University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees

This disclosure provides a method of treating a neurodegenerative disease that includes administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of an agent that specifically reduces a level or activity of protein kinase A regulatory (PKA) subunit 1β (R1β).

A marine animal trap entry is assembled from a plurality of identically molded, semi-circular mating sections each including a semi-circular base and a plurality of flexible tapered fingers extending from the base. The plurality of mating sections are detachably assembled together to form an annular base portion and a tapered conical entry portion formed by the plurality of flexible tapered fingers. The plurality of fingers taper inwardly towards an apex of the conical entry portion wherein the annular base portion and conical entry portion are co-axial along a longitudinal axis of the trap entry. The semicircular mating sections are separated parallel to the axis of the trap entry. The plurality of flexible fingers are curved with an inwardly facing convex surface. Each of the semi-circular mating sections is molded from a biodegradable polymer.

Methods, systems and a self-sensing valve assembly are described for monitoring seal life. The method includes providing a valve assembly movable from an open position to a closed position and including a seal seated within the valve and in contact with a surface of the valve assembly, wherein when the seal is in operation it is subject to degradation. At least one sensor is placed for measuring micro strain on a surface of the valve assembly or within the valve assembly. The valve assembly is placed in an operation wherein the seal is subject to degradation and the operation of the valve assembly is initiated. At a time after the operation is initiated, micro strain data is recorded and at least one other property related to a condition selected from an ambient condition of operation and a condition related to degradation of the seal is recorded; and the recorded data is analyzed against baseline data associated with 100% seal life to evaluate seal life at the time after the operation is initiated as a percentage of seal life less than 100%.

Disclosed herein is the fabrication of a photo-regulated nanopore by covalently linking a photoswitch to the interior of a silicon-based membrane and related methods of translocating an analyte and distinguishing molecule types through such a nanopore.

The present disclosure provides compounds, complexes, compositions, and methods for the detection of cancer. Specifically, the compounds, complexes, compositions of the present technology include pH (low) insertion peptides. Also disclosed herein are methods of using the complexes and compositions of the present technology in diagnostic imaging to detect cancer in a subject.

A composition and method of synthesizing a composition from organic oils and industrial byproducts for use as a corrosion inhibitor coating is disclosed. The synthesis of a rapid setting ionomer is the result of iron-induced polymerization of oleic and linoleic acids, where an alkaline ionomeric reaction is facilitated with a small fraction of pure aluminum leaf at room temperature. At least one alkaline reagent is employed with at least one metallic additive to form metal complex ionomers that form a solid polymer. The resulting ionomer is stirred and applied on the substrate as a surface coating and it starts setting in less than thirty minutes.

Method of manufacturing lithium trifluoro(nitrato) borate as an additive for lithium-ion secondary cells, including, a) at room temperature, adding boron trifluoride complex dropwise to a solution of lithium nitrate in methanol to form a first solution, stirring the first solution overnight and removing volatile solvents in vacuo to obtain a first solid product; b) dissolving the first solid product in ester solvent, adding toluene to form a second solution, stirring the second solution overnight to obtain a white precipitate; c) decanting solvents in the second solution, drying the white precipitate in vacuo to obtain lithium trifluoro(nitrato) borate as the additive for lithium-ion secondary cells. Further disclosed is an electrolyte containing the above prepared lithium trifluoro(nitrato) borate and lithium-ion secondary cells using the electrolytes. The addition lithium trifluoro(nitrato) borate in the electrolytes may, for example, improve specific capacity of the cell and maintain an efficiency of over 85% after 100 cycles.

Temperature measurements are critical in gas turbine engine design but difficult to obtain due to the extreme environment. Temperature indicating paints (thermal paints) have been used for decades to map maximum temperature fields on superalloy components but have numerous weaknesses. Disclosed herein are novel glass ceramic thermal paints that undergo viscous flow sintering to indicate temperatures up to 1000° C., with high resolution (±5° C.), by an optical transition. Disclosed paint formulations are designed to adhere to Nickel-based superalloys or SiC—SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC) by closely matching coefficients of thermal expansion and may function for times above 60 hours. By utilizing automation and a UV:VIS spectrometer, quantitative temperature maps can be generated for easy comparison to theoretical models. A transient sintering energy model is disclosed to recover full thermal history information.

A stable substrate is disclosed comprising one more nanopores coated with an adhesion layer of a stabilizing compound, covalently bound to the nanopore interior via at least one bonding site, and having at least one coupling site. The substrate further comprises a functional enhancement layer of coupling partner molecules bound to the adhesion layer with a bond between the stabilizing compound's coupling site and the coupling partner's coupling bonding site.

An optical core-shell microfibrous textile incorporates single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for the real-time optical monitoring of hydrogen peroxide concentrations and other biochemicals in in vitro wounds. The environmentally sensitive and non-photo-bleachable fluorescence of SWCNTs enable continuous analyte monitoring without a decay in signal over time. The microfibrous textiles spatially resolve chemical indicator concentrations using a camera and are integrated into commercial wound bandages without significant degradation in their optical properties.