Efficacy of Oral Probiotic Supplementation in Preventing Vulvovaginal Infections During Pregnancy: A Randomized and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background/objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of oral probiotic supplementation in preventing vulvovaginal infections (VVIs) in pregnant women, specifically focusing on abnormal vaginal flora (AVF), bacterial vaginosis (BV), and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).

Methods: A multicenter-prospective-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted during 2016-2019. Women with normal vaginal flora (Nugent score < 4 and no candida) were divided into a research group, receiving 2 capsules/day of oral probiotic formula containing , , , , , and , or a control group, receiving a placebo until delivery.

Integral Algorithms to Evaluate TiO and N-TiO Thin Films' Cytocompatibility.

Titanium oxide (TiO) and oxynitride (N-TiO) coatings can increase nitinol stents' cytocompatibility with endothelial cells. Methods of TiO and N-TiO sputtering and cytocompatibility assessments vary significantly among different research groups, making it difficult to compare results. The aim of this work was to develop an integral cytocompatibility index (ICI) and a decision tree algorithm (DTA) using the "EA.

Silent HDV epidemics culminates in high levels of liver cirrhosis in endemic region despite 20 years of HBV vaccination.

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is believed to be a vanishing infection in countries with successful hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination programs. We assessed the current status of HDV infection in Tuva, a region of the Russia that has been highly endemic for HBV. The proportion of HDV-infected patients among HBsAg-positive patients in the regional registry in 2020 was 32.

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide films fabricated via magnetron sputtering for vascular stent biocompatibility improvement.

Nowadays, vascular stents are commonly used to treat cardiovascular diseases. This article focuses on the influence of nitrogen doping of titanium dioxide thin films, utilized for coating metallic stents to improve their biological properties and biocompatibility. The hereby-investigated titanium oxide thin films are fabricated by magnetron sputtering in a reactive gas atmosphere consisting of argon and oxygen in the first case and argon, nitrogen and oxygen in the second case.