Abstract: New methods and kits for treating diseases caused or exacerbated by overactivated EphA4 signaling are provided. The method includes administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a small molecule compound inhibitor for EphA4 signaling. Also provided are methods for identifying additional compounds as therapeutic agents useful for treating conditions involving overly active EphA4 signaling.

Abstract: A switchable liquid crystal grating cell, and methods for manufacturing the above. The switchable liquid crystal grating cell comprises a pair of switchable liquid crystal grating parts, each switchable liquid crystal grating part comprises a substrate; a conductive layer on the substrate; and a photoalignment layer with an alignment pattern above the conductive layer on the substrate, the alignment pattern having first and second types of domains, the first type of domain having a first uniform alignment direction, the second type of domain having a second uniform alignment direction that is reoriented at a predetermined angle to the first uniform alignment direction, the predetermined angle is 85°-95°, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of switchable liquid crystal grating parts, wherein an alignment pattern on a top surface is arranged to be shifted relative to the other alignment pattern on a bottom surface.

Abstract: GaN vertical trench MOSFETs and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. One example embodiment is a vertical trench MOSFET. The MOSFET includes a semiconductor transistor that has a first surface and a second surface, and a trench that extends from the first surface into the semiconductor transistor along a first direction perpendicular to the first and second surfaces. The semiconductor transistor includes a body region having a channel region arranged along the first direction along at least a portion of a wall of the trench. The doping concentration of the channel region is non-uniform. As a non-limiting example, two-step doping is conducted for forming asymmetric or non-uniform channel of a GaN vertical trench MOSFET. In some embodiments, multiple-step doping other than the two-step doing (such as doping in three steps, four steps, or more), linearly scaled doping, other proper asymmetric doping can be used.

Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is related to a method for measuring and controlling linear chirp level of ultrafast laser pulse. The method includes steps as follows. A carrier-envelope phase-chirp (CEP-chirp) relation which serve as a chirp monitor is extracted, in which the CEP-chirp relation is generated from an ultrafast laser pulse. A linear chirp level of a target pulse is measured in response to the CEP-chirp relation. According to the measuring with respect to the linear chirp level of the target pulse, a dispersion element which the ultrafast laser pulse passes through is varied to control and stabilize the linear chirp level of the target pulse.

Abstract: A method for performing Building Information Modelling design collaboration via Confidentiality-Minded Framework using Interplanetary-File-System-Blockchain integrated network by a server is provided. The method includes: segregating one or more sensitive and non-sensitive BIM portions of a BIM object; uploading a target BIM component into an IPFS network to receive a target content identifier (CID) of the target BIM component from the IPFS network; if the target BIM component has one or more of the sensitive portions, encrypting the target CID to obtain a target encrypted CID (ECID), and adding the target ECID into a target blockchain ledger as a target transaction via a target smart contract; accessing the target transaction to download the target BIM component from the IPFS network; and performing a design coordination operation on the target BIM component, so as to distributing revised target BIM component to a receiver terminal.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for identifying and correcting optical aberrations within a sample under optical microscopy. The method includes providing a plurality of optical beams including at least a first optical beam and a second optical beam; modulating at least one of the optical beams at one or more frequencies; providing a combined optical beam at least partially superimposed in time by the first optical beam and the second optical beam; focusing the combined optical beam into the sample; detecting a first signal excited by the combined optical beam in the sample; demodulating the first signal by at least one lock-in amplifier to obtain a second signal including performing a plurality of measurements of spatial positions of the first optical beam with respect to the second optical beam; identifying and correcting the optical aberrations by the second signal through obtaining the electric-field point spread function of the optical beams.

Abstract: The invention provides a low-power wide area network integrated sensing and communication method based on channel sensing and reinforcement learning, and the method comprises the steps: receiving an uplink signal transmitted by a terminal node through a gateway receiver, demodulating the uplink signal through employing a soft demodulation algorithm, and obtaining a bit log-likelihood ratio; the deep reinforcement learning model completes channel reconstruction of the corresponding link during communication according to the bit log-likelihood ratio; and calculating the current optimal network configuration according to the reconstructed channel so as to distribute the current optimal network configuration to each terminal node during next downlink transmission.

Abstract: The invention provides a low-power wide area network integrated sensing and communication method based on channel sensing and reinforcement learning, and the method comprises the steps: receiving an uplink signal transmitted by a terminal node through a gateway receiver, demodulating the uplink signal through employing a soft demodulation algorithm, and obtaining a bit log-likelihood ratio; the deep reinforcement learning model completes channel reconstruction of the corresponding link during communication according to the bit log-likelihood ratio; and calculating the current optimal network configuration according to the reconstructed channel so as to distribute the current optimal network configuration to each terminal node during next downlink transmission.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing a biaxially oriented nanoporous UHMWPE membrane. The method can include combining a petroleum jelly, an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and an antioxidant, forming a suspension, feeding the suspension into an extruder to produce a gel filament, pressing the gel filament to form a gel film, subjecting the gel film to an annealing temperature, and extracting the petroleum jelly from the gel film.

Abstract: A method for predicting student performance in interactive question pools, comprising: a data processing and feature extraction module for: extracting from historical score data records statistical student features reflecting the students' past performances on the questions; and statistical question features indicating a question popularity of each question and the average students' scores on each question; and extracting from the pointing device movement data records a plurality of interactive edge features representing the characteristics of the students' problem-solving behaviors; a network construction module for: performing an Edge2Node transformation to transform the interactive edge features into one or more interaction nodes; and constructing a heterogeneous student-interaction-question (SIQ) network; and a prediction module for processing the SIQ network using a residual relational graph neural network to predict a student's score on unattempt questions.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to compositions and methods of coating objects using BOC-butenolide. The invention also relates to compositions and methods for enhancing the performance and longevity of the coated objects with BOC-butenolide, including inhibiting fouling often caused by marine organisms.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a solution-processed selective solar absorption coating and a process for the preparation thereof.

Abstract: An all-solid-state battery system having a solid-state electrolyte composite is provided. The solid-state electrolyte composite includes a porous framework providing support and mechanical strength for the solid-state electrolyte composite and a plurality of ionic conductors filling voids of the porous framework for maximizing ionic conductance of the solid-state electrolyte composite. The porous framework may be made of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymers and the plurality of ionic conductors may be made of poly(ethylene oxide)-LiN(SO2CF3)2 (PEO-LiTFSI) polymers. The all-solid-state battery system includes battery cells each including a cathode current collector, a cathode disposed beneath and connected to the cathode current collector, the solid-state electrolyte composite disposed beneath and connected to the cathode, an anode disposed beneath and connected to the solid-state electrolyte composite, and an anode current collector disposed beneath and connected to the anode.

Abstract: The invention relates to the systems and methods for isolating single cells, capturing selected prey biomolecules within said cells, and detecting said prey biomolecules using a sensitive assay method. Also described herein are functionalized substrates and compositions for enabling the low limit of detection of selected prey biomolecules of selected cells.

Abstract: A multifunctional and modular geotechnical testing device for testing a soil sample is provided. The testing device includes a testing cell, a plurality of needle probes, and a plurality of lateral pressure-measuring sensors. The testing cell has an oedometer ring for accommodating the soil sample, with a plurality of holes located on and angularly distributed over an internal lateral surface of the oedometer ring forming a plurality of channels to access the soil sample from outside. The plurality of needle probes, each configured to house a pore water pressure-measuring sensor, is detachably mountable to the plurality of channels from outside for simultaneously measuring the pore water pressures. The plurality of lateral pressure-measuring sensors is removably attachable to an inner peripheral side of the testing cell for measuring lateral pressures of the soil sample.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to composition and methods of using said composition as an in vitro biosensor of small molecules in biological and/or environmental samples using enzyme-assisted nucleic acid reactions. The methods and compositions can be used to sense and/or transduce the signal of a sensing event mediated by allosteric proteins, endonucleases and nucleic acid reactions. This invention allows the rapid development and setup of one-pot assays to provide results in minutes. The methods and compositions may be used to generate an electrochemical, fluorescent, colorimetric, and/or luminescent output and the methods can be performed in different modalities, including a solution-based or paper-based assay.

Abstract: Provided herein are aggregation-induced emission luminogens useful for imaging and/or detecting cancer cells and dynamically monitoring the viability of cancer cells and methods of use and preparation thereof.

Abstract: Sound absorbers using distributed absorption units each having an extended neck are provided. The absorption units can be, for example, Helmholtz resonators with extended neck (HRENs). The absorption units can be distributed in a lateral fashion, for example, in a checkerboard fashion with laterally, non-diagonally adjacent units having a different extended neck length and/or diameter. Each absorption unit can be, for example, a cylinder-structure core sandwiched between a back wall and a perforated plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a radiative cooling structure that can be fabricated using solution-based processes and offer great IR-selectivity referring to low absorptivity within solar spectrum and high emissivity within the atmosphere transmission window (8-13 microns) for daytime radiative cooling. This structure includes a reflective layer, a ceramic IR-selectively emissive layer and a ceramic emission boosting layer, and the ceramic emission boosting layer is able to boost the overall emissivity of the radiative cooling structure within the atmosphere transmission windows and avoid infrared emission outside the atmosphere transmission window. The IR-selectivity contributes to larger temperature reduction, especially in high humidity area.

Abstract: Provided herein are chiral compounds that exhibit circularly polarized photoluminescence and electroluminescence and electroluminescent devices and circularly polarized fluorescent probes comprising the same.