Anisotropic 3D fluctuations conductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ films

In zero applied magnetic field the fluctuation conductivity is measured and analyzed for a high-quality thin film (100 nm) of Bi ₂ Sr ₂ CaCu ₂ O ₈₊ grown on a MgO substrate. The two-band model formulas derived by Konsin et al. for the temperature dependence of the anisotropic three-dimensional (3D) paraconductivity in the vicinity of a superconducting phase transition are used. One of the two correlation lengths is critical and along with the other parameters of the model it determines the fluctuation conductivity (T).The global result of two-band model mimics closely d-wave-type pairing. The theory is compared with the experiment, and we obtained reasonable values and the slope of (T), the superconducting critical temperature T _c and the coherence length (0).     

Classroom furniture dimensions and anthropometric measures in primary school

The purpose of this study was to compare students' dimensions to the dimension of school furniture, in primary school, and determine whether this type of furniture is well-designed and promotes good sitting posture at school by taking into account the dimensions of the children. A total of 180 (90 male and 90 female) students, from three primary schools in Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 7 to 12 years. The following human body dimensions were measured: stature, elbow height, shoulder height, upper arm length, knee height, popliteal height and buttock-popliteal length. In addition, the dimensions were measured for four different types of chairs and five types of desks prevalent in classrooms. Finally, the anthropometric measures of the students and the furniture dimensions were compared in order to identify any incompatibility between them. The data indicate a mismatch between the students' bodily dimensions and the classroom furniture available to them. The chairs are too high and too deep and desks are also too high for the pupils. This situation has negative effects on the sitting posture of the children especially when reading and writing.     

Malignant and benign breast tissue classification performance using a scatterer structure preclassifier

Benign and malignant breast tissue classification is examined for generalized-spectrum parameters computed from RF ultrasound data when a preclassification of subregions based on general scattering properties is performed. Results using a clinical database of 84 patients show statistically significant improvements (over 10% in receiver operation characteristic (ROC) areas) when only coherent scatterer subregions are used as compared to using all subregions within the region of interest.     

Urine proteomic studies in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem disorder of pregnancy that develops after 20 wk of gestation in previously normotensive women and complicates 5–8% of pregnancies. This rapidly progressive syndrome is usually diagnosed when the mother develops hypertension and proteinuria. The only effective treatment is delivery of the baby although early low-dose aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce the risk for PE. Recent advances in proteomic methods of protein separation, identification, and quantitation may allow for the identification of proteins and peptides that could facilitate early detection of disease, improve assessment of prognosis, and allow closer monitoring of women at risk for PE. This review summarizes all currently available markers for prediction and diagnosis of PE and presents urine proteomic studies performed for the identification of novel biomarkers.     

Efficacy of different chemicals on shelf life extension of parsley stored at two temperatures

Four different chemical treatments, GA₃, 1‐MCP, essential oils and nano‐Cu, were applied immediately after harvest to Petroselinum crispum (Mill) plants. The efficacy of the above chemicals on shelf life extension of parsley stored at 5 °C and 20 °C was determined by analysing physiological and biochemical factors that determine quality standards of storage fresh parsley. Nonsprayed parsley revealed the highest loss of weight, ascorbic acid, pigments and an enhancement of CO₂ production and lipid peroxidation at 5 °C and 20 °C of storage. Nano‐Cu was more effective for delaying weight loss and revealed a better storage capacity. GA₃, 1‐MCP and essential oils sprays were more effective in ascorbic acid retention at 20 °C than at 5 °C, whereas all substances protect samples from lipid peroxidation. Essential oils were more clearly inhibitory towards both total viable counts and yeast infection. Our results suggest that GA₃, 1‐MCP, essential oils and Nano‐Cu exert their function through different mechanisms during ripening and could provide an effective and complementary means for maintaining high‐quality parsley leaves after harvest.     

Synergism and antagonism between quercetin and other chain-breaking antioxidants in lipid systems of increasing structural organisation

Antioxidative effect of quercetin was affected differently in neat sunflower oil, in methyl linoleate o/w emulsion and in phospholipid liposomes by the other chain-breaking antioxidants, α-tocopherol, rutin and astaxanthin. Quercetin was better than or comparable to α-tocopherol as an antioxidant in the three lipid systems. The presence of α-tocopherol showed a strong synergistic effect for quercetin in the emulsion, less in the liposomes and a clear antagonistic effect in the neat oil. Astaxanthin, without any effect alone in neat oil or in the liposomes, but with some effect in the emulsion, did not affect quercetin as an antioxidant. Rutin was only effective as an antioxidant in the liposomes where rutin showed clear synergism with quercetin. The interaction of quercetin with the other antioxidants is classified according to the structural organisation of the lipid substrate.     

Effect of CexZryLazOδ Mixed Oxides on the Structural and Catalytic Behavior of Monometallic Catalytic Converters Under Simulated Exhaust Conditions

The effect of CeO₂, La₂O₃ and ZrO₂ structural stabilizers/promoters, in the form of Ce_xZr_yLa_zO_δ mixed oxides, on the catalytic performance and thermal stability of monometallic (Pt), monolithic-type, Al₂O₃-washcoated three-way catalytic converters (TWCs) was investigated under simulated exhaust conditions. The evolution of textural, structural and surface behavior of Ce_xZr_yLa_zO_δ modified TWCs were identified by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and appropriately correlated with the catalytic behavior and thermal stability of TWCs.     

Leaf Age-Dependent Photoprotective and Antioxidative Response Mechanisms to Paraquat-Induced Oxidative Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

Exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana young and mature leaves to the herbicide paraquat (Pq) resulted in a localized increase of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the leaf veins and the neighboring mesophyll cells, but this increase was not similar in the two leaf types. Increased H₂O₂ production was concomitant with closed reaction centers (q_P). Thirty min after Pq exposure despite the induction of the photoprotective mechanism of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in mature leaves, H₂O₂ production was lower in young leaves mainly due to the higher increase activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Later, 60 min after Pq exposure, the total antioxidant capacity of young leaves was not sufficient to scavenge the excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) that were formed, and thus, a higher H₂O₂ accumulation in young leaves occurred. The energy allocation of absorbed light in photosystem II (PSII) suggests the existence of a differential photoprotective regulatory mechanism in the two leaf types to the time-course Pq exposure accompanied by differential antioxidant protection mechanisms. It is concluded that tolerance to Pq-induced oxidative stress is related to the redox state of quinone A (Q_A).     

SHIRAZ: an automated histology image annotation system for zebrafish phenomics

Histological characterization is used in clinical and research contexts as a highly sensitive method for detecting the morphological features of disease and abnormal gene function. Histology has recently been accepted as a phenotyping method for the forthcoming Zebrafish Phenome Project, a large-scale community effort to characterize the morphological, physiological, and behavioral phenotypes resulting from the mutations in all known genes in the zebrafish genome. In support of this project, we present a novel content-based image retrieval system for the automated annotation of images containing histological abnormalities in the developing eye of the larval zebrafish.     

Bubble interactions for the Mullins–Sekerka problem: Some case examples

The Mullins–Sekerka free boundary problem originates from the study of solidification and liquidation of materials where material is transported by diffusion. In the present paper we explore dynamics of bubbles for the Mullins–Sekerka problem. Using a set of ordinary differential equations for the radii and the centers, we numerically simulate the relevant interactions in both “two-dimensional” and “three-dimensional” settings. Our results illustrate how larger bubbles grow at the expense of smaller ones and highlight the role of additional factors such as the initial inter-bubble distance or weak asymmetries in the bubble position in the ensuing dynamics. One novel feature in comparison with earlier works is the possibility to continue for the three-dimensional case the simulation past the points where one of the bubbles disappears.