Deposition of metallic silver coatings by Aerosol Assisted MOCVD using two new silver ß-diketonate adduct metalorganic precursors.

This work reports two new silver metalorganic precursors for the chemical vapor deposition of Ag metallic coatings. Both precursors are based on ß-diketonate adducts, namely, Ag(hfac)(L) (H-hfac = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione), where L is 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) or 2,5,8,11-tetraoxadodecane (triglyme). Using these ligands, the designed precursors have better solubility in alcoholic solvents and are less toxic and costly than previously reported ones. The new precursors have been characterized and their crystallographic structure solved. With the new triglyme precursor, [Ag(triglyme)2]+[Ag(hfac)2]-, pure metallic Ag coatings made of Ag nanoparticles about 20 nm in diameter were succesfully deposited on glass and Si substrates using Aerosol Assisted Metalorganic CVD (AA-CVD).

Effect of advanced nanowire-based targets in nanosecond laser-matter interaction (invited).

An experimental campaign aiming to investigate the effects of innovative nanostructured targets based on Ag nanowires on laser energy absorption in the ns time domain has been carried out at the Laser Energy for Nuclear Science laboratory of INFN-LNS in Catania. The tested targets were realized at INFN-Bologna by anodizing aluminium sheets in order to obtain layers of porous Al2O3 of different thicknesses, on which nanowires of various metals are grown by electro-deposition with different heights. Targets were then irradiated by using a Nd:YAG laser at different pumping energies. Advanced diagnostic tools were used for characterizing the plasma plume and ion production. As compared with targets of pure Al, a huge enhancement (of almost two order of magnitude) of the X-ray flux emitted by the plasma has been observed when using the nanostructured targets, with a corresponding decrease of the "optical range" signal, pointing out that the energetic content of the laser produced plasma was remarkably increased. This analysis was furthermore confirmed from time-of-flight spectra.

[Proposal for the use of preoperative pneumoperitoneum in the treatment of large bilateral inguinal-scrotal hernias]. / Proposta di utilizzazione del pneumoperitoneo preoperatorio nel trattamento delle ernie inguino-scrotali permagne.

The authors bring again their therapeutic behavior effected with the technique of the pneumoperitoneum preoperative for the resolution or a case of bilateral inguinal hernia. Having used a catheter of Tenckoff with external link to Y, in use beside the nephrologist, for peritoneal dialysis and has stayed positioned for percutaneous way into the peritoneal cavity. Has stayed insufflated increasing quantity of air in abdomen from 100 cc after the first day of treatment, to 1500 cc after the 15th day, to allow a sufficient increase of the ability or the peritoneal cavity and allow the reduction of the intestinal loops in abdomen. The patient has stayed subjected to F.K. Respiratory T. and constant control of the EGA for permitting the patient to have a hernioplasty with median navel-pubic access and positioning of preperitoneal prosthesis according to Stoppa in the best possible conditions.

[Competitive activity of a bacterial preparation on colonization and pathogenicity of C. pylori. A clinical study]. / Studio dell'attività competitiva di un preparato batterico sulla colonizzazione e patogenicità di C. pylori. Studio clinico.

The authors studied the ability of a live polymicrobial formulation containing Lactobacillus acidophilus 10(9) and Bifidobacterium bifidum 10(9) to act as an "ecological" therapy for gastritis and duodenitis. The study was carried out in volunteers suffering from these disorders which nowadays are attributed to C. pylori. The results obtained confirm previous findings in experimental animals. The polymicrobial formulation was found to be able to compete effectively with the microorganism responsible for the disorders and to improve the results obtained by traditional therapy.