Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor layer, a carbon nanotube and a conductive film. The semiconductor layer includes a first surface and a second surface. A thickness of the semiconductor layer ranges from 1 nanometer to 100 nanometers. The carbon nanotube is located on the first surface of the semiconductor. The conductive film is located on the second surface of the semiconductor. The conductive film is formed on the second surface by a depositing method. The carbon nanotube, the semiconductor layer and the conductive film are stacked with each other to form a three-layered stereoscopic structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods for identifying cancer patients with a poor prognosis, and to therapeutic modalities for improving prognosis by combating metastasis and abrogating chemoresistance in cancer cells. Embodiments of the present invention provide an objective means of prognostication regarding the long-term outcome of an incident of cancer, breast cancer in particular. Therapeutic modalities include immunotherapy and anti-sense therapy. Prognosis is determined by measuring the number of copies of the metadherin gene in the patient's cells.

Abstract: The invention addresses confounding difficulties involving continuous sweat analyte measurement. Specifically, the present invention provides: at least one component capable of monitoring whether a sweat sensing device is in sufficient contact with a wearer's skin to allow proper device operation; at least one component capable of monitoring whether the device is operating on a wearer's skin; at least one means of determining whether the device wearer is a target individual within a probability range; at least one component capable of generating and communicating alert messages to the device user(s) related to: wearer safety, wearer physiological condition, compliance with a requirement to wear a device, device operation; compliance with a behavior requirement, or other purposes that may be derived from sweat sensor data; and the ability to utilize aggregated sweat sensor data that may be correlated with information external to the device to enhance the predictive capabilities of the device.

Abstract: A sliding groove type friction pendulum high-pier bridge seismic mitigation and an isolation bearing. The bearing includes an upper connecting steel plate, a lower connecting steel plate, and a frictional sliding component clamped between the upper connecting steel plate and the lower connecting steel plate. The frictional sliding component includes an upper bearing plate, a lower bearing plate, and a hyperbolic spheroid. The upper bearing plate and the lower bearing plate are disposed on corresponding connecting steel plates, and are mounted and cooperate by using a plurality of parallel protrusions and grooves. The hyperbolic spheroid is disposed between the upper bearing plate and the lower bearing plate. A plurality of hysteretic damping components, bearing positioning structures, butterfly-shaped spring components, and bearing limiting structures are disposed on opposite surfaces of the upper bearing plate and the lower bearing plate in a circumferential direction.

Abstract: The present inventors have harnessed the targeting of nanoparticles to tumor sites, combined with the tumor site specific elevated MMP-14 activity within one conjugate to simultaneously deliver a vascular disrupting agent (VDA) and a MRI contrast agent to a tumor site. The MMP activatable conjugate of the present invention provides both therapeutic and diagnostic functions—and is referred to as a “theranostic”. The theranostic conjugate of the present invention achieves the benefits of tumor site specificity, VDA delivery and MRI contrast agent delivery in a single theranostic conjugate. Consequently, the present invention provides a cancer “theranostic” which improves therapeutic efficacy while simultaneously reducing dose-limiting systemic toxicities and provides a tool for rapidly and non-invasively identifying tumor location, monitoring drug delivery and pharmacodynamics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the microbial immunogens engineered to bear ?-gal epitope(s) for induction of potent humoral and cellular immune responses when administered to subjects having anti-Gal antibodies. In one embodiment, the present invention provides compositions and methods for propagating influenza virus in human, ape, Old World monkey or bird cells that have been engineered to express an ?1,3galactosyltransferase (? 1,3GT) gene to produce virions bearing hemagglutinin molecules containing ?-gal epitopes, to increase the immunogenicity of the influenza virus. In another embodiment, the present invention provides fusion proteins between influenza virus hemagglutinin and a microbial peptide or protein of interest, and enzymatic processing of this fusion protein to carry ?-gal epitopes, to increase the immunogenicity of the microbial peptide or protein of interest.

Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling combustion performance of an engine during recompression HCCI combustion are provided. The method includes regulating a valve actuation timing and a fuel injection timing to cause a combustion phasing of at least one cylinder of the engine to approach a target combustion phasing, and estimating current combustion state information based on the combustion phasing. The current combustion state information includes at least one of a temperature, a pressure, and a pre-combustion charge composition associated with the at least one cylinder. The method further includes determining a target fuel injection amount, and determining whether the target fuel injection amount would require actuator settings that violate predetermined constraints in order to cause the combustion phasing to approach the target combustion phasing. A fuel injection amount is adjusted when the target fuel injection amount would require actuator settings that violate the predetermined constraints.

Abstract: H—NOX proteins are mutated to exhibit improved or optimal kinetic and thermodynamic properties for blood gas O2 delivery. The engineered H—NOX proteins comprise mutations that impart altered O2 or NO ligand-binding relative to the corresponding wild-type H—NOX domain, and are operative as physiologically compatible mammalian blood O2 gas carriers. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and methods that use wild-type or mutant H—NOX proteins for the treatment of any condition for which delivery of O2 is beneficial.

Abstract: The invention in some aspects relates to methods and compositions for assessing the effectiveness of miRNA inhibitors. In other aspects of the invention, methods and compositions for treating cholesterol related disorders are provided. In one aspect of the invention, miRNA inhibitors against miR-122 and rAAV-based compositions comprising the same are provided.

Abstract: A high through-put screening method for identifying agents effective for inhibiting biofilm formation and/or killing established biofilm are disclosed. The method includes three tiers, and each tier includes three specific biological process assays. The tier levels are a primary screen, a confirmation screen, and a dose-response screen, and the biological process assays include as says for total bacterial growth, bacterial metabolic activity, and biofilm formation.

Abstract: An optical device is described. This optical device includes an electro-optical material having an X-cut, Y-propagate orientation. In particular, a Y crystallographic direction of the electro-optical material is parallel to an optical waveguide defined in the electro-optic material and an X crystallographic direction of the electro-optical material is parallel to a vertical direction of the optical device. By applying drive signals having an angular frequency to the electro-optic material, the optical device may perform modulation, corresponding to a traveling-wave configuration, of an optical signal based at least in part on the drive signals. where the modulation involves a polarization conversion and a frequency shift. The angular frequency of the drive signals may be selected to approximately cancel electro-optic cross terms in X-Z plane of the electro-optical material. Moreover, an amplitude of the drive signals may be selected so that the optical device emulates a half-wave-plate configuration.

Abstract: A hull for a semi-submersible wind turbine platform capable of floating on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine includes a keystone and at least three bottom beams extending radially outward of the keystone. Each bottom beam has a primary beam portion and a column base portion, wherein the column base portion is configured to support an outer column of the hull thereon, and wherein the primary beam portion defines a first ballast compartment therein. The first ballast compartment is in fluid communication with water in the body of water in which the hull is floating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition containing a fruit extract of Lonicera caerulea L. var. edulis as an active ingredient for the prevention and treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. The fruit extract of Lonicera caerulea L. var. edulis according to the present invention has a nerve cell-protecting effect, thereby remarkably reducing neurobehavioral impairments and infarct volume due to ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Therefore, it can be provided as a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and as a health food for the prevention or improvement of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Abstract: Compounds and methods of using the same to inhibit glycolysis and treat cancer and other diseases are disclosed.

Abstract: A hydrogen sensor includes a hydrogen-sensing unit and a transistor connected to the hydrogen-sensing unit. The hydrogen-sensing unit includes a substrate made of an elastic material, a thin film made of transition metal or alloy thereof, disposed on the surface of the substrate and having a plurality of nanogaps formed therein, and an electrode formed on the thin film. The hydrogen-sensing unit is connected with a source (or drain) or a gate of the transistor via a connector.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to implants and the modification of the surface of implants using amino acid or polypeptide functionalized rosette nanotubes.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of promoting the host defense of a patient to a bacterial infection comprising administering to a patient suffering or at risk of a bacterial infection, a pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of the pleiotropic cytokine, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) protein or polypeptide in an amount and at a location sufficient to promote the host defense of the patient to the bacterial infection. In a preferred embodiment, the bacterial infection is the infection of the patient with MRSA. The invention also provides a method of treating blood product, which comprises introducing a TSLP protein or polypeptide into such blood product, wherein the blood product is extracorporeal and comprises at least one neutrophil.

Abstract: A semiconductor stacking structure according to the present invention comprises: a monocrystalline substrate which is disparate from a nitride semiconductor; an inorganic thin film which is formed on a substrate to define a cavity between the inorganic thin film and the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the inorganic thin film is crystallized with a crystal structure that is the same as the substrate; and a nitride semiconductor layer which is grown from a crystallized inorganic thin film above the cavity. The method and apparatus for separating a nitride semiconductor layer according the present invention mechanically separate between the substrate and the nitride semiconductor layer. The mechanical separation can be performed by a method of separation of applying a vertical force to the substrate and the nitride semiconductor layer, a method of separation of applying a horizontal force, a method of separation of applying a force of a relative circular motion, and a combination thereof.

Abstract: Methods and oligonucleotide reagents for analyzing individual T cells are disclosed. In particular, the present disclosure provides methods for analyzing individual T cells using high-throughput multiplex amplification and deep sequencing of nucleic acids encoding T cell receptors (TCRs) and various other T cell phenotypic markers. The present disclosure further provides methods of reconstituting TCRs from individual T cells for functional studies, ligand discovery, or screening therapeutics.

Abstract: A free-piston (“FP”) engine is a type of internal combustion engine with no crankshaft, so that its piston trajectory is no longer constrained by the mechanical linkage. FP engines have a high potential in terms of energy saving given their simple structure, high modularity and high efficiency, among other attributes. One of the technical barriers that affect FP engine technology is a lack of precise piston trajectory control. For example, the presence of a transient period after a single combustion event can prevent the engine from continuous firing. The present subject matter provides a control scheme that can utilize a reference and control signal shifting technique to modify the tracking error and the control signal to reduce the transient period.