Research exercise: Amplifying Signals via Riboswitch Biosensors

The Air Force is always in search of new and efficient ways to protect the lives of their Airman and equipment. Biosensors are self-sufficient, natural systems that can report a signal based on the presence of a specific molecule. However, biosensors are limited by a low signal output. Here we describe how a biological amplification circuit, loosely based on concepts similar to electrical circuitry, will be used to produce and amplify a signal. The biosensor consists of sensing cells and reporter cells that are ‘wired’ together via quorum-sensing signal molecules. The sensing cells contain a riboswitch that activates the reporter cells only when in the presence of a ligand specific to the riboswitch. When compared to a riboswitch with direct control of expression, the amplification circuit was able to increase the amount of fluorescence generated. The amplification circuit also increased the sensitivity of the riboswitch, resulting in fluorescent signal production at much lower ligand concentrations. Lastly, the amplification circuit reduced the time required for the reporter cells to produce a fluorescent signal output.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1743/thumbnail.jp

From Project to Platform: The Evolution of Kids Count

This report tells the story of how a single data book documenting child well-being measures turned into a mission-critical vehicle for the Foundation in building bipartisan support for proven practice solutions and policy change. The report includes data and research insights that the Foundation gained from decades of investing in a program that turned into a keystone for shaping and amplifying policy on a broad scale

2100 AI: Reflections on the mechanisation of scientific discovery

The pace of research is nowadays extremely intensive, with datasets and publications being published at an unprecedented rate. In this context data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics are providing researchers with new automatic techniques which not only help them to manage this flow of information but are also able to identify automatically interesting patterns and insights in this vast sea of information. However, the emergence of mechanised scientific discovery is likely to dramatically change the way we do science, thus introducing and amplifying serious societal implications on the role of researchers themselves, which need to be analysed thoroughly

Ultra Wide Band Signal Generator

Disclosed is an ultra wide band signal generator. The ultra wide band signal generator generates a signal of a required frequency using a harmonic signal having a frequency range of a ultra wide band (UWB). The ultra wide band signal generator includes an active inductor for generating harmonic signals having power strengths substantially equal to each other within a non-linear operation range, the tunable active inductor capable of tuning a value thereof, an oscillator for amplifying and outputting the harmonic signals generated from the active inductor by frequency-transiting the harmonic signals into high frequency bands, and a filter for selectively outputting one of the harmonic signals output from the oscillator.Samsung Electronics Co., LtdGeorgia Tech Research Corporatio

Persistent punishment : users views of short prison sentences

Semi-structured interviews were conducted of 22 prisoners to gather information about the characteristic features of short prison sentences. Themes raised in comments included: the frequency and quality of sentences, addiction, family, and penal legitimacy. Most of the participants had extensive experience of prison, and the effects of this played out across sentences and years, accumulating and amplifying impacts. And, despite expressions of guilt and remorse, most participants saw their sentence as unjust, and mainly a reaction to offending history. We conclude by suggesting the need for research to shift focus from evaluating individual penal interventions towards more holistic and narrative accounts that cut across sentences

Baseline Survey Report: Amplifying the Voices of Girls and Young Women in Governance

The Amplifying the Voices of Girls and Young Women in Governance project is a ten month African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) funded initiative that is implemented by Regional Network of the Children and Young People Trust (RNCYPT). The project began in December 2015, and the baseline study was conducted in January-February 2016, by means of Questionnaire and focus groups discussions; and covered targeted project areas that are Chinhoyi, Chitungwiza, Kadoma, Mvurwi and Raffingora

Light scattering from an amplifying medium bounded by a randomly rough surface: A numerical study

We study by numerical simulations the scattering of $s$-polarized light from a rough dielectric film deposited on the planar surface of a semi-infinite perfect conductor. The dielectric film is allowed to be either active or passive, situations that we model by assigning negative and positive values, respectively, to the imaginary part $\epsilon_2$ of the dielectric constant of the film. We study the reflectance ${\cal R}$ and the total scattered energy ${\cal U}$ for the system as functions of both $\epsilon_2$ and the angle of incidence of the light. Furthermore, the positions and widths of the enhanced backscattering and satellite peaks are discussed. It is found that these peaks become narrower and higher when the amplification of the system is increased, and that their widths scale linearly with $\epsilon_2$. The positions of the backscattering peaks are found to be independent of $\epsilon_2$, while we find a weak dependence on this quantity in the positions of the satellite peaks.Comment: Revtex, 9 pages, 9 figure