Abstract: An encapsulation device system for therapeutic applications such as but not limited to regulating blood glucose. The system may comprise an encapsulation device with a first oxygen sensor integrated inside the device and a second oxygen sensor disposed on an outer surface of the device, wherein the sensors allow for real-time measurements (such as oxygen levels) related to cells (e.g., islet cells, stem cell derived beta cells, etc.) housed in the encapsulation device. The system may also feature an exogenous oxygen delivery system operatively connected to the encapsulation device via a channel, wherein the exogenous oxygen delivery system is adapted to deliver oxygen to the encapsulation device.

Abstract: Cancer specific DNA methylation regions have been studied to find cancer specific DNA methylation markers for most common cancers. Differentially methylated regions for individual cancer types were identified and those were further filtered against data from normal tissues to obtain marker regions with cancer specific methylation, resulting in total of 1,250 hypermethylated and 584 hypomethylated marker CpGs. Optimal sets of six markers for each TCGA cancer type that could identify most tumors with high specificity and sensitivity (AUC 0.969-1.00) were chosen from hypermethylated markers and a universal 12 marker set that can detect tumors of all 33 TCGA cancer types (AUC>0.84) was also chosen from hypermethylated markers.

Abstract: Catalyst systems employing inexpensive and readily-available protic co-catalysts to increase a proton reduction rate in a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are described herein. The protic co-catalysts function to increase the rate without being consumed in the process of water splitting to hydrogen and oxygen. They may simultaneously serve to stabilize the pH of the water and be the electrolyte to carry the current for the electrolytic splitting of water. The protic co-catalysts also decrease the overpotential energy requirement for the process of water splitting. These protic co-catalysts can be used with both heterogeneous and homogenous catalysts, as well as assist photocatalysis and other processes for the reduction of protons.

Abstract: A stabilizing locking clamp for a kinematic optical mount includes a clamp plate configured for optical access and a plurality of clamp actuators affixed to the clamp plate. The clamp actuators are positioned such that each clamp actuator exerts a force on a front plate of the kinematic optical mount in a push-push configuration. A stabilizing kinematic optical mount includes a kinematic optical mount and a plurality of clamp arms, each clamp arm including a clamp actuator positioned to exert a force on a front plate of the kinematic optical mount in a push-push configuration. The stabilizing locking clamp and stabilizing kinematic optical mount reduce temperature-dependent and vibration-induced changes in pitch and yaw, thereby improving pointing stability for optical setups that rely on critical beam alignment.

Abstract: The invention features probiotic bacteria expressing Clostridium difficile SlpA, or fragment thereof, and its use for the treatment or prevention of Clostridium difficile infection and gut colonization.

Abstract: An adhesive composition for use in coupling together two substrates to form a structure, such as for use in coupling together two wooden substrates to form a wooden structure, includes a mixture of a modified guayule resin and soy protein. The modified guayule resin can be a base-solvent modified guayule resin or can be an HiCh-modified guayule resin each respectively formed from an unmodified guayule base resin. The unmodified guayule base resin is obtained in a rubber extraction process of guayule at solvent removal temperatures ranging from 104 to 166 degrees Celsius. The method for forming the adhesive composition includes forming a modified guayule resin and mixing the formed modified guayule resin with soy protein. The adhesive composition, when used in forming structures, provides enhanced wet shear strength as compared with adhesive compositions including soy protein alone.

Abstract: This invention is in the field of medicinal chemistry and relates to a new class of small-molecules having a pyrazolopyridine (or similar) structure (e.g., Formula I) which function as inhibitors of the viral protein 2C protein activity and/or expression, and which function as therapeutics for the treatment of viral infection characterized with viral protein 2C activity and/or expression (e.g., non-polio enterovirus infection) (e.g., enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection, enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) infection, and coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for treating or limiting development of cardiovascular disease-related neurological disorders by administering a compound of general formula (I), as defined herein.

Abstract: Methods and systems wherein laser induced refractive index changes by focused femtosecond laser pulses in optical polymeric materials or ocular tissues is performed to address various types of vision correction, and the laser induced changes to the refractive index avoid ablation and removal of the optical polymer materials while minimizing scattering losses.

Abstract: A particleboard includes a fiber component and an adhesive composition including a mixture of a modified guayule resin and soy protein. The modified guayule resin can be a base-solvent modified guayule resin or an H2O2-modified guayule resin. The fiber component can be a natural fiber such as a natural fiber selected from guayule bagasse, wood chips, wood particles, wood waste straw, wood fiber, and any combination thereof. The particleboard is formed by mixing the adhesive composition with the fiber component, introducing the mixture to a press, and pressing the mixture in the press.

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring viability and function of islet cells or stem cell-derived beta cells in an implantable device featuring setting the temperature of the cells in the implantable device to a low temperature to reduce metabolic levels of the cells and reduce oxygen requirements of the cells, and measuring oxygen consumption rates. An oxygen sensor at the inlet of the implantable device and an oxygen sensor at the outlet of the implantable device are used to calculate oxygen consumption rates of the cells, which in turn are indicative of viability. The reduction in temperature can also be used for loading cells into the implantable devices to help reduce ischemic and/or physical injury. The present invention may be used with other cell types, e.g. hepatocytes, heart cells, muscle cells, etc.

Abstract: Many biologic processes taking place inside a living organism are unpredictable in time and space, and cannot be known exactly. These mechanisms and interactions among them are better modeled as physiological random processes, the statistics of which are fully described by joint characteristic functionals. The present invention provides methods for the estimation of joint characteristic functionals through imaging of multiple physiological random processes. This technology can be used to study complex diseases, such as tumors and viral infections, by imaging the biological processes involved with disease progression and response to treatment.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for improving cardiac function. Specifically, the present invention provides compositions and methods for treating a subject having a disorder or condition associated with aberrant cardiac tissue function, comprising contacting a patient having a disorder or condition associated with aberrant cardiac tissue function with a construct, or a construct associated with therapeutic cells, or a construct associated with fibroblast cells and therapeutic cells.

Abstract: A bicycle safety enhancement device includes an elongated member having a distal portion mountable to a bicycle handlebar. A proximity sensor is coupled to a proximal portion of the elongated member and is arranged so that when the elongated member is mounted to a handlebar of a bicycle being ridden by a cyclist, the ultrasonic sensor detects objects adjacent to and/or behind the bicycle and which come within a prescribed distance of the bicycle. An illumination source is coupled to the proximal portion of the elongated member. The illumination source provides a visible warning signal directed toward the detected object when the elongated member is mounted to the handlebar of the bicycle. A camera is coupled to the proximal portion of the elongated member and is arranged to capture images of the detected object as the detected object passes in front of the bicycle being ridden by the cyclist.

Abstract: A scintillation-crystal based gamma-ray detector with photon sensors disposed on edge surface(s) of the crystal to take advantage of total internal reflection of scintillation photons within the thin-slab detector substrate to improve spatial resolution of determination of a scintillation event (including depth-of-interaction resolution) while preserving energy resolution and detection efficiency. The proposed structure benefits from the reduced—as compared with related art—total number of readout channels elimination of need in complicated and repetitive cutting and polishing operations to form pixelated crystal arrays used in conventional PET detector modules. Detectors systems utilizing stacks of such detectors, and methods of operation of same.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and software for generating spatially-coupled low-density parity-check (SC-LDPC) codes. A method for generating SC-LDPC codes includes generating one or more quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) codes, and also includes assigning at least one of the generated one or more QC-LDPC codes as one or more template codes. The method further includes copying at least a portion of the one or more template codes to introduce irregularity. The method also includes shifting one or more template codes on a sub-block basis to generate at least one SC-LDPC code. As compared to known LDPC code generation modalities, the disclosed invention provides a simplified technique for implementation in streamlined hardware which has more general applicability across both present, and anticipated, communication systems, including those adapted for use with optical communications, wireless communications, and 5G as well as future 6G.

Abstract: Cannula and device implantation systems are provided. In some embodiments, cannula members are provided that comprise membranes to prevent and reduce infection. Cannulas of the present disclosure are operable to be provided as indwelling catheters. In some embodiments, systems of the disclosure comprise encapsulation devices for housing cells and providing various therapeutic benefits to a patient or host.

Abstract: A display placed in an optical pathway extending from an entrance pupil of a person's eye to a real-world scene beyond the eye. The display includes at least one 2-D added-image source that is addressable to produce a light pattern corresponding to a virtual object. The source is situated to direct the light pattern toward the person's eye to superimpose the virtual object on an image of the real-world scene as perceived by the eye via the optical pathway. An active-optical element is situated between the eye and the added-image source at a location that is optically conjugate to the entrance pupil and at which the active-optical element forms an intermediate image of the light pattern from the added-image source. The active-optical element has variable optical power and is addressable to change its optical power to produce a corresponding change in perceived distance at which the intermediate image is formed, as an added image to the real-world scene, relative to the eye.

Abstract: Various examples are provided for magnetic tunnel junctions and applications thereof. In one example, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes a first ferromagnetic (FM) layer; a gadolinium oxide (GdOX) tunnel barrier disposed on the first ferromagnetic layer; and a second FM layer disposed on the GdOX tunnel barrier. In another example, a perpendicular MTJ (pMTJ) device includes a first layer including a magnetic material; a tunnel barrier disposed on the first layer to form the pMTJ; and a second layer including the magnetic material, the second layer disposed on the tunnel barrier.

Abstract: We disclose optical entanglement distribution in quantum networks based on a quasi-deterministic entangled photon pair source. Combining heralded photonic Bell pair generation with spectral mode conversion to interface with quantum memories eliminates switching losses due to multiplexing in the source. This zero-added-loss multiplexing (ZALM) Bell pair source is especially useful for the particularly challenging problem of long-baseline entanglement distribution via satellites and ground-based memories, where it unlocks additional advantages: (i) the substantially higher channel efficiency ? of downlinks versus uplinks with realistic adaptive optics, and (ii) photon loss occurring before interaction with the quantum memory—i.e., Alice and Bob receiving rather than transmitting—improve entanglement generation rate scaling by (?{square root over (?)}).