CAREER: Acoustic Wave Filters for High Frequency Wireless Communication Applications

Expanding commercial and military applications crowd the wireless communications frequency band, creating a critical need to expand the band to higher frequencies. The application of newly discovered high velocity pseudo surface acoustic waves (HVPSAWs), has the potential of satisfying the high frequency requirements of the next generation of wireless communications. This CAREER proposal involves an integrated research and education plan for high radio frequency (RF) microwave acoustic devices. The research objective is to identify piezoelectric materials and specific orientations in which HVPSAWs exist, and to design, fabricate, and test prototype HVPSAW filters. Specific research tasks are: (i) search for piezoelectric materials and orientations in which HVPSAWs exist; (ii) characterize theoretical mode propagation; (iii) determine HVPSAW phase velocity, propagation loss, temperature behavior, electromechanical coupling, and power flow angle; (iv) experimentally verify the theoretically predicted HVPSAW properties; develop a theoretical model for the HVPSAW interdigital transducer (IDT) structure, and its experimental verification; (v) model and characterize integral HVPSAW filters structures, such as reflectors, multistrip couplers, guiding structures; (vi) integrate HVPSAW structure components into HVPSAW filter design; and (vii) fabricate and test prototype HVPSAW filters. The educational objective is to provide a learning experience in a fast moving state-of-the-art area to students ranging from high school to graduate level. The learning experience will range from team projects at the high school level to theses at the graduate level. In summary this project will not only provide the necessary research to realize the next generation of wireless communications but also educate students in a very relevant high need technology area which has applications ranging from cellular phones to high speed communication and signal processing systems

SENSORS: Detecting Microbial Pathogens with Novel Surface Acoustic Wave Devices in Liquid Environments

This SENSORS proposal integrates research and education to exploit the sensitivity of a new family of LGX crystal devices operated in novel Shear Horizontal Surface Acoustic Wave (SH-SAW) propagation directions by combining them with highly selective molecular padlock probes to detect specific nucleic acid sequences associated with bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhi, and Vibrio cholerae in aqueous solutions. The anticipated fundamental advances in sensor science and engineering will be relevant to numerous applications, including rapid response to bioterrorism, healthcare, epidemiology, agriculture, food safety, and pollution avoidance and mitigation. This SENSORS program builds upon the initial proof-of-concept results provided by an NSF SGER project funded by the divisions of Electrical and Communication Systems, and Bioengineering and Environmental Systems. The intellectual merit of this proposal rests in the creative, integrated research and education activities related to combining the recently identified LGX SH-SAW devices with molecular padlock probe technology to permit the design, fabrication, testing, and optimization of prototype biosensors. The specific research objectives of this SENSORS program are to: (i) Identify the surface density chemistry for increased sensitivity; (ii) Investigate and identify the optimal LGX SH-SAW orientation and device design for operation with the padlock technology; (iii) Study and develop the molecular padlock probe system to operate effectively in conjunction with the LGX SH-SAW device; (iv) Fabricate and test the prototype SH-SAW liquid biosensors; (v) Identify and optimize a procedure for sensor regeneration; and (vi) Characterize and optimize the sensor\u27s dynamic range and cross-effects due to temperature and other physical and chemical factors. The educational objective of this SENSORS program is to provide a multidisciplinary learning experience to students ranging from high school to graduate student level in the area of sensors in general, and biosensors in particular. Broader impacts will be achieved through the following programs and activities to: (i) Train and interact with high school audiences through two major ongoing programs at University of Maine (UMaine), NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) and the GK-12 Sensors; (ii) Involve undergraduates from Maine and other institutions directly into the research project under the umbrella of the ongoing NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the UMaine; (iii) Expand existing undergraduate Sensor Technology and Instrumentation and Biochemical Engineering Engineering courses at the UMaine by adding modules relating to biosensors devices and systems; (iv) Identify appropriate Capstone projects for undergraduates involving cross-disciplinary research and design projects; (v) Enhance existing graduate level courses Microscale Bioengineering and Design and Fabrication of Acoustic Wave Devices by incorporating research results into the course; (vi) Contribute to the new interdisciplinary multi-institutional NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in functional genomics, which involves UMaine, the Jackson Laboratory, and the Maine Medical Center Research Institute; (vi) Provide a experimental and/or theoretical thesis topics for Masters and Ph.D. students; (vii) Disseminate the research and educational material on a project website, and through conferences and printed literature. The SENSORS project proposed here is designed to result in tangible research and educational benefits. It will provide a knowledge base critical to creation of the next generation of biosensors for single unit production and future integration into arrays. It also seeks to establish a model program whereby cross-disciplinary education is integrated with a state-of-the-art research program, providing a rich learning experience for students ranging from high school to graduate student level. Finally, the project will help to strengthen U.S. research and educational capabilities in an area of high technology that currently is in need of highly trained industry and academic professionals

Bárbaros ou/vs Romanos? Sobre Identidades e Categorias Discursivas

In this article, we discuss the identity issues in relation to the world of Late Antiquity and its subsequent representations. To this end, we start with a discussion of the identities in the late-ancient world, emphasizing the complexity and fluidity that occur in the processes of formation (ethnogenesis) and transformation. Then arises the problem of the terminologies used to represent the ancient people (focusing on the concept of “German”), and how these categories, having a potential to produce representations, create misconceptions of identity about (and between) the ancients.Nesse artigo, pretendemos discutir a questão identitária em relação ao mundo tardo-antigo e suas posteriores representações. Para tanto, iniciaremos com uma discussão sobre as identidades no mundo tardo-antigo, com ênfase na complexidade e fluidez em que ocorrem os processos de formação (etnogênese) e transformação destas. A seguir, levanta-se a problemática das terminologias que representam os povos antigos (focando no conceito de “germanos”), e como estas categorias, possuindo um potencial na produção de representações, acabam, por sua vez, produzindo falsas concepções de identidade sobre (e entre) os povos da Antiguidade

EXP-SA: Explosives Tracking: A Microsystem for Detection of Bacterial Endospores as Self-Replicating Nucleic Acid Taggants

This proposal presents an integrated research and educational plan directed toward the production, detection, and identification of bacterial endospore taggants for explosive tracking. While the most immediate application of the research is related to stemming the activities of bioterrorists, the anticipated fundamental advances in bioengineering and sensor science and engineering will have significant societal relevance to other applications, including first-responder activities, healthcare, food safety, and pollution avoidance and mitigation. Intellectual Merit The investigators propose to combine bioengineering of Bacillus stearothermophilus endospores with microdevices for sample processing and taggant identification. A surface acoustic wave (SAW) microdroplet mixing/transport/incubator system will be coupled with molecular padlock probe technology for sensitive identification of bioengineered endospores. The specific research tasks are to: (i) Generate a number of different Bacillus spores, each with a unique DNA sequence or sequences spliced into its genome; (ii) Investigate and identify the optimal SAW device designs needed to germinate spores, lyse vegetative bacteria, transport, mix, and heat microdroplet samples; (iii) Design subsystems for DNA isolation; (iv) Develop a fluorescence-based molecular padlock probe system for DNA identification that can operate effectively in conjunction with the SAW fabrication microsystem platform; (v) Fabricate and test the proposed prototype identification system. Broader Impacts Broader impacts will be achieved through the following programs and activities to: (i) Train and interact with high school audiences through two major ongoing programs at University of Maine (UMaine), NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) and the GK-12 Sensors; (ii) Involve undergraduates from Maine and other institutions directly into the research project under the umbrella of the ongoing NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the UMaine; (iii) Identify appropriate Capstone projects for undergraduates involving cross-disciplinary research and design projects; (iv) Enhance existing graduate level courses (1) Microscale Bioengineering and (2) Design and Fabrication of Acoustic Wave Devices by incorporating research results into each course; (v) Contribute to the interdisciplinary multi-institutional NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in functional genomics, which involves UMaine, the Jackson Laboratory, and the Maine Medical Center Research Institute; (vi) Provide thesis topics for M.S. and Ph.D. students; (vii) Disseminate the research and educational material on a project website, and through conferences and printed literature. Project Outcomes ReportNew investigative tools are desperately needed to determine the origin and transit routes of contraband explosive materials, and the individuals who transport them. A powerful strategy for tracking and identifying specific lots of explosives is the incorporation or labeling with pre-and post-detonation identification tags, or taggants. This project involves the production, detection, and identification of bacterial endospore taggants for explosive tracking. It combines bioengineering of environmentally resistant Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius endospores with development of microdevices for sample processing and taggant identification. A surface acoustic wave (SAW) bacterial lysis system is coupled with on-chip fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for identification of bioengineered endospores.Geobacillus spores with a unique DNA sequence encoded in well-retained plasmids have been generated. Optimal SAW device structures have been designed, fabricated and tested for lysis of the vegetative bacteria. A number of on-chip structures for multiplex PCR analysis have been created and tested. DNA release and fluorescence-based PCR analysis for identification of specific genomic DNA sequences can now be interfaced to the SAW microsystem platform to comprise an important part of the overall detection system. We anticipate that aspects of this technology will be useful for tracking contraband materials such as explosives, environmental monitoring, and potentially medical diagnostic applications. This project has fostered the multidisciplinary training of numerous undergraduate and graduate students in molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, and bioengineering

Selecting and Ranking IT Governance Practices for Electric Utilities

Although general literature and several frameworks suggest practices for IT Governance, there is still no consensus about which should be considered “best” or “essential”. It seems reasonable to assume that recommendations of specific practices depend on factors such as the target industry, company profile, culture, and IT organization preferences. The literature on the subject for the electric utility industry seems particularly scanty. We have taken a first step in filling this gap by performing a literature review and then discussing our preliminary findings with top level IT executives from an electric utility in Europe and another in South America. We came up with a list of 83 practices that can be used to address distinct dimensions of IT Governance (leadership, structure, process, social, and relational mechanisms) and with a shorter list of 14 key practices classified into Essential, Important, and Good that are deemed the most relevant for electrical utilities

MODELO DE REGRESSÃO POISSON NA ANÁLISE DOS DADOS DE UM EXPERIMENTO IN VITRO COM COMANTHERA MUCUGENSIS

O modelo clássico de regressão é a técnica mais adequada quando se deseja estudar o comportamento de uma variável dependente (variável resposta normalmente representada pela letra y) em relação a outras variáveis independentes (variáveis explicativas normalmente representadas pela letra x), que são responsáveis pela variabilidade da variável resposta

IT Governance Practices for Electric Utilities: Insights from Brazil and Europe

We propose a framework of 14 IT governance practices tailored for the electric utilities sector. They were selected and ranked as "essential", "important", or "good" by top executives and IT staff from two multi-billion dollar companies - one in Brazil and another in Europe - from a generic set of 83 collected in the literature and in the field. Our framework addresses a need of electric utilities for which specific guidance was lacking. We have also uncovered a significant impact of social issues in IT governance, whose depth seems to be missing in the current research. As a byproduct of our work, the larger generic framework from which we have departed and the tailoring method that we have proposed can be used to customize the generic framework to different industries

Barbaros o/versus Romanos? A respecto de identidades y categorías discursivas

Nesse artigo, pretendemos discutir a questão identitária em relação ao mundo tardo-antigo e suas posteriores representações. Para tanto, iniciaremos com uma discussão sobre as identidades no mundo tardo-antigo, com ênfase na complexidade e fluidez em que ocorrem os processos de formação (etnogênese) e transformação destas. A seguir, levanta-se a problemática das terminologias que representam os povos antigos (focando no conceito de "germanos"), e como estas categorias, possuindo um potencial na produção de representações, acabam, por sua vez, produzindo falsas concepções de identidade sobre (e entre) os povos da Antiguidade.In this article, we discuss the identity issues in relation to the world of Late Antiquity and its subsequent representations. To this end, we start with a discussion of the identities in the late-ancient world, emphasizing the complexity and fluidity that occur in the processes of formation (ethnogenesis) and transformation. Then arises the problem of the terminologies used to represent the ancient people (focusing on the concept of "German"), and how these categories, having a potential to produce representations, create misconceptions of identity about (and between) the ancients