IMMUNE RESPONSES IN VITRO : VI. GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IN VIVO-IN VITRO DISCREPANCIES IN 19S ANTIBODY SYNTHESIS

The finding that the relationship of the in vitro and in vivo responses of different strains of mice is under genetic control indicates that at least two mechanisms must operate under in vivo conditions to control 19S antibody synthesis. One is involved in the termination of 19S antibody synthesis; the other has a regulatory role on the magnitude of the response. In light of these findings, various concepts based on other genetically controlled immune responses and on the limiting dilution technique should be reassessed. Furthermore, the suppressive in vivo mechanism may be an important type of control in the resistance or susceptibility to the establishment or maintainance of neoplasms

Trapping of Neutral Mercury Atoms and Prospects for Optical Lattice Clocks

We report a vapor-cell magneto-optical trapping of Hg isotopes on the ${}^1S_0-{}^3P_1$ intercombination transition. Six abundant isotopes, including four bosons and two fermions, were trapped. Hg is the heaviest non-radioactive atom trapped so far, which enables sensitive atomic searches for ``new physics'' beyond the standard model. We propose an accurate optical lattice clock based on Hg and evaluate its systematic accuracy to be better than $10^{-18}$. Highly accurate and stable Hg-based clocks will provide a new avenue for the research of optical lattice clocks and the time variation of the fine-structure constant.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

The high-precision, charge-dependent Bonn nucleon-nucleon potential (CD-Bonn)

We present a charge-dependent nucleon-nucleon (NN) potential that fits the world proton-proton data below 350 MeV available in the year of 2000 with a chi^2 per datum of 1.01 for 2932 data and the corresponding neutron-proton data with chi^2/datum = 1.02 for 3058 data. This reproduction of the NN data is more accurate than by any phase-shift analysis and any other NN potential. The charge-dependence of the present potential (that has been dubbed `CD-Bonn') is based upon the predictions by the Bonn Full Model for charge-symmetry and charge-independence breaking in all partial waves with J <= 4. The potential is represented in terms of the covariant Feynman amplitudes for one-boson exchange which are nonlocal. Therefore, the off-shell behavior of the CD-Bonn potential differs in a characteristic and well-founded way from commonly used local potentials and leads to larger binding energies in nuclear few- and many-body systems, where underbinding is a persistent problem.Comment: 69 pages (RevTex) including 20 tables and 9 figures (ps files

2D nanosheet molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) modified electrodes explored towards the hydrogen evolution reaction

We explore the use of two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 nanosheets as an electro-catalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). Using four commonly employed commercially available carbon based electrode support materials, namely edge plane pyrolytic graphite (EPPG), glassy carbon (GC), boron-doped diamond (BDD) and screen-printed graphite electrodes (SPE), we critically evaluate the reported electro-catalytic performance of unmodified and MoS2 modified electrodes towards the HER. Surprisingly, current literature focuses almost exclusively on the use of GC as an underling support electrode upon which HER materials are immobilised. 2D MoS2 nanosheet modified electrodes are found to exhibit a coverage dependant electrocatalytic effect towards the HER. Modification of the supporting electrode surface with an optimal mass of 2D MoS2 nanosheets results in a lowering of the HER onset potential by ca. 0.33, 0.57, 0.29 and 0.31 V at EPPG, GC, SPE and BDD electrodes compared to their unmodified counterparts respectively. The lowering of the HER onset potential is associated with each supporting electrodes individual electron transfer kinetics/properties. The effect of MoS2 coverage is also explored. We reveal that its ability to catalyse the HER is dependent on the mass deposited until a critical mass of 2D MoS2 nanosheets is achieved, after which its electrocatalytic benefits and/or surface stability curtail. The active surface site density and turn over frequency for the 2D MoS2 nanosheets is determined, characterised and found to be dependent on both the coverage of 2D MoS2 nanosheets and the underlying/supporting substrate. This work is essential for those designing, fabricating and consequently electrochemically testing 2D nanosheet materials for the HER

Self-optimizing, highly surface-active layered metal dichalcogenide catalysts for hydrogen evolution

Low-cost, layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (MX_2) based on molybdenum and tungsten have attracted substantial interest as alternative catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). These materials have high intrinsic per-site HER activity; however, a significant challenge is the limited density of active sites, which are concentrated at the layer edges. Here we unravel electronic factors underlying catalytic activity on MX_2 surfaces, and leverage the understanding to report group-5 MX_2 (H-TaS_2 and H-NbS_2) electrocatalysts whose performance instead mainly derives from highly active basal-plane sites, as suggested by our first-principles calculations and performance comparisons with edge-active counterparts. Beyond high catalytic activity, they are found to exhibit an unusual ability to optimize their morphology for enhanced charge transfer and accessibility of active sites as the HER proceeds, offering a practical advantage for scalable processing. The catalysts reach 10 mA cm^(−2) current density at an overpotential of ∼50–60 mV with a loading of 10–55 μg cm^(−2), surpassing other reported MX2 candidates without any performance-enhancing additives

In Situ Data and Effect Correlation During September 2017 Solar Particle Event

Solar energetic particles are one of the main sources of particle radiation seen in space. In the first part of September 2017 the most active solar period of cycle 24 produced four large X-class flares and a series of (interplanetary) coronal mass ejections, which gave rise to radiation storms seen over all energies and at the ground by neutron monitors. This paper presents comprehensive cross comparisons of in situ radiation detector data from near-Earth satellites to give an appraisal on the state of present data processing for monitors of such particles. Many of these data sets have been the target of previous cross calibrations, and this event with a hard spectrum provides the opportunity to validate these results. As a result of the excellent agreement found between these data sets and the use of neutron monitor data, this paper also presents an analytical expression for fluence spectrum for the event. Derived ionizing dose values have been computed to show that although there is a significant high-energy component, the event was not particularly concerning as regards dose effects in spacecraft electronics. Several sets of spacecraft data illustrating single event effects are presented showing a more significant impact in this regard. Such a hard event can penetrate thick shielding; human dose quantities measured inside the International Space Station and derived through modeling for aircraft altitudes are also presented. Lastly, simulation results of coronal mass ejection propagation through the heliosphere are presented along with data from Mars-orbiting spacecraft in addition to data from the Mars surface

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all &gt;0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council