There are approximately 33,000 blocks of boron carbide (B4C) employed as the main neutron shielding material in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Equatorial Port#12 Integration System (EQ#12) in-vessel components. The gases desorbed from the surface and diffused from B4C internally can adversely affect the vacuum environment of ITER device. Therefore, it is crucial to study its vacuum outgassing characteristics for ensuring the vacuum performance of the ITER device. In this paper, B4C block with an average density of (2.50 +/- 0.01) g/cm3 were prepared via the hot-pressing process. Utilizing a self-developed outgassing rate testing equipment, the outgassing characteristics of two kinds of B4C samples (non-prebaked and prebaked at 900 degrees C) were studied by switching between two pumping paths method. Results indicate that after the ITER thermal cycle, the outgassing rate per unit area of all B4C samples were as low as the order of 10-9 Pa center dot m3 center dot s-1 center dot m-2, the H2O content is significantly decreased, with H2 constituting the majority of the outgassing composition, and the majority impurities released were CO and CO2. Furthermore, samples pre-baked at 900 degrees C exhibit lower impurity levels, with the outgassing rate per unit area of impurity (CO) being less than 10-10 Pa center dot m3 center dot s-1 center dot m-2, implying that the high-temperature pre-baking treatment facilitates the decomposition of organic molecules and enhances the diffusion of internal gases, thereby further reducing in the outgassing rate of B4C. This study demonstrates that B4C treated with rigorous processes can serve as main shielding material in the vacuum chamber of ITER devices, providing valuable reference for the selection of shielding material of future fusion reactors.

The diagnostic equatorial port 12(EQ#12)of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor(ITER)integrates plasma diagnostic systems for observing and providing feedback on plasma operating conditions.Therefore,the integrated design of In-VV(vacuum vessel)area needs to consider important factors such as material out-gassing performance and port cooling capacity under the premise of port weight limitation and nuclear shielding requirements.Based on the standardized integration concept of EQ#12 In-VV area,the boron carbide(B4C)shielding block was prepared by hot-pressing process,and its basic properties(such as microscopic morphology,physical and chemical properties),vacuum out-gassing characteristics and heat transfer characteristics under actual conditions were studied by SEM,mass spectrometry,symmetrical structure constant conductance method,steady-state heat flow method and finite element analysis.The results indicated that the density of B4C shielding block under this hot-pressing process is(2.50±0.01)g/cm3,with few internal micro-pores.The total boron content reaches 77.20%and the content of impurity elements such as Fe and Co are not more than 0.03%.After baking treatment under vacuum conditions,the main gas composition released by the block is hydrogen and the out-gassing rate per unit area of hydrogen is as low as 6.94×10-9 Pa·m3·s-1·m-2.The thermal contact conductance of B4C and stainless steel under vacuum condition(approximately 10-3 Pa)was tested at 100-500℃and 1 MPa interfacial pressure.According to the test results,the thermal simulation analysis of B4C under the application condition shows that it can effectively take away nuclear heat under the operating conditions of ITER device and the local maximum temperature will not exceed 221.6℃,also it can be heated to 209.1℃for effective degassing after 48 hours of baking.The study on the application characteristics of this hot-pressing B4C block material provides an important reference for the selection of shielding materials in the vacuum chamber of nuclear fusion devices.

This study analysed how income disparity affects citizens' public service satisfaction. Using the data of the Chinese General Social Survey from 2013 to 2015, we found that income disparity can reduce citizens' satisfaction with public service. Through a series of robustness tests, the findings of this paper remain robust. Mechanism analysis indicates that material aspirations are the main pathway through which income disparity affects citizens' satisfaction with public services. We also found that the effect of income disparity on citizens' satisfaction with public services is more pronounced in the samples of non-residents, urban residents and higher-income groups.

Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage (DPH) is a common respiratory complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our previous study found that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have an important role in SLE pathogenesis. In this study, we further examined the role of MDSCs in the DPH mice model. We first observed an increased proportion of MDSCs and impaired immunosuppressive function in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peritoneal cavity in the DPH mice model induced by pristane. By injecting anti-Gr-1 antibody, we found that MDSCs clearance can significantly alleviate DPH symptoms. The detection of downstream molecules proved that the mTOR signaling pathway was obviously activated in purified DPH MDSCs. After treatment of DPH model mice with AMPK agonist metformin, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor INK128, and rapamycin, respectively, we observed that inhibition of the mTOR signal alleviated DPH symptoms, inhibited the expansion of mononuclear MDSCs (M-MDSCs) and the differentiation of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages (M1), which, in turn, promoted the expansion of granulocytes MDSCs (G-MDSCs) and differentiation of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages (M2). We then demonstrated that inhibition of the mTOR signal increased the expansion of G-MDSCs, promoted M-MDSCs differentiation into M2 and inhibited their differentiation into M1 by administering TLR7 agonist R848 in vitro to simulate lupus environment. In addition, we also observed increased forkhead box-O1 (FoxO1) expression in M-MDSCs and macrophages after mTOR signal inhibition, both in vivo and in vitro. After down-regulation of FoxO1 by siRNA transfection, the regulatory effects of mTOR signal inhibition on M-MDSCs, M1 and M2 were reversed. Taken together, inhibition of the AMPK/mTOR signal could alleviate lupus-like diffuse lung injury by inducing M-MDSCs to differentiate into M2 by up-regulating FoxO1.

China has achieved economic prominence but damaged the natural environment. Can religions excite pro-environmental actions? Chinese religion encompasses Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, native Taoism, and indigenous folk beliefs (GuanDi and Mazu). We theorize that believers demonstrate more sustainable HOPE (Help Ourselves Protect the Environment) than non-believers. Religions with standardized and formal liturgy show more pro-environmental HOPE than those without it. We challenge the myth that the believers of Christianity and Islam display more sustainable HOPE than other faith. The 2013 Chinese General Social Survey (involving 10,017 randomly selected participants across 28 provinces) revealed that 11.10% of them have faith. Believers display higher levels of HOPE than atheists, demonstrating the religion effect. Among believers, native Taoism and Buddhism exhibit more ecological HOPE than other religions, supporting the dogma effect in the Chinese culture. Religions with formalized liturgy demonstrate more pro-environmental HOPE than generalized folk beliefs-GuanDi and Mazu, validating the liturgy effect. Females, married, and people with good income, education, health, and country-domicile-the haves-exhibit robust ecological HOPE. The rich get richer and greener. However, those who are older, males, urban residents, and the Han majority do not. We empirically demonstrate the Matthew Effect in Religious Social Responsibility: Religious faith facilitates believers' pro-environmental behaviors-HOPE and ethical behaviors in China.

Tokamak diagnostic window glass is an indispensable optical medium in fusion research. The transmittance of the device affects the optical performance and accuracy of the diagnostic system. Especially, the window glass serves as the entrance of the light source while performing the sealing function for the active diagnosis method represented by Thomson scattering diagnostics. In this work, we studied the influence of the laser irradiation and tokamak discharge on the EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) Thomson scattering diagnostic borosilicate glass window. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman scattering, we found that carbon-based impurities in the device aggravated the film damage due to laser irradiation, reducing the performance of the coating of the glass. Besides, the laser and the various rays of tokamak discharge generated many point defects in the glass, increasing the light absorption of the glass. These two factors caused the glass transmittance to drop significantly (from 99.99% to 77.62%). In addition, the long-term laser irradiation primarily reduced the transmittance, while environmental rays had a minor impact on the same. This work provides valuable insights into the selection and effective use of glass in optics-based diagnostics.

ITER Equatorial Port #12 is a diagnostic port which will be installed for ITER first plasma operation. This integrated system contains in-vessel and ex-vessel structures to allow diagnostic systems to make critical measurements during plasma operation and provides a strong radiation shielding function to protect equipment and personnel. It is challenging to design due to the harsh nuclear environment and complex interface requirements. To assure the integration of the design and to meet ITER requirements, design quality controls must be implemented such as design verification, design change control, design review, etc. Those control methods or actions are strictly performed to lay the quality foundation for the follow-up manufacturing and integration test and thus the product quality of the integrated port assembly.

In order to meet the requirements of combined control of multiple pulsed lasers in Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostics of EAST tokamak and improve the time accuracy and resolution of plasma temperature and density measurement of EAST campaign, this paper introduces and implements a control system of multiple pulsed lasers based on FPGA. The control system of multiple pulsed lasers is designed as an exciter, which can provide accurate excitation signals for each laser device independently. After receiving the external trigger signal from the master control computer of EAST campaign, The control system of multiple pulsed lasers provides the excitation signal to the lasers correspondingly, including CLK and Q signals. The control system can set frequency, delay and other parameters for six pulsed lasers separately. This paper introduces the hardware and software design of the system, and discusses the technical parameters and accuracy of the system in detail. Finally, the experimental results are presented.

Since the last IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in 2016, the EAST physics experiments have been developed further in support of high-performance steady-state operation for ITER and CFETR. First demonstration of a >100s time scale long-pulse steady-state scenario with a good plasma performance (H-98(y2) similar to 1.1) and a good control of impurity and heat exhaust with the upper tungsten divertor has been achieved on EAST using the pure radio frequency (RF) power heating and current drive. The EAST operational domain has been significantly extended towards a more ITER and CFETR related high beta steady-state regime (beta(p) similar to 2.5 and beta(N) similar to 1.9 of using RF and NB and beta(p) similar to 1.9 and beta(N) similar to 1.5 of using pure RF). A large bootstrap current fraction up to 47% has been achieved with with q(95) similar to 6.0-7.0. The interaction effect between the electron cyclotron resonant heating and two lower hybrid wave systems has been investigated systematically, and applied for the improvement of current drive efficiency and plasma confinement quality in the steady-state scenario development on EAST. Full edgelocalized mode (ELM) suppression using the n = 2 resonant magnetic perturbations has been achieved in ITER-like standard type-I ELMy H-mode plasmas with a range of the edge safety factor of q(95) approximate to 3.2-3.7 on EAST. Reduction of the peak heat flux on the divertor was demonstrated using the active radiation feedback control. An increase in the total heating power and improvement of the plasma confinement are expected using a OD model prediction for a higher bootstrap fraction. Towards a long-pulse, high bootstrap current fraction operation, a new lower ITER-like tungsten divertor with active water-cooling will be installed, together with further increase and improvement of heating and current drive capability.

The evolution characteristics of type-I ELMy high-confinement mode pedestal are examined in EAST based on the recently developed Thomson scattering system. The influence of the plasma current on pedestal evolvement has been confirmed experimentally. In the higher Ip case (500 kA) the pedestal height shows an increase trend until the onset of next ELM and in the lower Ip cases (300 and 400 kA), however, this buildup saturates at the first ∼30% of the ELM cycle. In contrast, the width increases only during the first ∼70% of the ELM cycle and then keeps almost stable in three Ip cases, but resulting in different widening size of ∼1.5, 1 and 0.5 cm for 300, 400 and 500 kA respectively. Experimental results show that the pedestal pressure width has good correlation with poloidal beta as Δ p e , ψ = 0.16 β p o l , where the fitting coefficient 0.16 is not changed with different plasma currents but a little larger than that of other machines. For each current level, the pedestal density increases while the pedestal temperature decreases. But with increasing I p platforms, the pedestal height prior to the ELM onset shows a near quadratic (within error bars) increase. Experimental measurements demonstrate that the decrease of Δ W E L M with increasing ν p e d * comes mostly from the reduction of the plasma temperature drop, while the pedestal density height keeps relatively stable. Additional injection of LHW has been proved to modify the pedestal structure which should be responsible for the remaining scatter of the experimental data.

Baffle is a critical technique to suppress stray light. In order to reduce stray light of EAST Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic system, a 60 cone angle double edged baffle array was installed for the system. Recently the 45 cone angle corrugation baffle was designed based on double edged baffle and simulation results indicate that the new design can reject 33.3% more stray light than the old one. Based on the mechanical structure and surface property of EAST TS diagnostic system, a stray light analysis model has been built, and using the model, stray light of the system was simulated with the two types of baffles added to the system respectively. Results show that the installation of 60 cone angle double edged baffle array in input tube can cut 92.1% of the stray light to the system, while using 45 cone angle corrugation baffle array in input tube and three 45 cone angle corrugation baffles in exit tube, additional 74.1% of the stray light will be removed. (c) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic is an important diagnostic for measuring electron temperature and density during plasma discharge. However, the measurement of Thomson scattering signal is disturbed by the stray light easily. The stray light sources in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) TS diagnostic system were analyzed by a simulation model of the diagnostic system, and simulation results show that the dump system is the primary stray light source. Based on the optics theory and the simulation analysis, a novel dump system including an improved beam trap was proposed and installed. The measurement results indicate that the new dump system can reduce more than 60% of the stray light for the diagnostic system, and the influence of stray light on the error of measured density decreases.

The characteristics of high-confinement mode (H-mode) pedestal are examined on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. It is found that they are closely dependent on each other between electron pedestal characteristics and global parameters for all types of edge localized mode (ELM). The scaling of pedestal temperature based on thermal conduction and pedestal pressure width is carried out. Based on pedestal pressure gradient and pedestal density, six pedestal pressure width models are applied to predict the pedestal temperature height of type I ELMy H-mode. Compared to experimental results, the normalized poloidal beta model is more consistent than other models.

The pedestal characteristic is an important basis for high confinement mode (H mode) research. Because of the finite spatial resolution of Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), it is necessary to characterize the pedestal with a suitable functional form. Based on simulated and experimental data of EAST, it is shown that the two-line method with a bilinear fitting has better reproducibility of pedestal parameters than hyperbolic tangent (tanh) and modified hyperbolic tangent (mtanh) methods. This method has been applied to EAST type I edge localized mode (ELM) discharges, and the electron pedestal density is found to be proportional to the line-averaged density and the edge pressure gradient is found to be proportional to the pedestal pressure. Furthermore, the ion poloidal gyro-radius has been identified as the suitable parameter to describe the pedestal pressure width.

A pedestal database was built based on type I edge localized mode H-modes in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. The most common functional form hyperbolic tangent function (tanh) method is used to analyze pedestal characteristics. The pedestal gradient scales linearly with its pedestal top and the normalized pedestal pressure gradient α shows a strong correlation with electron collisionality. The connection among pedestal top value, gradient, and width is established with the normalized pedestal pressure gradient. In the core region of the plasma, the nature of the electron temperature stiffness reflects a proportionality between core and pedestal temperature while the increase proportion is lower than that expected in the high temperature region. However, temperature profile stiffness is limited or even disappears at the edge of the plasma, while the gradient length ratio (ηe) on the pedestal is important. The range of ηe is from 0.5 to 2, varying with the plasma parameters. The pedestal temperature brings a more significant impact on ηe than pedestal density.

The multi-channel visible bremsstrahlung measurement system has been developed on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). In addition to providing effective ion charge Zeff as a routine diagnostic, this diagnostic can also be used to estimate other parameters. With the assumption that Zeff can be seen as constant across the radius and does not change significantly during steady state discharges, central electron temperature, averaged electron density, electron density profile, and plasma current density profile have been obtained based on the scaling of Zeff with electron density and the relations between Zeff and these parameters. The estimated results are in good coincidence with measured values, providing an effective and convenient method to estimate other plasma parameters.

Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic has been widely used as a standard diagnostic on tokomaks for more than 45 years, measuring the electron temperature and density profiles of fusion plasma. The pointing stability of the laser beam crossing the plasma could impact the measuring accuracy greatly. The laser beam path of the current TS diagnostic system on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak is about 40 m, equipped with seven mirrors and one focusing lens. The laser beam needs to be aligned regularly because of the instability of laser beam pointing caused by many factors. In this paper, an automatic beam alignment system used to calibrate the deviations of laser beam is introduced. This system employs two Charge Coupled Device (CCD) cameras and two two-dimension adjustable servo-motorized mirror mounts. CCD cameras capture images of the laser spots to calculate their positions by processing the images. Then compare the calculated centroids with the reference values to find the deviations. A fuzzy logic controller is designed with the deviations in pixels accepted as the inputs, and its outputs are the data required to adjust the mirror mounts automatically. This system has been tried and it is corroborated that the deviations could be corrected in several minutes by adjusting the two servo-motorized mirror mounts automatically in turn.

Thomson scattering diagnostic, measuring the spatial profiles of the electron temperature and density in fusion plasma, is one of the most important diagnostic on tokomaks. The accuracy of its results could be strongly impacted by the stability of the laser beam passing plasma. However, the stability of the laser beam pointing is influenced by many factors. On experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST), the laser beam of Thomson scattering diagnostic (1,064 nm wavelength, 10 ns pulses, 10–50 Hz repetition rate) traverses a network of 7 mirrors approximately 35 m before enters the vacuum chamber. To ensure that the laser beam transports stably and accurately, vibration isolation platforms and a remote supervisory and control system for laser alignment are built. The vibration isolation platforms could mitigate the impact of external vibrations in the beam path. And by using the remote supervisory and control system, misalignments will be found and corrected in time. With these renovations, the beam pointing stability of EAST Thomson scattering diagnostic can be improved from about 120 to 10 μrad successfully.