The DNA-binding domain of human papillomavirus type 18 E1. Crystal structure, dimerization, and DNA binding

High risk types of human papillomavirus, such as type 18 (HPV-18), cause cervical carcinoma, one of the most frequent causes of cancer death in women worldwide. DNA replication is one of the central processes in viral maintenance, and the machinery involved is an excellent target for the design of antiviral therapy. The papillomaviral DNA replication initiation protein E1 has origin recognition and ATP-dependent DNA melting and helicase activities, and it consists of a DNA-binding domain and an ATPase/helicase domain. While monomeric in solution, E1 binds DNA as a dimer. Dimerization occurs via an interaction of hydrophobic residues on a single alpha-helix of each monomer. Here we present the crystal structure of the monomeric HPV-18 E1 DNA-binding domain refined to 1.8-A resolution. The structure reveals that the dimerization helix is significantly different from that of bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1). However, we demonstrate that the analogous residues required for E1 dimerization in BPV-1 and the low risk HPV-11 are also required for HPV-18 E1. We also present evidence that the HPV-18 E1 DNA-binding domain does not share the same nucleotide and amino acid requirements for specific DNA recognition as BPV-1 and HPV-11 E1

Unravelling perceptions of Eurasian beaver reintroduction in Great Britain

This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Data Accessibility: Due to ethical concerns resulting from the permissions given by participants for use of data in this research, supporting data cannot be made openly available. Data are held by the corresponding author.International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines state that anticipated impacts must be considered in wildlife reintroduction, including the impacts on humans. Further, since reintroduction projects can be halted by resulting human–wildlife conflicts or human–human conflicts about wildlife, the perceptions of stakeholders and publics are of great importance. Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) reintroduction is being debated in Great Britain at a devolved level. A decision has already been taken in Scotland to allow beavers already present to remain, while a number of reintroduction trials are taking place in England (both fenced and unfenced). There are also proposals for a reintroduction trial in Wales. We use a sub‐set of results from a nationwide survey (n = 2,759) to identify four social areas that we propose decision‐makers should consider in the debate: key stakeholder perceptions; engagement methods; attitudes towards legal protection and management responsibilities; and support for management techniques. In this paper, we investigate the complex social dimensions of wildlife reintroduction and we argue that emphasis should be placed on the need to recognise societal perceptions of potential management solutions, beyond perceptions of reintroduction itself. This is paramount in order to develop a management strategy that is more likely to garner social support and reduce potential future conflicts, should beaver reintroduction proceed.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC

An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter

We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary body of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km), during the probe's fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. All in all, it is demonstrated how the descent probe has the potential to provide a high science return to a mission at a low extra level of complexity, engineering effort, and risk. This study builds upon earlier studies for a Callisto Descent Probe (CDP) for the former Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) of ESA and NASA, and extends them with a detailed assessment of a descent probe designed to be an additional science payload for the NASA Europa Mission.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure

Magnetospheric lion roars

International audienceThe Equator-S magnetometer is very sensitive and has a sampling rate normally of 128 Hz. The high sampling rate for the first time allows detection of ELF waves between the ion cyclotron and the lower hybrid frequencies in the equatorial dawnside magnetosphere. The characteristics of these waves are virtually identical to the lion roars typically seen at the bottom of the magnetic troughs of magnetosheath mirror waves. The magnetospheric lion roars are near-monochromatic packets of electron whistler waves lasting for a few wave cycles only, typically 0.2 s. They are right-hand circularly polarized waves with typical amplitudes of 0.5 nT at around one tenth of the electron gyrofrequency. The cone angle between wave vector and ambient field is nearly always smaller than 1°

The role of marine reserves in achieving sustainable fisheries (One contribution of 15 to a Theme Issue 'Fisheries: a Future?')

Many fishery management tools currently in use have conservation value. They are designed to maintain stocks of commercially important species above target levels. However, their limitations are evident from continuing declines in fish stocks throughout the world. We make the case that to reverse fishery declines, safeguard marine life and sustain ecosystem processes, extensive marine reserves that are off limits to fishing must become part of the management strategy. Marine reserves should be incorporated into modern fishery management because they can achieve many things that conventional tools cannot. Only complete and permanent protection from fishing can protect the most sensitive habitats and vulnerable species. Only reserves will allow the development of natural, extended age structures of target species, maintain their genetic variability and prevent deleterious evolutionary change from the effects of fishing. Species with natural age structures will sustain higher rates of reproduction and will be more resilient to environmental variability. Higher stock levels maintained by reserves will provide insurance against management failure, including risk-prone quota setting, provided the broader conservation role of reserves is firmly established and legislatively protected. Fishery management measures outside protected areas are necessary to complement the protection offered by marine reserves, but cannot substitute for it

Global properties of magnetotail current sheet flapping: THEMIS perspectives

A sequence of magnetic field oscillations with an amplitude of up to 30 nT and a time scale of 30 min was detected by four of the five THEMIS spacecraft in the magnetotail plasma sheet. The probes P1 and P2 were at &lt;I&gt;X&lt;/I&gt;=&amp;minus;15.2 and &amp;minus;12.7 &lt;I&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;E&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt; and P3 and P4 were at &lt;I&gt;X&lt;/I&gt;=&amp;minus;7.9 &lt;I&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;E&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;. All four probes were at &amp;minus;6.5&amp;gt;&lt;I&gt;Y&lt;/I&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;minus;7.5 &lt;I&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;E&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt; (major conjunction). Multi-point timing analysis of the magnetic field variations shows that fronts of the oscillations propagated flankward (dawnward and Earthward) nearly perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic maximum variation (&lt;I&gt;B&lt;/I&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;) at velocities of 20–30 km/s. These are typical characteristics of current sheet flapping motion. The observed anti-correlation between ∂&lt;I&gt;B&lt;/I&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;/∂&lt;I&gt;t&lt;/I&gt; and the Z-component of the bulk velocity make it possible to estimate a flapping amplitude of 1 to 3 &lt;I&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;E&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;. The cross-tail scale wave-length was found to be about 5 &lt;I&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;E&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;. Thus the flapping waves are steep tail-aligned structures with a lengthwise scale of &amp;gt;10 &lt;I&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;E&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;. The intermittent plasma motion with the cross-tail velocity component changing its sign, observed during flapping, indicates that the flapping waves were propagating through the ambient plasma. Simultaneous observations of the magnetic field variations by THEMIS ground-based magnetometers show that the flapping oscillations were observed during the growth phase of a substorm

Should individual animals be given names in wildlife reintroductions?

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: This manuscript is a perspective piece drawing on case study examples. It does not include data.Individual animals are often given names by humans. For example, names are attributed to domestic animals to acknowledge their closeness to people, some research studies use names to identify differences between individuals in a study group, or zoos often use names to tell stories that attract public or media attention. Publicly naming individual animals can provide opportunities in conservation, but there are also risks. In this perspective we exemplify such opportunities and risks in the context of wildlife reintroductions. We draw on examples and observations from our experience researching Eurasian beaver Castor fiber reintroduction in England, to encourage careful thinking before publicly attributing a name to an individual in reintroduction projects. Naming individuals in reintroduction can: be a low-cost engagement tool; help people relate to unfamiliar reintroduced species; encourage local ownership of reintroduction projects; enable an effective tool for communicating information about the species and ways to coexist; or support creative or cultural expression. Yet naming individuals in reintroduction could: risk misrepresentation of natural species characteristics; make it challenging to normalise the sense that the reintroduced species is a wild animal; unintentionally imply that humans have ownership or power over the animal; cause distraction from establishing viable populations due to focus on the individual; or result in human investment in individual animals, which may have influence on reintroduction outcomes if that animal later comes to harm or dies (naturally or otherwise). Synthesis and Applications. We argue there is more to the act of naming individuals than may first appear. If considering doing so, we call for careful thought about whether it is appropriate and how to go about it. While we intentionally refrain from concluding whether ‘to name or not to name’, we call for careful, informative, message framing that takes advantage of the opportunities and is prepared for future circumstances, when naming of individuals does take place. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog

Report of the ICES\NAFO Joint Working Group on Deep-water Ecology (WGDEC), 11–15 March 2013, Floedevigen, Norway.

On 11 February 2013, the joint ICES/NAFO WGDEC, chaired by Francis Neat (UK) and attended by ten members met at the Institute for Marine Research in Floedevi-gen, Norway to consider the terms of reference (ToR) listed in Section 2. WGDEC was requested to update all records of deep-water vulnerable marine eco-systems (VMEs) in the North Atlantic. New data from a range of sources including multibeam echosounder surveys, fisheries surveys, habitat modelling and seabed imagery surveys was provided. For several areas across the North Atlantic, WGDEC makes recommendations for areas to be closed to bottom fisheries for the purposes of conservation of VMEs