Abstract: A method for determining the presence or absence of an illicit plant-derived compound in a sample. The method includes the steps of: (i) providing a sample potentially containing an illicit plant-derived compound; (ii) extracting DNA in the illicit plant-derived compound from the identified sample; (iii) amplifying, using PCR, the target plant DNA sequence from the extracted DNA; and (iv) detecting an amplified target plant DNA sequence, where detection of the amplified target plant DNA sequence indicates the presence of the illicit plant-derived compound.

Abstract: A system configured to characterize a ratio of contributors to a DNA mixture within a sample, the system including: a sample preparation module configured to generate initial data about the DNA mixture within the sample; a processor comprising a ratio of contributors determination module configured to: (i) receive the generated initial data; (ii) analyze the generated initial data to determine the ratio of contributors to the DNA mixture within the sample; and an output device configured to receive the determined ratio of contributors from the processor, and further configured to output information about the received determined ratio of contributors.

Abstract: A self-replenishing biocompatible hydrogel having a zwitterionic polymer embedded throughout the matrix system to act as a lubricant and a surface modified with the same zwitterionic polymer. When surface material loss occurs in the hydrogel, such as a surface crack or a scratch, the damage propagates through the matrix rupturing the pockets of lubricant. The zwitterionic polymer is then drawn into the site due to the change in entropy at the surface and the positive and negative charge groups of the side chains fuse across the damage cite due to strong electrostatic attraction causing inter-chain association.

Abstract: The invention describes a method of reducing or preventing the growth of microbes on the surface of an object, wherein the object is of such material that it can act as a working electrode. The method comprises the steps of providing a counter electrode, and a reference electrode. The object is used as the working electrode. Electrical current is passed through the working and counter electrodes. The current through the counter electrode is varied such that the electric potential of the working electrode is constant relative to the electric potential of the reference electrode. Also described is an apparatus for reducing or preventing microbes on an object using a potentiostatic device.

Abstract: A method for characterizing at least a portion of the biodiversity of a sample. The method includes the steps of: (i) obtaining a sample having nucleic acid from a plurality of different organisms; (ii) extracting at least a portion of the nucleic acid from the sample; (iii) optionally performing a whole-genome amplification of the extracted nucleic acid; (iv) optionally performing a second, targeted amplification; (v) sequencing the amplified nucleic acid to obtain sequence data comprising a nucleic acid sequence for at least some of the plurality of different organisms; (vi) querying, using the obtained sequence data, a sequence database, where querying the sequence database identifies one or more of the plurality of different organisms; and (vii) determining, using the identified one or more of the plurality of different organisms, a characteristic of the sample.

Abstract: The present invention describes the use of nanoparticle interfaces to chemically process solid nanomaterials into ones with tailorable core-void-shell architectures. The internal void sizes are proportional to the nanoparticle size, the shell thickness and composition, and can be either symmetric or asymmetric depending on the nature of the interface, each of which is controlled by the process of making.

Abstract: Small molecule ghrelin O-acyltransferase inhibitors found using an assay to detect ghrelin O-acyltransferase activity using an acrylodan-labeled peptide mimic of ghrelin that provides for high-throughput screening for ghrelin O-acyltransferase inhibitors and detection via high performance liquid chromatography. The newly discovered class of synthetic triterpenoids efficiently inhibits ghrelin acylation by GOAT and function as covalent reversible inhibitors of GOAT. In cell studies, the most potent members of this family of compounds efficiently block ghrelin acylation at submicromolar concentrations and offer a foundation for continued development and evaluation of novel hGOAT inhibitors as therapeutics targeting disorders such obesity, type II diabetes, gastroparesis, and Prader-Willi syndrome.

Abstract: A system of topographic patterns for the prevention of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. The patterns may be provided on the surfaces of certain devices that are prone to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, such as urinary catheters. To reduce bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, and to remove existing biofilms, the patterns are induced to transform from a first topography to a second topography. For example, the surface patterns may be formed from a shape memory polymer and then heated to transform the patterns from the first topography to the second topography to dislodge bacteria and prevent fouling.

Abstract: A hydrophobic polymer fiber mat that folds in response to the application of water along a predetermined fold line, thereby allowing for the formation of three-dimensional objects strictly through the targeted application of water. The fiber mat is preferably formed by electrospinning a polymer, such as poly(vinyl acetate), to form mats with average fiber diameters ranging from 0.5 to 1 ?m.

Abstract: Synthetic disaccharide hydrocarbons (DSHs) that reactive bacterials swarming motility and inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. A library of DSHs were tested in several experiment for the impact on various Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations and compared against existing compounds to determine efficacy and utility. Certain DSHs were also to determine the ability to clear bacteria in a mouse pneumonia model.

Abstract: There is set forth herein a method for providing a nanoparticle array. A nanoparticle network can be provided by nanoparticles combined with surfactant micelle chains. The nanoparticle network can be provided by distributing metal nanoparticles in a surfactant solution and agitating the surfactant solution comprising the nanoparticles to form a gel comprising the nanoparticle network which can be characterized by a distributed array of nanoparticles combined with surfactant micelle chains within a fluid. The gel can comprise a fluid in a continuous phase and the nanoparticles in a discontinuous phase. Apparatus having arrays of nanoparticles are also set forth herein.

Abstract: A self-healing product having a shape memory component and a healing component interpenetrating the shape memory component to form a fibrous microstructure. The healing component is selected so as to diffuse into a defect when the area of the product with the defect is subject to a treatment. The components may be selected so that applying heat at a temperature at or above a melting temperature (Tm) and/or a glass transition temperature (Tg) for one or both of the shape memory component and the healing component causes shape memory transition and diffusion by the healing component. The self-healing product can form a coating or material layer to protect a substrate while also providing the healing properties responsive to the treatment.

Abstract: A stable single-carrier optical spring, comprising a pair of dielectric mirrors, each having a dielectric coating, and positioned to form a standing wave from an incident optic field. The dielectric coating has a plurality of layers, where at least the first layer is sized to be an odd multiple of half a wavelength of the laser beam, to feature an opposite-sign photo-thermal effect due to the detailed interaction of the optical field with the coating. This results in an opposite-sign photo-thermal effect at the optical spring frequency. The dampening effect is large enough to stabilize the radiation pressure based optical spring, resulting in a statically and dynamically stable optical spring. As a result this coating allows stable locking of a cavity with a single laser frequency using radiation pressure feedback.

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 chamber for testing the reactivity of patient fluids to a metallic implant alloy, such as CoCrMo, and a method of determining the reactivity of the patent to the alloy. A sealed mini-electrochemical cell incorporates the alloy surface as well as reference and counter electrodes coupled to a potentiostat for performing electrochemical measurements of the alloy surface while it is in direct contact with freshly harvested human fluids. Freshly obtained body fluids are thus assessed in terms of their bioelectrochemical reactivity with the alloy surface as a measure of the likely reactivity of the patient to the alloy if it were to be implanted into the patient.

Abstract: There is set forth herein a sensor for sensing of substances. The sensor can include a sensing crystal oscillator and a reference crystal oscillator. The sensing crystal oscillator and the reference crystal oscillator can be arranged in a phase locked loop so that the oscillators oscillate at a common frequency. The sensor can be configured so that there is a baseline phase differential between the oscillation frequencies of the sensing crystal oscillator and the reference crystal oscillator. Detectable substances accumulating on the sensing crystal oscillator will induce a phase shift between output frequencies of the reference oscillator and the sensing crystal oscillator to allow for highly sensitive sensing of substances in small concentrations.

Abstract: An amorphous, optically transparent, colorless shape memory assisted self-healing coating for optical glassware applications that uses a combination of surface shape memory and self-healing properties to repair damaged sites on glass substrates when exposed to a thermal stimulus. The coating includes a miscible combination of a network polymer and a linear polymer having glass transition temperate between room temperature and about 40 degrees C. The coating can be used for corrective eyewear, for windshields and windows in automobiles and motorcycles, as well for as optical coatings wherever needed.

Abstract: PSA-PCL micelles were developed as carrier systems for pharmaceutical drugs. As an example, cyclosporine A (CyA) was encapsulated in the micelles and physical characterization, including size and zeta potential, demonstrated that the micelles possess favorable properties for drug delivery. In vitro studies verified that rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts are able to internalize the CyA-loaded micelles. CyA was released from the PSA-PCL micelle upon uptake and subsequently, partitioned into the phospholipid membrane. The PSA-PCL micelles also demonstrated improved therapeutic efficacy in drug delivery when used to deliver statins and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Abstract: Water-triggered shape memory polymers based on poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) multiblock hybrid thermoplastic polyurethanes. Urethane linkages were formed through the addition reaction between isocyanate groups of the lysine methyl-ester diisocyanate (LDI) and the hydroxyl groups of either (PEG) or PCL diol.

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.