Abstract: A membrane, method and system are disclosed for rapid, sensitive and precise detection of an agent suspected of being present in a sample. The agent may be a cell or microorganism, e.g., a single pathogenic bacteria, and the sample may be small, e.g., milliliters of unprocessed environmental water. The sample is processed by filtering it through an asymmetric membrane having multiple layers. One layer has microchannels for capturing the agent and another layer has nanochannels for passing particles smaller than the agent. Amplification reagents, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reagents, are load onto membrane so that the microchannels act as nanoreactors, creating quantifiable amplicons within the pores on the exposed surface of the membrane in response to captured agent. The amplicons may be imaged and counted using a fluorescent camera. The membrane is capable of agent capture, concentration, purification, partition, lysis and digital LAMP without off-membrane sample treatments.

Abstract: A recombinant fusion protein comprising 1) TGF?R2, or a fragment thereof, capable of binding to TGF?, and 2) an antibody, or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, that binds to PD-1. Also disclosed are a polynucleotide encoding the recombinant fusion protein, an expression vector containing the polynucleotide, a method for producing the recombinant protein and a method for treating a disease caused by over expression of TGF? and/or PD-1 using the recombinant protein.

Abstract: Disclosed is an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds human 4-1BB, or the antigen-binding portion thereof. A nucleic acid molecule encoding the antibody, an expression vector, a host cell and a method for expressing the antibody are also provided. The present disclosure further provides a bispecific molecule, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody or the bispecific molecule, as well as a treatment method using an anti-4-1BB antibody of the disclosure.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a filter element assembly and a water purifier. The filter element assembly includes a filter bottle, an interface mechanism and a connector. The interface mechanism is provided on the filter bottle; the connector is connected to the interface mechanism to form a water passage to communicate with the filter bottle; a blocking member is movably provided on a mechanism body and has a first position for closing the water passage and a second position for opening the water passage; a magnetic member is provided on the mechanism body and produces a magnetic force to the blocking member, for driving the blocking member to move towards the first position; the connector is inserted into the water passage to push the blocking member to the second position.

Abstract: A portable pathogen analysis system (PPAS) designed to detect microbial pathogens at the point-of-sample collection. The system comprises a concentration tube used for the concentration of microbes in large volumes of water samples using super absorbent polymer (SAP) beads and a hand-powered centrifuge; and a processing component, which functions as a portable lab-on-a-disc droplet digital nucleic acid amplification system, which integrates DNA extraction, nucleic acid amplification, and post-amplicon analysis in a single unit. The present invention provides a fast, cost-effective, and user-friendly solution for microbial water quality analysis in low-resource settings.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds LAG-3. A nucleic acid molecule encoding the antibody, an expression vector, a host cell and a method for expressing the antibody are also provided. The present invention further provides an immunoconjugate, a bispecific molecule and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody, as well as a diagnostic and treatment method using an anti-LAG-3 antibody of the invention.

Abstract: Described herein are embodiments for question answering over knowledge graph using a Knowledge Embedding based Question Answering (KEQA) framework. Instead of inferring an input questions' head entity and predicate directly, KEQA embodiments target jointly recovering the question's head entity, predicate, and tail entity representations in the KG embedding spaces. In embodiments, a joint distance metric incorporating various loss terms is used to measure distances of a predicated fact to all candidate facts. In embodiments, the fact with the minimum distance is returned as the answer. Embodiments of a joint training strategy are also disclosed for better performance. Performance evaluation on various datasets demonstrates the effectiveness of the disclosed systems and methods using the KEQA framework.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid-state temporary reinforcing material, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof. The liquid-state temporary reinforcing material comprises a reinforcing material and a crystallization inhibitor; the reinforcing material is selected from molecules of any two or more of menthol, menthone, menthol ester and menthol ether, and the content of the crystallization inhibitor is less than 50 ppm. For the liquid-state temporary reinforcing material of the present invention, the menthol and the derivatives of the liquid-state temporary reinforcing material are integrally mixed together to form the composite material for temporary reinforcing, the composite material being liquid and volatilization-controllable at room temperature. Thus, the temporary reinforcing requirements for extracting cultural relics at an archaeology excavation site may be met, and the material is convenient to use.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds human PD-1. A nucleic acid molecule encoding the antibody, an expression vector, a host cell and a method for expressing the antibody are also provided. The present invention further provides an immunoconjugate, a bispecific molecule and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody, as well as a diagnostic and treatment method using an anti-PD-1 antibody of the invention.

Abstract: The concepts relate to task completion and specifically to aiding a user to complete an unfinished task at a subsequent time and/or on another device. One example can identify that a user is working on a task on a computing device associated with the user. In an instance when the user stops using the computing device without completing the task, the example can predict a likelihood that the user will subsequently resume the task on a second computing device associated with the user. In an instance where the likelihood exceeds a threshold, the example can attempt to aid the user in completing the task on the second computing device.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for detecting microbial pathogens in a sample suspected of containing the pathogens. The method includes combining loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reagents and a polymer gel, such as a hydrogel, together with the sample to form a mixture. The gel polymerizes over a short time to immobilize the viral particles within the mixture. If target DNA/RNA are present in the sample, amplicons are produced. The target microorganisms are detected by visually detecting the presence or absence of the amplicons. The target microorganism concentrations may be determined based on the number of fluorescent amplicon dots after the reaction using a smartphone or a fluorescent microscope. The method may be employed for rapidly and inexpensively quantifying microbial pathogens in environmental water samples with high sensitivity.

Abstract: A portable pathogen analysis system (PPAS) designed to detect microbial pathogens at the point-of-sample collection. The system comprises a concentration tube used for the concentration of microbes in large volumes of water samples using super absorbent polymer (SAP) beads and a hand-powered centrifuge; and a processing component, which functions as a portable lab-on-a-disc droplet digital nucleic acid amplification system, which integrates DNA extraction, nucleic acid amplification, and post-amplicon analysis in a single unit. The present invention provides a fast, cost-effective, and user-friendly solution for microbial water quality analysis in low-resource settings.

Abstract: The present invention features microcapsule particle compositions with an oil or aqueous liquid core, and shell composed of a blend of metal or semi-metal oxide polymers. Methods for preparing and using the microcapsule particles in personal care, therapeutic, cosmetic and cosmeceutic products are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated monoclonal antibody that specifically binds LAG-3. A nucleic acid molecule encoding the antibody, an expression vector, a host cell and a method for expressing the antibody are also provided. The present invention further provides an immunoconjugate, a bispecific molecule and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody, as well as a diagnostic and treatment method using an anti-LAG-3 antibody of the invention.

Abstract: A composite ceramic including: a lithium garnet major phase; and a grain growth inhibitor minor phase, as defined herein. Also disclosed is a method of making composite ceramic, pellets and tapes thereof, a solid electrolyte, and an electrochemical device including the solid electrolyte, as defined herein.

Abstract: The present invention features microcapsule particles with an oil or aqueous liquid core, and shell composed of a blend of metal or semi-metal oxide polymers. Methods for preparing and using the microcapsule particles in personal care, therapeutic, cosmetic and cosmeceutic products are also provided.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining column ordering of a data storage table for search optimization are described herein. In some examples, a computing system is configured to receive input containing statistics of a plurality of queries. The computing system can then determine a new column order (i.e., layout) based at least in part on the statistics. In some example techniques described herein, the computing system can determine the new column order based at least in part on the hardware components storing the data storage table, storage system parameters, and/or user preference information. Example techniques described herein can apply the new column order to data subsequently added to the data storage table. Example techniques described herein can apply the new column order to existing data in the data storage table.

Abstract: A sequentially activated multi-diaphragm foam pump for a foam dispenser includes a housing with a liquid pump portion and air pump portion secured. The liquid pump portion has a liquid inlet and valve, a liquid pump diaphragm, a liquid outlet and outlet valve. The air pump portion has a first and second air inlet and air inlet valve, a first and second air pump diaphragm, and a first and second air outlet. The foam pump also includes a mixing chamber that is in fluid communication with the liquid outlet, the first second air outlets. The liquid pump diaphragm, the first and second air pump diaphragms, operate in sequential order and the foamy mixture is dispensed through an outlet that is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a composition for intracellular delivery of a polypeptide. Generally, the composition includes a substrate that has a surface, a cleavable linker affixed to at least a portion of the surface, and a cargo polypeptide bound to the cleavable linker. In some embodiments, the cargo polypeptide can further include a targeting peptide. In another aspect, this disclosure describes a method for intracellular delivery of a polypeptide. Generally, the method includes administering to a subject any embodiments of the composition summarized above, and cleaving the cleavable linker, thereby releasing the cargo polypeptide from the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to microcapsule composition which encapsulates active material that may be used in products for washing and cleaning and/or care and protection of animate or inanimate. The invention also relates to polyurethane and polyurea microcapsules that may be modified with additional polymers.