Abstract: Hydroxy-substituted sphingolipids are useful as constituents in cosmetic formulations. A method for preparing the sphingolipids involves reacting a lysosphingolipid with a hydroxycarboxylic acid or an intramolecular cyclic ester of a hydroxycarboxylic acid. The sphingolipids can be used for therapy or prophylaxis of cell damage, including skin cell damage and cell damage induced by UV radiation.

Abstract: Implementations described herein relate to causing emoji(s) that are associated with a given emotion class expressed by a spoken utterance to be visually rendered for presentation to a user at a display of a client device of the user. Processor(s) of the client device may receive audio data that captures the spoken utterance, process the audio data to generate textual data that is predicted to correspond to the spoken utterance, and cause a transcription of the textual data to be visually rendered for presentation to the user via the display. Further, the processor(s) may determine, based on processing the textual data, whether the spoken utterance expresses a given emotion class. In response to determining that the spoken utterance expresses the given emotion class, the processor(s) may cause emoji(s) that are stored in association with the given emotion class to be visually rendered for presentation to the user via the display.

Abstract: Crystalline forms of Compound I: pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and solvates and hydrates thereof are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, methods of treating cystic fibrosis using the same, and methods for making the same are also disclosed.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for the detection and capture of mercury and methyl-mercury from aqueous sources are provided. The devices and methods are based on a polymer platform with thiol or sulfide moieties and phenol moieties capped with an acid labile protected with an acid labile cap. Capture of the Hg or MeHg by the thiol groups releases a proton that will subsequently catalyze the cleaving of the cap that also produces a proton so that one capture event can result in a cascade of deprotonaton reactions enhancing the detection limit. The polymer in solution can be detected and quantified. The thiol binding will also permanently remove the Hg or MeHg from the solution. The platform can be adapted to a portable handheld device.

Abstract: A platform and system for concentration, reduction and regeneration of heavy metals and other contaminants from fluids is provided. The platform has a three-tiered hierarchical porous structure, composed of micropores formed by woven carbon cloth, nanopores formed after carbon nanotube growth on the cloth fibers and mesopores formed by a polymer outer layer. The material of the platform can be incorporated into cells with two electrodes with properly functionalized PDAN grafted 3D carbon as an anode and cathode respectively. Metal ions and toxic anions in water will be captured selectively by primary amine, secondary amine and quaternary amine groups in porous PDAN on the anode. Metals are captured and reduced by the cathode.

Abstract: Tunable negative thermal expansion linear polymer materials with reversible large-scale mechanoresponse under low-energy stimulation and fabrication methods are provided. The reversible thermal contraction of the material is due to a molecular switch, s-dibenzocyclooctadiene (DBCOD), which undergoes a twist-boat to chair conformational change when heated or radiated by near-infrared light. The DBCOD moieties are present as either crosslinkers or polymer main-chain units and the corresponding polymers can have different amounts of DBCOD units in the polymer main chain. The various DBCOD monomers can be covalently incorporated into a variety of polymeric materials to construct negative thermal expansion or zero expansion materials for the specific applications.

Abstract: Crystalline forms of Compound I: pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and solvates and hydrates thereof are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, methods of treating cystic fibrosis using the same, and methods for making the same are also disclosed.

Abstract: In certain aspects, bispecific antibodies and uses thereof are provided.

Abstract: This disclosure discloses novel responsive polymers that comprise a rod segment and (or) a coil segment. This disclosure also discloses nanomaterial-polymer composite comprising the responsive polymers that are covalently linked with nanomaterials. Also disclosed are polymeric transducer materials and sensor systems that comprise the nanomaterial-polymer composite.

Abstract: This disclosure discloses novel responsive polymers that comprise a rod segment and (or) a coil segment. This disclosure also discloses nanomaterial-polymer composite comprising the responsive polymers that are covalently linked with nanomaterials. Also disclosed are polymeric transducer materials and sensor systems that comprise the nanomaterial-polymer composite.

Abstract: A molecular sensor is provided that contains at least one carbon nanotube suspended on a suitable support structure. In one aspect, at least one receptor is attached to a surface of the suspended carbon nanotube. Also provided are methods of detecting an analyte in a sample by contacting a sample suspected of containing the analyte with the molecular sensor of this invention under suitable conditions that favor binding of the analyte to the receptor and detecting any analyte bound to the receptor, if present.

Abstract: This invention relates to the field of optoelectronics, and more particularly, to the use of high quality, low defect suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes for optoelectronic devices.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing analyte ions for detection by a mass spectrometer is described. The apparatus includes an ion source in which the surface of a target substrate for holding an analyte sample includes structured carbon nanotube material. The structured carbon nanotube material is structured in terms of being situated on a selected portion of the target support surface an/or in terms of being aligned in a selected orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing analyte ions for detection by a mass spectrometer is described. The apparatus includes an ion source in which the surface of a target substrate for holding an analyte sample includes structured carbon nanotube material. The structured carbon nanotube material is structured in terms of being situated on a selected portion of the target support surface an/or in terms of being aligned in a selected orientation.

Abstract: A nanometer-scale mask includes a periodic array of nanometer-scale structural elements comprising an inorganic oxide.

Abstract: A slider in a disk drive is shock-protected with an overcoat layer of either metal or polymer directly on the areas of the slider that are prone to contact the disk when the slider is loaded off the platform, or when the slider is shocked while in operation over the data zone of the disk. The material used to form the layer absorbs shock and reduces wear, and is bonded or sputtered to the head in a region other than the pads of the air bearing surface. This region is typically the reactive ion etched (RIE) surface area and is slightly below the pads of the air bearing surface of the head. In an alternate version of the invention, the slider is protected by covering only the edges of the slider with a suitable material. Finally, the entire slider may be encased with the overcoating except for the pads of the air bearing surface.

Abstract: An artifact having a textured metal surface with nanometer-scale features includes a substrate, a substructure over the substrate, the substructure comprising a periodic array of nanometer-scale structural elements comprising an inorganic oxide, and a metal film over the substructure.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus that produces analyte ions for detection by a detector. The apparatus includes a matrix based ion source having a target substrate including a carbon nanotube material for producing analyte ions, an ion transport system adjacent to the matrix based ion source for transporting analyte ions from the matrix based ion source; and an ion detector downstream from the ion transport system for detecting the analyte ions. The invention also provides a method for producing and detecting the analyte ions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a transducer slider. The method involves first coating a substrate with a radiation-sensitive layer and exposing the radiation-sensitive layer to radiation according to an intensity pattern. Preferably, the intensity pattern is provided using a grayscale mask. Once the image is developed into the radiation-sensitive layer, the image is transferred into the substrate to form a transducer slider having a surface profile comprising a tapered edge. In the alternative or in addition, the surface profile may comprise a rounded corner. The invention also relates to a structure for forming a transducer slider.

Abstract: A process to reduce step heights in planarization of thin film carriers in an encapsulation system. The improvements include using an adhesive tape having a thinner adhesive thickness and a stiffer tape for the film sealing the encapsulant on the carrier to result in a low step height surface transition between the carrier and the cured encapsulant. The composition of the encapsulant is modified to reduce the shrinkage upon curing of the encapsulant. The encapsulant may include an absorbent that absorbs the irradiation and cause the top surface to harden first compared to the bulk of the encapsulant, and/or a gas-emitting additive that creates gaseous products that expand upon irradiation to thereby reduce the shrinkage of the encapsulant upon curing. Alternatively, irradiation at very low incidence angle relative to the top surface of the encapsulant causes the top surface to harden before the bulk of the encapsulant.