The transition from localized to homogeneous plasticity during nanoindentation of an amorphous metal

Using nanoindentation, we examine the fundamental nature of plasticity in a bulk amorphous metal. We find that the mechanics of plasticity depend strongly on the indentation loading rate, with low rates promoting discretization of plasticity into rapid bursts. For sufficiently slow indentations, we find that plastic deformation becomes completely discretized in a series of isolated yielding events. As the loading rate is increased, a transition from discrete to continuous yielding is observed. These results are fundamentally different from the classical expectations for metallic glasses, in which the transition from discrete to continuous yielding occurs upon a decrease in deformation rate. The present experimental results are analysed with reference to the theoretical ideal-plastic strain field beneath an indenter and rationalized on the basis of mechanistic models of glass plasticity.     

Unitary SK1 of semiramified graded and valued division algebras

We prove formulas for SK₁(E, τ), which is the unitary SK₁ for a graded division algebra E finite-dimensional and semiramified over its center T with respect to a unitary involution τ on E. Every such formula yields a corresponding formula for SK₁(D, ρ) where D is a division algebra tame and semiramified over a Henselian valued field and ρ is a unitary involution on D. For example, it is shown that if ${\sf{E} \sim \sf{I}_0 \otimes_{\sf{T}_0}\sf{N}}$ where I ₀ is a central simple T ₀-algebra split by N ₀ and N is decomposably semiramified with ${\sf{N}_0 \cong L_1\otimes_{\sf{T}_0} L_2}$ with L ₁, L ₂ fields each cyclic Galois over T ₀, then $${\rm SK}_1(\sf{E}, \tau) \,\cong\ {\rm Br}(({L_1}\otimes_{\sf{T}_0} {L_2})/\sf{T}_0;\sf{T}_0^\tau)\big/ \left[{\rm Br}({L_1}/\sf{T}_0;\sf{T}_0^\tau)\cdot {\rm Br}({L_2}/\sf{T}_0;\sf{T}_0^\tau) \cdot \langle[\sf{I}_0]\rangle\right].$$      

Engineering Polymer‐Binding Bispecific Antibodies for Enhanced Pretargeted Delivery of Nanoparticles to Mucus‐Covered Epithelium

Mucus represents a major barrier to sustained and targeted drug delivery to mucosal epithelium. Ideal drug carriers should not only rapidly diffuse across mucus, but also bind the epithelium. Unfortunately, ligand‐conjugated particles often exhibit poor penetration across mucus. In this work, we explored a two‐step “pretargeting” approach through engineering a bispecific antibody that binds both cell‐surface ICAM‐1 and polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the surface of nanoparticles, thereby effectively decoupling cell targeting from particle design and formulation. When tested in a mucus‐coated Caco‐2 culture model that mimics the physiological process of mucus clearance, pretargeting increased the amount of PEGylated particles binding to cells by around 2‐fold or more compared to either non‐targeted or actively targeted PEGylated particles. Pretargeting also markedly enhanced particle retention in mouse intestinal tissues. Our work underscores pretargeting as a promising strategy to improve the delivery of therapeutics to mucosal surfaces.     

Collective structures and smooth band termination in109Sn

Six rotational bands up to energies E _x =24.7 MeV and spinsj ^π=(79/2^?) have been identified in¹⁰⁹Sn using the GAMMASPHEREγ-detector array. Four of the bands show smoothly decreasing dynamic moments of inertia at rotational frequencies?ω>0.6 MeV. The bands arise at medium spins from a coupling of a valence d_5/2, g_7/2 or h_11/2 neutron to the deformed 2p2h proton excitation of the Z=50 core¹⁰⁸Sn. At very high?ω these bands show the typical behaviour of smoothly terminating bands, i.e. a gradual alignment of the angular momenta of the valence particles and holes corresponding to a transition from high collectivity to noncollective states.     

Fields of characteristic 2 with prescribedu-invariants

Supported in part by the F.N.R.S.     

Dipole bands in the oblate-shaped195Pb

The nucleus¹⁹⁵Pb has been populated with the¹⁸⁴W+¹⁶O reaction at 113 MeV. Two dipole γ-ray cascades have been observed using the EUROGAM spectrometer. A comprehensive level scheme related to these structures has been established. Multiparticle configurations are attributed to these high-spin structures from detailed comparison with the neighbouring nuclei,¹⁹³Hg,¹⁹⁴Pb and¹⁹⁵Tl. Band crossings due to i13/2 neutron pair breaking are observed in¹⁹⁵Pb at about the same frequencies as in the isotone¹⁹³Hg.