Abstract: Compositions and methods for inducing immune tolerance to proteins and subsequence administration of the proteins are disclosed. Compositions comprise proteins complexed with liposomes comprising PS and PC, wherein at least part of the PS is present as lyso-PS.

Abstract: This invention comprises a device for measuring root pulling force (RPF) in a plant. The RPF device comprises a plant grasping mechanism, as well as a force measurement sensor. In certain embodiments, the device is automatic, so that the “hand of man” is not required to exert force on the plant while the root pulling force of the plant is being measured. Also disclosed is a root pulling force motion mechanism, which brings the RPF device into proximity of a plant to be measured. Further disclosed is a method for measuring root pulling force of a plant.

Abstract: A separator for a lithium-based battery, and method for fabricating the same is disclosed. The method includes oxidizing cellulose fibrils to form oxidized cellulose having carboxylic functional groups, decorating the oxidized cellulose with nanoparticles, and forming the nanoparticle-decorated oxidized cellulose into a film to become the separator for the lithium-based battery. The cellulose may be a bacterial cellulose. The cellulose fibrils may be oxidized through a TEMPO oxidation. Decorating the oxidized cellulose with nanoparticles may include introducing a precursor solution to the oxidized cellulose that reacts with hydroxyl groups of the oxidized cellulose while preserving the carboxylic functional groups, causing the nanoparticles to nucleate on the surface of the oxidized cellulose. The nanoparticles may be composed of an oxide material. The oxide material may be SiO2. The precursor solution may be tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS).

Abstract: A smart hardware security engine using biometric features and hardware-specific features is provided. The smart security engine can combine one or more entropy sources, including individually distinguishable biometric features, and hardware-specific features to perform secret key generation for user registration and authentication. Such hybrid signatures may be distinct from person-to-person (e.g., due to the biometric features) and from device-to-device (e.g., due to the hardware-specific features) while varying over time. Thus, embodiments described herein can be used for personal device authentication as well as secret random key generation, significantly reducing the scope of an attack.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microneedle devices and methods for treating a disease (for example, diabetes) using a degradable cross-linked gel for self-regulated delivery of a therapeutic agent (for example, insulin).

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for authentication of a queried device having an electrical circuit exhibiting physically unclonable functions (PUFs). The method includes: at the queried device, generating a first random number based on an initial first counter value; matching the first random number against a first value of a record stored in a database of a querying device, the record including second (shuffled) and third values; at the queried device, generating a second random number based on a once incremented first counter value, deterministically generating a de-shuffled second value based on an initial second counter value, determining that the second random number matches the de-shuffled second value, and submitting sub-challenges corresponding to the second random number to the electrical circuit to generate a response; and, at the querying device, determining that the response matches the third value of the record to complete a first authentication of the queried device.

Abstract: This disclosure introduces a mapping for creating good Doppler detection capable radar codes. The mapping transfers an existing digital radar code to the warped frequency domain by expressing the code elements as magnitudes and phases of selected frequencies. These frequencies are equispaced in the warped frequency domain to preserve the code's sidelobes after mapping. The frequency warping function may convert the multiplicative Doppler shift into an additive shift of the code pattern in the warped frequency domain, which allows Doppler shift detection.

Abstract: A microneedle assembly and a method of fabrication the assembly are provided. The microneedle assembly includes an array of microneedles attached to a base. Each of the microneedles comprise a tip, a needle shaft and a plurality of cantilevered barbs protruding outwardly from the needle shaft, where a plurality of the microneedles include two or more of the cantilevered barbs arranged in a series of concentric rings along the needle shaft of each of the plurality of microneedles. The microneedle assembly may be fabricated using a 3D printing technique, where one or more cantilevered layers are formed by exposing a photocurable liquid resin including monomer material to a light source to create initially horizontal, cantilevered barbs having a crosslinking gradient, and rinsing to remove an amount of un-crosslinked monomers from the cantilevered layers to induce curvature in the cantilevered barbs extending towards a direction of the lower crosslinking.

Abstract: A system for time series analysis using attention models is disclosed. The system may capture dependencies across different variables through input embedding and may map the order of a sample appearance to a randomized lookup table via positional encoding. The system may capture capturing dependencies within a single sequence through a self-attention mechanism and determine a range of dependency to consider for each position being analyzed. The system may obtain an attention weighting to other positions in the sequence through computation of an inner product and utilize the attention weighting to acquire a vector representation for a position and mask the sequence to enable causality. The system may employ a dense interpolation technique for encoding partial temporal ordering to obtain a single vector representation and a linear layer to obtain logits from the single vector representation. The system may use a type dependent final prediction layer.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for Raman spectroscopy are described. In certain implementations, a spectrometer is provided. The spectrometer may include a plurality of optical elements, comprising an entrance aperture, a collimating element, a volume phase holographic grating, a focusing element, and a detector array. The plurality of optical elements are configured to transfer the light beam from the entrance aperture to the detector array with a high transfer efficiency over a preselected spectral band.

Abstract: ElectroCorticoGraphy (ECoG) sensors and uses are disclosed. These ECoG arrays, systems, and processes may be operable or configured to: i) simultaneously record neural signals while providing stimulation on specific portions of the cortex using a user-guided stimulator; ii) acquire neural signals over a large cortex area; iii) provide individual or group stimulation while concurrently receiving neural feedback; and/or iv) acquire neural signals at a setting remote from the neural source using wireless or other communication techniques.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds having a monoterpenoid and/or phenylpropanoid moiety and methods of their making and use as pesticidal compounds, such as seed treatments.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods of making gene-edited plants that are resistant to downy mildew, such as plants with reduced expression of homoserine kinase (HSK), 2-oxoglutarate-Fe(II) oxygenase (2OGO), or both. The disclosure further provides methods of making gene-edited modified plants that are cold tolerant, such as plants with reduced expression of MYB14. In some examples, CRISPR/Cas methods are used, wherein the plants include a mutated HSK, 2OGO, and/or MYB14 gene resulting in reduced expression and/or gene activity. Plants generated using the methods are provided. Such plants can include other desirable traits. HSK, 2OGO, and/or MYB14 nucleic acid and protein molecules are provided, as are gRNAs specific for HSK, 2OGO, or MYB14 and vectors containing such.

Abstract: Nanosphere composition containing a mixture of a triblock oligomer and a diblock oligomer for the delivery of an active agent. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the nanospheres and methods of delivering an active agent enclosed in the nanospheres.

Abstract: A surgical system is provided. The surgical system includes a camera operable to capture images and/or video. A projector is operable to project light, and a controller is communicatively coupled with the camera and the projector. The controller is operable to track movement of bone in real-time during surgery based on the images and/or video captured by the camera, and control the projector to project the light including a cutting line on the bone to indicate a cutting plane for cutting the bone during surgery.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a compound useful for treating or preventing SARS-Cov-2 infections. Also disclosed is a method for administering the compound to a subject, particularly a human subject, to treat or prevent a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the subject. The compound may comprise an oligomer comprising a nucleic acid base sequence that is antisense to a gene, pre-mRNA or mRNA in the subject, such as a gene, pre-mRNA or mRNA of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). The compound also may comprise a peptide sequence. In some embodiments, the compound is a peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PPMO).

Abstract: A method for gene editing in a vertebrate brain comprising: intravascular administration of a brain penetrable viral vector including a target sequence in a genomic locus of interest and a CRISPR enzyme; genomic integration via Non-Homologues End Joining (NHEJ) in post-mitotic neurons; and editing a monopartite cell-type specific gene via NHEJ knock-in a sgRNA flanked by self-cleaving ribozymes into 3?UTR to use an endogenous promoter for sgRNA expression.

Abstract: A method for generating a heart organoid is provided. The method includes forming a cellular aggregate of pluripotent stem cells, activating Wnt signaling in the cellular aggregate to cause the cellular aggregate to differentiate into a three-dimensional cardiac mesoderm, and inhibiting the Wnt signaling in the cardiac mesoderm to form the heart organoid. The heart organoid includes myocardial tissue, endocardial tissue defining at least one chamber, and epicardial tissue disposed on at least an outer surface of the myocardial tissue. The heart organoid beats. Heart organoids prepared in accordance with the method are also provided.

Abstract: The invention describes a method of generating antibodies to a mixture of SARS-CoV-2 peptidogenic proteins or polynucleotides encoding SARS-CoV-2 peptidogenic proteins wherein the SARS-CoV-2 peptidogenic protein has altered conformational dynamics as compared to a SARS-CoV-2 starting protein and wherein the SARS-CoV-2 peptidogenic protein has a similar conformation to the SARS-CoV-2 starting protein. The SARS-CoV-2 peptidogenic proteins can be used to induce an immune response, which can lead to the generation of antibodies and/or can be used to vaccinate a mammal.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for detecting viruses, e.g., using microfluidic devices. Certain embodiments are generally directed to systems and methods that are able to detect pathogens such as viruses or bacteria by encapsulating a sample in droplets, and applying amplification reagents to the droplets able to amplify nucleic acids therein, e.g., using loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) or other amplification techniques. In addition, some aspects are generally directed to identifying a species in a sample, e.g., at very low concentrations. In some cases, the sample may be broken into droplets, arid the droplets determined to determine the species.