An Optics Investigation Using a Beaker

In optics class we often derive refraction at spherical surfaces (which is ultimately the same as for cylindrical surfaces). We then move on to apply the thin lens approximation and come up with the thin lens equation. However, students generally are unwilling to apply the expressions we have derived in general situations, preferring to misapply the convenient thin lens equation and lens makers equation. For this reason we provided the students with an investigation in which the students were required to use the more general expressions for curved refracting surfaces. The investigation and results will be presented

Development of Organocatalytic Methods for Activity- Directed Bioactive Molecule Discovery

Conventional approaches for the discovery of bioactive small molecules typically follow a cycle of design, synthesis, purification and testing. This workflow usually employs a narrow toolkit of robust chemical reactions, and places equal value on every chemical entity regardless of bioactivity. Consequently, significant effort is invested into designing, making and purifying large numbers of compounds with low levels of bioactivity. Activity-Directed Synthesis (ADS) places the focus exclusively on bioactive molecules during the discovery phase, using activity to guide syntheses through an iterative discovery cycle. ADS exploits chemistry that may yield multiple product outcomes and are not commonly integrated into traditional discovery workflows. The process is structure-blind and function- driven, permitting the discovery of bioactive small molecules and their associated synthetic routes in parallel, mimicking elements of the process in which small molecule natural products are produced via biosynthetic pathways in nature. Integration of new chemistries into the ADS workflow would permit exploration of more diverse areas of chemical space using the approach. Organocatalysis was recognised to have potential to generate a wide range of scaffolds in a combinatorial manner and is robust enough to tolerate the miniaturised high-throughput format required for ADS. The potential for the use of organocatalysis in ADS was explored and successfully translated into a micro-scale format for application in ADS. Additionally, protocols were developed to remove undesirable functional groups from product mixtures prior to screening. The miniaturised organocatalytic chemistry was then applied in ADS to reaction arrays, seeking to use organocatalysis in ADS to discover novel androgen receptor agonists. Different strategies for reaction array design were developed, in addition to protocols for efficient execution of reaction arrays. Both conversion and bioactivity of product mixtures were assessed using a TR-FRET assay and NMR, highlighting issues that significantly decreased the number of reactions that yielded intermolecular products. However, successful identification of bioactive components within product mixtures that were not the result of intermolecular reactions demonstrated the potential for the protocols developed to be successful in identifying bioactive small molecules. Consequently, ADS is now poised to utilise organocatalysis to attempt to generate bioactive molecules for alternative biological targets

A Ground Penetrating Radar Survey of the Unexcavated 24BE2206 Site Near Dewey, in the Big Hole Valley of Montana

Stone fire hearths and associated sub-surface cultural remains were the target of a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey at a pre-historic Native American archeological site near Dewey, Montana. GPR is a non-invasive geophysical survey technique. The GPR uses a transmitting antenna with a frequency of 1-1000 MHz to emit electromagnetic waves into the ground. The receiving antenna detects reflections caused by boundaries of contrasting electrical properties. As the distance of a survey progresses, ensuing measurements produce an image based on the returning reflections.https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/urp_aug_2017/1006/thumbnail.jp

What can you do with a Programmable System on a Chip (PSoc)?

If you had a single device that could do reconfigurable active analog circuitry, reconfigurable digital circuitry, on the fly pulse width modulation, capacitive sensing, reconfigurable pin out, analog to digital conversion, digital to analog conversion, what would you do? What could you build

A Visual Interactive Analytic Tool for Filtering and Summarizing Large Health Data Sets Coded with Hierarchical Terminologies (VIADS).

BACKGROUND: Vast volumes of data, coded through hierarchical terminologies (e.g., International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision-Clinical Modification [ICD10-CM], Medical Subject Headings [MeSH]), are generated routinely in electronic health record systems and medical literature databases. Although graphic representations can help to augment human understanding of such data sets, a graph with hundreds or thousands of nodes challenges human comprehension. To improve comprehension, new tools are needed to extract the overviews of such data sets. We aim to develop a visual interactive analytic tool for filtering and summarizing large health data sets coded with hierarchical terminologies (VIADS) as an online, and publicly accessible tool. The ultimate goals are to filter, summarize the health data sets, extract insights, compare and highlight the differences between various health data sets by using VIADS. The results generated from VIADS can be utilized as data-driven evidence to facilitate clinicians, clinical researchers, and health care administrators to make more informed clinical, research, and administrative decisions. We utilized the following tools and the development environments to develop VIADS: Django, Python, JavaScript, Vis.js, Graph.js, JQuery, Plotly, Chart.js, Unittest, R, and MySQL. RESULTS: VIADS was developed successfully and the beta version is accessible publicly. In this paper, we introduce the architecture design, development, and functionalities of VIADS. VIADS includes six modules: user account management module, data sets validation module, data analytic module, data visualization module, terminology module, dashboard. Currently, VIADS supports health data sets coded by ICD-9, ICD-10, and MeSH. We also present the visualization improvement provided by VIADS in regard to interactive features (e.g., zoom in and out, customization of graph layout, expanded information of nodes, 3D plots) and efficient screen space usage. CONCLUSIONS: VIADS meets the design objectives and can be used to filter, summarize, compare, highlight and visualize large health data sets that coded by hierarchical terminologies, such as ICD-9, ICD-10 and MeSH. Our further usability and utility studies will provide more details about how the end users are using VIADS to facilitate their clinical, research or health administrative decision making

The Vehicle, Fall 2006

Table of Contents Ferris WheelEmily Daviscover HerStephen Jefferiespage 1 UntitledBob Freyderpage 2 Writing at O\u27BrienWillie Joseph Morrispage 3 Blanks and HabitsRebecca M. Griffithpage 4 Soldier\u27s NightmareCraig A. Dennispage 5 UntitledLindsey Durbinpage 6 A Slow, Painless DeathJacob Fosterpage 7 ThoughtAmanda Yealepage 8 The SociopathBob Freyderpage 9 EasyRebecca M. Griffithpage 10 My PartnerDiedre Mapespage 11 BarriersSuzanne Krahnpage 12 The mind is a prisonJordan Hohespage 13 We Were Shirtless When Thousands DiedMitch Jamespage 14 ComplaintAmanda Yealepage 15 UntitledBob Freyderpage 16 MarkedAmanda Yealepage 17 She Wears Red Lipstick, He, Heartsick EyesRebecca M. Griffithpage 18 PrayerAmanda Yealepage 19 HomeDeej Rolewskipage 20 Your DreamDiedre Mapespage 21 Even Fingers Get LonelySuzanne Krahnpage 22 AggressivityMitch Jamespage 23 FallenMitch Jamespage 24 CollapseMario Podeschipage 36 The Italian CrisisAndy Masterspage 41 About the Authorshttps://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1084/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, Fall 2006

Table of Contents Ferris WheelEmily Daviscover HerStephen Jefferiespage 1 UntitledBob Freyderpage 2 Writing at O\u27BrienWillie Joseph Morrispage 3 Blanks and HabitsRebecca M. Griffithpage 4 Soldier\u27s NightmareCraig A. Dennispage 5 UntitledLindsey Durbinpage 6 A Slow, Painless DeathJacob Fosterpage 7 ThoughtAmanda Yealepage 8 The SociopathBob Freyderpage 9 EasyRebecca M. Griffithpage 10 My PartnerDiedre Mapespage 11 BarriersSuzanne Krahnpage 12 The mind is a prisonJordan Hohespage 13 We Were Shirtless When Thousands DiedMitch Jamespage 14 ComplaintAmanda Yealepage 15 UntitledBob Freyderpage 16 MarkedAmanda Yealepage 17 She Wears Red Lipstick, He, Heartsick EyesRebecca M. Griffithpage 18 PrayerAmanda Yealepage 19 HomeDeej Rolewskipage 20 Your DreamDiedre Mapespage 21 Even Fingers Get LonelySuzanne Krahnpage 22 AggressivityMitch Jamespage 23 FallenMitch Jamespage 24 CollapseMario Podeschipage 36 The Italian CrisisAndy Masterspage 41 About the Authorshttps://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1084/thumbnail.jp

Enhanced weathering in the U.S. Corn Belt delivers carbon removal with agronomic benefits

Enhanced weathering (EW) with crushed basalt on farmlands is a promising scalable atmospheric carbon dioxide removal strategy that urgently requires performance assessment with commercial farming practices. Our large-scale replicated EW field trial in the heart of the U.S. Corn Belt shows cumulative time-integrated carbon sequestration of 15.4 +/- 4.1 t CO2 ha-1 over four years, with additional emissions mitigation of ~0.1 - 0.4 t CO2,e ha-1 yr-1 for soil nitrous oxide, a potent long-lived greenhouse gas. Maize and soybean yields increased 12-16% with EW following improved soil fertility, decreased soil acidification, and upregulation of root nutrient transport genes. Our findings suggest that widespread adoption of EW across farming sectors has the potential to contribute significantly to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals and global food and soil security