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Objective. To determine the possibility of using automatic plasmapheresis in patients with COVID-19- associated bilateral polysegmental pneumonia. Methods. The treatment of three patients with COVID-19-associated pneumonia with application of the Autopheresis-C™ automatic plasmapheresis machine (the USA) has been analyzed. The patients’ age was 47. 49 and 55 years. The patients’ case histories included factors aggravating the course of pneumonia (diabetes mellitus, chronic cardiovascular pathology with heart failure, obesity). The condition of all patients was severe. The effectiveness estimation of the given technique was carried out 6 hours after the manipulation and included a general clinical blood test, a biochemical blood test, hemodynamic parameters, and objective data. Results. After the first application of automatic plasmapheresis, all patients occurred a decrease in temperature and the level of respiratory failure, which was accompanied by an increase in hemoglobin saturation; a decrease in the severity of dyspnea was also reported, which was the reason for the changing patient position from prone to supine. All patients had a blood pressure reduction. Positive changes in the hemodynamic situation were the basis for reducing the dosage of antihypertensive drugs. Along with this, in the course of manipulation, a gradual decrease in the severity of tachycardia was noted in all patients: a reduction of heart rate was recorded. On the second day after the manipulation, the main blood parameters (leukocytosis, c-reactive protein) decreased. The observed positive effects contributed to the early transfer (by 10-15 days) of patients from the intensive care unit to the general somatic departments. Conclusion. The early inclusion of automatic plasmapheresis in the complex therapy of patients with COVID-19- associated bilateral polysegmental pneumonia leads to the stabilization of hemodynamic parameters, decline of the severity of respiratory failure, which made it possible to avoid the mechanical ventilation. What this paper adds For the first time, the clinical effectiveness of the method of automatic plasmapheresis in the framework of the complex therapy of COVID-19- associated polysegmental pneumonia is shown, which is expressed in a decrease in the manifestations of functional and metabolic disorders of vital systems for maintaining homeostasis. It was found that the inclusion of this technology in the complex therapy contributed to the stabilization of respiratory and hemodynamic parameters, which made it possible to avoid the mechanical ventilation.

At Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics it was proposed and developed a source of epithermal neutrons based on a tandem accelerator with vacuum insulation and a lithium target for the development of boron neutron capture therapy, a promising method for treating malignant tumors. To measure the "boron" dose due to the boron-lithium reaction, a small-sized detector has been developed. It consists of two polystyrene scintillators, one of which is enriched with boron. Using the detector, the spatial distribution of boron dose and dose of gamma radiation in a 330x330x315 mm water phantom was measured and the results obtained were compared with the results of numerical simulation of the absorbed dose components in such a tissue-equivalent phantom. It is shown that the results obtained are in good agreement with the calculated ones. It was found that the use of a 72 mm Plexiglas moderator provides an acceptable quality of the neutron beam for in vitro and in vivo studies, namely: 1 mA 2.05 MeV proton beam on a lithium target provides a dose rate of 30 Gy-Eq/h in cells containing boron at a concentration of 40 ppm, and 6 Gy-Eq/h in cells without boron. The developed technique for on-line measurement of boron dose and dose of gamma radiation makes it possible to carry out a similar verification of a neutron beam prepared for clinical trials of BNCT after placing a neutron beam shaping assembly with a magnesium fluoride moderator in a bunker adjacent to the accelerator., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

Epithermal neutron source based on an electrostatic tandem accelerator of a new type - Vacuum Insulation Tandem Accelerator, and lithium neutron target has been proposed and developed at Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy - promising method for treatment of tumors and for other applications. The paper proposes and implements a flexible and customizable method of operational data processing, allowing researchers to obtain and analyze information directly in the experiment without the need for post-processing data. Its use accelerates the process of obtaining informative data during experimental research and automates the analysis process. Also proposed and implemented a process of automatic distributed journaling of the results of the experiment. As a result of the implementation of the proposed tools increased the productivity of the analysis of experimental data and the detailing of the experimental journal. The developed and implemented system of real-time data processing has shown its effectiveness and has become an integral part of the control system, data collection and data storage of the epithermal neutron source., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

A compact accelerator-based neutron source has been proposed and created at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk, Russia. An original vacuum insulated tandem accelerator (VITA) is used to provide a proton/deuteron beam. As a result of scientific research and modernization, the power of the ion beam was increased, an operation mode without high-voltage breakdowns was achieved, and the operation of the accelerator in a wide range of changes in the energy and current of ions was ensured. The proton/deuteron beam energy can be varied within a range of 0.6-2.3 MeV, keeping a high-energy stability of 0.1%. The beam current can also be varied in a wide range (from 0.3 mA to 10 mA) with high current stability (0.4%). VITA is used to obtain epithermal neutrons for the development of boron neutron capture therapy, thermal neutrons for the determination of impurities in ITER materials by activation analysis method; fast neutrons for radiation testing of materials; 478 keV photons to measure the 7Li(p, p’g)7Li reaction cross section, etc. VITA is planned to be used for boron imaging with monoenergetic neutron beam, for characterizing of neutron detectors designed for fusion studies, for in-depth investigation of the promising 11B(p, alfa)alfa alfa neutronless fusion reaction, for studying the crystal structure of materials by neutron diffraction, etc., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

A neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy based on a vacuum-insulated tandem accelerator has been developed and operates at Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics. Conducting a ~10 mm proton beam with a power of up to 20 kW through a system of accelerating electrodes and 16 mm argon stripping tube is not an easy task. Any mistake made by operator or a malfunction of the equipment responsible for the correction of the beam position in the ion beam line can lead to permanent damage to the accelerator. To determine the position of the proton beam inside the argon stripping tube, optical diagnostics have been developed based on the Celestron Ultima 80-45 telescope and a cooled mirror located at an angle of 45 degrees to the beam axis in the straight-through channel of the bending magnet. The cooled mirror also performs the function of measuring the neutral current due to the electrical isolation of the mirror and the extraction of secondary electrons from its surface. The luminescence of a beam in the optical range, observed with the help of the developed diagnostics, made it possible for the first time to determine beam size and position inside the stripping tube with an accuracy of 1 mm. The light sensitivity of the applied optical elements is sufficient for using a shutter speed from 2 to 20 ms to obtain a color image of the beam in real time. This makes it possible to realize a fast interlock in case of a sudden displacement of the beam., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

An accelerator-based source of epithermal neutrons was proposed and created at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics. It consists of a vacuum-insulated tandem accelerator for producing a proton beam and a lithium target for generating neutrons as a result of the 7Li(p, n)7Be threshold reaction. With the use of a video camera and a spectrometer, the luminescence of lithium was registered when the lithium target was irradiated with protons. The recorded emission line 610.3 ± 0.5 nm corresponds to the electronic transition in the lithium atom 1s23d -> 1s22p, and the 670.7 ± 1 nm line corresponds to the 1s22p -> 1s22s transition. Based on the results of the study, the visual diagnostics for operational monitoring of the position and the size of the proton beam on the surface of a lithium target was developed and put into operation. The diagnostics can be applied in the neutron generation mode. The possibility of detecting luminescence made it possible to ensure the reliability of measuring the current of the argon ion beam accompanying the proton beam. When studying the blistering of a metal upon implantation of protons with an energy of 2 MeV, luminescence could lead to an overestimation of the surface temperature measured by a thermal imager., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

For the development of a promising method for the treatment of malignant tumors - boron neutron capture therapy - the accelerator-based epithermal neutron source has been proposed and created in the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics. After the acceleration phase, a proton beam with an energy of up to 2.3 MeV and a current of up to 10 mA is transported in a high-energy beam line. With a beam size of 1 cm², its power density can reach tens of kW/cm². Diagnostics of the size of such a powerful beam is a nontrivial task aimed at increasing the reliability of the accelerator. The paper presents such diagnostics as: 1) the use of the blister formation boundary during the implantation of protons into the metal; 2) the use of thermocouples inserted into the lithium target; 3) the use of the melting boundary of the lithium layer when it is irradiated with a beam; 4) the use of the activation of the lithium target by protons; 5) the use of video cameras; 6) the use of an infrared camera; 7) the use of the luminescence effect of lithium when it is irradiated with protons; 8) the use of collimators with a small diameter of 1-2 mm; 9) the use of the method of two-dimensional tomography*., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

Today, considering the needs of the Russian economy, the content and technology of training in career counseling from the point of view of practice is not sufficiently developed. Thus, a search for new forms, methods and means of conducting career guidance with students is necessary. This article offers a broad range of technologies and their optimal combination in career guidance work with pupils in the integrated system "school – University – enterprise". A leading approach to the study of this problem is an integrative approach that leads to the necessity to use both traditional and innovative technologies which contribute not only to effective assimilation of knowledge, but also early social adaptation of the prospective students to University conditions. Presented in the study traditional and innovative technologies of career guidance work with students (project method, role play, portfolio, Internet technologies, comprehensive and career-oriented excursions), as well as the possibility of using information and educational potential of professional education institutions and enterprises for pupils’ vocational guidance in the context of their successive socialization contribute to the formation of professional identity, consciousness in the choice of the future profession of secondary schools’ students, as well as the selection of their own individual educational trajectories and to their adaptive abilities’ disclosure for future professional activity. The article is valuable for teachers and faculty of educational and vocational institutions in organizing and conducting of career guidance with students, applicants and students.

A source of epithermal neutrons based on a vacuum-insulated tandem accelerator and a lithium target is developed for the technique of boron neutron capture therapy. A stationary proton beam of 2 MeV with a current of up to 5 mA was obtained in the accelerator. Neutron generation was performed and the flux and neutron spectrum were experimentally measured. A Beam Shaping Assembly was developed and manufactured, which makes it possible to form a therapeutic beam of neutrons to the greatest extent satisfying the requirements of BNCT. It was established that neutron irradiation of tumor cells of human glioma U251 and human glioblastoma T98G, previously incubated in a medium with boron, led to a significant suppression of their viability. Irradiation of mice with grafted human glioblastoma tumor led to their complete cure. In order to increase the beam parameters, the facility was equipped with a wire scanner OWS-30 (D-Pace, Canada; under the license of TRIUMF), a non-contact current sensor NPTC (Bergos, France), a FLIR T650SC infrared camera, an Optris CT Laser 3ML SF pyrometer (Optris, GmbH, Germany), cooled diaphragms with thermistors, telescopic beam receivers with thermoresistors, a new bushing insulator. Two new sources of negative hydrogen ions with a high current are being prepared, one of them is surface-plasma, the other is voluminous. The investigations established the effect of space charge and spherical aberration of lens on the ion beam transport, the dependence of the heating of the diaphragms of the electrodes and the size of the proton beam on the current of the injected beam of negative hydrogen ions and the pressure of the residual gas in the transport channel. The report describes the modernization of the accelerator, discusses the results of research, declares plans., Proceedings of the 9th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada

A vacuum-insulated tandem accelerator was used to observe in situ blistering during 2-MeV proton irradiation of metallic samples to a fluence of up to 6.7 10²⁰ cm². Samples consisting of copper of different purity, tantalum, and tantalum-copper compounds were placed on the proton beam path and forced to cool. The surface state of the samples was observed using a CCD camera with a remote microscope. Thermistors, a pyrometer, and an infrared camera were applied to measure the temperature of the samples during irradiation. After irradiation, the samples were analyzed on an X-ray diffractometer, laser and electron microscopes. The present study describes the experiment, presents the results obtained and notes their relevance and significance in the development of a lithium target for an accelerator-based neutron source, for use in boron neutron capture therapy of cancer., Proceedings of the 9th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Lamins form a scaffold lining the nucleus that binds chromatin and contributes to spatial genome organization; however, due to the many other functions of lamins, studies knocking out or altering the lamin polymer cannot clearly distinguish between direct and indirect effects. To overcome this obstacle, we specifically targeted the mapped histone-binding site of A/C lamins by microinjecting antibodies specific to this region predicting that this would make the genome more mobile. No increase in chromatin mobility was observed; however, interestingly, injected cells failed to go through mitosis, while control antibody-injected cells did. This effect was not due to crosslinking of the lamin polymer, as Fab fragments also blocked mitosis. The lack of genome mobility suggested other lamin-chromatin interactions. To determine what these might be, mini-lamin A constructs were expressed with or without the histone-binding site that assembled into independent intranuclear structures. HP1, CenpB and PML proteins accumulated at these structures for both constructs, indicating that other sites supporting chromatin interactions exist on lamin A. Together, these results indicate that lamin A-chromatin interactions are highly redundant and more diverse than generally acknowledged and highlight the importance of trying to experimentally separate their individual functions.

In The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics the accelerator-based source of epithermal neutrons was invented and now operates to be used in the boron neutron capture therapy. For several reasons the real beam flow in the facility differs from the calculated one. To take into account this distinction it is necessary to provide continuous monitoring of the beam parameters. In order to optimize the facility operation the beam should be followed not only during the formation but also while an acceleration takes place and the proton beam is thrown on the lithium target as the proton current and energy influence on the neutron output. In this way it seems to be a significant issue to measure the current, profile and also the position of the ion beam in a low-energy part of the accelerator. This work represents the results of experiments with the D-Pace WS-30 Wire Scanner Probe, which was installed in the low-energy part of the accelerator. The experiments were carried out under various conditions to vary the position and focusing control via the system of magnetic correcting elements. To correctly interpret experimental data it was necessary to take into account physical phenomena which occur during an experiment. In this way the effects which take place when the probe interacts with the beam were thoroughly considered. The obtained results allowed to restore the ion beam profile, define its size and position., Proceedings of the 25th Russian Particle Accelerator Conf., RuPAC2016, St. Petersburg, Russia

In the BINP SB RAS was proposed and created a source of epithermal neutrons for BNCT. The proton beam is obtained on a tandem accelerator with vacuum insulation. Sectionalized demountable feed through insulator is an integral part of the accelerator. Voltage from the high voltage source is distributed to the electrodes via resistive divider. Because of the small amount of current (hundreds of microamperes) flowing through the divider, dark currents that occur in the accelerating gaps, can significantly affect the uniform distribution of the potential along the accelerating channel, and, consequently, on the beam transportation. Therefore there is a need to change the design of the feed through insulator which will allow to set potentials at the electrodes directly from the high voltage rectifier sections. To study the feasibility of such changes has been designed and built an experimental stand, in which a single insulator with double height subjected to the same conditions as in accelerator. On the experimental stand was studied electrical strength of ceramic and polycarbonate insulators with a different shape of the surface. The paper presents the results of experimental studies of insulators. Their application will get rid of the voltage divider inside the feed through insulator and realize the scheme which allows to set potential on the electrode gaps directly from the rectifier section. This will increase the operating voltage of the accelerator and its reliability., Proceedings of the 25th Russian Particle Accelerator Conf., RuPAC2016, St. Petersburg, Russia

In BINP the neutron source for BNCT based on proton accelerator was designed and built. It is necessary for the therapy to ensure a stable proton beam current of not less than 3 mA with energy 2 MeV. During the injection of negative hydrogen ion beam into the accelerator the unwanted charged particles are produced, affecting the stability of beam parameters. The article describes meth-ods of suppression of undesirable charged particles and the results of experiments., Proceedings of the 25th Russian Particle Accelerator Conf., RuPAC2016, St. Petersburg, Russia

A source of epithermal neutrons based on a tandem accelerator with vacuum insulation for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of malignant tumors was proposed and constructed. Stationary proton beam with 2 MeV energy, 1.6 mA current, 0.1% energy monochromaticity and 0.5% current stability was obtained*. The flow of charged particles accompanying the accelerated ion beam was detected and measured**. To suppress this concomitant flow cooled diaphragm, cryopump and the electrostatic ring were installed in the input of accelerator. The surface of the vacuum vessel was covered with netting to suppress secondary electron emission. These steps have reduced the flow of charged particles 25 % of the ion beam to 0.5 % and to increase the current proton beam 3 times - up to 4.5 mA. The paper presents the results of research and declares plans to use the accelerator for the BNCT., Proceedings of the 7th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2016, Busan, Korea

In BINP neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy of cancer based on the vacuum insulation tandem accelerator and lithium target for neutron generation was constructed. After optimization of the injection of negative hydrogen ions and modernization of the stripping target 1.6 mA 2 MeV proton beam was obtained. Improvements of the accelerator to suppress accompanying electron current were introduced, and after making changes to protection system of high voltage power supply a stable proton beam with a current of 4.5 mA was obtained. Analysis of the experimental results shows that the beam is accelerated without losses. Obtaining of proton beam with the current of more than 3 mA offers the prospects of using of accelerators for BNCT in cancer clinics., Proceedings of the 7th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2016, Busan, Korea