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While silicon has been a steadfast semiconductor material for the past 50 years, it is now facing competition from other materials, especially for detector design. In that respect, due to its high resistance to radiation damage, silicon carbide is one of the most promising materials. In this work, we discuss the radiation damage studies of a new, large area, p-n junction silicon carbide device developed by the SiCILIA collaboration. We have studied the general performances of several devices, as a function of fluence, irradiated in different experimental conditions with different beams. A standard p-n junction silicon detector was also irradiated for comparison. The new detectors manifest excellent performance in terms of stability of the main parameters, linearity, defect distribution, charge collection efficiency, energy resolution, leakage current, etc. Experimental results evidence a radiation resistance of SiC devices more than two order of magnitude higher than Si devices. The new construction technology applied to silicon carbide material has made it possible to create very robust devices with excellent performance. These devices will soon be available for all those scientific projects where a high resistance to radiation damage is required.

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BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) may increase the risk of thrombotic events of endocrine therapy (ET) in women with hormone-sensitive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (BC). Aim of our systematic review is the estimate of the risk of venous and arterial thromboembolism in women with advanced BC treated with CDKIs in phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Studies were identified by electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL database until October 2021. Risk of bias was assessed according to Cochrane criteria. Differences in thrombotic outcomes among groups were expressed as pooled odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), which were calculated using both a fixed-effects and a random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic. RESULTS: We included 7 phase III RCTs (4415 patients) for a total of 15 papers (7 were the first published paper and 8 the follow-up papers). Reporting of thrombotic events was at high risk of bias. Women with advanced BC treated with CDKIs and ET had a two to threefold increased risk of venous thromboembolic event (VTE) compared to ET plus placebo arm [OR 2.90 (95% CI 1.32, 6.37; I2 = 0%) in the main papers and OR 2.20 (95% CI 0.93, 5.20; I2 = 49%) in the follow-up papers]. Women with advanced BC treated with CDKIs and ET had a non-significant mild increased risk of arterial thromboembolic event compared to ET plus placebo arm [OR 1.22 (95% CI 0.47, 3.18 I2 = 0%)]. CONCLUSIONS: CDKIs in combination with endocrine therapy are associated with a two to threefold higher risk of VTE in comparison to endocrine therapy alone in women with advanced breast cancer, while the risk of arterial events is still to be defined.

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SUMMARY: Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a rare hereditary syndrome with impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormones (TH) and reduced intracellular action of triiodothyronine (T3) caused by genetic variants of TH receptor beta (TRB) or alpha (TRA). RTH type beta (RTHß) due to dominant negative variants in the TRB gene usually occurs with persistent elevation of circulating free TH, non-suppressed serum TSH levels responding to a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test, an absence of typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism and goiter. Here, we present a rare variant in the TRB gene reported for the first time in an Italian patient with generalized RTHß syndrome. The patient showed elevated TH, with non-suppressed TSH levels and underwent thyroid surgery two different times for multinodular goiter. The genetic test showed a heterozygous mutation in exon 9 of the TRB gene resulting in the replacement of threonine (ACG) with methionine (ATG) at codon 310 (p.M310T). RTHß syndrome should be considered in patients with elevated TH, non-suppressed TSH levels and goiter. LEARNING POINTS: Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary syndrome with impaired tissue responsiveness to thyroid hormones (TH). Diagnosis of RTH is usually based on the clinical finding of discrepant thyroid function tests and confirmed by a genetic test. RTH is a rare condition that must be considered for the management of patients with goiter, elevation of TH and non-suppressed serum TSH levels in order to avoid unnecessary treatments.

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In this study, 4H-SiC p-n junctions were irradiated with 700 keV He+ ions in the fluence range 1.0 × 1012 to 1.0 × 1015 ions/cm2. The effects of irradiation were investigated by current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements, while deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was used to study the traps introduced by irradiation defects. Modifications of the device's electrical performances were observed after irradiation, and two fluence regimes were identified. In the low fluence range (≤1013 ions/cm2), I-V characteristics evidenced an increase in series resistance, which can be associated with the decrease in the dopant concentration, as also denoted by C-V measurements. In addition, the pre-exponential parameter of junction generation current increased with fluence due to the increase in point defect concentration. The main produced defect states were the Z1/2, RD1/2, and EH6/7 centers, whose concentrations increased with fluence. At high fluence (>1013 ions/cm2), I-V curves showed a strong decrease in the generation current, while DLTS evidenced a rearrangement of defects. The detailed electrical characterization of the p-n junction performed at different temperatures highlights the existence of conduction paths with peculiar electrical properties introduced by high fluence irradiation. The results suggest the formation of localized highly resistive regions (realized by agglomeration of point defects) in parallel with the main junction.

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4H-SiC based p-n junction UV photo-detectors were irradiated with 600 keV He+ in the fluence range of 5 × 1011 ÷ 5 × 1014 ion/cm2 in order to investigate their radiation hardness. The effects of irradiation on the electro-optical performance were monitored in dark condition and in the UV (200 ÷ 400 nm) range, as well as in the visible region confirming the typical visible blindness of unirradiated and irradiated SiC photo-sensors. A decrease of UV optical responsivity occurred after irradiation and two fluence regimes were identified. At low fluence (<1013 ions/cm2), a considerable reduction of optical responsivity (of about 50%) was measured despite the absence of relevant dark current changes. The presence of irradiation induced point defects and then the reduction of photo-generated charge lifetime are responsible for a reduction of the charge collection efficiency and then of the relevant optical response reduction: point defects act as recombination centers for the photo-generated charges, which recombine during the drift/diffusion toward the electrodes. At higher irradiation fluence, the optical responsivity is strongly reduced due to the formation of complex defects. The threshold between low and high fluence is about 100 kGy, confirming the radiation hardness of SiC photo-sensors.