Abstract: Foldable composite structures and methods for fabricating foldable composite structures are provided. For example, a method comprises selectively applying a rigidifying substance to a sheet of composite material to define a plurality of hinges; allowing the rigidifying substance to cure; and folding the sheet of composite material along the hinges to form the composite structure. As another example, a method comprises laying out flat a sheet of composite material; masking a plurality of hinges on the sheet; applying a polymer to a sheet face; curing the polymer; removing the masking; and folding the sheet along the hinges to form the composite structure. An exemplary foldable composite structure comprises a planar sheet of composite material folded to define a plurality of surface segments and a plurality of hinges. A portion of the hinges form peaks and the remainder of the hinges form valleys. The hinges are defined between adjacent surface segments.

Abstract: A method of applying proof of lottery to select block forgers in a blockchain, comprising performing the following at a certain one of a plurality of computing nodes connected to a blockchain network: (1) transmitting one or more of a plurality of participation transactions submitted by at least some of the plurality of computing nodes for participating in selection process conducted to select forgers from the plurality of computing nodes to forge blocks to be added to the blockchain; (2) determining a respective forger, during each selection process, by applying a selection function to an outcome of a hash function and a plurality of participation transactions extracted from a first subset of blocks preceding the respective block, the hash function is applied to a second subset of blocks preceding the respective block; and (3) forging the respective block in case the certain computing node is selected as the respective forger.

Abstract: A Carbon NanoTube (CNT) composite electrode includes a lower electrode having a through-hole formed therein, and configured to be attached to the skin of a subject body to detect a biosignal, an upper electrode provided on one surface of the lower electrode to form an enclosed space between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and configured to receive the biosignal detected by the lower electrode, and an air discharge portion formed in at least one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and discharging air present in the enclosed space and the through-hole externally so as to be configured to allow the upper electrode and the lower electrode to be attached to the skin of the subject body via vacuum suction.

Abstract: A method of manipulating a living cell is disclosed. The method comprises, directing a pulsed optical field to at least one conductive nanoparticle present in the vicinity of the cell, so as to generate cavitations at or near the conductive nanoparticle at sufficient amount to effect at least one cell modification selected from the group consisting of cell-damage and cell-fusion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include compositions that include magnesium and gadolinium or magnesium and one or more metals.

Abstract: Example embodiments of a radiation detection system including a detector is described. The detector can include a scintillator, a sensor, and a light source. The radiation detection system can further include a controller programmed to control the light source to expose the scintillator to a light to saturate traps in the scintillator. In some embodiments, the detector can further include a second light source, and the controller is programmed to control the second light source to expose the scintillator to a second light to detrap afterglow traps in the scintillator.

Abstract: An MRI system uses a Cartesian-radial hybrid k-space trajectory to capture three-dimensional k-space data and reconstruct an image of an area of interest of a subject. The MRI system performs a series of k-space acquisitions to collect the data. A first k-space acquisition includes acquiring a two-dimensional EPI projection in a first plane parallel to a frequency-encoding direction and acquiring additional two-dimensional EPI projections in planes that are radially shifted about a center axis parallel to the frequency-encoding direction with respect to the first plane, until a selected number of projections are acquired. Each subsequent k-space acquisition includes acquiring an additional set of two-dimensional EPI projections in all of the planes in which an EPI projection was acquired during the first k-space acquisition, each additional set of EPI projections being shifted along a respective plane in a direction perpendicular to the frequency-encoding direction.

Abstract: A device and a method for isolating a target from a biological sample are provided. The target is bound to solid phase substrate to form target bound solid phase substrate. The device includes a lower plate with an upper surface having a plurality of regions. The biological sample is receivable on a first of the regions. An upper plate has a lower surface directed to the upper surface of the lower plate. A force is positioned adjacent the upper plate and attracts the target bound solid phase substrate toward the lower surface of the upper plate. At least one of the upper plate and the lower plate is movable from a first position wherein the target bound solid phase substrate in the biological sample are drawn to the lower surface of the upper plate and a second position wherein the target bound solid phase substrate are isolated from the biological sample.

Abstract: Various examples related to electromagnetic interference (EMI) energy mitigation techniques are provided. In one example, a method includes determining electromagnetic interference (EMI) spectrum information based upon switching angles of a switching circuit and processing harmonic magnitudes (Ci) associated with the switching angles using an artificial neural network to determine adjusted switching angles for the switching circuit; and applying the adjusted switching angles to control the switching circuit thereby reducing generated EMI energy by the switching circuit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sparse-coded ambient backscatter communication method and a system. According to the sparse-coded ambient backscatter communication method, in an ambient backscatter system including an access point and a plurality of sensor nodes, each sensor node transmits a code word in a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) manner using sparsity of a signal by a duty cycling operation and the access point detects a superimposed signal transmitted in the NOMA manner by an iterative decoding method in which a dyadic channel and intersymbol interference are reflected. The present disclosure may reduce the implementation cost by reducing the number of impedances required to modulate data of a batteryless sensor node in an Internet of Things environment and utilize the dyadic backscatter channel to detect a signal, thereby providing massive connectivity of the access point.

Abstract: A communication interference rejection system comprising a relatively low-impedance voltage mode driver output which receives a signal from a sensor, the sensor near a user's skin, a receiver operatively connected to a device connected to a body of a user, wherein the receiver configured to receive a signal transmitted through the body of the user. The signal comprises a relatively substantially small constant amplitude component and a relatively large sinusoidal or modulated interference component, the interference component due to human body antenna effect, the receiver comprising a high-impedance termination to minimize channel loss, the receiver further configured to receive frequencies in the 10 KHz to 10 MHz range.

Abstract: A device, system, and methods are described to perform machine-learning camera-based indoor mobile positioning. The indoor mobile positioning may utilize inexact computing, wherein a small decrease in accuracy is used to obtain significant computational efficiency. Hence, the positioning may be performed using a smaller memory overhead at a faster rate and with lower energy cost than previous implementations. The positioning may not involve any communication (or data transfer) with any other device or the cloud, providing privacy and security to the device. A hashing-based image matching algorithm may be used which is cheaper, both in energy and computation cost, over existing state-of-the-art matching techniques. This significant reduction allows end-to-end computation to be performed locally on the mobile device.

Abstract: The gene responsible for encoding SERT has a functional polymorphism at the 5?-regulatory promoter region, which results in two forms, long (L) and short (S). The LL-genotype is hypothesized to play a key role in the early onset of alcohol use. The present invention discloses the differences in treatment and diagnosis based on the L or short genotypes as well as on a single nucleotide polymorphism of the SERT gene, the 3? UTR SNP rs1042173. The present invention demonstrates the efficacy of using the drug ondansetron and similar drugs for treatment based on variations in the polymorphisms of the SERT gene as well as methods for diagnosing susceptibility to abuse of alcohol and other addiction-related diseases and disorders.

Abstract: A panel assembly for a building includes a panel configured to extend between a first surface and a second surface. The panel is movable along a predetermined path relative to the first surface and the second surface. A first pin and a second pin are coupled to the panel. A first bottom face plate is positioned on a first side and defines a first slot. A second bottom face plate is positioned on a second side and defines a second slot. A first top face plate is positioned on the first side and defines a third slot. A second top face plate is positioned on the second side and defines a fourth slot. The first pin is movable in the first slot and the second slot, and the second pin is movable in the third slot and the fourth slot for guiding movement of the panel along the predetermined path.

Abstract: An improved DC circuit breaker is provided for automatically detecting and isolating a fault between a source and a ground. The DC circuit breaker comprises at least one switch, in electrical series with a first inductor between the source and a load, and a second inductor magnetically coupled to the first inductor wherein a first side of the second inductor is electrically connected to the load and a second side of the second inductor is grounded through a capacitor.

Abstract: A microfabricated valve with no moving parts. In one embodiment, the valve includes a reservoir of a liquid that is in fluid communication with an outlet channel having a throat that is less than 100 microns wide. Preferably, the channel is an elongated slit. The configuration of channel is adapted and configured such that surface tension of the liquid prevents flow out of the channel. A heater increases the temperature of the meniscus of the fluid, until a portion of the fluid is ejected from the channel. The ejection of the fluid creates both a thrusting effect and a cooling effect.

Abstract: Existing methods of producing high quality graphene/graphite oxides are generally accomplished by exfoliating graphite into flakes and oxidizing the graphite flakes with strong oxidizers under extreme conditions and require careful purification. The oxidizers are typically strong acids used in high concentrations at elevated temperatures requiring complicated purification processes to yield oxidized graphene/sheets. The existing processes can cost up to $12,000/gram. This invention uses a mild oxidant combined with mechanical processing where the sole products are oxidized graphite/graphene and water without the need for further purification.

Abstract: Provided is a resonance converter for a wireless charger, which includes a full bridge inverter connected to an input power source that supplies an input voltage and having first to fourth switches, a resonance tank having a plurality of resonators composed of capacitors and coils connected in series and configured to receive the input voltage from the full bridge inverter and perform voltage conversion in an inductive power transfer manner among the plurality of resonators, and a rectification bridge configured to rectify an output voltage sent from the resonance tank and transfer the rectified output voltage to a battery.

Abstract: Provided herein is a superabsorbent polyHIPE composition-of-matter comprising a majority of ionizable pendant groups, capable of absorbing up to 300-fold by mass water while exhibiting a notable mechanical strength in both the dry and wet form, as well as various uses thereof.

Abstract: A display device includes a first touch panel on which a first touch sensing unit including a plurality of coils is disposed, a second touch panel on which a second touch sensing unit including a plurality of sensing nodes coupled to the plurality of coils in a coupling manner with a one-to-one correspondence, and a display panel disposed between the first and second touch panels and displays an image, and the plurality of sensing nodes is formed in a divided structure grouped into first and second node groups based on a touch event detected by the first touch sensing unit.