Abstract:
The present invention provides a gel comprising a physical network formed of polymer chain crystallites interconnected by amorphous chain segments. Functionalization of the chain segments between the crystallites forms a blocky distribution of functionality along the chain whereby the functionalities are concentrated in groups consisting of one or more functionalities, separated by non-functionalized runs of crystallizable segments of the polymer. Removal of the solvent from the gels, without reducing the gel volume, forms an aerogel.
Abstract:
An energy-efficient method of removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other acid gases from a stream of flue gases. The flue stream is contacted with a predetermined sorbent system to remove acid gases from the flue stream. The acid gas-rich sorbent is then heated to desorb the acid gas for capture and regenerate the sorbent. Heat exchangers and heat pumps are used to reduce utility steam and/or cooling water consumption.
Abstract:
A circuit for tuning a resonance frequency of an electrically small antenna. The circuit includes a first source configured for providing a modulation signal, a second source configured for providing a periodic electrical signal, an antenna, and a tuning circuit configured for modulating a resonance frequency of the antenna in response to the modulation signal. The tuning circuit includes first and second capacitors that are alternately coupled to the antenna to change the resonance frequency of the antenna. The capacitor currently coupled to the antenna is decoupled from the antenna and the other capacitor is coupled to the antenna when the voltage across the capacitor currently coupled to the antenna is momentarily zero. In an exemplary embodiment, the tuning circuit comprises first and second inductors rather than capacitors. The inductors are switched into and out of the circuit when the current through the currently coupled inductor is momentarily zero.
Abstract:
Gas separation membrane compositions including at least one crosslinked polymer, gas separation membranes made of such compositions, methods for making such gas separation membranes, and methods of using such membranes to separate gases are described. In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer includes polyarylene ethers
Abstract:
An HDAC6 inhibitor (a compound of Formula I) is shown to reduce the pathogenesis associated with the B cell mediated autoimmune disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Administration of a compound of Formula I attenuated many of the symptoms characteristic of SLE including splenomegaly, abnormal B cell differentiation, an increase in the number double-negative thymic T cells, an increase in the level of auto-antibodies such as anti-dsDNA, immune complex -mediated glomerulonephritis and an increase in inflammatory cytokine production. Treatment with a compound of Formula I also increased the number of the subject's splenic Treg cells while removing circulating auto-antibodies. Inhibition of HDAC6 altered bone marrow B cell differentiation by increasing the percentage of cells in the early-stage developmental fractions of both pro-and pre-B cells. These results demonstrate HDAC6 inhibition with a compound of Formula I can treat SLE disease by altering aberrant T and B cell differentiation.
Abstract:
Provided are dielectrophoresis (DEP) devices and methods that allow cell sorting to identify, isolate, and/or separate cells of interest based on electrical and physical properties of the cells. Particularly, provided are systems and methods for manipulating particles suspended in a fluid, e.g., cells, micro- or nano-particles, using their electrical signatures. Such methods can be performed using DEP, iDEP, and/or cDEP (contactless dielectrophoresis, where direct contact between the electrodes and the sample is avoided). Typically, an electric field is induced in a sample comprising the target particles and/or cells, such as cancer cells, and the spatial distribution of cells is measured to identify one or more characteristics or properties of the cancer cells. The identified characteristics of the sorted cells can be used to determine drug efficacy and/or resistance with respect to the cells.
Abstract:
The disclosure provides methods and systems for assessing microsatellites, for identifying informative microsatellite loci, and for using microsatellite data. Microsatellite information has numerous uses including, for example, to characterize disease risk, to predict responsiveness to therapy, and to non-invasively diagnose subjects.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention provide a pool cleaner control system including a laser range finder with a first laser line generator, a second laser line generator, and a camera. The first laser line generator and the second laser line generator are positioned to emit parallel laser lines and the camera is positioned to capture an image of the laser lines projected on an object. The control system also includes a controller in communication with the laser range finder and configured to control operation of the laser line generators to emit the laser lines and to control the camera to capture the image. The controller is also configured to receive the image from the camera, calculate a pixel distance between the laser lines in the image, and calculate the physical distance between the camera and the object based on the pixel distance.
Abstract:
Textured PMN-PZT fabricated by templated grain growth (TGG) method has a piezoelectric coefficient ( d ) of 3 to 5 times that of its random counterpart. By combining this TGG method with low-temperature co-firing ceramics (LTCC) techniques, co-fired multilayer textured piezoelectric ceramic materials with inner electrodes were produced at a temperature as low as 925 °C, which silver could be used. Trilayer PMN-PZT ceramics prepared by this method show a strain increase of 2.5 times, a driving voltage decrease of 3 times, and an equivalent piezoelectric coefficient ( d* ) improvement of 10 to 15 times that of conventional random ceramic counterparts. Further, a co-fired magnetostrictive / piezoelectric / magnetostrictive laminate structure with silver inner electrode was also synthesized. The integration of textured piezoelectric microstructure with the cost-effective low-temperature co-fired layered structure achieves strong magnetoelectric coupling. These new materials have promising applications including as actuators, ultrasonic transducers, and use in energy harvesters.