Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein is generally directed to novel CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) subtypes associated with response to immunotherapy treatment. Specifically, the subtypes are associated with checkpoint blockade therapy. Moreover, the subject matter disclosed herein is generally directed to methods and compositions for use of the subtypes. Also, disclosed herein are gene signatures and markers associated with the subtypes and use of said signatures and markers. Further disclosed are therapeutic methods of using said gene signatures and immune cell subtypes. Further disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising populations of CD8+ TILs enriched for a specific subtype.

Abstract: Provided are cytoplasts (enucleated cells), methods for making cytoplasts, compositions comprising cytoplasts, and methods for using cytoplasts.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to differentiation of stem cells into pancreatic endocrine cells. In some aspects, the methods provided herein relate to generation of pancreatic ? cell, ? cell, ? cells, and EC cells in vitro. In some aspects, the disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions including the cells generated according to the methods disclosed herein, as well as methods of treatment making use thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, compositions, kits, and agents useful for inducing ? cell maturation, and isolated populations of SC-? cells for use in various applications, such as cell therapy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oncolytic virus comprising: (i) a GM-CSF-encoding gene; and (ii) an immune co-stimulatory pathway activating molecule or an immune co-stimulatory pathway activating molecule-encoding gene.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions and kits comprising recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) with tropisms showing increased specificity and efficiency of viral transduction in targeted cell types such as the brain and lung. The rAAV compositions described herein also have tropisms showing decreased specificity and decreased efficiency of viral transduction in an off-target cell type such as the liver. The rAAV compositions described herein encapsidate a transgene, such as a therapeutic nucleic acid. Upon systemic delivery to a subject, the rAAV is capable of increased specificity and increased transduction of the transgene in a target cell-type, as compared to a parental or reference AAV.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides engineered ketoreductase enzymes having improved properties as compared to a naturally occurring wild-type ketoreductase enzyme. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, host cells capable of expressing the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, and methods of using the engineered ketoreductase enzymes to synthesize a variety of chiral compounds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to mutant polypeptides derived from Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) which can be fused to a polypeptide of interest for efficient conditional modulation of its activity. Also disclosed are polynucleotides encoding such mutant polypeptides, vectors comprising such polynucleotides, and the use of such polypeptides, polynucleotides and vectors for treating a disorder.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are enzymatically active Cas9 (eaCas9) fusion molecules, comprising an eaCas9 molecule linked, e.g., covalently or non-covalently, to a template nucleic acid; gene editing systems comprising the eaCas9 fusion molecules, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: Modified PH20 hyaluronidase polypeptides, including modified polypeptides that exhibit increased stability and/or increased activity, are provided. Also provided are compositions and formulations and uses thereof.

Abstract: Unglycosylated lysostaphin variant protein, nucleic acid molecule, vector and host cell, as well as a method for production of unglycosylated lysostaphin variant protein in a yeast expression system are provided. The proteins are produced in a Pichia pastoris expression system and have been shown to have activity equivalent to wild-type lysostaphin. The lysostaphin variant proteins can be used as therapeutic proteins for treatment of diseases such as Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for ionic liquid processing of biomass.

Abstract: Disclosed are a construction method and application of a microorganism capable of realizing high production of lacto-N-tetrose, belonging to the field of microbial genetic engineering. The present disclosure employs a strain which has been constructed in the early stage for efficiently producing a precursor lacto-N-triose II as an original strain to synthesize a key gene of the lacto-N-tetrose via over-expression, thus enabling the strain to have a synthesis capability of producing the lacto-N-tetrose. The present disclosure improves the synthesis of the lacto-N-tetrose by screening a high-efficiency ?-1,3-galactosyl transferase gene, and reasonably designing the co-expression of the ?-1,3-galactosyl transferase gene and a key UDP-glucose 4 epimerase gene (galE) for strengthening a UDP-galactose pathway on a vector pCDFDuet-1. In a shake flask experiment, the lacto-N-tetrose production capacity of Escherichia coli is 3.04 g/L. The lacto-N-tetrose yield in a 3 L fermentation tank reaches 25.49 g/L.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the enzymatic modification of a glycoprotein. The process comprises the step of contacting a glycoprotein comprising a glycan comprising a terminal GlcNAc-moiety, in the presence of glycosyltransferase that is, or is derived from, a ?-(1,4)-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase, with a non-natural sugar-derivative nucleotide. The non-natural sugar-derivative nucleotide is according to formula (3): wherein A is selected from the group consisting of —N3, —C(O)R3, —(CH2)iC?C—R4, —SH, —SC(O)R8, —SC(O)OR8, —SC(S)OR8, —F, —Cl, —Br —I, —OS(O)2R5, terminal C2-C24 alkenyl groups, C3-C5 cycloalkenyl groups, C4-C8 alkadienyl groups, terminal C3-C24 allenyl groups and amino groups.

Abstract: A type III collagen peptide and a preparation method thereof are provided. The preparation method includes: degreasing a raw material, performing ultrasonic treatment and fermentation to obtain a total crude protein extract; extracting a crude collagen extract under an acidic condition; adding a clarificant to remove impurities; adding Bacillus coagulans for fermentation to obtain a type III collagen; adding a compound protease for enzymolysis, followed by inoculating staphylococcus simulans for fermentation; and separating and purifying to obtain the type III collagen peptide. The type III collagen peptide has an average molecular weight of 300-3,000 Daltons, contains a symbolic peptide fragment of type III collagen, is safe, free of toxic and side effects, and easy to digest, can be used as a raw material of medicines, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and food, and be added into acidic beverages, and can promote generation of type III collagen in human's body.

Abstract: The present invention is related to production of retinyl esters, such as in particular retinyl acetate, an important building block for production of vitamin A. The retinyl esters might be generated via enzymatic conversion of retinol which process includes the use of enzymes with acetyl-transferase (ATF) activity, thus acetylating retinol into retinol/retinyl acetate. Said process is particularly useful for biotechnological production of vitamin A.

Abstract: Methods for production of ethanol, distiller's corn oil, and enhanced co-products are disclosed. Methods include obtaining a mixture of one or more co-products of an alcohol production process, which may include wet cake, performing hydrolysis of polysaccharides in the mixture to generate fermentable sugars, fermenting the fermentable sugars in the mixture to produce alcohol, distilling the mixture to remove alcohol from the mixture thereby producing alcohol-containing distillate and enhanced whole stillage, removing released oil from the fermented mixture before distillation and/or from the enhanced whole stillage after distillation, and recovering enhanced wet distiller's grains, enhanced thin stillage, and/or enhanced dried distiller's grains. Compositions disclosed herein include enhanced dried distiller's grains having a crude protein content of at least 45% on a dry weight basis and having a total fat content of less than 10% on a dry weight basis.

Abstract: An engineered yeast strain capable of efficient fermentation of xylose to ethanol, and methods of making and using the strain, are provided.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses construction and application of an engineered strain of E. coli for producing malic acid by fixing CO2, and belongs to the field of fermentation. The engineered strain is obtained by performing genetic engineering transformation on Escherichia coli MG1655; the genetic engineering transformation includes knocking out a fumarate reductase gene, a fumarase gene, a lactate dehydrogenase gene and an alcohol dehydrogenase gene and freely overexpressing a formate dehydrogenase, an acetyl coenzyme A synthetase, an acylated acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, a formaldehyde lyase, a dihydroxyacetone kinase, a malic enzyme and a phosphite oxidoreductase to obtain a strain GH0407. The strain is used for producing malic acid by fermentation, anaerobic fermentation is performed for 72 hours with CO2 and glucose as a co-substrate, the production of malic acid reaches 39 g/L, the yield is 1.53 mol/mol, and accumulation of malic acid in the original strain is not achieved.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of assessing the presence of microbes in a liquid sample that include assessing an initial integrated scattering intensity of objects (IC0) in the sample and an integrated scattering intensity of the objects at a time t (ICt) from modified images of the liquid sample, and identifying the sample as comprising microbes for (ICt)/(IC0) above a predefined infection threshold TI. Related systems and other aspects are also provided.

Abstract: Methods of accurately determining DNA barcodes using a cylindrical nanopore system. The methods include steps of leveraging the average velocity of a double-stranded DNA segment passing through a single cylindrical nanopore that is measured through repeated scanning to accurately determine protein tag locations on the double-stranded DNA segment. As such, the methods provide for the accurate calculation of a barcode for the double-stranded DNA segment based on protein tag locations without underestimation or overestimate issues. The underlying concept and the methods are equally applicable to other multi-nanopore systems which use the dwell time and time of flight velocities to measure the barcodes.

Abstract: The invention relates in particular to a method for detecting and/or quantifying cell-free DNA from a sample of biological fluid of a patient of interest, comprising at least: (i) a step of extracting cell-free DNA from a sample of biological fluid to which at least one effective quantity of a first exogenous DNA fragment having 50-2000 base pairs, preferably 50-200 base pairs, preferably 60-160 base pairs, even more preferably 70-150 base pairs and better still 80-140 base pairs (ICE), is added; (ii) a step of amplifying and quantifying the cell-free DNA extracted in step (i) and the exogenous DNA fragment ICE; and (iii) a step of standardising the amount of cell-free DNA extracted, comprising the calculation of a first ratio (Grewis) of the number of copies of cell-free DNA to the number of copies of the first fragment of exogenous DNA (ICE), and the uses thereof for the purpose of diagnosis, prognosis or theragnosis, or for monitoring the progress of a specific physiological state of a patient of interest

Abstract: In some aspects, the present disclosure provides methods for forming ligation products comprising single-stranded polynucleotides without the need for enriching the single-stranded polynucleotides. Ligation products formed by various aspects of the present disclosure can be useful for various applications, including but not limited to sequence analysis. In some embodiments, the ligation products comprise cell-free polynucleotides. In some aspects, the present disclosure provides reaction mixtures, kits and complexes consistent with the methods herein.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to chemical compositions, kits, and apparatuses and methods for using these compositions, kits and apparatuses in various assays.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for target gene sequencing and single cell barcoding in conjunction with analysis of gene expression in single cells. In some embodiments, the target gene is an immune molecule, such as an antibody or TCR. In some embodiments, the methods can be used to carry out transcriptome sequencing, e.g., RNA sequencing, to capture transcriptome of single cells paired with full receptor immune receptor sequences such that information about the immune repertoire and transcriptome of a cell can be determined. Also provided are polynucleotide libraries for use in carrying out transcriptome analysis and immune molecule, e.g., antibody or TCR, sequencing.

Abstract: The disclosure provides compositions, methods, and systems for implementation of highly multiplexed molecular diagnostic assays involving color combinatorics, stimulus-responsive probes, tandem probes, conjugated polymer probes, and other mechanisms for increasing the number of targets that can be simultaneously detected in a digital assay. Multiplexed detection of targets is achieved in a rapid manner, with respect to sample partitioning and target detection using multiple color channels for detection. Implementation of methods described also achieve detection with significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of the relative value of the gene expression level of the IL-6 gene in the prognosis or the diagnosis of a type II diabetes mellitus disease in a subject. It further relates to a method for prognosing and/or diagnosing a type II diabetes mellitus disease for classification of a subject into risk groups, wherein the gene expression level of the IL-6 gene is determined and the subject is subsequently classified into risk groups, taking said gene expression level into account.

Abstract: Methods of treating obesity and methods of identifying susceptibility of an obese subject to treatment with an agonist of the leptin-melanocortin signaling pathway are provided herein.

Abstract: Provided herein is technology for neoplasia screening, and particularly, but not exclusively, to methods, compositions, and related uses for detecting the presence of cancer, in particular, colorectal cancer.

Abstract: Methods are provided to improve the positive predictive value for cancer detection using cell-free nucleic acid samples. The methods can include the use of at least two assays. The assays can vary, for example, with respect to sensitivity, specificity, sequencing depth, analyte, and cost. An exemplary method can be used to provide an initial cancer assay with high sensitivity and a follow-up assay with high specificity in detecting cancer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for the detection of rare mutations and copy number variations in cell free polynucleotides. Generally, the systems and methods comprise sample preparation, or the extraction and isolation of cell free polynucleotide sequences from a bodily fluid; subsequent sequencing of cell free polynucleotides by techniques known in the art; and application of bioinformatics tools to detect rare mutations and copy number variations as compared to a reference. The systems and methods also may contain a database or collection of different rare mutations or copy number variation profiles of different diseases, to be used as additional references in aiding detection of rare mutations, copy number variation profiling or general genetic profiling of a disease.

Abstract: A stevia cultivar, designated ‘16228013’, is disclosed. Further embodiments relate to the plant parts of stevia cultivar ‘16228013’, to the plants of stevia ‘16228013’ and to methods for producing a stevia plant produced by crossing the cultivar ‘16228013’ with itself or another stevia variety, including methods using marker assisted breeding. Further embodiments relate to hybrid stevia seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar ‘16228013’ with another stevia cultivar. Six highly polymorphic SNPs loci and the corresponding genomic sequences used to identify plant variety ‘16228013’ derived plant materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: The process of producing concentrated maple sap can include concentrating the maple sap using membrane filtration to a sugar content of approximately 30° Brix, circulating the maple through a maple sap passage of a membrane, wherein the membrane contains the maple sap in a vacuum cavity, and evaporating the water from the maple sap across the membrane into the cavity. The concentrated maple sap having a sugar content above 50° Brix.

Abstract: A method for dyeing and/or retanning of leather objects includes providing a leather object. The leather object has been processed by at least a tanning process. The leather object is introduced into a process chamber. The leather object is subjected in the process chamber to a pressurized fluid. The pressure of the pressurized fluid is controlled to reach a supercritical state. The leather object is subjected to a dyeing agent and/or a retanning agent, which dyeing or retanning agent is dissolved and/or transported in the pressurized fluid for at least a predefined period of time while the pressurized fluid is in the supercritical state. The pressure is reduced in the process chamber. The leather object is removed from the process chamber. The pressure reduction is controlled over time.

Abstract: A method for cooling a rolled product in a cooling section which is located upstream of a finishing train of a hot rolling mill. The cooling section includes a cooling device which can deliver a coolant flow of a coolant onto a rolled product surface of the rolled product. In the method, a coolant flow is delivered, by means of each cooling device and in each cooling section pass, onto the rolled product surface, which flow is set to a set value that is assigned to the relevant cooling device for the cooling section pass. The set values for a cooling section pass are determined in a simulation of the cooling section pass so that surface temperatures, determined in the simulation, of the rolled product surface upon leaving active regions of the cooling device do not exceed a minimum value for a surface temperature of the rolled product surface.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a plated steel sheet for hot press forming, having an excellent impact property.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention relates to a cold-rolled steel plate for hot forming, which is excellent in corrosion-resistance and spot-weldability, contains, by weight %, C: 0.1-0.4%, Si: 0.5-2.0%, Mn: 0.01-4.0%, Al: 0.001-0.4%, P: 0.001-0.05%, S: 0.0001-0.02%, Cr: 0.5% to less than 3.0%, N: 0.001-0.02%, and a balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, satisfying formula (1) below, and includes an Si amorphous oxidation layer continuously or discontinuously formed at a thickness of 1 nm-100 nm on the surface thereof. Formula (1): 1.4?0.4*Cr+Si?3.2 (wherein element symbols denote measurements of respective element contents by weight %).

Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.

Abstract: This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt ions and tungstic acid and/or its derivatives from aqueous solutions, such as in particular the spent catalytic waters deriving from processes for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils. In particular this invention relates to a process for the recovery of cobalt ions and tungstic acid and/or its derivatives which provides for the use of cation-exchange resins.

Abstract: Methods for recovering metals from metal-containing materials are provided. The metal-containing material comprises either Co and Li (e.g., an electrode material from a spent lithium ion battery) or Fe and Al (e.g., bauxite). The metal-containing material is exposed to a leaching solution comprising ammonium hydrogen oxalate, oxalic acid, or both, to provide a solid composed of either cobalt oxalate or iron oxalate, and a solution of either lithium oxalate or aluminum oxalate. The solid is processed to provide either cobalt oxide or iron oxide; the solution is processed to provide either a lithium precipitate or an aluminum precipitate, and a filtrate comprising an oxalate; and the filtrate comprising the oxalate is processed to recover ammonium hydrogen oxalate, oxalic acid, or both. The method further comprises repeating the digestion step with the recovered ammonium hydrogen oxalate, the recovered oxalic acid, or both.

Abstract: There are provided an inexpensive copper powder, which has a low content of oxygen even it has a small particle diameter and which has a high shrinkage starting temperature when it is heated, and a method for producing the same. While a molten metal of copper heated to a temperature, which is higher than the melting point of copper by 250 to 700° C. (preferably 350 to 650° C. and more preferably 450 to 600° C.), is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the heated molten metal of copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere (such as an atmosphere of nitrogen, argon, hydrogen or carbon monoxide) to rapidly cool and solidify the heated molten metal of copper to produce a copper powder which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 10 ?m and a crystallite diameter Dx(200) of not less than 40 nm on (200) plane thereof, the content of oxygen in the copper powder being 0.7% by weight or less.

Abstract: The manufacturing method of a porous silicon material of the present disclosure includes a particle forming step of melting a raw material containing Al as a first element in an amount of 50% by mass or more and Si in an amount of 50% by mass or less to obtain a silicon alloy, a pore forming step of removing the first element from the silicon alloy to obtain a porous material, and a heat treatment step of heating the porous material to diffuse elements other than Si to a surface of the porous material.

Abstract: Flaky magnetic metal particles of embodiments each have a flat surface and a magnetic metal phase containing iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and silicon (Si). An amount of Co is from 0.001 at % to 80 at % with respect to the total amount of Fe and Co. An amount of Si is from 0.001 at % to 30 at % with respect to the total amount of the magnetic metal phase. The flaky magnetic metal particles have an average thickness of from 10 nm to 100 ?m. An average value of the ratio of the average length in the flat surface with respect to a thickness in each of the flaky magnetic metal particles is from 5 to 10,000. The flaky magnetic metal particles have the difference in coercivity on the basis of direction within the flat surface.

Abstract: Thick high-strength steel having a high yield ratio and excellent durability, and a method for manufacturing same are provided. The thick high-strength steel having a high yield ratio and excellent durability of the present invention comprises, in percentage by weight, C: 0.05 to 0.15%, Si: 0.01 to 1.0%, Mn: 1.0 to 2.3%, Al: 0.01 to 0.1%, Cr: 0.005 to 1.0%, P: 0.001 to 0.05%, S: 0.001 to 0.01%, N: 0.001 to 0.01%, Nb: 0.005 to 0.07%, Ti 0.005 to 0.11%, Fe and unavoidable impurities.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to austenitic stainless steel with excellent electrical conductivity in which metal copper is formed in a non-conductive passivation film formed on the surface of stainless steel, and a method of manufacturing the same. The austenitic stainless steel with excellent electrical conductivity according to an embodiment of present disclosure includes: a stainless steel base material comprising, in percent (%) by weight of the entire composition, C: 0.1% or less, Si: 0.1 to 1.0% or less, Mn: 0.1 to 2.0% or less, Cr: 15 to 24% or less, Ni: 6 to 12% or less, Cu: 0.5 to 3% or less, the remainder of iron (Fe) and other inevitable impurities; and a passivation film formed on the stainless steel base material, and the passivation film has a thickness of more than 0 and less than or equal to 5 nm, the Cu weight % content in the thickness region between 2 to 3 nm from the surface of the passivation film is 1.5 or more compared to the Cu weight % content of the stainless steel base material.

Abstract: The present invention solves a novel problem of corrosive wear that occurs in the use of a valve seat in an internal combustion engine using a hydrogen gas fuel. The problem is solved by an iron-based sintered alloy valve seat used in an internal combustion engine using a hydrogen gas fuel, in which the Cr content is 6% by mass to 23% by mass, the Mo content is 5% by mass to 20% by mass, the Cu content is 10% by mass to 23% by mass, the Co content is 3% by mass or more, and a total content of Cr, Mo, and Co is 14% by mass to 47% by mass.

Abstract: There are provided an inexpensive copper alloy plate having excellent bending workability, excellent stress corrosion cracking resistance and excellent stress relaxation resistance while maintaining the high strength thereof, and a method for producing the same. The copper alloy plate has a chemical composition which contains 17 to 32% by weight of zinc, 0.1 to 4.5% by weight of tin, 0.5 to 2.5% by weight of silicon, 0.01 to 0.3% by weight of phosphorus and the balance being copper and unavoidable impurities, the total of the content of silicon and six times as much as the content of phosphorus being 1% by weight or more, the copper alloy plate having a crystal orientation wherein I{220}/I{420} in the range of from 2.5 to 8.0 assuming that the X-ray diffraction intensity on {220} crystal plane on the plate surface of the copper alloy plate is I{220} and that the X-ray diffraction intensity on {420} crystal plane thereon is I{420}.

Abstract: A temperature-controlled shield for an evaporation source is described. The temperature-controlled shield is configured to provide a pre-heating zone or a post-cooling zone.

Abstract: The present application discloses a manufacturing method for a graphene film, a porous silica powder and a transparent conductive layer. The manufacturing method for a graphene film includes steps of: providing a porous material powder; placing the porous material powder in an atomic layer deposition device; forming a porous material template having a metal catalyst layer in pores; and preparing the graphene film on the porous material template.