The Minimal Spanning Tree Preservation Approaches for DNA Multiple Sequence Alignment and Evolutionary Tree Construction

In this paper, we propose a new criterion, namely the minimal spanning tree preservation approach, for both of the DNA multiple sequence alignment and the construction of evolutionary trees. It is our aim to keep the proximity information among the sequences or species via our approach. The basic idea behind this approach is that those distances among species which are close to one another are more informative than the others.     

An Exploratory Study of “Parasites” in Taiwan

Deriving from Parasite Single proposed by Yamada (1997), parasites in this study is redefined as those who live with and financially rely on their parents in terms of living expenses after school graduation. The current study adopts the logit model and utilizes the data from the 1999 to 2000 Taiwan Panel Study of Family Dynamics to investigate the determinants of parasites. The finding reveals that gender, age, marital status, and the value of filial piety are significantly different between parasites and non-parasites. Moreover, gender, monthly income, age and marital status are determinants of the probability of being parasites.     

The Effects of Cultural Familiarity and Question Preview Type on the Listening Comprehension of L2 Learners at the Secondary Level

We examined the effect of cultural familiarity and question-preview types on the listening comprehension of L2 learners. The results showed that the participants who received the full question-preview format scored higher than those receiving either the answer-option preview or question-stem preview, despite a statistically nonsignificant difference across the three previewing activities. In addition, the participants exposed to diverse cultural texts did not perform differently in their comprehension score. The findings suggest that the use of visual cues and key-vocabulary instruction in both texts may have compromised the positive psychological value of question previewing in enhancing comprehension of the unfamiliar text.     

Ratio and product methods of estimation of population mean in the presence of correlated measurement errors

The properties of the estimators of population mean arising from the ratio and product methods of estimation in the context of sample surveys have been analyzed in this paper when the observations on both the study and auxiliary variables are contaminated with measurement errors. The measurement errors in both the variables are also correlated. The properties of the ratio and product estimators along with the sample mean under the influence of measurement errors are derived and studied. The properties of the estimators in finite samples are studied through Monte-Carlo simulation and its findings are reported.     

Effects of relational schema congruence on leader-member exchange

Drawing on social exchange processes in leader-member exchange (LMX), we posit that expressive relational schema (ERS) and instrumental relational schema (IRS), which refer to knowledge structures in social exchange processes, act as antecedents of follower-rated LMX. Specifically, we discuss how leader-follower relational schema congruence/incongruence informs follower-rated LMX. Using polynomial regression models, we analyze 205 leader-follower dyads and test the congruent/incongruent effects on follower-rated LMX. The findings show that ERS congruence has a positive effect on follower-rated LMX, while IRS congruence has a negative effect on follower-rated LMX. Results also demonstrate that ERS incongruence impairs more follower-rated LMX than does ERS congruence, and IRS incongruence and IRS congruence have the same follower-rated LMX. Implications for LMX theory and research are discussed.     

Relationships between urban green land cover and human health at different spatial resolutions

Relationships between landscape patterns and ecological processes can vary with changing resolution. Many studies in ecosystem services and human health rely on spatial-dependent data, yet the effects of changes in spatial resolution on the linkages between landscape and human health are underexplored. This study seeks to address the research gap by exploring the relationships of green land cover and pattern metrics at 1 m, 10 m, and 30 m with life expectancy in the City of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Spearman’s rho correlation and stepwise and hierarchical regression models were applied. Results showed that the effects of resolution change did not emerge for percent green land cover but were evident in other pattern metrics. Multivariate relationships showed that metrics at 1 m explained the most variability of the relationships between green land cover and life expectancy after controlling for potential confounding factors (adjusted R²?=?0.776, and 0.752 at 10 m and 0.747 at 30 m). Edge density of coarse vegetation was significantly associated with life expectancy at 1 m (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]?=?1.012, 95%CI?=?1.004–1.024, p?<?0.01) and 10 m (AOR?=?1.018, 95%CI?=?1.009–1.027, p?<?0.001) but not at 30 m. Euclidean distance of fine vegetation had a strong positive association with greater life expectancy at 1 m (AOR?=?2.067, 95%CI?=?1.185–4.072, p?<?0.05) but not at 10 m and 30 m. These findings underscore the importance of acknowledging the effects of resolution on the interpretation of landscape-human health relationships and the need for caution when results are used in planning and management decisions.

     

Effect of resistance-exercise training on cognitive function in healthy older adults: a review

Several studies have demonstrated that exercise helps reduce or prevent cognitive deterioration among older adults, and recent studies have further examined the effects of resistance-exercise training on cognition. The purpose of this review was to examine the role of resistance-exercise training on cognition in healthy older adults. Specifically, it describes the definition, health benefits, and the design of resistance-exercise training. The authors also review the research related to resistance exercises and cognition and found that this exercise modality may enhance specific cognitive performances. Next, they examine the potential mechanisms underlying resistance exercise and cognitive enhancement. Finally, they consider potential therapeutics and recommendations for further research on resistance-exercise training and cognition in older adults.     

Nonparametric estimation of bivariate distribution under right truncation with application to panic disorder

In several studies, investigators are interested in estimating the bivariate distribution of the onset ages of a generic disorder in successive generations. The empirical distribution is inappropriate for this purpose due to truncation: only parent–child pairs with onset ages prior to the ages at interview were included in the sample. In this paper, we propose a simple nonparametric estimator for the underlying bivariate distribution of the onset ages. Compared with the existing estimators, the proposed estimator has a closed form and smaller biases when estimating marginal distributions. A real example is used to illustrate this estimator.     

Psychometric Analysis of the Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire in Taiwanese Undergraduate Students

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ; Peterson et al. in J Happiness Stud 6(1):25–41, 2005) in Taiwanese students. The participants were 578 undergraduate students (M_age = 18.64, SD = 1.02) and completed the OHQ, satisfaction with life scale (Diener et al. in J Personality Assess 49:71–75, 1985), and subjective happiness. Confirmation factor analysis indicated that a three-factor model with 17 items was the better fit model. Cross-validation also supported the modified Chinese version of the OHQ. Besides, the OHQ significantly predicted life satisfaction and subjective happiness with an exception of life of pleasure. Overall, it was concluded that the Chinese version of the OHQ would be useful for assessing individual’s orientations to happiness.