Identification of sperm proteins as biomarkers of field fertility in Holstein-Friesian bulls used for artificial insemination.

Despite passing stringent quality control, bulls used in artificial insemination can vary significantly in their fertility, emphasizing the need for reliable markers of sperm quality. This study aimed to identify sperm proteins acting as biomarkers of fertility in 2 different populations of dairy bulls classified based on their field fertility. Semen was collected and cryopreserved from: 54 Holstein bulls located in Ireland, classified according to fertility indexes as low fertility (LF, n = 23), medium fertility (n = 14), or high fertility (HF, n = 17); and 18 Holstein bulls located in Denmark, classified as LF (n = 8) or HF (n = 10). The proteome was measured through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and data were analyzed with the R software. Differentially abundant proteins between HF and LF bulls and biomarker proteins were determined through a modified t-test and random forest, respectively, selecting 301 differentially abundant proteins and 34 biomarker proteins. The predictive ability of the 34 biomarkers was evaluated employing support vector machine as the classifier, using their abundance levels in the Irish bulls to train the model and in the Danish bulls for validation. The prediction accuracy was 94.4%, with only one HF bull misclassified, corresponding to the lowest fertility index bull in the HF group. The biomarkers more abundant in sperm of HF bulls enriched axoneme assembly and sperm motility (false discovery rate <0.05), according to functional analysis. In conclusion, a robust model coupled with the application of appropriate bioinformatic tools allowed the identification of functionally relevant sperm proteins predictive of the fertility of Holstein bulls used in artificial insemination.

[Abscess of the atrium: a complication of central venous catheters]. / L'abcès de l'oreillette: une complication des cathéters veineux centraux.

A 27-year-old female patient was admitted for parenteral feeding and treatment of an acute episode of her steroid dependent Crohn's disease. An intravenous catheter was inserted, the tip being located in the right atrium. This central line was accidentally removed ten days later and replaced with another one also ending in the right atrium. The patient's condition improved over a four-week period. Thereafter, she suddenly became confused and complained of abdominal pain with contracture. She displayed renal failure, coagulation disorders, and decreased blood cell counts. This was followed by a septic shock requiring mechanical ventilation and adrenaline. Laparotomy failed to reveal a cause for the patient's condition. She improved and was extubated four days later. From then on, she had fever (39 degrees C) again. Her catheter was replaced, the tip of this third one being inside the superior vena cava. Staphylococcus epidermidis was obtained from the catheter tip, as well as from four consecutive blood cultures. Despite administration of three different antibiotics, the high fever persisted (40 degrees C). Finally, the occurrence of a systolic murmur led to the discovery, with cardiac ultrasonography, of a mobile right atrial abscess, which engaged into the tricuspid valve at every contraction. Surgery to remove this mass was rapidly carried out. The bacterium was the same as that which had been isolated from the catheter. The patient improved and was able to return home a fortnight later. The diagnosis and prevention of this complication is discussed. The tip of central venous catheter should not be kept inside the atrium.

Aminoacylase I deficiency: a novel inborn error of metabolism.

This is the first report of a patient with aminoacylase I deficiency. High amounts of N-acetylated amino acids were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the urine, including the derivatives of serine, glutamic acid, alanine, methionine, glycine, and smaller amounts of threonine, leucine, valine, and isoleucine. NMR spectroscopy confirmed these findings and, in addition, showed the presence of N-acetylglutamine and N-acetylasparagine. In EBV transformed lymphoblasts, aminoacylase I activity was deficient. Loss of activity was due to decreased amounts of aminoacylase I protein. The amount of mRNA for the aminoacylase I was decreased. DNA sequencing of the encoding ACY1 gene showed a homozygous c.1057 C>T transition, predicting a p.Arg353Cys substitution. Both parents were heterozygous for the mutation. The mutation was also detected in 5/161 controls. To exclude the possibility of a genetic polymorphism, protein expression studies were performed showing that the mutant protein had lost catalytic activity.

A comparison of pre-operative evaluation of anterior knee laxity by dynamic X-rays and by the arthrometer KT 1000.

The comparison of bilateral dynamic X-rays in passive anterior and posterior drawer with a load of 9 kg, and the arthrometer KT 1000 measurements obtained from 100 patients before anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, confirms the good diagnostic efficiency of the following methods: (1) radiological measurement of the anterior translation of the medial compartment, as an absolute value and especially as a differential value in relation to the opposite, uninjured knee, the normal value limits being respectively 5 and 2 mm; and (2) arthrometric measurement of the maximal manual translation, also as absolute and differential values, the normal value limits being 10 and 2 mm respectively. These two measurements have a predictive value of 90%. No numerical equivalency exists between the radiological and arthrometric values, but their variations in relation to each other are statistically correlated. The arthrometer, simple to use and totally innocuous, is an excellent test device for consultation, while dynamic X-rays allow separate studies of each compartment to look for lesions of the posteromedial or posterolateral corners.

LAIT-XPERT VACHES: an expert system for dairy herd management.

An expert system called LAIT-XPERT VACHES, developed to evaluate technical management of dairy enterprises, was tested using case data. The expertise of the system was provided from information obtained from interviews of three dairy management or nutrition experts. LAIT-XPERT VACHES contains over 950 rules and runs on IBM-compatible personal computers. It calculates objectives in milk production, fat and protein production, feeding cost, reproduction, and other areas. In addition, it detects problems and high performance according to these objectives; researches the causes of problems in herd management, feeding, genetics, health, housing, and other areas; and lists conclusions by sector. Using a monthly report of 10 farms registered in the DHI program of Quebec, LAIT-XPERT VACHES issued 92.3% of the conclusions also issued by experts. However, the experts revealed only 53.3% of conclusions reached by the expert system. With Agri-Lait reports of three farms, all conclusions of LAIT-XPERT VACHES were validated by the experts. These results demonstrated that use of an expert system makes it possible to obtain analyses of dairy performance data equivalent to those of human experts.

Fibroma subhepatico. / Sub-hepatic fibroma

Los autores presentan un tumor abdominal infrecuente, del cual no han encontrado referencias bibliograficas previas. Senalan los problemas diagnosticos que plantean en ocasiones las grandes tumoraciones abdominales, en las que el estudio anatomopatologico es quien en ultimo termino puede hacer el diagnostico de naturaleza

Pancreatitis aguda postoperatoria despues de hemicolectomia derecha. / Post-operative acute pancreatitis after right hemicolectomy

Se relata y comenta una observacion de pancreatitis aguda en el postoperatorio de una hemicolectomia derecha por cancer de colon ascendente

Valor de la fibrolaparoscopia en el estudio de la difusion intraabdominal de tumores malignos. / Value of fiberlaparoscopy in the study of intra-abdominal diffusion of malignant tumors

Los autores consideran a la laparoscopia, con los adelantos tecnicos experimentados durante los ultimos anos, procedimiento de gran utilidad en el estudio de la difusion intaabdominal de tumores malignos. Recalcan su fidelidad en la deteccion de metastasis hepatica

Analisis de 43 hepatectomias. / Analysis of 43 hepatectomies

Se analizan 43 resecciones hepaticas en relacion a su patologia y oportunidad operatoria, concluyendose que las hepatectomias por trauma deben diferirse hasta que el enfermo este estabilizado y que las hepactectomias en pacientes septicos se deben evitar en vista de la alta morbimortalidad que las acompana

Evisceracion terapeutica controlada. / Controlled therapeutic evisceration

La evisceracion terapeutica controlada es un procedimiento consistente en la colocacion de una malla sustitutiva del cierre parietal para conservar la pared en casos de reintervenciones sucesivas, peritonitis hipersepticas, evisceraciones en sujectos en situacion general precaria o en resecciones parietales por sepsis de superficie. Se presentan 23 casos tratados por los autores, destacando la baja incidencia de complicaciones, las indicaciones y tecnica y resultados

Lipoma del intestino delgado. A proposito de un nuevo caso. / Lipoma of small intestine. Apropos of a case

Se publica un nuevo caso de lipoma de intestino delgado, que se presento como una hemorragia digestiva. Se hace una revision del tema, sus caracteres clinicos y anatomo-patologicos

Desmoide de mama y syndrome de Gardner. / Desmoid breast tumor and Gardner's syndrome

Se presenta un caso de tumor desmoide de mama en una portadora de un sindrome de Gardner. Se senala lo excepcional de esta localizacion y se hace una breve revision sobre la enfermedad de Gardner

Analisis de 43 hepatectomias. / Analysis of 43 hepatectomies

Se analizan 43 resecciones hepaticas en relacion a su patologia y oportunidad operatoria, concluyendose que las hepatectomias por trauma deben diferirse hasta que el enfermo este estabilizado y que las hepactectomias en pacientes septicos se deben evitar en vista de la alta morbimortalidad que las acompana

Pancreatitis agudas letales. Correlacion anatomo-clinica. / Letal acute pancreatitis. Anatomoclinical correlations

Las pancreatitis agudas letales (P.A.L.) son anatomo-patologicamente necrotico-hemorragicas. Se acompanan de una mortalidad cercana al 100%. En un intento de obtener una terapeutica mas eficaz que disminuya la elevada mortalidad de estos pacientes, se analizan retrospectivamente las historias clinicas de 22 enfermos tratados por los autores

Procedimientos diagnosticos en cirugia hepato-biliar. (164 refs). / Diagnostic procedures in hepato-biliary surgery

Esta Mesa Redonda analizo algunos de los procedimientos diagnosticos en Cirugia Hepato-biliar referidos fundamentalmente a 2 situaciones: el paciente icterico y el higado nodular. La indicacion de cada uno de estos procedimientos se adecuara en primer lugar al problema clinico en cuestion y a las posibilidades terapeuticas del paciente y en segundo lugar y con un criterio racional y economico a: 1) grado de sensibilidad y especificidad; 2) riesgos (procedimientos invasivos y no invasivos); 3) disponibilidad; 4) limitaciones fisicas del examen: 5) contraindicaciones; 6) experiencia; 7) costos. En el paciente icterico la clinica y el laboratorio son de gran orientacion. Luego de ellos, si la ecografia muestra dilatacion de la V.B.P.se considerara al paciente quirurgico; en casos de duda o si se desean otras pautas diagnosticas, como altura y naturaleza del obstaculo se continuara con otros examenes tales, como la colangiografia endoscopica retrograda En el higado nudular,luego de la clinica y el laboratorio, el gamagrama orientara hacia el boratorio, el gamagrama orientara hacia el nodulo unico o multiple. En el primer caso la ecografia diferenciara entre lo quistico y lo solido siendo de indicacion en este ultimo caso la arteriografia selectiva. Frente a nodulos multiples el esquema es semejante, destacando el valor de la laparoscopia y biopsia en los nodulos solidos detectados por la ecografia