Cross sections of deuteron induced reactions on nat^{nat}Sm for production of the therapeutic radionuclide 145^{145}Sm and 153^{153}Sm

At present, targeted radiotherapy (TR) is acknowledged to have great potential in oncology. A large list of interesting radionuclides is identified, including several radioisotopes of lanthanides, amongst them $^{145}$Sm and $^{153}$Sm. In this work the possibility of their production at a cyclotron was investigated using a deuteron beam and a samarium target. The excitation functions of the $^{nat}$Sm(d,x)$^{145153}$Sm reactions were determined for deuteron energies up to 50 MeV using the stacked-foil technique and high-resolution $\gamma$-ray spectrometry. The measured cross sections and the contributing reactions were analyzed by comparison with results of the ALICE, EMPIRE and TALYS nuclear reaction codes. A short overview and comparison of possible production routes is given

Activation cross-sections of deuteron induced reactions on nat^{nat}Sm up to 50 MeV

Activation cross-sections for deuteron induced reactions on Sm are presented for the first time for $^{nat}$Sm(d,xn)$^{155,154,152m2,152m1,152g,150m,150g,149,148,147,146}$Eu, $^{nat}$Sm(d,x)$^{153,145}$Sm and $^{nat}$Sm(d,x)$^{151,150,149,145,144,143}$Pm up to 50 MeV. The cross-sections were measured by the stacked-foil irradiation technique and high resolution $\gamma$-ray spectrometry. The results were compared with results of nuclear reaction codes ALICE-D, EMPIRE-D and TALYS (from TENDL libraries). Integral yields of the products were calculated from the excitation functions

A compact neutron generator using a field ionization source

Field ionization as a means to create ions for compact and rugged neutron sources is pursued. Arrays of carbon nano-#12;bers promise the high #12;eld-enhancement factors required for efficient field ionization. We report on the fabrication of arrays of #12;field emitters with a density up to 10{sup 6} tips/cm{sup 2} and measure their performance characteristics using electron field emission. The critical issue of uniformity is discussed, as are efforts towards coating the nano-fibers to enhance their lifetime and surface properties

Completion of Advance Directives: Do Social Work Preadmission Interviews Make a Difference?

Objectives: This study tests the efficacy of a preadmission, educational interview on advance directives, in this case, health care proxies (HCPs) offered to elective, orthopedic patients. Method: Using a quasi-experimental design, participants (n = 54) are assigned to either treatment group (who received the educational interview, conducted by a social worker, over and above the federally mandated written information on HCPs) or comparison group (who received the written information only). Results: Logistic regression analysis indicates there is a statistically significantly higher probability that a patient would sign an HCP if assigned to the treatment group than if assigned to the comparison condition. Conclusion: Benefits of educating patients about HCPs as part of routine social work practice are outlined

Social work students as community partners in a family intervention programme

Summary: This paper describes the findings from the evaluation of a UK initiative which engaged social work students as community partners within an educational based family intervention programme. Fourteen social work students in the first year of a BA (Hons) were placed in the programme to meet the volunteering requirements of their 'Community Project'. By engaging with the community-based family programme at an early stage in their education, students experienced the benefits of interventions, focussing on sustainability, citizenship and parent participation. We describe the approach and discuss the evaluation outcomes to illustrate the potential of utilising co-learning with families in social work education. In taking up the role of community partners, students observed first-hand the value of incorporating horizontal relationships into their learning and experienced direct knowledge exchange with service users at an early stage in their training. Findings: The findings suggest that this experience enabled students to connect with conceptualisations of macro alongside micro practice in their professional development as social workers. Further, connecting critical social theories with the direct experience of families promoted the learners own empowerment and conscientization. Application: This provided a means of embedding social work values and aspirations towards social justice in their future practice orientation