Further Studies on Inhibition of Growth of Spores of Penicillium Sp. and Aspergillus Sp. Isolated from the White Molds of Silages

Author Institution: Department of Chemistry and Department of Biology, Fenn College, Cleveland, OhioFinely powdered commercial sulfur does not inhibit appreciably the growth of spores of the white mold, Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. Diethyl sulfite in concentration of 7.38 grams/liter is found to be toxic to the spores of the white mold, and its toxicity is markedly increased by addition of lactic acid. Infrared absorption spectra studies of mixtures of sodium metabisulfite and sodium lactate indicate no interaction between the sulfite and the lactate ions. The use of a solution of lactic acid and sodium bisulfite on heating silage in the silo gave considerable reduction in the temperature

Acquisition of a Multi-User Thin Film Synthesis and Processing Facility

A state-of-the-art advanced materials synthesis and processing facility focusing on the growth and fabrication of ceramic- based thin film materials will be funded with the assistance of the Academic Research Infrastructure Program. The facility will include a multi-technique thin film materials synthesis chamber equipped with a microwave plasma source, effusion cells, electron beam evaporators, magnetron sputter sources, and a Kauffman ion source. Characterization capabilities will include in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), mass spectrometry for controlling growth processes, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a novel Hall probe for in- situ film characterization. Three major areas of research will be impacted significantly by the facility, namely 1) solid state micro-sensors, 2) nanomechanics of materials, and 3) surfaces and interfaces in hetero-epitaxial oxide systems. In the sensor work, which has connections with local industry, the synthesis and processing of well-defined doped metal-oxide films will be developed with the goal of understanding and controlling the molecular scale mechanisms by which surface microstructure, dopant type, and operating temperature influence sensor performance. A broad based advanced materials synthesis and processing facility for the growth and fabrication of ceramic-based thin films will be operated for the study of solid state microsensors based on metal-oxide ceramic films. The nanomechanics of these ceramic thin films will be studied, as well as the surfaces and interfaces occurring in heteroepitaxial oxide systems

IGERT: Sensor Science, Engineering, and Informatics

This Sensor Science, Engineering and Informatics (SSEI) IGERT program will provide multidisciplinary doctoral training in the area of sensor systems ranging from the science and engineering of new materials and sensing mechanisms to the interpretation of sensor data. The design and management of effective sensor systems requires a holistic understanding of how information is collected, stored, integrated, evaluated, and communicated within sensing systems and to decision makers in diverse application contexts. The SSEI IGERT weaves together three research focus areas: (1) Sensor Materials and Devices, (2) Sensor Systems and Networks, and (3) Sensor Informatics. The intellectual merit of the project includes education and research activities that are designed to ensure a feedback loop so that SSEI IGERT trainees are able to transform new knowledge from sensor-generated data to further development of sensor systems and networks and advances in sensor materials and devices, and vice versa. Innovative components of the program include (1) development and use of a testbed prototype that will require interdisciplinary interaction across the three research areas; (2) a tight integration of the social, legal, ethical, and economic dimensions of sensing environments in both research and training, (3) expanded relationships with companies and federal laboratories engaged in sensor research, (4) international collaborations, and (5) synergistic integration with sensor science and engineering education at the middle, high school, and undergraduate level. The broader impacts of the SSEI IGERT program are a new breed of scientists and engineers who will be versatile in dealing with the diverse technical components that contribute to sensing systems, knowledgeable in the legal, social, and ethical contexts of heavily sensed environments, and aware of the human values that must be preserved, protected and promoted within such systems. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries

The Fundamental Theorem of Prevision

1 online resource (PDF, 43 pages

The structure of the ternary Eg5–ADP–ispinesib complex

The human kinesin Eg5 is responsible for bipolar spindle formation during early mitosis. Inhibition of Eg5 triggers the formation of monoastral spindles, leading to mitotic arrest that eventually causes apoptosis. There is increasing evidence that Eg5 constitutes a potential drug target for the development of cancer chemotherapeutics. The most advanced Eg5-targeting agent is ispinesib, which exhibits potent antitumour activity and is currently in multiple phase II clinical trials. In this study, the crystal structure of the Eg5 motor domain in complex with ispinesib, supported by kinetic and thermodynamic binding data, is reported. Ispinesib occupies the same induced-fit pocket in Eg5 as other allosteric inhibitors, making extensive hydrophobic interactions with the protein. The data for the Eg5-ADP-ispinesib complex suffered from pseudo-merohedral twinning and revealed translational noncrystallographic symmetry, leading to challenges in data processing, space-group assignment and structure solution as well as in refinement. These complications may explain the lack of available structural information for this important agent and its analogues. The present structure represents the best interpretation of these data based on extensive data-reduction, structure-solution and refinement trials

Material-Specific Investigations of Correlated Electron Systems

We present the results of numerical studies for selected materials with strongly correlated electrons using a combination of the local-density approximation and dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). For the solution of the DMFT equations a continuous-time quantum Monte-Carlo algorithm was employed. All simulations were performed on the supercomputer HLRB II at the Leibniz Rechenzentrum in Munich. Specifically we have analyzed the pressure induced metal-insulator transitions in Fe2O3 and NiS2, the charge susceptibility of the fluctuating-valence elemental metal Yb, and the spectral properties of a covalent band-insulator model which includes local electronic correlations.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, to appear in "High Performance Computing in Science and Engineering, Garching 2009" (Springer

Development of European standards for evaluative reporting in forensic science : The gap between intentions and perceptions

Criminal justice authorities of EU countries currently engage in dialogue and action to build a common area of justice and to help increase the mutual trust in judicial systems across Europe. This includes, for example, the strengthening of procedural safeguards for citizens in criminal proceedings by promoting principles such as equality of arms. Improving the smooth functioning of judicial processes is also pursued by works of expert working groups in the field of forensic science, such as the working parties under the auspices of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI). This network aims to share knowledge, exchange experiences and come to mutual agreements in matters concerning forensic science practice, among them the interpretation of results of forensic examinations. For example, through its Monopoly Programmes (financially supported by the European Commission), ENFSI has funded a series of projects that come under the general theme ‘Strengthening the Evaluation of Forensic Results across Europe’. Although these initiatives reflect a strong commitment to mutual understanding on general principles of forensic interpretation, the development of standards for evaluation and reporting, including roadmaps for implementation within the ENFSI community, are fraught with conceptual and practical hurdles. In particular, experience through consultations with forensic science practitioners shows that there is a considerable gap between the intentions of a harmonised view on principles of forensic interpretation and the way in which works towards such common understanding are perceived in the community. In this paper, we will review and discuss several recurrently raised concerns. We acknowledge practical constraints such as limited resources for training and education, but we shall also argue that addressing topics in forensic interpretation now is of vital importance because forensic science continues to be challenged by proactive participants in the legal process that tend to become more demanding and less forgiving