Abstract: A mechanically rotating intravascular ultrasound probe relates to the technical field of medical devices, and aims to provide a forward-looking mechanically rotating intravascular ultrasound probe having a small volume, a high image resolution and good imaging stability. The intravascular ultrasound probe includes a catheter, an ultrasonic transducer disposed at a front end of a cavity of the catheter and a driving apparatus that drives the ultrasonic transducer to rotate mechanically. The driving apparatus is a micro motor disposed in the cavity of the catheter, including a rotor and a stator.

Abstract: Compositions for delivery of growth factors needed for stable Tregs and methods of use thereof are provided. In preferred embodiments, the compositions can induce, increase, or enhance a functionally robust induced CD4 Treg population (e.g., Foxp3+ Treg) in vivo or ex vivo. The compositions generally include delivery vehicles including TGF-? and IL-2. Delivery vehicles include, for example, polymeric particles, silica particles, liposomes, or multilamellar vesicles. The TGF-? and IL-2 are typically co-loaded into, attached to the surface of, and/or enclosed within the delivery vehicle into the same particle for simultaneous co-delivery to cells such as T cells. Preferably the delivery vehicles are targeted to CD4. The compositions and cells treated therewith can be used in various methods of treating, for example, inflammation, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and disorders, and inducing or maintaining tolerance including graft and transplant tolerance.

Abstract: Methods for creating nanostructured surface features on polymers and polymer composites involve application of low pressure during curing of solid polymer material from a solvent solution. The resulting nanoscale surface features significantly decrease bacterial growth on the surface. Polymer materials having the nanoscale structuring can be used in implantable medical devices to inhibit bacterial growth and infection.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for forming a semiconductor device. In an aspect, a semiconductor device is provided that includes a silicon carbide (SiC) structure and a III-nitride structure. The SiC structure includes a drain electrode, a substrate layer that is formed on the drain electrode and includes SiC, and a drift layer formed on the substrate layer. The drift layer includes p-well regions that allow current to flow through a region between the p-well regions. The III-nitride structure includes a set of III-nitride semiconductor layers formed on the SiC structure, a passivation layer formed on the set of III-nitride semiconductor layers, a source electrode electrically coupled to the p-well regions, and gate electrodes electrically isolated from the set of III-nitride semiconductor layers. In an aspect, the SiC structure includes a transition layer that includes connecting regions. In another aspect, the III-nitride structures includes connection electrodes electrically coupled to the connecting regions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention pertains to the use of anoctamin as a biomarker for determining radiation dosimetery. In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to the use of anoctamin as a biomarker for diagnosing the presence of radiation toxicity in a subject who has been exposed to ionizing radiation, as well as for determining the absorbed radiation dose in a subject who has been exposed to a known or unknown dose of ionizing radiation. In another embodiment, the expression level of anoctamin can be used as a secondary endpoint to determine mechanisms of action and/or pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of an agent for reducing radiation toxicity.

Abstract: The disclosure describes magnetic materials including iron nitride, bulk permanent magnets including iron nitride, techniques for forming magnetic materials including iron nitride, and techniques for forming bulk permanent magnets including iron nitride.

Abstract: Provided herein is a delivery system, including: (a) an optical sensor configured to detect data useful to create a map of a bodily surface; and (b) a printer operatively associated with the optical sensor and configured to deliver compositions (optionally including cells) to the bodily surface based upon the data or map. Methods of forming a tissue on a bodily surface of a patient in need thereof are also provided, as are methods, systems and computer program products useful for processing bodily surface data.

Abstract: A backscatter modulator for providing low power wireless communications. The disclosed modulator provides phase control for discriminating backscatter from the antenna versus other objects. In addition, the disclosed backscatter modulator provides amplitude modulation so that the technique can provide a non-constant envelope which can provide an intentional imbalance to manipulate super-position to provide envelope control of the reflected signal, while still maintaining the frequency translation properties. The disclosed backscatter modulator thus allows compatibility with QAM, OFDM and other non-constant envelope modulation schemes to be backscattered, while still supporting the frequency translation behavior.

Abstract: A device is provided for opening mouth. The device is custom-made through 3-dimensional (3D) printing. The overall framework is printed out after 3D-scanning the oral cavity, which meets a patient's oral shape. The present invention practically and effectively fabricates a custom-made mouth-opening device. The mouth's structure changed after surgery is taken into consideration, so that the patient can easily open the mouth with one hand. Furthermore, because the weight overall is light, the whole single-hand operation feels no heavy. The prolonged work of dental rehabilitation required by the patient is met. The device is easy to be cleaned. The feature of high material strength yet with proper softness is achieved. The comfort of use is increased for the patient with life quality enhanced. The effectiveness of rehabilitation and intervention is improved. The cost of custom-made medical material is effectively reduced.

Abstract: Provided herein are a mutant envelope protein of Zika virus and a nucleic acid molecule including a nucleotide sequence encoding the mutant envelope protein. The mutant envelope protein, which preferably has a threonine substitution at 105th position, or an asparagine substitution at 248th position and a threonine substitution at 250th position in an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, includes an N-glycan masking a fusion loop region of the mutant envelope protein of Zika virus. Also provided herein is a vaccine composition, including the mutant envelope protein or a recombinant virus including the nucleic acid molecule. Also provided herein is a method of preventing Zika virus infection and reducing antibody-dependent enhancement of dengue virus infection, including administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a vaccine composition including the mutant envelope protein of Zika virus.

Abstract: A disclosed system quantifies the power distribution of a wireless signal within a constrained environment using non-sequential ray tracing. For each ray, one or more ray-reflecting surface is prescreened to identify collision-eligible surfaces and identify a collision surface from the collision-eligible surfaces, wherein the collision surface is the first ray-reflecting surface that a ray collides with. A power distribution component, indicating the position and power of a ray at a particular elevation within the environment, is added to a cumulative power distribution. If a reflected ray corresponding to each collision is calculated and satisfies ray eligibility conditions, a collision surface may be determined for the reflected ray. Collision surfaces may be identified by evaluating a target function for a number of ray positions, where the target function evaluates to zero when displacement between the ray and the ray-reflecting surface is zero.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a nepodin-containing extract containing a high concentration of nepodin with less contaminants present therein thereby being able to be readily carried out on an industrial scale, when compared to the conventional techniques.

Abstract: Disclosed are highly scalable fabrication methods for producing electronic circuits, devices, and systems. In one aspect, a fabrication method includes attaching an electronic component at a location on a substrate including a flexible and electrically insulative material; forming a template to encase the electronic component by depositing a material in a phase to conform on the surfaces of the electronic component and the substrate, and causing the material to change to solid form; and producing a circuit or electronic device by forming openings in the substrate to expose conductive portions of the electronic component, creating electrical interconnections coupled to at least some of the conductive portions in a selected arrangement on the substrate, and depositing a layer of an electrically insulative and flexible material over the electrical interconnections on the substrate to form a flexible base of the circuit, in which the produced circuit or electronic device is encased.

Abstract: The application discloses multimeric assemblies including multiple oligomeric substructures, where each oligomeric substructure includes multiple proteins that self-interact around at least one axis of rotational symmetry, where each protein includes one or more polypeptide-polypeptide interface (“O interface”); and one or more polypeptide domain that is capable of effecting membrane scission and release of an enveloped multimeric assembly from a cell by recruiting the ESCRT machinery to the site of budding by binding to one or more proteins in the eukaryotic ESCRT complex (“L domain”); and where the multimeric assembly includes one or more subunits comprising one or more polypeptide domain that is capable of interacting with a lipid bilayer (“M domain”), as well as membrane-enveloped versions of the multimeric assemblies.

Abstract: Described here is a method for improving the catalytic activity of an electrocatalyst, comprising subjecting the electrocatalyst to 1-10 galvanostatic lithiation/delithiation cycles, wherein the electrocatalyst comprises at least one transition metal oxide (TMO) or transition metal chalcogenide (TMC). Also described here is an electrocatalyst and a water-splitting device comprising the electrocatalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of reutilization of biomass resources, and more particularly relates to a grafting method for rice straw fiber modification. The pulverized and pretreated straw powder is first reacted with diisocyanate under ultrasonic and microwave treatment, and the resulting product is reacted with PEG to obtain the PEG grafted straw fiber polymer compound. Grafting PEG onto the straw fiber through the bridging of the diisocyanate improves the thermoplasticity of the modified rice straw fiber. The modified straw fiber of the present invention can be hot-pressed to form self-reinforced composite materials without adding additional materials, which overcomes the waste and pollution problem of traditional straw reutilization method, achieving the goal of whole straw utilization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring errors of a movable platform in multiple degrees of freedom. A light-source module disposed on a fixed platform emits light to a lens module disposed on a movable platform. The light is reflected to one or more optoelectronic sensing module on the fixed platform via the lenses of the lens module. Then a processing unit calculates an alignment error or/and one or more straightness error or/and one or more angle error of the movable platform according to the signal generated by the optoelectronic sensing module.

Abstract: Provided is a method for increasing the lifetime of devices of a cluster-tree structured multi-hop wireless communication system which uses a battery as the main power and includes an access point (AP) managing network operation and a plurality of devices connected to the AP, wherein some network devices operates as a router capable of having its child devices, the rest of the network device operate as an end device incapable of having its child devices, and the AP, the routers, and the end devices are connected in a parent-child device relationship. The method includes equalizing the average power consumption of each device by exchanging the roles of the router and the end device requiring different power consumption without interrupting normal network operation.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal polymer-based electrode array for a neural implant, according to the present invention, can comprise the steps of: forming a seed layer on a liquid crystal polymer substrate; forming a plating mold having a pattern selectively exposing a part of the upper part of the seed layer; plating an electrode material on the exposed seed layer by using the plating mold as a plating barrier layer; forming an electrode by removing the plating mold and the seed layer therebelow; embedding the electrode by compressing a liquid crystal polymer cover layer on the electrode; and forming an electrode site exposing the upper part of the electrode by selectively removing a part of the liquid crystal polymer cover layer.

Abstract: The invention provides epoxytaccalonolide microtubule stabilizers and their use as anti-proliferative microtubule stabilizing agents.