Abstract: A system and method for generating reports on perfusion blood volume from computed tomography (CT) data acquired from a subject. The method includes receiving multi-faceted CT data acquired from the subject using one of a multi-energy or polychromatic CT acquisition and deriving an iodine concentration in an artery feeding a volume of interest (VOI) in the multi-faceted CT data. The method further includes determining an effective atomic number of a spatial distribution in the VOL calculating a perfused blood volume of the VOI using the iodine concentration and the effective atomic number, and generating a report of the perfused blood volume of the VOI.

Abstract: Methods of profiling the nucleic acid composition of single cells and tools for same. The methods can include isolating a single cell in a liquid droplet, lysing the single cell in the liquid droplet to release template nucleic acid from the cell, amplifying the template nucleic acid in the liquid droplet to generate amplified nucleic acid, and detecting the amplified nucleic acid in the liquid droplet. The methods can be useful for profiling expression patterns and/or detecting genetic characteristics such as single nucleotide polymorphisms. The tools include nucleic acid logic gates, including polymerase-dependent logic gates. The logic gates can perform logical operations such as YES, NOT, AND, OR, AND-NOT, NOT-AND, NOT-OR, EXCLUSIVE-OR, EXCLUSIVE-NOR, and IMPLY. The tools also include microfluidic systems for performing the methods.

Abstract: Described here are systems and methods for monitoring airflow changes in a patient's airway during a medical procedure or as a general patient monitoring tool. Doppler ultrasound signals are acquired from the tracheal wall of the patient and parameters from those Doppler ultrasound signals are compared to baseline parameters. When a threshold change is detected, an alarm can be provided to a user to indicate respiratory compromise, which can include early airway compromise or airway obstruction.

Abstract: Described here are systems and methods for monitoring airflow changes in a patient's airway during a medical procedure or as a general patient monitoring tool. Doppler ultrasound signals are acquired from an anatomical region within the patient's airway (e.g., a tracheal wall, a cricothyroid ligament, other connective or cartilaginous tissue within the trachea, larynx, or pharynx) and parameters from those Doppler ultrasound signals are compared to baseline parameters, which may include inputting Doppler ultrasound signals to a suitably trained deep learning model or other machine learning algorithm. When a threshold change is detected, an alarm can be provided to a user to indicate respiratory compromise and/or failure, which can include early airway compromise, airway failure, and/or airway obstruction.

Abstract: Biochemically active PASTA kinase inhibitors which exploit subtle structural differences between human kinases and bacterial PASTA kinases to improve specificity and inhibitor activity.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter provides systems and methods for processing light. An example system can include one or more substrates, and a plurality of meta-units, which are patterned on each of the substrates and configured to modify a phase, an amplitude, or a polarization of the light with a subwavelength resolution. The system can be in a form of a diffractive neural network and be configured to perform target recognition.

Abstract: Acoustically mediated pulsed radiation sources, phased arrays incorporating the radiation sources, and methods of using the radiation sources and phased arrays to generate electromagnetic radiation via magnetic dipole emission are provided. The radiation sources are based on a superlattice heterostructure that supports in-phase magnetic dipole emission from a series of magnetic insulator layers disposed along the length of the heterostructure.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for improving cardiac structure and/or function in subjects in need thereof. The methods include administering to a subject a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor in an amount and for a time effective to elicit an improvement in cardiac structure and/or function. The subjects include subjects suffering from cardiac damage, such as damage resulting from myocardial infarction or other cardiac events. Improvements in cardiac function include one or more of an increase in cardiomyocyte proliferation, an increase in ejection fraction, an increase in fractional shortening, a decrease in left ventricle internal diameter diastole, and a decrease in left ventricle internal diameter systole. Improvements in cardiac structure include one or more of decreased fibrosis, an increase in myocardial thickness, an increase in coronary artery formation, an increase in capillary density, an increase in revascularization, and a decrease in myocardial lesion size.

Abstract: Unnatural, mutant tryptophan decarboxylase proteins and methods of using same. The mutants have an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:1 and have substitutions at one or more of amino acid positions 98, 99, 120, 126, 339, 349, and 355 of SEQ ID NO:1. The mutants can have enhanced activity and/or substrate promiscuity and be used for synthesizing tryptamine analogs.

Abstract: The invention is directed to p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes, nucleic acids encoding p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes, and inhibitory nucleic acids adapted to inhibit the expression and/or translation of p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase RNA; expression cassettes, plant cells, and plants that have or encode such nucleic acids and enzymes; and methods of making and using such nucleic acids, enzymes, expression cassettes, cells, and plants.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cerebrospinal fluid shunt system that monitors the intracranial pressures over a portion of a monitoring cycle to calculate short intervals of drainage for every monitoring cycle necessary to produce the desired pressure correction. The system operates to significantly reduce the time during which draining occurs allowing tissue surrounding the catheter to rebound from the catheter holes returning to its normal position for a sufficient amount of time to recover its normal shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes and nucleic acids encoding the feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes. The enzymes and/or the nucleic acids enable incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants. The monolignol ferulates include, for example, p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and/or sinapyl ferulate.

Abstract: Modified influenza virus neuraminidases are described herein that improve viral replication, thus improving the yield of vaccine viruses. Expression of such modified neuraminidases by influenza virus may also stabilize co-expressed hemagglutinins so that the hemagglutinins do not undergo mutation or decrease the need for HA binding to cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying sequence information from measurements made on single nucleic acid molecules are disclosed. The systems and methods can include binding portions of nucleic acid molecules with marker molecules, such as fluorescent molecules and/or intercalating molecules. The marker molecules provide a detectable signal that includes information about the underlying genomic information of the location on the nucleic acid molecule where a given marker molecule is bound. A profile of the detectable signal along a position of the nucleic acid is acquired for multiple different nucleic acid molecules. The PRIMR algorithm processes the data to provide a consensus profile from which a consensus underlying genomic information can be determined.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of making polymer-based multilayer thin films, and polymer-based multilayer thin films made thereof, using controlled hydrolysis of functional side groups, such as azlactone groups, to obtain desired levels of roughness, porosity, and chemical reactivity.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for compositions and methods for the preservation of meat substitutes containing plant heme protein. In particular, small molecules that can fit in the unique heme pocket of plant heme proteins are provided to stabilize and preserve meat substitutes the products.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for an isolated recombinant influenza virus having at least one of: a PA gene segment encoding PA with a residue at position 443 that is not arginine, a PB1 gene segment encoding PB1 with a residue at position 737 that is not lysine, a PB2 gene segment encoding PB2 with a residue at position 25 that is not valine or a residue at position 712 that is not glutamic acid, a NS gene segment encoding a NS1 with a residue at position 167 that is not proline, a HA gene segment encoding a HA with a residue at position 380 that is not threonine, or any combination thereof, and methods of making and using the virus.

Abstract: A method of making a filter, the resulting filter, and a method of using the filter to filter proteins from solution are described. The method includes contacting a porous, polymeric substrate with a transfer liquid comprising a solvent(s) and a charged polymeric solute. The transfer liquid and the polymeric substrate have a Hansen Solubility Parameter (“HSP”) distance of from about 10 to about 35. Contacting the polymeric substrate with the transfer solution causes the polymeric substrate to accept the charged polymeric solute by diffusion transfer, thereby yielding a functionalized filter medium. Removal of the transfer liquid from the polymeric substrate traps the charged polymeric solute on the surface of the polymeric substrate.

Abstract: A light modulator and method of forming the same is provided. The light modulator includes a membrane and a tuning electrode in spaced relation to the membrane. A light blocking fluid is received between the substrate and the tuning electrode and a light blocker is positioned between the tuning electrode and a central portion of the membrane. A pinning electrode is disposed between the light blocker and the membrane and is aligned with the central portion of the membrane. An electrostatic generator is configured to selectively apply an electrostatic force on the membrane causing the central portion of the membrane to deform towards pinning electrode causing the light blocking fluid to be displaced from between the membrane and the pinning electrode.

Abstract: The present application discloses proteins or peptides and methods of using such proteins or peptides to evaluate the immune status of a patient. In one embodiment, proteins or peptides may be used to detect endogenous calnexin specific CD4 T cells. In one preferred embodiment, the proteins or peptides may comprise peptide-MHCII tetramers (pMHC tetramers).