Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to methods of stimulating or promoting neurogenesis by administering to a subject of a composition comprising a cyclodextrin and a polyethylene glycol to alleviate learning, memory and cognitive deficits present in subjects afflicted with various brain disorders or from neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting textured contact lenses in an iris image are disclosed. Initially, “K” images are taken of an eye in near-infrared light, each for a different positioning of the illuminant. Three-dimensional properties of the hypothetical iris are estimated based on image processing methods. The variability of the estimated three-dimensional properties is calculated, and a classification into two classes is made based on the variability. A low variability denotes that an authentic iris pattern was presented to the sensor, whereas a high variability denotes that the sensor observes an eye wearing a textured contact lens. The systems and methods disclosed allow for detecting presentation attacks to iris recognition systems/sensors based on presentation of an eye wearing a textured contact lens in an automatic and accurate way.

Abstract: We report improved adjuvant compounds that have an aryl 2-aminoimidazole structure for macrolide potentiation against a virulent strain of gram-negative bacteria, AB5075. Compounds were discovered to retain significant adjuvant activity at 10 ?M, lowering the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of clarithromycin (CLR) from 8-fold to 128-fold or greater. 2-Aminoimidazole compounds linked to aryl groups via either an amide or urea linker showed significantly improved activity over control compounds.

Abstract: A system and methods of characterizing a population of a virus, bacteriophage, or other microbes in a microbiome that includes the steps of separating a sample of microbiota into more than one fraction by continuous capillary zone electrophoresis based on the physiochemical properties of the microbes in the microbiota using a constant voltage applied to the sample during the continuous zone electrophoresis. At least one separated fraction includes an intact virus, bacteriophage, or other microbe that may be visualized and/or directly sequenced to characterize the population of the virus, bacteriophage, or other microbe in the microbiome.

Abstract: Here we report the discovery of 2-(4-(3-(trifluoromethoxy)phenoxy)picolinamido)benzo[d]oxazole-5-carboxylate as an antibacterial with potent and selective activity against C. difficile. Its MIC50 and MIC90 values, documented across 101 strains of C. difficile, are 0.12 and 0.25 ?g/mL, respectively. The compound is effective against C. difficile both at the logarithmic (vegetative) and stationary phases of growth. It targets cell-wall biosynthesis, as assessed both by macromolecular biosynthesis assays and by scanning-electron microscopy. Animals infected with a lethal dose of C. difficile and treated with compound 1 had better survival compared to treatment with vancomycin, which is the front-line antibiotic used for severe recurrent C. difficile infection.

Abstract: A plasma injection module includes a fuel receiving end, a discharge end opposite the fuel receiving end, and an axial fluid pathway extending between the fuel receiving end and the discharge end. An insulator assembly defines a first portion of the axial fluid pathway proximate to the fuel receiving end. An injection tube assembly having a permanent magnet is positioned downstream of the insulator. A voltage input connection is arranged downstream of the insulator assembly and upstream of the injection tube assembly. The voltage input connection secures a voltage source to the injection tube to form a plasma filament within and adjacent to the axial fluid pathway. During operation a permanent magnet produces a magnetic field that interacts with the plasma filament to rotate the plasma filament and increase an area of ignition between the plasma filament and the combustible material at the discharge end.

Abstract: Substituted nitrobenzothiazinones (BTZs) are potent antituberculosis prodrugs that are reductively activated to produce nitroso moieties that form covalent adducts with a cysteine residue of decaprenylphosphoryl-?-D-ribose-2?-oxi-dase (DprE1) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The resulting cell wall synthesis inhibition is lethal to Mtb, leading to consideration of development of BTZs for clinical use. The hydride-induced reduction of the nitroaromatic proceeds by reversible formation of the corresponding Meisenheimer complex. Herein we demonstrate that chemical reduction of BTZ043 with NaBD4 followed by reoxidation incorporates deuterium into the core nitro aromatic warhead. Subsequent reduction of the deuterated species is not affected, but, as expected, reoxidation is slowed by the deuterium isotope effect, thus prolonging the lifetime of the active nitroso oxidation state.

Abstract: The near-infrared window of fluorescent heptamethine cyanine dyes greatly facilitates biological imaging because there is deep penetration of the light and negligible background fluorescence. But dye instability, aggregation, and poor pharmacokinetics are current drawbacks that limit performance and the scope of possible applications. All these limitations are simultaneously overcome with a new molecular design strategy that produces a charge balanced and sterically shielded fluorochrome. The key design feature is a meso-Aryl group that simultaneously projects two shielding arms directly over each face of a linear heptamethine polyene. Cell and mouse imaging experiments compared a shielded heptamethine cyanine dye (and several peptide and antibody bioconjugates) to benchmark heptamethine dyes and found that the shielded systems possess an unsurpassed combination of photophysical, physiochemical and biodistribution properties that greatly enhance bioimaging performance.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a first radio module at a first location, a wireless signal, to obtain a first received RF signal. The wireless signal includes information originating at a remote transmitter and conveyed via a wireless channel. An envelope of the first received RF signal is detected by the first radio module without requiring a local oscillator, to obtain a first baseband signal. The first baseband signal may be filtered and/or amplified, after which it is provided to a processor. The processor also obtains a second digital signal from a second radio module receiving the wireless signal at a second location and determines an estimate of the information originating at the remote transmitter according to the first and second signals. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nanoparticle based platform, and nanoallergens for identifying, evaluating and studying allergen mimotopes as multiple copies of a single mimotope or various combinations on the same particle. The nanoparticle is extremely versatile and allows multivalent binding to IgEs specific to a variety of mimotopes, simulating allergen proteins. Nanoparticles can include various molecular ratios of components. For example, the nanoallergens can include about 0.1-40% mimotope-lipid conjugate and about 60-99.9% lipid. The mimotope-lipid conjugate includes a mimotope, a first linker, and lipid molecule. Nanoallergens can be used in in vitro and in vivo applications to identify a specific patient's sensitivity to a set of epitopes and predict a symptomatic clinical response, identify allergen epitopes through blind screening peptide sequences from allergen protein, and in a clinical application similar to a scratch test.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods related to extending viable preservation of organs and tissues. The compositions comprise superoxide dismutase, catalase, vitamin E, and glutathione, and optionally, a preservation solution (e.g., University of Wisconsin solution). Also provided are methods of preserving the contractile function of a contractile tissue, as well as kits comprising the compositions described herein.

Abstract: A method operating a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) memory can be provided by accessing specified training parameters used to train a Deep Neural Network (DNN) using a GPU with a local GPU memory, the specified training parameters including at least a specified batch size of samples configured to train the DNN. A sub-batch size of the samples can be defined that is less than or equal to the specified batch size of samples in response to determining that an available size of the local GPU memory is insufficient to store all data associated with training the DNN using one batch of the samples. Instructions configured to train the DNN using the sub-batch size can be defined so that an accuracy of the DNN trained using the sub-batch size is about equal to an accuracy of the DNN trained using the specified batch size of the samples.

Abstract: Mid-infrared photothermal heterodyne imaging (MIR-PHI) techniques described herein overcome the diffraction limit of traditional MIR imaging and uses visible photodiodes as detectors. MIR-PHI experiments are shown that achieve high sensitivity, sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution, and high acquisition speed. Sensitive, affordable, and widely applicable, photothermal imaging techniques described herein can serve as a useful imaging tool for biological systems and other submicron-scale applications.

Abstract: Systems and methods for maintaining the safety of a software-based system. One method includes automatically generating a first artifact tree for a hazard for a first version of the system and automatically transforming the first artifact tree into a first augmented tree using a set of heuristics. The method also includes automatically generating a second artifact tree for the hazard for a second version of the system and automatically transforming the second artifact tree for the hazard into a second augmented tree using the set of heuristics. The method further includes automatically comparing the first augmented tree and the second augmented tree to generate a delta view, and automatically generating, based on the delta view, at least one selected from a group consisting of a safety warning for the second version of the software-based system and an actionable recommendation to maintain safety of the second version of the software-based system.

Abstract: Methods to form a surface coating and surface pattern, which are based on adsorption of hydrocarbon chains that can be used with imaging optics to visualize macrophage fusion and multinucleated giant cell formation with living specimens are described.

Abstract: The present disclosure encompasses antibacterial compositions and methods of treating bacterial infections caused by resistant bacteria.

Abstract: Products, systems, and methods for classifying human colorectal cancer into a consensus molecular subtype (CMS) and for assessing risk of recurrence based on CMS scores and based on risk scores derived from abbreviated gene expression profiles, for determining suitable treatment protocols for human colorectal cancer patients based on the determined CMS classification and based on the determined risk of recurrence, and for administering the suitable treatment protocols.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a non-linear energy detector that obtains baseband information from a mixed signal that corresponds to an information component of a received radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the mixed signal comprises a local oscillator signal combined, without multiplication, with the received RF signal, wherein the received RF signal comprises a carrier wave component operating at a carrier frequency within a millimeter wave spectrum, wherein the non-linear energy detector is associated with a non-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve, and wherein the baseband information is obtained by applying the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: An N-bit non-volatile multi-level memory cell (MLC) can include a lower electrode and an upper electrode spaced above the lower electrode. N ferroelectric material layers can be vertically spaced apart from one another between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, wherein N is at least 2 and at least one dielectric material layer having a thickness of less than 20 nm can be located between the N ferroelectric material layers.

Abstract: Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, particularly Gram-negative bacteria, are an escalating global t health threat. Often clinicians are forced to administer the last resort antibiotic colistin, however colistin resistance is becoming increasingly prevalent, giving rise to the potential for a situation in which there are no treatment options for MDR Gram-negative infections. The development of adjuvants that circumvent bacterial resistance mechanisms is a promising orthogonal approach to the development of new antibiotics. We recently disclosed that the known IKK-13 inhibitor IMD-0354 potently suppresses colistin resistance in several Gram-negative strains. In this disclosure, we explore the structure activity relationship (SAR) between the IMD-0354 scaffold and colistin resistance suppression, and identify several compounds with more potent activity than the parent against highly colistin resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae.