Abstract: In various embodiments, method and devices for delivering large cargos (e.g., organelles, chromosomes, bacteria, and the like) into cells are provided. In certain embodiments method of delivering a large cargo into eukaryotic cells, are provided that involve providing eukaryotic cells disposed on one side of a porous membrane; providing the cargo to be delivered in a solution disposed in a reservoir chamber on the opposite side of the porous membrane; and applying pressure to the reservoir chamber sufficient to pass the cargo through pores comprising said porous membrane wherein said cargo passes through cell membranes and into the cells.

Abstract: An electrical discharge machining device for processing a workpiece by electrical discharges generated between a tool and the workpiece is provided. The electrical discharge machining device includes an electric discharger applying electric power to the tool and the workpiece to process the workpiece, and a vibration generator applying a vibration to the tool or the workpiece using a first voltage generated between the tool and the workpiece during a time when the workpiece is processed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for manufacturing re-entrant structures, such as the structures exhibiting superomniphobic characteristic, in a continuous, well-controlled, high-rate (mass production, volume) manner are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking a surgical tool. Exemplary embodiments can comprise a surgical port, a tracking element configured for coupling to a surgical tool, and a camera mounted to a proximal end of the surgical port and configured to capture image data associated with the tracking element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for high-security data transmission of a blockchain. First, a source node device broadcasts a data packet to at least one destination node device and at least two cooperative node devices in the blockchain. The data packet includes a random variable and a transmission data. The cooperative node devices further forward the data packet to the destination node device. When the number of data packets received by the destination node device is equal to the random variable, the cooperative node device sends a report signal to the source node device, and the source node device broadcasts a stop broadcasting request to the blockchain, then the other node devices stop forwarding data packets to the destination node device, and finally the destination node device compares the transmission data of the data packet and selects the data packet with the same transmission data packet to store.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for encoding/decoding an image and for adjusting a reconstructed pixel by scaling an offset of an in-loop filter having a scaled offset value. The method includes: obtaining information of a scale default value of a current block from a bitstream; obtaining offset parameter merge information of the current block from the bitstream; obtaining the offset parameter of the current block on the basis of the offset parameter merge information; determining whether a scale residual value of the current block is obtained from the bitstream on the basis of the offset parameter merge information; obtaining a scale value on the basis of the scale default value and the scale residual value; scaling an offset on the basis of the offset parameter and the scale value; and adjusting a pixel value of the current block on the basis of the scaled offset.

Abstract: The present invention enables efficient decoding by using DR mapping information between a base layer and an enhancement layer in various manners in an HDR decoder considering backward compatibility.

Abstract: An optical-readout synaptic device based on SiOxNy and a preparation method thereof are provided. The device includes a surface plasmonic waveguide and a memristor; the surface plasmonic waveguide has a vertical three-layer structure that a second metal layer, a SiNx dielectric layer and a first metal layer are successively arranged from top to bottom; the memristor has a vertical four-layer structure that a second electrode layer, a second resistive layer, a first resistive layer and a first electrode layer are successively arranged from top to bottom; the memristor is embedded in the surface plasmonic waveguide; and, the first resistive layer and the second resistive layer of the memristor serve as an optical signal transmission channel that is horizontally connected with the SiNx dielectric layer of the surface plasmonic waveguide. The present invention realizes an optical-readout of synaptic weight and has incomparable advantages over a conventional electrical-readout synaptic device.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method for predicting increased risk of obesity on a non-obese subject. More particularly, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method of predicting increased risk of obesity in a non-obese subject by determining a level of neurotensin expression in a biological sample from the subject and comparing the level of neurotensin expression in the sample with a control level. The presently disclosed subject matter further relates to a method of preventing and/or treating obesity in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject an effective amount of an agent that inhibits neurotensin.

Abstract: A structure including a graphene electrode and a molecular monolayer, a flexible electronic device, and a method of production thereof are provided. The structure includes a first graphene electrode and a molecular monolayer disposed on the first graphene electrode and chemically or physically bound to the first graphene electrode.

Abstract: A rehabilitation system includes a portable patient workstation configured to facilitate in-home rehabilitation therapy. In some embodiments, the workstation includes a computer configured to host computer-based activities that provide rehabilitative exercise to a patient when the patient participates in the activities, a monitor electrically connected to the computer and configured to display screens of the computer-based activities, a table upon which the monitor can be supported, a tabletop console supported on the table, the console including multiple integral user interface devices that are connected to the computer and adapted to receive patient inputs while the patient is participating in the activities, and a network interface device with which data can be transmitted and received by the patient workstation via a network.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a thin film transistor and a method for making the same. The thin film transistor includes a substrate; a gate on the substrate; a dielectric layer on the gate, wherein the dielectric layer includes a first sub-dielectric layer and a second sub-dielectric layer stacked on one another, and the first sub-dielectric layer is a first oxide dielectric layer formed by magnetron sputtering and in direct contact with the gate; a semiconductor layer on the dielectric layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes nano-scaled semiconductor materials; and a source and a drain, wherein the source and the drain are on the dielectric layer, spaced apart from each other, and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer. The thin film transistor almost has no current hysteresis.

Abstract: A carrier gas is directed through a humidification chamber in a humidifier, where the carrier gas flow is directly contacted with a feed liquid to humidify the carrier gas with water evaporated from the feed liquid, producing a humidified gas flow. The humidified gas flow is then compressed in a compressor and then directed through a dehumidification chamber in a dehumidifier, where the compressed humidified gas flow is dehumidified to condense water from the compressed humidified gas flow. The dehumidified gas flow is then expanded in an expander, wherein the expansion of the dehumidified gas flow generates motion (e.g., rotation of a shaft), and wherein the motion generated in the expander is transferred to the compressor, where the motion compresses the humidified gas flow. Heat is also removed from the expanded dehumidified gas flow and transferred to compressed dehumidified gas flow upstream from the expander.

Abstract: A method for preparing a layered metal oxide field effect material includes depositing a first metal oxide, a core-layer metal, and a second metal oxide sequentially on the substrate by vacuum vapor deposition, the first metal oxide and the core-layer metal undergoing a redox reaction to form a first surface layer and a core-layer precursor on the substrate, and the core-layer precursor and the second metal oxide undergoing a redox reaction to form a core layer and a second surface layer; and the band gap of the metal oxide in the core layer is ?3 eV, the band gaps of the metal oxide in the first surface layer and the second surface layer are independently ?3 eV, and the difference between the band gap of the metal oxide in the core layer and the band gap of the metal oxide in the first surface layer is ?1 eV. The present preparation method has advantages of simple operation, a low production cost, a good film forming property, and the high carrier mobility of the product.

Abstract: A thio-selective radioactive labeling agent has the following general formula: *R-L-VS, wherein said *R is a radioisotope, L is a linking group, and VS is a vinylsulfone functional group.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In one aspect of the invention, a series of compositions comprising an antisense oligonucleotide targeting the Element 1 site on the SMN2 pre-mRNA and a Morpholino backbone is disclosed. In another aspect of the invention, a method of treating SMA patients by modulating the splicing of SMN2 pre-mRNA to increase the amount of full-length SMN is disclosed. Certain embodiments of the inventive method comprise administering an E1-targeting antisense oligonucleotide, such as Morpholino based antisense oligonucleotide, to a SMA subject.

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for detecting, monitoring, measuring, and/or characterizing the activity of phosphoproteins such as tyrosine kinases (TKs) and downstream proteins in TK signal transduction pathways (e.g., TK pathway proteins). In various embodiments, the methods, apparatuses, and systems may use nanoparticles, such as quantum dots (QD), to detect and/or characterize the abnormally overactive TK signaling pathways that underlie tumorgenesis and tumor progression. In various embodiments, the QD-based methods, apparatuses, and systems may have a sufficiently high degree of sensitivity to enable the identification of new TK signaling pathway markers, for example for use in diagnosing, staging, monitoring, and/or prognosing cancers, or in evaluating the efficacy of cancer therapeutics.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided for generating supercontinuum laser pulses within a continuous mid-infrared spectral range in a chalcogenide material. This method includes focusing an input laser beam of femtosecond pulses with a pulse energy higher than 10 microjoule along an optical path of the input laser beam; placing a chalcogenide material at a selected location along the optical path of the laser beam so that the laser intensity at the chalcogenide material is sufficiently high to cause nonlinear optical absorption that causes conversion of input optical energy into supercontinuum laser pulses of a pulse energy at or above a microjoule level at optical wavelengths within a broad continuous mid-infrared spectral range without damaging the chalcogenide material; and simultaneously moving the chalcogenide material laterally relative to the input laser beam to avoid damage to the chalcogenide material.

Abstract: A linear element with two stable points, it can be used as trust element allows for change in length. It can transform structure from one shape to another thus allowing for morphable configuration. A new model is presented herein for a linear bi-stable compliant mechanism and design guidelines for its use. The mechanism is based on the crank-slider mechanism. This model takes into account the first mode of buckling and post-buckling behavior of a compliant segment to describe the mechanism's hi-stable behavior. The kinetic and kinematic equations, derived from the Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model, were solved numerically and are represented in plots. This representation allows the generation of step-by-step design guidelines. Because different applications may have different input requirements, two different design approaches are described herein with different parameters subsets as inputs.

Abstract: A disclosed chemical detection system for detecting a target material, such as an explosive material, can include a cantilevered probe, a probe heater coupled to the cantilevered probe, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the cantilevered probe. The piezoelectric element can be configured as a detector and/or an actuator. Detection can include, for example, detecting a movement of the cantilevered probe or a property of the cantilevered probe. The movement or a change in the property of the cantilevered probe can occur, for example, by adsorption of the target material, desorption of the target material, reaction of the target material and/or phase change of the target material. Examples of detectable movements and properties include temperature shifts, impedance shifts, and resonant frequency shifts of the cantilevered probe. The overall chemical detection system can be incorporated, for example, into a handheld explosive material detection system.