Abstract: Disclosed is a device and method for a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (?PAD), for low-cost and user-friendly analytical devices capable of use for disease screening, point-of-care pathogen and biomarker detection, food and water quality testing. A microfluidic paper-based analytical device is further produced by chemical vapor deposition for multiplex heavy metal detection in water. Assay demonstrations proved that the immobilization of functional groups and multiplex heavy metal detection is suitable for real-world applications and established the approach for DNA analysis. The disclosed invention comprises multilayer capability, including the ability for various biomolecules to be immobilized with charge interaction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and device for determining sex of an embryo utilizing a non-invasive grading of early stage embryos (pre-hatching) based upon specific gravity, density and/or estimated weight. The device comprises a drop chamber having a lumen, capable of assessing characteristics of at least one embryo while descending. The system allows 100% recovery of embryos. A processor is further capable of performing assessment of the embryos. The disclosed system supports a wide variety of scenarios for human and animal reproductive technologies and related products and services.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods for detecting and reducing or inhibiting ischemic stroke in a mammal, the method comprising: (a) selecting microRNAs to downregulate selected from the group consisting of hsa-miR-96-5p, hsa-miR-99a-5p, hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-186-5p, hsa-miR-211-5p, hsa-mir-760, PC-3p-57664, or PC-5p-12969, (b) selecting microRNAs to upregulate selected from the group consisting of ggo-miR-139, hsa-miR-30d-5p, hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miR-23a-3p, mmu-miR-5124a, mmu-mir-6240-5p, PC-3p-32463, or PC-5p-211, and combinations thereof, and (c) administering an agent that: downregulates that targets in (a), upregulates the targets in (b), or both, to the subject in an amount sufficient to reduce or inhibit ischemic stroke in the mammal. The present invention also includes the detection of the markers for use with stroke patients.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for extraction of information of within sample distribution of fiber quality from high-volume instrument (HVI) fibrogram to better predict yarn quality than the standard HVI output. The present invention allows for information on fiber quality to be obtained while avoiding testing samples with more expensive techniques. The disclosed system and method extracts HVI data for collecting a respective set of initial fibrograms from a set of fiber samples and representing them as a distance matrix to form a matrix of transformed fibrogram data, said matrix of transformed fibrogram data comprising a vector of scores to represent each sample and thereafter explaining variation in yarn quality by extracting all of the information available from the fibrogram.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to modified CFTR proteins or fragments thereof that contain single or multiple amino acid mutations to improve the structural stability of such CFTR proteins and/or fragments. Specifically, the modified CFTR proteins or fragment thereof differ from the wild-type human CFTR protein or fragment thereof by the presence of four or more mutations selected from V150D, M470V, S492P, F494N, S495P, A534P, I539T, G550E, G551D, R553Q, R555K, Q637R, S1255L, K1334G, S1359A, E1371Q, H1402S, Q1411D, and any combination thereof, such that the stability of the polypeptide is increased relative to that of the wild-type human CFTR polypeptide or fragment thereof.

Abstract: The present invention includes synthesis of polyethyleneimine800-EpoxyC8-22 (PEI800-C8-22) lipids, e.g., Polyethyleneimine800-EpoxyC16 (PEI800-C16), PEI12C16, PEI8C16, and PEI4C16 lipids, compositions and methods for transfecting primary leukocytes, myeloid cells, lymphoid cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC) comprising a transfection complex comprising: one or more nanoparticles; and Polyethyleneimine800-EpoxyC16 (PEI800-C16), PEI12C16, PEI8C16, and PEI4C16 lipids complexed with one or more nucleic acids, such as, e.g., DNA, RNA, nucleic acid vectors, shRNA, miRNA, and RNAi on or about the nanoparticles.

Abstract: A method of treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Substance Use Disorder (SUD), tobacco use, pain, or proinflammatory disorders comprising: providing a subject with an effective amount of a modified tetracycline or derivative thereof to ameliorate or eliminate the AUD, SUD, tobacco use, pain, or proinflammatory disorder, and wherein the modified tetracycline or derivative thereof has reduced binding to a microbial ribosome and has the formula wherein R1 is acetyl, R2 is OH or acetyl, R3 is acetyl, R4 is H or acetyl, and R5 is acetyl.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides using ultrasound technology and artificial intelligence to enhance MSR assessment by making the assessment more objective, reproducible, and recordable to allow a more precise and/or personalized approach to the medical practice of individual patients via using multiple ultrasound functions and artificial intelligence to improve the accuracy and consistency of assessing reflexes and allowing MSR data to be combined with other patient medical information for improved diagnosis and management of a patient's condition.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for solid-state 2D optical phased arrays (OPAs), which are fabricated from In-rich In1-xGaxN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs). In-rich InxGa1-xN alloys possess the unique properties of exceptionally high free-carrier-induced refractive index (n) change and low optical loss. InGaN/GaN MQW pixels play the role of using a very small fraction of a laser beam to modulate the phase of the laser beam. The phase of each MQW pixel in the OPA is controlled independently via electro-optic effect through the integration between OPA pixels with a Laterally Diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) integrated circuit driver to achieve the manipulation of the distribution of optical power in the far field. The present invention is applicable to a wide range of applications, including the operation of LIDAR systems, laser weapons, laser illuminators, and laser imaging systems.

Abstract: The present invention includes composition and methods for composition for the oral delivery of a therapeutic agent that reduces, desensitizes, or prevents food, respiratory and other allergies. First pollen is cleaned to remove naturally-occurring allergic plant proteins to form a cleaned pollen and a therapeutically effective amount of an allergen is introduced into the cleaned pollen. The allergen-loaded cleaned pollen is delivered to a subject in need of therapy.

Abstract: Provided herein are maternal neonatal pheromonal agents capable of reducing aggression and improving feeding behavior in a pig. Compositions comprising the pheromonal agents and methods of using the agents to reduce aggression and improve feeding behavior and weight gain in the pig are also provided.

Abstract: An electric current imaging system, device, and method includes an array of vector magnetometers that senses one or more magnetic fields in three directions produced by a flow of electric current. Such a system (and devices and methods thereof) can further include a display that displays a visual reconstruction of the original electric current that produced the magnetic field(s). The disclosed embodiments image electric current flow (both magnitude and direction) without the need for rastering or relative motion between the sensors and the conductor/device being viewed. Such embodiments can be scaled to fit both large and small applications by using discreet devices or manufacturing a single, miniaturized array with MEMS technologies.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for identifying an Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient prior to reaching clinical disease classification, comprising: obtaining a dataset associated with a blood, serum, or plasma sample from the patient, wherein the dataset comprises data representing the level of one or more microRNA biomarkers in the blood, serum, or plasma sample; assessing the dataset for a presence or an increase in an amount of miRNA-455-3p; determining the likelihood that the patient will develop AD patient prior to reaching clinical disease classification by detecting the presence or the increase in miRNA-455-3p to produce a score that is indicative of a likelihood of developing AD, wherein a higher score relative to a healthy control indicates that the patient is likely to have the prognosis for transitioning to classified AD, wherein the healthy control is derived from a non-AD patient with no clinical evidence of AD.

Abstract: The present invention includes compositions, methods, and methods of making and using a nanoscale discoidal membrane comprising: an amphiphilic membrane patch comprising self-assembled molecular amphiphiles capable of supporting one or more membrane proteins in the amphiphilic membrane patch; and one or more amphipathic scaffold macromolecules that encase the nanoscale discoidal membrane.

Abstract: The present invention relates in general to the improved containment of biological fluids. In particular, a method and apparatus for collection and preservation of fluid samples in accordance with the present invention results in collection of semen having improved viability both at the time of collection and after storage. The disclosed methods and apparatuses methods support a wide variety of applications for containment of biological fluids related to human and veterinary medicine including, but not limited to, human reproductive medicine and animal husbandry.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for solid-state 2D optical phased arrays (OPAs), which are fabricated from In-rich In1-xGaxN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs). In-rich InxGa1-xN alloys possess the unique properties of exceptionally high free-carrier-induced refractive index (n) change and low optical loss. InGaN/GaN MQW pixels play the role of using a very small fraction of a laser beam to modulate the phase of the laser beam. The phase of each MQW pixel in the OPA is controlled independently via electro-optic effect through the integration between OPA pixels with a Laterally Diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) integrated circuit driver to achieve the manipulation of the distribution of optical power in the far field. The present invention is applicable to a wide range of applications, including the operation of LIDAR systems, laser weapons, laser illuminators, and laser imaging systems.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease or symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in a subject by administering to the subject an active agent that includes an adenovirus-36 E4orf1 protein, a nucleic acid encoding an adenovirus-36 E4orfl protein, or combinations thereof. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to the active agents of the present disclosure for use in the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's disease or symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates in general to the improved containment of biological fluids. In particular, a method and apparatus for collection and preservation of fluid samples in accordance with the present invention results in collection of semen having improved viability both at the time of collection and after storage. The disclosed methods and apparatuses methods support a wide variety of applications for containment of biological fluids related to human and veterinary medicine including, but not limited to, human reproductive medicine and animal husbandry.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of treating a cancer in a subject by administering to the subject a compound that inhibits interaction between octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) and Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAPK2), OCT4 and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), or combinations thereof. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to the compounds of the present disclosure. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of inhibiting interaction between OCT4 and MAPKAPK2 and/or OCT4 and DNA-PKcs by exposing protein complexes to the compounds of the present disclosure. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of screening potential inhibitors of protein-protein interaction between a first protein and a second protein.

Abstract: The present invention includes compositions and methods of making hydrophilic nanostructured antibiotics (i.e. nanoantibiotics), including nanoantibiotics that use environmentally degradable biomolecules as the backbone building blocks, wherein the backbone building blocks can include spherical backbones such as sucroses, cyclodextrins, glycogens, and phytoglycogen with different diameters, or rod-like backbone building blocks such as dextrins, amyloses, and celluloses with different lengths. These hydrophilic nanoantibiotics with well-defined sizes and shapes can selectively disrupt bacterial membranes (i.e., serve as membrane-active antimicrobials) while being benign to mammalian cells. Depending on the size and shape difference of the hydrophilic nanoantibiotics, they can also selectively kill one type of bacteria (e.g., gram-negative) over another type (e.g., gram-positive).