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The aim of this study was to identify features mainly involved in determining the partial response (PR) to the Electrochemotherapy (ECT) in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck (HN) tumor; the identified features were also used in a decision chart in order to provide the clinician with a support tool in deciding further therapies.131 patients (186 treatment sessions) with recurrent and/or metastatic HN neoplasm were subjected to ECT. Treatment response was evaluated based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v. 1.1 two months after the ECT. The grade of bleeding and pain before, at the end and one week after ECT treatment were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify features involved in determining the patient PR.In the context of the univariate analysis, tumor size significantly influenced the response to ECT, with higher PR rate of 58.3%: 28 among 48 patients with lesion size ≤ 3 centimeters (p-value0.001 at Chi-square test). Pain and bleeding pre-treatment were positively correlated to PR (p-value0.001 at Chi-square test). A difference in the current flowing in the tissue during treatment was also observed in partially responsive patients, where the median current value (6.6 A) was higher than that achieved in patients that did not show PR (3.3 A). In the context of the multivariate analysis, the best performances are achieved with the BART method (accuracy of 84%). The main clinical factors to predict the partial response, among investigated features, that have shown to be considered were the pain value felt before performing the treatment and the median current delivered during the ECT treatment. A decision-making support tool to predict the patient prognosis in terms of response rate could be represented by the decision tree obtained with CART algorithm, where a pain pre-treatment more than 5 and a median delivered current not less than 2.8 A led to the prediction a partial responsive patient with an accuracy of 75%.The study confirmed that ECT is an interesting antitumoral therapy in advanced chemo- and radio-refractory HN neoplasms, able to reduce frequent symptoms and to improve the quality of life. Pain pre-treatment and delivered current are the most important variables when predicting the partial response of patients.

The interface formation of Nb-doped SrTiO₃ single crystals and (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ thin films with Pt has been studied by using photoelectron spectroscopy with in situ sample preparation. For the single crystal sample, a Schottky barrier height for electrons of 0.5–0.6 eV is determined after deposition of Pt in vacuum environment. After annealing in 0.05 Pa oxygen pressure, a strong increase in the barrier height to ≥1.2 eV is observed. X-ray induced photovoltages of up to 0.7 eV are observed in this case and have to be taken into account for a proper determination of the barrier height. A subsequent annealing in vacuum reduces the barrier again. Hence, the barrier height can be reversibly switched between an oxidized state with a large barrier height and a reduced state with a low barrier height. Quantitative analysis of the barrier heights indicates that the changes are related to the changes of interfacial defect concentration. Due to the occurrence of a Ti³⁺ related signal, the defects are identified as oxygen vacancies. The same effects are observed at interfaces between Pt and (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ thin films with a smaller absolute value of the barrier height in the oxidized state of ∼1 eV. Deposition of (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ onto a metallic Pt substrate also results in a barrier height of 1.0 eV.

Type of impaction and site of nerve are important risk factors of neurological damage following the lower third molar removal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the peripheral damage of lingual and lower alveolar nerves in relation to tooth angulation and radiographic proximity to the alveolar canal.Sixty-seven consecutive patients (41 women and 26 men, mean age 29.97+/-14.35 years) underwent lower wisdom teeth extraction and were clinically evaluated over a one year period, checking any evidence of peripheral damage of the lower alveolar or lingual nerves. Tooth angulation and presence or absence of spongy bone between the mandibular canal and the root apex were considered; so, the patients were assigned twice to two groups: G1A (third molar in axis); G2A (third molar angulated); G1B (third molar apex adjacent to the mandibular canal); G2B (spongy bone between root apex and canal). The extraction was carried out according to a standardised technique without raising and retracting of a lingual flap. The follow-up checks were at one week, 1, 3, 6, 12 months and until any problem was solved. Statistical analysis was carried out using chi2 test.A total of two cases of temporary damage to the lingual nerve (1 case in G1A and 1 in G2A; 2 cases in G2B) and 3 cases to the lower alveolar nerve (3 cases in G2A; 1 in G1B and 2 in G2B) were discovered. No statistical differences were found. Symptoms cleared up within a maximum period of 5 months.Tooth angulation and proximity to lower alveolar canal were not related to alveolar or lingual damage; the conservative surgical technique seems to be an important factor in preventing neurological complications.

Trismus may represent an external sign of masticatory or lateral pharyngeal abscess that in rare cases is the consequence of pathogen action by micro-organisms introduced in deep tissues after inferior alveolar block. The case presented shows a buccal-masseteric mycotic abscess following restorative procedure involving inferior alveolar anesthesia on the same side. A 49-year-old woman was referred to the Dental Clinic (University of Trieste) complaining of a progressive inability to open her mouth since one week associated to a hemifacial edema in the right parotid region. The symptoms initially started one week before. Infection developed after restorative procedures performed 10 days before on the same side. Based on clinical signs and cultural exam findings, a buccal-masseteric mycotic abscess was found and magnetic resonance (MR) was performed to assess its localization and extension. Initial pharmacological therapy with piperacillin/tazobactam administered intravenously, was replaced by appropriate antimycotic therapy on the basis of sensitivity test to antibiotics. Infection resolution was obtained but complete absence of facial asymmetry occurred after 5 months only. Introduction of micro-organisms during anesthetic alveolar block is a documented source of infection and may occur after dental procedure involving inferior alveolar anesthesia. Complete medical history, cultural exam with sensitivity test to antibiotics and RM or computed tomography (CT) images, are necessary to perform an adequate treatment plan and to administer a correct therapy. Presence of trismus, accompanied by pain or facial edema after dental procedure or during dental or perioral infections has to be carefully considered by clinician to diagnose as soon as possible a deep spaces infection and to avoid serious or life-threatening complications.

A lack of information exists about the influence of different implant abutment materials on bacterial colonization and its role in the development of perimplantar infections. In order to study these aspects, removable acrylic devices, harboring samples of titanium and novel ceramic abutments (Nobel Biocare) were adapted to the molar-premolar region in 2 mandibular quadrants of 4 volunteers. Samples of each material were collected at 6 and 24 h, 7 and 14 days. Samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy and bacterial counts were made by means of ATP detection and direct plate count. The electron micrographs demonstrated that the bacteria colonization was already present after 6 h of presence in the oral cavity. After 24 h, both the materials were covered by several layers of bacterial cells. No differences in microbial colonization were observed between titanium and ceramic samples. The microbiological analysis confirmed the presence of relevant amounts of microbial cells on the tested samples. The maximum of colonization was achieved after 24 h in the oral cavity and the bacterial counts remained constant over the 14 day period. No significant differences were observed between the two materials analyzed in this study. In addition, ATP-bioluminescence technology was demonstrated to be a suitable system to evaluate bacterial colonization in the oral cavity.

Recent measles outbreaks observed in North America and in several European countries, including Italy, raised the attention about the risks linked to this infection and the need of implementing and maintaining adequate preventive strategies. Measles may cause several respiratory complications such as chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia, with subsequent development of chronic suppurative lung disease, giant cells pneumonia or progressive respiratory insufficiency. The current preventive strategies aim to improve vaccination coverage rates with 2 doses of measles-mumps and rubella vaccine, and to catch up individuals who have not been previously vaccinated. The present review analyses pulmonary complications of measles and measles preventive strategies. Elimination of measles is a feasible goal. Since measles complications are preventable by vaccination, improvement in vaccination coverage is highly desirable.

Aims To elucidate right ventricular (RV) function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with and without pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its relation to other features of the disease. Methods and Results Clinical evaluation, standard Doppler echo, Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI), and 2D strain echocardiography (STE) of RV septal and lateral walls were performed in 52 IPF patients (66.5 ± 8.5 years; 27 males) and in 45 age- and sex-comparable controls using a commercial US system (MyLab Alpha, Esaote). Pulmonary artery mean pressure (mPAP) was estimated by standard echo Doppler. RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) was calculated by averaging RV local strains. The IPF patients were divided into 2 groups by noninvasive assessment of PH: no PH (mPAP

Objective: To predict the risk of metastatic lymph nodes and the tumor grading related to oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) through the combination of clinical data with radiomics metrics by computed tomography, and to develop a supportive approach in the management of the lymphatic cervical areas, with particular attention to the early stages (T1−T2). Between March 2016 and February 2020, patients with histologically confirmed OTSCC, treated by partial glossectomy and ipsilateral laterocervical lymphadenectomy and subjected to computed tomography (CT) before surgery, were identified by two centers: 81 patients (49 female and 32 male) with 58 years as the median age (range 19–86 years). Univariate analysis with non-parametric tests and multivariate analysis with machine learning approaches were used. Clinical, hematological parameters and radiological features extracted by CT were considered individually and in combination. All clinical parameters showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) for the Kruskal−Wallis test when discriminating both the tumor grading and the metastatic lymph nodes. DOI, PLR, SII, and SIRI showed an accuracy of 0.70 (ROC analysis) when identifying the tumor grading, while an accuracy ≥ 0.78 was shown by DOI, NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI when discriminating metastatic lymph nodes. In the context of the analysis of radiomics metrics, the original_glszm_HighGrayLevelZoneEmphasis feature was selected for identifying the tumor grading (accuracy of 0.70), while the wavelet_HHH_glrlm_LowGrayLevelRunEmphasis predictor was selected for determining metastatic lymph nodes (accuracy of 0.96). Remarkable findings were also obtained when classifying patients with a machine learning approach. Radiomics features alone can predict tumor grading with an accuracy of 0.76 using a logistic regression model, while an accuracy of 0.82 can be obtained by running a CART algorithm through a combination of three clinical parameters (SIRI, DOI, and PLR) with a radiomics feature (wavelet_LLL_glszm_SizeZoneNonUniformityNormalized). In the context of predicting metastatic lymph nodes, an accuracy of 0.94 was obtained using 15 radiomics features in a logistic regression model, while both CART and CIDT achieved an asymptotic accuracy value of 1.00 using only one radiomics feature. Radiomics features and clinical parameters have an important role in identifying tumor grading and metastatic lymph nodes. Machine learning approaches can be used as an easy-to-use tool to stratify patients with early-stage OTSCC, based on the identification of metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes.

Defining the role of oral health evaluation in prediction of mortality in a cohort of patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit. Plaque Index and periodontal disease are independent predictors of 1-year mortality and improve accuracy of a Multidimensional Prognostic Index. Oral health evaluation, if integrated in a comprehensive assessment, adds significant information to estimate prognosis of hospitalized patients. Predicting mortality of older patients is a difficult, yet crucial task, which has lead to development of several prognostic tools. We hypothesized that the evaluation of oral health, which is often neglected, might be helpful to improve 1-year mortality prediction in a cohort of patients > 65 years admitted to an acute geriatric unit. We assessed 200 patients using the Decayed, Missing or Filled Teeth tool, the Periodontal Screening and Recording tool and the Plaque Index. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed to measure functional, cognitive, nutritional and comorbidity status and to calculate the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI). An age- and sex-adjusted regression model was used to identify independent predictors of 1-year mortality. Area under ROC curve (AUROC) was calculated to assess predictive accuracy of MPI risk groups before and after correction for dental examination results. Plaque Index and Periodontal Screening and Recording tool were associated with 1-year mortality. Participants with periodontal disease had a fivefold higher risk of death (p

Purpose. Recent advances show that ultrasonic implant site osteotomy is related to a decreased trauma and a better postoperative healing of the surgical site when compared to traditional drilling techniques. The micrometric bone cutting control and the operative advantages related to the piezoelectric approach are also characterized by a learning curve for the clinician in surgical practice and an increased operative duration of the procedure. The aim of this investigation is to compare the operative time, the postoperative pain, and the amount of painkillers taken by the patient during the healing period. Methods. A total of 65 patients were treated at the Unit of Oral Surgery (Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, Italy) using a split mouth model: 75 drill-inserted implants (G1) and 75 piezoelectric device-inserted implants (G2) were placed. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was performed to evaluate the postoperative pain at 15 days from surgery. The operative time and frequency of intake of painkillers were measured. Results. The G1 and G2 groups showed a significant difference with a higher use of painkillers observed for G1. The G2 patients showed a lower level of pain (VAS) at all experimental times between 8 hours to 7 days (p<0.01) postsurgery. At 15 days, the pain levels were similar for both groups. No differences were found in site preparation duration between the study groups. Conclusions. The evidence supports the application of the piezoelectric approach compared to the drill’s osteotomy as a useful technique for implant site preparation. This trial is registered with NCT03978923.

Head & Neck Osteomas are extremely rare osteogenic benign tumors, with unclear pathogenesis and heterogeneous clinical behavior. There are no studies in literature showing the characteristics of dimensional growth of such lesions. We report a case of a peripheral solitary osteoma of the sigmoid notch of the mandibular ramus, describing its radiographic growth in fourteen years. Measurements from OPTs (2003–6x7mm, 2008–8x12mm, 2014–17 × 24mm, 2016–19 × 25mm and 2017–21 × 28mm) and 3d cone-beam computed tomography scan (2016–19 × 15 × 21mm, 2017–21,4 × 19,2 × 22,7) were obtained. The growth of the lesion measured on OPTs was in mean 1.1 × 1.5 mm per year. This is the first case report in literature quantitatively assessing the growth of a solitary osteoma of the mandible through radiographic imaging, which seems to be more than 1 mm per dimension per year.

This study investigates the influence of the deposition temperature of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) on the performances of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) using the [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) as semiconductor. N-type OTFTs have been fabricated using this fullerene derivative, deposited from solution by drop casting technique on HMDS self-assembled monolayer (SAM) deposited at three different temperatures, 7 °C, 25 °C and 60 °C, in order to evaluate the influence of these deposition conditions on the morphology of PC70BM films and on the electrical responses of fullerene derivative-based OTFTs.The effect of the treatments of the surfaces was observed through contact angle measurements. AFM imaging of the deposited material has been used to analyse its structure and morphology. The transistors performances have been evaluated through I vs. V static characterization and parameters extraction.Contact angle vs. HMDS deposition temperature shows the minimum value at 60 °C, instead here field effect mobility presents a maximum. It has been observed that the lower hydrophobicity of the surface of the SAM induces the formation of more homogeneous surface of the PC70BM film, resulting in an increase of the OTFTs performances. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

The synthesis and the microstructural characterization of isotactic poly (N-pentenyl-carbazole) (i-PPK) are reported. The achieved polymer is semicrystalline, the melting temperature is 138°C. i-PPK Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum and X-ray diffraction pattern are compared with those of polyvinylcarbazole. The observed differences are tentatively associated to higher flexibility of the i-PPK chains due to the alkylene group connecting the carbazole group to the main chain. The presence of intrachain and interchain interactions between carbazole units, which bring these groups to stack each other, is assumed. i-PPK optical properties are investigated and an electroluminescent behaviour of polymer is observed. Organic light emitting diodes based on i-PPK layers are founded to emit white light. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1110–1117, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers

A polymeric PEDOT:PSS film nanostructured with Photonic Quasi Crystals that opens the path towards more efficient white OLEDs is presented. For the first time three different quasi crystal families were fabricated (octagonal, dodecagonal and Thue-Morse) onto a conductive polymeric film combining high-resolution electron beam lithography (EBL) and plasma etching techniques to improve light extraction and to control spectral tunability. The efficiency gain obtained in light extraction holds great promise for the use of quasi crystals as functional components in polymeric based White Organic Light Emitting Diode (WOLED) devices. © 2015 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Photo- and electroluminescence of five bithiophene disubstituted 1,3,4-thiadiazoles, constituting a new class of solution processable materials for organic opto-electronics, were studied. It was found that the introduction of alkyl solubilizing substituents bathochromically shifted the photo- and electroluminescence bands. The most pronounced effect was observed for the substitution at the Cα position which changed the emitting light color from bluish to green. All five derivatives were tested in host/guest type organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) with either poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) or poly(N-vinylcarbazole) + 2-tert-butylphenyl-5-biphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PVK + PBD) matrices. The latter matrix turned out especially well suited for these guest molecules yielding devices of varying color coordinates. The best luminance (750 cd/m2) was measured for 2,5-bis(5'-octyl-2,2'-bithiophene-5-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole with the luminous efficiency exceeding 0.4 cd/A. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and stearic acid are herein used for the preparation of hydrophobic coatings with good moisture barrier property on flexible plastic substrates. Fast, high throughput, mild and easy-to-run processing techniques, like airbrushing and gravure printing, are applied for thin films deposition of these materials. The results of this study indicated that the best hydrophobic coating in terms of water contact angle (115&deg, ) is obtained through a two-steps printing deposition of a ZnONPs layer followed by a stearic acid layer. All the deposition procedures proved to be effective in terms of water vapor barrier properties, reaching values of 0.89 g/m2/day, with a 45% reduction with respect to the bare substrate. These preliminary data are very encouraging in the perspective of a low cost and green approach for the realization of functional coatings for packaging applications.

Respiratory syncitial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in children worldwide and it is associated with significant childhood morbidity. Acute infection may result in respiratory failure with varying degrees of severity, and increasing evidence supports a role of RSV infection as a key determinant for the development of subsequent chronic respiratory disease. Independent predictors of RSV severity include; prematurity, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, immune defects and neuromuscular disorders. Passive immunization with palivizumab has proven to be safe and effective for preventing RSV hospitalization in infants at higher risk of acquiring severe RSV infection, but its expense and cumbersome monthly intravenous delivery schedule make it inaccessible to many. Furthermore, implementing prophylaxis in 32- to 35-week-gestational age infants and the mode of its administration still represent areas of uncertainty. In this review, we describe several aspects of RSV infection and analyze recent advances in the assessment of cost-effective palivizumab prophylaxis.

The electroluminescence (EL) of isotactic and syndiotactic poly(N-pentenyl-carbazole) (PPK), achieved by coordination polymerization, is studied in order to investigate the interrelation between the polymer tacticity and their physical-chemical properties. The use of these polymers in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) fabrication is also explored. Thermal and x-ray diffraction analyses of PPKs show that the isotactic stereoisomer is semicrystalline, whereas the syndiotactic one is amorphous. Optical analysis of both stereoisomers, carried out on film samples, reveals the presence of two different excimers: 'sandwich-like' and 'partially overlapping'. Nevertheless, the emission intensity ratio between 'sandwich-like' and 'partially overlapping' excimers is higher in the isotactic than in the syndiotactic stereoisomer. Using the synthesized polymers as OLED emitting layers, the influence of the polymer tacticity on the EL properties of the device is highlighted. In detail, while blue OLEDs are obtained by using the syndiotactic stereoisomer, OLEDs with a multilayer structure fabricated with the isotactic stereoisomer emit white light. The contribution of three different emissions (fluorescence, phosphorescence and electromer emissions) with comparable intensities to the detected white light is discussed. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

A recently developed protocol allows to prepare high quality thin films integrating eumelanin pigment with standard commercial poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The new blend combines noteworthy water stability and substrate adhesion with valuable electro-optical properties, so it can be used as anodic material in indium tin oxide-free organic light emitting diodes. Starting from these results, the present work systematically addresses the parameters affecting the blend conductivity. In particular, X-ray scattering analysis discloses that low quantities of eumelanin modifies molecular packing of the ternary blend, mainly in intermolecular distances and possibly in the degree of crystalline order of PEDOT, having anyway very little effect on the decay of the blend conductivity. Because of the synergetic effects observed here between the eumelanin and the PEDOT:PSS, this study provides a promising ground to access multifunctional materials for applications in advanced electronic devices and bioelectronics.

We report a case of migration of a surgical localization wire from the breast to the abdomen. A 41‐year‐old female underwent presurgical needle localization of a deep‐sited left‐sided breast lesion. Migration of the localization wire in the chest wall occurred during the procedure documented by imaging. Computed tomography (CT) examination showed no evidence of the wire in the left lower lung field, no peritoneal free fluid, active bleeding, or abnormalities of abdominal organ, but a metallic‐density representing the localization wire was seen for a length of 13 cm from the right diaphragmatic crus to the right psoas muscle, close to the inferior vena cava. A following CT examination showed the wire partially outside the inferior vena cava and partially inside the right iliac vein. The wire was successfully taken out by an angiographic interventional procedure.

MgB 2 thin films were grown in-situ at INFM- University of Naples by a magnetron sputtering technique in a UHV system (10-7 Pa) equipped with 3 focused 2′′ magnetron sources (a stoichiometric MgB 2 and metallic Mg and B targets by Superconducting Components Inc.). The substrates (sapphire or MgO) were placed "on axis" at 7 cm from the target surface on the surface of a molybdenum heater that could be operated up to 1000°C under vacuum. Best results were obtained codepositing MgB 2 and Mg at equal sputtering power (500W) for 10 min on cold substrates, resulting in a Mg rich Mg-B precursor film. The films were then annealed inhyphen;situ at 830°C for 10 min in a In sealed Nb box in presence of saturated Mg vapor. The process is highly reproducible and can be easily scaled to produce large area films. The resulting films were about 1μm thick, with 100nm surface roughness as measured by AFM Resistive transition showed a maximum T c of 35 K and a transition width lower than 0.5 K. The residual resistivity ratio was 1.6 for the best sample. Resistivity measurements in external magnetic field up to 8 T have been performed both in parallel and perpendicular configuration. The upper critical magnetic field vs. temperature behavior has been determined from the experimental data and the superconducting anisotropy has been calculated for samples with different T c .

The growing interest toward biocompatible and bioinspired materials is boosting the investigation and the engineering of natural products as active components in electronic devices. The human pigment melanin, and particularly its subgroup composed by the eumelanins, the black-brown pigments derived from the oxidative polymerization of L-3,4-dihydroxyiphenylalanine (l-DOPA) via 5,6-dihydroxy-indole intermediates are increasingly emerging as valuable candidates for organic (bio)electronics applications. Capitalizing on a recently developed protocol to prepare high quality eumelanin coatings, this paper reports herein the design and the integration of standard commercial poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with the poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with eumelanin pigment. The new blend has made it possible to obtain a water stable quite transparent thin film, able to operate as an electrode for organic devices, complementing the PEDOT:PSS conductivity with the peculiar eumelanin properties, including adhesion, water stability, and ionic–electronic conductivity. As proof of concept, an unprecedented indium tin oxide-free organic light emitting diode implementing an eumelanin–PEDOT layer as the anode is fabricated and characterized. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

We report on fabrication of Y/sub 1/Nd/sub x/Ba/sub 2-x/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// and Nd/sub 1+x/Ba/sub 2-x/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// thin films deposited by high oxygen pressure dc sputtering. The structural properties are investigated by X-ray diffraction while Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) has been used to determine the surface morphology. The critical temperature and the critical current density are obtained by transport and inductive measurements. The microwave properties have been studied at 19.8 GHz by a dielectric resonator technique. For both compounds highly epitaxial c-axis thin films are routinely obtained on SrTiO/sub 3/ and LaAlO/sub 3/ substrates. Depending on the deposition conditions, films characterized by surface resistance comparable of even better than YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// have been obtained, with a substantial improvement of the structural properties and of the surface morphology. The role played by the Nd/Ba substitution on the growth and on the superconducting properties is discussed.

Glycogenosis type II (Pompe disease) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the lysosomal enzyme acid α-glucosidase. The classic form is characterized by severe cardiac involvement, generalized hypotonia and exitus early in life. Presenting symptoms and signs of the disease may be neglected or underestimated, thus delaying the diagnosis. Respiratory manifestations mainly occur because of respiratory muscle weakness. However, additional mechanisms can favor the development of pulmonary complications that result in fatal respiratory failure. We herein describe a case of an infant with glycogenosis type II presenting with hepatomegaly and hypertransaminasemia, who rapidly developed fatal lung disease.

We present a study on the power dependence of the microwave surface impedance in thin films of the novel superconductor MgB2. 500 nm thick samples exhibiting critical temperatures ranging between 26 and 38 K are synthesized by an ex-situ post-anneal of e-beam evaporated boron in the presence of an Mg vapor at 900 C. Preliminary results on films grown in situ by a high rate magnetron sputtering technique from stoichiometric MgB2 and Mg targets are also reported. Microwave measurements have been carried out employing a dielectrically loaded niobium superconducting cavity operating at 19.8 GHz and 4 K. The study shows that the electrodynamic response of MgB2 films is presently dominated by extrinsic sources of dissipation, appearing already at low microwave power, likely to be ascribed to the presence of grain boundaries and normal inclusions in the samples., 10 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of the conference EUCAS 2001, submitted to Physica C

Thin films of the recently discovered magnesium diboride (MgB2) intermetalic superconducting compound have been grown using a magnetron sputtering deposition technique followed by in-situ annealing at 830 C. High quality films were obtained on both sapphire and MgO substrates. The best films showed maximum Tc = 35 K (onset), a transition width of 0.5 K, a residual resistivity ratio up to 1.6, a low temperature critical current density Jc > 1 MA/cm2 and anisotropic critical field with gamma = 2.5 close to the values obtained for single crystals. The preparation technique can be easily scaled to produce large area in-situ films., 7 pages, 4 figures