Abstract: A method and system for geolocation. The method and system determines the geographic history of a target of interest (i.e., the probability that a sample of interest passed though a defined location) given a combination of spatially attributable input data and weighing distributions, and modifying the probability for each possible location using the equation P ? ( x ) = ? k K ? ( w ? ( k ) · n x ) ? k K ? ( w ? ( k ) · n t ) , where P(x) is the probability that the sample of interest passes through a given geographic location X, nt is the total number of possible legal travel routes for the sample of interest, nx is the number of legal travel routes including location X, k is the travel route's cardinality, and w(k) is the assigned weight for cardinality k from the user-defined weighting function.

Abstract: A shape memory composite consisting of an electrospun non-woven fiber mat and an elastomeric resin matrix. The fiber mat is made from a semi-crystalline polymer, poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) and serves as the “switching phase” for shape fixing and recovery. The resin matrix, a crosslinked PDMS elastomer, imparts softness as well as entropic elasticity to the material. PCL is first electrospun from a chloroform/DMF solution. The resulting microfiber mat was then immersed in a two-part (base resin and crosslinking agent) mixture of Sylgard 184 with a vacuum applied to infiltrate the fiber mat with the mixture. The infiltrated fiber mat is then removed from the mixture and cured at room temperature for two days.

Abstract: A passive semi-insert noise reducing device configured for insertion into the ear of a subject includes at least one muffler tube having a closed end and an opposing open end, the muffler tube being configured to be secured to the head of a subject. The at least one muffler tube is defined by an elongate hollow tubular section, including the closed end, and a transverse hollow tube at the open end that is configured for placement in the outer ear of the subject. The at least one muffler tube is defined by a length that produces quarter wave resonance in low audible sound frequencies. A soft sealing member disposed onto an exterior surface of the hollow connecting tube has a distal end surface that is substantially flush with the open end of the muffler tube.

Abstract: A porous hydrogel sensor that is responsive to the presence of one or more target compounds in solution is synthesized based on demixing of certain molecules in the presence of a target compound. The porous hydrogel sensor may include fluorescently tagged antibodies that are noncovalently bound to the gel and then released in the presence of the target antigen. The porous hydrogel sensor may alternatively include dissolvable cross-links using polymerized antibody and antigen complexes so that, in the presence of the target antigen, the cross-links will be displaced and the hydrogel will dissolve.

Abstract: Improved delivery of zinc using haptocorrin or intrinsic factor modified to include a zinc binding sequence that can outcompete dietary zinc inhibitors such as phytin. Known zinc binding sequences can be assayed to determine competitiveness with respect to phytin and, if successful, incorporated into the B12 binding site of haptocorrin or intrinsic factor. Thus a method of producing functional human haptocorrin or intrinsic factor which binds to zinc includes the steps of modifying human TCN1 or GIF to comprise one or more zinc-binding site sequences, constructing a vector containing the modified human TCN1 or GIF sequence, and introducing the vector into a host cell for a time and under conditions sufficient for expression of the functional human haptocorrin or intrinsic factor. The resulting zinc binding complex can be orally administered to zinc deficient individuals to improve the amount of dietary zinc available to the individuals.

Abstract: A needle having shaft that forms a tip and a portion proximate to the tip that is formed from a shape memory polymer. The shaft of the needle may be programmed to curl from a straight configuration to a curved configuration upon triggering by heat, thereby moving the sharp tip and providing a non-stick needle for safe and easy disposal.

Abstract: A semantic-based approach that classifies Android malware via dependency graphs. To battle transformation attacks, a weighted contextual API dependency graph is extracted as program semantics to construct feature sets. To fight against malware variants and zero-day malware, graph similarity metrics are used to uncover homogeneous application behaviors while tolerating minor implementation differences.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system which enables cooperative rich media content management, sharing, and publishing across a distributed set of Web sites, Web servers, and media servers based on control information in an online database. Media files are housed on any number of heterogeneous media repositories. The system of the present invention is used for managing, sharing, and publishing rich media content including video, images, animations, audio, etc. Authorized viewers access media files through dynamically generated content and media links embedded on Web sites. Content administrators publish media entries to any number of such distributed Web sites, and can set viewer permissions for individual video entries when published on specific Web sites. Content administrators can also dynamically establish media sharing and access relationships.

Abstract: A waterborne shape memory polymer coating that gives textiles and fibers good shape memory performance. An amphiphilic, crosslinkable grafted polysaccharide polymer was synthesized and provided in a water dispersion that can be applied to a flexible fibrous material and then crosslinked to yield good shape memory properties. The polymer coating showed good binding to human hair, which could be styled into a permanent shape (e.g., straight) during the crosslinked step. Next, this permanent shape can be styled to a temporary shape (e.g. curly) by heating and styling, and cooling. Finally, the permanent style can be regained by activation with water, heat, or both.

Abstract: A multi-block thermoplastic polyurethanes system which incorporates polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane into conventional biodegradable thermoplastic polyurethanes built up by poly(?-caproactone) and polyethylene glycol blocks, resulting in biostability. The multi-block thermoplastic polyurethanes are synthesized from lysine-diisocyanate with poly(?-caprolactone)-diol, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-diol, and poly(ethylene glycol) using a one-step synthesis process.

Abstract: A metabolically engineered E. coli strain which produces sialic acid and a method of making said strain. In the engineered E. coli cells, the nanT (sialic acid transporter) and nanA (sialic acid adolase) genes are inactivated, and the neuC and neuB genes of sialic acid biosynthesis in Neisseria meningitidis group B are introduced and overexpressed in the nanT? nanA? E. coli cell. In addition, the glucosamine synthase gene, glmS, of E. coli is co-overexpressed with neuB and neuC.

Abstract: Gel nanoparticles for encapsulating and delivering a pharmaceutical compound to a patient. The nanoparticles are formed from N-trimethyl chitosan and polysialic acid, preferably in the presence of sodium tripolyphosphate. A ratio of polysialic acid to N-trimethyl chitosan of about 0.5 to 1 produces nanoparticles having diameter of about 100 nm (plus or minus 25 nm) and a zeta potential above 30 milivolts that can stability contain a pharmaceutical compound, such as methotrexate, for delivery to a patient.

Abstract: Shape memory polymers featuring reversible actuation capability under ambient stimulus for integration with apparel. One approach is to use a multiblock polymer consisting of two (or potentially more) blocks in which the one block is the crystalline switching block with relatively low melting transitions, the other block has a higher thermal transition, and the two blocks are linked together by a linker molecule. Another approach is to use a graft copolymer having high and low melting transitions where the graft copolymer has a first polymer serving as the backbone and a second polymer being grafted to or from the backbone at certain graft locations. A further approach is to use latent crosslinking of a semicrystalline polymer with reactive groups placed on the backbone.

Abstract: Shape memory polymers featuring reversible actuation capability under ambient stimulus for integration with apparel. One approach is to use a multiblock polymer consisting of two (or potentially more) blocks in which the one block is the crystalline switching block with relatively low melting transitions, the other block has a higher thermal transition, and the two blocks are linked together by a linker molecule. Another approach is to use a graft copolymer having high and low melting transitions where the graft copolymer has a first polymer serving as cool heat the backbone and a second polymer being grafted to or from the backbone at certain graft locations. A further approach is to use latent crosslinking of a semicrystalline polymer with reactive groups placed on the backbone. Finally, these polymers may be formed as actuators that undergo curling, twisting and even volumetric expansion.

Abstract: A noise source localization process that uses as few as four microphones in an antenna array. The process combines different averaging to the information from the various signals with non-linear (wavelet-based) filtering, cross-correlation and triangulation to more particularly locate a noise source relative to a target point. The process calculates a propagation time based on the distance from a target to each microphones, delays each of the signals according to the propagation time from the target, calculates a continuous wavelet transform for each of the signals to band-pass filter each of the signals according to a predetermined frequency of interest, determines the product of each pair of signals to produce correlation fringes, and locates the noise source based on the product of the pairs of signals.

Abstract: A structural shape memory assisted self-healing polymer formed by laminating thin layers of an ionomer, such as a member of the poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) family of ionomers, with a WEGP-type SMP, such as atactic poly(styrene) (PS) with molecular weight in the 200 kDa range (or alternatively poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)) in combination with polycyclooctene (PCO). The self-healing polymer may also comprise an interpenetrating, immiscible polymer network (IPN) based on a blend of polystyrene and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a power device and, more particularly, to a non-propulsive thermal transpiration based micro single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell (SCSOFC) power device.

Abstract: The production of maleic acid and fumaric acid (or the anhydride form of either, maleic anhydride) via gas-phase, oxidative cleavage of levulinic acid in a single packed bed reactor over a reducible oxide catalyst. The production may be carried out in an initial mixing vessel into which levulinic acid is continuously charged and mixed with both inert (He, N2, Ar, etc.) and oxidizing (O2, air, etc.) gases. The feed stream can then be safely heated to reaction temperature, which generally ranges from 200-500° C., without initiating polymerization, in a second stage preheater that thermally equilibrates the gaseous mixture of LA, O2, and inert diluent and fed to a third stage catalytic reactor for final processing.

Abstract: A method of synthesizing corrugated and nanoporous microspheres including the steps of synthesizing substantially smooth spherical microspheres, and controlled wet-etching of the substantially smooth spherical microspheres with a basic solution having a pH above 10.00 is provided. The microspheres can include, for example, silica microspheres or titania microspheres of various sized diameters of between 50 nm and 600 nm. The basic solution can include an aqueous potassium cyanide solution or an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution. Methods of using the corrugated and nanoporous microspheres described herein are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-amphiphile-based water-in-water emulsion composition. The non-amphiphile-based water-in-water emulsion composition includes a water-soluble polymer, a non-amphiphilic lyotropic mesogen encapsulated by the water-soluble polymer; and water. In one embodiment, the non-amphiphilic lyotropic mesogen includes, without limitation, a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal, and more specifically disodium cromoglycate (DSCG). In another embodiment, the water-soluble polymer can include, without limitation, a polyacrylamide, a polyol, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polysaccharide, or a water-soluble fluoride-bearing polymer. The present invention also relates to a porous hydrogel made with the use of the non-amphiphile-based water-in-water emulsion. The present invention further relates to using the emulsion and hydrogel for various applications.