The Diverse Applications of Cladistic Analysis of Molecular Evolution,with Special Reference to Nested Clade Analysis

The genetic variation found in small regions of the genomes of many species can be arranged into haplotype trees that reflect the evolutionary genealogy of the DNA lineages found in that region and the accumulation of mutations on those lineages. This review demonstrates some of the many ways in which clades (branches) of haplotype trees have been applied in recent years, including the study of genotype/phenotype associations at candidate loci and in genome-wide association studies, the phylogeographic history of species, human evolution, the conservation of endangered species, and the identification of species.     

Trajectories leading to school-age conduct problems.

The present study applied a semiparametric mixture model to a sample of 284 low-income boys to model developmental trajectories of overt conduct problems from ages 2 to 8. As in research on older children, 4 developmental trajectories were identified: a persistent problem trajectory, a high-level desister trajectory, a moderate-level desister trajectory, and a persistent low trajectory. Follow-up analyses indicated that initially high and low groups were differentiated in early childhood by high child fearlessness and elevated maternal depressive symptomatology. Persistent problem and high desister trajectories were differentiated by high child fearlessness and maternal rejecting parenting. The implications of the results for early intervention research are discussed, with an emphasis on the identification of at-risk parent-child dyads. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

E-商务-改变公司营销的途径

电子商务在商业贸易中逐渐被人们认识并接受，在信息时代高速发展的今天，其作用愈来愈明显、重要。     

Progress in the development of polymer cholesteric liquid crystal flakes for display applications

Polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) flake technology is being developed as an alternative display technology for flexible, reflective particle displays. The motion of PCLC flakes suspended in a host fluid can be controlled with an electric field, creating a way to electrically control the flakes' ability to brightly reflect light that is circularly polarized. The PCLC flake/host fluid dispersion has been successfully microencapsulated both in a polymer matrix and in gelatin micro-capsules. Microencapsulation will not only expand the applications scope of the technology, but also may aid in addressing some potential problem areas that are inherent to many forms of particle display technology. A second important development in PCLC flake technology involves the manufacture of shaped flakes based on soft lithography techniques. The size and shape of a flake impact its reorientation, and uniformly shaped flakes respond in a similar manner. The unique reflective properties of PCLC flakes also provide possible applications in areas such as optics and photonics, switchable ‘smart windows’ or conformal coatings, and information displays such as ‘electronic paper.’     

Identifying Candidate Protein Markers of Acute Kidney Injury in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

One-quarter of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) experience acute kidney injury (AKI)—an abrupt reduction or loss of kidney function associated with increased long-term mortality. There is a critical need to identify early and real-time markers of AKI in ADHF; however, to date, no protein biomarkers have exhibited sufficient diagnostic or prognostic performance for widespread clinical uptake. We aimed to identify novel protein biomarkers of AKI associated with ADHF by quantifying changes in protein abundance in the kidneys that occur during ADHF development and recovery in an ovine model. Relative quantitative protein profiling was performed using sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra–mass spectrometry (SWATH–MS) in kidney cortices from control sheep (n = 5), sheep with established rapid-pacing-induced ADHF (n = 8), and sheep after ~4 weeks recovery from ADHF (n = 7). Of the 790 proteins quantified, we identified 17 candidate kidney injury markers in ADHF, 1 potential kidney marker of ADHF recovery, and 2 potential markers of long-term renal impairment (differential abundance between groups of 1.2–2.6-fold, adjusted p < 0.05). Among these 20 candidate protein markers of kidney injury were 6 candidates supported by existing evidence and 14 novel candidates not previously implicated in AKI. Proteins of differential abundance were enriched in pro-inflammatory signalling pathways: glycoprotein VI (activated during ADHF development; adjusted p < 0.01) and acute phase response (repressed during recovery from ADHF; adjusted p < 0.01). New biomarkers for the early detection of AKI in ADHF may help us to evaluate effective treatment strategies to prevent mortality and improve outcomes for patients.     

Marriage and the spiritual realm: The role of proximal and distal religious constructs in marital functioning.

Ninety-seven couples completed questionnaires about their involvement in joint religious activities and their perceptions regarding the sanctification of marriage, including perceived sacred qualities of marriage and beliefs about the manifestation of God in marriage. In contrast to individual religiousness and religious homogamy (distal religious constructs), these proximal religious variables directly reflect an integration of religion and marriage, and they were associated with greater global marital adjustment, more perceived benefits from marriage, less marital conflict, more verbal collaboration, and less use of verbal aggression and stalemate to discuss disagreements for both wives and husbands. The proximal measures also added substantial unique variance (adjusted R2 change ranged from .06 to .48) to specific aspects of marital functioning after controlling demographic factors and distal religious variables in hierarchical regression analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Just teasing: A conceptual analysis and empirical review.

Drawing on E. Goffman's concepts of face and strategic interaction, the authors define a tease as a playful provocation in which one person comments on something relevant to the target. This approach encompasses the diverse behaviors labeled teasing, clarifies previous ambiguities, differentiates teasing from related practices, and suggests how teasing can lead to hostile or affiliative outcomes. The authors then integrate studies of the content of teasing. Studies indicate that norm violations and conflict prompt teasing. With development, children tease in playful ways, particularly around the ages of 11 and 12 years, and understand and enjoy teasing more. Finally, consistent with hypotheses concerning contextual variation in face concerns, teasing is more frequent and hostile when initiated by high-status and familiar others and men, although gender differences are smaller than assumed. The authors conclude by discussing how teasing varies according to individual differences and culture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phase separation of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) solutions and gels using a near infrared fiber laser

We used a tunable near infrared fiber laser in the wavelength range of 1533–1573 nm to induce photothermal phase changes in poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) aqueous solutions and hydrogels. The laser induces the hydrophilic to hydrophobic transition of the polymer by heating the surrounding water. We report our observations of the phase changes based on using a novel fiber backreflectance method coupled with visual cloud point measurements. At 1533 nm the phase transition was induced at the end of a single mode optical fiber with 9 mW of power at an ambient temperature of 24°C. We found that the power required to reach the lower critical solution temperature was inversely proportional to the absorption spectrum of water. In addition, phase changes in both solutions and gels occurred very rapidly (<1 s) as the laser was turned on and off. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Peer Reviewed: An Economic Perspective on Outdoor Residential Pesticide Use

Pesticides.     

Athletic classmates, physical self-concept, and free-time physical activity: A longitudinal study of frame of reference effects.

The systematic analysis of factors that promote or impede physical activity in children is an urgent task for educational researchers. The present study investigated the reciprocal relationship between physical self-concept, teacher-assigned grades in physical education classes, and free-time physical activity, and analyzed positive and negative consequences of being in a class with high class-average physical ability. Data from a large, representative sample of 1,095 preadolescents from 66 classrooms were examined within a longitudinal framework. Multilevel analyses showed that membership in a class with high class-average physical ability was associated with lower physical self-concept and free-time physical activity and highlighted the significant role of teacher-assigned grades in the development of physical self-concept and physical activity. Furthermore, as predicted, there were positive reciprocal effects between physical self-concept and physical activity levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)