[A comparative analysis of the efficacy of Advance(®) medial pivot prosthesis knee arthroplasty with posterior cruciate ligament retention or substituting based on propensity score matching].

Objective: To compare the clinical outcome of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) retention type and PCL substituting type using Advance(®) Medial Pivot (AMP) inner-axis knee prosthesis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the cases of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with AMP prosthesis in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2011 to September 2016. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), American Knee Society Knee Score (KSS) clinical scores, KSS functional scores and knee-joint range of motion (ROM) before and after TKA, and Forgotten Joint Scores (FJS) after TKA were collected. The matching group was obtained by 1∶1 propensity score matching (PSM). Results: Complete scoring data were obtained in 47 knees of CR group and 1 059 knees of CS group, there were statistical differences in age, sex, body mass index, preoperative WOMAC score, preoperative KSS function score and ROM between the two groups (all P<0.05), except preoperative KSS clinical score (25±4 and 24±7, respectively, t=0.82, P=0.41). With the PSM matching, 37 knees in CR group and 37 knees in CS group were obtained. No significant differences in preoperative indexes were found between the matching groups (all P>0.05). The WOMAC, KSS clinical scores, KSS functional scores and ROM after TKA in each matching group were all much better than those before TKA (all P<0.05); no statistical differences existed in WOMAC, KSS clinical scores, KSS functional scores, ROM and FJS after TKA between the matching groups (all P>0.05). One PCL injury was found in CR matching group after TKA. Incidence of complications in the CR matching group (8.1%) was higher than that in the CS matching group (2.7%), but there was no statistical difference (χ(2)=1.04, P=0.31). Conclusions: When using AMP prosthesis, both CR insert and CS insert can obtain good clinical results in TKA. The potential risk of PCL injury and other complications after CR TKA makes it necessary for surgeons to carefully select an appropriate type of prosthesis.

Serum concentration and mRNA expression in milk somatic cells of toll-like receptor 2, toll-like receptor 4, and cytokines in dairy cows following intramammary inoculation with Escherichia coli.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the toll-like receptors (TLR), including the soluble forms sTLR2 and sTLR4, involved in innate immune responses of dairy cows to experimentally induced Escherichia coli mastitis. Six clinically healthy Holstein dairy cows received an intramammary inoculation of E. coli O111:K58 between 63 and 83 d postpartum. Concentrations of sTLR2 and sTLR4, the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and acute phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp) in blood were measured by ELISA. Furthermore, 10mL of milk was collected from challenged quarters immediately before inoculation and at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after inoculation, and mRNA expression of selected genes, including TLR2, TLR4, IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8, was quantified by real-time PCR. Escherichia coli intramammary infection elicited a decrease in the circulating levels of leukocytes. Rectal temperature was elevated at 6h postinoculation (PI). Similarly, the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and SAA increased at 6h PI. However, serum concentrations of sTLR2, sTLR4, and Hp did not differ after challenge. The mRNA expression of TLR2, IL-1ß, and IL-8 in milk somatic cells increased at 12h PI, whereas a decreased IL-6 mRNA expression was detected from 6 to 48 h PI. In conclusion, we found that TLR2 mRNA expression increased in milk somatic cells collected from infected quarters of cows challenged with E. coli, whereas the concentrations of sTLR2 and sTLR4 remained unchanged after challenge. Thus, sTLR2 and sTLR4 may protect the host by sequestrating pathogen-associated molecular patterns during E. coli mastitis.

Purification and characterization of an intracellular beta-glucosidase from the protoplast fusant of Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.

Protoplasts of Aspergillus oryzae 3.481 and Aspergillus niger 3.316 were prepared using cellulose and snail enzyme with 0.6 M NaCl as osmotic stabilizer. Protoplast fusion has been performed using 35% polyethylene glycol 4.000 with 0.01 mM CaCl2. The fused protoplasts have been regenerated on regeneration medium and fusants were selected for further studies. An intracellular beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) was purified from the protoplast fusant of Aspergillus oryzae 3.481 and Aspergillus niger 3.316 and characterized. The enzyme was purified 138.85-fold by ammonium sulphate precipitation, DE-22 ion exchange and Sephadex G-150 gel filtration chromatography with a specific activity of 297.14 U/mg of protein. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was determined to be about 125 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme had an optimum pH of 5.4 and temperature of 65 degrees C, respectively. This enzyme showed relatively high stability against pH and temperature and was stable in the pH range of 3.0-6.6. Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and EDTA completely inhibited the enzyme activity at a concentration of 10 mM. The enzyme activity was accelerated by Fe3+. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by glucose, the end product ofglucoside hydrolysis. The K(m) and V(max) values against salicin as substrate were 0.035 mM and 1.7215 micromol min(-1), respectively.

Improvement of biodesulfurization activity of alginate immobilized cells in biphasic systems.

The immobilization of Pseudomonas delafieldii R-8 in calcium alginate beads has been studied in order to improve biodesulfurization activity in oil/water (O/W) biphasic systems. A gas jet extrusion technique was performed to produce immobilized beads. The specific desulfurization rate of 1.5 mm diameter beads was 1.4-fold higher than that of 4.0 mm. Some nonionic surfactants can significantly increase the activity of immobilized cells. The desulfurization rate with the addition of 0.5% Span 80 increased 1.8-fold compared with that of the untreated beads. The rate of biodesulfurization was markedly enhanced by decreasing the size of alginate beads and adding the surfactant Span 80, most likely resulting from the increasing mass transfer of substrate to gel matrix.