Abstract: The disclosure provides seed, tissue cultures, essential oil extracts, and plants of catnip hybrid ‘CR3’, as well as methods for producing a catnip plants by crossing ‘CR3’ plants with themselves or with another catnip plant, such as a plant of another genotype, variety, or cultivar. The disclosure further provides seed, tissue cultures, essential oil extracts, and plants produced by such crossing. Methods of using the plants and extracts as insect repellents and in pet toys, are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of treating pathogenic bacterial infection (e.g., tuberculosis infection) in an animal comprising administering a peptide-based inhibitor of the STAT3-IL10 pathway or a nucleic acid encoding the peptide-based inhibitor to the animal. The invention also provides methods of treating chronic granulomatous disease and Wegener's granulomatosis in an animal comprising administering a peptide-based inhibitor of the STAT3-IL10 pathway or a nucleic acid encoding the peptide-based inhibitor to the animal.

Abstract: A method comprising reacting an aluminum mineral polymorph or a gallium mineral polymorph with an acid at an aluminum metal to acid molar ratio or gallium metal to acid molar ratio sufficient to produce M13 nanoscale clusters, M nano-agglomerates, or a M13 slurry, wherein M is Al or Ga.

Abstract: The disclosed compositions and methods relate to an immunogenic composition that, in certain aspects, comprise cationic liposomes; a mixture of toll like receptor 3 (TLR3) and toll like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligands; and a cellular adhesion agent, and methods of using such compositions. In certain aspects, disclosed compositions are administered to a mammal to induce a non-specific innate immune response at mucosal surfaces. In further aspects, disclosed compositions are administered to a mammal in conjunction with an antigen to enhance the immune response of the mammal to the antigen.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to the discovery of novel recombinant forms of ?-hexosyl-transferases (BHT) and uses thereof to produce galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) or as food additives.

Abstract: A protection system capable of safely quenching a high temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet coil. The protection circuit provides for a frequency loss induced quench design that advances the protection technology for HTS magnet coils and provides a protection system that is capable of quickly distributing the heat energy uniformly in all the coil sections when a localized hot-spot is created.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to the discovery of an improved method to diagnose malignant melanoma of the oral cavity in the dog.

Abstract: Helical carbon nanotubes and the chemical functionalization of helical carbon nanotubes for use in high-performance multifunctional nanocomposite materials are described. Various processes of preparing functionalized helical carbon nanotubes and materials incorporating these nanotubes are also described.

Abstract: A user input system comprising a vibration motor, a sensor and a processor in communication with the sensor. The vibration motor is in contact with a surface and generates vibrations in the surface. The vibrations can be altered by a user touching the surface to create altered vibrations. The sensor is in contact with the surface and detects the altered vibrations. The processor receives and analyzes data corresponding to the altered vibrations. The processor determines, based on the analyzed data, whether a user's touch on the surface matches a stored vibration profile of the user.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for increasing the stability of an engineered protein by halogenating at least one amino acid residue of the protein to form a stabilizing hydrogen bond-enhanced halogen bond (HeX-B).

Abstract: Various embodiments of a cyber-physical system for providing cloud prediction for photovoltaic array control are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Methods for ultrasonic communications through biological tissue using ultrasonic pulses are disclosed. For example, methods for calculating a forward data generation rate and a forward transmission probability profile for ultrasonic communications through biological material are disclosed. The method may comprise measuring sets interference values corresponding to instants on a communication channel. First and second order moments may be calculated for each instant based on the measured interference values. An outage probability may be calculated for each set and the forward data generation rate and forward transmission probability profile may be calculated based on the outage probability value and other parameters and a threshold transmission rate, a transmission delay threshold, and a residual transmission error rate.

Abstract: An inexpensive, biodegradable, easily transportable mosquito trap and improved attractant formulation and apparatus are provided.

Abstract: A hypersonic aircraft having a homopolar motor with high temperature superconducting (HTS) non-insulated (NI) coil magnets is described. In some implementations, the HTS NI coil magnets can have a graded resistance design. In some implementations, the HTS NI coil magnets can include a series of stacked coils, each of the series of coils comprising multiple turns having turn-to-turn resistance, where the turn-to-turn resistance of the series of coils is graded coil-to-coil across the magnet. In some implementations, the HTS NI coil magnets can include an NI coil comprising multiple turns and two or more thermal barriers each disposed between two adjacent turns of the coil, where an electrically conductive portion of one of the thermal barriers does not overlap with an electrically conductive portion of a different adjacent one of the thermal barriers. Some implementations can include a disk-type homopolar motor/generator including one or more HTS NI coil magnets.

Abstract: A transparent luminescent solar concentrator is provided. The transparent luminescent solar concentrator has luminophores embedded within a waveguide matrix that both selectively absorb and emit near-infrared light to an edge mounted or embedded solar photovoltaic array.

Abstract: A computer system for parsing bulk message information into intelligent question retrieval models receives text-based data associated with a particular user. The system encodes the word into a context-dependent vector, wherein the context-dependent vector indicates the meaning of the word across a semantic space. The system also identifies within a context-independent database a context-independent vector that is associated with the word. Further, the system generates an objective output by combining the context-dependent vector and the context-independent vector. Further still, the system generates a sentence encoding representation by processing at least a portion of the text-based data through a high-level feature embedded convolutional semantic model to generate numerical representations of questions and answers within the text-based dataset. The sentence encoding representation is generated at least in part based upon the objective output.

Abstract: A system with binary coding in a textile structure can include a textile sensor that senses a property and that has a yarn pattern. A binary code can be associated with the yarn pattern. When the textile sensor senses the property, the property alters relative positions of yarns in the yarn pattern, causing the associated binary code to change. A particular change in the binary code represents a defined value of the property. As a result, a second textile sensor having a second yarn pattern can be designed based on the unique binary codes of the first textile sensor measurements, such that the second textile sensor provides predictable responses to different property values.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein improve fuel economy by controlling a vehicle powertrain based on a predicted vehicle velocity. The vehicle velocity is predicted based on vehicle-to-vehicle data when a prediction horizon is a longer prediction horizon and the vehicle velocity is predicted based on historical drive cycle data when the prediction horizon is a shorter prediction horizon. A time duration of the shorter prediction horizon is shorter than the time duration of the longer prediction horizon. A plurality of drive cycles are established for both the longer and the shorter prediction horizons using a neural network. A shorter prediction horizon drive cycle uses nonlinear autoregressive exogenous model neural networks and the longer prediction horizon drive cycle uses two layer feedforward neural networks. The predicted vehicle velocity is determined from a similar drive cycle of the plurality of drive cycles of either the shorter and/or the longer prediction horizon drive cycles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting placement of an object in a digital image are provided. The system receives a digital image and processes the digital image to generate one or more candidate regions within the digital image using a first neural network. The system then selects a proposed region from the one or more candidate regions using the first neural network and assigns a score to the proposed region using the first neural network. Lastly, the system processes the proposed region using a second neural network to detect an object in the proposed region.

Abstract: A new and distinct variety of Cercis canadensis eastern redbud plant, herein referred to by its cultivar name, ‘NC2016-2’, is provided which forms emerging purple colored foliage that matures to gold colored foliage. The new variety provides vegetation that is moderately vigorous and the growth habit is semi-weeping. The new variety is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation in the landscape.