Publications by authors named "P Di-Nicola"

Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the effectiveness of two surfactant administration methods—INtubate-RECruit-SURfactant-Extubate (IN-REC-SUR-E) and less invasive surfactant administration (LISA)—on improving BPD-free survival in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
  • A total of 382 preterm infants, born at 24-27 weeks' gestation and not intubated at birth, will be randomly assigned to either method within the first 24 hours of life. The primary outcome being measured is a combination of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age.
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Article Synopsis
  • * This experiment produced 2.05 MJ of laser energy, resulting in 3.1 MJ of total fusion yield, which exceeds the Lawson criterion for ignition, demonstrating a key milestone in fusion research.
  • * The report details the advancements in target design, laser technology, and experimental methods that contributed to this historic achievement, validating over five decades of research in laboratory fusion.
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Article Synopsis
  • * In inertially confined fusion, ignition allows the fusion process to spread into surrounding fuel, potentially leading to higher energy output.
  • * Recent experiments at the National Ignition Facility achieved capsule gains of 5.8 and approached ignition, even though "scientific breakeven" has not yet been fully realized.
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The advanced radiographic capability (ARC) laser system, part of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is a short-pulse laser capability integrated into the NIF. The ARC is designed to provide adjustable pulse lengths of ∼1-38 in four independent beamlets, each with energies up to 1 kJ (depending on pulse duration). A detailed model of the ARC lasers has been developed that predicts the time- and space-resolved focal spots on target for each shot.

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The implosion efficiency in inertial confinement fusion depends on the degree of stagnated fuel compression, density uniformity, sphericity, and minimum residual kinetic energy achieved. Compton scattering-mediated 50-200 keV x-ray radiographs of indirect-drive cryogenic implosions at the National Ignition Facility capture the dynamic evolution of the fuel as it goes through peak compression, revealing low-mode 3D nonuniformities and thicker fuel with lower peak density than simulated. By differencing two radiographs taken at different times during the same implosion, we also measure the residual kinetic energy not transferred to the hot spot and quantify its impact on the implosion performance.

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