Protein Array Fabrication with E-jet Printing

We demonstrate the feasibility of fabricate biosensors with direct protein printing without complicated processes at high resolution and area coverage. Printed single protein, streptavidin-fluorescein, binds to biotin labeled with fluorescent DNA without denaturation; therefore a fluorescence microscope can detect the printed droplets as shown in Figure 7.1(a). The standard deviation of the spot size and spacing is 7.26 % and 0.693%, respectively. The e-jet printing is capable to print large area, e.g., one inch size. Half droplets of streptavidin-Cy5 are printed in 15 minutes (Figure 7.1(b)). Four-inch size printing is also available. Moreover, we have developed the multi-syringe head [1]. The head prints multiple inks by rotation. Even complicated patterns of multiple proteins (e.g., peacock shown in Figure 7.1(c)) can be printed. Printed primary antibodies can be detected under a fluorescence microscopy by incubating with fluorescently-labeled secondary antibodies [2]. These capabilities show that the e-jet printer with the multi-syringe head has feasibility to make protein chips to detect multiple proteins at lower cost than the conventional chips

It's About Time: Learning Time and Educational Opportunity in California High Schools

A new study by the UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education and Access (IDEA) found that teachers in high-poverty schools are more likely than their peers in low-poverty schools to report more time lost for academic instruction due to poor access to libraries, technology and qualified substitute teachers. Moreover, economic and social stressors on students -- such as unstable housing, hunger and lack of access to medical or dental care -- also undermine learning time, according to the study

Spirituality in nursing practice

Spirituality is an important aspect of holistic care which is frequently overlooked owing to difficulty conceptualising spirituality and confusion about how to integrate it into nursing care. This article seeks to understand what is meant by spirituality and spiritually competent practice, it explores some of the attitudes towards spirituality and describes some of issues affecting integration of spirituality into nursing care

Puzzles in the Chinese stock market

Many companies on China’s stock markets have separate, restricted classes of shares for domestic residents and foreigners. These shares are identical other than who can own them, but foreigners pay only about one-quarter the price paid by domestic residents. We argue that the generally higher level (and volatility) of domestic share prices is consistent with the simplest asset pricing model, assuming plausible differences-about 4 percentage-points-in expected rates of return by foreign and domestic investors. We attribute low Chinese expected returns to the limited alternative investments available in China. We then estimate how various company characteristics affect the relative price paid by foreigners in a panel of companies. We find, for example, that foreigners pay a lower relative price for companies with a higher proportion owned by the state--reflecting, surprisingly, a higher absolute price paid by both foreigners and domestic residents.Stock market ; China

Resource allocation using constraint propagation

The concept of constraint propagation was discussed. Performance increases are possible with careful application of these constraint mechanisms. The degree of performance increase is related to the interdependence of the different activities resource usage. Although this method of applying constraints to activities and resources is often beneficial, it is obvious that this is no panacea cure for the computational woes that are experienced by dynamic resource allocation and scheduling problems. A combined effort for execution optimization in all areas of the system during development and the selection of the appropriate development environment is still the best method of producing an efficient system

A representation of the natural numbers by means of cycle-numbers, with consequences in number theory

In this paper we give rules for creating a number triangle T in a manner analogous to that for producing Pascal's arithmetic triangle; but all of its elements belong to {0, 1}, and cycling of its rows is involved in the creation. The method of construction of any one row of T from its preceding rows will be defined, and that, together with starting and boundary conditions, will suffice to define the whole triangle, by sequential continuation. We shall use this triangle in order to define the so-called cycle-numbers, which can be mapped to the natural numbers. T will be called the 'cyclenumber triangle'. First we shall give some theorems about relationships between the cyclenumbers and the natural numbers, and discuss the cycling of patterns within the triangle's rows and diagonals. We then begin a study of figures (i.e. (0,1)- patterns, found on lines, triangles and squares, etc.) within T. In particular, we shall seek relationships which tell us something about the prime numbers. For our later studies, we turn the triangle onto its side and work with a doubly-infinite matrix C. We shall find that a great deal of cycling of figures occurs within T and C, and we exploit this fact whenever we can. The phenomenon of cycling patterns leads us to muse upon a 'music of the integers', indeed a 'symphony of the integers', being played out on the cycle-number triangle or on C. Like Pythagoras and his 'music of the spheres', we may well be the only persons capable of hearing it!