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For the hierarchical Poisson and gamma model, we calculate the Bayes posterior estimator of the parameter of the Poisson distribution under Stein's loss function which penalizes gross overestimation and gross underestimation equally and the corresponding Posterior Expected Stein's Loss (PESL). We also obtain the Bayes posterior estimator of the parameter under the squared error loss and the corresponding PESL. Moreover, we obtain the empirical Bayes estimators of the parameter of the Poisson distribution with a conjugate gamma prior by two methods. In numerical simulations, we have illustrated: The two inequalities of the Bayes posterior estimators and the PESLs; the moment estimators and the Maximum Likelihood Estimators (MLEs) are consistent estimators of the hyperparameters; the goodness-of-fit of the model to the simulated data. The numerical results indicate that the MLEs are better than the moment estimators when estimating the hyperparameters. Finally, we exploit the attendance data on 314 high school juniors from two urban high schools to illustrate our theoretical studies.

The aim of this study was to screen plant species for remediation of oil-polluted soil in a semi-arid loess area. Pot experiments were conducted to test six indigenous plant species: ryegrass (Lolium perenne), tall fescue (Festuca ovina), wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), erect milkvetch (Astragalus adsurgens), and caragana (Caragana korshinskii). Loessial soil was spiked with crude oil at five pollution levels (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4%, w/w). We analyzed plant growth parameters at different stages, soil oxidoreductase activities, and oil degradation rate under different treatments. Soil pollution by oil negatively affected the germination rate, plant height, and biomass of all six species while inhibiting soil dehydrogenase and catalase activities. These inhibitory effects increased with increasing oil pollution level, with 2% and 1% being the critical levels at which plant growth and soil oxidoreductase activities were significantly inhibited, respectively. Both oxidoreductase activities in the rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than those in the bulk soil, which led to a considerable increase in the degradation rate of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in the rhizosphere. The plants showed varying remediation effects in the oil-polluted soil. Erect milkvetch and caragana showed potential for remediation of soil below the 0.5% pollution level, alfalfa for soil below the 1% pollution level, and ryegrass, tall fescue, and wheatgrass for soil below the 4% pollution level. The oil pollution level was negatively correlated with plant height, biomass, oxidoreductase activities, and TPH degradation rate for the six plants (p

The External Target Facility (ETF) has been constructed for reaction studies with high-energy secondary beams of several hundred MeV/u. The charged fragment detector system of ETF consists of a dipole magnet, tracking drift chambers, ionization chambers and plastic scintillators for particle identification (PID) via B ρ - Δ E-TOF method. The system is now ready for physics experiments. Before physics runs, it has been tested using 280 MeV/u 18O primary beam as well as the secondary beams produced by projectile fragmentation. The system used as a magnetic spectrometer has exhibited satisfying PID capability in identifying fragments ranging from nitrogen to beryllium.

Alpine and subalpine ecosystems on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are rich in soil organic carbon and are among the most sensitive regions to climate change, while little is known about the dynamics of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) in alpine/subalpine ecosystems except for the grassland on the plateau. In this study, the monthly and inter-annual variations in soil CO2 emission from a subalpine coniferous forest and a subalpine shrubland ecosystem on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were investigated from 2012 to 2015 using the opaque steady-state chamber method. Soil CO2 flux rate during the growing season ranged from 153.3 to 683.6 mg m−2 h−1 in the coniferous forest, being twice of that (76.6–347.3 mg m−2 h−1) in the shrubland, due to the elevation-induced differences in soil temperature and water content and the vegetation-induced differences in soil carbon and nitrogen pools. Both ecosystems showed large monthly variations in soil CO2 flux rate, while relative to the coniferous forest, the shrubland had a less inter-annual variation in soil CO2 emission. The two ecosystems had the same temperature sensitivity of soil CO2 emission, which suggests that they will respond similarly to global warming concerning soil CO2 flux rate. The results highlight the importance of soil CO2 emission in subalpine forest and shrubland ecosystems, which can be helpful to reduce the uncertainty of regional estimates of carbon budget in subalpine regions under global warming.

A new α-emitting isotope ^{214}U, produced by the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{182}W(^{36}Ar,4n)^{214}U, was identified by employing the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS and the recoil-α correlation technique. More precise α-decay properties of even-even nuclei ^{216,218}U were also measured in the reactions of ^{40}Ar, ^{40}Ca beams with ^{180,182,184}W targets. By combining the experimental data, improved α-decay reduced widths δ^{2} for the even-even Po-Pu nuclei in the vicinity of the magic neutron number N=126 are deduced. Their systematic trends are discussed in terms of the N_{p}N_{n} scheme in order to study the influence of proton-neutron interaction on α decay in this region of nuclei. It is strikingly found that the reduced widths of ^{214,216}U are significantly enhanced by a factor of two as compared with the N_{p}N_{n} systematics for the 84≤Z≤90 and N

The compact spectrometer for heavy ion experiment (CSHINE) is under construction for the study of isospin chronology via the Hanbury Brown–Twiss (HBT) particle correlation function and the nuclear equation of state of asymmetrical nuclear matter. The CSHINE consists of silicon strip detector (SSD) telescopes and large-area parallel-plate avalanche counters, which measure the light charged particles and fission fragments, respectively. In phase I, two SSD telescopes were used to observe 30 MeV/u $$^{40}$$ Ar + $$^{197}$$ Au reactions. The results presented here demonstrate that hydrogen and helium were observed with high isotopic resolution, and the HBT correlation functions of light charged particles could be constructed from the obtained data.

A new, very short-lived neutron-deficient isotope $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$ was produced in the complete-fusion reaction $^{187}\mathrm{Re}(^{40}\mathrm{Ar},5\mathrm{n})^{222}\mathrm{Np}$, and observed at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. The new isotope $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$ was identified by employing a recoil-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ correlation measurement, and six $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay chains were established for it. The decay properties of $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$ with ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=10016(33)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ and ${T}_{1/2}=38{0}_{\ensuremath{-}110}^{+260}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{ns}$ were determined experimentally. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay systematics of Np isotopes is improved by adding the new data for $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$, which validates the $N=126$ shell effect in Np isotopes. The evolution of the $N=126$ shell closure is discussed in the neutron-deficient nuclei up to Np within the framework of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay reduced width.

Gibberellins (GAs) play important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. The green revolution gene SD1 encoding gibberellin 20-oxidase 2 (GA20ox2) has been widely used in modern rice breeding. However, the molecular mechanism of how SD1/OsGA20ox2 expression is regulated remains unclear. Here, we report a Cys2/His2 zinc finger protein ZFP207 acting as a transcriptional repressor of OsGA20ox2. ZFP207 was mainly accumulated in young tissues and more specifically in culm nodes. ZFP207-overexpression (ZFP207OE) plants displayed semidwarfism phenotype and small grains by modulating cell length. RNA interference of ZFP207 caused increased plant height and grain length. The application of exogenous GA3 could rescue the semidwarf phenotype of ZFP207OE rice seedlings. Moreover, ZFP207 repressed the expression of OsGA20ox2 via binding to its promoter region. Taken together, ZFP207 acts as a transcriptional repressor of SD1/OsGA20ox2 and it may play a critical role in plant growth and development in rice through the fine-tuning of GA biosynthesis .

The building of a large-scale external-target experiment, abbreviated as CEE, in the cooling storage ring at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou has been planned. The CEE is a multi-purpose spectrometer that will be used for various studies on heavy-ion collisions. A multi-wire drift chamber (MWDC) array is the forward tracking detector of the CEE. In this work, GEANT4 simulations were performed for the MWDC forward tracking array with a focus on the track reconstruction algorithm. Combined with the time of flight information, particle identification is achieved. The residue is about $$30\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$, while the tracking efficiency is higher than 90% with the current redundancy. In addition, a prototype of the forward tracking system using three MWDCs was assembled and tested using a high-energy proton beam. The firing efficiency of the detector and the reconstruction accuracy of the prototype were derived. The track residue for the protons at about 400 MeV/c is better than $$300\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$, meeting the requirements of the CEE. Suggestions for improving the performance of the forward tracking system are given.

The GEM-based neutron detector has flourished in the past decade. However, most of the GEM-based neutron detectors operate in the flow-gas mode, and the long-term performances of the detectors may be unstable due to the dynamic changes of atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. In this work, a sealed ceramic GEM-based neutron detector with 100 mm × 100 mm sensitive area was developed at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). Various characteristics of the detector were determined. These included the plateau curve, neutron beam profile, neutron wavelength spectrum, spatial resolution (FWHM: 2.77 ± 0.01(stat) mm), two-dimensional (2D) imaging ability, neutron detection efficiency and long-term counting rate instability (Relative Standard Deviation (RSD): 0.80%). The results revealed the good performance of the detector in sealed mode. Furthermore, the detector can be used for measurements of the direct neutron beam at CSNS.

The C2H2-type zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are involved in a wide range of plant development and stress responses. Many studies have shown the positive roles of ZFP genes in stress tolerance. However, overexpression of ZFP genes usually leads to the side effect of growth retardation. Here we report a new member of the ZFP family, Oryza sativa drought-responsive zinc finger protein 1 (OsDRZ1), positively regulating both stress tolerance and plant architecture in rice (Oryza sativa L.). OsDRZ1 was expressed throughout all tissues examined and could be induced by multiple abiotic stresses. OsDRZ1 protein was localized mostly in the nucleus. Unlike most reported rice ZFPs functioning as transcriptional activators, OsDRZ1 is a transcriptional repressor. Overexpression of OsDRZ1 in rice increased seedling drought tolerance and the transgenic plants appeared to accumulate more free proline and fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS), and elevate the activities of antioxidant enzymes. In contrast, RNA interference (RNAi) of OsDRZ1 led to lower activities of antioxidative response and more sensitivity to drought. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the genes down-regulated by OsDRZ1 were mostly down-regulated by drought, implying the critical role of OsDRZ1 in modulating drought-responsive gene expression. A cupin gene OsGLP1 (germin-like protein1) was identified as one of the potential target genes of OsDRZ1, as suggested by real-time PCR and transient expression analysis in rice protoplasts. Moreover, overexpression of OsDRZ1 did not lead to growth inhibition but the promotion of rice growth, implying the potential application prospective of OsDRZ1 in engineering drought-tolerant crops.

A drift chamber array at the External Target Facility in HIRFL-CSR has been constructed for three-dimensional particle tracking in high-energy radioactive ion beam experiments. The design, readout, track reconstruction program and calibration procedures for the detector are described. The drift chamber array was tested in a 311 AMeV 40Ar beam experiment. The detector performance based on the measurements of the beam test is presented. A spatial resolution of 230 μ m is achieved.

The taxonomical position of species of the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) has been criticized because of their gross morphological similarities (such as slender, smooth and reddish–brown branches, grey–green foliage and scale leaves), and their systematic relationships remain unclear. In this paper, the leaf epidermal features of 17 species from China are studied based on the micro-morphological characters of the epidermal cells, stomata, salt glands, papillae and epidermal hairs. According to the studies, the leaf epidermal features, together with the character of the flower, are taxonomically clearly distinct. The establishment of Tamarix albiflonum is consolidated. Tamarix korolkowi and Tamarix ramosissima have minimal differences in epidermal characters, and the former is suggested to be a junior synonym. Tamarix ramosissima, Tamarix tarimensis, Tamarix arceuthoides and Tamarix hohenackeri are most similar with respect to their leaf epidermis; considering the common morphological features, habit, distribution and especially the hybridization, it is suggested that these four species are closely genetically related and that the variations among them are probably intraspecific. The new taxonomical evidence indicates the occurrence of 13 species and four variants in China. Presently, Tamarix is a typical plant of arid and semi-arid regions, but its Eocene ancestors lived in warm and humid climates in the coastal areas of the ancient Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the papillae or epidermal hairs, which are outgrowths of the outer epidermal cells facilitating the leaf to respond to water stress and commonly seen in the plants growing in arid or semi-arid areas rather than the plants in warm and humid climates, are of relatively recent origin in Tamarix. The primitive species lack papillae or epidermal hairs, while in evolved species these structures are abundant. Based on the ecological adaptations of the epidermal features, the palaeogeographic implications of Tamarix in the Late Cenozoic of Northwest China are also discussed. Keywords: Anatomy, Arid region, Epidermis, Ecological adaptation, Phylogenetic evolution, Tamarix, Northwest China

Plant growth is often affected by low soil nitrogen (N) availability and soil salinity in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) of Alberta, Canada, as the reclaimed cover soil of peat–mineral soil mix (PMM) releases N slowly, and may be affected by salts moving upward from the underlying saline tailings sand (TS) or overburden (OB) materials used for land reclamation. Whether soil salinity affects N transformation and thus N availability is not clear. We studied the effect of soil salinity on net and gross N transformation rates in a reclaimed boreal forest soil in an incubation experiment using the 15N isotopic pool dilution technique. To simulate the salinity in reclaimed soils, sodium chloride was added to a PMM soil to form five salinity levels represented by electrical conductivity (EC) of 2, 4, 6, and 8 dS m−1 (based on 1:2 w/v soil to water ratio) and the control. Gross N mineralization, nitrification, and immobilization rates were significantly different among salinity levels, with the rates suppressed by high soil salinity, but they were not completely inhibited even when soil EC reached 8 dS m−1. As the soil EC increased from 2 to 8 dS m−1, gross N immobilization rates decreased faster than gross N mineralization rates, resulting in less negative net N mineralization rates at high salinity levels. The immobilization of NH4+-N was a greater process for NH4+-N consumption than nitrification and possible NH3 volatilization, regardless of the salinity level. In contrast to gross nitrification rates, net nitrification rates were not affected by soil salinity in the studied soil, indicating that the influence of soil salinity on NO3−-N production and consumption was similar. We conclude that soil salinity had different effects on gross versus net rates of soil N transformation and reduced N mineralization and nitrification rates under high soil salinity would lower N availability and thus increase the need for N fertilization in reclaimed soils.

The semi-magic nucleus 219Np was produced in the fusion reaction 187Re(36Ar, 4n)219Np at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS (Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure). A fast electronics system based on waveform digitizers was used in the data acquisition and the sampled pulses were processed by digital algorithms. The reaction products were identified using spatial and time correlations between the implants and subsequent α decays. According to the observed α-decay chain, an energy of E α = 9039 ( 40 ) keV and a half-life of T 1 / 2 = 0.15 − 0.07 + 0.72 ms were determined for 219Np. The deduced proton binding energy of 219Np fits well into the systematics, which gives another evidence of that there is no sub-shell closure at Z = 92 . The influence of the N = 126 shell closure on the stability of Np isotopes is discussed within the framework of α-decay reduced widths.

The observed data are often from subjects measured repeatedly over time. This kind of data with repeated responses is known as longitudinal data. Such data are from the subjects measured repeatedly over time and correlation may arise between measurements from the same topical subject. One of the advantages of the longitudinal data is that one can be able to specify the individual patterns of change for each subject. In this thesis, we develop a more general linear quantile regression model by extending the generalized quasi-likelihood method under mean regression to the quantile regression. Because the usage of the general stationary auto-correlation matrix, we do not need to specify any particular working correlation structure between repeated measurements. We can prove that parameter estimators obtained by our proposed method are consistent and asymptotically normal. By applying the induced smoothing method, we can introduce several methods to estimate quantile regression models built on longitudinal datasets.

The effectiveness of nitrogen (N) fertilization in improving tree growth in saline forest soils is poorly understood. Hence, in this study, the interactive effect of N fertilization and salt stress on seedling physiology and growth was examined to improve our understanding of possible mechanisms for fertilization to mitigate salt stress. We compared physiological characteristics, growth, and foliar and root nutrient concentrations in lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta ) and white spruce ( Picea glauca ) seedlings planted in a peat-mineral soil mix during a three months study with N fertilization (0 and 300 mg N seedling −1 ) and salinity (0, 50, 100, 150 mmol L −1 NaCl) in a greenhouse experiment. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased net photosynthetic rates ( P n ) and N concentrations in needles and roots, resulting in improved seedling height and root collar diameter growth and total seedling biomass for both species when seedlings were subjected to low salinity (50 mmol L −1 NaCl), while it did not help tree growth under high salinity (150 mmol L −1 NaCl). The physiological responses to combined salt stress and N fertilization did not differ between the two species; however, fertilization improved the growth of pine seedlings more than that of spruce seedlings under different salinity levels. The results suggest that the effectiveness of N fertilization in mitigating the salinity effect on seedling growth was species specific. Our study demonstrates that N fertilization improves tree growth through enhanced photosynthesis and N nutrition under low salinity and provides valuable insights into strategies to manage N nutrition in saline boreal forest soils.

A Secondary Electrons Profile Monitor (SEPM) is developed as part of the beam dose delivery system in a clinical gantry of the Heavy Ion Medical Machine (HIMM). With the purpose of less disturbance to the beam, a thin foil with a thickness of 0 . 7 μ m and an accelerating grid with a diameter of 15 μ m are employed to produce and accelerate the secondary electrons, and two microchannel plates (MCPs) are used to multiply the electrons. Providing the real-time information of beam size, position, flatness, and symmetry in front of the scanning magnet, the beam monitor features an active area of 989 mm 2 , beam intensities between 1.0 × 1 0 3 to 1.0 × 1 0 8 particles per pulse (ppp) and a wide range of beam energies. A prototype is tested at the horizontal treatment room of the HIMM. Using different beam positions, sizes, and energies of 12C 6 + beams, test experiments show that the beam monitor maintains good consistency with a Multi-Strip Ionization Chamber (MSIC). Compared to the MSIC, the SEPM shows a better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and higher sensitivity to the variation of the beam.

We investigated relationships between phosphorus (P) availability and fractionation and growth of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) in the Athabasca oil sands region. The study sites had peat – mineral soil mix (PMM) as cover soil over a tailings sand substrate planted to pine or an overburden substrate planted to spruce. Available P was determined using a modified Kelowna extraction and sequentially extracted to obtain exchangeable, Fe- and Al-bound, Ca- and Mg-bound, organic, and residual P. The organic P content in PMM explained 83% and 65% of the variations in available P in the pine and spruce sites, respectively. Phosphorus bound to Fe and Al in PMM was also positively related to available P on pine sites (p < 0.001) but not on spruce sites. Available P in PMM was correlated with aboveground biomass increment of spruce (p < 0.05) and explained 78% of the variation in foliar P. Foliar P in both pine and spruce was lower than the adequate level for tree growth. Low foliar P and available P in PMM affect the successful establishment of pine and spruce trees on the reclaimed sites, and proper P nutrition management is important to overcome P limitation in reclaimed soils.

In this work, effect of the Yb2O3 doping on the structure and spectroscopic properties of zinc aluminate nanocrystals formed in the glasses were investigated. Zinc aluminate nanocrystals were precipitated in the glasses through heat-treatment. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and absorption spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the structural and spectroscopic properties. It was found that pure ZnAl2O4 spinel nanocrystals were formed in the glasses without Yb2O3 doping. As the doping concentration of Yb2O3 increased, Yb3 + ions were incorporated into the zinc aluminate nanocrystals and gradually changed the structure of space group of zinc aluminate from Fd 3 − m to F432. Both elemental mapping and absorption spectroscopy confirmed the incorporation of Yb3 + ions into the nanocrystals formed in the glasses.

It is well-recognized that multiple components, the majority of which are secondary metabolites and carbohydrates, collectively contribute to the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines. The chemical characterization of herbal medicines has focused extensively on secondary metabolites but has largely overlooked carbohydrates. Here, we proposed an integrated chromatographic technique based targeted glycomics and untargeted metabolomics strategy simultaneously determining carbohydrates and secondary metabolites for the overall chemical profiling of herbal medicines; this strategy was successfully exemplified in an investigation of processing chemistry of Rehmanniae Radix (RR), a Chinese medicinal herb. It was demonstrated that the integrated strategy holistically illuminated the variations in the glycome and metabolome of RR samples processed by the traditionally-adopted nine cycles of steaming and drying, and further elucidated the processing-induced chemical transformation mechanisms of carbohydrates and secondary metabolites, and thereby revealed the inherent chemical connections between carbohydrates and secondary metabolites. The result suggested that the proposed strategy meets the technical demands for the overall chemical characterization of herbal medicines, and therefore could serve as a powerful tool for deciphering the scientific basis of herbal medicines.

A new short-lived neutron-deficient isotope Np-220 was synthesized in the fusion-evaporation reaction Re-185(Ar-40, 5n)Np-220 at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. Based on the measurement of the correlated alpha-decay chains, the decay properties of Np-220 with E-alpha = 10040(18) keV and T-1/2 = 25(-7)(+14 )mu s were determined, which are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. From the new experimental results coupled with the recently reported alpha-decay data of Np-219,Np-223, the alpha-decay systematics for Np isotopes around N = 126 was established, which allows us for the first time to test the robustness of the N = 126 shell closure in Z = 93 Np isotopes. The results also indicate that, in the region of nuclei with Z >= 83, the proton drip line has been reached for all odd-Z isotopes up to Np.

Background The nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) of plants are posited to be crucial traits for the resistance and resilience of plants to climate change-induced drought and flooding. However, the potential effects of persistent drought and waterlogging on the dynamics of the NSCs and the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Methods We measured the NSCs concentrations and pool size, photosynthetic rate and biomass of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings for both 2015 and 2016 under five soil water treatments: 3%, 8%, 17%, 24% and 34% soil water content, representing extreme drought (ED), moderate drought (MD), the control group (CG), field capacity (FC) and waterlogging (WL) stresses, respectively. We observed the relationship between the pool size of NSCs and the survival of seedlings under water stress (drought and waterlogging) for 30 days in greenhouse. Results Compared with CG, the net photosynthetic rate decreased 91%, 67%, 34% and 71%, and the biomass decreased by 37%, 15%, 16% and 33% under ED, MD, FC and WL, respectively. The total NSC (TNSC) concentration was significantly increased by 154% under ED after 10 days and sharply decreased by 50% under ED after 30 days. The concentrations of soluble sugars (SS) were significantly increased by 100% under MD after 10 days and sharply decreased by 60% under ED after 30 days. Compared with GC, the response of NSCs, photosynthetic rate and biomass under ED were more dramatic than that under WL. The pool sizes of fructose and sucrose were larger under ED and WL, but the maximum pool size of starch occurred under the CG. The depletion of NSCs was not observed under ED at the end of the experiments in both 2015 and 2016. Conclusions Our results indicate that the dynamics of NSCs is an important physiological feature of plant adaptation and resistance to drought and waterlogging. In addition, high sugars concentrations are beneficial for the plants during the short-term extreme drought and the longer term mild drought or waterlogging.

The cross sections for two-neutron removal from $^{15,16}\mathrm{C}$ on a carbon target have been measured at around 240 MeV/nucleon. The measured cross section for $^{15}\mathrm{C}$ is smaller than for $^{16}\mathrm{C}$. The trends of the cross sections for $^{15,16}\mathrm{C}$ are inconsistent with the previously reported experimental data, but in agreement with the theoretical predictions based on eikonal-model calculations. Based on the present results of $^{15,16}\mathrm{C}$ combined with the available experimental data on $^{17--20}\mathrm{C}$, an odd-even staggering of the two-neutron removal cross sections along the neutron-rich carbon isotopic chain from $^{15}\mathrm{C}$ to $^{20}\mathrm{C}$ is observed, and this feature is well reproduced by the theoretical calculations.

To obtain the angular distributions of 12C + 12C elastic scatterings with the incident energies of 200–400A MeV for the study of three-body forces, a detector system was constructed at second Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL2) of Institute of Modern Physics (IMP). This system was composed of five plastic scintillation detectors with two read-outs for each detector, a Multi Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC) and a 4×4 CsI(Tl) array. The 12C beam with the incident energy of 200A MeV on a natural carbon target was used to test this detector system. It is found that the plastic scintillation detector can give the good energy loss (ΔE) and time of flight (TOF) signals, it can also reflect the position information of scattered 12C events. MWPC can precisely provide the trajectories of scattered particles. This system has a very good particle identification ability and can clearly distinguish the scattered 12C particles from the fragments. It can be used for the study of the three-body forces effect for high energy heavy-ion scattering.

Using progesterone as the starting material, we synthesized a series of steroidal derivatives possessing a D-ring substituted benzamidothiazole. All of the final structures were reported and identified by NMR and HRMS spectrometry for the first time. The antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compounds against PC-3 (human prostate cancer cell line) and SKOV-3 (ovarian cancer cells) were investigated. The preliminary results showed that compounds 8b, 8d and 8g possessed moderate antiproliferative activities.

The residual content of sulfur dioxide is frequently regarded as the exclusive indicator in the safety evaluation of sulfur-fumigated edible herbs. To examine the feasibility of such assessment criteria, here the variations in residual sulfur dioxide content during sulfur-fumigation and the potential mechanisms involved were investigated, using Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) as a model herb. The residual sulfur dioxide content and ten major bioactive components in sulfur-fumigated ASR samples were dynamically examined at 13 successive time points within 72 h sulfur-fumigation. The relationship between the content variation tendency of sulfur dioxide and the ten chemicals was discussed. The results suggested that sulfur dioxide-involved chemical transformation of the original components in ASR might cause large consumption of residual sulfur dioxide during sulfur-fumigation. It implies that without considering the induced chemical transformation of bioactive components, the residual sulfur dioxide content alone might be inadequate to comprehensively evaluate the safety of sulfur-fumigated herbs.

The decay of 218Pa was investigated by means of α and γ spectroscopy. The nucleus was produced in the fusion reaction 40Ar+182W and separated in flight by the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS (Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure). The known α decays of 218Pa were measured with improved precision and newly assigned to be originating from the ground state, which clarified the ambiguities in their previous assignments. In addition, a new isomeric state in 218Pa decaying with α-particle energies of 9691(15) keV, 9595(21) keV and a half-life of 135−32+62 μs was identified. The spins and parities of the involved states were tentatively assigned on the basis of the systematic α-decay properties of the odd-proton N=127 isotones and shell model calculations. Keywords: Odd-proton N=127 isotones, Isomeric state, α-particle energy, Half-life, Shell model calculation, Spin and parity

The dynamics of understory plant communities in forest ecosystems with different tree productivities that are reclaimed after surface mining is poorly studied. In the Athabasca oil sands region of Canada, the cover, composition, diversity and foliar nutrient concentrations of understory vascular plant communities were examined on reclaimed sites (at least 15 years old since site reconstruction) with low, medium and high productivity that were planted to lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and white spruce (Picea glauca). Understory plant communities showed different responses to tree productivity classes in both pine and spruce stands. On pine sites, higher shrub and grass covers contributed to higher total cover on medium than on low and high productivity sites; however, low and high productivity sites had higher species richness and Shannon-Wiener index than medium productivity sites. In addition, shrub, grass and total covers were all positively correlated with cover soil thickness, soil dissolved organic carbon and inorganic nitrogen concentrations, but there was no relationship between any understory plant community variable and tree growth parameters. On spruce sites, lower shrub and forb covers and higher grass cover on high than on low and medium productivity sites resulted in no difference in total cover among productivity classes; however, species richness and Shannon-Wiener index were higher on medium than on low and high productivity sites. Additionally, forb cover, species richness and Shannon-Wiener index were all negatively correlated with leaf area index, and grass cover and species evenness were positively correlated with tree growth parameters such as height, diameter at breast height and aboveground biomass increments. We conclude that the relationships between tree productivity and understory plant communities in reclaimed forest ecosystems were site specific. Reclamation strategies such as adopting a proper planted tree spacing or fertilization should be used on sites with different tree productivities to balance overstory tree growth with understory plant community development in reclaiming surface-disturbed mining areas.

In this study two methods including coating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) layers on the electrode surface and adding CNTs-suspension during electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) growth were used, respectively, to develop CNTs hybrid EABs for enhancing electricity generation capability of EABs. EABs growth on the CNTs with functional groups of hydroxyl (CNTs-OH) or carboxyl (CNTs-COOH) and pristine CNTs without functionalization (P-CNTs) modified electrode was investigated. The maximum current densities of EABs growth on the P-CNTs, CNTs-OH and CNTs-COOH coated electrode were respective 1300 ± 117, 1082 ± 54 and 1124 ± 78 μA cm−2, which were much higher than unmodified electrode (663 μA cm−2). Meanwhile, EABs growth in doping CNTs-COOH or CNTs-OH suspensions system also produced twice higher current density than that on unmodified electrode. These results indicated that the current production of EABs can be significantly enhanced by coating P-CNTs, CNTs-OH, CNTs-COOH layers on the electrode surface or doping CNTs-OH and CNTs-COOH suspension into EABs. Furthermore, morphology analysis of as-obtained EABs had also been studied. It was found that there was no significant difference of the morphological characteristic for EABs growth on different types CNTs coated electrode surface. By comparison, a nano-hybrid porous structure of CNTs and EABs was observed when CNTs-COOH or CNTs-OH suspension was added into the medium during EABs growth, which will be responsible for high current generation.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Radix Paeoniae Alba (Baishao, BS), one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, has many pharmacological effects including analgesic activity. Previous studies found that sulfur-fumigation, a post-harvest handling process developed to prevent mold contamination of medicinal herbs, altered the quality of BS. However, whether sulfur-fumigation affects the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of BS warrants further investigation. Aim of the study To evaluate the feasibility of sulfur-fumigation as a post-harvest handling process of BS from the viewpoints of pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy. Materials and methods The pharmacokinetic behaviors of four active components of BS and one characteristic component of sulfur-fumigated BS (S-BS) were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-TQ-MS/MS). The safety was investigated using ultra high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) based metabolomics approach after intragastric (i.g.) administration of non-fumigated BS (N-BS) and S-BS in rats. The analgesic efficacy was compared using hot-plate test in mice, after i.g. administration of N-BS and S-BS, at both high and low dosages. Results Systemic exposures of paeoniflorin and oxypaeoniflorin, two analgesic components of BS, were significantly decreased in the S-BS treated group compared to the N-BS treated group, while paeoniflorin sulfonate, one of the sulfur-containing derivatives of S-BS, was detected in all time-points of S-BS treated group with the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC0−t) and the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) as high as 7077.06 ± 2232.97 ng/mL*h and 1641.42 ± 634.79 ng/mL respectively, which indicated that sulfur-fumigation altered the pharmacokinetic behaviors of BS. Besides, paeoniflorin sulfonate and its four metabolites with ambiguous toxicities, as well as one endogenous metabolite p-cresol glucuronide, the biomarker of disordered homeostasis of intestinal bacteria and bile acid, were identified as the characteristic metabolites in S-BS administered rats, suggesting that sulfur-fumigation reduced the safety of BS. Furthermore, the analgesic effects at both low and high dosages were decreased in different extent when compared to N-BS administered groups, indicating that sulfur-fumigation weakened the efficacy of BS. Conclusion Sulfur-fumigation altered the pharmacokinetics, as well as reduced the safety and efficacy of BS, suggesting that sulfur-fumigation is not recommended for post-harvest handling of BS.

The drift of the isospin degree of freedom (IDOF) is experimentally visualized through the wide-range angular distribution and the beam energy dependence of the isospin composition of light charged particles (LCP) produced in heavy ion collisions. It is evidenced that the net isospin transport is presented in the whole process from early dynamic emission to the statistical evaporation lasting to very late stage. Due to the long-time accumulation of the isospin effect, the angular distribution of the relative neutron excess summing over the LCPs is utilized as a sensitive probe to the symmetry energy. With S fixed at 28.3 MeV, a soft density dependence with L=33–61 MeV (0.95 confidential level) at ρ0 is circumstantially deduced using an improved quantum molecular dynamics transport model attached with a statistical emission afterburner.

A tracking system composed of three multi-wires proportional chambers (MWPCs) for the external target facility of the Cooler Storage Ring is reported in this paper. The active areas of the MWPCs are 518 mm × 400 mm, 582 mm × 450 mm, and 710 mm × 500 mm. Each MWPC consists of a series of alternately placed cathode and anode wire planes and can measure position along the directions of −30°, 0°, and 30° relative to horizontal. The construction and operation of the detectors are described, and a method for track reconstruction is introduced. A track-finding efficiency of about 62% and a spatial resolution of 1.21 mm have been achieved. The pion and proton can be identified clearly with the tracking system combined with a time-of-flight system.

The RIBLL2 in-flight separator at IMP, the secondary beam line between two storage rings at the \blue{\uwave{Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL-CSR)}}, has been commissioned to study the rare-isotope beam (RIB) physics at around 300 MeV/nucleon for the first time, in combination of the external target facility (ETF). The unambiguous particle identification in mass and charge states for $^{18}$O and $^{40}$Ar fragments has been achieved in recent experiments. A full realization of RIBLL2 will open many potentials to address important RIB physics problems at around 300 MeV/nucleon., Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures

Time-temperature indicator has been widely applied in the food industry. And, the theoretical study shows that if the time-temperature indicator is applied to monitor food, the activation energy of TTI temperature-dependent must be consistent with the activation energy of food quality loss. In this study, kinetics of absorbance and color changes in bi-enzyme were investigated as a function of storage temperature. Absorbance value was used to evaluate the enzyme reaction process under different temperature. Color change was evaluated in terms of the total color difference (DE). The results indicated that the time - temperature dependence of Absorbance and DE values followed a zero-order model. The Arrhenius equation adequately described the temperature dependence of the reaction rate constants for both absorbance and color parameters, respectively, from which the activation energies and rate constant at different temperature were obtained. There were significant linear correlations between absorbance, color and time parameter.

A Flash-ADC data acquisition (DAQ) system has been developed for the drift chamber array designed for the External-Target-Experiment at the Cooling Storage Ring at the Heavy Ion Research Facility, Lanzhou. The simplified readout electronics system has been developed using the Flash-ADC modules and the whole waveform in the sampling window is obtained, with which the time and energy information can be deduced with an offline processing. A digital filter algorithm has been developed to discriminate the noise and the useful signal. With the digital filtering process, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is increased and a better time and energy resolution can be obtained.