Boats and other watercrafts have emergency lifesaving equipment like strobe lamps to help rescuers locate individuals overboard in the event of a disaster. The battery life of the equipment is limited, so the amount of time rescuers have to find the victims is also limited. An emergency battery charger that can power emergency equipment is needed to remove this limitation.

Shrimp boat operators use two trawl retrieval mechanisms mounted on the same winch frame. The main spools are used in the first operation; the shrimpers stand within inches of rotating cathead drums and guide incoming wire rope onto the main spools. Second, lazy lines are wrapped multiple times around each of the two spinning catheads (horizontal beams that raise and secure the anchor). Lastly, the guarding ends are pulled by the operators to cinch the rope to the rotating spool aiding trawl retrieval, but poses a hazard for operators to get entangled in the spinning cathead spools.

SIRT1, a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, is the most conserved member of the sirtuins family. Through deacetylation of a number of protein substrates that are important transcription factors or co-factors, SIRT1 regulates many vital biological processes such as metabolism, cellular stress response, stem cell pluripotency, and development.

This invention is a platform technology that pertains to the advantages of conjugating therapeutics to Evans Blue thus providing long lasting pharmacokinetic profiles by complexing with albumin. Notably, albumin bound therapeutic- or prodrug-Evans Blue conjugates provide a complex with a total molecular size above 60 kDa thus eliminating the risk for renal clearance. Interestingly, since albumin also crosses the blood-brain barrier and since all circulating Evans Blue is bound to albumin, Evans Blue bound therapeutics or prodrugs can also cross the blood-brain barrier.

The invention concerns novel capsid-free AAV vectors that can be used for gene delivery and gene therapy applications. The invention provides for a linear nucleic acid molecule comprising in this order: a first adeno-associated virus (AAV) inverted terminal repeat (ITR), a nucleotide sequence of interest, and a second AAV ITR, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is devoid of AAV capsid protein coding sequences. The said nucleic acid molecule can be applied to a host at repetition without eliciting an immune response.

Anti-neoplastic drugs, also known as anti-cancer drugs or chemotherapy, are used in the treatment of many types of cancer. However, these drugs are harmful to healthy cells as well as the cancerous cells. Exposure of healthcare workers to anti-neoplastic drugs from contaminated surfaces and drug vials in hospitals and pharmacies is a continuing problem as the drugs can cause both acute and long-term effects. Although there are sensitive techniques to evaluate contamination, results from these tests take time and must be performed in a laboratory.

Counterfeit drugs (also known as “fake or falsified medicines”) have become a major world-wide public health concern. Falsified medicines may contain toxic substances, the wrong active ingredients, suboptimal amounts of active ingredients, or no active ingredients at all. CDC researchers developed a portable (handheld), battery-operated, and relatively inexpensive device that non-trained personnel can use quickly to evaluate a particular branded tablet for authenticity.

Airborne particles can have great impact on air quality, weather, and human health. In particular, long-term inhalation of toxic particulate matter in workplaces could pose a significant health risk. NIOSH scientists have developed a new, low-cost approach based on application of atmospheric radio frequency glow discharge (rf-GD) optical emission spectroscopy for near real-time measurement of elemental concentration in aerosols. The method involves collection of aerosol particles on an electrode tip in a coaxial microelectrode system, followed by excitation of the particles using rf-GD.

NIH scientists have identified new compositions that could potentially be used to treat or prevent pruritus (itchiness). The newly discovered compounds can block a newly identified itch pathway and might be effective for persistent itch caused by psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, renal failure, liver cirrhosis and chemotherapy. These compounds are different from commonly used antihistamines which induce drowsiness and sedation. These compounds have the potential to be used for human and animals.