Abstract: A portable self medication management system and method of provided. For example, the system may include a removable tote and docking station. The removable tote including a plurality of receptacles, communicating section for transferring data to and from a docking station and a power reception station for receiving power from the docking station. The docking station including a scanner, a display screen, a controller, a storage device, communicating sections for transmitting data to the removable tote and other external devices and a power transmitting section for transferring power to the removable tote.

Abstract: Disclosure is provided for imidazole derivative compounds useful to inhibit the formation of biofilms and/or inhibit microbial growth, compositions including these compounds, devices including these compounds, and methods of using the same.

Abstract: Methods for predicting a disease free time interval (DFI) for a cancer patient under consideration for initial or further chemotherapy treatment are disclosed. The methods include obtaining a biological sample from a patient and detecting a copy number of chromosome region A1 and/or C2. The mean copy number per cell is correlated with a DFI for the subject. The chemotherapy can include doxorubicin and/or L-asparaginase treatment. Also provided are kits for predicting DFI in a subject with cancer and computer readable storage media for performing the presently disclosed methods.

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 method for tire sensing includes providing a tire comprising (a) a tire body having an outer wall for contact with a surface and opposite side walls, and an inside surface and (b) at least one flexible strain gauge positioned along the inside surface of the tire body, wherein the at least one flexible strain gauge is positioned to sense tire deflections or strain. The method further includes sensing tire data indicate of the tire deflections using the at least one flexible strain gauge and communicating the tire data to a data acquisition system, control system, or computer system. The flexible strain gauge(s) may be soft dielectric capacitive sensors, soft resistive sensors, or soft capacitive/resistive sensors.

Abstract: Controlled biodegradable smart responsive scaffold (SRS) materials enhance attachment and viability of cells, i.e. actively guiding their expansion, proliferation and in some cases differentiation, while increasing their biomechanical functionality is an important key issue for tissue regeneration. Chemically build-in functionality in these biodegradable SRS materials is achieved by varying structural functionalization with biocompatible liquid crystal motifs and general polymer composition allowing for regulation and alteration of tensile strength, surface ordering, bioadhesion and biodegradability, bulk liquid crystal phase behavior, porosity, and cell response to external stimuli. Liquid crystal modification of such polymeric scaffolds is an ideal tool to induce macroscopic ordering events through external stimuli.

Abstract: A device and method for sheathing shrink tubing onto materials such as wire, tape, or cables. The device cannot only sheath short lengths of shrink tubing onto material, but also sheath long lengths shrink tubing onto material. Varying embodiments of this device can insulate whole lengths of material with shrink tubing as well as covering certain sections of material for a more precise application.

Abstract: A method of generating protein-induced pluripotent stem cells by delivering bacterially expressed reprogramming proteins into nuclei of starting somatic cells using the QQ-protein transduction technique, repeating several cell reprogramming cycles for creating reprogrammed protein-induced pluripotent stem cells, moving the reprogrammed cells into a feeder-free medium for expansion, and expanding and passaging the reprogrammed cells in a whole dish for generating homogeneous piPS cells. Also provided are the piPCS cells formed using this method and uses thereof.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a channel statistics dependent frequency hopping pattern that requires low computational complexity and simultaneously maximizes channel capacity and minimizes the symbol error rate or bit error rate under partial band tone interference and Rician or other fading environments. The system includes one or more transmitting units and one or more receiving units communicating over a wireless communication network. A signal generated at one of the transmitting units is modified via the channel statistics dependent frequency hopping pattern as generated via one of the receiving units for improved signal accuracy and avoiding interferer detection and/or interference hits.

Abstract: A method of imparting motion includes contracting a portion of a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element in response to a magnetic field to form an indentation on a surface of the MSM element. The method further includes retaining a protrusion from a surface of a movable part at the indentation. The method also includes moving the movable part by changing a position of the indentation in response to a change in the magnetic field.

Abstract: A system is described herein that comprises one or more modular environmental photobioreactor arrays, each array containing two or more photobioreactors, wherein the system is adapted to monitor each of the photobioreactors and/or modulate the conditions with each of the photobioreactors. The photobioreactors are also adapted for measurement of multiple physiological parameters of a biomass contained therein. Various methods for selecting and characterizing biomass are also provided. In one embodiment, the biomass is algae.

Abstract: Provided are methods for treating a NAD comprising administering to a patient suffering from a NAD an inhibitor of NMD and a nonsense suppressor, whereby degradation of NMD susceptible mRNA is decreased and translation termination at a misplaced nonsense codon is blocked.

Abstract: This invention relates to nucleic acids, reagents and methods for detecting Rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a sample from a subject. In one aspect, the invention provides methods of detecting Rifampicin resistant M. tuberculosis in a sample comprising (a) amplifying a nucleic acid containing the rifampicin resistance determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene in a sample to provide an amplified nucleic acid; (b) probing the amplified nucleic acid with at least three molecular beacon probes for an RRDR mutant target; (c) conducting melting temperature (Tm) analysis to determine a Tm value for each probe; and (d) comparing the Tm value for each probe with a Tm value for a wild-type RRDR region, wherein a Tm value for at least one of the molecular beacon probes that is greater than the Tm value for the wild-type RRDR indicates the presence of rifampicin resistant M. tuberculosis in the sample.

Abstract: A living object detection system may detect the interaction between an observer and a target object. The system may include an object sensor device, an object classification data unit, and an object detection module. The object sensor device may be attachable to the observer and include an ultrasonic sensor for sensing distance and a passive infrared sensor for sensing temperature. The object classification data unit may store predetermined object classifiers that identifies an object as a living object or non-living object. The object detection module may determine the target object as a living object or a non-living object based on the object classifiers stored in the object classification data unit and on a physical feature set of the target object, where the physical feature set may include distance and temperature parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for delivering neurostimulation therapies to patients for treating chronic heart failure. A neural fulcrum zone is identified and ongoing neurostimulation therapy is delivered within the neural fulcrum zone. This neural fulcrum zone corresponds to a combination of stimulation parameters at which autonomic engagement is achieved, while the tachycardia-inducing stimulation effects are offset by the bradycardia-inducing effects, thereby minimizing side effects such as significant heart rate changes while providing a therapeutic level of stimulation.

Abstract: A method comprising incorporating indium into an entire Sn film for preventing the growth of whiskers from the Sn film, wherein the Sn film is applied to a metallic substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a porous sol gel, including a dried porous sol gel, is provided comprising forming a sol gel from a sol gel-forming composition comprising a silane solution and a catalyst solution; and non-supercritically drying the sol gel to provide a dried porous sol gel having no springback. The dried porous sol gel can include dried macroporous or mesoporous sol gels or dried hybrid aerogels. The materials may contain open or filled pores. Such materials are useful as thermal insulators.

Abstract: A method of assessing the identity of a person by one or more of: internal non-visible anatomical structure of an eye represented by the Oculomotor Plant Characteristics (OPC), brain performance represented by the Complex Eye Movement patterns (CEM), iris patterns, and periocular information. In some embodiments, a method of making a biometric assessment includes measuring eye movement of a subject, making an assessment of whether the subject is alive based on the measured eye movement, and assessing a person's identity based at least in part on the assessment of whether the subject is alive. In some embodiments, a method of making a biometric assessment includes measuring eye movement of a subject, assessing characteristics from the measured eye movement, and assessing a state of the subject based on the assessed characteristics.

Abstract: A mutant Bacillus subtilis, which does not express a functional KASIIIA and/or KASIIIB, and method of making; a mutant Rhodospirillum rubrum, which does not express a functional PhaC1, PhaC2, and/or PhaC3, and method of making; method of characterizing substrate specificity of KASIII; method of making mutant KASIII with altered substrate specificity and/or altered level of activity and nucleic acid, vector, host cell/organism, and mutant KASIII; an in vitro, high-throughput spectrophotometric method of assaying KASIII activity; and materials and methods for using KASIII for production of bi-functional fatty acids and the materials so produced.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the isoelectric pH for materials deposited on or otherwise affixed onto and in contact with an electrode surface, and a method for utilizing the isoelectric pH to form nanometer thickness, self-assembled layers on the material, are described. Forming such layers utilizing information obtained about the isoelectric pH values of the substrate and the coating is advantageous since the growth of the coating is self-limiting because once the surface charge has been neutralized there is no longer a driving force for the solid electrolyte coating thickness to increase, and uniform coatings without pinhole defects will be produced because a local driving force for assembly will exist if any bare electrode material is exposed to the solution. The present self-assembly procedure, when combined with electrodeposition, may be used to increase the coating thickness.