Design of a high-dynamic-range prototype readout system for VLAST calorimeter

In the future, the Very Large Area gamma-ray Space Telescope is expected to observe high-energy electrons and gamma rays in the MeV to TeV range with unprecedented acceptance. As part of the detector suite, a high-energy imaging calorimeter(HEIC) is currently being developed as a homogeneous calorimeter that utilizes long bismuth germanate(BGO) scintillation crystals as both absorbers and detectors. To accurately measure the energy deposition in the BGO bar of HEIC, a highdynamic-range readout method using a silicon photomultiplier(SiPM) and multiphotodiode(PD) with different active areas has been proposed. A prototype readout system that adopts multichannel charge measurement ASICs was also developed to read out the combined system of SiPMs and PDs. Preliminary tests confirmed the feasibility of the readout scheme, which is expected to have a dynamic range close to 10~6.

Application of remimazolam transversus abdominis plane block in gastrointestinal tumor surgery

BACKGROUND Transversus abdominis plane block(TAPB)is a block of the abdominal afferent nerve fibers between the internal oblique muscle and the transverse abdominal muscle achieved with local anesthetics.It can effectively block the conduction of the anterior nerve of the abdominal wall and exert a good analgesic effect.However,the effect of combining the block with remimazolam on anesthesia in patients undergoing gastrointestinal tumor surgery is still unclear.AIM To examine the effects of combining TAPB with remimazolam on the stress response and postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal tumor surgery patients.METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 102 individuals diagnosed with gastrointestinal malignancies who underwent laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia between April 2020 and June 2023.The patients were categorized into a control group(n=51),receiving remimazolam for general anesthesia,and an observation group(n=51),receiving TAPB combined with remimazolam for general anesthesia.A comparison was made between both groups in terms of hemodynamic parameters,stress markers,pain levels,recovery quality,analgesic effects,and adverse reactions during the perioperative period.RESULTS The observation group had significantly higher heart rates at time points 1 min after induction and upon leaving the operating room than the control group(P<0.05).The mean arterial pressure at time point T1 in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).Five minutes after extubation,the levels of the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline in the observation group were considerably lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).At 12 h,24 h,and 48 h following surgery,the visual analog scale scores of the observation group were considerably lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).The observation group had shorter awakening and extubation times and lower Riker sedation-agitation scale scores than the control group(P<0.05).The observation group exhibited considerably fewer effective pump presses,lower fentanyl dosages,and lower incidences of rescue analgesia within 24 h following surgery than the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The application effect of TAPB combined with remimazolam general anesthesia in anesthesia of patients undergoing gastrointestinal tumor surgery is good,which is helpful to promote faster recovery after operation.

Development of a high-speed digital pulse signal acquisition and processing system based on MTCA for liquid scintillator neutron detector on EAST

In this experimental study, involving deuterium–deuterium fusion neutron emission spectroscopy measurement on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak(EAST), a liquid scintillator detector(BC501 A) was employed. This decision was based on the detector's superior sensitivity, optimal time-response, and its exceptional n–γ discrimination capability. This detector emits fast pulse signals that are as narrow as 100 ns, with high count rates that can peak at several Mcps. However, conventional nuclear circuits faced challenges in performing pulse height analysis, n–γ pulse shape discrimination, and in recording the entire pulse waveform under such high count rate conditions. To address these challenges, a high-speed digital pulse signal acquisition and processing system was designed. The system was developed around a micro-telecommunications computing architecture. Within this structure, a signal acquisition and processing(SAQP) module communicated through PCI Express links, achieving a bandwidth of up to 1.6 GB/s. To accurately capture the detailed shape of the pulses, four channels of analog-to-digital converters were used, each with a 500-MSPS sampling rate and a 14-bit resolution, ensuring an accuracy that surpassed 11 bits. An n–γ discrimination algorithm, based on the two-gate integral method, was also developed. Implemented within field programmable gate arrays, this algorithm provided a real-time n–γ discrimination spectrum for pulse height analysis. The system underwent rigorous testing in a laboratory setting and during an EAST experiment. The results confirmed that the innovative SAQP system can satisfy the demanding requirements of high-parameter experiments, manage count rates of up to 2 Mcps, execute real-time n–γ discrimination algorithms, and record entire pulse waveforms without any data loss.

Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) onboard the ASO-S mission

Hard X-ray Imager(HXI)is one of the three scientific instruments onboard the Advanced Spacebased Solar Observatory(ASO-S)mission,which is proposed for the 25th solar maximum by the Chinese solar community.HXI is designed to investigate the non-thermal high-energy electrons accelerated in solar flares by providing images of solar flaring regions in the energy range from 30 keV to 200 keV.The imaging principle of HXI is based on spatially modulated Fourier synthesis and utilizes about 91 sets of bi-grid sub-collimators and corresponding LaBr3 detectors to obtain Fourier components with a spatial resolution of about 3 arcsec and a time resolution better than 0.5 s.An engineering prototype has been developed and tested to verify the feasibility of design.In this paper,we present background,instrument design and the development and test status of the prototype.

Development of a wide-range and fast-response digitizing pulse signal acquisition and processing system for neutron flux monitoring on EAST

The neutron count rate fluctuation reaches six orders of magnitude between the ohmic plasma scenario and high power of auxiliary heating on an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak(EAST).The measurement result of neutron flux monitoring(NFM)is a significant feedback parameter related to the acquisition of radiation protection-related information and rapid fluctuations in neutron emission induced by plasma magnetohydrodynamic activity.Therefore,a wide range and high time resolution are required for the NFM system on EAST.To satisfy these requirements,a digital pulse signal acquisition and processing system with a wide dynamic range and fast response time was developed.The present study was conducted using a field-programmable gate array(FPGA)and peripheral component interconnect extension for instrument express(PXIe)platform.The digital dual measurement modes,which are composed of the pulse-counting mode and AC coupled square integral's Campbelling mode,were designed to expand the measurement range of the signal acquisition and processing system.The time resolution of the signal acquisition and processing system was improved from 10 to 1 ms owing to utilizing highspeed analog-to-digital converters(ADCs),a high-speed PXIe communication with a direct memory access(DMA)mode,and online data preprocessing technology of FPGA.The signal acquisition and processing system was tested experimentally in the EAST radiation field.The test results showed that the time resolution of NFM was improved to 1 ms,and the dynamic range of the neutron counts rate was expanded to more than 10^(6) counts per second.The Campbelling mode was calibrated using a multipoint average linear fitting method;subsequently,the fitting coefficient reached 0.9911.Therefore,the newly developed pulse signal acquisition and processing system ensures that the NFM system meets the requirements of high-parameter experiments conducted on EAST more effectively.

Design of an energetic particle radiation diagnostic spectroscopy system based on national core chips and Qt on Linux in EAST

Energetic particle radiation diagnoses mainly detect the particles(such as neutrons,gamma rays,hard X-rays,and escaping electrons)that are radiated in the discharge process of the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak device to characterize the operating state of the plasma in real time.The upgrading of these diagnoses requires new instruments based on national(here,“national”means developed and produced by a Chinese company)core chips and open-source software with advanced digitization,a high sampling rate,and a high time resolution.The new spectroscopy system designed in this study adopts the national field-programmable gate array(FPGA)and an analog-to-digital converter as the core chip,and it is developed using Qt on Linux.The communication between the FPGA and embedded controller occurs via a high-speed peripheral component interconnect eXtension for instrument express protocol with a direct memory access mode.On this basis,the time resolution of the system is improved from 2 to 1 ms,the maximum channel address is increased to 4096,and the sampling rate is increased from 10 to 80 Msps.Calibration experiments of the spectroscopy system with 152Eu and 137Cs sources demonstrate that the best energy resolution is 0.27%and the measurement error is less than±0.5 keV.

Calibration and performance of the neutron detector onboard of the DAMPE mission

The DArk Matter Particle Explorer(DAMPE),one of the four space-based scientific missions within the framework of the Strategic Pioneer Program on Space Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,was successfully launched on 2015 Dec.17 from Jiuquan launch center.One of the most important scientific goals of DAMPE is to search for evidence of dark matter indirectly by measuring the spectrum of high energy cosmic-ray electrons.The neutron detector,one of the four sub-payloads of DAMPE,is designed to distinguish high energy electrons from hadron background by measuring the secondary neutrons produced in the shower.In this paper,a comprehensive introduction of the neutron detector is presented,including the design,calibration and performance.The analysis with simulated data and flight data indicates a powerful proton rejection capability of the neutron detector,which plays an essential role for TeV electron identification of DAMPE.

A ternary TiO_2/WO_3/graphene nanocomposite adsorbent: facile preparation and efficient removal of Rhodamine B

Ternary TiO2/WO3/graphene （TWG） nanocomposites were prepared by a facile salt-ultrasonic assisted hydrothermal method. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption--desorption. Both anatase TiO2 and orthorhombic WO3 formed in the nanocomposites, along with a highly disordered overlay of individual graphene nanosheets. Polyhedral and spherical TiO/and WO3 nanoparticles of uniform size 10-30 nm were densely anchored to the graphene sheets. The maximum specific surface area of the products was 144.59 m2·g^-1. The products showed clear abilities for the removal of Rhodamine B in the absence of illumination. Furthermore, the adsorption activity of the products exhibited only a slight decrease after three successive cycles. The results demonstrate that the ternary nanocomposites could be used as a high-efficiency adsorbent for the removal of environmental contaminants.

Spectrometer of hard X-ray imager payload onboard the ASO-S mission

A spaceborne hard X-ray spectrometer, composed of an array of 99 scintillation detectors and associated readout electronics, has been developed for the hard X-ray imager(HXI). The HXI is one of the three payloads onboard the advanced space-based solar observatory(ASO-S), which is scheduled to be launched in early 2022 as the first Chinese solar satellite. LaBr3 scintillators and photomultiplier tubes with a super bialkali cathode are used to achieve an energy resolution better than 20% at 30 keV.Further, a new multi-channel charge-sensitive readout application-specific integrated circuit guarantees high-frequency data acquisition with low power consumption. This paper presents a detailed design of the spectrometer for the engineering model of the HXI and discusses its noise and linearity performance.

Design and on-orbit status of the trigger system for the DAMPE mission

DArk Matter Particle Explorer(DAMPE), the first Chinese astronomical satellite, was successfully launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on 2015 Dec. 17. DAMPE consists of four subdetectors: Plastic Scintillator array Detector(PSD), Silicon-Tungsten tracKer-converter(STK), Bismuth Germanium Oxide(BGO) imaging calorimeter and NeUtron Detector(NUD). The global hardware trigger signal, which is generated by hits from the BGO calorimeter and the trigger logic board in the data acquisition system(DAQ), is responsible for event selection and DAQ synchronization of DAMPE. On orbit,to improve the detection efficiency, different trigger logics are used for event selection in different regions of latitude. The DAMPE trigger system compresses the average on-orbit trigger rate to 60 Hz and reduces science data mass to less than 13 GB per day to meet the requirement for the satellite’s data link. The whole trigger system has run stably up to now, ensuring excellent on-orbit operation of DAMPE.

Design and verification of the HXI collimator on the ASO-S mission

A space-borne hard X-ray collimator,comprising 91 pairs of grids,has been developed for the Hard X-ray Imager(HXI).The HXI is one of the three scientific instruments onboard the first Chinese solar mission:the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory(ASO-S).The HXI collimator(HXI-C)is a spatial modulation X-ray telescope designed to observe hard X-rays emitted by energetic electrons in solar flares.This paper presents the detailed design of the HXI-C for the qualification model that will be inherited by the flight model.Series tests on the HXI-C qualification model are reported to verify the ability of the HXI-C to survive the launch and to operate normally in on-orbit environments.Furthermore,results of the X-ray beam test for the HXI-C are presented to indirectly identify the working performance of the HXI-C.

辅助疗法对食管鳞癌患者预后的影响

目的探讨辅助疗法对N1期食管鳞癌患者外科治疗后生存状况的影响。方法选取2009年3月-2013年2月齐齐哈尔医学院附属第三医院收治的N1期食管鳞癌患者136例,依据治疗方案分为单纯手术组(57例)和辅助疗法组(79例),比较两组患者的生存状况,并对入组患者的临床资料进行单因素和多因素Cox比例风险模型分析。结果辅助疗法组患者的中位无病生存时间和中位总生存时间高于单纯手术组(P <0.05)。男性、ECOG评分>2分、肿瘤直径>5 cm、低分化、术前血红蛋白>135 g/L、颈部吻合、淋巴结转移、脉管瘤栓、神经侵犯、未接受辅助治疗的患者的中位生存时间较低,诸多因素与N1期食管鳞癌患者外科治疗后的生存状况有关(P<0.05)。ECOG评分>2分、低分化、未接受辅助治疗是影响N1期食管鳞癌患者外科治疗后生存状况的危险因素(P<0.05)。结论辅助疗法能够延长N1期食管鳞癌患者外科治疗后的生存时间,是影响患者生存状况的独立危险因素。

Arbitrary topological charge vortex beams from carbon dots random lasers

Vortex beams have attracted great attention due to their promising applications in the fields of high-capacity optical communication,optical micromanipulation,and quantum information processing.Here,we demonstrate vortex beams with flexible control of the topological charge and modes in a carbon dots random laser for the first time.Vortex beams with different types,including the Laguerre-Gaussian(LG),Bessel-Gaussian(BG),LG-superposition,and polarized vortex beams with topological charges up to 50,have been successfully achieved.Moreover,vortex beams can be well realized in carbon dots random lasers with different emission wavelengths covering from 465 to 612 nm.This work would not only enrich the types of vortex laser,especially for solution-processable lasers,but also provide a new route to realizing multicolor and wavelength-tunable vortex lasers.

Effects of Aphidius gifuensis on the feeding behavior and potato virus Y transmission ability of Myzus persicae

The stylet penetration behavior of aphids when feeding on plants is associated with virus acquisition and inoculation.Aphidius gifuensis (Ashmead)is a primary endoparasitoid of Myzuspersicae (Sulzer)which is the most efficient vector of plant viruses. Information about the effects ofparasitoid on aphid and virus transmission can provide an essential foundation for designing effective biological control strategies.This study aimed to investigate the effects ofA.gifuensis on the feeding behavior and potato virus Y (PVY) transmission ability of M.persicae.The results showed that after M.persicae was para-sitized by A.gifuensis,the duration of the first probe significantly decreased.Additionally, A.gifuensis exerted remarkable effects on aphid feeding in phloem ingestion.The contribution of the E1 waveform to the phloem phase was significantly higher in all parasitized aphids than in the control group.Although the time of infestation increased for parasitized aphids,the total duration of phloem sap ingestion decreased.Interestingly,the percentage of time M.persicae spent in the xylem and phloem phases only changed significantly on day 5.The percent transmission of PVY by the aphids parasitized on day 5 was lower than that in the control,but no significant differences were detected.The significance of this work is the demonstration that A.gifuensis can impede the feeding behavior of M.persicae,which sheds light on the biological basis ofA.gifuensis as a natural enemy, but unfortunately does not provide an immediate solution for disrupting the transmission of PVY.

Creation of Transgenic Bananas Expressing Human Lysozyme Gene for Panama Wilt Resistance

Human lysozyme （HL） inhibits Fusarium oxysporum （FocR4） growth in vitro. To obtain transgenic bananas （Musa spp.） that are resistant to Panama wilt （F. oxysporum）, we introduced an HL gene that is driven by a constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter into the banana via Agrobacteriummediated transformation. PCR confirmed that 51 transgenic plants were obtained. The development of Panama wilt symptoms were examined after the plants had been grown in pots. The non-transgenic plants developed typical fusarium symptoms 60 d after FocR4 inoculation, whereas 24 of 51 transgenic plants remained healthy. The transgenic banana plants that showed resistance to FocR4 in the pots were then planted in a field that was heavily infected with FocR4 for further investigation. Eleven of 24 plants devel- oped symptoms before bud emergence; another 11 plants showed symptoms after bud emergence and the remaining two plants, H-67 and H-144, remained healthy and were able to fruit. Northern blotting analysis demonstrated that H-67 and H-144, bearing the strongest resistance to Panama wilt, had the highest level of HL expression and that the expression of HL was well correlated with the FocR4 resistance of transgenic plants. We conclude that Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, with the assistance of particle bombardment, is a powerful approach for banana transformation and that a transgenic HL gene can cause resistance of the crop to FocR4 in the field.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of nano-petal nickel hydroxide

The current article reports a preparation method of nano-petal nickel hydroxide, which was synthesized using urea as a precipitator by hydrothermal method. Nickel hydroxide samples with different microstructural characteristics were prepared by changing molar ratio of nickel/urea and reaction time. The prepared nickel hydroxide samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron micrography(SEM).Electrochemical performances of the samples were then determined under charging–discharging rate of 0.2C. The influences of different conditions of the hydrothermal synthesis method on microstructure parameters of nickel hydroxide were analyzed, while relationships between microstructural characteristics parameters of nickel hydroxide and the electrochemical performances of nickel electrode were also explored.

Characteristics of Welding Crack Defects and Failure Mode in Resistance Spot Welding of DP780 Steel

The mechanical properties of welded joints in resistance spot welding of DP780 steel were tested,and three different types of welding cracks in welded joints were investigated by optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and electron back-scattered diffraction.Finally,the failure mode of the welded joints in shear tensile test was discussed.It is found the shear tensile strength of welded joints can be greatly improved by adding preheating current or tempering current.The surface crack in welded joint is intergranular fracture,while the inner crack in welded joint is transgranular fracture,and the surface crack on the edge of the electrode imprint can be improved by adding preheating current or tempering current.The traditional failure mode criterion advised by American Welding Society is no longer suitable for DP780 spot welds and the critical nugget size suggested by Pouranvari is overestimated.

Achieving room-temperature M_(2)-phase VO_(2) nanowires for superior thermal actuation

Vanadium dioxide (VO_(2)) has emerged as a promising micro-actuator material for its large amplitude and high work density across the transition between the insulating (M_(1) and M_(2)) and metallic (R) phase. Even though M_(2)–R transition offers about 70% higher transformation stress than M_(1)–R structural phase transition, the application of the M_(2) phase in the micro-actuators is hindered by the fact that previously, M_(2) phase can only stay stable under tensile stress. In this work, we propose and verify that by synthesizing the VO_(2) nanowires under optimized oxygen-rich conditions, stoichiometry change can be introduced into the nanowires (NWs) which in turn yield a large number free-standing single-crystalline M_(2)-phase NWs stable at room temperature. In addition, we demonstrate that the output stress of the M_(2)-phase NWs is about 65% higher than that of the M_(1)-phase NWs during their transition to R phase, quite close to the theoretical prediction. Our findings open new avenues towards enhancing the performance of VO_(2)-based actuators by using M_(2)–R transition.

New triazole derivatives containing substituted 1,2,3-triazole side chains:Design,synthesis and antifungal activity

In order to discover new generation of triazole antifungal agents,a series of novel antifungal triazoles were designed and synthesized by structural simplification of our previously identified triazolepiperdine-heterocycle lead compounds.Several target compounds showed good antifungal activity with a broad spectrum.In particular,compound 71 was highly active against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata.Moreover,compound 71 showed potent in vivo antifungal efficacy in the Caenorhabditis elegans-C.albicans infection model.

A Formula for Calculating Deviation of Computed Tomography-Guided Puncture Point

To the Editor： Computed tomography （CT） is a common guiding method in clinical practice for percutaneous biopsy and treatment. The key of CT guidance is how to calculate the bed coordinates corresponded to the diagram layer coordinates. The author found that the position of the puncture point is completely correct when gantry angle is 0°.