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April 9 to April 13, 2007

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In this Issue:
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AT A GLANCE - MEETINGS AT NIST

MONDAY - 4/9
No Scheduled Events
TUESDAY - 4/10
10:30 AM - Slippery Surfaces, Super-Adhesive Coating and Ion-channel Based Devices
1:00 PM - The Economics of Information Security
WEDNESDAY - 4/11
No Scheduled Events
THURSDAY - 4/12
10:30 AM - Driving Change in the Automobile Industry: Technology Trends and Challenges in the 21st Century
10:30 AM - Transparent Oxide Semiconductors for Flexible and Nano-Electronics
10:45 AM - Curing Concrete from the Inside Out
1:30 PM - Photothermal cancer therapy using immunonanoshells
1:30 PM - Photothermal cancer therapy using immunonanoshells
FRIDAY - 4/13
10:30 AM - ANSI RAD/NUC Standards for Homeland Security Instrumentation

MEETINGS AT NIST

4/9 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

4/10 -- TUESDAY

10:30 AM - CERAMICS DIVISION SEMINAR: Slippery Surfaces, Super-Adhesive Coating and Ion-channel Based Devices
Over billions of years, biological systems have evolved to solve difficult engineering problems like water collection and purification, self-cleaning and repair, environmental sensing, energy transduction, actuation, and adaptation. From a material science perspective, nature’s solutions often involve disparate materials (hydrophilic/hydrophobic or hard/soft) combined in 3D hierarchical architectures resulting in synergistic, optimized properties and combinations of properties. Emulating such proven natural design in robust engineering materials using efficient, manufacturable processing approaches represents a fundamental current challenge. This talk will discuss various chemically and mechanically-directed self-assembly schemes as efficient, viable approaches to develop materials with optimized properties and/or complex functionalities. Examples include, 1) superhydrophobic surface that mimic those of lotus plant and the desert beetle. These surfaces are self cleaning and fundamentally affect flow, making them of general interest for fluidic-based Microsystems (MEMS), 2) super-adhesive coating of interest to robotics community and 3) synthetic channels for regulating transport as in natural ion channels for novel water desalination approach and power generation for medical implants. Self assembly and molecular templating may allow design and fabrication of synthetic channel systems with the selectivity of natural protein channels and construction from robust materials to enable integration into devices.
Seema Singh , Sandia National Laboratory.
Materials Bldg, Rm. A250. (NIST Contact: Sheldon Wiederhorn, 301-975-5772, sheldon.wiederhorn@nist.gov)


1:00 PM - NIST COLLOQUIUM SERIES (JOINTLY SPONSORED BY NIST IT SECURITY OFFICE): The Economics of Information Security
SPECIAL DATE AND TIME Surveying current trends in information security, it's clear that a myriad of forces are at work. But fundamentally, security is all about economics: both attacker and defender are trying to maximize the return on their investments. Economics can both explain why security fails so often, and offer new solutions for security success. For example, often the people who could protect a system are not the ones who suffer the costs of failure. Changing those economic incentives will do more to improve security than more technology.
Bruce Schneier , Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Counterpane Network Security, Inc..
Administration Building, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Kum Ham, 301-975-4203, kham@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available



4/11 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

4/12 -- THURSDAY

10:30 AM - ,NIST CHAPTER OF SIGMA XI SEMINAR: Driving Change in the Automobile Industry: Technology Trends and Challenges in the 21st Century
The DNA of the automobile has not changed for over 100 years. Vehicles continue to be largely energized by petroleum, powered by internal combustion engines, and operated via mechanical linkages. However, given today’s challenges related to energy, environment, safety, and congestion, one must question whether the continued evolution of this DNA will enable sustainable industry growth. Fortunately, a new and revolutionary automotive DNA is at hand, made possible by the convergence of advanced propulsion, electrical and electronic controls and systems, telematics, and advanced and smart materials. The convergence of these technologies will enable the industry to reinvent the automobile and address the externalities currently associated with our vehicles. In his talk, Dr. Taub will discuss the major issues in each technology arena, which in many cases includes infrastructure and standards development. He will highlight how solutions to these issues will help the industry reinvent the automobile and continue to grow the business sustainably. Alan Taub joined General Motors Corporation in January 2001 as Executive Director-Science Laboratories for GM Research and Development. He was named Executive Director of Research & Development in April 2004. In this post, he is responsible for GM’s seven science laboratories in Warren, Michigan and Bangalore, India. These labs focus on a wide range of technology, including advanced powertrain systems; computer-based design and analysis systems for vehicle engineering; electronics and information-based vehicle systems; new materials and fabrication processes; new, more environmentally friendly fuels and lubricants, and more efficient emission control systems. In addition, Alan has responsibility for GM’s advanced technical work activity, managing a portfolio of major innovation programs of strategic importance to the company. He oversees global technology collaboration, managed through science offices around the world that coordinate government and industry partner projects and collaborative research at leading universities. He also serves as the interface between R&D and the rest of GM on advanced technology development and implementation. Alan received a bachelors degree in materials engineering from Brown University in 1976. He earned masters and doctorate degrees in applied physics from Harvard University in 1977 and 1979, respectively. Alan was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering in 2006. He has been an active member of the Materials Research Society and the Industrial Research Institute and serves on the advisory boards of several institutions, including Harvard, Brown, MIT, Northwestern University, and the NSF. He is married with three children and resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Dr. Alan Taub, Ph.D. , Executive Director, Research and Development, General Motors Corporation.
Administration Bldg, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: John Slotwinski, 301-975-2171, john.slotwinski@nist.gov)


10:30 AM - CNST SEMINAR SERIES: Transparent Oxide Semiconductors for Flexible and Nano-Electronics
Transparent oxide semiconductors have been extensively studied due to the direct commercial applications including displays, solar cells, sensors, and energy-efficient windows. There has been an increased interest in transparent electronics due to the possibility of forming active transparent components, which can enable new optoelectronic applications. The synthesis, characterization, and integration of these materials will be presented. We are focusing on several ternary oxides, including Zn2In2O5 and ZnSnO3. These materials have been determined to be amorphous as deposited and have excellent electrical properties when used as channel materials for thin film transistors on flexible substrates. Initial results will also be presented for ternary oxide nano-materials.
Gregory Herman , Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, OR, gs_herman@yahoo.com.
215 Bldg, Rm. C103-C106. (NIST Contact: Jason Crain, 301-975-3744, jason.crain@nist.gov)


10:45 AM - MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR: Curing Concrete from the Inside Out
For many years, concrete has been cured from the outside in. Wet burlap, misting, and/or fogging have been applied to maintain saturated conditions at the exposed surface of the concrete and promote internal hydration. With the advent of high performance concretes (HPCs) in the 1980’s, the effectiveness of external curing was called into question. Because HPC mixtures often contain less water than that needed to achieve full hydration of the cement and quickly form a dense impermeable matrix that prevents water penetration from the exterior, internal self-desiccation occurs, generating large autogenous stresses and strains that may lead to early-age cracking and compromise long term durability. While the first recorded observation of internal curing was made 50 years ago, it is only in recent years that this technology is being intentionally applied to precast and field concretes. In internal curing, a set of internal water reservoirs are distributed uniformly throughout the three-dimensional concrete microstructure. These reservoirs bring the curing water in close proximity to where it is needed, to ensure that the hydrating cement paste remains saturated and hydrates to its fullest extent. Typical reservoirs include lightweight aggregates, superabsorbent polymers, and wood fibers. In this talk, the technical issues and technology transfer of internal curing will be presented. Technical issues are being addressed employing a coordinated experimental and computer modeling approach. Technology transfer is being implemented via publications, standards development, direct contacts with the industry, and the development and maintenance on an internal curing web site.
Dale Bentz , Materials and Construction Research Division.
224 Bldg, Rm. B245. (NIST Contact: Aaron Forster, 301-975-8701, aaron.forster@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available


1:30 PM - OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION SEMINAR: Photothermal cancer therapy using immunonanoshells
Amanda Lowery , Rice Unviersity.
AML Bldg, Rm. H107. (NIST Contact: Jeeseong Hwang, 301-975-4580, jeeseong.hwang@nist.gov)


1:30 PM - OPTICAL METROLOGY FOR BIOPHOTONICS SEMINAR SERIES: Photothermal cancer therapy using immunonanoshells
Photothermal cancer therapy using immunonanoshells enables the preferential destruction of cancer cells by targeting over-expressed surface markers on cancer cells, increasing cellular specificity of nanoshell binding, and selectively inducing photothermal heating. Nanoshells possess an optical tunability that spans the visible to the near infrared (NIR) region — a region where light penetrates tissues deeply. My work focuses on the development of an immunonanoshell therapy, where cancer specific antibodies are conjugated to the nanoshell surface, to enable photothemal ablation of cancer and cancer supporting cells. NIR absorbing immunonanoshells preferentially bind to tumor sites. Then NIR light, applied over the tumor region, heats the tumor-bound nanoshells, thus destroying the tumor. In vitro, SKBR-3 breast carcinoma cells were targeted with anti-HER2 antibodies conjugated to the nanoshell surface. Upon NIR excitation, nanoshell laden cells were thermally ablated while cells not receiving both the NIR laser and nanoshells experienced no detectable damage. Similarly, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor on endothelial cells was targeted with the soluble vascular endothelial growth factor demonstrating the feasibility of immunonanoshells as an anti-angiogenic strategy. In mixed populations of cells, cancer cells could be targeted and ablated without damaging the adjacent cell type. In a tumor bearing mouse model, nanoshells conjugated with VEGF induced tumor regression after systemic nanoshell delivery and laser irradiation. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed the ability to selectively induce cell death with the photothermal interaction of immunonanoshells and NIR light. Immunonanoshells exposed to laser irradiation produced targeted cell death of cancer cells even when cancer cells were in close proximity to normal healthy cells. Nanoshells are a promising minimally invasive cancer therapy due to their biocompatibility, targeting, and NIR-assisted photothermal destruction of tumor tissue.
Amanda Lowery , Rice University.
AML Bldg, Rm. H107. (NIST Contact: Jeeseong Hwang, 301-975-4580, jch@nist.gov)



4/13 -- FRIDAY

10:30 AM - IONIZING RADIATION DIVISION SEMINAR: ANSI RAD/NUC Standards for Homeland Security Instrumentation
In late 2002, the Office of Homeland Security, later to become the Department of Homeland Security, realized the need for well-defined criteria to assess the performance of radiation detectors used by first responders to provide accurate information to support the procurement and deployment of commercially-available equipment. NIST was tasked to develop several instrument performance standards, in collaboration with National Laboratories, manufacturers, users and technical experts, and the test protocols to be used to evaluate these types of instruments. A history of the development of these consensus ANSI standards and the associated test and evaluation protocols will be presented, along with a review of the present status in the area of instrumentation for use by various entities in the prevention, detection and response to a nuclear or radioactivity terrorist threat.
Michael Unterweger , Leader (Acting), Radioactivity Group, Ionizing Radiation Division, Gaithersburg, MD, michael.unterweger@nist.gov.
Building 245, Rm. C301. (NIST Contact: Michael Unterweger, 301-975-5536, michael.unterweger@nist.gov)



ADVANCE NOTICE

4/16/07 10:30 AM - PROCESS MEASUREMENTS DIVISION SEMINAR: Process Measurements Division Seminar
In recent years, there has been significant progress in conventional assays that employ surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as a readout tool, and these advances have allowed SERS to become competitive with many current detection techniques. However, challenges still remain in lowering the detection limit and expanding the system to complex sample matrices. This talk will present research that has sought to overcome these obstacles to routine, sensitive use of the SERS-based, heterogeneous immunoassay. First, the incorporation of molecules that have absorption bands in resonance with the laser excitation wavelength, thus allowing for increased signals and lower levels of detection, will be demonstrated. Second, the assay development, low levels of detection, and complex sample matrices for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, the causative agent of Johne’s disease in cattle, will be introduced.
Betsy Jean Yakes , Department of Chemistry, Ames Laboratory – USDOE, and Institute for Combinatorial Discovery, Iowa St.
221 Bldg, Rm. A366. (NIST Contact: Mike Tarlov, 301-975-2058, mtarlov@nist.gov)


4/17/07 8:30 AM - COMPUTER SECURITY DIVISION SEMINAR: 6th Annual PKI R&D Workshop
This year's focus is striking the proper balance to permit users to easily complete tasks requiring security while exposing the appropriate security details through all layers of software. Come join with experts from NIST, NIH, private industry and universities around the world for our sixth workshop. Peer-reviewed research papers focused on Digital Signatures, PKI Technology and Grid Security will be interspersed with topical panels during the two and a half day event. Ask questions of panels on topics like Identity Systems, PKI in the Mortgage Industry, PKI in Government and Federation Experiences. Invited talks will include Kerberos Extensions, Attribute Ecosystem and Certificate Testing Model. And as always, take advantage of the opportunity for informal networking.
Keynote Talk: "Identity Management", Carl Ellison, Microsoft

Administration Bldg, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Sara Caswell, 301-975-4634, sara@nist.gov) http://middleware.internet2.edu/pki07/
Special Assistance Available (teresa.vicente@nist.gov)


4/24/07 9:00 AM - MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS INTEGRATION DIVISION SEMINAR: Interoperability Week Plenary Session
NIST's second annual Interoperability Week in Gaithersburg, MD April 23-25, 2007, will spotlight manufacturing sector interoperability problems as well as advances being made to address these issues. The conference brings together workshops in a broad range of application areas to discuss open standards that enable different information systems to share and exchange data. Conference participants from manufacturing, business, security and science sectors will compare issues and share solutions to interoperability problems in their particular domains. A plenary session on April 24, 9:00-10:30 will feature talks by Jason Matusow, Microsoft Corporation Senior Director of Intellectual Property and Interoperability; Eric Neumann, co-chair of W3C Healthcare and Life Sciences; and Ken Thibodeau, Electronic Records Archives Program Director at the National Archives and Records Administration, followed by a panel discussion. Plenary speakers will address issues related to the problem of interoperability, the role of standards, and the perspectives of various industry sectors. The plenary session is open to all NIST staff.
Simon Frechette , Manufacturing Systems Division, NIST.
Administration Bldg, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Simon Frechette, 301-975-3335, simon.frechette@nist.gov) www.mel.nist.gov/div826/msid/sima/interopweek/


5/8/07 10:00 AM - SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRONICS DIVISION SEMINAR: Are We Heading Towards Performance-Based MEMS Standards?
Research at the micro/nano-scale poses new challenges for metrology and technological advancement. This talk begins with an overview of several of these challenges. Then an interesting metrology technique will be presented, which may be used to help with such challenges. The talk will conclude with a discussion of a few benefits and applications of this new methodology. Advancements in micro/nano-scale materials, sensors, actuators, typically depend on precise measurements of new phenomena, and accurate characterizations of performances through modeling. To verify analytical and numerical models of such phenomena, it is necessary that the performance of the models match the performance of the actual devices. To accomplish this, the model and device must share the same geometric and material parameters. These parameters should be measured for each device because parameters vary across and within fabrication runs. To address this challenge, EMM is being developed to exploit the strong coupling between micro/nano-mechanical parameters and precise micro-electronic measurands. That is, it deduces many geometric, dynamic, and material properties by electronic probing. Since EMM is performance-based, it retains a clear meaning to manufacturers and users; and it applies to a wide variety of micro/nano-devices. Preliminary results show that EMM is several orders of magnitude more precise than convention.
Jason Clark , Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and of Mechanical Engineering, at Purdue, West Lafayette, IN, jvclark@purdue.edu.
Technology Building, Rm A362. (NIST Contact: Janet Marshall, 301-975-2049, janet.marshall@nist.gov)



MEETINGS ELSEWHERE



4/9 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

4/10 -- TUESDAY

4:15 PM - JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV. CHEMISTRY DEPT/ EPHRAIM AND WILMA SHAW ROSEMAN COLLOQUIUM SERIES: CONTROLLING CRYSTAL POLYMORPHISM: PHARMACEUTICALS TO PROTEINS
A. Matzger , Univ. of Michigan.
Bldg, Rm. .
Chemistry Dept., The Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. (NIST Contact: R. Elder, 410-516-7432, rosalie@jhu.edu)




4/11 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

4/12 -- THURSDAY

No Scheduled Events

4/13 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

4/16/07 8:00 AM - NATIONAL COUNCIL ON RADIATION PROTECTION AND MEASUREMENTS (NCRP)
Advances in Radiation Protection in Medicine
James Brink , Yale University. Patricia Durbin , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Bldg, Rm. .
Crystal Forum, Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Jefferson David Highway, Arlington, Virginia. (NIST Contact: David Gilliam, 301-975-6206, david.gilliam@nist.gov) http://www.ncrponline.org/News_Events/News_Events.html
Special Assistance Available - Call Marriott 713-413-5500


4/24/07 8:30 AM - COMPACT X-RAY SOURCES BASED ON INVERSE-COMPTON SCATTERING
Description of these sources; operation principles, radiation characteristics, tunability.
Dr. Winthrop Brown , MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, wbrown@ll.mit.edu. Prof. Frank Carroll , MXISystems, Inc., Fairview, TN, frank.carroll@mxisystems.com. Prof. Ronald Ruth, Lyncean Technologies, Inc., Palo Alto, CA, ronald_ruth@lynceantech.com; Prof. David Moncton, MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, dem@mit.edu.
Bldg, Rm. .
Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, Baton Rouge, LA . (NIST Contact: Uwe Arp, 301-975-3233, uwe.arp@nist.gov) http://www.camd.lsu.edu/SRI/Workshop3.pdf




TALKS BY NIST PERSONNEL


NEWBURY, D. : REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF AUTOMATIC QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS BY ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROMETRY IN THE SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE.
SCANNING 2007, Monterey, CA , 4/10.

JUNG, Y. : THE EFFECTS OF INTERFACIAL ROUGHNESS ON THE THIN FILM MORPHOLOGY AND CHARGE TRANSPORT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYTHIOPHENES.
Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 4/10.

DELONGCHAMP, D. : THE MICROSTRUCTURE FOUNDATION OF HIGH CARRIER MOBILITY IN SEMICONDUCTING POLYMERS.
Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 4/10.

YU, L. : INELASTIC ELECTRON TUNNELING SPECTROSCOPY OF ONE, TWO, AND THREE DIMENSIONAL.
Virginia Tech, Physics Department, Blacksburg, Virginia, 4/11.

RO, H. : MEASURING PATTERN QUALITY AND POROSITY OF DIELECTRIC INSULATOR FILMS DIRECTLY PATTERNED BY NANOIMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY.
Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 4/11.

WINDOVER, D. (Co-Authors: D.L.Gil , Coruscavi Software, Washington, DC N.Armstrong , Univ. of Tech. Sydney, Austr.,, Sydney, Australia) A. Henins, KT Consulting, J.P. Cline, NIST, Div 852, P.Y. Hung; S.C. Song; B.H. Lee; R. Jammy; A. Diebold: Sematech, Austin, TX : X-RAY REFLECTOMETRY DETERMINATION OF STRUCTURAL INFORMATION FROM ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION, NANOMETER-SCALE, HAFNIUM OXIDE THIN FILMS.
2007 MRS Conference, San Francisco, Calif., 4/12.

WONG-NG, W. : PHASE EQUILIBRIA FOR THE BA-R-CU-O (R=Y AND LANTHANIDES) COATED CONDUCTOR RESEARCH.
Materials Research Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, 4/12.



ANNOUNCEMENTS


NIST RESEARCH LIBRARY BOOK GIVEAWAY EXTENDED
The NIST Research Library is discarding some older, unused books from its collection. Please feel free to look them over and to take any that may be useful to you. The giveaway books are designated by signs in the library and will now be available through April 15.
NIST Contact: NIST Research Library, 301-975-3052, library@nist.gov


VISITOR REGISTRATION FOR NIST EVENTS
Because of heightened security at the NIST Gaithersburg site, members of the public who wish to attend meetings, seminars, lectures, etc. must first register in advance. For more information please call or e-mail the "NIST Contact" for the particular event you would like to attend.
NIST Contact: . ., ., .




NIST WEB SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS


No Web Site announcements this week.

For more information, contact Ms. Sharon Hallman, Editor, Stop 2500, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899-2500; Telephone: 301-975-TCAL (3570); Fax: 301-926-4431; or Email: tcal@nist.gov.

All lectures and meetings are open unless otherwise stated.

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