Gamma-ray Novae: Rare or Nearby?

Classical Novae were revealed as a surprise source of gamma-rays in Fermi LAT observations. During the first 8 years since the LAT was launched, 6 novae in total have been detected to > 5 sigma in gamma-rays, in contrast to the 69 discovered optically in the same period. We attempt to resolve this discrepancy by assuming all novae are gamma-ray emitters, and assigning peak one-day fluxes based on a flat distribution of the known emitters to a simulated population. To determine optical parameters, the spatial distribution and magnitudes of bulge and disc novae in M31 are scaled to the Milky Way, which we approximate as a disc with a 20 kpc radius and elliptical bulge with semi major axis 3 kpc and axis ratios 2:1 in the xy plane. We approximate Galactic reddening using a double exponential disc with vertical and radial scale heights of r_d = 5 kpc and z_d = 0.2 kpc, and demonstrate that even such a rudimentary model can easily reproduce the observed fraction of gamma-ray novae, implying that these apparently rare sources are in fact nearby and not intrinsically rare. We conclude that classical novae with m_R < 12 and within ~8 kpc are likely to be discovered in gamma-rays using the Fermi LAT.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS, 10 pages, 7 figure

Big GAAP-Little GAAP Does One-Size-Fits-All Still Work?

Initiatives for developing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for private/smaller businesses have surfaced in the United States and internationally.&nbsp; This paper explores those initiatives and identifies common elements and problems in these efforts

Biology, ecology, control and management of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish: An updated integrated assessment

Venomous Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois miles and P. volitans) are now established along the Southeast U.S.A. and parts of the Caribbean and pose a serious threat to reef fish communities of these regions. Lionfish are likely to invade the Gulf of Mexico and potentially South America in the near future. Introductions of lionfish were noted since the 1980s along south Florida and by 2000 lionfish were established off the coast of North Carolina. Lionfish are now one of the more numerous predatory reef fishes at some locations off the Southeast U.S.A. and Caribbean. Lionfish are largely piscivores that feed occasionally on economically important reef fishes. The trophic impacts of lionfish could alter the structure of native reef fish communities and potentially hamper stock rebuilding efforts of the Snapper –Grouper Complex. Additional effects of the lionfish invasion are far-reaching and could increase coral reef ecosystem stress, threaten human health, and ultimately impact the marine aquarium industry. Control strategies for lionfish are needed to mitigate impacts, especially in protected areas. This integrated assessment provides a general overview of the biology and ecology of lionfish including genetics, taxonomy, reproductive biology, early life history and dispersal, venom defense and predation, and feeding ecology. In addition, alternative management actions for mitigating the negative impacts of lionfish, approaches for reducing the risk of future invasions, and directions for future research are provided

Cryo-EM reveals the conformation of a substrate analogue in the human 20S proteasome core

The proteasome is a highly regulated protease complex fundamental for cell homeostasis and controlled cell cycle progression. It functions by removing a wide range of specifically tagged proteins, including key cellular regulators. Here we present the structure of the human 20S proteasome core bound to a substrate analogue inhibitor molecule, determined by electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) and single-particle analysis at a resolution of around 3.5 Å. Our map allows the building of protein coordinates as well as defining the location and conformation of the inhibitor at the different active sites. These results open new prospects to tackle the proteasome functional mechanisms. Moreover, they also further demonstrate that cryo-EM is emerging as a realistic approach for general structural studies of protein–ligand interactions

Linguistics

Contains research objectives and reports on two research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant G-16526)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-03)U. S. Air Force (Electronic Systems Division) under Contract AF19(628)-2487National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496

Cigarette Residues Affect Steroidogenesis in Cultured Y-1 Mouse Adrenal Tumor Cells

This study (1) quantitatively compared steroid production in cultured Y-l mouse adrenal tumor cells exposed to Camel and Carlton-smoke derived residues, and (2) localized the effects in the cell. Basal steroid production was increased by Camel residues but not by Carlton, while ACTH stimulation was interfered with by both residues. Camel basal stimulation was comparable to that of cAMP, and was abolished by Cytochalasin D. The stimulation was also comparable to that of cholera toxin, which activates adenyl cyclase. Results indicate that residue components dissolve in the membrane stimulating adenyl cyclase at a point similar to or before that utilized by cholera toxin for its stimulating effect

Does a working day keep the doctor away? A critical review of the impact of unemployment and job insecurity on health and social care utilisation

While the negative impact of unemployment on health is relatively well established, the extent to which that impact reflects on changes in health and social care utilisation is not well understood. This paper critically reviews the direction, magnitude and drivers of the impact of unemployment and job insecurity on health and social care utilisation across different care settings. We identified 28 relevant studies, which included 79 estimates of association between unemployment/job insecurity and healthcare utilisation. Positive associations dominated mental health services (N = 8 out of 11), but not necessarily primary care (N = 25 out of 43) or hospital care (N = 5 out of 22). We conducted a meta-analysis to summarise the magnitude of the impact and found that unemployed individuals were about 30% more likely to use health services compared to those employed, although this was largely driven by mental health service use. Key driving factors included financial pressure, health insurance, social network, disposable time and depression/anxiety. This review suggests that unemployment is likely to be associated with increased mental health service use, but there is considerable uncertainty around primary and hospital care utilisation. Future work to examine the impact across other settings, including community and social care, and further explore non-health determinants of utilisation is needed. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020177668)

Compulsive sexual behavior: Prefrontal and limbic volume and interactions.

$\textit{Background:}$ Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) are relatively common and associated with significant personal and social dysfunction. The underlying neurobiology is still poorly understood. The present study examines brain volumes and resting state functional connectivity in CSB compared with matched healthy volunteers (HV). $\textit{Methods:}$ Structural MRI (MPRAGE) data were collected in 92 subjects (23 CSB males and 69 age-matched male HV) and analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Resting state functional MRI data using multi-echo planar sequence and independent components analysis (ME-ICA) were collected in 68 subjects (23 CSB subjects and 45 age-matched HV). $\textit{Results:}$ CSB subjects showed greater left amygdala gray matter volumes (small volume corrected, Bonferroni adjusted $P$ < 0.01) and reduced resting state functional connectivity between the left amygdala seed and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (whole brain, cluster corrected FWE $P$ < 0.05) compared with HV. $\textit{Conclusions:}$ CSB is associated with elevated volumes in limbic regions relevant to motivational salience and emotion processing, and impaired functional connectivity between prefrontal control regulatory and limbic regions. Future studies should aim to assess longitudinal measures to investigate whether these findings are risk factors that predate the onset of the behaviors or are consequences of the behaviors