The present invention relates to a low-cost, thermally reversible valve for paper-fluidic diagnostic devices. In particular, this invention demonstrates a tunable valve mechanism fabricated by wax-ink printing and localized heating via thin-film resistors to sequentially release liquids through a cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane. The wax-ink valve can obstruct fluid flow for a sustained time and are thermally actuated to release a controlled amount of liquid past the valve. This integrated paper-fluidic diagnostic assay device requires minimal user involvement, can be easily manufactured and tuned to meet various fluid delivery timing and incubation needs.

An open-cell foam structure that is used to detect and remove substances from water or air.

A method of identifying a natural product comprising NP—[X].sub.n is provided. The method includes several steps. The first step includes selecting an organism having a biosynthetic pathway for producing the natural product comprising NP—[X].sub.n using a bioinformatics algorithm. The second step includes preparing a sample suspected to contain NP—[X].sub.n including a complex cellular metabolite mixture from an organism. The third step includes reacting the sample suspected to contain NP—[X].sub.n with reactivity probe Y according to Scheme I: Scheme I. NP—[X].sub.n represents a natural product NP having a chemical moiety X that is susceptible to chemical modification by reactivity probe Y to form at least one product adduct NP—[X].sub.n-m [Z].sub.n in which chemical moiety X reacts with reactivity probe Y to form adduct Z, wherein n ranges from 1 to about 10 and m is at least 1 and m≦n. The fourth step includes optionally dereplicating the product collection of at least one known labeled metabolite to provide a depleted product collection including at least one unknown labeled metabolite. The fifth step includes determining the structure of the at least one unknown labeled metabolite, thereby identifying the natural product comprising NP—[X].sub.n.

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A method and device for quality controlling a blood-based product. In order to control the quality of a blood-based product which comprises an erythrocyte concentrate, a thrombocyte concentrate, a granulocyte concentrate, a leukocyte concentrate, whole blood and/or blood plasma, a Raman spectrum is recorded. By means of evaluating the Raman spectrum, it is determined whether the blood-based product can be used for a transfusion.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: (a) using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target in vitro or ex vivo cell population; (b) mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and (c) analysing said spectrometric data in order to identify and/or characterise said target cell population or one or more cells and/or compounds present in said target cell population.

A compound comprising, in combination: a cell surface binding ligand or internalizing factor, such as an IL-13Rα2 binding ligand; at least one effector molecule (e.g., one, two, three or more effector molecules); optionally but preferably, a cytosol localization element covalently coupled between said binding ligand and said at least one effector molecule; and a subcellular compartment localization signal element covalently coupled between said binding ligand and said at least one effector molecule (and preferably with said cytosol localization element between said binding ligand and said subcellular compartment localization signal element). Methods of using such compounds and formulations containing the same are also described.

Compounds able to affect production and/or activity of a redox active compound, which include candidate therapeutic compounds and candidate compounds for enhancing power output of a microbial fuel cell, and related compositions, methods and systems.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellin protein recruits the mammalian host sialidase enzyme neuraminidase-1 (NEU1) to remove sialic acid residues from the extracellular domain of the mammalian cell-surface protein MUC1 (MUC1-ED), thereby exposing a cryptic binding site on the MUC1-ED protein backbone for flagellin binding. NEU1-driven MUC1-ED desialylation rapidly increases P. aeruginosa adhesion to the airway epithelium. MUC1-ED desialylation also increases MUC1-ED cleavage and shedding from the cell surface, where desialylated, shed MUC1-ED competitively blocks P. aeruginosa adhesion to cell-associated MUC1-ED. Presented herein are data showing that exogenously-administered, deglycosylated MUC1-ED peptides reduced adhesion of P. aeruginosa to airway epithelial cells. Also presented are data showing that administration of P. aeruginosa to mice in combination with deglycosylated MUC1-ED decreased P. aeruginosa recovered from the lungs at 48 hr and 72 hr post-infection. Such findings are extended to the methods of treatment and prevention of bacterial infections defined herein.

A phage specific antibody presenting particle, devices and methods related to detection of phage amplification are provided. Specifically, described herein are compositions and methods for detecting Listeria bacteria using an antibody that recognized A511 anti-Listeria phage, wherein the antibody is conjugated to a nanoparticle that can be detected by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).

A solid supported branched linker assay system, including an alpha compound and a beta compounds reversibly tethered to a solid support; a branched linker coupled to the solid support that tethers the alpha and beta compounds to the solid support; the branched linker having two cleavable linkers that are chemically distinct from one another, wherein a first chemically distinct linker tethers the β compound to the branched linker and a second chemically distinct linker tethers the α compound to the branched linker; and at least two means for cleaving the chemically distinct linkers, wherein a first cleavage means is configured to selectively cleave a first chemically distinct linker and a second cleavage means is configured to selectively cleave a second chemically distinct linker.