Characterisation of two alcohol acyltransferases from kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) reveals distinct substrate preferences.

Volatile esters are key compounds of kiwifruit flavour and are formed by alcohol acyltransferases that belong to the BAHD acyltransferase superfamily. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to screen kiwifruitderived expressed sequence tags with proposed acyltransferase function in order to select ripeningspecific sequences and test their involvement in alcohol acylation. The screening criterion was for at least 10-fold increased transcript accumulation in ripe compared with unripe kiwifruit and in response to ethylene. Recombinant expression in yeast revealed alcohol acyltransferase activity for Actinidia-derived AT1, AT16 and the phylogenetically distinct AT9, using various alcohol and acyl-CoA substrates. Functional characterisation of AT16 and AT9 demonstrated striking differences in their substrate preferences and apparent catalytic efficiencies ðV0 max K�1 m Þ. Thus revealing benzoyl-CoA:alcohol O-acyltransferase activity for AT16 and acetyl-CoA:alcohol O-acyltransferase activity for AT9. Both kiwifruit-derived enzymes displayed higher reaction rates with butanol compared with ethanol, even though ethanol is the main alcohol in ripe fruit. Since ethyl acetate and ethyl benzoate are major esters in ripe kiwifruit, we suggest that fruit characteristic volatile profiles result from a combination of substrate availability and specificity of individual alcohol acyltransferases

First Results from SPARO: Evidence for Large-Scale Toroidal Magnetic Fields in the Galactic Center

We have observed the linear polarization of 450 micron continuum emission from the Galactic center, using a new polarimetric detector system that is operated on a 2 m telescope at the South Pole. The resulting polarization map extends ~ 170 pc along the Galactic plane and ~ 30 pc in Galactic latitude, and thus covers a significant fraction of the central molecular zone. Our map shows that this region is permeated by large-scale toroidal magnetic fields. We consider our results together with radio observations that show evidence for poloidal fields in the Galactic center, and with Faraday rotation observations. We compare all of these observations with the predictions of a magnetodynamic model for the Galactic center that was proposed in order to explain the Galactic Center Radio Lobe as a magnetically driven gas outflow. We conclude that the observations are basically consistent with the model.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, submitted to ApJ Let

First Results from Viper: Detection of Small-Scale Anisotropy at 40 GHZ

Results of a search for small-scale anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) are presented. Observations were made at the South Pole using the Viper telescope, with a .26 degree (FWHM) beam and a passband centered at 40 GHz. Anisotropy band-power measurements in bands centered at l = 108, 173, 237, 263, 422 and 589 are reported. Statistically significant anisotropy is detected in all bands.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, uses emulateapj.sty, submitted to ApJ Letter

Anisotropy in the Cosmic Microwave Background at Degree Angular Scales: Python V Results

Observations of the microwave sky using the Python telescope in its fifth season of operation at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica are presented. The system consists of a 0.75 m off-axis telescope instrumented with a HEMT amplifier-based radiometer having continuum sensitivity from 37-45 GHz in two frequency bands. With a 0.91 deg x 1.02 deg beam the instrument fully sampled 598 deg^2 of sky, including fields measured during the previous four seasons of Python observations. Interpreting the observed fluctuations as anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background, we place constraints on the angular power spectrum of fluctuations in eight multipole bands up to l ~ 260. The observed spectrum is consistent with both the COBE experiment and previous Python results. There is no significant contamination from known foregrounds. The results show a discernible rise in the angular power spectrum from large (l ~ 40) to small (l ~ 200) angular scales. The shape of the observed power spectrum is not a simple linear rise but has a sharply increasing slope starting at l ~ 150.Comment: 5 page

Subject preferences of fifth-grade children.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University N.B.:Pages 155 and 309 are missing from original thesis

Dynamics of Social Balance on Networks

We study the evolution of social networks that contain both friendly and unfriendly pairwise links between individual nodes. The network is endowed with dynamics in which the sense of a link in an imbalanced triad--a triangular loop with 1 or 3 unfriendly links--is reversed to make the triad balanced. With this dynamics, an infinite network undergoes a dynamic phase transition from a steady state to "paradise"--all links are friendly--as the propensity p for friendly links in an update event passes through 1/2. A finite network always falls into a socially-balanced absorbing state where no imbalanced triads remain. If the additional constraint that the number of imbalanced triads in the network does not increase in an update is imposed, then the network quickly reaches a balanced final state.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 2-column revtex4 forma

Workplace Bullying: A Survey of Virginia Dental Hygienists

Purpose: Workplace bullying in health care has been identified as a problem that negatively affects career satisfaction, career longevity and patient outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the prevalence of workplace bullying in a convenience sample of dental hygienists in the state of Virginia. Methods: Two hundred and forty Virginia dental hygienists attending a continuing education seminar were invited to participate. Using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), respondents were asked to indicate how often they had experienced 22 negative acts or behaviors according to rate of occurrence (never, now and then or monthly, weekly or daily). Bullying was defined as experiencing two or more of the specified negative behaviors over the past 6 months. The negative behaviors were categorized into three subgroups: work-related bullying, personal bullying and physical intimidation. Results: The response rate was 64%. Data revealed almost one fourth (24%) of respondents experienced workplace bullying. The most frequent behaviors experienced by those being bullied were having their opinions and views ignored (73%), experiencing unmanageable workloads (68%) and having their work excessively monitored (68%), on a weekly or daily basis. Conclusions: Results from this study suggest approximately 1 out of 4 Virginia dental hygienists responding to this survey experience workplace bullying. Education and support to ensure identification of bullying may be helpful in promoting proactive awareness, prevention strategies and a healthier work environment leading to greater job satisfaction. This manuscript supports the NDHRA priority area: Professional development: Occupational health (career satisfaction and longevity

H. influenzae potentiates airway epithelial cell responses to rhinovirus by increasing ICAM‐1 and TLR3 expression

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154674/1/fsb2fj065806fje.pd

Electrochemical pore formation on InP in alkaline solutions

The surface properties of InP electrodes were examined following anodization in (NH4)2S and KOH electrolytes. In both solutions, the observation of current peaks in the cyclic voltammetric curves was attributed to selective etching of the substrate and a film formation process. AFM images of samples anodized in the sulfide solution, revealed surface pitting and TEM micrographs revealed the porous nature of the film formed on top of the pitted substrate. After anodization in the KOH electrolyte, TEM images revealed that a porous layer extending 500 nm into the substrate had been formed. Analysis of the composition of the anodic products indicates the presence of In2S3 in films grown in (NH4)2S and an In2O3 phase within the porous network formed in KOH