Integrated Germanium-on-silicon Waveguides for Mid-infrared Photonic Sensing Chips

Germanium-on-silicon waveguides are designed, fabricated and characterized with a novel near-field infrared spectroscopy technique that allows on-chip investigation of the in-coupling efficiency. On-chip propagation along bends and straight sections up to 0.8 mm is demonstrated around λ = 6 μm

Germanium-on-silicon Waveguides for Mid-infrared Photonic Sensing Chips

Germanium-on-silicon rib waveguides are modelled, fabricated and characterized with a novel near-field infrared spectroscopy technique that allows on-chip investigation of the waveguide losses at 5.8 μm wavelength

An Epidemiological updating on cystic echinococcosis in cattle and sheep in Sicily, Italy

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by larval stage of dog tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Transmission occurs predominantly in synanthropic cycles, involving sheep, goats, cattle and pigs as intermediate hosts. In Italy, according to sheep breeding, the infection rate increases from north to south regions including islands. Previous CE prevalence recorded in Sicily in cattle and sheep were 11.1% and 15.6%, respectively. The cyst viability, studied in sheep only, was 1,9% (Magliarditi D, Niutta PP, 1995, Atti Associazione Siciliana di Sanità Veterinaria: 165-167; Scala A et al., 2001, 20th International Congress of Hydatidology, Kusadasi, Turkey: 303). This paper reports preliminary results on prevalence and viability of CE in cattle and sheep in Sicily and is part of a larger research focused on the epidemiological updating of E. granulosus infection

Characterization of integrated waveguides by atomic-force-microscopy-assisted mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy

A novel spectroscopy technique to enable the rapid characterization of discrete mid-infrared integrated photonic waveguides is demonstrated. The technique utilizes lithography patterned polymer blocks that absorb light strongly within the molecular fingerprint region. These act as integrated waveguide detectors when combined with an atomic force microscope that measures the photothermal expansion when infrared light is guided to the block. As a proof of concept, the technique is used to experimentally characterize propagation loss and grating coupler response of Ge-on-Si waveguides at wavelengths from 6 to 10 µm. In addition, when the microscope is operated in scanning mode at fixed wavelength, the guided mode exiting the output facet is imaged with a lateral resolution better than 500 nm i.e. below the diffraction limit. The characterization technique can be applied to any mid-infrared waveguide platform and can provide non-destructive in-situ testing of discrete waveguide components

Verso una nuova etica dello sport

Il lavoro analizza diversi possibili principi fondativi di un'etica dello sport e conclude per un'idea di etica sportiva fondata ontologicamente sull'essere umano che si realizza nella vita relazionale, orientata al 'bene comune

I tumori cistici del pancreas. Revisione della letteratura e proposta di un percorso diagnostico-terapeutico

In questo lavoro, gli Autori esaminano gli aspetti epidemiologici, clinici, anatomo-patologici, morfologico-strumentali e chimico-fisici propri di ogni singolo tipo di lesione cistica del pancreas e li paragonano tra di loro in maniera critica. In tal modo riescono ad individuare per ogni singola categoria le caratteristiche più salienti. Un percorso composto di quattro gruppi principali di esami strumentali e di laboratorio (ecografia addominale standard / EUS, TC, RM, FNA / biopsia / dosaggio di oncomarkers ed amilasi del contenuto cistico) è stato prescelto per l’acquisizione di tutti questi dati in virtù di precisi criteri di specificità, sensibilità ed accuratezza diagnostica forniti dalla letteratura scientifica internazionale. Per ogni sottogruppo di tumore cistico del pancreas viene proposto, infine, il piano terapeutico accreditato di miglior successo, sempre secondo la comune opinione scientifica internazional