Abstract: Provided herein are methods for forming a layer on a substrate wherein the layer is formed selectively on a first region of the substrate relative to a second region having a composition different than the first region. Methods of the invention include selectively forming a layer using an inhibitor agent capable of reducing the average acidity of a first region of the substrate having a composition characterized by a plurality of hydroxyl groups. Methods of the invention include selectively forming a layer by exposure of the substrate to: (i) an inhibitor agent comprising a substituted or an unsubstituted amine group, a substituted or an unsubstituted pyridyl group, a carbonyl group, or a combination of these, and (ii) a precursor gas comprising one or more ligands selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl group, an allyl group, combination thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are compounds that can act as inhibitors of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (“NAMPT”), and methods for their use in treating or preventing diseases, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (“PAH”). The compounds described herein can include compounds of Formula (II) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof: wherein the substituents are as described.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a multi-angulated catheter and methods of using the multi-angulated catheter. The multi-angulated catheter is so dimensioned as to facilitate accessing the left ventricle from an arm of a patient. The multi-angulated catheter generally includes in order: (a) a coiled end; (b) a first straight portion having a first straight portion length; (c) a first shaft including a distal end connected to the first straight portion and a proximal end opposite the distal end, the first shaft and the first straight portion defining a first obtuse angle, the first shaft having a first shaft length; and (d) a second shaft connected to the first shaft on said proximal end. The catheter is flexible so as to afford being straightened when it is advanced over a guide wire. The catheter resiliently returns to a multi-angulated position after the guide wire is withdrawn.

Abstract: Systems and kits are disclosed herein for genetic engineering (such as for DNA cleavage and gene-editing), which include catalytic nucleic acids and catalytic nucleic acid-assisting reagents. Methods of genetic engineering are also described, in which both catalytic nucleic acid-assisting reagents and catalytic nucleic acids are specific for a target site, thus, providing high-fidelity genetic engineering.

Abstract: Isolated polypeptides having enhanced affinity for a PDGF receptor and/or a VEGF receptor are provided. Compositions comprising the polypeptides and methods of use thereof are also provided.

Abstract: Variant guinea pig L-asparaginases which are truncated and humanized are described as are fusion proteins containing the L-asparaginase and use of the L-asparaginases in the treatment of cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.

Abstract: A process for alkane chlorination comprising: (a) providing an aqueous solution comprising dissolved alkanes selected from methane, ethane or combinations thereof; (b) providing an 0.005 to 0.050 M aqueous solution of trichloroisocyanuric acid, wherein the trichloroisocyanuric acid in solution forms cyanuric acid and hypochlorous acid; and (c) contacting the aqueous solution comprising dissolved alkanes with the aqueous solution of trichloroisocyanuric acid, wherein a liquid phase reaction between the dissolved alkanes and the hypochlorous acid forms a gaseous product stream comprising at least one of chloromethane and chloroethane.

Abstract: An imprinting platform including a noble metal catalyst, a semiconductor substrate, and a pre-patterned polymer stamp, where the catalyst is attached to the stamp, and related methods and articles.

Abstract: A method to control the density of a three-dimensional photonic crystal template involves changing the irradiation time from at least four laser beams to yield a periodic percolating matrix of mass and voids free of condensed matter from a photoresist composition. The photoresist composition includes a photoinitiator at a concentration where the dose or irradiation is controlled by the irradiation time and is less than the irradiation time that would convert all photoinitiator to initiating species such that the density of the three-dimensional photonic crystal template differs for different irradiation times. A deposition of reflecting or absorbing particles can be patterned on the surface of the photoresist composition to form a template with varying densities above different areas of the substrate.

Abstract: A three-dimensional photonic crystal template on a reflective substrate displays a periodic patterned from multibeam interference lithography with constructive volumes of a cured photoresist composition and destructive volumes that are voids free of mass containing defects and where the reflective substrate is conductive. A method to generate the three-dimensional photonic crystal template includes using at least four laser beams of unequal intensity, oriented such that a dose of light controlled by the irradiation time generates the periodic pattern with a small dose, where the light reflected from the substrate is insufficient to activate a threshold quantity of photoinitiator in the destructive volumes for the formation of any anomalous condensed matter in the intended void volume.

Abstract: A method of decomposing a cured aromatic epoxy resin uses a molten salt bath at less than about 350° C. The molten salt bath includes a plurality of alkali metal hydroxides. The cured aromatic epoxy resin can be in intimate physical contact with a metal or alloy. The cured aromatic epoxy resin can be patterned by a lithographic method. The lithographic method can be multibeam interference lithography to form a three-dimensional photonic crystal template on a conductive substrate for electrodeposition of metal. Contacting the three-dimensional photonic crystal template with the electrodeposited metal with the molten salt bath can form a metal matrix device displaying a periodic pattern that is the inverse of the periodic pattern of the decomposed three-dimensional photonic crystal template.

Abstract: A method to form a three-dimensional photonic crystal template with a gradient structure involves irradiating a photoresist composition of a thickness of at least 15 ?m from at least four laser beams to yield a periodic patterned with a percolating matrix of mass in constructive volumes of a cured photoresist composition and destructive volumes of voids free of condensed matter where the proportion of constructive volume displays a gradient from the irradiated surface to the substrate after development. For a given light intensity, photoinitiator concentration in the photoresist composition, and a given thickness, by irradiating for a relatively short period, a three-dimensional photonic crystal template displaying a gradient having greater constructive volume proximal the air interface forms and a relatively long irradiation period results in a gradient having greater constructive volume proximal the substrate.

Abstract: Photoredox catalysis has emerged as a powerful strategy for C—O cross-coupling reactions. We herein report a new class of tridentate pyridinophane ligands RN3 that allow for detailed mechanistic studies of the photocatalytic C—O coupling reaction. The derived (RN3)Ni complexes are active C—O cross-coupling photocatalysts under mild conditions and without an additional photocatalyst. We also utilized the RN3 ligands to study the essential but so far putative steps involving paramagnetic Ni species in a proposed catalytic cycle: the oxidative addition of an aryl bromide to a Ni(I) species, the ligand exchange at a Ni(III) center, and the C—O reductive elimination from a Ni(III) species.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a transgenic plant comprising one or more nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides selected from photosystem II subunit S (PsbS), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), and violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE), operably linked to at least one expression control sequence. Expression vectors for making transgenic plants, and methods for increasing biomass production and/or carbon fixation and/or growth in a plant comprising increasing expression of at least one of PsbS, ZEP and VDE polypeptides are also provided.

Abstract: This application provides fluidic devices, such as microfluidic devices, which can be used for the creation and/or manipulation of droplets in droplet-based microfluidic systems, as well as systems and methods for using the same. The microfluidic devices can be used to generate droplets, extract or inject volume to droplets, and/or split droplets. Also provided are methods for generating nucleosomes, and isolated DNA from nucleosomes (or from non-nucleosomes), for example using the disclosed devices.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies directed to agile transport for background traffic in cellular networks are disclosed herein. In various aspects, a system can include a processor and memory storing instructions that, upon execution, cause performance of operations. The operations can include determining a capacity of a communication path that communicatively couples a user equipment to a radio access network cell site. The operations can include identifying, from the radio access network cell site, a queue that is constructed for the user equipment. The operations can include assembling a plurality of probe burst packet sets from a background traffic flow. The operations can include probing the communication path for spare capacity using the plurality of probe burst packet sets and delivering the background traffic flow to the user equipment using the spare capacity while the communication path is not busy.

Abstract: Methods are provided to predict, based on chest radiographs, whether a patient suffers from any comorbidities in one or more high-level comorbidity classes, e.g., high-level hierarchical condition categories. The chest radiograph is a low-cost, minimally-invasive source of visual information that is able to accurately predict whether a subject suffers from diabetes with chronic complications, morbid obesity, congestive heart failure, specified heart arrhythmias, vascular disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among other high-level comorbidity classes. The predictive methods provided herein are also able to accurately predict overall measures of health-related complications, including the risk adjustment factor. These predictive methods can be used to focus review of medical records, improving the detection of disease. Outputs generated by these methods can also be used to predict the severity of disease and/or the extent of care provided to subjects with COVID-19 or related diseases.

Abstract: A polarization imager is provided that includes a plurality of CMOS photodetectors and a plurality of polarization filters. Each of the plurality of CMOS photodetectors has a photodiode that is configured to operate in forward bias mode. Further, each of the plurality of polarization filters is monolithically integrated with a corresponding one of the plurality of CMOS photodetectors. Each of the plurality of photodiodes exhibits a logarithmic response to a flux of incident photons. The polarization imager achieves a dynamic range of at least 100 decibels with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 60 decibels.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a three-dimensional cell and tissue culture system for the female reproductive tract. In particular provided herein the system includes individual female reproductive cultures in a dynamic microfluidic setting or integrated using a microfluidic microphysiologic system. In some embodiments, the present invention provides ex-vivo female reproductive tract integration in a three dimensional (3D) microphysiologic system.

Abstract: The disclosure provides various methods for separating and recovering free fatty acids crude oil containing free fatty acids using certain ion-exchange resins to reduce the amount of free fatty acids in the crude oil to 3% or less such that the resultant oil is useable in downstream chemical processes. After separation and removal of the free fatty acids form the crude oil, the ion-exchange resin is reusable in further free fatty acid separation reactions.