Development of an intense positron source using a crystal--amorphous hybrid target for linear colliders

In a conventional positron source driven by a few GeV electron beam, a high amount of heat is loaded into a positron converter target to generate intense positrons required by linear colliders, and which would eventually damage the converter target. A hybrid target, composed of a single crystal target as a radiator of intense gamma--rays, and an amorphous converter target placed downstream of the crystal, was proposed as a scheme which could overcome the problem.This paper describes the development of an intense positron source with the hybrid target. A series of experiments on positron generation with the hybrid target has been carried out with a 8--GeV electron beam at the KEKB linac. We observed that positron yield from the hybrid target increased when the incident electron beam was aligned to the crystal axis and exceeded the one from the conventional target with the converter target of the same thickness, when its thickness is less than about 2 radiation length. The measurements in the temperature rise of the amorphous converter target was successfully carried out by use of thermocouples. These results lead to establishment to the evaluation of the hybrid target as an intense positron source.Comment: 17pages, 10figure

Positron sources using channeling: A promising device for linear colliders

The need of intense and bright positron sources for linear colliders has urged the researches on polarized and unpolarized positrons. For 20 years, continuous theoretical and experimental investigations on unpolarized positron sources using axially channelled electrons in aligned monocrystals have pointed to efficient solutions concerning not only the source intensity, but also the minimization of the deposited energy. Simulations using the channelling programme of V. Strakhovenko associated to GEANT4, provided a description of such sources composed of tungsten crystals as photon radiators and amorphous tungsten as converters, the so-called hybrid source; the incident electron energies are taken between 5 and 10 GeV. Here, some applications are shown for CLIC, for which this source is the baseline, and also for ILC. The simulations are also concerning the test at KEK of such hybrid source, with a sweeping magnet separating the crystal radiator and an amorphous converter. Future developments on the simulation programme are also reported. The main issues for such sources are also analyzed

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 >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

Flavoxobin, a serine protease from Trimeresurus flavoviridis (habu snake) venom, independently cleaves Arg726-Ser727 of human C3 and acts as a novel, heterologous C3 convertase

We have recently shown that crude Trimeresurus flavoviridis (habu snake) venom has a strong capability for activating the human alternative complement system. To identify the active component, the crude venom was fractionated and purified by serial chromatography using Sephadex G-100, CM-cellulose C-52, diethylaminoethyl-Toyopearl 650M, and Butyl-Toyopearl, and the active fractions were evaluated by the C3a-releasing and soluble membrane attack complex-forming activities. Two peak fractions with the highest activities were detected after gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography, and the first fraction was purified to homogeneity. The homogeneous protein was examined for its N-terminal amino acid sequence by Edman degradation. The determined sequence of 25 amino acids completely coincided with that of a previously reported serine protease with coagulant activity, flavoxobin, purified from the same snake venom. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of the complement activation, the reactive products of the mixture of the purified human C3 and flavoxobin were examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The digesting pattern revealed that flavoxobin cleaves the α chain of the C3 molecule into two fragments. The N-terminal amino acid sequences for the remnant fragments of C3 disclosed that flavoxobin severs the human C3 at the Arg726-Ser727 site to form C3b and C3a the way C3bBb, the human alternative C3 convertase, does. In conclusion, flavoxobin acts as a novel, heterologous C3 convertase that independently cleaves human C3 and kick-starts the complement cascade

Atg9a controls dsDNA-driven dynamic translocation of STING and the innate immune response

Microbial nucleic acids are critical for the induction of innate immune responses, a host defense mechanism against infection by microbes. Recent studies have indicated that double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) induces potent innate immune responses via the induction of type I IFN (IFN) and IFN-inducible genes. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying dsDNA-triggered signaling are not fully understood. Here we show that the translocation and assembly of the essential signal transducers, stimulator of IFN genes (STING) and TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), are required for dsDNA-triggered innate immune responses. After sensing dsDNA, STING moves from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus and finally reaches the cytoplasmic punctate structures to assemble with TBK1. The addition of an ER-retention signal to the C terminus of STING dampens its ability to induce antiviral responses. We also show that STING co-localizes with the autophagy proteins, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and autophagy-related gene 9a (Atg9a), after dsDNA stimulation. The loss of Atg9a, but not that of another autophagy-related gene (Atg7), greatly enhances the assembly of STING and TBK1 by dsDNA, leading to aberrant activation of the innate immune response. Hence Atg9a functions as a regulator of innate immunity following dsDNA stimulation as well as an essential autophagy protein. These results demonstrate that dynamic membrane traffic mediates the sequential translocation and assembly of STING, both of which are essential processes required for maximal activation of the innate immune response triggered by dsDNA