Abstract: A device and method including a boiling chamber in which boiling occurs in a pool of liquid and condensation occurs in the same chamber to remove the heat from the condensation process of the bubbles generated during the boiling process mainly through submerged condensation are disclosed.

Abstract: We disclose a soft-detection variant of Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding (GRAND) called discretized soft-information for GRAND (DSGRAND) that can efficiently decode any moderate redundancy block-code in an algorithm that is suitable for highly parallelized implementation in hardware. DSGRAND provides near maximum likelihood decoding performance when provided with five or more bits of soft information per received bit, by discretizing the soft information into noise effect sequences and allocating those sequences into bins according to weight. The use of these bins provides a separate, simplified manner of sequencing noise guessing.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein determine metrics of cardiac performance via a mechanical circulatory support device and use the cardiac performance to calibrate, control and deliver mechanical circulatory support for the heart. The systems include a controller configured to operate the device, receive inputs indicative of device operating conditions and hemodynamic parameters, and determine vascular performance, including vascular resistance and compliance, and native cardiac output. The systems and methods operate by using the mechanical circulatory support device (e.g., a heart pump) to introduce controlled perturbations of the vascular system and, in response, determine heart parameters such as stroke volume, vascular resistance and compliance, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, and ultimately determine native cardiac output.

Abstract: A green-engineered mulch product and methods for making same are disclosed. The mulch product includes a coating of aluminum-based water treatment residuals which makes the product “green.” Furthermore, coating aluminum-based water treatment residuals on mulch eliminates the problem of the low hydraulic conductivity of aluminum-based water treatment residuals and makes it feasible to utilize its pollutant removal potential without requiring any modification to existing best management practices or additional maintenance.

Abstract: The present invention uses tunable or broadband integrated OPO with active or passive beam steering devices for high-speed ranging on a compact, low-cost platform. Examples of beam steering devices include grating couplers, optical phased arrays, arrayed waveguide delay lines, nanophotonic antennas, metasurfaces, etc. The beam steering device can be inside or outside of the OPO structure. Under broadband operation, the angular information is encoded in the spectral domain and vice versa, and the detector may have multiple spectral filters corresponding to different angles or a single tunable filter. The tunable filter can be electro-optic (EO) based or piezoelectric (PZT)-based. This invention can be realized across multiple material platforms with application specific parameters to optimize performance, such as bandwidth, tuning range, tuning speed, spatial/temporal resolution, polarization, field of view (FOV), etc. Scanning can be done in 1D and 2D.

Abstract: A color checker device is disclosed. The color checker device includes a substrate configured to be inserted into a model eye and to conform to a surface curvature of the model eye when inserted therein. A color test target is located on the substrate. The color test target comprises a plurality of color sections configured for generating a color characterization profile of a fundus imaging camera configured to capture a color image of a human retina. A method of generating a color characterization profile using the color checker device and a fundus imaging system having the color characterization profile stored thereon are also disclosed.

Abstract: A biohydrogen production device of corn stalks based on synchronous saccharification and fermentation and a hydrogen production method thereof are provided. The biohydrogen production device has a vertical fermenter, an irradiation pretreatment unit, an enzymolysis saccharification unit, a dark fermentation unit, a photofermentation unit, a power supply box and a hydrogen storage tank. The method and device utilize the high specificity of different microorganisms to the substrate to combine the dark fermentation and the process of photofermentation hydrogen production. The method and device can be used for the preparation of hydrogen.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are solar cells including a perovskite material and at least one adhesive layer, and methods of making the same. The methods provide solar cells in which transparent conductive oxide(s) have been annealed, and in which the perovskite material is not exposed to elevated temperatures which could degrade its performance.

Abstract: A learning control system includes a movement trajectory generation unit, a learning control unit, a feedback control unit, and an uncertainty compensation unit. The movement trajectory generation unit includes a movement trajectory generator; the movement trajectory generator is configured to generate a reference movement trajectory; a position measured signal is subtracted from the reference movement trajectory to obtain a position error signal which is input to the learning control unit; the learning control unit is configured to generate a feed-forward signal which is added with the position error signal to obtain a corrected error signal; and the corrected error signal is input to the feedback control unit; the feedback control unit includes a feedback controller configured to generate a feedback control quantity which is input to the uncertainty compensation unit; and the uncertainty compensation unit is configured to generate the position measured signal.

Abstract: Reaction schemes involving acids and bases; reactors comprising spatially varying chemical composition gradients (e.g., spatially varying pH gradients), and associated systems and methods, are generally described. For example, methods comprising producing an acid; dissolving a material comprising calcium in the acid to produce calcium ions; treating the calcium ions to produce solid calcium hydroxide and/or calcium oxide; and utilizing the solid calcium hydroxide and/or calcium oxide in a downstream process to produce a cement, wherein the downstream process comprises heating the solid calcium hydroxide and/or calcium oxide in a kiln are described.

Abstract: A system and method provide two-qubit gates and quantum computing circuits built therefrom. Pairs of qubits are inductively or capacitively coupled using a coupler that is driven using an off-resonant microwave drive. By controlling the drive, the ZZ interaction between the qubits can be precisely controlled. In particular, the interaction may be selectively reduced or suppressed, thereby isolating the qubits from each other, or the interaction may be increased to provide fast, controlled-Z, two-qubit gates with high fidelity. Moreover, qubits and couplers may be arranged according to their resonant frequencies into unit cells and replicated to arbitrary size, thereby forming a quantum computer.

Abstract: A composition, and method for a targeted drug delivery is disclosed in treating central nervous system injury, including blast hearing loss, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the like, by administering a subject with nanoparticle-based minocycline formulations. The formulation contains nanoparticles encapsulating minocycline for neuroprotective effect in TBI. Albumin nanoparticle-based minocycline formulations provide enhanced delivery to brain, and reduced toxicity at minimal dosage for treating a subject suffering from central nervous system injury including blast induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI). Nanoparticle administered at minimal dose in rat blast TBI model crossed blood-brain barrier (BBB) and enhanced therapeutic concentration compared to free minocycline. Provided is an effective and safe minocycline delivery in TBI with minimal or no toxicity for neuroprotective therapy.

Abstract: A multi-modal robot that is configured to operate with a bipedal locomotion that may be augmented with aerial locomotion. Many embodiments of a robot may incorporate a robot with a main body portion that houses the various control systems and mechanical controls of the robot. The body of the robot can have a number of different propellers connected to an upper portion of the body and configured to generate lift and/or stability for the body of the robot. Additionally, many embodiments have at least two leg elements connected to a bottom portion of the body by way of a servo mechanism. The legs are configured to provide support for the body of the robot as well as generate a walking locomotion through the movement of the legs.

Abstract: A system and method for patient positioning during radiotherapy. The system can include a patient support structure configured to receive a patient during a radiotherapy process using a radiotherapy source to deliver a therapy to the patient when positioned on the patient support structure, a patient positioning system configured to adjust a position of the patient support structure relative to the radiotherapy source, a flexible actuator configured to secure the patient to the patient support and adjust a position of the patient relative to the patient support, and an imaging system configured to acquire imaging data of the patient, the patient support, and the flexible actuator during the radiotherapy process.

Abstract: A system and method provide a hybrid communication scheme that achieves high communication rates with post-quantum computational security guarantees. Messages to be securely communicated are first mixed using an individually secure encoding, such as a linear network code, and some of the encoded messages are further encrypted. The encrypted and unencrypted messages are sent via different communications channels. Each unencrypted message becomes almost as secure as the encrypted messages because of the pre-mixing, since decoding any one of the messages requires all of the messages, including the encrypted messages. Thus, a very few encrypted messages may be used, allowing the rate of communication to approach one as the number of channels increases. This is particularly beneficial when a classical public-key cryptosystem can only be used in part of the data transmitted or stored, in the presence of noisy channels, in distributed data storage, and other applications.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage system includes a firebrick checkerwork and an electrode. The firebrick checkerwork includes one or more conductive firebrick layers, each including a plurality of electrically conductive doped metal oxide firebricks with one or more airflow vents. The electrode includes one or more electrode firebrick layers, each layer including a plurality of electrode firebricks. The firebrick checkerwork is heated due to application of electrical power to the electrode. Air flowing through the firebrick checkerwork may then be heated for use in heat-related applications (e.g., an industrial application, commercial application, residential application, transportation application, etc.) some of which may relate to electricity production or in other applications which may relate to other purposes that require heat that are unrelated to electricity production.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and devices that use a low-thermal conductivity inert gas to shield reactant gases and thus enabling a cold wall operation within a hot wall system.

Abstract: Disclosed and claimed are mutation(s) or modification(s) of the CRISPR enzyme, for example a Cas enzyme such as a Cas9, which obtain an improvement, for instance a reduction, as to off-target effects of a CRISPR-Cas or CRISPR-enzyme or CRISPR-Cas9 system or complex containing or including such a mutated or modified Cas or CRISPR enzyme or Cas9. Methods for making and using and uses of such mutated or modified Cas or CRISPR enzyme or Cas9 and systems or complexes containing the same and products from such methods and uses are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A lateral flow device, system and method can be used to detect an analyte by monitoring a change in an electronic property.

Abstract: A control system and method locates a partially or fully occluded target object in an area of interest. The location of the occluded object may be determined using visual information from a vision sensor and RF-based location information. Determining the location of the target object in this manner may effectively allow the control system to “see through” obstructions that are occluding the object. Model-based and/or deep-learning techniques may then be employed to move a robot into range relative to the target object to perform a predetermined (e.g., grasping) operation. This operation may be performed while the object is still in the occluded state or after a decluttering operation has been performed to remove one or more obstructions that are occluding light-of-sight vision to the object.