Abstract: Provided herein is a soft tissue mimetic formed from a block copolymer hydrogel and methods of making such. The hydrogel comprises a glass formed from a dry blend of polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS and a liquid medium at a concentration between about 32:1 and about 2:1 liquid medium/SO-SOS by weight. The soft tissue mimetic has a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles.

Abstract: A method for establishing semantic equivalence between a plurality of concepts including: providing an Orthogonal Semantic Equivalence Map in which first, second, and third extensional concept models are related; selecting or de-selecting a concept in the first concept model; selecting or deselecting a (relation, concept) pair representing an intensional relation from a concept in the first concept model to a concept in the second concept model over a concept in the third concept model; determining a subset of intensional relations from the selected concepts in the first concept model to concepts in the second concept model; determining a set of concepts from the first concept model that are related to concepts in the second concept model over the selected (relation, concept) pairs; and determining the narrowest common extension of the set of concepts from the first, second, or third concept models that are related over the selected intensional relations.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an economical standalone system that replaces conventional monomer purification methods needed to perform chemical reactions that require reactants with a high degree of purity. Chemical reactions, such as anionic polymerization, can produce highly monodisperse homopolymers and block copolymers, however to do so they require very high purity reactants along with a moisture and oxygen free atmosphere. The system and method uses traditional column purification methods, but incorporates them into an economical, standalone, compact, and hazard free system. This method is different in view of safety, cost of cleaning procedure, time commitment, space availability, design and operational ease; helping researchers save time by cutting down the operating commitment by 90% and most importantly making it safer.

Abstract: Shear waves are generated and measured in viscoelastic phantoms by a single push beam. Using numerical simulations or an analytical function to describe the diffraction of the shear wave, the resulting shear wave motion induced by the applied push beam is calculated with different shear elasticity values and then convolved with a separate expression that describes the effects of viscosity value for the medium. The optimization algorithm chooses the tissue parameters which provide the smallest difference between the measured shear waveform and the simulated shear waveform. A shear viscosity image is generated by applying such optimization procedure at all of the observation points.

Abstract: A fluid-filled hollow optical fiber cell broadly includes a hollow-core optical fiber and a fluid. The optical fiber presents first and second fiber ends and a longitudinal passageway that extends continuously between the fiber ends. The fluid occupies the passageway, with the fiber ends being closed to hermetically seal the fluid within the optical fiber. The first fiber end has a rounded closed shape formed by at least partly melting the first fiber end to form melted fiber material, with the fiber material being permitted to solidify without splicing the first fiber end to another fiber so that the fiber material terminates the passageway at the first fiber end.

Abstract: Provided herein are therapeutic agents having specificity for having inhibitory activity against cancer cells that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) genes, including therapeutic agents comprising one or more HER-targeting peptides, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such therapeutic agents, and methods of using such compositions to treat or prevent a cancer or other disease condition associated with HER overexpression.

Abstract: Compounds and compositions are described herein that inhibit the biosynthesis of mycotoxins and fungal sporulation. Such compounds and compositions are useful for inhibiting mold. Methods of using such compounds and compositions are also described herein that involve applying the compositions to plants, plant parts, structures, containers, and other surfaces.

Abstract: Elastic microfiltration membranes are provided. These membranes may be used in a membrane bioreactor. Due to the elastic nature of the membranes, removal of fouling materials is improved, thereby increasing the efficiency and longevity of the membranes. Methods for forming such membranes and uses of the membranes are also provided, including their use in membrane bioreactors.

Abstract: Protein biomarkers may be used to rapidly and accurately diagnose stroke. Biomarkers may be utilized in a rapid and inexpensive test that could be used at the bedside or ambulatory setting to definitively indicate the presence or absence of stroke and its severity. Such a test would quickly stratify patients in need of immediate stroke treatment from those who are not having a stroke. The test may aid emergency personnel in the decision for the most appropriate treatment plan and treatment location, thereby minimizing morbidity and mortality of stroke patients.

Abstract: A rotation monitoring system may be attached to a limb and can identify ranges of motion that are associated with injuries or poor performance. In some embodiments, the device is designed to monitor flexion and orientation of joints and limbs, developed specifically around identifying stress concentrating behavior on the ACL. Tests performed show that the designed device can read flexion and orientation of the knee, is durable enough to be used in real-world conditions, and does not impede on the subject's movements.

Abstract: A metal organic framework includes metal-containing secondary building units and perfluorinated linkers (e.g., pefluorinated arene linkers, perfluorinated heteroarene linkers, etc.). The metal may be copper, zinc, hafnium, zirconium, aluminum, gallium, or indium. A method for removing contaminants from wastewater may utilize the metal organic framework. The contaminants may include arenes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a composition comprising at least one cellulose material (such as a cellulose nanomaterial) and an optional inorganic salt component. Some embodiments of the composition can further comprise additional components, with some embodiments further comprising a non-starch polysaccharide (e.g., methyl cellulose carboxymethyl cellulose or other cellulose derivative, chitosan, or the like), a surfactant, a plasticizer, an antimicrobial component, or any combination thereof. The disclosed compositions are useful for forming edible coatings/films on plants, plant parts, and other objects. The disclosed compositions and coatings/films made using the compositions are effective at protecting fresh and processed produce and other substances and products, from various different types of food processing damage (and the deleterious effects associated therewith).

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for context-aware synthesis for video frame interpolation are provided. A convolutional neural network (ConvNet) may, given two input video or image frames, interpolate a frame temporarily in the middle of the two input frames by combining motion estimation and pixel synthesis into a single step and formulating pixel interpolation as a local convolution over patches in the input images. The ConvNet may estimate a convolution kernel based on a first receptive field patch of a first input image frame and a second receptive field patch of a second input image frame. The ConvNet may then convolve the convolutional kernel over a first pixel patch of the first input image frame and a second pixel patch of the second input image frame to obtain color data of an output pixel of the interpolation frame. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Lanthionine ketimine phosphonate (LK-P), lanthionine ketimine ester phosphonate (LKE-P), other lanthionine ketimine, lanthionine ketimine phosphonate, and lanthionine ketimine ester derivatives, and methods of making and using the same, are described.

Abstract: A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D GMOT) configured to trap a cold-atom cloud is disclosed. The 3D GMOT includes a single input light beam having its direction along a first axis, an area along a second and third axis that are both normal to the first axis, and a substantially flat input light beam intensity profile extending across its area. The 3D GMOT may also include a circular, diffraction-grating surface positioned normal to the first axis and having closely adjacent grooves arranged concentrically around a gap formed in its center. The circular, diffraction-grating surface is configured to diffract first-order light beams that intersect within an intersection region that lies directly above the gap and suppresses reflections and diffractions of all other orders. The 3D GMOT may further include a quadrupole magnetic field with its magnitude being zero within the intersection region.

Abstract: A method of preparing an ultra-flat metal surface involves providing a layer of a crystalline metallic material on an ultra-flat substrate surface that is relatively harder than the metallic material layer and then impinging the metallic material layer with incoming metal atoms that are deposited as an additive crystalline layer thereon, wherein at least a lattice constant of the additive crystalline layer is different enough from a lattice constant of the crystalline metallic material layer resulting in a reduction of roughness of the surface of the metallic material layer adjacent to the substrate surface. The metallic material layer having an ultra-flat surface then is separated by template stripping or other technique from the substrate surface for further use of the ultra-flat surface.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for enhancing plant growth and resistance to adverse abiotic conditions are disclosed.

Abstract: 2-hydroxy-benzoic anilide compounds and derivatives, compositions thereof, and methods for treating metabolic diseases and cancer through uncoupling mitochondria.

Abstract: A contrast agent having a contrast protein have contrast properties and at least one targeting moiety, wherein the at least one targeting moiety is operatively linked to or incorporated within the contrast protein. Methods for targeting contrast agents and for preparing such agents are included.

Abstract: Using processes disclosed herein, materials and structures are created and used. For example, processes can include melting boron nitride or amorphous carbon into an undercooled state followed by quenching. Exemplary new materials disclosed herein can be ferromagnetic and/or harder than diamond. Materials disclosed herein may include dopants in concentrations exceeding thermodynamic solubility limits. A novel phase of solid carbon has structure different than diamond and graphite.