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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is nowadays one of the most applied methodologies for evaluating the potential environmental impacts of products and systems related to the plastic packaging sector. Nevertheless, the recent increasing interest on Circular Economy principles introduces challenges in its application, addressing towards adjustments to system boundaries and functional units. This research paper underscores the need for LCA models that are both dynamic, adaptable and capable of capturing both (i) the environmental performances of end-of-life processes and (ii) the quality of the materials obtained from them. To this aim, the main literature is taken as reference to compare chemical and mechanical recycling applied to PET. From the outcomes, the need of considering potential quality degradation resulting from increased recycling and reuse operations applied to the input material is well recognized. The study highlights the potential role of LCA to provide comprehensive information, thereby facilitating comparative assertions and offering valuable insights for informed decision-making and the development of sustainable policies within the plastic packaging industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Liquid and solid waste management in Trieste Nuclear Medicine Department. • Advanced screening models to assess discharged radioactivity into environment. • Effective dose exposure to individuals according to Directive 2013/59/EURATOM. • Assessing compliance with Italian Legislative Decree 101/2020. • Accidental fire event in Radiopharmacy Laboratories simulated by HotSpot software. Clinical procedures in a Nuclear Medicine Department produce radioactive liquid and solid waste. Regarding waste release into the environment from an authorised hospital, it is mandatory to verify the compliance with European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM, adopted by the Italian Government via the Legislative Decree 101/2020. Different activity release pathways into the environment from Trieste Nuclear Medicine Department have been analysed: liquid waste from patients' excreta discharged by sewage treatment system into the sea, and atmospheric releases following solid waste incineration. Reference models, provided by NCRP and IAEA guidelines, have been implemented to assess the impact of the discharged radioactivity for coastal waters and atmospheric transport conditions. Finally, an accidental fire event occurring in Radiopharmacy Laboratories has been simulated by HotSpot software. Advanced screening models give an effective dose to population of 5.3 · 10−3 µSv/y and 1.4 · 10−4 µSv/y for introduction by sewage system into coastal waters and atmospheric releases by the incinerator, respectively. Workers involved in the maintenance of the sewage treatment plant receive a total annual effective dose of 3.8 µSv/y, while for incinerator staff the total annual exposure is 5.9 · 10−8 µSv/y. For the accidental fire event the maximum total effective dose to an individual results 3.8 · 10−8 Sv with mild wind, and 4.1 · 10−7 Sv with strong wind. The total annual effective doses estimated to representative person, due to both Nuclear Medicine authorised clinical practices and in case of an accidental fire event, are in compliance with regulatory stipulations provided by Directives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale and Objectives: This study employs clinical/radiological evaluation in establishing the optimum imaging conditions for breast cancer imaging using the X-ray propagation-based phase-contrast tomography.Materials and Methods: Two series of experiments were conducted and in total 161 synchrotron-based computed tomography (CT) reconstructions of one breast mastectomy specimen were produced at different imaging conditions. Imaging factors include sample-to-detector distance, X-ray energy, CT reconstruction method, phase retrieval algorithm applied to the CT projection images and maximum intensity projection. Observers including breast radiologists and medical imaging experts compared the quality of the reconstructed images with reference images approximating the conventional (absorption) CT. Various radiological image quality attributes in a visual grading analysis design were used for the radiological assessments.Results: The results show that the application of the longest achievable sample-to-detector distance (9.31 m), the lowest employed X-ray energy (32 keV), the full phase retrieval, and the maximum intensity projection can significantly improve the radiological quality of the image. Several combinations of imaging variables resulted in images with very high-quality scores.Conclusion: The results of the present study will support future experimental and clinical attempts to further optimize this innovative approach to breast cancer imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Phase-contrast CT addresses poor soft-tissue contrast in X-ray breast imaging. • Interactive 3D breast virtual visualizations available at different resolutions. • Spatial resolution bridging from radiological level to virtual histology level. • 2D and 3D images may be combinedly used in a multidisciplinary clinical context. • Discernibility of breast structures and microcalcifications is enhanced. Phase-contrast imaging techniques address the issue of poor soft-tissue contrast encountered in traditional X-ray imaging. This can be accomplished with the propagation-based phase-contrast technique by employing a coherent photon beam, which is available at synchrotron facilities, as well as long sample-to-detector distances. This study demonstrates the optimization of propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) techniques for multiscale X-ray imaging of the breast at the Elettra synchrotron facility (Trieste, Italy). Two whole breast mastectomy samples were acquired with propagation-based breast-CT using a monochromatic synchrotron beam at a pixel size of 60 µm. Paraffin-embedded blocks sampled from the same tissues were scanned with propagation-based micro-CT imaging using a polychromatic synchrotron beam at a pixel size of 4 µm. Images of both methodologies and of the same sample were spatially registered. The resulting images showed the transition from whole breast imaging with propagation-based breast-CT methodology to virtual histology with propagation-based micro-CT imaging of the same sample. Additionally, conventional histological images were matched to virtual histology images. Phase-contrast images offer a high resolution with low noise, which allows for a highly precise match between virtual and conventional histology. Furthermore, those techniques allow a clear discernment of breast structures, lesions, and microcalcifications, being a promising clinically-compatible tool for breast imaging in a multiscale approach, to either assist in the detection of cancer in full volume breast samples or to complement structure identification in paraffin-embedded breast tissue samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the influence of conventional and organic managements on Vitis vinifera cv. Trebbiano Abruzzese on fungal community was investigated. Moreover, spontaneous vinifications were performed, and wines were characterized for some oenological parameters and aroma profiles. A core of 8 genera was detected (Zygosaccharomyces spp. , Cladosporium spp. , Botrytis spp. , Hanseniaspora spp. , Pichia spp. , Alternaria spp. , Candida spp. , Aureobasidium spp.), while some genera were unique for each grape sample. Saccharomyces spp. and Mucor spp. were present only on conventional grapes, while Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus spp. only on organic ones. At the species level Aureobasidium pullulans, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Pichia terricola dominated in both samples with varying abundance depending on the vineyard management. The fermentation performed with conventional grapes resulted in a faster rate than that performed with organic ones. No significative differences were observed for the oenological parameters analyzed with the only exception of ethanol content which was higher in conventional wines than in organic ones: 11.57 ± 0.10 g/L and 10.51 ± 0.09 g/L, respectively. Conventional wines were characterized by the presence of aldehydes, while organic ones by terpenes and β-damascenone. The obtained results suggested an effect of vineyard practices on grape fungal community which could in turn influence some characteristics of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo wines. • Farming practices influenced Trebbiano Abruzzese grape fungal community. • Fermentations performed with conventional grapes showed a fastest rate. • Conventional and organic wines showed a similar physical-chemical profile. • Conventional wines were rich in aldehydes. • Organic wines were rich in terpenes, and β-damascenone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring reliable access to water sources is an emerging issue being currently addressed by governments and international communities. However, local conditions play a primary role in determining requirements for urban water supply systems and cascade implications due to simultaneous interlinkages with complementary resources such as energy. As such, addressing sustainability in water management comes through quantitative evaluation modelling and assessment. To this aim, nexus analysis and life cycle assessment methodologies are applied to the drinking water supply system in the Romagna region (Italy). Our research provides detailed characterization of the involved material and energy flows, which is used as a basis for determining water-for-energy and energy-for-water results, and to conduct environmental assessment for complementary impact categories by withdrawal, treatment, and distribution processes. The results show that the energy needed to produce drinking water ranges from 0.27 MJ to 2.53 MJ per cubic meter of water delivered. Water deriving from the artificial basin and treated following a conventional technology turned out to be both the less energy intensive and the less impacting process. Overall, the study provides an exhaustive comparison of the environmental impacts of different water production alternatives, which may ultimately support decision-makers and local communities to the planning of strategies for optimized and long-term reliable access to water resources. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of alginate based microcapsules to deliver drugs and cells with a minimal host interaction is increasingly being proposed. A proficient method to track the position of the microcapsules during such therapies, particularly if they are amenable to commonly used instrumentation, would greatly help the development of such treatments. Here we propose to label the microcapsules with gold nanoparticles to provide a bright contrast on small animal x-ray micro-CT systems enabling single microcapsule detection. The microcapsules preparation is based on a simple protocol using inexpensive compounds. This, combined with the widespread availability of micro-CT apparatus, renders our method more accessible compared with other methods. Our labeled microcapsules showed good mechanical stability and low cytotoxicity in-vitro . Our post-mortem rodent model data strongly suggest that the high signal intensity generated by the labeled microcapsules permits the use of a reduced radiation dose yielding a method fully compatible with longitudinal in-vivo studies. From the Clinical Editor The authors of this study report the development of a micro-CT based tracking method of alginate-based microcapsules by incorporating gold nanoparticles in the microcapsules. They demonstrate the feasibility of this system in rodent models, where due to the high signal intensity, even reduced radiation dose is sufficient to track these particles, providing a simple and effective method to track these commonly used microcapsules and allowing longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ability to perform cell tracking using x-ray computed tomography combined with gold nanoparticles has been demonstrated recently on ex vivo samples using different malignant and nonmalignant cell lines. Here we proved the concept of the method for in vivo assessment in a small-animal model of malignant brain tumors. The limitations of the method due to radiation dose constraints were investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. Taking into consideration different x-ray entrance doses and the spatial resolution, the visibility of the cell clusters was evaluated. The results of the experiments conducted on mice implanted with F98 tumor cells confirmed the prediction of the Monte Carlo calculations. Small clusters of cells exogenously loaded with gold nanoparticles could be visualized using our in vivo method. From the Clinical Editor: This article discusses the use of CT-based detection of gold nanoparticle loaded cells of interest in small-animal models of malignant brain tumors, where small clusters of cells loaded with gold nanoparticles could be visualized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The ability to track cells in small-animal models of human disease is important because it gives the potential to improve our understanding of the processes of disease progression as well as our understanding of the therapeutic effects of interventions. In this study gold nanoparticles have been used as a permanent marker of implanted normal and malignant cell grafts in combination with a suitable x-ray apparatus. Using x-ray computed tomography the micrometric three-dimensional distribution of these marked cells could be displayed with penetration depth, high cell sensitivity and high spatial resolution in rodent models of human diseases. In principle the method allows quantification of cell numbers at any anatomical location over time in small animals. From the Clinical Editor: In this paper, a gold nanoparticle based cell labeling method is presented for in vivo cell tracking via micro-CT. Although a tumor model is shown in this pilot experiment, the method can theoretically be utilized in cell labeling experiments of any kind. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Purpose We propose a technique for the characterization of tissues, based on a hybrid phase contrast-attenuation imaging. The technique, first introduced in [1] , makes use of a method for material basis decomposition proposed by Alvarez and Macovski [2] . We present a semi-analytical simulation of the imaging process, as well as a preliminary implementation on a set of radiographic images of a dedicated phantom. Methods The phantom consists in a thin plastic plate composed of two “soft” materials, arranged in such a way to create a faint pattern of decreasing radiographic contrasts. The imaging was performed using synchrotron radiation (i.e. a quasi-parallel, monochromatic and coherent X-ray beam) and placing the phantom at different distances from the detector, so as to enhance the contribution of phase contrast. The images were acquired at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra synchrotron facility (Trieste, Italy). Results The reconstructed composition of the phantom was compared to the results of the semi-analytical simulation, showing a good agreement with the theoretical expectations. In particular, the technique proved able to enhance the visibility of faint contrasts with respect to the standard attenuation-based imaging. Moreover, it provided a precise quantitative estimate of the local composition of the imaged phantom. Conclusions The application of the basis decomposition method to the context of phase contrast imaging allows an effective rendering of a broad spectrum of radiographic patterns, from low frequency textures (which are captured by the attenuation effects) to high frequency details (highlighted by the phase shift effects). In addition, thanks to the simultaneous enforcement of two separate imaging channels, it also allows a two-component reconstruction of the imaged object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To measure the dose distribution in a phantom during a synchrotron radiation (SR) computed tomography (CT) scan using radiochromic films, for procedure assessment and for offline dose monitoring in SR breast CT. Methods We used XR-QA2 radiochromic films (calibrated in terms of free air kerma) and a 14-cm PMMA cylindrical phantom. Measurements were performed at the SYRMEP beamline of ELETTRA facility, within the SYRMA-3D project for phase-contrast breast CT [1]. The phantom was positioned at isocenter, pending from the patient bed. Measurements were performed at 38 keV, beam size of 3 mm × 150 mm (H × W), at an air kerma corresponding to a mean glandular dose of 5 mGy in a 14-cm diameter 50% glandular breast. The phantom was irradiated over 360° first with a film at the mid-plane, and then with film strips wrapped on its surface. Additional tests were made over 180° with an axial scan pitch of 1, 0.8 or 0.5. Results Results show a dose map at mid-plane the phantom, indicating the cup-shaped horizontal profile due to primary and scatter dose. Analogous maps were recorded with the films at the periphery of the phantom, representing the surface dose maps. Conclusions We performed measurements of the dose distribution in a phantom during a SR CT scan with different irradiation geometries. This technique produces evidence for selecting the suitable scan procedure. Moreover, as an offline monitor system, a piece of calibrated radiochromic film wrapped on a suitable holder around the breast could record the history of the organ irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]