First Compton imaging tests with i-TED

The objective of this work is to demonstrate the Compton imaging capabilities of a novel gamma-ray Total-Energy Detector called i-TED. The latter is intended for neutron-capture cross-sections measurements of astrophysical interest, thereby enhancing detection sensitivity by means of the simultaneous combination of Time-of-Flight with Compton-imaging techniques. The developed i-TED demonstrator comprises five position-sensitive radiation detection modules of high energy resolution, which feature an overall position-sensitive field-of-view of 125 cm2, and thus a high efficiency. Each detector module is based on 50x50 mm2 large LaCl 3 (Ce) monolithic crystals optically coupled to 8x8 pixels s…

High-Resolution and Low Resource Time To Digital Converters for the KM3NeT Neutrino Telescope

The Time Calibration System of KM3NeT: The Laser Beacon and the Nanobeacon

The KM3NeT collaboration has started the construction of a deep sea neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean with an instrumented volume of several cubic kilometers. The objective of the KM3NeT telescope is to observe cosmic neutrinos. For this, the detector will consist of a tri-dimensional array of optical modules, each one composed of a pressure resistant glass sphere housing 31 small area photomultipliers. An important element of the KM3NeT detector is the system for the relative time calibration between optical modules with a precision of about 1 ns. The system comprises two independent devices: a nanobeacon inside each optical module for calibration of optical modules in the same verti…

Ventricular Tachycardia and Early Fibrillation in Patients With Brugada Syndrome and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Show Predictable Frequency-Phase Properties on the Precordial ECG Consistent With the Respective Arrhythmogenic Substrate

[EN] Background¿ Ventricular fibrillation (VF) has been proposed to be maintained by localized high-frequency sources. We tested whether spectral-phase analysis of the precordial ECG enabled identification of periodic activation patterns generated by such sources. Methods and Results¿Precordial ECGs were recorded from 15 ischemic cardiomyopathy and 15 Brugada syndrome (type 1 ECG) patients during induced VF and analyzed in the frequency-phase domain. Despite temporal variability, induced VF episodes lasting 19.6±7.9 s displayed distinctly high power at a common frequency (shared frequency, 5.7±1.1 Hz) in all leads about half of the time. In patients with Brugada syndrome, phase analysis of …

Gamma-ray position reconstruction in large lanthanum-halide crystals with SiPM readout: analytical vs. neural-network algorithms

The main objective of this research was to achieve an excellent gamma-ray position reconstruction with very large monolithic scintillation crystals coupled to pixelated silicon photosensors. Analyzing the scintillation-light distribution measured along the SiPM-pixels one can get a sub-pixel accuracy for the position reconstruction. The quality of the latter depends on both the characteristics of the crystal-photosensor assembly, and the goodness of the algorithm used to reconstruct the gamma-ray hit location. We have carried out a systematic study for 511 keV gamma-rays using three different crystal thicknesses of 10 mm, 20 mm and 30 mm, all of them with planar geometry and a base size of …

Nanobeacon and laser beacon: KM3NeT time calibration devices

Immunosuppressive profiles in liquid biopsy at diagnosis predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterised by high pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). However, refractory and poor NAC responders still face very poor outcome, emphasising the urgent need for tools that facilitate identification of these patients, so that surgery or alternatives to NAC are considered early in the treatment protocol. Materials and methods: We combined metabolomics, exosome circulating miRNAs and flow cytometry experimental approaches in TNBC patients at diagnosis with immunohistochemistry in needle biopsy tumours to generate NAC-response predictive models. We also co-cultured and studied crosstalk between isolated patient…