Price, Income & Unemployment Effects on Greek Professional Football

Based on data of 26 Greek professional football clubs of Division A’ and B’ for 16 seasons (1991/92-2006/07), we investigate the effect of sporting and economic variables on the attendance in Greek football stadia. Price, income and unemployment are found to be statistically significant in the small Greek football market, while controlling for classic sporting determinants of demand such as success, entertainment and promotion/relegation. We include two more dummy variables; one for the new stadia constructed for the Olympic Games of 2004 and one for the enthusiasm effect of the EURO 2004 victory by the Greek National Team.Greek Football, Football Demand, Attendance

INVESTIGATING THE IN VITRO EFFECTS OF MURINE CLCA3 ON HT29 MUCUS AND GOBLET CELL PHYSIOLOGY

The murine orthologue of the human calcium-activated chloride channel-1 protein (hCLCAl), mCLCA3, has been linked to regulating mucous properties due to its intimate association with mucin granule membranes of goblet cells. In particular, induced mCLCA3 expression via transgene introduction has been previously shown to significantly improve the intestinal Cystic Fibrosis (CF) phenotype in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator- (Cftr) deficient mice, confirming its role as a modifier gene of CF. The specific biological or pathological function of the various CLCA members is unknown and their predicted role as ion channels has been disputed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of introducing and overexpressing the mCLCA3 gene on mucin synthesis, mucus composition and goblet cell development in the human colonic epithelial HT29 cell line. Results showed that expression of mCLCA3 significantly reduced gene expression of the mucin proteins, MUC1. Since MUC1 is expressed in all secretory epithelial cells, this indicates a potential role for the modulation of mucus composition by mCLCA3. Analysis of goblet cell morphometry by histological staining showed that almost two thirds of goblet cell populations contained mucus in HT29 cultures transfected with mCLCA3. This was a significant increase when compared to control FIT29 treatments and closely resembled the goblet cell population of untreated HT29 cells. This demonstrates that mCLCA3, and potentially hCLCAl, could have a regulatory role in goblet cell physiology by promoting mucus retention in HT29 cultures. Additional work is required to establish the mechanism of its action on goblet cell pathophysiology but mCLCA3, and hCLCAl, may be important therapeutic targets for mucous-based diseases

Quantifying the tuneable interactions between colloid supported lipid bilayers

Colloid supported lipid bilayers (CSLBs) are formed via the rupture and fusion of lipid vesicles to coat spherical colloidal particles. CSLBs are an emerging vector for the controlled self-assembly of colloids due to the ability to include additives into the bilayer, which influence the (a)specific interactions between particles. To evaluate the specificity of CSLB assembly, first a fundamental study on the tunability of the colloidal interaction and resulting colloidal stability of CSLBs without specific interactions is reported here. It was found that both fluid and gel CSLBs showed significant clustering and attraction, while the addition of steric stabilizers induced a profound increase in stability. The interactions were rendered attractive again by the introduction of depletion forces via the addition of free non-adsorbing polymers. The compositions of fluid and gel CSLBs with 5% membrane stabiliser were concluded to be optimal for further studies where both colloidal stability, and contrasting membrane fluidity are required. These experimental findings were confirmed semi-quantitatively by predictions using numerical self-consistent mean-field theory lattice computations

Computational statistics using the Bayesian Inference Engine

This paper introduces the Bayesian Inference Engine (BIE), a general parallel, optimised software package for parameter inference and model selection. This package is motivated by the analysis needs of modern astronomical surveys and the need to organise and reuse expensive derived data. The BIE is the first platform for computational statistics designed explicitly to enable Bayesian update and model comparison for astronomical problems. Bayesian update is based on the representation of high-dimensional posterior distributions using metric-ball-tree based kernel density estimation. Among its algorithmic offerings, the BIE emphasises hybrid tempered MCMC schemes that robustly sample multimodal posterior distributions in high-dimensional parameter spaces. Moreover, the BIE is implements a full persistence or serialisation system that stores the full byte-level image of the running inference and previously characterised posterior distributions for later use. Two new algorithms to compute the marginal likelihood from the posterior distribution, developed for and implemented in the BIE, enable model comparison for complex models and data sets. Finally, the BIE was designed to be a collaborative platform for applying Bayesian methodology to astronomy. It includes an extensible object-oriented and easily extended framework that implements every aspect of the Bayesian inference. By providing a variety of statistical algorithms for all phases of the inference problem, a scientist may explore a variety of approaches with a single model and data implementation. Additional technical details and download details are available from http://www.astro.umass.edu/bie. The BIE is distributed under the GNU GPL.Comment: Resubmitted version. Additional technical details and download details are available from http://www.astro.umass.edu/bie. The BIE is distributed under the GNU GP

Quantifying the tuneable interactions between colloid supported lipid bilayers

Colloid supported lipid bilayers (CSLBs) are formed via the rupture and fusion of lipid vesicles to coat spherical colloidal particles. CSLBs are an emerging vector for the controlled self-assembly of colloids due to the ability to include additives into the bilayer, which influence the (a)specific interactions between particles. To evaluate the specificity of CSLB assembly, first a fundamental study on the tunability of the colloidal interaction and resulting colloidal stability of CSLBs without specific interactions is reported here. It was found that both fluid and gel CSLBs showed significant clustering and attraction, while the addition of steric stabilizers induced a profound increase in stability. The interactions were rendered attractive again by the introduction of depletion forces via the addition of free non-adsorbing polymers. The compositions of fluid and gel CSLBs with 5% membrane stabiliser were concluded to be optimal for further studies where both colloidal stability, and contrasting membrane fluidity are required. These experimental findings were confirmed semi-quantitatively by predictions using numerical self-consistent mean-field theory lattice computations

Giant Pickering droplets: effect of nanoparticle size and morphology on stability

The interaction between a pair of millimeter-sized nanoparticle-stabilized n-dodecane droplets was analyzed by high-speed video camera. The droplets were grown in the presence of either poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PBzMA) diblock copolymer spheres or poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate)-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PHPMA-PBzMA) triblock copolymer worms prepared by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). The effect of nanoparticle morphology on droplet coalescence was analyzed by comparing 22 nm spheres to highly anisotropic worms with a mean worm width of 26 nm and comparable particle contact angle. Both morphologies lowered the interfacial tension, providing direct evidence for nanoparticle adsorption at the oil-water interface. At 0.03 % w/v copolymer, at least 90 seconds was required to stabilize the n-dodecane droplets in the presence of the worms, whereas no ageing was required to produce stable droplets when using the spheres, suggesting faster diffusion of the latter to the surface of the droplets. The enhanced stability of the sphere-coated droplets is consistent with the higher capillary pressure in this system as the almost planar interfaces approach. However, the more strongly adsorbing worms ultimately also confer stability. At lower copolymer concentrations (≤ 0.01% w/v) worm adsorption promoted droplet stability, whereas the spheres were unable to stabilize droplets even after longer ageing times. The effect of mean sphere diameter on droplet stability was also assessed while maintaining an approximately constant particle contact angle. Small spheres of either 22 nm or 41 nm stabilized n-dodecane droplets, whereas larger spheres of either 60 or 91 nm were unable to prevent coalescence when the two droplets were brought into contact. These observations are consistent with the greater capillary pressure stabilizing the oil-water interfaces coated with the smaller spheres. Addition of an oil-soluble polymeric diisocyanate cross-linker to either the 60 nm or the 91 nm spheres produced highly stable colloidosomes, thus confirming adsorption of these nanoparticles

Local gyrification index in probands with psychotic disorders and their first-degree relatives

BACKGROUND: Psychotic disorders are characterized by aberrant neural connectivity. Alterations in gyrification, the pattern and degree of cortical folding, may be related to the early development of connectivity. Past gyrification studies have relatively small sample sizes, yield mixed results for schizophrenia (SZ), and are scant for psychotic bipolar (BP) and schizoaffective (SZA) disorders and for relatives of these conditions. Here we examine gyrification in psychotic disorder patients and their first-degree relatives as a possible endophenotype. METHODS: Regional Local Gyrification Index (LGI) values, as measured by FreeSurfer software, were compared between 243 controls, 388 psychotic disorder probands, and 300 of their first-degree relatives. For patients, LGI values were examined grouped across psychotic diagnoses and then separately for SZ, SZA, and BP. Familiality (heritability) values and correlations with clinical measures were also calculated for regional LGI values. RESULTS: Probands exhibited significant hypogyria compared to controls in three brain regions and relatives with axis II cluster A disorders showed nearly significant hypogyria in these same regions. LGI values in these locations were significantly heritable and uncorrelated with any clinical measure. Observations of significant CONCLUSIONS: Psychotic disorders appear to be characterized by significant regionally localized hypogyria, particularly in cingulate cortex. This abnormality may be a structural endophenotype marking risk for psychotic illness and it may help elucidate etiological underpinnings of psychotic disorders

Humic compounds in marine ecosystems - Ecological importance in transitional Mediterranean zones

By using the general term ‘humic substances’ (HS), a vast category is implied of heterogeneous organic compounds that are naturally occurred, formed under certain circumstances, bearing yellow to black colour. There are distinguishable fractions of the (HS) categorized e.g. according to hydrophilicity. Humic acids (HA), comprise the soluble fraction of (HS) at high pH values whereas fulvic acids (FA) represent the soluble fraction of (HS) under all pH conditions. The humin represents the unclassified, non-soluble fraction of organic material. (HS) are separating into two well distinctive categories i.e. allochthonous & autochthonous indicating a different origin. (HS) affect bioavailability of transition metal ions including Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn due to (HS) chelating properties and high affinity towards those metals. (ΗΑ) stimulate biodegradation and favors removal of various pollutants serving as bioremediation agents. Organic compounds leached from plastic debris into the aquatic phase, become part of the marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool. Humic part characteristics are tightly bound to the anthropogenic impacts stressed over the shoreline and contribute to diagenetic processing of the marine seabed. The scope of the present essay was to outline the multi-functionality of humic substances in aquatic ecosystems with the given emphasis on the Eastern Mediterranean region

Προσδιοριστικοί παράγοντες κερδοφορίας επιχειρήσεων σε συνθήκες οικονομικής κρίσης

Σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας είναι να εξετάσει και να αναλύσει τους προσδιοριστικούς παράγοντες κερδοφορίας σε συνθήκες οικονομικής κρίσης ενός δείγματος 1500 Ελληνικών επιχειρήσεων για την περίοδο 2011-2019. Από την έρευνα φάνηκε η θετική σχέση της κερδοφορίας σε σχέση με τις πωλήσεις, τη μόχλευση, τη ρευστότητα και το μέγεθος της επιχείρησης.The purpose of this research is to examine and analyze the determinants of profitability in conditions of economic crisis of a sample of 1500 Greek companies for the period 2011-2019. The survey showed a positive relationship between profitability in terms of sales, leverage, liquidity and business size

Illuminating the Impact of Nanoparticle Size and Surface Chemistry on Interfacial Position

In this manuscript we begin by preparing bulk Pickering emulsions of water:octanol at varying aqueous pH values, using ionizable carboxyl polystyrene nanoparticles of 320 nm and 810 nm diameter. Remarkably we observe two emulsion phase inversions, one resulting from an increase in pH and a second due to an increase in particle size. To illuminate the mechanism of the macroscopic phase inversion, we turn to the super resolution microscopy technique interface Point Accumulation for Imaging and Nanoscale Topography (iPAINT) to measure in-situ the contact angles of single carboxyl polystyrene particles at the water:octanol interface. Importantly, we identify a significant decrease in contact angle over the increase of pH and particle diameter, respectively. Additionally, the non-negligible dependence of contact angle on particle size was shown to hold regardless of particle surface chemistry