In order to obtain multifunctional materials with good biocompatibility and antimicrobial effect, hydroxyapatite (HAp) doped with Zn2+ was synthesized by hydrothermal method. Powders with different content of zinc ions were synthesized and compared with undoped HAp to investigation of Zn2+ ion influence on the antimicrobial activity of HAp. Analyses of undoped and Zn2+-doped powders before and after thermal treatment at 1200oC were performed by SEM and XRD. Antimicrobial effects of powders were examined in relation to Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans in liquid medium. The results showed that the obtained powders have good antimicrobial activity, but higher antimicrobial activities of powders doped with Zn2+ were observed after annealing at 1200°C. For powders annealed at 1200°C in vitro biocompatibility tests MTT and DET with MRC-5 fibroblast cells in liquid medium were carried out. Based on MTT and DET tests it was shown that powders do not have a significant cytotoxic effect, which was confirmed by SEM analysis of MRC-5 fibroblast cells after theirs in vitro contact with powders. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 45019 and FP7-REGPOT-2009-1 NANOTECH FTM]

Introduction: Doppler analysis of the feto-placental and fetal circulation give dynamic information on the condition of the bloodstream during pregnancy, and early detection of fetal hypoxia. The objectives of the study were: testing whether there is influence of smoking on feto-placental circulation; determining whether there is a link to a number of smoked cigarettes during the day; assessing the benefits of Doppler ultrasonographic screening in detection of fetal hypoxia in pregnant women who smoke during pregnancy. Methods: 300 pregnancies were included in the prospective research. With regard to a number of smoked cigarettes the pregnant women were divided into three groups: I. the first group (moderate smokers) consisted of 100 pregnant women who smoked up to 15 cigarettes a day during pregnancy; II. the second group (heavy smokers) 100 pregnant women who smoked more than 15 cigarettes a day during pregnancy and III. the third group (control group) 100 pregnant women who did not smoke during pregnancy. All pregnant women underwent Doppler measurements of blood circulation (determination of resistance index – RI) in the umbilical artery, fetal aorta and middle cerebral artery. Results: The intensity of smoking has influence to circulation because RI in the umbilical artery and fetal aorta is increased and RI is decreased in the middle cerebral artery in pregnant women heavy smokers in comparison to pregnant women moderate smokers. Conclusion : Doppler sonography of the blood vessels could have an important role in detection of hypoxia and monitoring of the condition of the fetus of pregnant women who smoked during pregnancy.

It is suspected that bone marrow (BM) microenvironmental factors may influence the evolution of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). In this study, we postulated that adipocytes and lipids could be involved in the progression of CML. To test this hypothesis, adipocytes were co-cultured with two BCR-ABL positive cell lines (PCMDS and K562). T cell (Jurkat) and stroma cell (HS-5) lines were used as controls. In the second set of experiments, leukemic cell lines were treated with stearic, oleic, linoleic or α-linolenic acids in presence or absence of leptin. Survival, proliferation, leptin production, OB-R isoforms (OB-Ra and OB-Rb), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3k) and BCL-2 expression have been tested after 24h, 48h and 72h of treatment. Our results showed that adipocytes induced a decrease of CML proliferation and an increase in lipid accumulation in leukemic cells. In addition, CML cell lines induced adipocytes cell death. Chromatography analysis showed that BM microenvironment cells were full of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids, fatty acids that protect tumor cells against external agents. Stearic acid increased Bcl-2 expression in PCMDS, whereas oleic and linoleic acids had no effects. In contrast, α-linolenic acid decreased the proliferation and the survival of CML cell lines as well as BCL-2 and OB-R expression. The effect of α-linolenic acids seemed to be due to PI3K pathway and Bcl-2 inhibition. Leptin production was detected in the co-culture medium. In the presence of leptin, the effect of α-linolenic acid on proliferation, survival, OB-R and BCl-2 expression was reduced.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)‐based management of women with borderline atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or mildly abnormal cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CINI) cervical cytology has been extensively studied in the research setting. We wished to assess safety and health care resource use of a real‐life health care policy using HPV triaging. All 15 outpatient clinics involved in the organized population‐based screening program in Stockholm, Sweden screening program were randomized to either continue with prior policy (colposcopy of all women with ASCUS/CINI) or to implement a policy with HPV triaging and colposcopy only of HPV‐positive women. The trial enrolled the 3,319 women who were diagnosed with ASCUS (n = 1,335) or CINI (n = 1,984) in Stockholm during 17th March 2003 to 16th January 2006. Detection of high‐grade cervical lesions (CINII+) and health care cost consumption was studied by registry linkages. The proportion of histopathology‐verified CINII+ was similar for the two policies (395 of 1,752 women (22.5%; 95% Confidence interval [CI]: 20.6–24.6%) had CINII+ diagnosed with HPV triaging policy, 318 of 1,567 women (20.3%; 95%CI: 18.3–22.4%) had CINII+ with colposcopy policy). Sixty‐four percent of women with ASCUS and 77% of women with CINI were HPV positive. HPV‐positivity was age‐dependent, with 81% of women below 35 years of age and 44% of women above 45 years of age testing HPV‐positive. HPV triaging was cost‐effective only above 35 years of age. In conclusion, a real‐life randomized healthservices study of HPV triaging of women with ASCUS/CINI demonstrated similar detection of CINII+ as colposcopy of all women.

Fish introductions were a popular tool of fishery management during the 19th and most of the 20th century. The Croatian Mediterranean Vransko Lake, only one kilometer from the Adriatic Sea, was stocked after WWII with common carp from the Danube area. After the introductions the allochtonous ichthyofauna represented a much larger portion of both commercial and experimental catches. Thus, the aim of this paper was to ascertain their present condition in this oligotrophic lake located close to and partially linked with the Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean).

The aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxicity of a Co-Cr alloy used for the rapid manufacture of removable partial denture frameworks using murine fibroblasts L929 cell lines and three test methods: the MTT (3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, a yellow tetra- zole) assay, the agar diffusion test (ADT) and the dye exclusion test (DET). Two groups of disc specimens (5 mm diameter, 1 mm thick) were fabricated. The first group was cast using a conventional method (CM) in a Nautilus CC casting. The second group was fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM) in SLM Realiser The total cell number and viability of cells pre-incubated with CM and SLM alloys were comparable to the control sample. Differences between the growth inhibitory effects of the CM and SLM alloys in the MTT assay were below 30 %. Results of two independent agar diffusion tests with CM and SLM alloys showed neither detectable discoloration around or under the discs nor a detectable difference in staining intensity. As the cell response for both CM and SLM alloys was 0/0, the discs can be rated as non-cytotoxic. The results suggested that the F75 Co-Cr alloy used for the SLM process did not release harmful material that could cause acute effects against L929 cells under the given experimental conditions.

This solventless method combines aldehyde (I), α-amino acids (II), and sodium hydroxide in a mortar and aggregates the dry solid mixture until a powder is formed, thus accelerating the condensation reaction.

Starting from methyl salicylate and 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol 1a , or 2-amino- 2-methylpropane-1-ol 1b , the 2-oxazoline derivatives 2a , 2b or 3, as well as mono- 4a and 4b and bis- 5a and 5b derivatives of salicylic acid were synthesized. Reactions were performed by microwave irradiation in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide or metallic sodium as catalyst, as well as by conventional heating. Microwave-induced reaction of some diols, diamines and amino alcohols with methyl salicylate gave mono- and/or bis- derivatives of salicylic acid 4c, 5c, 5d, 6c, 8c, 7a, 7b, 8a and 8b . The mono- and bis-salicyloyl derivatives 4c , 5c and 5d were transformed to the corresponding phenyl-azo derivatives 9, 10c and 10d . The structure of compound 3 was proved by the X-ray analysis and the R-configuration on its stereocenter was confirmed. The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the synthesized derivatives were evaluated in a series of in vitro tests. Compounds 5d , 8b and 8c exhibited very strong activity against hydroxyl radical. Six 4c , 5d , 8a-c , 10c of 16 tested compounds inhibited growth of MDA-MB-231 cells at a nanomolar concentration. Compounds 8c and 10c showed high cytotoxicity against MCF7 cells, whereas compounds 4c , 5d , 8a-c and 10d showed high activity against K562 cells.