Abstract: The present disclosure provides a biosensor for detecting the presence of and/or the amount of at least one fungal plant pathogen in a sample, comprising: a support structure; at least two interdigitated electrodes coupled to the support structure, wherein at least one of the interdigitated electrodes is functionalized with a linker coupled to at least one biological component that recognizes the at least one fungal plant pathogen; and an impedance measurement circuit coupled to the at least two interdigitated electrodes. The present disclosure also provides methods of detecting the presence of and/or the amount of at least one fungal plant pathogen in a sample, methods of making the biosensor described herein, as well as methods and uses of using the herein described biosensor for detecting the presence of and/or amount of at least one fungal plant pathogen.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides heterodimeric polypeptides comprising: 1) a variant hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 polypeptide and an HCV E1 polypeptide; 2) a variant HCV E1 polypeptide and an HCV E2 polypeptide; or 3) a variant HCV E1 polypeptide and a variant HCV E2 polypeptide, where the variant HCV E2 polypeptide and/or the HCV E1 polypeptide comprises one or more T cell epitopes, present in an HCV polypeptide other than an HCV E1 polypeptide or an HCV E2 polypeptide. The present disclosure provides nucleic acids encoding a polyprotein that includes E1 and variant E2, E2 and variant E1, or variant E2 and variant E1. The present disclosure provides a method of producing an E1/E2 heterodimer of the present disclosure. The present disclosure provides a method of inducing an immune response in an individual. The present disclosure provides variant E2 polypeptides and variant E1 polypeptides; and nucleic acids encoding same.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides immunogenic compositions comprising: a) hepatitis C virus (HCV) E1E2 heterodimers, HCV E2, or HCV E1; and b) an adjuvant, where the adjuvant is a cyclic dinucleotide or an archaeosome. The present disclosure provides methods of inducing an immune response in an individual to HCV, the methods comprising administering to an individual an effective amount of an immunogenic composition of the present disclosure.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to 2-(3-indoyl)indolin-3-one derivatives of the natural product isatisine A, synthesized from dual catalytic synthesis on metallocarbene-azide cascade chemistry, useful for treating a subject having or suspected of having an infectious disease, wherein the infection disease is caused by a virus, wherein the virus is from the family flaviviridae or paramyxoviridae.

Abstract: An atomic orbital based memory storage is provided that includes a plurality of surface atoms forming dangling bonds (DBs) and a subset of the plurality of surface atoms passivated with spatial control to form covalent bonds with hydrogen, deuterium, or a combination thereof. The atomic orbital based data storage that can be rewritten and corrected as needed. The resulting data storage is also archival and capable of high data densities than any known storage as the data is retained in a binary storage or a given orbital being passivated or a dangling bond (DB). A method of forming and reading the atomic orbital data storage is also provided. The method including selectively removing covalent bonds to form dangling bonds (DBs) extending from a surface atom by hydrogen lithography and imaging the covalent bonds spatially to read the atomic orbital data storage.

Abstract: A system and method for treatment of wastewater, in which the system includes a blackwater reactor configured to receive a stream of blackwater influent, to contain the blackwater therein during treatment of the blackwater, to facilitate recovery of methane and nutrient precipitates therefrom, and to output partially treated blackwater, and a greywater reactor configured to receive a stream of greywater influent and the partially treated blackwater output from the blackwater reactor, to contain the greywater and the partially treated blackwater therein during greywater treatment, and to output greywater treatment discharge.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to compositions comprising a nucleotide sequence having two domains: a locked nucleic acid (LNA) domain and a DNA gap domain, wherein nucleotide sequence binds to an endogenous DUX4 mRNA sequence disrupts DUX4 expression.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating steam quality for a steam generator is provided which involves obtaining raw measurement values for process variables of the steam generator from sensors coupled to the steam generator; receiving the raw measurement values and slow-rate steam quality samples in order to determine a steam quality estimate, using a measurement module to receive the raw measurement values and determine model input values and a robustness index; using an estimator module to determines a raw steam quality estimate using the model input values and a model that is selected from several models depending on reliability of some of the raw measurements; and using a corrector module to determine the steam quality estimate using the raw steam quality estimate, robustness index, and slow-rate steam quality samples. An output receives the steam quality estimate and can provide the steam quality estimate to another device.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for the formation of thermo-reversible hydrogels from triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(?-benzyl carboxylate-?-caprolactone) (PBCL-PEG-PBCL) prepared by bulk and solution polymerization. PBCL-PEG-PBCLs prepared at fixed PBCL to PEG ratios but different polymerization times were characterized for their average molecular weights, molar-mass disparity and intrinsic viscosity using 1H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results indicated a copolymer of high molecular weight population with elevated intrinsic viscosity. The size and proportion of this population grew as a function of polymerization time. The formation of this high molecular weight PBCL-PEG-PBCL population can be attributed to non-linear architecture caused by partial cross-linking of the PBCL segment during the polymerization reaction.

Abstract: Amphiphilic copolymers and compositions including amphiphilic copolymers. The amphiphilic copolymers include modified maleimide subunits, for example, as illustrated by the structures of Formula IA and Formula IB. The compositions form water-soluble complexes upon association with biological material wherein such biological material can include lipids or membrane proteins. Methods for producing, purifying, analyzing, and using the compositions and complexes are provided.

Abstract: The present application relates to copper-doped double perovskites, for example, copper-doped double perovskites of the formula (I) and to uses thereof, for example as low-bandgap materials such as a semiconducting material in a device. The present application also relates to methods of tuning the bandgap of a Cs2SbAgZ6 double perovskite (for example, wherein Z is Cl) comprising doping the double perovskite with copper.

Abstract: A nano-positioning system for fine and coarse nano-positioning including at least one actuator, wherein the at least one actuator includes a high Curie temperature material and wherein the nano-positioning system is configured to apply a voltage to the at least one actuator to generate fine and/or coarse motion by the at least one actuator. The nano-positioning system being a stand-alone system, a scanning probe microscope, or an attachment to an existing microscope configured to perform a method of creepless nano-positioning that includes positioning a probe relative to a first area of a substrate using coarse stepping and interacting with the first area of the substrate using fine motion after less than 60 seconds of the positioning the probe. The movement of the scanning probe microscope is actuated by a high Curie temperature piezoelectric material that limits and/or eliminates creep, hysteresis and aging.

Abstract: Methods for the diagnosis of CRC, colorectal polyps in general and adenomatous polyps in particular by measurement of metabolites in urine are described. In some embodiments, certain metabolites are identified as being elevated or reduced in concentration or quantity in subjects with CRC and/or colorectal polyps as compared with subjects without CRC or colorectal polyps. The measurement of these metabolites in urine can indicate the presence of CRC or colorectal polyps in general or adanomatous polyps in particular in a subject.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to bioactive self-assembling peptides, nanofibers and hydrogels for activating human mast cells. The peptides, nanofibers and hydrogels comprise a self-assembling peptide that mediates self-assembly linked to a MrgX2 agonist peptide; for example, (RADA)4 linked to proadrenomedullin-12 (PAMP-12).

Abstract: A device for replacing a mitral valve includes a substantially cylindrically-shaped body having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a waist portion disposed therebetween and having ferromagnetic elements arranged circumferentially, and the top portion, waist portion, and bottom portion defining an aperture extending therethrough for allowing blood flow; and a clamping ring formed of a ferromagnetic material and supporting a plurality of ferromagnetic spheres thereon.

Abstract: An electrochromic (EC) device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode separated by an electrolyte. The first electrode comprises an electrochromic (EC) layer comprising a compound having the formula AiBjOk, where A comprises one or more elements selected from a group consisting of W, Mn, Mo, Co, Ni, Cs, and Zn, where B is different than A and comprises one or more elements selected from a group consisting of Mo, Ti, Nb, and V, where i and j have values that are greater than 0, and where k is a stoichiometric value that balances the formula. A is selected such that the EC layer has an improved optical contrast relative to BjOk and B is selected such that the EC layer has an improved specific charge capacity relative to AiOk.

Abstract: The invention, in some aspects relates to compositions and methods for altering cell activity and function and the introduction and use of light-activated ion channels.

Abstract: The development of stretchable, mechanically and electrically robust interconnects by printing an elastic, silver-based composite ink onto stretchable fabric. Such interconnects can have conductivity of 3000-4000 S/cm and are durable under cyclic stretching. In serpentine shape, the fabric-based conductor is enhanced in electrical durability. Resistance increases only ˜5 times when cyclically stretched over a thousand times from zero to 30% strain at a rate of 4% strain per second due to the ink permeating the textile structure. The textile fibers are wetted with composite ink to form a conductive, stretchable cladding of the silver particles. The e-textile can realize a fully printed, double-sided electronic system of sensor-textile-interconnect integration. The double-sided e-textile can be used for a surface electromyography (sEMG) system to monitor muscles activities, an electroencephalography (EEG) system to record brain waves, and the like.

Abstract: A method for assessing the quality of a tip of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) includes recording an SPM image, extracting a plurality of images of dangling bonds from the SPM image, feeding the extracted images of dangling bonds into a convolution neural network one image at a time, analyzing each of the plurality of images of dangling bonds using the convolution neural network, assigning each of the plurality of images of dangling bonds one of a sharp tip status or a double tip status, and determining whether the number of the plurality of images of dangling bonds of the SPM image assigned the double tip status exceeds a predetermined threshold. A method of automatically conditioning a tip of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) during imaging of a sample and a method of mass-producing atomistic quantum dots, qubits, or particular atom orbital occupation are also provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an immunogenic composition comprising: a) a hepatitis C virus (HCV) heterodimeric polypeptide that includes HCV E1 and E2 polypeptides; b) a T-cell epitope polypeptide comprising a T-cell epitope present in an HCV protein other than E1 and E2; and c) a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. The present disclosure provides a method of inducing an immune response, in an individual, to an HCV polypeptide. The present disclosure provides an immunogenic composition comprising: a) a polypeptide that comprises one or more T-cell epitopes present in an HCV protein other than E1 and E2; and b) a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.