Abstract: A method for diagnosing an active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by detecting certain RNA biomarkers present in secreted extracellular vesicles isolated from a bodily fluid. The RNA biomarkers in the secreted extracellular vesicles may include a certain Mycobacterium RNAs as well as certain host cell RNAs. Also provided is an RNA signature of certain Mycobacterium and host cell RNA present in secreted extracellular vesicles indicative of an active tuberculosis infection.

Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to ionic liquids comprising an anion of a heteraromatic compound such as optionally substituted pyrrolide, optionally substituted pyrazolide, optionally substituted indolide, optionally substituted phospholide, or optionally substituted imidazolide. Methods and devices for gas separation or gas absorption related to these ionic liquids are also described herein.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) device for biomaterials comprises a reservoir, a shaft, and a material delivery head. The device can be used for intracorporeal additive manufacturing. Material within the reservoir can be expelled by a mechanical transmission element, for example a syringe pump, a peristaltic pump, an air pressure pump, or a hydraulic pressure pump. The reservoir can be a barrel, a cartridge, or a cassette. The reservoir can narrow into the shaft, and the shaft can terminate into the nozzle. The shaft can house an inner tube. The device can have an actuator joint capable of being mechanically linked to a robotic surgical system. The actuator joint can have a motor that drives the mechanical transmission element.

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: 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: A method for managing beam squint in a phased antenna array system operating at millimeter wavelengths using carrier aggregation includes determining a minimum array gain threshold, determining an upper bound for a fractional bandwidth for a fixed number of antennas, and constructing a codebook with a predetermined coverage range based on at least one of an angle of arrival or an angle of departure and further based on the upper bound. The method further includes performing carrier aggregation for the fixed number of antennas and selecting at least two antennas based on the codebook.

Abstract: Bromine induced lactamization of vinyl acetohydroxamates facilitated syntheses of monocyclic ?-lactams suitable for incorporation of a thiomethyl and extended functionality at the C(4) position. Elaboration of the resulting substituted N-hydroxy-2-azetidinones allowed incorporation of functionalized ?-amino substituents appropriate for enhancement of antibiotic activity. Evaluation of antibacterial activity against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria revealed structure-activity-relationships (SAR) and identification of potent new monobactam antibiotics. The corresponding bis-catechol conjugate, 42, has excellent activity against Gram-negative bacteria including carbapenemase and carbacephalosporinase producing strains of Acinetobacter baumannii which have been listed by the WHO as being of critical concern worldwide.

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: Systems and methods for improving isolation between a cosite transmitter-receiver system. The transmitter may send a first plurality of transmit signals from multiple transmit ports. The first plurality of transmit signals may be related to one another by a first set of complex weights. The receiver may detect channel-impaired versions of the first plurality of transmit signals at one or more receive ports. The receiver may analyze channel-impaired versions of the first plurality of transmit signals to estimate channel state information. The transmitter may use the channel state information to determine a second set of complex weights which will reduce the power received at one or more ports of the receiver when applied to a second plurality of transmit signals. The second set of complex weights may vary with frequency.

Abstract: An electrokinetically pumped sheath flow nanospray interface for capillary electrophoresis coupled to negative mode electrospray mass spectrometer is described. At this interface, application of an electric field generates electro-osmotic flow at the interior of a glass emitter having an orifice. Electroosmotic flow pumps liquid around the distal tip of the separation capillary, ensheathing analyte into the electrospray electrolyte. In negative ion mode, negative potential applied to an untreated emitter drives sheath flow away from the emitter orifice, decreasing the stability and efficiency of the spray. In contrast, when the interior of the electrospray emitter is grafted with aminoalkylsilanes, the amines have a positive charge, which reverses electroosmosis and generates stable sheath flow to the emitter orifice under negative potential. Limits of detection were about 150 to 900 attomoles injected.

Abstract: A signal source association method and receiver. A receiver can be used to detect a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources. The receiver can determine amplitude and phase information for a plurality of frequency components of each of the plurality of signals. The receiver can also determine a set of comparison values by comparing the respective amplitude and phase information from one or more pairs of the plurality of signals. Finally, the receiver can associate one of the signals with one of the plurality of transmission sources using the set of comparison values. The comparison values can comprise Stokes parameters and the one or more pairs of the plurality of signals can comprise a pair of orthogonally polarized signals or a pair of signals detected from spatially-separated antennas.

Abstract: Methods and compositions which include or include the administration of a hydrophobic drug, prodrug thereof, salt thereof, isoform thereof, or a combination thereof; cyclodextrin, prodrug thereof, salt thereof, or a combination thereof; polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or combination thereof; and optionally, a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: Analogs of largazole are described herein. Methods of treating cancer and blood disorders using largazole and largazole analogs and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same are additionally described herein. Methods for preparing largazole analogs are likewise described.

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: Described are methods for detecting and quantifying biomolecules such as polynucleotides or polypeptides in an electrophoresis matrix using ion concentration polarization and nanoparticle aggregation.

Abstract: The invention provides a newly discovered oxadiazole class of antibiotics. The oxadiazoles impair cell-wall biosynthesis and exhibit activities against the Gram-positive bacteria such as the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant and linezolid-resistant S. aureus. For example, 5-(1H-indol-5-yl)-3-(4-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)phenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole (antibiotic 75b) was efficacious in a mouse model of MRSA infection, exhibiting a long half-life, a high volume of distribution, and low clearance. Antibiotic 75b antibiotic is bactericidal and is orally bioavailable. This class of antibiotics can be used as a therapeutic agent against infections by Gram-positive bacteria such as MRSA.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and software for providing a network structure for a network. In one example, a method includes identifying an occurrence of a cascade amongst a plurality of nodes of the network. The method also includes determining respective activation times for each node of a plurality of activated nodes activated during the cascade. The method further includes, for each pairwise combination of activated nodes from the plurality of activated nodes, computing, based on the respective activation times, a connection probability that a pair of nodes from the plurality of activated nodes is connected by an edge. The method further includes mapping a true edge between two activated nodes of the plurality of activated nodes in the network based on computed connection probabilities for the each pairwise combination.

Abstract: An electronic device can include a semiconductor material including a channel region configured to conduct a current, a source contact electrically coupled to the channel region at a first location, a drain contact electrically coupled to the channel region at a second location spaced apart from the first location, a partial-polarization material on the semiconductor material between the source contact and the drain contact opposite the channel region and a gate contact on the partial-polarization material opposite the channel region and ohmically coupled to the drain contact or ohmically coupled to the source contact.

Abstract: A modular truss joint is a web plate with at least three connectors. Each connection includes a web integrally formed as a portion of the web plate of a certain length. Each connection is positioned at a connector angle with respect to the other connectors. The connections have continuous flanges on a periphery of the modular truss joint. Each flange is oriented transversely to the web. The connectors form a modular structure by each connecting to at least one wide flange body to form a moment resisting connection such that the modular truss joint resists flexure of the modular structure.

Abstract: Methods and systems relating to topics in space-polarization modulated communications. The topics include: adaptive space-polarization modulated communications using channel state information at the transmitter; adaptive decision boundaries at the receiver; carrier frequency offset estimation for multi-carrier modulation schemes; transmission of analog images using polarization and coherence dispersion information; and reduction of peak-to-average power ratio in multi-carrier modulation schemes.