Fabrication of 3D-printed scaffolds loaded with gallium acetylacetonate for potential application in osteoclastic bone resorption

We recently reported the potential of a new gallium compound, gallium acetylacetonate (GaAcAc) in combating osteoclastic bone resorption through inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and function. Herein, we focused on 3D-printed polylactic acid scaffolds that were loaded with GaAcAc and investigated the impact of scaffold pretreatment with polydopamine (PDA) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH). We observed a remarkable increase in scaffold hydrophilicity with PDA or NaOH pretreatment while biocompatibility and in vitro degradation were not affected. NaOH-pretreated scaffolds showed the highest amount of GaAcAc loading when compared to other scaffolds (p < 0.05). NaOH-pretreated scaffolds with GaAcAc loading showed effective reduction of osteoclast counts and size. The trend was supported by suppression of key osteoclast differentiation markers such as NFAT2, c-Fos, TRAF6, & TRAP. All GaAcAc-loaded scaffolds, regardless of surface pretreatment, were effective in inhibiting osteoclast function as evidenced by reduction in the number of resorptive pits in bovine cortical bone slices (p < 0.01). The suppression of osteoclast function according to the type of scaffold followed the ranking: GaAcAc loading without surface pretreatment > GaAcAc loading with NaOH pretreatment > GaAcAc loading with PDA pretreatment. Additional studies will be needed to fully elucidate the impact of surface pretreatment on the efficacy and safety of GaAcAc-loaded 3D-printed scaffolds.

KINETICS AND ENERGY OF POULTRY MEAT DEHYDRATION IN VACUUM AND MICROWAVE FIELD CONDITIONS

The article presents the results of obtaining dried poultry meat under vacuum conditions using ultrahigh electromagnetic energy sources. A characteristic of the most common principles of drying is presented, which shows that the trends in the technology of drying technology is a reduction of specific energy consumption. From literary sources it is known that this is the best way to preserve meat protein in the native state. This method of drying leads to the release of a large amount of heat, resulting in evaporation can occur at a low temperature. The heat dissipated is spent exclusively on the evaporation of moisture without heating the fabric of the product. The rational modes of microwave-vacuum drying for meat semifinished products are determined. Drying was carried out at a temperature below 40°C and a pressure of 8 kPa with simultaneous processing by an electromagnetic field at a frequency of 2.7 GHz. This contributes to the intensive evaporation of moisture without a significant change in the structure of the surface layer, reducing the length of processing. Microwave-vacuum drying provides high functional and technological properties, namely: moisture-binding ability, water-retaining, fat-retaining ability and mass fraction of residual moisture, and better organoleptic characteristics. According to the sensory evaluation, the samples studied had a more fragile consistency, characterized by dry powders, a pleasant taste and a flavor similar to boiled chicken meat. The article shows the dependence of the mass of condensate on the duration of drying. On the basis of what was determined the duration of drying of the meat additive, which is 3 hours, while the mass fraction of residual moisture is 4.5%. It was established that obtaining dried meat semis from poultry meat under vacuum conditions using ultra high frequency electromagnetic energy sources allows to receive products with less energy and for a shorter period of production.

Efficiency of Management of Loan Funds in the Banking Industry of Ukraine: Data of the Factor Analysis of Credit Turnover

The article analyzes the rates of credit turnover by branches of the economy and by types of loans using indicators of the dynamic range, indices of average values and aggregate indicators. The purpose of the article is to provide a business case for efficiently managing credit resources in commercial banks based on a factor analysis of credit turnover by sector of the economy as a condition for optimizing a bank’s activities. The analysis of the literature shows that the management of credit resources in commercial banks is limited to the use of Western methods that are not adapted to the Ukrainian reality. The relevance of the article is the need to use the methods of economic and mathematical modeling to optimize the process of managing borrowed funds in the banking industry of Ukraine. Calculated average balances of credit investments. The article analyzes the hourly repayment of interest on loans by enterprises. Calculations of the volume of credit turnover are based on real indicators of the financial statements of Credit Agricole Bank. The study period was elected 2016-2017. Calculated the share of loans by industry in the portfolio of the bank. Defined one-day turnover on the repayment of bank loans by business entities. Calculated the duration of use of bank loans by business entities. The factors affecting the change in the rate of turnover of credit operations using the index method are analyzed. The index of the average duration of use of the loan of a constant composition is calculated. The average duration of use of bank loans by business entities has been determined. The structural change index, variable composition index, constant composition index, structure influence index are calculated. The article used the methods of factor analysis, probability theory, methods of economic and mathematical statistics. The effectiveness of borrowed funds management in the banking industry of Ukraine (on the example of Credit Agricole Bank) was confirmed by the data of a factor analysis of the loan turnover. The system of tasks solved by the proposed models includes the calculation of reasonable limits for attracting each type of resources and the effective interest rate to ensure increasing returns from the production of bank credit products and an increase in the share of the banking sector in creating the gross domestic product of the country. Keywords: bank, effective, index, credit turnover, position, interest rate, sum, term, manager.

Contribution of children's activities to lead contamination of food

This study evaluates the relationship of children's hygiene habits and food-handling behaviors on lead levels on hands and handled foods for toddlers living in lead-contaminated homes. Forty-eight inner city toddlers previously identified as having elevated blood lead levels participated in three consecutive days of designated food-handling activities. During the visits, duplicate diets were obtained, the child handled a banana, a hot dog, and had his/her hands wiped with a moist towelette. In addition, wipe samples were collected from the kitchen floor, and food items were deposited on and subsequently collected from the kitchen floor. All samples were analyzed for lead. The child's caregiver completed a questionnaire, which addressed the child's hygiene and eating behaviors. It was demonstrated that children's contact with residential dust containing lead can transfer lead to food. Both lead in the home and on the children's hands contribute to the contamination of food, and hence potential dietary exposure. Mean lead in handled bananas was 26 microg/kg and on hot dogs 65 microg/kg, and mean lead values on cheese and apple slices that had been on the floor were 119 and 215 microg/kg. In addition, the child's hygiene habits as reported by the parent indicate that lack of basic hygiene patterns within a high lead environment can contribute to children's dietary exposure to lead.

Collecting urine samples from young children using cotton gauze for pesticide studies

To estimate pesticide exposure, urine samples are often needed to analyze pesticide metabolites. However, this is difficult for children wearing diapers because simple and feasible techniques suitable for field collection are not available. The objectives of this study were to test the validity of using cotton gauze pad as a medium for collecting urine samples from young children and to examine the stability of the recoveries for creatinine and pesticide metabolites over 24 h. Urine spiked with a pesticide and four metabolites, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (which is mainly eliminated from urine unchanged), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (metabolite for synthetic pyrethroids), atrazine mercapturate (metabolite for atrazine), malathion dicarboxylic acid (metabolite for malathion), and 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (metabolite for diazinon) was added to the gauze pads and kept in jars at 37 degrees C in a water bath. Urine was expressed from the gauze pads immediately and after 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 h, then analyzed. The recoveries, calculated as the percentage of concentration in expressed urine divided by that of the control urine sample, were within a range of 70-130%. The metabolite and creatinine concentrations did not change with time in either expressed urine samples or controls. The results suggest that cotton gauze pad is a promising candidate for collecting urine samples from young children wearing diapers for studies in which these five urinary pesticide metabolites are to be analyzed.

Draw It again Sam: the effect of drawing on children's suggestibility and source monitoring ability

Preschool children (aged 3 to 6 years) participated in a magic show. Later, the children were given repeated true and false reminders about the show. Half the children were asked to draw these true and false reminders (drawing condition) and half the children were asked questions about the reminders but not to draw them (question condition). Later, children in the drawing condition had better recall of true reminders than children in the question group; however, children in the drawing group also recalled more false reminders than children in the question group. Finally, although children in the drawing group had better memory of the source of the reminders than children in the question group, both groups equally reported that the false reminders actually happened.

Attention checklist: a rating scale for mildly mentally handicapped adolescents

A check list for attentional deficits without reference to hyperactive behavior observed in the classroom was constructed, and teachers' ratings were factor analyzed. The check-list rating was compared to a widely used rating scale for attention deficit-hyperactive disorder (AD-HD), the Abbreviated Conners Rating Scale. Both scales were given to 15 teachers to rate 100 mildly mentally handicapped adolescent students. Analysis showed that 33% of the mentally handicapped students were rated above 1.5 on the Conners Scale, which is the cut-off for hyperactivity. This is much higher than the prevalence of hyperactivity in regular classrooms. The two sets of ratings correlated strongly (.84). Check-list items were grouped under one factor explaining 70.7% of variance and so are recommended for use in discriminating attentional deficit in mentally handicapped as well as in regular class students. The high correlation with ratings on the Conners Scale suggests that AD-HD is a unitary syndrome with attention being most problematic for children labeled hyperactive.