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This study aims to investigate the spatial and seasonal impacts on the biochemical responses of two bioindicators: Tridacna squamosaand Echinometra mathaeiwhich inhabit the Red Sea coast of Egypt. Samples were collected from three sites during the summer of 2019 and the winter of 2020. Total protein, MDA, and enzyme activity of pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in the gonads of the collected samples. The results confirmed that environmental variables vary at both spatial and seasonal levels, where the two species exhibited different patterns of biochemical response to internal and external stresses. In addition, both studied species did not resort to anaerobic respiration as a defense mechanism. Therefore, this study confirms that the use of biomarkers in the field shall be regarded as a general warning of internal and external stress.

In this work, a novel CMOS compatible process for Si-based materials has been presented to form SiGe nanowires (NWs) on SiGe On Insulator (SGOI) wafers with unprecedented thermoelectric (TE) power factor (PF). The TE properties of SiGe NWs were characterized in a back-gate configuration and a physical model was applied to explain the experimental data. The carrier transport in NWs was modified by biasing voltage to the gate at different temperatures. The PF of SiGe NWs was enhanced by a factor of >2 in comparison with bulk SiGe over the temperature range of 273 K to 450 K. This enhancement is mainly attributed to the energy filtering of carriers in SiGe NWs, which were introduced by imperfections and defects created during condensation process to form SiGe layer or in NWs during the processing of NWs.

Introduction: Breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer is now routinely used as an alternative to mastectomy. Despite post-operative radiotherapy, early local recurrence of tumour remains a concern. It has been reported that invasive and in-situ ductal carcinoma spread locally through the ductal tree in a segmental distribution, however, there is no consensus as to the best surgical method to maximize tumour clearance whilst leaving a good cosmetic result. Aim: We aimed to measure the effectiveness of segmental mastectomy (excision of tumour plus associated segmental ductal tissue) in the clearance of different tumour types. Bed biopsy of the excision cavity was employed to assess the rate of incomplete excision or the multifocality of certain breast cancers. Methods: One hundred and one patients with breast cancers underwent segmental mastectomy and cavity bed biopsies. Specimens were assessed for tumour type and completeness of excision. An excision of the cancer was considered incomplete if the margins were involved or if any of the bed biopsies showed residual or multifocal tumour. Results: A total of 24 patients had incomplete tumour excision. Invasive ductal carcinoma was more likely to be completely excised by segmental mastectomy than invasive lobular carcinoma (P<0.05). Incomplete excision was associated with multifocality and the presence of extensive DCIS. The report of clear pathological margins was significantly more likely to be accurate, as measured by negative bed biopsies, in invasive ductal carcinoma when compared to invasive lobular carcinoma (P<0.05). Conclusion: These results support the concept that ductal carcinomas spread locally in a segmental fashion. Patients with invasive ductal carcinomas are more likely to benefit from breast conserving surgery that is tailored to include the associated ductal tissue, in a segmental fashioned excision. Copyright Harcourt Publishers Limited

In this work, a novel CMOS compatible process for Si-based materials has been presented to form SiGe nanowires (NWs) on SiGe On Insulator (SGOI) wafers with unprecedented thermoelectric (TE) power factor (PF). The TE properties of SiGe NWs were characterized in a back-gate configuration and a physical model was applied to explain the experimental data. The carrier transport in NWs was modified by biasing voltage to the gate at different temperatures. The PF of SiGe NWs was enhanced by a factor of >2 in comparison with bulk SiGe over the temperature range of 273 K to 450 K. This enhancement is mainly attributed to the energy filtering of carriers in SiGe NWs, which were introduced by imperfections and defects created during condensation process to form SiGe layer or in NWs during the processing of NWs.