Abstract: A light fixture including a turbine generator having one or more vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for generating energy and a plate located above and/or below each turbine for focusing and converging the wind inwardly. The plate is aerodynamically-designed to converge the wind onto the turbine and provide a strong wind current. The turbine generator is incorporated into a light fixture to provide self-sustaining light energy. Solar panels may be provided in conjunction with the turbine generator to provide an additional source of energy and a controller is included to manage the flow of electricity and ensure that the light fixture is powered during periods of darkness.

Abstract: A functionally graded shape memory polymer (SMP) that has a range of transition temperatures that are spatially distributed in a gradient fashion within one single article. The SMP is formed by post-curing a pre-cured glassy SMP in a linear temperature gradient that imposes different vitrification temperature limits at different positions along the gradient. Utilizing indentation-based surface shape memory coupled with optical measurements of photoelastic response, the capability of this material to respond over a wide range of thermal triggers is correlated with the graded glass transition behavior. This new class of SMP offers great potential for such applications as passive temperature sensing and precise control of shape evolution during a thermally triggered shape recovery.

Abstract: A method and system for the identification and application of biological targets for peripheral treatment of diseases. Existing cellular mechanisms or pathways are exploited to identify novel genes or other molecule candidates that will be used to treat disease via a peripheral treatment system. Using the method, a novel Alzheimer's disease target is identified and used to treat an animal Alzheimer's disease model via peripheral expression of that target.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting micro-calcifications in mammograms using novel algorithms and stochastic resonance noise is provided, where a suitable dose of noise is added to the abnormal mammograms such that the performance of a suboptimal lesion detector is improved without altering the detector's parameters. A stochastic resonance noise-based detection approach is presented to improve suboptimal detectors which suffer from model mismatch due to the Gaussian assumption. Furthermore, a stochastic resonance noise-based detection enhancement framework is presented to deal with more general model mismatch cases.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a composition of diesel, biodiesel or blended fuel (DF) with exhaust gas (EG) mixtures or with liquid CO2. The composition is in a liquid state near the supercritical region or a supercritical fluid mixture such that it quasi-instantaneously diffuses into the compressed and hot air as a single and homogeneous supercritical phase upon injection in a combustion chamber. Suitable temperatures and pressures are greater than about 300° C. and 100 bar, and the mole fraction of EG or CO2 (XEG or XCO2) in DF is in the range of 0.0-0.9. In a combustion process embodiment, composition embodiments are injected into a combustion chamber under supercritical conditions.

Abstract: System and method for loading the front line anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX) onto DNA-capped gold nanoparticles whose duplex DNA has been designed for specific DOX intercalation. Since each AuNP contains about 108 high affinity drug sites, this design allows for a high local DOX concentration on the particle. Drug binding was confirmed by monitoring the increase in DNA melting temperature, the shift in the plasmon resonance maximum, and the increase in the NP hydrodynamic radius as a function of [DOX]/[DNA] ratio. The feasibility of the nanoparticles as a drug delivery system was demonstrated by showing that particle-bound DOX could be transferred to a target DNA.

Abstract: A system and method to tailor the optical properties of nanomaterials using a core-alloy-shell nano-ultrastructure. Atomic diffusion is used at the nanoscale in order to process as-synthesized nanomaterials into core-alloy-shell architectures. The alloy formation is controlled by the deposition of the alloy solute atoms, and then by alloy interdiffusion of the solute into the core nanoparticle. By controlling temperature, it is possible to control how far the solute diffuses into the core, which in turn allows the tailoring of the optical response of the particle itself. The alloy formation and subsequent interdiffusion allows tailoring of the nanoparticle composition and ultrastructure, resulting in a dramatic tunability of the metal nanostructures surface plasmon response.

Abstract: The synthesis of energy and sensor relevant nanomaterials that involves the colloidal synthesis of quantum dots (e.g. CdSe, CdS, ZnS, CdSe/ZnS) under well-controlled hydrothermal conditions (100-200 degrees C.) using simple inorganic precursors. The resulting nanomaterials are of high quality, and are easily processed depending upon application, and their synthesis is scalable. Scalability is provided by the use of a synthetic microwave reactor, which employs dielectric heating for the rapid and controllable heating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the separation of rare earth elements from aqueous solutions and, more particularly, to the separation of lanthanides (e.g., neodymium(III)) from aqueous solutions using an organo phosphorus functionalized adsorbent.

Abstract: A bacteriorhodopsin based chemical sensing architecture based upon the collective response of bacteriorhodopsin and a number of its mutants; the wild type protein and a selection of genetically-engineered variants was able to respond differentially to a selection of amines. The observable response to the presence of a target chemical was manifested through a modulation of bacteriorhodopsin's photokinetic properties, which are monitored through pump-probe techniques using a custom prototype flash photolysis system. Differential responsivity exists at two levels; (1) bacteriorhodopsin proteins (wild-type and genetically-engineered variants) respond differentially upon exposure of a target chemical, and (2) the response pattern exhibited by the proteins differs from chemical to chemical. This dichotomy forms the basis for a BR-mediated chemical sensing technology that is highly sensitive and selective and may therefore discriminate between different chemicals.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing hearing protection to a wearer includes an incorporated set of eyewear having an eyewear frame. In one version, a pair of ear muffler tubes are coupled to the supporting members of the frame or made integral therewith, the muffler tubes each extending to the entrance of the ear canal of a person to reduce the level of ambient noise in the ear canal and includes at least one muffler tube of appropriate dimensions sufficient to isolate the ear canal from ambient air that substantially reduces the acoustic impedance at the entrance of the ear canal over a wide range of audible sound frequencies. A connecting tube for attachment to the ear canal is coupled to the ear muffler tube.

Abstract: Disclosed in this specification is a method for inhibiting the formation of SET1 family core complexes. A guanidinium-containing molecule is used to competitively inhibit the binding of the N-SET region of a SET1 protein to WDR5, thus inhibiting the formation of the SET1 family core complex. The guanidinium-containing molecule may be, for example, an arginine-containing peptide. When bound to WDR5, the guanidinium moiety is bound between the F-133 and F-263 residues of the WDR5 when a crystal structure of the bound complex is obtained.