Patents Assigned to The University
  • Publication number: 20170363032
    Abstract: Methods and systems for use of model predictive control (MPC) controllers utilizing hybrid, quadratic solvers to solve a linear feasibility problem corresponding to a nonlinear problem for an internal combustion engine plant such as a diesel engine air path. The MPC solves a convex, quadratic cost function having optimization variables and constraints and directs the plant per the output solutions to optimize plant operation while adhering to regulations and constraints. The problem includes a combination of iterative and direct calculations in the primal space depending on whether a partial step (iterative) or a full step (direct) is attempted. Further, primal and dual space array matrices are pre-computed and stored offline and are retrieved via use of a unique identifier associated with a specific active set for a set of constraints. Such hybrid and/or offline calculations allow for a reduction in computational power while still maintaining accuracy of solution results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Regents Of The University Of Michigan
    Inventors: Jason R. Rodgers, Mike Huang, Ilya Kolmanovsky
  • Publication number: 20170360540
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for delivery of live or attenuated viral and bacterial vaccines to fowl are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc .
    Inventors: Mark W Jackwood, Brian Jordan
  • Patent number: 9845294
    Abstract: Provided herein is a method of producing C11, C12, and C13 nylon precursors from oleic acid or esters of oleic acid, the method involving amide formation, ring-closing metathesis, and hydrogenation. Further provided are the products of the method described. Provided herein is a method for producing a lactam, the method comprising the steps of converting oleic acid or an ester of oleic acid into an amide having a general formula of H3C—(CH2)rCH?CH—(CH2)rCONR—(CH2)n-CH?CH2, wherein n is 1, 2, or 3, and R is either hydrogen or benzyl; subjecting the amide to a ring-closing metathesis reaction to produce an intermediate having a general formula of —(CH2)rCONR—(CH2) n-CH?CH2-, wherein n is 1, 2, or 3, R is either hydrogen or benzyl, and both ends are connected to each other; and hydrogenating the intermediate to produce a saturated lactam. In certain embodiments, the saturated lactam has a formula of —NH—(CH2) 10-CO—.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Toledo
    Inventors: Kana Yamamoto, Sridhar Viamajala, Sasidhar Varanasi, Ajith Yapa Mudiyanselage, Godwin Ameh Abel
  • Patent number: 9847211
    Abstract: A method for making a conductive film includes the steps of: depositing a conductive metal film on a substrate to form a metal-coated substrate; depositing a fiber pattern on the conductive metal film of the metal-coated substrate to form a masked substrate, the fiber pattern defining protected metal and exposed metal of the conductive metal film; removing the exposed metal from the conductive metal film of the masked substrate to form a protected conductive film; and removing the fiber pattern from the protected conductive film to expose the protected metal and provide a metal pattern on the substrate. An annealing step con be employed after depositing the fiber pattern to increase the surface area of contact between the fiber pattern and the conductive metal film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Yu Zhu, Tianda He
  • Patent number: 9845554
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to nanofiber yarns, ribbons, and sheets; to methods of making said yarns, ribbons, and sheets; and to applications of said yarns, ribbons, and sheets. In some embodiments, the nanotube yarns, ribbons, and sheets comprise carbon nanotubes. Particularly, such carbon nanotube yarns of the present invention provide unique properties and property combinations such as extreme toughness, resistance to failure at knots, high electrical and thermal conductivities, high absorption of energy that occurs reversibly, up to 13% strain-to-failure compared with the few percent strain-to-failure of other fibers with similar toughness, very high resistance to creep, retention of strength even when heated in air at 450° C. for one hour, and very high radiation and UV resistance, even when irradiated in air. Furthermore these nanotube yarns can be spun as one micron diameter yarns and plied at will to make two-fold, four-fold, and higher fold yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Mei Zhang, Shaoli Fang, Ray H. Baughman, Anvar A. Zakhidov, Ali E. Aliev, Sergey Li, Chris Williams
  • Patent number: 9844483
    Abstract: A method for providing vestibular stimulation includes: providing an infant in a vestibular stimulation device; associating sensors to the infant; moving the vestibular stimulation device to provide vestibular stimulation treatment; and obtaining sensor data during the treatment. The vestibular stimulation device includes a holder member; a platform; a mechanical system coupling the holder member to the platform; sensors configured to detect one or more parameters of the infant; and a computing system having a user input and/or output interface operably coupled to the mechanical system and the sensors to provide mechanical data to the mechanical system in order to control movement of the holder member relative to the platform and to collect the one or more parameters of the living subject from the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Kansas
    Inventors: Steven M. Barlow, Douglas S. Kieweg, Emily Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 9844758
    Abstract: This invention relates to uses of graphene oxide, and in particular graphene oxide on a porous support, and a membrane comprising these materials. This invention also relates to methods of dehydration, which include vapour phase separation and pervaporation. Pervaporation is a method of separating mixtures of liquids using a membrane. Pervaporation consists of two basic steps: permeation of the permeate through the membrane and evaporation of the permeate from the other side of the membrane. Pervaporation is a mild which can be used to separate components which would not survive the comparatively harsh conditions needed for distillation (high temp, and/or low pressure).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Manchester
    Inventors: Rahul Nair, Peter Budd, Andre Geim
  • Patent number: 9845362
    Abstract: Provided are isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that bind to tumor antigens. Also provided are isolated polypeptides and CARs encoded by the isolated nucleic acid molecules, vectors that include the isolated nucleic acid molecules, cells that include the isolated nucleic acid molecules, methods of making the same, and methods for using the same to generate a persisting population of genetically engineered T cells in a subject, expanding a population of genetically engineered T cells in a subject, modulating the amount of cytokine secreted by a T cell, reducing the amount of activation-induced calcium influx into a T cell, providing an anti-tumor immunity to a subject, treating a mammal having a MUC1-associated disease or disorder, stimulating a T cell-mediated immune response to a target cell population or tissue in a subject, and imaging a MUC1-associated tumor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventor: Pinku Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 9846160
    Abstract: Methods for determining the presence of cancer stem cells by detecting GD2 expression. Also provided are methods for reducing proliferation of cancer stem cells by contacting the cells with a GD2 targeting agent, such as an anti-GD2 antibody or a GD3 synthase inhibitor. GD3 synthase inhibitor compounds are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas Systems
    Inventors: Venkata Battula, Michael Andreeff, Sendurai A. Mani, Tapasree Roy Sarkar
  • Patent number: 9846024
    Abstract: An electric-field sensor is provided that includes a voltage-controlled capacitor and generator circuitry. The voltage-controlled capacitor is influenceable by an electric field created by a target located a distance from the solid-state electric-field sensor. The generator circuitry is configured to generate a modulated voltage for driving the voltage-controlled capacitor to produce a modulated capacitance as the voltage-controlled capacitor is influenced by the electric field to enable measurement of the electric field. In this regard, the voltage-controlled capacitor and generator circuitry are configured such that, in operation, an electric field of the target causes a change in the modulated capacitance and a current flow through the voltage-controlled capacitor. An electric potential of the target, then, is measurable as a function of the change in magnitude of the current flow through the voltage-controlled capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventor: Maciej Artur Noras
  • Patent number: 9846428
    Abstract: A controller has a varying speed signal generation unit generating a varying speed command signal varying at predetermined amplitude and period, a current control unit generating a current command signal based on the varying speed command signal, a feedback control unit generating a correction signal based on a deviation between the varying speed command signal and a present rotational speed of the spindle motor and adding the correction signal to the current command signal, and a learning control unit calculating a disturbance component caused by cutting resistance based on the deviation every predetermined rotation angle of the spindle motor and, in synchronism with a rotation angle of the spindle motor corresponding to the varying speed command signal input into the current control unit, generating a compensation signal based on the disturbance component corresponding to the rotation angle and adding the compensation signal to the varying speed command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignees: The University of Tokyo, DMG MORI SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fujimoto, Teruaki Ishibashi, Shinji Ishii, Koji Yamamoto, Yuki Terada
  • Patent number: 9845380
    Abstract: Disclosed are compositions and methods of preparing ionic polyimides. Also disclosed are methods to tune the properties of the ionic polyimide by designing the components of the ionic polyimide. Additionally, disclosed herein is a composition comprising an ionic polyimide. Also disclosed herein is a composition comprising an ionic polyimide and an ionic liquid. The disclosed compositions can be utilized to capture gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama
    Inventors: Jason Edward Bara, Matthew S. Shannon, John David Roveda, Jr., David A. Wallace, Max Simon Mittenthal
  • Patent number: 9845318
    Abstract: 2,5-Bis(benzoxazol-2?-yl)benzene-1,4-diol derivatives (Zinhbo derivatives) are used to detect zinc ions and have particular application in vivo and in vitro. Zinhbo derivatives upon excitation give a florescence response emission that can be used to determine the presence of zinc cation in solution. Zinhbo derivatives complexed with zinc cations upon excitation can produce a florescence response emission in the visible and near infrared range. Zinhbo derivatives complexed with zinc cations exhibit a large stoke shift between the excitation and emission wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Yi Pang, Yongqian Xu
  • Publication number: 20170357532
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for optimally provisioning tasks to machine instances. The machine instances can correspond to cloud providers and can be part of a multi-cloud. The machine instances can each have various resources available. The task can be received from a user including a job profile. A ranking can be determined for the machine instances. Based on the ranking, the task can be provisioned to one or more of the machine instances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Seyed Ali Miraftabzadeh, Peyman Najafirad
  • Publication number: 20170356666
    Abstract: An apparatus and method controls an environmental control system to maintain a differential pressure between a room and one or more adjacent areas by (1) determining a differential pressure error based on the differential pressure and a differential pressure set point using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller; (2) increasing an air change per hour set point whenever one or more first parameters are satisfied; (3) decreasing the air change per hour set point whenever one or more second parameters are satisfied; and (4) sending one or more control signals to the environmental control system that maintain the differential pressure between the room and the one or more adjacent areas by adjusting: (a) the leading airflow to be approximately equal to the air flow change set point multiplied by a volume of the room divided by 60, and (b) the tracking airflow to maintain a volume differential set point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventor: Curtis D. Adkerson
  • Patent number: 9840583
    Abstract: In one aspect, block copolymers are described herein. A block copolymer described herein, in some embodiments, comprises a first block comprising a polymer or oligomer formed from the reaction product of (i) a polycarboxylic acid or a polycarboxylic acid equivalent, (ii) a polyol, and (iii) an amino acid; and a second block comprising a polymer or oligomer that differs from the polymer or oligomer of the first block. In some cases, the polycarboxylic acid or polycarboxylic acid equivalent comprises citric acid, a citrate, or an ester of citric acid. The polyol can comprise an ?,?-n-alkane diol, poly(ethylene glycol), or poly(propylene glycol). In some embodiments, the amino acid forms a pendant group of the polymer or oligomer of the first block and/or forms a luminescent 6-membered ring with the polycarboxylic acid or polycarboxylic acid equivalent. The second block of a block copolymer described herein, in some embodiments, comprises a polylactone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Jian Yang, Zhiwei Xie
  • Patent number: 9840705
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of microRNA 96 and precursors and mimics thereof for the inhibition of vascular cell proliferation and/or vascular remodelling, and for the treatment of associated medical conditions such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: The University Court of the University of Glasgow
    Inventors: Margaret R. MacLean, Emma Wallace, Andrew H. Baker
  • Patent number: 9839671
    Abstract: Provided is a method for treatment and/or prophylaxis of a condition associated with T cell mediated chronic inflammatory disease by administration, to a patient, of a peptide comprising N?-SVTEQGAELSNEER-C? (SEQ ID NO: 1) or an analog thereof that inhibits T cell migration. Also provided is the peptide or its analog for use in the methods of treatment and/or prophylaxis of said condition. Also provided is a method for the treatment of Sjogren's syndrome by administration of a peptide comprising N?-SVTEQGAELSNEER-C? to a patient in need thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Birmingham
    Inventors: George Edward Rainger, Parth Narendran, Helen McGettrick, Myriam Chimen
  • Patent number: 9841367
    Abstract: Microspheres are sorted by resonant light pressure effects. An evanescent optical field is generated when light is confined within the interior of an optical element such as a surface waveguide, a tapered microfiber, or a prism. Microspheres brought within vicinity of the surface are subjected to forces that result from a coupling of the evanescent field to whispering gallery modes (WGM) in the microspheres. Alternatively, a focused laser beam is directed close to the edge of the microspheres to exert resonant optical forces on microspheres. Alternatively, standing optical waves are excited in the optical element. Optical forces are resonantly enhanced when light frequencies match WGM frequencies in the microspheres. Those microspheres for which resonance is obtained are more affected by the evanescent field than microspheres for which resonance does not occur. Greater forces are applied to resonating microspheres, which are separated from a heterogeneous mixture according to size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina At Charlotte
    Inventor: Vasily N Astratov
  • Patent number: 9840423
    Abstract: The method for producing an MTW-type zeolite according to the present invention includes: mixing a silica source, an alumina source, an alkali source, a lithium source, and water so as to obtain a reaction mixture having a composition represented by specific molar ratios; (2) adding an MTW-type zeolite which has a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 10 to 500 and does not contain an organic compound, as a seed crystal, to the reaction mixture in a proportion of 0.1 to 20% by weight relative to the silica component in the reaction mixture; and (3) airtightly heating the reaction mixture, to which the seed crystal has been added, at 100 to 200° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: UNIZEO CO., LTD., The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Keiji Itabashi, Tatsuya Okubo, Kenta Iyoki