Many of today’s methods for the detection of biomolecules suffer from a high limit ofdetection due to poor signal generation upon recognition of target. By applying andoptimizing proximity ligation assay (PLA) in Western blotting (WB), the limit of detectionhas been lowered down to the picomolar range. In this report I have optimized the differentparameters that affect the signal generation and explored possibilities to increase the ease ofuse, by merging protocol steps and performing signal generating reactions at roomtemperature.

Root symbioses with dark septate endophytic fungi (DSE) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide plant tolerance to environmental stresses. This research answers several fundamental questions about the occurrence of these fungi in roots of prairie grasses. Traditional methods and current molecular techniques were combined in order to: 1) define the role and specificity of DSE in plant tolerance to drought; 2) assess the level of host specificity in DSE; 3) document AMF biodiversity and pattern of root colonization at different soil depths; 4) define the influence of soil depth and plant species on the distribution of DSE and AMF in roots and; 5) reveal how DSE and AMF interact in plant roots.<p> Under controlled conditions, DSE isolates showed host preference in colonizing roots and promoting plant growth. They colonized with more intensity the plant species from which they were isolated [Agropyron cristatum L. or Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch) Nevski subsp. Juncea (Syn: Elymus junceus Fisch)]. Inoculation with five DSE isolates resulted in growth stimulation of the C3 grasses A. cristatum and P. juncea, and growth depression of the C4 grass Bouteloua gracillis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths, under water stress. Plant C concentration suggested that DSE inoculation may have resulted in net C drain from B. gracillis.<p. In the field, soil depth influenced root colonization in A. cristatum, Panicum virgatum L., Nassella viridula Trin and Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) A. Löve., while AMF diversity was influenced by the interaction between soil depth and host plant species. Molecular analysis of roots serially sampled during one growing season from the A and B soil horizons, in stands of these grasses, revealed spatial and temporal changes in DSE and AMF community composition, and a significant correlation in DSE and AMF community structure.<p> These results suggest that DSE and AMF are adapted to specific environmental conditions and that root occupation by these fungi is a dynamic phenomenon. It is proposed that temporal variation in root occupation by DSE and AMF impacts plant and ecosystem processes at different times during the growing season.

Dicyemid mesozoans are endoparasites inhabited in benthic cephalopod molluscs. Previous studies of dicyemids were mostly concentrated on their taxonomy. The life cycle remains a mystery since Cavolini observed this animal in 1787. The purpose of this study is to investigate further on the dicyemid life cycle building on the limited knowledge from previous studies, and investigate the infection of dicyemid in octopuses in tropical waters, using the area in the southwestern Taiwan as a model. A total of 324 octopus hosts was collected¡Aincluding 3 genera and 13 species from DungGang Fish Market from 2001 to 2002. There were 9 host species detected with dicyemid mesozoans including 14 species within 2 genera. Moreover, there is no dicyemid species overlap among the octopus species indicating high host-specificity. There is large range of the dicyemid infection prevalence among octopod hosts. Cistopis indicus has the highest prevalence (91%) and Octopus luteus the lowest (20%) in this study. In C. indicus, the infected mechanism correlated with season. The infusoriform larvae of dicyemid mesozoan dispersal from the host to sea water in the autumn and winter, then entering host in the spring and summer. The change of dicyemid life cycle stage in the C. indicus kidney correlates with the sharp decrease of infection intensity. However, the dicyemid infection in Octopus marginatus correlates with body size, not with season. Besides, there is significant difference of dicyemid development between two kidneys of the same individual, both in the analysis of C. indicus and O. marginatus. It indicates the separated way of dicyemid infection into two sides of kidneys.

ABSTRACT In the record of the theory, we found out that the competitive advantage always be focused on the thinking of strength, the strength aiming at ¡ugood¡v¡B¡ustrong¡vresources or conditions, whatever in the resource-based theory or the strategy-based theory. The reason is all research was deeply influenced by SWOT. Japanese Industry successfully growing up, ¡§with small to win huge¡¨, to beat global deader, had highlighted the important issue, ¡§ Shall small always be small? Shall big always be big? ¡§ Gray hamel and C.K. Prahalad in ¡uCompeting in the future¡vdeclared¡G ¡¨ Mastering industrial spaces is not by company¡¦s small or big, not by less or much resource, not by less or much market-share.¡¨ In case, it shall convince of us to study the factor of competitive advantage shall be in a vision more than ¡ustrength¡v, good , strong, or much resources and conditions. Meanwhile, in the record of theory, we also found out that the efficient method of resource & strategy must carefully consider the differentiation of product, industry and industrial structure. On fact, the differentiation of product, industry and industrial structure formed at each industry¡¦s differentiation and each industry¡¦s specificity. Concluding all of above, the writer is interested in the research of the topic; the key of factor of competitive advantage shall be emphasized and aimed at the specificity of the industry. In order to studying the relevance between the competitive advantage and the industry¡¦s specificity, the writer design the researching range as followings as: 1. The original of the competitive advantage. 2. The relevance between the competitive advantage and resource, strategy. 3. The relevance between the competitive advantage and the industry¡¦s specificity. Keywords: Competitive advantage ¡BIndustrial specificity¡B Chains-strand competitive advantage

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-118).

According to the Body-Specificity Hypothesis, experiences of habitual motor fluency cause people to associate positive valence with their dominant hand side and confer positive valence to items located on their dominant hand side (Casasanto, 2009). Can ongoing motor experience impact this association in the absence of visually lateralized stimuli? In Experiment 1, participants flipped cards using one hand and rated the image on each card with respect to how well it was described by positive or negative personal characteristics. Contrary to our predictions, participant’s ratings were not biased by the hand that they used during the trial. In Experiment 2, the task was almost entirely the same, though participants wore a slippery glove on their dominant hand to reduce the perceived motor fluency of the dominant hand. Again, participant’s ratings were not biased by the relative motor fluency of the hand used during the trial. Results indicate that ongoing motor activity may not be sufficient to activate body specific preferences in the absence of visually lateralized stimuli. / text

Background and Aims Sexual deception is a species-specific pollination strategy commonly found in Orchidaceae. Sexually deceptive orchids lure male insect pollinators by mimicking the sex pheromones and/or appearance of female insects, which elicit copulatory behaviour with the flower by the male insects. This specialised pollination strategy has recently been found in a Pterostylis species in Australia. Pterostylis orchids also occur in New Zealand, although very few studies have been done on this genus, and no such specialised insect pollination strategy has been documented in New Zealand. Methods I investigated the breeding system and pollinators of three Pterostylis spp. to determine whether sexual deception may be operating in P. oliveri, P. irsoniana and P. venosa growing in native beech forests in Arthur's Pass. We also investigated the floral headspace volatiles of P. oliveri to determine which compounds are present, and which may be responsible for pollinator attraction. Key Results Breeding system experiments suggest that P. oliveri and P. irsoniana are self compatible, but exclusively dependent on insects for pollination. Only male fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) were found carrying pollinia attached to their thoraxes in traps set up over the flowers. Insect identification and ITS DNA analysis of the pollinia showed that each orchid species was pollinated by a specific fungus gnat species; Mycetophila latifascia males found with pollen of P. oliveri; Morganiella fusca males found with pollen of P. irsoniana; and Tetragoneura sp. males found with pollen of P. venosa. Field tests of an unidentified compound found in headspace volatiles of P. oliveri did not attract any Mycetophila latifascia males. Conclusions These results indicate that pollination via sexual deception may be operating in these three Pterostylis spp. However, further floral volatile analyses are required to confirm whether the flowers emit volatile compounds that resemble the sex pheromones of the specific pollinators.

Two age groups of infants were tested for their ability to learn an AAB or ABA repetition generalization in sequences of musical chords. The 4-month-olds, but not the 7.5-month-olds, successfully learned the generalization. Another group of 7.5-month-old infants successfully learned a generalization across melodies that all ended on a particular scale degree, even though the key of the melodies was varied. A survey of a musical corpus of children's songs reveals that AAB and ABA patterns do not occur more frequently than chance, while phrases frequently end on particular scale degrees. Together, these findings suggest that infants learn to constrain the set of generalizations they consider in order to favor those that rely upon features of the input that have proved reliable in their previous experience, specifically experience with a particular input domain. This raises the possibility that experience may play a significant role in parsing infants' environments into domains.

In diagnostic test studies, one crucial task is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a test. Currently, most studies focus on the Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve and the Area Under the Curve. On the other hand, the Youden index, widely applied in practice, is another comprehensive measurement for the performance of a diagnostic test. For a continuous-scale test classifying diseased and non-diseased groups, finding the Youden index of the test is equivalent to maximize the sum of sensitivity and specificity for all the possible values of the cut-point. This dissertation concentrates on statistical inferences for the Youden index. First, an auxiliary tool for the Youden index, called the diagnostic curve, is defined and used to evaluate the diagnostic test. Second, in the paired-design study to assess the diagnostic accuracy of two biomarkers, the difference in paired Youden indices frequently acts as an evaluation standard. We propose an exact confidence interval for the difference in paired Youden indices based on generalized pivotal quantities. A maximum likelihood estimate-based interval and a bootstrap-based interval are also included in the study. Third, for certain diseases, an intermediate level exists between diseased and non-diseased status. With such concern, we define the Youden index for three ordinal groups, propose the empirical estimate of the Youden index, study the asymptotic properties of the empirical Youden index estimate, and construct parametric and nonparametric confidence intervals for the Youden index. Finally, since covariates often affect the accuracy of a diagnostic test, therefore, we propose estimates for the Youden index with a covariate adjustment under heteroscedastic regression models for the test results. Asymptotic properties of the covariate-adjusted Youden index estimators are investigated under normal error and non-normal error assumptions.

Diagnostic testing is essential to distinguish non-diseased individuals from diseased individuals. More accurate tests lead to improved treatment and thus reduce medical mistakes. The sensitivity and specificity are two important measurements for the diagnostic accuracy of a diagnostic test. When the test results are continuous, it is of interest to construct a confidence interval for the sensitivity at a fixed level of specificity for the test. In this thesis, we propose three empirical likelihood intervals for the sensitivity. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the empirical likelihood based confidence intervals with the existing normal approximation based confidence interval. Our studies show that the new intervals had better coverage probability than the normal approximation based interval in most simulation settings.