ALBERT

Description: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects ∼2% of the world's population. It is estimated that there are more than 500,000 new infections annually in Egypt, the country with the highest HCV prevalence. An effective vaccine would help control this expanding global health burden. HCV is highly variable, and an effective vaccine should target conserved T- and B-cell epitopes of the virus. Conserved B-cell epitopes overlapping the CD81 receptor-binding site (CD81bs) on the E2 viral envelope glycoprotein have been reported previously and provide promising vaccine targets. In this study, we isolated 73 human mAbs recognizing five distinct antigenic regions on the virus envelope glycoprotein complex E1E2 from an HCV-immune phage-display antibody library by using an exhaustive-panning strategy. Many of these mAbs were broadly neutralizing. In particular, the mAb AR4A, recognizing a discontinuous epitope outside the CD81bs on the E1E2 complex, has an exceptionally broad neutralizing activity toward diverse HCV genotypes and protects against heterologous HCV challenge in a small animal model. The mAb panel will be useful for the design and development of vaccine candidates to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies to HCV.

Description: Iron minerals influence the environmental redox behaviour and mobility of metals including the long-lived radionuclide technetium. Technetium is highly mobile in its oxidized form pertechnetate (Tc(VII)[IMG]f1.gif" ALT="Formula" BORDER="0"〉), however, when it is reduced to Tc(IV) it immobilizes readily via precipitation or sorption. In low concentration tracer experiments, and in higher concentration XAS experiments, pertechnetate was added to samples of biogenic and abiotically synthesized Fe(II)-bearing minerals (bio-magnetite, bio-vivianite, bio-siderite and an abiotically precipitated Fe(II) gel). Each mineral scavenged different quantities of Tc(VII) from solution with essentially complete removal in Fe(II)-gel and bio-magnetite systems and with 84{+/-}4% removal onto bio-siderite and 68{+/-}5% removal onto bio-vivianite over 45 days. In select, higher concentration, Tc XAS experiments, XANES spectra showed reductive precipitation to Tc(IV) in all samples. Furthermore, EXAFS spectra for bio-siderite, bio-vivianite and Fe(II)-gel showed that Tc(IV) was present as short range ordered hydrous Tc(IV)O2-like phases in the minerals and for some systems suggested possible incorporation in an octahedral coordination environment. Low concentration reoxidation experiments with air-, and in the case of the Fe(II) gel, nitrate-oxidation of the Tc(IV)-labelled samples resulted in only partial remobilization of Tc. Upon exposure to air, the Tc bound to the Fe-minerals was resistant to oxidative remobilization with a maximum of [~]15% Tc remobilized in the bio-vivianite system after 45 days of air exposure. Nitrate mediated oxidation of Fe(II)-gel inoculated with a stable consortium of nitrate-reducing, Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria showed only 3.8{+/-}0.4% remobilization of reduced Tc(IV), again highlighting the recalcitrance of Tc(IV) to oxidative remobilization in Fe-bearing systems. The resultant XANES spectra of the reoxidized minerals showed Tc(IV)-like spectra in the reoxidized Fe-phases. Overall, this study highlights the role that Fe-bearing biogenic mineral phases have in controlling reductive scavenging of Tc(VII) to hydrous TcO2-like phases onto a range of Fe(II)-bearing minerals. In addition, it suggests that on reoxidation of these phases, Fe-bound Tc(IV) may be octahedrally coordinated and is largely recalcitrant to reoxidation over medium-term timescales. This has implications when considering remediation approaches and in predictions of the long-term fate of Tc in the nuclear legacy.

Description: Suppressing star formation in quiescent galaxies with supermassive black hole winds Nature 533, 7604 (2016). doi:10.1038/nature18006 Authors: Edmond Cheung, Kevin Bundy, Michele Cappellari, Sébastien Peirani, Wiphu Rujopakarn, Kyle Westfall, Renbin Yan, Matthew Bershady, Jenny E. Greene, Timothy M. Heckman, Niv Drory, David R. Law, Karen L. Masters, Daniel Thomas, David A. Wake, Anne-Marie Weijmans, Kate Rubin, Francesco Belfiore, Benedetta Vulcani, Yan-mei Chen, Kai Zhang, Joseph D. Gelfand, Dmitry Bizyaev, A. Roman-Lopes & Donald P. Schneider Quiescent galaxies with little or no ongoing star formation dominate the population of galaxies with masses above 2 × 1010 times that of the Sun; the number of quiescent galaxies has increased by a factor of about 25 over the past ten billion years (refs 1, 2, 3, 4). Once star formation has been shut down, perhaps during the quasar phase of rapid accretion onto a supermassive black hole, an unknown mechanism must remove or heat the gas that is subsequently accreted from either stellar mass loss or mergers and that would otherwise cool to form stars. Energy output from a black hole accreting at a low rate has been proposed, but observational evidence for this in the form of expanding hot gas shells is indirect and limited to radio galaxies at the centres of clusters, which are too rare to explain the vast majority of the quiescent population. Here we report bisymmetric emission features co-aligned with strong ionized-gas velocity gradients from which we infer the presence of centrally driven winds in typical quiescent galaxies that host low-luminosity active nuclei. These galaxies are surprisingly common, accounting for as much as ten per cent of the quiescent population with masses around 2 × 1010 times that of the Sun. In a prototypical example, we calculate that the energy input from the galaxy’s low-level active supermassive black hole is capable of driving the observed wind, which contains sufficient mechanical energy to heat ambient, cooler gas (also detected) and thereby suppress star formation.

Description: Although grand-design spiral galaxies are relatively common in the local Universe, only one has been spectroscopically confirmed to lie at redshift z 〉 2 (HDFX 28; z = 2.011); and it may prove to be a major merger that simply resembles a spiral in projection. The rarity of spirals has been explained as a result of disks being dynamically 'hot' at z 〉 2 (refs 2-5), which may instead favour the formation of commonly observed clumpy structures. Alternatively, current instrumentation may simply not be sensitive enough to detect spiral structures comparable to those in the modern Universe. At z 〈 2, the velocity dispersion of disks decreases, and spiral galaxies are more numerous by z approximately 1 (refs 7, 13-15). Here we report observations of the grand-design spiral galaxy Q2343-BX442 at z = 2.18. Spectroscopy of ionized gas shows that the disk is dynamically hot, implying an uncertain origin for the spiral structure. The kinematics of the galaxy are consistent with a thick disk undergoing a minor merger, which can drive the formation of short-lived spiral structure. A duty cycle of 〈100 Myr for such tidally induced spiral structure in a hot massive disk is consistent with its rarity.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Law, David R -- Shapley, Alice E -- Steidel, Charles C -- Reddy, Naveen A -- Christensen, Charlotte R -- Erb, Dawn K -- England -- Nature. 2012 Jul 18;487(7407):338-40. doi: 10.1038/nature11256.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St George Street, Toronto M5S 3H4, Ontario, Canada. drlaw@di.utoronto.ca〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22810697" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: 〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Browman, Howard I -- Law, Richard -- Marshall, C Tara -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2008 Apr 4;320(5872):47-50; author reply 47-50. doi: 10.1126/science.320.5872.47b.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18388275" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: 〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Garcia, S M -- Kolding, J -- Rice, J -- Rochet, M-J -- Zhou, S -- Arimoto, T -- Beyer, J E -- Borges, L -- Bundy, A -- Dunn, D -- Fulton, E A -- Hall, M -- Heino, M -- Law, R -- Makino, M -- Rijnsdorp, A D -- Simard, F -- Smith, A D M -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2012 Mar 2;335(6072):1045-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1214594.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Commission on Ecosystem Management, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-CEM), Fisheries Expert Group, Brussels, Belgium.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22383833" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉

Description: Leaf size varies by over a 100,000-fold among species worldwide. Although 19th-century plant geographers noted that the wet tropics harbor plants with exceptionally large leaves, the latitudinal gradient of leaf size has not been well quantified nor the key climatic drivers convincingly identified. Here, we characterize worldwide patterns in leaf size. Large-leaved species predominate in wet, hot, sunny environments; small-leaved species typify hot, sunny environments only in arid conditions; small leaves are also found in high latitudes and elevations. By modeling the balance of leaf energy inputs and outputs, we show that daytime and nighttime leaf-to-air temperature differences are key to geographic gradients in leaf size. This knowledge can enrich "next-generation" vegetation models in which leaf temperature and water use during photosynthesis play key roles.

Description: Plastics have outgrown most man-made materials and have long been under environmental scrutiny. However, robust global information, particularly about their end-of-life fate, is lacking. By identifying and synthesizing dispersed data on production, use, and end-of-life management of polymer resins, synthetic fibers, and additives, we present the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics ever manufactured. We estimate that 8300 million metric tons (Mt) as of virgin plastics have been produced to date. As of 2015, approximately 6300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050.

Description: Quiescent galaxies with little or no ongoing star formation dominate the population of galaxies with masses above 2 x 10(10) times that of the Sun; the number of quiescent galaxies has increased by a factor of about 25 over the past ten billion years (refs 1-4). Once star formation has been shut down, perhaps during the quasar phase of rapid accretion onto a supermassive black hole, an unknown mechanism must remove or heat the gas that is subsequently accreted from either stellar mass loss or mergers and that would otherwise cool to form stars. Energy output from a black hole accreting at a low rate has been proposed, but observational evidence for this in the form of expanding hot gas shells is indirect and limited to radio galaxies at the centres of clusters, which are too rare to explain the vast majority of the quiescent population. Here we report bisymmetric emission features co-aligned with strong ionized-gas velocity gradients from which we infer the presence of centrally driven winds in typical quiescent galaxies that host low-luminosity active nuclei. These galaxies are surprisingly common, accounting for as much as ten per cent of the quiescent population with masses around 2 x 10(10) times that of the Sun. In a prototypical example, we calculate that the energy input from the galaxy's low-level active supermassive black hole is capable of driving the observed wind, which contains sufficient mechanical energy to heat ambient, cooler gas (also detected) and thereby suppress star formation.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Cheung, Edmond -- Bundy, Kevin -- Cappellari, Michele -- Peirani, Sebastien -- Rujopakarn, Wiphu -- Westfall, Kyle -- Yan, Renbin -- Bershady, Matthew -- Greene, Jenny E -- Heckman, Timothy M -- Drory, Niv -- Law, David R -- Masters, Karen L -- Thomas, Daniel -- Wake, David A -- Weijmans, Anne-Marie -- Rubin, Kate -- Belfiore, Francesco -- Vulcani, Benedetta -- Chen, Yan-mei -- Zhang, Kai -- Gelfand, Joseph D -- Bizyaev, Dmitry -- Roman-Lopes, A -- Schneider, Donald P -- England -- Nature. 2016 May 25;533(7604):504-8. doi: 10.1038/nature18006.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (World Premier International Research Center Initiative), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583, Japan. ; Sub-department of Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK. ; Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (UMR 7095, CNRS and UPMC), 98 bis Boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris, France. ; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. ; Institute for Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK. ; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, USA. ; Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. ; Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA. ; Center for Astrophysical Sciences, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA. ; McDonald Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, Texas 78712-0259, USA. ; Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA. ; Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK. ; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, UK. ; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. ; Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 19 J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK. ; Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK. ; Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. ; New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ; Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, New York University, Meyer Hall of Physics, 4 Washington Place, New York, New York 10003, USA. ; Apache Point Observatory and New Mexico State University, PO Box 59, Sunspot, New Mexico 88349-0059, USA. ; Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. ; Departamento de Fisica y Astronomia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Cisternas 1200, La Serena, Chile. ; Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. ; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27225122" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉