Soft lithography replica molding of critically coupled polymer microring resonators

We use soft lithography replica molding to fabricate unclad polystyrene (PS) and clad SU-8 microring resonator filters. The PS resonator has an intrinsic quality factor of 1.0/spl times/10/sup 4/ at /spl lambda/=1.55 /spl mu/m, while that of the SU-8 resonator is 7100. The extinction ratios of the PS and SU-8 microring filters are -12 and -20 dB, respectively, with net insertion losses of 6.7 and 9.9 dB. The good quality factors and high extinction ratios of the microring resonator filters show the practicality of soft-lithography replica molding for the fabrication of integrated optical devices

First Record of \u3ci\u3eTachysphex Pechumani\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) From Indiana

A nesting population of Tachysphex pechumani is recorded from near Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Porter County, Indiana. This record is a western extension of the known range of this uncommon species. Nesting biology of T. pechumani at this locality was similar to previously published observations on this species

Cryptocurrency: History, Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset that has seen a large amount of attention within the past five years. Its origin is intriguing to some based upon its newness, yet it has invoked mysticism and skepticism in others. Bitcoin is the most recognizable currency, receiving heavy media attention. There are several other cryptocurrencies as well, less in the spotlight. Most appealing to cryptocurrency could include lack of government oversight, and increased privacy available to the consumer(s) (Bunjaku, Gjorgieva-Trajkovska, and Miteva-Kacarski, 2017, p. 37). Additional advantages include the simplicity in the start-up process, the ease of transferability, and the opportunity to have a seamless process in investing and/or exchanging monies. Cryptocurrency creates the ability to invest for some people groups that could never invest before and diversify investment portfolios (Theron and van Vuure, 2018, p. 2). While the newness of cryptocurrency certainly has been appealing for some, it also has been perceived oppositional by others. There has been concerns identified with regard to the level of trust required, an obvious and significant drawback if valid. Another identified disadvantage to cryptocurrency is its low amount of oversight and liquidity hurt for investing future. The ability for cryptocurrency to be used for illegal and/or evil activity is an ethical drawback (Nian and Chuen, 2015, p. 15). Lastly, the uncertainty of the future is a significant drawback. The future of cryptocurrency requires much economic forecasting. The new changes that cryptocurrency will bring to traditional economic institutes is an area which cryptocurrency needs to explored more. Lastly, is cryptocurrency a fad or an economic bubble

The earth is the Lord\u27s

Wilfrid Laurier University, November 1988; Psalm 24

Use and value of ICTS for separated families

This paper considers the ways in which ICT usage impacts upon the communication patterns of young people from separated and intact families. Based on two research projects – one quantitative and one qualitative – it explores the ways in which young people both use and value mobile phones and internet access as means of intervening in family communication patterns

Law School as a Consumer Product: Beat \u27em or Join \u27em

With rising costs, pressure on performance metrics, and competitive high-profile rankings, law schools are more than ever before being judged on a consumer satisfaction basis by both students and the public. While this perception has been growing over the past two decades, it has reached a crisis point in legal education.1 Courts have been more readily viewing the policies and practices of educational institutions as that of a customer-provider relationship and seeking ways to enforce solutions to the problems they see regarding the product sold.2 The growing trend of treating education as a consumer product that is sold to students has forced courts to consider contract claims by students and has shaped the policies of educational institutions nationwide.3 The connection between consumerism and higher education scrutiny has been explored for quite some time.4 Some have theorized that law schools are leading the way in being scrutinized from this perspective and that universities as a whole can learn from their experiences.5 When students have their choice of educational institutions, they may act like consumers and choose to spend their money based on metrics that satisfy them as buyers. This consumer mindset does not only impact admissions, but also can affect the retention of students.6 The loss of students who transfer out can take a serious toll on a law school, including potential detriments to bar passage, productive classrooms, the loss of future high performing alumni, and the cost of replacing tuition generation.7 Schools are thus currently pressured to address the consumer issue. Many of the conflicts that arise between students, as consumers, and their institutions are not necessarily based in the substance of rules. Instead, much of the complaints stem from the institutions’ transparency and communication about various aspects of the educational experience, from the classroom to students’ prospects on the job market. As such, institutions should consider the student perspective in formulating how they present their program of education and the various aspects within it. While others have questioned outright whether college students are consumers,8 this article will not debate whether law students treat their institutions with a consumer mindset. It presumes they do and instead seeks to solve the problem for institutions. Part II of this article will summarize how this mindset arose in education—specifically how it arose in legal education—and will examine previous conflicts between students and institutions as a result. Part III will examine different areas of law school operations where traditional academic mindsets and student-consumer mindsets may clash, and offers solutions and strategies as to where and how the consumer pressure should be embraced to make institutional change, and where it should be resisted to ensure the consumer pressure does not result in changes that are not in students’ best long-term interests. Part IV offers some conclusions on the approach