Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a clamp assembly that includes: a first base and a second base; and a mold operational to be clamped between the first base and the second base. The clamp assembly is operational to stretch and compress the clamped mold without movement of the first base and the second base. For instance, each of the first base and the second base may include a plurality of apertures with pegs that are associated with the mold, where the pegs are operational for stretching and compressing the mold through adjustment. Further embodiments pertain to methods of moving a mold by utilizing the clamp assemblies of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A color-changing filament or yarn is provided that delivers fully-controllable full-spectrum response to current input. In embodiments, the filament is adapted to be woven into a textile and controlled to vary and maintain color independently of external temperature.

Abstract: Compositions comprising an active oxygen-responsive antioxidant crystal, methods of making them, and methods for controlling the dissolution rate and/or altering the crystallization behavior of an antioxidant are disclosed. The crystals comprise an antioxidant and a disulfide- or diselenide-crosslinked polymer that is adsorbed onto a surface of the antioxidant. Upon exposure to an active-oxygen stimulus, the polymer de-crosslinks to release the antioxidant from the composition in an amount effective to counteract the stimulus. While prior approaches to altering dissolution rates have relied on passive zero- or first-order kinetics that are independent of ROS levels, the inventive compositions actively respond by releasing antioxidant in an amount proportional to the concentration of active-oxygen species present. The crystallization methods are simple and scalable.

Abstract: A radiation detection system may include a mobile device having a flash memory. The device may monitor various characteristics of the flash memory to determine when damage to the flash memory has occurred from radiation exposure. The device may associate damage to the flash memory with a radiation dose, and determine a level of radiation to which the memory, and thus the device, has been exposed. The device also may determine a length of time and locations where the radiation exposure has occurred. If the device determines that the level of radiation exposure exceeds a threshold associated with a safe level of radiation exposure for a human user, the device may generate an alert to the user.

Abstract: The present invention provides a swarm manufacturing platform, based on a swarm 3D printing and assembly (SPA) platform as a model for future smart factories, consisting of thousands of IoT-based mobile robots performing different manufacturing operations with different end effectors (e.g., material deposition, energy deposition, pick and place, removal of materials, screw driving, etc.) and real-time monitoring. The swarm manufacturing platform transforms a 1-D factory into a 2-D factory with manufacturing robots that can move across the 2-D factory floor, work cooperatively with each other on the same production jobs, and re-configure in real-time (i.e., the manufacturing robots can be digitally controlled to move, re-group, calibrate, and work on a new job in real-time).

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide a reconfigurable cryptographic coprocessor. An example system includes an instruction memory configured to provide ARX instructions and mode control instructions. The system also includes an adjustable-width arithmetic logic unit, an adjustable-width rotator, and a coefficient memory. A bit width of the adjustable-width arithmetic logic unit and a bit width of the adjustable-width rotator are adjusted according to the mode control instructions. The coefficient memory is configured to provide variable-width words to the arithmetic logic unit and the rotator. The arithmetic logic unit and the rotator are configured to carry out the ARX instructions on the provided variable-width words. The systems and methods described herein could accelerate various applications, such as deep learning, by assigning one or more of the disclosed reconfigurable coprocessors to work as a central computation unit in a neural network.

Abstract: A non-mydriatic, non-contact ultra-widefield fundus (u-WF) photographic imaging system and method are provided for performing u-WF photographic imaging of the eye. The non-mydriatic, non-contact u-WF photographic imaging system includes an illumination system that delivers trans-pars-planar illumination to the eyeball. This frees the entire pupil to be used for imaging. Freeing the entire pupil to be used for imaging allows a u-WFC of the non-mydriatic, non-contact u-WF photographic imaging system to use a relatively simple optics system to capture an ultra-wide FOV. Eliminating the need to dilate the pupil and the need to make contact with the eye while performing imaging eliminates the many problems associated with mydriatic, contact-mode fundus imaging systems and methods. In addition, the system can be implemented in a way that makes it highly suitable for telemedicine applications in underserved areas where clinics and trained healthcare providers may not be available.

Abstract: A method for the electrochemical remediation of a metal species comprises flowing a contaminated solution comprising a metal species to be removed through an electrochemical cell that includes a working electrode and a counter electrode spaced apart from the working electrode. The working electrode comprises a conductive substrate or current collector with a polymeric coating thereon, where the polymeric coating comprises a semiconducting or redox-active polymer. A reducing potential is applied to the electrochemical cell, thereby inducing the metal species from the contaminated solution to deposit onto the working electrode. After depositing the metal species, a recovery solution is flowed through the electrochemical cell. An oxidizing potential is applied to the electrochemical cell, thereby stripping the metal species from the working electrode and recovering the metal species in the recovery solution.

Abstract: Provided are certain derivatives of amphotericin B (AmB) characterized by reduced toxicity and retained anti-fungal activity. Certain of the derivatives are C16 urea derivatives of AmB. Certain of the derivatives are C3, C5, C8, C9, C11, C13, or C15 deoxy derivatives of AmB. Certain of the derivatives include C3? or C4? modifications of the mycosamine appendage of AmB. Also provided are methods of making AmB derivatives of the invention, pharmaceutical compositions comprising AmB derivatives of the invention, and methods of use of AmB derivatives of the invention.

Abstract: Chiral redox-polymers that have been enabled for electrochemically-controlled enantioselective interactions. Supramolecular chirality was leveraged for enhancing recognition toward target enantiomers. Chiral redox-metallopolymers were synthesized based on Ugi's amine-inspired chiral monomers, and their enantioselective recognition toward ionic enantiomers, such as tryptophan and naproxen, is demonstrated, with higher enhancement provided by a chiral redox-polymer over a single-site, chiral building block. 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and solid-state circular dichroism support supramolecular chirality resulting from the intramolecular interaction between the ferrocene and the alkyl group in the backbone. The chiral redox-metallopolymers can be used as a platform for electrochemically-modulated enantioselective interactions toward a range of amino acids and pharmaceutical carboxylates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system, method, and computer program for estimating binding affinity that is purely physics-based, highly accurate, computationally efficient, and applicable to drugs of any size and proteins of any flexibility level. In one aspect, a method for physics-based binding affinity estimation is disclosed. The method includes the step of creating a unified simulation for a ligand and a target molecule, where the unified simulation includes a plurality of replicas that are each associated with four restraints along four variables. The method also includes the steps of exchanging data for the four variables between a subset of the replicas and performing a single non-parametric reweighting analysis with the data to estimate an absolute binding free energy for the ligand and target molecule.

Abstract: A traffic monitoring system has a controller and sensors placed in or on roads such that vehicles pass over or near the sensors, thereby casting shadows on the sensors as they pass. The sensors may be configured to detect the shadows, and a controller may be configured to determine any of a variety of information about the passing vehicles based on the detected shadows. For example, the controller may count the number of vehicles that pass, determine a speed of each passing vehicle, and determine a length of each passing vehicle. The sensors can be relatively inexpensive so that a relatively large number of sensors can be used to monitor a large area at a relatively low cost. In some embodiments, solar cells are used to power the sensors, and if desired, the solar cells may be used as the sensors for detecting the shadows of the vehicles being monitored.

Abstract: Embodiments pertain to a system with a first surface and a second surface operational to associate with one another, where at least one of the first surface and the second surface includes an adhesive layer and a graphite layer positioned on the adhesive layer, and where the graphite layer reduces friction between the first surface and the second surface while the adhesive layer maintains the position of the graphite layer on at least the first surface and the second surface. Additional embodiments pertain to methods of modifying a system that includes a first surface and a second surface by applying an adhesive material to at least one of the first surface and the second surface to form an adhesive layer on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; and applying a graphite material onto the adhesive layer to form a graphite layer on the adhesive layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for monitoring unstructured environments. A predetermined path can be determined according to an assignment of geolocations to one or more agronomically anomalous target areas, where the one or more agronomically anomalous target areas are determined according to an analysis of a plurality of first images that automatically identifies a target area that deviates from a determination of an average of the plurality of first images that represents an anomalous place within a predetermined area, where the plurality of first images of the predetermined area are captured by a camera during a flight over the predetermined area. A camera of an unmanned vehicle can capture at least one second image of the one or more agronomically anomalous target areas as the unmanned vehicle travels along the predetermined path.

Abstract: New synthetic methods to provide access to previously unexplored functionality at the C8 position of substituted imidazo[5,1-d][1,2,3,5]tetrazines of Formula I. Through synthesis and evaluation of a suite of compounds with a range of aqueous stabilities (from 0.5 to 40 hours), a predictive model for imidazotetrazine hydrolytic stability based on the Hammett constant of the C8 substituent was derived. Promising compounds were identified that possess activity against a panel of GBM cell lines, appropriate hydrolytic and metabolic stability, and brain-to-serum ratios dramatically elevated relative to TMZ, leading to lower hematological toxicity profiles and superior activity to TMZ in a mouse model of GBM.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electrically controllable surgical tools. In general, surgical devices are provided having an electrically controllable, fingered operating end for use in angiography, endovascular and/or neurological surgery. The finger(s) at the operating end can be made from ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) material to facilitate control of the finger(s).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are precursor compounds, composite electrodes comprising the same, and methods of making and use thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are antibacterial compounds that accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria, methods of preparing the compounds, and methods of using the compounds to inhibit or kill microbes, and methods of treating microbial infections, such as Gram-negative bacterial infections. Compounds selected for conversion to potential Gram-negative antibacterial compounds were identified based on compounds having low globularity and low flexibility. Amine substituents were then strategically added to the selected compounds to provide compounds having antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for eliciting an immune response in a subject (such as against Shigella) are provided. In examples, the compositions can include fusion proteins including one or more epitopes from Shigella or E. coli. In examples, the methods can include administering a disclosed fusion protein to a subject.

Abstract: Novel Fusidic Acid (FA) based compounds that have equivalent potency against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) as well as an improved resistance profile in vitro when compared to FA. Importantly, the new compounds display efficacy against a FA-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus in a soft-tissue murine infection model. This disclosure delineates the structural features of FA necessary for potent antibiotic activity and demonstrates that the resistance profile can be improved for this scaffold and target.