Reflections on iCODE: using web technology and hands-on projects to engage urban youth in computer science and engineering

More than 200 middle school and high school students from underserved urban communities in Boston, Lowell, and Lawrence, Massachusetts, participated in after-school and summer enrichment programs over a three-year period, using hands-on learning materials and web resources to complete hands-on microcontroller-based projects. Program content was based on a suite of robotics and electronics kits developed by the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Machine Science Inc., together with on-line instructions, a web-based programming tool, and a shared electronic portfolio of student projects. Participating students worked with classroom teachers and undergraduate mentors to complete a series of projects, and took part each year in a non-competitive robotics exhibition and a competitive robot sumo tournament. Goodman Research Group assessed learning outcomes and attitudinal changes using a variety of measures, including observations of program sessions, group interviews with participating students, pre- and post-program student surveys, and educator feedback. The program was found to effectively engage participants, give them real engineering and programming skills, improve their attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, and increase their interest in STEM career pathways. These results are presented, along with lessons learned from the program implementation, technology development, and evaluation.     

Content-Based Image Recognition and Tagging by Deep Learning Methods

Wireless Personal Communications - Deep learning techniques is growing wider day by day in the process of Content based Image retrieval (CBIR). The recognition of the image is based on its shape,...     

从常规的定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）实验到快速qPCR实验的转变

如今,不用购买新型的qPCR仪器就可以实现用更短的测试时间来获得高质量的数据。通过一种快速qPCR分析方法,研究者们无需大量投资就可以提高实验通量。这种方法采用了一种高速qPCR高效混合器,从而减少了变性时间并将退火/延伸时间结合起来。该方法在保证数据质量的同时提高了分析通量。     

Recruiting and hiring women in STEM fields.

The number of women earning advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has increased, yet women remain underrepresented at all ranks of the academic hierarchy in these fields. To help explain this pattern, we explored mechanisms in the recruitment and hiring process at the level of the department that hinder or promote the hiring of women into tenure-track positions. Using a unique data set of the entire pool of applicants to tenure-track STEM faculty positions over a 6-year period at a large public research university, we identified strategies that universities and academic departments can use to increase women's representation in tenure-track positions, including placing greater emphasis on increasing the number of women applicants and placing advertisements in venues that specifically target women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Like mother, like daughter: Similarities in narrative style.

Children (2-5-year-olds and 8-13-year-olds) and their parents were independently interviewed about highly salient events: injuries serious enough to necessitate hospital emergency room treatment. Free recall narratives were scored using 14 measures of length, elaborative detail, cohesion, coherence, and provision of context. Mothers' narratives were more cohesive and coherent than fathers', and girls' narratives differed from boys' in parallel ways. Parent and child measures were correlated, and narratives of mother-daughter dyads (for the older daughters) showed striking similarity in all 5 properties, whereas there was no narrative similarity within father-son, mother-son, or father-daughter dyads. This suggests a special status for mother-daughter dyads in terms of how events come to be linguistically represented in narrative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Room Temperature Ferrimagnetism and Ferroelectricity in Strained,Thin Films of BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3

Highly strained films of BiFe_0.5Mn_0.5O₃ (BFMO) grown at very low rates by pulsed laser deposition were demonstrated to exhibit both ferrimagnetism and ferroelectricity at room temperature and above. Magnetisation measurements demonstrated ferrimagnetism (T_C ～ 600K), with a room temperature saturation moment (M_S) of up to 90 emu/cc (～ 0.58 μ_B/f.u) on high quality (001) SrTiO₃. X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism showed that the ferrimagnetism arose from antiferromagnetically coupled Fe³⁺ and Mn³⁺. While scanning transmission electron microscope studies showed there was no long range ordering of Fe and Mn, the magnetic properties were found to be strongly dependent on the strain state in the films. The magnetism is explained to arise from one of three possible mechanisms with Bi polarization playing a key role. A signature of room temperature ferroelectricity in the films was measured by piezoresponse force microscopy and was confirmed using angular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The demonstration of strain induced, high temperature multiferroism is a promising development for future spintronic and memory applications at room temperature and above.     

Automated parallel polyurethane dispersion synthesis and characterization

The synthesis of waterborne polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) using an automated parallel reactor system was explored. Waterborne PUDs are an important class of polymer dispersion that can be used in many applications such as coatings for wood finishing, glass fiber sizing, adhesives, automotive topcoats, and other applications. Herein, we present the synthesis of aqueous PUDs using a Chemspeed Autoplant A100™ automated parallel reactor system. This is the first time a PUD has been synthesized using an automated parallel reactor system. The synthesis involves the formation of an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer followed by neutralization, dispersion in water, and chain extension. Details of the methodology are discussed with respect to the process of writing the program for the synthesis to synthesizing the PUD itself with the Chemspeed. It is demonstrated that an aqueous PUD can be synthesized with an automated parallel process and the unit-to-unit results are similar. Process variables such as agitator design, rate of neutralization, and rate of water dispersion are varied as these are the three major factors which lead to the desired end product property. The controlled addition of neutralizer, water, and chain extender is an added advantage with this automated technique and gave consistent results in all the units. The PUDs were characterized for their particle size, viscosity, and percent solids.     

A TQM approach for designing and building dedicated machines and equipment in-house

Many industries are responding to the need for major design changes in their manufacturing systems to include flexible and controllable systems that produce superior-quality products on time and at a lower cost. Maintaining flexibility while meeting the functional requirements of a manufacturing system often requires designing a machine that is unique. Consequently, a new trend in manufacturing systems design is to build such machines in-house. This paper describes a systematic implementation of total quality management (TQM) along with continuous improvement concepts to design and build a test-stand in-house. This project also involves creating a prototype for on-going machining design for future needs.     

Are adolescents the victims of raging hormones? Evidence for activational effects of hormones on moods and behavior at adolescence.

The literatures on hormone changes at adolescence, hormonal influences on moods and behavior in nonhuman animals and adult humans, and mood and behavioral changes at adolescence and the small but burgeoning literature on hormonal influences at adolescence are examined. The focus is on moods and behaviors often identified as typically adolescent (e.g., mood lability, mood intensity, irritability, conflict with parents) and the primary hormones of puberty (i.e., adrenal androgens, gonadotropins, and sex steroids). Through an integration of these literatures evidence is assessed for specific hormone–mood and hormone–behavior associations, as well as for more general types of hormone–outcome relations that transcend specific hormones or outcomes. Nonbiological factors that appear to be important in moderating the role of hormones in adolescent moods and behavior are identified. Implications for the design of future studies in this area are detailed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)