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While the importance of early diagnosis in the management of most rheumatic diseases is undisputable, it is still unrecognised in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The identification of aPL guides the management of these patients where indefinite anticoagulation will take the place of three- to six-month anticoagulation given in patients with non aPL-related venous thrombosis. [Extracted from the article]

We report the experience from the Antiphospholipid Antibodies (aPL) Regional Consortium in northwest Italy, meant to support clinical research and foster collaboration among health professionals regarding the diagnosis and management of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients. This cohort-study (APS Piedmont Cohort) was designed to register the clinical characteristics at inception and associated immunological manifestations at diagnosis (if any) of patients who strictly fulfilled the current criteria for APS, all recruited at the Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions.Clinical and laboratory data from 217 APS patients (171 with vascular events, 33 with pregnancy morbidity and 13 with both), from 16 centres within the geographical area were collected. Venous thrombosis was recorded in 45.6% of patients, arterial thrombosis in 35%, small-vessel thrombosis in 1.12% and mixed arterial and venous thrombosis in the remaining 19.4% of the cases. Pregnancy morbidity included 19 patients with unexplained fetal death beyond the 10th week of pregnancy, 17 with premature birth before the 34th week and 10 with three or more unexplained spontaneous abortions before the 10th week of gestation. This consortium represents an instrument by which to audit clinical practice, to provide counselling to local centres and to sustain future basic and clinical APS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Er-doped HfO2 (Er∼15%) films are grown by atomic layer deposition on Si(100). The characteristics of the doped oxide are compared with those of HfO2. In Er-doped HfO2, the stabilization of the cubic structure, together with the effect of the high polarizability of Er3+, allow to obtain a dielectric constant of ∼33 after annealing at 900 °C. The insertion of Er within the metallic sublattice of HfO2 reduces the net density of fixed charges, due to the creation of oxygen vacancies. For similar equivalent oxide thickness, lower leakage currents are measured for Er-doped HfO2 than for HfO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La-doped ZrO2 thin films grown by O3-based atomic layer deposition directly on Ge(100) exhibit a dielectric constant of 29. Upon annealing in N2 at 400 °C, a high κ value >40 is extracted for film thickness below 15 nm. Compositional depth profiling allows to correlate this observation with a remarkable Ge interdiffusion from the substrate which is consistent with the stabilization of the tetragonal ZrO2 phase. Ge interaction with the oxide stack and the formation of a germanate-like interfacial region, which acts as an electrical passivation for the Ge surface, are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin LaxZr1-xO2-δ (x=0.25) high permittivity (k) films are grown on Si(100) by atomic layer deposition at 300 °C using (iPrCp)3La, (MeCp)2ZrMe(OMe) and O3 species. Their properties are studied by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrical measurements on the as-grown films and after vacuum annealing at 600 °C. Annealed films feature resistance to hygroscopicity, a large k value of around 30 and an acceptable leakage current density. A low-k silica-rich interlayer is also evidenced at both pristine and annealed high-k/Si interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface between (100)Si and HfO2 grown by atomic layer deposition is strongly influenced by the choice of the oxygen precursor. In particular, the use of oxidants with different oxidizing power such as H2O and O3 produces interfaces differing both in terms of density of electronic traps and defect microstructure. While H2O produces a Si/SiO2-like interface, characterized by the presence of the Pb0 center, the high reactivity of O3 induces a modification in the defect wavefunction, as revealed by electrically detected magnetic resonance. Post growth annealing in N2 at T>=600 °C allows the recovery of a Si/SiO2-like interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation–recombination noise is observed in Si-doped aluminum nitride (AlN:Si). Both the magnitude and the characteristic frequency of the generation–recombination noise power density are found to be thermally activated. Using a model based on charge carrier number fluctuations in a two-level system, transition energies and potential barriers of the DX center formed by Si donors in AlN are quantitatively determined. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented which discusses the case of a 73-year-old man with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and relapsing polychondritis.

A letter to the editor is presented about a patient with a five-year history of Sneddon-Wilkinson's disease that is associated with systemic lupus eryhtematosus and was successfully treated with infliximab.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a group of rare, acquired, autoimmune sub epithelial blistering diseases. Diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, evidence of sub epithelial vesicles or bullae on routine histological analysis, and direct and indirect immunofluorescence studies. We present a case of widespread chronic severe oral erosions diagnosed as MMP thanks to positive ELISA anti-BP180 NC16A. The patient was treated with topical and systemic corticosteroids, systemic azathioprine, topical cyclosporine and tacrolimus and different types of antibiotics between 2000 and 2004 with only limited and temporary disease control and severe side effects. The patient has been treated with mycophenolate mofetil (up to 2 g per day) and systemic minocycline (up to 200 mg per day) for the past 10 months, and there have been no relapses, with the complete healing of the oral ulcerations. Different studies have confirmed the essential role of autoantibodies against BP180 in the pathogenesis of MMP. Mycophenolate mofetil specifically inhibits activated lymphocytes and it has few effects on other rapidly dividing cells. Case reports and series of its use in immunobullous diseases suggest that MMF may have a role in the management of such diseases. Currently, treatment of MMP with mycophenolate mofetil and tetracyclines has not been described in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]