Histological appearances and nuclear DNA content of verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx

Of the 12 cases of verrusous squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx encountered since 1968 at the Department of Otolaryngology of Padua University (including the Verona Section) and the Department of Pathologic Anatomy of the University of Trieste, three are reported, together with an investigation of the nuclear DNA content of the tumour cells. It is suggested that such a study may assit with early detection of verrucous carcinoma. The laryngeal localization of the neoplasm has been evidenced only in some centres. The difficulties in establishing a correct diagnosis for this variant of squamous cell carcinoma are emphasized and the pathomorphological features, as well as the microscopic and macroscopic appearances, are discussed. The prognosis is excellent and the therapy of choice must be only surgical, as radiation has not only proven ineffective, but in some cases has induced anaplasia, leading to a rapid dissemination of the tumour.     

Order of complexity of rlc networks containing a reactive gyrator

Using a particular expansion of the network determinant, a simple formula is derived giving the total number of natural frequencies of a passive RLC network containing a reactive gyrator. The order of complexity is expressed in terms of the degrees of the polynomials in the gyration impedance and the alteration in the network topology due to gyrator embedding. Quantitative conditions for the order of complexity of the active network exceeding that of the network without the gyrator are obtained. Formulas are also derived for the number of zero and non-zero natural frequencies.     

Dynamic and Formal Verification of Embedded Systems: A Comparative Survey

Embedded Systems, by their nature, constitute a meeting point for communities with extremely different background. In particular, the high demands for quality and reliability for embedded systems have led to complementary quality assurance efforts: hardware engineers have developed techniques for dynamic verification in terms of co-simulation, which, in particular, addresses the different nature of hardware and software components. Thus these techniques are tailored for the transactional level, which comprises dedicated models for the hardware and the software parts. On the other hand, there is a bulk of work on formal verification techniques, which typically address higher levels of abstraction. These techniques are exhaustive in the sense that they cover all the infinite possible paths of their models, however at the price of neglecting many of the low-level aspects treated by co-simulation. It is the goal of this paper to increase the mutual understanding between these communities and to animate research at this exciting borderline.     

Videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy. Experience, evolution, and comparison of techniques

The paper broadly outlines the technique of laparoscopic cholecystectomy used by the authors to treat patients suffering from calculosis of the gallbladder. Basing their comments on the French school, the authors review the literature to identify those innovations introduced by individual operators in elation to the original technique which have enabled this method to be extended to those cases complicated by acute cholecystitis, VBP calculosis or sequelae from abdominal surgery. The most important innovations include the use of a laparoscope with oblique 30-degrees vision, which is extremely useful during the dissection of Calot's triangle since it allows VBP to be identified with greater ease and precision, above all in the event of phlogistic sequelae enclosing the peduncle. In addition, laparoscopic suture or ligation using Roeder's running-knot, used by the Dundee school to treat the cystic duct and artery, presents considerable advantages compared to the conventional use of metal clips. The authors also emphasise the growing return to intraoperative cholangiography which is routinely performed by some authors and is of value in identifying anatomic anomalies, iatrogenic lesions and VBP calculi unnoticed by preoperative tests. A second innovation which is highlighted consists of the treatment of choledocholithiasis during the course of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, in addition to pre- and postoperative endoscopic papillo-sphincterotomy.     

Improving bulk FinFET DC performance in comparison to SOI FinFET

The implementation of FinFET structure in bulk silicon wafers is very attractive due to low-cost technology and compatibility with standard bulk CMOS in comparison with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) FinFET. SOI and bulk FinFET were analyzed by a three-dimensional numerical device simulator. We have shown that bulk FinFET with source/drain-to-body (S/D) junctions shallower than gate-bottom has equal or better subthreshold performance than SOI FinFET. By reducing S/D junction depth, fin width scaling for suppression of short-channel-effects (SCEs) can be relaxed. On-state performance has also been examined and drain current difference between the SOI and bulk FinFET at higher body doping levels has been explained by investigating enhanced conduction in silicon-oxide interface corners. By keeping the body doping low and junctions shallower than the gate-bottom, bulk FinFET characteristics can be improved with no increase in process complexity and cost.     

Fast and air stable near-infrared organic detector based on squaraine dyes

In search for an organic material suitable for the detection of near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and at the same time capable of air stable operation of related devices, so to address the many applications envisaged with this technology (remote control, chemical/biological sensing, optical communication, spectroscopic and medical instruments), we explore the performance of a blend of hydrazone end-capped symmetric squaraines and phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester. We succeed in developing air stable solution-processed devices with external quantum efficiency in the NIR as high as 3.5% and response times of few hundreds of nanoseconds. Essential to these achievements has been a detailed characterization of the devices performed by correlating the optoelectronic performances to the morphology of the layers (extracted from AFM measurements) and to the charge carrier mobility (extracted from transistor structures), enabling their optimization at the chemical level, by tailoring the squaraine substitution pattern, and at the device level, by tuning the blend composition. We show that a good balance between holes and electrons mobility is essential for high EQE and fast response speed, and that a smooth morphology is mandatory to achieve long term air stability and operability with no need for encapsulation.     

Crystalline Intermediate Phases in the Sol–Gel-Based Synthesis of La2NiO4+δ

X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were applied to investigate a sol–gel synthetic process for the mixed oxygen ion and electron conductor La₂NiO_4+δ with a K₂NiF₄ structure type. The development of the La₂NiO_4+δ is elucidated considering the influence of calcination temperatures and dwell times. Following the thermal decomposition of nitrate and organic precursors in an intermediate step, the lanthanum nickel oxide is obtained after a short dwell time above 750°C. This occurs by the transformation of an ultrafinely dispersed powder consisting of lanthanum oxycarbonate, lanthanum oxide, and nickel oxide. The pure La₂NiO_4+δ phase was obtained by similar solid-state reactions between nanocrystalline powder particles at just 950°C.     

Electrochemical oxidation of organics in water: Role of operative parameters in the absence and in the presence of NaCl

The electrochemical oxidation of organics in water was investigated theoretically and experimentally to determine the role of several operative parameters on the performances of the process in the presence and in the absence of sodium chloride. Theoretical considerations were used to design the experimental investigation and were confirmed by the results of the electrochemical oxidation of oxalic acid (OA) at boron doped diamond (BDD) or IrO₂-Ta₂O₅ (DSA-O₂) anodes in a continuous batch recirculation reaction system equipped with a parallel plate undivided electrochemical cell. Polarization curves and chronoamperometric measurements indicated that, in the presence of chlorides, the anodic oxidation of OA is partially replaced by an indirect oxidation process. This result was confirmed by electrolyses experiments that show that, in the presence of suitable amount of chlorides, oxidation of OA takes place mainly by a homogeneous process. Interestingly, a very different influence of the nature of the anodic material, the flow rate and the current density on the performances of the process arises in the absence and in the presence of chlorides so that optimization of the two processes requires very different operative conditions. In the absence of chlorides, high current efficiency (CE) is obtained at BDD when most part of the process is under charge transfer controlled kinetics, i.e. when low current densities and high flow rates are imposed. On the other hand, in the presence of NaCl, higher CE are generally obtained at DSA anode when high current densities and low flow rates are imposed, i.e. when a high concentration of chemical oxidants is obtained as a result of the chloride oxidation. The effect of other operative parameters such as the OA concentration and the pH were further investigated.