Abstract: The invention provides a capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) system based on a sandwich injection method for automated chemical mobilization. This system was coupled with an electrokinetically pumped nanoelectrospray interface to a mass spectrometer. The nanoelectrospray emitter employed an acidic sheath electrolyte. To realize automated focusing and mobilization, a plug of ammonium hydroxide was first injected into the capillary, followed by a section of mixed sample and ampholyte. As focusing progressed, the NH3H2O section was titrated to lower pH buffer by the acidic sheath buffer. Chemical mobilization started automatically once the ammonium hydroxide was consumed by the acidic sheath flow electrolyte.

Abstract: Current procedures for the analysis of sexual assault kits are labor intensive, time consuming and deliver a success rate lower than 40%. This has resulted in rape kit backlogs of thousands. The primary challenge crime laboratories face in analyzing these cases is the separation of purified male DNA from the mixture of primarily female DNA from gynecological swabs. Effective elution of the sample from the swab and efficient separation of intact sperm cells from epithelial and other cellular debris, allow for a successful PCR amplification and short tandem repeat (STR) DNA analysis for perpetrator identification. The disclosure provides an effective and economically accessible technology for the separation of male and female cells and DNA, for example, from a gynecological swab by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE).

Abstract: Embodiments relate to the field of chemistry and biochemistry, and, more specifically, to imidazopyridine compounds, synthesis thereof, and methods of using same. Disclosed herein are various imidazo[1,2-a]pyhdine compounds and methods of using the novel compounds to treat or prevent tuberculosis in a subject or to inhibit fungal growth on plant species. Other embodiments include methods of synthesizing imidazo [1,2-a]pyridine compounds, such as the disclosed imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine compounds.

Abstract: A brake disc rotor or stator is manufactured with slots in the interior face of the disc. A paste comprised of a fine powder of a carbide-forming metal along with fine carbon powder, suspended in an organic binder, is applied to the force-bearing areas in the rotor slot faces or the stator slot faces. The disc is then placed into a furnace in a nitrogen atmosphere and heated to the ignition temperature. When the furnace reaches the ignition temperature, a combustion reaction begins that creates a molten liquid ceramic material on the slot face. Upon cooling, the resulting brake disc has a tough, hard, abrasion-resistant ceramic surface on the portion of the brake disc slot that bears pressure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for CO2 capture that use phase change ionic liquids (PCILs) to remove the CO2 from flue gas or other gas streams containing CO2. PCILs have high CO2 uptake and form a liquid PCIL-CO2 complex when they react with C( )2. When the liquid PCIL-CO2 complex is heated to regenerate the solid PCIL material by removing the carbon dioxide, part of the heat needed to release the CO2 can be supplied by the heat of fusion of the PCIL as it solidifies. Utilization of the heat of fusion of the PCIL to assist in its own regeneration can substantially reduce the parasitic energy loss associated with post-combustion CO2 capture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for transforming an insect genome that has a much enhanced transformation frequency. The vectors and plasmids employed in the method are further described as transposition vectors that include a minimal amount of nucleotide sequence homologous to a 5? region and a 3? region of a native piggyBac nucleic acid sequence. The transformed cells or embryos may also be developed into transgenic organisms. Disclosed are minimal piggyBac-based plasmid constructs that comprises a minimal nucleic acid sequence homologous to a 5? end of a piggyBac nucleic acid sequence (about 60-80 bp, particularly 66 bp) and a relatively long (300 to about 380 bp, particularly 311 bp or 378 bp) continuous nucleic acid sequence homologous to a 3? end of a piggyBac native nucleic acid sequence. Methods employing these constructs include the use of a helper plasmid.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nanoparticle based platform, and nanoallergens for identifying, evaluating and studying allergen mimotopes as multiple copies of a single mimotope or various combinations on the same particle. The nanoparticle is extremely versatile and allows multivalent binding to IgEs specific to a variety of mimotopes, simulating allergen proteins. Nanoparticles can include various molecular ratios of components. For example, the nanoallergens can include about 0.1-40% mimotope-lipid conjugate and about 60-99.9% lipid. The mimotope-lipid conjugate includes a mimotope, a first linker, and lipid molecule. Nanoallergens can be used in in vitro and in vivo applications to identify a specific patient's sensitivity to a set of epitopes and predict a symptomatic clinical response, identify allergen epitopes through blind screening peptide sequences from allergen protein, and in a clinical application similar to a scratch test.

Abstract: The disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions and method of using the compositions, wherein the compositions comprise liposomes that contain two or more anticancer drugs. In various embodiments the components of the liposomes can include a) a phospholipid, b) a pegylated lipid, c) an aqueous core, and d) at least one covalently-linked drug-conjugated lipid, an encapsulated drug, or a combination thereof, wherein the drug of the lipid-drug conjugate, encapsulated drug, or both, are anticancer drugs.

Abstract: Described herein are compounds and compositions, and methods of making and their use as effective agents against mycobacterial infections.

Abstract: Capillary electrophoresis fractionation of an environmental microbiota segregates high abundance microbes from lower abundance species, and results in a three-fold increase in the number of 16s rRNA OTUs that map to known species. However, most of the bacteria are found in a few wells, although reasonably large numbers of OTUs were found in over half the wells.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and software for providing a network structure for a network. In one example, a method includes identifying an occurrence of a cascade amongst a plurality of nodes of the network. The method also includes determining respective activation times for each node of a plurality of activated nodes activated during the cascade. The method further includes, for each pairwise combination of activated nodes from the plurality of activated nodes, computing, based on the respective activation times, a connection probability that a pair of nodes from the plurality of activated nodes is connected by an edge. The method further includes mapping a true edge between two activated nodes of the plurality of activated nodes in the network based on computed connection probabilities for the each pairwise combination.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds, compositions, and methods for the treatment of diseases, disorders, or conditions that are modulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The compounds can be selective MMP inhibitors, for example, selective inhibitors of MMP-2, MMP-9, and/or MMP-14. The disease, disorder, or condition can include, for example, stroke, neurological disorders, ophthalmological disorders, or wounds, such as chronic wounds or diabetic wounds.

Abstract: First and second integrated devices each have an optical component and a plurality of interconnect structures disposed one edge thereon. The first edge surface of the second integrated device is positioned contiguous to the first edge surface of the first integrated device. The interconnect structures disposed on the first integrated device are in physical contact with the interconnect structures disposed on the edge surface of the second integrated device so as to provide alignment for conveying at least one signal between the optical components on the first and second integrated devices.

Abstract: Examples of wideband spectrum sensing techniques for cognitive radio are provided. The techniques permit undersampling (e.g., sub-Nyquist sampling) the spectrum band, which permits use of more cost effective electronic components (e.g., lower frequency analog-to-digital converters (ADC)). The techniques permit determination of whether there are any (or sufficient) sub-channels that exist in the band to use for transmission, so that only a portion of less than the entire spectrum band is sampled. Detection decisions can be based at least partly on a pair of performance metrics more appropriate for wideband spectrum sensing. These performance metrics are the probability of insufficient spectrum opportunities (PISO) and the probability of excessive interference opportunities (PEIO).

Abstract: A diesel soot filter includes a substrate having a surface disposed at least partially within a fluid path of the diesel soot filter. A glass catalyst is disposed on the surface of the substrate such that an exhaust gas contacts at least a portion of a surface of the glass catalyst as the exhaust gas moves within the diesel soot filter. The glass catalyst comprises a plurality of alkali metal ions disposed within the glass catalyst and releasable to the surface of the glass catalyst at a controlled rate and the alkali metal ions combust with the soot as the exhaust gas travels along the fluid path. An oxide basis of the glass catalyst comprises Silicon (Si), Potassium (K), Cesium (Ce), and Zirconium (Zr).

Abstract: The present invention relates to polymer compositions and their manufacture. Specifically, the invention relates to multiblock polymers and copolymers, their fabrication, modification and/or functionalization and use as membranes or films.

Abstract: The further advancement of membrane separation processes requires the development of more selective membranes. In this study, membranes that take inspiration from biological systems and use multiple functionalities of unique chemical design to control solute transport through chemical factors in addition to steric factors are detailed. Specifically, copolymer materials tailor-made for the generation of nanofilters that possess a high density of well-defined pores lined by azido moieties allowed for the generation of chemically-patterned mosaic membranes in a rapid manner through the use of printing devices. By engineering the composition of the reactive ink solutions used for chemical functionalization, large areas of patterned membranes were generated in seconds rather than hours. Charge mosaic membranes were used as an example of this novel platform.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems, methods, and compositions for nanoparticle-based drug delivery to target cells or tissues. A drug delivery system may include a nanoparticle with a targeting component and a therapeutic component. The nanoparticle may have a predetermined number or valence of targeting molecules for multivalent interaction with a target cell or tissue. Binding of the targeting molecules to the target cell may result in receptor-mediated uptake of the nanoparticle by the target cell. The therapeutic component may be subsequently released within an endocytic vesicle of the target cell. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems as described herein may provide improved efficacy and/or reduced toxicity.

Abstract: A method of mapping a two-dimensional image to a three-dimensional surface includes capturing data for a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional structure. A process determines coincident points between the 2D image and the 3D structure and maps points on the 2D image to the 3D structure by assigning relative two-coordinate points from the two dimensional image to relative three-coordinate points of the three-dimensional structure. The mapping creates a 3D surface and texturing and removes superfluous data from the created three-dimensional surface to clean the mapped resultant.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems for designing a radiation treatment for a subject using single arc dose painting. The methods and systems comprise an algorithm or a computer-readable product having the same, to plan the radiation treatment. The algorithm converts pairs of multiple leaf collimation (MLC) leaves to sets of leaf aperture sequences that form a shortest path single arc thereof where the pairs of MLC leaves each aligned to an intensity profile of densely-spaced radiation beams, and connects each single arc of leaf apertures to form a final treatment single arc. Also provided is a method for irradiating a tumor in a subject using single arc dose painting.