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Corpectomy is an important treatment option for various cervical pathologies and evaluation of treatment success on imaging can be even more difficult than for interbody fusion.

Optical and thermal properties of copper films under femtosecond laser excitation has been dynamically calculated as a function of time using a two-temperature model coupled with Drude model. Ultrafast changes have been observed when the material is still cold.

Dedicated nuclear diagnostics have been designed, developed, and built within EUROFUSION enhancement programs in the last ten years for installation at the Joint European Torus and capable of operation in high power Deuterium–Tritium (DT) plasmas. The recent DT Experiment campaign, called DTE2, has been successfully carried out in the second half of 2021 and provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the performance of the new nuclear diagnostics and for an understanding of their behavior in the record high 14 MeV neutron yields (up to 4.7 × 1018 n/s) and total number of neutrons (up to 2 × 1019 n) achieved on a tokamak. In this work, we will focus on the 14 MeV high resolution neutron spectrometers based on artificial diamonds which, for the first time, have extensively been used to measure 14 MeV DT neutron spectra with unprecedented energy resolution (Full Width at Half Maximum of ≈1% at 14 MeV). The work will describe their long-term stability and operation over the DTE2 campaign as well as their performance as neutron spectrometers in terms of achieved energy resolution and high rate capability. This important experience will be used to outline the concept of a spectroscopic neutron camera for the SPARC tokamak. The proposed neutron camera will be the first one to feature the dual capability to measure (i) the 2.5 and 14 MeV neutron emissivity profile via the conventional neutron detectors based on liquid or plastics scintillators and (ii) the 14 MeV neutron spectral emission via the use of high-resolution diamond-based spectrometers. The new opportunities opened by the spectroscopic neutron camera to measure plasma parameters will be discussed.

Acquired adult flatfoot is a frequent deformity which implies multiple, complex and combined 3D modifications of the foot skeletal structure. The difficult thorough evaluation of the degree of severity pre-op and the corresponding assessment post-op can now be overcome by cone-beam (CBCT) technology, which can provide access to the 3D skeletal structure in weight-bearing. This study aims to report flatfoot deformities originally in 3D and in weight-bearing, with measurements taken using two different bone segmentation techniques. 21 such patients, with indication for surgical corrections, underwent CBCT (Carestream, US) while standing on one leg. From these scans, 3D models of each bone of the foot were reconstructed by using two different state-of-the-art segmentation tools: a semi-automatic (Mimics Innovation Suite, Materialise, Belgium), and an automatic (Bonelogic Ortho Foot and Ankle, Disior, Finland). From both reconstructed models, Principal Component Analysis was used to define anatomical reference frames, and original foot and ankle angles and other parameters were calculated mostly based on the longitudinal axis of the bones, in anatomical plane projections and in 3D. Both bone model reconstructions revealed a considerable valgus of the calcareous, plantarflexion and internal rotation of the talus, and typical Meary’s angles in the lateral and transverse plane projections. The mean difference from these angles between semi-automatic and automatic segmentations was larger than 3.5 degrees for only 3 of the 32 measurements, and a large number of these differences were not statistically significant. CBCT and the present techniques for bone shape reconstruction finally provide a novel and valuable 3D assessment of complex foot deformities in weight-bearing, eliminating previous limitations associated to unloaded feet and bidimensional measures. Corresponding measurements on the bone models from the two segmentation tools compared well. Other more representative measurements can be defined in the future using CBCT and these techniques.

Peer mentorship is an effective approach for delivering health promotion programs that may be particularly useful among underrepresented populations. Advancing the peer-led approach, the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program (IYMP) is a communal-led program rooted in Indigenous values aimed at the promotion of healthy lifestyles in children and youth. The program includes layers of multi-age mentoring (i.e., elementary students, high school student mentors, and young adult health leaders [YAHLs]) and incorporates three core components: physical activity, healthy eating, and cultural teachings. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore elementary student, mentor, and YAHL experiences in an urban IYMP offering. Eleven sharing circles were conducted, six with elementary students (n = 23, grade 4 and 5 students), two with mentors (n = 3, students enrolled in a grade 10 wellness girls class), and three with YAHLs (n = 6, undergraduate university students). Focus groups were also held with respective school teachers and principals. An inductive content analysis generated three themes that represent the perceived impacts of this urban IYMP offering: (1) Fostering Wellness, (2) Strengthening Meaningful Connections, and (3) Exploring Leadership. Findings are positioned within a communal mentorship framework that is circular and multi-directional. By bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, this program offering supports Indigenous cultural relevance in an urban-based wellness program.

Experience of Department of Oncologic and Degenerative Spine Surgery of Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic lockdown.Retrospective observational study of surgically treated patients from 09th March 2020 to 04th May 2020.age, sex, type of disease, neurological status, days of hospitalization, complications and type of discharge. A comparison analysis with same period of the last year was performed in order to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 spreading on daily surgical activity.A total of 107 surgical procedures in 102 patients were performed from 09th March 2020 to 04th May 2020. Analysis showed a statistically significant difference in age, sex, ASIA class and type of treated disease compared to the same period of the last year (p=0.042, 0.006, 0.022 and 0.007, respectively). No statistically significant differences were observed in type of discharge, length of hospitalization and complications (p= 0.447, 0.261 and 0.127, respectively). 3 COVID-19 infections have been identified in hospitalized patients. 1 COVID-19 patient wad admitted from Emergency Department and was managed according to a dedicated path.Surgical activity was paradoxically increased during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic lockdown through the management of urgent and non-deferrable spinal disease with a low rate (3,9%) of COVID-19 infections.

Up to 70% of patients with cancer are likely to develop spine metastasis. Radiation therapy is the standard of care for painful spinal metastases in absence of unstable or impending fractures. More frequently these patients require open palliative surgery for pain, vertebral collapse and neurological deficits. Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) techniques using percutaneous pedicle screw fixation may be considered as an alternative to open surgery in selected cases. MISS techniques are thought to be associated with fewer tissues damages resulting in early pain relief, they also allow for early mobilization and optimization of function.From 2011 to 2018, 52 patients affected by spinal metastasis were treated with MISS techniques in Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute of Bologna and in Cisanello Hospital of Pisa, Italy. All patients underwent percutaneous pedicle screw fixations (PPSF) coupled with mini-decompressions in case it was required by spinal cord compressions. All patients were evaluated pre and post-operatively by Frenkel classification and VAS scores.Mean follow-up time was 19,4 months. Preoperatively, Frankel scores were E in 37 patients, D3 in 6 patients, D2 in 3 cases, D1 in 3 patients, B in one patient and C in two. The Frankel score improved in 10 patients, remained stable in 40 patients and worsened in two patients. Preoperatively, the mean VAS score in 29 patients treated with PPSF procedure with spinal decompression was 7, while postoperatively, it became 5. In 23 patients who underwent only PPSF procedure without spinal decompression mean VAS score was 5, postoperatively it became 3.In selected cases, MISS surgeries may be considered as a valid alternative to open surgery. Although the efficacy of PPSF has been well documented in trauma or degenerative spine surgery, there is not sufficient literature about MISS techniques in spinal metastasis and further studies are needed to elucidate the most appropriate patient in which this approach could represent the gold standard of treatment.

The aim of this study is to investigate, through the analysis of a case report and the literature review, indications and contraindications of Interspinous Process Device (IPD) in the surgical treatment of Lumbar Isthmic Spondylolisthesis (LIS).A 37-years-old male with L5-S1 grade 2 LIS, treated with IPD at another center, referred to us eight months later with a worsening of back and leg pain. A revision surgery was performed with IPD removal and a L5-S1 TLIF.Clinical evaluation highlighted an improvement of pain, functionality, and quality of life scores at six months (VAS 4; ODI 30; EQ-5D 70) and twelve months follow-up (VAS 1; ODI 20; EQ-5D 90). CT scan was performed at six months and one-year follow-up to evaluate the fusion rate and stability of the implant.Given the pathologic anatomy and the biomechanics of LIS, IPD is ineffective in preventing further vertebral body slippage resulting in segmental kyphosis, because of the lack of connection between the posterior arch and the vertebral body due to the isthmic lesion.

AMADEUS es un proyecto europeo que investiga materiales y dispositivos de estado sólidopara almacenar energía a muy alta temperatura. Usando aleados de silicio como materialesde cambio de fase se alcanzan calores latentes superiores a 1000 kWh/m3, propiciando laobtención de altísimas densidades energéticas. Dichos aleados suponen temperaturas dealmacenamiento por encima de los 1000 ºC, muy por encima de las de los sistemas actualesde acumulación térmica. El artículo describe las actividades del proyecto y sus primerosresultados, explicando los principales retos de este nuevo sistema que combina laacumulación de energía en forma de calor en silicio fundido con dispositivos de estado sólidotermiónicos y termofotovoltaicos para la posterior conversión en electricidad.

AMADEUS es un proyecto europeo que investiga materiales y dispositivos de estado sólido para almacenar energía a muy alta temperatura. Usando aleados de silicio como materiales de cambio de fase se alcanzan calores latentes superiores a 1000 kWh/m3, propiciando la obtención de altísimas densidades energéticas. Dichos aleados suponen temperaturas de almacenamiento por encima de los 1000 ºC, muy por encima de las de los sistemas actuales de acumulación térmica. El artículo describe las actividades del proyecto y sus primeros resultados, explicando los principales retos de este nuevo sistema que combina la acumulación de energía en forma de calor en silicio fundido con dispositivos de estado sólido termiónicos y termofotovoltaicos para la posterior conversión en electricidad. AMADEUS is a H2020 project that researches on materials and solid-state devices for very high temperature energy storage and conversion. By exploring silicon-based alloys as new phase change materials (PCMs), latent heat higher than 1000 kWh/m3 is achievable, which implies a very high energy density. In addition, silicon-based PCMs lead to storage temperatures well beyond 1000 ºC, well beyond that of current state-of-the-art thermal energy storage (TES). This paper describes the project R&D activities and first results, and comments on challenges towards a new kind of systems combining latent heat energy storage in molten silicon with thermionic and thermophotovoltaic solid state heat-to-power conversion.

Objective: Even though carbon ions treatment (CIRT) of sacral chordoma (SC) substantially reduces tumor mass, tumor remnants are observed in most patients. Differentiating tumor remnants from necrosis is challenging, expensive in terms of imaging and time-consuming. So far, there has not been a systematic histological and metabolic analysis of post-CIRT lesions. We designed a prospective study aiming to histologically a metabolically differentiate between viable tumor and foci of necrosis and of fibrosclerosis after CIRT and correlate these findings to clinical outcome in patients with SC. Patients and methods: Between January 2013 and December 2016 18 patients, 12 males and 6 females, with histological confirmation of sacral chordoma, underwent CIRT. The total dose was 70.4 GyE, with a daily fraction of 4.4 GyE, for 4 weeks. MRI was performed every three months after treatment. FDG PET-CT scan and CT-guided needle biopsy were performed 6-12 months after CIRT. The incidence of complications (intraoperative and postoperative), local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), changes in neurological status, clinical outcomes and toxicity were considered. Results: All histological analysis but 2 reported signs of necrosis and of fibrosclerosis after CIRT. One of these 2 patients turned into a dedifferentiated chordoma. Radiological partial response (PR) was observed in 10 patients (56.3%) and stable disease (SD) in 5 patients (28.3). Two patients (11%) had a local relapse. The overall survival rate was 100% at 24 months. FDG PET CT after CIRT showed uptake decreasing compared with the baseline exam in all but one patient. Conclusions: The histological presence of necrosis and of fibrosclerosis after CIRT at the histological analysis supports the previous clinical evidence on the efficacy of CIRT. Volumetric stability of the residual mass should be considered as a success of treatment. In cases of a volumetric increase of the mass, a CT needle biopsy should always be performed. In our series, during the follow-up, the FDG-PET was able to promptly detect an increased uptake in the case which later was histologically defined as dedifferentiated chordoma.

In the present article we describe calibration measurements of the compact neutron spectrometer at the PTB quasi-monoenergetic neutron reference fields. The spectrometer is based on two diamond detectors enclosing a 6Li neutron converter. The conversion occurs through the 6Li(n,t)4He reaction, featuring the Q-value of 4.8 MeV. The incident neutron energy is measured through the sum of energies of the two conversion reaction products: t and ?. The prototype used in this work was based on two 4 × 4 mm2 100 ?m thick single crystal CVD commercial diamond plates. The measurements were performed in the fission spectrum domain at five different neutron energies varying from 0.3 up to 2 MeV. The obtained data showed a very good neutron energy reconstruction, i.e. in agreement with its reference values within statistical uncertainties or with absolute deviations below 11 keV. The energy resolution of the spectrometer was found to be about 100 keV (RMS) with a small (about 9 keV/MeV) rising trend towards higher energies. The measured detection efficiency was found to be compatible with predictions based on analytical calculations and on Geant4 simulations within 3% statistical and 4% systematic uncertainty.

A detailed characterization under 90Sr β-particles and 4.5 MeV protons micro-beam of a single-crystal CVD diamond-based three-dimensional detector with surface and buried graphite electrodes is presented. Pillar contacts, 300 µm long and 30 µm diameter, were fabricated by using a femtosecond laser operating at 1030 nm wavelength and 400 fs pulse duration. Charge collected under 90Sr β-particles was measured in front and back irradiation conditions, pointing out that the pillars contribute to the charge collection. Charge collection efficiency (CCE) was measured to be up to 94% under proton beam irradiation. Results of a comprehensive study, including crossed-polarizers imaging, numerical simulation of the electric field distribution, and proton mapping, show that CCE is not affected from the stress induced by the pillar fabrication, and that the electric field strength is high enough to partially compensate for carrier recombination in the defected regions surrounding the pillars.

The ActivAge project is currently exploring heterogeneous IoT solutions for AHA over 9 different European Deployment Sites (DS), in an interoperable network. In this work, we present main features of the DS-RER experimentation, being implemented in the Emilia-Romagna Region (RER, Italy) and mostly aimed at effectively embedding IoT-enabled solutions within the actual organization and practices of regional social and health-care services, to support users over 65 suffering post-stroke conditions.

Primary bone tumors of the spine are very rare [1]; they comprise only 10 % or less of all bone tumors. In the United States, about 7,500 new cases are estimated per year. The overall world occurrence can be expected 2.5–8.5 cases per million inhabitants per year. Compared to primary spinal tumors, metastatic tumors are much more common in the spine: the spine is the most common skeletal region for secondary tumors. Basic knowledge about diagnosis and treatment strategy must be known for early recognition of a spine tumor. Further, diagnostic elements to differentiate primary from metastatic tumor are required.

We introduce the electrical characterization of 2.5 mm-long graphite pillars buried in single crystal CVD diamond. A mode-locked Ti:Sapphire laser generating 5 ps pulses at the wavelength of 800 nm with a repetition rate of 1 kHz has been used to directly produce graphite columns with a diameter of about 10 m and an aspect ratio greater than 240. A pair of 12 pillars was realized within the diamond bulk starting from opposite lateral faces resulting in an interdigitated-like structure buried within the diamond volume. Tests with 2.28 MeV electrons emitted by 90Sr,Y collimated radioactive source demonstrate that the charge collected by the active volume saturates at 1.00±0.02 fC at an electric field strength evaluated as ±1.3 V/m with electrons impinging parallel to the rows. The collected charge, much lower than that expected by theoretical estimation, has been tentatively attributed to a loss of biasing due to the probable non-continuity of the graphite pillars within the sample.

Fourteen-year-old female, progressive neck pain in the nuchal area radiating to the head with painful contracture of the right paraspinal musculature. Pain was unrelated to weight-bearing and was increasing during the night. Physical examination revealed mild hyperreflexia, gait disturbance, positive Hoffmann sign, and clonus.

Zinc antimonide-based nanostructured thin films were produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) using a ns-ArF laser (193 nm) and a multi-target deposition system. The films were prepared according to a multi-layer structure, obtained by adding different dopants (Cr, Ag) within the ZnSb matrix. The influence of the dopant introduction on the structural, compositional and electronic properties of the deposited films was studied in the temperature range 300–600 K. The power factor ( PF ) of films with dopant concentration of 5 at.% resulted significantly increased up to 100–200 μW/mK 2 at 600 K with respect to that of undoped films.

Dr. Marco Girolami from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Struttura della Materia in Italy, talks about the work behind the Letter, 'High-temperature electric contacts for AlGaInP/GaInP photon-enhanced thermionic emission cathodes', page 945.

Prior to the surgery, reproduction of symptoms with extension of the neck should be assessed. Extension may help for better exposure and visualization. However, the severity of stenosis may limit the amount of extension that can be tolerated by the patient. In this case, a neutral neck position must be maintained till the end of the decompression procedure.

The cervical spine is a deep anatomical structure centrally located in the axial view of the neck and surrounded by a thick and powerful muscular compartment. It is surrounded and contained by the deep layer of deep cervical fascia (Fig. 2.1).

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is often used as a surgical treatment for cervical degenerative disorders. Numerous long-term follow-up studies have shown that is effective in case of cervical myelopathy, relieving anterior compression on the spinal cord, or radiculopathy, decompressing nerve roots. This technique allows direct decompression of neural structures, restoration of disc height, and stabilization of the affected motion segments. The success of the procedure relies on achieving a solid fusion (Figs. 6.1 and 6.2).

Although numerous studies have examined treatments for increasing food consumption among children with pediatric feeding disorders, very few have examined treatment of other mealtime-related difficulties. One such problem is a slow pace of self-feeding, which can lead to caregivers failure to adhere to treatments or be disruptive to others. We examined the effects of a differential reinforcement of high rate (DRH) intervention to increase a 9-year-old boy's pace of self-feeding. During treatment, the child received reinforcement contingent on consuming his meal within 30 min. Results showed an increase in the pace of self-feeding and a concomitant decrease in meal duration as compared to baseline. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High levels of inactivity in youth have led researchers and practitioners to focus on identifying the factors that influence physical activity behaviors in young people. The present study employed a qualitative ecological framework to examine the intrapersonal, social, and environmental factors influencing youth physical activity. In grade-specific focus group settings, 160 youth in grades 7 through 12 (aged 12 to 18) were asked how they would increase the physical activity levels of youth their age. Participants identified eight factors that they felt should be addressed in programs and interventions designed to increase the physical activity behaviors of youth. These factors included the importance of fun, having the time to be physically active, the benefits of activity, being active with friends, the role of adults, and the importance of being able to access facilities in their neighborhood.

Researchers have rarely addressed the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and physical activity fromthe perspective of youth. To illuminate the factors that youth fromlowand high-SES areas consider important to increase physical activity participation among their peers, 160 youth (12-18 years) participated in small focus group interviews. Guiding questions centered on the general theme, “If you were the one in charge of increasing the physical activity levels of kids your age, what would you do?” Findings show that environmental factors (i.e., proximity, cost, facilities, and safety) are very important for youth living in low-SES areas to ensure participation in physical activity. Results also show that intrapersonal (i.e., perceived skill, competence, time) and social factors (i.e., friends, adult support) must be considered to help improve participation rates among both high- and low-SES youth.

This work reports on the realization and test of a compact beam-profiling system for UV and X-ray sources, based on polycrystalline CVD diamond detectors. Multistrip and pixel structures have been used for 1-D and 2-D photodetectors, respectively. A dedicated read-out electronic circuitry has been designed and used to independently sample the signal produced by each strip (or pixel), enabling a real-time beam profile reconstruction.

Planar Al/GaN/Ni Schottky diodes were realized on GaN films deposited on sapphire substrates and characterized in the dark and under illumination. The optoelectronic characteristics of GaN photodetectors appear largely influenced by structural defects and impurities, which are clearly detected in photocurrent yield measurements. In particular, an exponential increase of the photocurrent is observed and explained in terms of a barrier lowering photoeffect, hence a light induced shrinking of the space charge region, related to carrier trapping at defects and impurities. Trapping events are also responsible for a dispersive behavior of the AC responsivity with the light chopping frequency. Such effects point out the importance of a proper selection of bias voltage and working fre15quency for GaN photodetector operations.

Single-crystal Diamond Detectors (SDDs) feature high radiation hardness, fast response and compact size. This makes SDDs ideal candidates for fast neutron detectors in environment where high neutron flux is an issue such as the next generation burning plasmas experiments. Neutron detection in SDD is based on the collection of electron-hole pairs produced by charged particles generated by neutron interaction with 12C nuclei. For neutron energies above about 7 MeV neutron spectroscopy is possible by measuring the deposited energy into the detector via the reaction 12C(n,a)9Be. This is indeed the cases of SDD measurements of 14 MeV neutrons of DT plasmas. A single pixel SDD (4.5x4.5x0.5 mm^3) prototype was installed at JET in 2013 and the achieved results allowed to assess also the neutron spectroscopic capability of deuterium plasmas. A 12-pixels SDD matrix has been recently realized and will be installed in 2015 at JET for DT plasmas as part of the Vertical Neutron Spectrometer project. In this paper calibration of the SDD matrix with alpha particles in the laboratory and 14 MeV neutrons performed at the ENEA Frascati Neutron Generator will be presented. These calibrations have been performed with a fast charge preamplifier combined to a fast digital data acquisition, which allows for neutron spectroscopy measurements with simultaneously high energy resolution and high count rate capability. Both requirements are essential for neutron spectroscopy of high power fusion plasmas. The calibrations results achieved extrapolate favourably in view of future neutron spectroscopy measurements at JET using diamond detectors.

A diamond-based photo-thermionic cathode for future high-temperature concentrating solar cells was designed and fabricated. A specific cathode structure is discussed in terms of band diagram, introduction of defect energy states, and nanotechnology fabrication methods to increase the capability of solar radiation absorption and transformation into useful electric charge carriers.

Single-crystal Diamond Detectors (SDDs) are excellent candidates as fast neutron detectors in environments where high neutron flux is an issue, such as spallation neutron sources and the next generation thermonuclear fusion plasmas (ITER experiment). Recent measurements have demonstrated the SDD capability of measuring the neutron flux with a good energy resolution and at high rates. In this work, we present a novel mosaic detector based on a 12-pixel SDD matrix. Each pixel was characterized and calibrated by using a 241Am source: energy resolution mean value was evaluated to be 1.73% in air at 5.5 MeV. Moreover, measurements carried out under a large (3x3 cm2) X-ray beam showed a very high response uniformity (

Several techniques have been proposed to restore the compromised function of a joint. These include the arthroplasty by placing various tissues or materials between the articular surfaces. An important contribution to the diffusion of arthroplasty techniques was made by Vittorio Putti, head of the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute in Bologna from 1912 to 1940. Interposition arthroplasty is still used for some non-weight-bearing joints, such as wrist and elbow, and gives good results. This type of surgery has been further developed by the improvement in biomaterials, biomechanical studies and the regenerative medicine. This paper describes the development starting from a historical survey particularly focused on Putti's contribution and ending with the state of the art of regenerative medicine in the treatment of joint diseases. Level of evidence V.

CVD diamond represents a very attractive material for the fabrication of devices based on thermionic emission, due to the possibility to achieve a very low or even negative electron affinity (NEA) by a hydrogen surface termination. We present here a preliminary study on thermionic conversion from diamond thin films grown on different substrates, ranging from silicon to engineered ceramic materials. In particular, among them, HfC-based ceramics have been selected for its integration with diamond in concentrated solar systems. CVD polycrystalline and nanocrystalline diamond films were deposited by MW-CVD (MicroWave-Chemical Vapour Deposition) by varying also their doping. Thermionic performance was evaluated in an ultra-high-vacuum (pressure

Common peroneal nerve palsy is an infrequent pathology mostly related to endogenous or exogenous compression. The exogenous compression is frequently related to trauma: knee fractures or hematoma arisen after a direct blow. Fractures may cause a direct lesion of the nerve; hematoma causes a compression of the nerve at the fibular neck causing pain and functional loss. Lesions of the common peroneal nerve can also be related to total knee arthroplasty. The clinical evaluation is characterized by muscle weakness with or without sensory abnormality. The etiopathogeneses of the compression have to be confirmed by ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging before the surgical treatment. The purpose of this article is to describe a case of common peroneal nerve palsy due to a posttraumatic hematoma after a sport-related injury. We evaluated this case with dynamic ultrasound with good visualization of the morphology of the lesion and of the compression.

We report on the fabrication and preliminary characterization of novel 3D diamond devices for charged particle detection. Three dimensional detectors present mainly two advantages with respect to conventional planar and sandwich detectors for charge particles: 1) drift distance between electrodes is comparable to mean free path of photogenerated carriers in irradiated device, enabling in this way a faster response (hundreds of ps); 2) lower bias voltages are needed to obtain the electric field values necessary to achieve high charge collection efficiency conditions. A femtosecond laser (Ti:Sapphire, ? = 800 nm, 4 mJ peak energy per pulse) was employed to create arrays of conductive graphitic columns inside the bulk of a single-crystal standard grade CVD diamond. The columns far ends, on top and bottom facets of the samples, were arranged to form metallic strips, then wire-bonded to a dedicated sample holder and connected to the read-out electronics. Preliminary measurements were performed under alpha particle irradiation (241Am radioactive source, 5.5 MeV, 37 kBq), including current transient time-of-flight analysis and energy dispersive spectroscopy. In both cases, significant results were obtained in terms of response speed, time resolution and energy resolution.

Background: Through different pharmacodynamic–kinetic interactions, weekly administration of proved efficacy agents can overcome resistance with lower toxicity and greater benefit. Based on this assumption, we designed a phase I–II trial with weekly non-pegylated liposomal anthracycline and taxane in first-line breast cancer patients. Patients and methods: We enrolled 56 previously untreated metastatic breast cancer patients; they were randomly assigned to receive paclitaxel (Taxol) (50 mg/mq) or docetaxel (Taxotere) (30 mg/mq) combined with non-pegylated liposomal anthracycline (25 mg/mq) on days 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks. The primary end points were the clinical benefit and treatment-related toxic effects assessment. Secondary end points were time-to-disease progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). Results: The overall clinical benefit was 87.04%. World Health Organization G3–4 toxic effects included neutropenia (45%), anemia (44%), complete alopecia (83%), severe onycholysis and neuropathy. The 24% of patients developed left ventricular ejection fraction reduction but none >10% with recover after treatment completion. The median absolute decrease from baseline was 1%. Median TTP was 11 months and median OS was 23 months. Conclusions: Combined weekly administration of taxane and non-pegylated liposomal anthracycline is well tolerated and clinical benefit data encourage phase III study design.

Background In the last ten years Day Surgery has significantly evolved, due to improvements in surgery and anaesthesia, and the need of reducing long term admission costs [1]. However, is Day Surgery suitable for elderly patients? The aim of this paper is to assess the risk of over 70 year-old outpatients who underwent inguinal hernia repair, and suggest an adequate preoperative pathway.

Planar Al/GaN/Ni Schottky diodes were realized on GaN films deposited on sapphire substrates and characterized in the dark and under illumination. The optoelectronic characteristics of GaNphotodetectors appear largely influenced by structural defects and impurities, which are clearly detected in photocurrent yield measurements. In particular, an exponential increase of the photocurrent is observed and explained in terms of a barrier lowering photoeffect, hence a light-induced shrinking of the space charge region, related to carrier trapping at defects and impurities. Trapping events are also responsible for a dispersive behavior of the AC responsivity with the light chopping frequency. Such effects point out the importance of a proper selection of bias voltage and working frequency for GaNphotodetector operations.

Aging of human Achilles tendon results in changes in both cellular and fibrous components. Cells flatten and become less numerous. Their thin and long cytoplasmatic projections tend to shorten and diminish in number. Tendon fibers lose their typical undulating appearance and become quite straight. Collagen fibril diameter, small and uniform in the neonatal period, becomes large and extremely variable from adolescence onwards. Age related morphometric changes include a decrease in the average, maximum diameter and density of collagen fibrils and an increase of fibril concentration. In our opinion these morphological and morphometric variations are strictly related to functional requirements.

Objective: To examine the health and economic outcomes associated with a compre-hensive weight management program delivered to employees. Methods: Data collected on 516 individuals participating in a lifestyle-based weight management program delivered to employees from three corporations were analyzed at baseline and intervention-end (26 or 52 weeks). One-year post-intervention data for two subgroups were examined for pharmaceutical use (n = 61) and health outcomes (n = 46). Results: Average body weight decreased 5.4% (P< 0.001) and average waist circumference decreased 7.2% (P< 0.001). Average blood pressure, Beck Depression Inventory scores, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores improved (P< 0.001). At 1-year post-intervention, weight loss was maintained in a subgroup of 46 individuals. The average number of prescription drugs taken per participant decreased 44 % in a subgroup of 61 individuals. Conclusions: An employersponsored, comprehensive weight management program may decrease weight, improve obesity-related outcomes, improve depressive symptoms, and decrease costs.

Treatment of peritrochanteric fractures involves reduction and synthesis using reconstruction plates and screws, intramedullary or cephalomedullary nails, or external fixators. A new cephalomedullary nail, Endovis BA (Citieffe, Italy), made of titanium alloy implanted without reaming and is fixed with 2 cephalic screws was used to treat 1091 patients with lateral fractures of the femoral neck (AO class 31-A). The patients had a mean age of 75 years (range, 48–99 years), and 83% had one or more systemic comorbidities. Mean operative time was 35 min (range, 20–100 min), and 483 patients (44.3%) required transfusion of one or more units of blood. The nail was implanted without distal blockage in 886 patients (81.2%) and without reaming in 1081 patients (99.1%). Intra-operative complications were recorded in 28 patients (2.6%). At the 6-month follow-up, 128 patients (12%) had died from causes unrelated to the surgery. Of the remaining 963 patients, 632 (65.6%) could walk independently, 249 (25.9%) could walk with assistance, and 82 (8.5%) could not walk. Postoperative complications were recorded in 38 patients (3.5%); most common complications were cut-out (10 cases), loss of reduction (8 cases) and prominent screws (6 cases). In conclusion the Endovis BA nail seems to be a reliable choice for the treatment of lateral fractures of the femoral neck, especially considering the short operating time and low rate of complications.

Biochemical pathway modelling and analysis relies on the development of mechanistic models describing the kinetics of the main chemical species implicated in the overall function of the pathway. Such mechanistic models are highly parameterised representations of the biological system where the model parameters correspond to, for example, actual kinetic reaction rates. Such kinetic rates for biochemical reactions are mostly unknown, and only few can be identified using in vitro assays. Even for the rates that can be measured, biological systems tend to demonstrate a wide range of population variability. However the increasing availability of data obtained from various experimental protocols suggests the adoption of inferential methods in model identification and subsequent analysis. In particular it is argued that the Bayesian viewpoint is ideally suited for biochemical pathway modelling as issues surrounding system identification, sensitivity analysis, experimental design and model comparison are all straightforwardly addressed within this inferential framework. This talk will give an example of Bayesian analysis in modelling of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway where there are currently two working hypotheses as to how ERK is stimulated by extracellular growth factor (EGF) signalling. By modelling the pathway based on each hypothesis and employing the Bayesian inferential methodology we are able to objectively assess which hypothesis is best supported by the currently available experimental evidence.

The treatment of SL, especially in some cases, is mostly surgical. This lesion can be considered an extremely localised kyphosis (only two vertebrae) or a localized (sub-)luxation: at most hearetically pre-operative reduction should represent the first stage of the treatment, also because reduction makes further surgery easier and enables us to obtain the best results. After a glance at the various surgical techniques that have been used in the past, we describe our method of preoperative reduction in case of severe SL, an improvement of Scaglietti's original technique. According to the parameters taken into consideration, spondylolisthesis (SL) of the 4th and, above all, the 5th lumber vertebrae can be considered, especially in severe cases, as kyphosis or displacement (or even dislocation in the case of ptosis). In SL-kyphosis the antero posterior axes of the contiguous vertebral bodies are no longer parallel but tend to over-impose one to the other anteriorly forming an open posterior angle of varying degrees. It is an extremely short kyphosis (only two vertebrae) but from all points of view, even therapeutic, it reflects the characteristics of all types of vertebral kyphosis. SL-subluxation or SL-luxation (ptosis) is characterized by the respectively partial or total loss of normal alignment between the vertebrae involved. This can be explained by the fact that nearly all those who have dealt with the problem of treating SL, especially of L5, always ask themselves beforehand if it is possible and/or opportune to eliminate or improve the condition before surgery. In other words the question of reduction (pre or intraoperative, partial or total) of more or less severe L5 SL is always considered by all authors, even if their conclusions are often in disagreement.