Abstract: Improved resolution and detection of nanoparticles are achieved when a nanopore connecting liquid compartments in a device running on the Coulter principle is provided with fluid coatings such as lipid walls. Fluid lipid walls are made of a lipid bilayer, and preferably include lipid anchored mobile ligands as part of the lipid bilayer. By varying the nature and concentration of the mobile ligand in the lipid bilayer, multifunctional coatings of lipids are provided.

Abstract: A method is presented for reprogramming cells of a subject. As a starting point, a biological sample of a sample cell is received from the subject, where the sample cell has a given cell type. The method includes: determining gene expression data for the sample cell from the biological sample; receiving gene expression data for a target cell having a target cell type, where the target cell type differs from the given cell type; deriving a state transition matrix which models cell dynamics; computing a regulatory set for a given transcription factor, where the regulatory set quantifies influence of the given transcription factor on a genome; expressing reprogramming of the sample cell to the target cell with a state-space representation of a linear system; and solving for the input vector in the state-space representation.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided for object restraint including a trench; a pneumatic bending actuator (PBA), the PBA and the trench configured on the surface for clamping of the object to the surface; a part of the PBA constrained in the trench and a part of the PBA left unconstrained by the trench; a primary actuation mechanism for constraining in the trench the constrained part of the PBA to remain flat at the surface for resting the object on the surface, and for leaving the unconstrained part of the PBA configured as the curved segment to exert a clamping force to the object on the surface; and a secondary constraint mechanism to retain the constrained part of the PBA in the trench to prevent a portion of the constrained part of the PBA from exerting an upward force counter to the clamping of the unconstrained part of the PBA.

Abstract: An integrated vascular delivery system having a frame configured to receive a catheter insertable in a patient to deliver fluid at an insertion site. The frame includes a first hub, a second hub, and a pair of flexible lateral members extending between the hubs and including a tubular lateral member. The system also includes a fluidic channel that fluidically communicates with the catheter, wherein the fluidic channel passes through the tubular lateral member and at least one of the hubs, and includes a fixed turnabout portion in which fluid flows in a direction different from that within the catheter. The first and second hubs provide anchoring points on the patient distributed around the insertion site and on opposite ends of the catheter, thereby anchoring the frame to the patient and stabilizing the catheter. A method is provided for using an integrated vascular delivery system.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of cancer by activating the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) in cells. In particular, dimerized Mps1 and Spc105/KNL1 constructs are provided as tunable activators of SAC, allowing for control of chromosome segregation accuracy and prevention of aneuploidies that are common in cancer.

Abstract: A system for water purification having a water inlet being distributed into a plurality of streams defining extended dielectric barrier layers with high surface area to volume ratios and a plasma disposed between at least a pair of the plurality of water streams forming a surface plasma attachment producing radicals that treat the water via diffusion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are inhibitors of gene transcription mediated by myocardin-related transcription factor and serum response factor, or both myocardin-related transcription factor and serum response factor (“MRTF/SRF”), and methods for their use in treating or preventing cancer and fibrosis. In particular, disclosed herein are compounds of Formula (I) and Formula (II), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof: wherein the substituents are as described.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for treating, delaying progression of, or reducing the severity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a subject through administration of therapeutically effective amounts of agents (e.g., JAK kinase inhibitors (e.g., tofacitinib)) capable of interfering with central nervous system related natural killer cell (NK) levels and function.

Abstract: Methods of forming two-dimensional nanopatterns are provided. The method may comprise periodically contacting a vibrating tool comprising a patterned grating edge with a substrate along a first direction in a grating-vibrational indentation patterning process. The patterned grating edge defines a plurality of rows and a plurality of interspersed troughs. The periodic contacting creates a two dimensional array of discontinuous voids in a single-stroke across the surface of the substrate. In other aspects, a microfluidic device for selective arrangement of a microspecies or nanospecies is provided, that includes a substrate comprising a surface defining a two-dimensional pattern of microvoids or nanovoids. In yet other aspects, the present disclosure provides a method for selective arrangement of a microspecies or nanospecies on a substrate.

Abstract: Laser emission based microscope devices and methods of using such devices for detecting laser emissions from a tissue sample are provided. The scanning microscope has first and second reflection surfaces and a scanning cavity holding a stationary tissue sample with at least one fluorophore/lasing energy responsive species. At least a portion of the scanning cavity corresponds to a high quality factor (Q) Fabry-Pérot resonator cavity. A lasing pump source directs energy at the scanning cavity while a detector receives and detects emissions generated by the fluorophore(s) or lasing energy responsive species. The second reflection surface and/or the lasing pump source are translatable with respect to the stationary tissue sample for generating a two-dimensional scan of the tissue sample. Methods for detecting multiplexed emissions or quantifying one or more biomarkers in a histological tissue sample, for example for detection and diagnosis of cancer, or other disorders/diseases are provided.

Abstract: Physical parameters of macromolecules are determined by measuring electrical current I over time for translocation events as the macromolecules in solution move between two liquid compartments that are separated by and fluidically coupled through a synthetic nanopore. Values of charge, volume, shape, rotational diffusion coefficient, and dipole moment are derived from the measurements.

Abstract: An information processing system, a computer program product, and methods for modeling multi-party dialog interactions. A method includes learning, directly from data obtained from a multi-party conversational channel, to identify particular multi-party dialog threads as well as participants in one or more conversations. Each participant utterance being converted to a continuous vector representation updated in a model of the multi-party dialog relative to each participant utterance and according to each participant's role selected from the set of: sender, addressee, or observer. The method trains the model to choose a correct addressee and a correct response for each participant utterance, using a joint selection criterion. The method learns directly from the data obtained from the multi-party conversational channel, which dialog turns belong to each particular multi-party dialog thread.

Abstract: Methods to increase structural performance, strength, and durability of textile-reinforced composite materials are provided. The textile reinforcement may be knitted, for example, in a flat bed weft knitting machine. The method may include pre-stressing a textile reinforcement preform by applying tension. A polymeric precursor may be introduced to the pre-stressed textile reinforcement preform. The polymeric precursor may then be cured or consolidated, followed by releasing of the applied tension to form the composite article comprising polymer and the pre-stressed textile reinforcement. In other aspects, a composite article is provided that has a pre-stressed textile reinforcement structure and a cured polymer. The textile reinforcement may be a knitted, lightweight, seamless, unitary structure.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a processing system parses a network trace to collect packet information for an encrypted adaptive bite rate (ABR) video stream encoded into a plurality of tracks; detects request packets corresponding to a sequence of requests for video segments to be downloaded at a network client; and determines a traffic volume downloaded at the network client to obtain a sequence of traffic volumes. The processing system identifies, for each of the sequence of traffic volumes, a set of candidate segments each having a size meeting a size-matching criterion; selects a segment from the set of candidate segments to determine a segment sequence meeting an index-matching criterion; and infers characteristics of the sequence of traffic volumes based on the segment sequence. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Ion conducting membranes based on aramid nanofibers (ANFs) can be prepared using layer-by-layer assembly, sol-gel processing, evaporation, spin coating, doctor blading, or other methods. Porosity is controlled through choice of additives and processing.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus and method are provided for executing a stream of instructions out-of-order with respect to original program order. At least some of the instructions in the stream identify one or more architectural registers from a set of architectural registers. The apparatus comprises a plurality of out-of-order components configured to manage execution of a first subset of instructions out-of-order, the plurality of out-of-order components being configured to remove false dependencies between instructions in the first subset. The plurality of out-of-order components include a first issue queue into which the instructions in the first subset are buffered prior to execution. A second issue queue is used to buffer a second subset of instructions prior to execution, the second subset of instructions being constrained to execute in order.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods are used to analyze a medical image to assess the state of the sample region. In at least one embodiment, the method comprises receiving at least one medical image collected previously from an image source, the at least one medical image comprising a plurality of voxels, each characterized by a signal value; classifying the signal value of each voxel as representing one of healthy tissue or diseased tissue based on a threshold value; and analyzing at least one topographical feature of the at least one medical image.

Abstract: Cargo systems are provided for vehicles that include, in one embodiment: a variable cargo surface disposed within a body of the vehicle behind one or more occupant seats, the variable cargo surface including: a low friction surface that facilitates movement of cargo within the cargo system, the low friction surface having a first coefficient of friction; a high friction surface that inhibits movement of cargo within the cargo system, the high friction surface having a second coefficient of friction that is greater than the first coefficient of friction; and a control device that selectively activates the low friction surface and the high friction surface based on conditions for the vehicle; wherein the low friction surface contacts the cargo within the cargo system when the low friction surface is activated; and the high friction surface contacts the cargo within the cargo system when the high friction surface is activated.

Abstract: Implantable splinting devices for supporting a passageway defect in a patient that is formed from one or more support structures including a polymer or a polymer and acellularized tissue matrix that define a structural component that substantially conforms to a defective passageway of the patient. The structural component also has a plurality of pores. The implantable splinting device is capable of being placed around a trachea, a bronchi, an esophagus and a blood vessel of a patient. The implantable splinting device may also be configured for placement between the trachea, and the esophagus of a patient.

Abstract: An optical probe scanning assembly for use in an optical probe includes a mirror assembly that focuses an illumination beam path and a collection beam path at a region of interest within the sample. The illumination beam and the collection beam overlap to form a confocal beam region. The mirror assembly is movable in an x-axis direction and in a y-axis direction to scan the confocal beam region within the sample. The scanning assembly further includes a scanning suspension system including a gimbal assembly connected to the mirror assembly to allow the mirror assembly to rotate about one or more axes. The mirror is thereby adapted to scan along at least two different orthogonal planes, one of which extends vertically into the sample.