[en] CCD and CMOS detectors each have strengths and weaknesses coming from their architecture or their fabrication process. This paper reviews their key architectural and technological differences that impact the photon detection performances and gives the future directions for CMOS detectors evolution

[en] Terbium nitrate was reacted with 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid (LH_2) under solvo-hydrothermal conditions with either N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) as organic solvents. Hydrolysation of the latter co-solvents resulted in the formation of formate or acetate ions, which are present as co-ligands in the 1D coordination polymer [Tb(L)(HCOO)(H_2O)_2] (1) and the 2D assembly [Tb(L)(CH_3COO)(H_2O)] (2). The increase in dimensionality in the latter arises from the higher connectivity provided by acetate versus formate, the L"2"− ligand being bis-chelating in both cases. The complex [Tb_2(L)_3(H_2O)_5][Tb_2(L)_3(H_2O)_4]·3H_2O (3), another 1D species, crystallizes alongside crystals of 2. Further addition of cucurbit[6]uril (CB6), with DMF as co-solvent, gave the two complexes [Tb_2(L)_2(CB6)(H_2O)_6](NO_3)_2·6H_2O (4) and [H_2NMe_2]_2[Tb(L)(HCOO)_2]_2·CB6·3H_2O (5). Complex 4 crystallizes as a 3D framework in which Tb(L)"+ chains are connected by tetradentate CB6 molecules, while 5 unites a carboxylate-bridged anionic 2D planar assembly and layers of CB6 molecules with counter-cations held at both portals. - Graphical abstract: One- to three-dimensional assemblies are formed in terbium(III) complexes with 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylate obtained under solvo-hydrothermal conditions, these species including formate or acetate co-ligands formed in situ, or additional cucurbit[6]uril molecules. - Highlights: • We report structures of terbium(III) complexes with 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylate. • Solvents able to generate co-ligands or counter-ions in situ have been used. • A 3D species including additional cucurbituril molecules is decribed. • One species displays an alternation of metal–organic and organic sheets

[en] This investigation is based on an atomic equation of state which takes into account the excluded volume of the atom being considered. Study of solid rare gases allows following the packing factor of the solid in equilibrium with the gas at different temperatures and of the solid and the liquid in the case of solid–liquid equilibria. The application of a pressure to the solid up to 9800 MPa allows determining the decrease in atomic volume and thus the compressibility. Such a study leads to proposing a new expression through dividing the pressure derivative (as a function of the excluded volume) by the pressure. This new coefficient is a pressure-independent constant but varies with the atom considered. Multiplied by the initial atomic volume, this coefficient has a unique value for all the rare gases. Furthermore, this is also true for the series of alkali metals with however a lower value of the coefficient. The atomic configurations of the two series are very different with one free electron for the alkali metals but closed shells for the rare gases. The alkali metals are therefore more complex than the rare gases. It is worthwhile to note that study of the equilibrium has not required the use of the principles of thermodynamics.

[en] Facilities reaccelerating radioactive ion beams face diverse technical challenges, from the production of radioactive isotopes to their post-acceleration. First operational at REX-ISOLDE, the charge state breeding in source of highly charged ions has become a key technique for optimizing the capabilities and performances of a post-accelerator. Charge state breeding in Electron Beam Ion Sources or Traps (EBIS/T) or in Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS) are techniques competing to reach high efficiencies, high charge states, and rapid charge breeding times. Beam purity, efficiency for light ions and short lived isotopes, duty cycles and time structures are still major issues being addressed very differently according to the type of charge breeder. The present performances and limitations for each charge breeder, and directions of the R and D pursued for different major projects are being discussed

[en] Plants take up and store elements according to the environment in which they are growing. Because plants are at the base of the food chain, the determination of essential elements or toxic elements in plant materials is of importance. However, it is assumed that the element content determined on selected tissues may provide more specific information than that derived from the whole plant analysis. In this work, we assessed the feasibility of solid sampling–electrothermal vaporization–inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry analyses for quantitative imaging of Cd and Mg in plant leaves. Leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) were selected to be used as samples. To produce a two dimensional image, sections cut from leaf samples were analyzed. Cellulose doped with multi-element solution standards was used as calibration samples. Two certified reference materials (NIST SRM 1547 Peach Leaves and NIST SRM 1573a Tomato leaves) were used to verify the accuracy of measurements with good agreement between the measured concentrations and the certified values. Quantitative imaging revealed the inhomogeneous distribution of the selected elements. Excess of Cd and Mg tended to be focused on peripheral regions and the tip of the leaf

[en] We present a summary of our experimental understanding of the top quark and discuss the significant improvements expected in Run II at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We also discuss prospects for a Higgs boson discovery at the Tevatron

[en] Various models for Higgs bosons beyond the Standard Model (SM) have been examined, most of them within the framework of general Two Higgs Doublet Models (2HDM). The large amount of LEP2 data (about 3000 pb^-1) allows precise analyses. Results are consistent with the expected SM background, no evidence for any signal has been found, and stringent limits on Higgs boson masses are set. Moreover, some 'model independent' limits, eg. limits on cross-sections and/or branching fractions become available. On top of the classical models (MSSM, charged Higgs, invisible Higgs), some very interesting new results have been presented at this conference (a scenario violating CP in the MSSM, some bosonic decays of the charged Higgs, studies of a doubly-charged Higgs). Nevertheless, all combinations of the results of the 4 experiments are still to come

[en] Nuclear Medicine in oncology has been for a long time synonymous with bone scintigraphy, the first ever whole body imaging modality, and with treatment of thyroid cancer with iodine-131. More recently, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) using peptides such as ¹¹¹In-labelled octreotide became a reference imaging method in the detection and staging of neuroendocrine tumors while ¹³¹I- and ¹²³I-MIBG remain the tracers of reference for pheochromocytomas and neuroblastomas. Lymphoscintigraphic imaging based on peritumoral injection of ^99mTc-labelled colloids supports, in combination with per operative detection, the procedure of sentinel node identification in breast cancers and melanomas. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is currently experiencing a considerable growth in oncology based on the use of ¹⁸F-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), a very sensitive, although non-specific, tumor tracer. Development of instrumentation is crucial in this expansion of PET imaging with new crystals being more sensitive and hybrid imagers that permit to reduce the acquisition time and offer fused PET-CT images. Current developments in therapy can be classified into three categories. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) based on monoclonal antibodies (or fragments) labelled with beta-emitters. This technique has recently made its entrance in clinical practice with a ⁹⁰Y-labelled anti-CD20 antibody (⁹⁰Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin^[reg])) approved in US for the treatment of some subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Radionuclide-bone pain palliation has experienced developments with ¹⁵³Sm-EDTMP, 186Re-HEDP or ⁸⁹Sr, efficient in patients with widespread disease. Last, the same peptides, as those used in SRS, are being developed for therapy, labelled with ⁹⁰Y, ¹¹¹In or ¹⁷⁷Lu in patients who failed to respond to other treatments. Overall, nuclear oncology is currently a fast growing field thanks to the combined developments of radiopharmaceuticals and instrumentation

[en] The rate of progress in magnetic recording has been driven in these last ten years by a strong competition and by multimedia demand. Since 1991, the rate of progress has been 60% per year (and close to 150% in the last year), much larger than that of the ICs which were, up to this time, considered as a yardstick in the industry. We have seen in the past, many predictions limiting the recording density, none of which has been a true limit. Nevertheless, we will probably achieve before the year 2005, the superparamagnetic limit for longitudinal recording which should be in the vicinity of some hundreds of Gb/in² (IBM J. Res. Dev. (2000)). This prediction is the driving force for perpendicular recording which is considered as a serious outsider, as the superparamagnetic limit is believed to be pushed further out. Perpendicular recording has to be introduced as soon as possible in a product, and must show also a longer future toward 1 Tb/in². This paper analyzes this challenge and presents a new GMR probe head and a new micro-actuator which are particularly well suited for perpendicular recording

[en] Introduction An impressive evolution of the Information Technology (IT) tools and systems since the invention of computers has radically modified Radiation Therapy. From standalone systems with limited and dedicated functionalities, to networks of all equipment through a common system, all these developments have resulted in a tremendous enlargement of the IT area, of the data transfer capacities and of the interactions between modalities (linacs, software, imaging devices). Maintaining this growth over the last half-century has been successful thanks to safety and security methodology. From aviation to nuclear power plants, from pharmaceutical process to surgery, from basic manual manufactures to complexes automatic industries, everywhere checklists have been introduced to ensure an optimal level of process quality achievement. On the way to improve safety and efficiency in our Radiation Oncology department, we initiated an in-house software development in 2004. The need emerged from the sharp increase in complexity when IMRT was introduced as a routine treatment. The need was to keep a constant overview of the workflow as well as the detailed “to do lists” to be completed, at the right time and in the right order. A permanent flow of information is exchanged between systems, requiring specific quality control procedures of the accuracy of these transfers. Material and methods: A web-based, open-source software has been developed, which is able to display the list of all the patients currently supported in the Radiation Oncology department. The system is called iTherapy Process (iTP, figure 1). The patients are distributed in various steps of the process (from the first consultation to the last radiotherapy session). Each step consists of a checklist relative to the process. Each step has also a colour code indicating which group of staff is in charge (for example planning in orange for physicists, or contouring in green for physicians). Whenever a step is completed, the person in charge validates it, and the name of the patient appears in the next step. This allows for immediate warning of the next person in charge that the file is ready to progress (from simulation to contouring for example). Some steps consist of checklist to verify the accuracy of digital data transfer. This is considered an efficient safety measure in a domain where risk is frequently underestimated. The different key points of the development story of this open source (AGPL Licence) software will be discussed, focusing on the pros and cons. The current challenges and our needs for the future will also be addressed.