Dilepton signals in heavy ion collisions at the CERN SPS

This paper overviews the main results on dilepton and heavy flavour production in heavy ion collisions, obtained in measurements done at the CERN SPS, over the last few years. The presently available results are very interesting, indicating the production of a new state of matter in central Pb-Pb collisions at SPS energies. However, important questions remain open. New and improved measurements are needed to confirm beyond reasonable doubt the formation of a deconfined state of matter in heavy ion collisions at the SPS. The future data of a recently proposed experiment, to be carried out in the SPS in the years 2001-2003, should provide a much deeper understanding of the "new state of matter" hypothetically found at CERN. (26 refs)

Antioxidants of natural plant origins: from sources to food industry applications

ReviewIn recent years, great interest has been focused on using natural antioxidants in food products, due to studies indicating possible adverse effects that may be related to the consumption of synthetic antioxidants. A variety of plant materials are known to be natural sources of antioxidants, such as herbs, spices, seeds, fruits and vegetables. The interest in these natural components is not only due to their biological value, but also to their economic impact, as most of them may be extracted from food by-products and under-exploited plant species. This article provides an overview of current knowledge on natural antioxidants: their sources, extraction methods and stabilization processes. In addition, recent studies on their applications in the food industry are also addressed; namely, as preservatives in different food products and in active films for packaging purposes and edible coatingsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Endometriosis: A Rare Cause of Large Bowel Obstruction.

Large bowel obstruction can result in significant morbidity and mortality, especially in cases of acute complete obstruction. There are many possible causes, the most common in adults being colorectal cancer. Endometriosis is a benign disease, and the most affected extragenital location is the bowel, especially the rectosigmoid junction. However, transmural involvement and acute occlusion are very rare events. We report an exceptional case of acute large bowel obstruction as the initial presentation of endometriosis. The differential diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma may be challenging, and this case emphasizes the need to consider intestinal endometriosis in females at a fertile age presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms and an intestinal mass causing complete large bowel obstruction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ProFuelDB : an open-access database of physiological properties of biofuel-producing anaerobic prokaryotes

Anaerobic microorganisms are attractive for the synthesis of fuels and chemicals, but information on the physiology of culturable anaerobes is dispersed in scientific literature. Herewith we present the ProFuelDB, a web-based publicly available database prototype compiling information on the physiology of anaerobic prokaryotes with relevance for biofuels production. It is foreseen that this prototype will evolve into a broader database of physiological properties of anaerobic prokaryotes with biotechnological relevance