Two-step sinter-crystallization of K2O–CaO–P2O5–SiO2 (45S5-K) bioactive glass

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics (GCs) effectively regenerate bone tissue, however most GCs show improved mechanical properties. In this work, we developed and tested a rarely studied bioactive glass composition (24.4K₂O-26.9CaO-46.1SiO₂-2.6P₂O₅ mol%, identified as 45S5-K) with different particle sizes and heating rates to obtain a sintered GC that combines good fracture strength, low elastic modulus, and bioactivity. We analyzed the influence of the sintering processing conditions in the elastic modulus, Vickers microhardness, density, and crystal phase formation in the GC. The best GC shows improved properties compared with its parent glass. This glass achieves a good densification degree with a two-step viscous flow sintering approach and the resulting GC shows as high bioactivity as that of the standard 45S5 Bioglass®. Furthermore, the GC elastic modulus (56 GPa) is relatively low, minimizing stress shielding. Therefore, we unveiled the glass sintering behavior with concurrent crystallization of this complex bioactive glass composition and developed a potential GC for bone regeneration.     

A self-adaptive synthetic over-sampling technique for imbalanced classification

Traditionally, in supervised machine learning, (a significant) part of the available data (usually 50%-80%) is used for training and the rest—for validation. In many problems, however, the data are highly imbalanced in regard to different classes or does not have good coverage of the feasible data space which, in turn, creates problems in validation and usage phase. In this paper, we propose a technique for synthesizing feasible and likely data to help balance the classes as well as to boost the performance in terms of confusion matrix as well as overall. The idea, in a nutshell, is to synthesize data samples in close vicinity to the actual data samples specifically for the less represented (minority) classes. This has also implications to the so-called fairness of machine learning. In this paper, we propose a specific method for synthesizing data in a way to balance the classes and boost the performance, especially of the minority classes. It is generic and can be applied to different base algorithms, for example, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbour classifiers deep neural, rule-based classifiers, decision trees, and so forth. The results demonstrated that (a) a significantly more balanced (and fair) classification results can be achieved and (b) that the overall performance as well as the performance per class measured by confusion matrix can be boosted. In addition, this approach can be very valuable for the cases when the number of actual available labelled data is small which itself is one of the problems of the contemporary machine learning.     

Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults

Pre-transplant nephrectomy was done in a 25-year-old man for calculous pyelonephritis using a retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach with a newly devised ligature applicator-dissector- kidney retractor.     

An extended panel of hamster-human hybrids for chromosome 2q

A hamster-human hybrid containing only the q arm of chromosome 2 has been used to construct a panel of hybrids bearing reduced regions of chromosome 2 using the technique of irradiation fusion gene transfer. The human chromosome 2 carried the Ecogpt gene and all hybrids were selected using this marker. The integrated Ecogpt gene was localized to the region 2q33-34, resulting in the selective retention of this region in the hybrids. These data were combined with another previously constructed panel of hybrids containing regions of 2q, which were enriched for the region 2q36-37. The combined hybrid panel is useful for the mapping of new markers to defined regions of chromosome 2 and for the cloning of genes located on 2q by a positional strategy.     

Organ preservation in anal and rectal cancers

For the past 10 to 15 years, radiation therapy and chemotherapy have played an increasingly important role in the treatment of various gastrointestinal malignancies, most prominently in anal and rectal cancer. Critical issues in the care of patients with anal and rectal cancer include not only local control and survival but organ preservation as well. For patients with carcinoma of the anal canal, external-beam irradiation with 5-fluorouracil and chemotherapy with mitomycin C have replaced surgery as primary therapy. Current studies are optimizing this therapy. In contrast, the management of distal rectal cancer is in evolution. Although the abdominoperineal resection has been long regarded as the definitive treatment of distal rectal cancer, it is associated with substantial morbidity (loss of anorectal function with a permanent colostomy and a high incidence of sexual and genitourinary dysfunction). As an alternative, treatment programs utilizing sphincter-preserving procedures with radiation therapy and chemotherapy are under active investigation. In selected patients, these strategies appear promising, and there have been reports of satisfactory local control and survival, as well as preservation of sphincter integrity.     

A predictive model for matrix and analyte effects in electrospray ionization of singly-charged ionic analytes

In electrospray ionization (ESI), droplets with a surface excess charge are created. The rate of production of surface excess charge is a constant and is equal to the rate of ion production. The ions appearing in the mass spectrum are postulated to be those that formed the surface excess charge at the time of droplet formation (or their collision products). An equilibrium model based on competition among the ions in the solution for the limited number of excess charge sites has been developed. This model accurately predicts the response curves of singly-charged ionic analytes as a function of the concentration of electrolyte and other analytes and provides an explanation for the selective effectiveness of ESI. At low concentrations of total analyte (micromolar and less), the response curves are linear, indifferent to the presence of other low concentration analytes, and suppressed by electrolyte concentrations in excess of the minimum required. At higher analyte concentrations, the response becomes independent of analyte concentration but highly affected by the presence of other analytes.     

Response of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine and Fansidar in vivo and chloroquine and amodiaquine in vitro in Uganda

The response of P. falciparum to chloroquine and pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine in vivo and chloroquine and amodiaquine in vitro was investigated in parasitaemic school children from six locations. Mean parasite sensitivity to chloroquine at day 7 was 74% (range 61-97) with parasite clearance rates between 2-3 days and complete defervescence in 85% of febrile children. Sensitivity declined in the four sites followed up to day 14 to 45% (range 37-53). Parasites were significantly more sensitive to pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine at 5/6 sites (100% day 7) but 5% of subjects became parasitaemic by day 14. In vitro isolates were significantly less sensitive to chloroquine than to amodiaquine with a mean 99% effective concentration of 348 mumol/L compared to 6.44 mumol/L. Clearly the role of chloroquine as the primary therapy for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria should be reconsidered especially in the light of increasing disease severity and resurgence. Amodiaquine may be suitable alternative with pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine as second line and for more severe malaria prior to referral. The cost of alternative antimalarials and the dynamic and deteriorating pattern of resistance are powerful arguments for more objective slide diagnosis to minimise drug pressure and a regular drug sensitivity surveillance system. We believe that the latter should concentrate on measuring clinical drug efficacy in symptomatic outpatients rather than in asymptomatic children while the former needs more pragmatic and economical strategies possibly centred on seasonality and risk.     

Development and evaluation of antimicrobial natamycin‐incorporated film in gorgonzola cheese conservation

Conservation of food products depends on product quality and packaging suitability. The objective of this work was to develop and evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of natamycin‐incorporated film in the production process of Gorgonzola cheese. It aims to optimize the production process and increase shelf‐life and food safety for the consumer. Films with different concentrations of natamycin were produced and tested in Gorgonzola cheeses to evaluate its efficiency against Penicillium roqueforti on the cheese surface. Films with 2 and 4% natamycin presented satisfactory results for fungus inhibition and the amount of natamycin released to the cheese was below that allowed by the legislation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.