Testing Ultrafast Two-Photon Spectral Amplitudes via Optical Fibres

We test two-dimensional TPSA of biphoton light emitted via ultrafast spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) using the effect of group-velocity dispersion in optical fibres. Further, we apply this technique to demonstrate the engineering of biphoton spectral properties by acting on the pump pulse shape

Stereospecific generation of homochiral helices in coordination polymers built from enantiopure binaphthyl-based ligands

The novel enantiopure spacer 2,2′-dimethoxy-1,1′-binaphthyl-3,3′-bis(4-pyridyl-amido) has been designed to prepare helical coordination polymers here investigated by means of experimental and theoretical data

Characterization of Spectral Entanglement of Spontaneous Parametric-Down Conversion Biphotons

We verified operational approach based on direct measurement of entanglement degree for bipartite systems. In particular spectral distributions of single counts and coincidence for pure biphoton states generated by train of short pump pulses have been measured and entanglement quantifier calculated. The approach gives upper bound of entanglement stored in total biphoton states, which can reach extremely high value up to $10^{4}-10^{5}$

The role of macrophages polarization in predicting prognosis of radically resected gastric cancer patients

Tumour-associated Macrophages (TAM) present two different polarizations: classical (M1) characterized by immunostimulation activity and tumour suppression; alternative (M2) characterized by tumour promotion and immune suppression. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the correlation between the two forms of TAM with survival time in radically resected gastric cancer patients. A total of 52 chemo- and radio- naive patients were included. Two slides were prepared for each patient and double-stained for CD68/NOS2 (M1) or CD68/CD163 (M2) and five representative high-power fields per slide were evaluated for TAM count. The median value of the two macrophage populations density and the median value of M1/M2 ratio were used as cut-off. Twenty-seven patients with M1 density above-the-median had a significantly higher survival compared to those below the median. Twenty-six patients with M1/M2 ratio above the median showed median OS of 27.2 months compared to 15.5 months of the patients below the median. No association between M2 macrophage density and patient’s outcome was found. In multivariate analysis, M1/M2 was a positive independent predictor of survival. The M1 macrophage density and M1/M2 ratio, as con- firmed in multivariate analysis, are factors that can help in predicting patients survival time after radical surgery for gastric cancer

Proof-of-concept Raman spectroscopy study aimed to differentiate thyroid follicular patterned lesions.

Inter-observer variability and cancer over-diagnosis are emerging clinical problems, especially for follicular patterned thyroid lesions. This challenge strongly calls for a new clinical tool to reliably identify neoplastic lesions and to improve the efficiency of differentiation between benign and malignant neoplasms, especially considering the increased diagnosis of small carcinomas and the growing number of thyroid nodules. In this study, we employed a Raman spectroscopy (RS) microscope to investigate frozen thyroid tissues from fourteen patients with thyroid nodules. To generate tissue classification models, a supervised statistical analysis of the Raman spectra was performed. The results obtained demonstrate an accuracy of 78% for RS based diagnosis to discriminate between normal parenchyma and follicular patterned thyroid nodules, and 89% accuracy - for very challenging follicular lesions (carcinoma versus adenoma). RS translation into intraoperative diagnosis of frozen sections and in preoperative analysis of biopsies can be very helpful to reduce unnecessary surgery in patients with indeterminate cytological reports

Interrogating colorectal cancer metastasis to liver: a search for clinically viable compounds and mechanistic insights in colorectal cancer Patient Derived Organoids

Approximately 20-50% of patients presenting with localized colorectal cancer progress to stage IV metastatic disease (mCRC) following initial treatment and this is a major prognostic determinant. Here, we have interrogated a heterogeneous set of primary colorectal cancer (CRC), liver CRC metastases and adjacent liver tissue to identify molecular determinants of the colon to liver spreading. Screening Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs for their ability to interfere with an identified colon to liver metastasis signature may help filling an unmet therapeutic need

Nanoindentation study of the mechanical and damage behaviour of suspension plasma sprayed TiO2 coatings

TiO2 coatings can be used as self-cleaning surfaces owing to their photocatalytic and hydrophilic properties. Suspension plasma spray (SPS) has proven to be a feasible and cheap technique for producing self-cleaning surfaces with acceptable photo-activity. This paper presents a nanoindentation study of the mechanical properties (hardness. Young's modulus and scratch resistance) of photoactive layers of suspension plasma sprayed TiO2 coatings applied on to glass substrates. Microstructure observation showed that the rutile grains were surrounded by fine anatase crystals. Under the same spraying conditions, the resulting anatase/rutile concentrations varied depending on the cooling rate (the substrate being either cooled with water or in air). The results showed that higher concentrations of anatase, which is softer than rutile, reduced the scratch damage and increased the friction coefficient. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The study was financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID-600200-2009-5 and MAT2009-14144-C03-01 -02).Rayón Encinas, E.; Bonache Bezares, V.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Bannier, E.; Sánchez, E.; Denoirjean, A.; Ageorges, H. (2012). Nanoindentation study of the mechanical and damage behaviour of suspension plasma sprayed TiO2 coatings. Surface and Coatings Technology. 206(10):2655-2660. doi:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2011.11.010S265526602061

The PADME electromagnetic calorimeter

The PADME experiment, hosted at Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati in Italy, is going to start its data taking in September 2018. It is designed to search for the Dark Photon (indicated by the symbol A′), an hypothetical particle that can explain the Dark Matter elusiveness, possibly produced in the reaction e + e - → A′ γ. Together with the target, the segmented electromagnetic calorimeter is the most important component of the experiment, since it is needed to detect the recoil photon energy and position, in such a way to measure the A′ mass. It will consist of 616 2.1 × 2.1 × 23.0 cm3 BGO crystals arranged in a cylindrical shape and read by HZC photomultipliers with a diameter of 1.9 cm. Here we present the results obtained during the measurements performed on the scintillating units with a radioactive source and test beams, together with an overall description of the entire experiment

Cross-section measurement of two-photon annihilation in-flight of positrons at s=20\sqrt{s}=20 MeV with the PADME detector

The inclusive cross-section of annihilation in flight $e^+e^-\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$ of 430 MeV positrons with atomic electrons of a thin diamond target has been measured with the PADME detector at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati. The two photons produced in the process were detected by an electromagnetic calorimeter made of BGO crystals. This measurement is the first one based on the direct detection of the photon pair and one of the most precise for positron energies below 1 GeV. This measurement represents a necessary step to search for dark sector particles and mediators weakly coupled to photons and/or electrons with masses ranging from 1 MeV to 20 MeV with PADME. The measurement agrees with the Next to Leading Order QED prediction within the overall 6% uncertainty.Comment: Submitted to PR