Abstract: A method includes providing a fluid to a structure including an aperture, applying a voltage signal to a circuit that includes the fluid, applying a substantially periodic pressure signal to the fluid, detecting a current signal in the circuit as an analyte passes through the aperture in response to the substantially periodic pressure signal, and processing the current signal and the substantially periodic pressure signal to determine a switch time and a release time for the analyte. An apparatus includes a structure including an aperture to receive a fluid, a voltage source to provide a voltage signal to an electronic circuit having a path that includes the aperture, a pressure signal generator to provide a substantially periodic pressure signal to the fluid, and a system to process the periodic pressure signal and a current signal induced in the electronic circuit.

Abstract: Systems and devices for airflow measurements in rooms and air delivery ducts with low-cost, low-power, accurate, calibration-free, and compact wireless airflow sensors are provided. The system uses room and duct flow sonic anemometers and processing to measure air velocities and temperatures as well as allow control over the environmental conditioning systems. The anemometers use arrays of transmitter/receivers to simultaneously measure multiple sound paths and determine velocity vectors and volumetric flow paths. By transmitting in both directions along the paths between transceivers, differential times of flight (TOF) are measured. These determine both the velocity and temperature of the air along each path.

Abstract: A large-scale single-photonics-based optical switching system that occupies an area larger than the maximum area of a standard step-and-repeat lithography reticle is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of identical switch blocks, each of is formed in a different reticle field that no larger than the maximum reticle size. Bus waveguides of laterally adjacent switch blocks are stitched together at lateral interfaces that include a second arrangement of waveguide ports that is common to all lateral interfaces. Bus waveguides of vertically adjacent switch blocks are stitched together at vertical interfaces that include a first arrangement of waveguide ports that is common to all vertical interfaces. In some embodiments, the lateral and vertical interfaces include waveguide ports having waveguide coupling regions that are configured to mitigate optical loss due to stitching error.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to electrocatalytic process for conversion of a hydrocarbon reactant, comprising: introducing the hydrocarbon reactant into an acidic solution in a presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst includes a d° transition metal-oxo moiety; and applying an electrical input to the catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant into a product. The present disclosure also relates to a catalyst for conversion of a hydrocarbon reactant, comprising a d° transition metal-oxo moiety and a sulfonic moiety bonded to the d° transition metal.

Abstract: A spinal cord stimulator includes: (1) a flexible substrate; (2) a power source embedded in the flexible substrate; (3) a controller embedded in the flexible substrate and connected to the power source; and (4) an array of electrodes, including an array of stimulation electrodes, disposed over the flexible substrate and connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to direct the array of stimulation electrodes to deliver a stimulation pattern to a spinal cord of a patient.

Abstract: A pneumatic circuit for controlling the activation of a robot with inflatable chambers includes at least one ring oscillator formed from a plurality of valves connected in series to selectively admit fluid pressure to inflate and deflate the chambers. Sequential actuation of the valves induces sequential bending and rotation of combinations of the chambers to effect motion. A switching valve changes the actuation sequence of the oscillator valves to change the direction of motion.

Abstract: The present inventive concept is related to methods for passivating an oxide layer and methods of selectively depositing a metal, metal nitride, metal oxide, or metal silicide layer on a metal, metal oxide, or silicide layer over an oxide layer including exposing the oxide layer to a passivant that selectively binds to the oxide layer over the metal, metal oxide, or silicide layer, and selectively growing the metal, metal nitride, metal oxide or metal silicide layer on the metal, metal oxide or silicide layer.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to the determination of ecological processes. In one aspect, a device includes a base and a substrate in contact with a first side of the base. The base defines a stem port. The substrate and the first side of the base define a chamber. The chamber includes a root chamber and a first nutrient chamber. The root chamber and the first nutrient chamber are separated by a first mesh having openings of about 1 micron to 300 microns. The device is operable to house a plant, with roots of the plant being in the root chamber, and a stem of the plant passing through the stem port.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus for a human body includes a node network with at least one motion sensor and at least one acoustic sensor. A processor is coupled to the node network, and receives motion information and acoustic information from the node network. The processor determines from the motion information and the acoustic information a source of acoustic emissions within the human body by analyzing the acoustic information in the time domain to identify an event envelope representing an acoustic event, determining a feature vector related to the event envelope, calculating a distance between the feature vector and each of a set of predetermined event silhouettes, and identifying one of the predetermined event silhouettes for which the distance is a minimum.

Abstract: Embodiments described and discussed herein provide methods for selectively depositing a metal oxides on a substrate. In one or more embodiments, methods for forming a metal oxide material includes positioning a substrate within a processing chamber, where the substrate has passivated and non-passivated surfaces, exposing the substrate to a first metal alkoxide precursor to selectively deposit a first metal oxide layer on or over the non-passivated surface, and exposing the substrate to a second metal alkoxide precursor to selectively deposit a second metal oxide layer on the first metal oxide layer. The method also includes sequentially repeating exposing the substrate to the first and second metal alkoxide precursors to produce a laminate film containing alternating layers of the first and second metal oxide layers. Each of the first and second metal alkoxide precursors contains a different metal selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, aluminum, or lanthanum.

Abstract: Embodiments methods of reducing an inflammatory immune response (e.g., inhibiting a Th1 response) and/or promoting a regulatory immune response (e.g., enhancing Treg(s)) in a mammal are provided where the method methods involve administering to the mammal a GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM) in an amount sufficient to reduce an inflammatory immune response and/or to promote a regulatory immune response said mammal. In certain embodiments the PAM is administered in conjunction with a GABA receptor activating ligand (e.g., GABA).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are PEG-DPCA conjugates having multiple hydrophobic DPCA groups at one or both terminal ends of a PEG compound and compositions thereof and methods of using thereof for tissue regeneration and/or cellular repair (e.g., wound healing).

Abstract: A multimodality phantom apparatus includes a housing and a system of materials disposed within the housing. The system of material includes a first amount of abase material, a second amount of glass microspheres, a third amount of CaCO3, a fourth amount of gadolinium contrast and a fifth amount of agarose. The housing may include a plurality of compartments and at least one slot. The system of materials may be disposed within at least one compartment. The slot may be used to receive a dosimeter.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods and agents for modulating adoptive immunotherapy to enable bioengineered immune cells to utilize xenobiotic fuel, e.g., in a low glucose environment. The immune cells may be used, e.g., for treatment of a tumor or cancer, such as part of a therapeutic treatment of cancer or for treatment of a bacterial, fungal, or viral infection, alone or in combination with a low glucose (e.g., ketogenic) diet. They may also be used to treat a tumor, a cancer, an infection, an autoimmune disease, or an inflammatory or neuroinflammatory disease or condition in a patient on a low glucose diet. The immune cells may be used in combination with a scaffold or platform or with a microparticle or nanoparticle for localization of treatment or xenobiotic nutrients or for controlled release, as well as for other therapeutic uses.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a novel IKK2 inhibitor that does not target the kinase domain of IKK2 molecule. The novel IKK2 inhibitor is a cell penetrating NEMOActPep comprising a small segment (residues 384-389) of human NEMO to mediate interaction with and promote activation loop phosphorylation of IKK2. The NEMOActPep is derived from the second interaction interface of NEMO:IKK2 that is dependent upon NEMO binding to linear polyubiquitin. Methods of use the novel IKK2 inhibitor, and composition thereof, for preventing and/or treating inflammation in various diseases involving IKK-NF-?B signaling pathways are also provided.

Abstract: Peptidic positive allosteric modulators of TRPV1 are provided. Methods for the design of TPRV1 allosteric modulators are also described, as well as methods for the treatment of conditions such as pain, pruritus, and cancer.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, training a first machine learning model based on a combination of labeled training data and unlabeled training data, the first machine learning model producing augmented training data, training a second machine learning model based on a combination of the labeled training data and the augmented training data, receiving, at a client device, customer information about a service degradation at a user equipment (UE) device of a customer in a cellular network, providing the customer information to the second machine learning model, receiving, at the client device, from the second machine learning model, information identifying a root cause of the service degradation, and modifying a network component of the cellular network or the UE device, based on the information identifying a root cause of the service degradation. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A wireless implant and associated system for motor function recovery after spinal cord injury, and more particularly a multi-channel wireless implant with small package size. The wireless implant can further be used in various medical applications, such as retinal prostheses, gastrointestinal implant, vagus nerve stimulation, and cortical neuromodulation. The system also includes a method and its implementation to acquire the impedance model of the electrode-tissue interface of the implant.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems that are related to facilitating an automated, fast and accurate model for cardiac image segmentation, particularly for image data of children with complex congenital heart disease are disclosed. In one example aspect, a generative adversarial network is disclosed. The generative adversarial network includes a generator configured to generate synthetic imaging samples associated with a cardiovascular system, and a discriminator configured to receive the synthetic imaging samples from the generator and determine probabilities indicating likelihood of the synthetic imaging samples corresponding to real cardiovascular imaging sample. The discriminator is further configured to provide the probabilities determined by the discriminator to the generator and the discriminator to allow the parameters of the generator and the parameters of the discriminator to be adjusted iteratively until an equilibrium between the generator and the discriminator is established.

Abstract: A gas sensor, a method of manufacturing a gas sensor, a method for fabricating a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die for a heater or thermopile, and a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die for a heater or thermopile. The gas sensor comprises a first micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die comprising a light source; a second MEMS die comprising a light detector; a sample chamber disposes in an optical path between the light source and the light detector; and a holder substrate; wherein the first and second MEMS dies are disposed on the holder substrate in a vertical orientation relative to the holder.