Abstract: Disclosed herein are tissue scaffold materials with microspheres of one density embedded in hydrogel of a different density. The disclosed materials have improved ability to facilitate cellular invasion and vascularization for wound healing and tissue regeneration. The inventors have found that materials having components with different densities promotes invasion of cells, including desirable cells such as fibroblasts and endothelial precursor cells, into the scaffold.

Abstract: The invention provides methods to inhibit or treat brain cancers by locally inhibiting expression or activity of growth factors or growth factor receptors.

Abstract: Provided in certain embodiments are high performance graphene fibers and yarns, including components and precursors thereof, and composites comprising the same. Also provided herein are methods of manufacturing such fibers, yarns, composites, and components/precursors thereof.

Abstract: Provided are passivation layers for batteries. The batteries may be aqueous aluminum batteries. The passivation layer may be disposed on a portion of or all of a surface or surfaces of an anode, which may be an aluminum or aluminum alloy anode. The passivation layer is bonded to the surface of the anode. The passivation layer may be an organic, nitrogen-rich material and inorganic Al-halide rich or Al-nitrate rich material. The passivation layer may be formed by contacting an aluminum or aluminum alloy substrate, which may be aluminum or aluminum alloy anode, with one or more aluminum halide and one or more ionic liquid.

Abstract: Foam-based pneumatic actuators can be formed in a state of mechanical compression prior to actuation. An actuator includes an elastomeric foam; a coating disposed on the elastomeric foam; and an elastomer seal disposed on the coating. The coating constrains the elastomeric foam and can be configured to break or fracture when the elastomeric foam inflates. The elastomer seal can be configured to be impermeable to the actuating fluid. Such a foam actuator can be used in a cardiac compression device. These foam actuators possess increased actuation deformation and an actuation exerted force for a given inflation pressure. A large deformation can be provided from materials having low ultimate strains.

Abstract: A method for forming an isoporous graded film comprising multiblock copolymers and isoporous graded films. The films have a surface layer and a bulk layer. The surface layer can have at least 1×1014 pores/m2 and a pore size distribution (dmax/dmin)) of less than 3. The bulk layer has an asymmetric structure. The films can be used in filtration applications.

Abstract: A method for classifying human blastocysts includes obtaining images of a set of artificially fertilized (AF) embryos incubating in an incubator. A morphological quality of the AF embryos is determined based on a classification of the images by a convolutional neural network trained using images of pre-classified embryos. Each of the AF embryos is graded based on the morphological quality. A probability that a given graded AF embryo will result in a successful pregnancy after the given AF embryo is implanted in a gestating female is computed for each of the AF embryos from the set based on a grade of the given AF embryo and clinical parameters associated with the gestating female. One or more graded AF embryos to be recommended to be implanted in the gestating female from the set are selected based on the probability of successful pregnancy.

Abstract: A cryogenic optoelectronic data link, comprising a sending module operating at a cryogenic temperature less than 100 K. An ultrasensitive electro-optic modulator, sensitive to input voltages of less than 10 mV, may include at least one optically active layer of graphene, which may be part of a microscale resonator, which in turn may be integrated with an optical waveguide or an optical fiber. The optoelectronic data link enables optical output of weak electrical signals from superconducting or other cryogenic electronic devices in either digital or analog form. The modulator may be integrated on the same chip as the cryogenic electrical devices. A plurality of cryogenic electrical devices may generate a plurality of electrical signals, each coupled to its own modulator. The plurality of modulators may be resonant at different frequencies, and coupled to a common optical output line to transmit a combined wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical signal.

Abstract: A method in one embodiment comprises implementing a kernel-based isolation layer, configuring a software container on the kernel-based isolation layer to include a dedicated operating system kernel as a library operating system, and executing one or more user processes in the software container. The method is performed by a cloud-based processing platform, an enterprise processing platform, or other type of processing platform comprising a plurality of processing devices, with each such processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The library operating system illustratively runs in the software container at a privilege level that is the same as a privilege level of the one or more user processes executing in the software container. The library operating system is illustratively configured to support automatic translation of binaries of the one or more user processes in conjunction with converting system calls into corresponding function calls.

Abstract: A content-addressable processing engine, also referred to herein as CAPE, is provided. Processing-in-memory (PIM) architectures attempt to overcome the von Neumann bottleneck by combining computation and storage logic into a single component. CAPE provides a general-purpose PIM microarchitecture that provides acceleration of vector operations while being programmable with standard reduced instruction set computing (RISC) instructions, such as RISC-V instructions with standard vector extensions. CAPE can be implemented as a standalone core that specializes in associative computing, and that can be integrated in a tiled multicore chip alongside other types of compute engines. Certain embodiments of CAPE achieve average speedups of 14× (up to 254×) over an area-equivalent out-of-order processor core tile with three levels of caches across a diverse set of representative applications.

Abstract: Apparatus for endoscopically retracting tissue, the apparatus comprising a sleeve adapted to be slid over the exterior of an endoscope; a balloon movably mounted to the sleeve; and at least one connector extending from the balloon and configured to be secured to tissue which is to be retracted; wherein the balloon is configured to be moved relative to the sleeve in order to retract the tissue.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes an apparatus to facilitate production at the microscale using metal sheet as feedstock. The additive manufacturing system uses energy from a pulsed laser beam for ejection of metallic droplets to consolidate a part in a layer-by-layer manner. The system may include an enclosure, a stage, a substrate, a feedstock advancement device, an optically transparent support, and a controller.

Abstract: Systems and method herein provide for energy buffering. In one embodiment, a system includes an energy buffer comprising at least two energy storage elements. Each energy storage element is operable to buffer electrical energy. The system also includes a switch module operable to charge a first of the at least two energy storage elements while discharging a second of the at least two energy storage elements, and to discharge the first energy storage element while charging the second energy storage element after charging the first energy storage element. The switched charging of the energy storage elements compensates voltage variations between the energy storage elements to increase available electrical energy from the energy buffer.

Abstract: Vertically integrated superconductor/semiconductor heterostructures that comprise the necessary components of a quantum computer, which could enable integrated on-chip quantum computing at millikelvin temperatures, are disclosed.

Abstract: A verifier device in one embodiment is configured to communicate over one or more networks with a client device and a server device. The verifier device participates in a three-party handshake protocol with the client device and the server device in which the verifier device and the client device obtain respective shares of a session key of a secure session with the server device. The verifier device receives from the client device a commitment relating to the secure session with the server device, and responsive to receipt of the commitment, releases to the client device additional information relating to the secure session that was not previously accessible to the client device. The verifier device verifies correctness of at least one characterization of data obtained by the client device from the server device as part of the secure session, based at least in part on the commitment and the additional information.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes ferromagnetic, magnetostrictive layer that exhibits a biaxial magnetic anisotropy and an underlying structure exhibits a spin Hall effect to provide a conversion between electrical energy and magnetic energy with more than two distinctive magnetic states, wherein the underlying structure includes a piezoelectric material structure and a spin Hall metal layer.

Abstract: Apparatus for endoscopically retracting tissue, the apparatus comprising a sleeve adapted to be slid over the exterior of an endoscope; a balloon movably mounted to the sleeve; and at least one connector extending from the balloon and configured to be secured to tissue which is to be retracted; wherein the balloon is configured to be moved relative to the sleeve in order to retract the tissue.

Abstract: Provided is a niobium-zirconium (Nb—Zr) alloy comprising an ordered body-centered cubic (bcc) ?-Nb—Zr phase, methods for making the same, a superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity surface comprising the Nb—Zr alloy, a particle accelerator wherein an SRF cavity comprising the Nb—Zr alloy, a superconductor-insulator-superconductor tunnel junction (SIS) wherein a first superconductor/electrode and the second superconductor/electrode comprise the Nb—Zr alloy, and a quantum computer or quantum computing device comprising an SRF cavity or a resonator wherein at least a portion of at least one surface of the SRF cavity or resonator comprising the Nb—Zr alloy. The Nb—Zr alloy, e.g., produced under ambient conditions, comprises less than or equal to 50 at. % Zr and yields critical temperatures up to, e.g., 16.5 K.

Abstract: A wireless communication system can include an antenna and an equalization system. The antenna can be configured to wirelessly receive a data signal from a user equipment (UE). The equalization system can be configured to compensate for distortion incurred by the data signal during propagation. The equalization system can include a set of multiplier circuits. Each multiplier circuit can include a first input, a second input, a multiplier device, and a management circuit. The first input can receive a first input signal that corresponds to the data signal. The second input can receive a second input signal that corresponds to a weighting value assigned to a channel associated with the antenna. The multiplier device can be enabled or disabled. When enabled, the multiplier device can be configured to perform a multiplication operation on the first input signal and the second input signal. When disabled, the multiplier circuit may not perform the multiplication operation.

Abstract: Optical traps enable nanoscale manipulation of individual biomolecules while measuring molecular forces and lengths. Disclosed herein is a camera-based detection system that enables accurate and precise measurements of forces and interactions in a dual optical trap. Optical traps may be used to stretch and unzip DNA molecules while measuring the displacements of trapped particles from their trapping centers with sub-nanometer accuracy and precision.