M Ceccarelli

Publications (88)19.73 Total impact

• Source

  Available from: Simona De Iuliis

  Conference Proceeding: Back Enhanced Heterostructure with INterDigitated contact - BEHIND - solar cell

  M. Tucci, L. Serenelli, E. Salza, L. Pirozzi, G. de Cesare, D. Caputo, M. Ceccarelli, P. Martufi, S. De Iuliis, L.J. Geerligs
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  ABSTRACT: In this paper we investigate in detail how the heterostructure concept can be implemented in an interdigitated back contact solar cell, in which both the emitters are formed on the back side of the c-Si wafer by amorphous/crystalline silicon heterostructure, and at the same time the grid-less front surface is passivated by a double layer of amorphous silicon and silicon nitride, which also provides an anti-reflection coating. The entire process, held at temperature below 300degC, is photolithography-free, using a metallic self-aligned mask to create the interdigitated pattern. An open-circuit voltage of 695 mV has been measured on this device fabricated. The mask-assisted deposition process does not influence the uniformity of the deposited amorphous silicon layers. Several technological aspects that limit the fill factor are considered and discussed.
  Optoelectronic and Microelectronic Materials and Devices, 2008. COMMAD 2008. Conference on; 09/2008
• Chapter: A Fuzzy Scale-Space Approach to Feature-Based Image Representation and Retrieval

  M. Ceccarelli, F. Musacchia, A. Petrosino
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  ABSTRACT: We propose an image indexing and retrieval method which is based on the multiscale image analysis theory in conjunction with fuzzy image feature extraction. The main idea is based on the assumption that the fundamental cues for image description such as shape and textures should be considered together within a unified model. Here the multiscale analysis is modeled by a differential morphological filter, and the feature are extracted by a multiscale fuzzy gradient operation applied to the detail images, which are the differences between images at successive scales. Experiments with large image databased and comparisons with classical methods are reported.
  10/2005: pages 377-385;
• Chapter: Total Variation Regularization for Edge Preserving 3D SPECT Imaging in High Performance Computing Environments

  L. Antonelli, L. Carracciuolo, M. Ceccarelli, L. D’Amore, A. Murli
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  ABSTRACT: Clinical diagnosis environments often require the availability of processed data in real-time, unfortunately, reconstruction times are prohibitive on conventional computers, neither the adoption of expensive parallel computers seems to be a viable solution. Here, we focus on development of mathematical software on high performance architectures for Total Variation based regularization reconstruction of 3D SPECT images. The software exploits the low-cost of Beowulf parallel architectures.
  12/2001: pages 171-180;
• Article: [Atypical and incomplete Kawasaki disease].

  V Rossomando, A Baracchini, G Chiaravalloti, N Assanta, G Buti, L Matteucci, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: Kawasaki Disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitic disorder of childhood of unknown etiology. Initially KD was thought to be a benign disease, but later on it became obvious that cardiac manifestations are present in about 25-30% of patients and lead to death in about 0.5-2% of them. An early diagnosis and treatment are important to avoid an unfavourable prognosis. In recent years, a number of publications described patients in which the diagnosis was delayed because they did not fulfil the required criteria of KD. These forms of KD are known as atypical or incomplete KD. The aim of this work is to describe two cases of atypical KD observed at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Pisa during the year 1992.
  Minerva pediatrica 10/1997; 49(9):419-23.
• Article: Platelet serotonin transporter in coeliac disease.

  G Chiaravalloti, D Marazziti, A Batistini, T Favilli, C Ughi, M Ceccarelli, G B Cassano
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  ABSTRACT: We investigated a peripheral serotonergic marker, i.e. platelet tritiated imipramine (3H-IMI) binding sites, which are part of the 5-HT transporter complex similar to that present in the brain, in 20 patients affected by coeliac disease (CD), as compared with 20 healthy controls. Platelet membranes and 3H-IMI binding were carried out according to a standardized protocol. The results showed that coeliac patients had significantly lower 3H-IMI binding sites than controls. This finding would suggest the presence of a dysfunction at the level of the 5-HT transporter that might underline the psychic disturbances frequently observed in coeliac patients.
  Acta Paediatrica 08/1997; 86(7):696-9. · 2.07 Impact Factor
• Article: [Apparent life threatening events (ALTE): prelude to SIDS? Description of 14 cases].

  A Baracchini, V Rossomando, G Chiaravalloti, G Buti, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: The peak incidence of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is between 2 and 4 months of age. Its pathology is extremely heterogenous, infection, hypoxia and many others factors are all implicated. We examine here the possible relation between SIDS and Apparent Life Threatening Event (ALTE). We describe 14 cases that we have observed to establish a primary connection between these two situations and to identify a risk-group for an accurate follow-up.
  Minerva pediatrica 11/1995; 47(10):393-9.
• Article: [Intestinal intussusception in children].

  A Baracchini, G Chiaravalloti, S Quinti, A Rossi, T Favili, C Ughi, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: Enteric intussusception is one f the most frequent causes of acute abdomen in early childhood, with an incidence of 1.3-2/1000 children born and higher frequency from the third to the twelfth month. Primary intussusception is related to predisponsing factors such as peristalsis disorders or Peyer's patch hypertrophy induced by viral infection. Secondary intussusception is due to organic injury in the intestinal wall. The most involved sites are the terminal ileum and the ileocecum, the most frequent type is ileocolic intussusception. Many clinical forms exist, including acute enteric intussusception with its pathognomonic triad intermittent abdominal pain, emesis and rectal bleeding and the atypical form with a neurological presentation, where sopor, myosis and muscular atonicity are dominating, Intussusception can also present in a subacute or chronic form with a slow and apsecific onset. In a retrospective investigation we examined 30 cases of intussusception in children hospitalized at the Pediatric Clinic of Pisa from the 1960s up to today. Our patients (16 males and 14 females) were aged between one month and two years. Clinical presentations resulted in; typical forms (60%), atypical forms (16%), subacute forms 13%) and recurrent forms (10%). Clinical suspicion was confirmed either by the presence of blood observed during rectal exploration, which is a pathognomonic sign, or by the opaque enema which led to recovery by means of hydrostatic reduction in 40% of the cases. The remaining patients (60%) underwent surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
  Minerva pediatrica 07/1995; 47(6):215-9.
• Article: [Description of two cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy].

  A Baracchini, N Assanta, G Baracchini, P Raglianti, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: The Munchausen syndrome by proxy, or Polle syndrome can be considered as a form of child abuse in which parents falsify or even produce a real pathology in their children submitting them to frequent hospitalizations and pointless medical examinations. The authors discuss two cases and emphasize the importance of an early identification of these cases to avoid psychical impairments that inevitably stem from this "new" form of child abuse.
  Minerva pediatrica 04/1995; 47(3):73-6.
• Article: [Bacterial meningitis. Review of literature and retrospective study of 208 cases observed].

  M Ceccarelli, G Palla, A Villirillo, A Rossi, C Ughi, E Rossomando
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  ABSTRACT: Bacterial meningitis is a particularly dangerous infection of the central nervous system involving quite a number of mortal cases and frequent neurological sequelae. Etiology varies in relation to the patient's age. In the first 2 months of life Streptococcus B, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and other Gram negative enteric bacilli are more frequently isolated while in older children Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae are more common. Clinical symptoms take a different form according to the patient's age: symptoms of a general kind prevail in the first 2 months of life while in older children signs of meningeal irritation predominate. In a review of the survey of cases of bacterial meningitis observed at the Clinica Pediatrica in Pisa from 1970 to July 1993, with a retrospective research, 208 patients have been examined, considering age, etiology, clinical course especially observing the course of temperature, liquor characteristics, normalisation of the index of phlogosis, mortality and neurological sequelae. In the last ten years the availability of 3rd generation cephalosporin has provided the possibility of comparing two groups of patients of an age ranging between 1 month and 14 years. Twenty cases were treated with ampicillin and chloramphenicol and 30 cases with cephalosporins the evaluation made considering the course of temperature, the normalization of the liquor index has revealed a more favourable clinical course in the second group of patients.
  Minerva pediatrica 06/1994; 46(5):193-200.
• Article: [Celiac disease associated with chronic autoimmune hepatitis. Description of a case].

  V A Caiulo, C Averbene, S Olmi, C Ughi, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: The authors describe a case of coeliac disease and autoimmune chronic hepatitis in the same patient. Case description allows a critical review of the literature and evaluation of pathogenetic hypotheses.
  Minerva pediatrica 01/1994; 45(12):511-3.
• Article: [Diencephalic syndrome. Case report and review of literature].

  A Baracchini, G Chiaravalloti, M Del Pistoia, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: We report the case of a twenty-three month old, normally eating child, affected by organic macies and severe dystrophy. After the negative response of blood and laboratory examinations let us exclude a malabsorption syndrome, only the performance of neuro-radiologic exams showed evidence of a subthalamic tumor as the cause of a "Diencephalic syndrome". Diencephalic syndrome or Russel's syndrome is a diencephalic tumor induced disease, which sets in the first three years of life. The disease clinical markers are a severe emaciation with appetite preservation and absence or very scarce evidence of any telltale neurological sign. the tumoral histo-pathology most frequently shows a low grade of malignancy astrocytoma, whose eradication is very often difficult because of the particular anatomic site. Choice treatment includes an excisional biopsy associated to chemotherapy and to radiotherapy.
  Minerva pediatrica 11/1993; 45(10):407-10.
• Article: [Plasma L-carnitine levels in children with celiac disease].

  M Ceccarelli, L Cortigiani, N Assanta, P Nutini, C Ughi
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  ABSTRACT: Carnitine is a very important co-factor for the metabolism of fatty acids, because it is the necessary carrier for the passage of acyl groups inside the mitochondria, where beta-oxidation takes place. In the human body the total pool of carnitine is made by two fractions, one being endogenous and the second exogenous. The absorption of exogenous carnitine takes place mainly at duodenal-jejunal level by an active transport mechanism based on amino acid carrier. Plasma L-carnitine concentrations have been measured in 66 coeliac patients (mean age: 7 years and 4 months). Thirty three of them were on a free diet and the other 33 were on a gluten-free diet for at last six month. In 10 patients we studied plasma L-carnitine levels both on a free diet and on a gluten-free diet. As controls we examined 33 healthy children comparable for age. Plasma L-carnitine concentrations have been measured by a spectrophotometrical method according to Marquis and Fritz's technique and subsequently modified by Pearson and Seccombe. In the 66 coeliac patients the mean values of serum L-carnitine were significantly lower than those in the controls (p < 0.001). The levels were significantly lower in patients a free diet with respect to those on gluten-free diet (p < 0.01). The 10 subjects who were examined both on free diet and on gluten-free diet showed an increase of plasma concentrations in the latter condition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
  Minerva pediatrica 09/1992; 44(9):401-5.
• Article: [24-hour esophageal pH-metry in the evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux pathology].

  M Accorsini, C Averbene, V A Caiulo, C Ughi, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: Gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) in infants was studied using 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. Gastro-esophageal reflux was detected in 32/41 subjects. In our patients the main symptoms were vomiting, regurgitation, failure-to-thrive, chronic respiratory problems such as asthma, apnea, recurrent pneumonia. All patients with GER were treated appropriately with prone positioning and medical therapy (prokinetic agent and, eventually, ranitidine). Successful treatment of the reflux was obtained in all patients. In our opinion the 24-hour intraesophageal pH monitoring is a highly diagnostic test to identify the presence of GER and evaluate its gravity.
  Minerva pediatrica 06/1992; 44(5):185-8.
• Article: [Use of intravenous immunoglobulins in Guillain-Barré syndrome].

  M Ceccarelli, N Assanta, G Chiaravalloti, C Rocopou, V A Caiulo
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  ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to assess the utility of intravenous integral molecule immunoglobulin treatment in Guillain-Barré syndrome. The etiopathogenesis of this syndrome is still unclear but it seems increasingly likely that immune phenomena are involved in the genesis of the neurological lesions. This would explain the efficacy of iv immunoglobulin treatment even if the effective mechanism of action can still only be hypothesised.
  Minerva pediatrica 06/1992; 44(5):237-40.
• Article: Clinical and electrophysiological reports in a case of early onset myotonia congenita (Thomsen's disease) successfully treated with mexiletine.

  M Ceccarelli, B Rossi, G Siciliano, L Calevro, E Tarantino
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  ABSTRACT: A sporadic event of myotonia congenita in a infant admitted to the Paediatric Clinic for frequent crises of apnoea, cyanosis, vomiting and difficult feeding is reported. EMG analysis was consistent with the dominant variety of myotonia congenita. Mexiletine therapy showed excellent results in reducing myotonic activity. It is worthwhile stressing that early symptoms may go unnoticed or may be misinterpreted and that information on the genetic form of the disease can be obtained also from the EMG analysis through a repetitive stimulation test.
  Acta Paediatrica 06/1992; 81(5):453-5. · 2.07 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Vito Antonio Caiulo

  Article: Is childhood coeliac disease underdiagnosed?

  M Ceccarelli, V A Caiulo, C Ughi
  European Journal of Pediatrics 10/1991; 150(11):821. · 1.88 Impact Factor
• Article: Changing pattern of coeliac disease in western Toscana.

  M Ceccarelli, V A Caiulo, C Ughi
  Acta paediatrica 06/1991; 80(5):547-8. · 1.77 Impact Factor
• Article: In vivo effectiveness of lithium on impaired neutrophil chemotaxis in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.

  A Azzarà, G Carulli, M Ceccarelli, C Pucci, R Raggio, F Ambrogi
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  ABSTRACT: The effect of lithium treatment on the impaired neutrophil chemotactic function of a patient affected by Shwachman-Diamond syndrome is reported. We found that (1) a cytoskeletal cellular defect seems to be involved in the impairment of neutrophil function (and perhaps of cellular secretion and chondrocyte function) in the syndrome; (2) intermittent neutropenia is always present in the syndrome, and (3) lithium seems capable, in addition to its capacity of inducing leukocytosis, of modulating leukocyte functions by modulating the microtubular system. The drug, at usual therapeutic dosage, was able to normalize neutrophil functions without side effects. As no therapy is available in this syndrome to date, our data suggest the therapeutic use of lithium in order to improve these cytoskeleton-mediated functions and the degree of neutropenia.
  Acta Haematologica 02/1991; 85(2):100-2. · 1.35 Impact Factor
• Article: [Selenium in celiac disease].

  L Cortigiani, P Nutini, V A Caiulo, C Ughi, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: Statistically significant lower levels of selenium (p less than 0.001) have been found both in 37 celiac subjects at free diet and in 36 at gluten-free diet with respect to controls. In patients at free diet the deficit of selenium can be attributed to malabsorption, while in patients at gluten-free diet it may be due to the diet itself. Recently low serum levels of selenium have been observed in several neoplasias; furthermore it's known that celiac patients show an increased incidence of gastrointestinal tumors related to known levels in standard population. Long term monitoring is therefore necessary to integrate diet with selenium in patients showing persistent deficit of this element.
  Minerva pediatrica 12/1989; 41(11):539-42.
• Article: [The value of determining anti-gliadin antibodies as well as carotene and xylose blood levels in various phases of celiac disease].

  V A Caiulo, L Lupetti, C Ughi, L Cortigiani, M Ceccarelli
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  ABSTRACT: The usefulness of measuring xylosaemia, carotenaemia and the antigliadin antibodies in the diagnosis and monitoring of coeliac diseases has been examined, 89 children, 57 with aspecific chronic diarrhoea and 32 with coeliachia were examined. The xylose proved less sensitive (80%) and less specific (84.2%) than carotenaemia (respectively: sensitivity 86.6% and specificity 87.7%). Nevertheless, considering the by no means negligible percentage of false positives and false negatives encountered with both techniques, it should be reiterated that these tests have a purely orientative value, whereas measurement of serum AGA may be considered a highly reliable investigation for selective children to be submitted to biopsy, considering the high sensitivity (AGA IgG 100%; AGA IgA 90.9%) and specificity (AGA IgG 85%; AGA IgA 100%) observed in the present series.
  Minerva pediatrica 10/1989; 41(9):473-5.