Who Believes in the Giant Skeleton Myth? An Examination of Individual Difference Correlates

This study examined individual difference correlates of belief in a narrative about the discovery of giant skeletal remains that contravenes mainstream scientific explanations. A total of 364 participants from Central Europe completed a survey that asked them to rate their agreement with a short excerpt describing the giant skeleton myth. Participants also completed measures of the Big Five personality factors, New Age orientation, anti-scientific attitudes, superstitious beliefs, and religiosity. Results showed that women, as compared with men, and respondents with lower educational qualifications were significantly more likely to believe in the giant skeleton myth, although effect sizes were small. Correlational analysis showed that stronger belief in the giant skeleton myth was significantly associated with greater anti-scientific attitudes, stronger New Age orientation, greater religiosity, stronger superstitious beliefs, lower Openness to Experience scores, and higher Neuroticism scores. However, a multiple regression showed that the only significant predictors of belief in myth were Openness, New Age orientation, and anti-scientific attitudes. These results are discussed in relation to the potential negative consequences of belief in myths

Immunoexpression Of α2-integrin And Hsp47 In Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis And Gingival Fibromatosis-associated Dental Abnormalities

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of the α2-integrin subunit and heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47) in two families with isolated gingival fibromatosis (GF) form and one family with GF associated with dental abnormalities and normal gingiva (NG). Study Design: Immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against α2-integrin and Hsp47 in specimens from two unrelated families with hereditary gingival fibromatosis (Families 1 and 2) and from one family with a gingival fibromatosis-associated dental abnormality (Family 3); NG samples were used for comparison. The results were analysed statistically. Results: Immunoreactivity for α2-integrin and Hsp47 was observed in the nucleus of epithelial cells of both the basal and suprabasal layer and a more discreet signal was noted in connective tissue in all study samples. Hsp47 showed higher immunoreactivity in Family 2 compared with the other families (p≤0.05). Despite the markup α2-integrin was higher in Family 3 there was no statistically significant difference between the families studied (p≥0.05). Conclusions: Our results confirmed the heterogeneity of GF, such that similar patterns of expression of the condition may show differences in the expression of proteins such as Hsp47. Although no difference in α2-integrin expression was observed between GF and NG groups, future studies are necessary to determine the exact role of this protein in the various forms of GF and whether it contributes to GF pathogenesis. © Medicina Oral S. L. C.I.F. B 96689336 - pISSN 1698-4447 - eISSN: 1698-6946.181e45e48Takagi, M., Yamamoto, H., Mega, H., Hsieh, K.J., Shioda, S., Enomoto, S., Heterogeneity in the gingival fibromatoses (1991) Cancer, 68, pp. 2202-2212Dongari-Bagtzoglou, A., Drug-associated gingival enlargement (2004) J Periodontol, 75, pp. 1424-1431Coletta, R.D., Graner, E., Hereditary gingival fibromatosis: A systematic review (2006) J Periodontol, 77, pp. 753-764Hakkinen, L., Csiszar, A., Hereditary gingival fibromatosis: Characteristics and novel putative pathogenic mechanisms (2007) J Dent Res, 86, pp. 25-34Singer, S.L., Goldblatt, J., Hallan, L.A., Winters, J.C., Hereditary gingival fibromatosis with a recessive mode of inheritance. Case reports (1993) Aust Dent J, 38, pp. 427-432Martelli-Júnior, H., Bonan, P.R., Dos Santos, L.A., Santos, S.M., Cavalcanti, M.G., Coletta, R.D., Case reports of a new syndrome associating gingival fibromatosis and dental abnormalities in a consanguineous family (2008) J Periodontol, 79, pp. 1287-1296Ivarsson, M., McWhirter, A., Black, C.M., Rubin, K., Impaired regulation of collagen pro-α1(I) mRNA and change in pattern of collagen-binding integrins on scleroderma fibroblasts (1993) J Invest Dermatol, 101, pp. 216-221Langholz, O., Rockel, D., Mauch, C., Kozlowska, E., Bank, I., Krieg, T., Collagen and collagenase gene expression in three-dimensional collagen lattices are differentially regulated by α1β1 and α2β1 integrins (1995) J Cell Biol, 131, pp. 1903-1915Riikonen, T., Westermarck, J., Koivisto, L., Broberg, A., Kahari, V.M., Heino, J., Integrin alpha 2 beta 1 is a positive regulator of collagenase (MMP-1) and collagen alpha 1(I) gene expression (1995) J Biol Chem, 270, pp. 13548-13552Fujimura, T., Moriwaki, S., Imokawa, G., Takema, Y., Crucial role of fibroblasts integrins alpha2 and beta1 in maintaining the structural and mechanical properties of the skin (2007) J Dermatol Sci, 45, pp. 45-53Nagata, K., Expression and function of heat shock protein 47: A collagen-specific molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum (1998) Matrix Biol, 16, pp. 379-386Bozzo, L., Almeida, O.P., Scully, C., Aldred, M.J., Hereditary gingival fibromatosis. Report of an extensive four-generation pedigree (1994) Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 78, pp. 452-454Martelli-Júnior, H., Lemos, D.P., Silva, C.O., Graner, E., Coletta, R.D., Hereditary gingival fibromatosis: Report of a five-generation family using cellular proliferation analysis (2005) J Periodontol, 76, pp. 2299-2305Vigneswaran, N., Zhao, W., Dassanayake, A., Muller, S., Miller, D.M., Zacharias, W., Variable expression of cathepsin B and D correlates with highly invasive and metastatic phenotype of oral cancer (2000) Hum Pathol, 31, pp. 931-937Zhou, J., Meng, L.Y., Ye, X.Q., von der Hoff, J.W., Bian, Z., Increased expression of integrin alpha 2 and abnormal response to TGF-β1 in hereditary gingival fibromatosis (2009) Oral Dis, 15, pp. 414-421Nagata, K., Hosokawa, N., Regulation and function of collagen-specific molecular chaperone, HSP47 (1996) Cell Struct Funct, 21, pp. 425-430Bolcato-Bellemin, A.-L., Elkaim, R., Tenenbaum, H., Expression of RNAs encoding for α and β integrin subunits in periodontitis and in cyclosporin A gingival overgrowth (2003) J Clin Periodontol, 30, pp. 937-943Kataoka, M., Seto, H., Wada, C., Kido, J., Nagata, T., Decreased expression of α2 integrin in fibroblasts isolated from cyclosporin A-induced gingival overgrowth in rats (2003) J Periodontal Res, 38, pp. 533-537Slambrouk, S.V., Jenkins, A.R., Romero, A.E., Steelant, W.F.A., Reorganization of the integrin α2 subunit controls cell adhesion and cancer cell invasion in prostate cancer (2009) Int J Oncol, 34, pp. 1717-1726O'Sullivan, J., Bitu, C.C., Daly, S.B., Urquhart, J.E., Barron, M.J., Bhaskar, S.S., Whole-exome sequencing identifies FAM20A mutations as a cause of amelogenesis imperfect and gingival hyperplasia syndrome (2011) Am J Hum Genet, 88, pp. 616-620Martelli-Júnior, H., Santos, C.O., Bonan, P.R., Moura, P.F., Bitu, C.C., León, J.E., Minichromosome maintenance 2 and 5 expression is increased in the epithelium of hereditary gingival fibromatosis associated with dental abnormalities (2011) Clinics, 66, pp. 753-757Shiuan-Shinn, L., Ling-Hsien, T., Yi-Ching, L., Chung-Hung, T., Yu-Chao, C., Heat shock protein 47 in oral squamous cell carcinomas and upregulated by arecoline in human oral ephitelial cells (2011) J Oral Pathol Med, 40, pp. 390-396Tagushi, T., Nazneen, A., Al-Shihri, A.A., Turkistani, K.A., Razzaque, M.S., Heat shock protein 47: A novel biomarker of phenotypically altered collagen-producing cells (2011) Acta Histochem Cytochem, 44, pp. 35-41Totan, S., Echo, A., Yuksel, E., Heat shock proteins modulate keloid formation (2011) Eplasty, 11, pp. 190-20

ESO Imaging Survey: Optical follow-up of 12 selected XMM-Newton fields

(Abridged) This paper presents the data recently released for the XMM-Newton/WFI survey carried out as part of the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) project. The aim of this survey is to provide optical imaging follow-up data in BVRI for identification of serendipitously detected X-ray sources in selected XMM-Newton fields. In this paper, fully calibrated individual and stacked images of 12 fields as well as science-grade catalogs for the 8 fields located at high-galactic latitude are presented. The data covers an area of \sim 3 square degrees for each of the four passbands. The median limiting magnitudes (AB system, 2" aperture, 5\sigma detection limit) are 25.20, 24.92, 24.66, and 24.39 mag for B-, V-, R-, and I-band, respectively. These survey products, together with their logs, are available to the community for science exploitation in conjunction with their X-ray counterparts. Preliminary results from the X-ray/optical cross-correlation analysis show that about 61% of the detected X-ray point sources in deep XMM-Newton exposures have at least one optical counterpart within 2" radius down to R \simeq 25 mag, 50% of which are so faint as to require VLT observations thereby meeting one of the top requirements of the survey, namely to produce large samples for spectroscopic follow-up with the VLT, whereas only 15% of the objects have counterparts down to the DSS limiting magnitude.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Accompanying data releases available at http://archive.eso.org/archive/public_datasets.html (WFI images), http://www.eso.org/science/eis/surveys/release_65000025_XMM.html (optical catalogs), http://www.aip.de/groups/xray/XMM_EIS/ (X-ray data). Full resolution version available at http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~dietrich/publications/3785.ps.g

Short Gamma Ray Bursts: marking the birth of black holes from coalescing compact binaries

This contribution summarizes, as of early 2008, the observational and theoretical understanding of the origin, physics, and emission properties of short gamma-ray bursts in both electromagnetic and gravitational waves.Comment: 19 pages, appeared in the book "Physics of Relativistic Objects in Compact Binaries: From Birth to Coalescence", Astrophysics and Space Science Library, edited by M. Colpi, P. Casella, V. Gorini, U. Moschella, and A. Possent

UVES/VLT high resolution spectroscopy of GRB 050730 afterglow: probing the features of the GRB environment

We analyze high resolution spectroscopic observations of the optical afterglow of GRB050730, obtained with UVES@VLT about hours after the GRB trigger. The spectrum shows that the ISM of the GRB host galaxy at z = 3.967 is complex, with at least five components contributing to the main absorption system. We detect strong CII*, SiII*, OI* and FeII* fine structure absorption lines associated to the second and third component. For the first three components we derive information on the relative distance from the site of the GRB explosion. Component 1, which has the highest redshift, does not present any fine structure nor low ionization lines; it only shows very high ionization features, such as CIV and OVI, suggesting that this component is very close to the GRB site. From the analysis of low and high ionization lines and fine structure lines, we find evidences that the distance of component 2 from the site of the GRB explosion is 10-100 times smaller than that of component 3. We evaluated the mean metallicity of the z=3.967 system obtaining values about 0.01 of the solar metallicity or less. However, this should not be taken as representative of the circumburst medium, since the main contribution to the hydrogen column density comes from the outer regions of the galaxy while that of the other elements presumably comes from the ISM closer to the GRB site. Furthermore, difficulties in evaluating dust depletion correction can modify significantly these values. The mean [C/Fe] ratio agrees well with that expected by single star-formation event models. Interestingly the [C/Fe] of component 2 is smaller than that of component 3, in agreement with GRB dust destruction scenarios, if component 2 is closer than component 3 to the GRB site.Comment: 11 pages, 15 postscript figures, accepted for pubblication in A&

BVRI Light Curves for 29 Type Ia Supernovae

BVRI light curves are presented for 27 Type Ia supernovae discovered during the course of the Calan/Tololo Survey and for two other SNe Ia observed during the same period. Estimates of the maximum light magnitudes in the B, V, and I bands and the initial decline rate parameter m15(B) are also given.Comment: 17 pages, figures and tables are not included (contact first author if needed), to appear in the Astronomical Journa

Evidence for the η_b(1S) Meson in Radiative Υ(2S) Decay

We have performed a search for the η_b(1S) meson in the radiative decay of the Υ(2S) resonance using a sample of 91.6 × 10^6 Υ(2S) events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We observe a peak in the photon energy spectrum at E_γ = 609.3^(+4.6)_(-4.5)(stat)±1.9(syst) MeV, corresponding to an η_b(1S) mass of 9394.2^(+4.8)_(-4.9)(stat) ± 2.0(syst) MeV/c^2. The branching fraction for the decay Υ(2S) → γη_b(1S) is determined to be [3.9 ± 1.1(stat)^(+1.1)_(-0.9)(syst)] × 10^(-4). We find the ratio of branching fractions B[Υ(2S) → γη_b(1S)]/B[Υ(3S) → γη_b(1S)]= 0.82 ± 0.24(stat)^(+0.20)_(-0.19)(syst)

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE