Abstract: The inventors have produced two high specificity and high affinity monoclonal antibodies that bind to human neuromedin U (NMU). Methods and compositions are provided for treating an individual in need thereof (e.g., an individual who is obese and/or has diabetes) by administering an anti-NMU/NMUR agent (e.g., an anti-NMU antibody). For example, methods and compositions are provided for increasing circulating insulin in an individual. Methods and compositions are also provided for detecting neuromedin U (NMU) (e.g., in a biological sample such as serum). Methods and compositions are also provided for predicting whether an individual will develop diabetes and/or PDAC, and for identifying an individual who would benefit from administration of an anti-NMU/NMUR agent.

Abstract: Synthetic fragment antigen-binding (Fab) antibodies are disclosed that bind to an N-terminal activation site of BCL-2-associated X-protein (BAX) and inhibit BAX activation. Also disclosed are methods of using the Fabs for measuring inactive monomeric BAX levels, screening for small molecules that bind to an N-terminal activation site of BAX, inhibiting apoptotic cell death, and predicting the ability of a cancer therapy to promote apoptotic cell death.

Abstract: A method embeds a watermark image into a host image with adaptive rectangular partition and Lower Upper (LU) decomposition such that a watermarked image is generated with improved computational complexity. The method divides a host image into an Red (R) component, a Green (G) component, and a Blue (B) component, and divides each component of the R, G, and B components into a plurality of M×M size blocks, and partitions each of the plurality of M×M size blocks into a plurality of non-overlapping blocks with adaptive rectangular partition. The method selects a plurality of embedding blocks from the plurality of M×M size blocks for each component of the R, G, and B components of the host image to embed watermark information such that the watermarked image is generated.

Abstract: Implementations of energy harvester systems may include: an accumulator having an air bladder separated from water by a membrane; one or more hydro turbines coupled with the accumulator; two or more check valves each coupled with one of the one or more hydro turbines; a system battery coupled to the power conditioner; and an electronic load coupled to the system batter through the power conditioner; wherein the two or more check valves are configured to be in contact with water.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for muscle repair or regeneration comprising administering therapeutically effective amounts of RAR agonists or stem cells that are pretreated with contact with a RAR agonist to a subject at a site of muscle damage. Additionally, the invention provides compositions comprising RAR agonist treated stem cells and methods of use of said cells for muscle repair or regeneration. In one embodiment, the stem cells are mesenchymal stem cells. In one embodiment, the RAR agonist is an RAR? agonist. In one embodiment, administration of the RAR agonist is begun during a period of increased endogenous retinoid signaling in the subject resulting from incurrence of the damaged muscle tissue.

Abstract: A fusion protein comprising an N-terminal portion and a C-terminal portion, wherein the N-terminal portion is a heterologous protein of interest which includes membrane proteins and antigens and the C-terminal portion is a polyhedrin targeting peptide which is derived from cypovirus polyhedrin and binds to cypovirus polyhedrin. The polyhedrin targeting peptide is described as a C-terminal portion of cypovirus polyhedrin and as C-terminal portion of cypovirus polyhedrin absent all or part of the N-terminal H1 helix sequence. Vectors and cells capable of expressing the fusion proteins are also provided. The fusion proteins fold with cypovirus polyhedrin to form modified complexes, polyhedra/microcubes useful in myriad applications, including as a platform technology for prophylactic or therapeutic vaccinations, therapeutics and diagnostics, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics etc. employing membrane proteins.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions of artificially synthesized, mussel-inspired polyopamine nanoparticles were inkjet printed on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. Narrow line patterns (4 ?m in width) of polydopamine resulted due to evaporatively driven transport (coffee ring effect). The printed patterns were metallized via a site-selective Cu electroless plating process at a controlled temperature (30° C.) for varied bath times. The lowest electrical resistivity value of the plated Cu lines was about 6 times greater than the bulk resistivity of Cu. This process presents an industrially viable way to fabricate Cu conductive fine patterns for flexible electronics at low temperature, and low cost.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein relate to a reconfigurable energy storage system. In one embodiment, the reconfigurable energy storage system comprises a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system and a power converter. The power converter determines a first power level, a second power level and a load coupled to the power converter and manipulates the power transfer between the energy storage systems based on the first power level, the second power level and the load. In another embodiment, the reconfigurable energy storage system also comprises a third energy storage system. In this embodiment, the power converter determines a third power level corresponding to the third energy storage system and manipulates the power transfer between the energy storage systems based also on the third power level. The third power level may correspond to a state of charge of the third energy storage element or amount of power generated by the third energy storage system.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a fluorescent probe that detects calpain activity in cells at high sensitivity. [Solution] A compound represented by the following general formula (I) or a salt thereof.

Abstract: A pneumatic lower extremity gait rehabilitation training system includes a support device for reducing the burden of supporting a user's body weight by lower extremity in a walking therapy, an exoskeleton rehabilitation device for adjusting the user's walking coordination at a treadmill, a center-of-gravity adjusting device for adjusting a change of upper and lower centers of gravity, and a remote monitoring device for receiving and capturing a signal of an angle displacement of a joint mechanism in a walking cycle. The user may support her/his body weight by the support device and the center-of-gravity adjusting device to reduce the gravity exerted onto the user's legs. The exoskeleton rehabilitation device improves the flexibility, safety and lightweight of walking and requires fewer driving elements. The remote monitoring device sends analyzed signals to the treadmill to adjust the user's walking speed, so as to improve the rehabilitation effect.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for diagnosing and determining prognosis of gastric cancer in a subject by detecting suppressed expression of the FOXF2 gene, which in some cases is due to elevated methylation level in the genomic sequence of this gene. A kit and device useful for such a method are also provided. In addition, the present invention provides a method for treating gastric cancer by increasing FOXF2 gene expression or activity.

Abstract: Earliest deadline first (EDF) scheduling algorithm is the most celebrated result for dynamic priority scheduling in real-time systems for both preemptive and non-preemptive cases. From complexity point of view, EDF is polynomial for preemptive scheduling of tasks. However, it becomes pseudo-polynomial under non-preemptive case. Described herein is a technique that determines EDF feasibility of non-preemptive task set by analyzing schedulability of the lowest priority task at common scheduling points generated by all higher priority tasks in the task set. The adjustment results in improving the computational cost of an existing test from O(n2 pn/p1) to O(pn/p1), where n is the number of tasks in the system, while pn and p1 represent the task periods of largest and smallest periodic tasks respectively. With reduced computation cost, the described method of analyzing feasibility can be intergraded with online systems for testing feasibility of a special class of real-time systems under non-preemptive case.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition containing an anticancer compound, named isopicrinine, isolated from the plant Rhazya Stricta. The pharmaceutical composition may contain a salt, an analog, a derivative, and/or the prodrug of isopicrinine. A method of treating cancer with the pharmaceutical composition is disclosed. A method of extracting isopicrinine is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and methods for automatically localizing faults for functional field failures that enables users to enter symptoms of a failure that occur during deployment of a given application along with the values of the input and configuration parameters in order to return locations in the source code that are likely to contain specific faults as well as show navigation paths from a suggested to the failure such that the code may be corrected. Successful and faulty runs of a software application are executed, and used to obtain ground facts and a knowledge base. A particular formula for the ground facts and knowledge base is discussed. A Markov Logic Network (MLN) is generated from the ground facts and knowledge base. Abductive reasoning based on the MLN is used to localize faults for the user-entered functional field failures.

Abstract: There is provided a compound of formula I, having the structure: wherein R1 to R5 have the meanings given in the description.

Abstract: A camera and imaging method with nonclassical imaging resolution, for applications in long-distance imaging, such as satellite and aircraft-to-ground based distant imaging, utilizing an intensity-fluctuation correlation measurement of thermal light.

Abstract: Described are compositions and methods to mitigate alternate bearing of perennial crops by use of a natural metabolite. In particular, the present disclosure provides a natural metabolite in the presence or absence of an auxin transport inhibitor to increase floral intensity (flower number) of the return bloom in the spring following the setting of a heavy on-crop to increase the yield of the putative off-crop year and, thus, increase cumulative crop yield. Additionally the present disclosure provides a natural metabolite in combination with one or both of a growth promoting type of plant growth regulator, and a hormone biosynthesis, transport or function inhibiting type of plant growth regulator.

Abstract: A system and method of estimating an available driving distance of an electric vehicle are provided. The method includes dividing a road into sections and receiving driving information from a vehicle traveling through each of the sections. Fuel efficiency data of the corresponding section is generated and vehicle condition information, and departure point and destination information is received from the target vehicle. Additionally, the method includes receiving real time meteorological information and road traffic situation information for each of the sections and reflecting the vehicle condition information of the target vehicle, the meteorological information and the road traffic situation information in the fuel efficiency data generated for each of the sections of the road from the departure point toward the destination. Estimated fuel efficiency and an estimated available driving distance of the target vehicle are then determined to be provided to vehicle driver.

Abstract: For decoding messages, a decoder exchanges single-bit messages for a data channel between a plurality of M parity nodes and a plurality of N symbol nodes. Each parity node has one or more adjacent symbol nodes with a plurality of edges between the parity node and each adjacent symbol node. An extrinsic decision and an extrinsic parity value are calculated based on a time-varying lookup table. The lookup table stores the locally maximum-likelihood extrinsic decision for a quantized number of data channel states as a function of adjacent extrinsic parity values.

Abstract: An electric power system or power grid is optimized using a computer-implemented tool the represents in computer memory the optimization function and at least one constraint, which the processor operates upon using a linear programming solver algorithm. The constraints are represented in memory as data structures that include both real and reactive power terms, corresponding to at least one of a power flow model and a transmission line model. The transmission line model is represented using a piecewise linear representation. The power flow model may also include for each node in the power system a real power loss term representing transmission line loss allocated to that node.