Eggshell zona radiata proteins (zr-proteins) were found to occur normally in plasma of sexually mature female (but not male) Atlantic salmon (Salmon salar). In order to ascertain the physiological relevance of these findings, we developed a specific enzyme-linked immunoassay for zr-proteins and screened plasma from sexually maturing Atlantic salmon females throughout an annual reproductive cycle. While zr-proteins were detectable at low levels in female adult salmon plasma prior to sexual maturation, zr-protein levels increased dramatically as sexual maturation proceeded. The strong correlation between gonado-somatic index (GSI) and plasma zr-proteins indicates a reproductive role for blood borne zr-proteins. During the vitellogenic phase, levels of plasma zr-proteins were positively correlated with GSI and with plasma levels of gonadotropin I (GtH I) and estradiol-l7p, as determined by radioimmuno-assays. However, during final sexual maturation, only the plasma level of gonadotropin I1 (GtH 11) was positively correlated to GSI. In contrast, zr-proteins and estradiol-17P were both negatively correlated to plasma level of GtH I1 during this period. In view of estradiol-17f3-induced hepatic synthesis and secretion of zr-proteins (Oppen-Berntsen et al.:Journal of Endocrinology 135: 293-302,1992a) and the established role of gonadotropins in regulating ovarian estradiol synthesis, we interpret the observed correlations among plasma levels of GtH I, estradiol-17P and zr-proteins in Atlantic salmon to signify that GtH I regulates ovarian estradiol-17P synthesis, which in turn regulates hepatic synthesis and secretion of both vitellogenin and zr-proteins during oogenesis. o

Objective This study assessed the accuracy of robotic-arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RATKA) for bone resection, component size prediction, implant placement, and limb alignment. Methods This prospective cohort study included 36 patients. All procedures were performed by a single experienced surgeon, using an identical approach and implant designs. The MAKO RIO Robotic Interactive Orthopaedic Arm (Stryker, Mahwah, NJ, USA) system was used. The actual bone resection, implant placement, component size, and postoperative mechanical alignment were recorded, then compared with the preoperative plan. Results The mean absolute differences from the plan for the distal (medial and lateral) and posterior (medial and lateral) femoral cuts were 0.39 mm (0.62), 0.49 mm (0.70), 0.62 mm (0.79), and 0.65 mm (0.81), respectively, with 0.57° (0.65) varus. The mean absolute differences in the medial and lateral tibial cuts were 0.56 mm (0.75) and 0.58 mm (0.76), with 0.48° (0.16) varus and 0.54° (0.25) anterior/posterior slope. Of 192 bone resections, 176 (91.7%) were within ≤ 1 mm of the preoperative plan. The accuracies of femoral and tibial component size prediction were 100% and 97.22%, respectively. The mean absolute difference in final limb coronal alignment was 0.92° (0.65). Of the alignments, 18 (75.0%) were within ≤ 1.00° of the plan, and 100% were within ≤ 3.00° of the plan. Conclusion RATKA could accurately predict the component size and execute a preoperative plan to achieve precise bone resection, and implant placement, thereby reducing alignment outliers.

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