Abstract: This document provides methods and materials involved in treating cancer. For example, methods and materials for using a BiPE that can include (a) one or more molecules having the ability to bind to a cancer cell (e.g., a human breast cancer cell), (b) an optional linker component, and (c) one or more molecules having the ability to bind to an antigen presenting cell (e.g., a human macrophage) to treat cancer are provided.

Abstract: Provided are antibodies, and fragments, derivatives, and nanoparticle conjugates thereof, particularly humanized derivatives thereof, which bind to tumor antigens. Also provided are nucleic acid molecules encoding chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that bind to tumor antigens, polypeptides and CARs encoded by the nucleic acid molecules, vectors and host cells that include the 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.

Abstract: The present invention includes compositions and methods of modulating the length of one or more cotton fibers in a plant by contacting the plant or tissue derived therefrom with at least one of: a nucleotide; a modulator of ectoapyrase gene transcription; or an anti-ectoapyrase antibody or fragments thereof, at a concentration that modulates growth of one or more cotton fibers.

Abstract: Cryptosporidium is a leading contributor to early childhood mortality, and fully effective treatment for this important infectious disease is lacking. A bicyclic azetidine compound series is disclosed having potent in vitro activity against all C. parvum isolates tested, comparable potencies against C. hominis and C. parvum, and cured cryptosporidiosis in highly susceptible immunosuppressed mice with once-daily dosing.

Abstract: A three-way urology catheter stopcock includes a stopcock body defining a longitudinally extending fluid flow passage, the body having three connector mounting openings in a wall thereof, an on/off selector movably mounted within the fluid flow passage of the body, the on/off selector including a longitudinally extending, cylindrical selector body having an open end, a closed end, and three fluid flow openings in a wall of the selector body, wherein the closed second end includes one of a plurality of fluid flow indicator members and fluid flow indicia, two first connectors mounted in opposing connector mounting openings of the stopcock body, and a second connector mounted in the connector mounting opening that is between the openings in which the two first connectors are mounted.

Abstract: A metal-assisted chemical imprinting stamp includes a porous polymer substrate and a noble metal coating formed directly on the porous polymer substrate. Fabricating the metal-assisted chemical imprinting stamp includes providing a porous polymer substrate, and disposing a noble metal on the porous polymer substrate. Metal-assisted chemical imprinting includes positioning a silicon substrate in an etching solution, contacting a surface of the silicon substrate with a stamp comprising a noble metal layer on a surface of a porous polymer substrate, and separating the silicon substrate from the stamp to yield a pattern corresponding to the noble metal layer on the silicon substrate.

Abstract: An electromagnetic wave detecting device comprising: an emission unit configured to emit electromagnetic waves having coherence; an electromagnetic wave modulating unit configured to modulate one or both of a phase and an amplitude of the emitted electromagnetic waves and to change a state of the modulation relative to an imaging target; and a post-modulation electromagnetic wave intensity detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of post-modulation electromagnetic waves, which are the modulated electromagnetic waves acquired by modulating the electromagnetic waves emitted from the emission unit using the imaging target and the electromagnetic wave modulating unit, using one pixel.

Abstract: This invention relates to polynucleotides encoding mini-dystrophin proteins, viral vectors comprising the same, and methods of using the same for delivery of mini-dystrophin to a cell or a subject.

Abstract: Compounds and methods for inhibiting cofilin activity or reducing total cofilin, improving motor deficits, attenuating LPS-induced microglial activation and inflammation, reducing microglial migration and proliferation, reducing TNF-?, reducing NF-?B, and improving motor deficits in a subject are described.

Abstract: A vibrational energy harvester element includes: a first electrode; a second electrode that moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the first electrode; a third electrode; a fourth electrode that moves in the predetermined direction with respect to the third electrode; and a support portion that supports the second electrode and the fourth electrode so that they are movable along the predetermined direction; and wherein: the first electrode and the third electrode are disposed along the predetermined direction; at least one of facing surfaces of the first electrode and the second electrode, and at least one of facing surfaces of the third electrode and the fourth electrode, are electrically charged; and the support portion supports the second electrode and the fourth electrode in a state in which electrostatic force between the first electrode and the second electrode, and electrostatic force between the third electrode and the fourth electrode are balanced along the predetermined direction.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of training a neural network to improve a characteristic of a protein comprises collecting a set of amino acid sequences from a database, compiling each amino acid sequence into a three-dimensional crystallographic structure of a folded protein, training a neural network with a subset of the three-dimensional crystallographic structures, identifying, with the neural network, a candidate residue to mutate in a target protein, and identifying, with the neural network, a predicted amino acid residue to substitute for the candidate residue, to produce a mutated protein, wherein the mutated protein demonstrates an improvement in a characteristic over the target protein. A system for improving a characteristic of a protein is also described. Improved blue fluorescent proteins generated using the system are also described.

Abstract: The described invention provides small molecule anti-cancer compounds for treating tumors that respond to cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition. The compounds selectively inhibit the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway in tumor-derived cancer cells, but do not affect normally dividing cells.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for inhibiting brain tumor proliferation, or for inhibiting or halting TM formation, invasion, and/or proliferation, or for rendering brain tumor cells sensitive to chemotherapy or radiation, or for treating a brain tumor, or for inducing cell death, involving mDia agonists such as IMM01 and IMM02, are described.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of treating graft-versus-host disease in a subject by administering pharmaceutical compositions containing bacterial strains of the Clostridia class. Also described herein are exemplary human-derived bacteria belonging to the Clostridia class, combinations of which have been shown to induce accumulation of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) in the colon and suppress immune functions, and are therefore useful for mitigating pathological immune responses. Pharmaceutical compositions containing these and/or related bacteria can be used to prevent and treat immune-mediated diseases such as graft-versus-host disease.

Abstract: Disclosed is an important therapeutic strategy of targeting MNK to block eIF4E phosphorylation for the treatment of persistent inflammatory pain in later life. In one embodiment, a therapeutic drug that targets MNK and inhibits MNK is selected in order to block eIF4E phosphorylation and the therapeutic drug is administered to the subject with sufficient dosage to block eIF4E phosphorylation. The treatment is suitable for aged subjects experiencing inflammatory pain such as age-associated inflammation, age-associated low-grade inflammation, CFA-induced acute inflammation, spontaneous pain, mechanical hypersensitivity or thermal hypersensitivity.

Abstract: In some aspects, the present disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a) a therapeutic agent; b) a metal-organic framework (MOF) or a coordination polymer; and c) a pharmaceutically acceptable polymer; wherein the therapeutic agent is encapsulated within the metal-organic framework or coordination polymer to form an encapsulated therapeutic agent, and wherein the encapsulated therapeutic agent is further encapsulated, entrapped, embedded, dispersed within, or complexed to the pharmaceutically acceptable polymer. The present disclosure also provides methods of making said compositions, methods of treating a disease or disorder comprising administering to a subject said compositions. The present disclosure also provides microneedles and implantable medical devices comprising said compositions.

Abstract: The disclosure describes imaging and therapy techniques comprising nanodroplets. More particularly, aspects of the disclosure relate to the use of nanodroplets to modify nanobubbles or microbubbles to provide improved imaging and/or therapeutic techniques and compositions.

Abstract: A system for automated comprehensive assessment of clinical lumbar MRIs includes a MRI standardization component that reads MRI data from raw lumbar MRI files, uses an artificial intelligence (AI) model to convert the raw MRI data into a standardized format. A core assessment component automatically generates MRI assessment results, including multi-tissue anatomical annotation, multi-pathology detection and multi-pathology progression prediction based on the structured MRI data package. The core assessment component contains a semantic segmentation module that utilizes a deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) model to generate an MRI assessment results that contains multi-tissue anatomical annotation, a pathology detection module to generate multi-pathology detection, and a pathology progression prediction module to generate multi-pathology progression prediction.

Abstract: Small molecule compounds and corresponding dimers having inhibitory activity against pre-miR-21 RNA and related methods for treatment of neoplastic disease such as cancer and especially cancers expressing miR-21 are disclosed.

Abstract: A photoresponsive polyurethane including a hard segment, a soft segment, and a photoresponsive group that is selected from a coumarin group or a coumarin derivative and an alkoxyphencyl group or an alkoxyphencyl.