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    Development of a Non‐Directed Petasis‐Type Reaction by an Aromaticity‐Disrupting Strategy

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    The Petasis-type reaction, which couples an imine and boronic acid, is an important tool for C−C bond formation in organic synthesis. However, the generality of this transformation has been limited by the requirement for a directing heteroatom to enable reactivity. Herein, we report the development of a non-directed Petasis-type reaction that allows for the coupling of trifluoroborate salts with α-hydroxyindoles. By disrupting aromaticity to generate a reactive iminium ion, in conjunction with using trifluoroborate nucleophiles, the method generates a new C−C bond without the need for a directing group. This reaction is operationally simple, providing α-functionalized indoles in up to 99 % yield using sp, sp², and sp³-hybridized trifluoroborate nucleophiles. Finally, this reaction is applied as a novel bioconjugation strategy to link biologically active molecules and toward the convergent synthesis of non-natural heterodimeric bisindole alkaloid analogs

    How Pendant Groups Dictate Energy and Electron Transfer in Perovskite–Rhodamine Light Harvesting Assemblies

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    Energy and electron transfer processes allow for efficient manipulation of excited states within light harvesting assemblies for photocatalytic and optoelectronic applications. We have now successfully probed the influence of acceptor pendant group functionalization on the energy and electron transfer between CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals and three rhodamine-based acceptor molecules. The three acceptors─rhodamine B (RhB), rhodamine isothiocyanate (RhB-NCS), and rose Bengal (RoseB)─contain an increasing degree of pendant group functionalization that affects their native excited state properties. When interacting with CsPbBr3 as an energy donor, photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy reveals that singlet energy transfer occurs with all three acceptors. However, the acceptor functionalization directly influences several key parameters that dictate the excited state interactions. For example, RoseB binds to the nanocrystal surface with an apparent association constant (K_(app) = 9.4 × 10⁶ M⁻¹) 200 times greater than RhB (K_(app) = 0.05 × 10⁶ M⁻¹), thus influencing the rate of energy transfer. Femtosecond transient absorption reveals the observed rate constant of singlet energy transfer (k_(EnT)) is an order-of-magnitude greater for RoseB (k_(EnT) = 1 × 10¹¹ s⁻¹) than for RhB and RhB-NCS. In addition to energy transfer, each acceptor had a subpopulation of molecules (∼30%) that underwent electron transfer as a competing pathway. Thus, the structural influence of acceptor moieties must be considered for both excited state energy and electron transfer in nanocrystal-molecular hybrids. The competition between electron and energy transfer further highlights the complexity of excited state interactions in nanocrystal-molecular complexes and the need for careful spectroscopic analysis to elucidate competitive pathways

    A New Class of Teaching-Track Faculty: No Ph.D. Required

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    Demand for computer science teaching faculty is skyrocketing. In response, many colleges and universities are beginning to advertise for and hire teaching candidates without a PhD. In this panel, we discuss our experiences as faculty in this position and explore how we can promote and support the important contributions that non-PhD faculty have on students. Throughout this interactive panel, we will engage in-person and virtual participants from all levels of higher education to discuss the experiences surrounding teaching track faculty without a PhD. Additionally we will reflect and envision how our community can systematically support and create alternative paths within academia that will allow potential faculty to earn a terminal Master's degree and learn how to be effective teachers at the same time

    Launch Vibration Damping Using Slip in Pretensioned Coils

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    Vibration management is important for the survivability of structures during launch, and is particularly challenging for large deployable space structures. Adding damping to a structure reduces the overall level of response excitation, which increases survivability. Structural damping occurs through the dissipation of energy during vibration. One such energy dissipation mechanism that can be utilized to increase damping is friction, such as the friction between slipping layers of a wound roll. In this paper, we study the vibration response of a structure, which has a pre-tensioned coil wound around it. Here, the damping is provided by friction between slipping layers in the pre-tensioned coil. An experiment is performed on a small-scale setup to evaluate the feasibility of this approach by measuring the frequency response and damping under different winding tensions. The same setup is used to measure layer slip during vibration, using a high speed camera and tracking targets to identify the regions with the largest slip, indicating higher contribution to energy dissipation. To confirm understanding of the damping mechanism, a 3D finite-element simulation is created in an attempt to capture the variation in frequency response and locations of slip with winding tension measured experimentally

    The Photodissociation and Ionization Fronts in M17-SW Localized with FIFI-LS on Board SOFIA

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    To understand star formation rates, studying feedback mechanisms that regulate star formation is necessary. The radiation emitted by nascent massive stars play a significant role in feedback by photodissociating and ionizing their parental molecular clouds. To gain a detailed picture of the physical processes, we mapped the photodissociation region (PDR) M17-SW in several fine-structure and high-J CO lines with FIFI-LS, the far-infrared imaging spectrometer aboard SOFIA. An analysis of the CO and [O i]146 μm line intensities, combined with the far-infrared intensity, allows us to create a density and UV intensity map using a one-dimensional model. The density map reveals a sudden change in the gas density crossing the PDR. The strengths and limits of the model and the locations of the ionization and photodissociation front of the edge-on PDR are discussed

    Near-infrared and Optical Nebular-phase Spectra of Type Ia Supernovae SN 2013aa and SN 2017cbv in NGC 5643

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    We present multiwavelength time-series spectroscopy of SN 2013aa and SN 2017cbv, two Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) on the outskirts of the same host galaxy, NGC 5643. This work utilizes new nebular-phase near-infrared (NIR) spectra obtained by the Carnegie Supernova Project-II, in addition to previously published optical and NIR spectra. Using nebular-phase [Fe ii] lines in the optical and NIR, we examine the explosion kinematics and test the efficacy of several common emission-line-fitting techniques. The NIR [Fe ii] 1.644 μm line provides the most robust velocity measurements against variations due to the choice of the fit method and line blending. The resulting effects on velocity measurements due to choosing different fit methods, initial fit parameters, continuum and line profile functions, and fit region boundaries were also investigated. The NIR [Fe ii] velocities yield the same radial shift direction as velocities measured using the optical [Fe ii] λ7155 line, but the sizes of the shifts are consistently and substantially lower, pointing to a potential issue in optical studies. The NIR [Fe ii] 1.644 μm emission profile shows a lack of significant asymmetry in both SNe, and the observed low velocities elevate the importance for correcting for any velocity contribution from the host galaxy’s rotation. The low [Fe ii] velocities measured in the NIR at nebular phases disfavor progenitor scenarios in close double-degenerate systems for both SN 2013aa and SN 2017cbv. The time evolution of the NIR [Fe ii] 1.644 μm line also indicates moderately high progenitor white dwarf central density and potentially high magnetic fields

    The 2 stream-exact single scattering (2S-ESS) radiative transfer model

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    The plane-parallel two-stream approximation is a popular radiative transfer approach for the calculation of fluxes and heating rates. However, it is typically not accurate enough for remote sensing applications involving the analysis of hyperspectral radiances. We present the 2 stream-exact single scattering (2S-ESS) radiative transfer model, which performs an exact calculation of single scattering in a spherically curved medium using an accurate treatment of the phase function and curved ray-tracing of the solar and line-of-sight paths, while approximating multiple scattering with the plane-parallel two-stream approach. The 2S-ESS model has three important features. First, it can be deployed for calculations in vertically inhomogeneous atmospheres. Second, the sphericity capability makes it applicable to large solar and/or viewing zenith angle scenarios such as those encountered close to sunrise or sunset. Third, it is fully linearized: in addition to generating radiances, the model can also compute Jacobians analytically with respect to any atmospheric or surface property (e.g., trace gases, aerosols and surface reflectance). These features of the model are especially useful for remote sensing retrieval applications. We examine the accuracy of this model for homogeneous slab and inhomogeneous multi-layer scenarios. The results show that this methodology introduces less than a few percent error in most situations, with the exception of heavy aerosol or cloud loading events, while providing three orders of magnitude improvement in computational efficiency. The code is publicly available along with documentation and test cases to assist the user

    Trophic model closure influences ecosystem response to enrichment

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    There exists considerable uncertainty about the most appropriate functional form to describe mortality at the highest trophic level (the closure problem). Although linear and quadratic formulations predict strongly different dynamics, it is unclear which of these formulations is more realistic. We introduce an implicit predator population feeding on the highest trophic level, parameterized through a Holling Type II functional response and empirically observed predator–prey scaling relations. Thus, we arrive at a hyperbolic mortality formulation that is a hybrid between the linear and quadratic forms. Subsequently, we investigate the impact of this formulation on the modeled population dynamics. In particular, we compare the stability properties of simple food-chain models with a hyperbolic mortality and a linear mortality. Contrary to classical theory, the model with a hyperbolic mortality does not exhibit destabilization due to nutrient enrichment. For this model, we find that limit cycles are rather associated with a top-heavy ecosystem structure (high predator, low prey densities). The weak response to enrichment emerges because populations of both the predator and prey increase with nutrient supply, consistent with observations. We discuss the mechanism behind the relationship between top-heaviness and instability from an ecological and a mathematical perspective

    Functional cell types in the mouse superior colliculus

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    The superior colliculus (SC) represents a major visual processing station in the mammalian brain that receives input from many types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). How many parallel channels exist in the SC, and what information does each encode? Here, we recorded from mouse superficial SC neurons under a battery of visual stimuli including those used for classification of RGCs. An unsupervised clustering algorithm identified 24 functional types based on their visual responses. They fall into two groups: one that responds similarly to RGCs and another with more diverse and specialized stimulus selectivity. The second group is dominant at greater depths, consistent with a vertical progression of signal processing in the SC. Cells of the same functional type tend to cluster near each other in anatomical space. Compared to the retina, the visual representation in the SC has lower dimensionality, consistent with a sifting process along the visual pathway

    Transient energetic particles as the origin of the mid-infrared north polar hotspot of Jupiter

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    Since it was detected in 1980, Jupiter's 8-μm CH₄ north polar hot spot (8CNPHS), ∼20 K warmer than the surrounding polar stratosphere, has been observed for four decades. Unlike normal auroral ovals (i.e., the bright rings of auroral emissions), it is usually filled with bright emission. The causes of both its shape and longevity are not understood, although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain its existence. In order to investigate the deriving mechanism of the 8CNPHS, we have observed the north polar regions near 3 μm, where line emission from another CH₄ band as well as a C₂H₆ fundamental band occur. Using Gemini North/GNIRS in 2013, 2020, 2021, and 2022, we have detected transient 3-μm CH₄ and/or C₂H₆ bright spots within the 8CNPHS, and occasionally no apparent bright spots. By comparing the emission from CH₄ with that from C₂H₆, we demonstrate that the origin of the 8CNPHS must be due to transient and energetic magnetospheric particles, which can penetrate down to the hydrocarbon layers, heating the homopause (∼1 μbar level) and the stratosphere (∼1 mbar level) and energize the 8CNPHS. Based on our observations and analysis, we propose the following three mechanisms for maintaining and containing the decades long warmth of the 8CNPHS: 1) energetic and transient auroral particle precipitations warming the stratosphere of the 8CNPHS, 2) a longer radiative cooling time in the 8CNPHS stratosphere (∼6 months) compared to less than or equal to one month at the homopause, and 3) recently detected polar stratospheric jets likely associated with polar fronts, which resist the free flow of warm gas in the 8CNPHS to the surrounding polar regions. We show that other heating mechanisms proposed so far in the literature, such as Joule heating, polar haze heated by sunlight, etc., are only the secondary mechanisms that follow atmospheric ionization caused by energetic particle bombardment. Our finding of the magnetospheric-ionospheric-stratospheric coupling in the Jovian polar regions open the possibility of quantitatively refining 3-D global circulation models for the atmospheres of giant planets and exoplanets

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