Competition of fusion and quasi-fission in the reactions leading to production of the superheavy elements

The mechanism of fusion hindrance, an effect observed in the reactions of cold, warm and hot fusion leading to production of the superheavy elements, is investigated. A systematics of transfermium production cross sections is used to determine fusion probabilities. Mechanism of fusion hindrance is described as a competition of fusion and quasi-fission. Available evaporation residue cross sections in the superheavy region are reproduced satisfactorily. Analysis of the measured capture cross sections is performed and a sudden disappearance of the capture cross sections is observed at low fusion probabilities. A dependence of the fusion hindrance on the asymmetry of the projectile-target system is investigated using the available data. The most promising pathways for further experiments are suggested.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, talk presented at 7th International School-Seminar on Heavy-Ion Physics, May 27 - June 1, 2002, Dubna, Russi

The structure of superheavy elements newly discovered in the reaction of 86^{86}Kr with 208^{208}Pb

The structure of superheavy elements newly discovered in the $^{208}$Pb($^{86}$Kr,n) reaction at Berkeley is systematically studied in the Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) approach. It is shown that various usually employed RMF forces, which give fair description of normal stable nuclei, give quite different predictions for superheavy elements. Among the effective forces we tested, TM1 is found to be the good candidate to describe superheavy elements. The binding energies of the $^{293}$118 nucleus and its $\alpha-$decay daughter nuclei obtained using TM1 agree with those of FRDM within 2 MeV. Similar conclusion that TM1 is the good interaction is also drawn from the calculated binding energies for Pb isotopes with the Relativistic Continuum Hartree Bogoliubov (RCHB) theory. Using the pairing gaps obtained from RCHB, RMF calculations with pairing and deformation are carried out for the structure of superheavy elements. The binding energy, shape, single particle levels, and the Q values of the $\alpha-$decay $Q_{\alpha}$ are discussed, and it is shown that both pairing correlation and deformation are essential to properly understand the structure of superheavy elements. A good agreement is obtained with experimental data on $Q_{\alpha}$. %Especially, the atomic number %dependence of $Q_{\alpha}$ %seems to match with the experimental observationComment: 19 pages, 5 figure

Semiempirical Shell Model Masses with Magic Number Z = 126 for Superheavy Elements

A semiempirical shell model mass equation applicable to superheavy elements up to Z = 126 is presented and shown to have a high predictive power. The equation is applied to the recently discovered superheavy nuclei Z = 118, A = 293 and Z = 114, A = 289 and their decay products.Comment: 7 pages, including 2 figures and 2 table

Development of an updated, standardized, patient-centered outcome set for lung cancer

BACKGROUND: In 2016, the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) defined an international consensus recommendation of the most important outcomes for lung cancer patients. The European Health Outcomes Observatory (H2O) initiative aimed to develop an updated patient-centered core outcome set (COS) for lung cancer, to capture the patient perspective of the impact of lung cancer and (novel) treatments using a combination of patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments and clinical data as a means to drive value-based health-care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An international, expert team of patient representatives, multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, academic researchers and pharmaceutical industry representatives (n = 17) reviewed potential outcomes generated through literature review. A broader group of patients/patient representatives (n = 31), healthcare professionals / academic researchers (n = 83), pharmaceutical industry representatives (n = 26), and health authority representatives (n = 6) participated in a Delphi study. In two survey rounds, participants scored the relevance of outcomes from a preliminary list. The threshold for consensus was defined as ≥ 70 % of participants scoring an outcome as 'highly relevant'. In concluding consensus-meeting rounds, the expert multidisciplinary team finalized the COS. RESULTS: The preliminary list defined by the core group consisted of 102 outcomes and was prioritized in the Delphi procedure to 64. The final lung cancer COS includes: 1) case-mix factors (n = 27); 2) PROs related to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (n = 25); 3) clinical outcomes (n = 12). Patient-reported symptoms beyond domains included in the ICHOM lung cancer set in 2016 were insomnia, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, depression, lack of appetite, gastric problems, constipation, diarrhoea, dysphagia, and haemoptysis. CONCLUSIONS: We will implement the lung cancer COS in Europe within the H2O initiative by collecting the outcomes through a combination of clinician-reported measures and PRO measures. The COS will support the adoption and reporting of lung cancer measures in a standardized way across Europe and empower patients with lung cancer to better manage their health care

alpha-decay chains of Z=114, A=289 and Z=118, A=293 in the relativistic mean-field model

A comparison of calculated and experimental Q_alpha values of superheavy even-even nuclei and a few selected odd-N nuclei is presented in the framework of the relativistic mean-field model with the parameterization NL-Z2. Blocking effects are found to be important for a proper description of Q_alpha of odd mass nuclei. The model gives a good overall description of the available experimental data. The mass and charge assignment of the recently measured decay chains from Dubna and Berkeley is in agreement with the predictions of the model. The analysis of the new data does not allow a final conclusion about the location of the expected island of spherical doubly-magic superheavy nuclei.Comment: 4 pages REVTeX, 4 eps figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.