Abstract: A structured composite surface includes a backing layer and a plurality of composite posts in contact with the backing layer, each composite post having a core made of a first material and an outer shell made of a second material, the outer shell is in contact with and surrounding the core, the core has a Young's modulus of at least 50 times greater than the outer shell. A method of transfer printing includes pressing a stamp including at least one composite post to a substrate, the at least one composite post having a core made of a first material and an outer shell made of a second material, the outer shell is in contact with and surrounding the core, the core has a Young's modulus at least 50 times greater than the outer shell, and retracting the stamp from the substrate by applying a shear load to the stamp.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to the microwave measuring field, and in particularly to a coaxial resonant cavity and system and method for measuring the dielectric constant of material. The coaxial resonant cavity includes a coupling mechanism and a cavity body. The coupling mechanism is accommodated in the cavity body for exciting or coupling microwaves inside the cavity body. The coaxial resonant cavity further includes a probe extending out of the cavity body and being coaxial with the cavity body. The cavity body is shaped as an annular column, and a ratio of an outer radius of the annular column to an inner radius of the annular column is (3-5):1. The present disclosure still provides a system and method for measuring the dielectric constant of material using the coaxial resonant cavity.

Abstract: A device and methods for performing a simulated CT biopsy on a region of interest on a patient. The device comprises a gantry (22) configured to mount an x-ray emitter (24) and CT detector (26) on opposing sides of the gantry, a motor (28) rotatably coupled to the gantry such that the gantry rotates horizontally about the region of interest, and a high resolution x-ray detector (172) positioned adjacent the CT detector in between the CT detector and the x-ray emitter.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for increasing the lateral root development of a plant by exposing said plant to a composition containing a synthetic amphiphile. By increasing the number of lateral roots, the surface area of the root structure is increased, making the plants better able to survive such stresses as drought or low nutrients.

Abstract: We describe a high-throughput, phenotypic screening method for one or more modulator(s) of Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in larval zebrafish. The modulator(s) may be enhancers or inhibitors of ApoB expression. This represents a remarkable opportunity to investigate drug targets in every cell and tissue type of a whole animal without bias, thus maximizing the likelihood of identifying viable pre-therapeutic leads for compounds or biologics in a subject (e.g., human).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to implement moving target defense techniques for transportation systems. The moving target defense techniques can randomly change the IP addresses of the nodes associated with both the vehicles and the corresponding control centers. The nodes for the vehicles and the control centers can be “mobile” nodes that use a “care-of” IP address for communications. The care-of address used by the nodes can be updated through a binding update process. During the binding update process, the one node sends the binding update notice (with a new care-of address) to the care-of address of the other node while maintaining its prior care-of address. The node that receives the binding update notice can send a binding acknowledgement back to the node that sent the binding update. Once the binding acknowledgement is received, the prior care-of address can be removed by the node that sent the binding update.

Abstract: A solar carport module including a support structure to provide shelter to a vehicle, the support structure having a pair of trusses rotatably affixed to a ground surface on which vehicle is parked, a plurality of photovoltaic panels mounted between the pair of trusses to provide solar electricity, a battery assembly that electrically connects the plurality of photovoltaic panel to receive, regulate, and store the solar electricity, an articulation system that rotates the pair of trusses between a shelter position and a service position, and an electrical control unit configured to detect a maximum sunlight exposure position and to operate the articulation system to place the plurality of photovoltaic panels in the maximum sunlight exposure position.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for oxidative dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon feed stream to produce a product stream with improved ethylene yield. The methods can include the steps of (i) combining a recycle stream with the feed stream to form a reactor feed stream, (ii) contacting the reactor feed stream with an oxide-based redox catalyst to produce the product stream comprising ethylene and one or more byproducts selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, other byproducts, and mixtures thereof, and (iii) removing all or a part of the methane and ethane from the product stream to produce the recycle stream. Systems for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of a hydrocarbon feed stream are also provided to produce a product stream with improved ethylene yield. The systems and methods can include an oxide-based redox catalyst, such as Mg6MnO8, Cu6PbO8, and Ni6MnO8.

Abstract: Methods for constructing efficient inhibitors of target TNF superfamily receptors, single chain target TNF superfamily ligands that inhibit of target TNF superfamily receptors while failing to engage or inhibit non-target TNF superfamily receptors, and methods of their use to treat diseases are provided. Single chain RANKL, TNF, and TRAIL ligands that effectively inhibit their target receptors while failing to inhibit non-target TNF superfamily receptors are also provided.

Abstract: A method for high resolution photoacoustic imaging in scattering media using structured illumination may include illuminating a sample of an absorption object with structured illumination, including illuminating the sample with multiple different speckle patterns at different times. The method may also include detecting multiple photoacoustic signals generated by the absorption object in response to illumination with the different speckle patterns to generate multiple photoacoustic responses. The method may also include reconstructing an absorber distribution of the absorption object by exploiting joint sparsity of sound sources in the plurality of photoacoustic responses.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions comprising an anti-CD7 chimeric activating receptor (CAR) and an anti-CD7 protein expression blocker, and methods of using such compositions in cancer therapy.

Abstract: The invention relates to short RVG derived peptides for use in delivering therapeutic agents across the blood brain barrier and to target cells, for example those cells in the central nervous system. The invention provides method and compositions to treat diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, with therapeutic agents associated with targeting peptides.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are nanoparticle immunoconjugates useful for therapeutics and/or diagnostics. The immunoconjugates have diameter (e.g., average diameter) no greater than 20 nanometers (e.g., as measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) in aqueous solution, e.g., saline solution). In certain embodiments, the conjugates are silica-based nanoparticles with single chain antibody fragments attached thereto.

Abstract: A method of extracting oil from oilseed comprising pressing seeds within a screw press including a screw auger rotatably mounted within a cylindrical expeller body, wherein the expeller body comprises a feed section, a compression section, and a discharge section, wherein at least one outlet is provided in the expeller body, preferably in or adjacent the feed section of the expeller, said method comprising the step of controlling the temperature of at least the compression section of the expeller by means such that the temperature of the material within the compression section does not exceed the glass transition temperature of the seeds.

Abstract: The invention pertains to ligands that bind to CD81 and that inhibit or block Plasmodium attachment to CD81, compositions and methods for preventing, inhibiting or treating infection by Plasmodium and ligands that target a Plasmodium binding site on CD81 and methods of making and using them. A series of ligand binding sites on the large extracellular loop of the open conformation of CD81 have been identified. Several important sites were located in regions identified by mutational studies to be the site of Plasmodium binding. Ligands that recognize these sites were identified. Linking together two or three ligands that bind with low or moderate affinities to different structurally unique sites on a target protein were used to generate small molecule ligand conjugates that exhibit very high affinities to their CD81 targets. Hybrid ligand molecules were also designed using fragment-based drug design methods to generate analogs of the ligands that bind more tightly to the protein than the parent compounds.

Abstract: Disclosed is a handheld laser probe for laser thermal conjunctivoplasty, the handheld laser comprising: a forceps; and a line focused laser light source coupled to the forceps, wherein the forceps are configured to grasp a conjunctival fold and hold the fold in a light beam of the line focused laser, and wherein the line focused laser beam is configured to uniformly heat the conjunctival fold held in the forceps. Disclosed are systems for laser thermal conjunctivoplasty including the handheld laser. Disclosed are methods of conjunctivoplasty using the handheld laser probe.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to visible light communication (VLC) for locks. A VLC smart lock apparatus may include a photodetector, a VLC decoder, a controller, a memory, a lock, and/or other components. The photodetector may be configured to receive visible light emitted from a hardware key device. The VLC decoder may be coupled to the photodetector and configured to decode the visible light received by the photodetector to obtain a key code. The memory may be configured to store a preset key code. The controller may be coupled to the VLC decoder, the memory, and the lock. The controller may be configured to unlock the lock when the preset key code is associated with the key code.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods to identify improbable mutations in the heavy or light chain variable domain of an antibody, methods to identify antigens which bind to antibodies comprising such improbable mutations, and methods of using such antigens to induce immune responses.

Abstract: The present invention has an objective of providing a novel composition for treating a fibrocartilaginous tissue injury. The present invention provides a composition for treating a fibrocartilaginous tissue injury, which is to be applied to an injured fibrocartilaginous tissue part of a target and which comprises a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid, more preferably a low endotoxin monovalent metal salt of alginic acid.

Abstract: An ophthalmic imaging apparatus comprising: an illumination light source and an optical assembly for directing light from the light source into an eye of a subject; a photosensor array comprising a plurality of photosensors positioned for acquiring images of portions of a fundus of the eye; an objective lens positioned along an imaging axis intersecting a point on the fundus of the eye wherein the objective lens is positioned for refracting light that has been reflected by the fundus to form an image of the fund us on an image plane of the objective lens such that the image plane is positioned away from the photosensor array; and a microlens array comprising a plurality of microlenses wherein the microlens array is spaced away from and positioned behind the image plane and wherein the microlens array is positioned in between the image plane and the photosensor array such that each microlens in the array projects a different view of the image formed at the image plane thereby forming an array of elemental imag