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Many radioisotopes with potential medical applications are difficult to produce routinely, especially those on the proton-rich side of the valley of stability. Current production methods typically use light-ion (protons or deuteron) reactions on materials of similar mass to the target radioisotope, which limits the elemental target material available and may require the use of targets with poor thermal properties (as is the case for the production of radiobromine). These reactions may also create significant amounts of proton-rich decay products which require chemical separation from the desired product in a highly radioactive environment. A promising alternative method using heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reactions for the production of the medically relevant bromine radioisotopes 76Br (t1/2 = 16.2 h) and 77Br (t1/2 = 57.0 h) is presented. Heavy-ion beams of 28Si and 16O were used to bombard natural chromium and copper targets just above the Coulomb barrier at the University of Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Laboratory to produce these bromine and precursor radioisotopes by fusion-evaporation reactions. Production yields for these reactions were measured and compared to PACE4 calculations. In addition to using more robust targets for irradiation, a simple physical–chemical separation method is proposed that will lead to very high radiopurity yields. A summary of accelerator facility requirements needed for routine production of these radioisotopes is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pembrolizumab, a selective anti-PD-1 humanized monoclonal antibody, reactivates T cells to fight cancer. Immune-related adverse events such as autoimmune colitis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, nephritis, hypophysitis, and thyroiditis may occur during, or weeks to months after therapy. Pemprolizumab-induced synovitis is rarely reported. With the wide use of immunotherapy to treat cancers, physicians need to be aware of this rare immune-related adverse event and provide immediate treatment to avoid permanent joint damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excitation function of the 54 Fe(p, α )51Mn reaction was measured from 9.5 to 18 MeV E 0 , p + by activating a foil stack of 54 Fe electrodeposited on copper substrates. Residual radionuclides were quantified by HPGe gamma ray spectrometry. Both 51 Mn ( t 1 / 2 = 46.2 min, 〈 E β + 〉 = 963.7  keV , I β + = 97 % ; E γ = 749.1 keV, I γ = 0.265%) and its radioactive daughter, 51 Cr ( t 1 / 2 = 27.704d, E γ = 320.1 keV, I γ = 9.91%), were used to indirectly quantify formation of 51 Mn. Results agree within uncertainty to the only other measurement in literature and predictions of default TALYS theoretical code. Final relative uncertainties are within ±12%., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.