Abstract: The invention provides a composition, and method of use thereof, comprising self-antigen displaying nanoparticles to target auto-reactive immune components for treating and/or preventing the autoimmune diseases associated therewith. The nanoparticles can also be loaded with cytotoxic drugs for targeted cell killing or with immune-tolerizing compounds to normalize the immune regulation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an internally fixed lipid vesicle generated from a cell that substantially preserves the membrane characteristics of the cell and methods of using the internally fixed lipid vesicle.

Abstract: Provided are nanoparticles and methods of using and making thereof. The inventive nanoparticle comprises a) an inner core comprising a non-cellular material; and b) an outer surface comprising a cellular membrane derived from a cell or a membrane derived from a virus. Medicament delivery systems or pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles are also provided. Further provided are immunogenic compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles, and methods of using the inventive immunogenic compositions for eliciting an immune response, and for treating or preventing diseases or condition, such as neoplasm or cancer, or disease or conditions associated with cell membrane inserting toxin. Vaccines comprising the immunogenic composition comprising the nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are nanoparticles and methods of using and making thereof. The inventive nanoparticle comprises a) an inner core comprising a non-cellular material; and b) an outer surface comprising a cellular membrane derived from a cell or a membrane derived from a virus. Medicament delivery systems or pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles are also provided. Further provided are immunogenic compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles, and methods of using the inventive immunogenic compositions for eliciting an immune response, and for treating or preventing diseases or condition, such as neoplasm or cancer, or disease or conditions associated with cell membrane inserting toxin. Vaccines comprising the immunogenic composition comprising the nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: In certain examples, methods and semiconductor structures, aspects of the disclosure are directed to a guided-mode resonance metasurface pixel (“GMR pixel”) having a cavity section to support GMR at a certain Q and having optics at each end of the GMR pixel, to contain light and mitigate energy losses due to scattering of light, in response to light being directed towards the GMR pixel of the metasurface sensor. In certain more-specific examples, exemplary aspects of the disclosure are directed to a functionalized metasurface sensor including an array of guided-mode resonance metasurface biosensor pixels, each of which is functionalized for attachment of a distinct receptor or probe molecules.

Abstract: Provided are nanoparticles and methods of using and making thereof. The inventive nanoparticle comprises a) an inner core comprising a non-cellular material; and b) an outer surface comprising a cellular membrane derived from a cell or a membrane derived from a virus. Medicament delivery systems or pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles are also provided. Further provided are immunogenic compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles, and methods of using the inventive immunogenic compositions for eliciting an immune response, and for treating or preventing diseases or condition, such as neoplasm or cancer, or disease or conditions associated with cell membrane inserting toxin. Vaccines comprising the immunogenic composition comprising the nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: A device for detecting optical chirality includes a metasurface composed of a biperiodic array of nanodisks in the form of a checkerboard array [300], where the nanodisks have diameters d±?/2 such that adjacent nanodisks [302, 304] have diameters that differ by an offset ?. The nanodisks are composed of a dielectric material that is transparent and has a refractive index greater than 2 at a predetermined operational ultraviolet wavelength. The nanodisks have a width-to-height aspect ratio d/h tuned to produce spectral overlap of electric dipole and magnetic dipole modes of incident circularly polarized ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A method of generating an internally fixed lipid vesicle, comprising: providing a precursor lipid vesicle that contains an aqueous interior enclosed by a lipid membrane, wherein the lipid membrane of the precursor lipid vesicle is non-permeable to a crosslinker; permeabilizing the lipid membrane transiently to generate a permeable vesicle; contacting the permeable vesicle with an inactive activatable crosslinker, whereby the inactive activatable crosslinker enters the permeable vesicle; allowing the permeable vesicle to return to a non-permeable vesicle; removing any extravesicular crosslinker; and activating the inactive activatable crosslinker to allow crosslinking to occur inside the non-permeable vesicle, whereby an internally fixed lipid vesicle is generated.

Abstract: Provided are nanoparticles and methods of using and making thereof. The inventive nanoparticle comprises a) an inner core comprising a non-cellular material; and b) an outer surface comprising a cellular membrane derived from a cell or a membrane derived from a virus. Medicament delivery systems or pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles are also provided. Further provided are immunogenic compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles, and methods of using the inventive immunogenic compositions for eliciting an immune response, and for treating or preventing diseases or condition, such as neoplasm or cancer, or disease or conditions associated with cell membrane inserting toxin. Vaccines comprising the immunogenic composition comprising the nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are nanoparticles and methods of using and making thereof. The inventive nanoparticle comprises a) an inner core comprising a non-cellular material; and b) an outer surface comprising a cellular membrane derived from a cell or a membrane derived from a virus. Medicament delivery systems or pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles are also provided. Further provided are immunogenic compositions comprising the inventive nanoparticles, and methods of using the inventive immunogenic compositions for eliciting an immune response, and for treating or preventing diseases or condition, such as neoplasm or cancer, or disease or conditions associated with cell membrane inserting toxin. Vaccines comprising the immunogenic composition comprising the nanoparticles are also provided.

Abstract: A polymeric nanoparticle that has a size of 30-600 nm in outer diameter and contains a polymeric shell, less than 25 nm in thickness and impermeable to water, one or more aqueous cores enclosed by the polymeric shell, and a bioactive agent encapsulated in each of the one or more aqueous cores. Also disclosed are a method of preparing the polymeric nanoparticle and a method of using it for treating a disease.

Abstract: The present application discloses a locking device including: a mounting seat; a locking member, rotatable around an axial direction and movable in the axial direction, when the locking member is in a first axial position and a first rotational position, the locking member is retracted into the mounting seat along the axial direction, and the mounting seat prevents the locking member from rotating around the axial direction; and when the locking member is in a second axial position and a second rotational position, at least a portion of the locking member extends in the axial direction from the mounting seat, to be inserted into and engaged with a second object, and the mounting seat prevents the locking member from moving in the axial direction; and a compression torsional spring biasing the locking member toward the first axial position and the second rotational position.

Abstract: There is described a nanoparticle comprising one or more peptides having a sequence comprising the motif GLLxLLxL-LLxAAG, wherein each x is independently selected from arginine (R), histidine (H), lysine (K), aspartic acid (D) or glutamic acid (E). Also described is a pharmaceutically acceptable composition comprising the nanoparticle and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, for use in the treatment of cancer. In addition, there is described a method of treatment of cancer involving administering the pharmaceutically acceptable composition to a patient with cancer, and a kit for treating or preventing cancer comprising the pharmaceutically acceptable composition.

Abstract: This disclosure provides treatment kit that are capable of modulating the immune response. The treatment kit may also be used enhance the immunogenicity of antigens released from cell debris. Also provided are methods of using the treatment kit.

Abstract: Optical sensing of biological targets is provided using a metasurface having guided mode resonances with electric field profiles that extend out from the metasurface. Surface functionalization of such metasurfaces can be used to provide sensing for biological targets, such as nucleic acids, proteins, small molecules, extracellular vesicles, and whole cells. Binding of the target to the surface functionalization can affect the resonance wavelength of the guided mode resonances, thereby providing a sensitive assay for the biological targets.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an offline debugging method, comprising: S01: obtaining interfaces which require return values in test flows of the test device; S02: setting the return value corresponding to each of the interfaces which require the return values, adding M debugging strategies and determining a debugging strategy required to be started; S03: compiling a configuration file comprises the M debugging strategies into an executable file required by the target platform; S04: setting up a virtual machine to fit the target platform, and transferring the executable file to the virtual machine; S05: invoking the test flow, returning the return value set by the debugging strategy corresponding to the interface which require the return value and obtaining an debugging result correspondingly. Therefore, the present invention solves a problem that debugging relays on hardware devices in semiconductor automation test, so as to reduce complexity and difficulty of debugging of a test device.

Abstract: Improved surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of biological targets in liquids is provided. Nanoparticles are treated with a surfactant to provide an electrostatic attraction between the nanoparticles and the biological targets. The resulting clustering of the nanoparticles at the biological targets improves the SERS signal, Such SERS spectroscopy enables real time monitoring of the biological targets, thereby enabling a wide variety of assays etc.

Abstract: An artificial antigen presenting cell system comprising one or more gelated human dendritic cells and a controlled release system capable of releasing one or more cytokines. Also provided herein are methods for producing the gelated human dendritic cells and uses of the artificial antigen presenting cell system for activating immune cells.

Abstract: A method of expanding natural killer cells, comprising: providing a population of internally gelated cells, each of which includes a gelated interior and a fluid cell membrane that contains one or more membrane-bound proteins each or collectively are capable of stimulating expansion of natural killer (NK) cells; and culturing a population of cells containing NK cells, which are capable of responding to the one or more membrane-bound proteins, with the population of internally gelated cells under conditions that allow expansion of NK cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to processes and systems for preparing nanoparticles, cellular or viral membranes and/or cellular or viral membrane coated nanoparticles using or comprising, inter alia, a multi-inlet vortexing reactor, tangential flow filtration (TFF) and/or a high shear fluid processor such as a microfluidizer (or a microfluidizer processor). The present invention also relates to the nanoparticles, cellular or viral membranes and/or cellular or viral membrane coated nanoparticles prepared by the present processes and systems, and the uses and/or applications of the nanoparticles, cellular or viral membranes and/or cellular or viral membrane coated nanoparticles.