Cyanobacteria Growth in Nitrogen- &Phosphorus-Spiked Water from a Hypereutrophic Reservoir in Kentucky, USA

Cyanobacteria may adversely impact aquatic ecosystems through oxygen depletion and cyanotoxin production. These cyanotoxins can also harm human health and livestock. In recent years, cyanobacterial blooms have been observed in several drinking water reservoirs in Kentucky, United States. In Kentucky, the paradigm is that phosphorous is the limiting nutrient for cyanobacteria growth. To explore this paradigm, an indoor microcosm study was conducted using hypereutrophic Guist Creek Lake water. Samples were collected and spiked with various combinations of locally used agricultural grade fertilizers, including ammonium nitrate, urea, and triple phosphate (calcium dihydrogen phosphate). Samples were incubated indoors for the photoperiod-specific to the time of the year. Cyanobacteria density, measured by phycocyanin, did not demonstrate increased growth with the addition of phosphate fertilizer alone. Cyanobacteria growth was enhanced in these conditions by the combined addition of ammonium nitrate, urea, and phosphorus fertilizer. Growth also occurred when using either ammonium nitrate or urea fertilizer with no additional phosphorus input, suggesting that phosphorus was not limiting the cyanobacteria at the time of sample collection. The addition of both nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate and urea) at the concentrations used in this study, in the absence of phosphorus, was deleterious to both the Chlorophyta and cyanobacteria. The results suggest further studies using more robust experimental designs are needed to explore lake-specific dual nutrient management strategies for preventing cyanobacterial blooms in this phosphorus-rich hypereutrophic lake and possibly other hypereutrophic lakes.

Resident Perceptions of Black Bear Management in South Central Kentucky

The growth and sprawl of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) population have been observed and monitored in the past two decades, especially in south-central Kentucky. To better manage human-black bear interaction and develop informed policy and best practices, the current study sought to 1) understand south-central Kentucky residents’ current knowledge of and previous experience with black bears, 2) investigate residents’ attitudes toward black bears and regulated hunting in wildlife management;and 3) identify residents’ level of acceptance of various black bear related management actions in south-central Kentucky. From February to April 2017, residents of London and Stearns districts (southeastern regions) of the Daniel Boone National Forest, a black bear habitat, were invited to participate in this study. The results from 139 completed surveys showed that residents lacked sufficient knowledge about black bear populations in the region and received minimal information regarding black bear management efforts. In comparison to education efforts and relocation, regulated black bear hunting could be a cost-effective option to promote responsible use of wildlife resources and black bear population control. This study provided lessons and recommendations for black bear management in south-central Kentucky and may be of utilization for any other wildlife conservation areas.

购物中心顾客行为的跨国比较

本文通过对问卷调查所得数据的处理、分析，比较了中、美和智利三国顾客在购物中心的惠顾行为和购买行为上的异同。分析与比较的结果显示：三国购物中心的顾客在人口统计特征、惠顾动机、惠顾原因、惠顾行为和购买行为上均有显著差异。本研究的结果有助于中国购物中心的发展商、供应商、零售商和其它经营者更明确地认识中国购物中心顾客行为的特点，从而更有效地从事有针对性的市场营销活动，也有助于那些致力于走出国门的工商企业了解国外购物中心及顾客行为的特点，并据此设计与开发产品、选择营销渠道、制定营销策略。

Gas-Grain Modeling of Interstellar O2

Molecular oxygen(O2)is essential to human beings on the earth.Although elemental oxygen is rather abundant,O2 is rare in the interstellar medium.It was only detected in two galactic and one extra-galactic region.The inconsistency between observations and theoretical studies is a big challenge for astrochemical models.Here we report a two-phase modeling research of molecular oxygen,using the Nautilus gas-grain code.We apply the isothermal cold dense models in the interstellar medium with two typical sets of initial elemental abundances,as well as the warm-up models with various physical conditions.Under cold dense conditions,we nd that the timescales for gas-phase CO,O2 and H2O to reach peak values are dependent on the hydrogen density and are shortened when hydrogen density increases.In warm-up models,O2 abundances are in good agreement with observations at temperatures rising after 10^5 yr.In both isothermal and warm-up models,the steady-state O2 fractional abundance is independent of the hydrogen density,as long as the temperature is high enough(>30 K),at which O2 is prevented from signi cant depleting onto grain surface.In addition,low density is preferable for the formation of O2,whether molecular oxygen is under cold conditions or in warm regions.

应用纳米球刻蚀法在自组装膜修饰的硅表面生成中尺度的网状蛋白层（英文）

在自组装膜修饰的硅表面制备有序的蛋白阵列是研发生物传感器的先决条件之一,因此如何产生有序的表面蛋白阵列一直是生物医药研究方向的前沿。本研究通过应用纳米球刻蚀法在氧化的10-烯基十一烷基三氯硅烷自组装膜修饰的硅表面生成了网状结构溶菌酶蛋白层。网孔的大小(从纳米到微米级别)由表面沉积的纳米球的尺寸来调控。我们利用原子力显微镜和荧光显微镜对样品表面进行了详细表征。结果表明:这种新方法比传统的通过扫描探针在固体表面修饰而聚集溶菌酶蛋白的方法更快捷简便,而且它能够在相对大的硅表面形成网状蛋白层。此外,网孔表面附着具有强吸附活性的羧酸基团层,它可以通过静电吸引或者共价结合来吸附液相中的第二种蛋白分子。

Correcting Image Distortion for Adaptive Cruise Control

One of the main drivers for intelligent transportation systems is safety. Adaptive cruise control, as a common solution for traffic safety, lias extended from radars to cameras. Due to high mobility of vehicles and unevenness of roads, the picture quality of cameras has been great challenges for camera-based adaptive cruise control. In this paper, an image distortion correction algorithm is addressed. Our method is based on optical flow technology which is normally applied in motion estimation and video compression research. We are the first to attempt to adapt it in image distortion correction. Two optical flow approaches, the Lucas-Kanade method and the Horn-Schunck method, are selected and compared. The procedure of image distortion correction using the optical flow method has been tested by both synthetic test images and camera images. The experimental results show that the Lucas-Kanade method is more suitable in the correction of image distortion.

A new data structure for accelerating kinetic Monte Carlo method

The kinetic Monte Carlo simulation is a rigorous numerical approach to study the chemistry on dust grains in cold dense interstellar clouds. By tracking every single reaction in chemical networks step by step, this approach produces more precise results than other approaches but takes too much computing time. Here we present a method of a new data structure, which is applicable to any physical conditions and chemical networks, to save computing time for the Monte Carlo algorithm. Using the improved structure,the calculating time is reduced by 80 percent compared with the linear structure when applied to the osu-2008 chemical network at 10K. We investigate the effect of the encounter desorption in cold cores using the kinetic Monte Carlo model with an accelerating data structure. We found that the encounter desorption remarkably decreases the abundance of grain-surface H2 but slightly influences the abundances of other species on the grain.

E ect of Optical Depth on Study of Chemical Properties of Massive Star Forming Clumps

Here we present the study on chemical properties of massive star forming clumps using N2H^+(1-0),H^13CO+(1-0),HCN(1-0)and HN^13C(1-0)data from the literature[Astron.Astrophys.563,A97(2014)].We found that abundances of H^13CO+ and HN^13C are a ected by H2 column densities.As the median values of these two abundances increase by nearly 10 times from stages A to B,H^13CO+and HN^13C are suitable for tracing the evolution of massive star forming clumps.The order of rapidity in growth of abundances of all the four studied molecules from stages A to B,is H^13CO^+,HCN,HN^13C,and N2H^+,from the highest to the lowest.Our results suggest that the observing optically thin molecular lines with high angular resolution are necessary to study the chemical evolution of massive star forming clumps.

Detection of hydroxyacetone in protostar IRAS 16293–2422 B

Hydroxy acetone(CH3 COCH2 OH)is one of the smallest molecules that contain both hydroxyl and carbonyl group on neighboring carbon atoms.This steric configuration is characteristic of saccharides and determines their biochemical activity.The attempt to search for hydroxy acetone toward the massive star formation region Sagittarius B2(N)was unsuccessful.Here we report the first detection of CH3 COCH2 OH in the solar-type protostar IRAS 16293-2422 B,using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array science verification data at Band 4.In a total of 11 unblended transitions of CH3 COCH2 OH with upper level energies ranging from 86 to 246 K are identified.From our local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis,we derived that the rotational temperature of CH3 COCH2 OH is 160±21 K and the column density is(1.2±1.0)×10^16 cm^-2,which results in a fractional abundance of 7×10^-10 with respect to molecular hydrogen.In this work,we present the identification of CH3 COCH2 OH in IRAS 16293-2422 B and propose a simple formation mechanism.The unambiguous identification of hydroxyacetone may provide the basis for future study of the origin and evolution of saccharides in the interstellar medium.

On the encounter desorption of hydrogen atoms on an ice mantle

At low temperatures(10 K),hydrogen atoms can diffuse quickly on grain ice mantles and frequently encounter hydrogen molecules,which cover a notable fraction of grain surface.The desorption energy of H atoms on H2 substrates is much less than that on water ice.The H atom encounter desorption mechanism is adopted to study the enhanced desorption of H atoms on H_(2 )substrates.Using a small reaction network,we show that the steady-state surface H abundances predicted by the rate equation model that includes H atom encounter desorption agree reasonably well with the results from the more rigorous microscopic Monte Carlo method.For a full gas-grain model,H atom encounter desorption can reduce surface H abundances.Therefore,if a model adopts the encounter desorption of H atoms,it becomes more difficult for hydrogenation products such as methanol to form,but it is easier for C,O and N atoms to bond with each other on grain surfaces.

Increasing Visitor Knowledge of Park History and Natural Resources via Non-Traditional Recreation: An Exploratory Study of Quicksand Enthusiasts

Sinkers are quicksand enthusiasts that crave the sensation of being trapped in deep mud while being sucked downward. Although humans have been interested in quicksand over the years (particularly through film), there remains a void of research into the meaning and value in the lives of those who engage in a recreational pursuit of quicksand, most notably the community of individuals who self-describe as sinkers. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine if sinking can contribute to a participant’s understanding of history and natural resources at state parks. In order to obtain a better understanding of the effects, a qualitative study was conducted in the summer of 2016 at Stephen C. Foster State Park, a state park adjacent to Okefenokee Swamp. The researchers exercised grounded theory techniques and inductive content analysis to analyze interview data and compile coded text into four main categories: learning, enjoyment, traveling, and economic impact. Findings suggest that participants believed their knowledge of park history and natural resources increased through a recreational pursuit of quicksand.

Transcriptome Analysis of Female and Male Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae)Identifies Sex-related Genes

Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata is an emerging horticultural pest of Solanaceae plants in Asia.Here,we employed transcriptome sequencing of three female and three male H.vigintioctopunctata libraries to identify sex-related genes.We recorded 281599294 bp of clean reads,and de novo assembly generated 85206 unigenes,with N_(50) of 1311 bp and average length of 763 bp.We found 5002 genes highly expressed in males and 2179 genes highly expressed in females.Expression profiles of six unigenes specific to females,six unigenes specific to males,and ten unigenes common to both sexes were verified using semi-quantitive RT-PCR;results showed expression levels of these 22 unigenes were relatively consistent with the transcriptome analysis.Using all unigenes as references,we identified 6657 putative simple sequence repeats.The transcriptome sequences and gene expression profiles of female and male H.vigintioctopunctata help explore genetic mechanisms of sexual dimorphism.

Out with Multiple Choice and In with Essays:A More Accurate Way to Measure Reading Comprehension

The certification test for English teachers in a certain state asked candidates to identify the name of the frog in Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." If students answered this question correctly and said, Dan'l Webster, does this mean that these students would be prepared for the teaching field? Conversely, if students answered this question incorrectly, does this mean they were ill- prepared for becoming teachers? Can such an irrelevant question really point to the knowledge and abilities of future teachers? Hardly, use of unimportant questioning such as this illustrates the main problem with using a multiple choice format when assessing students. Trivial items such as names of animals and other insignificant information are often given priority over their significance in the story simply because students are not able to demonstrate what they really know in narrative form (Smagorinsky, 2002).

A Nonparametric and Aggregation Theoretic Approach for Measuring Productivity of US Banks during 2006-2016

Existing literature related to efficiency measurement and productivity analysis of banks is swarmed with the input-output classification of banks based on using accounting conventions. This usage varies from paper to paper. No two research papers are in consensus as to which classification should be used. This present work, however, uses the input-output classification of banks based on Barnett’s generalized model of production for financial intermediaries originally proposed in Barnett (1987) [1]. This model is based on economic theory definitions of inputs and outputs of a bank. Using this classification, the paper applies Data Envelopment Analysis to US banks during 2006-2016. This new methodology seeks to resolve and fix the issue of lack of consensus regarding which inputs and outputs to use for productivity analysis of banks. Furthermore, a standardized way of measuring productivity across banks is developed which can be used all over the world. This is accomplished by using the Malmquist Index of Productivity which is a tool used under Data Envelopment Analysis. The paper further establishes the connection of this tool with Barnett’s generalized model of production for financial intermediaries. Results indicate very high efficiency levels for US banks even post financial crisis. The reason for this performance is the cleansing of the financial system as unhealthy banks either left the scene or were merged. Better risk management, cost management and efficiency of structure of funding are some other reasons for high efficiency.

The Use of the Past to Shape the Present:Shifting Depictions of the Ancient World in Twentieth-Century American Cinema

The ancient film epic has its roots at the very dawn of cinema as a form of popular art and entertainment,with a number of early silent films drawing their plots from ancient Biblical and Classical sources,and the genre remains relevant in the early twenty-first century.Ancient film epics thus provide a useful lens through which to trace evolutions in film history and in western culture more broadly.This paper analyzes seven American films spanning the early twentieth century to the early twenty-first century(Intolerance,Quo Vadis,The Egyptian,The Ten Com?mandments.Spartacus,Gladiator,300),identifying specific ways each film mirrors or challenges the time period in which it was produced.

The Evolving Role of Botanical Gardens and Natural Areas:A Floristic Case Study from Royal Botanical Gardens,Canada

As leaders calling for the conservation of the world's plants,botanical gardens protect plants within living collections.Many also study,manage and restore plants in natural habitats.Royal Botanical Gardens(Ontario,Canada) has integrated both horticultural and natural heritage in its mission for decades.Envisioned by municipal leaders in the 1920s as a combination of nature sanctuaries and civic gardens,RBG now includes forests,wetlands and other habitats,gardens and built spaces.Today RBG is Canada's largest botanical garden on the basis of area.In the 1950s RBG began to inventory plant diversity.The checklist of spontaneous vascular plants now exceeds 1 170 species,of which 752 are native.This is 37% of Ontario's native vascular plants and 19% of the native vascular flora of Canada.The RBG nature sanctuaries are among the richest locations in Canada for species-level diversity.We examine the history of floristic exploration within RBG and compare plant species-area relationships among protected natural areas in Ontario.This comparison supports the contention that the nature sanctuaries,and in particular Cootes Paradise,could be considered an important area for plants in Canada,and relative to the nation's flora,a biodiversity hotspot.The fact that a candidate vascular plant hotspot for Canada lies within a major botanical garden presents opportunities for raising public awareness of the importance of plant diversity,as well as focusing attention on the scientific and conservation biology needs of communities and individual species in this area.

Distinguished African-American Artists of the Past 150 Years

African-American artists have sought recognition of their various artistic endeavors for nearly 400 years in the New World.Slavery was a dehumanizing act that will always reside sadly in our personal history.The African slave trade played a large role in how society views AfricanAmericans artists and their art today.But,along with an early negative perception,we can see how the African Diaspora positively affected American art today.At first,these early artisans were exposed to European art forms,and they adapted these art forms to their own artworks.However,experimentation would eventually lead these artisans,artists,and crafts people to infuse their art forms with a mixture of West African,European,and American cultural ideas.