Abstract: Self-healing, hydrophobic composites and related methods are provided. A method of repelling water may comprise forming a layer of a self-healing, hydrophobic composite comprising a porous network of entangled polymer fibers and a hydrophobic phase change material infused throughout the network, on a surface of a substrate to form a treated surface; and exposing the treated surface to water, wherein the treated surface exhibits a native water droplet contact angle which is greater than that of an untreated surface without the layer of the composite.

Abstract: A wearable haptic modulation device for real-time simulation of texture properties of a material surface in mixed reality environments is provided. Particularly, it includes a U-shaped pneumatic actuator surrounds a user's fingertip, a finger-housing support creating a space for fingertip containment, a resonant actuator on the finger-housing support generating vibrotactile feedback to enhance perceived roughness on touched physical surfaces, and a pneumatic control system generating pneumatic actuation to reduce the perceived roughness on touched physical surface. Notably, the U-shaped pneumatic actuator allows direct contact of the user's fingerpad with the touched physical surface.

Abstract: A dental apparatus includes a central component. The central component includes an elongated member having a first end, a second end, and a body extending between the first and second ends thereof. The dental apparatus also includes a first holding assembly movably coupled to the body of the elongated member and a second holding assembly movably coupled to the body of the elongated member. Each one of the first and second holding assemblies is configured to releasably hold dental articulating paper. The dental apparatus, loaded with two pieces of articulating paper that are separated from one another by a certain distance, can be moved via one hand to position the two pieces of articulating paper between two adjacent teeth to assist the dentist in determining the fit of a prosthetic crown that will be cemented over a prepared natural tooth or over an implant.

Abstract: Cytokine-bisphosphonate conjugates and methods of use thereof in muscle functions.

Abstract: A method of delivering insulin, including: orally administering to a subject a composition containing a ferrisilicate material, polyethylene glycol, and insulin. The insulin at least partially penetrates pores of the ferrisilicate material to form a ferrisilicate insulin composite and the polyethylene glycol, at least partially enfolds the ferrisilicate insulin composite to form the composition. The composition has an insulin release rate of 10-50% after 100-500 hours following oral administration.

Abstract: The present invention belongs to the field of organophosphorus pesticide (OP) detection, and relates to a method for detecting an OP by a microfluidic chip based on a fluorescent sensing film. A porous fluorescent sensing film and the microfluidic chip are first constructed. The fluorescent sensing film is fabricated through layer-by-layer self-assembly of a platinum nanoparticle@oxalate-metal-organic framework (MOF) composite and a porous two-dimensional (2D) nanosheet, and has the functions of specifically detecting OPs and blocking macromolecular interferents. The microfluidic chip includes a sample channel, injection channels, reaction tanks, microfluidic channels, a detection tank, and an optical fiber channel, such that sample pretreatment and detection processes are integrated in the chip.

Abstract: A two-stage treatment process for destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an aqueous stream. The two-stage treatment process uses a combination of multifunctional crystalline molecular sieves, such as zeolites and zeotypes, to separate PFAS from the aqueous stream, catalytically decompose and defluorinate any PFAS molecules, and generate non-toxic waste products that are safe for disposal. The first stage includes adsorption of the PFAS within one of a pair of vessels containing porous, hydrophobic, hydrothermally stable molecular sieves, dehydration of the captured PFAS on the sieves, and catalytic ozonation of the captured PFAS molecules on the dried sieves. The second stage involves catalytic decomposition and neutralization of the ozonation results with one of a pair of vessels including a zeolite-supported CaO catalyst, catalytic oxidation of any toxic CO generated by the decomposition, and an acid wash for regeneration of the spent catalyst.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods of determining the prognosis of a breast cancer patient by evaluating the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor in tumor cells. Other embodiment include methods of treating breast cancer cells, particularly, chemo-resistant cells, with a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist and an anticancer agent or compound.

Abstract: The present disclosure belongs to the field of underwater target detection, and in particular, to a method for detecting a moving target based on spatial slices of transformed spatio-temporal frequency space.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a Sn—In electroplating bath that is Pb-free, environmentally safe, operates at room temperature, and does not require changes in existing plating assemblies. Room temperature aging and limited thermal cycling tests show that the electroplated Sn—In alloy film on a Cu substrate effectively mitigates whisker growth.

Abstract: A self-propelled full-automatic dense-planting vegetable transplanter and control method thereof includes a seedling taking and throwing mechanism, a box moving device, a crawler-type walking chassis, a seedling guiding device, a soil covering mechanism, a planting mechanism, and a dispersing device. The box moving device is mounted on the crawler-type walking chassis. The dispersing device is located on one side of the box moving device. The seedling taking and throwing mechanism includes a seedling taking and throwing movement mechanism and a linear movement mechanism. The linear movement mechanism is arranged above the box moving device. The seedling taking and throwing movement mechanism is configured to reciprocate between the dispersing device and the box moving device through the linear movement mechanism. The dispersing device is connected to the seedling guiding device.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions comprising caveolin-1 (Cav-1) peptides. Further provided are methods of using the Cav-1 peptides for the treatment of lung infections or acute or chronic lung injury, particularly lung fibrosis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for fabricating complex mechanical shapes, and in particular to fabricating complex mechanical shapes using a pressure-assisted sintering technique to address problems relating to variations in specimen thickness and tooling, or densification gradients, by 3-D printing of a polymer model that is surrounded by and filled with sintering powder material, wherein the 3-D polymer model decomposed into a graphite interface layer and facilitates release of the cast, e.g. metal, metal-alloy, ceramic, etc., manufactured item.

Abstract: A method for establishing optical coupling between spatially separated first and second planar waveguides includes arranging an optical interconnect on the first planar waveguide. The optical interconnect has first and second end portions and an intermediate portion. Each of the end portions has an inverse taper. The second planar waveguide is arranged on the optical interconnect so that the second planar waveguide overlaps with one of the inverse tapered end portions but not the other inverse tapered end portion to thereby enable an adiabatic transition of an optical signal from the first planar waveguide to the second planar waveguide via the optical interconnect. The first and second planar waveguides have different refractive indices at an operating wavelength and the optical interconnect have a higher refractive index at the operating wavelength than the refractive indices of a core of the first planar waveguide and a core of the second planar waveguide.

Abstract: A 2D image-guided surgical robot system for distal locking operations includes surgical image acquisition equipment, a robot arm, a robot end effector attached to the robot arm, and a remote operation workstation. To perform a distal locking operation, the position of the image acquisition device is adjusted to obtain a round outline of a lockhole in the image. A distortion correction is performed. The position of the target lockhole is assigned by a user through the GUI of the remote operation workstation, and the remote operation workstation calculates a robot motion quantity using image feedback control law and moves the robot accordingly. The “image-and-move” procedure is repeated several times until the drill guide is accurately aligned to the lockhole, then the distal locking operation is accomplished by first drilling a guide hole using a guide wire through the drill guide, and then screwing a locking screw through the guide hole.

Abstract: Provided are peptoid-peptide macrocycles. The peptoid-peptide macrocycles may have inhibitory activity towards the Wnt signaling pathway. The Wnt signaling pathway is associated with cancer and other diseases and conditions. Such diseases include, for example, pulmonary fibrosis. Also described are methods of making the peptoid-peptide macrocycles, compositions containing the peptoid-peptide macrocycles, and methods of using the peptoid-peptide macrocycles.

Abstract: This invention comprises compositions and methods to detect and treat gastrointestinal diseases.

Abstract: Provided is a resource monitoring apparatus including a log generation unit for extracting a method requested from a hardware abstraction layer and generating a log; a log classification unit for classifying the generated log according to a type of an interface connected to the method; and a log determination unit for identifying a malicious activity from the classified log based on pattern information of the log set differently depending on the type of the interface.

Abstract: An apparatus for managing delegation consensus of a blockchain network, obtains state information including trust of each delegated node in the current epoch of the blockchain network, determines an action including a delegation rate by performing a neural network operation on the state information, creates, according to the determined action, a local trust opinion (hereinafter, LTO) matrix representing a mutual subjective evaluation of each delegated node, and selects, based on the trust calculated using the LTO matrix, K delegated nodes according to the determined delegation rate among N nodes.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Chamaecyparis plant named ‘RutCham1’, characterized by its good heat tolerance in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 relative to typical Chamaecyparis pisifera cultivars; foliage that turns golden in the winter and green in the summer for multi-seasonal interest; and a uniform, pyramidal shape.