[en] Survival data in 1,106 patients with cervical carcinoma treated between 1967 and 1972 are presented. Survival figures decrease when doubtful or evident activity of the tumor persists at the end of the irradiation. (Auth.)

[en] The types and frequency of complications in 2248 patients irradiated for carcinoma of the cervix using different techniques are reported. Proctitis was the most frequent complication. Severe complications such as fistulas, ureteral stenosis with hydronephrosis, enterocolitis, sigmoiditis, intestinal obstruction and skin necrosis occurred in 81 patients (3.6%). Only 36 patients (1.6%) developed fistulas. (Auth.)

[en] The electron antineutrino spectrum in the STEREO reactor experiment (ILL Grenoble) is measured via the inverse beta decay signals in an organic liquid scintillator. The six target cells of the STEREO detector are filled with about 1800 litres of Gd-loaded liquid scintillator optimised for the requirements of the experiment. These target cells are surrounded by similar cells containing liquid scintillator without the Gd-loading. The development and characteristics of these scintillators are reported. In particular, the transparency, light production and pulse shape discrimination capabilities of the organic liquids are discussed.

[en] Sampling was carried out during spring and summer 1988 (two years after the Chernobyl accident). Sampling points were chosen, according to vegetation and lithology combinations, in the northern Catalonia (NE Spain). Forty-seven plots were sampled, including forest, shrublands, grasslands and croplands. The data obtained showed general low deposition from Chernobyl (<30-2 200 Bq m^-2) and relatively high remaining activity from fallout (500-10 500 Bq m^-2), this fact indicating the low radiocaesium mobility. In plants, no root uptake was detected, showing only activity coming from Chernobyl. Significant positive correlation was found between ¹³⁷Cs specific activity and soil organic matter, independently of land use. High faunal activity was recognized among the forest floor layers and the upper mineral soil, this fact being a distinctive feature of Mediterranean forest. (Author)

No abstract available

[en] The LUNA Collaboration has provided the first cross section measurements of the key reaction ³He(³He,2p)⁴He of the proton-proton chain at the thermal energy of the Sun. This successful project has shown that, by going underground and by using the typical techniques of the low background physics, it is possible to measure down to the energy of the nucleosynthesis inside the stars

[en] Results are reported on cemented tungsten carbide (cWC) and boride-containing composite materials for the task of shielding the centre column of a superconducting tokamak power plant. The shield is based on five concentric annular shells consisting of cWC and water layers of which the innermost cWC shield can be replaced with boride composites. Sample materials have been fabricated changing the parameters of porosity P, binder alloy fraction f _binder and boron weight fraction f _boron. For the fabricated materials, and other hypothetical samples with chosen parameters, Monte Carlo studies are made of: (i) the power deposition into the superconducting core, (ii) the fast neutron and gamma fluxes and (iii) the attenuation coefficients through the shield for the deposited power and neutron and gamma fluxes. It is shown that conventional Co-based cWC binder alloy can be replaced with a Fe–Cr alloy (92 wt.% Fe, 8 wt.% Cr), which has lower activation than cobalt with minor changes in shield performance. Boride-based composite materials have been prepared and shown to give a significant reduction in power deposition and flux, when placed close to the superconducting core. A typical shield of cemented tungsten carbide with 10 wt.% of Fe–8Cr binder and 0.1% porosity has a power reduction half-length of 0.06 m. It is shown that the power deposition increases by 4.3% for every 1% additional porosity, and 1.7% for every 1 wt.% additional binder. Power deposition decreased by 26% for an initial 1 wt.% boron addition, but further increases in f _boron showed only a marginal decrease. The dependences of power deposited in the core, the maximum neutron and gamma fluxes on the core surface, and the half attenuation distances through the shield have been fitted to within a fractional percentage error by analytic functions of the porosity, metallic binder alloy and boron weight fractions. (paper)

[en] The structural properties of CaWO₄, SrWO₄, BaWO₄, PbWO₄, and EuWO₄ scintillating crystals under pressure have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements, Raman spectroscopy, and ab initio density functional theory calculations. The results obtained from these studies will be reviewed here and their differences and similitudes discussed. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

[en] This article reports the measurement of the ²³⁵U-induced antineutrino spectrum shape by the Stereo experiment. 43 000 antineutrinos have been detected at about 10 m from the highly enriched core of the ILL reactor during 118 full days equivalent at nominal power. The measured inverse beta decay spectrum is unfolded to provide a pure ²³⁵U spectrum in antineutrino energy. A careful study of the unfolding procedure, including a cross-validation by an independent framework, has shown that no major biases are introduced by the method. A significant local distortion is found with respect to predictions around E _ν ≃ 5.3 MeV. A Gaussian fit of this local excess leads to an amplitude of A = 12.1 ± 3.4% (3.5σ). (paper)

[en] Recent experimental measurements and ab initio calculations in scheelite CaWO₄, SrWO₄, BaWO₄, PbWO₄, EuWO₄ and YLiF₄ crystals reveal the existence of complex high-pressure phase diagrams, which present striking differences but also relevant similarities. In this work we show that the high-pressure structural sequence in the studied scheelites can be understood on the basis of the positions of the different ABX₄ compounds in Fukunaga and Yamaoka's diagram and in Bastide's diagram. Our study can help to understand the phase diagrams and high-pressure phase transitions occurring in ABX₄ compounds with scheelite, wolframite, fergusonite, zircon, or pseudoscheelite structures. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)