Modeling space-resolved ion dynamics in ECR plasmas for predicting in-plasma β-decay rates

Lifetimes of radioactive nuclei are known to be affected by the level configurations of their respective atomic shells. Immersing such isotopes in environments composed of energetic charged particles such as stellar plasmas can result in β-decay rates orders of magnitude different from those measured terrestrially. Accurate knowledge of the relation between plasma parameters and nuclear decay rates are essential for reducing uncertainties in present nucleosynthesis models, and this is precisely the aim of the PANDORA experiment. Currently, experimental evidence is available for fully stripped ions in storage rings alone, but the full effect of a charge state distribution (CSD) as exists in plasmas is only modeled theoretically. PANDORA aims to be the first to verify these models by measuring the β-decay rates of select isotopes embedded in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas. For this purpose, it is necessary to consider the spatial inhomogeneity and anisotropy of plasma ion properties as well as the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) nature of the system. We present here a 3D ion dynamics model combining a quasi-stationary particle-in-cell (PIC) code to track the motion of macroparticles in a pre-simulated electron cloud while simultaneously using a Monte Carlo (MC) routine to check for relevant reactions describing the ion population kinetics. The simulation scheme is robust, comprehensive, makes few assumptions about the state of the plasma, and can be extended to include more detailed physics. We describe the first results on the 3D variation of CSD of ions both confined and lost from the ECR trap, as obtained from the application of the method to light nuclei. The work culminates in some perspectives and outlooks on code optimization, with a potential to be a powerful tool not only in the application of ECR plasmas but for fundamental studies of the device itself

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and clinical variables: Which is the best combination to predict reclassification in active surveillance patients?

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An Innovative Superconducting Magnetic Trap for Probing β-decay in Plasmas

The main aim of Plasmas for Astrophysics Nuclear Decays Observation and Radiation for Archaeometry (PANDORA) project is to build a compact and flexible magnetic plasma trap where plasma reaches a densityne∼ 1011–1013 cm−3, and a temperature, in units ofkT,kTe∼ 0.1–30 keV in order to measure, for the first time, nuclearβ-decay rates in stellar-like conditions. One of the most important aspects of an ECR Ion Source (ECRIS) is its magnetic system. In this paper, the numerical design of the PANDORA magnetic system is presented and validated by using the commercial simulators OPERA and CST Studio Suite, showing an excellent agreement between each other in terms of axial and radial field profiles. In conjunction to the magnetic system design, the overall injection system, including the microwave lines for plasma heating and the isotopes injection schemes with a focus on the developments of the oven for solid elements, has been conceived and will be discussed

Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy for Bladder Cancer Detection: Where Do We Stand?

Introduction: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a relatively new technology that allows for a real-time in situ microscopic characterization of tissue lesions, being able to discriminate between low- and high-grade ones. After a first period of slow diffusion caused by technological limitations and elevated costs, CLE applications are rapidly spreading in different branches of medicine, and there is mounting evidence of its advantages for the management of different tumors such as bladder cancer (BCa), from both a diagnostic and a clinical point of view. In this systematic review (SR), we evaluate the state-of-the-art CLE for BCa management. Material and methods: We performed an SR and quality assessment analysis of the current literature in this regard following the PRISMA guidelines. All data were independently verified by two different authors and discrepancies were solved by a third author. Moreover, a quality-assessment analysis according to QUADAS-2 criteria was performed to evaluate the studies selected for SR. Results: A total of 158 articles were retrieved; of which 79 were rejected and 38 were removed as duplicates. After article selection, seven prospective studies were assessed for data extraction. These accounted for 214 patients overall, with a correspondence rate between CLE and histopathological examination ranging from 54.6 to 93.6%. Regarding quality assessment, three out five prospective studies have at least a high risk of bias in one QUADAS-2 domain, whereas the applicability always has a low risk of bias. Conclusion: Despite actual technical limitations, the preliminary results of this appealing technology are encouraging and should prompt further investigations

Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy for Bladder Cancer Detection: Where Do We Stand?

Introduction: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a relatively new technology that allows for a real-time in situ microscopic characterization of tissue lesions, being able to discriminate between low- and high-grade ones. After a first period of slow diffusion caused by technological limitations and elevated costs, CLE applications are rapidly spreading in different branches of medicine, and there is mounting evidence of its advantages for the management of different tumors such as bladder cancer (BCa), from both a diagnostic and a clinical point of view. In this systematic review (SR), we evaluate the state-of-the-art CLE for BCa management. Material and methods: We performed an SR and quality assessment analysis of the current literature in this regard following the PRISMA guidelines. All data were independently verified by two different authors and discrepancies were solved by a third author. Moreover, a quality-assessment analysis according to QUADAS-2 criteria was performed to evaluate the studies selected for SR. Results: A total of 158 articles were retrieved; of which 79 were rejected and 38 were removed as duplicates. After article selection, seven prospective studies were assessed for data extraction. These accounted for 214 patients overall, with a correspondence rate between CLE and histopathological examination ranging from 54.6 to 93.6%. Regarding quality assessment, three out five prospective studies have at least a high risk of bias in one QUADAS-2 domain, whereas the applicability always has a low risk of bias. Conclusion: Despite actual technical limitations, the preliminary results of this appealing technology are encouraging and should prompt further investigations

Narrow band imaging for detecting residual/ recurrent cancerous tissue during second transurethral resection of newly diagnosed non-muscle-invasive high-grade bladder cancer

About 1 month after the first TUR, NBI cold-cup biopsies were taken from areas suspicious for urothelial cancer at the end of an extensive white-light second TUR protocol including: (i) resection of the scar of the primary tumour; (ii) resection of any overt or suspected urothelial lesions; and (iii) six random cold-cup biopsies of healthy mucosa. RESULTS In 2008, 47 consecutive patients were recruited after giving written consent (median age 62 years, range 49-83, 39 men and eight women). Nine patients (19%) had macroscopic or microscopic high-grade NMI urothelial cancer, whereas one was reassessed as having muscle-invasive disease at the white-light second TUR plus the six random biopsies. NBI biopsies were taken in 40 of the 47 patients and detected six more patients with high-grade cancerous tissue (13%). In all 16 of the 47 patients (34%) were found to have residual/recurrent cancer using our extensive protocol of second TUR followed by NBI biopsies. CONCLUSIONS Adding NBI biopsies at the end of an extensive second TUR protocol in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade NMIBC can lead to the identification of patients with otherwise missed high-grade residual/ recurrent urothelial carcinoma. KEYWORDS urinary bladder, neoplasm, cystoscopy, recurrence, diagnostic imaging Study Type -Diagnostic (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To determine if narrow-band imaging (NBI) can be used to detect high-grade cancerous lesions missed with the white light at the time of a second transurethral resection (TUR) of high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed high-grade NMIBC were enrolled in a prospective observational study. Patients with incomplete resection or absence of muscle tissue in the specimen were excluded

Probing Electron Properties in ECR Plasmas Using X-ray Bremsstrahlung and Fluorescence Emission

A quantitative analysis of X-ray emission from an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma was performed to probe the spatial properties of electrons having energy for effective ionisation. A series of measurements were taken by INFN-LNS and ATOMKI, capturing spatially and spectrally resolved X-ray maps as well as volumetric emissions from argon plasma. Comparing the former with model generated maps (involving space-resolved phenomenological electron energy distribution function and geometrical efficiency calculated using ray-tracing Monte Carlo (MC) routine) furnished information on structural aspects of the plasma. Similarly, fitting a model composed of bremsstrahlung and fluorescence to the volumetric X-ray spectrum provided valuable insight into the density and temperature of confined and lost electrons. The latter can be fed back to existing electron kinetics models for simulating more relevant energies, consequently improving theoretical X-ray maps and establishing the method as an excellent indirect diagnostic tool for warm electrons, required for both fundamental and applied research in ECR plasmas