Thomas Reid’s Newtonian Theism: his differences with the classical arguments of Richard Bentley and William Whiston

Reid was a Newtonian and a Theist, but did he found his Theism on Newton’s physics? In opposition to commonplace assumptions about the role of Theism in Reid’s philosophy, my answer is no. Reid prefers to found his Theism on a priori reasons, rather than on physics. Reid’s understanding of physics as an empirical science stops it from contributing in any clear and efficient way to issues of natural theology. In addition, Reid is highly sceptical of our ability to discover the efficient and final causes of natural phenomena, knowledge of which is essential for natural theology. To bring out Reid’s differences with classical Newtonian Theists Richard Bentley and William Whiston, I examine their use of the law and force of general gravitation, and reconstruct what would be Reidian objections.     

Light dependent mating inhibition in the white-eye mutant ofDrosophila pseudoobscura

Summary White-eyeDrosophila pseudoobscura males display a deficiency in their mating ability in the light, although they are able to mate readily in the dark. The present data suggest that the mating deficit is due to a neurobehavioral disruption produced by faulty visual input.     

From Problems to Structures: the Cousin Problems and the Emergence of the Sheaf Concept

Historical work on the emergence of sheaf theory has mainly concentrated on the topological origins of sheaf cohomology in the period from 1945 to 1950 and on subsequent developments. However, a shift of emphasis both in time-scale and disciplinary context can help gain new insight into the emergence of the sheaf concept. This paper concentrates on Henri Cartan’s work in the theory of analytic functions of several complex variables and the strikingly different roles it played at two stages of the emergence of sheaf theory: the definition of a new structure and formulation of a new research programme in 1940–1944; the unexpected integration into sheaf cohomology in 1951–1952. In order to bring this two-stage structural transition into perspective, we will concentrate more specifically on a family of problems, the so-called Cousin problems, from Poincaré (1883) to Cartan. This medium-term narrative provides insight into two more general issues in the history of contemporary mathematics. First, we will focus on the use of problems in theory-making. Second, the history of the design of structures in geometrically flavoured contexts—such as for the sheaf and fibre-bundle structures—which will help provide a more comprehensive view of the structuralist moment, a moment whose algebraic component has so far been the main focus for historical work.     

Light and electron microscopic evidence of hypothalamic afferences originating from the hippocampus in the pigeon

Summary Degenerating nervous fibres and synaptic boutons were demonstrated in the nuclei posterior medialis hypothalami after hippocampal lesions in the pigeon (light and electron microscopy).Acknowledgments. The authors are indebted to Mr.Louis Dongan for histological assistance. Parts of this experiment were supported by a grant from the C. N. R. S. (ERA No. 85).     

Light dependent accumulation of macrophages at the photoreceptor-pigment epithelial interface in the retina of albino mice

Summary In the subretinal space of albino mice, macrophages appear from the time of eye opening and increase in number for 6 months; thereafter they decline with age. Dark rearing retards the accumulation of these cells, and exposure to constant light results in a rapid increase. Observations suggest that macrophages appear as a response to visual cell decay in albino mice and supplement the phagocytic activity of the pigment epithelium.We thank R.K. Hawkins for efficient management of the animal colony, H.G. Jansen for cooperation in the use of electron microscope and Ms Paula van Alphen for help in preparation of the illustrations.     

Treatment of pregnant rats with haloperidol delays the onset of sexual maturation in female offspring

Summary Treatment of pregnant rats with haloperidol (1 mg/kg/day) during the last week of gestation induces a significant delay in sexual maturation of female offspring.This study was supported by a Canadian MRC grant, No. MA-7131.     

当今世界核电工业的发展问题

世界核电工业经历了７０－８０年代初期的高速发展阶段后,８０年代中期以来从整体上进入了徘徊乃至停滞的阶段,各工业发达国家的核电发展计划受阻,这种局面的出现,有着其特定的历史背景和世界政治经济形势变化的因素,当今世界核电技术市场呈现出了新的态势,为发展中国家的核电产业发展提供了机遇,核能技术的发展规律,当今人类可持续发展主题及部分发达国家出现的新的迹象表明,世界核电工业必将掀起另一次发展高潮。     

Body temperature cycling of winter little brown bats in the cold following heat exposure

Zusammenfassung Kleine braune Fledermäuse,Myse, Myotis lucifugus, wurden dem Winterschlaf entzogen und eiund einer neutralen Temperatur von 33°C während 0–48 Tagen agen ausgesetzt und darauf drei Tage lang 10°C. Bei Fledermäuermäusen, welche Kälte (10°C) ausgesetzt waren, erwies die To die Temperaturkurve im allgemeinen, dass das Verhältnis altnis und das Ausmass des Erwachens sowie die Regelungelung der Tätigkeit oder Körpertemperatur proportional mital mit der Dauer abnahmen, während welcher sie der Hitze (33tze (33°C) ausgesetzt waren.

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This investigation was supported by the National Institutes of Health Grant GM-10811 and the Purdue Research Foundation X-R Grant 3269.     

Problems in the determination of isoelectric points of beta lactamases]

Analytical isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels and preparative electrofocusing in density gradients may give very different pI determination for the same beta lactamase. This difference seems due to a lack of enzyme migration in some parts of the cross-linked polyacrylamide gel. This migration appears easier in density gradient isoelectricfocusing, and thus this technique yields more significant absolute pI values. Analytical isoelectric focusing should only be used for comparison studies.     

中国西南亚高山针叶林的生态学问题

中国西南地区的亚高山针叶林是该区天然林保护工程的主体,是重要的生态屏障。本文对亚高山针叶林进行了界定,简要介绍了中国西南亚高山针叶林的种类组成、分布和类型,讨论了亚高山针叶林退化演替途径及其恢复与重建等生态学问题,并进一步提出有关亚高山针叶林的快速恢复等对策与加强相关生态学研究的建议。     

我国科技资源配置的问题研究

明晰我国科技资源配置的问题,对于进一步深化科技体制改革,优化科技资源配置,促进科技与经济的结合具有重要的意义.本文认为,我国科技资源在配置上主要存在五个方面的问题:配置效率不高、配置规模不足、配置结构失衡、配置体制不完善、配置机制不灵活.