Abstract: Systems and methods to identify and/or reduce or eliminate sample motion artifacts are disclosed. Sample motion artifacts may be reduced or eliminated using scan patterns where an acquisition time difference between when perimeter pixels in adjacent tiles are acquired is reduced, as compared to a conventional raster scan to reduce or eliminate discontinuities that would otherwise appear at tile boundaries in an image. In some embodiments, test images acquired using relatively small test scan patterns or intensities of test points acquired at different times may be compared to determine whether sample motion has occurred. In some embodiments, intensity of adjacent pixels at a tile boundary are compared. In some embodiments, intensity of one or more single pixels is monitored over time to determine whether sample motion has occurred over a period of time. In some embodiments, a flattening or reshaping tool may be used to suppress sample motion during imaging.

Abstract: The present disclosure is drawn to methods of utilizing nucleic acid barcodes and corresponding amplifying sites in cells in which the barcodes naturally occur. These barcodes and amplifying sites are reconfigured into a single nucleic acid cassette that provides for ease of use in tagging particular species, strains, or variants of cells, each with a different barcode. These barcodes can be used to track the colonization capabilities of the barcoded cells. The present disclosure further provides for assays that utilize natural barcodes to measure relative microbial colonization ability of a plant root system.

Abstract: An air system includes an enclosure. A compressor, a first energy exchange device, an expansion device, and a second energy exchange device are each positioned in or along the enclosure and connected in a closed refrigerant loop. A first inlet receives air being psychrometrically controlled in the enclosure from a first source. A first outlet removes the psychrometrically controlled air from the enclosure. A second inlet receives air being non-psychrometrically controlled in the enclosure from a second source. A second outlet removes the non-psychrometrically controlled air from the enclosure. A third energy exchange device positioned in or along the enclosure exchanges energy between the psychrometrically controlled air and the non-psychrometrically controlled air. The enclosure is adapted for insertion through an opening having opposed parallel sides having a dimension of 36 inches or less.

Abstract: An air system includes an enclosure. A compressor, a first energy exchange device, an expansion device, and a second energy exchange device are each positioned in or along the enclosure and connected in a closed refrigerant loop. A first inlet receives air being psychrometrically controlled in the enclosure from a first source. A first outlet removes the psychrometrically controlled air from the enclosure. A second inlet receives air being non-psychrometrically controlled in the enclosure from a second source. A second outlet removes the non-psychrometrically controlled air from the enclosure. A third energy exchange device positioned in or along the enclosure exchanges energy between the psychrometrically controlled air and the non-psychrometrically controlled air. The enclosure is adapted for insertion through an opening having opposed parallel sides having a dimension of 36 inches or less.

Abstract: A new class of biotin protein ligase (BPL) inhibitors that have antibacterial activity against multiple Staphylococcus aureus isolates, including clinically important methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are disclosed that are non-toxic.