Abstract: An apparatus arranged for examining particles, comprising: a cartridge having at least one microchannel, a viscoelastic fluid flowing in the microchannel, the fluid comprising a suspension of particles, thereby effecting alignment of the particles in at least one-dimensional array parallel to the fluid flow, and an optical magnifying means generating an image of the particles in the microchannel.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical ring resonator, first and second optical couplers, and control circuitry. The first optical coupler is configured to modulate an input optical signal traversing an optical waveguide, by tuning cross-coupling of energy between the optical waveguide and the ring resonator with a first variable coupling coefficient. The second optical coupler is configured to tune cross-coupling of energy between the ring resonator and an auxiliary optical signal, different from the input optical signal, with a second variable coupling coefficient. The control circuitry is configured to modulate the first coupling coefficient with a first control signal so as to modulate the input optical signal, and to modulate the second coupling coefficient with a second control signal, so as to retain a constant electrical-field complex envelope in the ring resonator.

Abstract: A method for signal processing includes accepting an analog signal, which consists of a sequence of pulses confined to a finite time interval. The analog signal is sampled at a sampling rate that is lower than a Nyquist rate of the analog signal and with samples taken at sample times that are independent of respective pulse shapes of the pulses and respective time positions of the pulses in the time interval. The sampled analog signal is processed.

Abstract: A novel composition-of-matter, method of manufacturing thereof, and applications thereof as an adhesive, in a wide variety of different fields, and in particular, in the health care fields of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science, for use by health care providers, such as medical, dental, and veterinary, surgeons, in procedures for reattaching or repairing body parts or components thereof, such as tissue, of (human or animal) subjects, especially under wet conditions, for example, involving adhesion of wet surfaces. The composition is comprised of a cross-linked form of a water miscible polymer, and at least one phloroglucinol type compound selected from the group consisting of: phloroglucinol, a derivative of phloroglucinol, and a polymer synthetically prepared from phloroglucinol or a derivative of phloroglucinol. An exemplary water miscible polymer is a naturally existing, or synthetically prepared, salt form of the carbohydrate alginic acid, such as sodium alginate, or alginic acid itself.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods useful for modulating angiogenesis and for inhibiting metastasis, tumors, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and fibrosis in a mammalian tissue. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods include inhibitors of LOXL2 expression and activity, such as shRNA targeting LOXL2.

Abstract: Methods and compositions suitable for modulating angiogenesis in a mammalian tissue are provided. Further provided are methods suitable for inhibiting metastasis and fibrosis in a mammalian tissue and for assessing the malignancy of colon cancer tumors.

Abstract: A method of monitoring lung ventilation of a subject is disclosed. The method comprises recording signals from a plurality of sensing location on the chest of the subject, at least a portion of the signals being indicative of a local motion of the chest at a respective sensing location. The method further comprises operating a data processing system to analyze the signals such as to determine a status of the ventilation, thereby to monitor the lung ventilation of the subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enhancing performance of fans and propellers using outsized Gurney flaps. Specifically, the current invention proposes the application of ‘outsized Gurney flaps’ (OGFs) to the trailing-edges of fan blades. According to an exemplary embodiment of the current invention, the Gurney flaps are larger than 10% of the fan blade chord length. Attaching OGFs is not only non-obvious; it seems counterintuitive, because it is akin to placing a large bluff body onto a flow. Preliminary experimental data acquired at Reynolds numbers typically exist during fan operation on idealized blade profiles showed a 100% increase in the generated lift and 40% to 60% increase in aerodynamic efficiency. This translates to significant improvements in fan performance at a given rpm, and/or significant saving in power and noise reduction for the same aerodynamic performance.

Abstract: A method includes receiving from multiple transducers respective signals including reflections of a transmitted signal from a target. An image of the target is produced irrespective of sparsity of the received signals, by computing transducer-specific frequency-domain coefficients for each of the received signals, deriving, from the transducer-specific frequency-domain coefficients, beamforming frequency-domain coefficients of a beamformed signal in which the reflections received from a selected direction relative to the transducers are emphasized, and reconstructing the image of the target at the selected direction based on the beamforming frequency-domain coefficients.

Abstract: A robotic system for flexible needle steering under ultrasound imaging. A robot is used to steer the needle along a predetermined curved trajectory by maneuvering the needle base. The needle tip position is detected by an ultrasound sensor and the tracking error of the needle tip from a predetermined needle path is input to a controller which solves the inverse kinematic based on the needle position, and the needle and tissue properties. The control algorithm uses a novel method to detect the elastic properties of the tissue by analyzing tissue motion at the region in front of the needle tip. The inverse kinematic solution may be performed on a model of the needle as a flexible beam having laterally connected virtual springs to simulate lateral forces exerted by the tissue elasticity. The system is able to direct the needle to a target within the tissue while circumventing forbidden regions.

Abstract: A method includes accepting an analog input signal including a sequence of pulses of a given pulse shape. The analog input signal is distributed to multiple processing channels (40) operating in parallel. The analog input signal is sampled by performing, in each of the multiple processing channels, the operations of: mixing the analog input signal with a different, respective modulating waveform to produce a mixed signal; filtering the mixed signal; and digitizing the filtered mixed signal to produce a respective digital channel output.

Abstract: Provided is a method of focusing particles. The method includes: providing a suspension of the particles in a suspending medium; and flowing the suspension along a channel, such that the flowing suspension occupies a certain volume that has at least one cross-sectional dimension smaller than 100 ?m. The suspending medium has such viscoelastic properties, that flowing the suspension in the channel directs at least some of the particles towards a focus region, enclosed in said certain volume.

Abstract: Provided is a method of focusing particles. The method includes: providing a suspension of the particles in a suspending medium; and flowing the suspension along a channel, such that the flowing suspension occupies a certain volume that has at least one cross-sectional dimension smaller than 100 ?m. The suspending medium has such viscoelastic properties, that flowing the suspension in the channel directs at least some of the particles towards a focus region, enclosed in said certain volume.

Abstract: Provided are methods of isolating an extracellular matrix from mesenchymal progenitor cells which are characterized by a reduced differentiation ability into an adipogenic lineage as compared to adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Also provide isolated extracellular matrix and hybrid devices comprising electrospun elements and extracellular matrix which can be used for various tissue regeneration, repair and reconstruction surgeries.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for controlling ionic strength and/or pH of a solution are provided.

Abstract: The invention is a ceramic tube made of two parts. A first part of the tube is made of a sensitive material for facilitating oxygen separation in the membrane. The second part is made of a different material that does not react with CO2 and/or H2O. Accordingly, by means of this Invention, there is provided a ceramic tube that is stabilized and does not deteriorate upon exposure to CO2 and/or H2O at temperatures below the operating temperatures.

Abstract: Provided are nucleic acid constructs which comprise a polynucleotide encoding adenosine phosphate-isopentenyltransferase (IPT) operably linked to a stress-related promoter. Also provided are host cells transformed with the nucleic acid constructs, transgenic plants expressing the IPT coding sequence under the transcriptional regulation of a stress-related promoter and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance of a plant, and biomass of plants under stress or normal conditions.

Abstract: Provided are isolated complexes comprising a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and a type I diabetes-associated autoantigenic peptide, the isolated complex having a structural conformation which enables isolation of a high affinity entity which comprises an antigen binding domain capable of specifically binding to a native conformation of a complex composed of the MHC class II and the type I diabetes-associated autoantigenic peptide; and isolated high affinity entities comprising an antigen binding domain capable of specifically binding the complex, wherein the isolated high affinity entity does not bind to the MHC class II in an absence of the diabetes-associated autoantigenic peptide, wherein the isolated high affinity entity does not bind to the diabetes-associated autoantigenic peptide in an absence of the MHC class II; and methods and kits using same for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Abstract: A field-emission device is disclosed. The device comprises a solid state structure formed of a crystalline material and an amorphous material, wherein an outer surface of the solid state structure is substantially devoid of the amorphous material, and wherein a p-type conductivity of the crystalline material is higher at or near the outer surface than far from the outer surface.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a semantic relatedness of terms. The method comprises providing a plurality of text segments, calculating, using a processor, a plurality of weights each for another of the plurality of text segments, calculating a prevalence of a co-appearance of each of a plurality of pairs of terms in the plurality of text segments, and evaluating a semantic relatedness between members of each the pair according to a combination of a respective the prevalence and a weight of each of the plurality of text segments wherein a co-appearance of the pair occurs.