ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIM: To compare the microscopic, macroscopic and thermal damage inflicted to ovarian tissue by conventional monopolar and bipolar energy, argon plasma coagulation (APC) and diode laser. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bovine ovaries were used as a substitute for human tissue and subjected to the four aforementioned techniques and the inflicted damage was measured. Sixty fresh and morphologically similar cadaveric bovine ovaries were divided into five equal groups, each group was subjected to one of the following energy applications for both 1 and 5 s: Monopolar, bipolar electrocoagulation, diode laser, preciseAPC® and forcedAPC® Ovarian temperatures were measured at 4 and 8 s after treatment. Formalin-fixed ovarian specimens were examined by pathologists regarding macroscopic, microscopic and thermal tissue damage. RESULTS: None of the ovaries reached the temperature producing severe damage (40°C) after 1 s of energy transfer. Heating of adjacent ovarian tissue was least pronounced when preciseAPC® and monopolar electrocoagulation were applied (27.2±3.3°C and 28.2±2.9°C after 5 s of application, respectively). Conversely, 41.7% of the ovaries subjected to bipolar electrocoagulation for 5 s overheated. ForcedAPC® resulted in the most pronounced lateral tissue defects (2.8±0.3 mm after 1 s and 4.7±0.6 mm after 5 s). When the modalities were applied for 5 s, the electrosurgical instruments (mono- and bipolar) and preciseAPC® induced similar lateral tissue damage (1.3±0.6 mm, 1.1±1.6 mm and 1.2±1.3 mm, respectively). preciseAPC® created the shallowest defect of all the techniques (0.05±0.1 mm after 5 s of application). CONCLUSION: Our study hints at superior safety profiles of preciseAPC® and monopolar electrocoagulation compared to bipolar electrocoagulation, diode laser and forcedAPC® for ovarian laparoscopic surgery.
Subject(s)
Laparoscopy , Plasma Gases , Animals , Cattle , Humans , Lasers, Semiconductor/adverse effects , Electrocoagulation/adverse effects , FormaldehydeABSTRACT
According to the EU Circular Economy Package, recycling of plastic packaging waste (PPW) has to be enhanced significantly by 2025 and 2030. Although a set of measures will be required along the whole value chain of plastic packaging, the process of separate collection remains the backbone. Hence, a detailed understanding of the performance of current separate collection systems is crucial. As a case study, the separate collection of PPW was analyzed within a single country, Austria, where a variety of collection procedures are implemented. By using the method of material flow analysis, separate collection rates in terms of quantities and qualities were analyzed for separate collection systems of different settlement patterns, target fractions, and service levels provided. Results show that the highest performance was achieved in systems that cover mainly rural areas and where all plastic packaging wastes are collected through curbside collection, with separate collection rates of 74-77%. With additional collection via collection centers, these values increased to 78%-83%. In comparison, the results for urban areas showed the lowest separate collection rate of 56%. In the case that separate collection targeted plastic bottles only, maximum collection rates of around 50 % were observed, with the tendency towards higher collection rates if co-mingled with metals. To enhance separate collection, a general shift to the target fraction "all plastic packaging" instead of "plastic bottles only" is crucial. Modelling of optimized collection systems in all Austrian regions would lead to a theoretical total separation collection rate of 74%.
Subject(s)
Plastics , Urbanization , Austria , Product Packaging , Systems AnalysisABSTRACT
The thymectomy specimens from the "thymectomy trial in non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis patients receiving prednisone therapy" (MGTX) underwent rigid and comprehensive work-up, which permits analysis of the spatial distribution of histological and immunohistological features. This analysis revealed strong intra- and inter-case variability. While many histological features (e.g. median percent fat content among different specimens) can easily be correlated with clinical parameters, intra-case spatial variability of histological features has yet defied quantification and statistical evaluation. To overcome this gap in digital pathology, we here propose intra-case entropy of measured histological features in all available slides of a given thymectomy specimen as a quantitative marker of spatial histological heterogeneity. Calculation of entropy led to one value per specimen and histological feature. Through these 'entropy values' the so far neglected degree of spatial histological heterogeneity could be fed into statistical analyses, extending the scope of clinico-pathological correlations.
Subject(s)
Lymphadenopathy/pathology , Myasthenia Gravis/pathology , Prednisone/administration & dosage , Thymectomy , Adult , Aged , Entropy , Female , Humans , Lymphadenopathy/drug therapy , Lymphadenopathy/surgery , Male , Middle Aged , Myasthenia Gravis/drug therapy , Myasthenia Gravis/surgery , Prednisone/adverse effects , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Immunohistochemical analysis of cellular interactions in the bone marrow in situ is demanding, due to its heterogeneous cellular composition, the poor delineation and overlap of functional compartments and highly complex immunophenotypes of several cell populations (e.g. regulatory T-cells) that require immunohistochemical marker sets for unambiguous characterization. To overcome these difficulties, we herein present an approach to describe objects (e.g. cells, bone trabeculae) by a scalar field that can be propagated through registered images of serial histological sections. METHODS: The transformation of objects within images (e.g. cells) to a scalar field was performed by convolution of the object's centroids with differently formed radial basis function (e.g. for direct or indirect spatial interaction). On the basis of such a scalar field, a summation field described distributed objects within an image. RESULTS: After image registration i) colocalization analysis could be performed on basis scalar field, which is propagated through registered images, and - due to the shape of the field - were barely prone to matching errors and morphological changes by different cutting levels; ii) furthermore, depending on the field shape the colocalization measurements could also quantify spatial interaction (e.g. direct or paracrine cellular contact); ii) the field-overlap, which represents the spatial distance, of different objects (e.g. two cells) could be calculated by the histogram intersection. CONCLUSIONS: The description of objects (e.g. cells, cell clusters, bone trabeculae etc.) as a field offers several possibilities: First, co-localization of different markers (e.g. by immunohistochemical staining) in serial sections can be performed in an automatic, objective and quantifiable way. In contrast to multicolour staining (e.g. 10-colour immunofluorescence) the financial and technical requirements are fairly minor. Second, the approach allows searching for different types of spatial interactions (e.g. direct and indirect cellular interaction) between objects by taking field shape into account (e.g. thin vs. broad). Third, by describing spatially distributed groups of objects as summation field, it gives cluster definition that relies rather on the bare object distance than on the modelled spatial cellular interaction.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/pathology , Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods , Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods , HumansABSTRACT
Este artículo son las partes más importantes de la ponencia del autor en el último seminario de la ISWA que se realizó en junio en Buenos Aires. Explica la situación de la gestión de residuos en Austria y Alemania, dos países avanzados en esta materia
Subject(s)
Organization and Administration , Community Participation , Solid Waste , Solid Waste VolumeABSTRACT
Este artículo son las partes más importantes de la ponencia del autor en el último seminario de la ISWA que se realizó en junio en Buenos Aires. Explica la situación de la gestión de residuos en Austria y Alemania, dos países avanzados en esta materia
Subject(s)
Solid Waste , Solid Waste Volume , Community Participation , Organization and AdministrationABSTRACT
El autor sostiene que la comunidad profesional está entendiendo cada vez más su función y responsabilidad para, al manejar los residuos sólidos, tener en cuenta la reducción del impacto ambiental, pero que aun el sistema es complejo. El alcance de este sistema integral va más alla de las funciones familiares de la recolección, transporte, recuperaación, reciclaje, tratamiento y disposición final de residuos. La producción, comercio y consumidores están muy conectados con el manejo de los residuos. La reglamentación reciente en Europa sirve como buen ejemplo y la necesidad de mercados para los reciclables muestra estrecha dependencia. Las autoridades, los medios y el público son nuevos socios que necesitan ser atendidos. Afirma que no hay recolección por separado sin la participación pública, ni plantas de tratamiento de residuos sin la aceptación del público
Subject(s)
Sanitary Landfill , Solid Waste Collection , Congress , Refuse Disposal , Organization and Administration , Community Participation , Solid Waste , Thermic TreatmentABSTRACT
El autor sostiene que la comunidad profesional está entendiendo cada vez más su función y responsabilidad para, al manejar los residuos sólidos, tener en cuenta la reducción del impacto ambiental, pero que aun el sistema es complejo. El alcance de este sistema integral va más alla de las funciones familiares de la recolección, transporte, recuperaación, reciclaje, tratamiento y disposición final de residuos. La producción, comercio y consumidores están muy conectados con el manejo de los residuos. La reglamentación reciente en Europa sirve como buen ejemplo y la necesidad de mercados para los reciclables muestra estrecha dependencia. Las autoridades, los medios y el público son nuevos socios que necesitan ser atendidos. Afirma que no hay recolección por separado sin la participación pública, ni plantas de tratamiento de residuos sin la aceptación del público
