Abstract: The present disclosure provides a variant tyrosine hydroxylase that provides for increased production of L-DOPA in a host cell that expresses the tyrosine hydroxylase. The present disclosure provides nucleic acids encoding the variant tyrosine hydroxylase, and host cells genetically modified with the nucleic acids. The present disclosure provides methods of making L-DOPA in a host cell. The present disclosure provides methods of making a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA), or a BIA precursor. The present disclosure provides methods of detecting L-DOPA level in a cell. The present disclosure provides methods of identifying tyrosine hydroxylase variants that provide for increased L-DOPA production; and methods of identifying gene products that provide for increased tyrosine production.

Abstract: There are provided processes for treating wastewater. The processes can comprise treating a mixture comprising the wastewater and an activated sludge, in a single reactor, with an electric current having a density of less than about 55 A/m2, by means of at least one anode and at least one cathode that define therebetween an electrical zone for treating the mixture; exposing the mixture to an intermittent ON/OFF electrical exposure mode to the electric current in which an OFF period of time is about 1 to about 10 times longer than an ON period of time; and maintaining an adequate oxidation-reduction potential in the single reactor. Such processes allow for substantial removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater in the single reactor of various forms and for obtaining another mixture comprising a treated wastewater and solids.

Abstract: A concave diffraction grating for integrated optics is constructed by replacing the reflective metallic part by either multiple thin elements of metal or multiple elements of dielectric material, each partially reflecting the light, and arranged on elliptical fashion in order to distribute the diffraction/reflection of light and provide aberration-free focusing, by combining diffraction condition and Bragg condition of these curved reflectors.

Abstract: There are provided processes for treating a residual. For example, such processes can comprise treating a mixture comprising the residual, a peracid or source thereof and an ammonium salt in a reactor, with an electric field, by means of at least one anode and at least one cathode that define therebetween an electrokinetic zone for treating the mixture. Such processes allow for inactivation of at least one type of pathogen in the residual so as to obtain a treated residual.

Abstract: A device, a method of fabricating the device and a sample analysis system that includes the device are provided. The device includes an optical waveguide having a plurality of nanofeatures integrated thereon to influence at least one of evanescence and coupling of an optical field of the optical waveguide. The sample analysis system includes a fluidic actuation system for introducing sample specimen fluid into a microfluidic channel of the device for evanescence based detection.

Abstract: A method comprising preparing a solution of clay particles solution, submitting the solution of clay particles first to a high pressure and high velocity flow for shearing the particles in the solution of clay particles, and to a sudden lower pressure, whereby the particles explode into the mist of the solution of clay particles, and mixing the finely dispersed clay solution, whereby epoxy is introduced in the solution of clay particles during on of the above steps of preparing the solution of clay particles or dispersing the solution of clay particles or to the resulting dispersed solution of clay particles, yielding an extremely fine and homogeneous distribution of the particles of nanodimensions in the epoxy, yielding a high-performance nanocomposite epoxy.

Abstract: The present application is directed to a technological platform with integrated microfluidic and optical modules for bio-detection. The platform enables in-situ detection by integrating fluidics with optical source and detection capabilities within a fabricated microchip. The platform is a polymer-based microfluidic chip having integrated excitation source and detection elements in a vicinity of a microfluidic reaction chamber configured to contain a micro-volume of a test sample. The principle of detection is based on an excitation source induced fluorescence of the test sample within the microfluidic reaction chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are cracking catalysts useful in the thermo-catalytic cracking (TCC)—formerly called selective deep catalytic cracking (SDCC)—of petroleum naphthas, gas oils and other heavy hydrocarbon distillates to selectively produce light olefins, said catalyst comprising mesoporous mixed oxides modified by the presence of inorganic compounds containing chemical elements selected from phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine and mixtures thereof, said catalyst being supported on yttria stabilized zirconium oxide and/or aluminum oxide. Preferably, the catalyst will have the the following formula: (a) MoO3 and/or WO3; (b) La2O3; (c) CeO2; (d) P, S or Cl; (e) ZrO2; (f) Y2O3. Also preferably, the catalyst will be combined with a material selected from an acidic crystalline (modified or not) zeolite, an acidic silica molecular sieve and an acidic alumina. Also disclosed are methods of making said cracking catalysts. The cracking catalysts can be used in both mono- and dual reactor configurations.

Abstract: A method comprising preparing a solution of clay particles solution, submitting the solution of clay particles first to a high pressure and high velocity flow for shearing the particles in the solution of clay particles, and to a sudden lower pressure, whereby the particles explode into the mist of the solution of clay particles, and mixing the finely dispersed clay solution, whereby epoxy is introduced in the solution of clay particles during on of the above steps of preparing the solution of clay particles or dispersing the solution of clay particles or to the resulting dispersed solution of clay particles, yielding an extremely fine and homogeneous distribution of the particles of nanodimensions in the epoxy, yielding a high-performance nanocomposite epoxy.