Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compounds and methods for labeling and/or detecting proteins in vivo, and methods for probing mitochondrial structure and/or dynamics.

Abstract: Systems and methods for integrating ultra-fast programmable networks in microgrid are disclosed to provide flexible and easy-to-manage communication solutions, thus enabling resilient microgrid operations in face of various cyber and physical disturbances. The system is configured to establish a novel software-defined networking (SDN) based communication architecture which abstracts the network infrastructure from the upper-level applications to significantly expedite the development of microgrid applications, develop three functions of the SDN controller for microgrid emergency operations, including time delay guarantee, failover reconfiguration and rate limit and create a hardware-in-the-loop cyber-physical platform for evaluating and validating the performance of the presented architecture and control techniques.

Abstract: Described herein is an enzyme-mediated approach to bioconjugation at nanoparticle (NP) surfaces. This process is enabled by a new synthetic linker compatible with the covalent attachment of alkyne modified substrates, including dyes, peptides and nucleic acids. The methods described herein specifically allow for the linkage of molecules to a DNA-functionalized nanoparticle surface. Enzymatic ligation of molecules to the terminal hydroxyl group of DNA using T4 DNA ligase is achieved through incorporation of a single monophosphate on the approaching substrate. In contrast to previous strategies, the linkers disclosed herein are compatible with alkyne modified molecules of a variety of sizes and charges indicating that the ligase minimally requires the monophosphate and the incoming hydroxyl for conjugation to be successful.

Abstract: A method for operating a sensor, including simultaneously exciting a first set of electrodes and sensing an output of each electrode of a second set of electrodes, storing output data corresponding to the output of each electrode of the second set of electrodes in a memory storage device, shifting at least one electrode from the first set of electrodes to the second set of electrodes and at least one electrode from the second set of electrodes to the first set of electrodes, and repeating the simultaneously exciting and sensing, the storing, and the shifting until an output data has been stored for each possible pair of electrodes in the first and second set of electrodes.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the condition of a ceramic coating deposited on a substrate comprising illuminating the ceramic coating with light, measuring the intensity of light returned from the ceramic coating as function of depth in the coating and transverse position on the coating, and analyzing the measured light intensities to obtain one or more of intensity of the light returned from the exposed coating surface relative to the intensity of light returned from the coating/substrate interface, intensity of the light returned from the coating/substrate interface relative to the intensity of light returned from the bulk of the ceramic coating, determination of roughness at the exposed surface of the ceramic coating, and determination of roughness of the interface between the ceramic coating and underlying bond coat or substrate.

Abstract: Improved particleboard and methods for fabricating improved particleboard (e.g., natural fiber/material-based particleboard) are disclosed. More particularly, the present disclosure provides systems/methods for fabricating particleboard (e.g., formaldehyde-free particleboard) utilizing natural fibers/materials (e.g., lignocellulosic materials), wherein the particleboard has improved performance characteristics and/or mechanical properties. Methods for fabricating fiber-reinforced biocomposites (e.g., natural fiber-reinforced wheat gluten biocomposites) are disclosed. For example, systems/methods for fabricating particleboard from lignocellulosic materials (e.g., coconut materials), along with a binder material (e.g., wheat gluten), are provided. In general, the fiber or lignocellulosic material is treated with sodium hydroxide and/or a silane coupling agent as an adhesion promoter to enhance interfacial adhesion between the fiber and the binder.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of optical electrophysiological probing, including: providing a fluorescing chemical probe; contacting a thick portion of tissue with the fluorescing chemical probe to create a thick portion of treated tissue; applying a first range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to the treated portion of tissue; and detecting a plurality of depth-specific emission wavelengths emitted from the thick portion of treated tissue.

Abstract: Controlling Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) involves either prophylactic vaccination or non-vaccination and elimination of infected herds depending on the epidemiological situation. Marker vaccines allowing distinction between naturally infected from vaccinated swine could complement “stamping out” measures. Previously, we reported the development of FlagT4v, a double antigenic marker live attenuated CSFV strain. FlagT4v was later shown as not to be completely stable in terms of its attenuation when assessed in a reversion to virulence protocol. We have developed a modified version of the FlagT4v where changes in the codon usage of genomic areas encoding for Flag and T4 were introduced to rectify the reversion to the virulent genotype. The new virus, FlagT4-mFT-Gv, possesses the same amino acid sequence as FlagT4v except for one substitution, Asparagine is replaced by Glycine at position 852 of the CSFV polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for generating antigen-reactive T cells in vitro comprising priming immune cells and incubating the primed immune cells in vitro with a non-covalent complex of an heat shock protein and an antigenic molecule. The present invention further relates to methods for generating antigen-reactive CD4+ T cells for immunotherapy. Methods and compositions are also disclosed for the treatment and prevention of cancer or infectious disease in a subject comprising administering to the subject MHC matched antigen-reactive T cells that are generated in vitro by the present methods.

Abstract: Methods for the manufacture of nanostructured metals, metal carbides, and metal alloys are presented, such metals including nanostructured aluminum, chromium, iron, molybdenum, vanadium, and steel. Preferably, the nanostructured steel is of the M50 type, and comprises iron, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium and carbon. Synthesis of M50 steel further comprising nanostructured aluminum, aluminum oxide, or aluminum nitride is also described. In accordance with an important feature of this invention, the grain size of the metals and metal alloys is in the nanometer range. In accordance with the method of the present invention, the nanostructured metals, metal carbides, and metal alloys are prepared via chemical synthesis from aluminum, iron, molybdenum, chromium and vanadium starting materials. Decomposition of metal precursors or co-precipitation or precipitation of metal precursors is followed by consolidation of the resulting nanostructured powders.

Abstract: A method for introducing foreign nucleic acid sequences into marine mollusks. A pantropic retroviral vector containing a foreign gene sequence is introduced into fertilized mollusk embryos by electroporation. The gene sequence becomes integrated into the host DNA and encodes a functional protein product. This method has implications in the introduction of disease-resistance and growth-accelerating genes into mollusks.