196,489 research outputs found
Optimal location and size for a biomass plant: application of a GIS methodology to the "Capitanata" district
No full textCongestion effect on renewable energy production efficiency in Europe
No full textIn the last decade the renewable energy facilities have become very important for generating electricity in Europe. Estimating the production efficiency of renewable energy industry is thus a major concern of governments. This paper implements Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to measure efficiency in the generation of electricity from renewable sources during 2002–2011 in 31 European countries. As input congestion may introduce bias in the efficiency analysis, an improved DEA model is used to correct and avoid efficiency underestimation
Learning patterns in customer-supplier collaboration during new product development: the case of the food-processing equipment small manufacturers in Southern Italy
No full textShort Term Outcome of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Patients with Detectable Serum Thyroglobulin after Initial Treatment Receiving a Second 131-Iodine Therapy
No full textAbstract. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of high-dose 131I therapy administered only on the basis of raised serum Tg levels. Methods: Among patients treated with total or near-total thyroidectomy and 131I ablation, 76 (54 women and 22 men) with differentiated thyroid cancer (41 with follicular and 35 with papillary cancer) showed a detectable (i.e. >1.5 ng/ml) serum Tg level on L-thyroxine therapy during follow-up and were included in the study. In these patients, a further 131I therapy was scheduled (range 3.7–9.25 GBq, mean 6.087±1.705). Five to seven days after this radioiodine therapy, patients underwent 131I post-therapy whole-body scan (131I t-WBS). The serum Tg value at 12 months after 131I therapy was evaluated as an indicator of short-term response to radioiodine. Results: At evaluation after 12 months, 21 (27.6%) of the 76 patients had a Tg value ≤1.5 ng/ml, 12 (15.8%) showed a Tg decrease of at least 50%, 22 (29%) had only a minor decrease in Tg (<50%) and 21 (27.6%) did not show any decrease in Tg. 131I t-WBS was positive in 52 patients (68%, group A) and negative in 24 (32%, group B). Normalisation of Tg was observed in 15 patients (29%) of group A and in six patients (25%) of group B. Overall, 23 (44%) patients of group A and ten (42%) of group B showed a ≥50% decrease in the Tg. Of the 52 patients of group A, 19 (36%) had local recurrence at 131I t-WBS, 18 (35%) showed lung involvement and 15, (29%) bone metastasis. On a patient basis, two (13%) of 15 patients with bone metastases, six (33%) of 18 patients with lung involvement and seven (37%) of 19 patients with local recurrence had Tg values at follow-up of ≤1.5 ng/ml (p NS). Overall, seven (37%) patients with local recurrence, eight (44%) with lung involvement and eight (53%) with bone metastases showed a ≥50% decrease in Tg. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that the administration of therapeutic 131I only on the basis of elevated Tg levels has a definite therapeutic effect, at least in the short term. In addition, the possibility of obtaining a post-therapeutic 131I WBS can lead to better strategy definition for these patients
The current and evolving role of FDG–PET/CT in personalized iodine-131 therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer
No full textPurpose: Several approaches have been recommended for the selection of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer amenable for postoperative radioiodine remnant ablation or repeated radioiodine treatment, though with inadequate results. 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography is gaining consideration for predicting disease-free or survival of differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients, in particular in the peri-or post-surgery setting and for the detection of recurrence in patients with elevated or rising thyroglobulin without evidence of disease on neck ultrasound or iodine scintigraphy. This paper aims to review the role of FDG–PET/CT in tailoring iodine-131 empiric therapy for radioiodine remnant ablation and the detection of recurrence in patients with elevated thyroglobulin and negative iodine-123 scan. Methods: A literature search up to May 2017 of MEDLINE® and SCOPUS® with the Mesh terms: “PET/CT”, “iodine-131 therapy”, “differentiated thyroid cancer” and “prognosis” was performed. Thereafter, papers dealing with radioiodine remnant ablation and empiric therapy were selected. Results: Ninety papers were retrieved from the initial search and 19 considered for the review. The percentage of positive FDG–PET/CT performed at radioiodine remnant ablation or shortly after ranged from 17 to 69%, with highest values in high- and intermediate-to-high risk patients. The response rate to radioiodine remnant ablation and survival were consistently higher in negative FDG–PET/CT patients. Besides, FDG–PET/CT imaging was found to be a very accurate diagnostic tool for the detection of recurrence in patients with elevated thyroglobulin and negative iodine-123 scan, discriminating patients needing further empirical iodine-131 therapy from those who could benefit from alternative approaches. Conclusions: Although a meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity and the small population samples of the studies retrieved, the results of the present review support the use of FDG–PET/CT in tailoring iodine-131 therapy when used close to radioiodine remnant ablation and in patients amenable to iodine-131 empiric therapy
Tracheopathia osteoplastica. A case report [Tracheopatia osteoplastica. Descrizione di un caso.]
No full textFruit set, yield and carpological characteristics of five almond cultivars (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) as affected by different soil management in Southern Italy
No full textAlmond cultivation is of considerable importance among fruit crops of the warm-temperate climate and has been growing steadily worldwide since the early 1990s, reaching about 1.87 million cultivated hectares in 2016. In the Mediterranean Region, where the main parts of almond orchard are located, high erosion rates have been observed in many tree crops, including almond. Tillage is the traditional and prevailing soil management technique in the Mediterranean Basin despite many studies reported negative effects on soil quality highlighting the significant increase of soil erosion determined by this technique. But very few data are available in the literature, especially for almond, about the effects on vegetative and reproductive activities, yields and fruit quality of tree crops. The trial aimed to evaluate the effect of three different soil management techniques (‘conventional tillage’, ‘no-till without cover crop’, ‘frequently mown cover crop’) on five almond cultivars (‘Ferragnés’, ‘Filippo Ceo’, ‘Genco’, ‘Supernova’, ‘Tuono’), grown in a commercial almond orchard located in Southern Italy. Average fruit set, yield tree-1 and dimensional parameters of fruits and kernel were determined. The tested cultivar showed difference in their fruiting behaviour regarding the distribution of both floral buds and fruits on different types of bearing shoots. This suggested, with the aim to increase productivity, that during pruning it is necessary to mainly preserve a different type of shoots in each one of these cultivars. For all the cultivars evaluated, quite negative effects resulted in terms of both yield and carpological parameters for the ‘no tillage’ treatment, while the best performances were observed for the ‘conventional tillage’ treatment
The neuroprotective activity of group-II mGlu receptor agonists is sensitive to protein syntesis inhibitors and involves the interaction between neurons and astrocytes.
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