight gain, WH: weaning height, WYG: weaning to yearling weight gain, YH: yearling height) to field data of Nelore cattle. For BQ, similar heritabilities were estimated using linear (0.14 ± 0.01) and threshold (0.15 ± 0.02) models. For navel development scores, higher heritability was estimated with threshold (WN 0.22 ± 0.03; YN 0.42 ± 0.03) rather than linear (WN 0.16 ± 0.01; YN 0.29 ± 0.01) models. Rank correlations between sires breeding values predicted for visual scores with linear and threshold models ranging from 0.53 to 0.98, indicating that different sires would be selected using these models, mainly for higher selection intensities. The BQ showed little genetic variability and was not associated with WH and YH. However, low and positive genetic correlations were obtained between BQ with BWG (0.27 ± 0.02) and WYG (0.25 ± 0.02). In general, they are expected low genetic gains for BQ as correlated response to selection based on any of the growth traits studied. The WN showed higher genetic correlation with BWG (0.63 ± 0.02) and WH (0.53 ± 0.02) rather than WYG (-0.06 ± 0.02) and YH (0.26 ± 0.02), indicating that selection for increased growth at weaning (height and weight gain) should lead to longer and most pendulous navels at this age. Weak genetic correlations were obtained between yearling navel and growth traits.

Late postoperative myelomalacic myelopathy.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a case report. OBJECTIVES: Spinal cord atrophy presenting with late progressive myelopathy after many years of clinical stability is a rare and unexplained phenomenon after cervical spine surgery. The authors report and discuss the etiologies and outcomes of late postoperative myelomalacic myelopathy. SETTING: This study was conducted in the Department of Neurosurgery, Centro Hospitalar S. João, Porto, Portugal. METHODS: We report on two patients with insidious chronic progressive myelopathy that developed more than 10 years after complete removal of a cervical intramedullary ependymoma and after transoral odontoidectomy and occipitocervical fusion for craniocervical junction malformation. Differential diagnoses were formulated and review of the literature was performed. RESULTS: In both patients, after several years of clinical stability, insidious onset of debilitating myelopathy and dependency ensued. The clinical history, serology, imaging and neurophysiological investigation excluded several putative etiologies: arachnoid adhesions, tumor recurrence, late vertebral instability, trauma, syringomyelia, radiotherapy, and demyelinating or infectious causes. CONCLUSION: Late neurological deterioration after cervical spine surgery is usually related to disease progression or surgery-related complications. Nevertheless, in some patients late myelopathy can ensue even in the absence of identified causes.

Urinary profile of catecholamines and metabolites in Parkinson patients with deep brain stimulation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (DBS-STN) is thought to continuously alter the activity of STN neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). A chronic decrease in the levodopa dose with continuous STN stimulation may induce plastic neuronal changes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to study urinary excretion of catecholamines in patients with PD before and after DBS-STN. METHODS: Twenty-three patients were submitted to DBS-STN, and evaluated before and after surgery with respect to catecholamines and metabolites in 24-h urine measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. RESULTS: Of the 23 patients evaluated, a significant decrease of about 60% in the urinary excretion of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA; in nmol/mg creatinine/24 h) was observed 1 week after DBS-STN. Moreover, in 17 patients with a follow-up of 8 weeks after surgery, there was a further 50% decrease in urinary L-DOPA levels, dropping to about 75% of the values before surgery. There was also a significant decrease in dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels 1 week after DBS-STN that was no longer present 8 weeks after. A significant increase in the DA/l-DOPA ratio was observed 1 week after surgery, with a further increase 8 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSION: After DBS-STN, the DA/l-DOPA ratio, an indirect measure of DA synthesis, increased. These results show that DBS-STN may improve the efficacy of oral levodopa.

Fibrotic alterations in human annulus fibrosus correlate with progression of intervertebral disc herniation.

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation is characterized by annulus fibrosus failure (AF) in containing the nucleus pulposus (NP). IVD herniation involves cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations that have been associated with tissue fibrosis, although still poorly investigated. METHODS: Here, fibrotic alterations in human AF were evaluated, by characterizing the herniated ECM. Human AF samples (herniated lumbar IVD (n = 39, age 24-83) and scoliosis controls (n = 6, age 15-21)) were processed for transmission electron microscopy and histological/immunohistochemical analysis of fibrotic markers. Correlations between the fibrotic markers in AF ECM and the degree of NP containment (protused, contained and uncontained) and patients' age were conducted. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that with herniation progression, i.e. loss of NP containment, human AF presents less stained area of sulphated glycosaminoglycans and collagen I, being collagen I fibres thinner and disorganized. On the other hand, fibronectin stained area and percentage of α-smooth muscle actin+ cells increase in human AF, while matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP12) production and percentage of macrophages (CD68+ cells) remain constant. These structural and biochemical fibrotic alterations observed in human AF with herniation progression occur independently of the age. CONCLUSIONS: The characterization of human AF here conducted evidence the presence of fibrosis in degenerated IVD, while highlighting the importance of considering the herniation progression stage, despite the patients' age, for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind AF failure and IVD herniation.

Thalamic deep brain stimulation for post-traumatic neuropathic limb pain: Efficacy at five years' follow-up and effective volume of activated brain tissue.

Chronic neuropathic pain affects 7%-10% of the population. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown variable but promising results in its treatment. This study prospectively assessed the long-term effectiveness of DBS in a series of patients with chronic neuropathic pain, correlating clinical results with neuroimaging. Sixteen patients received 5 years' post-surgical follow-up in a single center. Six had phantom limb pain after amputation and 10 had deafferentation pain after traumatic brachial plexus injury. Patient-reported outcome measures were completed before and after surgery, using VAS, UWNPS, BPI and SF-36 scores. Neuroimaging evaluated electrode location and effective volumes of activated tissue (VAT). Two subgroups were created based on the percentage of VAT superimposed upon the ventroposterolateral thalamic nucleus (eVAT), and clinical outcomes were compared. Analgesic effect was assessed at 5 years and compared to preoperative pain, with an improvement on VAS of 76.4% (p=0.0001), on UW-NPS of 35.2% (p=0.3582), on BPI of 65.1% (p=0.0505) and on SF-36 of 5% (p=0.7406). Eight patients with higher eVAT showed improvement on VAS of 67.5% (p=0.0017) while the remaining patients, with lower eVAT, improved by 50.6% (p=0.03607). DBS remained effective in improving chronic neuropathic pain after 5 years. While VPL-targeting contributes to success, analgesia is also obtained by stimulating surrounding posterior ventrobasal thalamic structures and related spinothalamocortical tracts.

[Trigeminal neuralgia caused by contra lateral cerebellopontine angle tumor. A case report]. / Neuralgia del trigémino provocada por un tumor del ángulo ponto-cerebeloso contralateral. Caso clínico.

In most cases, trigeminal neuralgia is due to compression of the trigeminal nerve in the zone of entrance at the pons by vascular structures. About 1% of cases, have trigeminal neuralgia associated with the presence of ipsilateral lesion of cerebellar-pontine angle. Rarely, trigeminal neuralgia may be due to contralateral posterior fossa tumors. We present a case of a 37-year- old patient who presented with right trigeminal neuralgia and harboured a left acoustic neuroma of significant dimension. Facial pain completely disappeared after tumor removal.

[Cavernous malformation of the pineal region. Case report and review of the literature]. / Malformación cavernosa de la región pineal. Caso clínico y revisión de la literatura.

Cavernous malformations rarely occur in the pineal region with only 21 reported to date. Although its diagnosis is not easy because of the extreme rareness of this condition, the presence of this lesion can be suspected based on its typical radiological findings. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman presented with desorientation, somnolence and diplopy. The CT-scan showed an acute hemorrhage in the pineal region and triventricular hydrocephalus. An MRI suggested a cavernous malformation. The patient was operated with total en-bloc removal of the lesion. We conclude that surgical exploration and total resection is the treatment of choice when the diagnosis of cavernous angioma is suspected of the basis of neuroimaging.

Sex determination in a Brazilian sample from cranial morphometric parameters - a preliminary study.

Sex determination, which is based on the existence of dimorphism between specimens of the same species, plays an important role in the process of human identification. In the absence of pelvic elements, the skull appears to be the best sex indicator, and can also be submitted to quantitative or metric assessments. Eleven measurements were taken for this study, four in the sagittal plane and seven in the horizontal, in two groups of 186 skulls each, with 101 from males and 85 from females for those of the sagittal plane, and 100 and 86, respectively, for those concerning the horizontal, of subjects aged between 18 and 94 years at the time of death. The sample belongs to the Osteological and Tomographic Biobank Professor Doctor Eduardo Daruge of the Piracicaba Dental School of the University of Campinas. The aim of this research was to establish a reliable method to determine sex and elaborate mathematical prototypes capable of assisting in investigation or identification activities, in a preliminary study. Of the measures implemented (Lambda-Nasion, Lambda-Rhinion, Lambda-Nasospinale, Rhinion-Nasospinale, Zygomaxillare-Zygomaxillare, Lambda-Incisive Foramen, Lambda-Right Zygomaxillare, Lambda-Left Zygomaxillare, Basion-Incisive Foramen, Basion-Right Zygomaxillare and Basion-Left Zygomaxillare), only the Lambda-Nasospinale and Rhinion-Nasospinale in the sagittal plane, and the Zygomaxillare-Zygomaxillare and Lambda-Incisive Foramen in the horizontal plane, were significantly dimorphic. Two predictive mathematical models of sex were conceived for each pair of them: one of logistic regression and another of conditional inference trees, displaying accuracy rates of 78.5% and 77.42%, and of 68.28% and 72.04%, respectively. The authors concluded that there is the possibility to apply the aforementioned data in forensic anthropology as an auxiliary tool in investigation or identification tasks.

Transient disabling dyskinesias: a predictor of good outcome in subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

We report 5 of 75 (6.6%) patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) submitted to subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) who developed transient disabling dyskinesias immediately after surgery. Dyskinesias persisted despite levodopa withdrawal, cessation or reduction of stimulation, and resolved spontaneously in a maximum period of 12 weeks without the need to change stimulation active contact. Compared to the rest of our PD patients submitted to STN-DBS, the dyskinesia group needed a lower levodopa-equivalent daily dosage (LEDD) over the time of follow-up. A microlesion in the STN, probably concealed in cerebral MRI by the electrode-related artifact, could have been involved in the etiopathology of our patients' symptoms. The presence of transient disabling dyskinesia in PD patients immediately after STN-DBS might be a predictor of good outcome as measured by a decrease in the LEDD needed.

Some similarity solutions for three-dimensional boundary layers.

A similarity solution of a three-dimensional boundary layer is investigated. The outer flow is given by U = ( - xz, - yz, z 2), corresponding to an axisymmetric poloidal circulation with constant potential vorticity. This flow is an exact solution of the Navier-Stokes. A wall is introduced at y = 0 along which a boundary layer develops towards x = 0. We show that a similarity reduction to a system of ODEs is possible. Two distinct solutions are found, one of them through numerical path-continuation, and their stability is investigated. A second three-dimensional solution is also identified for two-dimensional outer flow. The solutions are generalized for outer flows scaling with different powers of z and similar results are found. This behaviour is related to the non-uniqueness of the Falkner-Skan flows in a three-dimensional sense, with a transverse wall-jet.

Long-term survival after glioblastoma resection: hope despite poor prognosis factors.

BACKGROUND: In spite of aggressive multimodal treatment, survival for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remains short. Nevertheless, some patients survive much longer than expected and become long-term survival patients. The extent of resection (EoR), Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), age and methyl-guanine methyltransferase gene (MGMT) methylation are well-defined prognostic factors, but the characteristics of patients with long-term survival (LTS, survival of at least three years after diagnosis) has not been fully determined yet. That is the reason why we analyzed the GBM patients with LTS at our center. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive patients who underwent surgery for GBM between January 2002 and November 2011, including patients treated with surgical resection under neuronavigation with or without intraoperative MRI (ioMRI) and those who had stereotactic biopsy. We identified and further analyzed those patients with LTS. RESULTS: A total of 127 patients underwent surgery for GBM during the study period. 101 (79.6%) of whom had surgical resection and 26 (20.4%) of whom had stereotactic biopsy. Of the 101 patients who were treated with surgical resection, 12 had LTS. After two other pathologists reviewed the patients' cases, they confirmed that 11 (11%) of the 12 patients had a GBM (female/male ratio 4.5; average age 50 years; preoperative Karnofsky Score 82%), and one patient had an anaplastic glioma. The mean survival in the LTS patients with confirmed GBM was 74 (36-150) months. Seven of the LTS patients (63.6%) had a gross total resection (GTR), including two with an additional resection after ioMRI. Three (27.3%) had a near total resection (NTR: residue ≤5%) and one (9.1%) had a partial resection. Ten (90.9%) patients had a methylation of MGMT, only two (18.8%) had an IDH1 mutation, and seven (63.6%) received a full Stupp protocol. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with a GBM who were treated with one or more resections, 11% had LTS with 90.9% with at least a near total resection (36% with ioMRI) and a methylated MGMT. 50% of the patients with a second surgery survived at least two years postoperatively. Those encouraging observations emphasize the importance of maximizing the resection by using, if possible, an intraoperative guidance method like ioMRI with an analysis of biomarkers such as MGMT and if necessary, multiple surgical procedures.

Plant lectins ConBr and CFL modulate expression toll-like receptors, pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduce the bacterial burden in macrophages infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

BACKGROUND: Plant lectins have long been used in biomedical research as immunomodulators against tumor cells and microbial infections. PURPOSE: To test the ability of plant lectins ConBr (Canavalia brasiliensis) and CFL (Cratylia argentea) to activate antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities of murine peritoneal macrophages (pMØ) infected with a virulent strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm). METHODS: We incubated pMØ with non-toxic amounts of ConBr and CFL either before (preventive schedule) or after (curative schedule) exposure to STm. RESULTS: In uninfected pMØ, ConBr and CFL greatly increased levels of mRNA transcripts for IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6 and the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOs), but not IL-10 and IL-12. Exposure to naïve splenocytes of culture supernatants of pMØ previously stimulated with CFL resulted in expression of IL-12 and IFN-γ. Both preventive and curative treatment schedules significantly reduced the intracellular load of Salmonella. Experiments in infected macrophages exposed to lectins in the preventive schedule showed that mRNA transcripts for IL-6 and TNF-α were increased by CFL, whereas ConBr enhanced IL-12 (subunit p40). In the curative schedule, CFL induced significant expression of IL-12 (p40) whereas ConBr enhanced expression IL-1ß and TNF-α genes. The lectin treatments did not influence on iNOs expression in pMØ infected with STm C5 regardless of the treatment schedule. Curative treatments with CFL increased approximately 130-fold expression of TLR-4 whist expression of TLR-9 was increased by treatments with ConBr. CONCLUSION: We conclude that lectins ConBr and CFL have immunomodulatory properties that are beneficial on control of cells infected by Salmonella.

Novel KIAA0753 mutations extend the phenotype of skeletal ciliopathies.

The skeletal ciliopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders with a significant clinical and genetic variability and the main clinical features are thoracic hypoplasia and short tubular bones. To date, 25 genes have been identified in association with skeletal ciliopathies. Mutations in the KIAA0753 gene have recently been associated with Joubert syndrome (JBTS) and orofaciodigital (OFD) syndrome. We report biallelic pathogenic variants in KIAA0753 in four patients with short-rib type skeletal dysplasia. The manifestations in our patients are variable and ranging from fetal lethal to viable and moderate skeletal dysplasia with narrow thorax and abnormal metaphyses. We demonstrate that KIAA0753 is expressed in normal fetal human growth plate and show that the affected fetus, with a compound heterozygous frameshift and a nonsense mutation in KIAA0753, has an abnormal proliferative zone and a broad hypertrophic zone. The importance of KIAA0753 for normal skeletal development is further confirmed by our findings that zebrafish embryos homozygous for a nonsense mutation in kiaa0753 display altered cartilage patterning.

Development of UV cross-linked gelatin coated electrospun poly(caprolactone) fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among industrialized countries. Vascular grafts are often required for the surgical treatments. Considering the limitations associated with the use of autografts and with the currently available synthetic materials, a growing demand in tissue engineered vascular grafts has been registered. During the work here described, electrospinning technique was used to prepared fibrous matrices to be applied as vascular implants. For that purpose, electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous mats were produced and afterwards coated with different hydrogel formulations based in photocrosslinkable gelatin (GelMA) and the macromers poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate (PEGA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). These were further photocrosslinked under UV irradiation using Irgacure® 2959 (by BASF) as the photoinitiator. The suitability of the coated scaffolds for the intended application, was evaluated by assessing their chemical/physical properties as well as their interaction with blood and endothelial cells.

Principal component analysis of breeding values for growth and reproductive traits and genetic association with adult size in beef cattle.

Principal component analysis was applied to evaluate the variability and relationships among univariate breeding values predicted for 9 weaning and yearling traits, as well as suggest functions of the traits that would promote a particular breeding objective. Phenotypic and pedigree information from 600,132 Nelore animals was used. Genetic parameters and breeding values were obtained from univariate analyses of birth to weaning weight gain; weaning to yearling weight gain; conformation, finishing precocity, and muscling scores at weaning and at yearling; and yearling scrotal circumference. The principal component mainly associated with maturity (precocious vs. late animals) was used as a pseudophenotype in bivariate analyses with either adult weight or adult height of cows. Direct heritability estimates ranging from 0.19 ± 0.01 to 0.41 ± 0.01 indicate that these 9 traits are all heritable to varying degrees. Correlations between the breeding values for the various traits ranged from 0.14 to 0.88. Principal component analysis was performed on the standardized breeding values. The first 3 principal components attained the Kaiser criterion, retaining 48.06%, 18.03%, and 12.97% of the total breeding value variance, respectively. The first component was characterized by positive coefficients for all traits. The second component contrasted weaning traits with yearling traits. The third component represented a contrast between late maturity animals (better for weight gain and conformation) and early maturity animals (better for finishing precocity, muscling, and scrotal circumference). Thus, the first 3 components represent 3 different potential selection criteria. Selecting for the first principal component would identify animals with positive breeding values for all studied traits. The second principal component may be used to identify animals with higher or lower maturation rates (precocity). Animals with negative values in the third principal component are regarded as early maturing. Genetic correlations between maturity (third principal component) with adult weight and adult height were 0.19 ± 0.02 and 0.32 ± 0.02, respectively. These results showed that the weaning and yearling bovine maturity is genetically associated with the adult size of the cows used in reproduction.