Ion‐implanted charge collection contacts for high purity silicon detectors operated at 20 mK

We have developed a technique for fabricating high resolution, ohmic contacts for cryogenic silicon detectors operated at temperatures well below 1 K. In this paper, we give a detailed description of the techniques used to fabricate these boron‐implanted contacts, and present characterization data obtained on 24 test samples studied during the design phase of our program. We then describe the fabrication and operation of a 23 g prototype silicon hybrid detector which simultaneously senses both the phonons and ionization produced by a single event, and which incorporates these new contacts into its design. Finally, we present data obtained using a radioactive source of 241Am and this detector operated at 20 mK, and conclude that the contacts are fully sufficient for applications in particle astrophysics as well as in many other areas of physics

A Case Study of Classroom Blogging in Three Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study was to explore how three 3rd – 5th grade teachers used classroom blogging as an instructional activity to support students’ literacy and technology skills. A qualitative case study was used as the methodological approach and four data sources were analyzed. Results of the study suggested teacher-participants implemented classroom blogging as a way to enhance student literacy skills while introducing and practicing a number of essential technology skills. Teachers described classroom blogging as a collaborative activity that could be easily embedded into existing literacy instruction. In addition, student-participants were positive about how blogging directly supported acquisition of their literacy and technology skills. Finally, teacher-participants and student-participants offered eight key recommendations to others in the learning community

SARS-CoV Regulates Immune Function-Related Gene Expressions in Human Monocytic Cells

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is characterized by acute respiratory distress (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis, and the monocyte/macrophage is the key player in the pathogenesis of SARS.
 
Methods: In this study, we compared the transcriptional profiles of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infected monocytic cells against that infected by coronavirus 229E (CoV-229E). Total RNA was extracted from infected DC-SIGN transfected monocytes (THP-1-DC-SIGN) at 6 and 24 h after infection and the gene expression was profiled by oligonucleotide-based microarray. 

Results: Analysis of immune-related gene expression profiles showed that 24 h after SARS-CoV infection, (i) IFN-alpha/beta-inducible and cathepsin/proteosome genes were down-regulated; (ii) the hypoxia/hyperoxia-related genes were up-regulated; and (iii) the TLR/TLR-signaling, cytokine/cytokine receptor-related, chemokine/chemokine receptor-related, the lysosome-related, MHC/chaperon-related, and fibrosis-related genes were differentially regulated. 

Conclusion: These results elucidate that monocyte/macrophage dysfunction and dysregulation of fibrosis-related genes are two important pathogenic events of SARS. 
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Minimum wages and their role in the process and incentives to bargain

The study is based on four sources of data: (a) a survey of over 11,500 non-public sector organisations, (b) quantitative analysis of over 25,000 enterprise agreements, (c) qualitative analysis of 91 strategically selected agreements; and (d) 20 workplace case studies. Key findings (indicative) Organisations commonly used a number of pay-setting arrangements for their employees, with individual arrangements (at 65 per cent of organisations) and award based arrangements (52 per cent) the most common. The quantitative analysis of enterprise agreements found that that there may be a positive association between wage increases in enterprise agreements and Annual Wage Review increases. This was particularly the case for industries with higher proportions of agreements paying low wage increases and with a large number of award-reliant employees. The qualitative analysis of agreements identified the importance of distinguishing between agreements that are ‘award-reliant’, ‘slightly above award’ (i.e. pay modest over-awards) and ‘over-award’ (i.e. pay substantial amounts more than the award).  External relativities (i.e. differences in pay for exemplar or reference classifications common across employers) were dispersed among all industries considered. Internal relativities within agreements were very similar to those in their related awards. The case studies found little direct impact of Annual Wage Review decisions on wage outcomes or pay-setting processes – they are best conceived as third order factors shaping both. Conclusion While the direct impact of Annual Wage Review decisions was perceived to be limited at the work sites studied, this is not the whole story. The analysis of agreements revealed that there may be positive significant associations between Annual Wage Review increases and agreement content. The workplace cases in general, and the relativities analysis in particular, revealed that awards profoundly shape wage outcomes and the wage determination process.  In particular, the agreement and case study findings highlighted the importance of not conceiving the different pay-setting arrangements in mutually exclusive terms. If the Annual Wage Review increases examined are conceived as being part of an ongoing evolution of the award system, then their impact is better understood as being very significant, primarily because such increases are an integral part of labour standard regime that conditions workplace behaviour and shapes wage outcomes. This appears to be especially the case in those parts of the labour market paying below median wages

CR3 and Dectin-1 Collaborate in Macrophage Cytokine Response through Association on Lipid Rafts and Activation of Syk-JNK-AP-1 Pathway

Copyright: © 2015 Huang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Acknowledgments We are grateful to the Second Core Laboratory of Research Core Facility at the National Taiwan University Hospital for confocal microscopy service and providing ultracentrifuge. We thank Dr. William E. Goldman (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC) for kindly providing WT and ags1-null mutant of H. capsulatum G186A. Funding: This work is supported by research grants 101-2320-B-002-030-MY3 from the Ministry of Science and Technology (http://www.most.gov.tw) and AS-101-TP-B06-3 from Academia Sinica (http://www.sinica.edu.tw) to BAWH. GDB is funded by research grant 102705 from Welcome Trust (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Jeden czy dwa języki w komunikacji z dziećmi ze spektrum zaburzeń autystycznych?

The emerging research comparing verbal and non‑verbal development in typical individuals and those on the autism spectrum reveals no differences in the acquisition rate of specific features or concepts. Research on families suggests that what parents need is not to be given advice, but rather to be understood and supported by professionals who are family‑centered as well as culturally and linguistically responsive. Choices about language use in families are complex matters that shift dynamically over time. These shifts can include changes in family membership, situational demands, variations in language proficiencies and many other constraints and affordances of family life that require constant adaptation and fluidity. Which language parents choose to speak with their children comes from deeply personal decisions that are neither right nor wrong, but those decisions are often constrained under the weight of fear and misinformation. Speech‑language pathologists play an indispensable role in lifting this weight so that families feel the freedom to arrive at ways of speaking that promote their families’ wellness and goals.Najnowsze badania mające na celu porównanie poziomu rozwoju werbalnego i niewerbalnego dzieci w normie rozwojowej i dzieci ze spektrum autyzmu nie ujawniły różnic w możliwości nabywania języka angielskiego przy zachowaniu języka ojczystego jako L1. Badania prowadzone wśród rodziców dzieci ze zdiagnozowanym autyzmem sugerują, że logopedzi nie powinni proponować nauczania tylko w języku angielskim (w nim prowadzona jest większość programów terapeutycznych) czy tylko ojczystym. Zadaniem logopedów i innych specjalistów jest zaplanowanie terapii w taki sposób, aby zachować szacunek dla kultury i języka swoich pacjentów. Wybór języka to złożona kwestia, uzależniona od struktury rodziny, wymagań sytuacyjnych, różnic w biegłości językowej oraz wielu innych ograniczeń i możliwości życia rodzinnego. To, w którym języku rodzice zdecydują się rozmawiać z dziećmi, powinno wynikać z ich osobistych decyzji. Decyzje te nie są ani dobre, ani złe, są jednak często podejmowane błędnie z powodu mylnego przekonania na temat negatywnego wpływu nauki dwóch języków na dzieci ze spektrum zaburzeń autystycznych. Logopedzi odgrywają ważną rolę w promowaniu wiedzy na ten temat – dzięki ich działalności rodziny mogą swobodnie korzystać z języka, który dobrze wpływa na samopoczucie i cele rodzin (utrzymanie języka dziedziczonego)

Students of Color and COVID-19: Experiences, Coping Strategies, and Supports

The coronavirus disease of 2019, known as the COVID-19 pandemic, is a disaster event that posed significant physical, social, financial, and mental health risks to college students. Disproportionate experiences of stressors position students of color as a population particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of COVID-19, thus, the current study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on undergraduate students of color in the United States. Students participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews about their experiences with stressors during the pandemic. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis and revealed themes including (a) the pandemic’s impact on students; (b) basic needs as college students; (c) strategies used to cope with stressors; and (d) supports desired from institutions and faculty. Findings inform colleges and healthcare providers of the most salient concerns for students of color and the sources found helpful. As such, these findings may guide effective prevention and intervention strategies to minimize the effects of future disasters

An elastic second skin

We report the synthesis and application of an elastic, wearable crosslinked polymer layer (XPL) that mimics the properties of normal, youthful skin. XPL is made of a tunable polysiloxane-based material that can be engineered with specific elasticity, contractility, adhesion, tensile strength and occlusivity. XPL can be topically applied, rapidly curing at the skin interface without the need for heat- or light-mediated activation. In a pilot human study, we examined the performance of a prototype XPL that has a tensile modulus matching normal skin responses at low strain (<40%), and that withstands elongations exceeding 250%, elastically recoiling with minimal strain-energy loss on repeated deformation. The application of XPL to the herniated lower eyelid fat pads of 12 subjects resulted in an average 2-grade decrease in herniation appearance in a 5-point severity scale. The XPL platform may offer advanced solutions to compromised skin barrier function, pharmaceutical delivery and wound dressings

Galectin-3 Modulates Th17 Responses by Regulating Dendritic Cell Cytokines

Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside–binding animal lectin with diverse functions, including regulation of T helper (Th) 1 and Th2 responses. Current data indicate that galectin-3 expressed in dendritic cells (DCs) may be contributory. Th17 cells have emerged as critical inducers of tissue inflammation in autoimmune disease and important mediators of host defense against fungal pathogens, although little is known about galectin-3 involvement in Th17 development. We investigated the role of galectin-3 in the induction of Th17 immunity in galectin-3–deficient (gal3−/−) and gal3+/+ mouse bone marrow–derived DCs. We demonstrate that intracellular galectin-3 negatively regulates Th17 polarization in response to the dectin-1 agonist curdlan (a β-glucan present on the cell wall of fungal species) and lipopolysaccharide, agents that prime DCs for Th17 differentiation. On activation of dectin-1, gal3−/− DCs secreted higher levels of the Th17-axis cytokine IL-23 compared with gal3+/+ DCs and contained higher levels of activated c-Rel, an NF-κB subunit that promotes IL-23 expression. Levels of active Raf-1, a kinase that participates in downstream inhibition of c-Rel binding to the IL23A promoter, were impaired in gal3−/− DCs. Modulation of Th17 by galectin-3 in DCs also occurred in vivo because adoptive transfer of gal3−/− DCs exposed to Candida albicans conferred higher Th17 responses and protection against fungal infection. We conclude that galectin-3 suppresses Th17 responses by regulating DC cytokine production