Ciidae of Michigan (Insecta: Coleoptera)

The family Ciidae Leach, 1819, occurs worldwide with approximately 720 species. In the United States there are 84 species in 13 genera. Given their relatively small size (~0.5 to 6 mm) and cryptic habitats, feeding in decaying fungi, recent regional fauna studies are lacking including the northeastern United States. To alleviate this gap in knowledge, in part, we review and identify 2,123 undetermined specimens collected in Michigan. We provide new state records for four species: Ceracis pecki Lawrence 1971, Cis americanus Mannerheim, 1852, Cis submicans Abeille de Perrin, 1874, Dolicocis manitoba Dury, 1919 which increases the total for Michigan to 25 species and update records for Michigan counties. In addition, we provide a modified key to Michigan species

Cardiovascular effects of calcium supplementation

Peer reviewedPostprin

A Comparison of the Effect of Conditioning Activity Type on Post-activation Potentiation

This study compared the effects of two conditioning exercise types on subsequent countermovement jump performance. Fifteen male collegiate rugby players (age 21.1 ± 2.3) completed two experimental protocols in a randomized order. The first protocol consisted of 3 sets of a 5 second maximal isometric half squat (ISO), with 1 minute rest intervals between sets. The second protocol consisted of 2 sets of 5 depth jumps (DJ) at a platform height which was determined by the athletes’ reactive strength index (RSI). These methods were each adapted from prior literature where post-activation potentiation (PAP) was achieved, in order to determine the relative timing and amplitude of the effect using a repeated measures design. Results of a two-way ANOVA for CMJ height reveal a significant main effect of time ((F[5,60] = 8.291, p \u3c 0.001, η² = 0.409), and pairwise comparisons reveal a significant increase in CMJ height at 4-minutes compared to baseline (3.4 ± 0.9%, p = 0.044), as well as a significant decline in CMJ performance from 4-minutes to both 8-minutes (-7.7 ± 3.3%, p = 0.001), and 10-minutes (-4.7 ± 0.7%, p = 0.005). No significant interactions or main effects were found for CMJ height or other performance indices. Potentiating via the DJ or ISO protocols lent no significant difference in CMJ variables, therefore practitioners may use either protocol to enhance jumping performance in their athletes

Ciidae of Michigan (Insecta: Coleoptera)

The family Ciidae Leach, 1819, occurs worldwide with approximately 720 species. In the United States there are 84 species in 13 genera. Given their relatively small size (~0.5 to 6 mm) and cryptic habitats, feeding in decaying fungi, recent regional fauna studies are lacking including the northeastern United States. To alleviate this gap in knowledge, in part, we review and identify 2,123 undetermined specimens collected in Michigan. We provide new state records for four species: Ceracis pecki Lawrence 1971, Cis americanus Mannerheim, 1852, Cis submicans Abeille de Perrin, 1874, Dolicocis manitoba Dury, 1919 which increases the total for Michigan to 25 species and update records for Michigan counties. In addition, we provide a modified key to Michigan species

Hydrodynamic induced deformation and orientation of a microscopic elastic filament

We describe simulations of a microscopic elastic filament immersed in a fluid and subject to a uniform external force. Our method accounts for the hydrodynamic coupling between the flow generated by the filament and the friction force it experiences. While models that neglect this coupling predict a drift in a straight configuration, our findings are very different. Notably, a force with a component perpendicular to the filament axis induces bending and perpendicular alignment. Moreover, with increasing force we observe four shape regimes, ranging from slight distortion to a state of tumbling motion that lacks a steady state. We also identify the appearance of marginally stable structures. Both the instability of these shapes and the observed alignment can be explained by the combined action of induced bending and non-local hydrodynamic interactions. Most of these effects should be experimentally relevant for stiff micro-filaments, such as microtubules.Comment: three figures. To appear in Phys Rev Let

Distinguishing personal belief from scientific knowledge for the betterment of killer whale welfare – a commentary

We contest publication of Marino et al. regarding captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) welfare because of misrepresentations of available data and the use of citations that do not support assertions. Marino et al. misrepresent stress response concepts and erroneously cite studies, which appear to support Marino et al.’s philosophical beliefs regarding the cetacean hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. To be clear, these misrepresentations are not differences of scientific opinion, as the authors’ conclusions lack any scientific basis. More extensive review of Marino et al.’s citations reveal a dearth of empirical evidence to support their assertions. Further, Marino et al.’s approach to animal welfare is not consistent with conventional veterinary approaches to animal welfare, including their apparent opposition to use of preventative and therapeutic veterinary interventions. While Marino et al. argue that killer whales’ cognitive and spatial needs preclude management of this species under human care, misrepresentation of the citations used to support this opinion invalidates their arguments. Misleading interpretations of data relative to killer whales’ cognitive and emotional needs and specious and unsubstantiated comparisons with states experienced by humans with posttraumatic stress disorder and other conditions, represent a number of strategies used to misrepresent knowledge regarding killer whale welfare. These misrepresentations and fallacies are inconsistent with scientific ethical standards for credible, peer-reviewed journals (ICMJE, 2018), and are barriers to rigorous discourse and identification of strategies for optimizing killer whale welfare. Assertions in the paper amount to nothing more than a compilation of conclusory, philosophical statements. We would also like to mention that manuscripts such as Marino et al.’s do great damage to the fields of comparative psychology and to behavioral science as a whole

B decay and the Upsilon mass

Theoretical predictions for inclusive semileptonic B decay rates are rewritten in terms of the Upsilon(1S) meson mass instead of the b quark mass, using a modified perturbation expansion. This method gives theoretically consistent and phenomenologically useful results. Perturbation theory is well behaved, and the largest theoretical error in the predictions coming from the uncertainty in the quark mass is eliminated. The results are applied to the determination of $|V_{cb}|$, $|V_{ub}|$, and $\lambda_1$.Comment: 8 pages revte

Evolution and function of the epithelial cell-specific ER stress sensor IRE1β

Barrier epithelial cells lining the mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts interface directly with the environment. As such, these tissues are continuously challenged to maintain a healthy equilibrium between immunity and tolerance against environmental toxins, food components, and microbes. An extracellular mucus barrier, produced and secreted by the underlying epithelium plays a central role in this host defense response. Several dedicated molecules with a unique tissue-specific expression in mucosal epithelia govern mucosal homeostasis. Here, we review the biology of Inositol-requiring enzyme 1β (IRE1β), an ER-resident endonuclease and paralogue of the most evolutionarily conserved ER stress sensor IRE1α. IRE1β arose through gene duplication in early vertebrates and adopted functions unique from IRE1α which appear to underlie the basic development and physiology of mucosal tissues