Abstract: The present invention provides a system for engaging a fluid flow. The system comprising one or more foil members operationally connected to a feedback control loop system. In one embodiment, the foil member is a hydrofoil member or an airfoil member. The foil members are configured for one or more degrees of freedom of oscillatory movement within the fluid flow. The feedback control loop system comprises a sensor system, actuator system, and a controller system. The feedback control loop system configured for actuating the foil members and thereby optimizing the operation of the foil members to attain one or more optimization objectives. In operation, the foil members are situated in the fluid flow and are manipulated to attain one or more optimization objectives.

Abstract: A musical instrument for electronically producing music from audio segments. The musical instrument comprises: an apparatus having a first surface; a plurality of selectable elements disposed in a substantially circular geometry on the first surface; and at least one memory storing the plurality of audio segments, each of the plurality of audio segments being associated with a respective selectable element in the plurality of selectable elements, wherein, in response to detecting selection of a subset of the plurality of selectable elements, the system is configured to generate music using audio segments in the plurality of audio segments that are associated with the selected subset of the plurality of selectable elements.

Abstract: Perovskite materials useful in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells are provided. The perovskite materials have the formula AB?0.5B?0.5X3 or A?0.5A?0.5B?0.5B?0.5X3, wherein A, A?, and A? are organic or inorganic cations, X is a halogen ion, B? is tin, and B? is germanium. Embodiments of the mixed tin and germanium halide perovskite materials possess a direct bandgap within the optimal range of 0.9-1.6 eV and have an optical absorption spectrum that is comparable to the state-of-the-art methylammonium lead iodide perovskites. The perovskite materials provided herein have been formulated to be lead-free.

Abstract: A tunable antimicrobial-loaded hydrogel formulation has a mechanical strength can be altered by changing the salt composition. The hydrogel formulation is preferably a Gellan film. The ion concentration in the gel material may be altered to obtain the desired gel strength. The hydrogel formulation is layered directly upon a skin area such as burnt skin. The hydrogel formulation includes a dosage of free antibiotic, such as the antibiotic is preferably vancomycin, for rapid release. The hydrogel formulation also includes microparticles and/or nanoparticles such as activated carbon powder that has adsorbed additional antibiotic. The particles are used to aid in attaining a timely or sustained release of the antibiotic drug.

Abstract: The method and system includes a plurality of test subject containers, each having a test subject therein. A plurality of video cameras is focused on the test subject containers to capture video of the behavior of each of the test subjects. The system and method also includes a storage system for storing the plurality of video from the cameras. The storage system may be local or cloud-based as is known in the art. The system further has one or more computers with a neural network configured to (a) retrieve the video from the storage system of the test subjects, (b) analyze the video to identify a plurality of observable behaviors in the test subjects, (c) annotate the video with the observed behavior classifications, and (d) store the annotated video in the storage system.

Abstract: A method that estimates the coordinates of the calibration points in the projector image plane using local homographies obtained from the imaging camera. First, a dense set of correspondences between projector and camera pixels is found by projecting onto the calibration object an identical pattern sequence as the one later projected when scanning the target, reusing most of the software components written for the scanning application. Second, the set of correspondences is used to compute a group of local homographies that allow projection back of any of the points in the calibration object onto the projector image plane with sub-pixel precision. In the end, the data projector is then calibrated as a normal camera.

Abstract: A musical instrument for electronically producing music from audio segments. The musical instrument comprises: an apparatus having a first surface; a plurality of selectable elements disposed in a substantially circular geometry on the first surface; and at least one memory storing the plurality of audio segments, each of the plurality of audio segments being associated with a respective selectable element in the plurality of selectable elements, wherein, in response to detecting selection of a subset of the plurality of selectable elements, the system is configured to generate music using audio segments in the plurality of audio segments that are associated with the selected subset of the plurality of selectable elements.

Abstract: A system and method of estimating the body shape of an individual from input data such as images or range maps. The body may appear in one or more poses captured at different times and a consistent body shape is computed for all poses. The body may appear in minimal tight-fitting clothing or in normal clothing wherein the described method produces an estimate of the body shape under the clothing. Clothed or bare regions of the body are detected via image classification and the fitting method is adapted to treat each region differently. Body shapes are represented parametrically and are matched to other bodies based on shape similarity and other features. Standard measurements are extracted using parametric or non-parametric functions of body shape. The system components support many applications in body scanning, advertising, social networking, collaborative filtering and Internet clothing shopping.

Abstract: Described herein are methods, assays, and systems related to the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) and, e.g., pulmonary fibrosis in a subject. As described herein, subjects with HPS who have, will develop, or are most at risk or developing pulmonary fibrosis have elevated levels of CHI3L1. In some embodiments, the methods comprise administering an agonist of IL-13R?2 or an inhibitor of CRTH2 to the subject.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating diseases or conditions associated with an abnormal level or activity of biglycan; disorders associated with an unstable cytoplasmic membrane, for example, due to an unstable dystrophin associated protein complex (DAPC); disorders associated with abnormal synapses or neuromuscular junctions, including those resulting from an abnormal MuSK activation or acetylcholine receptor (AChR) aggregation. Examples of diseases include muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, Becker's Muscular Dystrophy, neuromuscular disorders and neurological disorders.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for predicting a patient's response to biglycan therapy for diseases or conditions associated with an abnormal level or activity of biglycan; disorders associated with an unstable cytoplasmic membrane, for example, due to an unstable dystrophin associated protein complex (DAPC); disorders associated with abnormal synapses or neuromuscular junctions, including those resulting from an abnormal MuSK activation or acetylcholine receptor (AChR) aggregation. Examples of such diseases include muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, Becker's Muscular Dystrophy, neuromuscular disorders and neurological disorders. This application also provides combination therapeutics, such as a biglycan therapeutic and a utrophin therapeutic.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a wearable device for estimating a location of the device within a space is provided, the device comprising a plurality of cameras mounted to a structure, at least a portion of the structure being adapted to facilitate a user wearing the device, the plurality of cameras having substantially fixed positions and orientations on the structure relative to each other, and at least one processor configured to receive image data from the plurality of cameras, perform feature detection on the image data to obtain a first plurality of features from the image data, and determine an estimate of the location of the device in the space based, at least in part, on a location associated with a second plurality of features obtained from image data previously captured of the space that matches the first plurality of features.

Abstract: A high-selectivity low-loss duplexing system includes a first duplexer having a first port, a second port, a transmit port and a receive port. A second duplexer has a third port, a fourth port, an inverted transmit port and the receive port. The first port and the third port are connected to an antenna by a balun. The transmit port and the inverted transmit port are connected to at least one power amplifier. The receive port is connected to a low noise amplifier. A phase shifter includes a lattice filter configured to short the second port to the third port and the fourth port to the first port at a receive frequency, and short the second port to the first port and the fourth port to the third port at a transmit frequency.

Abstract: A method for context-aware self-calibration includes measuring for a plurality of time segments, at least one feature of at least one biosignal or each of at least one channel. Each biosignal is created in response to a user imagining an intended direction for each time segment. An object is moved along an actual decoded direction determined by an output of a decoder configured to correlate for each time segment the at least one feature to the intended direction. The decoder self-calibrates to minimize for each time segment, an error between the actual decoded direction, and the intended direction inferred subsequent to the respective time segment.

Abstract: The invention is an integrated thermochemical process, also known as a looped-oxide catalysis, for providing an upgraded biofuel composition from a biomass-derived feedstock. First, the feedstock is deoxygenated through reaction with a low-valence metal oxide or zero-valent metal to yield a deoxygenated biofuel composition and a high-valence metal oxide. Second, the low-valence metal oxide is regenerated by reducing the high-valence metal oxide using solar thermal energy.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and compositions for use with spintronic devices such as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and spin-logic devices are provided. Methods include manipulating magnetization states in spintronic devices and making a structure using spin transfer torque to induce magnetization reversal. A device described herein manipulates magnetization states in spintronic devices and includes a non-magnetic metal to generate spin current based on the giant spin Hall effect, a ferromagnetic thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, an oxide thin film, and an integrated magnetic sensor. The device does not require an insertion layer between a non-magnetic metal with giant spin Hall effect and a ferromagnetic thin film to achieve perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to devices and methods for containing molecules. In some embodiments, the device comprises a nanopore, a pore, and a cavity capable of entropically containing (e.g., trapping) a molecule (e.g., a biomolecule), e.g., for minutes, hours, or days. In certain embodiments, the method comprises urging a molecule into a cavity of a device by application of an electric field, and/or by deposition of fluids having different ionic strengths. The molecule may comprise, in some cases, nucleic acids (e.g., DNA). The molecule, when present in the cavity and/or the nanopore, may be capable of being analyzed, determined, or chemically modified. In some instances, a second molecule (e.g., a second molecule which interacts the first molecule) may also be urged into the cavity. In some embodiments, the interaction of the second molecule with the first molecule (e.g.

Abstract: A device for assembling aggregations of adherent cells includes a gripper moveable within an assembly vessel that fixes aggregations of adherent cells at a membrane of the gripper and, by movement of the gripper, assembles aggregations of cells on a separate membrane within the vessel, thereby creating a three-dimensional assembly of aggregations of cells that fuse and can be employed in surgical procedures as a unitary tissue of adherent cells. The aggregations of cells, as assembled, can assume three-dimensional configurations distinct from any one of the component aggregations of cells assembled.

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 system is provided for removing arsenic from water to safe levels at or below the EPA standards. The system is a hybrid spouted vessel/fixed bed filter system that significantly enhances/improves arsenic removal for drinking water using zero-valent iron (ZVI) particles. Movement of the circulating, iron-containing particles in a dense moving bed that forms on the spouted vessel bottom creates an abrasive “self-polishing” action among them that continuously generates colloidal iron corrosion products. This material then circulates with the water in the vessel and is removed and concentrated in a fixed bed filter. The colloidal material captured and immobilized in the filter has been shown to remove arsenic from contaminated water at very rapid rates.