Abstract: Provided by the inventive concept or nanoplastic or microplastic particles, reference standard materials including nanoplastic or microplastic particles, methods of using, and methods of preparing the same. Uses of the nanoplastic and/or microplastic particles of the inventive concept include tracking of nanoplastic and/or microplastic particle dispersion/distribution in environmental and/or biological systems, as well as in organisms that are within the environment.

Abstract: The medical devices of the present disclosure are filled reservoirs such as a cylinder comprised of a polymer film which contains a reservoir of active agent, plus excipient, in some cases, for disease prevention, treatment, and/or contraception. The polymer film is permeable to the active agent after subcutaneous implantation of the device into a body. The cylinder is comprised by the lamination of one or two polymer films which are ultrasonically welded to contain the drug material. The use of an ultrasonic welding process enables sealing of the polymer films to create the closed cylinder. The medical device is useful for long term disease prevention, such as prevention of HIV infection.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to cementitious fluids comprising additives configured to form a permeable cement matrix after curing of the cement. The cementitious fluids can comprise a cementitious medium (e.g., a cement slurry) with a plurality of fibers dispersed therein. The fibers can be hollow, can be porous, and can be degradable. The cementitious fluid particularly can be used in methods of stimulating hydrocarbon bearing formations. Specifically, the cementitious fluid can be injected into the formation to form or enlarge a fracture, and the fluid can be cured to form the permeable cement matrix, said permeability arising from a loosely assembled tubular network and/or passages remaining after degradation of the fibers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to cementitious fluids comprising additives configured to form a permeable cement matrix after curing of the cement. The cementitious fluids can comprise a cementitious medium (e.g., a cement slurry) with a plurality of fibers dispersed therein. The fibers can be hollow, can be porous, and can be degradable. The cementitious fluid particularly can be used in methods of stimulating hydrocarbon bearing formations. Specifically, the cementitious fluid can be injected into the formation to form or enlarge a fracture, and the fluid can be cured to form the permeable cement matrix, said permeability arising from a loosely assembled tubular network and/or passages remaining after degradation of the fibers.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for highly-specific detection of hybridization of single stranded nucleic acids. The invention also provides methods for target identification which rely on this highly-specific hybridization detection. Targets suitable for detection include, but are not limited to, nucleic acid biomarkers. The methods of the invention can employ an on-chip, DNA polymerase-dependent labeling scheme termed primer extension (PEX) to couple biotinylated deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) molecules to nucleic acid hybrids bound to a solid substrate, allowing for subsequent recognition by biotin-binding-protein-labeled photoinitiators. Surface-initiated polymerization from these surface bound photoinitiators can lead to the formation of macroscale amounts of polymeric material, thereby amplifying the signal from the initial molecular recognition event.