Abstract: Bioactive coatings that are stabilized against inactivation by weathering are provided including a base including an enzyme associated therein, and a first polyoxyethylene present in the base and independent of the enzyme. The coatings are optionally overlayered onto a substrate to form an active coating facilitating the removal of organic stains or organic material from food, insects, or the environment.

Abstract: An antenna apparatus for a radio frequency (RF) coil to transmit signals to and to receive signal from a subject in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a distal surface facing away from the subject, a proximal surface facing towards the subject, a high permittivity material (HPM) having a shape, and an antenna coupled to the HPM and positioned on the proximal surface such that the antenna is positioned between the HPM and the subject.

Abstract: Bioactive coatings suitable for facilitating removal of a fingerprint when contacting the coating are provided including a base associated with a chemically modified enzyme, and, optionally a first polyoxyethylene present in the base and independent of the enzyme. The coatings are optionally overlayered onto a substrate. Also provided are processes of facilitating fingerprint removal.

Abstract: Provided herein are genetically modified microbes. In one embodiment, a genetically modified microbe includes an exogenous polynucleotide that includes a pheromone-responsive region. In one embodiment, the pheromone-responsive region is derived from a conjugative plasmid from a member of the genus Enterococcus spp. The pheromone-responsive region includes a pheromone-responsive promoter and an operably linked coding region encoding an antimicrobial peptide. In one embodiment, a genetically modified microbe includes an exogenous polynucleotide that includes a promoter and an operably linked coding sequence encoding an antimicrobial peptide, where expression of the coding region is controlled by a modulator polypeptide and is altered by a modulating agent, and where the coding region encodes an antimicrobial peptide.

Abstract: The concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to a network-assisted Raft consensus protocol, referred to herein as “NetRaft.” According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a system can include a plurality of servers operating in a server cluster, and a plurality of P4 switches corresponding to the plurality of servers. Each server of the plurality of servers can include a back-end that executes a complete Raft algorithm to perform leader election, log replication, and log commitment of a Raft consensus algorithm. Each P4 switch of the plurality of P4 switches can include a front-end that executes a partial Raft algorithm to perform the log replication and the log commitment of the Raft consensus algorithm. The back-end can maintain a complete state for responding to requests that cannot be fulfilled by the front-end. The requests can include read requests and/or write requests.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds, compositions, and methods for treating pain.

Abstract: Aspects include systems having an intravenous fluid bag, a tubing line assembly including tubing connected to a connector and a purge valve assembly including a spike and an outer housing. The outer housing is connected to the spike and includes a receiving end portion configured to receive the connector. The purge valve assembly further has a check valve provided within the outer housing. Generally, the purge valve assembly interconnects the fluid bag to the fluid tubing assembly for removal of air from the fluid bag prior to connection to the tubing line assembly. Various methods and purge valve assemblies provide a rapid infusion system for use. The purge valve assemblies do not require the user to reinsert the connector or spike into the intravenous fluid bag, creating a sterile solution to preparing the intravenous fluid for rapid infusion while reducing the risk of air emboli.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a method of reducing biuret in a urea composition, the method comprising contacting the urea composition with an isolated or purified biuret hydrolase enzyme under conditions suitable to reduce the concentration of biuret in the urea composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a compound of formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, stereoisomer, solvate, or prodrug thereof, wherein R1-R6 have any of the values described in the specification, as well as compositions comprising a compound of formula (I). The compounds are useful as contraceptive agents.

Abstract: A semicrystalline multiblock copolymer includes alternating blocks of semicrystalline isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and semicrystalline polyethylene (PE), having a block arrangement according to formula (I): (iPPw)p(PEx)(iPPy)m(PEz)n?? (I), wherein p is 0 or 1; m is 0 or 1; n is 0 or 1; the sum of p, m, and n is 1, 2, or 3; and the sum of w, x, y, and z is greater than or equal to 40 kg/mol, with the provisos that: when m and n are 0, the sum of w and x is greater than or equal to 140 kg/mol; and when p and n are 0, the sum of y and x is greater than or equal to 140 kg/mol. Related compositions and methods are also provided.

Abstract: User-specific neurostimulation settings are efficiently determined and optimized based on an optimized set of population-based neurostimulation settings. The population data are clustered and a set of test settings for a new user are selected as settings that efficiently discriminate between the clusters. User preference of the test settings are used to map the user to a particular cluster of settings, which can be used to determine user-specific neurostimulation settings. The user-based settings can be iteratively updated and/or optimized using information from the population data, such as by using average preference score surfaces in the population data to identify and/or filter new test settings for the user.

Abstract: Localization and navigation systems and techniques are described. An electronic device comprises a processor configured to maintain a state vector storing estimates for a position of the electronic device at poses along a trajectory within an environment along with estimates for positions for one or more features within the environment. The processor computes, from the image data, one or more constraints based on features observed from multiple poses of the electronic device along the trajectory, and computes updated state estimates for the position of the electronic device in accordance with the motion data and the one or more computed constraints without computing updated state estimates for the features for which the one or more constraints were computed.

Abstract: A comprehensive system for treatment of wrist joint proprioception. The system includes a manipulandum unit and a controller. The unit includes a base, a handle, a linkage assembly, and motors. The base supports a subject's forearm, and the handle is gripped by the palm. The linkage assembly connects the handle to the base, and establishes three DOFs. The motors are operatively connected to the linkage assembly. The controller is programmed to actuate, and receive feedback information from, each of the plurality of motors. Further, the controller is programmed to perform wrist proprioception assessment operations by actuating the plurality of motors to effectuate movement of the handle relative to the base in a prescribed manner indicative of position motion sense acuity as an objective measure of wrist proprioception functioning. The controller is optionally further programmed to perform rehabilitation training via controlled operation of the unit and a virtually reality environment.

Abstract: A distributed storage system includes a plurality of nodes comprising a first node, wherein a total number of nodes in the distributed storage system is represented by n, wherein a file stored in the distributed storage system is recovered from a subset of a number of nodes represented by k upon a file failure on a node in the distributed storage system, and wherein a failed node in the plurality of nodes is recovered from a number of helper nodes of the plurality of nodes represented by d. Upon detecting a failure in the first node, each helper node of the number of helper nodes is configured to determine a repair-encoder matrix, multiply a content matrix by the repair-encoder matrix to obtain a repair matrix, extract each linearly independent column of the repair matrix, and send the linearly independent columns of the repair matrix to the first node.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for milling an iron-containing raw material in the presence of a nitrogen source to generate anisotropically shaped particles that include iron nitride and have an aspect ratio of at least 1.4. Techniques for nitridizing an anisotropic particle including iron, and annealing an anisotropic particle including iron nitride to form at least one ??-Fe16N2 phase domain within the anisotropic particle including iron nitride also are disclosed. In addition, techniques for aligning and joining anisotropic particles to form a bulk material including iron nitride, such as a bulk permanent magnet including at least one ??-Fe16N2 phase domain, are described. Milling apparatuses utilizing elongated bars, an electric field, and a magnetic field also are disclosed.

Abstract: In some examples, an antenna system includes a source antenna and a frequency selective surface (FSS) comprising a first section including a first set of horizontally oriented unit cells, a second section including a second set of horizontally oriented unit cells, and a third section between the first section and the second section, the third section including a set of vertically oriented unit cells, wherein the first section is substantially square in shape, and wherein the second section is substantially square in shape. The source antenna is configured to emit one or more electromagnetic signals through the FSS, wherein the FSS causes the one or more signals to form at least a first beam corresponding to the first section, and wherein the FSS causes the one or more signals to form at least a second beam corresponding to the second section.

Abstract: The present invention provides benzothiadiazine and chroman derivatives and particularly diazoxide and cromakalim derivatives for use in treating glaucoma, retinopathy, treating age related macular degeneration, treating, stabilizing and/or inhibiting blood and lymph vascularization, and reducing intraocular pressure by administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a prodrug disposed in an ophthalmically acceptable carrier to the eye, wherein the prodrug specifically modulates a KATP channel to reduce an intraocular pressure.

Abstract: Described herein is the use of a visible near infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral imaging system as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also described herein is the use of a VNIR hyperspectral imaging system in high throughput screening of potential therapeutics against AD.

Abstract: Systems and methods for late gadolinium enhancement (“LGE”) tissue viability imaging in a dynamic (e.g., temporally-resolved) manner using magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) are provided. Dynamic LGE images can be generated throughout the entire cardiac cycle at high temporal resolution in a single breath-hold. Dynamic, semi-quantitative longitudinal relaxation maps are acquired and retrospective synthetization of dynamic LGE images is implemented using those semi-quantitative longitudinal relaxation maps.

Abstract: The invention is a new and distinct variety of grapevine plant named ‘Clarion’ that is characterized by its grapes with a moderate juice total acidity (average of 7.73 g/L) making it suitable for wine production, its grapes that lack less desirable aromatic compounds that are typical of cold climate hybrid grapes, its grapes with floral notes including lilac and tropical fruit notes, its good growth habit without excessive vigor, and its grapes with a loose cluster architecture.