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Understanding the cellular mechanisms by which amphiphilic ionic liquids (AmILs) induce cytotoxicity is an important step in the development of task-specific AmILs for safe industrial applications or as cytotoxic anticancer agents. Accumulated evidence suggests that AmILs kill cells by disrupting cellular membranes and/or inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. The cation of AmILs is lipophilic due to alkyl substitution, and lipophilic cations are a group of compounds known to accumulate in mitochondria in response to the membrane potential across the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). We therefore hypothesised that AmILs exert their cytotoxic effects by disrupting the IMM, the integrity of which is critical to several important cellular processes. Using fluorescence microscopy we show that a quinolinium-based AmIL rapidly accumulates in the mitochondria of HeLa cells. In a panel of AmILs we found that cytotoxicity correlates with their capacity to disrupt lipid bilayers, and that AmILs produce a range of cellular effects consistent with permeabilisation of the IMM at cytotoxic concentrations. Thus, AmILs depolarise the IMM, inhibit oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis, and induce ROS formation. These effects were only induced by AmILs with aromatic cations substituted with long (decyl) alkyl chains, as these features promote accumulation in, and permeabilisation of, the IMM. These mechanistic insights help explain the structure–activity relationship governing AmILs cytotoxicity and may be used to rationally design either safe or cytotoxic AmILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology is presented to implement robotic actuators into diaphragm forming of composite laminates. This Hybrid Vacuum-Robotic (HyVR) process is specifically targeted to prevent 'bridging' type defects. Examples are presented of successfully forming laminates with deep concave features that would otherwise be impossible by diaphragm forming. The robotically controlled end effectors apply localised pressure to concave regions during the diaphragm forming process. This force application is analogous to the incremental sheet forming process. A generalised methodology is presented which can be applied to develop a bespoke HyVR process for a specific mould. It can then inform what type of end effector should be used and how to apply it within the HyVR process. A key development included in this methodology is the use of the robot to 'pin' the laminate to the mould, preventing any unwanted movement. This process could enable automated production of more complex components using diaphragm forming, taking advantage of its lower tooling and equipment costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "institutional effectiveness" was developed in response to accreditation, and this emphasizes the large extent to which accreditation drives institutional effectiveness efforts on community college campuses. There are two general types of accreditation. "Institutional accreditation" is the process by which institutions of higher education are evaluated as a whole with an eye toward their unity of purpose and the extent to which the sum of the parts complement the whole. "Programmatic accreditation" focuses on components--programs, courses of study, and sometimes individual courses--within the institution. In this article, the authors focus solely on one type of institutional accreditation, which is commonly referred to as "regional accreditation" because the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), recognizes six agencies that confer accreditation to colleges and universities in their respective regions of the United States and abroad. The intent of this article is to briefly examine the institutional effectiveness requirements of each of the six agencies.

A solid-state impact-ionization multiplier (SIM) is designed for amplifying signals from arbitrary current sources through impact ionization. The causes and effects of poor impact ionization in the planar SIM design are described along with the fabrication process and benefits of introducing an insulator in the SIM to control the path of injected electrons.

A Solid-state Impact-ionization Multiplier (SIM) design that injects electrons into the SIM's depletion region through a p-n junction node instead of through a Schottky contact as in previous versions is proposed. It is observed that the measured gain characteristics are similar to simulated results, and measured frequency response could improve the SIM's performance with lower currents inputs.