Abstract: Systems and methods for epicardial electrophysiology and other procedures are provided in which conditions at the location of an access needle may be determined according to the detection of different pressure frequencies in separate organs, or different locations, in the body of a subject. Methods may include inserting a needle including a first sensor into a body of a subject, and receiving pressure frequency information from the first sensor. A second sensor may be used to provide cardiac waveform information of the subject, and the pressure frequency information may be segmented based on the cardiac waveform information. Conditions at the current location of the needle may be determined based on an algorithm including the segmented pressure frequency information and the cardiac waveform information.

Abstract: A calibration circuit includes an oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal according to a control voltage; a counter configured to generate a count value according to the oscillation signal; and a control circuit configured to control a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver commonly coupled to an output node according to the count value, wherein the control circuit compares a reference count value of the counter by providing a reference voltage as the control voltage for a unit control period with a count value of the counter by providing an output voltage of the output node as the control voltage for a unit control period, and controls a pull-up control signal that adjusts turn-on impedance of the pull-up driver and a pull-down control signal that adjusts turn-on impedance of the pull-down driver.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-speed imaging system for measuring a target object within a sample, comprising: a light source emitting a plane wave; an angle-adjustment mirror adjusting an angle of the plane wave emitted from the light source; an optical interferometer dividing the plane wave whose angle was adjusted by the angle-adjustment mirror into a reference wave and a sample wave and forming an interference wave between the reference wave reflected from a reference mirror and the sample wave reflected from the target object; a camera module obtaining the interference wave, and an imaging controller controlling the angle-adjustment mirror to adjust the angle of the plane wave sequentially, forming a time-gated reflection matrix by using the interference waves obtained by the camera module in accordance with each angle of the plane wave, and imaging the target object based on the time-gated reflection matrix.

Abstract: A sensor including a layer of amorphous selenium (a-Se) and at least one charge blocking layer is formed by depositing the charge blocking layer over a substrate prior to depositing the amorphous selenium, enabling the charge blocking layer to be formed at elevated temperatures. Such process is not limited by the crystallization temperature of a-Se, resulting in the formation of an efficient charge blocking layer, which enables improved signal amplification of the resulting device. The sensor can be fabricated by forming first and second amorphous selenium layers over separate substrates, and then fusing the a-Se layers at a relatively low temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for fast decoding a linear code based on soft decision. The method may comprise sorting received signals in a magnitude order to obtain sorted signals; obtaining hard decision signals by performing hard decision on the sorted signals; obtaining upper signals corresponding to MRBs from the hard decision signals; obtaining a permuted and corrected codeword candidate using the upper signals and an error vector according to a current order; calculating a cost for the current order using a cost function; determining the permuted and corrected codeword candidate as a permuted and corrected codeword according to a result of comparing the calculated cost with a minimum cost; and determining a predefined speeding condition.

Abstract: A compact robotic device for driving movement of two or more elongate surgical tools configured for a telescopic arrangement when said two or more elongate surgical tools are at least partially received within said device, the device comprising: a housing comprising walls which define an inner volume including at least two inner pathways for accommodating the two or more elongate surgical tools; the housing encasing: a plurality of motors, and two or more tool actuation assemblies configured at a position of each of the two or more inner pathways; the actuation assemblies driven by the plurality of motors and configured to operably contact an elongate surgical tool at least partially received in the inner pathway to at least one of advance, retract and/or roll said elongate surgical tool.

Abstract: A system for training a quantized neural network dataset, comprising at least one hardware processor adapted to: receive input data comprising a plurality of training input value sets and a plurality of target value sets; in each of a plurality of training iterations: for each layer, comprising a plurality of weight values, of one or more of a plurality of layers of a neural network: compute a set of transformed values by applying to a plurality of layer values one or more emulated non-uniformly quantized transformations by adding to each of the plurality of layer values one or more uniformly distributed random noise values; and compute a plurality of output values; compute a plurality of training output values; and update one or more of the plurality of weight values to decrease a value of a loss function; and output the updated plurality of weight values of the plurality of layers.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides metal nanoparticles for glucose detection, including: metal nanoparticles with glucose oxidase attached; and a cell membrane isolated from erythrocytes, which surrounds the metal nanoparticles, and a glucose detection method using the same.

Abstract: Methods of minimizing dysregulation of Staufen1-associated RNA metabolism can include introducing an amount of a Staufen1-regulating agent to a target cell sufficient to minimize the dysregulation. Therapeutic compositions for treating a neurodegenerative condition associated with Staufen1-induced dysregulation of RNA metabolism can include a therapeutically effective amount of a Staufen1-regulating agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: A lifelong learning intrusion detection system and methods are provided. The system may capture network data directed to a host node. The host node may include a honeypot. The honeypot may emulate operation of a physical or virtual device to attract malicious activity. The system may classify, based on a supervised machine learning model, the network data as being not malicious or not malicious. The system may classify, based on an unsupervised machine learning model, the network data as being anomalous or not anomalous. The system may alter operation of the honeypot to induce malicious activity. The system may determine, after operation of the honeypot is altered, the honeypot is accessed. The system may retrain the supervised machine learning model and/or unsupervised machine learning model based the network data.

Abstract: A high-strength aluminum alloy coating on a metal or an alloy. The coating contains an aluminum matrix, 9R phase, fine grains in the size range of 2-100 nm, nanotwins, and at least one solute in the aluminum capable of stabilizing grains of the aluminum matrix. A method of making a high-strength aluminum alloy coating on a substrate. The method includes providing a substrate, providing at least one source for each constituent of an aluminum alloy, and depositing atoms of each constituent of the aluminum alloy from the corresponding at least one source of each constituent of the aluminum alloy on the substrate utilizing a deposition method, wherein the deposited atoms form an aluminum alloy coating containing 9R phase, fine grains, and nanotwins.

Abstract: In shotgun proteomics, generally only a fraction of peptides from a parent protein are actually detected. Because a large portion of the protein sequence is not detected, it is often impossible to determine whether the expressed protein is present in a modified, spliced, or truncated form. Provided herein are methods and systems for analyzing polypeptides which allow for the increase of the mean sequence coverage of a protein concomitant with bioinformatics analysis in order to distinguish putative proteoforms with improved amino acid resolution. Aspects of the invention include (1) a deep sequencing strategy to provide more protein sequence coverage than is typically achieved, and (2) a computational approach to view protein expression across its full length and identify regions of the protein that are potentially subject to such regulation. This technology has global utility in proteomics and will be of particular use for the analysis of biosimilar protein drug therapeutics.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for diagnosing and vaccinating against Ehrlichia chaffeensis are provided.

Abstract: Magnetoelectric heterostructures, and related articles, systems, and methods, are generally described.

Abstract: Provided are a method for manufacturing a single-crystal semiconductor layer. The method of manufacturing the single crystalline semiconductor layer includes performing a unit cycle multiple times, wherein the unit cycle includes a metal precursor pressurized dosing operation in which a metal precursor is adsorbed on a surface of a single crystalline substrate by supplying the metal precursor onto the single crystalline substrate while an outlet of a chamber in which the single crystalline substrate is loaded is closed such that a reaction pressure in the chamber is increased; a metal precursor purge operation; a reactive gas supplying operation in which a reactive gas is supplied into the chamber to cause a reaction of the reactive gas with the metal precursor adsorbed on the single crystalline substrate after the metal precursor purge operation; and a reactive gas purge operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low-cost, thermally reversible valve for paper-fluidic diagnostic devices. In particular, this invention demonstrates a tunable valve mechanism fabricated by wax-ink printing and localized heating via thin-film resistors to sequentially release liquids through a cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane. The wax-ink valve can obstruct fluid flow for a sustained time and are thermally actuated to release a controlled amount of liquid past the valve. This integrated paper-fluidic diagnostic assay device requires minimal user involvement, can be easily manufactured and tuned to meet various fluid delivery timing and incubation needs.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a novel method for rapid preparation of three dimensional (3D) spheroids/organoids, and the 3D spheroids/organoids prepared by the novel method.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for inhibiting a soluble B cell activating factor (BAFF) biological activity are disclosed, as are methods for treating aortic aneurysm (AAA) are also disclosed. Exemplary compositions include a reagent, such as an antibody, that interacts with a BAFF polypeptide or BAFF gene product and a carrier, whereby inhibition of BAFF multimerization substantially without depletion of mature B cells is accomplished.

Abstract: Provided are compositions and methods for using the same. In some embodiments, the compositions include an EPELN encapsulating and/or having associated therewith an active agent and a plasma membrane derived from a tumor and/or cancer cell coating the EPELN. In some embodiments, the active agent is a therapeutic agent or an immune response modifier, and in some embodiments the plasma membrane has one or more tumor-associated and/or cancer-associated antigens. Also provided are methods for using the compositions for treating tumors and/or cancers, inducing anti-tumor and/or anti-cancer immune responses, activating antigen-presenting cells, targeting CD1 lc dendritic cells, and preventing or reducing metastasis.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for modulating repeat non-ATG protein (RAN protein) translation are provided. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods for treating a subject having a disease associated with RAN protein translation by administering the subject a modulator of eIF3 or an eIF3 subunit, or an antibody that bind to a RAN protein.