Design and development of a finger-drifttube-accelerator

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasste sich mit der Entwicklung und der Aufbau einer neuartigen Fingerdriftröhren-Struktur als Teil des neuen Vorbeschleunigers COSY-SCL am Kernforschungszentrum in Jülich. In dieser Arbeit wird die Entwicklung der Spiralresonatoren beschrieben, die als Nachbeschleuniger direkt hinter den RFQs zum Einsatz kommen sollen. Als mögliche Option zur Verbesserung der Strahlqualität wurden Fingerdriftröhren vorgeschlagen. Mit Hilfe dieser Struktur ist es möglich, mit geringer zusätzlicher Leistung eine Fokussierung des Ionenstrahls in der beschleunigenden Struktur zu erreichen. Dies war bisher nur bei niedrigen Energien mit der RFQ-Struktur möglich. Bei höheren Energien ist man stets auf magnetische Quadrupollinsen angewiesen. Dies führt jedoch gerade in einem Geschwindigkeitsbereich bis ca. 10 % der Lichtgeschwindigkeit zu Problemen, da die zur Verfügung stehenden Abmessungen zu gering sind. Nachdem zunächst das COSY-SCL Projekt vorgestellt wurde und die grundlegende Theorie für RFQ und Driftröhrenbeschleuniger behandelt wurde, wurden in Kapitel 5 Rechnungen zur Strahldynamik mit dem Programm RFQSIM vorgestellt. Aufgrund der hohen benötigten Gesamtspannung fiel die Entscheidung, einen Vierspaltresonator mit einer geerdeten Mitteldriftröhre aufzubauen. Durch diese Veränderung wurde es möglich, die Feldstärken in den einzelnen Spalten gleichmäßiger zu verteilen und niedriger zu halten, und die benötigte Verlustleistung zu minimieren. Die Teilchendynamik in einem Beschleunigungsspalt mit Fingerelektroden wurde mit einem neuen Transportmodul in RFQSIM untersucht, das den Transport geladener Teilchen durch beliebige dreidimensionale Elektrodenkonfiguration ermöglicht. Mit Hilfe der Fingerdriftröhren ist es möglich, die transversale Ausdehnung des Strahls am Ausgang des Nachbeschleunigers zu verringern und die Anpassung an einen folgenden Beschleuniger zu vereinfachen, ohne das große Einbußen bezüglich der Effektivität der Beschleunigung in Kauf genommen werden müssen. Um die HF Eigenschaften der beiden Beschleunigerstrukturen zu vergleichen, wurden sie mit dem MWS Programm numerisch berechnet. Um genauere Aussagen über die Eigenschaften des elektrischen Feldes zu machen, wurde eine Multipolanalyse der Felder durchgeführt. Damit lässt sich eine Aussage über die Stärke der Fokussierung und mögliche Feldfehler machen. Dabei zeigte sich, dass die auftretenden Feldfehler vernachlässigbar klein sind und sogar störende Effekte unterdrückt werden. Abschließend wurde der Aufbau des Resonators und den daran durchgeführten Messungen auf Meßsenderniveau behandelt. Resultat dieser Untersuchungen ist eine Struktur, die sehr gut und effektiv als Nachbeschleuniger hinter dem RFQ für COSY-SCL eingesetzt werden kann. Durch den Einsatz der Fingerdriftröhren kann mit einer einzelnen Struktur sowohl die Aufgabe der Beschleunigung als auch der Fokussierung bei mittleren Teilchenenergien bewältigt werden. Der neue fokussierende Spiralresonator entspricht in seinen Eigenschaften einer RFQ-Struktur für höhere Teilchengeschwindigkeiten. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zeigen, wie attraktiv eine solche Lösung mit Fingerdriftröhren ist. Deshalb ist geplant, in einem nächsten Schritt Strahltests durchzuführen, da die beschriebene Driftröhrenstruktur mit ihren Eigenschaften sehr gut für die Beschleunigung von Ionen in dem Geschwindigkeitsbereich zwischen RFQ- und IH Struktur geeignet ist und ein Einsatz z.B. in dem FLAIR Projekt möglich wäre

Epigenome-wide association study of serum urate reveals insights into urate co-regulation and the SLC2A9 locus

Elevated serum urate levels, a complex trait and major risk factor for incident gout, are correlated with cardiometabolic traits via incompletely understood mechanisms. DNA methylation in whole blood captures genetic and environmental influences and is assessed in transethnic meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum urate (discovery, n = 12,474, replication, n = 5522). The 100 replicated, epigenome-wide significant (p < 1.1E–7) CpGs explain 11.6% of the serum urate variance. At SLC2A9, the serum urate locus with the largest effect in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), five CpGs are associated with SLC2A9 gene expression. Four CpGs at SLC2A9 have significant causal effects on serum urate levels and/or gout, and two of these partly mediate the effects of urate-associated GWAS variants. In other genes, including SLC7A11 and PHGDH, 17 urate-associated CpGs are associated with conditions defining metabolic syndrome, suggesting that these CpGs may represent a blood DNA methylation signature of cardiometabolic risk factors. This study demonstrates that EWAS can provide new insights into GWAS loci and the correlation of serum urate with other complex traits

Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs

Target genes, variants, tissues and transcriptional pathways influencing human serum urate levels.

Elevated serum urate levels cause gout and correlate with cardiometabolic diseases via poorly understood mechanisms. We performed a trans-ancestry genome-wide association study of serum urate in 457,690 individuals, identifying 183 loci (147 previously unknown) that improve the prediction of gout in an independent cohort of 334,880 individuals. Serum urate showed significant genetic correlations with many cardiometabolic traits, with genetic causality analyses supporting a substantial role for pleiotropy. Enrichment analysis, fine-mapping of urate-associated loci and colocalization with gene expression in 47 tissues implicated the kidney and liver as the main target organs and prioritized potentially causal genes and variants, including the transcriptional master regulators in the liver and kidney, HNF1A and HNF4A. Experimental validation showed that HNF4A transactivated the promoter of ABCG2, encoding a major urate transporter, in kidney cells, and that HNF4A p.Thr139Ile is a functional variant. Transcriptional coregulation within and across organs may be a general mechanism underlying the observed pleiotropy between urate and cardiometabolic traits.The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project was supported by the Common Fund of the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and by NCI, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, and NINDS. Variant annotation was supported by software resources provided via the Caché Campus program of the InterSystems GmbH to Alexander Teumer

Epigenome-wide association study of serum urate reveals insights into urate co-regulation and the SLC2A9 locus

Serum urate concentration can be studied in large datasets to find genetic and epigenetic loci that may be related to cardiometabolic traits. Here the authors identify and replicate 100 urate-associated CpGs, which provide insights into urate GWAS loci and shared CpGs of urate and cardiometabolic traits.Elevated serum urate levels, a complex trait and major risk factor for incident gout, are correlated with cardiometabolic traits via incompletely understood mechanisms. DNA methylation in whole blood captures genetic and environmental influences and is assessed in transethnic meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum urate (discovery, n = 12,474, replication, n = 5522). The 100 replicated, epigenome-wide significant (p < 1.1E-7) CpGs explain 11.6% of the serum urate variance. At SLC2A9, the serum urate locus with the largest effect in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), five CpGs are associated with SLC2A9 gene expression. Four CpGs at SLC2A9 have significant causal effects on serum urate levels and/or gout, and two of these partly mediate the effects of urate-associated GWAS variants. In other genes, including SLC7A11 and PHGDH, 17 urate-associated CpGs are associated with conditions defining metabolic syndrome, suggesting that these CpGs may represent a blood DNA methylation signature of cardiometabolic risk factors. This study demonstrates that EWAS can provide new insights into GWAS loci and the correlation of serum urate with other complex traits.</p

Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs.Many genetic loci have been identified to be associated with kidney disease, but the molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Here, the authors perform epigenome-wide association studies on kidney function measures to identify epigenetic marks and pathways involved in kidney function.</p

Genetic loci and prioritization of genes for kidney function decline derived from a meta-analysis of 62 longitudinal genome-wide association studies

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) reflects kidney function. Progressive eGFR-decline can lead to kidney failure, necessitating dialysis or transplantation. Hundreds of loci from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for eGFR help explain population cross section variability. Since the contribution of these or other loci to eGFR-decline remains largely unknown, we derived GWAS for annual eGFR-decline and meta-analyzed 62 longitudinal studies with eGFR assessed twice over time in all 343,339 individuals and in high-risk groups. We also explored different covariate adjustment. Twelve genome-wide significant independent variants for eGFR-decline unadjusted or adjusted for eGFR-baseline (11 novel, one known for this phenotype), including nine variants robustly associated across models were identified. All loci for eGFR-decline were known for cross-sectional eGFR and thus distinguished a subgroup of eGFR loci. Seven of the nine variants showed variant-by-age interaction on eGFR cross section (further about 350,000 individuals), which linked genetic associations for eGFR-decline with age-dependency of genetic cross-section associations. Clinically important were two to four-fold greater genetic effects on eGFR-decline in high-risk subgroups. Five variants associated also with chronic kidney disease progression mapped to genes with functional in-silico evidence (UMOD, SPATA7, GALNTL5, TPPP). An unfavorable versus favorable nine-variant genetic profile showed increased risk odds ratios of 1.35 for kidney failure (95% confidence intervals 1.03-1.77) and 1.27 for acute kidney injury (95% confidence intervals 1.08-1.50) in over 2000 cases each, with matched controls). Thus, we provide a large data resource, genetic loci, and prioritized genes for kidney function decline, which help inform drug development pipelines revealing important insights into the age-dependency of kidney function genetics

Large-format, high-speed, X-ray pnCCDs combined with electron and ion imaging spectrometers in a multipurpose chamber for experiments at 4th generation light sources

Fourth generation accelerator-based light sources, such as VUV and X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FEL), deliver ultra-brilliant (similar to 10(12)-10(13) photons per bunch) coherent radiation in femtosecond ( 10100 fs) pulses and, thus, require novel focal plane instrumentation in order to fully exploit their unique capabilities. As an additional challenge for detection devices, existing (FLASH. Hamburg) and future FELs (LCLS, Menlo Park; SCSS, Hyogo and the European XFEL, Hamburg) cover a broad range of photon energies from the EUV to the X-ray regime with significantly different bandwidths and pulse structures reaching up to MHz micro-bunch repetition rates. Moreover, hundreds up to trillions of fragment particles, ions, electrons or scattered photons can emerge when a single light flash impinges on matter with intensities up to 10(22) W/cm(2). In order to meet these challenges, the Max Planck Advanced Study Group (ASG) within the Center for Free Electron Laser Science (CFEL) has designed the CFEL-ASG MultiPurpose (CAMP) chamber. It is equipped with specially developed photon and charged particle detection devices dedicated to cover large solid-angles. A variety of different targets are supported, such as atomic, (aligned) molecular and cluster jets, particle injectors for bio-samples or fixed target arrangements. CAMP houses 4 pi solid-angle ion and electron momentum imaging spectrometers ("reaction microscope", REMI, or "velocity map imaging", VMI) in a unique combination with novel, large-area, broadband (50 eV-25 keV), high-dynamic-range, single-photon-counting and imaging X-ray detectors based on the pnCCDs. This instrumentation allows a new class of coherent diffraction experiments in which both electron and ion emission from the target may be simultaneously monitored. This permits the investigation of dynamic processes in this new regime of ultra-intense, high-energy radiation matter interaction. After an introduction into the salient features of the CAMP chamber and the properties of the redesigned REMI/VMI spectrometers, the new 1024 x 1024 pixel format pnCCD imaging detector system will be described in detail. Results of tests of four smaller format (256 x 512) devices of identical performance, conducted at FLASH and BESSY, will be presented and the concept as well as the anticipated properties of the full, large-scale system will be elucidated. The data obtained at both radiation sources illustrate the unprecedented performance of the X-ray detectors, which have a voxel size of 75 x 75 x 4501 mu m(3) and a typical read-out noise of 2.5 electrons (rms) at an operating temperature of -50 degrees C. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Imaging Molecular Structure through Femtosecond Photoelectron Diffraction on Aligned and Oriented Gas-Phase Molecules

This paper gives an account of our progress towards performing femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron diffraction on gas-phase molecules in a pump–probe setup combining optical lasers and an X-ray free-electron laser. We present results of two experiments aimed at measuring photoelectron angular distributions of laser-aligned 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene (C8H5F) and dissociating, laser-aligned 1,4-dibromobenzene (C6H4Br2) molecules and discuss them in the larger context of photoelectron diffraction on gas-phase molecules. We also show how the strong nanosecond laser pulse used for adiabatically laser-aligning the molecules influences the measured electron and ion spectra and angular distributions, and discuss how this may affect the outcome of future time-resolved photoelectron diffraction experiments