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The bioconversion mediated by the larvae of Hermetia illucens (BSFL) is a relative new tool for the recovering of organic matrices, as agro-industrial by-products. The work describes first a regional project (HERMES) aimed at developing a biorefinery model based on the on the activity of larvae of H. illucens. The project intends to exploit: i) the residue of the rearing as well as of the bioconversion process to produce substrate for soil conditioning; ii) the exuvias, dead adults and mature larvae as source of chitin, fatty acids, and proteins. The second part of the work reports the results of a preliminary study on the use of tomato pomace as substrate for bioconversion. Tomato pomace (TP) collected from fruits of four tomato genotypes with modification of peel colour has been analysed in two substrate/diet ratio (SDR): 90:10 and 50:50. Preliminary results indicated that the metabolic activity of the larvae was influenced by the SDR and by the specific composition of the peels (e.g., the presence of different pigment). Germination test with aqueous extracts of the SDRs from the four genotypes did not affect the germination percentage. Notwithstanding the unbalanced composition against carbohydrates, TP may be considered an interesting substrate for composite diets for larvae of H. illucens, Proceedings of the 30th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 9-12 May 2022, Online, pp. 238-243

Ailanthus altissima, tree of heaven is an introduced tree species in Europe, Africa, South America and North America. Seeds were introduced from China to France in the middle of 1700s and in North America as an ornamental shade tree during the late 18th century from Europe. It is a serious threat to ecosystems in introduced areas, as the plant is very competitive through allelopathic chemicals that may inhibit growth of surrounding native plants. It has a complex of secondary chemicals that make it unpalatable to most of the phytophagous generalist arthropods. Management of this species has been very difficult because of its fast growth and production of root-suckers. Europe uses the classic approach using mechanical and chemical treatments which provide only short-term control, however, this usually exacerbates the problem. One potential agent for Ailanthus, the eriophyid mite Aculops mosoniensis (Acari: Eriophyoidea), has been already recorded in six European States: Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Austria, Croatia, Macedonia and Greece. Beside to the classic symptoms associated with the mite infestation (leaf rolling), an important impact has been recorded on the growth and the survival rate of young plants. In this work we are providing some life history data and we are describing the results of some impact bioassays carried out in field and laboratory conditions, comparing the effects of classic biological control alone and in combination with other management approaches.

The provision n° A6505/29-11-2010 of the Lazio Region Agricultural Department states that the plant material resulting from the felling of palms infested by RPW (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier) must be disinfested by heat treatment or fine mechanical chipping, ensuring that the resulting materials obtained are of a size smaller than 2 cm. This paper describes changes made on one machine chipper FARMI mod. FOREST CH260 for use in the cutting of trees and palm leaves in accordance with the above mentioned provision. The analyzes carried out on the plant material shredded, according to methodology UNI CEN/TS 15149-1 - 2006, show that 94,78% of the fragments is smaller than 16 mm and a water content of 52.5%. In all fragments of the material shredded at least one of the three dimensions was less than 2 cm. A mix of chipped stipes and leaves of palm tree was tested at ENEA facilities to evaluate the ability of RPW larvae to feed and survive on this substrate. Ten plastic containers (130 liters) were filled up with 26 kg each of chipped matter and infested with larvae grouped by weight into 3 classes ranged from < 0.15 g, 0.15 -;- 0.35 g and > 0.35 g till 2 cm (3 containers for each class and 1 as control; 30 larvae for each container). Containers, covered with a metallic net, were kept in an isolated chamber, controlling temperature in order to maintain the substrate around 30°C. The substrate was inspected at 45 dd after infestation. No survival was recorded on the larvae, indicating that chipping technique could be a suitable method to destroy infested palm avoiding potential risks of re-infestation from the disposal sites. © 2013, Copyright G. Sperandio et al.

The aim of this paper was to describe exhaustively, but concisely, the matter of the health technology assessment. It is a method of evaluating health technologies based on principles and tools of Evidence Based Medicine. We started from etymology to speak about its definition and implementation methodology. Moreover we guide the reader throughout the constellation of international societies of health technology assessment and the meaning of their international cooperation. Finally, we deal with the health technology assessment as a tool being an integral part of the clinical governance process.

Medical ethics is the science of survival. It studies the working out of judgments on right or wrong referred to the human being as a biological entity interacting with the whole ecosystem. Medical ethics in clinical research raises numerous moral and technical issues. Methodological aspects are essential for carrying out the aim of clinical research. Medical ethics documents are inspired by the Nuremberg Code and culminate in the recently updated Helsinki Declaration of 1964. In Italy 2 ministerial decrees in 1997 and 1998 laid the basis for the work of a medical ethics committee. They acknowledge the European Good Clinical Practice Guidelines and set professional needs within ethical committees. In clinical research the use of ionising radiation merits special consideration. In the recent past, serious human rights abuses in radiation experiments of the 1950s and 1960s have been found. As regards research in this field we can refer to the publication of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and to the report of the World Health Organi-sation (WHO). Legislative decree no. 187 of May 26, 2000, which transposed the 97/43/ EURATOM Directive represents the most comprehensive and recent normative reference to clinical research using ionising radiation. However, law no. 39 of March 1, 2002 is important for the partial modifications of previous decrees (art. 108 of L.D. no. 230 of March 17, 1995 and, art. 4 and attachment III of L.D. no. 187 of May 26). In this paper medical ethics, research, methodological issues and aspects of ionizing radiation are discussed.

The internet is a communication medium and content distributor that provide information in the general sense but it could be of great utility regarding as the search and retrieval of biomedical information. Search engines represent a great deal to rapidly find information on the net. However, we do not know whether general search engines and meta-search ones are reliable in order to find useful and validated biomedical information. The aim of our study was to verify the reproducibility of a search by key-words (pediatric or evidence) using 9 international search engines and 1 meta-search engine at the baseline and after a one year period. We analysed the first 20 citations as output of each searching. We evaluated the formal quality of Web-sites and their domain extensions. Moreover, we compared the output of each search at the start of this study and after a one year period and we considered as a criterion of reliability the number of Web-sites cited again. We found some interesting results that are reported throughout the text. Our findings point out an extreme dynamicity of the information on the Web and, for this reason, we advice a great caution when someone want to use search and meta-search engines as a tool for searching and retrieve reliable biomedical information. On the other hand, some search and meta-search engines could be very useful as a first step searching for defining better a search and, moreover, for finding institutional Web-sites too. This paper allows to know a more conscious approach to the internet biomedical information universe.

Exact renormalization group techniques are applied to the mass deformed N = 4 supersymmetric Yang{Mills theory, viewed as a regularized N = 2 model. The solution of the flow equation, in case of dominance of the potential term, reproduces the one-loop (perturbatively exact) expression for the eective action of N = 2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, when the regularizing mass, M, reaches the value of the dynamical cutoff. One speculates about the way in which further nonperturbative contributions (instanton eects) may be accounted for.

In 285 patients with prevesical ureteral stone and 247 with upper ureteral stone, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed with the Dornier MPL 9000 ultrasonographic targeting device. All these stones were treated "in situ" and without regional or general anaesthesia. At 3-month follow-up 96.8% of the patients treated for prevesical stone and 95.5% of those with upper ureteral stone were stone-free. ESWL was repeated once or twice in 99 cases; the average number of sessions was 1.2 for all patients (similar for prevesical and upper ureteral stones). Sparse use of ureteral stenting (6.2% of cases) did not seem to reduce the efficacy of ESWL or increase complications or need for retreatment. Intravenous fentanyl analgesia was given to 40.9% of the patients and intravenous infusion of a furosemide solution was employed in many cases to give adequate dilation of the urinary tract. In situ echo-guided ureteral ESWL is simple, safe and efficacious and can be the technique of choice for sonographically detectable ureteral stone.