Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and devices for stimulating an immune response to a disease in a subject, which involves passing sub-microsecond long pulses of electric fields having an amplitude between 5 kV/cm and 68 kV/cm through an abnormal growth of a subject sufficient to suppress myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) or regulatory T cell (Treg) production, increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) production, or stimulate dendritic cell activation in the subject.

Abstract: A method for impulse noise detection and removal in color images based on Moran's/statistic using Moran's/vector median filter (MIVMF) which comprises detection and removal components. The detection module determines if a pixel is noise or is noise-free. If it is a noise pixel, the vector median filter (VMF) will be used to remove the noise. This detection capability meets the so-called “switching” mechanism, which only selects noisy pixels for suppression. The inventive filter expedites processing time with the reduced number of vector calculations due to this new detection function, achieved with Moran's/index and the indication of 1-D Laplacian kernels. Compared to other vector-type median filters, the inventive MIVMF was faster in the filtering process and efficient in removing random impulse noise with different noise levels in color images. The MIVMF demonstrated a promising de-noising result based on the criteria of Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity Index Metric (SSIM).

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for image encoding/decoding. The method for image decoding includes comparing whether a size of a current transform block and a size of a smallest transform block (smallest transform unit (STU)) are the same as each other, and decoding information indicating whether transformation is performed on the current transform block and determining whether to perform inverse transformation on the current transform block based on the decoded information indicating whether the transformation is performed when the size of the current transform block and the size of a smallest transform block are the same as each other.

Abstract: Methods, compositions, and systems related to preparing gaseous 18F-compounds for use in radiolabeling positron emission tomography (PET) tracer precursor compounds are disclosed. [18F]fluoride ions produced by conventional methods are converted by reaction with an acid anhydride having the formula: to a gaseous 18F-compound having the formula: wherein each R is independently a substituted or unsubstituted, straight chain or branched C1-C4 alkyl group. The gaseous 18F-compounds, which also can be readily trapped on solid-phase extraction media or in organic solvents such as acetonitrile, provide an alternative source of [18F]fluoride for use in the nucleophilic substitution reactions that are used to synthesize a large number of 18F-labeled PET imaging tracers, including 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG).

Abstract: Various examples of brake actuators are provided. In one example, a brake actuator includes a parking brake chamber defined by a spring housing and an adapter base. The parking brake chamber includes a parking diaphragm that has an opening and the parking diaphragm is disposed between the spring housing and the adapter base which divides the brake spring chamber into a spring volume and a release volume, with the spring volume of the brake spring chamber being sealed from atmosphere. The parking brake chamber also includes a piston that is disposed in the spring volume and is in contact with the parking diaphragm, and the piston includes a piston passageway through the piston to allow air flow between the release volume and the spring volume.

Abstract: A threshold voltage measuring device may include a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, a drain voltage clamping circuit configured to control a drain voltage of the MOS transistor wherein the drain voltage having a substantially constant level, and a constant current supply circuit configured to cause a drain-source current to flow through the MOS transistor wherein the drain-source current having a substantially constant magnitude.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a patient-specific applicator reconstructs a three-dimensional (3D) image by using a medical image of a patient, models an applicator structure for irradiating radiation onto a tumor tissue, based on a 3D image, generates printing data for 3D printing for manufacturing the patient-specific applicator based on the modeled applicator structure, and manufactures the patient-specific applicator based on the generated printing data.

Abstract: A method for determining protein binding specificity using a screen of a peptide library is provided. The method can be used to determine binding specificity for human NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT1, and to identify the most efficiently deacetylated peptide sequences. The method can be also used to screen a combinatorial H4 histone N-terminal tail peptide library to examine the binding preferences of a ?-phos (S1) H4 antibody toward all known possible H4 histone modification states.

Abstract: Isolated Lactobacillus strains are useful in preventing or delaying the development of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). A probiotic composition comprising the Lactobacillus strains and use of the composition in T1D prevention are provided.

Abstract: A body weight support (BWS) system is disclosed. The BWS system includes a harness coupled to a plurality of cables, wherein the harness is worn by a subject, an actuator for each of the plurality of cables, each actuator configured to place a tension on a corresponding cable in response to an electrical signal, at least one force sensor configured to provide an electrical signal corresponding to forces applied to the harness, at least one motion sensor configured to provide an electrical signal corresponding to changes in acceleration of the subject, and a controller configured to control the plurality of actuators.

Abstract: Provided herein are Mycobacterium smegmatis porin nanopores, systems that comprise these nanopores, and methods of using and making these nanopores. Such nanopores may be wild-type MspA porins, mutant MspA porins, wild-type MspA paralog porins, wild-type MspA homolog porins, mutant MspA paralog porins, mutant MspA homolog porins, or single-chain Msp porins. Also provided are bacterial strains capable of inducible Msp porin expression.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of controlling a fluid flow using momentum and/or vorticity injections. Actively controlling an actuator allows for direct, precise, and independent control of the momentum and swirl entering into the fluid system. The perturbations are added to the flow field in a systematic mater providing tunable control input, thereby modifying behavior thereof in a predictable manner to improve the flow characteristics.

Abstract: An organic light-emitting device includes a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and an organic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the organic layer includes an emission layer and at least one organometallic compound of Formula 1. An organic light-emitting device including an organometallic compound of Formula 1 may have low driving voltage, high efficiency, and excellent color purity.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic generation of information-rich content from multiple microblogs, each microblog containing only sparse information, the method comprising collecting a population of microblogs comprising microblog data, each microblog containing a limited number of characters; providing a user interface allowing entry of a search query; matching a search query entered on the user interface to data in the microblog data; providing the results of the matching process as a sub-set of microblog data; applying processing techniques to the sub-set of microblog data; and generating a summary report of the processed sub-set of microblog data.

Abstract: This document provides methods and materials involved in reducing suppression of immune function in mammals. For example, methods and materials for (a) identifying a mammal as having an elevated level of CD14+/DR? cells (e.g., CD14+/DR? monocytes) and (b) administering RU486 (mifepristone; or drugs with a similar functional profile) to the identified mammal under conditions that change the ratio of CD14+/HLA-DR? cells to CD14+/HLA-DR+ cells as well as methods and materials for (a) identifying a mammal as being likely to experience an elevated level of CD14+/DR? cells (e.g., CD14+/DR? monocytes) and (b) administering RU486 (mifepristone; or drugs with a similar functional profile) to the identified mammal under conditions that reduce the degree to which the mammal develops CD14+/DR? cells are provided.

Abstract: Novel collagen-mimetic peptides are disclosed comprising the formula (Xaa-Yaa-Gly)n, where the amino acid at one of the Xaa positions is substituted with a homocysteine residue. Also disclosed are multi-stranded novel collagen-mimetic peptides comprising a first strand as described above that is covalently bonded with a disulfide bridge to a second strand comprising the formula (Xaa-Yaa-Gly)m, where the amino acid at one of the Yaa positions is substituted with a cysteine residue. Disulfide formation between the terminal thiol sulfur of the homocysteine residue of the first strand and the terminal thiol sulfur of the cysteine residue of the second strand reveals unstrained bridges that enhance the structure and substantially improve the stability of collagen triple helices as compared to other possible disulfide or thioether bridges.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of reducing a level of a target mRNA in a well-differentiated airway epithelial cell by contacting the cell with a facilitating agent followed by contacting the cell with a therapeutic RNAi agent, wherein the facilitating agent comprises a Platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) ligand.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions and methods for enhancing erythropoiesis in an individual in need thereof. Specifically agents that decrease the expression of Exosc10, such as inhibitory nucleic acid molecules, produce an increase in red blood cell production in the individual.

Abstract: A system and method for accelerated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) includes controlling an RF system of an MRI system to acquire coil calibration data from a subject including a material causing inhomogeneities in a static magnetic field of the MRI system when arranged in the bore of the MRI system. After acquiring the coil calibration data, the RF system is controlled to acquire imaging data from the subject at multiple different resonance frequency offsets. The spectral bin images relate specific resonance frequencies to distinct spatial locations in the static magnetic field of the MRI system. An image of the subject is reconstructed from the imaging data using coil calibration data and the spectral bin data to provide spatial encoding of the image.

Abstract: We provide a method for the in situ development of graphene containing silicon carbide (SiC) matrix ceramic composites, and more particularly to the in situ graphene growth within the bulk ceramic through a single-step approach during SiC ceramics densification using an electric current activated/assisted sintering (ECAS) technique. This approach allows processing dense, robust, highly electrical conducting and well dispersed nanocomposites having a percolated graphene network, eliminating the handling of potentially hazardous nanostructures. Graphene/SiC components could be used in technological applications under strong demanding conditions where good electrical, thermal, mechanical and/or tribological properties are required, such as micro and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS), sensors, actuators, heat exchangers, breaks, components for engines, armors, cutting tools, microturbines or microrotors.