Abstract: A viral vector delivery system for both respiratory and digestive tracts of pigs and an application thereof are provided. The viral vector delivery system includes a backbone plasmid and a helper plasmid. The backbone plasmid is produced by inserting a full-length cDNA of porcine enterovirus B (PEVB) into a pUC57 plasmid. The helper plasmid is produced by inserting a green fluorescent protein-coding gene into a plasmid pCAG-T7-polymerase. The viral vector delivery system can be constructed with high efficiency, can quickly cause a cytopathic effect (CPE) after infecting cells, has a viral titer up to 107.75 TCID50/mL, and can maintain high stability. A pathogenic epitope for the respiratory and digestive tracts of pigs is inserted into the backbone plasmid to produce a vaccine antigen, which is non-pathogenic, has high stability and a high viral titer, and allows a prominent immunization effect after being inoculated in pigs.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for purifying salt water. The method comprises the steps of removing at least a portion of salt in the salt water to form a potable water and introducing the at least a portion of the salt removed from the salt water to a water feed.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a system for disinfecting a fluid. The system can comprise: a cylindrically-shaped outer electrode defining an internal cavity: a center electrode positioned within the internal cavity, the center electrode extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the outer electrode: an inlet positioned proximate a first end of the outer electrode and configured to allow a fluid to pass from an area external to the internal cavity into the internal cavity; and an outlet positioned proximate a second end of the outer electrode and configured to allow the fluid to pass from the internal cavity into an area external to the internal cavity. The outer electrode and the center electrode can comprise at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, and zinc.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a system for disinfecting a fluid, the system comprising: an outer electrode defining an internal cavity; a center electrode comprising a plurality of surface area members, the center electrode positioned within the internal cavity and extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the outer electrode; an inlet positioned proximate a first end of the outer electrode and configured to allow a fluid to pass from an area external to the cavity into the cavity; and an outlet positioned proximate a second end of the outer electrode and configured to allow the fluid to pass from the cavity into an area external to the cavity. A voltage supply can be configured to supply a voltage across the outer electrode and center electrode, the voltage generating a non-uniform electric field distribution on a cross-sectional plane of the system.

Abstract: A method for providing recommendations to a user includes assigning one or more item tags from a known set of tags to one or more items of a plurality of items; assigning one or more user tags from the known set of tags to a user; determining at least one taste cluster having one or more cluster tags from the known set of tags, wherein the taste cluster shares at least one shared tag with the one or more user tags and with the one or more item tags; affiliating at least one item of the plurality of items with the taste cluster based on the shared tag; affiliating the user with the taste cluster based on the shared tag; and presenting to the user at least one presented item of the plurality of items affiliated with the taste cluster.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for microorganism and/or biofilm inactivation that can comprise an antimicrobial surface. The antimicrobial surface can comprise a plurality of electrodes arranged in a predetermined pattern. The antimicrobial surface can include an insulative material which can coat at least a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes. The antimicrobial surface can include an external power source that can be configured to supply electrical power to the plurality of electrodes to at least in part induce the electric field via the plurality of electrodes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of transport using a hydrogel material, the method comprising: providing a hydrogel material comprising a polymer scaffold comprising a plurality of pores, the polymer scaffold having an affinity to an active component; mixing the hydrogel material with liquid to cause the polymer scaffold to swell to a pore size, the pore size configured to allow the active component to pass therethrough; binding the active component with the hydrogel material; and exposing the hydrogel material to one or more stimuli, thereby causing the hydrogel material to release the active component. Also disclosed herein are hydrogel materials used for the same.

Abstract: A method including receiving a specimen comprising a carrier, a first target species, and a first component and storing at least a portion of the carrier and the first target species in a storage media by self-driven filtering of the specimen in the storage media, wherein the storage media comprises porous superabsorbent polymer (PSAP) beads. The PSAP beads provide for fast and self-driven microfiltration of biofluid samples. The treatment effectively separates small analytical targets (e.g., glucose, catalase, and bacteriophage) and large undesired components (e.g., bacteria and blood cells) in the biofluids by capturing the former inside and excluding the latter outside the PSAP beads. The treatment can reduce sample volume, self-aliquot the liquid sample, avoid microbial contamination, separate plasma from blood cells, stabilize target species inside the beads, and enable long-term storage at room temperature.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for harvesting microalgae and to porous superabsorbent polymeric materials useful in such processes.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a map-matching module that supports a Global Positioning System (GPS) and provides a user with a best match trajectory corresponding to GPS sampling points taken at a low sampling rate. The best match trajectory is based upon a spatial-temporal analysis.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a map-matching module that supports a Global Positioning System (GPS) and provides a user with a best match trajectory corresponding to GPS sampling points taken at a low sampling rate. The best match trajectory is based upon a spatial-temporal analysis.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a system for disinfecting a fluid. The system can comprise: a cylindrically-shaped outer electrode defining an internal cavity; a center electrode positioned within the internal cavity, the center electrode extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the outer electrode; an inlet positioned proximate a first end of the outer electrode and configured to allow a fluid to pass from an area external to the internal cavity into the internal cavity; and an outlet positioned proximate a second end of the outer electrode and configured to allow the fluid to pass from the internal cavity into an area external to the internal cavity. The outer electrode and the center electrode can comprise at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, and zinc.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a system for disinfecting a fluid, the system comprising: an outer electrode defining an internal cavity; a center electrode comprising a plurality of surface area members, the center electrode positioned within the internal cavity and extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the outer electrode; an inlet positioned proximate a first end of the outer electrode and configured to allow a fluid to pass from an area external to the cavity into the cavity; and an outlet positioned proximate a second end of the outer electrode and configured to allow the fluid to pass from the cavity into an area external to the cavity. A voltage supply can be configured to supply a voltage across the outer electrode and center electrode, the voltage generating a non-uniform electric field distribution on a cross-sectional plane of the system.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a train coupler structural health monitoring system. The system includes one or more sensors mounted to or integrated with the train coupler, a data acquisition unit for receiving signal or data from the sensors, and a processing unit for determining the train coupler's structural health based on the received signal or data. Inspections via the system can be performed in real time continuously or periodically while a train is in service. It can also be performed offline while a train is not in service. Inspection method can be either passive, where sensors collect signals without generating excitation signals to the structure, or active, where some sensors are used as actuators to actively send excitation signals to the structure and other sensors or the actuators themselves collect the structural response signals. The data acquisition unit receives signals or data from sensors.

Abstract: Techniques for providing a trajectory route to multiple geographical locations of interest are described. This disclosure describes receiving global position system (GPS) logs associated with respective individual devices, each of the GPS logs including trajectories connecting a set of geographical locations previously visited by an individual of a respective individual device. A trajectory route service receives a request for a trajectory connecting a set of geographical locations of interest specified by a user. The trajectory route service calculates a proximal similarity between (1) the set of geographical locations of interest specified by the user, and (2) respective sets of geographical locations from the GPS logs. The trajectory route service constructs the requested trajectory with use of at least one of the trajectories from the GPS logs determined at least in part according to the calculated proximal similarities.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a map-matching module that supports a Global Positioning System (GPS) and provides a user with a best match trajectory corresponding to GPS sampling points taken at a low sampling rate. The best match trajectory is based upon a spatial-temporal analysis.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a map-matching module that supports a Global Positioning System (GPS) and provides a user with a best match trajectory corresponding to GPS sampling points taken at a low sampling rate. The best match trajectory is based upon a spatial-temporal analysis.

Abstract: Described herein is a mixing entropy battery including a cationic electrode for sodium ion exchange and an anionic electrode for chloride ion exchange, where the cationic electrode includes at least one Prussian Blue material, and where the mixing entropy battery is configured to convert salinity gradient into electricity.