[The predictive value of melanin-concentrating hormone combined with other related biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid in preoperative cognitive dysfunction of elderly patients]

Objective: To explore the predictive value of cerebrospinal fluid melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) combined with other related biomarkers in preoperative cognitive dysfunction of elderly patients. Methods: A total of 80 patients who underwent elective hip or knee replacement under intravertebral anesthesia in Chifeng Municipal Hospital, Inner Mongolia, from March to November 2022 were prospectively included, with 32 males and 48 females, and aged 65-85 (70.7±5.2) years old. According to the evaluation results of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), patients were divided into the preoperative cognitive dysfunction (n=23) and control (n=57) groups. The levels of MCH, amyloid-β 40 (Aβ40), amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42), and phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) in cerebrospinal fluid were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of each biomarker separately or in combination for preoperative cognitive dysfunction. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was utilized to test the correlation between the level of each biomarker and MoCA scores. Results: The levels of MCH, Aβ40, Aβ42, p-tau, and Aβ42/p-tau in the preoperative cognitive dysfunction group were (35.53±5.94) μg/L, (39.21±9.18) ng/L, (221.83±43.17) ng/L, (42.64±9.74) ng/L, and 5.53±1.92, and the levels of these biomarkers in the control group were (28.74±4.90) μg/L, (36.37±7.87) ng/L, (280.23±45.67) ng/L, (35.00±9.27) ng/L, and 8.62±2.78, respectively. Compared with the control group, the levels of cerebrospinal fluid MCH and p-tau in the preoperative cognitive dysfunction group were significantly increased (all P<0.01), and the levels of Aβ42 and Aβ42/p-tau were significantly decreased (all P<0.001). MCH and Aβ42/p-tau provided higher predictive values. The area under the curve (AUC) of MCH and Aβ42/p-tau were 0.807 (95%CI: 0.703-0.911) and 0.842 (95%CI: 0.741-0.943), the sensitivity were 78.3% and 87.0%, and the specificity were 75.4% and 94.7%. MCH combined with Aβ42/p-tau have the higher AUC of 0.915 (95%CI: 0.837-0.992), the sensitivity (87.0%) and specificity (86.0%) were both high, which had a higher predictive value. The levels of cerebrospinal fluid MCH and p-tau were negatively correlated with MoCA score (r=-0.467, -0.321, all P<0.01), and the levels of Aβ42 and Aβ42/p-tau were positively correlated with MoCA score (r=0.480, 0.520, all P<0.001). Conclusion: The increase in cerebrospinal fluid MCH levels is associated with preoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients. MCH combined with Aβ42/p-tau has the greatest predictive value.

[Cone-beam CT analysis of vertical control of mandible and changes of temporomandibular joint in adult patients with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion with high angle]

Objective: To investigate the shape and position changes of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in adult skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion with high angle patients after vertical mandibular control, and the correlation between vertical mandibular changes and condylar position changes. Methods: Twenty adult skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion with high angle patients [6 males and 14 females, aged (21.4±2.4) years] who underwent extraction treatment and active vertical control in the Department of Orthodontics, Lanzhou University Stomatological Hospital from October 2017 to November 2020 were selected. Cone-beam CT data of the patient before and after treatment were imported into Invivo Dental 5.0 software for three-dimensional reconstruction and correction, and the vertical index of mandible in reconstructed lateral cephalogram (mandibular plane angle, posterior anterior height ratio, mandibular true rotation angle) were measured. Incisal angle and variables of condyle shape, position and articular fossa shape were measured. Paired t test was performed on the results before and after treatment, and the correlation between mandibular vertical changes and condylar position changes was determined by Pearson correlation coefficient calculation. Results: After treatment, the overbite and overjet were within normal range, and the vertical height of the molars was controlled. Compared with the measurement before treatment, mandibular plane angle and mandibular true rotation angle were decreased by 2.05°±1.22° (t=7.60, P<0.001) and 1.42°±1.92° (t=3.54, P=0.002), respectively. The posterior anterior height ratio was increased by (1.89±3.32)% (t=2.56, P=0.019). After treatment, the mediolateral diameter of condyle, the anteroposterior diameter of condyle, the maximum cross-sectional area of condyle, the height of condyle head, the width of articular fossa, the depth of articular fossa and the articular nodular angle were increased by (0.55±0.76) mm (t=-2.73, P=0.015), (0.27±3.51) mm (t=-3.23, P=0.006), (6.01±7.36) mm² (t=-2.80, P=0.013), (0.33±0.72) mm (t=-2.14, P=0.046), (0.56±0.93) mm (t=-2.37, P=0.032), 0.33 (0.14, 0.51) mm (Z=-2.76, P=0.006) and 1.50°±2.40° (t=-2.44, P=0.028), respectively. The internal condylar space and the external condylar space were decreased by (0.33±0.49) mm (t=2.31, P=0.035) and (0.20±0.23) mm (t=3.58, P=0.003), respectively. Before orthodontic treatment, 6 patients were with anterior displacement of the condyle, 7 patients with central position of the condyle, and 7 patients with posterior displacement of the condyle. After correction, patients who were with central position of the condyle have not changed much. The posterior displaced condyle in 2 patients and anterior displaced condyle in 3 patients became in central position after treatment. The joint space index was closer to the central position in 3 patients with anterior displacement and 3 patients with posterior displacement. The position of condyle in 1 patient with posterior displacement and 1 patient with anterior displacement remained basically unchanged. There was a significant negative correlation between the change of the posterior-anterior height ratio and the change of the internal condylar space in patients (r=-0.52, P=0.019), and a low correlation with the contral condylar space and the external condylar space(r=-0.48, P=0.031; r=-0.47, P=0.035). Conclusions: Skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion with high angle adult patients achieved normal overbite and overjet and remodeling of condyle and articular fossa occurred after orthodontic treatmnet and vertical control. There was a certain negative correlation between the change of posterior-anterior height ratio and the change of condylar position.

[Effects of LINC00839 targeting miR-3666 on proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells]

Objective: To investigate the effects of lncRNA LINC00839 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its mechanism. Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of LINC00839 and miR-3666 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between LINC00839 and miR-3666 expression in liver cancer tissues. Hepatocellular carcinoma cells MHCC97H were cultured in vitro and divided into si-NC group, si-LINC00839 group, miR-NC group, miR-3666 group, si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-NC group, and si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-3666 group. Methylthiazoletrazolium (MTT) method and clone formation experiment were used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell array was used to detect the cell migration and invasion. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of p21, E-cadherin and MMP-2. The double luciferase reporter gene experiment was used to verify the regulatory relationship between LINC00839 and miR-3666. Results: Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of LINC00839 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues increased (2.82±0.27 vs. 0.96±0.10, P<0.001), but the expression level of miR-3666 decreased (0.23±0.02 vs. 1.01±0.10, P<0.001). The expression levels of LINC00839 and miR-3666 in liver cancer tissue were negatively correlated (r=-0.658, P<0.001). The survival rate of MHCC97H cells in the si-LINC00839 group [(53.91±5.41)% vs. (100.53±10.22)%], the number of clones formed (92.0±8.0 vs. 164.0±14.3), the number of migration (131.0±12.7 vs. 247.0±22.4), the number of invasion (66.0±6.4 vs. 120.0±11.6) and the protein level of MMP-2 (0.20±0.02 vs. 0.67±0.06) were lower than those in the si-NC group (P<0.001). However, the protein levels of p21 (0.76±0.07 vs. 0.25±0.02) and E-cadherin (0.78±0.08 vs. 0.14±0.01) were higher than those in the si-NC group (P<0.001). LINC00839 targeted and negatively regulated the expression of miR-3666. The survival rate of MHCC97-H cells in the miR-3666 group [(47.93±4.86)% vs. (100.11±10.21)%], the number of clone formation (78.0±7.7 vs. 166.0±15.9), the number of migration (117.0±12.1 vs. 250.0±25.0), the number of invasion (57.0±5.7 vs. 121.0±12.3) and the protein level of MMP-2 (0.16±0.01 vs. 0.69±0.07) were lower than those in the miR-NC group (all P<0.001). However, the protein levels of p21 (0.83±0.08 vs. 0.24±0.02) and E-cadherin (0.87±0.09 vs. 0.13±0.01)were higher than those in the miR-NC group (all P<0.001). The survival rate of MHCC97-H cells in the si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-3666 group [(89.94±9.05)% vs. (54.12±5.39)%], the number of clones (143.0±13.8 vs. 94.0±9.4), the number of migration (208.0±19.8 vs. 129.0±12.6), the number of invasion (108.0±10.1 vs. 65.0±6.4) and the protein level of MMP-2 (0.31±0.03 vs 0.66±0.06) were higher than those in the si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-NC group (P<0.001). However, the protein levels of p21 (0.31±0.03 vs. 0.74±0.07) and E-cadherin (0.28±0.03 vs. 0.80±0.08) were lower than those int the si-LINC00839+ anti-miR-NC group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Inhibition of LINC00839 expression may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting up-regulation of miR-3666 expression.

Tannic Acid-Steeped Corn Grain Modulates in vitro Ruminal Fermentation Pattern and Microbial Metabolic Pathways

This study investigated the effects of tannic acid (TA)-treated corn on changes in ruminal fermentation characteristics and the composition of the ruminal bacterial community in vitro. Ruminal fluid was obtained from three rumen-fistulated goats fed a 60:40 (forage/concentrate) diet. The batch cultures consisted of 25 ml of strained rumen fluid in 25 ml of an anaerobic buffer containing 0.56 g of ground corn, 0.24 g of soybean meal, 0.10 g of alfalfa, and 0.10 g of oat grass. Ground corn (2 mm) was steeped in an equal quantity (i.e., in a ratio of 1:1, w/v) of water alone (Con), 15 (TA15), 25 (TA25), and 35 g/l (TA35) TA solution for 12 h. After incubation for 24 h, TA-treated corn linearly increased (P <0.05) ruminal pH and the molar proportion of acetate, but linearly reduced (P <0.05) total volatile fatty acids and the molar proportion of butyrate compared with the Con treatment. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to investigate the profile changes of the ruminal microbes. A principal coordinates analysis plot based on weighted UniFrac values revealed that the structure of the ruminal bacterial communities in the control group was different from that of the TA-treated corn groups. The results of changes in the rumen bacterial communities showed that TA-treated corn linearly enriched (P <0.05) Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, but linearly reduced (P <0.05) Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Ruminococcus_2, and unclassified_o__Clostridiales. Functional prediction of ruminal microbiota revealed that the TA-treated corn linearly decreased ruminal microbiota function of utilizing starch through pyruvate metabolism. In conclusion, TA-treated corn can modulate the rumen fermentation characteristics, microbial composition, and metabolic pathways, which may be potentially useful for preventing the occurrence of ruminal acidosis.

Effects of feeding corn bran and soybean hulls on nutrient digestibility, rumen microbial protein synthesis, and growth performance of finishing lambs

Some grain processing by-products rich in digestible fiber are good feed resources for ruminants. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of replacing a portion of corn and corn stover with the combinations of corn bran and soybean hulls in the diet of fattening lambs on nutrient digestion, rumen microbial protein synthesis, and growth performance. A total of 36 Dorper × Small Thin-Tailed crossbred ram lambs (BW = 22.2 ± 0.92 kg; mean ± SD) were randomly divided into three groups, and each group was fed 1 of 3 treatment diets: 1) 0% corn bran and soybean hulls (control); 2) 9% corn bran and 9% soybean hulls (18MIX); and 3) 17% corn bran and 17% soybean hulls (34MIX). The feeding experiment was conducted for 70 days, with the first 10 days for adaption. The DM intake was higher for 34MIX (1635.3 g/d) than for control diet (1434.7 g/d; P = 0.001). Lambs fed 18MIX and 34MIX diets (230.2 and 263.6 g/d, respectively) had higher average daily gain and feed efficiency than those fed control diet (194.8 g/d; P < 0.01). Dry matter and NDF digestibility for 34MIX group (60.9 and 49.5%) were higher than for control (55.2 and 41.3%; P < 0.01). No difference was observed in nitrogen digestibility among treatment diets (P = 0.778). The lambs fed 34MIX diet excreted more urinary purine derivatives, indicating that more microbial protein was yielded than those fed control diet (P < 0.01), while 18MIX was not different from the other two diets (P > 0.05). The metabolizable protein supplies were improved with increasing co-products inclusion rate. The results indicated that corn bran and soybean hulls in combination can effectively replace a portion of corn and corn stover in the ration of finishing lambs with positive effect on nutrient digestion and growth performance.

Production of metallic ion beams by electron cyclotron resonance ion sources equipped with inductive heating ovens at the Institute of Modern Physics

A high-temperature oven based on the inductive heating technology was developed successfully at the Institute of Modern Physics in 2019. This oven features a durable operation temperature of over 2000 °C inside the tantalum susceptor. By carefully designing the oven structure, the material compatibility issue at high temperature has been successfully solved, which enables the production and routine operation of refractory metal ions with SECRAL-II (Superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source with Advanced design in Lanzhou No. 2). To further apply this type of oven to the room temperature ECR ion sources LECR4 and LECR5 (Lanzhou Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source No. 4 and 5), a mini-inductive heating oven has been fabricated and tested in 2020. By directly evaporating calcium oxide, some high charge state calcium beams have been produced successfully, such as 52 euA of ⁴⁰Ca¹⁶⁺, 30 euA of ⁴⁰Ca¹⁷⁺, and 12 euA of ⁴⁰Ca¹⁸⁺. The detailed design and testing results will be presented and discussed.

Influence of electron cyclotron resonance ion source parameters on high energy electrons

In order to diagnose the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma, a high-efficiency collimation system has been developed at the Institute of Modern Physics, and the bremsstrahlung spectra in the range of 10 keV-300 keV were measured on a third generation superconducting ECR ion source, SECRAL-II, with a CdTe detector. Used as a comparative index of the mean energy of the high energy electron population, the spectral temperature, T_s, is derived through a linear fitting of the spectra in a semi-logarithmic representation. The influences of some main source parameters, such as the neutral gas pressure, extraction voltage, microwave power, and bias disk voltage, on the high energy electrons are systemically investigated.

Calcium propionate supplementation alters the ruminal bacterial and archaeal communities in pre- and postweaning calves

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of calcium propionate (CaP) on rumen microbiota, fermentation indicators, and weight gain in calves both pre- and postweaning. Twenty-four newborn calves were randomly divided into 4 groups (2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement): either pre- (90 d) or postweaning (160 d), and either without or with dietary CaP supplementation (5% dry matter). The CaP supplementation increased the body weight and rumen weight of the calves and lowered NH₃-N concentration in the rumen. Microbiota composition was characterized by sequencing the amplicons of the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The CaP supplementation decreased the relative abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes but tended to increase that of Proteobacteria. In addition, CaP supplementation decreased the diversity of bacteria and archaea in the rumen compared with the calves fed the control diet. Linear discriminant analysis of the rumen microbiota revealed that Succinivibrionaceae and Methanobrevibacter were enriched in the CaP group postweaning. A correlation was also present between the acetate to propionate ratio and the species that acted as co-occurrence network hubs, including Succiniclasticum, Treponema, and Megasphaera. In conclusion, CaP supplementation can improve body weight gain and rumen growth and alter the ruminal microbiota in calves both pre- and postweaning.

Overview of high intensity ion source development in the past 20 years at IMP

Ion source development over the last 20 years at the IMP is reviewed. For versatile purposes, several types of ion sources have been involved in the research and development work at the IMP, i.e., the highly charged ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) ion source, intense microwave ion source or the 2.45 GHz intense beam ECR ion source, and laser ion source (LIS). In the development of ECR ion sources, SECRAL (Superconducting ECR ion source with Advanced design in Lanzhou), Lanzhou ECR ion source, and Lanzhou all permanent magnet ECR ion source series have been made, which can cover the operation microwave frequency range of 10-28 GHz. The LIS with an Nd:YAG laser with a maximum output energy of 8 J in 8 ns pulse duration has been developed for very intense short pulse ion beams from solid materials such as C, Ti, Ni, Ag, and so on. Microwave ion sources have been built to produce intense pulsed or direct current beams from several mA to 100 mA for either high intensity accelerators or applications. This paper will give an overview of the high intensity ion source development at the IMP, especially on the recent progress and new results, such as the status of the fourth generation ECR ion source (first fourth generation ECR ion source), the production of recorded highly charged ion beams with SECRAL sources, key technology research studies, and so on.

A new room temperature LECR5 ion source for the SESRI project

The Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure project, which uses various ion beams as irradiated materials in life science research, is being built at the Harbin Institute of Technology. A new room temperature electron cyclotron resonance ion source, the Lanzhou Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source No. 5 (LECR5), has been designed and constructed. It is an intense, highly charged, heavy ion beam injector which generates ion beams from H to Bi, typically ∼50 eμA ²⁰⁹Bi³²⁺. The LECR5 is designed to operate at microwave frequencies in the range of 14.5-18 GHz. The typical magnetic parameters are designed based on those optimized for SECRAL, which operates at 18 GHz. This paper presents the LECR5 ion source, its test bench, and the preliminary beam results.

A new microwave coupling scheme for high intensity highly charged ion beam production by high power 24-28 GHz SECRAL ion source

The efficiency of the microwave-plasma coupling is a key issue to enhance the performance of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRISs) in terms of higher ion beam intensity yield. The coupling properties are affected by the microwave coupling scheme, especially for the high frequency (f > 20 GHz) and high power (P > 5 kW) ECR ion sources. Based on the study of 24 GHz SECRAL ion source performances working at different launching systems, a new microwave coupling scheme, called the Vlasov launcher, is proposed, which can not only realize efficient power matching and feeding but also enhance the microwave power distribution on the ECR surface. The first promising results are presented in this article. Then, a prototype dedicated to the next generation ECRIS is described.

Intense carbon beams production with an all permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance ion source for heavy ion medical machine

LAPECR3 (Lanzhou All Permanent magnet Electron cyclotron Resonance ion source No. 3) had been developed as an ion injector of Heavy Ion Medical Machine (HIMM) accelerator facility since 2009. The first HIMM accelerator facility was built in Wuwei city in 2015, and the LAPCER3 ion source has delivered C⁵⁺ ion beam to HIMM for more than 1000 days in the past four years. In order to improve the performance of the LAPECR3 ion source for intense carbon beams production, continuous research and development work has been made. The recently developed LAPECR3 ion source together with the new low-energy beam transportation can provide better performance in terms of both beam intensity and quality. This paper will generally review the LAPECR3 ion source operation status for HIMM, and the recent improvement will be presented, especially the stable beams production of C⁴⁺ and C⁵⁺.

Ion charge state and energy distributions of laser produced plasma from pure metals and their alloy

A high intensity highly charged laser ion source has been studied at the Institute of Modern Physics for the last few years. In order to investigate the processes of plasma heating and expansion of laser produced plasma, the charge state and energy distributions of the ions from pure copper, silver, and copper-silver alloy, in which the atom number ratio between copper and silver is 2:3, were measured with a 90° cylindrical electrostatic ion analyzer. It was shown that the yields of highly charged copper ions from the pure copper target are higher compared with those of the alloy target. In contrast, higher yields of highly charged silver ions were obtained from the copper-silver alloy target. Moreover, the ion energy distributions were derived from the time-of-flight spectra for the ions with different ion charge states and compared between the pure metal and alloy targets.

Production of O- and O2 - beams with the negative ion source at Institute of Modern Physics

A negative oxygen ion source is under development to produce O^- and O₂ ^- beams used for a secondary ion mass spectrometer at Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), and both filament and radio frequency (RF) schemes are tested. The filament driven ion source, which was initially designed for H^- production, has a 10-pole multicusp plasma chamber, two sets of virtual magnetic filters, and a 3-electrode extraction system. The RF scheme, which is improved by changing a RF back plate from the filament ion source, has an external planar spiral RF antenna behind an AlN window. The RF power system consists of a continuous wave (CW) 13.56 MHz/2 kW power supply, a capacitive automatching network and a water-cooled flat RF antenna made from a 6-mm copper tube. Oxygen and carbon dioxide gases are used to produce O^- and O₂ ^- ion beams, and ion composition is analyzed by using a Wien filter. However, the lifetime of filaments sustains from several minutes to hours before fracture occurred while the RF one can work stably with no maintenance, and the experiment results will be given on O^- ion production with two different technologies using our ion source test facility.

Production of intense uranium beams with inductive heating oven at Institute of Modern Physics

HIAF (High Intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility) is a new accelerator complex under construction at the Institute of Modern Physics. As the main injector of this project, the high-charge-state ECR ion source needs to provide intense uranium beams, such as 700 eμA of U³⁵⁺. This requires the performance of metal ovens to be further improved so that the crucible can operate at an ultrahigh temperature for a long time without damage in a high magnetic field (>3 T). In order to meet these requirements, an inductive oven with special thermal shielding and support has been developed in the past two years. The off-line test result has shown that this oven can reach up to 2000 °C with ∼1.2 kW of heating power. After ∼5 days of continuous running on the SECRAL-II platform, the tantalum crucible survived. In this contribution, we will discuss the structure of this inductive oven and analyze the test results as well.

[The influence and mechanisms of purple sweet potato anthocyanins on the growth of bladder cancer BIU87 cell]

Objective: To observe the effect of purple sweet potato anthocyanins on the proliferation of bladder cancer cell line BIU87 and to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Methods: Bladder cancer BIU87 cells were cultured and exposed to anthocyanins at the different concentrations of 100, 200, 400, and 800 μg/ml respectively. The growth inhibition of anthocyanins on BIU87 cells were evaluated by morphometry and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and the cell apoptosis rate was detected by Flow cytometry (FCM). Results: Morphometry showed that the number of BIU87 cells decreased, the volume shrank, the intercellular space enlarged, the ability of cell adherence weakened, and the cell shape changed when the concentration of anthocyanins increased. CCK-8 assay showed that when 100, 200, 400, 800 μg/ml anthocyanins treated BIU87 cells for 48 h, the absorbance was 24 ± 0.07, 1.15 ± 0.11, 0.90 ± 0.08, 0.56 ± 0.09, respectively. Compared with the control group, anthocyanins-treated groups significantly inhibited the proliferation of BIU87 cells (P<0.05). FCM test showed that after treatment with different doses of anthocyanins, the apoptosis rate was 7.31%, 11.11%, 25.96%, 36.28%, respectively, and with the concentration of anthocyanins being higher, the apoptosis rate of BIU87 cells was being higher. Conclusion: Purple sweet potato anthocyanins can inhibit the growth of bladder cancer BIU87 cells through inducing cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner.

[Predictive value of typical cataplexy+ DQB1*0602 positive to hypocretin-1 reduction in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with narcolepsy]

Objective: To discusses the predictive value of typical cataplexy+ HLA-DQB1*0602 positive to hypocretin-1 (HCRT-1) reduction in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with narcolepsy. Methods: A total of 165 narcoleptic patients, who were diagnosed at the Sleep Center of Peking University People's Hospital and Peking University International Hospital from March 2003 to March 2017, were recruited. The CSF HCRT-1 level and DQB1*0602 were measured in all the subjects. The narcoleptic patients were divided into two groups: typical cataplexy+ DQB1*0602 positive were CH group, and others who were not typical cataplexy and DQB1*0602 positive simultaneously were NCH group. The HCRT-1 level in CSF was declared to have a serious reduction when HCRT-1≤110 ng/L. According to this standard, the CH group and NCH group were subdivided into sub-groups and the data was analyzed to investigate the predictive value of typical cataplexy+ HLA-DQB1*0602 positive to HCRT-1 reduction. Results: There were 142 patients in CH group, including 137 patients with HCRT-1 reduction and 5 patients without. There were 23 patients in NCH group, including 15 patients with HCRT-1 reduction and 8 patients without. The positive predictive value of typical cataplexy+ DQB1*0602 positive for the reduction of HCRT-1 in CSF was 96.5%. Typical cataplexy+ DQB1*0602 positive had a good consistency with the HCRT-1 reduction in CSF (χ(2)=26.7, P<0.001). Conclusion: Typical cataplexy+ DQB1*0602 positive has a good predictive value to the HCRT-1 reduction in CSF in patients with narcolepsy.

Post-targeting strategy for ready-to-use targeted nanodelivery post cargo loading

Based on boronate formation, this study reports a post-targeting methodology capable of readily installing versatile targeting modules onto a cargo-loaded nanoplatform in aqueous mediums. This permits the targeted nanodelivery of broad-spectrum therapeutics (drug/gene) in a ready-to-use manner while overcoming the PEGylation-dilemma that frequently occurs in conventional targeting approaches.

Optical directional amplification in a three-mode optomechanical system

We study the directional amplification of an optical probe field in a three-mode optomechanical system, where the mechanical resonator interacts with two linearly-coupled optical cavities and the cavities are driven by strong optical pump fields. The optical probe field is injected into one of the cavity modes, and at the same time, the mechanical resonator is subject to a mechanical drive with the driving frequency equal to the frequency difference between the optical probe and pump fields. We show that the transmission of the probe field can be amplified in one direction and de-amplified in the opposite direction. This directional amplification or de-amplification results from the constructive or destruction interference between different transmission paths in this three-mode optomechanical system.

[Clinical presentation of Kleine-Levin syndrome]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features of Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) patients. Methods: Clinical data of 44 patients with KLS of the Sleep Center of Peking University People's Hospital from January 2002 to July 2013 were systematically reviewed. The predisposing factors and clinical presentations were summarized, and compared with the data from a Western KLS study with a large subjects number. Nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) were conducted during relapse and remission period, respectively. HLA-DQB1*0602 gene were screened and analyzed. Results: Among the 44 patients, 28(63.6%) were men and 16(36.4%) were women, with a mean age of (18.3±8.9) years old. Most patients developed the symptoms during adolescence. Infection or fever was the most common trigger for episode. The main clinical presentations were 44(100.0%) hypersomnia, 31(70.5%) forgetfulness, 26(59.1%) decreased appetites, 24(54.5%) juvenile behavior, 18(40.9%) depression, etc. Compared with the Western study, it showed that our patients had decreased instead of increased appetite. The PSG testing did not have remarkable findings. MSLT showed mean sleep latency was significantly shorter during relapse than during remission [(10.4±5.4) vs (15.3±3.4) min, P=0.009]. HLA-DQB1*0602 was positive in 12 of 40(30.0%) patients, which was similar to the data in the Chinese population. Conclusions: KLS has various clinical characteristics. The presentation of appetite may be different between Chinese and western KLS patients.

Prolactin regulatory element-binding protein is involved in suppression of the adiponectin gene in vivo

PURPOSE

Prolactin regulatory element-binding protein (PREB), a member of the WD-repeat protein family, has been recognized as a transcriptional factor that regulates prolactin promoter activity in the anterior pituitary of rats. PREB is expressed not only in the pituitary but also in various other tissues, including the adipose tissue. Previous studies have shown that PREB acts as a transcriptional regulator and suppresses the expression of the adiponectin gene in cultured 3T3L1 preadipocytes. The aim of this study was to further examine the potential role of PREB in adipose tissue in vivo.

METHODS

Transgenic mice that overexpressing PREB (PREB transgenic mice) were generated. Insulin resistance was evaluated in PREB transgenic mice using glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Adiponectin expression in the adipose tissue was examined by western blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The expression levels of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (Scd) and adiponectin receptor 2(ADIPOR2) were quantified by qPCR.

RESULTS

Glucose and insulin tolerance tests revealed insulin resistance in PREB transgenic mice. Serum adiponectin and leptin concentrations were decreased. Adiponectin gene expression was decreased in the adipose tissue, which was confirmed by the downregulation of the adiponectin-dependent hepatic Scd gene and upregulation of the ADIPOR2 gene in the liver of PREB transgenic mice. We also found that pioglitazone, an agonist for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-r, improved the insulin resistance in the PREB transgenic mice after a 10-day feeding period.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrated that PREB might contribute to the regulation of adiponectin gene expression in vivo.

The Study of Hot Spots on Hepatitis B Dissertation Based on Co-Word Analysis in China

Doctoral dissertations and master's theses of "hepatitis B" (HB) in CNKI database were retrieved to explore the hot spots on HB research field in China, we processed, visualized the data above, and analyzed those data by using co-word analysis informetrics method. Then, the figure for co-occurrence analysis of high-frequency keywords in theses on HB were plotted, which represented eight topics, could help health staff to understand hot topics in this field.

Reciprocal and unidirectional scattering of parity-time symmetric structures

Parity-time (PT) symmetry is of great interest. The reciprocal and unidirectional features are intriguing besides the (PT) symmetry phase transition. Recently, the reciprocal transmission, unidirectional reflectionless and invisibility are intensively studied. Here, we show the reciprocal reflection/transmission in (PT)-symmetric system is closely related to the type of (PT) symmetry, that is, the axial (reflection) (PT) symmetry leads to reciprocal reflection (transmission). The results are further elucidated by studying the scattering of rhombic ring form coupled resonators with enclosed synthetic magnetic flux. The nonreciprocal phase shift induced by the magnetic flux and gain/loss break the parity (P) and time-reversal (T) symmetry but keep the parity-time (PT) symmetry. The reciprocal reflection (transmission) and unidirectional transmission (reflection) are found in the axial (reflection) (PT)-symmetric ring centre. The explorations of symmetry and asymmetry from (PT) symmetry may shed light on novel one-way optical devices and application of (PT)-symmetric metamaterials.

Advancement of highly charged ion beam production by superconducting ECR ion source SECRAL (invited)

At Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source SECRAL (Superconducting ECR ion source with Advanced design in Lanzhou) has been put into operation for about 10 years now. It has been the main working horse to deliver intense highly charged heavy ion beams for the accelerators. Since its first plasma at 18 GHz, R&D work towards more intense highly charged ion beam production as well as the beam quality investigation has never been stopped. When SECRAL was upgraded to its typical operation frequency 24 GHz, it had already showed its promising capacity of very intense highly charged ion beam production. And it has also provided the strong experimental support for the so called scaling laws of microwave frequency effect. However, compared to the microwave power heating efficiency at 18 GHz, 24 GHz microwave heating does not show the ω(2) scale at the same power level, which indicates that microwave power coupling at gyrotron frequency needs better understanding. In this paper, after a review of the operation status of SECRAL with regard to the beam availability and stability, the recent study of the extracted ion beam transverse coupling issues will be discussed, and the test results of the both TE01 and HE11 modes will be presented. A general comparison of the performance working with the two injection modes will be given, and a preliminary analysis will be introduced. The latest results of the production of very intense highly charged ion beams, such as 1.42 emA Ar(12+), 0.92 emA Xe(27+), and so on, will be presented.

Status of intense permanent magnet proton source for China-accelerator driven sub-critical system Linac

Two compact intense 2.45 GHz permanent magnet proton sources and their corresponding low energy beam transport (LEBT) system were developed successfully for China accelerator driven sub-critical system in 2014. Both the proton sources operate at 35 kV potential. The beams extracted from the ion source are transported by the LEBT, which is composed of two identical solenoids, to the 2.1 MeV Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). In order to ensure the safety of the superconducting cavities during commissioning, an electrostatic-chopper has been designed and installed in the LEBT line that can chop the continuous wave beam into a pulsed one. The minimum width of the pulse is less than 10 μs and the fall/rise time of the chopper is about 20 ns. The performance of the proton source and the LEBT, such as beam current, beam profile, emittance and the impact to RFQ injection will be presented.

High intensity high charge state ion beam production with an evaporative cooling magnet ECRIS

LECR4 (Lanzhou ECR ion source No. 4) is a room temperature electron cyclotron resonance ion source, designed to produce high current, high charge state ion beams for the SSC-LINAC injector (a new injector for sector separated cyclotron) at the Institute of Modern Physics. LECR4 also serves as a PoP machine for the application of evaporative cooling technology in accelerator field. To achieve those goals, LECR4 ECR ion source has been optimized for the operation at 18 GHz. During 2014, LECR4 ion source was commissioned at 18 GHz microwave of 1.6 kW. To further study the influence of injection stage to the production of medium and high charge state ion beams, in March 2015, the injection stage with pumping system was installed, and some optimum results were produced, such as 560 eμA of O(7+), 620 eμA of Ar(11+), 430 eμA of Ar(12+), 430 eμA of Xe(20+), and so on. The comparison will be discussed in the paper.

New development of laser ion source for highly charged ion beam production at Institute of Modern Physics (invited)

A laser ion source based on Nd:YAG laser has been being studied at the Institute of Modern Physics for the production of high intensity high charge state heavy ion beams in the past ten years, for possible applications both in a future accelerator complex and in heavy ion cancer therapy facilities. Based on the previous results for the production of multiple-charged ions from a wide range of heavy elements with a 3 J/8 ns Nd:YAG laser [Zhao et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85, 02B910 (2014)], higher laser energy and intensity in the focal spot are necessary for the production of highly charged ions from the elements heavier than aluminum. Therefore, the laser ion source was upgraded with a new Nd:YAG laser, the maximum energy of which is 8 J and the pulse duration can be adjusted from 8 to 18 ns. Since then, the charge state distributions of ions from various elements generated by the 8 J Nd:YAG laser were investigated for different experimental conditions, such as laser energy, pulse duration, power density in the focal spot, and incidence angle. It was shown that the incidence angle is one of the most important parameters for the production of highly charged ions. The capability of producing highly charged ions from the elements lighter than silver was demonstrated with the incidence angle of 10° and laser power density of 8 × 10(13) W cm(-2) in the focal spot, which makes a laser ion source complementary to the superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source for the future accelerator complex especially in terms of the ion beam production from some refractory elements. Nevertheless, great efforts with regard to the extraction of intense ion beams, modification of the ion beam pulse duration, and reliability of the ion source still need to be made for practical applications.

The characteristic of evaporative cooling magnet for ECRIS

Compared with traditional de-ionized pressurized-water cooled magnet of ECRIS, evaporative cooling magnet has some special characteristics, such as high cooling efficiency, simple maintenance, and operation. The analysis is carried out according to the design and operation of LECR4 (Lanzhou Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source No. 4, since July 2013), whose magnet is cooled by evaporative cooling technology. The insulation coolant replaces the de-ionized pressurized-water to absorb the heat of coils, and the physical and chemical properties of coolant remain stable for a long time with no need for purification or filtration. The coils of magnet are immersed in the liquid coolant. For the higher cooling efficiency of coolant, the current density of coils can be greatly improved. The heat transfer process executes under atmospheric pressure, and the temperature of coils is lower than 70 °C when the current density of coils is 12 A/mm(2). On the other hand, the heat transfer temperature of coolant is about 50 °C, and the heat can be transferred to fresh air which can save cost of water cooling system. Two years of LECR4 stable operation show that evaporative cooling technology can be used on magnet of ECRIS, and the application advantages are very obvious.

24 GHz microwave mode converter optimized for superconducting ECR ion source SECRAL

Over-sized round waveguide with a diameter about Ø33.0 mm excited in the TE01 mode has been widely adopted for microwave transmission and coupling to the ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) plasma with the superconducting ECR ion sources operating at 24 or 28 GHz, such as SECRAL and VENUS. In order to study the impact of different microwave modes on ECRH (Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating) efficiency and especially the production of highly charged ions, a set of compact and efficient TE01-HE11 mode conversion and coupling system applicable to 24 GHz SECRAL whose overall length is 330 mm has been designed, fabricated and tested. Good agreements between off-line tests and calculation results have been achieved, which indicates the TE01-HE11 converter meets the application design. The detailed results of the optimized coupling system will be presented in the paper.

EPR pairing dynamics in Hubbard model with resonant U

We study the dynamics of the collision between two fermions in Hubbard model with on-site interaction strength U. The exact solution shows that the scattering matrix for two-wavepacket collision is separable into two independent parts, operating on spatial and spin degrees of freedom, respectively. The S-matrix for spin configuration is equivalent to that of Heisenberg-type pulsed interaction with the strength depending on U and relative group velocity v_r. This can be applied to create distant EPR pair, through a collision process for two fermions with opposite spins in the case of |v_r/U| = 1, without the need for temporal control and measurement process. Multiple collision process for many particles is also discussed.

Analysis of ITS1 sequences and genetic relationships between populations of ridgetail white prawn, Exopalaemon carinicauda, in the East China Sea

Internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences from wild-type Exopalaemon carinicauda (N = 124) from the East China Sea were amplified and sequenced. Sequences were polymorphic and ranged from 388 to 583 bp in length. The average content of GC in sequences was significantly higher than that of AT. Altogether, 604 mutant sites with 123 haplotypes were detected; 46.7% were polymorphic sites. The genetic diversity index of population Y was highest, and the lowest was population X. Eight microsatellite sequences were detected; the most-repeated sequences were (GA)n, (AG)n, (GT)n, (TG)n, (TC)n, and (CT)n. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that genetic differentiation among the four populations were very weak, or modest. A molecular evolutionary tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining method and MEGA 6.0, and the phyletic evolutionary relationships among several Palaemonidae species examined. The phylogenetic tree showed that individuals of the same species, as well as the species of the same genus, clustered together, consistent with morphological classifications.

miR-106a* inhibits the proliferation of esophageal carcinoma cells by targeting CDK2-associated Cullin 1 (CACUL1)

Previous studies suggest that aberrant microRNA expression is common in plenty of cancers. The expression of miR-106a* was decreased in follicular lymphoma, but the expression and functions of miR-106a* in esophageal carcinoma (EC) remain unclear. In this study, we explored the expression and anti-oncogenic roles of miR-106a* in human EC. The expression of miR-106a* is significantly decreased in EC tissues and EC cell lines. Overexpression of miR-106a* suppressed EC cell proliferation, clonogenicity, G1/S transition, and induced apoptosis in vitro, but inhibition of miR-106a* facilitated cell proliferation, clonogenicity, G1/S transition. Luciferase reporter assay results showed that CDK2-associated Cullin 1 (CACUL1) was a direct target of miR-106a* in EC cells. Moreover, silencing CACUL1 resulted in the same biologic effects of miR-106a* overexpression in EC cells, which included suppressed EC cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and blocked G1/S transition through CDK2 pathway by inhibiting cell cycle regulators (Cyclin A, Cyclin E). Our data indicate that miR-106a* might play an anti-oncogenic role in EC by regulating CACUL1 expression, which suggest miR-106a* as a new potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for EC.

The development of a room temperature electron cyclotron resonance ion source (Lanzhou electron cyclotron resonance ion source No. 4) with evaporative cooling technology at Institute of Modern Physics

LECR4 (Lanzhou electron cyclotron resonance ion source No. 4) has been successfully constructed at IMP and has also been connected with the Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) and Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) systems. These source magnet coils are cooled through evaporative cooling technology, which is the first attempt with an ECR ion source in the world. The maximum mirror field is 2.5 T (with iron plug) and the effective plasma chamber volume is 1.2 l. It was designed to be operated at 18 GHz and aimed to produce intense multiple charge state heavy ion beams for the linear injector project SSC-Linac at IMP. In February 2014, the first analyzed beam at 18 GHz was extracted. During about three months' commissioning, some outstanding results have been achieved, such as 1.97 emA of O(6+), 1.7 emA of Ar(8+), 1.07 emA of Ar(9+), and 118 euA of Bi(28+). The source has also successfully delivered O(5+) and Ar(8+) ion beams for RFQ commissioning in April 2014. This paper will give a brief overview of the design of LECR4. Then, the latest results of this source at 18 GHz will be presented.

The use of transcallosal-interforniceal approach for microsurgical removal of the third ventricle tumors

AIM

The third ventricle is located deep in the brain and is adjacent to important neurovascular structures. This makes tumor resection in this region difficult and causes more postoperative complications than surgeries in other regions of the brain. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and clinical effects of transcallosal-interforniceal approach for microsurgical removal of the third ventricle tumors.

METHODS

After preoperative evaluation, 23 patients with the third ventricle tumors were microsurgically operated using the transcallosal-interforniceal approach.

RESULTS

Of these 23 patients, 12 (52.2%) underwent total excision, 9 (39.1%) had subtotal resection, and the remaining 2 (8.7%) underwent partial excision. After surgery, the following complications were observed: diabetes insipidus (11 patients), hemorrhages of the upper digestive tract (2 patients), central fever (1 patient), and memory impairment (1 patient). No mortality in the perioperative period was reported.

CONCLUSION

The surgical procedure using the transcallosal-interforniceal approach is direct and provides good surgical field exposure and fewer post operational compilations. This approach should be considered as the method of choice for surgical removal of the third ventricle tumors.

Transverse coupling property of beam from ECR ion sources

Experimental evidence of the property of transverse coupling of beam from Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source is presented. It is especially of interest for an ECR ion source, where the cross section of extracted beam is not round along transport path due to the magnetic confinement configuration. When the ions are extracted and accelerated through the descending axial magnetic field at the extraction region, the horizontal and vertical phase space strongly coupled. In this study, the coupling configuration between the transverse phase spaces of the beam from ECR ion source is achieved by beam back-tracking simulation based on the measurements. The reasonability of this coupling configuration has been proven by a series of subsequent simulations.

Studies on a Q/A selector for the SECRAL electron cyclotron resonance ion source

Electron cyclotron resonance ion sources are widely used in heavy ion accelerators in the world because they are capable of producing high current beams of highly charged ions. However, the design of the Q/A selector system for these devices is challenging, because it must have a sufficient ion resolution while controlling the beam emittance growth. Moreover, this system has to be matched for a wide range of ion beam species with different intensities. In this paper, research on the Q/A selector system at the SECRAL (Superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source with Advanced design in Lanzhou) platform both in experiment and simulation is presented. Based on this study, a new Q/A selector system has been designed for SECRAL II. The features of the new design including beam simulations are also presented.

Association of polymorphisms of the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F gene with increased glioma risk

We aimed to investigate the role of 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms of the xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F (XPF) gene (rs3136038, rs1799798, rs1800067, and rs2276466) in glioma, and the roles of gene-gene interactions in the risk of developing this type of cancer. We collected samples from 225 glioma cases and 262 controls and genotyped the rs3136038, rs1799798, rs1800067, and rs2276466 polymorphisms using a 384-well plate format with the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. Individuals carrying the rs1800067 GG genotype were more likely to have an increased risk of glioma when compared with carriers of the A/A genotype in a co-dominant model, with an odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 2.85 (1.14-7.76). However, we did not find an association with increased risk of glioma for the polymorphisms rs3136038, rs1799798, and rs2276466 in XPF. The combination genotype of the rs1800067 G allele and the rs2276466 G allele was associated with a moderate risk of glioma (OR = 1.71, 95%CI = 1.02-2.87). Our study suggests that the rs1800067 genetic variant of XPF functions in the development of glioma.

The study towards high intensity high charge state laser ion sources

As one of the candidate ion sources for a planned project, the High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility, a laser ion source has been being intensively studied at the Institute of Modern Physics in the past two years. The charge state distributions of ions produced by irradiating a pulsed 3 J/8 ns Nd:YAG laser on solid targets of a wide range of elements (C, Al, Ti, Ni, Ag, Ta, and Pb) were measured with an electrostatic ion analyzer spectrometer, which indicates that highly charged ions could be generated from low-to-medium mass elements with the present laser system, while the charge state distributions for high mass elements were relatively low. The shot-to-shot stability of ion pulses was monitored with a Faraday cup for carbon target. The fluctuations within ±2.5% for the peak current and total charge and ±6% for pulse duration were demonstrated with the present setup of the laser ion source, the suppression of which is still possible.

Study on a negative hydrogen ion source with hot cathode arc discharge

A negative hydrogen (H(-)) ion source with hot cathode arc discharge was designed and fabricated as a primary injector for a 10 MeV PET cyclotron at IMP. 1 mA dc H(-) beam with ɛ N, RMS = 0.08 π mm mrad was extracted at 25 kV. Halbach hexapole was adopted to confine the plasma. The state of arc discharge, the parameters including filament current, arc current, gas pressure, plasma electrode bias, and the ratio of I(e(-))/I(H(-)) were experimentally studied. The discussion on the result, and opinions to improve the source were given.

Application of evaporative cooling technology in super-high power density magnet

Evaporative cooling technology utilizes phase-change heat transfer mode to achieve the cooling for heating equipment. The heat transfer capacity of evaporative cooling technology is far more than air or water cooling technology. The Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source magnet is a typical super-high power density magnet, and the evaporative cooling technology is an ideal cooling method for the coils of magnet. In this paper we show the structure and process of coils and the special design of flow channels of coolant for an experiment magnet model. Additionally, the heat transfer circulation is presented and analyzed. By the finite element method, the flow channels are optimized to rationally allocate coolant and to reduce the temperature of coils. For the experiment model, the current density of copper wire of coils is 19 A/mm(2), and the coil-windows current density is larger than 12 A/mm(2). The max temperature of coils is below 80 °C, and the total heat is about 200 kW.

Progress of a room temperature electron cyclotron resonance ion source using evaporative cooling technology at Institute of Modern Physics

A new room temperature ECR ion source, Lanzhou Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source No. 4 (LECR4, previously named DRAGON), is under intense construction at Institute of Modern Physics. LECR4 is designed to operate with 18 GHz microwave frequency. The maximum axial magnetic fields are 2.3 T at injection and 1.3 T at extraction, and the radial field at the plasma chamber wall of 76 mm inner diameter is 1.0-1.2 T. One of the unique features for LECR4 is that its axial solenoids are winded with solid square copper wires which are immersed in a kind of special evaporative cooling medium for cooling purpose. Till now, a prototype of the cooling system has been successfully constructed and tested, which has demonstrated that the cooling efficiency of the designed system could meet the requirements of LECR4 under the routine operation conditions. All the main components of the ion source have been completed. Assembly and commissioning is ongoing. The latest developments and test results will be presented in this paper.

A 2.45 GHz intense proton source and low energy beam transport system for China Initiative Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical reactor system

At Institute of Modern Physics, a cw 35 keV, 20 mA intense proton source and the low energy beam transport system (LEBT) have been developed for China Initiative Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical reactor system. In order to ensure high quality transmission of the intense ion beam from the exit of ion source to Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), a low energy beam transport line is used to focus beam to the RFQ entrance and match the Twiss parameters to the RFQ requirements. The 35 keV, 20 mA ion beam extracted by a three-electrode extraction system from the ion source passes through the LEBT to the RFQ entrance and the root-mean-square emittance is measured to be less than 0.2 π mm mrad. The commissioning results of the ion source and low energy beam transport system are described in this paper. The beam quality and transmission efficiency are also studied.

Studies on low energy beam transport for high intensity high charged ions at IMP

Superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source with Advanced design in Lanzhou (SECRAL) is an advanced fully superconducting ECR ion source at IMP designed to be operational at the microwave frequency of 18-24 GHz. The existing SECRAL beam transmission line is composed of a solenoid lens and a 110° analyzing magnet. Simulations of particle tracking with 3D space charge effect and realistic 3D magnetic fields through the line were performed using particle-in-cell code. The results of the beam dynamics show that such a low energy beam is very sensitive to the space charge effect and significantly suffers from the second-order aberration of the analyzing magnet resulting in large emittance. However, the second-order aberration could be reduced by adding compensating sextupole components in the beam line. On this basis, a new 110° analyzing magnet with relatively larger acceptance and smaller aberration is designed and will be used in the design of low energy beam transport line for a new superconducting ECR ion source SECRAL-II. The features of the analyzer and the corresponding beam trajectory calculation will be detailed and discussed in this paper.

Progress of superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion sources at Institute of Modern Physics (IMP)

Superconducting ECR ion sources can produce intense highly charged ion beams for the application in heavy ion accelerators. Superconducting Electron Resonance ion source with Advanced Design (SECRAL) is one of the few fully superconducting ECR ion sources that has been successfully built and put into routine operation for years. With enormous efforts and R&D work, promising results have been achieved with the ion source. Heated by the microwave power from a 7 kW/24 GHz gyrotron microwave generator, very intense highly charged gaseous ion beams have been produced, such as 455 eμA Xe(27+), 236 eμA Xe(30+), and 64 eμA Xe(35+). Since heavy metallic ion beams are being more and more attractive and important for many accelerator projects globally, intensive studies have been made to produce highly charged heavy metal ion beams, such as those from bismuth and uranium. Recently, 420 eμA Bi(30+) and 202 eμA U(33+) have been produced with SECRAL source. This paper will present the latest results with SECRAL, and the operation status will be discussed as well. An introduction of recently started SECRAL II project will also be given in the presentation.

Leaf functional trait variation associated with salt tolerance in perennial ryegrass

Salinity is one of major environmental stresses that dramatically threaten plant growth, and variations in genetic structure and functional traits have important effects on the salt tolerance of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The objectives of this study were to: (i) assess the inter-clonal variation of functional traits of accessions among geographic groups or between wild and commercial groups in response to salt stress; (ii) develop a mathematical model to effectively assess salt tolerance of perennial ryegrass accessions originating from different geographic populations; and (iii) determine the relation between spatial genetic structure and salt tolerance in perennial ryegrass. Wide variations were found among the accessions for seven functional traits. One regression model (F = 0.49 × F1 + 0.303 × F2 + 0.207 × F3) was established to ascertain salt tolerance of each accession. The highest variation of the traits and salt tolerance were obtained for accessions from the European group. Wild accessions exhibited more variation in functional traits and salt tolerance than commercial cultivars. Both molecular marker techniques and functional traits were used to conduct phylogenetic analysis, and the majority of accessions from the same or adjacent regions were clustered into the same group or subgroup. The perennial ryegrass accessions with similar salt tolerance had a close phylogenetic background. The patterns in functional trait variations associated with salt tolerance might allow acceleration of the process for improving salt stress resistance in perennial ryegrass.