Formation of the coherent heavy fermion liquid at the 'hidden order' transition in URu2Si2

In this article we present high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) spectra of the heavy-fermion superconductor URu$_2$Si$_2$. Measurements as a function of both excitation energy and temperature allow us to disentangle a variety of spectral features, revealing the evolution of the low energy electronic structure across the hidden order transition. Already above the hidden order transition our measurements reveal the existence of weakly dispersive states below the Fermi level that exhibit a large scattering rate. Upon entering the hidden order phase, these states transform into a coherent heavy fermion liquid that hybridizes with the conduction bands.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

In Search of a Common European Approach to a Healthy Indoor Environment

Increasingly, policymakers in Europe and around the world are realizing the importance of healthy indoor environments for public health. Certain member states of the European Union (EU) have already achieved successes in improving indoor environmental quality, such as controlling certain contaminants (e.g., environmental tobacco smoke) or developing nationwide policies that address indoor air generally. However, a common European approach to achieving healthy indoor environments is desirable for several reasons including providing a broader recognition of the problem of unhealthy indoor air, setting a policy example for all 27 EU member states, and achieving greater public health equity across the different European nations. In this article we address the question “Why is it so difficult in the EU to develop a coherent approach on indoor environment?” We identify and describe four main barriers: a) the subsidiarity principle in EU policymaking, introducing decentralization of decision making to the member states; b) fragmentation of the topic of the indoor environment; c) the differences in climate and governance among different member states that make a common policy difficult; and d) economic issues. We discuss potential lessons and recommendations from EU and U.S. successes in achieving healthier indoor environments through various policy mechanisms

A method for the in-situ study of solid-state joining techniques using synchrotron radiation - observation of phase transformations in Ti-6Al-4V after friction surfacing

The solid-state deposition process Friction Surfacing (FS) was applied to Ti-6Al-4V alloy on portable welding equipment at a high-energy synchrotron beamline. The heat input and coating thickness were altered by varying the deposition speed. X-ray diffraction was carried out in-situ during the deposition process and the cooling of the coated samples. Phase transformations were evaluated and correlated with thermal cycles determined by thermocouples and an infrared camera. SEM investigation of the coating microstructure was conducted to examine the morphology of the $α$ phase. During FS the coating material is severely deformed and dynamically recrystallized in the $β$ phase state at temperatures > 1300 °C. Small changes in the $β$ grain size were observed within the first 2 s after deposition only. Depending on the cooling rate it transforms into different types of α phase during cooling. Phase transformation rates were found to correlate well with the differences in α morphology. The two faster translational speeds showed transformation rates > 45 vol%/s and a partially martensitic microstructure.When a thick coating is deposited at low translational speed, $α → β$ transformation continues for several seconds after deposition, followed by a slow cooling rate resulting in martensite free coatings containing $α_m$ from massive transformation. The potential gain and the deficiencies of this complex in-situ study of a technical process, instead of simplified model experiments, for the understanding of fundamental mechanisms involved in FS are discussed

Correction: HIV-1-neutralizing antibody induced by simian adenovirus- and poxvirus MVA-vectored BG505 native-like envelope trimers.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181886.]

HIV-1-neutralizing antibody induced by simian adenovirus- and poxvirus MVA-vectored BG505 native-like envelope trimers

Rabbits and monkeys immunized with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) native-like BG505 SOSIP.664 (BG505s) glycoprotein trimers are known to induce antibodies that can neutralize the autologous tier-2 virus. Here, we assessed the induction of HIV-1 trimer binding and neutralizing antibody (nAb) titres when BG505s trimers were also delivered by non-replicating simian (chimpanzee) adenovirus and non-replicating poxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vaccine vectors. First, we showed that approximately two-thirds and one-third of the trimers secreted from the ChAdOx1.BG505s (C) and MVA.BG505s (M) vaccine-infected cells, respectively, were cleaved and in a native-like conformation. Rabbits were immunized intramuscularly with these vaccine vectors and in some cases boosted with ISCOMATRIX™-adjuvanted BG505s protein trimer (P), using CCC, MMM, PPP, CPP, MPP and CMP vaccine regimens. We found that the peak trimer-binding antibody and tier-1A and autologous tier-2 nAb responses induced by the CC, CM, PPP, CPP, MPP and CMP regimens were comparable, although only PPP induced autologous tier-2 nAbs in all the immunized animals. Three animals developed weak heterologous tier-2 nAbs. These results demonstrate that ChAdOx1 and MVA vectors are useful delivery modalities for not only T-cell, but also antibody vaccine developmen

Genetic diversity of HIV-1 gp140s present in immunogen Mixes 1–6.

<p>The phylogeny was constructed from the <i>env</i> nucleotide sequence alignment using a maximum likelihood model. Edges are coloured according to mix. Due to a high representation of expressing subtype B Envs, the 19 subtype B Envs were partitioned into 2 subtype B groups designated B and B′.</p

Immunization schedule.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Timeline of DNA and protein immunizations. Macaques were each given two DNA priming injections spaced by two months followed by a four-month interval and then three gp140 protein boosts, spaced by two-month intervals. Blood was collected at the time of each protein boost and two weeks after each boost (*). A final bleed was collected eight weeks after the final boost. (<b>B</b>) Each immunization consisted of six separate injections at different sites on the macaques. In the heterotrimer group the six different immunogens were rotated around these sites so that any local draining lymph nodes experienced different immunogens after each injection. Details given here indicate which Mix immunogen was administered at each site (1–6) and the contents of those mixes; ‘15 × subtype A’ indicates that Mix 1 contains heterotrimers generated from 15 subtype A Envs.</p

Peak reciprocal anti-trimer Ab end-point titres in rabbit sera, ranked by immunization group.

<p>Peak reciprocal anti-trimer Ab end-point titres in rabbit sera, ranked by immunization group.</p

ID₅₀ tier-2 pseudotyped virus neutralization titers in the A3R5 assay.

#<p>Numbers given are the sample dilutions at which relative luminescence units (RLU) were reduced by 50% compared to RLU in virus control wells after subtraction of background RLU in cell control wells. All samples were taken two weeks after the third protein boost.</p>$<p>Values above the median titer for each pseudovirus are shown in bold.</p><p>ID₅₀ tier-2 pseudotyped virus neutralization titers in the A3R5 assay.</p