What type of motivation is more effective: reward or punishment? In this study, the authors assess the effects of positive or negative on the math scores of sixth graders.
Read More...The Effect of Positive and Negative Reinforcement on Sixth Graders’ Mental Math Performance
What type of motivation is more effective: reward or punishment? In this study, the authors assess the effects of positive or negative on the math scores of sixth graders.
Read More...The Effect of Varying Training on Neural Network Weights and Visualizations
Neural networks are used throughout modern society to solve many problems commonly thought of as impossible for computers. Fountain and Rasmus designed a convolutional neural network and ran it with varying levels of training to see if consistent, accurate, and precise changes or patterns could be observed. They found that training introduced and strengthened patterns in the weights and visualizations, the patterns observed may not be consistent between all neural networks.
Read More...Who controls U.S. politics? An analysis of major political endorsements in U.S. midterm elections
The authors analyze political endorsement patterns and impacts from the 2018 and 2020 midterm elections and find that such endorsements may be predictable based on the ideological and demographic factors of the endorser.
Read More...A cost-effective IoT-based intelligent indoor air quality monitoring
Poor air quality is associated with negative effects on human health but can be difficult to measure in an accurate and cost-effective manner. The authors design and test a monitor for measuring indoor air quality using low-cost components.
Read More...Development of Two New Efficient Means of Wastewater Treatment
The water we use must be treated and cleaned before we release it back into the environment. Here, the authors investigate two new techniques for purifying dissolved impurities from waste water. Their findings may give rise to more cheaper and more efficient water treatment and help keep the planet greener.
Read More...Breaking the Ice: A Scientific Take on the Ice Melting Abilities of Household Salts
The use of salt to melt ice is a common and important practice to keep roadways safe during winter months. However, various subtypes of salt differ in their chemical and physical properties, as well as their environmental impact. In this study, the authors measure the effectiveness of different salts at disrupting ice structures and identify calcium chloride as the most effective.
Read More...Utilizing the Magnus effect to produce more downforce than a standard wing
Here, seeking a better solution to produce downforce that keeps a vehicle grounded at high speeds than wings which tend to result in degraded car performance due to increased air resistance, the authors considered using the Magnus effect as a replacement. The authors found that a spinning cylinder generated significantly more downforce through the Magnus effect than a standard wing at all wind speeds as simulated through the use of a leaf blower. They suggest that a cylinder could be a potential replacement for a wing when downforce is a priority.
Read More...The Effect of Wind Mitigation Devices on Gabled Roofs
The purpose of this study was to test devices installed on a gabled roof to see which reduced the actual uplift forces best. Three gabled birdhouse roofs were each modified with different mitigation devices: a rounded edge, a barrier shape, or an airfoil. The barrier edge had no significant effect on the time for the roof to blow off. The addition of airfoil devices on roofs, specifically in areas that are prone to hurricanes such as Florida, could keep roofs in place during hurricanes, thus reducing insurance bills, overall damage costs, and the loss of lives.
Read More...Combating drug resistance in cancer cells: Cooperative effect of green tea and turmeric with chemotherapeutic drug
The major drawback of chemotherapy regimens for treating cancer is that the cancerous cells acquire drug resistance and become impervious to further dose escalation. Keeping in mind the studied success of herbal formulations with regard to alternative treatments for cancer, we hypothesized that the use of a chemotherapeutic drug and proprietary herbal formulation, HF1, would combat this phenomenon when administered with common chemotherapeutic drug 5FU. Results demonstrated a cooperative effect between HF1 and 5FU on the drug resistant cell line, implying that administration of HF1 with 5FU results in cell death as measured by MTT assay.
Read More...Mutation of the Catalytic Cysteine in Anopheles gambiae Transglutaminase 3 (AgTG3) Abolishes Plugin Crosslinking Activity without Disrupting Protein Folding Properties
Malaria is a major public health issue, especially in developing countries, and vector control is a major facet of malaria eradication efforts. Recently, sterile insect technique (SIT), or the release of sterile mosquitoes into the wild, has shown significant promise as a method of keeping vector populations under control. In this study, the authors investigate the Anopheles gambiae transglutaminase 3 protein (AgT3), which is essential to the mating of the Anopheles mosquito. They show that an active site mutation is able to abolish the activity of the AgT3 enzyme and propose it as a potential target for chemosterilant inhibitors.
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