Comparison of percutaneous endoscopic and open posterior lumbar interbody fusion for the treatment of single-segmental lumbar degenerative diseases.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion has become an emerging technique. Some researchers have reported the technique of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. We propose percutaneous endoscopic posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PE-PLIF) as an alternative approach. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy of PE-PLIF by comparing percutaneous endoscopic and open posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). METHODS: Thirty patients were enrolled in each group. Demographic data, perioperative data, and radiological parameters were collected prospectively. The clinical outcomes were evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores. RESULTS: The background data were comparable between the two groups. The mean operation time was longer in the PE-PLIF group. The PE-PLIF group showed benefits in less blood loss and shorter hospital stay. VAS and ODI scores significantly improved in both groups. However, the VAS score of low-back pain was lower in the PE-PLIF group. The satisfaction rate was 96.7% in both groups. The radiological outcomes were similar in both groups. In the PE-PLIF group, the fusion rate was 93.3%, and the cage subsidence rate was 6.7%; in the open PLIF group, the fusion and cage subsidence rates were 96.7% and 16.7%. There were minor complications in one patient in the PE-PLIF group and two in the open PLIF group. CONCLUSIONS: The current study revealed that PE-PLIF is safe and effective compared with open PLIF. In addition, this minimally invasive technique may enhance postoperative recovery by reducing tissue damage and blood loss.

Compositional and Functional Comparisons of the Microbiota in the Colostrum and Mature Milk of Dairy Goats.

Goat milk is essential for the initial development of kids by providing a great source of commensal bacteria. In this study, we analyzed the microbiota of the milk of 30 healthy Saanen dairy goats. The 30 samples comprised 15 colostrum and 15 mature milk samples, collected from three different farms of Shaanxi Province. Colostrum samples were collected daily for five days post-delivery and mature milk was collected on the 7th, 10th, 20th, 30th, and 40th days. The result showed that microbial alpha diversity was higher in the mature milk compared with that in the colostrum. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) was performed to detect differentially abundant taxa in colostrum and goat milk. According to taxonomy results, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the predominant bacteria phyla in both colostrum and mature milk. In addition, lactation stage noticeably influenced the composition of milk microbiota. Specifically, Novosphingobium, Brachybacterium, Psychrobacter, Lactobacillus, Yersinia, Roseateles, Rothia, Sanguibacter, Cloacibacterium, Variovorax, Sphingobacterium, and Coxiella were enriched in the colostrum, while Georgenia, Peptostreptococcus, Bacteroidales, Yaniella, Planomicrobium, Cloacibacterium, Azospirillum, Turicibacter, Cupriavidus, Herbaspirillum, Rhodobacteraceae, and Aeromonadales were the dominant genera in the mature milk. The enriched metabolic functions of the goat milk microbiota were predicted by PICRUSt and classified by KEGG pathway. Moreover, the abundances of environmental information processing, cellular processes pathway, genetic information processing pathway, organismal systems pathway, and metabolism pathway were significantly different between microbiota of colostrum and mature milk. Altogether, our study disclosed the significant difference between the microbial communities of colostrum and mature milk and provided grounds for further research in dairy microbiology.

[Spectrum and synthesis of rare earth activated nanoparticle].

La2O3: Eu(3+) nanoparticles were prepared by Gly assistant combustion synthesis with the sizes from 12-28 nm, and a characterization of XRD was done. Spectral properties of the nanoparticles were compared with the bulk. High resolution spectra were measured. Site selective excitation was employed to probe the local environments of Eu(3+) ions in La2O3 nanoparticles. The luminescent centers on the surface and the center of the nanoparticles were excited respectively. The spectra were related to surface information. The luminescence from C3v site and the site with lower symmetry on the surface was distinguished.

Study on the antifertility effects of the plasmid DNA vaccine expressing partial brLDH-C4'.

Partial cDNA sequence coding for Microtus brandti radde (Brandt's vole) testes-specific lactate dehydrogenase (brLDH-C4) was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). By inserting the product into the eukaryotic expression vector pCR3.1, pCR3.1-brLDH-C4' was obtained as the prototype of contraceptive DNA vaccine. Immunization with pCR3.1-brLDH-C4' in BALB/c mice generated antibodies specific to purified brLDH-C4' and native mouse LDH-C4 protein. The birth rate of the pCR3.1-brLDH-C4' immunized mice was found to be decreased significantly (80% lower than that of those immunized with pCR3.1). Functions of the elicited antibodies in sera from pCR3.1-brLDH-C4' inoculated mice were further explored. The results indicated that the antibodies from the mice injected with pCR3.1-brLDH-C4' could cause the agglutination of normal sperm suspension, while the ovarian structure and the development of ovarian follicles of these mice were not impaired, which gives a possible explanation for the immunocontraceptive effects of the pCR3.1-brLDH-C4' DNA vaccine.

Oral feeding and nasal instillation immunization with Microtus brandti lactate dehydrogenase C epitope DNA vaccine reduces fertility in mice via specific antibody responses.

The immune responses induced by Microtus brandti lactate dehydrogenase C4 DNA vaccine via oral feeding and nasal instillation in mouse were investigated. The number of newborns of the vaccinated mice was statistically significantly reduced compared with the control mice, but the vaccine failed to affect the birthrate, as all vaccinated mice gave birth.