Abstract: A composition for regeneration of skeletal muscle includes a nerve cell secretome or an isolate thereof. An implantable therapeutic material for regeneration of skeletal muscle includes a hydrogel and nerve cells encapsulated within the hydrogel, wherein at least some of the nerve cells are living. A method of regenerating skeletal muscle includes applying the composition or implanting the implantable material adjacent to skeletal muscle myoblasts and/or myogenic cells to regenerate skeletal muscle therefrom.

Abstract: A method of overmolding an object of interest with a protective coating is disclosed, which includes receiving a mold having a top half and a bottom half dimensioned for an object of interest, placing the object of interest into the bottom half of the mold, spreading a layer or laying a sheet of a mixture cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on to the object of interest, placing the top half of the mold onto the CNF/CMC layer, applying a predetermined pressure between the top and bottom halves of the mold, applying a predetermined amount of heat to the mold, to thereby molding the CNF/CMC mixture onto the object of interest, and removing the object of interest with the layer of CNF/CMC formed thereon from the mold after a predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: A confocal microscope system includes a light source configured to form a light beam, a scanning unit, and an objective lens. The scanning unit is in the form of a mechanically driven scanning unit with a controllable scanning trajectory, and is configured to direct the light beam through the scanning trajectory. The objective lens defines a pupil plane and a focal plane. The light beam is directed from the scanning unit to the objective lens. The confocal microscope system is configured for multi-color line-scanning confocal microscopy, and implements multi-color fluorescence imaging without laser excitation crosstalk.

Abstract: The carbon capture system includes a wind turbine, a direct-air capture (DAC) system, and a processor. The wind turbine has a first location and/or a first position. The processor is communicatively coupled to the DAC system. The processor is configured to input a wind turbine wake from the wind turbine and/or incident carbon dioxide profile, execute an algorithm to determine a wind velocity and/or a concentration of the carbon dioxide in the wind turbine wake, and output a second location and/or a second position of the DAC system. The second location and/or the second position of the DAC system is optimized to enhance the quantity of carbon dioxide captured from to the wind turbine.

Abstract: A method of reducing signals associated with one or more classes of unwanted noise is disclosed which includes choosing one or more classes as noise to be cancelled while allowing the remainder of classes amongst a plurality of classes to pass through, dividing an incoming time-varying signal into a plurality of snippets having a single or a plurality of durations, transforming each snippet into an associated frequency spectrum, thus generating a plurality of spectra, for each spectrum of the plurality of spectra, identifying presence of the one or more classes chosen as noise, for each identified class of noise, multiplying a 180° phase-shifted version of a frequency signal associated with the identified class of noise by a frequency spectrum of the incoming signal, thereby generating an associated frequency-domain noise-cancelled spectrum, inverse transforming the frequency-domain noise-cancelled spectrum into a time-varying noise-cancelled signal, and outputting the time-varying noise-cancelled signal.

Abstract: Boresight and lever arm calibration of cameras and scanners on UAVs or mobile platforms is performed by optimizing the flight/travel path of the UAV/platform relative to control points or tie points. The flight/travel paths account for the potential bias of boresight angles, lever arm and times delays to produce an accurate estimation of the orientation of these cameras/scanners relative to the GNSS/INS coordinate system o the UAV/platform.

Abstract: A hydraulic circuit is disclosed which includes one or more i) linear; or ii) rotary hydraulic actuator, wherein total number of cylinder chambers is N, M pressure rails, a valve arrangement, including M hydraulic rail ports each coupled to a pressure rail, N hydraulic chamber ports each coupled to a chamber of one or more actuators, N proportional valves each corresponding to one of the N hydraulic chamber ports, X sets of on-off valves and check valves coupling two or more hydraulic rail ports to each of supply sides of each of the N proportional valves, and Y sets of on-off valves and check valves coupling two or more hydraulic rail ports to each of return sides of each of the N proportional valves, and a controller configured to in real-time operate the N proportional valves and the associated on-off valves to achieve one or more desired functional parameters.

Abstract: An augmented reality (AR) interaction authoring system is described. The AR interaction authoring system is configured to support the real-time creation of AR applications to support AR-enhanced toys. The design of the AR interaction authoring system enables bidirectional interactions between the physical-virtual space of toys and AR. The AR interaction authoring system allows intuitive authoring of AR animations and toys actuations through programming by demonstration, while referring to the physical toy for a contextual reference. Using a visual programming interface, users can create bidirectional interactions by utilizing users' input on toys to trigger AR animations and vice versa. A plug-and-play IoT toolkit is also disclosed that includes hardware to actuate common toys. In this way, users can effortlessly integrate toys into the virtual world in an impromptu design process, without lengthy electronic prototyping.

Abstract: A system may forecast a workload for a cluster of nodes in a database management system. The system may generate a reconfiguration plan based on the forecasted workload. The system may obtain a heterogenous configuration set. The heterogenous configuration set may include respective configuration sets for the complete sets of nodes. The system may forecast, based on a first machine learning model, respective performance metrics for nodes in each of the complete sets. The system may forecast a cluster performance metric for the entire cluster of nodes based on a second machine learning model. The system may include, in response to satisfaction of an acceptance criterion, the heterogenous configuration set in the reconfiguration plan. The system may cause the cluster of nodes to be reconfigured based on the reconfiguration plan.

Abstract: A system and methods for compiling and executing instructions with opportunistic inter-path reconvergence are provided. A processor may access instructions grouped by code blocks of a control flow graph. The processor may identify a first and second code block that share the same immediate dominator and the immediate post dominator. The processor may determine a first instruction for the first code block and a second instruction for the second code block include a common opcode. In response to the first instruction and second instructing sharing the common opcode, the processor may update the set of executable instructions by removing a first instruction from the first code block and a second instruction from the second code block. The processor may add, to the set of executable instructions, a third instruction comprising the opcode, the first operand, and the second operand.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides to a novel continuous processing method to prepare sheets comprising cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Single screw extrusion was utilized to continuously process mechanically fibrillated cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) into sheets. Water-retention ability and stability of CNF suspensions containing different processing aids was assessed through centrifugation and zeta potential analysis. Subsequently, highly loaded pastes (up to ˜25 wt. % total solids content) containing the best performing processing aids (carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum (XG), and anionic polyacrylamide (aPAM)) and CNF were prepared using a Brabender with Banbury mixer-head at a dry weight ratio of either 0.1 to 1 or 0.15 to 1, respectively. Validation of the mixing procedure proved that highly loaded CNF pastes can be processed in under 40 minutes, saving up to 40 days in preparation and drying time.

Abstract: Provided herein are manipulators for handling fragile layers and related methods of handling using the manipulators. The manipulators comprise a contact surface with thermally responsive recess features and a microelectric heater in thermal contact with the contact surface. In this manner, the manipulator is an electrothermal manipulator, with changes in temperature providing a contact force to pick-up a transferable layer material and a release force to facilitate release of the transferable from the manipulator.

Abstract: A hydrokinetic turbine system for harvesting energy from riverine and tidal sources, including a first floating dock, a marine hydrokinetic turbine mounted on the first floating dock, and a second floating dock. The system further includes a winch assembly mounted on the second floating dock and operationally connected to the first floating dock and a linkage assembly operationally connected to the first floating dock and to the second floating dock. The linkage assembly may be actuated to pull the first floating dock into contact with the second floating dock. The linkage assembly may be actuated to distance the first floating dock from the second floating dock, and the winch assembly may be energized to orient the first floating dock into a position wherein the marine hydrokinetic turbine is above the first floating dock and wherein the winch assembly may be energized to orient the first floating dock into a position wherein the marine hydrokinetic turbine is below the first floating dock.

Abstract: Methods of transferring a metallic film to a flexible substrate using a roll-to-roll nanoforming assembly include transferring the metallic film to a nanomold such that a metal layer of the metallic film contacts the nanomold and an ablative layer of the metallic film contacts a confinement layer during continuous motion of the metallic film relative to the confinement layer. Further, the method includes directing a laser beam through the confinement layer onto the ablative layer of the metallic film to form a nanoformed metal from the metallic film as the metallic film moves relative to the confinement layer and the laser generator, and transferring the nanoformed metal onto the flexible substrate.

Abstract: Training a lexicon of a natural language processing system may include receiving a data set containing a corpus of absolute paths driven by a vehicle annotated with natural language descriptions of said absolute paths and determining parameters of the lexicon based on the data set. The degree to which a path taken by the vehicle satisfies the annotated description may be specified by a scoring function. The lexicon may be determined by finding the lexicon parameters that optimize the degree to which the paths taken by the vehicle satisfy the annotated descriptions. Objects in the environment of the same class are disambiguated by specifying their position relative to other objects using prepositions.

Abstract: A method for multiplying a sparse matrix (SM) with a full matrix, includes receiving a SM, left aligning each row based on a maximum number of non-sparse cells in each said row, generating a left aligned matrix, displacing at least one cell from an original row into another row of the left aligned matrix to thereby generate at least one new sparse column in said SM to thus reduce sparsity by discarding said at least one new sparse column, thus generating a critical-path-reduced matrix, and wherein the at least one displaced cell includes a flag identifying said cell has been displaced from the original row in the SM, and multiplying the critical-path-reduced matrix with the full matrix using a multiplier, wherein the product from each cell having a displacement flag is moved and accumulated to an accumulator within the multiplier associated with remainder of data for said original row.

Abstract: An arrangement for reducing intraocular pressure includes a pulse signal source, a probe coupling, and at least one electrode. The probe coupling is configured to be supported on a portion of a living eye. The electrodes are supported on the probe coupling. The electrodes are operably coupled to receive a pulse signal from the pulse signal source.

Abstract: A composition comprising an active agent that inhibits acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is provided. With the composition, food intake can be suppressed, and/or body weight can be reduced, and/or metabolic disorders can be prevented and/or treated.

Abstract: A method for producing a single photon source includes functionalizing a top surface of a plasmonic thin film to form a functionalized thin film, depositing a polymer on top of the functionalized thin film, lithographically patterning the polymer to form patterned functionalized sites, and targeting nanodiamond particles to the patterned functionalized sites.

Abstract: A roll-to-roll manufacturing machine suitable for processing and producing polymer films that contain nanostructures, including but not limited to multifunctional polymer films. The machine applies a liquid polymer on a substrate to form a liquid polymer film, at least partially embeds nanostructures into the liquid polymer film, melt casts a layer of a molten polymer on the liquid polymer film to produce a thin polymer film, organizes the nanostructures in a thickness direction of the thin polymer film comprising applying an electric field to the thin polymer film, aligns the nanostructures in the thin polymer film by simultaneously subjecting the thin polymer film to heat and a field that aligns the nanostructures, and solidifies the thin polymer film to freeze the nanostructures along nanocolumns in a thickness direction of a solidified polymer film resulting therefrom.