0000000000652282
AUTHOR
Francesco Amato
Focal breast lesion characterization according to the BI-RADS US lexicon: role of a computer-aided decision-making support
Objectives: to assess the diagnostic performance of a computer-guided decision- making software (S-Detect) in the US characterization of focal breast lesions (FBLs), according to the radiologist's experience. Materials and Methods: 300 FBLs (size: 2.6-47.2 mm; mean: 13.2 mm) in 255 patients (mean age: 51 years) were prospectively assessed in consensus according to BIRADS US lexicon by two experienced radiologists without and with S-Detect; to evaluate intra and inter-observer agreement, the same 300 FBLs were independently evaluated by two residents at baseline and after 3 months. Results: 120/300 (40%) FBLs were malignant, 2/300 (0.7%) high-risk and 178/300 (59.3%) benign. Experts review s…
Enhancement of antibiotic productions by plasma modified PLA electrospun membranes in Streptomyces coelicolor immobilized-cell cultivations
This study, encouraging the use of PLA membranes for actinomycetes cultivations, could unveil functional insights associated with antibiotic production and S. coelicolor cellimmobilization
Luminescence Efficiency of Si/SiO 2 Nanoparticles Produced by Laser Ablation
Photoluminescence properties of Si(core)/SiO 2 (shell) nanoparticles produced by pulsed laser ablation in aqueous solution are investigated with the purpose to highlight the microscopic processes that govern the emission brightness and stability. Time resolved spectra evidence that these systems emit a µs decaying band centered around 1.95 eV, that is associated with the radiative recombination of quantum-confined excitons generated in the Si nanocrystalline core. Both the quantum efficiency and the stability of this emission are strongly dependent on the pH level of the solution, that is changed after the laser ablation is performed. They enhance in acid environment because of the H + pass…
Enhancing the luminescence efficiency of silicon-nanocrystals by interaction with H+ions
The emission of silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs), synthesized by pulsed laser ablation in water, was investigated on varying the pH of the solution. These samples emit μs decaying orange photoluminescence (PL) associated with radiative recombination of quantum-confined excitons. Time-resolved spectra reveal that both the PL intensity and the lifetime increase by a factor of ∼20 when the pH decreases from 10 to 1 thus indicating that the emission quantum efficiency increases by inhibiting nonradiative decay rates. Infrared (IR) absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments allow addressing the origin of defects on which the excitons nonradiatively recombine. The linear correl…
Sensor-Oriented Passive RFID
This chapter addresses the design of new UHF tag antennas for sensing applications able to host detectors and additional electronics but also to act as passive sensor itself for some modification of the target. Starting from the consideration that the tag is both a digital and an analog device, sensing data may be achieved without using microcontrollers by a simple signal processing of the tag response and of the turn-on power. The chapter is particularly focused on the monitoring of human body features even if the proposed ideas and devices, here demonstrated by simulations and experimentation, may also be applied in a variety of scenarios.
S-Detect characterization of focal solid breast lesions: a prospective analysis of inter-reader agreement for US BI-RADS descriptors
Background: To assess inter-reader agreement for US BI-RADS descriptors using S-Detect: a computer-guided decision-making software assisting in US morphologic analysis. Methods: 73 solid focal breast lesions (FBLs) (mean size: 15.9 mm) in 73 consecutive women (mean age: 51 years) detected at US were randomly and independently assessed according to the BI-RADS US lexicon, without and with S-Detect, by five independent reviewers. US-guided core-biopsy and 24-month follow-up were considered as standard of reference. Kappa statistics were calculated to assess inter-operator agreement, between the baseline and after S-Detect evaluation. Agreement was graded as poor (≤ 0.20), moderate (0.21–0.40)…
Inkjet printing Ag nanoparticles for SERS hot spots
A novel inkjet printing based approach is developed for the fabrication of a customizable platform on glass substrates allowing for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of analytes up to single hot spots generated by the spontaneous aggregation of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in pL scale droplets. After drying the printed droplets under ambient conditions, trace amounts of the analyte can be detected by SERS given the proximity to NP hot spots. By employing alizarin (10-5M) as a model system and scaling the ink droplet volume from 1 nL to 10 pL, the absolute quantity of hot spots has been derived in the printed droplets allowing detecting up to a few molecules in proximity to i…
Ag nanoparticles agargel nanocomposites for SERS detection of cultural heritage interest pigments
Agarose gel (agargel) composites with commercial and laboratory made silver nanoparticles were prepared by a wet solution method at room temperature. The gel composites were used for pigment extraction and detection by Raman spectroscopy. Red (alizarin) and violet (crystal violet) pigments deposited on paper were extracted by the composites and were investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Evaluation was carried out of the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) effect induced by the silver nanoparticles embedded in the gel. A kinetic approach as a function of time was used to determine the efficiency of pigments extraction by composites deposition. A non-invasive extraction process of …