Abstract: A system with an analyzer device in fluid communication with a sample of a bodily fluid is configured to chemically or electrochemically convert at least a portion of ammonium (NH4+) contained within the bodily fluid into ammonia (NH3) and dispel the converted ammonia (NH3) into a gas sensing chamber. An ammonia (NH3) sensor located within the gas sensing chamber in conjunction with a processor can quantify an amount of ammonia (NH3) present in the gas sensing chamber in relation to the total ammonia of the bodily fluid.

Abstract: A communications device including an array of optical transmitters, each element of the array including an optical source and an antenna coupled to the optical source. The communications device also includes a plurality of tunable delay components interconnecting transmitters in the array of optical transmitters, and a communications signal path configured to conduct a communications signal through the array of the optical transmitters. The optical sources are synchronized.

Abstract: A system provides the minimum number of sensors that will be needed to uniquely identify locations where anomalous behavior is sensed that can be deployed within the specified budget. The system applies an Integer Linear Programming formulation and a Maximum Set-Group Cover (MSGC) formulation. One implementation of the system is applied to detect contaminants in a water distribution system.

Abstract: A modified bitumen includes bitumen and a bitumen modifier. The bitumen modifier includes composite particles. The composite particles include aluminosilicate nanostructures defining nanopores and micropores and paraffin wax adhered to surfaces of the aluminosilicate nanostructures. Modifying bitumen includes combining bitumen and the bitumen modifier.

Abstract: Compositions and methods relating to bacterial ribosomes selected to increase the incorporation of at least one glycosylated amino acid into a protein versus a wild-type bacterial ribosome. Selection embodiments include growing bacteria in the presence of a puromycin derivative, wherein a surviving clone has a ribosome that incorporates at least one glycosylated amino acid into a protein.

Abstract: A facial mask having pathogen inactivation capabilities is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a mask and a pathogen inactivation system coupled to the mask. The pathogen inactivation system is configured to heat and inactivate bacteria and viruses.

Abstract: A system includes a processor that accesses a sequence of device events S from IoT network traffic and a plurality of user activity signatures, each user activity signature U in the plurality of user activity signatures being a known sequence of device events. The processor is configured to infer a user activity by way of approximate user activity signature matching.

Abstract: Provided are biomarkers for diagnosis of ALS and for differential diagnosis of distinct ALS subtypes. Also provided are methods of modulating the biomarkers for the treatment of ALS.

Abstract: Preparing hybrid-treated plastic particles from waste plastic includes combining waste plastic particles with bio-oil to yield a mixture, irradiating the mixture with microwave radiation to yield oil-treated plastic particles, and contacting the oil-treated plastic particles with carbon-containing nanoparticles to yield hybrid-treated plastic particles. The hybrid-treated plastic particles have a bio-oil modified surface and a coating comprising carbon-containing nanoparticles on the bio-oil modified surface of the plastic particle. In some examples, a diameter of the plastic particle is in a range between 250 ?m and 750 ?m, and a thickness of the coating is in a range of 1 nm to 20 nm. A modified binder includes an asphalt binder or a concrete binder and a multiplicity of the treated plastic particles. The modified binder typically includes 5 wt % to 25 wt % of the hybrid-treated plastic particles.

Abstract: Preparing a microbially desulfurized crumb rubber includes combining microorganisms capable of breaking crosslinked sulfur bonds, sulfur-containing crumb rubber, and a salt solution to yield a mixture; combining a buffer with the mixture to yield a buffered mixture, thereby adjusting a pH of the mixture; providing oxygen to the buffered mixture; incubating the buffered mixture for a length of time to yield a microbially desulfurized mixture; combining the microbially desulfurized mixture with bitumen to yield a precursor; and heating the precursor to yield the microbially desulfurized crumb rubber. The microbially desulfurized crumb rubber can be combined with bitumen to yield a modified bitumen. The modified bitumen can be combined with asphalt to yield a modified asphalt.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for direct radio frequency (RF) signal processing for heart rate (HR) monitoring using ultra-wide band (UWB) impulse radar are presented. A radar sensor is able to directly sample a received signal at RF which satisfies the Nyquist sampling rate, preserving a subject's vital sign information in the received signal. The vital sign information can be extracted directly from a raw RF signal and thus down conversion to a complex baseband is not required. The HR monitoring performance from the proposed direct RF signal processing technique provides an improvement in continuous HR monitoring as compared against existing methods using a complex baseband signal and/or other measurement techniques.

Abstract: A nanocomposite catalyst includes a support, a multiplicity of nanoscale metal oxide clusters coupled to the support, and one or more metal atoms coupled to each of the nanoscale metal oxide clusters. Fabricating a nanocomposite catalyst includes forming nanoscale metal oxide clusters including a first metal on a support, and depositing one or more metal atoms including a second metal on the nanoscale metal oxide clusters. The nanocomposite catalyst is suitable for catalyzing reactions such as CO oxidation, water-gas-shift, reforming of CO2 and methanol, and oxidation of natural gas.

Abstract: A solid electrolyte represented by general formula LiySiRx(MO4), where x is an integer from 1 to 3 inclusive, y=4?x, each R present is independently C1-C3 alkyl or C1-C3 alkoxy, and M is sulfur, selenium, or tellurium. Methods of making the solid electrolyte include combining a phenylsilane and a first acid to yield mixture including benzene and a second acid, and combining at least one of an alkali halide, and alkali amide, and an alkali alkoxide with the second acid to yield a product d represented by general formula LiySiRx(MO4)y. The second acid may be in the form of a liquid or a solid. The phenylsilane includes at least one C1-C3 alkyl substituent or at least one C1-C3 alkoxy substituent, and the first acid includes at least one of sulfuric acid, selenic acid, and telluric acid.

Abstract: Methods for controlled microstructure creation utilize seeding of amorphous layers prior to annealing. Seed crystals are formed on an amorphous layer or layers. The material, size, and spacing of the seed crystals may be varied, and multiple seed layers and/or amorphous layers may be utilized. Thereafter, the resulting assembly is annealed to generate a crystalline microstructure. Via use of these methods, devices having desirable microstructural properties are enabled.

Abstract: A mapping approach (“PathSeeker”) for CGRAs analyzes mapping failures and performs local adjustments to a schedule to obtain a mapping. First, instead of backtracking or restarting the mapping as in previous mapping methods, PathSeeker analyzes the predecessor and successor nodes to find the reason behind the failed mapping. Second, PathSeeker explores local transformations for the predecessor and successor of the failed node to achieve a valid mapping. Finally, when local transformations do not yield a valid mapping, different PE positions of the other nodes in the time-slot of the failed node, the predecessor, and successor are iteratively explored, to find a valid mapping.

Abstract: Porphyrins and porphyrin derivatives of General Formulas I-V are suitable for use as donor-type materials for photovoltaic cells, absorbers for dye-sensitized solar cells, emitters for red and near infra-red organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), absorbers and re-emitters for organic concentrators (e.g., large area organic film for collection of sunlight) for small-size and high efficiency inorganic photovoltaics, and absorbers for hydrogeneration.

Abstract: An electrode includes an electrically conductive substrate with a coating containing boron-doped diamond (BDD) nanoparticles. Fabricating the electrode can include dispersing BDD nanoparticles in a solvent to yield a suspension, coating a conductive substrate with the suspension, and drying the suspension to yield the electrode. In some cases, fabricating the electrode includes combining BDD nanoparticles with a polymeric resin precursor to yield a mixture including a metal oxide, coating a conductive substrate with the mixture to yield a coated substrate, and calcining the coated substrate to yield a metal oxide coating including BDD nanoparticles.

Abstract: Medical image segmentation using interactive refinement, in which the trained deep models are then utilized for the processing of medical imaging are described. Operating a two-step deep learning training framework including receiving original input images at the deep learning training framework; generating an initial prediction image specifying image segmentation by base segmentation model; receiving user input guidance signals; routing each of (i) the original input images, (ii) the initial prediction image, and (iii) the user input guidance signals to an InterCNN; generating a refined prediction image specifying refined image segmentation by processing each of the (i) the original input images, (ii) the initial prediction image, and (iii) the user input guidance signals through the InterCNN to render the refined prediction image incorporating the user input guidance signals; and outputting a refined segmentation mask to the deep learning training framework as a guidance signal.

Abstract: A system may be configured for implementing targeted attacks on deep reinforcement learning-based autonomous driving with learned visual patterns. In some examples, processing circuitry receives first input specifying an initial state for a driving environment and user configurable input specifying a target state. Processing circuitry may generate a representative dataset of the driving environment by performing multiple rollouts of the vehicle through the driving environment, including performing an action for the vehicle from the initial state with variable strength noise added to determine a next state for each rollout resulting from the action. Processing circuitry may train an artificial intelligence model to output a next predicted state based on the representative dataset as training input. In such an example, processing circuitry outputs from the artificial intelligence model, an attack plan against the autonomous driving agent to achieve the target state from the initial state.

Abstract: A system for testing sensors is disclosed. The system includes a platform having a plurality of mounting holes and a microcontroller, the microcontroller having a wireless network interface. The system also includes a mount releasably coupled to the platform through a mounting hole, the mount configured to hold a sensor. The system includes a motor operatively coupled to the platform, and a motor controller communicatively coupled to the motor and configured to drive the motor to rotate the platform about an axis of rotation at a target speed. The microcontroller is communicatively coupled to a sensor releasably coupled to the mount. The microcontroller is configured to receive a measurement from the sensor that is output by the sensor in response to the platform being rotated such that the mount is subjected to a constant centripetal force. The microcontroller is configured to wirelessly transmit the measurement to an external device.