Abstract: Compositions comprising liposomes composed of whole cell membrane fraction are provided. The liposomes may be attached to, or encapsulate a pharmaceutical agent. Also provided are methods of generating and using these liposomes.

Abstract: A system comprising: a dielectric configured to: a) create a bi-periodic interference pattern of two standing sinusoidal waves on illumination by two pairs of counter-propagating light beams at different incident angles, wherein the incident angles are selected in accordance with the index of refraction of the dielectric to i) to determine the spatial frequency of each counter-propagating light wave pair, and ii) cause total internal reflection, and b) generate, from the bi-periodic interference pattern, an evanescent bi-periodic standing sinusoidal wave; a light source configured to illuminate the dielectric with the two pairs of counter-propagating sinusoidal light waves at the selected incident angles and thereby illuminate a fluorescing object positioned at the surface of the dielectric with the generated bi-periodic evanescent standing sinusoidal wave; and one or more delay lines configured to independently modify the initial phase of each counter-propagating light wave pair.

Abstract: A method for dielectrophoresis includes applying an electric field across a micro-fluidic chamber with an alternating current (AC), trapping the target particles on the at least one carrier particle, transporting the target particles from a first location in the chamber to a second location in the chamber distanced from the first location with the at least one carrier particle and dynamically controlling the trapping and the transporting based on remotely applying forces on the at least one carrier particle. The trapping is based on localized gradients of the electric field induced by the carrier particle. The applied electric field is uniform absent a carrier particle present in the micro-fluidic chamber. The micro-fluidic chamber contains an electrolyte-solution with suspended target particles and at least one carrier particle freely floating on or in the electrolyte-solution.

Abstract: A system for wide-scale light field imaging comprising: a network of multiple terrestrial cameras positioned at multiple known locations, where each of the cameras comprises a wide-angle lens directed towards the sky and configured to capture one or more images of the sky, and a processor configured to operate a wired and/or wireless communications infrastructure for transmitting the captured images; and a server configured to receive the wirelessly transmitted images and jointly process the received images, thereby producing a wide-scale light field image of the sky.

Abstract: Provided are methods and kits for determining predisposition of a subject to develop a kidney disease, by identifying in a sample of the subject at least one APOL1 polypeptide variant which is characterized by a higher trypanolytic activity on Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense as compared to the trypanolytic activity of wild type APOL1 polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 on the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense under identical assay conditions; or at least one APOL1 nucleotide mutation in the APLO1 genomic sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, wherein the at least one nucleotide mutation or polypeptide variant being in linkage disequlibrium (LD) with the S342G mutation in the APOL1 polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, wherein presence of the APOL1 polypeptide variant indicates increased predisposition of the subject to develop the kidney disease.

Abstract: There is provided a method of representing a three dimensional (3D) object using univariate curves, comprising: receiving an initial definition of a 3D object representation, calculate a covering set of univariate curves, the covering set comprising at least one non-planar univariate curve, wherein the covering set of univariate curves represent the volume of the 3D object within a tolerance requirement, and generating a representation of the 3D object based on the set of univariate curves, wherein the set of univariate curves represent the volume of the 3D object.

Abstract: Disclosed are recombinant polypeptides that include (a) a filaggrin amino acid sequence and (b) a cell importation signal sequence that includes a motif of two to fifteen amino acids, wherein the motif includes at least one arginine residue and at least one methionine residue. Also disclosed are nucleic acids encoding the recombinant polypeptides of the present invention, and compositions that include the recombinant polypeptides and nucleic acids of the present invention. Methods of treating or preventing a skin disease or skin disorder using the compositions of the present invention are also included, as well as kits that include a sealed containing that includes a recombinant polypeptide of the present invention.

Abstract: A high order filter circuit is integrated by a plurality of the low order filter circuits. Before correcting the high order filter circuit, switch units may restore the high order filter circuit to the low order filter circuits for correction, and then combine the corrected low order filter circuits to form the original high order filter circuit.

Abstract: A polyHIPE-based substance-releasing system capable of releasably encapsulating a highly concentrated solution and/or a room temperature solid while minimizing or avoiding burst release from the closed-cell microstructure of an elastic polyHIPE.

Abstract: Data access in a storage device managed by a storage controller is carried out by receiving in the storage controller offsets in objects directly from a plurality of requesting entities of a computer system. The computer controls a mapping mechanism operated by the storage controller, wherein the mapping mechanism relates the offsets in the objects into physical addresses of the data on the storage device, and wherein the data is accessed at the physical addresses.

Abstract: Cell-targeted serine protease constructs are provided. Such constructs can be used in methods for targeted cell killing such as for treatment cell of proliferative diseases (e.g., cancer). In some aspects, recombinant serine proteases, such as Granzyme B polypeptides, are provided that exhibit improved stability and cell toxicity. Methods and compositions for treating lapatinib or trastuzumab-resistant cancers are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymeric hollow fiber membrane and a carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membrane, both of which have excellent gas separation performance, and processes for preparing the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a hybrid polymeric hollow fiber membrane that comprises a glassy polymer containing fluorine and a ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane, a hybrid carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membrane prepared by pyrolysis thereof, and processes for preparing the same. The hybrid polymeric hollow fiber membrane and the hybrid carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membrane according to the embodiments of the present invention are excellent in gas flux and selectivity and can have a large surface area per unit volume. Thus, they can be advantageously used for separating gases with a high energy efficiency on a large scale.

Abstract: A system for detecting target elements such as bacteria in a host analyte, comprising a substrate with an ordered array of wells having diameters to fit the size of the targets. The substrate may be a periodic macro-PSi array structure (MPSiAS) illuminated with a broadband source. The reflected light spectrum diffracted from the substrate is optically analyzed to provide the effective optical depth of the wells. Fast Fourier Transform analysis may be used for the optical analysis. Entry of target elements into wells is detected by the change in the effective optical depths of the wells. Micro-organisms as large as bacteria and viruses having dimensions comparable with the wavelength of the illumination can thus be detected. Wells with an inner section impenetrable by the target cells enables compensation for environmental changes. The detection may be performed in real time, such that production line bacterial monitoring may be achieved.

Abstract: A method of applying proof of lottery to select block forgers in a blockchain, comprising performing the following at a certain one of a plurality of computing nodes connected to a blockchain network: (1) transmitting one or more of a plurality of participation transactions submitted by at least some of the plurality of computing nodes for participating in selection process conducted to select forgers from the plurality of computing nodes to forge blocks to be added to the blockchain; (2) determining a respective forger, during each selection process, by applying a selection function to an outcome of a hash function and a plurality of participation transactions extracted from a first subset of blocks preceding the respective block, the hash function is applied to a second subset of blocks preceding the respective block; and (3) forging the respective block in case the certain computing node is selected as the respective forger.

Abstract: A method for sequence-specifically detecting a nucleic acid molecule. The method requires: a) contacting in an absence of an electric field, a mixture of nucleic acid molecules with a base pairing hybridizing molecule (BPHM) having a sequence of interest in a first solution and obtaining a hybrid consisting the nucleic acid molecule and the BPHM; b) introducing the first solution from step (a) into an ITP system, the ITP system comprises a second solution of high effective mobility leading electrolyte (LE) ions and a third solution of low effective mobility trailing electrolyte (TE); and c) applying the electric field across the second solution and the third solution. The hybrid focus at the sharp LE-TE interface in the ITP system. The TE has a higher mobility than the BPHM and the TE has a lower mobility than the hybrid. Sequence-specifically the detecting nucleic acid molecule by a signal from a label.

Abstract: Provided is an electrode including conductive particles, which sediment under gravitational force and a liquid fluidizing medium flowing through the electrode, in which the conductive particles are suspended and optionally further including conductive particles, which do not sediment under gravitational force when the fluidizing medium flows in the electrode. Further provided are electrochemical devices and energy storage systems including the electrode.

Abstract: Compositions comprising liposomes composed of whole cell membrane fraction are provided. The liposomes may be attached to, or encapsulate a pharmaceutical agent. Also provided are methods of generating and using these liposomes.

Abstract: A system of selecting a keyframe for iterative closest point (ICP) includes a reference frame selector that generates a reference frame according to a current frame and a current keyframe; an ICP loop unit that performs ICP on the reference frame and the current frame, thereby generating a pose of the current frame; and a keyframe update unit that generates a new keyframe according to an offset condition between the pose of the current frame and a pose of the reference frame.

Abstract: Disclosed are an N-doped three dimensional carbon nanostructure, a method of preparing the N-doped three dimensional carbon nanostructure, and a supercapacitor electrode including the three dimensional carbon nanostructure.

Abstract: A scaffold comprising electrospun decellularized ECM of an organ, wherein the decellularized ECM has a similar protein composition to native ECM of the organ, Methods of generating same are also disclosed as well as uses of same.