Abstract: The present invention discloses a directional solidification method for a superalloy single crystal blade based on solid-liquid interface steady control. The method establishes effective criteria for withdrawal speed adjustment, i.e. the related position between a macro solid-liquid interface and a thermal baffle, the range between the dendrite tips at the solid-liquid interface, and the difference between the advance speed of the macro solid-liquid interface and the withdrawal speed. With these criteria, the advance of the solid-liquid interface during directional solidification is simulated and a withdrawal speed curve v(t) for the solid-liquid interface steady advancement was obtained. And then, the single crystal blade was prepared.

Abstract: Tunnel junctions for multijunction solar cells are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a tunnel junction includes a first layer including p-type AlGaAs, a second layer including n-type GaAs, wherein the second layer is a quantum well, and a third layer including n-type AlGaAs or n-type lattice matched AlGaInP. The quantum well can be GaAs or AlxGaAs with x being more than about 40%, and lattice matched GaInAsNSb in the Eg range of from about 0.8 to about 1.4 eV.

Abstract: Provided are compositions and methods for differentiating and diagnosing ischemic stroke and subgroups thereof (e.g., cardioembolic stroke, large vessel stroke, atherothrombotic stroke, lacunar stroke) from intracerebral hemorrhage.

Abstract: A choanal atresia apparatus for use in prevention of stenosis following choanal atresia repair in patients. Two tubular choanal tubes each have an interior surface and an exterior surface, an anterior end and a posterior end, and a central axis. A plurality of axially spaced apertures in each of the two choanal tubes are for discharging nasal secretion. A strip has opposed ends coupled to the posterior ends of the two choanal tubes respectively. The strip couples the two choanal tubes in a laterally spaced relationship. The choanal tubes and the strip are fabricated of a medical grade plastic.

Abstract: The disclosure provides interleukin 37 (IL-37) fusion proteins, methods of making IL-37 fusion proteins including constructs used to express IL-37 fusion proteins, and methods of using IL-37 fusion proteins. In some embodiments, the IL-37 fusion protein includes amino acids 46-206 of isoform B of IL-37 and a heavy chain portion of an antibody.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are macrocyclic polypeptides having no more than 3 ammo acid substitutions compared to the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NO: 1-2.37 or a mirror image thereof, wherein the polypeptide includes both L and D amino acids, libraries of such polypeptides, and uses thereof.

Abstract: Methods for disinfecting a surface are provided which include contacting a surface with a solution comprising Fe(VI)O42?, thereby disinfecting the surfaces. In some cases, the surface to be contacted with the solution is in a space suitable for human occupancy and the surface is arranged in the ambient of the space. In addition, solutions comprising Fe(VI)O42? are provided. The solutions may additionally include a hypohalite salt and a surfactant.

Abstract: Described herein are water desalination membranes and methods of desalinating water. Sulfonated poly(arylene ether) polymers are also disclosed, including those comprising one or more sulfonate groups at various points along the polymer chain. The polymers may be used as at least a portion of a water desalination membrane. The polymers described herein are useful for preventing transport of aqueous ionic species (e.g., Na+ and Cl?) across a membrane made from the polymers while allowing water to pass. Chlorine-stable polymers are described, as well as polymers exhibiting good performance for rejecting monovalent cations in the presence of polyvalent cations.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel polynucleotides, polypeptides, and polyproteins of Mycoplasma surface proteins, all of which are useful in detecting infection and for the preparation of vaccines for treating and preventing diseases in swine and other animals. Vaccines provided according to the practice of the invention are effective against Mycoplasma infections. Detection and therapeutic polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are also a feature of the present invention. Assays, kits, systems, and nanoparticle encapsulated compositions related to the polynucleotides, polypeptides, polyproteins, antibodies or fragments, derivatives, and variants thereof are also disclosed.

Abstract: A microfluidic flow restrictor that uses micron-sized beads to impede flow is described. The flow rate can be adjusted by adding or removing the beads using injection needles through self-sealing ports, one injection needle injecting or aspirating beads and another injection needle pushing or pulling fluid from outside of a bead trap within the flow restrictor. In alternative embodiments, the beads or other filler material can be trapped in a manifold bead trap such that they block a subset of fluid channels of the flow restrictor, allowing fluid to flow freely through the rest of the fluid channels. The flow restrictor can be integrated with a contact lens or implantable medical device for use in dispensing liquid therapeutic agents at flow rates of microliters per minute or moving body fluids at a controlled rate from one part of the body to another.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting corrosion of metal during acid stimulation of an oil and gas well that involves treating the oil and gas well with an acidic treatment fluid that includes 10 to 28 wt. % of an acid, based on a total weight of the acidic treatment fluid, and a corrosion inhibitor composition containing gelatin, wherein the gelatin is present in the acidic treatment fluid in a concentration of 0.1 to 10% by weight per total volume of the acidic treatment fluid.

Abstract: A process for optimizing the design of a semi-open centrifugal pump impeller involves the steps of, reducing the number of long blades and adding a medium length splitter blade and a short length splitter blade having varying circumferential distances between any two optimized long blades. Each medium length and short length splitter blade have the same outlet position, profile and thickness as the optimized long blade; however, the medium length and short length splitter blades have different inlet positions relative to the optimized long blade. The long blade, medium length splitter blade and short length splitter blade are arranged in circumferential sequence along the direction of rotation of the impeller. This optimization improves various problems arising from the original semi-open centrifugal pumps, including low efficiency, significant loss at the inlet, inlet cavitation, separation of boundary layers at the blade inlets, narrow lift range of the dead point and excessive noise.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an amphiphilic compound having a dendronic hydrophobic group, a method for preparing the same, and a method for extraction, solubilization, stabilization, or crystallization of a membrane protein by using the same. The use of the compound according to the present invention leads to an excellent membrane protein solubilization effect and a stable storage of a membrane protein in an aqueous solution for a long time, and thus can be utilized for functional analysis and structural analysis of the membrane protein. Especially, the amphiphilic compound having a dendronic hydrophobic group showed very remarkable characteristics in the visualization of protein composites through an electronic microscope.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to bacillus having an effect of inducing corn to resist Northern leaf blight and applications of the bacillus. The bacillus having an effect of inducing corn to resist Northern corn leaf blight is Bacillus megaterium which was deposited on Apr. 16, 2019 with a deposit number of CGMCC No. 17573. The Bacillus megaterium of the disclosure can induce corn to generate resistance to Northern corn leaf blight during seed germination and corn growth to activate the immune response of corns and stimulate immune control of Northern leaf blight of corn. The method described herein is long in coming does not pollute environment and soil, is a green, simplified and new control method of Northern leaf blight of corn, and has wide application and popularization prospect.

Abstract: Indirubin is the major active anti-tumor component of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Indirubin derivatives (IRDs) potently reduce the viabilities of various cancer cells and affect kinase activities. IRDs disclosed herein provide new therapeutics for cancer and conditions regulated by the kinase activities.

Abstract: A method of identifying an epileptogenic zone of a subjects brain includes: receiving a plurality N of physiological brain signals that extend over a duration, each of the plurality N of physiological brain signals acquired from the subjects brain; calculating within a time window a state transition matrix based on at least a portion of each of the plurality N of physiological brain signals, wherein the state transition matrix is a linear time invariant model of a network of N nodes corresponding to the plurality N of physiological brain signals; calculating a minimum norm of a perturbation on the state transition matrix that causes the network to transition from a stable state to an unstable state; and assigning a fragility metric to each of the plurality N of physiological brain signals based on the minimum norm of the perturbation for that physiological brain signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing a hydrogen storage vessel that is lightweight. The hydrogen storage vessel may comprise an inner body and an outer body structured as concentric rings with a conic interface. The vessel may have four material layers, including a barrier layer, an insulation layer, a fiber knit, and an abrasion layer. The fiber knit may be braided to trap the hydrogen, as the barrier layer may not be completely impermeable. Additionally, the fiber braid may be clamped to the outer body, enabling pressure pushing on the inner body to wedge and seal the storage vessel.

Abstract: A soft, flexible microtube sensor and associated method of sensing force are described. A liquid metallic alloy is sealed within a microtube as thin as a strand of human hair to form the physical force sensing mechanism. The sensor is hardly distinguishable with the naked eye, and can be used for the continuous biomonitoring of physiological signals, such as unobtrusive pulse monitoring. Also described is a method of fabricating the microtube sensor and wearable devices incorporating one or more microtube sensors.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides devices, systems, circuits, and effective methods for advanced optical applications using plasmonics and ENZ materials. The disclosure provides for enhancement of the optical tunability of phase and amplitude of propagating plasmons, nonlinear-optical effects, and resonant network in optical fiber tip nanocircuits and integrates the tunable plasmonic and ENZ effects for in-fiber applications to provide optical fiber with high operating speed and low power consumption. The invention yields efficient coupling of a plasmonic functional nanocircuit on the facet of an optical fiber core. The invention also can use gate-tunable ENZ materials to electrically and nonlinear optically tune the plasmonic nanocircuits for advanced light manipulation. The invention efficiently integrates and manipulates the voltage-tuned ENZ resonance for phase and amplitude modulation in optical fiber nanocircuits.

Abstract: An architecture is provided for cooperative target tracking and signal propagation learning using mobile sensors. A method can comprise as a function of sensing data representative of a location of a target device at a first defined moment and model data relating to a motion model representing a probability density function, determining, by a system comprising a processor, a group of locations for the target device at a second defined time point, wherein the probability density function facilitates determining, based on the location of the target device at the first defined moment, a current location of the target device at a third defined moment; and as a function of the group of locations, generating, by the system, a data structure representing a matrix of received signal strength values; and identifying, by the system, a location of the group of locations for the target device at the third defined moment based on the data structure.