Characteristics of Different Systems for the Solar Drying of Crops

Solar dryers are used to enable the preservation of agricultural crops, food processing industries for dehydration of fruits and vegetables, fish and meat drying, dairy industries for production of milk powder, seasoning of wood and timber, textile industries for drying of textile materials. The fundamental concepts and contexts of their use to dry crops is discussed in the chapter. It is shown that solar drying is the outcome of complex interactions particular between the intensity and duration of solar energy, the prevailing ambient relative humidity and temperature, the characteristics of the particular crop and its pre-preparation and the design and operation of the solar dryer

Primary osteosarcoma arising from subcutaneous tissue: 5-year follow-up

PubMed ID: 22726985Extraskeletal osteosarcomas are extremely rare, high-grade neoplasms. Approximately 300 cases have been reported in the literature, with a 5-year survival of around 25%-37%. Extraskeletal osteosarcomas frequently arise from lower-extremity, deep soft tissue planes, including hemorrhagic, necrotic areas. While primary osteosarcomas have been observed in the first two decades of life, osteosarcomas arising from the skeletal system are rarely observed before 40 years of age. We present radiological findings of an osteosarcoma case arising from cruris subcutaneous tissue in a young adult (31 years old) at diagnosis and at the follow-up period during a 5-year monitoring process. Additionally, we reviewed the literature regarding this case. © 2012 Elsevier Inc

Capillary telangiectasia of the brain: imaging with various MR techniques

Brain capillary telangiectasia is an incidental vascular malformation found usually in pons and sometimes in extrapontine sites. Typical MRI features are enhancement on post contrast T1 weighted images and signal loss on gradient echo images. We evaluated 10 patients with various MR techniques. Susceptibility weighted imaging was superior to GRE T2 in showing decreased signal due to susceptibility effects. Diffusion weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging proved not useful in the diagnosis

Effects of estradiol benzoate on the ultrastructure of the pinealocyte in the ovariectomized rat

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of ovariectomy and ovariectomy followed by estradiol benzoate administration on the ultrastructure of pinealocytes in female rat. Design: For this purpose 15 female Wistar rats were used. Animals were divided into three groups. Group I and II were designated as sham-ovariectomized (control) and ovariectomized, respectively. Group III was ovariectomized and daily injected with estradiol benzoate for one month. At the end of the experiment, all animals were anesthetized with ketamine for fixation by vascular perfusion. Pineal glands of groups I, II and III were removed. All specimens were examined by electron microscopy. Results: Ovariectomy caused an increase of lipid droplets, mitochondria and ribosomes. Rough endoplasmic reticulum was extensive in the cytoplasm. Estradiol administration to ovariectomized rats resulted in formation of less extensive lipid droplets, mitochondria and ribosomes compared to pinealocyte ultrastructure of both control and ovariectomized rats. Extensiveness of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the pinealocytes of estradiol-administrated rats was similar to that in controls. Conclusions: The results confirm relationship between the pineal gland and gonads in the rat and it has been suggested that estradiol benzoate reverses the ultrastructural changes, which indicate increased cell activation, occurring in the pinealocytes after ovariectomy