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X-ray spectra following charge exchange collisions between C(6+) and He are presented for collision energies between 460 eV/u and 32,000 eV/u. Spectra were obtained at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Multicharged Ion Research Facility using a microcalorimeter X-ray detector capable of fully resolving the C VI Lyman series lines through Ly-γ. These line ratios are sensitive to the initial electron l-distribution and test our understanding of the charge exchange process. In addition, these line ratios are important for identifying charge exchange in astrophysical contexts involving the interaction of solar wind ions with neutrals. Our measurements are performed at collision velocities (300 km/s to 2500 km/s) which overlap most of the solar wind range. Additional data of this type can be combined with computations to provide an extensive set of reliable line ratios and absolute cross sections for the interpretation of a variety of astrophysical situations.

BACKGROUND: The use of natural health products in prostate cancer (PrCa) is high despite a lack of evidence with respect to safety and efficacy. Fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids possess anti-inflammatory effects and preclinical data suggest a protective effect on PrCa incidence and progression; however, human studies have yielded conflicting results. METHODS: A search of OVID MEDLINE, Pre-MEDLINE, Embase, and the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED) was completed for human interventional or observational data assessing the safety and efficacy of fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids in the incidence and progression of PrCa. RESULTS: Of 1776 citations screened, 54 publications reporting on 44 studies were included for review and analysis: 4 reports of 3 randomized controlled trials, 1 nonrandomized clinical trial, 20 reports of 14 cohort studies, 26 reports of 23 case-control studies, and 3 case-cohort studies. The interventional studies using fish oil supplements in patients with PrCa showed no impact on prostate-specific antigen levels; however, 2 studies showed a decrease in inflammatory or other cancer markers. A small number of mild adverse events were reported and interactions with other interventions were not assessed. Cohort and case-control studies assessing the relationship between dietary fish intake and the risk of PrCa were equivocal. Cohort studies assessing the risk of PrCa mortality suggested an association between higher intake of fish and decreased risk of prostate cancer-related death. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence is insufficient to suggest a relationship between fish-derived omega-3 fatty acid and risk of PrCa. An association between higher omega-3 intake and decreased PrCa mortality may be present but more research is needed. More intervention trials or observational studies with precisely measured exposure are needed to assess the impact of fish oil supplements and dietary fish-derived omega-3 fatty acid intake on safety, PrCa incidence, treatment, and progression.

Cross sections of charge transfer for Si3+ ions with atomic hydrogen at collision energies of ≈40–2500 eV/u were carried out using a merged-beam technique at the Multicharged Ion Research Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The data span an energy range in which both molecular orbital close coupling (MOCC) and classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calculations are available. The influence of quantum mechanical effects of the ionic core as predicted by MOCC is clearly seen in our results. However, discrepancies between our experiment and MOCC results toward higher collision energies are observed. At energies above 1000 eV/u good agreement is found with CTMC results.

Using the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ion-atom merged-beams apparatus, the absolute, total single-electron-capture cross section has been measured for collisions of Ne2+ with deuterium (D) at center-of-mass (c.m.) collision energies of 59–949 eV∕u. With the high-velocity ion beams now available at the ORNL Multicharged Ion Research Facility, we have extended our previous merged-beams measurement to lower c.m. collision energies. The data are compared to all four previously published measurements for Ne2++H(D) which differ considerably from one another at energies ≲600 eV∕u. We are unaware of any published theoretical cross-section data for Ne2++H(D) at the energies studied. Early quantal rate coefficient calculations for Ne2++H at eV/u energies suggest a cross section many orders of magnitude below previous measurements of the cross section at 40 eV∕u which is the lowest collision energy for which experimental results have been published. Here we compare our measurements to recent theoretical electron-capture results for He2++H. Both the experimental and theoretical results show a decreasing cross section with decreasing energy.