Romantic jealousy and relationship satisfaction: the costs of rumination

The experience of romantic jealousy and its influence on relationship outcomes is unclear. Romantic jealousy is often associated with damaging effects; on the other hand, jealousy is linked to positive relationship outcomes such as increased commitment. In this study, we aimed to address inconsistencies in previous research by proposing rumination as a mediator between romantic jealousy (cognitive jealousy and surveillance behaviors) and relationship dissatisfaction. We also aimed to extend our understanding of behavioral responses to jealousy, and in particular, partner surveillance and its link to relational dissatisfaction by proposing a research question. Overall, there were two paths to relationship dissatisfaction: Cognitive jealousy and surveillance behaviors were associated with relationship dissatisfaction via rumination, and cognitive jealousy was also directly associated with relationship dissatisfaction. Interestingly, surveillance behaviors were directly associated with relationship satisfaction. From these results, rumination is highlighted as a factor in explaining the link between romantic jealousy and relationship dissatisfaction. Clinical implications are discussed

Understanding the errors of SHAPE-directed RNA structure modeling

Single-nucleotide-resolution chemical mapping for structured RNA is being rapidly advanced by new chemistries, faster readouts, and coupling to computational algorithms. Recent tests have shown that selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation by primer extension (SHAPE) can give near-zero error rates (0-2%) in modeling the helices of RNA secondary structure. Here, we benchmark the method using six molecules for which crystallographic data are available: tRNA(phe) and 5S rRNA from Escherichia coli, the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme, and ligand-bound domains from riboswitches for adenine, cyclic di-GMP, and glycine. SHAPE-directed modeling of these highly structured RNAs gave an overall false negative rate (FNR) of 17% and a false discovery rate (FDR) of 21%, with at least one helix prediction error in five of the six cases. Extensive variations of data processing, normalization, and modeling parameters did not significantly mitigate modeling errors. Only one varation, filtering out data collected with deoxyinosine triphosphate during primer extension, gave a modest improvement (FNR = 12%, and FDR = 14%). The residual structure modeling errors are explained by the insufficient information content of these RNAs' SHAPE data, as evaluated by a nonparametric bootstrapping analysis. Beyond these benchmark cases, bootstrapping suggests a low level of confidence (<50%) in the majority of helices in a previously proposed SHAPE-directed model for the HIV-1 RNA genome. Thus, SHAPE-directed RNA modeling is not always unambiguous, and helix-by-helix confidence estimates, as described herein, may be critical for interpreting results from this powerful methodology.Comment: Biochemistry, Article ASAP (Aug. 15, 2011

Mortality in women given diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy

We used Cox regression analyses to assess mortality outcomes in a combined cohort of 7675 women who received diethylstilbestrol (DES) through clinical trial participation or prenatal care. In the combined cohort, the RR for DES in relation to all-cause mortality was 1.06 (95% CI=0.98–1.16), and 1.11 (95% CI=1.02–1.21) after adjusting for covariates and omitting breast cancer deaths. The RR was 1.07 (95% CI=0.94–1.23) for overall cancer mortality, and remained similar after adjusting for covariates and omitting breast cancer deaths. The RR was 1.27 (95% CI=0.96–1.69) for DES and breast cancer, and 1.38 (95% CI=1.03–1.85) after covariate adjustment. The RR was 1.82 in trial participants and 1.12 in the prenatal care cohort, but the DES–cohort interaction was not significant (P=0.15). Diethylstilbestrol did not increase mortality from gynaecologic cancers. In summary, diethylstilbestrol was associated with a slight but significant increase in all-cause mortality, but was not significantly associated with overall cancer or gynaecological cancer mortality. The association with breast cancer mortality was more evident in trial participants, who received high DES doses

Archaeoseismology: Methodological issues and procedure

Archaeoseismic research contributes important data on past earthquakes. A limitation of the usefulness of archaeoseismology is due to the lack of continuous discussion about the methodology. The methodological issues are particularly important because archaeoseismological investigations of past earthquakes make use of a large variety of methods. Typical in situ investigations include: (1) reconstruction of the local archaeological stratigraphy aimed at defining the correct position and chronology of a destruction layer, presumably related to an earthquake; (2) analysis of the deformations potentially due to seismic shaking or secondary earthquake effects, detectable on walls; (3) analysis of the depositional characteristics of the collapsed material; (4) investigations of the local geology and geomorphology to define possible natural cause(s) of the destruction; (5) investigations of the local factors affecting the ground motion amplifications; and (6) estimation of the dynamic excitation, which affected the site under investigation. Subsequently, a 'territorial' approach testing evidence of synchronous destruction in a certain region may delineate the extent of the area struck by the earthquake. The most reliable results of an archaeoseismological investigation are obtained by application of modern geoarchaeological practice (archaeological stratigraphy plus geological–geomorphological data), with the addition of a geophysical-engineering quantitative approach and (if available) historical information. This gives a basic dataset necessary to perform quantitative analyses which, in turn, corroborate the archaeoseismic hypothesis. Since archaeoseismological investigations can reveal the possible natural causes of destruction at a site, they contribute to the wider field of environmental archaeology, that seeks to define the history of the relationship between humans and the environment. Finally, through the improvement of the knowledge on the past seismicity, these studies can contribute to the regional estimation of seismic hazard

Correlation of umbilical cord blood haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell levels with birth weight: implications for a prenatal influence on cancer risk

We examined the relation with birth weight and umbilical cord blood concentrations of haematopoietic stem and progenitor populations in 288 singleton infants. Across the whole range of birth weight, there was a positive relation between birth weight and CD34+CD38− cells, with each 500 g increase in birth weight being associated with a 15.5% higher (95% confidence interval: 1.6–31.3%) cell concentration. CD34+ and CD34+c-kit+ cells had J-shaped relations and CFU-GM cells had a U-shaped relation with birth weight. Among newborns with ⩾3000 g birth weights, concentrations of these cells increased with birth weight, while those below 3000 g had higher stem cell concentrations than the reference category of 3000–3499 g. Adjustment for cord blood plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 levels weakened the stem and progenitor cell–birth weight associations. The positive associations between birth weight and stem cell measurements for term newborns with a normal-to-high birth weight support the stem cell burden hypothesis of cancer risk

Face, body and speech cues independently predict judgments of attractiveness

Research on human attraction frequently makes use of single-modality stimuli such as neutral-expression facial photographs as proxy indicators of an individual’s attractiveness. However, we know little about how judgments of these single-modality stimuli correspond to judgments of stimuli that incorporate multi-modal cues of face, body and speech. In the present study, ratings of attractiveness judged from videos of participants introducing themselves were independently predicted by judgments of the participant’s facial attractiveness (a neutral-expression facial photograph masked to conceal the hairstyle), body attractiveness (a photograph of the upper body), and speech attractiveness (the soundtrack to the video). We also found that ratings of the face, body and speech were positively related to each other. Our results support the assumption that the single-modality stimuli used in much attractiveness research are valid proxy indicators of overall attractiveness in ecologically valid contexts, and complement literature showing cross-modality concordance of trait attractiveness, but also recommend that research relying on assessments of individual attractiveness take account of both visual and vocal attractiveness where possible

Comparisons between Chemical Mapping and Binding to Isoenergetic Oligonucleotide Microarrays Reveal Unexpected Patterns of Binding to the Bacillus subtilis RNase P RNA Specificity Domain†

ABSTRACT: Microarrays with isoenergetic pentamer and hexamer 20-O-methyl oligonucleotide probes with LNA (locked nucleic acid) and 2,6-diaminopurine substitutions were used to probe the binding sites on theRNase P RNA specificity domain of Bacillus subtilis. Unexpected binding patterns were revealed. Because of their enhanced binding free energies, isoenergetic probes can break short duplexes, merge adjacent loops, and/or induce refolding. This suggests new approaches to the rational design of short oligonucleotide therapeutics but limits the utility of microarrays for providing constraints for RNA structure determination. The microarray results are compared to results from chemical mapping experiments, which do provide constraints. Results from both types of experiments indicate that the RNase P RNA folds similarly in 1MNaþ and 10 mMMg2þ. Binding of RNA to RNA is important for many natural func-tions, includingproteinsynthesis (1,2), translationregulation (3,4), gene silencing (5, 6), metabolic regulation (7), RNAmodification (8, 9), etc. (10-13). Binding of oligonucleotides toRNAs is impor-tant for therapeutic approaches, such as siRNA, ribozymes, and antisense therapy (14, 15).Much remains to bediscovered, however, of the rules for predicting binding sites andpotential therapeutics

Phylogenetic and Molecular Characterization of a 23S Ribosomal-Rna Gene Positions the Genus Campylobacter in the Epsilon-Subdivision of the Proteobacteria and Shows That the Presence of Transcribed Spacers Is Common in Campylobacter Spp

The nucleotide sequence of a 23S rRNA gene of Campylobacter coli VC167 was determined. The primary sequence of the C. coli 23S rRNA was deduced, and a secondary-structure model was constructed. Comparison with Escherichia coli 23S rRNA showed a major difference in the C. coli rRNA at approximately position 1170 (E. coli numbering) in the form of an extra sequence block approximately 147 bp long. PCR analysis of 31 other strains of C. coli and C. jejuni showed that 69% carried a transcribed spacer of either ca, 147 or ca. 37 bp. Comparison of all sequenced Campylobacter transcribed spacers showed that the Campylobacter inserts were related in sequence and percent G+C content. All Campylobacter strains carrying transcribed spacers in their 23S rRNA genes produced fragmented 23S rRNAs. Other strains which produced unfragmented 23S rRNAs did not appear to carry transcribed spacers at this position in their 23S rRNA genes. At the 1850 region (E. coli numbering), Campylobacter 23S rRNA displayed a base pairing signature most like that of the beta and gamma subdivisions of the class Proteobacteria, but in the 270 region, Campylobacter 23S rRNA displayed a helix signature which distinguished it from the alpha, beta, and gamma subdivisions. Phylogenetic analysis comparing C. coli VC167 23S rRNA and a C. jejuni TGH9011 (ATCC 43431) 23S rRNA with 53 other completely sequenced (eu)bacterial 23S rRNAs showed that the two campylobacters form a sister group to the alpha, beta, and gamma proteobacterial 23S rRNAs, a positioning consistent with the idea that the genus Campylobacter belongs to the epsilon subdivision of the class Proteobacteria