Abstract: The present technology provides compositions and methods for treating chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, or diabetic nephropathy. The compositions comprise a nitrated lipid and an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The methods comprise administering a nitrated lipid in combination with an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to a subject in need thereof, in an amount effective to treat diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, and/or end-stage renal disease. The use of a nitrated lipid with an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system exhibits a synergistic effect in treating chronic kidney disease and diabetic nephropathy.

Abstract: Protective garments having first and second elastic straps and methods of manufacturing the same are described herein. The first strap may be positioned partially or entirely along a first strap line that extends from a left shoulder region to a right leg. The second strap may be positioned partially or entirely along a second strap line that extends from a right shoulder region to a left leg. The first and second strap lines intersect at an intersection.

Abstract: A mold structure having high-precision multi-dimensional components includes: depositing an oxide layer on a top surface of a plurality of semiconductor substrates, patterning a design integrated in one or more of the oxide layers; repositioning the substrates to enable the oxide layers make contact with one another; bonding in sequential order the repositioned substrates using a dielectric bonding, forming a three dimension (3D) mold; filling the 3D mold with filling material and removing the overburden filling material present on a top surface of the component.

Abstract: A nanostructure is described. The nanostructure includes a nanoparticle, a shell encompassing the nanoparticle, and a gap having a width ranging from 1.0 nm to 6.0 nm and located between the nanoparticle and the shell to enable the nanostructure to generate a fluorescence.

Abstract: Provided is an electrolyte solution for a magnesium battery, containing a mesoionic compound represented by the following general formula (1): (in general formula (1), R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-7 hydrocarbyl group or oxygen-containing hydrocarbyl group and X is O or S).

Abstract: The invention is directed to polymers that self-crosslink at acidic pH or can be crosslinked by phenolic agents in brine. Such polymers have lower viscosity and can be pumped deep into reservoirs, where they will cross link in situ, thus increasing their viscosity and/or form a gel and blocking thief zones. Methods of making and using such polymers are also provided.

Abstract: The process disclosed herein produces macroscopic quantities of semiconducting arsenic sulfide nanofibers within one to three days. The process is biotically influenced by the bacteria Shewanella sp. Strain ANA-3. The fibers are semiconductors with bandgaps between 2.2 and 2.5 eV. Newly measured semiconducting and bandgap properties can lead to applications in the semiconductor, transistor, and solar energy fields. A faster and more robust biological component makes the overall process more commercially feasible than it would have been otherwise. The faster rate allows for larger yields of nanofibers in a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention illustrate methods of treating and preventing transplantation and side effects associated with transplantation. In particular, the present invention relates to compositions and methods for inhibition of graft rejection and promotion of graft survival. Thus, the invention relates to modulation of cellular activities, including graft rejection, promotion of graft survival, graft versus host rejection and conditions commonly associated with graft rejection. More particularly, the present invention relates to the inhibitory compounds comprising naturally occurring and man-made inhibitors of serine protease and inducers of other alpha1-antitrypsin activities.

Abstract: This invention provides a germanium electroluminescence device and a fabricating method of the same for using germanium of an indirect bandgap semiconductor without modifying a bandgap as a light-emitting layer which emits a 1550 nm-wavelength light and enabling to use not only as infrared LEDs itself but also as light sources for optical communication systems.

Abstract: This invention provides a Chinese medicinal formula comprising Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba and Poria for skin care. It further relates to a method for preparing bioactive fraction of this formula and to the applications of the bioactive fraction in skin-whitening and anti-skin-aging.

Abstract: A method of preparing polyurethane prepolymer does not require using a toxic isocyanate monomer (manufactured by harmful phosgene) as a raw material. Epoxy resin and carbon dioxide are used as major raw materials to form cyclic carbonates to be reacted with a functional group oligomer, and then amino groups in a hydrophilic (ether group) or hydrophobic (siloxane group) diamine polymer are used for performing a ring-opening polymerization, and the microwave irradiation is used in the ring-opening polymerization to efficiently synthesize the amino-terminated PU prepolymer, and then an acrylic group at an end is added to manufacture an UV cross-linking PU (UV-PU) oligomer which can be coated onto a fabric surface, and the fabric is dried by UV radiation for a surface treatment to form a washing-resisted long lasting hydrophilic or hydrophobic PU fabric.

Abstract: An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method for non-invasively determining the functional severity of arterial stenosis in a selected portion of an arterial network. The method includes gathering patient-specific data related to concentration of a contrast agent within an arterial network using a coronary computed tomography angiography scan (CCTA). The data can be gathered under rest or stress conditions. Estimation of a loss coefficient (K) can be used to eliminate the need for data gathered under stress. The data is used to calculate a transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG). The data may be corrected for imaging artifacts at any stage of the analysis. TAFE is used to determine an estimate of flow velocity. Once velocity is determined, pressure gradient, coronary flow reserve, and/or fractional flow reserve can be determined through a variety of methods. These estimates can be used to estimate functional severity of stenosis.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods and systems for improving oil quality of a contaminated oil mixture by removing contaminants from a contaminated oil comprising the steps of: pretreating a membrane contactor system having a first and a second surface with an hydrophobic liquid, wherein the hydrophobic liquid is contacted to at least one of the first and second surfaces; obtaining a contaminated oil that comprises oil and lipophobic contaminants; contacting the contaminated oil onto a first surface of one or more membrane contactors to coalesce the oil on the first surface; and collecting the coalesced oil from the contaminated oil on the second surface of the membrane contactor.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of this invention provides a single-effect absorption chiller including an absorber operatively connected to a solution heat exchanger and a generator, and a condenser in fluid communication with the absorber, wherein the absorber is sized and configured to receive a feed of water from a source of water and to transfer heat to the feed of water and then to convey the feed of water to the condenser without further heat conditioning of the feed of water prior to its entry into the condenser, and wherein the condenser is sized and configured to receive the feed of water from the absorber and to transfer heat to the feed of water, thereby cooling the condenser without resorting to an external heat exchanger such as a conventional cooling tower.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of exchanging information on the number of layers which is supported commonly between the base station and the terminals in Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) environment is provided for performance enhancement. The communication method of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to the present disclosure includes receiving a reference signal and information on a number of layers supportable simultaneously from a base station, measuring a channel state value based on the reference signal and the number of layers, determining whether the measured channel state value fulfills a minimum required channel state value, and transmitting, when the measured channel state value fulfills the minimum required channel state value, a value determined based on the measured channel state value to the base station.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods for generating pancreatic progenitor cells, insulin producing cells or endoderm cells using embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for diagnosing hypercoagulability associated with carbon monoxide exposure in a subject. The method comprises obtaining a plasma sample from the subject, dividing the sample into at least two portions, and determining the clot strength of the first portion. The method further comprises exposing the second portion to an organic reductant, determining the clot strength of the second portion after exposure to the organic reductant, and comparing the clot strength of the first portion with the clot strength of the second portion. A diagnosis of hypercogulability associated with carbon monoxide exposure is made when the clot strength of the second portion is decreased compared with the cloth strength of the first portion.

Abstract: A video analysis apparatus may include a generating unit to generate at least one spatiotemporal pattern by performing pixel sampling on a plurality of frames in an input video, an extracting unit to extract at least one region of interest having a sinusoidal pattern from the at least one spatiotemporal pattern, and an analysis unit to perform a frequency analysis of the at least one region of interest to determine whether the input video includes a predetermined type of content.

Abstract: Presented herein are novel therapeutic compounds and methods of using the same for the treatment of cancers.

Abstract: Methods and systems for predicting failures in an artificial lift system are disclosed. One method includes extracting one or more features from a dataset including time sampled performance of a plurality of artificial lift systems disposed across a plurality of different oil fields, the dataset including data from failed and normally operating artificial lift systems. The method also includes forming a learning model based on identified pre-failure signatures in the extracted features, the learning model configured to predict a failure of an artificial lift system based on observation of one of the identified pre-failure signatures in operational data received from the artificial lift system.