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Tests were made on 6-in. cubes from 17 different batches of concrete. Some of the cubes were cured in water and tested in a standard compression machine. The remaining cubes were steam cured and tested with the rebound hammer prior to being loaded to failure in a compression testing machine. The results suggest that the rebound hammer may be used in conjunction with some method of accelerated curing to provide a rapid and convenient field method for estimating the strength and quality of concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of free and total cholesterol nanobiosensors based on a single step electrochemical integration of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), cholesterol oxidase (COx), cholesterol esterase (CE) and a mediator with polypyrrole (PPy) films is described. The incorporation of the various components in the PPy films was confirmed by chronopotentiometry, cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), and Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The free cholesterol, PPy-NO 3 - -Fe(CN) 6 4- -AuNPs-COx, nanobiosensor achieved a minimum detectable concentration of 5 μM, a linear concentration range of 5-25 μM and a sensitivity of 1.6 µA cm -2 µM -1 in 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.00). For the total cholesterol, PPy-NO 3 - -Fe(CN) 6 4- -AuNPs-COx-CE, nanobiosensor which also involved the co-incorporation of cholesterol esterase (CE) with the other components, the achieved performances include a minimum detectable total cholesterol concentration of 25 μM, a broader linear concentration range of 25-170 μM and a lower sensitivity of 0.1 µA µM -1 cm -2 . Owing to its high selectivity, the presence of common interferants did not affect the total cholesterol measurement with the PPy-NO 3 - -Fe(CN) 6 4- -AuNPs-COx-CE nanobiosensor. Both nanobiosensors were successfully used for direct and indirect determination of total cholesterol in human blood serum samples., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The diets of University students, particularly those living away from the family home, are characterised by a number of undesirable practices such as meal skipping, frequent snacking and low intakes of fruits and vegetables. This study aimed to identify the extent to which the previously reported negative changes in the eating habits of Greek students living in Glasgow were the result of rapid dietary acculturation (the 'Glasgow effect'), and the extent to which these changes were the result of living away from the family home for the first time. Using a self-administered questionnaire, we assessed the diets before and after commencing university of Greek students living in the family home (n=43) or away from home either in Greece (n=37) or in Glasgow (n=55). No significant changes were observed in the diets of students who continued to live at home after starting university. Significant changes observed only in the students living in Glasgow were decreases in consumption frequency of fresh fruits, meat and cheese, and increases in consumption of snack foods. These changes were attributed to rapid dietary acculturation. Young Greek adults faced difficulties in maintaining a traditional Mediterranean diet after leaving the family home, particularly after moving to a Northern European environment.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of living away from, or in, the family home on the dietary habits of a group of Greek undergraduate University students. Eighty-four undergraduates at Athens Agricultural University, aged 20-24, completed a single, self-administered food habits questionnaire that asked about their current food practices and their food practices before they started University. Students living at home did not show major changes in their eating habits since starting University. Although students living away from the family home had made some positive changes, they decreased their weekly consumption of fresh fruit, cooked and raw vegetables, oily fish, seafood, pulses and olive oil, and increased their sugar, wine, alcohol and fast food intake. Between group comparisons of dietary changes showed that since starting University, students living away from home had developed more unfavourable eating habits than students living at the family home. These findings suggest that moving away from the family home and assuming responsibility for food preparation and purchasing for the first time affect dietary habits in this sample of Greek University students. Nutrition interventions in this young population should be encouraged to promote healthier diets and lifestyles, as well as adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet.