Precision Measurement of the Proton Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays from Rigidity 1 GV to 1.8 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. We present the detailed variation with rigidity of the flux spectral index for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at high rigidities.</p

Staging in patients with locoregionally recurrent breast cancer: current practice and prospects for positron emission tomography.

The aim of this study was to describe the extent and yield of daily clinical practice when staging patients with a locoregional recurrence (LRR) of breast carcinoma and to explore the prospects for positron emission tomography (PET). The population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry was used to select all breast cancer patients in the southeast of the Netherlands with a first episode of LRR between January 1, 1994 and June 30, 2000 (n = 175). Additional data concerning staging procedures and follow-up were collected from the medical records. Furthermore, we asked 77 physicians (response: 75%) about their opinions on staging procedures and actual treatment policy. At LRR presentation, 16% of patients were found to have distant metastases. An additional 24% were diagnosed with distant metastases within 18 months. The questionnaire revealed that 33% of clinicians thought that the sensitivity of conventional imaging techniques was too low. We tend to conclude that in daily clinical practice there is a need for more sensitive dissemination tests for patients with a LRR of breast cancer