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Recent studies have shown that ablation techniques have the potential to eradicate adrenal adenomas while preserving the functionalities of the adrenal gland and the surrounding anatomical structures. This study explores a new microwave ablation (MWA) approach operating at 5.8 GHz and using anatomical and dielectric characteristics of the target tissue to create directional heating patterns. Numerical simulations are executed in planar and 3D adrenal models, considering two energy doses. The numerical study is refined accounting for the vaporization of the tissue water content. Ex vivo experimental evaluations on porcine adrenal models complete the study. The numerical and experimental results show that spherical ablation zones are able to cover the target for both energy doses considered. Nonetheless, most of the non-targeted tissues can be preserved from excessive heating when low energy level is used. Numerical models accounting for water vaporization are capable to foresee the experimental temperature values. This study shows that the proposed MWA directional approach operating at 5.8 GHz can be considered for creating effective and selective ablation zones.

Additional file 1: Tables S1: Demographics, clinical baseline characteristics, therapy and cause of death of COVID-19 patients.

Theoretische Annahmen und Forschungsstand Die Gegenstandskonzeption ergibt sich aus einer Überschneidung unterschiedlicher Annahmen: Schülervorstellungen, politische Werthaltungen und Werturteile sind dabei gleichermaßen von Bedeutung. Politische Werthaltungen haben fachdidaktische Relevanz als erfahrungsbasierte Schülervorstellungen und werden nicht als explizierbare Einstellungen, sondern als implizites Wissen verstanden. Ein politisches Werturteil liegt hingegen auf einer expliziten Ebene (Bohnsack 2010). Werthaltungen werden als ein Bestandteil eines Werturteils angenommen. Forschung zu politischen Werturteilen auf einer impliziten Ebene sind weitestgehend ein Desiderat in der Politikdidaktik (Petrik 2011, S. 71). Durch die Rekonstruktion von politischen Werthaltungen mit der Dokumentarischen Methode ist diese Arbeit vor allem an Forschungen von Schelle (1995), Asbrand (2009), Thormann (2012), Winckler (2017) und Petrik (2013) anschlussfähig. Erkenntnisinteresse I. Wie verhalten sich die Schülerinnen und Schüler in Gruppendiskussionen und in Einzelarbeit zu einer Werturteilsaufgabe? II. Welche impliziten Werthaltungen lassen sich aus den Urteilen rekonstruieren? In welchem Verhältnis stehen explizite Werturteile und implizite Werthaltungen? III. Auf welche Wissensbestände greifen die Schülerinnen und Schüler bei der Bearbeitung zurück? Forschungsdesign In dem Forschungsprojekt wurden 36 Schülertexte und fünf Gruppendiskussionen an Gymnasien in Nordrhein-Westfahlen erhoben, mit der dokumentarischen Methode ausgewertet (vgl. Bohnsack 2014) und trianguliert (vgl. Helsper u.a. 2013). Dabei wurde ein Stimulus in Anlehnung an das Entscheidungsurteil (Detjen 2013) gewählt. Ergebnisse Die Studie liefert Erkenntnisse über den Zusammenhang von (Alltags-)Erfahrungen und der subjektiven Auseinandersetzung mit einer politischen Werturteilsfrage. Aus den Schülertexten konnten drei Metatypen von Werturteilen auf der expliziten Wissensebene hergeleitet und vier dokumentarische Typen von impliziten Werthaltungen rekonstruiert werden. Die Werturteile auf einer formulierenden Ebene orientieren sich an den Urteilskriterien Effektivität und Legitimität (Massing 2003). Darin drückt sich u.a. die Leistungsdimension einer schulischen Handlungspraxis aus. Auf einer impliziten Ebene konnten vier Typen von Werthaltungen rekonstruiert werden: Typ A, „Die Abwehrenden“, umkreist das Problem und zeigt eine ablehnende Haltung gegenüber Geflüchteten. Typ B, „Die Sachlichen“, orientiert sich an einer Sachzwanglogik und versteht politisches Handeln als vorstrukturiert. Typ C, „Die Pragmatischen“, befindet sich in einem Dilemma, weil die Orientierung zu helfen aufgrund der administrativen Gegebenheiten nicht umgesetzt werden kann. Typ D, „Die Empathischen“, zeigt sich sehr emotionalisiert und lehnt einen vorurteilsbeladenen Mehrheitsdiskurs ab. Jugendliche dieses Typs sehen als Lösung für die gelungene Aufnahme Geflüchteter Empathie und Perspektivübernahme. In den Gruppendiskussionen werden, im Gegensatz zu den Texten, zudem die erfahrungsbasierten Wissensbestände deutlich. Sie lassen sich systematisieren in Medien, Verknüpfung mit der eigenen Identität als Jugendlicher mit Migrationshintergrund, persönlicher Kontakt, Schule, Politikunterricht, Narrativ und Familie., The conception of the research topic results from the overlap of various assumptions that are of equal importance: student perceptions, political values, and value judgments. Political values are didactically relevant as experience-based student perceptions. They are not understood as explicit attitudes, but rather as implicit knowledge. The political value judgment, however, exists on an explicit level (Bohnsack 2010), and values are understood as part of the value judgment. Research on political value judgments at an implicit level is primarily a desideratum in civic education (Petrik 2011, p. 71). Reconstructing political values using the documentary method, this dissertation continues the research of Schelle (1995), Asbrand (2009), Thormann (2012), Petrik (2013), and Winckler (2017). Research questions I. How do students behave in group discussions and individual work when given a value judgment task? II. Which implicit values can be reconstructed from their judgments? How do explicit value judgments and implicit values relate to each other? III. What kind of existing knowledge do the students use to work on these tasks? Research design In this research project 36 student texts were evaluated and five group discussions were conducted at high schools (Gymnasien) in North Rhine-Westphalia, which were analyzed with the documentary method (cf. Bohnsack 2014) and subsequently triangulated (cf. Helsper et al. 2013). In this regard, one stimulus was chosen in reference to the Entscheidungsurteil (decision judgment) (Detjen 2013). Results The study provides insights into the connection of (everyday) experiences and the subjective examination of a political value judgment question. Three meta types of judgment values on the explicit knowledge level as well as four documentary types of implicit judgment values could be derived from the student texts. The value judgments on an expressive level are based on the judgment criteria of effectiveness and legitimacy (Massing 2003), which is an expression of the performance dimension of a school practice. Four types of values could be reconstructed on an implicit level: Type A, “the defensive“, circles the problem and shows a hostile attitude towards refugees. Type B, “the objective“, is orientated towards an inherent necessity logic and understands political actions as pre-structured. Type C, “the pragmatic“, faces a dilemma, as their willingness to help is prevented by administrative circumstances. Type D, “the empathic“, is very emotionalized and rejects the prejudicial discourse of the majority. Adolescents of this type understand empathy and perspective-taking as the requirement for a successful intake of refugees. In contrast to the student texts, the group discussions also reveal experience-based knowledge. This knowledge base can be categorized in media, linked with the own identity as an adolescent with an immigration background, personal contacts, school, political education, narratives, and family.

The different pathologies of an administrative provision reverberate in the context of the configuration of the criminal case. The pathology of the administrative act presents critical profiles that relate to the controversial relationship between non-existence, annulability and nullity, as well as the consequences deriving from the non-total overlap between invalidity and ineffectiveness. The present research aims at identifying which role the administrative provision - accomplished by the public employee - performs in the configuration of the crimes of corruption, for the exercise of the function, bribery and undue induction to give or promise benefits as introduced or modified by the Law 190 of 2012, and what is the legal qualification of its pathology.

2011 - 2012, The enhancing waste productions, the change in its composition along with the widespread awareness of environmental issues have increased the technical interest towards the implementation of suitable waste management strategies. Aim of these strategies is the minimization of waste amount and hazardousness as well as the identification of correct treatment and disposal systems, reducing the environmental impact and enhancing the recovery of materials and energy. The implementation of an integrated waste management system represents the most suitable option to enhance waste recovery, thus reducing landfill disposal. In this context, the characterization of the materials subjected to recovery activities is a fundamental phase, because of the potential health and environmental risk connected to the reintroduction, in the cycle of matter, of waste substances, which are potentially harmful. Into consideration of these problems, the research was aimed at: identifying innovative methods for material recovery from waste; studying and promoting the implementation of the most appropriate characterization procedures, in order to minimize the risk associated with the products of recovery activities. According to the different characteristics of waste, the experimental activity was carried out with reference to two different matrixes: a source sorted cellulosic material; an organic fraction coming from the mechanical selection of unsorted waste. The identification of non-conventional recovery solutions is, indeed, particularly interesting, for both cellulosic material and mechanically sorted organic waste. In the former case, the reason is related to the uncertain prospects of the pulp market, so that its use for litter production was proposed. On the other hand, the possible use of the mechanically selected organic fraction represents one of the most important issues due to the its high content of impurities, which limits its recovery. For this matrix, the use as landfill daily cover material was proposed. [edited by author], XI n.s.

Maurizio Paci, Nazzareno Capitanio, Giovanni Antonini

Most patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 display mild symptoms with good prognosis, while 20% of patients suffer from severe viral pneumonia and up to 5% may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission due to severe acute respiratory syndrome, which could be accompanied by multiorgan failure.Plasma proteomics provide valuable and unbiased information about disease progression and therapeutic candidates. Recent proteomic studies have identified molecular changes in plasma of COVID-19 patients that implied significant dysregulation of several aspects of the inflammatory response accompanied by a general metabolic suppression. However, which of these plasma alterations are associated with disease severity remains only partly characterized.A known limitation of proteomic studies of plasma samples is the large difference in the macromolecule abundance, with concentration spanning at least 10 orders of magnitude. To improve the coverage of plasma contents, we performed a deep proteomic analysis of plasma from 10 COVID-19 patients with severe/fatal pneumonia compared to 10 COVID-19 patients with pneumonia who did not require ICU admission (non-ICU). To this aim, plasma samples were first depleted of the most abundant proteins, trypsin digested and peptides subjected to a high pH reversed-phase peptide fractionation before LC–MS analysis.These results highlighted an increase of proteins involved in neutrophil and platelet activity and acute phase response, which is significantly higher in severe/fatal COVID-19 patients when compared to non-ICU ones. Importantly, these changes are associated with a selective induction of complement cascade factors in severe/fatal COVID-19 patients. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD036491. Among these alterations, we confirmed by ELISA that higher levels of the neutrophil granule proteins DEFA3 and LCN2 are present in COVID-19 patients requiring ICU admission when compared to non-ICU and healthy donors.Altogether, our study provided an in-depth view of plasma proteome changes that occur in COVID-19 patients in relation to disease severity, which can be helpful to identify therapeutic strategies to improve the disease outcome.

Although current trends address towards prevention strategies, the organic fraction of municipal solid waste is greatly produced, especially in high-income contexts. Its recovery-oriented collection is a common practice, but a relevant portion of the biodegradable waste is not source selected. Mechanical and biological treatments (MBT) are the most common option to sort and stabilize the biodegradable matter ending in residual waste stream. Following the changes of the framework around waste management, this paper aimed at analyzing the quality of the mechanically selected organic waste produced in MBT plants, in order to discuss its recovery options. The material performance was obtained by its composition as well as by its main chemical and physical parameters; biological stability was also assessed by both aerobic and anaerobic methods. On this basis, the effectiveness of an aerobic biostabilization process was assessed at pilot scale. After 21 days of treatment, results proved that the biomass had reached an acceptable biostabilization level, with a potential Dynamic Respirometric Index (DRIP) value lower than the limit required for its use as daily or final landfill cover material. However, the final stabilization level was seen to be influenced by scaling factors and the 21 days of treatment turned to be not so adequate when applied in the existing full-scale facility.

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy (sin. Haynaldia villosa) is an annual wild diploid grass species (2n = 2x = 14; genome VV) belonging to the Poaceae family, which is considered to be an important source of biotic and abiotic stress resistance genes for wheat breeding. Enhanced characterization of D. villosum chromosomes can facilitate exploitation of its gene pool and its use in wheat breeding programs. Here we present the cytogenetic identification of D. villosum chromosomes on slide by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), with the GAA simple sequence repeat (SSR) as a probe. We also describe the isolation and the flow cytometric analysis of D. villosum chromosomes in suspension, resulting in a distinguished flow karyotype. Chromosomes were flow sorted into three fractions, according their DNA content, one of which was composed of a single type of chromosome, namely 6 V, sorted with over 85% purity. Chromosome 6 V is known to carry genes to code for important resistance and seed storage characteristics, and its isolation represents a new source of genetic traits and specific markers useful for wheat improvement.