Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for inhibiting growth of bacteria and to nanometer scale surfaces having antibacterial properties.

Abstract: Systems tune, control, or remediate the intrinsic Circadian clock. A light controller sets spectral distribution, intensity of a bioactive spectral band to shift or entrain circadian response to enhance performance and/or synchronize with local or expected conditions. The systems enhance performance under conditions that might be changing, disrupted, or otherwise present an irregular phase or unnatural change in the subject's circadian status, for example, due to geographically discontinuous activity or spectrally deficient workplace illumination, or due to divergent individual sleep/wake behaviors of subjects in a structured group activity. An illumination recipe that compensates for the deficiency of lighting or of participant sleep or behavior patterns, or age- or disease-related changes, to evoke, shift, or align circadian response and improve behaviors such as classroom alertness, relaxation, excitability, attention, or focus.

Abstract: This invention is directed to compounds of Formula (I) pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, and prodrugs thereof, to their preparation, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of Formula I, and to their uses as antimicrobial agents.

Abstract: A hardware neural network system includes an input buffer for input neurons (Nbin), an output buffer for output neurons (Nbout), and a third buffer for synaptic weights (SB) connected to a Neural Functional Unit (NFU) and a control logic (CP) for performing synapses and neurons computations. The NFU pipelines a computation into stages, the stages including weight blocks (WB), an adder tree, and a non-linearity function.

Abstract: Compositions for stabilizing and delivering proteins and/or other bioactive agents are disclosed. The bioactive agents are embedded or encapsulated in a crystalline matrix. Typically the bioactive agents are in the form of micro- or nanoparticles. The crystalline matrix confers enhanced stability to the agents embedded therein relative to other microparticulate or nanoparticulate bioactive agents. The carriers are especially useful for stabilizing bioactive macromolecules, such as proteins.

Abstract: Ferritin or iron-based image enhancement agents identify target tissue for treatment or ablation and are heated by microwave absorption. Microwave heat substrates enhance microwave hyperthermal ablation treatment, and may be percutaneously delivered and imaged by x-ray CT during placement of the microwave treatment antenna, allowing more precise positioning and more complete ablation of a tumor site. One method of treating a target tissue uses image-guided delivery of a heat substrate with a reverse-phase change polymer, and may apply energy to fix a mass of the material in the tissue. The fixed polymer may increase hyperthermia, form a thermal boundary, or blockade a vessel or passage so as to reduce or prevent undesired conductive cooling by contiguous tissue, or may deliver a localized treatment drug at the site, upon heating or as it degrades over time.

Abstract: A magnetic sensing device includes a non-magnetic layer serving as a spacer and two magnetic layers that sandwich the spacer, and two oxide layers that sandwich the trilayer structure including the two magnetic layers and the spacer.

Abstract: Disclosed are computer-readable devices, systems and methods for generating a model of a clothed body. The method includes generating a model of an unclothed human body, the model capturing a shape or a pose of the unclothed human body, determining two-dimensional contours associated with the model, and computing deformations by aligning a contour of a clothed human body with a contour of the unclothed human body. Based on the two-dimensional contours and the deformations, the method includes generating a first two-dimensional model of the unclothed human body, the first two-dimensional model factoring the deformations of the unclothed human body into one or more of a shape variation component, a viewpoint change, and a pose variation and learning an eigen-clothing model using principal component analysis applied to the deformations, wherein the eigen-clothing model classifies different types of clothing, to yield a second two-dimensional model of a clothed human body.

Abstract: A high speed multi-directional 3D printer includes two opposing delta 3D printers set in an opposing configuration, a modified frame to enable both delta 3D printers to slide back and forth, two horizontal/outward printing extruders, and a sliding/locking kernel substrate mount with adhesive for printing against gravity.

Abstract: The methods and assays described herein relate to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of subjects with emphysema, COPD, and/or cigarette-induced lung damage. In some embodiments, the methods and assays relate to subjects with a decreased level of NLRX1 expression. In some embodiments, the methods and assays relate to the administration of an agonist of NLRX1 and/or an inhibitor of MAVS.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process of using an alloy nanoparticle catalyst to catalyze one pot chemical reactions for synthesizing functional polymers with controlled polymerization and properties. In particular, the present invention provides a process of using an AuPd NP catalyst to catalyze one pot chemical reactions for synthesizing polybenzoxazole with controlled polymerization and improved chemical stability.

Abstract: A method includes simultaneously controlling and sensing aerodynamic loading of a membrane wing using a capacitance of the membrane, the membrane wing stretching under aerodynamic load, leading to thinning of a membrane thickness and increased capacitance, and using knowledge of the membrane's elastic and dielectric material properties to determine an amount of steady aerodynamic lift being generated.

Abstract: In embodiments, secure compression algorithms are provided that may be employed as a single operation on raw data to produce compressed and encrypted data. In embodiments, the algorithms described herein may be performed using any type of dictionary based encryption. In one embodiment, upon adding a new prefix to a dictionary table, the dictionary table may be permuted to randomize the entries into the table. The randomization may be based upon a permutation value generated by a deterministic pseudo-random generator and/or pseudo-random function. Other embodiments of randomization may be employed to provide secure compression. For example, instead of permuting the entire table upon adding a prefix, the prefix may be randomly added to the table.

Abstract: A system includes spatially isolated nodes proximal to a cortical surface or spinal cord, a telemetric antenna array located above the dura, the telemetric antenna array configured to provide power to and exchange data with the spatially isolated nodes, and a power and data distribution unit configured to power the spatially isolated nodes, aggregate recorded data, send the aggregated recorded data and commands through a wireless link.

Abstract: Double-layered protective coatings for lithium metal electrodes, as well as methods of formation relating thereto, are provided. The negative electrode assembly includes an electroactive material layer including lithium metal and a protective dual-layered coating. The protective dual-layered coating includes a polymeric layer disposed on a surface of the electroactive material layer and an inorganic layer disposed on an exposed surface of the polymeric layer. The polymeric layer has an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to about 0.01 GPa to less than or equal to about 410 GPa. The inorganic layer has an elastic modulus of greater than or equal to about 10 GPa to less than or equal to about 1000 GPa.

Abstract: A system for motion planning for autonomous vehicles can include a plurality of sensors, a plurality of detectors in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors, and a motion planning module in electrical communication with the plurality of detectors and a computing system of an autonomous vehicle. The motion planning module stores a planning graph with each node representing, explicitly or implicitly, time and variables defining a state of the autonomous vehicle, an operating environment, or both the state of the autonomous vehicle and the operating environment. A reconfigurable processor can include a collision detection module and, optionally, a shortest path module. Pre-computed collision data and planning graph data reflecting logical/physical node mapping can be communicated to the processor during a programming phase and used during runtime.

Abstract: A system and method to capture the surface geometry a three-dimensional object in a scene using unsynchronized structured lighting is disclosed. The method and system includes a pattern projector configured and arranged to project a sequence of image patterns onto the scene at a pattern frame rate, a camera configured and arranged to capture a sequence of unsynchronized image patterns of the scene at an image capture rate, and a processor configured and arranged to synthesize a sequence of synchronized image frames from the unsynchronized image patterns of the scene. Each of the synchronized image frames corresponds to one image pattern of the sequence of image patterns.

Abstract: A system and method to calibrate an uncollimated laser diode for three-dimensional imaging applications. A method includes providing an optical comparator having an uncollimated laser diode as a light source to generate a shadow with sharp boundaries when used to illuminate an opaque occluder, wherein a two lines source model of light propagation is used to describe a behavior of the uncollimated laser diode, the two lines source model defined by two three-dimensional (3D) lines as model parameters, the uncollimated laser diode calibrated by estimating the two lines as a function of a sample of a ray field emitted by the uncollimated laser diode.

Abstract: A method includes providing a robot, providing an image of drawn handwritten characters to the robot, enabling the robot to capture a bitmapped image of the image of drawn handwritten characters, enabling the robot to infer a plan to replicate the image with a writing utensil, and enabling the robot to reproduce the image.

Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is a method that includes exchanging at least a portion of a first cation of a perovskite solid with a second cation, where the exchanging is performed by exposing the perovskite solid to a precursor of the second cation, such that the precursor of the second cation oxidizes to form the second cation and the first cation reduces to form a precursor of the first cation.