Abstract: A surgical retractor assembly for providing surgical exposure. The surgical retractor assembly consists of multiple ring segments connected by adjustable ratchet mechanisms to form a complete ring. The ratchet mechanisms are attached to tissue retractor blades which provide exposure of the wound when expanded, without the requirement of a direct connection/attachment to an operating table. The tissue retractor blades are attached in a manner which is adjustable and facilitates the ability of the overall surgical retractor assembly (ring segments and connectors) to be raised or lowered with respect to the patient. The ring segments also allow attachments of additional retractor blades or other surgical retractor accessories for additional surgical exposure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a nanoelectromechanical resonator allows for uniform tuning of a resonant frequency. The nanoelectromechanical resonator can be mass produced and used to sense the presence of a selected gas.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide for deep learning-based architectures and design methodologies for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver under the constraint of one-bit complex quantization. Single bit quantization greatly reduces complexity and power consumption in the receivers, but makes accurate channel estimation and data detection difficult. This is particularly true for OFDM waveforms, which have high peak-to average (signal power) ratio in the time domain and fragile subcarrier orthogonality in the frequency domain. The severe distortion for one-bit quantization typically results in an error floor even at moderately low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) such as 5 dB. For channel estimation (using pilots), various embodiments use novel generative supervised deep neural networks (DNNs) that can be trained with a reasonable number of pilots. After channel estimation, a neural network-based receiver specifically, an autoencoder jointly learns a precoder and decoder for data symbol detection.

Abstract: Provided herein are T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeted to B cell activating factor receptor (BAFF-R). The CAR targeted to BAFF-R (BAFF-R CAR) described herein includes a domain that binds BAFF-R. Methods of making and using the BAFF-R CAR are also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are derivatives of nucleobase analogues. The disclosed compounds have a nucleobase moiety and an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid moiety, including pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof. Methods of using these compounds for the treatment of cancers such as pancreatic cancer are also disclosed.

Abstract: The exemplified disclosure presents a highly power efficient amplifier (e.g., front-end inverter and/or amplifier) that achieves significant current reuse (e.g., 6-time for a 3-stack embodiments) by stacking inverters and splitting the capacitor feedback network. In some embodiments, the exemplified technology facilitates N-time current reuse to substantially reduced power consumption. It is observed that the exemplified disclosure facilitates significant current-reuse operation that significantly boost gain gm while providing low noise performance without increasing power usage. In addition, the exemplified technology is implemented such that current reuse and number of transistor has a generally linear relationship and using fewer transistors as compared to known circuits of similar topology.

Abstract: Methods of making a semiconductor layer from nanocrystals are disclosed. A film of nanocrystals capped with a ligand can be deposited onto a substrate; and the nanocrystals can be irradiated with one or more pulses of light. The pulsed light can be used to substantially remove the ligands from the nanocrystals and leave the nanocrystals unsintered or sintered, thereby providing a semiconductor layer. Layered structures comprising these semiconductor layers with an electrode are also disclosed. Devices comprising such layered structures are also disclosed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system for producing synthesis gas, the system including a reactor including a burner, a combustion chamber, and a catalyst chamber, and a mixer upstream of the reactor configured to mix fuel with steam to produce humidified fuel that is provided to the burner of the reactor.

Abstract: Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize polymer fibers non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described. In some embodiments, thermally-powered polymer fiber torsional actuator has a twisted, chain-oriented polymer fiber that has a first degree of twist at a first temperature and a second degree of twist at a second temperature in which the bias angles of the first degree and second degree of twist are substantially different.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for treating small round cell tumor(s) by administering anti-androgen receptor therapy to a subject. The anti-androgen receptor therapy may comprise an AR antisense oligonucleotide and may be administered in combination with an additional anti-cancer agent.

Abstract: Superelastic conductive fibers, and more particularly, sheath-core fibers for superelastic electronics, sensors, and muscles, and a process for fabricating of highly stretchable sheath-core conducting fibers by wrapping fiber-direction-oriented conductive nanofiber sheets on stretched rubber fiber cores.

Abstract: A disclosed transmitter for wireless communication includes multiple transmitting antennas, a symbol mapper for mapping an input block including multiple binary bits and representing information to be transmitted to a symbol representing an ordered plurality of complex numbers, a space-time encoder for applying an encoding operator to the symbol to produce a vectorized space-time codeword defining electrical signals to be transmitted by the transmitter, the encoding operator being dependent on a set of predefined stabilizer generators, and circuitry to collectively transmit, by the antennas to multiple receiving antennas of a receiver over a wireless transmission channel, the electrical signals defined by the vectorized space-time codeword. The receiver includes a space-time decoder for recovering the symbol from the electrical signals transmitted by the transmitter using a decoding operation that is based on maximum likelihood inference, and a symbol de-mapper for recovering the input block from the symbol.

Abstract: In this disclosure, collaborative multi-agent-based TST is presented with dedicated intersection controllers that include software agents which read local and remote detection systems and then collaboratively optimize signal timing phases by considering the feedback of all controller agents that may be affected by a change. The disclosure also presents an augmented system which considers network input from handheld remote devices to update certain traffic light phase information and adapt to emerging emergency situations.

Abstract: The present invention concerns peptides and nucleic acids encoding the peptides, and their use for modulating large conductance Ca2+ activated K+ (BK) channel activity in cells; for treating conditions such as presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), audiogenic seizures, alcohol addiction, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease; and for delivering a cargo moiety to the brain of a subject through the blood-brain barrier.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to, among other things, antibody-drug conjugates comprising a STING agonist cyclic di-nucleotide conjugated to an antibody, preparation methods therefor, and uses therefor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a synthetic strategy to incorporate a C12?-hydroxy group from the methylene (—CH2-) in a steroid backbone, combining synthetic chemistry and enzymology techniques to develop a selective inhibitor for cytochrome P450 8B1, and developing a selective P450 8B1 inhibitor, which can be used as a tool to study P450 8B1 and treat health issues.

Abstract: The present disclosure addresses inflammatory lung diseases, such as COPD, and fibrotic lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, from the standpoint of inhibiting or ablating pathogenic epithelial stem cells found in the pulmonary tract.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to particle-based assays for the detection of analytes. Using various combinations of particular technologies, including gold nanorods, silver nanoparticles, gold/silver nanoshells, gold/silver nanocages and nanobubble detection, enhanced detection limits can be achieved across a large range of analytes.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions which shown preferential targeting or delivery of a nucleic acid composition to a particular organ. In some embodiments, the composition comprises a steroid or sterol, an ionizable cationic lipid, a phospholipid, a PEG lipid, and a permanently cationic lipid which may be used to deliver a nucleic acid.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a burner for use in synthesis gas production includes multiple burner units each configured to deliver fuel and oxygen to a combustion chamber, each burner unit including an inner outlet pipe configured to deliver fuel and an outer outlet pipe configured to deliver oxygen, the outer outlet pipe concentrically surrounding the inner outlet pipe.