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Gel-forming block copolymers were prepared comprising i) a central hydrophilic block consisting essentially of a divalent poly(ethylene oxide) chain and ii) two peripheral monocarbonate or polycarbonate hydrophobic blocks. The hydrophobic blocks comprise one or more vitamin-bearing subunits. The vitamin-bearing subunits comprise a carbonate backbone portion and a side chain comprising a covalently bound form of a vitamin. The gel-forming block copolymers can be used to prepare various biodegradable and/or biocompatible hydrogel and organogel drug compositions, in particular antimicrobial and/or anti-tumor drug compositions. The hydrogel compositions can be suitable for depot injections. Synergistic enhancement of toxicity to microbes was observed with compositions comprising an antimicrobial cationic polymer and an antimicrobial compound.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a transducer is provided. The transducer includes a substrate, and a diaphragm suspended from the substrate, wherein the diaphragm is displaceable in response to an acoustic signal impinging on the diaphragm, wherein the transducer is configured, in a first mode of operation, to determine a direction of the acoustic signal based on a first displacement of the diaphragm in the first mode of operation, and to decide to accept or reject the acoustic signal based on at least one predetermined parameter and the determined direction of the acoustic signal, and in a second mode of operation, to sense the acoustic signal based on a second displacement of the diaphragm in the second mode of operation if the acoustic signal is accepted in the first mode of operation.

A method and system are proposed to obtain quantitative data about the shape of a biological structure, and especially a heart ventricle. A set of three-dimensional input meshes are generated from MRI data. They represent the shape of a ventricle at successive times. The input meshes are used to generate a set of three-dimensional morphed meshes which have the same number of vertices as each other, and have respective shapes which are the shapes of corresponding ones of the input meshes. Then, for each of the times, shape analysis is performed to obtain a curvedness value at each of a plurality of corresponding locations in the morphed meshes. The curvedness value may be used to obtain a curvedness rate at each of the locations, indicative of the rate of change of curvedness with time at each of the locations.

A method for thin film encapsulation (TFE) of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device, including providing a substrate; forming a MEMS device on the substrate; forming one or more etching channels adjacent to the MEMS device; providing one or more cavities below the MEMS device; and forming one or more cavities above the MEMS device.

A processing method to trim ends of DNA fragments, exposing the internal DNA part to give original DNA sequence information enabling application of next generation sequencing for DNA samples to be amplified by DOP-PCR or other primer dependent amplification methods. Specifically, nucleic acids are amplified using primers comprising a recognition site for a restriction enzyme, for example Bpml or Mmel. Primer sequences are removed by cleavage with the restriction enzyme.

There is presently provided a probe comprising an isolated sphingolipid binding domain (SBD) polypeptide, wherein the isolated SBD polypeptide is capable of binding to a sphingolipid, and methods and uses relating to such a probe.

A barrier stack for encapsulating a moisture and/or oxygen sensitive electronic device is provided. The barrier stack comprises a multilayer film having at least one barrier layer having low moisture and/or oxygen permeability, and at least one sealing layer arranged to be in contact with a surface of the barrier layer, wherein the sealing material comprises reactive nanoparticles capable of interacting with moisture and/or oxygen, thereby retarding the permeation of moisture and/or oxygen through defects present in the barrier layer.

Methods and apparatus for non-destructive testing of a composite structure utilizing sonic or ultrasonic waves. In response to a wideband chirp wave sonic excitation signal transmitted from a probe to the composite structure, a probe signal received is correlated with a library of predetermined probe signals and a graphical representation of defects detected is generated. The graphical representation provides detailed information on defect type, defect location and defect shape. Also contemplated is a probe for non-destructive testing of a composite structure comprising three or more transducers wherein each transducer is separately configurable as a transmitter or as a receiver; and a controller coupled to each of transducer for providing signals thereto and receiving signals therefrom, wherein the signals provided thereto include signals for configuring each transducer as either a transmitter or a receiver, and signals for providing an excitation signal from each transducer which is configured as a transmitter.

A polydioxanone film comprising substantially cylindrical polydioxanone pillars on at least one side thereof, said pillars having diameters from about 0.2 ?m to about 3 ?m, and heights from about 2 ?m to about 20 ?m from the surface of the film, a process for adsorbing proteins using the film and medical devices incorporating the film.

Embodiments of systems and methods for speaker verification are provided. In various embodiments, a method includes receiving an utterance from a speaker and determining a text-independent speaker verification score and a text-dependent speaker verification score in response to the utterance. Various embodiments include a system for speaker verification, the system comprising an audio receiving device for receiving an utterance from a speaker and converting the utterance to an utterance signal, and a processor coupled to the audio receiving device for determining speaker verification in response to the utterance signal, wherein the processor determines speaker verification in response to a UBM-independent speaker-normalized score.