A case of drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) induced by telaprevir associated with HHV-6 active infection

Letter to the EditorA Case of Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) In-duced by Telaprevir Associated with HHV-6 Active InfectionFrancesco Broccolo, Giulia Ciccarese, Antonino Picciotto, Francesco DragoPII: S0168-8278(14)00668-0DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2014.09.014Reference: JHEPAT 5348To appear in

PECVD low stress silicon nitride analysis and optimization for the fabrication of CMUT devices

Two technological options to achieve a high deposition rate, low stress plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride to be used in capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUT) fabrication are investigated and presented. Both options are developed and implemented on standard production line PECVD equipment in the framework of a CMUT technology transfer from R & D to production. A tradeoff between deposition rate, residual stress and electrical properties is showed. The first option consists in a double layer of silicon nitride with a relatively high deposition rate of ~100 nm min−1 and low compressive residual stress, which is suitable for the fabrication of the thick nitride layer used as a mechanical support of the CMUTs. The second option involves the use of a mixed frequency low-stress silicon nitride with outstanding electrical insulation capability, providing improved mechanical and electrical integrity of the CMUT active layers. The behavior of the nitride is analyzed as a function of deposition parameters and subsequent annealing. The nitride layer characterization is reported in terms of interfaces density influence on residual stress, refractive index, deposition rate, and thickness variation both as deposited and after thermal treatment. A sweet spot for stress stability is identified at an interfaces density of 0.1 nm−1, yielding 87 MPa residual stress after annealing. A complete CMUT device fabrication is reported using the optimized nitrides. The CMUT performance is tested, demonstrating full functionality in ultrasound imaging applications and an overall performance improvement with respect to previous devices fabricated with non-optimized silicon nitride

PixDD: a multi-pixel silicon drift detector for high-throughput spectral-timing studies

The Pixelated silicon Drift Detector (PixDD) is a two-dimensional multi-pixel X-ray sensor based on the technology of Silicon Drift Detectors, designed to solve the dead time and pile-up issues of photon-integrating imaging detectors. Read out by a two-dimensional self-triggering Application-Specific Integrated Circuit named RIGEL, to which the sensor is bump-bonded, it operates in the 0:5 — 15 keV energy range and is designed to achieve single-photon sensitivity and good spectroscopic capabilities even at room temperature or with mild cooling (< 150 eV resolution at 6 keV at 0 °C). The paper reports on the design and performance tests of the 128-pixel prototype of the fully integrated system

In-Target Proton–Boron Nuclear Fusion Using a PW-Class Laser

Nuclear reactions between protons and boron-11 nuclei (p–B fusion) that were used to yield energetic α-particles were initiated in a plasma that was generated by the interaction between a PW-class laser operating at relativistic intensities (~3 × 10^19 W/cm2) and a 0.2-mm thick boron nitride (BN) target. A high p–B fusion reaction rate and hence, a large α-particle flux was generated and measured, thanks to a proton stream accelerated at the target’s front surface. This was the first proof of principle experiment to demonstrate the efficient generation of α-particles (~10^10/sr) through p–B fusion reactions using a PW-class laser in the “in-target” geometry

Years of life that could be saved from prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) causes premature death and loss of life expectancy worldwide. Its primary and secondary prevention can result in a significant number of years of life saved. AIM: To assess how many years of life are lost after HCC diagnosis. METHODS: Data from 5346 patients with first HCC diagnosis were used to estimate lifespan and number of years of life lost after tumour onset, using a semi-parametric extrapolation having as reference an age-, sex- and year-of-onset-matched population derived from national life tables. RESULTS: Between 1986 and 2014, HCC lead to an average of 11.5 years-of-life lost for each patient. The youngest age-quartile group (18-61 years) had the highest number of years-of-life lost, representing approximately 41% of the overall benefit obtainable from prevention. Advancements in HCC management have progressively reduced the number of years-of-life lost from 12.6 years in 1986-1999, to 10.7 in 2000-2006 and 7.4 years in 2007-2014. Currently, an HCC diagnosis when a single tumour <2 cm results in 3.7 years-of-life lost while the diagnosis when a single tumour 65 2 cm or 2/3 nodules still within the Milan criteria, results in 5.0 years-of-life lost, representing the loss of only approximately 5.5% and 7.2%, respectively, of the entire lifespan from birth. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence results in the loss of a considerable number of years-of-life, especially for younger patients. In recent years, the increased possibility of effectively treating this tumour has improved life expectancy, thus reducing years-of-life lost

Generation of α-Particle Beams With a Multi-kJ, Peta-Watt Class Laser System

We present preliminary results on generation of energetic α-particles driven by lasers. The experiment was performed at the Institute of Laser Engineering in Osaka using the short-pulse, high-intensity, high-energy, PW-class laser. The laser pulse was focused onto a thin plastic foil (pitcher) to generate a proton beam by the well-known TNSA mechanism which, in turn, was impinging onto a boron-nitride (BN) target (catcher) to generated alpha-particles as a result of proton-boron nuclear fusion events. Our results demonstrate generation of α-particles with energies in the range 8–10 MeV and with a flux around 5 × 10^9 sr^−1

Plasma polymers as targets for laser-driven proton-boron fusion

Laser-driven proton-boron (pB) fusion has been gaining significant interest for energetic alpha particles production because of its neutron-less nature. This approach requires the use of B- and H-rich materials as targets, and common practice is the use of BN and conventional polymers. In this work, we chose plasma-assisted vapour phase deposition to prepare films of oligoethylenes (plasma polymers) on Boron Nitride BN substrates as an advanced alternative. The r.f. power delivered to the plasma was varied between 0 and 50 W to produce coatings with different crosslink density and hydrogen content, while maintaining the constant thickness of 1 μm. The chemical composition, including the hydrogen concentration, was investigated using XPS and RBS/ERDA, whereas the surface topography was analyzed using SEM and AFM. We triggered the pB nuclear fusion reaction focusing laser pulses from two different systems (i.e., the TARANIS multi-TW laser at the Queen’s University Belfast (United Kingdom) and the PERLA B 10-GW laser system at the HiLASE center in Prague (Czech Republic)) directly onto these targets. We achieved a yield up to 108 and 104 alpha particles/sr using the TARANIS and PERLA B lasers, respectively. Radiative-hydrodynamic and particle-in-cell PIC simulations were performed to understand the laser-target interaction and retrieve the energy spectra of the protons. The nuclear collisional algorithm implemented in the WarpX PIC code was used to identify the region where pB fusion occurs. Taken together, the results suggest a complex relationship between the hydrogen content, target morphology, and structure of the plasma polymer, which play a crucial role in laser absorption, target expansion, proton acceleration and ultimately nuclear fusion reactions in the plasma

The large area detector onboard the eXTP mission

The Large Area Detector (LAD) is the high-throughput, spectral-timing instrument onboard the eXTP mission, a flagship mission of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China National Space Administration, with a large European participation coordinated by Italy and Spain. The eXTP mission is currently performing its phase B study, with a target launch at the end-2027. The eXTP scientific payload includes four instruments (SFA, PFA, LAD and WFM) offering unprecedented simultaneous wide-band X-ray timing and polarimetry sensitivity. The LAD instrument is based on the design originally proposed for the LOFT mission. It envisages a deployed 3.2 m2 effective area in the 2-30 keV energy range, achieved through the technology of the large-area Silicon Drift Detectors - offering a spectral resolution of up to 200 eV FWHM at 6 keV - and of capillary plate collimators - limiting the field of view to about 1 degree. In this paper we will provide an overview of the LAD instrument design, its current status of development and anticipated performance