First Measurement of the Nuclear-Recoil Ionization Yield in Silicon at 100 eV.

We measured the nuclear-recoil ionization yield in silicon with a cryogenic phonon-sensitive gram-scale detector. Neutrons from a monoenergetic beam scatter off of the silicon nuclei at angles corresponding to energy depositions from 4 keV down to 100 eV, the lowest energy probed so far. The results show no sign of an ionization production threshold above 100 eV. These results call for further investigation of the ionization yield theory and a comprehensive determination of the detector response function at energies below the keV scale.

Constraints on Lightly Ionizing Particles from CDMSlite.

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search low ionization threshold experiment (CDMSlite) achieved efficient detection of very small recoil energies in its germanium target, resulting in sensitivity to lightly ionizing particles (LIPs) in a previously unexplored region of charge, mass, and velocity parameter space. We report first direct-detection limits calculated using the optimum interval method on the vertical intensity of cosmogenically produced LIPs with an electric charge smaller than e/(3×10^{5}), as well as the strongest limits for charge ≤e/160, with a minimum vertical intensity of 1.36×10^{-7} cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} at charge e/160. These results apply over a wide range of LIP masses (5 MeV/c^{2} to 100 TeV/c^{2}) and cover a wide range of ßγ values (0.1-10^{6}), thus excluding nonrelativistic LIPs with ßγ as small as 0.1 for the first time.

Light Dark Matter Search with a High-Resolution Athermal Phonon Detector Operated above Ground.

We present limits on spin-independent dark matter-nucleon interactions using a 10.6 g Si athermal phonon detector with a baseline energy resolution of σ_{E}=3.86±0.04(stat)_{-0.00}^{+0.19}(syst) eV. This exclusion analysis sets the most stringent dark matter-nucleon scattering cross-section limits achieved by a cryogenic detector for dark matter particle masses from 93 to 140 MeV/c^{2}, with a raw exposure of 9.9 g d acquired at an above-ground facility. This work illustrates the scientific potential of detectors with athermal phonon sensors with eV-scale energy resolution for future dark matter searches.

Erratum: First Dark Matter Constraints from a SuperCDMS Single-Charge Sensitive Detector [Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 051301 (2018)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.051301.

First Dark Matter Constraints from a SuperCDMS Single-Charge Sensitive Detector.

We present the first limits on inelastic electron-scattering dark matter and dark photon absorption using a prototype SuperCDMS detector having a charge resolution of 0.1 electron-hole pairs (CDMS HVeV, a 0.93 g CDMS high-voltage device). These electron-recoil limits significantly improve experimental constraints on dark matter particles with masses as low as 1 MeV/c^{2}. We demonstrate a sensitivity to dark photons competitive with other leading approaches but using substantially less exposure (0.49 g d). These results demonstrate the scientific potential of phonon-mediated semiconductor detectors that are sensitive to single electronic excitations.

Results from the Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment at Soudan.

We report the result of a blinded search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) using the majority of the SuperCDMS Soudan data set. With an exposure of 1690 kg d, a single candidate event is observed, consistent with expected backgrounds. This analysis (combined with previous Ge results) sets an upper limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section of 1.4×10^{-44} (1.0×10^{-44}) cm^{2} at 46 GeV/c^{2}. These results set the strongest limits for WIMP-germanium-nucleus interactions for masses >12 GeV/c^{2}.

Susceptibility or resistance to Leishmania infection is dictated by the macrophages evolved under the influence of IL-3 or GM-CSF.

Although enhanced monocytopoiesis is a hallmark of leishmaniasis, its significance in determining the course of the disease has not been addressed. While the number of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-secreting cells increases in the draining lymph nodes in a resistant mouse strain (C57BL/6) during disease, in a susceptible strain (BALB/c) the number of interleukin-3 (IL-3)-secreting cells increases. Treatment of BALB/c mice with anti-IL-3 antibody significantly reduces the disease score. Bone marrow macrophages derived under stimulation with IL-3 (IL-3-Mphi) or GM-CSF (GM-Mphi) differ functionally. GM-Mphi are significantly more responsive to IFN-gamma-induced augmentation and more refractory to IL-4-mediated suppression of anti-leishmanial activity than IL-3-Mphi. LPS-induced IL-12 and TNF-alpha secretion by both the susceptible and resistant strain-derived macrophage subsets are down-regulated. Despite down-regulation of IL-12 secretion, GM-Mphi favor expansion of IFN-gamma-secreting cells and IL-3-Mphi favor IL-6-dependent expansion of the IL-4-secreting Th subset. Adoptive transfer of leishmanial antigen-pulsed IL-3-Mphi and GM-Mphi prior to infection either aggravated or reduced the disease score, respectively, in BALB/c mice. Anti-IL-6 treatment reverted the Th subset profile not only in vitro but also in vivo, resulting in a reduced disease score in both infected BALB/c mice and IL-3-Mphi recipients. The disease score in IL-3-Mphi recipients is also reduced significantly after anti-IL-4 treatment.

Treatment with humanized monoclonal antibody against CD154 prevents acute renal allograft rejection in nonhuman primates.

CD154 is the ligand for the receptor CD40. This ligand-receptor pair mediates endothelial and antigen-presenting cell activation, and facilitates the interaction of these cells with T cells and platelets. We demonstrate here that administration of a CD154-specific monoclonal antibody (hu5C8) allows for renal allotransplantation in outbred, MHC-mismatched rhesus monkeys without acute rejection. The effect persisted for more than 10 months after therapy termination, and no additional drug was required to achieve extended graft survival. Indeed, the use of tacrolimus or chronic steroids seemed to antagonize the anti-rejection effect. Monkeys treated with antibody against CD154 remained healthy during and after therapy. The mechanism of action does not require global depletion of T or B cells. Long-term survivors lost their mixed lymphocyte reactivity in a donor-specific manner, but still formed donor-specific antibody and generated T cells that infiltrated the grafted organ without any obvious effect on graft function. Thus, therapy with antibody against CD154 is a promising agent for clinical use in human allotransplantation.

CTLA4 (CD152) modulates the Th subset response and alters the course of experimental Leishmania major infection.

Since both the nature and the amplitude of an antigen-specific T cell response are dependent on co-stimulatory signals, we have investigated the role of CD28/CD152-mediated T cell co-stimulation in the regulation of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis. CD28-deficient mice and their wild-type littermates are equally susceptible to Leishmania major infection. Whole anti-CD152 antibody significantly exacerbates the disease while anti-CD152 Fab ameliorates the disease in genetically susceptible BALB/c mice but not in C57BL/6, a resistant strain. The anti-CD152-induced exacerbation of the disease is accompanied by increased IL-4-secreting cell number, diminished parasite-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response and augmented anti-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) IgG1 in response to TNP-leishmanial antigen crude soluble antigen (CSA), suggesting an exaggerated Th2 type of response. Anti-CD152 Fab-mediated amelioration of the disease is associated with increased IFN-gamma-secreting cell number, increased parasite-specific DTH response and enhanced IgG2a isotype in response to TNP-CSA suggesting a Th1 type of response. Unlike TNP-CSA, TNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin does not induce the change in Ig isotype, indicating that the immunomodulatory effect of anti-CD152 is antigen specific. Anti-CD152 antibody-induced early change in Th subsets suggests an important role for CD152 in determining the course of L. major infection, perhaps by alteration of Th subset differentiation.

Treatment of lepra reaction and lepromatous ulcers by antimony and the arsphenamides

1- Intramuscular injection of fouadin in acute lepra reaction causes a fall in temperature with simultaneous clinical improvement in a large proportion of cases, provided they are definitely acute. 2- The same results are obtainable by the injection of prontosil. The action of this drug appears to be more constant and more pronounced than that of fouadin. 3- Intra-arterial injection of 5 to 10 cc. of soluseptasine in septic leprotic ulcers and burns results in their rapid cleansing with corresponding improvement in the general condition. Growth of healthy granulations is promoted and dead tissue is rapidly eliminated. 4- Despite the presumably greater concentration of the drug on the injected side, the effect does not seem to be more pronounced than on the noninjected side. 5- The results obtained by the intramuscular injection of soluseptasine do not seem to be inferior to those obtained by the employment of the intra-arterial route. 6- The hypothesis that acute lepra reaction is due to secondary infection is rendered more plausible by the success of prontosil in the treatment of this condition. 7- Neither fouadin nor the arsphenamides appear to possess the least curative value on leprosy itself. Their virtue lies in their action against the inflammatory element (secondary infection). 8- The treatment of burns and lepromatous ulcers is greatly simplified by chematherapy. Their rapid cleansing is insured without active local treatment, and elastoplast can be applied at a much earlier date than ordinarily. 9- In neural cases chematherapy does not dispense with surgical treatment in the presence of necrosed bone. When, on the other hand, the septic condition originates in the tendon sheaths or small articulations, chemotherapy may render surgical measures unnecessary. 10- Further experimentation to determine the value of chemotherapy in acute laryngeal obstruction and ulcerations of the mouth in advanced lepromatous cases is desirable. 11- Should the results obtained in the present series be confirmed by other authors, the treatment of septic conditions in leper asylums will be revolutionized.

A leprosy survey of the eastern border districts of Basutoland: showing the results of strict segregation combined with inspectorate control, and the history of a lepper family

A leprosy survey of the eastern border districts of asutoland is described. The results are summarized: 13,187 individuals examined, 42 new cases found. The extraordinary benignity of these cases is stressed: 90.5 percent are N1, while only 7.1 percent were C1 and 2.4 percent C1-N1. More than 50 percent of the neural cases are clinically almost negligible, the rest are early and slight. Most of the recurrences are extremely mild, and none of them severe or obviously infectious. The position revealed by the survey is described as highly encouraging, if not unique. There seemed to be no definite relationship between malnutrition, scabies, and syphilis on the one hand leprosy on the other. The most heavily infected families were well nourished, but very dirty. The probable incidence of leprosy in Basutoland is estimated at a little over two per thousand of the population. The present satisfactory position is attributed to the success of the Native Leprosy Inspectorate established in 1929. The methods employed by these inspectors are described. The writer is of the opinion that the employment of natives is essential.