Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for repositioning organs, such as the rectum, during radiation therapy treatments, are described.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a composition that safely removes a cured dental cement or resin from metal brackets, metal braces, and enamel surfaces of teeth. It contains eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl-eugenol or an isomer thereof. A method for removing orthodontic fixtures adhered with a dental cement or resin to the enamel surfaces of teeth from these surfaces by contacting the dental cement or resin with a composition containing eugenol.

Abstract: The panoramic-reconstruction temporal imaging (PARTI) system is a single-shot optical waveform measurement apparatus that achieves scalable record length and sub-picosecond resolution simultaneously for ultrafast non-repetitive waveform characterization, in analogy with the wisdom of stitching multiple mosaic images to achieve larger-field-of-view in the spatial domain. It consists of a high-fidelity optical buffer, a low-aberration time magnifier and synchronization-control electronics. For specific measurement circumstances, the PARTI system can also be carried out based on a passive optical buffer, which reduces the system complexity. The PARTI system is configured for real-time single-shot characterization of non-repetitive optical dynamic waveform that evolves over a time scale much larger than that of its ultrafast temporal details, i.e., optical dynamics with large time-bandwidth product.

Abstract: New, highly efficient enhancers for AFPs have now been discovered in the form of co-enzymes, and active fragments and mimetics thereof. These enhancer molecules do not have TH activity themselves, but can enhance the TH activity of AFPs by at least about 2-11 times. These molecules are so far the most effective enhancers for AFPs, and are characterized by containing coenzymes or fragments or mimetic thereof.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to triazole derivatives of melampomagnolide B, their synthesis, and their use as anti-cancer compounds.

Abstract: Methods and systems for modeling infrastructure elements in three dimensions are disclosed. An example method can comprise a computer receiving information from a database. The received information can comprise structural information describing a form of a structure and condition information describing a condition of the structure. The computer can create a graphical model of the structure based on the structural information. The computer can further determine, based on the condition information, a condition of one or more portions of the structure, and can color the one or more portions of the structure based on the determined condition.

Abstract: Steel alloys having high yield and ultimate tensile strengths in combination with high toughness based on medium carbon secondary hardening steel compositions having low cobalt content. Nickel is added to the medium carbon secondary hardening steel compositions to increase the yield and tensile strengths and fracture toughness. Applications of a steel alloy of the present disclosure include structural applications requiring high strength and high fracture toughness, such as aircraft landing gear.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a first intraocular lens (120) embodiment having a retainer plate (124) with an annular region surrounding a central opening and an optical lens (122) removably attached to the retainer plate within the central opening. Also disclosed is a second intraocular lens embodiment having a retainer plate with a porous or perforated annular region surrounding a central opening. An optical lens (122) is integral with the retainer plate (124) within the central opening. Methods of implanting these intraocular lens (120) embodiments into a patient's eye are disclosed. Also described here are methods of replacing the first intraocular lens embodiment after it has been implanted in a patient's eye.

Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) and methods of forming the same are disclosed herein. In one implementation, the CMUT comprises a glass substrate having a cavity; a patterned metal bottom electrode situated within the cavity of the glass substrate; and a vibrating plate comprising at least a conducting layer, wherein the vibrating plate is anodically bonded to the glass substrate to form an air-tight seal between the vibrating plate and the substrate and wherein a pressure inside the cavity is less than atmospheric pressure (i.e., a vacuum). In another implementation, the CMUT comprises a glass substrate with Through-Glass-Via (TGV) interconnects, wherein a metal electrode is electrically connected to a TGV and wherein said metal electrode can be in the bottom of a cavity of the glass substrate or on the vibrating plate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining body weight predictions and human conditions are disclosed. A body weight may be predicted by capturing at least one image of a human, and determining, from the image, a body weight prediction of the human by processing the at least one image with a data processor. The body weight prediction may further be based on an age-based weight factor. A model such as a neural network model may be used to predict body weight.

Abstract: Compositions including a surface or film comprising nanofibers, nanotubes or microwells comprising a bioactive agent for elution to the surrounding tissue upon placement of the composition in a subject are disclosed. The compositions are useful in medical implants and methods of treating a patient in need of an implant, including orthopedic implants, dental implants, cardiovascular implants, neurological implants, neurovascular implants, gastrointestinal implants, muscular implants, and ocular implants.

Abstract: A method and device for coding and decoding are disclosed. The method includes: dividing a picture to be encoded into several slices, each containing macroblocks continuous in a designated scanning sequence in the picture; dividing slices in the picture into one or more slice sets according to attribute information of the slices, each slice set containing one or more slices; and encoding the slices in the slice sets according to slice and slice set division information to get a coded bit stream of the picture. The decoding method includes: obtaining slice and slice set division information from a bit stream to be decoded and decoding the bit stream according to the obtained slice and slice set division information. The invention improves the performance of video transmission effectively and realizes region based coding. The implementation of coding and decoding is simple and the complexity of coding and decoding systems is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are porous asymmetric silicon membranes. The membranes are characterized by high structural stability, and as such are useful as anode components in lithium ion batteries.

Abstract: The present invention provides assays utilizing SPR to detect protein-ligand interactions as well as compositions utilized is such assays.

Abstract: Isolated polynucleotides comprising an OLIG1 mini-promoters are provided. The mini-promoter may be operably linked to an expressible sequence, e.g. reporter genes, genes encoding a polypeptide of interest, guide RNA, regulatory RNA sequences such as miRNA, siRNA, anti-sense RNA, etc., and the like. The promoter may also be provided in a vector, for example in combination with an expressible sequence. The polynucleotides find use in a method of expressing a sequence of interest, e.g. for identifying or labeling cells, monitoring or tracking the expression of cells, gene therapy, etc.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a temperature sensitive system. The system includes a powder, a detector, a first electrode, a second electrode and an actuator. The powder, the detector, the first electrode, the second electrode and the actuator are connected to form a loop circuit. The actuator can deform in response to temperature change so that the circuit to be on or off. The detector is connected to the actuator in parallel or in series and configured to show the current change of the loop circuit to the user. The actuator includes a carbon nanotube layer and a vanadium dioxide layer (VO2) layer stacked with each other. Because the drastic, reversible phase transition of VO2, the actuator has giant deformation amplitude and fast response and the temperature sensitive system has high sensitivity.

Abstract: A system and method used to configure a smart device to command functional operations of a target appliance. The smart device retrieves from a controllable appliance, such as a settop box, data indicative of a codeset identity of the target appliance wherein the codeset identity was determined during a process used to configure a conventional universal remote control to command functional operations of the target appliance and wherein the process used to configure the conventional universal remote control is performed in cooperation with the controllable appliance. A remote control application resident on the smart device then uses the data indicative of the codeset identity retrieved from the controllable appliance to also configure the smart device to command functional operations of the target appliance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific to ICAM-1 comprising I domain of the ?L subunit of human lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). The invention particularly relates to CARs comprising human I domains having different affinities (1 mM to 1 nM Kd) to ICAM-1. CAR T cells comprising human I domain having a low affinity (1 to 200 ?M Kd) to ICAM-1 can avoid targeting healthy tissues with basal ICAM-1 expression while simultaneously exhibiting increased potency and long-term efficacy against tumor tissues with high ICAM-1 expression. The present invention also relates to an adoptive cell therapy method for treating cancer by administering the CAR-T cells comprising human I domain to a subject suffering from cancer, whereby the CAR T cells bind to the cancer cells overexpressing ICAM-1 and kill the cancer cells.

Abstract: The concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to parallelism for virtual network functions (“VNFs”) in service function chains (“SFCs”). According to one aspect, a packet processing system can receive instructions to process, in parallel, at least a portion of a plurality of data packets associated with an SFC including a plurality of VNFs. The system can create a copy of at least the portion of the data packets. The system can send the copy of at least the portion of the data packets to at least two VNFs. The at least two VNFs can process, in parallel, the copy of at least the portion of the data packets. The system can receive, from the at least two VNFs, processed packets including the copy of at least the portion of the data packets and processed, in parallel, by the at least two VNFs. The system can combine the processed packets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for converting mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells by using specific transcription factors and, more specifically, a method for converting mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells by using Oct4, Nanog, Tal1, and LMO2, which are specific transcription factors. According to the present invention, the method for converting adult cells or mesenchymal stem cells, which are adult stem cells, into endothelial cells was developed by selecting two types of genes, which are less directly related to cancer induction, among cell reprogramming factors and two types of transcription factors, which are not expressed or expressed at a low level in mesenchymal stem cells, among transcription factors related to vascular development, and combining all four transcription factors. The method can be applied in the production of endothelial cells for forming regenerative tissue in tissue engineering and ischemic disease therapy.