Pseudo-polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in a 12-lead Holter Recording

We present an image of pseudo-polymorphic ventricular tachycardia recording on a 12-lead surface ECG Holter. Although at first glance the appearance of the recording resembled polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, careful investigation revealed normal electrocardiographic findings.     

Carassius gibelio in Greece: the dominant naturalised invader of freshwaters

Ichthyofauna in the Hellenic freshwaters is quite diverse consisted of 161 species (including 28 non-natives), out of the 546 native species in Pan-European level. However, the status of many aquatic ecosystems is currently degraded as a result of a variety of anthropogenic impacts. This has direct reflection on the conservation status of the indigenous and native fish species whose populations are in many cases declining in favor of the invasive ones. Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) is probably the most dominant invasive species and currently is considered as naturalized in about 26 lake and river basins. Its successful adaptation and proliferation is mainly attributed to its dual reproductive mode (allogynogenetic and gonochoristic), the opportunistic-omnivorous feeding habits and the ability to withstand and flourish in adverse ecological conditions. Accordingly, it exerts competitive, as well as destructive effects upon the indigenous fish species (sperm parasitism, antagonism for food, spawning grounds and spawning substrates) and therefore, efforts are needed to sustain a relative balance of the populations. This review aims to critically discuss the status of C. gibelio in Greece, the intrinsic causes of establishment and the observed impacts on ecosystems. Finally, reasonable actions are proposed related to exploitation of C. gibelio stocks and a path model for the protection of native fish species and their ecosystems.     

Salinity Effects on Survival,Growth and Morphometry of Four Egyptian Artemia Populations (International Study on Artemia. LXVII)

Hydrobiologia - Four Artemia populations from northern Egypt, a bisexual one from Wadi El-Natrun Lake, two coastal parthenogenetic ones from Borg El-Arab and El-Max saltworks and an inland...     

Directing embryonic stem cell differentiation into osteogenic chondrogenic lineage<Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Regeneration of skeletal tissues is among the most promising areas of biological repair, providing a broad spectrum of potential clinical applications. In view of the ageing population and the worldwide shortage of donor tissue, tissue engineering is expected to become a major contributor to modern medicine. Recently, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have received extensive attention due to their distinct biological properties, namely their unlimited self-renewal capacity and their pluripotency, which have rendered them a potent cell source for various medical and tissue engineering applications. The application of embryonic stem cells to skeletal tissue engineering requires inducing thein vitro differentiation of ESCs into the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. Although considerable progress has been made in directing embryonic stem cell differentiation towards the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages, there are still obstacles remaining that need to be resolved before ESCs can be used as a suitable cell source in cell and tissue therapies. In particular, the efficient differentiation of ESCsin vitro towards the desired lineage requires the development of well-defined and proficient protocols, which would reduce the likelihood of spontaneous differentiation into divergent lineages and increase the available cell source for application to bone and cartilage tissue engineering therapies. Herein, this review provides a critical examination of the various experimental strategies that could be used to direct the differentiation of ESCs towards the skeletal tissuein vitro, especially the osteogenic and chondrogenic lineasges.     

Tomato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lycopersicum</Emphasis>) health components: from the seed to the consumer

It is widely accepted that a healthy diet is an important factor in preventing chronic diseases, and in improving energy balance and weight management. Studies have shown strong inverse correlations between tomato consumption and the risk of certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and age-related macular degeneration. Because tomato is the second-most important vegetable in the world after potato, this horticultural crop constitutes an excellent source of health-promoting compounds due to the balanced mixture of minerals and antioxidants including vitamins C and E, lycopene, β-carotene, lutein and flavonoids such as quercetin. Improvement in phytonutrients in tomatoes can be achieved by cultivar selection, environmental factors, agronomic practices, stage of ripeness at harvest, and appropriate handling and conditioning all the way from the field to the consumer. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature of the main factors that can improve the nutritional quality of tomato and consequently their beneficial role in human diet. The importance of genotype selection and the optimization of environmental conditions (light, temperature, humidity, atmospheric CO₂ and air pollutants) for high nutritional value is outlined first, followed by the optimization of agricultural practices (soil properties, water quality, mineral nutrition, salinity, grafting, pruning, growing systems, growth promoters, maturity, and mechanical and pest injuries). The review concludes by identifying several prospects for future research such as modelling and genetic engineering of the nutritional value of tomato.