The potential of mental imaging in the architectural design process

The object of the experiment was to study the role and potential of mental imaging in the architectural design process, and to study the use of mental imaging as a source of feedback while designing, in the absence of, particularly, sketching. This experiment is a continuation of experiments conducted with industrial designers. The experiment indicated that they were able to design well, blindfolded. This experiment studied an architect, to ascertain the role of mental imaging in architectural design, (which differs from industrial design in both scale and complexity). This was performed by studying an experienced architect, blindfolded during the act of design. The results achieved indicate clearly that he was able to use mental imaging and his inner resources to assist him in the design process

Additional file 5: Figure S3. of Identification of QTLs for yield and agronomic traits in rice under stagnant flooding conditions

Relationship between shoot elongation rate (SER) under stagnant flooding condition, relative grain yield (ratio of yield under SF to that in the control) and survival rate (SR). (PPTX 46 kb

Additional file 4: Figure S2. of Identification of QTLs for yield and agronomic traits in rice under stagnant flooding conditions

Percentage difference between means of trait values of 25 highest and lowest yielding lines relative to the mean of the population under irrigated control condition. (PDF 85 kb

Additional file 3: Figure S1. of Identification of QTLs for yield and agronomic traits in rice under stagnant flooding conditions

Percentage difference between means of trait values of 25 highest and lowest yielding lines relative to the mean of the population under stagnant flooding condition. (PDF 87 kb

Nanoscale Mapping and Control of Antenna-Coupling Strength for Bright Single Photon Sources

Cavity quantum electrodynamics is the art of enhancing light-matter interaction of photon emitters in cavities with opportunities for sensing, quantum information, and energy capture technologies. To boost emitter-cavity interaction, that is, coupling strength <i>g</i>, ultrahigh quality cavities have been concocted yielding photon trapping times of microsecondsy to milliseconds. However, such high-<i>Q</i> cavities give poor photon output, hindering applications. To preserve high photon output, it is advantageous to strive for highly localized electric fields in radiatively lossy cavities. Nanophotonic antennas are ideal candidates combining low-<i>Q</i> factors with deeply localized mode volumes, allowing large <i>g</i>, provided the emitter is positioned exactly right inside the nanoscale mode volume. Here, with nanometer resolution, we map and tune the coupling strength between a dipole nanoantenna-cavity and a single molecule, obtaining a coupling rate of <i>g</i>_max ∼ 200 GHz. Together with accelerated single photon output, this provides ideal conditions for fast and pure nonclassical single photon emission with brightness exceeding 10⁹ photons/sec. Clearly, nanoantennas acting as “bad” cavities offer an optimal regime for strong coupling <i>g</i> to deliver bright on-demand and ultrafast single photon nanosources for quantum technologies

Additional file 1: of Classification and management of community forests in Indian Eastern Himalayas: implications on ecosystem services, conservation and livelihoods

Approaches of sampling study respondents; details of steps and methodology in carrying out study; and additional results. (DOCX 44 kb

Functional male accessory glands and fertility in Drosophila require novel ecdysone receptor

<div><p>In many insects, the accessory gland, a secretory tissue of the male reproductive system, is essential for male fertility. Male accessory gland is the major source of proteinaceous secretions, collectively called as seminal proteins (or accessory gland proteins), which upon transfer, manipulate the physiology and behavior of mated females. Insect hormones such as ecdysteroids and juvenoids play a key role in accessory gland development and protein synthesis but little is known about underlying molecular players and their mechanism of action. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the roles of hormone-dependent transcription factors (Nuclear Receptors), in accessory gland development, function and male fertility of a genetically tractable insect model, <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>. First, we carried out an RNAi screen involving 19 hormone receptors, individually and specifically, in a male reproductive tissue (accessory gland) for their requirement in Drosophila male fertility. Subsequently, by using independent RNAi/ dominant negative forms, we show that Ecdysone Receptor (EcR) is essential for male fertility due to its requirement in the normal development of accessory glands in Drosophila: EcR depleted glands fail to make seminal proteins and have dying cells. Further, our data point to a novel ecdysone receptor that does not include Ultraspiracle but is probably comprised of EcR isoforms in Drosophila male accessory glands. Our data suggest that this novel ecdysone receptor might act downstream of homeodomain transcription factor paired (prd) in the male accessory gland. Overall, the study suggests novel ecdysone receptor as an important player in the hormonal regulation of seminal protein production and insect male fertility.</p></div

Analysis of cleaved Caspase 3 immunoreactivity in accessory glands of EcR control and knockdown males.

<p>To examine if loss of EcR leads to induction of apoptosis in accessory glands, tissues were immunostained with antibodies for cleaved Caspase 3, which react with initiator and effector caspases in Drosophila. Control tissues show well organized nuclei (Blue in color; DAPI, Panel A) and lack of detectable cleaved Caspase 3 immunoreactivity (Panel B) the overlay (Panel C) shows only the nuclei, in contrast, glands from EcR knockdown contain distorted as well as disorganized nuclei (DAPI, Panel D) and high levels of cleaved Caspase 3 immunoreactivity (Panel E). The overlay (Panel F) shows distorted nuclei (blue) and cleaved Caspase 3 labeling (red). (G) Females mated to EcR knockdown males over expressing P35 (EcR↓+P35↑) produced progeny at control levels as opposed to sterility in EcR knockdown mates (EcR↓, ***p<0.0001) indicating that over-expression of P35 rescued the fertility of EcR knockdown males. (H) EcR knockdown males overexpressing Diap1 (EcR↓+Diap1↑) were fertile as opposed to sterility in EcR knockdown mates (EcR↓, ***p<0.0001) indicating that overexpression of Diap1 rescued the fertility of EcR knockdown males. (I) Westerns blots of accessory gland proteins to confirm the knockdown status of EcR in males over expressing P35 (EcR↓+P35↑) or Diap1 (EcR↓+ Diap1↑) in EcR knockdown background. Blots were probed with anti-β-actin antibody as control for protein loading.</p

Morphology and secondary cells markers of accessory glands in males over-expressing dominant negative EcR isoforms.

<p>The morphology of accessory glands from (A) control or males over expressing (B) EcR-A, (C) EcR-B1, or (D) EcR-B2 was observed under light microscopy. Morphology of accessory glands from males over expressing EcR-B1, or EcR-B2 is comparable to their controls. However, accessory glands from EcR-A appear slightly reduced in comparison to their controls but still not as extremely reduced as those in EcR-miRNA based knockdown males. (B) Western blots of accessory gland protein extracts depicting levels of Abd-B (Abd-B panel), ANCE (ANCE panel) proteins and cleaved Caspase 3 immunoreactivity (cleaved Caspase 3 panel) in males over expressing EcR-A, EcR-B1 and EcR-B2. Blots were probed with β-actin antibodies (β-actin panels) served as controls for protein loading.</p

Western blots showing the levels of EcR and USP in knockdown males compared to control males.

<p>The EcR panel represents EcR levels in accessory glands from EcR control (+ lane, EcR), EcR knockdown (-lane, EcR), USP control (+ lane, USP) and USP knockdown (- lane, USP). Similarly, the USP panel represents the USP levels observed in accessory glands from above groups. Blots probed with α-tubulin antibodies (α-tubulin panels) served as controls for protein loading. Knockdowns were specific to the targeted hormone receptor. Further, the deficiency of EcR did not affect USP levels and vice-versa.</p