Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a nanoparticle composition suitable for delivering a therapeutic agent to a subject by nebulization. The nanoparticle comprises an ionizable lipid, cholesterol or a derivative thereof, a structural lipid, and a PEG lipid. The nanoparticle may partially or completely encapsulate a therapeutic agent, and may be nebulized for administration, such as by inhalation. In some embodiments, the therapeutic agent is mRNA.

Abstract: Materials and methods for testing unknown substances for the presence of an opioid are described.

Abstract: The present technology provides compounds of Formula I and related methods for treating a bacterial infection as well as methods for inhibiting interaction of a bacterioferritin and a bacterioferritin-associated ferredoxin.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a plant or plant part comprising a polynucleotide encoding an herbicide tolerant IAA2 polypeptide having a deleted or disrupted degron tail region, the expression of said polynucleotide confers to the plant or plant part tolerance to synthetic auxin herbicides, such as 2,4-D. The present invention relates to methods and plants and that have a deleted or disrupted degron tail region of the IAA2 protein obtained by gene editing, transformation, mutagenesis, breeding, and the like.

Abstract: A wound dressing includes: a structural material formed into a dressing; at least one immunomodulatory agent associated with the dressing; and a growth factor associated with the dressing. A wound dressing kit includes: a structural material formed into a wound dressing; an immunomodulatory agent; and a growth factor composition, wherein the structural material contains the immunomodulatory agent and/or the immunomodulatory agent in a separate composition. A method of treating a wound in a tissue includes: applying an immunomodulatory agent to the wound; applying a wound dressing to the wound; and allowing the wound to heal with the immunomodulatory agent and wound dressing. The application of a growth factor can be before, during and/or after applying the wound dressing to the wound.

Abstract: Atomically dispersed platinum-group metal-free catalyst and method for synthesizing the same. According to one embodiment, the catalyst is made by a method in which, in a first step, an Mn-doped ZIF-8 catalyst precursor is prepared by reacting a first solution comprising zinc nitrate hexahydrate and manganese chloride dissolved in an acid/water solution with a second solution comprising 2-methylimidazole dissolved in water. Then, in a second step, the Mn-doped ZIF-8 catalyst precursor is thermally activated, i.e., carbonized, to form an Mn—N—C catalyst. Preferably, the thermal activation is performed in a multistep fashion, first at a lower temperature of about 800° C. and then at a higher temperature of about 1100° C. After carbonization, the catalyst material may optionally be subjected to an absorption process, followed by a second thermal activation. The absorption process may involve dispersing the catalyst material in a solution of manganese chloride and urea in hydrochloric acid and isopropanol.

Abstract: The invention provides dual-targeted inhibitors of bacterial RNA polymerase having the general structural formula (I): wherein a is a benzoxazino-rifamycin or a spiro-rifamycin: y is a moiety that binds to the bridge-helix N-terminus target of a bacterial RNA polymerase; and P is a bond, two bonds, or a linker. The invention also provides compositions comprising such compounds, methods of making such compounds, and methods of using said compounds. The invention has applications in control of bacterial gene expression, control of bacterial growth, antibacterial chemistry, and antibacterial therapy.

Abstract: A system infers continuous potential energy landscapes, including barrier heights and friction coefficients, from smFRET data without the need to discretely approximate a state-space. The system operates within a Bayesian nonparametric paradigm by placing priors on the family of all possible potential curves, and leverages a Structured-Kernel-Interpolation Gaussian Process prior to help curtail computational cost. The system enables decoding information about continuous energy potential landscapes along a continuous coordinate for biological interactions (e.g., protein folding and binding) using a single dataset, including rarely visited barriers between putative potential minima. As such, the system allows resolution enhancement for probing biophysical systems to obtain deeper insight into protein folding, protein binding, and the physics of molecular motors.

Abstract: A scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope at cryogenic temperatures (cryo-SNOM) configured with Akiyama probes for studying low energy excitations in quantum materials present in high magnetic fields. The s-SNOM is provided with atomic force microscopy (AFM) control, which predominantly utilizes a laser-based detection scheme for determining the cantilever tapping motion of metal-coated Akiyama probes, where the cantilever tapping motion is detected through a piezoelectric signal. The Akiyama-based cryo-SNOM attains high spatial resolution, good near-field contrast, and is able to perform imaging with a significantly more compact system capable of handling simultaneous demands of vibration isolation, low base temperature, precise nano-positioning, and optical access. Results establish the potential of s-SNOM based on self-sensing piezo-probes, which can easily accommodate near-IR and far-infrared wavelengths and high magnetic fields.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an Al—Ce—Cu alloy for use in additive manufacturing. The disclosed alloy embodiments provide fabricated objects, such as bulk components, comprising a heterogeneous microstructure and having good mechanical properties even when exposed to conditions used during the additive manufacturing process. Methods for making and using alloy embodiments also are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A transformable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), can operate as a coplanar hexacopter or as an omnidirectional multirotor based on different operation modes. The UAV has 100% force efficiency for launching or landing tasks in the coplanar mode. In the omnidirectional mode, the UAV is fully actuated in the air for agile mobility in six degrees of freedom (DOFs). Models and control design are developed to characterize the motion of the transformable UAV. Simulation results are presented to validate the transformable UAV design and the enhanced UAV performance, compared with a fixed structure.

Abstract: A magnetic release assembly includes a housing defining a cavity, a permanent electromagnet positioned within the cavity, and a microcontroller electronically coupled with the permanent electromagnet. The microcontroller is configured to selectively provide power to the permanent electromagnet. A timer board is in communication with the microcontroller. A power source is electronically coupled with the microcontroller, the permanent electromagnet, and the timer board. The microcontroller is configured to provide power to the permanent electromagnet in response to an alarm from the timer board.

Abstract: A method for treating or inhibiting the progression of placental insufficiency syndrome in a subject in need thereof is provided. The method includes administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition including irisin.

Abstract: Various embodiments for systems and methods for cooperative driving of connected autonomous vehicles using responsibility-sensitive safety (RSS) rules are disclosed herein. The CAV system integrates proposed RSS rules with CAV's motion planning algorithm to enable cooperative driving of CAVs. The CAV system further integrates a deadlock detection and resolution system for resolving traffic deadlocks between CAVs. The CAV system reduces redundant calculation of dependency graphs.

Abstract: Composite materials that include a polymer matrix and a metal halide perovskite. The metal halide perovskite may be a lead-free metal halide double perovskite. Devices that include a layer of a composite material, a first electrode, and a second electrode. Methods of forming composite materials and devices, including methods that include printing one or more layers with a 3D printer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a longitudinally split immature tiller separated from a rhizome (LSITR), a cluster of multiple in vitro shoots (CMIT), a cluster of stem segments containing shoot primordia (CSSSP) and an in vitro tiller of Miscanthus x giganteus (Giant miscanthus), and their uses in propagating Miscanthus x giganteus (Giant miscanthus).

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for contact-free heart rate monitoring and/or measurement are provided. One method may include receiving video(s) that include visual frame(s) of individual(s) performing exercises, detecting some exposed skin from the video(s), and performing motion compensation to generate color signals for the exposed skin to precisely align frames of the exposed skin. The method may also include generating the color signals by estimating a skin color for each frame by taking a spatial average over pixels of a cheek of the face(s) for R, G, and B channels, respectively, applying an operation to remove remaining motion traces from the frames such that the heart rate traces dominate, and extracting and/or outputting the heart rate of the individuals using a frequency estimator of the skin color signals.

Abstract: An example system may implement automated data modeling and scaling of a soil health data fabric. For example, the example system may be configured to compile data measurements from disparate soil health data sources and integrate the data measurements with baseline soil samples, satellite imagery, or both. According to such an example, the system may train a machine learning algorithm using the integrated data measurements to determine most accurate local soil quality estimates and execute the machine learning algorithm to output soil quality estimate data models based on the data measurements. The example system may also train and refine local soil quality estimate data models to generate a regional soil quality estimate data model. In such an example, the system may scale the local and regional soil quality estimate data models and output soil quality estimates for a target region based on extended satellite imagery.

Abstract: A luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) device is provided. The LSC device has an active layer including a modified luminophore having a polymethine component including a plurality of methine groups (?CH—)n, where n is an odd integer greater than 1. A hydrogen atom (H) of one of the plurality of methine groups is replaced by one of -AR1R2 or -DR3, where A is selected from nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) and D is selected from oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te), R1 and R2 are independently selected from H, aliphatic groups, and aromatic groups bound to A through a carbon atom, or R1 and R2 together form an alicyclic ring containing A, and R3 is selected from H, aliphatic groups, aromatic groups, and alicyclic groups bound to D through a carbon atom.

Abstract: A nanoparticle for delivering an interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) inhibitor to a subject and methods for treating inflamed tissue in a subject using the nanoparticle.