Decay Rates of Plasmonic Elliptical Nanostructures via Effective Medium Theory.

This paper investigates the spontaneous decay rate of elliptical plasmonic nanostructures. The refractive index was analyzed using the effective medium theory (EMT). Then, the polarizability, spontaneous radiative, non-radiative decay rate, and electric field enhancement factor were characterized for the targeted elliptical nanostructures at different aspect ratios.

Colonic Malakoplakia: A Rare Finding in a Healthy Male.

Malakoplakia is a rare chronic granulomatous disease that may affect many organs, including the lung, brain, adrenal glands, pancreas, bone, and the genitourinary tract. The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site of involvement outside of the urinary tract. Herein, we present a case of a 65-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss.

Effect of salinity on the concentrations of radioisotopes in the aquatic environment of a hypersaline coastal lagoon.

Research of the effect of salinity on the fate of radionuclides has been focused on seas or estuarine systems while there is almost no information on marine environments with a salinity higher than that of sea water. The hypersaline Bardawil lagoon is a concentration basin, with evaporation exceeding precipitation. This study presents the characteristics of some environmental factors including salinity and their influence on the distribution of natural and artificial radionuclides in different compartments of the lagoon.

Radioactivity of sand, groundwater and wild plants in northeast Sinai, Egypt.

The radioactivity levels are poorly studied in non-coastal arid regions. For this reason, 38 locations covering an area of about 350 km(2) in northeast Sinai, Egypt, were investigated by γ-ray spectroscopy. Moderately significant correlations among (238)U, (234)Th, and (226)Ra isotopes and low significant correlations between the concentrations of (238)U-series and (232)Th in sand were obtained.

Valproate treatment of human cord blood CD4-positive effector T cells confers on them the molecular profile (microRNA signature and FOXP3 expression) of natural regulatory CD4-positive cells through inhibition of histone deacetylase.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in immune system homeostasis and tolerance to antigens, thereby preventing autoimmunity, and may be partly responsible for the lack of an appropriate immune response against tumor cells. Although not sufficient, a high expression of forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is necessary for their suppressive function. Recent reports have shown that histones deacetylase inhibitors increased FOXP3 expression in T cells.

Distribution of gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in the marine environment of the Burullus Lake: II. Bottom sediments.

The sediment compartment has the ability to trap large amounts of radionuclides and to indicate the radiological impact of pollution. The present work shows the results obtained related to the concentrations of 137Cs and natural radionuclides in sediment in the Burullus Lake, Egypt. The average values of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the bottom sediments collected from the east of the Burullus Lake ranged from 10.

Radioactivities related to coal mining.

Natural radioactivity concentrations due to the coal mining in Gabal El-Maghara, North Sinai, Egypt, were determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy. Coal, water and soil samples were investigated in this study. The (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentrations in coal before extraction were 18.