Abstract: A system and method for creating a cavity with a drill assembly provides a powered drill shaft assembly having an articulating tip and a position sensor along the drill shaft; a drill motor assembly with a rotational motor, linear actuator, torque sensor, rotation sensor, electrical resistance sensor and a controller unit having a plurality of programs providing user interface and controlling the operation of the powered drill arrangement; a shroud for the drill shaft with a water port; and a computer software package that combines user specifications with sensor data to control activation and displacement of the drill with a user interface, controls the motor for rotational speed and drilling depth, and gives sensor status, and a display displaying status of a drilling procedure and an image from an imaging device, and that is programmable for a set of parameters for a drilling procedure.

Abstract: This invention provides a hand-held stereovision (HHS) system that is an efficient, accurate, and radiation-free imaging device to acquire intraoperative profiles of the exposed spine in prone position. The reconstructed intraoperative stereovision surfaces (iSV) are registered with preoperative CT (pCT; supine position) in a nonrigid fashion to generate updated CT images (uCT) and correct for vertebral posture and alignment changes. Updated CT images are uploaded to a commercial navigation system for surgical navigation.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a method of making a composite. In some embodiments, the method includes applying an external magnetic field to a mixture composed of a plurality of magnetic materials in a container, in which the external magnetic field produces a homogenous and uniform magnetic flux in the container. In some embodiments, the method further includes solidifying the mixture to result in the growth of solvent crystals in the mixture, and subliming a solvent phase of the mixture in the container to thereby form a composite having uniformly aligned magnetic materials. In an additional embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a composite having uniformly aligned magnetic materials. In some embodiments, a majority of the magnetic materials in the composite are aligned in the same direction.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of altering intestinal microbiome in a patient having cystic fibrosis comprising administering at least one of Bifidobacterium and/or Bacteroides to a patient and allowing the Bifidobacterium and/or Bacteroides to alter the intestinal microbiome.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a rotaxane composition that includes macrocyclic rings and polymers, where the polymers are covalently appended to one or more macrocycle-binding molecules, where each of the macrocyclic rings includes a cavity that is threaded onto the polymers, where some of the threaded macrocyclic rings are individually threaded onto two polymers to form double-threaded macrocyclic rings with a plurality of different segments, where each of the plurality of different segments includes a plurality of double-threaded macrocyclic rings, and where the plurality of different segments associate with one another to form a crystalline network. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to sensors that include such compositions, methods of manufacturing a three-dimensional structure by applying such compositions onto a surface, and methods of forming such compositions.

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: 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.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to solid-phase and molten metal phosphorothioates useful as electrolytes, batteries comprising solid-phase and molten metal phosphorothioates, and methods of making solid-phase and molten metal phosphorothioates.

Abstract: A test device for indole concentrations in headspace gasses of bacterial cultures has a porous substrate imprinted with a wax barrier surrounding a test spot impregnated with p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMACA). In embodiments, the test spot lies within a printed bar code and is configured to alter a reading of the bar code when the test spot darkens. The test device may optionally include a second test spot impregnated with Bromthymol Blue, Cobinamide, p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, or Chromotropic acid. The device is used by inoculating a sample into a culture; incubating the culture; inserting the test device into airspace of the culture, and observing the test spot for a color change indicative of indole presence.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for medical imaging uses a first and second contrast agent, the second agent targeted to a particular tissue type. First images are obtained using the first agent, and second images using the second agent using medical imaging systems. An image processing system is adapted to process the first and second medical images by fitting parameters of a pharmacokinetic model to the first medical images, identifying a nontargeted tissue type, scaling the fitted parameters to best match the nontargeted tissue in the second medical images, executing the pharmacokinetic model to prepare a correction image, and generating corrected medical images by subtracting the correction image from the second medical images.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for increasing susceptibility of cancer cells to ionizing radiation by delivering to the cells a radiosensitizing agent that has one of the following properties: (a) it perturbs the process of chromosome segregation thereby increasing chromosome missegregation; or (b) it is an inhibitor of an agent that promotes faithful chromosome segregation induces numeric chromosome instability in said cells and this instability is induced substantially simultaneously with or closely prior to or closely after irradiating the cells. Examples of such radiosensitizing agent include inhibitors of one or more of the following: Kif2b, MCAK, MPS1, Eg5/Kinesin-5 5, Polo-like kinase 4, MCAK, Bub1 and Hec1. Such agents specifically target proteins involved in maintaining or promoting faithful chromosome segregation.

Abstract: A surgical guidance system has two cameras to provide stereo image stream of a surgical field; and a stereo viewer. The system has a 3D surface extraction module that generates a first 3D model of the surgical field from the stereo image streams; a registration module for co-registering annotating data with the first 3D model; and a stereo image enhancer for graphically overlaying at least part of the annotating data onto the stereo image stream to form an enhanced stereo image stream for display, where the enhanced stereo stream enhances a surgeon's perception of the surgical field. The registration module has an alignment refiner to adjust registration of the annotating data with the 3D model based upon matching of features within the 3D model and features within the annotating data; and in an embodiment, a deformation modeler to deform the annotating data based upon a determined tissue deformation.

Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for remote clinical monitoring performance of exercises using a smart resistance exercise device including a resistance band, a first handle connected to a first end of the resistance band and a second handle connected to a second end of the resistance band, a force sensing assembly operably coupled to the resistance band, and a local receiving device communicatively coupled to the force sensing assembly. The force sensing assembly of the device includes a housing, and a force sensor disposed in the housing and operatively connected to the resistance band to measure a force exerted on the resistance band. The force sensing assembly also includes a processing and communication module communicatively coupled to the force sensor to receive measurements of the force sensor and communicatively coupled to the local receiving device to transmit the measurements to the local receiving device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a composition that includes: silica nanofibers; and one or more detection particles associated with the silica nanofibers. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of sensing one or more analytes and/or one or more environmental conditions from a sample by associating the sample with a composition of the present disclosure; detecting a change in a property of the detection particles; and correlating the change in the property of the detection particles to a presence or absence of one or more analytes, one or more environmental conditions, or combinations thereof. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making the compositions of the present disclosure by growing silica nanofibers from at least one precursor material; and associating one or more detection particles with the silica nanofibers.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a method of changing the glass transition temperature of a polymer. In some embodiments, the polymer includes at least one hydrazone-containing compound. In general, the methods of the present disclosure include one or more of the following steps of: (1) applying light to the polymer; and (2) thereby changing the glass transition temperature of the polymer. In another embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a polymer having a light-adjustable glass transition temperature. In some embodiments, the polymer includes at least one hydrazone-containing compound.

Abstract: This invention provides a generalized electronic computer architecture with multiple cores, memory distributed amongst the cores (a core-local memory). This arrangement provides predictable, low-latency memory response time, as well as a flexible, code-supplied flow of memory from one specific operation to another (using an operation graph). In one instantiation, the operation graph consists of a set of math operations, each accompanied by an ordered list of one or more input addresses. Input addresses may be specific addresses in memory, references to other math operations in the graph, or references to the next item in a particular data stream, where data streams are iterators through a continuous block of memory. The arrangement can also be packaged as a PCIe daughter card, which can be selectively plugged into a host server/PC constructed/organized according to traditional von Neumann architecture.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to stereodefined polycyclic (e.g., tetracyclic) compounds that contain quaternary centers at one or multiple ring fusions, synthetic methods for preparing such compounds, and methods of using such compounds to treat a disease, such as a brain tumor and, particularly, a glioma.

Abstract: Unglycosylated lysostaphin variant protein, nucleic acid molecule, vector and host cell, as well as a method for production of unglycosylated lysostaphin variant protein in a yeast expression system are provided. The proteins are produced in a Pichia pastoris expression system and have been shown to have activity equivalent to wild-type lysostaphin. The lysostaphin variant proteins can be used as therapeutic proteins for treatment of diseases such as Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Abstract: This invention provides systems and methods that can detect incidental OVFs in CT examinations at the level of practicing radiologists. The OVF detection system leverages a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract radiological features from each CT scan slice. These extracted features are processed through a feature aggregation module to make the final diagnosis for the full CT scan. Feature aggregation, can be performed in a variety of ways, including the use of a long short-term memory (LSTM) network. In one example, the CNN can be trained on a predetermined number of CT scans, which are established as reference standards. This result can effectively the performance of practicing radiologists on this test set in real world clinical circumstances. The system and method can be employed to assist and improve OVF diagnosis in clinical settings by pre-screening routine CT examinations and flagging suspicious cases prior to review by radiologists.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to compositions that include a metal-organic framework. The metal-organic framework includes a plurality of metals and a plurality of ligands coordinated with the plurality of metals, where the plurality of metals include bismuth, and the plurality of ligands include a plurality of hydroxy moieties that are not part of carboxyl groups. At least some of the hydroxy moieties are coordinated with bismuth to form Bi—O bonds. The metal-organic framework is in the form of a conductive and interconnected network. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of utilizing the compositions to detect analytes in a sample and shield various objects from radiation.