Award Data

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely used and extremely sensitive analytical technique for qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Superconducting Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimeter detectors have now been developed that achieve an energy resolution of 2 eV for 1.5 keV X-rays, which is sufficient to enable the measurement of the small shift of the X-ray line position that ...

In the proposed effort, we will leverage this extensive experience and capabilities to realize a frequency agile mmW radiometer that can cover the range of DC-110 GHz and can be scaled to DC-200 GHz under Phase II. Ours is a photonic system that multiplies and up-coverts a low-frequency reference signal onto an optical carrier (laser) using EO modulation, then uses the modulation sidebands to inj ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term goal of this project is to develop and commercialize noninvasive equipment, called the sleep and respiratory track (SARTrak) system, for high throughput detection of sleep apnea in animals. The specific goal for the Phase I application is to design and evaluate a basic model of the SARTrak system with eight chambers (one chamber per animal), i.e. ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to synthesize, based on genomic sequence information, a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain with demonstrated ability to establish persistent infection in sero-positive individuals. The resulting synthetic product will form the basis for the development of attenuated HCMV vaccines. Innovative synthetic biology methods will overcome ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate a position tracking and mobility assessment system that will enable the elderly to live longer and more safely at home or in an assisted living facility. The ability to move is a critical function tat underlies the quality of life for the elderly. Changes in mobility such as speed of walking have been shown to ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although balance and gait disorders are one of the most common and devastating chronic medical problems of older people, especially those with chronic neurological diseases, clinicians or clinical researchers do not measure balance and gait frequently, accurately, or sensitively. Our long-term goal is to develop and commercialize a unique system called the Hom ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to develop tumor necrosis factor (TNF )-inhibiting compounds as neuroprotectant drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Current FDA-approved AD interventions are symptomatic treatments with limited efficacy which do not affect AD etiology or modify the course of disease progression. Thus, a critical need exists for a nov ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Marital discord is a significant risk factor for a range of negative mental and physical health outcomes.1, 2 Individuals in unhappy relationships experience increases in stress, anxiety, functional impairment, and depressive symptoms3 and are at significant risk for substance abuse disorders.4-7 Furthermore, work loss associated with marital problems translate ...

Summary Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is believed to be a widespread, under-diagnosed condition associated with detrimental health problems, at a high cost to society. The current gold standard for diagnosis of SDB is a time- consuming, expensive, and obtrusive (requiring many attached wires) sleep study, or polysomnography (PSG). The immediate objective of the proposed research is to develop a ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Topical fluorides have been the mainstay in the prevention of dental caries for decades. However, topical fluoride alone is not enough to thwart tooth decay in high-risk populations. The purpose of this Phase I application is to determine the technical and scientific feasibility of using a combination povidone-iodine (PVP-I)-5% sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish as ...