Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to chemical modulators of insect olfactory receptors. In particular, compounds and compositions are provided that can inhibit sensory (e.g., host targeting) functions in airborne insects such as mosquitos. Method of employing such agents, and articles incorporating the same, are also provided. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a patterned substrate for culturing cells. The method includes the steps of: (1) preparing a substrate, (2) forming a first plasma polymer layer by integrating a first precursor material on the substrate using a plasma, wherein the first plasma layer inhibits cell adsorption, and wherein the first precursor material is a siloxane-based compound having a siloxane functional group with the Si—O—Si linkage, (3) placing a shadow mask having a predetermined pattern on the first plasma polymer layer thus formed, and (4) forming a second patterned plasma polymer layer by integrating a second precursor material using a plasma, wherein the second patterned plasma layer permits culturing of cells, whereby the patterned substrate is obtained.

Abstract: The present disclosure introduces a nozzle apparatus and method. In one embodiment, a spray nozzle apparatus is described. The spray nozzle apparatus includes a plurality of flow channels formed by the combination of a: sprayhead, a major element, and a minor element. The sprayhead may have a plurality of holes. The major element is retained within the sprayhead by a nozzle nut and spring, allowing a first annular gap to form between the sprayhead and the major element. The minor element is retained within the major element by a second nozzle nut and second spring, allowing a second annular gap to form between the major element and the minor element. The minor element may have an axial hole. Other embodiments also are described.

Abstract: The invention provides emissive materials and organic light emitting devices using the emissive materials in an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to an anode and a cathode. The emissive materials include compounds with the following structure: wherein at least one of R8 to R14 is phenyl or substituted phenyl, and/or at least two of R8 to R14 that are adjacent are part of a fluorenyl group. The emissive materials have enhanced electroluminescent efficiency and improved lifetime when incorporated into light emitting devices.

Abstract: A gas reactor device includes a plurality of microcavities or microchannels defined at least partially within a thick metal oxide layer consisting essentially of defect free oxide. Electrodes are arranged with respect to the microcavities or microchannels to stimulate plasma generation therein upon application of suitable voltage. One or more or all of the electrodes are encapsulated within the thick metal oxide layer. A gas inlet is configured to receive feedstock gas into the plurality of microcavities or microchannels. An outlet is configured to outlet reactor product from the plurality of microcavities or microchannels. In an example preferred device, the feedstock gas is air or O2 and is converted by the plasma into ozone (O3). In another preferred device, the feedstock gas is an unwanted gas to be decomposed into a desired form. Gas reactor devices of the invention can, for example, decompose gases such as CO2, CH4, or NOx.

Abstract: The invention relates to therapeutic applications for compositions that reduce the level of oxidative stress on cells in vivo or in vitro. The invention describes methods for improving the therapeutic properties of stem cells. The invention also provides combination therapies that are useful to balance the oxidative microenvironment of cells in vivo or in vitro.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of formulating and engineering block copolymer (BCP) systems for directed self-assembly (DSA) processes. In some embodiments, the methods involve engineering a BCP material based on the interaction parameter (?) of the material and the surface and/or interaction energies of its constituent blocks. Also provided are novel block BCP materials that can be used in DSA techniques. In some embodiments, the BCP systems described herein have micro-phase separating blocks, with at least one block including multiple types of repeat units. Also provided are structures formed by DSA, including structures having a sub-20 nm dimension. Applications included nanolithography for semiconductor devices, fabrication of cell-based assays, nanoprinting, photovoltaic cells, and surface-conduction electron-emitter displays.

Abstract: A method for treating hair loss in mammals uses compositions containing prostaglandin F analogs. The compositions can be applied topically to the skin. The compositions can arrest hair loss, reverse hair loss, and promote hair growth.

Abstract: The application describes a process where methane or any short chained hydrocarbon could be catalytically coupled with an oxygenate (preferably derived from thermal processing of biomass) to dehydrate and produce a deoxygenated hydrocarbon. The presence of oxygen in biomass derivatives adversely affects its ability to be further processed into hydrocarbon fuels because the resulting water poisons many catalysts (including alumina containing catalysts, zeolites, etc.) found in petrochemical refineries. While commonly used hydrodeoxygenation methods require expensive hydrogen to instigate deoxygenation, the present process uses short chained hydrocarbons (such as methane or natural gas) to instigate hydrodeoxygenation.

Abstract: 3-dimensional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), as well as absorption/fluorescence/luminescence detection is carried out using a platform based on nanoparticle-functionalized flow-through multi-hole capillaries for rapid analyte detection. The configuration provides an increased active area and fluidic channels for efficient sample delivery, and also confines and transmits light for a large signal accumulation. Using a capillary consisting of thousands of micron-sized holes adsorbed with gold nanoparticles, a detection limit better than 100 fM is achieved.

Abstract: An object detection system (24) is disclosed having a transducer (40, 40?) for detecting buried objects (26). The transducer is encapsulated within a robust, electromagnetically transparent construction (42).

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for establishing a routing path in a multi-hop network. The methods comprises (a) transmitting a notification message associated with communication problem to neighboring nodes, (b) deriving approaching characteristics of a communication problem-causing element from the notification message, and (c) establishing a routing path based on the approaching characteristics of the communication problem-causing element. With the methods and apparatuses, it is possible to determine a path that is expected to experience a communication problem based on the approaching characteristics of a communication problem-causing element and to adaptively establish a reliable routing path.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method in which an upper layer entity allocates resources to a plurality of access points (APs) in a wireless access system, including the plurality of APs and the upper layer entity for managing the plurality of APs, the method comprising the step of: sensing a change in minimum guaranteed resource amount allocated to each of the APs; acquiring, from each of the APs, AP-level topology information according to a degree of interference with adjacent APs and AP weight information given to each AP by a service provider; determining a minimum guaranteed resource amount for each of the APs based on the acquired AP-level topology information and AP weight information; and transmitting the determined minimum guaranteed resource amount to each of the APs.

Abstract: Provided are anti-human ?-synuclein-specific binding molecules, e.g., antibodies or antigen-binding fragments, variants or derivatives thereof, as methods related thereto. Further provided are anti-human ?-synuclein binding molecules which bind to specific N-terminal and C-terminal epitopes on human ?-synuclein. The binding molecules described herein can be used in pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions for ?-synuclein targeted immunotherapy and diagnosis, respectively.

Abstract: A polymer including a self-immolative polymer segment and a thermally-activated trigger moiety is described. The self-immolative polymer segment includes a head end, a tail end, and a plurality of repeating units. The trigger moiety includes a cycloaddition adduct that is covalently coupled to the head end of the self-immolative polymer segment. When the polymer is exposed to an activation temperature, the cycloaddition adduct undergoes retro-cycloaddition to release the self-immolative polymer segment. The self-immolative polymer segment then decomposes to sequentially release repeating units in a head-to-tail direction.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to polymer ligands that are optimally suited for surface-functionalizing magnetic nanoparticles. The amphiphilic polymers are prepared by coupling several amine-terminated anchoring groups, polyethylene glycol moieties, and reactive groups onto a poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PIMA) chain. The reaction of maleic anhydride groups with amine-containing molecules is highly-efficient and occurs in one-step. The availability of several dopamine groups in the same ligand greatly enhances the ligand affinity, via multiple-coordination, to the magnetic NPs, while the hydrophilic and reactive groups promote colloidal stability in buffer media and allow subsequent conjugation with target biomolecules. Nanoparticles ligated with terminally reactive polymers have been easily coupled to target dyes and tested in live cell imaging with no measurable cytotoxicity.

Abstract: A motion vector estimation method in video encoding: First, a feature point is detected in a video frame. Next, motion estimation is performed on the feature point to obtain a motion vector of the feature point. Next, the feature point is mapped to a feature image block, and the motion vector of the feature point is used as an initial motion vector of the feature image block. Finally, a distance between each image block and the feature image block is calculated, motion estimation is performed on the image blocks in an ascending order of the distances between the image blocks and the feature image block, and an obtained motion vector of an image block is used as an initial motion vector of an image block that is adjacent to the image block and has not undergone motion estimation, until motion estimation is completed for the image blocks in the entire video frame.

Abstract: There are provided peptide tags derived from bacteriophytochrome (BphP) that is photoreceptor protein of Deinococcus <i/> radiodurans, an antibody capable of specifically recognizing the peptide tags, hybridoma cell lines capable of producing the antibody, and uses thereof. The novel peptide tag has advantages in that it has a short length and can remove a non-specific reaction of the conventional c-myc tag and FLAG tag. Therefore, in the case of using the novel peptide tag and antibody thereto, the fusion protein expressed in a recombinant cell can be very effectively detected or purified. In addition, an epitope tagging system including the novel peptide tag and antibody thereto can be applied in various fields such as a determination of an intracellular site, a confirmation of functionality, detection and purification of specific protein, and researches on interaction between proteins.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for ameliorating chronic pain signaling involving transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) by expressing PP1? in neurons. The invention also provides HSV vectors for expressing PP1? within neurons and compositions comprising such vectors.

Abstract: The present invention is in the field of organic and natural product chemistry. The present invention relates to an efficient process for purification, simultaneous extraction, and separation of monohydroxycarotenoids from dihydroxycarotenoids in various natural products or in synthetic mixtures. Similarly, the process can also be applied to the simultaneous extraction, saponification, and separation of esterified mono- and dihydroxycarotenoids in natural products and their oleoresins or in their synthetic mixtures. Therefore, esterified and unesterified monohydroxycarotenoids such as (3R)-?-cryptoxanthin and (3R,6?R)-?-cryptoxanthin can be efficiently separated from their corresponding dihydroxycarotenoids such as (3R,3?R,6?R)-lutein and (3R,3?R)-zeaxanthin that are found in various plants or in synthetic mixtures.