Abstract: The present invention provides transseptal puncture devices configured to access structures on the left side of the heart from the right side of the heart without requiring open-heart surgery. The devices have adjustable stiffness to enter the vasculature in a flexible, atraumatic fashion, then become rigid once in place to provide a stable platform for penetration of the fossa ovalis. The devices are further configured to controllably and stably extend a needle to puncture the FO. The devices include an indwelling blunt stylus that can extend perpendicularly from the device to increase the accuracy of placement near the fossa ovalis.

Abstract: The recently developed liquid-based Papanicolaou (Pap) smear allows not only cytologic evaluation but also collection of DNA for detection of HPV, the causative agent of cervical cancer. We tested these samples to detect somatic mutations present in rare tumor cells that might accumulate in the cervix once shed from endometrial and ovarian cancers. A panel of commonly mutated genes in endometrial and ovarian cancers was assembled and used to identify mutations in all 46 endometrial or cervical cancer tissue samples. We were able also able to identify the same mutations in the DNA from liquid Pap smears in 100% of endometrial cancers (24 of 24) and in 41% of ovarian cancers (9 of 22). We developed a sequence-based method to query mutations in 12 genes in a single liquid Pap smear without prior knowledge of the tumor's genotype.

Abstract: A vaccine delivery method is presented that includes a composition including as one component a slurry matrix that is a liquid at room temperature and a gel at physiological pH, physiological salt concentrations and/or physiological temperatures and as a second component one or more antigens. Also included are methods of inducing an immune response in a subject and vaccinating a subject by administering such compositions.

Abstract: A game control method, a game server, and a game system with which a user can efficiently increase the number of friends in a game with a friend-up function are provided. When a friend candidate list image 230 of a recommended friend search screen 23 is generated in response to a request from an information processor 1 connected to a game server 10 over a communication line, the game server 10 generates a list of friend candidates with reference to a friend seeking flag. The friend seeking flag is stored in association with a user ID by which each user is identified, and indicates whether the user corresponding to the user ID is seeking friends.

Abstract: Transistors with switchable polarity and non-volatile configurations are provided. The transistors include a van der Waals (vdW) semiconductor layer. A ferroelectric layer with local polarization determines the type and concentration of the doping in the vdW semiconductor layer. Local program gates allow application of voltage to set or switch the polarization in the ferroelectric layer in the source and drain regions. Source and drain contacts permit either n-type or p-type transistor operations according to the carrier polarity in the vdW semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe diapocarotenoid plant growth regulators represented by formula (I): R-A-R (I) or a precursor, salt, solvate, stereoisomer or polymorph thereof; wherein R is a monovalent carbonyl moiety selected from the group consisting of aldehydes, ethers, diethers, carboxylic acids, alcohols, and ester carboxylates and A is a bivalent polyene represented by the bivalent moiety —(CRa?CRb)x—, wherein x is the number of double bonds in polyene moiety A, and Ra and Rb are, independently, hydrogen, a hydrocarbon, or an alkoxy group, and composition of the diapocarotenoid plant growth regulators in an agronomically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for segmenting a brain tumor from various MRI sequencing techniques. A plurality of MRI sequences of a head of a patient are received. Each MRI sequence includes a T1-weighted with contrast image, a Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) image, a T1-weighted image, and a T2-weighted image. Each image of the plurality of MRI sequences is registered to an anatomical atlas. A plurality of modified MRI sequences are generated by removing a skull from each image in the plurality of MRI sequences. A tumor segmentation map is determined by segmenting a tumor within a brain in each image in the plurality of modified MRI sequences. The tumor segmentation map is applied to each of the plurality of MRI sequences to thereby generate a plurality of labelled MRI sequences.

Abstract: Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein (GILZ) peptide compositions and their methods of use in wound healing are disclosed herein. An exemplary GILZ peptide composition includes a GILZ fusion protein. The GILZ peptide compositions can be administered topically to wounds, for example in the form of a cream, ointment, or lotion. The GILZ peptide compositions can be used to treat acute wounds, induce wound healing in chronic wounds, and reduce scar formation.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a knowledge inference engine system and a method of implementation, relating to the field of wired communication networking technology. The system includes a data generation module, a stream partitioning model, an offline scheduling module, an online scheduling module, a scheduling solution base and a historical information base module, the data generation module used to generate a dataset and divide it into a plurality of partitions, the stream partitioning model used to partition the dataset, the offline scheduling module used to generate a scheduling solution for static network requirements, the online scheduling module used to rapidly generate a scheduling solution for a new TT stream, the scheduling solution base used to store a result of the partitioning, an iterative scheduling order for the partitions and the offline scheduling solution, the historical information base used to update and store relevant data information and performance indicators.

Abstract: In an aspect, a method for imaging a target comprises steps of: performing optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning on the target with one or more beams of source light, the one or more beams of source light comprising a plurality of wavelengths; wherein performing OCT scanning comprises: providing the source light to a reference optical path and to a sample optical path, wherein providing the source light to a sample optical path comprises illuminating the target with the source light; and recording interference data corresponding to an interaction of a light from the reference optical path and a light from the sample optical path; processing the interference data; and identifying blood or one or more blood-features in the target based on an optical attenuation of light in or associated with the sample optical path by the blood or the one or more blood-features.

Abstract: The present disclosure features a composition, including molecularly imprinted crosslinked polymers that have been imprinted with trimethylamine N-oxide. The molecularly imprinted crosslinked polymers have specific binding sites for trimethylamine N-oxide, and a trimethylamine N-oxide absorption capacity of at least 0.5 mg/g.

Abstract: A device and method is provided herein for esophageal impingement of a patient's aorta. The device may be inserted into a patient's esophagus and positioned at the location where the esophagus passes over the patient's aorta. In this position, an actuation device is used to apply pressure to the patient's aorta through their esophagus to impinge or occlude the aorta to stop or significantly reduce hemorrhaging. A manually operable actuator handle enables a physician to manipulate a head assembly of the device through three distinct degrees of freedom of movement so as to control placement and direction of force against the patient's esophagus and, in turn, their aorta.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to, inter alia, a method of treating cancer in a human patient in need thereof, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a substrate of AKR1B1, AKR1B10, or both to said patient, wherein said patient has, or is suspected to have, cancer cells with elevated levels of AKR1B1, AKR1B10, or both, wherein said substrate is not 2-deoxy-D-glucose.

Abstract: Methods for treating neurological and other disorders, including autoimmune disorders are described. Also described is a method of treating a disorder in which Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) activation by binding to myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Further a method is described that includes the administration of a composition, including a peptide sequence, that inhibits the activation of TLR2 by MyD88.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an array antenna, and specifically, relates to an array antenna which improves performance by using a shorting pin. The array antenna includes a first antenna, a second antenna, the first antenna and the second antenna sharing a ground, and a substrate disposed on an upper portion of the ground, and the second antenna is disposed in contact with an upper portion of the substrate, the first antenna is disposed by penetrating through centers of the substrate and the second antenna, the array antenna includes a plurality of feeding pins disposed by penetrating through the second antenna, the substrate, and the ground, and the array antenna includes a plurality of shorting pins penetrating through the second antenna, the substrate, and the ground to be symmetric with the plurality of feeding pins.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microbial stem cell technology that enables a growing microbial culture to stably maintain two or more distinct cell types in a ratio that can be genetically programmed and/or dynamically controlled during cultivation. It is contemplated that embodiments described herein can be utilized to increase product yield in microbial fermentations and advanced engineering of biomaterials using genetically engineered microbial cells, among others.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for detecting an air discharge decomposed product based on a virtual sensor array, comprising: fabricating a virtual sensor array; disposing the virtual sensor array in a hermetically sealed gas chamber, energizing, and initializing; performing gas-sensitive testing to the virtual sensor array and storing a testing result as samples to store; and building a convolutional neural network model diagram for identifying contents of gas components, and identifying an atmosphere. The virtual sensor array fabricated by the present disclosure may reduce the array size and the overall volume of a device to an extreme content; the built convolutional neural network may dig other feature information besides a response value from a response curve of a sensor, thereby effectively improving identification efficiency and identification accuracy.

Abstract: Atomically thin layers including pores, their method of manufacture, and their use are disclosed. In some embodiments, pores may be formed in an atomically thin layer by growing the atomically thin layer on exposed portions of a substrate that includes islands comprising a material that is different than the material of the substrate. In some embodiments, pores and/or defects may be formed in an atomically thin layer by employing growth conditions that promote the formation of defects and/or pores. In certain embodiments, pores and/or defects may be etched to enlarge their size.

Abstract: An attraction loading system is provided that includes a loading platform. The loading platform includes a rotational portion configured to rotate about a central vertical axis of the loading platform and a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge of the loading platform. The first edge and the second edge of the stationary portion include respective interfaces of the stationary portion with the rotational portion. The rotational portion rotates from the first edge to the second edge. The attraction loading system further includes a loading path disposed about a circumference of the loading platform.