GigaMatrix: an ultra high-throughput tool for accessing biodiversity

Recombinant approaches for tapping into the biodiversity present in nature for the discovery of novel enzymes and biosynthetic pathways can result in large gene libraries. Likewise, laboratory evolution techniques can result in large but potentially valuable libraries. Thorough screening of these libraries requires ultra high-throughput methods. The GigaMatrix^™ screening platform addresses this opportunity using reusable high-density plates with 100,000 to 1,000,000 through-hole wells in a microplate footprint. In addition to throughputs of over 10⁷ wells per day, the platform offers a significant reduction in reagent use and waste, has fully integrated automated “cherry picking,” and uses no complicated dispensing equipment. Wells containing putative hits from targeted fluorescent liquid phase assays are revealed by a fluorescent imaging system. Vision-guided robotics are utilized to recover hits by accessing individual 200 μm and smaller wells with a disposable sterile needle. The GigaMatrix platform has proven to be an effective and efficient tool for screening gene libraries for both discovery and evolution applications.     

Die Relevanz einer institutionalisierten Ethik für eine professionelle Zahnmedizin

Definition of the problem

The concept of “ethics” has recently been incorporated into both the 2014 Model Professional Code for Dentists and the current version of the “National Competence-Based Catalog of Learning Objectives in Dental Medicine” (NKLZ, Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Zahnmedizin). The study presented here addresses the question which relevance this has for the relevance of the new concept accomplished for the dental profession and society.

Arguments

To this end, the societal processes that are related to the autonomous freedom of action of the dental profession are discussed. Therefore the sociological fields of discourse such as profession (and the effect of its constitutive antinomies), trust, education, expertise, practice of treatments and sanction are reviewed for their potential of having connections to each other and serving as a structural frame concerning an ethically reflected acting of the professional. The basis of the professional freedom of action is the trust of society and the individual patient in the professionally acting dentist.

Conclusion

The study arrives at the conclusion that it was a serious omission for many decades not to make young dentists aware of the ethical foundations of dental activity on an institutionally established basis and thus failing to encourage them to constantly reflect their professional expertise in relation to the problems to be solved. This deficit has now been identified. It is absolutely essential to implement an institutionalized structure dealing with ethical questions within the scope of dental medicine.

     

Citywide: Supporting Interactive Digital Experiences Across Physical Space

The Citywide project is exploring ways in which technology can provide people with rich and engaging digital experiences as they move through physical space, including historical experiences, performances and games. This paper describes some initial results and experiences with this project based upon two prototype demonstrators. In the first, we describe an application in which a search party explores an archaeological site, uncovering enacted scenes within the virtual world that are of a historical relevance to their particular physical location. In the second, we describe a museum experience where participants explore an outdoors location, hunting for buried virtual artifacts that they then bring back to a museum for a more detailed study. Our demonstrators employ a varied set of devices, including mobile wireless interfaces for locating hotspots of virtual activity when outdoors, to give different experiences of the virtual world depending upon location, task, available equipment and accuracy of tracking. We conclude by discussing some of the potential advantages of using an underlying shared virtual world to support interactive experiences across extended physical settings.     

Domain–Specific High–Level Modeling and Synthesis for ATM Switch Prototyping

ATM switch, the core technology of an ATM networking system, is one of the major products in Fujitsu telecommunication business. However, current gate–level design methodology can no longer satisfy its stringent time–to–market requirement. It becomes necessary to exploit high–level methodology to specify and synthesize the design at an abstraction level higher than logic gates. This paper presents our prototyping experience on domain–specific high–level modeling and synthesis for Fujitsu ATM switch design. We propose a high–level design methodology using VHDL, where ATM switch architectural features are considered during behavior modeling, and a high–level synthesis compiler, MEBS, is prototyped to synthesize the behavior model down to a gate–level implementation. Since the specific ATM switch architecture is incorporated into both modeling and synthesis phases, a high–quality design is efficiently derived. The synthesis results shows that given the design constraints, the proposed high–level design methodology can produce a gate–level implementation by MEBS with about 15 percent area reduction in shorter design cycle when compared with manual design.     

Performance and Modeling of the MWIR HgCdTe Electron Avalanche Photodiode

The operation of the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) HgCdTe cylindrical electron injection avalanche photodiode (e-APD) is described. The measured gain and excess noise factor are related to the collection region fill factor. A two-dimensional diffusion model calculates the time-dependent response and steady-state pixel point spread function for cylindrical diodes, and predicts bandwidths near 1 GHz for small geometries. A 2 μm diameter spot scan system was developed for point spread function and crosstalk measurements at 80 K. An electron diffusion length of 13.4 μm was extracted from spot scan data. Bandwidth data are shown that indicate bandwidths in excess of 300 MHz for small unit cells geometries. Dark current data, at high gain levels, indicate an effective gain normalized dark density count as low as 1000 counts/μs/cm² at an APD gain of 444. A junction doping profile was determined from capacitance–voltage data. Spectral response data shows a gain-independent characteristic.     

No evidence of citation bias as a determinant of STEM gender disparities in US biochemistry,genetics and molecular biology research

Scientometrics - The lack of females in many Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in the USA is an ongoing concern, with many initiatives attempting to redress this...     

Wheels,skills and thrills: A social marketing trial to reduce aggressive driving from young men in deprived areas

Young men from poorer backgrounds are associated with high road traffic collision levels. However, solving this problem has proven very difficult. Hence this paper summarises the findings of a UK government funded two-year trial of a cross-discipline intervention to reduce aggressive driving amongst this group.