Abstract: A propellant storage system that utilizes an integrated internal lattice structure within the fuel storage tank(s) to provide additional strength and anti-slosh features. The internal lattice structure lends its additional strength properties to adapt the fuel storage tank to unconventional geometries to allow for better compaction and weight savings in deployment vehicles such as satellites.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, systems, devices, kits, and reagents for performing single cell sequencing (e.g., single cell RNA sequencing) from a low volume, capillary blood (or any low volume blood sample which is not obtained from a vein or by venipuncture).

Abstract: A method for producing a cement material wherein 1) a first acid is reacted with a first cement precursor to form a second cement precursor, and 2) the second cement precursor is converted to a cement material. The first cement precursor includes one or more of Ca, Si, or Al, and the reaction with the first acid produces a second cement precursor that includes one or more of Ca, Si, or Al, and the conjugate base of the first acid. The second step can be performed by thermally converting the second cement precursor to a cement material by sintering or thermally decomposing the second cement precursor at a temperature in the range of 500 to 2000° C. The first step can be performed in the presence of water as a wet slurry. The concentration of the first acid can be greater than 20% by weight.

Abstract: Systems and methods of additively manufacturing multi-material electromagnetic shields are described. Additive manufacturing processes use co-deposition to incorporate multiple materials and/or microstructures selected to achieve specified shield magnetic properties. Geometrically complex shields can be manufactured with alternating shielding materials optimized for the end use application. The microstructures of the printed shields can be tuned by optimizing the print parameters.

Abstract: A non-invasive and convenient method and apparatus for approximation of left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) can be used in both hospital/clinic environments and nursing home or home environments. The method and apparatus use non-invasive sensors and a new “cardiac triangle” computational method to obtain an approximation of LVEDP. The computational method uses hemodynamic and electrocardiogram (ECG) waveforms as input, which can be collected by a portable device or devices.

Abstract: A lacrimal tear flow measurement device, and methods of manufacture and use, are described that includes a polymer microcapillary tube or similar structure having at least one end coated on the outside with soft silicone rubber and one end treated on the inside to be hydrophobic. The hydrophobic end keeps liquid from escaping or entering that end while allowing air to pass. The rest of the tube's insides may be hydrophilic or a neutral hydrophobe. As a Schirmer's test strip replacement, the entrance end of the device can be touched to the lacrimal lake of a patient's eye to collect suck up, or merely collect, tear fluid within the collection tube for weighing, volume measurement, or other analysis. Long-term collection devices for wear between doctors' visits can have a bypass channel allowing liquid to flow back onto the eye.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a multi-rotor aircraft that implements the unconventional use of different sized rotors. The different sized rotors than the main rotors tend to generate an unbalanced torque and pitch on the aircraft that effectively decouples the pitch and yaw control from the main rotors. The atypical design tends to lend itself to improved control capabilities and simplified control systems. Additional configurations implement the use of smaller thrust rotors that can be used to generate thrust as well as control yaw and thus counteract any remaining unbalanced torque from the odd auxiliary rotor.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the relative position of a mobile device in relation to other devices or objects in an operational space. The systems and methods operate on a tight fusion of raw data from a number of different sensors such that carrier spaced integer ambiguities can be quickly and accurately resolved, especially in GNSS signal degradation scenarios.

Abstract: A fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle configured with a composite adaptive nonlinear tracking controller that utilizes a real-time accurate estimation of the complex aerodynamic forces surrounding the wing(s) and rotors in order to achieve a high performance flight. The method employs online adaptation of force models, and generates accurate estimation for wing and rotor forces in real-time based on information from a three-dimensional airflow sensor. The novel three-dimensional airflow sensor illustrates improved velocity tracking and force prediction during the transition stage from hover to forward flight.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing real-time feedback communication in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In many embodiments, instantaneous encoding is utilized for transmitting symbols from a streaming source over a DMC with feedback. In certain embodiments, instantaneous encoding is performed during the arriving period of the symbols. At time t, the encoder and the decoder calculate the priors of possible symbol sequences using the source distribution and the posteriors at time t?1. In a number of embodiments, the encoder and decoder then partition the evolving message alphabet into groups, so that the group priors are close to the capacity-achieving distribution. In contrast to the SED rule for symmetric binary-input channels, partitioning processes in accordance with several embodiments of the invention utilize group priors instead of group posteriors for the partitioning.

Abstract: The present application describes compositions and methods for identifying and quantitating molecular targets within a cellular environment. Specifically, provided herein are compositions and methods for separately identifying and quantifying each of one or more molecular targets from a single cell. More specifically, provided herein are compositions and methods for separately identifying and quantifying the same molecular target from a single cell.

Abstract: An optical phased array includes a first multitude of tiles forming an array of optical signal transmitters and/or receivers. Each such tile includes optical components for processing of an optical signal. The phased array further includes a second multitude of tiles each positioned below one of the first multitude of tiles. Each of the second multitude of tiles includes a circuit for processing of an electrical signal and is in electrical communication with one or more of the first multitude of tiles. Each of the first multitude of tiles is adapted to receive in a modular form, be adjacent to, and couple to at least one additional tile that is similar to that tile. Each of the second multitude of tiles is adapted to receive in a modular form, be adjacent to, and couple to at least one additional tile that is similar to that tile.

Abstract: Methods and devices implementing a combination of multi-dimensional pulse position modulation (PPM) with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) or wavelength division multiplexing multiple access (WDMA) for long range space communications are disclosed. The described multi-dimensional PPM scheme can use the laser wavelength and/or polarization as the additional dimension(s) to the time dimension. Through examples it is shown that the disclosed teachings result in a higher photon information efficiency. Various exemplary embodiments are also presented to highlight the applications benefiting from the disclosed methods and devices.

Abstract: The present application provides stable peptide-based Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) serotype A capture agents and methods of use as detection and diagnosis agents and in the treatment of diseases and disorders. The application further provides methods of manufacturing BoNT serotype A capture agents using iterative on-bead in situ click chemistry.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system provide the ability to act on cyber risks and reduce cyber attacks. System characteristics and system information for a cyber system are gathered. The system characteristics and system information are preprocessed to identify vulnerabilities that are relevant to the cyber system. A system model of a cyber environment is generated for the cyber system. One or more features are converted from cyber threat reports to one or more semantically relevant queries over the system model. The system model is reasoned over to generate one or more answers relevant to the one or more semantically relevant queries. Attack models are executed over the system model to generate actionable intelligence and reduce cyber attacks.

Abstract: Ultra-miniature spatial heterodyne spectrometers (SHSs) are presented. Ultra-miniature SHSs in accordance with the invention, comprise a beam-splitter and gratings configured to generate a fringe pattern for spectroscopic detection. Many embodiments include input optics and a sensor and are configured in a way to omit collimating optics and imaging optics from the SHS. Compared to conventional SHSs known in the art, the present invention enables fewer parts, significantly smaller and lighter SHSs, are more efficient and robust, and require less maintenance. Many embodiments are field-deployable, in that such embodiments can be deployed for hand held use in real-world or remote activities outside of research or diagnostic facilities.

Abstract: Methods and devices to implement mid-wave and long-wave infrared point spectrometers are disclosed. The described methods and devices involve bi-faceted gratings, high-operating-temperature barrier infrared and thermal detectors. The disclosed concept can be used to design flight spectrometers that cover broad solar reflectance plus thermal emission spectral ranges with a compact and low-cost instrument suitable for small spacecraft reconnaissance of asteroids, the Moon, and planetary satellites as well as mass-constrained landed missions.

Abstract: The present application provides stable peptide-based IL-17F and IL-17A capture agents and methods of use as detection agents. The application further provides methods of manufacturing IL-17F capture agents.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a method of producing a cement material comprising step of: first reacting a calcium-bearing starting material with a first acid to produce an aqueous first calcium salt; second reacting the aqueous first calcium salt with a second acid to produce a solid second calcium salt; wherein the second acid is different from the first acid and the second calcium salt is different from the first calcium salt; and thermally treating the second calcium salt to produce a first cement material. Preferably, but not necessarily, during the second reacting step, reaction between the first calcium salt and the second acid regenerates the first acid.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to autonomously reconstruct overflown terrain and detect safe landing sites. A UAV autonomously acquires on-board pose estimates from an on-board visual-inertial-range odometry method during flight. The on-board pose estimates are utilized as a pose prior and to regain metric scale during three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. The on-board pose estimates are corrected based on a bundle adjustment approach using previously acquired images. 3D reconstruction is performed based on multiple captured images taken from an on-board camera. Range data from the multiple captured images is fused into a multi-resolution height map. A safe landing site on the terrain is detected based on the multi-resolution height map.