Abstract: A nasal spray delivery guide including a pair of guide elements spaced apart from one another and configured to be at least partially inserted into respective nostrils of a patient, and a flexible connector element attached to and extending between the guide elements. Each guide element includes an aperture extending therethrough from a base end to a tip end of the guide element. A method for delivering a nasal spray into a patient's nose includes the steps of providing the nasal spray delivery guide, inserting the guide elements at least partially into respective nostrils of the patient, inserting at least a portion of a nasal spray delivery device into one of the guide elements, and activating the nasal spray delivery device to deliver a nasal spray to a lateral wall of the respective nasal cavity.

Abstract: The present system can measure eye gaze position and detect, in near real-time, smooth eye movements that are driven by a moving stimulus. Smooth movements that match the velocity of a moving stimulus provide evidence that the subject can see the moving stimulus. The present system can give real-time feedback to the user, for example in the form of music, contingent on the ability of the user to perform smooth velocity-matched eye movements. The present system can measure visual impairment and train visual ability both for rehabilitation and development purposes.

Abstract: Described herein is a previously unknown function of XBP1 in controlling anti-tumor immunity. It is shown that inhibiting XBP1 in tumor-associated dendritic cells inhibits tumor growth and induces protective anti-tumor immune responses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel nucleic acid molecules, called aptamers, that bind specifically to a small molecule fluorophore and thereby enhance the fluorescence signal of the fluorophore upon exposure to radiation of suitable wavelength. Molecular complexes formed between the novel fluorophores, novel nucleic acid molecules, and their target molecules are described, and the use of multivalent aptamer constructs as fluorescent sensors for target molecules of interest are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to new prostate cancer markers, and particularly to a class of cancer marked by the presence of missense mutations in SPOP, an E3 ubiquitin ligase component. The invention provides methods and materials for detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer by detecting these mutations and may be useful in predicting disease progression and response to therapy.

Abstract: A composition comprising mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical producing enzyme (i.e., enzyme-bound mesoporous aggregates), wherein the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles have mesopores in which the free-radical-producing enzyme is embedded. Methods for synthesizing the enzyme-bound mesoporous aggregates are also described. Processes that use said enzyme-bound mesoporous aggregates for depolymerizing lignin, removing aromatic contaminants from water, and polymerizing monomers polymerizable by a free-radical reaction are also described.

Abstract: A system that generates short charged particle packets or pulses (e.g., electron packets) without requiring a fast-switching-laser source is described. This system may include a charged particle source that produces a stream of continuous charged particles to propagate along a charged particle path. The system also includes a charged particle deflector positioned in the charged particle path to deflect the stream of continuous charged particles to a set of directions different from the charged particle path. The system additionally includes a series of beam blockers located downstream from the charged particle deflector and spaced from one another in a linear configuration as a beam-blocker grating. This beam-blocker grating can interact with the deflected stream of charged particles and divide the stream of the charged particles into a set of short particle packets. In one embodiment, the charged particles are electrons. The beam blockers can be conductors.

Abstract: This disclosure demonstrates that inhibition of Sirt5 can suppress malignant transformation of cells. Therefore, methods of treating cancer based on inhibition of Sirt5 are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific to ICAM-1 comprising I domain of the ?L subunit of human lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). The invention particularly relates to CARs comprising human I domains having different affinities (1 mM to 1 nM Kd) to ICAM-1. CAR T cells comprising human I domain having a low affinity (1 to 200 ?M Kd) to ICAM-1 can avoid targeting healthy tissues with basal ICAM-1 expression while simultaneously exhibiting increased potency and long-term efficacy against tumor tissues with high ICAM-1 expression. The present invention also relates to an adoptive cell therapy method for treating cancer by administering the CAR-T cells comprising human I domain to a subject suffering from cancer, whereby the CAR T cells bind to the cancer cells overexpressing ICAM-1 and kill the cancer cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computational analysis of chemical data to predict binding targets of a chemical are provided. A plurality of chemical pairs is established, each including a first chemical for which binding targets are to be predicted and a respective one of the second chemicals. For each chemical pair, values of at least two datatypes of the first chemical can be compared to values of the at least two datatypes of the respective one of the plurality of second chemicals in the chemical pair to generate a similarity score. The similarity scores can be converted to a likelihood value. For each chemical pair, a total likelihood value can be determined based on respective likelihood values for each of the at least two datatypes of the chemical pair. A candidate binding target is predicted to bind to the first chemical, based on the total likelihood value of each chemical pair.

Abstract: Amino acid-based poly(ester amide) (PEA) macromers (e.g., functional PEA macromers) and methods for preparing amino acid-based poly(ester amide) (PEA) macromers. The functional PEA macromers can comprise functional groups such as hydroxyl, amine, sulfonic acids, carboxyl, thiol and acryloyl at the two terminuses of the PEA macromers. The content of the terminal functional groups on the macromers can be precisely controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of reactive monomers. The resulting versatility of these new functional PEA macromers can be used to fabricate a wide range of PEAs and PEA hybrid derivatives with very different chemical, physical, mechanical, thermal and biological properties. The functional PEA macromers can also be polycondensed into forming block PEA polymers.

Abstract: Described herein is a previously unknown function of XBP1 in controlling anti-tumor immunity. It is shown that inhibiting XBP1 in tumor-associated dendritic cells inhibits tumor growth and induces protective anti-tumor immune responses.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, components, and compositions for cell-free synthesis of glycosylated carrier proteins. The glycosylated carrier proteins may be utilized in vaccines, including anti-bacterial vaccines. The glycosylated carrier proteins may include a bacterial polysaccharide conjugated to a carrier, which may be utilized to generate an immune response in an immunized host against the polysaccharide conjugated to the carrier. The glycosylated carrier proteins may be synthesized in cell-free glycoprotein synthesis (CFGpS) systems using prokaryote cell lysates that are enriched in components for glycoprotein synthesis such as oligosaccharyltransferases (OSTs) and lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) including OSTs and LLOs associated with synthesis of bacterial O antigens.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to routing stability in a hybrid software-defined networking (“SDN”) network in which control plane functionality is shared between a centralized SDN controller and a plurality of local routers. The controller can collect data plane messages from the plurality of local routers, extract information corresponding to source nodes and edges of a graph representative of the hybrid SDN network, and store the information as entries in a table. The controller can identify any outdated entries and remove any outdated entries from the table. The controller can obtain recovered information missing from the information collected from the data plane messages. The controller also can calculate an effective capacity of the edges. The controller can then generate a stable routing pattern based upon the recovered information and the effective capacity. The controller can deploy the stable routing pattern in the hybrid SDN network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the highly specific, targeted capture of regions of human genomes and transcriptomes from the blood, i.e. from cell free circulating DNA, exosomes, microRNA, circulating tumor cells, or total blood cells, to allow for the highly sensitive detection of mutation, expression, copy number, translocation, alternative splicing, and methylation changes using combined nuclease, ligation, polymerase, and massively parallel sequencing reactions. The method generates a collection of different circular chimeric single-stranded nucleic acid constructs, suitable for sequencing on multiple platforms. In some embodiments, each construct of the collection comprised a first single stranded segment of original genomic DNA from a host organism and a second single stranded synthetic nucleic acid segment that is linked to the first single stranded segment and comprises a nucleotide sequence that is exogenous to the host organism.

Abstract: An apparatus in one embodiment comprises a multi-stage processing pipeline configured to generate a procedural yarn model by fitting procedural yarn model parameters to input data comprising computed tomography measurements of one or more actual yarn samples. The apparatus further comprises an image rendering system configured to execute one or more procedural yarn generation algorithms utilizing the procedural yarn model and to generate based at least in part on results of execution of the one or more procedural yarn generation algorithms at least one corresponding output image for presentation on a display. The multi-stage processing pipeline comprises a first stage configured to perform ply twisting estimation and ply cross-sectional estimation, a second stage configured to classify constituent fibers into regular fibers and flyaway fibers, and third and fourth stages configured to process the respective regular and flyaway fibers to fit respective different sets of parameters of the procedural yarn model.

Abstract: Provided herein are bifunctional compounds that inhibit MALT1 and/or promote targeted ubiquitination for the degradation of MALT1. In particular, provided are compounds that can bind MALT1, a protein whose activity is responsible for constitutive NF-KB signaling in certain cancers (e.g., activated B-cell diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL)), and can assist in its degradation by recruiting an E3 ubiquitin ligase (e.g., Cereblon, VHL), which can ubiquitinate MALT1, marking it for proteasome degradation. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the bifunctional compounds, methods of treating cancer with the bifunctional compounds, methods of promoting the degradation of MALT1, and methods of binding E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in a subject by administering a compound or composition described herein.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device that comprises a biomolecular processor and one or more nanotubes. Each biomolecular processor comprises a bioreactor chamber defined by a solid substrate, a plurality of spaced support structures within said bioreactor chamber and attached to the solid substrate, and one or more capture molecules immobilized to some or all of said plurality of spaced support structures, said one or more capture molecules suitable to bind to a portion of a target nucleic acid molecule in a sample. The device also comprises one or more nanotubes defined by the solid substrate and fluidically coupled to the bioreactor chamber.

Abstract: Optical sensing techniques and devices based on detection of fluorescent emissions at different optical wavelengths by nonlinear optical absorption of different excitation beams at different excitation wavelengths that interact with fluorescently-labeled structures within the sample to cause nonlinear optical absorption of two or more photons at each excitation wavelength. The fluorescent light at different fluorescent emission wavelengths by nonlinear optical absorption of excitation light at a particular excitation wavelength is spectrally separated into different optical channel output beams along different optical channel optical paths at different designated fluorescent imaging wavelength bands and the fluorescent light at different fluorescent imaging wavelengths within each designated fluorescent imaging wavelength is detected.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for inhibiting metastatic cancer cells. The compositions comprise nanoparticles which have incorporated therein leukocyte adhesion molecules and therapeutic molecules exposed on their surface. The nanoparticles may be provided attached to leukocytes. Introduction of these compositions in to the circulation of individuals results in inhibition and reduction of metastatic cancer cells.