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Background: Management of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has significantly accelerated in the last few years. Currently, second generation direct acting antivirals (DAAs) promise clearance of infection in most of patients. Here we present the results of the first analysis carried out on data of Lazio clinical network for DAAs. Methods: The study was designed as a multicenter cohort: a) to assess the evolution of treatment during the first 24 months of the activity of the Clinical Network; b) to report overall efficacy of treatments; c) to analyze potential factors associated with lack of virological response at 12 weeks after therapy (SVR12); d) to evaluate the variation of ALT at baseline and 12 weeks after therapy in those who achieved SVR12 in comparison to those who did not. Analyses of efficacy were carried out with multilevel mixed effect logistic regression model. ALT temporal variation was assessed by mixed effect model mixed models with random intercept at patient's level and random slope at the level of the time; i.e. either before or after therapy. Results: Between 30 December 2014 and 31 December 2016 5279 patients started a DAA treatment; of those, 5127 (in 14 clinical centers) had completed the 12-week follow-up. Overall proportion of SVR12 was 93.41% (N = 4780) with no heterogeneity between the 14 clinical centers. Interruption as the consequence of severe side effect was very low (only 23 patients). Unadjusted analysis indicates that proportion of SVR12 significantly changes according to patient's baseline characteristics, however after adjusting for potential confounders only adherence to current guidelines, stage of liver diseases, gender, transplant and HIV status were independently associated with the response to therapy. Analysis of ALT temporal variation showed that ALT level normalized in most, but not, all patients who achieved SVR12. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the extraordinary efficacy of DAAs outside clinical trials. The advantage of DAAs

The aim of the study was to evaluate the characteristics of chronic hepatitis B with special reference to the geographical origin of the patients and to the prevalence of HBeAg and viral and non-viral co-factors of liver disease. A cross-sectional multicenter survey was undertaken, which enrolled 1,386 HBsAg chronic carriers observed consecutively in 21 referral centers over a 6-month period. The prevalence of HBeAg in patients was 11%; the presence of HBeAg was associated independently with a younger age and co-infection with HIV. Anti-HDV, anti-HCV, or anti-HIV antibodies were detected in 8.1%, 6.5%, and 2%, respectively. However, among the patients first diagnosed during the study period (incident cases), 14.3% were anti-HDV positive. Seven percent of the patients were immigrants; they were younger than Italian patients and 18% were HBeAg positive; no difference was observed in the prevalence of anti-HDV, anti-HCV, or anti-HIV antibodies. The presence of cirrhosis was associated independently with an age >52 years, the presence of anti-HDV or anti-HCV, alcohol use >4 drinks/day, and a high BMI. The clinical epidemiology of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection shows a dynamic profile, with the potential for re-emergence of cases with HBeAg or anti-HDV and an emerging impact of metabolic factors on the evolution of liver disease.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) can be made a highly conductive transparent coating contact in photovoltaics by doping. Undoped and Mn doped indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown on SiO2/Si substrates by vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) using sources with atomic ratios of In:Sn:Mn=114:12:13, 109:12:7, 122:12:4, and 122:12:0. In order to have practically stress-free ITO films [1], all the samples were annealed at 450 oC for 2 hours in air. Magnetotransport measurements reveal negative magnetoresistance while no anomalous Hall effect is observed. The Mn-doped ITO films exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism after annealing. We analyzed the magnetization data from SQUID measurements using simulations based on the Preisach approach and derived the magnetic parameters of nanoparticles in the Mn-doped ITO films, namely, the magnetization of individual particles and the distributions of coercive and interparticle interaction fields. The samples were also investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy and Vector Magnetooptical Generalized Ellipsometry measurements to explore possible combined functionalities in photovoltaics and magnetooptics. [1] L Kerkache et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39 184–189, (2006).

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a transparent semiconductor and can be highly conductive at room temperature (RT) when doped, making ferromagnetic ITO films attractive candidates for magnetooptical and spintronic devices. Undoped and Mn doped indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films have been grown on SiO2/Si substrates by vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) technique using targets with the atomic ratio In:Sn:Mn=114:12:13, 109:12:7, 122:12:4 and 122:12:0. In order to have practically stress-free samples [1] all the samples were annealed at 450 oC for 2 hours in air. Magnetotransport measurements revealed negative magnetoresistance and no anomalous Hall effect is observed. The ITO doped films exhibit RT ferromagnetism after annealing. The samples were investigated by magnetooptical Kerr effect (MOKE) spectroscopy measurements. [1] L Kerkache et al, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39 184–189, (2006).

Cobalt–nickel oxide films of known stoichiometry (x = Ni / (Co + Ni) = 0.30–0.63) were deposited on glass slides by using a spin-coating method and were UV irradiated for 2 h. The structure and morphology of thin films evidenced nanocrystalline spinel structures. Thin films with x = 0.63–0.5 have a mixed phase structure and good sensing properties for ethanol. Thin films with x = 0.30–0.40 have a single spinel phase, are ferrimagnetic and highly conductive at 300 K and have magnetoresistance ratios of 5–8%. Four-probe measurements indicate an insulator–metal transition at temperatures slightly below ferromagnetic Curie temperature. Metallic Ni and Co particles improve thin film functional properties.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a transparent semiconductor and can be highly conductive at room temperature (RT) when doped, making ferromagnetic ITO films attractive candidates for magnetooptical and spintronic devices. Undoped and Mn doped indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films have been grown on SiO2/Si substrates by vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) technique using targets with the atomic ratio In:Sn:Mn=114:12:13, 109:12:7, 122:12:4 and 122:12:0. In order to have practically stress-free samples [1] all the samples were annealed at 450 oC for 2 hours in air. Magnetotransport measurements revealed negative magnetoresistance and no anomalous Hall effect is observed. The ITO doped films exhibit RT ferromagnetism after annealing. The samples were investigated by magnetooptical Kerr effect (MOKE) spectroscopy measurements. [1] L Kerkache et al, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39 184–189, (2006).

Indium tin oxide (ITO) can be made a highly conductive transparent coating contact in photovoltaics by doping. Undoped and Mn doped indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown on SiO2/Si substrates by vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) using sources with atomic ratios of In:Sn:Mn=114:12:13, 109:12:7, 122:12:4, and 122:12:0. In order to have practically stress-free ITO films [1], all the samples were annealed at 450 oC for 2 hours in air. Magnetotransport measurements reveal negative magnetoresistance while no anomalous Hall effect is observed. The Mn-doped ITO films exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism after annealing. We analyzed the magnetization data from SQUID measurements using simulations based on the Preisach approach and derived the magnetic parameters of nanoparticles in the Mn-doped ITO films, namely, the magnetization of individual particles and the distributions of coercive and interparticle interaction fields. The samples were also investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy and Vector Magnetooptical Generalized Ellipsometry measurements to explore possible combined functionalities in photovoltaics and magnetooptics. [1] L Kerkache et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39 184–189, (2006).

p-Type transparent and conductive cobalt–nickel oxide films of 130 nm thickness, have been deposited by spin coating method on glass substrates. The electrical and optical properties of the oxides have been studied as a function of the x=Co/(Co+Ni) ratio. A combination of x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy was used in order to investigate thin film structures. Thin films of mixed oxides: NiCo2O4, Ni1.71 Co1.29 O4; NiO were obtained for x>0.60. The electrical conductivity of these films reaches a maximum conductivity at this stoichiometry.

p-Type transparent and conductive cobalt–nickel oxide films of 130 nm thickness, have been deposited by spin coating method on glass substrates. The electrical and optical properties of the oxides have been studied as a function of the x=Co/(Co+Ni) ratio. A combination of x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy was used in order to investigate thin film structures. Thin films of mixed oxides: NiCo2O4, Ni1.71 Co1.29 O4; NiO were obtained for x>0.60. The electrical conductivity of these films reaches a maximum conductivity at this stoichiometry.

Magnetic ITO films are interesting for integrating ITO into magnetooptoelectronic devices. We investigated n-conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) films with different Mn doping concentration which have been grown by chemical vapour deposition using targets with the atomic ratio In:Sn:Mn=122:12:0, 114:12:7, and 109:12:13 [1]. The average film roughness ranges between 30 and 50 nm and XRD patterns revealed a polycrystalline structure. Magnetotransport measurements revealed negative magnetoresistance for all the samples, but high field positive MR can be clearly observed at 5 K with increasing Mn doping concentration. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) has been used to prove the existence of midgap states in the Mn-alloyed ITO films revealing a transmittance less than 80%. A reasonable model for the ca. 250 nm thick Mn-alloyed ITO films has been developed to extract optical constants from SE data below 3 eV. Depending on the Mn content, a Lorentz oscillator placed between 1 and 2 eV was used to model optical absorption below the band gap.[1]C. Baban et al. E-MRS 2007, Straßbourg.

Magnetic ITO films are interesting for integrating ITO into magnetooptoelectronic devices. We investigated n-conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) films with different Mn doping concentration which have been grown by chemical vapour deposition using targets with the atomic ratio In:Sn:Mn=122:12:0, 114:12:7, and 109:12:13 [1]. The average film roughness ranges between 30 and 50 nm and XRD patterns revealed a polycrystalline structure. Magnetotransport measurements revealed negative magnetoresistance for all the samples, but high field positive MR can be clearly observed at 5 K with increasing Mn doping concentration. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) has been used to prove the existence of midgap states in the Mn-alloyed ITO films revealing a transmittance less than 80%. A reasonable model for the ca. 250 nm thick Mn-alloyed ITO films has been developed to extract optical constants from SE data below 3 eV. Depending on the Mn content, a Lorentz oscillator placed between 1 and 2 eV was used to model optical absorption below the band gap.[1]C. Baban et al. E-MRS 2007, Straßbourg.