Abstract: Embodiments of near-infrared (NIR) dyes are disclosed, along with methods and kits for detecting analytes with the NIR dyes. The NIR dyes have a structure according to the general structure At least one of R1/R2, R2/R3, R3/R4, R5/R6, R6/R7, and/or R7/R8 together forms a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl or aryl.

Abstract: A power module assembly includes a reactor core immersed in a coolant and a reactor vessel housing the coolant and the reactor core. An internal dry containment vessel submerged in liquid substantially surrounds the reactor vessel in a gaseous environment. During an over-pressurization event the reactor vessel is configured to release the coolant into the containment vessel and remove a decay heat of the reactor core through condensation of the coolant on an inner surface of the containment vessel.

Abstract: Devices comprising functionalized materials, and embodiments of a method for making and using such devices, are disclosed. Exemplary devices include ophthalmic devices, nanoparticles, quartz crystal microbalances, microarrays, and nanocomposites. In particular embodiments, device surfaces are modified with monomers and/or polymers, typically carbohydrate monomers and/or polymers. Embodiments of a method for making and using such devices are disclosed. Monomers and/or polymers are covalently bonded to surfaces using functionalized perhalophenylazides. In some embodiments, device surfaces are functionalized with a perhalophenylazide. One or more monomers and/or polymers subsequently are covalently bonded to the device surface using the perhalophenylazide. In other embodiments, monomers and/or polymers are derivatized with a functionalized perhalophenylazide. The derivatized monomers and/or polymers then are covalently bonded to the device surface using the perhalophenylazide.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments concern solution deposition of at least a first inorganic compound on a substrate, typically for production of electronic devices, such as solution deposition of metal salts, including halides, carbonyls, acetates, sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, and mixtures thereof. Solutions may be deposited using any suitable process, particularly inkjet printing or spin coating. The method can involve depositing only a first solution, depositing a first solution plural times, or deposition of plural different solutions. Furthermore, the method may involve simultaneous or serial deposition of two or more solutions. The method may further comprise post deposition processing the deposited material, such as thermal annealing, oxidation processes, reduction processes, exchange reactions, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A thin-film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate dielectric disposed on the gate electrode, a channel layer, and a passivation layer. The channel layer has a first surface and an opposed second surface, where the first surface is disposed over at least a portion of the gate dielectric. The channel layer also has a first oxide composition including at least one predetermined cation. The passivation layer is disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the opposed second surface of the channel layer. The passivation layer has a second oxide composition including the at least one predetermined cation of the first oxide composition and at least one additional cation that increases a bandgap of the passivation layer relative to the channel layer.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention are configured to permit development and validation of a device driver or a device application program by using improved virtual devices. Such improved virtual devices facilitate driver development without use of real devices or hardware prototypes. The present invention also may be configured to permit advanced validation of a device-driver combination that would be difficult to achieve even with a real device. Certain embodiments also may detect inconsistencies between virtual and real devices, which may be used to improve drivers and device application programs and increase compatibility of such drivers and device application programs with real devices.

Abstract: A fluid micro-mixer and micro-reactor array is provided having at least two bonded layers of micro-channels. The micro-mixer can include at least one input port and one output port, and a mixing and/or reaction port. At least one inlet stream separator layer can isolate the inlet ports from one another.

Abstract: Certain disclosed embodiments concern systems and methods of preparing dialysate for use in a home dialysis system that is compact and light-weight relative to existing systems and consumes relatively low amounts of energy. The method includes coupling a household water stream to a dialysis system; filtering the water stream; heating the water stream to at least about 138 degrees Celsius in a non-batch process to produce a heated water stream; maintaining the heated water stream at or above at least about 138 degrees Celsius for at least about two seconds; cooling the heated water stream to produce a cooled water stream; ultrafiltering the cooled water stream; and mixing dialysate components into the cooled water stream in a non-batch process.

Abstract: The invention is based on the recognition that known antimicrobial compounds, such as nisin or other lantibiotics, can be made to form a long lasting antimicrobial surface coating by linking the peptide with a block polymer, such as PLURONIC® F108 or an end group activated polymer (EGAP) in a manner to form a flexible tether and/or entrap the peptide. The entrapped peptide provides antimicrobial action by early release from entrapment while the tethered peptide provides longer lasting antimicrobial protection. Antimicrobial gels and foams may be prepared using the antimicrobial peptide containing block copolymers.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and computer program product comprising optimal, systematic q-ary codes for correcting all asymmetric and symmetric errors of limited magnitude are provided.

Abstract: A system includes a containment vessel configured to prohibit a release of a coolant, and a reactor vessel mounted inside the containment vessel. An outer surface of the reactor vessel is exposed to below atmospheric pressure, wherein substantially all gases are evacuated from within the containment vessel.

Abstract: Photochromic materials that are useful for a variety of applications, including for making various unit functions of fluidic devices, particularly microfluidic devices, such as microchannels, valves and gates, using spiropyran materials, such as a polymeric composition comprising a spiropyran. In certain disclosed embodiments the spiropyran is admixed with a polymeric material. For example, the spiropyran may be intercalated into a polyalkylene or polyalkylene phthalate. The spiropyran also may be polymerized with at least one additional monomer to form a heteropolymer, such as by polymerization with styrene, styrene derivatives, acrylate and acrylate derivatives. The spiropyran compositions can be used to make, for example, a photoactuatable valve, a fluidic channel, etc. The valve may be associated with a microchannel, including photochromic microchannel. In certain disclosed embodiments, the valve, at least one microchannel, or both, are re-patternable by light exposure.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method for synthesizing aqueous precursors comprising Hf4+ or Zr4+ cations, peroxide, and a monoprotic acid are disclosed. The aqueous precursors are suitable for making HfO2 and ZrO2 thin films, which subsequently can be patterned. The disclosed thin films are dense and continuous, with a surface roughness of ?0.5 nm and a refractive index of 1.85-2.0 at ?=550 nm. Some embodiments of the disclosed thin films have a leakage-current density ?20 nA/cm2 at 1 MV/cm, with a dielectric breakdown ?3 MV/cm. The thin films can be patterned with radiation to form dense lines and space patterns.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present system and method are useful for chemical deposition, particularly continuous deposition of anti-reflective films. Disclosed systems typically comprise a micromixer and a microchannel applicator. A deposition material or materials is applied to a substrate to form a nanostructured, anti-reflective coating. Uniform and highly oriented surface morphologies of films deposited using disclosed embodiments are clearly improved compared to films deposited by a conventional batch process. In some embodiments, a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective coating is applied to a polycarbonate substrate, such as a lens. In certain embodiments, an anti-reflective coating is applied to a surface of a solar catalytic microreactor suitable for performing endothermic reactions, where energy is provided to the reactor by absorption of solar radiation. The composition and morphology of the material deposited on a substrate can be tailored.

Abstract: Disclosed are pactamycin analogs, pharmaceutical compositions including the analogs, and methods of using the analogs, such as to inhibit tumor growth or a pathogenic infection such as a bacterial or parasitic infection. The pactamycin analogs have a general formula where R1 is H, lower aliphatic, amide, acyl, or aminoacyl; R2 is —C(O)NR8R9 where R8 and R9 independently are hydrogen or lower aliphatic, or R1 and R2 together form a cyclic structure; R3 and R4 independently are hydrogen, hydroxyl, or lower aliphatic, or R2 and R3 together form a cyclic structure; R5 is hydrogen or acyl; R6 and R7 independently are hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, lower aliphatic, or amino.

Abstract: Certain disclosed embodiments concern systems and methods of preparing dialysate for use in a home dialysis system that is compact and light-weight relative to existing systems and consumes relatively low amounts of energy. The method includes coupling a household water stream to a dialysis system; filtering the water stream; heating the water stream to at least about 138 degrees Celsius in a non-batch process to produce a heated water stream; maintaining the heated water stream at or above at least about 138 degrees Celsius for at least about two seconds; cooling the heated water stream to produce a cooled water stream; ultrafiltering the cooled water stream; and mixing dialysate components into the cooled water stream in a non-batch process.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods of preparing dialysate for use in a home dialysis system that is compact and light-weight relative to existing systems and consumes relatively low amounts of energy. The method includes coupling a household water stream to a dialysis system; filtering the water stream; heating the water stream to at least about 138 degrees Celsius in a non-batch process to produce a heated water stream; maintaining the heated water stream at or above at least about 138 degrees Celsius for at least about two seconds; cooling the heated water stream to produce a cooled water stream; ultrafiltering the cooled water stream; and mixing dialysate components into the cooled water stream in a non-batch process.

Abstract: A time-interleaved track-and-hold circuit includes a clock generator adapted to receive a global sine-wave clock signal and to generate therefrom multiple square-wave output clock signals of different phases. The track-and-hold circuit includes a switching array operative in at least a track mode or a hold mode. The switching array includes multiple switch circuits, each switch circuit adapted to receive an analog input signal, a corresponding one of the output clock signals, and the global sine-wave clock signal. Each switch circuit is operative to utilize the corresponding one of the output clock signals during the track mode for tracking the analog input signal, and is operative during the hold mode to store the input signal sampled during the track mode as an output of the switch circuit and to utilize the global sine-wave clock signal during the hold mode for synchronizing sampling instants of the respective outputs of the switch circuits.

Abstract: A method to generate siRNAs in vivo is described, as are constructs and compositions useful in the method. The method does not depend on the use of DNA or synthetic constructs that contain inverted duplications or dual promoters so as to form perfect or largely double -stranded RNA. Rather, the method depends on constructs that yield single-stranded RNA transcripts, and exploits endogenous or in vivo-produced miRNAs or siRNAs to initiate production of siRNAs. The miRNAs or siRNAs guide cleavage of the transcript and set the register for production of siRNAs (usually 21 nucleotides in length) encoded adjacent to the initiation cleavage site within the construct. The method results in specific formation of siRNAs of predictable size and register (phase) relative to the initiation cleavage site. The method can be used to produce specific siRNAs in vivo for inactivation or suppression of one or more target genes or other entities, such as pathogens.

Abstract: An electronic structure comprising: (a) a first metal layer; (b) a second metal layer; (c) and at least one insulator layer located between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, wherein at least one of the metal layers comprises an amorphous multi-component metallic film. In certain embodiments, the construct is a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diode.