Relativistic spherical plasma waves

Tightly focused laser pulses as they diverge or converge in underdense plasma can generate wake waves, having local structures that are spherical waves. Here we report on theoretical study of relativistic spherical wake waves and their properties, including wave breaking. These waves may be suitable as particle injectors or as flying mirrors that both reflect and focus radiation, enabling unique X-ray sources and nonlinear QED phenomena.Comment: 6 pages; 4 figure

Dimuon production by laser-wakefield accelerated electrons

We analyze $\mu^+\mu^-$ pair production generated by high-energy electrons emerging from a laser-wakefield accelerator. The $\mu^+\mu^-$ pairs are created in a solid thick high-$Z$ target, following the electron accelerating plasma region. Numerical estimates are presented for electron beams obtained presently in the LBL TW laser experiment \cite{C2} and possible future developments. Reactions induced by the secondary bremsstrahlung photons dominate the dimuon production. According to our estimates, a 20 pC electron bunch with energy of 1 (10) GeV may create about 200 (6000) muon pairs. The produced $\mu^\pm$ can be used in studying various aspects of muon-related physics in table top installations. This may be considered as an important step towards the investigation of more complicated elementary processes induced by laser driven electrons.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Towards laser based improved experimental schemes for multiphoton e+ e- pair production from vacuum

Numerical estimates for pair production from vacuum in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields are derived, for two experimental schemes : the First concerns a laser based X-FEL and the other imitates the E144 experiment. The approximation adopted in this work is that of two level multiphoton on resonance. Utilizing achievable values of laser beam parameters, an enhancedproduction efficiency of up to 10^11 and 10^15 pairs can be obtained, for the two schemes respectively.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Thomson Scattering of Coherent Diffraction Radiation by an Electron Bunch

The paper considers the process of Thomson scattering of coherent diffraction radiation (CDR) produced by the preceding bunch of the accelerator on one of the following bunches. It is shown that the yield of scattered hard photons is proportional to N$_e^3$, where N$_e$ is the number of electrons per bunch. A geometry is chosen for the CDR generation and an expression is obtained for the scattered photon spectrum with regard to the geometry used, that depends in an explicit form on the bunch size. A technique is proposed for measuring the bunch length using scattered radiation characteristics.Comment: 14 pages, LATEX, 6 ps.gz figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.

Limits to management adaptation for the Indus’ irrigated agriculture

Future irrigated agriculture will be strongly affected by climate change and agricultural management. However, the extent that agricultural management adaptation can counterbalance negative climate-change impacts and achieve sustainable agricultural production remains poorly quantified. Such quantification is especially important for the Indus basin, as irrigated agriculture is essential for its food security and will be highly affected by increasing temperatures and changing water availability. Our study quantified these effects for several climate-change mitigation scenarios and agricultural management-adaptation strategies using the state-of-the-art VIC-WOFOST hydrology–crop model. Our results show that by the 2030s, management adaptation through improved nutrient availability and constrained irrigation will be sufficient to achieve sustainable and increased agricultural production. However, by the 2080s agricultural productivity will strongly depend on worldwide climate-change mitigation efforts. Especially under limited climate-change mitigation, management adaptation will be insufficient to compensate the severe production losses due to heat stress. Our study clearly indicates the limits to management adaptation in the Indus basin, and only further adaptation or strong worldwide climate-change mitigation will secure the Indus’ food productivity

Changes in supportive care needs over time from diagnosis up to two years after treatment in head and neck cancer patients:A prospective cohort study

Objectives: To investigate changes in supportive care needs (SCNs) over time from diagnosis up to 2 years after treatment among head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, in relation to demographic, personal, clinical, psychological, physical, social, lifestyle, and cancer-related quality of life factors.Materials and methods: Data of the longitudinal NETherlands QUality of Life and Biomedical Cohort study (NET-QUBIC) was used. SCNs were measured using the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34) and HNC-specific module (SCNS–HNC) before treatment, three, six, 12 and 24 months after treatment. Linear mixed model analyses were used to study SCNs on the physical &amp; daily living (PDL), psychological (PSY), sexuality (SEX), health system, information and patient support (HSIPS), HNC-functioning (HNC-Function), and lifestyle (HNC-Lifestyle) domain, in relation to demographic, personal, clinical, psychological, physical, social, lifestyle, and cancer-related symptoms as measured at baseline.Results: In total, 563 patients were included. SCNs changed significantly over time. At baseline, 65% had ≥1 moderate/high SCN, versus 42.8% at 24 months. Changes in PDL needs were associated with gender, tumor location, smoking, fear of cancer recurrence, oral pain, and appetite loss, changes in PSY with tumor location, fear of recurrence, social support, emotional functioning, physical functioning, coughing, and use of painkillers, changes in SEX with treatment, changes in HSIPS with muscle strength, changes in HNC-Function with tumor stage, location, social support, physical functioning, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and speech problems, and changes in HNC-Lifestyle with smoking and alcohol use.Conclusion: SCNs diminish over time, but remain prevalent in HNC patients.</p

Mushrooms Red Book of Ukraine in Culture. 1. Patterns of Growth Hericium coralloides

На території НПП «Гуцульщина» виявлено лише три локалітети Hericium coralloides – гриба, занесеного до Червоної книги України. У результаті проведених досліджень виділено в чисту культуру аборигенний штам К01. Як для виділення, так і для підтримки та забезпечення життєздатності гриба в культурі картопельно-глюкозний агар виявився оптимальним серед апробованих середовищ. Індивідуальні особливості росту H. coralloides К01 вказують на вузькі трофічні можливості цього штаму при поверхневому культивуванні, оскільки з п’яти апробованих середовищ придатними для росту виявилися лише два. Цей штам гриба вважаємо перспективним для використання як інокулянта відповідних субстратів у природному середовищі, оскільки для нього характерні високі показники радіального росту, короткий період log-фази та утворення в чистій культурі стадії телеоморфи. The national park «Hutsulshchyna» found only three localities of Hericium coralloides − mushroom Red Book of Ukraine. The result of the research was to obtain in a pure culture of the native strain K01. As for the release, and to support and ensure the viability of the fungus in culture potato - glucose agar was the best among the tested environments. Individual features of the growth of H. coralloides K01 indicate the narrow trophic features of this strain at cultivation because from five tested media suitable for growth were only two. This strain K01 H. coralloides may be considered promising for use as an inoculant respective substrates in the environment , because it is characterized by high rates of radial growth , a short period of log- phase and ability to form stage teleomorfy in pure culture.Роботу виконано у НПП «Гуцульщина», ННЦ «Інститут біології» КНУ ім. Т. Шевченк

Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration

Plasma wakefield acceleration, either laser driven or electron-bunch driven, has been demonstrated to hold great potential. However, it is not obvious how to scale these approaches to bring particles up to the TeV regime. In this paper, we discuss the possibility of proton-bunch driven plasma wakefield acceleration, and show that high energy electron beams could potentially be produced in a single accelerating stage.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Mental healthcare utilization among head and neck cancer patients:A longitudinal cohort study

Objective: To investigate utilization of mental healthcare among head and neck cancer (HNC) patients from diagnosis to 2 years after treatment, in relation to psychological symptoms, mental disorders, need for mental healthcare, and sociodemographic, clinical and personal factors. Methods: Netherlands Quality of life and Biomedical Cohort study data as measured before treatment, at 3 and 6 months, and at 1 and 2 years after treatment was used (n = 610). Data on mental healthcare utilization (iMCQ), psychological symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cancer Worry Scale), mental disorders (CIDI interview), need for mental healthcare (Supportive Care Needs Survey Short-Form 34, either as continuous outcome indicating the level of need or dichotomized into unmet need (yes/no)) and several sociodemographic, clinical and personal factors were collected. Factors associated with mental healthcare utilization were investigated using generalized estimating equations (p &lt; 0.05). Results: Of all HNC patients, 5%–9% used mental healthcare per timepoint. This was 4%–14% in patients with mild-severe psychological symptoms, 4%–17% in patients with severe psychological symptoms, 15%–35% in patients with a mental disorder and 5%–16% in patients with an unmet need for mental healthcare. Among all patients, higher symptoms of anxiety, a higher need for mental healthcare, lower age, higher disease stage, lower self-efficacy and higher social support seeking were significantly associated with mental healthcare utilization. Conclusion: Mental health care utilization among HNC patients is limited, and is related to psychological symptoms, need for mental healthcare, and sociodemographic, clinical and personal factors.</p