Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer products are presented herein for generating a clock signal using an on-chip ultra-low power (ULP) RC oscillator. An on-chip ultra-low power (ULP) RC oscillator comprises a first comparator, a second comparator, and a flip flop. The first comparator comprises a first input electrically coupled to a first bias voltage generation circuit and a second input electrically coupled to a first capacitor circuit. Each of the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage directly varies with a thermal voltage. A flip-flop is electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator. The flip-flop is configured to generate a clock signal based on the first and the second comparator output signals.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a plasmonic-nanostructure spectrally selective solar absorber having high solar absorptance, low thermal emittance, and superior thermal stability. The method includes the steps of providing an alloy structure containing a base metal and a copper alloying impurity, wherein copper has a weight percent concentration in the alloy of at least 0.25%; and applying an alkaline solution to a surface of the alloy structure to selectively dissolve base metal elements at the surface resulting in fabrication of sponge-like copper nanostructures on the surface configured to scatter, trap, and absorb light in solar wavelengths.

Abstract: Tellurium (Te) nanostructures are synthesized using green aloe vera chemistry methods, and the synthesized Te nanostructures provide methods of inhibiting bacterial cells and cancer cells without cytotoxicity towards normal cells. The aloe vera chemistry methods for synthesizing Te nanostructures do not produce toxic byproducts and do not require toxic reagents in comparison to traditional chemical synthetic methods for making Te nanostructures.

Abstract: A quantitative, ultrashort time to echo, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging technique is provided. The technique can be used to accurately measure contrast agent concentration in the blood, to provide clear, high-definition angiograms, and to measure absolute quantities of cerebral blood volume on a voxel-by-voxel basis.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for quantification of a perivascular space in a subject's central nervous system. The methods include administering contrast agent into cerebrospinal fluid of the subject; performing quantitative ultra-short time-to-echo contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (QUTE-CE MRI) on a region of interest of the subject's brain; and determining presence of the contrast agent in the perivascular space within the region of interest.

Abstract: A dual-direction synchronous loading method for a true-triaxial test apparatus includes the following steps: Step S1, loading a sample and adjusting the sample at a center of a sample box and a rigid loading frame; Step S2, setting parameters and sending action instructions through a computer control panel; and Step S3, collecting load signals collected by each sensor acquired by a PID controller, and coordinating a size of triaxial dual-direction loading loads to realize a single instruction dual-direction synchronous loading. The method ensures that a rock sample is kept at a center of a pressure chamber before being loaded, so that a focus of a loading axis is always at a same position as a center of the sample in space, and the function of synchronous loading of two loading actuators in the same direction under a single instruction can be achieved.

Abstract: A preparation method of a granular adsorbent is provided, including the following: adding a pyrrole monomer to an acidic solution, and adding an oxidant as an initiator to allow a polymerization reaction of the pyrrole monomer to produce polypyrrole (PPy), where an adsorption material powder is added to a reaction system before, during, or immediately after the polymerization reaction, and a resulting mixture is thoroughly stirred; after the polymerization reaction is completed, filtering a resulting reaction system to obtain a filter cake, which is the granular adsorbent; or subjecting the resulting reaction system to centrifugal sedimentation to obtain the monolithic adsorbent. In the present disclosure, the pyrrole monomer is subjected to a polymerization reaction to generate PPy; before being tightly stacked, network structures of PPy wrap the adsorption material powder; and the granular adsorbent is formed through sedimentation and stacking.

Abstract: A wireless communications network transmits beamformed signals via compressed beamforming feedback. A transmitter generates beamformed signals and omnidirectional signals. A receiver, communicatively coupled to the transmitter via a wireless channel, generates channel state information (CSI) based on a received signal from the transmitter; generates, via a first neural network (NN), a compressed representation of beamforming feedback as a function of the CSI; and transmits the compressed representation to the transmitter via the wireless channel. The transmitter then determines, via a second NN, the beamforming matrix as a function of the compressed representation; and generates a subsequent beamformed signal toward the receiver as a function of the beamforming matrix.

Abstract: Provided herein are programmable intelligent surfaces (PIS) for transmitting power and/or signals to a device positioned on or proximate the surface including at least one resonant unit including a power distribution layer having at least one transmitter coil configured to be energized by a power source and generate an electromagnetic field sized to electrically interact with at least one meta-cell coil of a meta-resonance layer, and the meta-resonance layer extending over the power distribution layer and comprising an array of configurable meta-cells, each including at least one of the meta-cell coils configured to selectively amplify, block, modify, or pass unchanged the electromagnetic field generated by the transmitter coil.

Abstract: A neurofeedback system includes an EEG apparatus, a presentation apparatus and a controller. The controller is configured to: (i) cause the presentation apparatus to display an overlaid image to the user that comprises a first image flickering at a first frequency and a second image flickering at a second frequency different than the first frequency, the first image being an affective distractor stimulus image and the second image being a task-relevant stimulus image, (ii) receive from the EEG apparatus a number of first steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) signals generated in response the first image of the overlaid image and a number of second SSVEP signals generated in response the second image of the overlaid image, and (iii) calculate feedback indicative of how much attention of the was user allocated to the task-relevant stimulus image versus how much attention of the user was allocated to the affective distractor stimulus image.

Abstract: A recurrent neural network (RNN) acceleration framework leverages both a block-based pruning approach and compiler optimizations to accelerate RNN inference on mobile devices.

Abstract: Provided are a long-term monitoring apparatus and method for surrounding rock fracture evolution process triggered by multiple-source dynamic disturbances. The apparatus includes a machine body framework, a borehole wall surrounding rock image acquisition module, a borehole wall multiple-source vibration monitoring module, an in-borehole walking module, and a monitoring signal storage and transmission module. The borehole wall surrounding rock image acquisition module, the borehole wall multiple-source vibration monitoring module, the in-borehole walking module, and the monitoring signal storage and transmission module are sequentially arranged on the machine body framework from front to back. The monitoring signal storage and transmission module is connected in a communicative manner to a computer outside a borehole. The present invention can achieve integrated monitoring of imaging and vibration within a borehole.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a diazirine precursor mass tag compound represented by structural formula (I) Also disclosed is a method for detecting analytes in a sample, comprising derivatizing the analytes with the compound of formula (I), and detecting the resulting derivatized analytes by a mass or ion mobility spectrometry.

Abstract: A testing device for mechanical properties of a spray anchor net support system, comprising a main frame (100), a lifting and transporting mechanism (200), a mechanical testing mechanism, a testing platform (500), and a monitoring mechanism (600). The lifting and transporting mechanism (200) is arranged on the main frame (100): the testing platform (500) comprises a mold set and a support assembly to be tested (530); the mold set is movably arranged on the main frame (100), and said support assembly (530) is arranged at the bottom end of the mold set, the mechanical testing mechanism is arranged corresponding to said support assembly (530) and is used for implementing a dynamic impact property test or a static mechanical property test on said support assembly (530); and the monitoring mechanism (600) is communicatively connected to the testing platform (500).

Abstract: An ambulatory glucose profile (AGP) intelligent interpretation and insulin adjustment method based on an expert system includes: establishing a knowledge base in an inference mechanism; constructing an interpretation and decision support expert system with a simplified expert system architecture based on the knowledge base; constructing a patient problem analysis tree in three dimensions of hypoglycemia, blood glucose fluctuation, and hyperglycemia of patients; expanding each rule with expert AGP interpretation and empirical data; constructing a basal insulin dosage adjustment rule and a mealtime insulin dosage adjustment rule based on an interval type-2 fuzzy expert system; and adjusting a node of the patient problem analysis tree based on the interpretation and decision support expert system and a group of the patient, and providing a decision suggestion in combination with the basal insulin dosage adjustment rule and the mealtime insulin dosage adjustment rule.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) signal strength detection technique is disclosed with a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) circuit, which can be deployed in an internet-of-things (IoT) network. The RSSI circuit is based on a direct conversion of RF to digital code indicating the signal strength. The direct conversion is achieved by the repeated switching of a rectifier's output voltage using an ultra-low power comparator. A 5-bit programmable feedback circuit can be used to correct detection inaccuracies. The RSSI circuit can be implemented in a 65-nm CMOS process and consumes 15 nW power. It can have a linear dynamic range of 26 dB and exhibit an error of ±0.5 dB with a wide bandwidth of 500 MHz. The technique has been verified with simulation and measurement results. The high detection accuracy with ultra-low power consumption of the proposed RSSI circuit is favorable for IoT applications including, e.g., biomedical, localization, and other low-power applications.

Abstract: A micropillar-enabled acoustic wave (?PAW) viscometer including a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrate; at least one micropillar having a first end and a second end, defining a height therebetween, the at least one micropillar disposed on to the QCM substrate at the first end and extending perpendicular to the QCM substrate; and a film disposed between the at least one micropillar and the QCM substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a platform for the delivery of small molecule drugs or contrast agents to joints and other soft tissues. The platform enables penetration of the drug through the full thickness of cartilage and long intra-cartilage residence time by leveraging electrostatic interactions between the cationic platform and the anionic cartilage matrix. Described herein are compounds and complexes that fit this platform. Also provided are methods of treating a joint disease with the compounds and complexes of the invention, and methods of imaging joints and other soft tissue.

Abstract: Methods are provided for estimating a pose of an infant using image analysis and artificial intelligence. A classifier is trained using a dataset containing hybrid synthetic and real infant pose data. Multi-stage invariant representation machine learning strategies are employed that transfer knowledge from adjacent domains of adult poses and synthetic infant images into a fine-tuned domain-adapted infant pose estimation model.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for determining blood brain barrier disruption in a subject in need thereof. The methods include administering intravascularly a contrast agent to the subject; performing quantitative ultra-short time-to-echo contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (QUTE-CE MRI) on a region of interest of the subject's brain; and determining presence of the contrast agent in brain parenchyma and/or cerebral spinal fluid within the region of interest.