Prospective comparison of loop excision under colposcopic guidance versus vitom guidance

Background: Aim of the study was to compare the quality of loop excision using a colposcope with results using the VITOM system. Results compared included cervical volume removed, intra- and postoperative complications, and positive resection margins. Methods: A total of 200 patients with histologically confirmed high-grade cervical premalignant lesions, persistent atypical cytological results and/or suspicious colposcopic findings, and cytological and histological discrepancies were included in the study. In transformation zone type 1 (T1) only a superficial cone biopsy was done, in zones type 2 and 3 (T2 and T3) a superficial outside cone biopsy or a deeper inside cone biopsy were done respectively, followed by endocervical curettage. Volume of removed tissue, complications, and positive resection margins were compared for the colposcopy and the VITOM groups. Findings: Demographic and reproductive features were similar between groups. In the VITOM group 49% of patients had zone T1, 30% had zone T2, and 21% had zone T3. In the group of patients managed by colposcopy, 48, 45, and 7% of patients had zone T1, T2 and T3 zone, respectively (p0.05). There were no significant differences in the type of procedure or the mean volume of removed tissue. Results were similar for both groups with respect to positive resection margins and complications. Conclusion: VITOM is a safe and reliable system. Results using the VITOM system are comparable to those obtained with conventional colposcopy. The potential advantage of VITOM is the broader availability of endoscopic systems in the operating theatre. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Preparation and Electrical Properties of Sr-Doped LaFeO3 Thin-Film Conversion Coatings for Solid Oxide Cell Steel Interconnect Applications

A study was conducted to explore the effects of Sr doping on the electrical properties of perovskite LaFeO3 thin-film protective conversion coatings grown onto a K41 ferritic stainless steel, a typical interconnect material for intermediate temperature solid oxide cell (SOC) applications. The Sr-doped coatings were prepared in La2 O3-and SrO-containing molten carbonate baths with minor added amounts of nitrate salt for accelerated coating formation. For comparison purposes, undoped coatings were obtained using the same carbonate bath, with the only difference being that SrO was replaced by inert MgO. SEM/EDX and XRD analyses were used for coating characterization and confirmed the effective incorporation of Sr but not of Mg into the LaFeO3 layer. Although both the Sr-doped and undoped coatings consisted of a LaFeO3 layer grown above an inner Fe-Cr spinel, the coating thickness of the Sr-doped coating was distinctly higher, approximately 2 μm, which is twice that of the undoped coating. Electrical measurements in terms of Area-Specific Resistance (ASR) were conducted at 700◦ C in air and showed that Sr-doping significantly improved the electrical conductivity of the coated K41 steel. Due to the Sr-doping, the ASR values of the coated steel dropped from 60 to 37 mΩ cm2 after 300 h of exposure, in spite of the higher Sr-doped coating thickness. The study concludes that Sr-doped thin-film perovskite coatings appear to be a promising solution for improved SOCs steel interconnect stability at intermediate temperatures

HAS THE RECOLONIZATION OF THE PO PLAIN BEGUN? UPDATES REGARDING THE PRESENCE OF THE EURASIAN OTTER (Lutra lutra) IN NORTH-EASTERN ITALY

Widespread in Italy in the early 1900s, the Eurasian otter subsequently underwent a dramatic decline that led to its local extinction in many administrative regions, with the exception of a small residual nucleus in southern Italy. For a few years now, the Austrian and Slovenian populations adjacent to north-eastern Italy have been increasing sharply, leading to a recolonization of the area by the species. During 2020, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, surveys of signs of presence were carried out in 48 grid cells (10 x 10 km) to update information on the species’ local distribution. The following monitoring methods were used: monitoring beneath bridges combined with transects along water courses. 17 grid cells tested positive for the presence of the species, and currently, the otter appears widely distributed in Friuli Venezia Giulia along the main waterways of the Eastern Alps and Prealps, and in some areas overlooking the plain of the Tagliamento and the transborder Isonzo-Soča basin, both included in the Po plain. These constitute the first observations of the species for more than 50 years. Compared to previous studies, 13 new grid cells involving the presence of otters were identified, including in lowland areas, suggesting a progressive expansion from the mountain ranges towards the Po-Venetian Plain. This represents, a spur to expand research and implement new studies to improve levels of knowledge about and the consequent protection of the species. Finally, the integration of transects along riverbanks to monitoring beneath bridges, allowed us both to collect numerous observation and to compare our results with previous studies

Analysing the performance of MCECs over a wide range of operating temperatures

Hydrogen production through water electrolysis has gained significant attention in the past years as a means of tackling the problem of the imbalance between the intermittent rate of electricity production from renewable sources and the continuous electricity demand from end users. Recently, much of the effort has been shifted toward the electrolysis of steam rather than water, for example in solid oxide cells, which operate at temperatures around 800°C. In this manner, part of the energy required for the conversion to hydrogen is provided as heat rather than electricity. At the same time, the high temperature levels require the use of highly resistant materials, which increase the overall cost of the process. An interesting alternative is represented by molten carbonate electrolysis cells (MCECs), operating at temperatures well below 700°C. In the present work, a molten carbonate cell was operated in a lower temperature range (490-550°C) by changing the composition of the electrolyte mixture. The data obtained, along with experimental results at higher temperature (570-650°C) available in the literature, was analyzed using a 0D model accounting for Ohmic and activation overpotentials to determine the correlation between current and potential. It was found that, while the dependence of Ohmic losses on temperatures is discontinuous when cell operation is switched from the lower to the higher temperature range, activation losses vary with continuity. This result provides important insight on the performance of MCECs that can serve as a basis for future studies

Protective Coatings for Ferritic Stainless Steel Interconnect Materials in High Temperature Solid Oxide Electrolyser Atmospheres

Stainless steel interconnect materials used in solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers need to be coated to improve oxidation resistance and to mitigate Cr-vaporization. This work aimed to explore the optimal steel/coating combinations suitable for use in reversible solid oxide stacks and evaluated (Co,Mn)3O4 spinel, LaFeO3 perovskite, Ce/Co and Y-based coatings, on AISI441 and Crofer 22 APU steels. The coatings were evaluated based on measurements of mass gain and oxide scale thickness after exposure at 700 and 800 °C to fuel side (90 vol.% H2O/10 vol.% H2) and air/ox-ygen side (pure O2) atmospheres. In pure O2, the most efficient coatings for limiting oxide scale formation and Cr evaporation, compared to the bare steel, were (Co,Mn)3O4 and CeCo on Crofer 22 APU. In 90 vol.% H2O/10 vol.% H2, the Y-based coating showed the largest improvement in oxidation resistance

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 4

In this contribution, new data concerning the Italian distribution of alien vascular flora are presented. It includes new records and exclusions for Italy or for Italian administrative regions of taxa in the genera Cedrus, Cenchrus, Citrus, Cyrtomium, Diospyros, Elaeagnus, Erigeron, Iris, Oenothera, Pavonia, Phytolacca, Styphnolobium, and Verbena. Furthermore, a new combination in the genus Amaranthus is proposed

Trophic Interactions Are Key to Understanding the Effects of Global Change on the Distribution and Functional Role of the Brown Bear

Biotic interactions are expected to influence species' responses to global changes, but they are rarely considered across broad spatial extents. Abiotic factors are thought to operate at larger spatial scales, while biotic factors, such as species interactions, are considered more important at local scales within communities, in part because of the knowledge gap on species interactions at large spatial scales (i.e., the Eltonian shortfall). We assessed, at a continental scale, (i) the importance of biotic interactions, through food webs, on species distributions, and (ii) how biotic interactions under scenarios of climate and land-use change may affect the distribution of the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We built a highly detailed, spatially dynamic, and empirically sampled food web based on the energy contribution of 276 brown bear food species from different taxa (plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates) and their ensemble habitat models at high resolution across Europe. Then, combining energy contribution and predicted habitat of food species, we modelled energy contribution across space and included these layers within Bayesian-based models of the brown bear distribution in Europe. The inclusion of biotic interactions considerably improved our understanding of brown bear distribution at large (continental) scales compared with Bayesian models including only abiotic factors (climate and land use). Predicted future range shifts, which included changes in the distribution of food species, varied greatly when considering various scenarios of change in biotic factors, providing a warning that future indirect climate and land-use change are likely to have strong but highly uncertain impacts on species biogeography. Our study confirmed that advancing our understanding of ecological networks of species interactions will improve future projections of biodiversity change, especially for modelling species distributions and their functional role under climate and land-use change scenarios, which is key for effective conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services