Abstract: The invention features formulations for the local delivery of therapeutically effective doses of curcumin to treat head and neck disorders and upper aerodigestive disorders. Also disclosed are use of the formulations for delivery of other phytochemicals, or the combination of phytochemicals for the treatment of said disorders. Furthermore, these formulations can be used to deliver the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and/or minerals to children or adults.

Abstract: A method for automatic, stereo vision based, in-line solder ball height and substrate coplanarity inspection includes providing an imaging setup together with an imaging processor for reliable, in-line solder ball height measurement. The imaging set up includes a pair of cameras mounted at two opposing angles with ring lighting around each camera lens, which allows the capture of two images of an electronics package in parallel. The lighting generates features on solder balls located on a substrate of the electronics package, which are then used to determine height. Specifically, points with the same intensity on each solder ball surface are grouped, which allows for the formation of curves, also known as iso-contours, which are then matched between the two views. An optimized triangulation is then performed to determine the height of each one of the solder balls.

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds useful as novel near-infrared labels, compositions containing these compounds, and methods of using the near-infrared labels to identify targets in vitro, in situ and in vivo. The invention also provides small or large molecule conjugates between targeting agents and NIR labels, as well as methods and kits thereof, that can be used in diagnostics and treatment of diseases related to microbes in mammalian animals.

Abstract: A system and methods for polyp detection using optical colonoscopy images are provided. In some aspects, the system includes an input configured to receive a series of optical images, and a processor configured to process the series of optical images with steps comprising of receiving an optical image from the input, constructing an edge map corresponding to the optical image, the edge map comprising a plurality of edge pixel, and generating a refined edge map by applying a classification scheme based on patterns of intensity variation to the plurality of edge pixels in the edge map. The processor may also process the series with steps of identifying polyp candidates using the refined edge map, computing probabilities that identified polyp candidates are polyps, and generating a report, using the computed probabilities, indicating detected polyps. The system also includes an output for displaying the report.

Abstract: Data is received characterizing a result of a first visual sensitivity test assessing capacity to detect spatial form across one or more different target sizes, and different contrasts. Using the received data, one or more first parameters defining a first estimated visual sensitivity for a first range of contrasts and a second range of spatial frequencies is determined. One or more second parameters defining a second estimated visual sensitivity for a third range of contrasts and a fourth range of spatial frequencies is determined using the one or more first parameters and a statistical inference by at least presenting a first visual stimulus, receiving a response, and determining a second visual stimulus based at least on the response and at least a rule. The one or more second parameters is provided. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a mass flow sensor while harvesting grain includes sensing an accumulated mass of a portion of grain within the grain tank with a first sensor. A mass flow rate sensor is calibrated based at least in part on a signal of the first sensor.

Abstract: A peptide (Peptide-1) based on the C-terminal of Equine CC10 has been discovered that can be used as a vaccine to protect horses from respiratory airway obstruction (RAO), Antibodies to Peptide-1 may also be administered for short-term passive immunotherapy to RAO-affected horses, and can be used to measure the level of CC10 protein in serum to identify potential RAO horses (horses with reduced CC10). Due to similarities between equine RAO and human asthma, this peptide or its antibodies may also be useful in treatment or prevention of human asthma.

Abstract: The method of the present disclosure is directed towards the formation of a three-dimensional carbon structure and includes the steps of adding a radical initiator to an amount of carbon starting material, forming a mixture, placing the mixture in a mold, maintaining the mixture and the mold at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form a thermally cross-linked molded mixture and removing the thermally cross-linked molded mixture from the mold. The disclosure also includes a three-dimensional carbon structure, with that structure including a thermally cross-linked carbon base material in a predetermined formation.

Abstract: A flexure mechanism may be constructed by joining a first, second, and third material together, wherein the first and second materials are non-flexure materials and the third material is a flexure material that does not have a flexure motion-defining feature. Then, after the joining step, forming a flexure-motion defining feature into the third material. Each of the components of flexure mechanism may first be machined individually and the components may then be joined or assembled in any order. Significant tolerance stack-up may occur during the individual machining operations and joining assembly of the individual components. However, these tolerance issues, miss-alignments or other flaws in the overall assembly may be eliminated in the forming of the flexure-motion defining features as part of flexure mechanism.

Abstract: Synthesis of novel and unique PAMAM (poly-amidoamine) polymers. PAMAM polymers can be grown by systematic alternation between ethylenediamine (EDA) and methacrylate. By taking advantage of the alternating terminal ends, successive generations G1 and G0.5 were combined under acidic conditions with Pluronic P123 as a liquid-crystal template. The resulting polymer was imaged with TEM and the product was circular and amorphous of no characteristic size ranging between about 5 nm to about 600 nm, with remarkable electrochemical activity unseen in any of the generations of PAMAM. Applications of this electroactive poly-amidoamine organic polymer include use as a new electron transfer reagent for amperometric biosensors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oligooxopiperazines for reactivating p53. The oligooxopiperazines comprise two or three oxopiperazine rings and substantially mimic helix ?B of the C-terminal transactivation domain of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1?. Methods of using the oligooxopiperazines are also disclosed. Exemplary oligooxopiperazines include those of Formula I below (wherein A, R1, R2, R3, R4, and B are as defined herein).

Abstract: A protein transduction method for efficiently delivery of exogenous proteins into mammalian cells is invented, which has the capability of targeting different cellular compartments and protection from degradation of the delivered proteins from cellular proteases. A composition for treat proteins has cation reagents, lipids and enhancers in a carrier. The method can be used in a number of ways including: production of large quantities of properly folded, post-translationally modified proteins using mammalian cell machinery, a in-cell fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging using small molecule fluorophores and a in-cell NMR spectroscopy using living mammalian cells. The method permits cell biology at atomic resolution that is physiologically and pathological relevant and permits protein therapy to treat human diseases. The method can also be used to deliver exogenous protein inside mammalian cells, wherein the exogenous proteins follow a similar secretion pathway as that of the endogenous protein.

Abstract: Described herein are small peptide domains and consensus sequences that bind small target molecules of industrial importance, e.g., metals such as nickel, ? carotene, and isoflavones such as genistein. Also described are fusion proteins containing such binding domains fused to proteins or to peptide domains like GST or CBD that bind other ligands and can be used to immobilize the target binding domain on a support. One class of fusion proteins that is useful in industrial settings are fusions that contain concatemers of target binding domains, which increases the binding equivalents per molecule.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds of formula I: and salts thereof wherein R1-R4 have any of the meanings defined in the specification, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds or salts, and methods for their use in therapy. The compounds have useful antiviral properties.

Abstract: The invention relates to wireless biotelemetry of low level bioelectric and biosensor signals by directly modulating the backscatter of a resonant circuit. Low level electrical analog or digital signals are directly applied to a resonant circuit containing a voltage-variable capacitor such as a varactor diode, that proportionally shifts the resonant frequency and so amplitude of radiofrequency backscatter in a way that represents analog bioelectric or biosensor waveform data. By strongly driving the resonant circuit with a radiofrequency source, a voltage variable capacitance can be caused to amplify the bio-signal level by a parametric process and so provide sufficient sensitivity to telemeter for low millivolt and microvolt level signals without additional amplification. A feature of the device is its simplicity and that it accomplishes both modulation and preamplification of low level sensor signals by the same variable capacitance circuit which reduces the device size and power consumption.

Abstract: The amino acid and nucleic acid sequences of a ?5-desaturase enzyme and a ?8-desaturase enzyme are disclosed. The nucleic acid sequences can be used to design recombinant DNA constructs and vectors. These vectors can then be used to transform various organisms, including for example, plants and yeast. The transformed organisms will then produce polyunsaturated fatty acids. The amino acid sequences are useful for generating enzyme-specific antibodies that are useful for identifying the desaturases.

Abstract: The micropump includes continuous cylindrical separating pipes having at least two alternating stages of pipes of small radius and large radius connected in succession. Each pipe of a large radius has one end as a hot zone, and the opposite end as a cold zone. The pipes alternate straight pipes with a large radius and U-shaped curved pipes with a small radius. The relationship of the large radius (R) to the small radius (r) is in a range of R/r=2 to 10000, while the relationship of the temperature (T2) of a hot zone to the temperature (T1) of a cold zone is T2/T1=1.1 to 3.0. The length and radius measurements of a straight pipe and a U-shaped pipe ensure a given change in temperature of the gas from the temperature of the hot zone to the temperature of the cold zone.

Abstract: A threshold logic element (TLE) is disclosed. The TLE includes a first input gate network, a second input gate network, and a differential sense amplifier. The first input gate network is configured to receive a first set of logical signals and the second input gate network configured to receive a second set of logical signals. The differential sense amplifier is operably associated with the first input gate network and the second input gate network such that the differential sense amplifier is configured to generate a differential logical output in accordance with a threshold logic function. To obfuscate the TLE, any number of obfuscated transmission gates can be provided in one or both of the input gate networks. The obfuscated transmission gates are obfuscated such that obfuscated transmission gates are incapable of effecting the threshold logic function of the TLE and thus hide the functionality of the TLE.

Abstract: An antigenic characterization method using polyclonal antibody-based proximity ligation assays (polyPLA). Methods, kits, and other tools disclosed herein are useful in detecting microbial antigenic variants in samples, including clinical samples. The methods and kits have great utility in detecting antigenic variants for pathogenic microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tackifier compounds and methods of using the same. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a tackifier compound including independently substituted or unsubstituted fused rings A and B each independently chosen from (C5-C10)cycloalkyl and (C2-C10)heterocyclyl. Fused ring A is substituted with (R1)1-8 and fused ring B is substituted with —(OC(O)R?C(O)R2)1-8. At each occurrence R? is independently chosen from (C2-C10)alkanylene, (C2-C10)alkenylene, (C2-C10)alkynylene, C5-C20(arylene), and (C1-C20)heteroarylene, wherein R? is unsubstituted or substituted. At each occurrence R1 is independently selected from —OH, —OR3, and —OC(O)R?C(O)R2. At each occurrence R2 is independently chosen from —OH, —OR3, —NH2, —NHR3, and —NR32. At each occurrence R3 is independently chosen from (C1-C10)alkanyl, (C2-C10)alkenyl, (C2-C10)alkynyl, C5-C20(aryl), and (C1-C20)heteroaryl, wherein R3 is unsubstituted or substituted.