Abstract: Stroke patients with comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, or other conditions associated with cardiovascular, pulmonary or renal disease do not respond well to current treatments for stroke. An inhibitor of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) is administered as an adjunct therapy with remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) to treat a stroke in a subject having at least one comorbidity, such as diabetes and hypertension. When performed in conjunction with GRI therapy and RIC, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator therapy (IVT) for thrombolysis and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for clot retrieval are effective in subjects with comorbidities, even after five hours post-onset of stroke.

Abstract: An in situ gelling composition comprising nanoparticles comprising soy protein and a bioactive agent, and a sodium alginate film, wherein the nanoparticles are encapsulated in the film. The in situ gelling composition maybe incorporated into a solid dosage form or reconstituted with water for oral administration to a subject in need of sustained release of the bioactive agent.

Abstract: A defrost or thaw measuring device has a dumbbell or hourglass-shaped rotatable compartment with a cavity, the cavity being partly filled with at least two phase change materials having different melting points. The measuring device may determine the time period of thawing at two or more temperature intervals in the refrigeration space.

Abstract: Natural killer (NK)-lysin peptides from chicken, bovine and human species are used as an antimicrobial or antiviral agent alone or in combination with other agents. A pharmaceutical composition comprising NK-lysin peptides was effective against Rotavirus and various gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria that were tested. Combinations of NK-lysin peptides plus silver nanoparticles or IL-2 were also effective against Salmonella typhimurium. Treatment with the NK-lysin peptides repressed ?-lactam-resistance genes (CTX-M-1, CTX-M-8 and CTX-M-9) in bacterial species tested and thus can be used to augment treatment with ?-lactams and increase bacterial sensitivity to this important class of antibiotics.

Abstract: A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium that detects trajectories of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) approaching a protected site is described. Airborne defense agents (ADAs) located at a fixed radius from the protected and equidistant from one another detect acoustic signals emitted by an approaching UAV. Circuitry included in each ADA use the detected acoustic signals to determine a direction and a distance of each UAV. A base station having a control center (BS-CC) located in the protected site communicates with the ADAs to aggregate direction and distance data from the ADAs. Using the aggregated direction and distance data, the BS-CC predicts routes towards the protected site of the approaching UAV and alerts the protected site of the predicted route of the approaching UAV.

Abstract: Provided are a self-nanoemulsifying 3D printer ink composition and a method of using such composition to manufacture a 3D-printed tablet having compartmentalized active pharmaceutical ingredients. In particular, the 3D-printed tablet composition includes glimepiride and/or rosuvastatin in a curcuma oil based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS).

Abstract: The invention is directed to a composition that safely removes a cured dental cement or resin from metal brackets, metal braces, and enamel surfaces of teeth. It contains eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl-eugenol or an isomer thereof. A method for removing orthodontic fixtures adhered with a dental cement or resin to the enamel surfaces of teeth from these surfaces by contacting the dental cement or resin with a composition containing eugenol.

Abstract: An adjustable dental appliance having an upper tray and a lower tray is provided. The upper tray includes an upper dentition-interfacing layer and an upper support layer. The upper support layer has indentation tracks oriented in a mediolateral direction when an arch shape of the upper tray is aligned with an upper dental arch. The lower tray includes a lower dentition-interfacing layer and a lower support layer. The lower support layer has rails attached to an upper surface thereof and oriented in a mediolateral direction when an arch shape of the lower tray is aligned with a lower dental arch. The rails of the lower tray fit securely into the indentation tracks of the upper tray and thereby interlock the upper tray and lower tray.

Abstract: A wireless network system includes a base station (BS) having a number of array antennas and a controller. The network system also includes a number of mobile stations (MS) each having its own antenna array. The base station modulates a transmit signal directed to a MS with a transmit beamformer as specified by the controller. The MS equalizes a received signal with a receive beamformer. The controller is configured to calculate an outage probability of the MS based on statistical channel state information at the BS, for a given set of a transmit beamformer wk, a receive beamformer vk, and a predetermined threshold of a signal-to-noise-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at the MS. The controller is also configured to obtain a solution set comprising a transmit beamformer wk and a receive beamformer vk. The controller is further configured to specify, based on the obtained solution set, the beamformers to be adopted.

Abstract: Switched capacitor multilevel inverter (SCMLI) configuration for high-frequency medium voltage applications is presented. A 5L-SCMLI basic configuration is further extended to 9L operation with a reduced number of active switches having self voltage boosting and balancing ability. Further, the proposed 9L-SCMLI is extended up to n level being considered as the basic configuration for the extension of horizontal extension (HE) and vertical extension (VE). A generalized switching table is provided for the proposed extensions. Design of the size of capacitor demonstrated for the proposed 9L-SCMLI.

Abstract: A fluid filter and method for filtering fluid feed using the fluid filter is described. The fluid filter comprises an upper disk plate having a first compartment spaced apart and placed parallel to a lower disk plate having a second compartment. The feed fluid enters the first compartment in a first vortex pattern in a first direction at a first temperature, and a permeate fluid enters the second compartment in a second vortex pattern in a second direction opposite the first direction at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. A hydrophobic, vapor permeable membrane positioned between the upper disk plate and the lower disk plate allows vapor to pass from the first compartment to the second compartment having the permeate fluid, thus filtering the feed fluid.

Abstract: Stroke patients with comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, or other conditions associated with cardiovascular, pulmonary or renal disease do not respond well to current treatments for stroke. An inhibitor of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) is administered as an adjunct therapy with remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) to treat a stroke in a subject having at least one comorbidity, such as diabetes and hypertension. When performed in conjunction with GRI therapy and RIC, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator therapy (IVT) for thrombolysis and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for clot retrieval are effective in subjects with comorbidities, even after five hours post-onset of stroke.

Abstract: A system and methodology combines virtual reality (VR) with a plurality of machine learning analyses, and uses majority voting to detect dementia and the diseases under dementia. The accuracy of the classification in the Medical Visuospatial Dementia test is very high.

Abstract: An orthodontic band attachment device used for an orthodontic procedure is described. The device includes a base having a tooth interfacing surface and an outer base surface. The device further includes a button support column attached to the outer base surface, and a button structure attached to the button support column such that an inner button surface is separated from the outer base surface by a button support column height. The device further includes a hook arm attachment member attached to the base at a substantially peripheral location and a hook arm comprising one or more band attachment structures arranged along a hook arm length. The hook arm attachment member is oriented such that a hook arm outer surface is substantially coplanar with an outer button surface and an orthodontic band is able to pass between the hook arm attachment member and the button structure.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a simple and economical method for producing nanocrystalline cellulose from microcrystalline cellulose by contacting frozen concentrated sulfuric acid with microcrystalline cellulose, diluting the mixture in water and hair-shaped ice to hydrolyze the microcrystalline cellulose, and separating the NCC. Another aspect of the invention pertains to an apparatus for conducting this method which includes an acid resistant hydrolysis container having a cooling jacket containing a hollow stirrer each of which may be filled with liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a simple and economical method for producing nanocrystalline cellulose from microcrystalline cellulose by contacting frozen concentrated sulfuric acid with microcrystalline cellulose, diluting the mixture in water and hair-shaped ice to hydrolyze the microcrystalline cellulose, and separating the NCC. Another aspect of the invention pertains to an apparatus for conducting this method which includes an acid resistant hydrolysis container having a cooling jacket containing a hollow stirrer each of which may be filled with liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: A single-phase hybrid multilevel inverter capable of producing a higher number of output voltage levels using fewer power switches and DC voltage sources compared to existing multilevel inverters. The levels are synthesized by switching the DC voltage sources in series/parallel combinations. An auxiliary circuit is introduced to double the number of levels by creating an intermediate step in between two levels. In addition, a zero level is introduced to overcome the inherent absence of this level in the original circuit. To improve the total harmonic distortion, a hybrid modulation technique is utilized. A 300 W, a thirteen level multilevel inverter (including the zero level) was designed and constructed. The circuit was tested with a no-load, resistive load and resistive-inductive load. The experimental results closely match simulated and mathematical analyses.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a protein construct comprising a scaffold protein into which an IgE epitope containing motif is inserted or substituted. The protein construct may be used as an antigen, immunogen or vaccine to induce immune responses against IgE in a vaccinated subject thereby reducing the severity of allergic phenomena associated with IgE. The invention is also directed to a method for designing such a protein construct and expressing it using recombinant DNA methods.

Abstract: A tissue splitting device for splitting a harvested soft tissue to provide a layer of tissue having a uniform thickness and methods for tissue transplantation using uniform layers of tissue.

Abstract: A thermoelectric module comprising nanostructured SnO and SnO2, and electrodes arranged between two electrical insulating substrates is described. The nanostructured SnO may be in the form of nanosheets and acting as p-type pillars of the module. The nanostructured SnO2 may be in the form of nanospheres and acting as n-type pillars of the module. This thermoelectric module is evaluated on the voltage, current, and power of the electricity generated once subjected to a temperature gradient.