Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an agent for restoring a visual function or an agent for preventing the deterioration in a visual function, which has an excellent visual function restoring ability. The agent for regenerating a visual function or the agent for preventing the deterioration in a visual function according to the present invention contains, as an active ingredient, a chimeric protein having both an amino acid sequence for a microorganism-origin ion-transporting receptor rhodopsin and an amino acid sequence for an animal-origin G-protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin. The chimeric protein is preferably one in which an amino acid sequence for a cytoplasm-side second loop and/or a cytoplasm-side third loop in the amino acid sequence for the microorganism-origin ion-transporting receptor rhodopsin is substituted by an amino acid sequence for a cytoplasm-side second loop and/or a cytoplasm-side third loop in the G-protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of selective screening. In addition, various targeting proteins and sequences, as well as methods of their use, are also provided.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for 3D printing of soft polymeric material such as a hydrogel or elastomer for scaffolds or devices with embedded channels with tunable shape and size such as a channel inner diameter). The method utilizes extrusion based printing of polymer solutions usually referred as direct ink writing (DIW) or BioPlotting, and requires sequential printing of a photocurable polymer solution, herein, referred as the matrix material, and a sacrificial polymer solution that may dissolve in an aqueous media.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an article with a liquid-impregnated surface, the surface having a matrix of features thereupon, spaced sufficiently close to stably contain a liquid therebetween or therewithin, and preferable also a thin film thereupon. The surface provides the article with advantageous non-wetting properties. Compared to previous non-wetting surfaces, which include a gas (e.g., air) entrained within surface textures, these liquid-impregnated surfaces are resistant to impalement and frost formation, and are therefore more robust.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to porous media with adjustable fluid permeabilities and related systems and methods. In certain cases, the fluid permeability of a porous medium can be adjusted by applying an electrical potential to the porous medium. In some such cases, the application of the electrical potential to the porous medium results in the deposition of material over or the removal of material from the porous medium. Also disclosed herein are systems and methods for capturing species (e.g., acid gases) in which porous media with adjustable fluid permeabilities are used, for example, to control the flow of fluid into and out of a medium used to capture the species.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a method for substantially increasing the concentration of cfDNA in a patient. By injecting a patient with lipid and/or polymer nanoparticles, agents that bind cfDNA, or inhibit deoxyribonucleases prior to collection of a sample of cfDNA, e.g., by way of a liquid biopsy, major pathways for the degradation of cfDNA are temporarily blocked, permitting transient accumulation of cfDNA. This strategy has the potential to dramatically enhance the quality of detection achieved by downstream cfDNA e analytical applications, such as sequencing applications.

Abstract: A computer that includes a processor and a memory can determine a final trajectory for a vehicle by determining a candidate trajectory of a first object based on a detected second object. The candidate trajectory can be input to a reachable polyhedral marching processor to determine dynamic occupancy polyhedrals based on a shape of the candidate trajectory. A reachable tube can be determined based on combining the dynamic occupancy polyhedrals and the final trajectory can be determined based on the reachable tube avoiding the detected second object.

Abstract: A wind turbine generator includes a stator having a plurality of high-temperature superconducting coils. A current is driven through the high-temperature superconducting coils to produce a magnetic field. A rotor comprising one or more phase coils is physically coupled to a wind turbine. As the wind turbine turns the rotor, current is induced in the one or more phase coils to produce electrical power. The phase coils may include conductive material, superconducting material, and/or high-temperature superconducting material.

Abstract: A reticle transport system having a magnetically levitated transportation stage is disclosed. Such a system may be suitable for use in vacuum environments, for example, ultra-clean vacuum environments.

Abstract: Techniques for non-invasively controlling targeted neural activity of a subject are provided herein. The techniques include applying a stimulus input to the subject, the stimulus input being formed by a deep artificial neural network (ANN) model and being configured to elicit targeted neural activity within a brain of the subject. The stimulus input may be a pattern of luminous power generated by the deep ANN model and applied to retinae of the subject. The stimulus input may be generated by the deep ANN model based on a mapping of the subject's neural responses to neurons of the deep ANN model.

Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) including a channel; a barrier confining mobile charge carriers in the channel; a drain contact to the channel; a source contact to the channel; and a gate contact coupled to the channel and modulating a current, comprising the mobile charge carriers flowing in response to a voltage VSD applied between the source contact and the drain contact, when an RF signal electric field and DC bias electric field are applied between the gate contact and the source contact. An offset between the conduction bands of the channel and barrier is increased to a level that suppresses real space transfer noise associated with a portion of the mobile charge carriers being thermionically emitted out of the channel into the barrier when the VSD is applied, wherein the RST noise is reduced by at least a factor of two as compared to a HEMT where the alloy composition of the barrier is lattice matched.

Abstract: Polymeric electro spray emitters and related methods are generally described. In some embodiments, an emitter may be made from an ionic electro active polymer. The composition of the electro spray emitters described herein may enable the transport of ions and/or liquid ion sources, such as an ionic liquid or room temperature molten salt, through the bulk of the polymeric emitter. In some embodiments, the described emitters may be fabricated using a mixture of an ionic electroactive polymer, a solvent, and a liquid ion source to at least partially mitigate swelling effects of the polymer emitter that may otherwise occur when the one or more emitters are exposed to the liquid ion source during operation.

Abstract: The invention provides for systems, methods, and compositions for targeting nucleic acids. In particular, the invention provides non-naturally occurring or engineered DNA-targeting systems comprising a novel DNA-targeting CRISPR effector protein and at least one targeting nucleic acid component like a guide RNA Methods for making and using and uses of such systems, methods, and compositions and products from such methods and uses are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a fast-scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic (fsOR-PAE) endoscope for imaging vasculature within tissues in vivo that includes an ultrasonic transducer and a scanning mirror within a lumen of an elongate casing. The scanning mirror is configured to direct the laser pulses from the pulsed laser source to a focal spot outside the casing in a scanning pattern via an imaging window formed in the casing. The scanning mirror is further configured to direct a plurality of photoacoustic signals from the focal spot to the ultrasonic transducer via the imaging window.

Abstract: Ex vivo monolayer models of human interstinal epithelia that express sensors, and methods of use thereof for evaluation of the effects of test compounds on the human gut.

Abstract: A microfluidic device capable of performing nondisruptive fluid manipulations in a living host is provided. The microfluidic device may include a combinatorial multiplexer for better scaling of multiple time points and biological signal measurements. The collected samples may be transported, stored and analyzed ex vivo for analytical ease and flexibility, e.g., by a sample analysis assay chip. The microfluidics device may include structure for maintaining fluid equilibrium within the host during the sampling to avoid damage to the host or to the implant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and apparatus for quantification and feedback of eye deviations during normal viewing conditions. A sensory biofeedback system serves to emit a sensory cue such as a tone or vibration when a certain threshold of eye deviation has been exceeded. The biofeedback system allows objective monitoring of the accuracy of eye alignment that can be used outside of a clinical setting or inside a clinical setting.

Abstract: A benchmark state space model construction method for an offshore wind turbine is provided. The benchmark state space model is constructed by the modal information of the first several orders of the high-order finite element model of the offshore wind turbine. Since the benchmark state space model is only established by the first several orders of the high-order finite element model, the time domain analysis of the offshore wind turbine using the benchmark state space model instead of the high-order finite element model can improve the calculation efficiency and reduce the calculation cost. The benchmark state space model construction method solves the problem of low computational efficiency and high computational cost of time domain analysis of offshore wind turbines using high-order finite element models due to the excessive number of high-order finite element units in existing technologies.

Abstract: An active acoustic system includes a thin-film sheet having an array of piezoelectric microstructures embossed in the film. Each piezoelectric microstructure may act as a speaker and/or a microphone. A control circuit is configured to individually address the piezoelectric microstructures to provide a separate voltage signal to, or receive a separate voltage signal from, each piezoelectric microstructure.

Abstract: Bi-modal propulsion systems and related methods are generally described. In some embodiments, a bi-modal propulsion system may employ a single propellant for both chemical thruster(s), operating at elevated pressures, and electrical thruster(s) (e.g., electro spray thruster), operating at reduced pressures. The propellant pressure may be reduced to a desired operational range of the electrical thruster(s) using any appropriate construction including, for example, capillaries configured to reduce the pressure of the propellant to an operational range of the electrical thruster(s). In some embodiments, the reduced pressure of the propellant may be lower than a vapor pressure of at least one volatile component of the propellant, leading to the formation of “bubbles” within the propellant line. The presence of alternating gas and liquid phases along a flow path between a propellant tank and the electrical thruster(s) may help to electrically insulate the electrical thruster from the rest of the system.