Abstract: Mitochondria-targeting potassium sensors and method(s) for making such sensors. The sensor shows a response to potassium and displays a 130-fold dynamic range of fluorescence intensity and high brightness. The sensors response to potassium concentrations was demonstrated to be unaffected by cellular pH value and/or concentrations of other ions. The sensors can be used for monitoring the mitochondrial potassium efflux/influx.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to drifters that float and take measurements at, or very near, a surface of a body of water. The drifters may have a design that reduces wind force effects but does not diminish Stokes drift force effects. The drifters may have two opposing exterior surfaces with antennas and sensors on each of the opposing surfaces so that the drifters may always utilize at least some of the antennas and sensors, regardless of the drifter's orientation in the water.

Abstract: A polymer made by: (A) initially reacting poly(propylene glycol) with tolylene diisocyanate to form an intermediate product, and (B) subsequently reacting the resulting intermediate product with at least one polyol, wherein the polyol was derived from, or is, a plant oil.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for multispectral, non-invasive, and real-time assessment to diagnose hemorrhaging and/or hypoxia through PA imaging through an acoustic window defined in a body, such as through transfontanelle PA imaging of a neonatal infant brain. Such methods and systems include transmitting a plurality of ultrasound (US) waves and light between the probe device and the acoustic window, converting, via the probe device, a plurality of reflected US waves and generated PA waves into a plurality of US and PA signals, displaying in real-time on an US machine communicatively coupled to the probe device one or more images of the brain or spinal cord through the acoustic window, such as the neonatal infant brain through the fontanelle, and diagnosing at least one of one or more hemorrhages and hypoxia in the neonatal infant brain at least partially based on the one or more images.

Abstract: Provided herein are screening methods that utilize transgenic nematodes exposed to heat shock conditions, such as agents that increase stability of F-actin. The transgenic nematodes used can be in a wild-type background, functionally deleted for OSG-1, or express human ARHGEF10 in an OSG-1 background. Such transgenic nematodes also express a fluorescent protein, such as GFP. Such methods are in some examples high throughput and automated. Also provided are recombinant nematodes and kits that can be used with such methods.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for compounds having immunoproteasome inhibitory activity, and pharmaceutical compositions made thereof. The disclosure further provides for the use of the compounds and compositions in treating various diseases and disorders in a subject that are associated with immunoproteasome activity, including inflammatory disorders, autoimmune disorders, hematological disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for modeling and controlling production of an oil and/or gas, for example from a shale reservoir. The modeling includes receiving data associated with a fluid reservoir, including a viscosity of a fluid in the reservoir and a radius of a pore in the reservoir, and not including a permeability of the reservoir. The resulting model includes a reservoir fluid drainage rate that is proportional to the fluid viscosity and a reservoir fluid drainage speed that is independent of the pore radius. The model may be used to control a pump which pumps a fluid into and/or out of the reservoir.

Abstract: Provided herein are composite materials and methods of making composite materials including carbon nanoscale fiber networks. The composite materials may include a stretched and doped carbon nanoscale fiber network and a capping layer. The methods of making the composite materials may include stretching a carbon nanoscale fiber network, contacting the nanoscale fiber network with a dopant, and disposing a capping layer on a surface of the carbon nanoscale fiber network.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for multiplexed sample analysis by mass spectrometry. The methods may be performed without the need for chemical tagging. The methods also may include the analogous use of frequency modulation to multiplex mass spectrometric analysis, which may be referred to as frequency-modulated continuous flow analysis electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (FM-CFA-ESI-MS).

Abstract: Described herein are plants that are resistant to herbicides, such as herbicide compositions comprising coronatine, where the herbicide-resistant plants express a modified CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1) protein.

Abstract: Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) systems, devices, and associated methods of operation are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an IMS system includes an ionization region configured to receive and ionize a sample into ionized molecules and a detector configured to detect ionized molecules. The IMS system also includes a drift region in between and directly coupled to both the ionization region and the detector. The drift tube includes a first ion gate proximate the ionization region and a second ion gate proximate the detector. The first and second ion gates are configured to alternately introduce a batch of ionized molecules toward the detector while the other is maintained open, thereby allowing accurate measurement of a drift time of the ionized molecules corresponding to a drift length that is a distance between the first and second ion gates.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of altering enantiomeric excess. The methods may include irradiating an atropisomer that includes at least one chiral substituent to alter the enantiomeric excess of the atropisomer. The at least one chiral substituent may be removed following irradiation.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a polymerase activity assay that produces a strong optical signal when a primer-template complex is extended to full-length product. The assay uses Cy3 as the molecular beacon and Iowa Black® RQ as the quencher. The signal-to-noise-ratio (STNR) of this donor-quencher pairing is ˜200-fold over background, which is considerably better than other donor-quencher pairs (STNRs ˜10-20-fold). The STNR allows for solution-based monitoring of polymerase activity. Because the sensor functions via Watson-Crick base pairing, the polymerase activity assay may also be used to evolve polymerases to accept xeno nucleic acids as substrates.

Abstract: Embodiments of surface-hardened aluminum-rare earth alloys and methods of making the alloys are disclosed. In some embodiments, the alloy comprises aluminum and 4 wt % to 60 wt % of a rare earth component X having a maximum solid solubility of ?0.5 wt % in aluminum. The surface-hardened alloy component has an alloy bulk portion and a hardened alloy surface portion. At least a portion of the hardened alloy surface portion has a Vickers hardness that is at least 30% greater than a Vickers hardness of the alloy bulk portion.

Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) apparatus is described that applies plasmonic nanoparticles to enhance multicolor emitting materials, such as quantum dots (QDs) or fluorophores, in the color conversion layer of micro-LED and suppress the UV transmission. The metal nanoparticles, including but not limited to, aluminum, gold, copper, platinum, and silver have surface plasmon resonances in or close to the wavelength of excitation light or the wavelength of emission colors. UV or blue excitation over a color conversion layer formed by the mixture of emitting materials and scattering nanoparticles leads to enhancement of emission and thus increase in their quantum efficiency. An excitation filter is also used with in the LED apparatus to block the transmission of UV or blue excitation.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a decellularized muscle scaffold, decellularized muscle scaffolds produced therefrom, and uses thereof to treat a subject with damaged or lost muscle.

Abstract: Example devices and methods of tongue stimulation for communication of information to a user are disclosed herein. In an example, a tongue stimulation device may include a body configured to be placed entirely within a mouth of the user and atop the tongue of the user. An array of electro-tactile elements may be distributed on the body, wherein each of the electro-tactile elements is configured to stimulate an area of the tongue adjacent the electro-tactile element. A wireless receiver coupled to the body may be configured to receive stimulation information wirelessly from outside the mouth of the user. At least one processing unit coupled to the body may be configured to transform the received stimulation information into a stimulation signal for each of the electro-tactile elements, and to provide the stimulation signals to the electro-tactile elements.

Abstract: The present invention provides modified metformin compounds, particularly mito-metformin compounds, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Methods of using the compounds to provide neuroprotection and in the treatment and/or prevention of neurodegenerative diseases are also described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing cooperation facilitators to achieve joint message and network state cooperation in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes: a plurality of transmitters; a receiver that has access to at least partial network state information and that includes a decoder configured to decode signals received via a multiple terminal channel from the plurality of transmitters using the at least partial network state information; and a cooperation facilitator. In addition, at least some of the plurality of transmitters are configured to transmit message information to the cooperation facilitator and the cooperation facilitator is configured to generate cooperation parameters based upon the message information and the manner in which state information is utilized by the receiver to decode signals received via the multiple terminal channel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chimeric protein vaccines and methods of use thereof in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method of generating an immune response in a mammal, that includes administering to the mammal, a composition having a chimeric protein having at least one of: a portion of a cholera toxin, a portion of a heat-labile toxin, and a portion of a shiga toxin; and an antigen having at least one of: an antigenic material from S. aureus and an antigenic material from a S. aureus-specific polypeptide.