cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Identification of the ROSY Locus DNA in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: Intragenic Recombination Mapping of Mutations Associated with Insertions and Deletions

DNA extracts of several rosy-mutation-bearing strains were associated with large insertions and deletions in a defined region of the molecular map believed to include the rosy locus DNA. Large-scale, intragenic mapping experiments were carried out that localized these mutations within the boundaries of the previously defined rosy locus structural element. Molecular characterization of the wild-type recombinants provides conclusive evidence that the rosy locus DNA is localized to the DNA segment marked by these lesions.—One of the mutations, ry 2101, arose from a P-M hybrid dysgenesis experiment and is associated with a copia insertion. Experiments are described which suggest that copia mobilizes in response to P-M hybrid dysgenesis.—Relevance of the data to recombination in higher organisms is considered.
Model predictive control of continuous yeast bioreactors using cell population balance models

Abstract Continuous cultures of budding yeast are known to exhibit autonomous oscillations that adversely affect bioreactor stability and productivity. We demonstrate that this phenomenon can be modeled by coupling the population balance equation (PBE) for the cell mass distribution to the mass balance of the rate limiting substrate. An efficient and robust numerical solution procedure using orthogonal collocation on finite elements is developed to approximate the PBE model by a coupled set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). A controller design model is obtained by linearizing and temporally discretizing the ODEs derived from spatial discretization of the PBE model. The resulting linear state-space model is used to develop model predictive control (MPC) strategies that regulate the discretized cell number distribution by manipulating the dilution rate and the feed substrate concentration. Two choices of the controlled output vector are considered: (i) the entire discretized distribution; and (ii) a subset of the discretized distribution. The ability of the MPC controllers to stabilize steady-state and periodic solutions is evaluated via simulation. We show that superior closed-loop performance is obtained when a subset of the distribution is employed as controlled outputs.
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence properties of bisalicylideneethylenediamino (salen) metal complexes

Abstract The spectroscopy, electrochemistry and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of eight bisalicylideneethylenediamino (salen) metal complexes are reported. Two of the complexes contain an unsubstituted salen ligand and either cobalt(II) or nickel(II). The others have 1,2-cyclohexanediamonio- N , N ′-bis(3,5-di- t -butylsalicylidene) as the ligand, and chromium(III), aluminum(III), cobalt(II), cobalt(III) or manganese(II) as the metal center. The complexes have lowest energy absorption maxima between 350 and 430 nm. When excited at these wavelengths, the complexes emit between 417 and 594 nm in acetonitrile. Photoluminescence efficiencies ( ϕ em ) were between 0.0310 and 23.8 compared to Ru(bpy) 3 2+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine; ϕ em = 1), with the aluminum complexes displaying the most intense photoluminescence. Both reversible and irreversible oxidative electrochemistry is displayed by the metal–salen complexes with oxidation potentials ranging between +0.152 and +1.661 V versus Ag/AgCl. The ECL intensity peaks at a potential corresponding to oxidation of both TPrA and the salen systems, indicating that both are involved in the ECL reaction sequence. ECL efficiencies ( ϕ ecl ) were between 0.0018 and 0.0086 when compared to Ru(bpy) 3 2+ ( ϕ ecl = 1) in acetonitrile (0.05 M tri- n -propylamine (TPrA) as an oxidative–reductive ECL coreactant). Also, qualitative studies using transmission filters suggest that the complexes emit ECL in approximately the same region as their photoluminescence, indicating that the same excited state is formed in both experiments.
Bordetella bronchiseptica Modulates Macrophage Phenotype Leading to the Inhibition of CD4+ T Cell Proliferation and the Initiation of a Th17 Immune Response

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a Gram-negative bacterium equipped with several colonization factors that allow it to establish a persistent infection of the murine respiratory tract. Previous studies indicate that B. bronchiseptica adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) and the type III secretion system (TTSS) synergize to drive dendritic cells into an altered phenotype to down-regulate the host immune response. In this study, we examined the effects of B. bronchiseptica ACT and TTSS on murine bone marrow-derived macrophages. We demonstrate that ACT and TTSS are required for the inhibition of Ag-driven CD4+ T cell proliferation by bacteria-infected macrophages. We identify PGE2 as the mediator of this inhibition, and we show that ACT and the TTSS synergize to increase macrophage production of PGE2. We further demonstrate that B. bronchiseptica can modulate normal macrophage function and drive the immune response toward a Th17 phenotype classified by the significant production of IL-17. In this study, we show that B. bronchiseptica-infected macrophages can induce IL-17 production from naive CD4+ splenocytes, and that lung tissues from B. bronchiseptica-infected mice exhibit a strong Th17 immune response. ACT inhibited surface expression of CD40 and CD86, suppressed TNF-α production, and up-regulated IL-6 production. TTSS also synergized with ACT to up-regulate IL-10 and PGE2 secretion. These findings indicate that persistent colonization by B. bronchiseptica may rely on the ability of the bacteria to differentially modulate both macrophage and dendritic cell function leading to an altered adaptive immune response and subsequent bacterial colonization.
Further remarks on the normal rate of growth of an individual, and its biochemical significance

1) In a previous paper, referred to above, I have shown from a variety of observations upon growth, that any particular cycle of growth obeys the formula logx/A−x= K(t−t1), wherex is the amount (in weight or volume) of growth which has been attained at timet, A is the total amount of growth attained during the cycle,K is a constant andt1 is the time at which the growth, due to the cycle, is half completed. It was pointed out that these relations are such as would be expected to hold good were growth the expression of an autocatalytic chemical reaction. 2) In the present paper these conclusions have been additionally tested upon a number of observations on the growth of certain plants and their constituents; the results are such as to additionally confirm the views expressed in my previous paper.
Mast cells in a murine lung ischemia-reperfusion model of primary graft dysfunction

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD), as characterized by pulmonary infiltrates and high oxygen requirements shortly after reperfusion, is the major cause of early morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. Donor, recipient and allograft-handling factors are thought to contribute, although new insights regarding pathogenesis are needed to guide approaches to prevention and therapy. Mast cells have been implicated in ischemic tissue injury in other model systems and in allograft rejection, leading to the hypothesis that mast cell degranulation contributes to lung injury following reperfusion injury. We tested this hypothesis in a mouse model of PGD involving reversible disruption of blood flow to one lung. Metrics of injury included albumin permeability, plasma extravasation, lung histopathology, and mast cell degranulation. Responses were assessed in wild-type (Kit +/+ ) and mast cell-deficient (Kit W-sh/W-sh ) mice. Because mouse lungs have few mast cells compared with human lungs, we also tested responses in mice with lung mastocytosis generated by injecting bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells (BMCMC). We found that ischemic lung responses of mast cell-deficient Kit W-sh/W-sh mice did not differ from those of Kit +/+ mice, even after priming for injury using LPS. Degranulated mast cells were more abundant in ischemic than in non-ischemic BMCMC-injected Kit W-sh/W-sh lungs. However, lung injury in BMCMC-injected Kit W-sh/W-sh and Kit +/+ mice did not differ in globally mast cell-deficient, uninjected Kit W-sh/W-sh mice or in wild-type Kit +/+ mice relatively
Being human and doing primatology: national, socioeconomic, and ethnic influences on primatological practice

The emerging manifesto, center of the essay collection this commentary is part of, points out that primatology is a primate's science and field of endeavor. It is about primates, and constructed and carried out by primates. But the relationships between different primates involved in primatology cannot be described merely as scientific, zoological, or conservatory. A main point emerging from this perspective is that the relationships amongst primates (as scientists and as subjects) are affected by primatologists' experiences outside of academic science and within the cultural schema that we acquire as members of human societies. My contribution focuses on the primatologists and their sometimes discussed, but too often ignored, cultural and ethnic contexts as influences on how they study, think about, and interact with other primates. In our views and bonds with other primates, do national, class, and ethnic factors count?
Exposure to Pharmaceuticals Present in the Environment

Pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment with increasing frequency since the late 1990s. The concentrations detected are low. For example, the average concentration of a pharmaceutical detected in surface waters is 0.042 parts per billion (μg/L) when the value for samples reported to contain nondetectable levels of an analyte is assumed to be 0 and 0.151 when these samples without detection are not included in the averaging. The bioactivity of pharmaceuticals has led to concerns that organisms in the environment may be impacted by ongoing exposure as a result of continuing patient use. The appropriateness of the existing environmental science and data for answering key questions pertaining to the fate and effect of bioactive pharmaceuticals has been questioned. The objectives of this article are to describe the sources of human pharmaceuticals detected in the environment, provide a detailed summary of the worldwide detection data, evaluate the potential significance of the environmental concentrations reported, and propose a mechanistic approach to the exposure analysis for environmental risk assessment. Open scientific questions are presented.
Peritrophic matrix of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

The peritrophic matrix of workers of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was studied from stained histological sections. Termites were decapitated, fixed in a mixture of paraformaldehyde- glutaraldehyde, embedded in epoxy, sectioned at 1 μm thickness, and stained. Our observations showed the presence of structures in the anterior part of the mesenteron resembling those described for a type II peritrophic matrix.
Prayer and satisfaction with sacrifice in close relationships

Three studies document the effect of prayer on satisfaction with sacrifice in close relationships. Study 1 (n = 771) demonstrated that prayer for partner predicted later satisfaction with sacrifice. In Study 2 couples discussed a disagreement and then prayed or engaged in a control activity. Praying increased satisfaction with sacrifice, couple identity and emergent goals, both of which mediated the relationship between prayer for partner and sacrifice. Study 3 (n = 37) showed that objective observers rated those who were randomly assigned to pray for a partner over a four-week period as being more satisfied with sacrifice than those who daily engaged in positive thoughts about their partner.
Molecular dosimetry of sister chromatid exchange induction in 9L cells treated with 6-thioguanine

The induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in 9L cells treated with 6-thioguanine (6-TG) has been investigated. A 24 h treatment with 0.2 microM 6-TG induced approximately 28 SCE/metaphase. The dose-response curve was linear at doses below 0.2 microM and had a slope of 139 SCE/metaphase/microM 6-TG. At concentrations of 0.023 to 1 microM, incorporation of 6-TG in DNA was linear with dose. The slope of the dose-response curve was 4135 mumol 6-TG/mol DNA/microM 6-TG. Comparison of these results with those obtained in our previous studies of the monofunctional alkylating agent ethylnitrosourea and the bifunctional alkylating agent 3-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea suggest that to accurately estimate the effectiveness of particular DNA modifications at inducing SCE, the extent of formation of these DNA modifications must be known.
Determinants of plasma vitamin D levels in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Eur J Clin Invest 2011; 41 (12): 1299–1309 Abstract Background Vitamin D is implicated in various biological functions ranging from cellular proliferation to immunity. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of several diseases including coronary atherosclerosis. Materials and methods We measured plasma 25(OH)D3 level in 224 patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and 209 control individuals by ELISA. We genotyped the study populations for 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in seven genes involved in vitamin D biosynthesis and metabolism by 5′ nuclease assays. Results The mean and median plasma 25(OH)D3 levels were not significantly different between patients with ACS and controls (median: 22·06 vs. 22·24 ng mL−1, respectively, P = 0·618). Plasma 25(OH)D3 level was < 20 ng mL−1 in 175/433 (40%) and < 30 ng mL−1 in 333/433 (77%) participants. Only four individuals had plasma 25(OH)D3 levels of above 60 ng mL−1. African-American and Hispanic populations, women and those with diabetes mellitus had significantly lower plasma 25(OH)D3 levels. In multivariable regression analysis, age, sex, diabetes mellitus, body weight, rs2762933 (CYP24A1) and rs6055987 (PLCB1) SNPs were independent predictors of plasma 25(OH)D3 level in the Caucasian population. Conclusions We found no difference in mean plasma vitamin D levels between patients with ACS and controls. Differences in population characteristics between the two study groups including medications use and the lack of data on vitamin D, calcium and multivitamin supplements intake as well as the relatively small sample size of the populations could confound the results. Ethnic background, sex, age, body weight and SNPs in CYP24A1 and PLCB1 were independent determinants of plasma vitamin D levels.
Using iterative enhancement in undergraduate software engineering courses

Many software development courses include both instruction in formal and informal techniques and application of those techniques on a team project. In teaching such a course, a dilemma arises in trying to present material in sufficient detail before students must apply the material in their projects. The students are not comfortable with a technique before they must use it. If the project is moved later in the course, the students do not have enough time to tackle a problem that is big enough to require many of the software development techniques. There must be a better approach to teaching the course without separating the material into two courses or dividing the course over two terms.This paper describes an iterative approach. Let the students develop an initial pass at the project using the techniques they know. Then, have them apply the techniques learned in this class to later iterations. They develop a reasonably large project and apply the techniques appropriately. In addition, they have an opportunity to modify and maintain their documents as they complete the project. This paper describes the approach, experiences using it, and what modifications might be useful.
First ic validation of IEEE Std. 1149.6

This paper provides proof of concept for the newly-approved 1149.6 standard by investigating the first silicon implementation of the test receiver. EXTEST and EXTEST/spl I.bar/PULSE tests were applied to functional channels as well as channels with a set of externally-induced hard defects. All valid signals were correctly received, and all defects were detected, thus validating both 1149.6's anticipated backwards compatibility with 1149.1 and fault coverage. Mission-mode tests showed no performance degradation due to the test circuits. Characterization across PVT of the test receiver suggests 1149.6's robustness with respect to noise.
High Performance Compact Microstripline Phase Shifter at C-Band Using Yttrium Iron Garnet

We report the fabrication of planar microstripline reciprocal phase shifter using a bulk Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) material. The propagation direction of the microstripline and magnetization direction of the YIG is collinear, and the length of the microstripline and the YIG was 50 mm in length. The proposed design shows large differential phase shifts of 100 degrees for applied magnetic fields varying from 0 to 0.56 times 104 A/m over the frequency range of 1.2 GHz between 5.4 GHz and 6.6 GHz. The average insertion loss, ~ 2.5 dB, was measured to have a 20% bandwidth at 6 GHz. The planar phase shifter presented here demonstrates a compact design, low loss, and an especially large phase shift with a relatively small bias field.
An Intelligent Auction Scheme for Smart Grid Market Using a Hybrid Immune Algorithm

Smart Grid technology is recognized as a key component of the solution to challenges such as the increasing electric demand, an aging utility infrastructure and workforce, and the environmental impact of greenhouse gases produced during electric generation. This paper presents the application of a hybrid optimization algorithm for distributed energy resource (DER) management in Smart Grid operation. The approach emphasizes the advantages of using multiagent systems for profitable operation of a Smart Grid in the energy market. The trading strategy adopted for the auction process is a profit-maximizing adaptive bidding strategy based on risk and competitive equilibrium price prediction. The auctioneer manages the usage of DERs by receiving bids from buyers and asks from sellers. A hybrid-immune-system-based particle swarm optimization is used to minimize the fuel cost for generation assuming realistic market prices for power, distributed generator bids reflecting realistic operational costs, and load bids customized according to the consumers' priorities. The simulation results clearly indicate that the agent-based management is effective in coordinating the various DERs economically and profitably.
Varicella Zoster Virus Necrotizing Retinitis in Two Patients with Idiopathic CD4 Lymphocytopenia

AbstractPurpose: Progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) associated with varicella zoster virus (VZV) is usually diagnosed in HIV positive or immunosuppressed patients. We report two cases of immunocompetent patients with necrotizing viral retinitis found to have idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia.Methods: Clinical presentation, examination, imaging, and laboratory testing of two patients with VZV retinitis are presented.Results: An HIV negative patient with history of herpes zoster presented with rapid loss of vision and examination consistent with PORN. PCR testing confirmed VZV. Lymphocytopenia was noted with a CD4 count of 25/mm3. A second HIV negative patient presented with blurred vision and lid swelling and was found to have peripheral VZV retinitis confirmed by PCR. Laboratory workup revealed lymphocytopenia with a CD4 count of 133/mm3.Conclusions: VZV necrotizing retinitis classic for PORN can occur in HIV negative patients. Idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia should be considered healthy patients who d...
Uvularia sessilifolia L. (Liliaceae): New to Kansas

Uvularia is a genus of five species native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia and southern Quebec southward and westward to Florida, Texas, and Manitoba (Utech and Kawano 2003). The plants are rhizomatous perennial herbs with leafy, forked aerial stems, sessile or perfoliate leaves, and one to occasionally more, greenish or yellow campanulate flowers. The specimen of U. sessilifolia L. cited below is the first report of this species in Kansas and only the second species of the genus reported there, the other being U. grandiflora Smith (Wilbur 1963; Utech and Kawano 2003). The new record is a result of a preliminary inventory of the flora of selected areas of the southeastern part of the state, particularly Wilson County, and study of the western distribution of Uvularia in the more southern parts of its range (Singhurst et al. 2003).
Patterns of nest attendance by female Greater Prairie-Chickens ( Tympanuchus cupido) in northcentral Kansas

Nest attendance behavior is a critical component of avian ecology that influences nest survival and population productivity. Birds that provide uniparental care during incubation and brood-rearing must balance the benefit of reproductive success with the costs of physiological needs and predation risk. We used miniature nest cameras to record 5904 h of video footage at 33 nests of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) during 2010 and 2011 in northcentral Kansas. We quantified the timing and duration of incubation bouts to address alternative hypotheses about physiological requirements and predation risk as drivers of incubation behavior. We also identified nest predators and determined timing of predation events, and tested for effects of nest attendance and monitoring technique on nest survival (video vs. telemetry). Female prairie chickens exhibited high incubation constancy per day (~95 %) and typically took two ~40-min recesses per day: one after sunrise and one before sunset. Mesocarnivores were responsible for 75 % (18 of 24) of nest losses, and most nest predation events occurred during crepuscular or overnight hours. Controlled comparisons provided no evidence that video surveillance attracted predators to nests. Variation in nest attendance had a minimal effect on nest survival compared to height of vegetative cover at the nest site. Timing of recesses did not indicate avoidance of predator activity in our study system. The bimodal pattern of incubation breaks observed in most grouse species is likely driven by physiological requirements of the female rather than predation pressure. Female Greater Prairie-Chickens appear to prioritize their metabolic needs and future reproductive potential over current nest survival.
Using course opportunities for learning game design

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to share the authors’ perspectives as members of a research-based course project focused on learning game design and development. The authors provide important aspects of their findings as usable knowledge in the form of implications for potential use in new contexts. Design/methodology/approach – This is a case study of one instance of a course-based structured learning opportunity. The authors chose to interview each other about various aspects of the course structure and its affordances and constraints for creating an effective and supportive learning environment. Findings – The paper provides findings as implications for potential transfer to new contexts. As considerations for engendering the type of learning the authors promote, they share much of the interview responses in an effort to not only contextualize their perspectives but also identify important aspects for similar projects. Research limitations/implications – As a single case, the authors focus on ar...
Investigation of optimal parameters for penalized maximum-likelihood reconstruction applied to iodinated contrast-enhanced breast CT

Although digital mammography has reduced breast cancer mortality by approximately 30%, sensitivity and specificity are still far from perfect. In particular, the performance of mammography is especially limited for women with dense breast tissue. Two out of every three biopsies performed in the U.S. are unnecessary, thereby resulting in increased patient anxiety, pain, and possible complications. One promising tomographic breast imaging method that has recently been approved by the FDA is dedicated breast computed tomography (BCT). However, visualizing lesions with BCT can still be challenging for women with dense breast tissue due to the minimal contrast for lesions surrounded by fibroglandular tissue. In recent years there has been renewed interest in improving lesion conspicuity in x-ray breast imaging by administration of an iodinated contrast agent. Due to the fully 3-D imaging nature of BCT, as well as sub-optimal contrast enhancement while the breast is under compression with mammography and breast tomosynthesis, dedicated BCT of the uncompressed breast is likely to offer the best solution for injected contrast-enhanced x-ray breast imaging. It is well known that use of statistically-based iterative reconstruction in CT results in improved image quality at lower radiation dose. Here we investigate possible improvements in image reconstruction for BCT, by optimizing free regularization parameter in method of maximum likelihood and comparing its performance with clinical cone-beam filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm.
Pulsed Laser Deposition of Nd-Doped YBa2Cu3O7-x Films for Coated Conductor Applications

Pulsed-laser ablation was used to deposit YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) films on LaAlO3 and metallic substrates in an effort to understand and develop the processing of coated conductors with enhanced properties. Doping of YBCO films with Nd was utilized as an approach for increasing their flux pinning properties. Separate targets of Nd2O3 and YBCO were used instead of a pre-mixed Nd2O3-YBCO target. The critical current density (Jc) of the films was measured by whole body dc transport measurements and the transition temperature (Tc) by ac susceptibility. The composition vs. depth profiles of the films were obtained by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The critical current of a 5000 A thick Nd-doped YBCO film on a LaAlO3 substrate was measured at 77 K and found to be 57 A (Jc = 1.1×106 A/cm2).
Spatio-lateral continuity of hurricane deposits in back-barrier marshes

Sedimentological and micropaleontological analysis of fifteen 3-m gouge-auger cores revealed a lack of spatio-lateral continuity for paleohurricane deposits from the back-barrier marshes of Folly Island, South Carolina. The offshore-indicative calcareous microfossil content of some storm deposits was taphonomically altered or destroyed, and in many cases cores taken 10 m apart provided significantly different storm records. In several low-marsh cores, where bioturbation is more intense, storm deposits were completely unrecognizable using foraminifer or sedimentological analyses. In nearly all cores the sedimentary record of storm deposits was more extensive than the record produced using foraminifers, and, as a result, the sedimentary proxy produced shorter hurricane return periods. While offshore-indicative foraminifers in the salt marshes behind Folly Island are good indicators of their original source and mode of deposition (storm current transport from the shelf by overwash, storm inlet, or via Lighthouse Inlet), their susceptibility to destruction from bioturbation and dissolution suggests that they provide a less accurate or less complete record of storm frequency than previously thought.
Temperature-Dependent Model for Predicting Emergence of Adult Southwestern Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Texas

A temperature-dependent model designed to predict emergence of first-generation adult southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, was developed and validated. Thermal unit requirements were determined for larval, prepupal, and pupal development for nondiapausing southwestern corn borer at three constant temperatures. Data input to the model were average daily mean maximum and minimum temperatures and the age class (instar) distribution of field-collected larvae. Model predictions agreed closely with observed adult emergence during 4 yr of field validation. Fifty to 69% of the predicted dates were within ±2 d of the observed emergence date for 5, 25, and 50% adult emergence. Application of the developmental model to an integrated pest management program for corn is discussed.
Modeling the effect of small gaps in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The electromagnetic mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) involves plasmon enhancement of the optical-frequency electric fields on the surfaces of silver or gold (or sometimes other) nanoparticles where molecules that exhibit Raman scattering are located. It has long been recognized that the largest electric fields are associated with small gaps (∼1 nm) between two or more nanoparticles (including fused particle structures) that are 20–100 nm in size. Recent advances in electromagnetic theory calculations, which we overview in this article, provide a clear quantitative picture of the SERS enhancement associated with this effect. These advances include: (1) recognition of the nanoparticle structures that give the highest enhancement factors for a given gap size; (2) determination of the dependence of enhancement factor on gap size in the small-gap limit; (3) the use of finite-element methods, rather than cubic grid-based methods, to evaluate enhancement factors; (4) evaluation of the dipo...
Pólya, Problem Solving, and Education

Nineteen forty-five was both a banner year and a year of great chaos for problem solving. It was the year that Max Wertheimer's Productive Thinking, a classic study of problem solving, first appeared in English. Jacques Hadamard's "Essay on the Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field" appeared as well. So did Karl Duncker's monograph On Problem Solving. At the same time mathematics instruction in the schools was mostly drill-and-practice, since it was based on the Associationists' "theory of bonds" (see [16]). Drill-and-practice was under attack, however. With Wertheimer leading the charge, the Gestaltists claimed that such instruction completely missed the substance of mathematical thinking. The Gestaltists argued that rote instruction was of little value, and that when students memorized without understanding they missed the underlying essence of the mathematics they studied. Unfortunately, the Gestaltists had no theory of learning or instruction, since they believed all the real "action" takes place in the subconscious. Hence they had few practical classroom suggestions. Moreover, they were counterattacked by the behaviorists, who claimed that "mind" and "thinking" were useless constructs, and that all behavior (mathematical and otherwise) could be explained by stimulusresponse chains. It was against that background of psychological and pedagogical confusion that the most important problem-solving work of the time appeared. As indicated in the next section, How to Solve It was hardly Polya's first foray into the world of problem solving. It was, however, an absolutely critical one. How to Solve It marked a turning point both for its author and for problem solving. For Polya it was the first of a series of major volumes on the nature of mathematical thinking, the topic that became the focus of his work in his later years. How to Solve It was followed in 1954 by the two volumes of Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning, and in 1962 and 1965 by the two volumes of Mathematical Discovery. For mathematics education and for the world of problem solving it marked a line of demarcation between two eras, problem solving before and after Polya. Since then Polya's influence both on the study of mathematical thinking and on the study of productive thinking in general has been enormous. One major purpose of this note is to trace out the main ideas in Polya's work. Another is to trace the influence of those ideas on subsequent research into the nature of mathematical thinking.
A Preliminary Study of the Sacred Texts of the Qiang "Shi Bi"

The sacred texts of the Qiang 'Shi Bi'(a religious leader) are oral texts of Qiang people,which have been handed down from one generation to another.These texts touch on many themes including war,religion,culture,philosophy,history, ethics and morality,and medicine.Like an encyclopedia,they provide understanding of the evolutionary processes in the lives of the early Qiang people.After introducing the eight basic categories found within the texts of the 'Shi Bi',this article explores the research value of their historical,philosophical,literary and technological aspects.
Effects of local anesthetics on human platelets: filopodial suppression and endogenous proteolysis

Agents that affect platelet shape may be useful in understanding the mechanism of shape change; for this reason the effects of local anesthetics are worthy of further study. Local anesthetics cause platelets to retract filopodia. At short time intervals (up to about 30 min) and low concentrations of the drugs, the filopodia are reextended when the platelets are gel filtered with eluant free of anesthetic. At longer time intervals (1–2 hr) or higher drug concentrations, the retraction becomes irreversible. When the polypeptide composition of the total platelet lysate was examined on SDS gels, proteolysis of two high molecular weight bands was seen when the suppression became irreversible. These polypeptides, estimated as 250,000 and 230,000 daltons, were major components of a precipitate that formed when platelets were lysed at low ionic strength and were also enriched in a “cytoskeletal” preparation made by lysing platelets attached to glass beads and analyzing the adherent residue. Electron micrographs of platelets lysed on surfaces showed an intermeshed network of filaments to be a major component of the residue. The results suggest that the proteins comprised of these bands may be part of the cytoskeletal system and that their integrity may be necessary for the platelet to reextend filopodia following suppression.
High-Resolution Capillary Electrophoresis of Nitrite and Nitrate in Biological Samples

Nitrite and nitrate are widely used reporters of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, which are crucial for a broad spectrum of physiological and pathophysiological pathways. Because of the great variety in spatial expression and activity of NOS in animal tissues, a high-resolution analysis of nitrite/nitrate concentrations in very small biological samples, such as individual cells or homogeneous cell clusters, is required. A high-performance capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) system, which includes a PrinCE-476 computerized capillary electrophoresis and Crystal-1000 conductivity detector, was optimized to analyze nitrite/nitrate concentrations in submicroliter samples of mammalian neuronal tissues and large individual cells of invertebrates. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and Isotachophoretic stacking (ITS) were used. The method is highly reproducible and yield excellent limits of detection (LODs): 8.9 nM (0.41 ppb) and 3.54 nM (0.22 ppb) for nitrite and nitrate, respectively, relative to undiluted samples.
Brassinosteroid/Abscisic Acid Antagonism in Balancing Growth and Stress

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Gui et al. (2016) show that an abscisic acid-inducible remorin protein in rice directly interacts with critical brassinosteroid signaling components to attenuate the brassinosteroid response, thus illuminating one aspect of the brassinosteroid/abscisic acid antagonism.
Determination of subtype selectivity of alpha-adrenergic antagonists: comparison of selective and nonselective radioligands.

The alpha 1/ alpha 2-adrenergic receptor subtype selectivity of twelve adrenergic antagonists was assessed by two different radioligand binding approaches in rabbit uterine membranes which contain both receptor subtypes. In the first approach, a nonsubtype selective antagonist radioligand, [3H]dihydroergocryptine ([3H]DHE), was used to label all of the alpha -receptors. Selective competing ligands produced complex competition curves which could be analyzed by nonlinear least-squares curve-fitting methods to yield the Kd values of the competitor for the alpha 1- and alpha 2-receptors, respectively. The second approach utilized the radioligand antagonists [3H]prazosin and [3H]yohimbine. [3H]Prazosin was found to label alpha 1-receptors, whereas [3H]yohimbine labeled alpha 2-receptors. Competition experiments performed with subtype selective antagonists with these radioligands produced steep uniphasic competition curves in all cases. Dissociation constants of drugs for the [3H]prazosin and [3H]yohimbine sites correlated highly with the alpha 1 and alpha 2 components of the complex [3H]DHE competition curves, respectively. Good quantitative agreement between the two sets of data was obtained, indicating the validity of both approaches for the determination of receptor subtype affinities. Nonetheless, use of subtype selective radioligands offered several advantages. When the nonsubtype selective radioligand [3H]DHE was used in this system, 100-fold selectivity of a competitor was required in order to determine reliably alpha 1 and alpha 2 affinities. In contrast, use of the selective radioligands discriminated much smaller degrees of selectivity without the necessity for sophisticated computer analysis of the data. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank Drs. Frank E. Harrel and Andre De Lean for their helpful suggestions and statistical advice.
Ecological effects of intertidal uplifting from nuclear testing

Uplifting of a portion of an intertidal rock bench by the “Milrow” underground nuclear test at Amchitka Island, Alaska affected algal abundance, species composition, and zonation. Parts of the populations of 8 species died off, primarily in the Hedophyllum sessile zone, and mostly within the first 6 months after the disturbance. The center of abundance of these species shifted seaward. Fucus distichus, a species of the upper intertidal, appeared in the area and recolonized a portion of the H. sessile zone. The observations indicate that intertidal algal communities at Amchitka Island are very sensitive to positive elevation changes.
Lands of Promise and Despair: Chronicles of Early California, 1535-1846

Originally published in 2001 by Heyday Books and now reissued by the University of Oklahoma Press, this absorbing collection of primary sources skillfully guides the reader through the complex hist...
Seasonal performance of denitrifying bioreactors in the Northeastern United States: Field trials.

Abstract Denitrifying bioreactors are increasingly being used for nitrate removal from agricultural drainage water. Filled with carbon substrates, often woodchips, denitrifying bioreactors provide a favorable anaerobic environment for denitrification. Despite performing well in loess soils in the Midwestern United States, field bioreactors have not yet been evaluated in shallow soils over glacial till that are characteristic for the Northeastern United States. This study, therefore, investigates the performance of bioreactors and provides design criteria for shallow soil with flashy discharges. Paired bioreactors, one filled with woodchips and one with a mixture of woodchip and biochar, were installed in tile drained fields in three landscapes in New York State. The bioreactors were monitored for a three-year period during which, the flow rate, temperature, nitrate ( N O 3 − − N ), sulfate ( S O 4 2 − − S ) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured. Results showed that the average N O 3 − − N removal efficiency during the three years of observations was about 50%. The N O 3 − − N removal rate ranged from 0 in winter to 72 g d−1 m−3 in summer. We found that biochar was only effective during the first year in enhancing denitrification, due to the ageing. An index for carbon availability related to N O 3 − − N removal was developed. During winter, availability of the DOC was a limiting factor in bioreactor performance. Finally, to aid in the design of bioreactors, we developed generalizable relationships between the removal efficiency and hydraulic retention time and temperature.
HPC-Oriented Toolchain for Hardware Simulators

Hardware design is an essential part of research in high performance computing. Initial efforts in hardware research consist of analyzing the design ideas in a software simulator. This allows chip designers to minimize amount of manufacturing that would be too costly and to avoid doing FPGA designs which are even more time consuming. Simulating a hardware design involves running many tests that try different configurations. Moreover, hardware simulators generally do not support multi-threaded simulation. This causes major scalability issues as simulated HPC architectures have increasing number of cores.In this paper, we present a front-end framework for hardware simulators that allows chip designers to create simulation recipes and run them in parallel. This way, a cluster can easily be used to parallelize the hardware simulations. Our framework is implemented in Python3 and have functions such as running unlimited configurations, cooperating with job managers such as Slurm and SGE and collecting and parsing results.
What You See Is What You Get.Get: Surface Transparency and Ambiguity of Nominalizing Reduplication in American Sign Language

Nominalizing reduplication in American Sign Language (ASL) is an ambiguous process that can derive both concrete object- and result-denoting nominals. The properties of this nominalization process, including this ambiguity, are accounted for here by appealing to the discrete and surface transparent morphology that the language uses to encode components of event (Wilbur 2003, 2010) and argument (Benedicto & Brentari 2004) structure. Nominalizing reduplication is shown to be a process that nominalizes (and reduplicates) only the low portion of verbal structure responsible for encoding the event result (VPres). Direct nominalization of this VPres constituent yields nominals with result-denoting interpretations. Concrete object-denoting interpretations may arise when the verbal structure contains an argument classifier, which is evident in the handshape of the verbal predicate. In such cases, the nominal argument introduced by the classifier serves as the input to (reduced) relative clause formation, yielding a concrete object-denoting interpretation. The interpretive ambiguity is thus reduced to ambiguity in the syntactic structure underlying the derived nominal. This approach falls in line with longstanding structural approaches to nominalization and more recent proposals regarding processes of reduplication (Inkelas & Zoll 2005).
Toward standardization of care: The feeding readiness assessment after congenital cardiac surgery.

Background Feeding practices after neonatal and congenital heart surgery are complicated and variable, which may be associated with prolonged hospitalization length of stay (LOS). Systematic assessment of feeding skills after cardiac surgery may earlier identify those likely to have protracted feeding difficulties, which may promote standardization of care. Methods Neonates and infants ≤3 months old admitted for their first cardiac surgery were retrospectively identified during a 1-year period at a single center. A systematic feeding readiness assessment (FRA) was utilized to score infant feeding skills. FRA scores were assigned immediately prior to surgery and 1, 2, and 3 weeks after surgery. FRA scores were analyzed individually and in combination as predictors of gastrostomy tube (GT) placement prior to hospital discharge by logistic regression. Results Eighty-six patients met inclusion criteria and 69 patients had complete data to be included in the final model. The mean age of admit was five days and 51% were male. Forty-six percent had single ventricle physiology. Twenty-nine (42%) underwent GT placement. The model containing both immediate presurgical and 1-week postoperative FRA scores was of highest utility in predicting discharge with GT (intercept odds = 10.9, P = .0002; sensitivity 69%, specificity 93%, AUC 0.913). The false positive rate was 7.5%. Conclusions In this analysis, systematic and standardized measurements of feeding readiness employed immediately before and one week after congenital cardiac surgery predicted need for GT placement prior to hospital discharge. The FRA score may be used to risk stratify patients based on likelihood of prolonged feeding difficulties, which may further improve standardization of care.
Ground2sky label transfer for fine-grained aerial car recognition

Overhead images captured by helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites are widely available. Prior aerial target recognition methods mainly deal with generic object categories such as cars, roads, and boats. We go beyond this and aim for fine-grained recognition, e.g., distinguishing between a Toyota and a Honda sedan. This task is so challenging for human annotators that labeling images directly is no longer an option: annotators are often unable to identify the object from such an extreme viewpoint and at such a low resolution. We propose a novel solution to collect fine-grained annotations of aerial images and develop the first ground-to-sky cross-view car dataset with instance-level correspondences. We compare the performance of human experts and deep learning approaches on fine-grained car recognition from aerial imagery. Noting that intraclass variation in aerial images is limited, we further show that with simple data augmentation, a classifier can be trained from fewer instances yet achieves comparable or even significantly better performance than human experts. Our experimental evidence demonstrates that fine-grained object recognition from overhead images is not only feasible but also well suited for deep learning methods. Our dataset is available at: http://ai.bu.edu/Ground2Sky/
Identification of the pathogen Podosphaera erigerontis-canadensis causing powdery mildew disease on dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in US Arkansas state

Powdery mildew was observed on common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), collected in Fayetteville, AR, USA, and was identified using morphology and DNA sequences of ITS and 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene regions. Four primer pairs were used in this study: (1) the powdery mildew specific primer pair PMITS1/2 produced a 696 bp DNA fragment including full sequence of 563 bp DNA fragment amplified by ITS1/4 (KU563734); (2) CTW13/TW14 created a 279 bp DNA fragment including partial sequence of 28S rRNA gene (KU563735); (3) the 28S rRNA region primer pair NL1f/TW14 amplified a 899 bp DNA fragment (KX610821); and (4) the primer pair ITS1/4 amplified a 563 bp DNA fragment including partial sequence of 18S ribosomal RNA gene and complete sequence of ITS1, the 5.8S rRNA gene, ITS2, and partial sequence of the 28S rRNA gene. The similarity analysis by Blast and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the powdery mildew pathogen in dandelion collected from Arkansas was Podosphaera erigerontis-canadensis.
SOLAR WATER HEATER USING HEAT ACTUATED CIRCULATION SYSTEM

ABSTRACT Solar water heater without electrically driven pump for downward heat transport has been designed and tested. Heat actuated circulation system which contains the refrigerant R114 as working fluid is used for transporting heat from collectors to a thermal storage tank at a lower elevation. This paper gives a description of this novel system design. Its new design features are explained. Moreover experimental results under a solar simulator and outdoors are reported.