Enhancing deep-learning training for phase identification in powder X-ray diffractograms.

Within the domain of analyzing powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) scans, manual examination of the recorded data is still the most popular method, but it requires some expertise and is time consuming. The usual workflow for the phase-identification task involves software for searching databases of known compounds and matching lists of spacings and related intensities to the measured data. Most automated approaches apply some iterative procedure for the search/match process but fail to be generally reliable yet without the manual validation step of an expert.

Benefit of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Dyssynergic Defecation Constipation.

Objectives: Chronic constipation is a common childhood problem and often caused or worsened by abnormal dynamics of defecation. The aim of this study was to assess the benefit of pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT), a novel treatment in pediatrics for the treatment of chronic constipation with dyssynergic defecation.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 69 children seen at a pediatric neurogastroenterology program of a large tertiary referral center for chronic constipation and dyssynergic defecation, determined by anorectal manometry and balloon expulsion testing.

Quantitative investigations into the elimination of in vitro-obtained spores of the non-pathogenic Clostridium butyricum strain CNRZ 528, and their persistence in organs of different species following intravenous spore administration.

Before the Clostridium tumour assay can be applied to the diagnosis of cancer, we sought to investigate--within the framework of a biopharmaceutical safety test--the organ persistence of test spores of Clostridium butyricum CNRZ 528. We found that non-pathogenic spores obtained in vitro, like pathogenic native spores, escape phagocytosis in various organs up until about 2 years, as tested by anaerobic cultures. The elimination of spores depended on the species of animal, the spore dose and the organs investigated.

Application of microbiological cancer test to cattle infected with bovine leucosis virus.

A microbiological cancer test, previously verified in men and dogs using a clostridium strain (Clostridium butyricum CNRZ 528), was applied to cattle infected with bovine leucosis virus (BLV). An extended period of time was allowed to pass after infection with BLV, which had been checked up through specific serological and virological examinations. The cattle belonged to different age groups and stages of infection (with and without haematological alterations [preleukosis], with incipient tumour development [swelling of externally visible and palpable lymph nodes]).