Abstract: The disclosed compositions and methods relate to an immunogenic composition that, in certain aspects, comprise cationic liposomes; a mixture of toll like receptor 3 (TLR3) and toll like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligands; and a cellular adhesion agent, and methods of using such compositions. In certain aspects, disclosed compositions are administered to a mammal to induce a non-specific innate immune response at mucosal surfaces. In further aspects, disclosed compositions are administered to a mammal in conjunction with an antigen to enhance the immune response of the mammal to the antigen.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of treating pathogenic bacterial infection (e.g., tuberculosis infection) in an animal comprising administering a peptide-based inhibitor of the STAT3-IL10 pathway or a nucleic acid encoding the peptide-based inhibitor to the animal. The invention also provides methods of treating chronic granulomatous disease and Wegener's granulomatosis in an animal comprising administering a peptide-based inhibitor of the STAT3-IL10 pathway or a nucleic acid encoding the peptide-based inhibitor to the animal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for increasing the stability of an engineered protein by halogenating at least one amino acid residue of the protein to form a stabilizing hydrogen bond-enhanced halogen bond (HeX-B).

Abstract: Embodiments described herein improve fuel economy by controlling a vehicle powertrain based on a predicted vehicle velocity. The vehicle velocity is predicted based on vehicle-to-vehicle data when a prediction horizon is a longer prediction horizon and the vehicle velocity is predicted based on historical drive cycle data when the prediction horizon is a shorter prediction horizon. A time duration of the shorter prediction horizon is shorter than the time duration of the longer prediction horizon. A plurality of drive cycles are established for both the longer and the shorter prediction horizons using a neural network. A shorter prediction horizon drive cycle uses nonlinear autoregressive exogenous model neural networks and the longer prediction horizon drive cycle uses two layer feedforward neural networks. The predicted vehicle velocity is determined from a similar drive cycle of the plurality of drive cycles of either the shorter and/or the longer prediction horizon drive cycles.

Abstract: A method may include gathering data from a first set of sensors disposed throughout a first facility at a first fire alarm control panel. The method may also include exchanging one or more messages between the first fire alarm control panel and a control center computer. The method may also include translating the one or more messages between a first communication protocol according to which the first fire alarm control panel communicates and a second communication protocol according to which the control center computer communicates. The second communication protocol is distinct from the first communication protocol.

Abstract: A new solvent-based method is presented for making low-cost composite graphite electrodes containing a thermoplastic binder. The electrodes, termed thermoplastic electrodes (TPEs), are easy to fabricate and pattern, give excellent electrochemical performance, and have high conductivity (1500 S m?1). The thermoplastic binder enables the electrodes to be hot embossed, molded, templated, and/or cut with a CO2 laser into a variety of intricate patterns. These electrodes show a marked improvement in peak current, peak separation, and resistance to charge transfer over traditional carbon electrodes. The impact of electrode composition, surface treatment (sanding, polishing, plasma treatment), and graphite source were found to impact fabrication, patterning, conductivity, and electrochemical performance. Under optimized conditions, electrodes generated responses similar to more expensive and difficult to fabricate graphene and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring small changes in the centroid of the spectrum of a light field by conversion of optical frequency centroid shifts into time delays are described. A time delay for a particular frequency of light is created by directing the light into an optically dispersive system that converts the change in center frequency to a change in transit time through the system as the dispersive element causes different colors to travel at different speeds. Examples of such dispersive elements include, but are not limited to, optical fibers, bulk materials, volumetric or fiber Bragg gratings, and grating or prism based pulse stretchers. This time delay can be measured, by detecting the change in transit time (or time of flight through the dispersive element) by using a detector such as a photodiode, PMT, etc. that converts the incident optical pulse train into an electronic pulsed signal.

Abstract: The invention provides a metallopolymer coordination network comprising one or more coinage or similar metals and a glyme or glyme-equivalent. The composition has an amorphous polymer network that is significantly stronger than previously reported supramolecular hydrogels synthesized without glyme. Glyme chain length and water content strongly influence the mechanical, electronic, and optical behavior of the network.

Abstract: A sampling device is constructed having an airflow path from a size-selective inlet to a device outlet, without using any tubing. The size-selective inlet includes at least one of an impactor, a filter, a cyclone, and an inhalable inlet. The device includes a sampling assembly configured to be removably coupled directly to a sampling device housing (e.g., without using tubing), and an airflow assembly that may be constructed without using tubing.

Abstract: The disclosure provides helix grafted proteins, methods of producing helix grafted proteins and methods of use of helix grafted proteins as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions involved in disease pathogenesis.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for forming aryl carbon-nitrogen bonds and to photoreactors useful in these and other light-driven reactions. The method comprises contacting an aryl halide with an amine in the presence of a Ni salt catalyst solution and an optional base, thereby forming a reaction mixture; exposing the reaction mixture to light under reaction condition sufficient to produce the aryl carbon-nitrogen bonds. In certain embodiments, the amine may be present in a molar excess to the aryl halide. In certain embodiments, the Ni salt catalyst solution includes a Ni(II) salt and a polar solvent, wherein the Ni(II) salt is dissolved in the polar solvent. In certain embodiments, the reactions conditions include holding the reaction mixture at between about room temperature and about 80° C. for between about 1 hour and about 20 hours such that at least about 50% yield is obtained.

Abstract: Example devices and methods of MRI scanning are disclosed herein. In an example, an MRI scanning system may include a structure defining a bore within which a subject is to be positioned for scanning. The system may also include a magnet to generate a primary magnetic field within the bore parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bore, and a helical-antenna radio-frequency (RF) coil oriented along the longitudinal axis to surround the subject. In addition, the system may include an RF signal generator to drive the helical-antenna RF coil to generate a circularly polarized (CP) RF magnetic field perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, as well as an RF detector to detect a response signal generated by tissues of the subject in response to the CP RF magnetic field. Also included may be a computing system to create an image of the tissues of the subject based on the detected response signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to thin-film solar cells with improved efficiency and methods for producing thin-film solar cells having increased efficiency. In certain embodiments, thin-film solar cells having an efficiency of over 21%, over 20%, over 19%, over 15%, over 10%, etc. has been obtained using the methods of the disclosure. In certain aspects, the methods of the disclosure use passivation, passivating oxides, and/or doping treatments in increase the efficiency of the thin-film solar cells; e.g., CdTe-based thin-film solar cells.

Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for manufacturing customized cardiovascular devices. In one implementation, patient cardiovascular data for a patient is received at a controller. The patient cardiovascular data is captured using a patient interface. A printing profile for a cardiovascular medical device is received at the controller. A patient specific three-dimensional model of the cardiovascular medical device customized for the patient using the patient cardiovascular data and the printing profile is generated. The patient specific three-dimensional model of the cardiovascular medical device is sliced into a plurality of outlines using the controller. Print instructions based on the plurality of outlines are generated using the controller. A polymeric material is manipulated according to the print instructions into a customized polymeric cardiovascular medical device for the patient.

Abstract: In this work, a hydrophilic, yet slippery solid surface was developed. Because the surfaces are hydrophilic, there is significant affinity between the surface and contacting water, which results in substantial spreading of the contacting liquids on the surface. Due to their strong affinity, a high solid-liquid adhesion having virtually no mobility of the water on the surface occurs. However, counter-intuitively, the disclosed surfaces are highly slippery such that liquids can slide on the surface while maintaining their hydrophilicity. Demonstrated herein are water droplets that can slide on the surface under its own weight, when the hydrophilic, yet slippery solid surface is slightly tilted (?=3°). This indicates that the disclosed hydrophilic surfaces are slippery to water.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides, inter alia, a method of producing an outer layer material for forming into a structure and that comprises an entanglement having a hydrophobic polymer host and a hydrophilic guest, including in one embodiment the steps of: intermingling cloaked hydrophilic guest complexes with the hydrophobic host; crosslinking molecules of the guest with the guest; and performing a hydrolysis reaction.

Abstract: Provided herein is a block copolymer hydrogel, comprising a glass formed from a dry blend of polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS and a liquid medium at a concentration between about 32:1 and about 2:1 liquid medium/SO—SOS by weight. The block copolymer hydrogel has a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles. Also provided are methods for forming the hydrogel.

Abstract: Products and associated methods are described for the delivery of one or more small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to an avian cell using a nonpathogenic bacterium for the prevention or treatment of Avian Influenza Virus (AIV). The siRNA is complementary to an mRNA of the AIV NP or PA sequence. In challenge studies with chickens, the siRNA is shown to prevent the onset of clinical symptoms or reduce the severity of disease, including reducing viral titers or virus shedding.

Abstract: A method begins by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a radar system determining whether a radar signature varies cyclically with time, and when the radar signature varies cyclically with time the method continues with the one or more processing modules collecting state telemetry information for the radar signature, along with a signal representation for the radar system. The state telemetry information includes rotation angle, yaw angle and rotation rate for the object responsible for the observed radar signature and the signal representation for the radar system includes data sufficient to determine an I/Q signal for the radar system. The method then determines a characterized radar signature for the object responsible for the radar signature and based on the state telemetry and the signal representation, substantially removes the radar signature from radar data.

Abstract: A polymeric composition includes an organic polymeric substrate and metal-organic frameworks on the surface of the polymeric substrate. The metal-organic frameworks cover at least 90% of the surface area of the polymeric substrate.