Abstract: A water filtration apparatus and a method of using thereof, wherein the water filtration apparatus includes a nanoparticle layer which comprises polypeptide-functionalized nanoparticles that are capable of absorbing heavy metals selected from the group consisting of Pb2+, As5+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Cr6+, Cu2+, and Zn2+, as well as organic materials. Various embodiments of the water filtration apparatus, the method of using the apparatus, and a method of producing the polypeptide-functionalized nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: A plurality of bodies that attract one another are provided for implanting in a patient, specifically around a body passage of the patient. For example, the body passage may be the urethra, and the plurality of bodies may be implanted around the outside of the urethra, and the bodies being substantially coaxial with the urethra. The attraction between adjacent bodies may be provided by a magnetic or a mechanical force.

Abstract: Embodiments include an apparatus for determining a pull-out capacity of a bolt disposed in concrete. The apparatus includes control processing circuitry and a Schmidt hammer electrically connected to the control processing circuitry. The Schmidt hammer is configured to strike the bolt during a test event and to record a rebound value for the bolt. The control processing circuitry is configured to calculate an estimated pull-out strength for the bolt using the rebound value of the bolt that resulted from the test event, a predetermined bolt diameter, a predetermined bolt embedment length in the concrete, and an estimated predetermined strength of concrete. The apparatus also includes a remote computer configured to communicate with the control processing circuitry and to store an estimated pull-out strength of the bolt. The control processing circuitry includes a memory and a database.

Abstract: A histopathology system includes an elongated, cylindrical probe having scanners connected to a distal end of the probe and configured to capture digital images of tissue, a mesh net connected to the distal end of the probe and configured to grasp tissue, and control circuitry configured to expand and contract the mesh net to grasp the tissue being examined. The system includes an outer sheath into which the probe is inserted having one or more tabs extending from the outer sheath to affix the outer sheath at one or more locations. An elongated, cylindrical introducer device guides the outer sheath through a bodily orifice or surgical incision when the introducer device is inserted into the outer sheath. At least one server with processing circuitry is configured to digitally stain a tissue image obtained by the scanners of the tissue, and match the tissue images to stored tissue samples.

Abstract: A method and system for alerting emergency responders. The method includes acquiring readings from one or more occupancy sensors of a building, determining an occupancy estimate based on the readings from the one or more occupancy sensors, storing the occupancy estimate in a server, determining whether an emergency event has occurred at the building based on one or more threat parameters received from one or more threat sensors. Further, the method includes outputting a notification to at least one external device of emergency responders and transmitting building information associated with the emergency event to the emergency responders when the emergency event has occurred. The building information includes the occupancy estimate.

Abstract: An airborne noise reduction device includes a fixed-volume container having two opposing flat ends and two opposing symmetrical non-flat sides; an inlet port configured to face into a first room; an outlet port configured to face into a return air system; a diverter centrally mounted within an inside chamber to the two opposing flat ends of the fixed-volume container; and acoustic insulative material affixed to surfaces of the two opposing flat ends, the two opposing symmetrical non-flat sides, and the diverter within the inside chamber, wherein a combination of a geometry of the fixed-volume container and an absorption coefficient of the acoustic insulative material is configured to reduce an apparent sound index value of a sound source emanating from a second room connected to the return air system and received into the first room.

Abstract: A desalination apparatus and a method of desalinating thereof, wherein the desalination apparatus comprises a perforated vessel and at least one engineered semi-permeable membrane that covers perforations on the perforated vessel, wherein the desalination apparatus forms a purified water from saline water when submerged in the saline water to a depth of 50-250 m to create sufficient pressure differential on both sides of the engineered semi-permeable membrane, wherein low-saline water flows through the engineered semi-permeable membrane and collected within an internal cavity of the desalination apparatus. Various embodiments of the desalination apparatus and the method of desalinating are also provided.

Abstract: Microencapsulated probiotic bacteria protected from degradation by acidic aqueous solutions, high bile salt concentrations, elevated temperatures, and prolonged storage and having an increased anti-bacterial activity as compared to their non-microencapsulated counterparts. The microencapsulated probiotic bacteria comprise probiotic bacteria encapsulated in microcapsules. The probiotic bacteria comprise live Lactobacillus plantarum cells. Each of the microcapsules comprises a matrix of a gelled alginate. The matrix wholly envelops the probiotic bacteria within the matrix. An outer surface of the matrix has a coating consisting essentially of one vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of olive oil and canola oil, or an outer surface of the matrix is treated with sodium chloride. The microencapsulated probiotic bacteria have an average particle size of less than 1000 microns (?m) in diameter.

Abstract: A denture containing a henna powder or a henna extract, each of which comes from pulverized henna leaves and may include any of lawsone, tannic acid, and 2-methoxy-1,4-napthoquinone and a denture fabrication material. A denture containing at least one first antimicrobial ingredient selected from the group consisting of henna powder or a henna extract, lawsone, tannic acid, and 2-methoxy-1,4-napthoquinone, and a second antimicrobial ingredient, and optionally, a biocompatible gel and an odor neutralizer.

Abstract: A method of reinforcing a masonry structure is described wherein polyester thread reinforcement strips are manufactured and mounted on the masonry structure to protect it from lateral forces caused by earthquake and other natural occurring phenomena that generally produce bending moments in the masonry structure. The disclosed method can easily and economically be applied to reinforce masonry structures in underprivileged regions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining an amount of correlation between non-orthogonal vectors characterizing quantified curricula participation include generating a prioritization matrix for the scholarship including entries associated with ideal characteristics of scholarship applicants; generating an applicant attribute vector characterizing attributes of an applicant extracted from the application; calculating a product for each entry of the prioritization matrix by multiplying corresponding entries of the prioritization matrix and the applicant attribute vector; applying a weighting factor to the product for each entry of the prioritization matrix resulting in weighted products for each entry of the prioritization matrix; accumulating the weighted products into an applicant quality score indicating an amount of correlation between the prioritization matrix and the applicant attribute vector; transmitting an enhanced data packet to another computing device including the applicant attribute vector, the priori

Abstract: Microencapsulated probiotic bacteria protected from degradation by acidic aqueous solutions, high bile salt concentrations, elevated temperatures, and prolonged storage and having an increased anti-bacterial activity as compared to their non-microencapsulated counterparts. The microencapsulated probiotic bacteria comprise probiotic bacteria encapsulated in microcapsules. The probiotic bacteria comprise live Lactobacillus plantarum cells. Each of the microcapsules comprises a matrix of a gelled alginate. The matrix wholly envelops the probiotic bacteria within the matrix. An outer surface of the matrix has a coating consisting essentially of one vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of olive oil and canola oil, or an outer surface of the matrix is treated with sodium chloride. The microencapsulated probiotic bacteria have an average particle size of less than 1000 microns (?m) in diameter.

Abstract: A method and system for assisting communication. The method includes receiving a message in a first communication medium from a first device of a first user. The message has one or more recipients. The method further includes determining whether at least one recipient of the one or more recipients is in a predefined category by referencing a stored look-up table, monitoring, via one or more sensors, surroundings of the at least one recipient when the at least one recipient is in the predefined category, detecting whether there is a hazard based on the monitoring, and determining whether the first communication medium corresponds to a preferable communication medium based on the predefined category of the at least one recipient. Further, the method includes converting the message to the preferable communication medium and delivering the converted message to at least one recipient device when a hazard is not detected.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating educational information. The method includes providing a school communication platform on a first external device; storing an attribute vector characterizing a student in a first register; storing information associated with one or more guardians of the student acquired via the school communication platform; detecting whether a trigger event associated with the student has occurred based on one or more values of the stored attribute vector; identifying a first guardian from one or more guardians associated with the student as a function of the trigger event and the information associated with the one or more guardians when the trigger event is detected; and outputting a notification to an external device associated with the first guardian when the trigger event is detected. The notification includes information associated with the trigger event when the trigger event is detected.

Abstract: A method and system for alerting emergency responders. The method includes acquiring readings from one or more occupancy sensors of a building, determining an occupancy estimate based on the readings from the one or more occupancy sensors, storing the occupancy estimate in a server, determining whether an emergency event has occurred at the building based on one or more threat parameters received from one or more threat sensors. Further, the method includes outputting a notification to at least one external device of emergency responders and transmitting building information associated with the emergency event to the emergency responders when the emergency event has occurred. The building information includes the occupancy estimate.

Abstract: An endodontic file system is provided for simultaneously cleaning and shaping multiple root canals, the system includes a drill head having a distal portion and a proximal portion; at least two adjustable couplers on the distal portion of the drill head, each adjustable coupler configured to secure an endodontic file for cleaning a root canal; and a rotary system configured to rotate each adjustable coupler, where at least one endodontic file has an adjustable working distance from the drill head to a root canal of a tooth. In an example, each adjustable coupler can be configured to have a torque control configured to allow for controlling the rotation of the adjustable coupler based on an amount of torque.

Abstract: A water filtration apparatus and a method of using thereof, wherein the water filtration apparatus includes a nanoparticle layer which comprises polypeptide-functionalized nanoparticles that are capable of absorbing heavy metals selected from the group consisting of Pb2+, As5+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Cr6+, Cu2+, and Zn2+, as well as organic materials. Various embodiments of the water filtration apparatus, the method of using the apparatus, and a method of producing the polypeptide-functionalized nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: An aspirator syringe comprising a blood-detecting spectrometer. The syringe may accommodate a standard drug cartridge and may provide manual or automatic movement of a plunger for aspiration and injection. Indicator lights may signal the presence or absence of blood in an aspirate within a drug cartridge. The syringe may also include a detector to read a color of a band on a standard drug cartridge in order to identify a drug.

Abstract: A quiet zone can be implemented using a quiet zone transceiver. The quiet zone can have a predetermined perimeter created by the quiet zone transceiver. A smart mobile device can cause an initial alert setting of the smart mobile device to automatically change to a silent alert setting when the smart mobile device is moved into the quiet zone. Additionally, when the smart mobile device is moved out of the quiet zone, the initial alert setting can be restored. The smart mobile device can also be used as the quiet zone transceiver to create the quiet zone if the user of the smart mobile device wishes to create an area in which disturbances such as loud alert settings are limited.

Abstract: A dental instrument comprising a handle removably attached to an instrument head. The handle has at least two fluid lines in fluid communication with at least one aperture in the instrument head, and may be used for aspiration and irrigation. Details of fluid line and aperture arrangements are discussed, as well as instrument heads and attachment mechanisms.