Induction of T Lymphocytes Specific for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Calves with Maternal Antibody

Passive antibody to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) acquired through colostrum intake may interfere with the development of a protective immune response by calves to this virus. The objective of this study was to determine if calves, with a high level of maternal antibody to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), develop CD4+, CD8+, or γδ T lymphocyte responses to BVDV in the absence of a measurable humoral immune response. Colostrum or milk replacer fed calves were challenged with virulent BVDV at 2-5 weeks of age and/or after maternal antibody had waned. Calves exposed to BVDV while passive antibody levels were high did not mount a measurable humoral immune response to BVDV. However, compared to nonexposed animals, these animals had CD4+, CD8+, and γδ T lymphocytes that were activated by BVDV after exposure to in vitro BVDV. The production of IFNγ by lymphocytes after in vitro BVDV exposure was also much greater in lymphocytes from calves exposed to BVDV in the presence of maternal antibody compared to the nonexposed calves. These data indicate that calves exposed to BVDV while maternal antibody levels are high can develop antigen specific CD4+, CD8+, and γδ T lymphocytes in the absence of an active antibody response. A manuscript presented separately demonstrates that the calves with T lymphocytes specific for BVDV in this study were also protected from virulent BVDV genotype 2 challenge after maternal antibody became undetectable

Recent Developments in Helioseismic Analysis Methods and Solar Data Assimilation

MR and AS have received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. 307117

Perspectives in Global Helioseismology, and the Road Ahead

We review the impact of global helioseismology on key questions concerning the internal structure and dynamics of the Sun, and consider the exciting challenges the field faces as it enters a fourth decade of science exploitation. We do so with an eye on the past, looking at the perspectives global helioseismology offered in its earlier phases, in particular the mid-to-late 1970s and the 1980s. We look at how modern, higher-quality, longer datasets coupled with new developments in analysis, have altered, refined, and changed some of those perspectives, and opened others that were not previously available for study. We finish by discussing outstanding challenges and questions for the field.Comment: Invited review; to appear in Solar Physics (24 pages, 6 figures

Heavy element production in a compact object merger observed by JWST

The mergers of binary compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes are of central interest to several areas of astrophysics, including as the progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)1, sources of high-frequency gravitational waves (GW)2 and likely production sites for heavy element nucleosynthesis via rapid neutron capture (the r-process)3. Here we present observations of the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A. We show that GRB 230307A belongs to the class of long-duration gamma-ray bursts associated with compact object mergers4–6, and contains a kilonova similar to AT2017gfo, associated with the gravitational-wave merger GW1708177–12. We obtained James Webb Space Telescope mid-infrared (mid-IR) imaging and spectroscopy 29 and 61 days after the burst. The spectroscopy shows an emission line at 2.15 microns which we interpret as tellurium (atomic mass A=130), and a very red source, emitting most of its light in the mid-IR due to the production of lanthanides. These observations demonstrate that nucleosynthesis in GRBs can create r-process elements across a broad atomic mass range and play a central role in heavy element nucleosynthesis across the Universe

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Companies' accounts checklist for the disclosure requirements of British company law, accounting standards and the Stock Exchange

Updates and replaces Accountants digest no. 250SIGLEGBUnited Kingdo