Economics of alternative energy sources

An important part of the oil and natural gas at present consumed in the UK is used for the heating of buildings, a demand which shows large diurnal, day-to-day and annual fluctuations. The replacement of this energy by nuclear-generated electricity, as at present envisaged, would require the construction of some 250 GW of additional capacity by the end of the century, a progamme which does not seem feasible. By incorporating relatively cheap, short term storage in the form of low-grade heat, the generating capacity required to fulfil peak demand could be reduced by more than 50%. As soon as such storage is provided, however, other sources of energy become viable and attractive alternatives, and the UK is well situated to make use of wind, wave, and tidal power. It seems likely that the value of North Sea oil/gas reserves as feedstock to the chemical industry will rise sufficiently to make an early reduction in their consumption as fuel of great economic importance.     

Determinant selection is a macrophage dependent immune response gene function

Immune response (Ir) genes are linked to the species histocompatibility complex and define as yet uncharacterised phenotypic products which control the immune response to thymus dependent antigens. Antibody formation and antigen induced T lymphocyte proliferation are two examples of immune phenomena which, in vivo and in vitro, operate under Ir gene influence. To clarify their mechanism of action and cellular location, we have examined the contribution of antigen structure (amino acid sequence and conformation to Ir gene control of antigen recognition by T lymphocytes) as well as to the critical role played by the antigen presenting macrophage in expression of that control. We report that immune response gene control of antigen recognition operates at least in part at the level of the macrophage.     

Influence of PGA1 on cartilage growth

Summary Using the Fell technique of organ culture of cartilage in a chemically defined medium, it has been shown that prostaglandin A₁ at a concentration of 25 g/ml caused chondrocyte death in chick embryonic limb rudiments. An equimolar concentration of PGE₂ was not toxic to the cells.Acknowledgments. We are grateful for the support of C. J. K. by the Medical Research Council and of D. L. G. by the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council for Research. Our thanks are due to Dame Honor Fell, F. R. S. for invaluable advice and guidance, to Dr J. Pike (Upjohn Co.) for supplies of prostaglandin A₁, and to Dr Sylvia Fitton-Jackson for the gift of culture medium.     

Two monoclonal antibodies against different antigens using the same VH germ-line gene

Immunoglobulin diversity seems to arise largely by three mechanisms: (1) the existence of several germ-line genes, which must be rearranged before expression--that is, V and J for the light (L) chains, V, D and J for the heavy (H) chains; (2) somatic events, including mutations and gene conversion; and (3) combinatorial association of heavy and light chains, leading to the proposal that random pairing of p X H and q X L chains might generate p X q antibody molecules expressing discrete specificities. As heavy and light chains derived from the same immunoglobulin molecule would frequently reassociate preferentially, it is likely that only a fraction of potential heavy--light pairs actually provides "valid' antibodies. As a consequence of combinatorial heavy--light chain pairing, antibodies of discrete specificities sharing the same VH region, associated with distinct light chains (or vice versa) should be encountered. We report here that two heavy chains, derived from the same VH germ-line gene, may be present in anti-NP or anti--GAT antibodies, depending on their association with a specific lambda or kappa light chain, respectively.     

Dissociation of glucocorticoid effects of C-21 steroids at high concentrations in thymocytes

Summary A dissociation between inhibition of RNA synthesis and cell lysis was observed when thymocytes of adrenalectomized rats were incubated with high concentrations of pregn-4-ene-11-ol-3, 20-dione and pregna-1,4-diene-11-ol-3,20-dione. In contrast, no dissociation of these effects was found with the typical glucocorticoids cortisol and corticosterone, nor with their 1,4-diene analogs under the same conditions.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina to the Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental and the Programa de Regulación Hormonal y Metabólica as well as by financial help from the Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología.     

Serum inhibitory activity on granulocyte-macrophage colony formation

Summary Normal and chloroform-extracted human sera, fractionated by Sephadex column chromatography, have been tested for inhibitory activity on granulocyte-macrophage (GM) colony formation. It was found that this activity is connected with lipoproteins (inhibitors of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) and low molecular weight substances (7000; 13,000) which can act as specific polypeptide chalones.