Abstract: The invention is directed to compositions and methods for increasing the pH of a melanosome in a melanocyte, darkening skin or hair pigmentation, or treating a disease associated with decreased melanin comprising administering a soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) inhibitor and/or an exchange protein activated by cyclic AMP (EPAC) inhibitor to the melanocyte. The invention also provides compositions and methods for decreasing the pH of a melanosome in a melanocyte, lightening skin or hair pigmentation, or treating a disease associated with increased melanin comprising administering a sAC activator and/or an EPAC activator to the melanocyte.

Abstract: In some implementations, the present solution can determine a first structural vector of a first chemical based on a chemical structure of the first chemical. The system can also determine first target vector of the first chemical based on at least one gene target for the first chemical. The system can use the structural vector and the target vector to generate a toxicity predictor score for the first chemical.

Abstract: A wafer-based charged particle accelerator includes a charged particle source and at least one RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly and a power supply coupled to the at least one RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly. The wafer-based charged particle accelerator may further include a beam current-sensor. The wafer-based charged particle accelerator may further include at least a second RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly and at least one ESQ charged particle focusing wafer. Fabrication methods are disclosed for RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assemblies, ESQ charged particle focusing wafers, and the wafer-based charged particle accelerator.

Abstract: Compositions comprising stereocomplexes of enantiomeric polymer chains having individual repeat units formed from the reaction of an epoxide and cyclic anhydride. The compositions can be made by mixing two types of enantiomeric polymer chains having opposite absolute stereochemistry. The compositions can be used in applications such as biomedical applications and drug delivery applications.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for managing building power, in one aspect, a method for managing building power includes determining values for power usage of a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system in one or more zones of a building, the values including a cost of power value, a comfort value, a weighting function between the cost of power value and the comfort value, or a thermal storage value, in which the determining the values is based on a plurality of parameters including a price of power, a time of use, a total power allocation, or random variables including weather and building occupancy factors, and determining a power level for a plurality of states based on the determined values, the plurality of states corresponding to different levels of power to operate the HVAC system in the one or more zones.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tissue-engineered intervertebral disc (IVD) suitable for total disc replacement in a mammal and methods of fabrication. The IVD comprises a nucleus pulposus structure comprising a first population of living cells that secrete a hydrophilic protein and an annulus fibrosis structure surrounding and in contact with the nucleus pulposus structure, the annulus fibrosis structure comprising a second population of living cells and type I collagen. The collagen fibrils in the annulus fibrosis structure are circumferentially aligned around the nucleus pulposus region due to cell-mediated contraction in the annulus fibrosis structure. Also disclosed are methods of fabricating tissue-engineered intervertebral discs.

Abstract: A method to detect local antibodies such as antigen-specific IgE via a brush biopsy specimen of a mucosal surface of a subject is disclosed. The method is easily performed in an office setting on both adult and pediatric patients. Also disclosed is a brush device specially designed for harvesting materials from a mucosal surface such as the medial surface of the inferior turbinate.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system and methods for actuating an object. The system includes a knitted sleeve within which is disposed a pressurizable bladder.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for concentrating and detecting bacteria in liquids, and related methods are described. The device includes a first filter chamber for capturing bacteria and performing incubations of the bacteria with one or more reagents, and a second filter chamber for capturing and concentrating a detectable material, with little or no binding of detectable material by the first filter. In an aspect, bacteria are incubated with growth media and engineered phage that cause the bacteria to produce an enzyme. In an aspect, the enzyme is capture in the second filter chamber and exposed to a substrate to produce a detectable signal.

Abstract: Provided herein are a variety of porous separator materials, particularly those prepared by gas-assisted electrospray and electrospinning processes.

Abstract: A synchronization solution is described, which, in one aspect, allowed finer grained segmentation of clock domains on a chip. This solution incorporates computation into the synchronization overhead time and is called Gradual Synchronization. With Gradual Synchronization as a synchronization method, the design space of a chip could easily mix both asynchronous and synchronous blocks of logic, paving the way for wider use of asynchronous logic design.

Abstract: Printable elastomer materials that are conductive or insulating and that may be printed in three dimensions (3D) for use in applications, including for example fabrication of actuators such as dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs).

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and devices for identifying and quantifying, including low abundance, nucleotide base mutations, insertions, deletions, translocations, splice variants, miRNA variants, alternative transcripts, alternative start sites, alternative coding sequences, alternative non-coding sequences, alternative splicings, exon insertions, exon deletions, intron insertions, or other rearrangement at the genome level and/or methylated nucleotide bases.

Abstract: Methods of treating CMV (cytomegalovirus) retinitis in a human patient in need thereof, comprising administering to the human patient a population of allogeneic T cells comprising CMV-specific T cells, wherein the human patient is infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or has been the recipient of a solid organ transplant.

Abstract: A computer system and computer implemented method that obtains coordinated results from at least two queries by utilizing context data of each query. Specifically, the computer system and computer implemented method facilitates enhanced querying functionality by matching entangled queries to achieve coordinated results.

Abstract: Described herein are cyclic peptides, nanoparticles bound with cyclic peptides, and methods for using said cyclic peptides and/or said nanoparticles bound with cyclic peptides for intraoperative nerve tissue imaging.

Abstract: A fast and economical system and methods directed to low-fidelity fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) objects using 3D printing. The invention facilitates rapid prototyping by providing a wireframe structure in the form of the underlying design structure of a 3D model, which may be useful for a variety of reasons including to provide a prototype preview that may be used for design validation of a 3D model.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for identifying the presence of one or more target nucleotide sequences in a sample that involve a nuclease-ligation reaction. In some embodiments, the ligation products formed in the nuclease-ligation process of the present invention are subsequently amplified using a polymerase chain reaction. The ligated product sequences or extension products thereof are detected, and the presence of one or more target nucleotide sequences in the sample is identified based on the detection.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides various implementations of a device based on a spin Hall effect (SHE) and spin transfer torque (STT) effect.

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.