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The metastable hexagonal form of MoO 3 has been successfully prepared starting from the ammonium molybdate, using a “Chimie Douce” reaction with NO 2 gas. The lattice parameters of the as-prepared material were determined by XRD analysis to be: a = 10.633(2) A and c = 3.719(1) A. The composition of this material obtained by physical and chemical analysis is MoO 3 , 0.09 H 2 O, showing that a small amount of water molecules remained while there were no more ammonium ions in this structure. The structural transformation from hexagonal to stable orthorhombic α-MoO 3 phase was observed at 350°C. It was also shown that NO 2 reaction is a very useful method to remove topotactically ammonium ions from a parent structure at low temperature. This “Chimie Douce” process appears to be very promising for obtaining new metastable oxides with large tunnels or interlayer distances.

The behaviour of wustite (ferrous oxide) during the catalyst preparation and its activation process has been studied. The Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction have been used to follow wustite transformations. Inside the wustite phase two different wustite structures were found – one attributed to the nonstoichiometric wustite and the second one, to the compound close to the “stoichiometric” FeO. The relative contents of both wustites depended on the cooling rate of the melted precursor. At the initial stage of activation, at low temperatures, nonstoichiometric ferrous oxide was transformed into magnetite and a compound closer to the stoichiometric FeO. The last one decomposes further into magnetite and metallic iron.

The influence of fracture aperture variability on transport of a non-sorbing solute in a single fracture is studied and expressions for the effective specific surface area, or flow wetted surface area, are proposed. All the known transport mechanisms are taken into account: advection and dispersion in a channel, molecular diffusion in the stagnant water zones and matrix diffusion. In a first step, constant fracture aperture, it is shown that matrix diffusion is multidimensional and that stagnant water is a major pathway for the diffusive mass transfer into the rock matrix. In a second step, the impact of aperture variability on transport in the channel and transport in stagnant water is studied by means of Monte-Carlo simulations. The best expression of the effective specific surface area is found to be the inverse of the arithmetic mean aperture for the channel and the inverse of the geometric mean aperture for the stagnant water. These expressions could be used in a site scale performance assessment model.

Two new synthetic low temperature routes for preparing perovskite-related materials, especially metastable phases are depicted. The first one, the electrochemical oxidation, uses the electric field as the driving force for intercalating oxygen atoms within parent oxide networks. The reaction is achieved under anodic potential, in alkaline solution (1 M KOH or NaOH), at room temperature, in air. This process has been used for preparing various perovskite compounds such as AMO 3 (A=Sr, La; M=Fe 1− x Co x ) or A 2 MO 4+ δ (A=La, Nd, Sr). The most relevant results are reported. Potentiostatic and galvanostatic experiments have shown that the amount of intercalated oxygen can be controlled and that the process is reversible. Structural as well as electronic aspects of the oxygen intercalation are discussed and a reaction mechanism is proposed. The second route is based on the exothermic reaction of nitrogen dioxide NO 2 with NH 4 + ions at moderate temperatures (typically T 4 + cations in situ. Topotactic reactions are described for preparing new hexagonal forms of WO 3 or MoO 3 . The reaction process is discussed.

The enantiomeric distributions of linalool and linalyl acetate in various natural products are measured by enantioselective gas chromatography on alkyl-substituted cyclodextrins. Different plant cultivars were investigated by four extraction processes: steam distillation, solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and headspace analysis. Careful attention must be paid to linalool which undergoes partial racemization under certain processing conditions. In most cases, enantiomeric distribution is a powerful tool for authenticity testing.

Summary After a short review of the various known classes of metal-insulator transitions, this paper shows how the transition observed for the recently discovered cobaltite TlSr2CoO5 could be considered as a new class of metal-insulator transition.

International audience

Materials with La 2 NiO 4+δ composition, δ ranging between 0 and 0.25, have been prepared either by solid state reaction or electrochemical oxidation; their electrical conductivity, thermoelectric power, and magnetic susceptibility behaviors are reported. The compounds remain semiconducting in the whole range of composition and, at low temperature, the resistivity increases with δ. The sign of the Seebeck coefficient changes for δ ≈ 0.2 and the thermal variation shows complex behavior. La 2 NiO 4.03 exhibits a thermally activated hopping and an antiferromagnetic ordering. When δ increases, variable range hopping or nearest neighbor hopping, involving at least two types of carriers, can account for the transport properties. The magnetic behavior of materials with δ ≤ 0.18 reveals either 3D or 2D magnetic correlations whereas the susceptibility of La 2 NiO 4.25 (La 8 Ni 4 O 17 ) follows a Curie–Weiss law below 170 K; a change in the electronic configuration of the nickel ions arises beyond this temperature.

A series of nitrodihydroxybenzenes and nitrocaffeic acids were prepared and their hydroxyl radical (OH°) and superoxide anion (O 2− ) scavenging activities and xanthine oxidase inhibition activities were evaluated. 2-Nitrocaffeic acid is the more potent O 2− scavenger. 2- (and 5)-Nitrocaffeic acids are the more potent xanthine oxidase inhibitors.

Two new phosphates Fe0.5TiO(PO4) and Fe0.5Ti2(PO4)3 have been prepared and characterised by X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements...

In this article, we demonstrate how the application of biophysical tools facilitates the design of robust immunoassays. The binding characteristics of the reagents used in an immunoassay determine the assay response to the analyte concentrations. We applied several biophysical methods to obtain pertinent equilibrium and kinetic coefficients and used this information in the design of a microparticle-based immunoassay for detection of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), which is a new diagnostic marker of acute kidney injury (AKI). We characterized the conformational stability of recombinant human NGAL and the solution phase binding properties of six monoclonal antibodies. A preferred antibody pair was selected on the basis of the affinities of the antibodies and their sandwich pairing capabilities. One of the antibodies was coated on magnetic microparticles, and the second antibody was conjugated with a reporter group. The apparent kinetic rates of the immobilized and conjugated antibodies were measured and used to compute the assay calibration plot for the target concentration range of the analyte at specific incubation times. The experimental assay results were found to be in good agreement with the computed data, confirming that applying biophysical tools provides a solid foundation for immunoassay design and optimization.

The recently discovered thallium strontium cobaltite Tl 1−δ Sr 2 Co 1−τ 3+ Co τ 4+ O 5−e exhibits a structure closely related to that of the Tl-1201 cuprate. It undergoes structural, magnetic and metal insulator-transitions at room temperature. In the high temperature metallic form carriers occupy a less than half filled σ ∗ ( x 2 −y 2 ) band and the three other unpaired electrons of the high spin Co 3+ ions are localized. The resulting magnetic moments are coupled by strong ferromagnetic interactions ascribed to indirect exchange via itinerant electrons. The semiconducting behavior of the low temperature phase and the drop of magnetic susceptibility are attributed to a spin equilibrium transferring electrons from the σ ∗ ( x 2 −y 2 ) levels into an e g (xz, yz) level in a D 4h symmetry.

Assessing and improving care pathways quality is a challenge today. Since 2013 in-hospital Quality and Safety indicators on myocardial infarction with ST elevation (STEMI) are being implemented by the French national authority for health (HAS). Data collected in 2013 and 2015 on STEMI < 12 hours were used to assess the …

Since ten years, quality indicators (QI) are mandatorily measured in all French hospitals. They are used for hospital quality improvement, public disclosure and regulation goals. After a decade of use, the Ministry of Health and the French National Authority for Health set up a task force to evaluate these QI. The goal was to provide a decision aid to the Ministry and HAS in terms of withdrawing, revising or continuing their use. As there was no available integrated tool, the task force started with the development and test of a tool during the year 2015. This tool aimed at evaluating the …

To integrate Patient-Reported outcome measures (PROMs) as a strategy for transforming practices and improving quality of care as well as informing users. In 2015, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) with the collaboration of experts’ committee has developed a system, called e-Satis, with

Electrochemical oxidation in alkaline solution has been used to control and to extend the oxygen overstoichiometry of La 2 NiO 4+δ phases (0 ≤ δ ≤ 0.25). Chemical analysis has been carried out to determine the nickel (III) content and the related oxygen excess. Structural data (X-ray powder diffraction on La 2 NiO 4+δ and neutron powder diffraction on La 2 NiO 4.25 ) show that the interstitial oxygen atoms are introduced into the La 2 O 2 layers. ESR spectra for the La 2 NiO 4.25 compound recorded at 4.2 and 298 K characterize either low spin Ni 3+ ( t 6 2g d 1 x 2 - y 2 ) in a flattened octahedral site or Ni + ( t 6 2g d 2 τ 2 d 1 x 2 - y 2 ) in an elongated octahedron. The results show that the relaxation of the structure as a function of δ could arise either from a steric effect (i.e., formation of Ni 3+ ) or from a disproportionation of Ni 2+ into Ni + and Ni 3+ .

Our survey was designed to evaluate the satisfaction of patients treated in French Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) with the communication of their cancer diagnosis and treatments, and to use the data obtained to optimize current practices.One thousand six hundred (and) six CCC patients participated in a telephone survey. Eligible patients were attending a visit to a CCC for initial care of their disease (i.e. not a relapse). The questionnaire assessed patient satisfaction with the communication of diagnosis and treatment options, globally and with respect to potential individual determinants of satisfaction.Complete satisfaction was recorded by 77% of patients with their overall care at the CCC and by 63% of patients with the initial consultation when diagnosis was communicated and/or treatment discussed. Overall, 90% of patients were satisfied with the level of their implication in discussions about their care. A model established by Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression analysis, identified four major areas and their relative contributions to patient satisfaction: patient's relationship with their physician (64%); nature of the information provided (14%; influenced strongly by information on type, duration and practical organization of planned treatment); agenda/diary issues (14%; influenced strongly by waiting room delay); accompaniment (8%; influenced equally by support from close family and patient association/self-help groups).Overall satisfaction was high in cancer patients attending visits for initial care in French CCC. The model we devised to understand components of satisfaction could serve as a benchmark for evolution of outcomes in this field.

The paper focuses on similarities and differences between RADARSAT-2 and RADARSAT Constellation SAR antennas radio frequency (RF) architectures, both in terms of the radiating panel designs and feed networks designs. An overview of the antenna RF architecture, functional requirements and design trade-offs that led to the concept is presented. Design of key antenna units is also described.

This paper presents a top-level description of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Antenna design and main operational modes and provides some Antenna RF performance predictions (gain pattern characteristics and pattern cuts).

Treatment of electron-rich aromatic derivatives with cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate coated on silica (CAN/Si02) affords nitro aromatic compounds. The scope and the limitation of this reaction are discussed.

The metastable hexagonal form of MoO 3 has been successfully prepared starting from the ammonium molybdate, using a “Chimie Douce” reaction with NO 2 gas. The lattice parameters of the as-prepared material were determined by XRD analysis to be: a = 10.633(2) A and c = 3.719(1) A. The composition of this material obtained by physical and chemical analysis is MoO 3 , 0.09 H 2 O, showing that a small amount of water molecules remained while there were no more ammonium ions in this structure. The structural transformation from hexagonal to stable orthorhombic α-MoO 3 phase was observed at 350°C. It was also shown that NO 2 reaction is a very useful method to remove topotactically ammonium ions from a parent structure at low temperature. This “Chimie Douce” process appears to be very promising for obtaining new metastable oxides with large tunnels or interlayer distances.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising new renal biomarker that can reduce the time to diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI). There is little information available about complex glycans on NGAL. Detailed structural characterization of NGAL is necessary to understand the structural variability of NGAL used as a standard in the NGAL immunoassay. This study demonstrated that 7-9% of mutant (C87S) recombinant NGAL was N-glycosylated and no O-glycosylation was detected. The NGAL sequence was confirmed by nanoLC/MS/MS following in gel and in solution trypsin digestion, and the N-glycosylation site was localized by MS/MS. Six different mutant recombinant NGAL samples (samples A-F) were analyzed in this study; however, these samples demonstrated two different glycan patterns. Forty-one N-glycans were detected in sample A and the more abundant N-glycans were unsialylated. Forty-three N-glycans were detected in sample F and the more abundant N-glycans were sialylated. Each of the other four samples (B-E) had a similar N-glycan pattern as sample F.

In four composting experiments, survival of avian influenza (AI) and Newcastle disease (ND) viruses was assessed by virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs (ECEs) and by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Specimens contained in nylon mesh bags consisted of 20-g samples of chicken manure, used litter, or feed that had been inoculated with allantoic fluid containing an AI virus (H6N2, Expt. 1) or an ND vaccine virus (Expt. 2). Other specimens consisted of 20-g samples of infected ECEs that had been homogenized and mixed with corn silage. As a control, allantoic fluid diluted in phosphate-buffered saline was contained in sealed vials. Except for the feed, in which the AI virus was inactivated soon after the specimen was inoculated, on day 0 the specimens buried in compost or placed outside at ambient temperatures contained at least 5.0 log10 of virus and 7.7 log10 of viral RNA. By day 7, temperatures in compost ranged from 50 C to 65 C, and viruses had been killed in all specimens in bags. In comparison, viruses in sealed vials remained viable to day 10. Viral RNA in mesh-bag specimens had been degraded to nondetectable levels by day 10, but it was still detected in sealed vials on day 21. In specimens that were held at ambient temperatures (13 C-28 C), the viruses in mesh-bag specimens were inactivated by day 21, but their RNA was still detected. In comparison, the viruses in sealed vials survived to day 21. In Expts. 3 and 4, viruses were inactivated in carcass specimens and in whole ECEs during composting. In an in vitro experiment, the time required for a 1-log10 reduction of viruses was significantly shorter (P0.05) in water extracts from compost than in phosphate buffers at temperatures of 25 C to 45 C. This study provided evidence that microbial activity during composting contributed to the rapid killing of AI and ND viruses and to the degradation of their viral RNA.

The magnetic structure and properties of Cr 2 Si 2 Te 6 has been investigated by neutron powder diffraction and magnetization measurements. Below 33 K, Cr 2 Si 2 Te 6 is ferromagnetic with spins aligned along the c axis (μ(Cr 3+ ) = 2.73(5)μ B at T = 1.2 K). The thermal evolution of the magnetic moment below T c is given.

The SrFeO 3 cubic perovskite has until now been prepared under high pressure of oxygen (340 atm) at 550°C. A novel preparation method of this phase has been investigated using electrochemical oxidation of the SrFeO 2.50 brownmillerite. The starting material SrFeO 2.53 ± 0.02 has been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, chemical analyses and 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. The electrochemical oxidation was carried out at a potential of 400 mV for 60 hours, at room temperature using a three electrode system in air with a solution of 1N, KOH as the electrolyte. The phase obtained after this electrochemical processing has been characterized. Powder X-ray diffraction shows a cubic unit cell (a c =3.845 A ) . The chemical analysis as well as Mossbauer spectroscopy data reveal the presence of only Fe(IV), leading to the formula SrFeO 3.00 ± 0.02 . Moreover the value of the quadrupole splitting ( Δ =0) accounts for a symmetrical octahedral site for Fe(IV) and obviously corroborates the cubic structure of this phase.

The objective of this study was to investigate the inactivation and degradation of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus during composting of infected pig carcasses as measured by virus isolation in tissue culture and by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR). Three FMD-infected pig carcasses were composted in a mixture of chicken manure and wood shavings in a biocontainment level 3 facility. Compost temperatures had reached 50 degrees C and 70 degrees C by days 10 and 19, respectively. Under these conditions, FMD virus was inactivated in specimens in compost by day 10 and the viral RNA was degraded in skin and internal organ tissues by day 21. In comparison, at ambient temperatures close to 20 degrees C, FMD virus survived to day 10 in the skin tissue specimen from the pig that had the highest initial level of viral RNA in its tissues and the viral RNA persisted to day 21. Similarly, beta-actin mRNA, tested as a PCR control, persisted to day 21 in specimens held at ambient temperatures, but it was degraded in the remnants of tissues recovered from compost on day 21. Results from this study provide evidence that composting could be used for safe disposal of pig carcasses infected with FMD virus.

After three years, the coordination de la mesure de la performance pour l'amélioration de la qualité hospitalière (COMPAQH) project can deliver its first findings and consider new perspectives of development. Which indicators are diffused? Under which criteria are they assessed? Which interhospital variability is observed? How to consider their application into hospitals? Which balance can we define between internal and external use? And finally, which consideration can we give to this program of quality measurement? This article addresses these different questions, giving a state of the development of this program.

Composting has been used for disposal of poultry carcasses and manure following outbreaks caused by avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV), but methods are needed to test for survival of the viruses in compost to ensure biosecurity. Methods developed in the present study include extracting viruses from compost and purifying viral RNA. The extracted viruses were detected by virus isolation using embryonated chicken eggs, and the purified RNA was detected by real-time reverse transcription PCR (RRT-PCR). The virus isolation and the RRT-PCR methods were evaluated with 3 compost preparations that were produced from chicken manure mixed with corn silage, wood shavings, or wheat straw. The detection limits of both methods were 1,700 and 1,000 embryo lethal doses of AIV and NDV per gram of compost, respectively. The copy number of viral RNA quantified by RRT-PCR was highly correlated with the amount of virus in compost. The results suggested that the RRT-PCR method may be used as an alternative to the virus isolation method for rapid detection and accurate quantification of AIV and NDV in compost.

Shudder vibration of a hydraulic power steering system during parking maneuver was studied with numerical and experimental methods. To quantify vibration performance of the system and recognize important stimuli for drivers, a shudder metric was derived by correlation between objective measurements and subjective ratings. A CAE model for steering wheel vibration analysis was developed and compared with measured data. In order to describe steering input dependency of shudder, a new dynamic friction modeling method, in which the magnitude of effective damping is determined by average velocity, was proposed. The developed model was validated using the measured steering wheel acceleration and the pressure change at inlet of the steering gear box. It was shown that the developed model successfully describes major modes by comparing the calculated FRF of the hydraulic system with measured one from the hydraulic excitation test. Vibration mechanism from pressure variation at power steering pump outlet to steering wheel vibration was shown through Eigen value analysis of the model. Using the developed model, an optimization was conducted and important factors were presented.

The design of RADARSAT-2, scheduled for launch in 2007, has been driven by the needs of the global Earth observation markets. The RADARSAT-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) antenna is a state-of-the-art active array designed, built and tested by MDA in its Montreal facilities. The large 15 m times 1.4 m antenna is comprised of 512 subarrays that are each connected to a Transmit/Receive (T/R) module. High performance electronics provide power and control to the T/R modules. These units along with Radio Frequency (RF) power divider networks and harnesses are mounted on four integrated aluminum panels that are deployed on a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) extendable support structure. The lower level units were built and tested before being integrated to the antenna. The antenna went through acceptance testing that included environmental and near field range tests. Good correlation was obtained between the predicted and the measured performances. The antenna met all expectations and at the time of writing this paper, has been integrated to the spacecraft.

Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium definitive type 104 (DT104) have been detected in the chicken oviduct, and their survival in egg albumen at the chicken body temperature of 42 degrees C may be important in oviductal and transovarian contamination of intact shell eggs. Eight S. enteritidis and 24 S. typhimurium DT104 strains were tested for their in vitro survival in egg albumen. The concentration of the organisms declined more rapidly when incubated at 42 degrees C than at 37 degrees C and dropped to nondetectable levels within 96 h at the higher, but not at the lower, temperature. In another experiment, 3 S. enteritidis and 3 S. typhimurium DT104 strains were randomly selected, and dosages of 20 and 200 cells of each strain were inoculated onto the vitelline membranes of egg yolks, which were then submerged in the original albumen and incubated for 24 h at 42 degrees C. Under these conditions, the organisms survived in albumen but did not penetrate the vitelline membrane. However, in a similar experiment, penetration did occur when the specimens were incubated at 30 degrees C for 72 h. The results suggest that low numbers of S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium DT104 can be expected to survive in egg albumen during the 24-h period of egg formation in the oviduct but would be unlikely to invade the yolk.before oviposition. However, depending on storage conditions following oviposition, S. enteritidis, as well as S. typhimurium DT104, could survive longer and may eventually invade the egg yolks.

Glycoprotein IIb and IIIa contain antigenic determinants involved in the potential production of allo- or autoantibodies directed against platelets, that may result in severe thrombocytopenia. Most of these epitopes appear to be supported by single nucleotide substitutions. We have used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to identify sequence variations within the promoter and the coding regions of the glycoprotein IIb and glycoprotein IIIa genes. Using genomic DNA from 60 unrelated normal individuals, we have amplified short domains that encompass the coding sequences and the exon-intron boundaries of both genes that were further separated according to their melting behaviour during the denaturant electrophoretic migration. Only the fragments with an abnormal migration pattern were sequenced. We confirmed the sensitivity of this method by recognizing both previously described Human Platelet Antigen polymorphisms and mutations affecting either the glycoprotein IIb or the glycoprotein IIIa genes in thrombasthenic patients. We also identified four other polymorphisms. Two were located in the glycoprotein IIb gene, involving intron 21 (C--G at nucleotide 10480) and first codon of exon 30 (codon GTC--GTT coding for residue Val 990), and two in the glycoprotein IIIa gene (exon 6 CCC--CCT coding for residue Pro 268; intron 14 C--T at position 37126). The screening of the GPIIIa promoter also revealed three different polymorphisms located at position-468 (A/T polymorphism), -425 (A/C polymorphism) and-400 (A/C polymorphism), which could influence the expression of the complex at the cell surface. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis appears to be a sensitive and specific technique for identifying polymorphisms and mutations in the GPIIb and GPIIIa genes.

A new iron titanyl oxyphosphate Fe0.50TiO(PO4) was synthesized by both solid-state reaction and Cu2+–Fe2+ ion exchange method. The material was then characterized by X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements and Raman spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the compound was refined, using X-ray powder diffraction data, by Rietveld profile method; it crytallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/c (No.14), with a = 7.4039 ( 3 ) A , b = 7.3838 ( 3 ) A , c = 7.4083 ( 3 ) A , β = 120.36 ° ( 1 ) , V = 349.44 ( 2 ) A 3 and Z = 4 . The volume of the title compound is comparable to those of the M0.50IITiO(PO4) series, where MII=Mg, Co, Ni and Zn. The framework is built up from [TiO6] octahedra and [PO4] tetrahedra. [TiO6] octahedra are linked together by corners and form infinite chains along the c-axis. Ti atoms are displaced from the center of octahedral units showing an alternating short distance (1.73 A) and a long one (2.22 A). These chains are linked together by [PO4] tetrahedra. Fe2+ cations occupy a triangle-based antiprism sharing two faces with two [TiO6] octahedra. Mossbauer and magnetic measurements show the existence of iron only in divalent state, located exclusively in octahedral sites with high spin configuration (t2g4eg2). Raman study confirms the existence of Ti–O–Ti chains.

To select a set of quality indicators (QI) in order to test them in a panel of 36 French hospitalsThe COMPAQH (COordination for Measuring Performance and Assuring Quality in Hospitals) project is coordinated by the French National Institute for Medical Research and supported by the French Ministry of Health and the French National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency. This project has four objectives: (1) to select a set of QI -2003- (2) to implement them in 2004-2005 in a volunteer panel of hospitals (3) to compare the hospitals anonymously (4) to explore quality management implications. QI were selected with a four-step process: (1) Establishment of a list of national priorities for Quality Improvement in relation with the Ministry of Health. (2) setting up a potential list of QI regarding these priorities. The COMPAQH staff determined a preliminary set of 81 QI, based on data in the literature and evidence about the scientific soundness of quality measures and the effectiveness of methods for improving quality. (3) Evaluation of the preliminary list. Each QI was presented in a pamphlet describing its operational definition, rationale, methodology, workload and responsibility of data collection The hospital panel (representatives) ranked the 81 QI with a validated evaluation tool which contained four dimensions: Importance, Scientific acceptability, Feasibility, and Usability. (4) Development of a consensus on a final selection. Based on a structured voting process (Delphi method, two rounds), the hospital panel selected a comprehensive set of 42 QI among the 81.(1) Eight national priorities were defined: pain management, continuity of care, management of nutritional disorders, Iatrogenic risks (including nosocomial infections), patient satisfaction, follow-up of practice guidelines, management of human resources, accessibility. (2) A set of 42 QI were selected: a set of 6 core QI and 7 to 18 specific QI according to the hospital type.Such a set of QI provides a foundation for developing a quality measurement system in French hospitals. It requires a pragmatic view for implementing them and a coherence between the different objectives of use (internal and external use).

Objective. Executive function in activities of daily living (ADL) were investigated in 10 patients with excised frontal lobe tumours.Method. The patients with frontal lesions were compared to 10 normal controls with a neuropsychological test battery, a script generation task and a realistic implementation of complex multi-task ADL (planning and preparing a meal).Results. The patients manifested numerous basic executive deficits on the paper-pencil tests, were unimpaired on the script generation task despite an aberrant semantic structure and manifested marked anomalies in the meal preparation task.Conclusion. Frontal lobe deficits in lengthy complex multi-task ADL can be explained by impairment of several executive functions, generalized slowness of performance and paucity of behaviour.

International audience; The 18O/16O isotope exchange depth profile technique (IEDP) followed by SIMS characterizations was applied to dense membranes of pure ionic conductors and mixed ionic/electronic conducting materials. It is a very useful tool since we obtain in both cases data concerning the oxygen diffusion in the bulk and the oxygen exchange at the surface of the materials. Comparisons were done, including results concerning the role of the surface with regards to the oxygen reduction reaction. Detailed experimental and analytical processes are given.

The RADARSAT-2 synthetic aperture radar is required to generate a wider range of data products than any other preceding civilian satellite SAR. To achieve the required flexibility the antenna on RADARSAT-2 is a fully active phased array, which provides two-dimensional beamforming and beamsteering. Phased arrays are subject to a wide variety of phase, amplitude and mechanical error sources, all of which vary with temperature. This paper discusses the various sources of error. These error sources are translated into beampattern variations in azimuth and elevation, and the resulting pattern variations are then translated into image quality performance variations in sensitivity, resolution and ambiguity ratios.