Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for inhibiting Dkk-1 for treating or preventing an inflammatory or inflammatory-related disease or disorder.

Abstract: Nanofiber spinning apparatuses and methods for making core-sheath materials using touch spinning are provided. The apparatus includes at least one rotating plate with an aperture through which a core yarn passes and at least one post contacting the rotating plate. A speed control device can be configured to control rotation of the rotating plate, and a dispensing device can be configured to dispense a nanofiber-forming material onto the post. To make a core-sheath yarn a core yarn is passed through an aperture in a rotating plate having at least one post. The post is contacted with a nanofiber-forming material the rotating plate is rotated to draw a fiber of nanofiber-forming material from the post to wrap the fiber around the core yarn.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter provides a coating composition which allows for the co-delivery of two or more bioactive agents with independent control of loading level and release profile for each bioactive agent, an implantable medical device coated with the coating composition, and methods for preparing the coating composition.

Abstract: A movement-synchronized wellbore inspection system and a movement-synchronization control method thereof are disclosed. The wellbore inspection system comprises a rope-climbing robot, a wire rope, a ground wire rope moving device, a ground wire rope moving track, an underground wire rope moving device, an underground wire rope moving track, an inertial sensor and a control device. An upper end of the wire rope is connected to the ground wire rope moving device, and an lower end of the wire rope passes through the rope-climbing robot and is then connected to the underground wire rope moving device. The control device controls the underground and ground wire rope moving devices to move in synchronization, and then the inertial sensor carried on the rope-climbing robot detects posture data of the wire rope and transmits the data to the control device.

Abstract: A system and method for optimized diffusion-weighted imaging is provided. In one aspect, the method includes providing a plurality of constraints comprising an eddy current constraint for imaging a target at a selected diffusion weighting, and applying an optimization framework to generate an optimized diffusion encoding gradient waveform satisfying the plurality of constraints. The method also includes performing, using the MRI system, a pulse sequence comprising the optimized diffusion encoding gradient waveform to generate diffusion-weighted data, and generating at least one image of the target using the diffusion-weighted data.

Abstract: MRI techniques provide robust imaging in the presence of inhomogeneity in the B1 (RF) and/or B0 magnetic fields. The techniques include using a magnetization prep sequence that includes an adiabatic half passage (AHP) followed by a spin-lock pulse, followed by a reverse AHP, after which a data acquisition sequence can be applied. The AHP and reverse AHP can have amplitude and frequency modulated to sweep through a region of frequency space. The RF amplitude of the AHP and reverse AHP can be designed to be equal to the spin-lock amplitude. Quantification of a magnetization relaxation parameter (e.g., T1rho) can use a modified relaxation model that accounts for relaxation effects during the reverse AHP. A dual-acquisition technique in which the reverse AHP of the second magnetization prep sequence has opposite frequency modulation to the reverse AHP of the first magnetization prep sequence can also be used.

Abstract: Therapeutic compounds containing a phenyl core and amide link(s). Also described are pharmaceutical compositions incorporating the therapeutic compounds and a method for treating cancer with the compounds. These compounds are cytotoxic to stomach, colon, breast, and leukemia cancer cell lines via dual inhibition of Src kinases and tubulin.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for methods, computer readable media, and systems for automatic gender recognition including a phase quantization feature extraction method for automatic gender recognition in smart environments are described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymeric hollow fiber membrane and a carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membrane, both of which have excellent gas separation performance, and processes for preparing the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a hybrid polymeric hollow fiber membrane that comprises a glassy polymer containing fluorine and a ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane, a hybrid carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membrane prepared by pyrolysis thereof, and processes for preparing the same. The hybrid polymeric hollow fiber membrane and the hybrid carbon molecular sieve hollow fiber membrane according to the embodiments of the present invention are excellent in gas flux and selectivity and can have a large surface area per unit volume. Thus, they can be advantageously used for separating gases with a high energy efficiency on a large scale.

Abstract: This invention provides gene expression profiles useful for diagnosing lacunar stroke and for distinguishing lacunar stroke from non-lacunar stroke.

Abstract: The present disclosure provided methods for determining the severity of glaucoma using the expression levels of GDF15. Determining the severity of glaucoma aids in treatment decisions.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and devices to identify an infection via light scatter from a tissue surface.

Abstract: An embodiment involves receiving a request to write data to a memory unit. The memory unit is divided into one or more logical blocks, each subdivided into groups of sub-blocks encrypted in accordance with a stream cipher. The memory unit maintains a transaction journal that marks each sub-block as dirty or clean. The memory unit stores keycount values for each of the logical blocks. The embodiment also involves: determining that the request seeks to write a portion of the data to a particular sub-block marked as dirty in the transaction journal, decrypting the particular logical block in accordance with the stream cipher, writing the portion of the data to the particular sub-block, incrementing the keycount value of the particular logical block, encrypting the particular logical block using the stream cipher, a key, and the keycount value, and writing the particular logical block to the memory unit.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions that may include a triblock self-assembling polypeptide and a molecule attached to the polypeptide. Also described herein are methods of making the compositions and methods of using the compositions.

Abstract: Provided are a method of judgment for in or out, and a recording medium and an apparatus for performing the same. The method performed by the apparatus for judging whether an object landed inside or outside of a line, includes: capturing a sport environment image provided with the line according to a preset rule, wherein the sport environment image includes an audio signal and an image signal; separating the audio signal and the image signal included in the sport environment image; detecting the line by analyzing the image signal; detecting a landing point-in-time of the object by analyzing each of the audio signal and the image signal; and judging whether the object landed inside or outside of the line by comparing the line with a location of the object at the landing point-in-time of the object.

Abstract: Peptide hydrogels having a self-assembling, 3-dimensional nanofiber matrix are described. The nanofiber matrix comprises an amphiphilic peptide and optionally albumin. The peptide comprises (consists of) a terminal hydrophobic region, a central turning region, and a terminal hydrophilic region. Methods of making such hydrogels are also described, along with methods of using the hydrogels as scaffolding for tissue engineering, hemostatic agents, as well as 3-dimensional cell cultures, and for drug delivery, encapsulation of active agents (therapeutic cells, molecules, drugs, compounds), cell transplantation, cell storage, virus culture and storage.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides infectious recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) virions that comprise a variant capsid protein and a heterologous nucleic acid. The present disclosure further provides the variant adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid proteins (and/or a nucleic acid encoding the variant AAV capsid proteins), which confer to an infectious rAAV virion an increased resistance to human AAV neutralizing antibodies. The present disclosure further provides host cells comprising an infectious rAAV virion and/or a nucleic acid encoding a subject variant AAV capsid protein. The present disclosure further provides methods of delivering a heterologous nucleic acid to a target cell where the target cell is contacted with a subject infectious rAAV virion. The present disclosure further provides methods of delivering a gene product to an individual, the methods generally involving administering an effective amount of a subject rAAV virion to an individual in need thereof.

Abstract: An engine room undercover assembly for a vehicle includes an aerofin mounted on a lower side surface of the undercover to guide airflow under an undercover. In the engine room undercover assembly, the aerofin is configured to maintain a state of being inserted and folded into the undercover when the vehicle is stopped or travels at a speed of less than or equal to a predetermined speed. When the vehicle travels at the speed greater than the predetermined speed, the aerofin protruded to the outside of the undercover to guide the airflow under the undercover.

Abstract: Selected artifacts, which may be based on distortions or selected attenuation features, may be reduced or removed from a reconstructed image. Various artifacts may occur due to the presence of a metal object in a field of view. The metal object may be identified and removed from a data that is used to generate a reconstruction.