Preparation of Long-Lived, Non-Autoionizing Circular Rydberg States of Strontium.

Alkaline earth Rydberg atoms are very promising tools for quantum technologies. Their highly excited outer electron provides them with the remarkable properties of Rydberg atoms and, notably, with a huge coupling to external fields or to other Rydberg atoms while the ionic core retains an optically active electron. However, low angular-momentum Rydberg states suffer almost immediate autoionization when the core is excited. Here, we demonstrate that strontium circular Rydberg atoms with a core excited in a 4D metastable level are impervious to autoionization over more than a few millisecond time scale. This makes it possible to trap and laser-cool Rydberg atoms. Moreover, we observe singlet to triplet transitions due to the core optical manipulations, opening the way to a microwave to optical quantum interface.

Sentinel lymph node identification in breast cancer: feasibility study.

The aim of the study was to evaluate in our institute the technique of sentinel node (SN) identification and biopsy in the surgical treatment of early breast cancer. Between June 1998 and November 1999 54 patients (age range, 31-75 years) where studied. Inclusion criteria were age less than 75 years, indication for conservative surgery, absence of palpable axillary nodes, Karnofksy index >70. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed 16-18 hours prior to surgery, following injection of 0.1-0.2 mL of 99mTc-Nanocoll: the administered activity was 3-4 MBq in group A (44 pts) and 7-8 MBq in group B (10 pts). The colloids were administered by transdermal supralesional injection in 49 patients with palpable nodules and by intraparenchymal ultrasound-guided injection in five patients with non-palpable nodules. Planar projections were performed starting from the 5th until the 80th min (or 180th in the event of late migration). In 10 patients further projections were acquired 14-18 h following tracer administration. All nodes identified by gamma probe (MR 100 Pol.Hi.Tech) were histologically evaluated by immunohistochemistry and standard histology. Scintigraphic visualization of the SN was obtained in 49 patients: in 38 of these patients there was only one SN while in 11 patients there were two or three SNs. The delayed scan made in 10 patients did not show any further nodes. In all patients given US-guided perilesional injections migration was late (after at least 60 min). Our study confirms the validity of the scintigraphic procedure, its safety for patients and health care workers, and the feasibility of interdisciplinary collaboration.

[Preliminary results on the use of scintigraphy with radiolabelled octreotide as diagnostic method in neuroendocrine and nonendocrine neoplasms of the lung]. / Risultati preliminari sull'utilizzo della scintigrafia con octreotide radiomarcato come metodica di diagnosi delle neoplasie neuroendocrine e non neuroendocrine del polmone.

Personal experience on the use of 111In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy (Octreoscan) in the staging of neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine tumors of the lung is reported. From July 1995 to May 1996 26 scintigraphic studies were performed in patients affected by lung cancer at the Department of Thoracic Surgery and at the Service of Nuclear Medicine of the University of Turin. The scintigraphy allowed to detect the lesion in all the neuroendocrine tumors and in 63.2% of the non neuroendocrine ones. Their preliminary results are discussed and stress is laid on the importance of this scintigraphic procedure in the staging and the follow-up of neoplastic patients.

Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung and role of 111In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy: preliminary results.

The authors report their experience on the use of 111In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung. The studies were performed both preoperatively, to obtain a correct staging of the tumor, or postoperatively, because of the suspicion of a recurrence or distant metastases. The main findings were: high sensitivity in localizing the tumor and its recurrences or metastases and high predictive value for responsiveness to "cold" octreotide therapy.