Abstract: The present system and method provides a more precise way to record food and beverage intake than traditional methods. The present disclosure provides custom software for use in mobile computing devices that include a digital camera. Photos captured by mobile digital devices are analyzed with image processing and comparisons to certain databases to allow a user to discretely record foods eaten. Specifically, the user captures images of the meal or snack before and after eating. The foods pictured are identified. Image processing software may identify the food or provide choices for the user. Once a food is identified and volume of the food is estimated, nutrient databases are used for calculating final portion sizes and nutrient totals.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing the conversion efficiency of thin film photovoltaics. The thin film structure includes a photovoltaic absorbent layer covered by a confinement layer. A laser beam passes through the confinement layer and hits the photovoltaic absorbent layer. The laser can be pulsed to create localized rapid heating and cooling of the photovoltaic absorbent layer. The confinement layer confines the laser induced plasma plume creating a localized high-pressure condition for the photovoltaic absorbent layer. The laser beam can be scanned across specific regions of the thin film structure. The laser beam can be pulsed as a series of short pulses. The photovoltaic absorbent layer can be made of various materials including copper indium diselenide, gallium arsenide, and cadmium telluride. The photovoltaic absorbent layer can be sandwiched between a substrate and the confinement layer, and a molybdenum layer can be between the substrate and the photovoltaic absorbent layer.

Abstract: A bactericidal or antimicrobial polymeric composition includes a hydrophilic first comonomer copolymerized to a second comonomer to produce a polymeric composition that is more hydrophilic or more bactericidal or antimicrobial in an aqueous solution than either of the comonomers alone. Methods for identifying bactericidal or antimicrobial polymers, methods for rendering materials bactericidal or antimicrobial, and methods for using bactericidal or antimicrobial compositions to kill or reduce bacterial or microbial growth are also described. Applications for the inventive compositions include their use in catheters, stents, medical devices, contact lenses; root canal fillers; fibers; paper; and/or wound dressing.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a novel system and method for evaporating and ionizing compounds comprising an LIAD source and an ionization source that operates at atmospheric pressure. This system is readily adaptable for use with most commercially available mass spectrometers. Ionization sources include Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization sources (APCI) and Atmospheric Pressure Photo Ionization (APPI) sources. The ionization sources are positioned such that the analyte desorbing from the surface of the LIAD is fed into the ion stream produced by the ionization source and ionized analyte and ionized fragments of the analyte are fed into the sample inlet of a mass spectrometer. These systems allow for the mass spectrometric analysis of non-polar compounds that lack readily ionizable functional groups, such as saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and compounds with medium to low polarity, as well as hydrocarbon mixtures, such as petroleum.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first semiconductor layer on a front side of the semiconductor substrate. Additional semiconductor layers may be formed on a font side of the first semiconductor layer. The substrate is subsequently removed. In some embodiments, one or more additional semiconductor layers may be formed on the back side of the first semiconductor layer after the semiconductor substrate has been removed. Additionally, in some embodiments, a portion of the first semiconductor layer is removed along with the semiconductor substrate. In such embodiments, the first semiconductor layer is subsequently etched to a known thickness. Source regions and device electrodes may be then be formed.

Abstract: A method of simulating operation of a VLSI interconnect structure having capacitive and inductive coupling between nodes thereof. A matrix X and a matrix Y containing different combinations of passive circuit element values for the interconnect structure are obtained where the element values for each matrix include inductance L and inverse capacitance P. An adjacency matrix A associated with the interconnect structure is obtained. Numerical integration is used to solve first and second equations, each including as a factor the product of the inverse matrix X?1 and at least one other matrix, with first equation including X?1Y, X?1A, and X?1P, and the second equation including X?1A and X?1P.

Abstract: Methods and compositions reduce copy number of transgenes and minimizing vector backbone sequences in plant transformation. Agrobacterium strains with T-DNA integrated into the chromosomal DNA of the Agrobacterium reduce the copy number and vector backbone sequences. Chromosomal integration vectors to integrate T-DNA into a specific locus of Agrobacterium chromosome are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of controlling ion parking in an ion trap includes generating a trapping field for trapping cations and anions, and applying a tailored waveform during a period when ion/ion reactions occur to park first generation product ions with m/z values that differ from those of a cation and an anion in selected m/z regions. In particular, the tailored waveform inhibits simultaneously the reactions of ions of disparate m/z ratios.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to enclosed desorption electrospray ionization probes, systems, and methods. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a source of DESI-active spray, in which a distal portion of the source is enclosed within a transfer member such that the DESI-active spray is produced within the transfer member.

Abstract: Provided is a technology which can prevent deterioration of image quality when enhancing resolution of a predetermined key frame in a video sequence. Specifically, an apparatus to enhance resolution of a video frame is provided. The apparatus includes a frame extraction unit which extracts a key frame and one or more neighboring frames of the key frame from a video sequence; an upsampling unit which upsamples the key frame and the neighboring frames; a motion-vector search unit which calculates a motion vector of the upsampled key frame using the upsampled neighboring frames as reference frames; and a key-frame estimation unit which enhances quality of the upsampled key frame using temporal information obtained from the motion vector and spatial information in the key frame.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is directed to compositions and methods for enhancing attachment of soft tissues to a metal prosthetic device. In one embodiment a construct is provided comprising a metal implant having a porous metal region, wherein said porous region exhibits a nano-textured surface, and a biocompatible polymer matrix coating the nano-textured surface. The polymer matrix coating comprises a naturally occurring extracellular matrix with biocompatible inorganic materials distributed within the matrix, or a biocompatible polymer and an osteo-inductive agent.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for determining the absence or presence of a disease is provided. The method generally includes assaying the amount and/or types of oxidized peptides in a sample from a subject, and comparing these to the amount and types of reference oxidized polypeptides. The method may include the use of stable isotope label, affinity selection, to identify and quantify changes in oxidized peptides or oxidized proteins associated with diseases such as type II diabetes mellitus, breast cancer, and Parkinson's disease, to monitor a patient's response to a therapeutic agent (e.g., an antioxidant), and/or to monitor disease recurrence.

Abstract: Described herein are neutral prodrugs of phosphorus-containing inhibitors of farnesyl transferase that include one or more phosphate fragments or analogs of phosphate fragments. Analogs of phosphate fragments include various linkers other than oxygen connecting the phosphate fragment to the remaining portion of the drug, such as but not limited to linkers forming phosphoramidates, phosphonates, difluorophosphonates, phosphordiamidates, and the like.

Abstract: A self-regulating on-demand gas generator. Generation of gas produced from a reaction is selectively, variably, and spontaneously controlled. A variable volume liquid chamber in communication with the pressure pot allows the volume of liquid reactant in the pressure pot to be varied. The amount of product gas generated in the pressure pot depends on the degree of contact between the solid-like reactant and the liquid reactant. The pressure of the product gas regulates the level of liquid in the pressure pot and thereby regulates the degree of contact between the solid-like reactant and the liquid reactant. A sealed gas chamber sharing a flexible diaphragm with the liquid chamber controls the expandability of the liquid chamber. Manipulating the pressure in the sealed gas chamber or the volume of the liquid reactant affects the pressure at which contact by the reactants will be initiated or terminated and thereby provides the ability to control the reaction.

Abstract: System, method, and apparatus for determining the composition of a sample of material. In one embodiment, the method pertains to the counting of photons that were inelastically scattered by the sample, and for minimizing the effects of fluorescent or phosphorescent photons. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a sample is illuminated by a repetitive pulse of monochromatic light, and the resultant scattered photons from the samples are collected and counted during a predetermined integration period. Yet other embodiments pertain to a low-cost, computer-controlled system for repetitively counting inelastically scattered photons so as to create a Raman histogram and a Raman spectrogram of the photons.

Abstract: Optionally substituted chromenoisoquinolines and analogs and derivatives thereof are described herein. In addition, syntheses of these compounds are described herein. In addition, uses of these compounds as dopamine receptor binding compounds are described herein.

Abstract: A sensor, a method for its fabrication, and a method for its use to detect contaminants, for example, ammonia, in stagnant and dynamic fluid media, especially liquid media. The sensor is an opto-chemical sensor that includes a polymer optical fiber, a sensing layer comprising oxazine 170 perchlorate on the polymer optical fiber, and a membrane layer on the sensing layer. The membrane layer is gas permeable and not permeable to the fluid in the fluid system, and moisture is entrapped by and between the sensing and membrane layers.

Abstract: Illustrative embodiments of a vertical tunneling field effect transistor are disclosed which may comprise a semiconductor body including a source region doped with a first dopant type and a pocket region doped with a second dopant type, where the pocket region is formed above the source region. The transistor may also comprise an insulated gate formed above the source and pocket regions, the insulated gate being configured to generate electron tunneling between the source and pocket regions if a voltage is applied to the insulated gate. The transistor may further comprise a lateral tunneling barrier formed to substantially prevent electron tunneling between the source region and a drain region of the semiconductor body, where the drain region is doped with the second dopant type.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of optimizing performance of a fingerprint sensor includes determining whether a force applied to a sensing portion of the sensor is within an optimal force range for the fingerprint sensor and capturing at least one fingerprint image with the fingerprint sensor after the applied force is in the optimal force range.

Abstract: This paper presents a microfluidic pumping approach using traveling-wave dielectrophoresis (tw-DEP) of microparticles. Flow is generated directly in the microfluidic devices by inducing electromechanical effects in the fluid using microelectrodes. The fluidic driving mechanisms due to the particle-fluid and particle-particle interactions under twDEP are analyzed, and the induced flow field is obtained from numerical simulations. Experimental measurements of the flow velocity in a prototype DEP micropumping device show satisfactory agreement with the numerical predications.