During pregnancy, vaginal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus BMX 54 is effective in preventing the development of abnormal vaginal microflora, lowering of the presenting part of the foetus and modifying cervical parameters that could represent risk factors of vulnerability to preterm delivery.

The range of feasible ZnO/ZnS polytypes has been explored, predicting alternative structural arrangements compared with previously suggested or observed structural forms of ZnO/ZnS compounds, including bulk crystal structures, various nanostructures, heterostructures and heterojunctions. All calculations were performed ab initio using density functional theory–local density approximation and hybrid Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof functionals. Specifically, pure ZnO and ZnS compounds and mixed ZnO1–x S x compounds (x = 0.20, 0.25, 0.33, 0.50, 0.60, 0.66 and 0.75) are investigated and a multitude of possible stable polytypes for ZnO/ZnS compounds creating new possibilities for synthesis of new materials with improved physical and chemical properties are identified.

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The results of preparation and structural characterization of glass-ceramics from the system Li2O-Al2O3-GeO2-P2O5 are shown in this paper. The crystallization behaviour of the selected glass was examined under non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization conditions. DTA, XRD and SEM methods were employed for analyses. It was confirmed that this glass crystallizes by the volume crystallization mechanism. The results also showed that the glass crystallize by primary crystallization. As a primary phase the LiGe2(PO4)3 is formed and the traces of GeO2 as a secondary one is present. The crystallization process occurred at a high homogeneous nucleation rate and the spherical morphology of crystal growth. By applying the Kissinger relation the activation energy of crystal growth Ea = 462 kJ/mol was determined. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 34001 i br. 172004]

Cartilage tissue engineering based on chondrogenic cells seeded onto biodegradable polymer supports and cultivated in bioreactors can potentially become an effective method for creating functional tissue equivalents. Cultivation in perfused bioreactors can improve the uniformity and structure of the engineered tissues. We report studies of two different supports for immobilization of mouse bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) for cultivation in perfused bioreactors: fibrous polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds and alginate microbeads.