Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for generating primers and/or probes for use in analyzing a sample which may comprise a pathogen target sequence comprising providing a set of input genomic sequence to one or more target pathogens, generating a set of target sequences from the set of input genomic sequences, identifying one or more highly conserved target sequences, and generating one or more primers, one or more probes, or a primer pair and probe combination based on the one or more conserved target sequences.

Abstract: A method for preventing unauthorized access to information in a semiconductor device that is secured with a security protocol that uses a first portion of the information may include in response to a verified inaccessibility-inducing signal, unlocking safety lock circuitry which is operable to prevent unintentional activation of self-destruction in the semiconductor device, and initiating the self-destruction of at least a portion of the semiconductor device. A semiconductor device is configured to prevent unauthorized access to information available therein that is secured with a security protocol that uses a first portion of the information. The semiconductor device may include safety lock circuitry operable to prevent unintentional activation of self-destruction in the semiconductor device and control circuitry operable to unlock the safety lock circuitry and to initiate the self-destruction of at least a portion of the semiconductor device in response to a verified inaccessibility-inducing signal.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for imaging or determining nucleic acids, for instance, within cells. In some embodiments, the transcriptome of a cell may be determined. Certain embodiments are directed to determining nucleic acids, such as mRNA, within cells at relatively high resolutions. In some embodiments, a plurality of nucleic acid probes may be applied to a sample, and their binding within the sample determined, e.g., using fluorescence, to determine locations of the nucleic acid probes within the sample. In some embodiments, codewords may be based on the binding of the plurality of nucleic acid probes, and in some cases, the codewords may define an error-correcting code to reduce or prevent misidentification of the nucleic acids. In certain cases, a relatively large number of different targets may be identified using a relatively small number of labels, e.g., by using various combinatorial approaches.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions and methods for the prevention and treatment of ebolavirus infection. In certain embodiments of the present invention, monoclonal antibodies substantially similar to those described herein, as well as affinity matured variants thereof, alone or in combination, provide therapeutic efficacy in a patient against multiple species of ebolavirus.

Abstract: A method of operating a magnetic resonance scanner includes determining a radio frequency (RF) pulse to be transmitted to jointly homogenize a flip angle and a semisolid saturation that would result from magnetization of a sample to be scanned by the MR scanner using the determined RF pulse. The method also includes controlling an RF transmit coil of the MR scanner to transmit the determined pulse. Homogenizing both semisolid saturation and excitation properties of the RF pulse allows for improved magnetic transfer ratio imaging.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides Cas9 variants, and base editors comprising these variants, that recognize non-canonical protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs) and have less restrictive PAM requirements for editing. The present disclosure provides Cas9 protein variants comprising one or more amino acid substitutions relative to wild-type Nme2Cas9. Fusion proteins comprising the Cas protein variants described herein are also provided by the present disclosure. Further provided herein are methods for editing a target nucleic acid using the Cas variants and fusion proteins provided herein. The present disclosure also provides guide RNAs, complexes, polynucleotides, cells, kits, and pharmaceutical compositions. Further described herein are phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) systems, vectors, methods, and devices.

Abstract: A vaccine is disclosed that promotes CD4+ T cell-independent host defense mechanisms to defend against infection by fungi such as Pneumocystis spp. The vaccine may be used to prevent or to treat fungal infections. The novel vaccine can provide protective immunity, even for immunocompromised individuals such as HIV patients having reduced levels of CD4+ T cells.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to an ethylene sensor with an ethylene recognition component and a detecting component. The ethylene recognition component includes at least one ethylene binding domain. The detecting component is operational to generate a detectable signal that correlates to the binding of ethylene to the ethylene binding domain. The ethylene binding domain includes: an Asn residue; at least one variant region that reduces the binding affinity of ethylene to the ethylene receptor when compared to the ethylene binding domain without the variant region; at least one mutation that reduces the binding affinity of ethylene to the ethylene binding domain when compared to the ethylene binding domain without the mutation; or combinations thereof. Additional embodiments pertain to methods of sensing an ethylene from an environment by utilizing the ethylene sensors. Further embodiments pertain to modified cells that include the ethylene binding domains.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe techniques for controlling coherent crosstalk errors that occur in multi-channel acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) by applying cancellation tones to reduce or eliminate the crosstalk errors. For example, a method and systems are described that include applying a first radio frequency (RF) tone to generate a first acoustic wave in a first channel of the multi-channel AOM, wherein a portion of the first acoustic wave interacts with a second channel to cause a crosstalk effect, and applying a second RF tone to generate a second acoustic wave in the second channel, wherein the second acoustic wave reduces or eliminates the crosstalk effect caused by the portion of the first acoustic wave.

Abstract: Engineered bacteria that secrete therapeutic polypeptides, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the bacteria, methods for producing recombinant polypeptides, and methods for using the bacteria for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes are provided.

Abstract: Techniques for diagnosing a patient having an AAA. The techniques include using a computer hardware processor to perform: accessing computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of a portion of the patient, the portion of the patient including the AAA of the patient; providing the CTA images as input to a trained machine learning model, the trained machine learning model being configured to classify a property of the AAA based on the CTA images; and determining, based on the classified property of the AAA, a diagnosis of the patient, the diagnosis including information identifying at least one condition (e.g., an endoleak, an AAA rupture) of the patient.

Abstract: Certain examples described herein relate to a system for processing image data. In such examples, the system includes an input interface to receive the image data, which is representative of at least one view of a scene. The system also includes an initialisation engine to generate a first latent representation associated with a first segmentation of at least a first view of the scene, wherein the first segmentation is a semantic segmentation. The initialisation engine is also arranged to generate a second latent representation associated with at least a second view of the scene. The system additionally includes an optimisation engine to jointly optimise the first latent representation and the second latent representation, in a latent space, to obtain an optimised first latent representation and an optimised second latent representation.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are described for selecting and identifying orthogonal aminoacyl synthetase-tRNA pairs and their use to incorporate unnatural amino acids in a site-specific manner in proteins. Specifically described is a novel E. coli tyrptophanyl synthetase-tRNA pair that functions as both an opal and amber suppressor and that incorporates tryptophan analogs into proteins.

Abstract: Provided are a thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module, each including the thermoelectric material. The thermoelectric material, according to some embodiments includes an n-doped metal halide compound having a zero-dimensional (0D) electronic system. The thermoelectric material has a significantly low electrical thermal conductivity and improved electron conductivity and thus may enhance thermoelectrical performance.

Abstract: The problem of lost circulation is pertinent to the oil industry. To prevent fluid loss, a lost circulation material (LCM), or more generally, a plugging material, can be used to effectively plug the fractures in the rock formation. If the fractures are in the production zone, it is also ideal to unplug them when the drilling operation is complete. Therefore, a material engineered to degrade after a desired period would be useful. In examples, a plugging material has been developed by gelling an oil-based fluid using a low molecular weight gelator, dibenzylidene sorbitol (DBS). DBS gels are robust and show plugging behavior. DBS is shown to chemically degrade in presence of an acid. Hence, a self-degrading gel can be synthesized by incorporating an acid into the system. Further, by varying the type and concentration of the acid, the degradation time of the gel can be controlled.

Abstract: Provided are high affinity Mycobacterium tuberculosis capsule-specific antibodies and fragments thereof, as well as methods of use and devices employing such antibodies and/or fragments.

Abstract: The present invention, in some aspects, relates to systems and methods for determining oxidized proteins, including glutathionylated proteins such as S-glutathionylated proteins. The systems and methods of the invention can be used in vitro (e.g., in cell or tissue culture) or in vivo, for example, to diagnose a person having an oxidative stress condition. For instance, in some cases, the invention can be used to spatially determine the location and/or concentration of oxidized proteins within cells and/or tissues (e.g., through visual detection).

Abstract: In a general aspect, a photonic quantum network is disclosed. In some implementations, microwave modes and optical modes are generated on first and second quantum processing units (QPUs) by operation of a first transducer device of the first QPU and a second transducer device of the second QPU. The microwave modes are transmitted within the first and second QPUs from the first and second transducer devices to respective first and second qubit devices. The optical modes are transmitted from the first and second QPUs to an interferometer device. By operation of the interferometer device, output signals are generated on respective output channels based on the optical modes from the first and second QPUs. Based on the output signals detected by operation of photodetector devices coupled to the respective output channels, quantum entanglement transferred to the first and second qubit devices by the microwave modes is identified.

Abstract: Disclosed are gas-phase ODH and OCP processes for converting alkanes (e.g., C2H6 and C3H8) to alkenes (e.g., C2H4 and C3H6) or oxygenates (e.g., methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, or propylene oxide) or converting alkenes (e.g., ethylene and propene) and oxygenates (e.g., methanol, ethanol, isopropanol or propylene oxide) to longer carbon-chain alkenes or longer carbon-chain alkanes with or without solid catalysts.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to a bimetallic metal-organic framework. The bimetallic metal-organic framework includes a plurality of first metals and a plurality of metal-containing ligands, where each metal-containing ligand includes a second metal and a ligand. The ligand is coordinated with the second metal and at least one first metal. The present disclosure also pertains to a method of detecting an analyte in a sample by associating the sample with a bimetallic metal-organic framework, detecting a change in a property of the bimetallic metal-organic framework, and correlating the change in the property of the bimetallic metal-organic framework to the presence or absence of the analyte in the sample.