A Novel Manufacturing Technology for RF MEMS Devices on Ceramic Substrates

Microelectromechanical systems are often used for their enormous capability and good qualities in T/R modules especially for space modular applications. High isolation and very low insertion loss are guaranteed by their intrinsic working principle. This is a very robust, flexible, and low-cost technology, and it provides high reliability, good reproducibility, and complete fulfillment of technical requirements

Intrathoracic solitary fibrous tumor - an international multicenter study on clinical outcome and novel circulating biomarkers

Intrathoracic solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare disease. Radical resection is the standard of care. However, estimating prognosis and planning follow-up and treatment strategies remains challenging. Data were retrospectively collected by five international centers to explore outcome and biomarkers for predicting event-free-survival (EFS). 125 histological proven SFT patients (74 female; 59.2%; 104 benign; 83.2%) were analyzed. The one-, three-, five- and ten-year EFS after curative-intent surgery was 98%, 90%, 77% and 67%, respectively. Patients age (>/=59 vs. 10 cm vs. 5 vs. < 5 HR 3.91, CI 1.40-10.89, p = 0.009) were prognostic after univariate analyses. After multivariate analyses tumor-dignity and fibrinogen remained as independent prognosticators. Besides validating the role of age, tumor-dignity, tumor-size, stage and resection margins, we identified for the first time inflammatory markers as prognosticators in SFT

Benthic assemblage of Acquatina Lake (South Adriatic Sea): present state and long-term faunistic changes

A study on macrobenthos of Acquatina Lake, a transitional water basin, was performed in order to evaluate its present status and detect any faunistic changes after the digging of a larger connection with the open sea that has improved the hydrological conditions. A total of 5029 individuals belonging to 51 taxa were collected. Molluscs were taxonomically the richest group, but polychaetes were the most abundant due to the high abundance of Heteromastus filiformis. The sites representing two extremes of the biotope in terms of both the salinity gradient and the distance from the sea had the most variable assemblages, while the central area showed a more homogeneous faunal composition. This was due to the different distribution patterns of molluscs and polychaetes: the former seemed to be more influenced by salinity, while the latter were also influenced by oxygen saturation. The comparison between the present and historical data showed the increase of polychaete diversity, the change in the dominant taxa (from Naineris laevigata to H. filiformis) and the disappearance of some opportunistic forms (e.g. Capitella capitata). Changes in the salinity gradient and the improvement of trophic conditions, possibly enhanced by biotic interactions (e.g. possible competition between the two capitellids H. filiformis and Notomastus latericeus), may have led the polychaete assemblage towards the new equilibrium

Role of Myxicola infundibulum (Polychaeta, Annelida) mucus: From bacterial control to nutritional home site.

The polychaete Myxicola infundibulum (Renier) produces a large amount of dense mucus which forms a gelatinous envelope where the worm lives. In the present study we evaluated some of the physical-chemical properties of this matrix such as viscosity, osmolarity, electrical conductivity, and protein, carbohydrate and total lipid content The presence of an antibacterial lysozyme-like activity as well as the density of culturable bacteria at 22 degrees C and vibrios and associated macrofauna were also investigated. The water content of M. infundibulum mucus was 95 +/- 0.5%. By dry weight, 38 +/- 1.2% was protein, 2 +/- 021% was carbohydrate and only 3% was lipid. Most of the remainder of the dry weight (about 57%) was inorganic. The mucus of M. infundibulum exerted a lysozyme-like activity evidenced on Petri dishes inoculated with Micrococcus luteus cell walls with a diameter of lysis of 8.4 +/- 0.3 mm, corresponding to 1.15 mg ml(-1) of hen egg white lysozyme. Notwithstanding this high antibacterial activity, the mucous tubes of M. infundibulum contained a high density of culturable heterotrophic bacteria at 22 degrees C, of which presumptive culturable vibrios accounted for 4.6 +/- 0.2 x 10(3) CPU ml(-1). Moreover, tubes were found to be colonized by several specimens of the polychaete Lumbrineris cfr. latreilli. Therefore the mucus of M. infundibutum appears to provide defence against some bacteria and food supply for the growth of others, that in turn could be utilized by macrofaunal organisms. On account of these features this matrix represents an accessible and renewable resource that could repay further exploration from several points of view