Pso2 (SNM1) is a DNA structure-specific endonuclease

Many types of DNA structures are generated in response to DNA damage, repair and recombination that require processing via specialized nucleases. DNA hairpins represent one such class of structures formed during V(D)J recombination, palindrome extrusion, DNA transposition and some types of double-strand breaks. Here we present biochemical and genetic evidence to suggest that Pso2 is a robust DNA hairpin opening nuclease in budding yeast. Pso2 (SNM1A in mammals) belongs to a small group of proteins thought to function predominantly during interstrand crosslink (ICL) repair. In this study, we characterized the nuclease activity of Pso2 toward a variety of DNA substrates. Unexpectedly, Pso2 was found to be an efficient, structure-specific DNA hairpin opening endonuclease. This activity was further shown to be required in vivo for repair of chromosomal breaks harboring closed hairpin ends. These findings provide the first evidence that Pso2 may function outside ICL repair and open the possibility that Pso2 may function at least in part during ICL repair by processing DNA intermediates including DNA hairpins or hairpin-like structures

Implicit Dependency Regulation: Self-Esteem, Relationship Closeness, and Implicit Evaluations of Close Others

We argue that people possess implicit evaluations of close others and that dependency regulation processes moderate these implicit evaluations. Study 1 revealed that implicit evaluations of romantic partners for people with high explicit self-esteem were not contingent on how things were currently going in their relationships. In contrast, the implicit evaluations of romantic partners for people with low explicit self-esteem were contingent on how things were currently going in their relationships. That is, people with low self-esteem liked their partners’ name letters only if the relationship was currently going well. Study 2 revealed a conceptually similar pattern of results for implicit evaluations of people’s best friends. We suggest that these findings reflect an unconscious form of dependency regulation

Do any folk remedies or herbals help induce labor?

Breast stimulation and electroacupuncture help, while other common remedies that have been studied are ineffective, possibly unsafe, or both. Unilateral breast stimulation shortens the time until the onset of labor in women at term (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, systematic review). Electroacupuncture also may stimulate the onset of labor (SOR: C, observational studies)

Exploring the use of blogging in applied vs. academic mathematics classrooms

Reports worldwide indicate that students are having difficulty with mathematics, specifically with their ability to problem-?????solve and communicate (EQAO, 2014; Muliis, Martin, Foy & Arora, 2012; OECD, 2012). This study investigated how blogging in grade nine applied and academic classrooms could be used to increase mathematical knowledge, communication and confidence. This study used a mixed methodology, with quantitative survey data and qualitative data from open-?????ended questions, performance tests, and blog analysis. Forty-?????eight participants (31 male, 12 female, 5 no response) in this study were grade nine students, aged 13-?????16 years old. Twenty-?????one students were enrolled in an applied mathematics program, and 27 were enrolled in an academic mathematics program. The results indicated students had a positive attitude toward blogging in mathematics class. Blogging had little impact on students??? mathematical confidence, however the confidence scale was not specific enough to measure confidence by unit. Blogging increased mathematical knowledge, however they cannot be directly linked as other teaching strategies were used during the study. Mathematical confidence did not increase, as students lacked the requisite collaborative skills and the ability to scaffold their learning on the blog site. Academic mathematical communication was slightly higher overall

Universal Parametric Correlations of Eigenvalues of Random Matrix Ensemble

Eigenvalue correlations of random matrix ensembles as a function of an external perturbation are investigated vis the Dyson Brownian Motion Model in the situation where the level density has a hard edge singularity. By solving a linearized hydrodynamical equation, a universal dependence of the density-density correlator on the external field is found. As an application we obtain a formula for the variance of linear statistics with the parametric dependence exhibited as a Laplace transform.Comment: 23 pages, late

Consistent Relationship between Field-Measured Stomatal Conductance and Theoretical Maximum Stomatal Conductance in C₃ Woody Angiosperms in Four Major Biomes

Premise of research. Understanding the relationship between field-measured operating stomatal conductance (gop) and theoretical maximum stomatal conductance (gmax), calculated from stomatal density and geometry, provides an important framework that can be used to infer leaf-level gas exchange of historical, herbarium, and fossil plants. To date, however, investigation of the nature of the relationship between gop and theoretical gmax remains limited to a small number of experiments on relatively few taxa and is virtually undefined for plants in natural ecosystems. Methodology. We used the gop measurements of 74 species and 35 families across four biomes from a published contemporary data set of field-measured leaf-level stomatal conductance in woody angiosperms and calculated the theoretical gmax from the same leaves to investigate the relationship between gop and gmax across multiple species and biomes and determine whether such relationships are widely conserved. Pivotal results. We observed significant relationships between gop and gmax, with consistency in the gop ∶ gmax ratio across biomes, growth habits (shrubs and trees), and habitats (open canopy and understory subcanopy). An overall mean gop ∶ gmax ratio of 0.26 ± 0.11 (mean ± SD) was observed. The consistently observed gop ∶ gmax ratio in this study strongly agrees with previous hypotheses that an ideal gop ∶ gmax ratio exists. Conclusions. These results build substantially on previous studies by presenting a new reference for a consistent gop ∶ gmax ratio across many levels and offer great potential to enhance paleoclimate proxies and vegetation-climate models alike

Current recommendations/practices for anonymising data from clinical trials in order to make it available for sharing:A scoping review

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are increasing pressures for anonymised datasets from clinical trials to be shared across the scientific community, and differing recommendations exist on how to perform anonymisation prior to sharing. We aimed to systematically identify, describe and synthesise existing recommendations for anonymising clinical trial datasets to prepare for data sharing. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE(®), EMBASE and Web of Science from inception to 8 February 2021. We also searched other resources to ensure the comprehensiveness of our search. Any publication reporting recommendations on anonymisation to enable data sharing from clinical trials was included. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full text for eligibility. One reviewer extracted data from included papers using thematic synthesis, which then was sense-checked by a second reviewer. Results were summarised by narrative analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-nine articles (from 43 studies) were eligible for inclusion. Three distinct themes are emerging: anonymisation, de-identification and pseudonymisation. The most commonly used anonymisation techniques are: removal of direct patient identifiers; and careful evaluation and modification of indirect identifiers to minimise the risk of identification. Anonymised datasets joined with controlled access was the preferred method for data sharing. CONCLUSIONS: There is no single standardised set of recommendations on how to anonymise clinical trial datasets for sharing. However, this systematic review shows a developing consensus on techniques used to achieve anonymisation. Researchers in clinical trials still consider that anonymisation techniques by themselves are insufficient to protect patient privacy, and they need to be paired with controlled access