Percutaneous ablation holds the potential to substitute for surgery as first choice treatment for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules.

Sir,We read with interest the letter by Tez M. regarding our article recently published in International Journal of Hyperthermia entitled "Benign thyroid nodules treatment using percutaneous laser ..

Is operators' experience more important than the ablation technique in image-guided thermal ablations?

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Hotel Selection: The Evaluation of Competitive Alternatives and Their Impact on Guests’ Service Expectations

The analysis of the factors that affect the hotel selection by guests is an interesting area of research with important managerial implications. Customers rarely focus their evaluations and build their expectations on a single hotel property. Consequently, a key factor is to understand how customers perceive the quality of services’ attributes and which is their importance and performance when compared with other competitors. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of a few competitive issues considered during the hotel’s selection and affecting the expected service. The results of the paper show that Psychological factors, Marketing communications and word of mouth, Hotel product and services and Price have positive and statistically significant influence on expectations. Competitors’ offers and actions have no significant impact on expectations in this first step. Further research is needed to better explore this last factor

Mediterranean habitat loss under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate change projections - Assessing impacts on the Natura 2000 protected area network

This report describes the main findings of Task 10, Mediterranean habitat loss, of the PESETA III project (Climate Impacts and Adaptation in Europe, focusing on Extremes, Adaptation and the 2030s). Using an approach that integrates results from 11 sectors, the main objective of the PESETA III project is to make a consistent multi-sectorial assessment of the projected impacts of climate change in Europe The Mediterranean region is one of the 36 global hotspots of biological diversity [1] and the most rich biodiversity region in Europe. Almost half of the plants and animals and more than half of the habitats listed in the EU Habitats Directive [2] occur in the Mediterranean region. However, this reservoir of biodiversity is threatened by climate-driven habitat loss, which is one of the most serious concerns for this region [3]. The aim of this study is first to assess projected changes in the spatial range of the Mediterranean climate domain (MCD) in Europe and its conversion into arid domain (ACD) under scenarios of climate change, and second to assess Natura 2000 sites that will be affected by these changes. We used 11 bias-adjusted Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations for two representative concentration pathways’ scenarios at +4.5 W/m2 (RCP4.5) and +8.5 W/m2 (RCP8.5) for three periods: 2030s, 2° C warming and 2080s. Furthermore, we analysed adaptation options and its estimated economic cost in Mediterranean Natura 2000 protected areas.JRC.D.1-Bio-econom

EU-Trees4F, a dataset on the future distribution of European tree species

We present "EU-Trees4F", a dataset of current and future potential distributions of 67 tree species in Europe at 10 km spatial resolution. We provide both climatically suitable future areas of occupancy and the future distribution expected under a scenario of natural dispersal for two emission scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) and three time steps (2035, 2065, and 2095). Also, we provide a version of the dataset where tree ranges are limited by future land use. These data-driven projections were made using an ensemble species distribution model calibrated using EU-Forest, a comprehensive dataset of tree species occurrences for Europe, and driven by seven bioclimatic parameters derived from EURO-CORDEX regional climate model simulations, and two soil parameters. "EU-Trees4F", can benefit various research fields, including forestry, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and bio-economy. Possible applications include the calibration or benchmarking of dynamic vegetation models, or informing forest adaptation strategies based on assisted tree migration. Given the multiple European policy initiatives related to forests, this dataset represents a timely and valuable resource to support policymaking.Peer reviewe

Laser and radiofrequency ablations for benign and malignant thyroid tumors.

A growing body of evidence is being published regarding the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive image-guided ablation techniques. While clinical applications of these techniques are increasing, international societies have started to publish treatment guidelines and to make efforts to standardize both terminology and reporting criteria for image-guided thyroid ablations. Laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are among the most common ablation techniques either for benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Unlike laser ablation and RFA in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules, where safety and efficacy have been widely demonstrated, evidence regarding local tumor control of thyroid malignancies is still limited. However, preliminary results are encouraging and image-guided thermal ablation techniques can be considered a valid alternative to surgery for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules and recurrent thyroid cancers. This review evaluates the basic concept of RFA and laser ablations, their techniques, clinical outcomes, and complications based on the suggestions of several society guidelines. Multidisciplinary collaboration remains critical to identify patients which may benefit from minimally invasive image-guided thermal ablations, especially if surgery or radioiodine therapy are not feasible options

Real-Time US-CT fusion imaging for guidance of thermal ablation in of renal tumors invisible or poorly visible with US: results in 97 cases

Purpose To assess the capability of ultrasound-computed tomography (US-CT) fusion imaging to guide a precise targeting of renal tumors invisible or poorly visible with US Materials and methods From 2016 renal tumors poorly visible or inconspicuous/invisible at US were treated at our institution with the guidance of US/CT fusion in a room equipped with CT scanner. Feasibility of the procedure, accuracy of targeting, complications, and technique efficacy were evaluated. Results Of 227 patients treated from 2016 to March 2020, 91 patients (65 males and 26 females, mean age 68.5 ± 10.1 years) with 97 renal lesions (mean maximum diameter 21.6 ± 9.4 mm) inconspicuous/invisible (29/97, 29.9%) or poorly visible (68/97, 70.1%) at US underwent treatment under US-CT fusion guidance. US-CT fusion imaging guidance was always technically feasible and enabled correct targeting in 97/97/(100%) of cases. Technical success was achieved in 93/97 lesions (95.9%). Three lesions were retreated during the same ablative session, while 1 was retreated in a subsequent session. Thus, primary efficacy was achieved in one session in 96/97 (98.9%) cases and secondary efficacy in 97/97 (100%) cases Conclusion US-CT image fusion guidance allows for a correct tumor targeting of renal tumors poorly visible or inconspicuous/invisible with US alone, with a high rate of technical success and technique efficacy

image guided ablations for thyroid tumours

Image guided ablations might be regarded as a promising effective and safe alternative for treatment of recurrent thyroid cancer in particular in patients with high surgical risk or refusing surgery. Furthermore, image guided ablations seems to represent a promising alternative to surgery or observation for micropapillary thyroid carcinoma, with the aim of providing an effective treatment with minimal invasiveness. Further studies are necessary to confirm the role in this settin