Abstract: A novel injectable human amniotic membrane (hAM) matrix to enhance cardiac repair and/or regeneration following myocardial injury (MI) and wound healing has been developed. The invention disclosed herein provides human amniotic membranes isolated from human placenta and engineered to be a thermo-responsible, injectable gel at temperature ranges that fall within body temperature. The ultrasound-guided injection of hAM matrix into a rodent model of myocardial infarction significantly improved cardiac contractility, as measured by ejection fraction (EF), and decreased fibrosis. The disclosure provided herein demonstrates the specific engineering injectable hAM matrices and their efficacy in attenuating degenerative changes in cardiac function following MI, which has broad applications in wound healing and tissue regeneration.

Abstract: Combined combustion and pyrolysis (CCP) systems, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the CCP system includes an input valve fluidly coupleable to a fuel supply to receive a hydrocarbon reactant, a CCP reactor fluidly coupled to the input valve, and a carbon separation component fluidly coupled to the CCP reactor. The CCP reactor can include a combustion chamber, a reaction chamber in thermal communication with the combustion chamber and/or fluidly coupled to the input valve, and an insulating material positioned to reduce heat loss from the combustion chamber and/or the reaction chamber. The CCP reactor can also include a combustion component positioned to combust a fuel within the combustion chamber. The combustion can heat the reaction chamber and the hydrocarbon reactant flowing therethrough. The heat causes a pyrolysis of the hydrocarbon reactant that generates hydrogen gas and carbon.

Abstract: A method wherein a programmable remote control (PRC) is programmed from a configuration file over a network. A user configuration file comprises data associating the user configuration file with a unique user and information about devices that a user desires to control with a PRC. A service provider uses the device records to find the appropriate remote control instruction set for each device to be controlled by the PRC. Upon notification of a change in the devices that a user desires to control, the service provider would update the user configuration file. Optionally, the service provider would not only program the PRC, but using the PRC would assist the user in programming each device that is controlled by the PRC (to the extent such devices are programmable).