Abstract: A method for making a conductive film includes the steps of: depositing a conductive metal film on a substrate to form a metal-coated substrate; depositing a fiber pattern on the conductive metal film of the metal-coated substrate to form a masked substrate, the fiber pattern defining protected metal and exposed metal of the conductive metal film; removing the exposed metal from the conductive metal film of the masked substrate to form a protected conductive film; and removing the fiber pattern from the protected conductive film to expose the protected metal and provide a metal pattern on the substrate. An annealing step con be employed after depositing the fiber pattern to increase the surface area of contact between the fiber pattern and the conductive metal film.

Abstract: A crystallisation method for an alloy film such as a Co-based ternary Heusler-alloy is described having the steps of: providing a substrate; depositing a layer of the alloy film to be crystallised onto the substrate using a physical vapour deposition process to a depth of up to a few hundred nm; optionally depositing a capping layer thereon; heating the deposited film at an annealing temperature below 300° C. and for example of around 200° C. to 300° C. to effect crystallisation of the alloy film layer. The method is in particular applied to the in the deposition and annealing in situ of an alloy film in or on a semiconductor device for example as a functional film in or on such a device and in particular to the deposition and annealing in situ of a highly-spin-polarised ferromagnetic thin film on a semiconductor or spintronic device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for tracking the position of one or more connected rigid bodies using markers attached to the rigid bodies by flexible connectors. Systems based on this method are comprised of flexible connectors, a position tracking system and a data processing algorithm to determine the positions and orientations of the rigid bodies. Variations in the methods of attachment of the flexible connectors, the means by which flexibility in the connector is produced, and in the layout of the markers are presented.

Abstract: The present invention concerns protection of an organ or tissue following an ischemic episode In particular aspects, the invention concerns organ preservation for transplantation, angina pectoris, kidney reperfusion injury, and so forth In specific embodiments, the organ is subjected to an inhibitor of an NCCa-ATP channel that is regulated by SUR1 Exemplary inhibitors include sulfonylurea compounds, such as glibenclamide, for example.

Abstract: The invention discloses methods and apparatus for characterizing trace nucleic acids that are biomarkers for disease. The methods and apparatus provide increased sensitivity to such trace nucleic acids, and allow analysis of nucleic acids present in a sample at only 0.01% of the wild-type sequences. The methods and apparatus are also designed for straightforward multiplexing, thus allowing pooling of clinical samples.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to nanofiber yarns, ribbons, and sheets; to methods of making said yarns, ribbons, and sheets; and to applications of said yarns, ribbons, and sheets. In some embodiments, the nanotube yarns, ribbons, and sheets comprise carbon nanotubes. Particularly, such carbon nanotube yarns of the present invention provide unique properties and property combinations such as extreme toughness, resistance to failure at knots, high electrical and thermal conductivities, high absorption of energy that occurs reversibly, up to 13% strain-to-failure compared with the few percent strain-to-failure of other fibers with similar toughness, very high resistance to creep, retention of strength even when heated in air at 450° C. for one hour, and very high radiation and UV resistance, even when irradiated in air. Furthermore these nanotube yarns can be spun as one micron diameter yarns and plied at will to make two-fold, four-fold, and higher fold yarns.

Abstract: A Thermally Adaptive Ductile Concrete (PCM-ECC) having a tensile ductility ceramic with 5 times the thermal resistance, 2 times the specific heat capacity, and 400 times the tensile strain capacity of regular concrete.

Abstract: A method of forming a dry adhesive by includes forming an electrospun non-woven of a spinnable polymer, wherein the polymer fiber forming the non-woven is aligned. A dry adhesive is provided that comprises aligned polymeric nanofibers. The polymeric nanofibers may be formed from a mixture of highly spinnable material is combined with an adhesive component to further enhance the adhesion onto substrates. The non-woven can further be processed by plastic deformation to create microprotrusions.

Abstract: Systems, devices and techniques are disclosed for optically detecting single molecules using nanoscale chip configurations. In one aspect, a sensing device includes a composite membrane having an array of nanochannels that form openings at opposing sides of the membrane, a first and second substrate each including channels to carry a fluid containing particles, a fluidic module that is fluidically coupled to the channels to supply the fluid, a plurality of electrodes located along the channels, and an electrical module to generate an electric field via the electrodes to effectuate an electrokinetic force within the channels to steer the particles toward the openings of the nanochannels to immobilize the particles, in which the nanochannels operate as resonant structures to amplify localized fields produced in an optical interrogation of the immobilized particles.

Abstract: A method of transforming human cells into mechanosensory hair cells (MHCs), such as inner hear hair cells in the cochlea and vestibular organs, can include: causing human Wharton's jelly cells (hWJCs) to increase expression of or biological function of HATH1 so as to transform the hWJCs into MHCs. The method can include; administering a nucleic acid that encodes HATH1 to the hWJCs; causing inhibited expression of or biological function of HES1 and/or HES5 in the hWJCs; administering a nucleic acid that inhibits HES1 and/or a nucleic acid that inhibits HES5 to the hWJCs; causing inhibited expression of or biological function of HES1 and/or HES5 in the WJCs by administering a nucleic acid that inhibits HES1 and/or a nucleic acid that inhibits HES5; nucleic acids are administered includes a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, and/or SEQ ID NO: 4.

Abstract: BTLA-positive (“BTLA+”) lymphocyte signaling drives T cells and kills tumors. BTLA functions as a positive modulator of anti-tumor (anti-melanoma) T cell responses, The BTLA+ T cell responds against tumor or cancer cells, and, in cancer patients respond better to IL-2 than BTLA-negative cells. Hence, the BTLA-positive T cell in cancers is a positive marker for selection of enriched anti-tumor-cancer reactive T cells and can be used or applied for adoptive T-cell therapy or for therapeutic purposes.

Abstract: Electron-deficient fluorous porphyrin molecules may have dual functions of light harvesting and electron accepting or donating and may be ideally suited for use in organic solar cells. Methods of making electron-deficient fluorous porphyrin molecules are described.

Abstract: A terahertz difference-frequency generation quantum cascade laser source that provides monolithic, electrically-controlled tunable terahertz emission. The quantum cascade laser includes a substrate, a lower cladding layer positioned above the substrate and an active region layer with optical nonlinearity positioned on the lower cladding layer. The active region layer is arranged as a multiple quantum well structure. One or more feedback gratings are etched into spatially separated sections of the cladding layer positioned on either side of the active region. The periodicity of each grating section determines the mid-infrared lasing frequencies. The grating sections are electrically isolated from one another and biased independently. Tuning is achieved by changing a refractive index of one or all of the grating sections via a DC current bias thereby causing a shift in the mid-infrared lasing frequency. In this manner, a monolithic, electrically-pumped, tunable THz source is achieved.

Abstract: The invention discloses nanocrystalline (NC) FeS2 thin films as the back contact for CdTe solar cells. In one example, the FeS2 NC layer is prepared from a solution directly on the CdTe surface using spin-casting and chemical treatment at ambient temperature and pressure, without a thermal treatment step. Solar cells prepared by applying the NC FeS2 back contact onto CdTe yield efficiencies of about 95% to 100% that of standard Cu/Au back contact devices. In another example, FeS2 is interposed between Cu and Au to form a Cu/FeS2 NC/Au back contact configuration yielding an efficiency improvement of 5 to 9 percent higher than standard Cu/Au devices.

Abstract: A coil device for transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment, that generates an overcurrent uniformly across a wide range inside the head of a patient. The coil device includes a winding frame and a coil. A cylindrical surface of the winding frame has: an inner surface section arranged near the cranial surface during use; and an outer surface section forming a convex curved surface protruding towards the outside of the cylindrical surface, relative to a first direction parallel to a neutral axis and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The neutral axis draws a convex curve.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for treating cell components, cells, organelles, organs, and/or tissues with acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy, static or alternating electric fields, and/or static or alternating magnetic fields in the presence or absence of exogenous particulate agents for therapeutic applications.

Abstract: Provided herein, inter alia, are methods and compositions for modulating TLR-4.

Abstract: A wavefront is optimized imaging a sample. A binary off-axis hologram is encoded by selective adoption of states for each mirror of a deformable mirror device, which is illuminated with an incident beam of light. A single diffraction order that has encoded phase-mask information is selected from light reflected from the deformable mirror device and focused onto the sample. Light scattered from the sample is directed to a photodetector. A transmission matrix through the sample is calculated from light received by the photodetector.

Abstract: Organic light emitting devices are disclosed which are comprised of a heterostructure for producing electroluminescence wherein the heterostructure is comprised of an emissive layer containing a phosphorescent dopant compound.

Abstract: The present invention discloses gene targets and methods for the genetic control of lipid accumulation in vegetative (non-seed) portions of plants. Enhanced lipid, e.g. triacylglycerol (TAG), accumulation in vegetative portions of plants may be obtained by down-regulation of activity of At4g24160 or a homolog thereof. Plants, plant parts, seeds comprising down-regulated AT4G24160 activity, or activity of a homolog thereof, are also provided, as well as products prepared therefrom.