Laboratory realization of relativistic pair-plasma beams.

Relativistic electron-positron plasmas are ubiquitous in extreme astrophysical environments such as black-hole and neutron-star magnetospheres, where accretion-powered jets and pulsar winds are expected to be enriched with electron-positron pairs. Their role in the dynamics of such environments is in many cases believed to be fundamental, but their behavior differs significantly from typical electron-ion plasmas due to the matter-antimatter symmetry of the charged components. So far, our experimental inability to produce large yields of positrons in quasi-neutral beams has restricted the understanding of electron-positron pair plasmas to simple numerical and analytical studies, which are rather limited.

A feasibility and safety study of afamelanotide in acute stroke patients - an open label, proof of concept, phase iia clinical trial.

Background: Neuroprotective agents have the potential to improve the outcomes of revascularisation therapies in acute ischemic stroke patients (AIS) and in those unable to receive revascularisation. Afamelanotide, a synthetic α-melanocyte stimulating hormone analogue, is a potential novel neuroprotective agent. We set out to assess the feasibility and safety of afamelanotide for the first time in AIS patients.

Radiation Reaction Cooling as a Source of Anisotropic Momentum Distributions with Inverted Populations.

Under the presence of strong electromagnetic fields and radiation reaction, plasmas develop anisotropic momentum distributions, characterized by a population inversion. This is a general property of collisionless plasmas when the radiation reaction force is taken into account. We study the case of a plasma in a strong magnetic field and demonstrate the development of ring momentum distributions.

Enhanced laser-driven proton acceleration via improved fast electron heating in a controlled pre-plasma.

The interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with solids is largely affected by the plasma gradient at the vacuum-solid interface, which modifies the absorption and ultimately, controls the energy distribution function of heated electrons. A micrometer scale-length plasma has been predicted to yield a significant enhancement of the energy and weight of the fast electron population and to play a major role in laser-driven proton acceleration with thin foils. We report on recent experimental results on proton acceleration from laser interaction with foil targets at ultra-relativistic intensities.

Outcomes after a first and/or second salvage treatment in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer recurrence detected by (18-F) choline PET-CT.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to assess clinical outcomes in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer recurrence after single or repeated salvage radiation treatment.

Methods: Forty-nine consecutive prostate cancer patients diagnosed with oligometastatic recurrence on Ch-PET have been prospectively treated. Seven (23%) patients had castrate-resistant disease.