Association and Haplotype Analyses of Positional Candidate Genes in Five Genomic Regions Linked to Scrotal Hernia in Commercial Pig Lines

Scrotal hernia in pigs is a complex trait likely affected by genetic and environmental factors. A large-scale association analysis of positional and functional candidate genes was conducted in four previously identified genomic regions linked to hernia susceptibility on Sus scrofa chromosomes 2 and 12, as well as the fifth region around 67 cM on chromosome 2, respectively. In total, 151 out of 416 SNPs discovered were genotyped successfully. Using a family-based analysis we found that four regions surrounding ELF5, KIF18A, COL23A1 on chromosome 2, and NPTX1 on chromosome 12, respectively, may contain the genetic variants important for the development of the scrotal hernia in pigs. These findings were replicated in another case-control dataset. The SNPs around the ELF5 region were in high linkage disequilibrium with each other, and a haplotype containing SNPs from ELF5 and CAT was highly significantly associated with hernia development. Extensive re-sequencing work focused on the KIF18A gene did not detect any further SNPs with extensive association signals. These genes may be involved in the estrogen receptor signaling pathway (KIF18A and NPTX1), the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (ELF5) and the collagen metabolism pathway (COL23A1), which are associated with the important molecular characteristics of hernia pathophysiology. Further investigation on the molecular mechanisms of these genes may provide more molecular clues on hernia development in pigs

PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS FOR COLOSTOMY CLOSURE IN CHILDREN - SHORT VERSUS LONG COURSE

A prospective, randomized clinical study was performed to compare the results of 1-day versus 7-day administration of the same prophylactic antibiotics to 30 consecutive patients undergoing colostomy closure. The antibiotics used were cotrimoxazole (8 mg/kg per day trimethoprim) and ornidazole (20 mg/kg per day), which were this department's standard prophylactic agents for colorectal surgery. Patients, in the first group received cotrimoxazole i.m. 1 h before the operation and ornidazole by i. v. infusion starting after induction of anesthesia. The same dosages of both drugs were repeated once 12 h after the initial dose. In the second group (7 days), both agents were started orally 48 h before the operation. The preoperative doses were given as in the short-course group and were continued in this fashion until the end of the 5th postoperative day. Mechanical cleansing of the bowel and the operative procedure were standardized for all patients. Intraluminal swab cultures were obtained during the operation; only aerobic cultures could be studied. Patients were closely monitored for septic complications during the postoperative period. Study groups were similar regarding age, sex, nutritional status, and micro-organisms isolated from the bowel. Wound infections confined to the subcutaneous tissue occurred in 2 patients, 1 in each group (6.6%). No intraperitoneal infection, anastomotic leakage/dehiscence, or wound dehiscence was encountered. While susceptibilities to antibiotics other than cotrimoxazole were similar in both groups, cotrimoxazole-resistant micro-organisms were found more often in the long-course group (P <0.05). Because we found no difference in the rate of infectious complications between groups, we recommend the use of short-term parenteral antibiotic prophylaxis for colostomy closure in children. Such an approach saves nursing time, reduces costs, and prevents the formation of bacterial resistance

ANOMALOUS CONGENITAL BANDS CAUSING INTESTINAL-OBSTRUCTION IN CHILDREN

In this report the conceptual query language ConQuer-92 is introduced. Thisquery language serves as the backbone of InfoAssistant's query facilities.Furthermore, this language can also be used for the specification of derivationrules (e.g. subtype defining rules) and textual constraints in InfoModeler.This report is solely concerned with a formal definition, and the explanationthereof, of ConQuer-92. The implementation of ConQuer-92 in SQL-92 will betreated in a separate report

ADHESIVE SMALL-BOWEL OBSTRUCTION IN CHILDREN - THE PLACE AND PREDICTORS OF SUCCESS FOR CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT

A Comment on the paper "Conservative Quantum Computing" by M. Ozawa, Phys.Rev. Lett. 89, 057902 (2002). The author replies in Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 089802(2003)

THE PLACE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION IN THE INITIAL EVALUATION OF CHILDREN SUSTAINING BLUNT ABDOMINAL-TRAUMA

We point out that a peculiar annihilation of a vortex-antovortex pairobserved numerically by Hertel and Schneider [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 177202(2006)] represents the formation and subsequent decay of a skyrmion

Persistence of the processus vaginalis and its related disorders

The processus vaginalis is a blind-ended evagination of the abdominal wall that develops during fetal life and typically undergoes obliteration in early life. Persistence of the processus vaginalis is associated with a number of pathologies including congenital indirect inguinal hernias, communicating hydroceles, funicular and encysted hydroceles, canal of Nuck cysts, and acquired undescended testis. Whilst all are detectable sonographically, there is little educational material relevant to the field of ultrasound with much of the literature directed at surgical and primary care physicians. Furthermore, within the literature there is a lack of consensus on several areas including the anatomy and embryology of the processus vaginalis and the mechanisms behind its obliteration. As such the objective of this paper is to distil the information regarding the persistent processus vaginalis as it is relevant to ultrasound and in doing so address the literature gap for sonographers and sonologists. The anatomy and embryology of the persistent processus vaginalis will be discussed including causative mechanisms for anomalies with their sonographic appearance highlighted