Abstract: The invention provides for compositions and methods for producing plants that have higher yield in drought conditions by manipulating the G-proteins such as the rice alpha subunit gene, RGA1.

Abstract: A power circuit for reducing a leakage power using a negative voltage is provided. The power circuit includes a current source including a transistor including a gate. The power circuit further includes a current source control circuit connected to the gate of the transistor, and configured to apply a positive voltage to the gate of the transistor if the current source is to operate in an active mode, and apply the negative voltage to the gate of the transistor if the current source is to operate in an inactive mode.

Abstract: The document provides nucleic acids, polypeptides, and viruses containing nucleic acids and/or polypeptides. The document also provides methods for using viruses to treat cancer patients. Specifically, the document provides nucleic acid molecules encoding viral hemagglutinin (H) polypeptides, viral H polypeptides, and viruses containing nucleic acids and/or H polypeptides. Such viruses are useful for vaccinations and for treating cancer patients as the viruses are not shed.

Abstract: Diagnostic tests for characterizing an individual's risk of developing or having a cardiovascular disease. In one embodiment the present diagnostic test comprises determining the level of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in a bodily sample obtained from the individual or test subject. In another embodiment, the diagnostic test comprises determining the level of MPO mass in a bodily sample obtained from the test subject. In another embodiment, the diagnostic test comprises determining the level of one or more select MPO-generated oxidation products in a bodily sample obtained from the test subject. The select MPO-generated oxidation products are dityrosine, nitrotyrosine, methionine sulphoxide or an MPO-generated lipid peroxidation products.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a production device for graphene thin film. The production device for graphene thin film according to the present invention may comprise a deposition plate in contact with a substrate at an obtuse or acute angle, wherein the substrate is coated with a graphene oxide solution; and a reciprocating linear motion device connected to the deposition plate to put the deposition plate into reciprocating linear motion.

Abstract: The presently-disclosed subject matter includes compounds that comprise an initiator and an active agent that is covalently bonded to the initiator through a ring-opening polymerization process, an atom-transfer radical polymerization process, a Michael addition reaction, or a ring-opening metathesis polymerization process. In some embodiments the active agent includes simvastatin. The presently-disclosed subject matter also includes methods for making the compositions and methods for using the compositions to treat tissue wounds.

Abstract: A network employing multiple redundancy-aware routers that can eliminate the transmission of redundant data is greatly improved by steering redundant data preferentially into common data paths possibly contrary to other routing paradigms. By collecting redundant data in certain pathways, the effectiveness of the redundancy-aware routers is substantially increased.

Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing magnetically active surface defects in superconducting quantum circuits are provided. A method includes providing one or more superconducting quantum circuits, and arranging the one or more superconducting quantum circuits in a hermetic enclosure capable of isolating the one or more superconducting circuits from ambient surroundings. The method also includes controlling an environment in the hermetic enclosure to suppress magnetically active surface defects associated with the one or more superconducting quantum circuits. In some aspects, the method further includes introducing an inert gas into the hermetic enclosure to passivate a surface of the one or more superconducting quantum circuits. In other aspects, the method further includes coating a surface of the one or more superconducting circuits with a non-magnetic encapsulation layer. In yet other aspects, the method further includes irradiating the one or more superconducting circuits using ultraviolet light.

Abstract: The present invention provides modified oocytes having a nuclear genome derived from a first oocyte and cytoplasm derived from a second oocyte from a different subject, and methods for making and using such modified oocytes. The methods and compositions of the present invention can be useful in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, in in vitro fertilization (“IVF”) procedures.

Abstract: A sheath assembly for an endoscope includes an elongate tubular body and a plug. The endoscope has a handle portion and a scope portion extending therefrom to a tip. The body includes first and second wall sections and extends along a longitudinal axis between first and second distal openings. The first wall section extends radially about the longitudinal axis to define a scope lumen. The scope portion is receivable in the scope lumen. The second wall section extends radially about a portion of the first wall section and longitudinally between second distal and proximal end openings. The first and second wall sections define an integral suction lumen in fluid communication with a first source of negative pressure. The plug is mated with the distal end opening for closing the scope lumen and includes at least one suction opening disposed in co-registration with the first distal end opening.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and devices for rapidly and accurately heating fluid droplets surrounded by a gas-phase medium, such as air. Sub-nanoliter fluid droplets can be rapidly heated by nanoscale field effect transistors via microwave heating by an applied AC voltage to the FET. The heating is in a well-defined interior portion of the fluid droplet, with minimal heating of the outer portion of the fluid droplet, thereby minimizing evaporation. In this manner, rapid thermal cycling is possible, including independently and in parallel for a plurality of droplets. Accordingly, the methods and devices provided herein are used in point-of-care detection such as by PCR that is high speed, robust and of low cost.

Abstract: A laser ablation tomography system includes a specimen stage for supporting a specimen. A specimen axis is defined such that a specimen disposed generally on the axis may be imaged. A laser system is operable to produce a laser sheet in a plane intersecting the specimen axis and generally perpendicular thereto. An imaging system is operable to image the area where the laser sheet intersects the specimen axis.

Abstract: Methods for isolating viable cancer cells from a sample that comprises a mixture of cancerous cells and normal (non-cancerous) cells are provided. In the methods, a fluid preparation comprising a mixture of cancerous and normal cells is repeatedly exposed to fluid shear stresses, whereby the repeated exposure to the fluid shear stresses preferentially imparts fluid shear stress-resistance to the cancerous cells.

Abstract: A method of obtaining fiber structure information of a nerve fiber in an object by using an MRI system includes: obtaining image information of voxels of the object; setting a tracking start area including at least one voxel of the object; setting at least one voxel adjacent to the tracking start area as a tracking processing area; determining a similarity between image information of a voxel included in the set tracking processing area and a voxel included in the tracking start area; and obtaining the fiber structure information according to the determined similarity.

Abstract: Provided is a multifunction selection valve for use in a liquid chromatography system. The multifunction selection valve includes multiple ports to which both ends of a 1st dimension separation column may be connected at a part thereof, the multifunction selection valve including: a fluid passing mode in which a fluid introduced thereto is not passed through the 1st dimension separation column but is discharged; a column passing mode in which the fluid introduced thereto is passed through the 1st dimension separation column and then discharged; and a fluid blocking mode in which the fluid is prevented from being introduced. When using the multifunction selection valve, it modifies the flow paths of chromatographic solvents so that the resultant multifunctional liquid chromatography system allows one-dimensional separation, two-dimensional separation, on-line digestion and on-line phosphopeptide enrichment by a single binary pump.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical communication receiver capable of compensating a DC offset while preventing an input load effect. The optical communication receiver includes an optical signal detector; an amplifier inputted with a photocurrent outputted from the optical signal detector; and a DC offset compensation unit provided therein with a third transistor and a fifth transistor which are connected in series to each other to prevent an input load effect, wherein the DC offset compensation unit compensates a DC offset by outputting at least a portion of DC current inputted to the amplifier to ground through the third transistor and the fifth transistor when the photocurrent is an over current more than a predetermined set value.

Abstract: Recombinant vectors comprising the cell entry region of the Shigella ox EIEC invasion plasmid are provided, as well as, Shigella or EIEC strains comprising the recombinant vectors. The vectors provide an improved platform for developing attenuated vaccine strains of Shigella or EiEC and for delivering other foreign proteins of interest. The recombinant vectors and bacterial strains comprising the same may be used in methods of inducing an immune response.

Abstract: An embodiment for providing a secure virtual browsing environment includes creating a virtual browsing environment with a virtualized operating system sharing an operating system kernel of a supporting operating system and executing the browser application within the virtual browsing environment. Another embodiment includes receiving a website selection within a browser application, determining if the website selection corresponds to a secure bookmark, and creating a second virtual browsing environment and executing the browser application within the second virtual browsing environment to access the website selection when the website selection corresponds to a website specified as a secure bookmark.

Abstract: System and methodology that utilizes keyboard patterns and alpha string patterns for password cracking. Keyboard patterns can be used as components of passwords, and the relevant shapes can extracted from these keyboard patterns and passwords. This keyboard information can be used to extend a probabilistic context-free grammar that can then be used to generate guesses containing keyboard patterns. Further, patterns in alpha strings, such as repeated words and multi-words, can be systematically learned using a training dictionary. This information can be used to extend the probabilistic context-free grammars which leads to generation of guesses based on the distribution of these patterns in the alpha strings, Keyboard patterns and alpha string patterns, individually and in combination, are shown herein to be effective for password cracking.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for wireless power reception are provided. A wireless power receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive a power. The wireless power receiver further includes a power consuming unit configured to consume the power, until a voltage applied to a load reaches a predetermined value, so that an amount of a power transferred from the receiving unit to the load is less than or equal to an initial accommodation power amount of the load.