Bioresorbable phosphate glass microstructured optical fiber for simultaneous light and drug delivery

Biomedical needs have recently boosted the development of brand-new multifunctional and bioresorbable optical fibers, especially in the field of theranostics. Biocompatible fibers represent great tools for in-body monitoring, diagnostics, and photo-dynamic therapy, thanks to their ability to carry light and act as a drug delivery system in capillary form. Optical fibers are also convenient because of their production scalability since they can be drawn into kilometers starting from a single preform, thus limiting production costs. Furthermore, biocompatible optical fibers can be easily adapted to different applications since they can be well integrated into catheters and other medical instrumentations. In this scenario, calcium-phosphate glass (CPG) optical fibers are promising candidates, thanks to their enhanced thermo-mechanical features and biocompatibility. Moreover, their resorbability, as well as mechanical and optical properties, can be finely tuned by tailoring the specific glass composition. In the present work, we report on our latest results in this field starting from the full characterization of CPG optical fibers by means of in-vitro dissolution tests and in-vivo experiments. Dissolution tests in simulated body fluid revealed that a high amount of MgO can effectively decrease the dissolution time, while in-vivo experiments showed no inflammatory response in the tested animals. The possibility of tailoring the resorption time of the CPG fiber is a key factor in several applications where different operational times are needed, e.g. from few days to few months. In addition, we will show the application of a CPG-based multifunctional fiber to deliver a photosensitive drug and its activation by light carried with the same fiber. Finally, we will report on the design and fabrication of a bioresorbable microstructured CPG fiber by properly combining rotational casting and extrusion techniques

Effect of Partial Crystallization on the Structural and Luminescence Properties of Er3+-Doped Phosphate Glasses

Er-doped phosphate glass ceramics were fabricated by melt-quenching technique followed by a heat treatment. The effect of the crystallization on the structural and luminescence properties of phosphate glasses containing Al2O3, TiO2, and ZnO was investigated. Themorphological and structural properties of the glass ceramics were characterized by Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, the luminescence spectra and the lifetime values were measured in order to study the influence of the crystallization on the spectroscopic properties of the glasses. The volume ratio between the crystal and the glassy phases increased along with the duration of the heat treatment. The crystallization of the glass ceramics was confirmed by the presence of sharp peaks in the XRD patterns and different crystal phases were identified depending on the glass composition. Sr(PO3)2 crystals were found to precipitate in all the investigated glasses. As evidenced by the spectroscopic properties, the site of the Er3+ ions was not strongly affected by the heat treatment except for the fully crystallized glass ceramic which does not contain Al2O3, TiO2, and ZnO. An increase of the lifetime was also observed after the heat treatment of this glass. Therefore, we suspect that the Er3+ ions are incorporated in the precipitated crystals only in this glass ceramic

Il Futuro della Cybersecurity in Italia: Ambiti Progettuali Strategici

Il presente volume nasce come continuazione del precedente, con l’obiettivo di delineare un insieme di ambiti progettuali e di azioni che la comunità nazionale della ricerca ritiene essenziali a complemento e a supporto di quelli previsti nel DPCM Gentiloni in materia di sicurezza cibernetica, pubblicato nel febbraio del 2017. La lettura non richiede particolari conoscenze tecniche; il testo è fruibile da chiunque utilizzi strumenti informatici o navighi in rete. Nel volume vengono considerati molteplici aspetti della cybersecurity, che vanno dalla definizione di infrastrutture e centri necessari a organizzare la difesa alle azioni e alle tecnologie da sviluppare per essere protetti al meglio, dall’individuazione delle principali tecnologie da difendere alla proposta di un insieme di azioni orizzontali per la formazione, la sensibilizzazione e la gestione dei rischi. Gli ambiti progettuali e le azioni, che noi speriamo possano svilupparsi nei prossimi anni in Italia, sono poi accompagnate da una serie di raccomandazioni agli organi preposti per affrontare al meglio, e da Paese consapevole, la sfida della trasformazione digitale. Le raccomandazioni non intendono essere esaustive, ma vanno a toccare dei punti che riteniamo essenziali per una corretta implementazione di una politica di sicurezza cibernetica a livello nazionale. Politica che, per sua natura, dovrà necessariamente essere dinamica e in continua evoluzione in base ai cambiamenti tecnologici, normativi, sociali e geopolitici. All’interno del volume, sono riportati dei riquadri con sfondo violetto o grigio; i primi sono usati nel capitolo introduttivo e nelle conclusioni per mettere in evidenza alcuni concetti ritenuti importanti, i secondi sono usati negli altri capitoli per spiegare il significato di alcuni termini tecnici comunemente utilizzati dagli addetti ai lavori. In conclusione, ringraziamo tutti i colleghi che hanno contribuito a questo volume: un gruppo di oltre 120 ricercatori, provenienti da circa 40 tra Enti di Ricerca e Università, unico per numerosità ed eccellenza, che rappresenta il meglio della ricerca in Italia nel settore della cybersecurity. Un grazie speciale va a Gabriella Caramagno e ad Angela Miola che hanno contribuito a tutte le fasi di produzione del libro. Tra i ringraziamenti ci fa piacere aggiungere il supporto ottenuto dai partecipanti al progetto FILIERASICURA

Design, Synthesis, and Structure-Property Relationships of Er3+-Doped TiO2 Luminescent Particles Synthesized by Sol-Gel

Titania particles doped with various concentrations of Erbium were synthesized by the sol-gel method followed by different heat treatments. The shape and the grain growth of the particles were noticeably affected by the concentration of Erbium and the heat treatment conditions. An infrared emission at 1530 nm, as well as green and red up-conversion emissions at 550 and 670 nm, were observed under excitation at 976 nm from all of the synthesized particles. The emission spectra and lifetime values appeared to be strongly influenced by the presence of the different crystalline phases. This work presents important guidelines for the synthesis of functional Er3+-doped titania particles with controlled and tailored spectroscopic properties for photonic applications

Phosphate glass fibers for optical amplifiers and biomedical applications

Phosphate glass optical fibers were designed and fabricated for applications in the fields of remote sensing and biomedicine. Main results are reported together with the recent development

High numerical aperture bioresorbable phosphate glass optical waveguides for time-domain diffuse optics

Preliminary experiments of diffuse optics were carried out on tissue-mimicking liquid phantoms by employing high numerical aperture bioresorbable phosphate glass fibers and rod waveguides. Experiments show performances comparable to standard fibers, paving the way towards a novel approach to look inside the body