Abstract: In a Byzantine computing environment in which a database is sharded or partitioned among multiple clusters of computing nodes, consensus for and execution of data transactions (e.g., transactions that require and/or affect data of one or more shards) are achieved in a resilient manner. Within some clusters, multiple primary replicas concurrently propose transactions for processing in parallel by all replicas. For some multi-shard transactions, shards involved in the transactions may be logically ring-ordered; each shard in turn achieves consensus among its nodes to commit the transactions, and then executes its portion of the operation after consensus is obtained among all shards. For some other multi-shard transactions, involved shards first determine whether local data constraints are satisfied, after which data modifications are made in parallel.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and compositions are provided for implanting an implantable device into a biological tissue (e.g., muscle, brain). A subject implantable device includes: (i) a biocompatible substrate, (ii) a conduit (e.g., an electrode, a waveguide) that is disposed on the biocompatible substrate, and (iii) an engagement feature (e.g., a loop) for reversible engagement with an insertion needle. The biocompatible substrate can be flexible (e.g., can include polyimide). The implantable device is implanted using an insertion needle that includes an engagement feature corresponding to the engagement feature of the implantable device. To implant, an implantable device is reversibly engaged with an insertion needle, the device-loaded insertion needle is inserted into a biological tissue (e.g., to a desired depth), and the insertion needle is retracted, thereby disengaging the implantable device from the insertion needle and allowing the implantable device to remain implanted in the biological tissue.

Abstract: Aspects of quadrature phase shift keying for quadrature amplitude modulation are described. In some examples, quadrature phase shift keying signals are generated using quadrature phase shift keying modulators. The quadrature phase shift keying signals are combined in a combiner circuit to generate a quadrature amplitude modulation signal for wireless transmission.

Abstract: An epoxy resin-based embedding media doped with a non-conductive dopant to a predetermined w/w % such that the media is non-charging at 1.8 keV. A preferred dopant is polyethylene glycol at a molecular weight of at least 3350, and having a predetermined w/w % is at least 2% and up to 20%, most preferably from 2% to 10%. Another preferred dopant is polyethylene glycol at a molecular weight of 7000-8000 and a predetermined w/w % of up to ˜40% and more preferably of up to ˜30%.

Abstract: The disclosure provides stable antimicrobial (e.g., antibacterial or antifungal or both) peptides (SAMPs) that may be used in methods of preventing or treating a bacterial disease (e.g., a Liberibacter disease, such as citrus greening disease (also called Huanglongbing (HLB)) or potato Zebra Chip disease, and other bacterial diseases such as those caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (also known as Rhizobium radiobacter) and Pseudomonas syringae) in plants (e.g., citrus plants or potato plants). SAMPs disclosed herein may be heat stable, as well as stable in plant extracts and/or in plant lysates (e.g., citrus lysates).

Abstract: Compositions and methods for conditionally regulating activities of CRISPR-Cas systems. In some embodiments, the methods comprise providing an inactive guide RNA comprising a regulatory domain bound by a lock nucleic acid different from the guide RNA; and displacing the lock nuclei acid from the regulatory domain by a trigger nucleic acid, thereby activating the guide RNA, wherein the activated guide RNA forms a complex with a Cas enzyme.

Abstract: A flexible oximeter device for measuring pulse and blood oxygen saturation in tissue includes a first array of first light emitting elements that emit red light, a second array of second light emitting elements that emit green light or near-infrared (NIR) light and an array of sensor elements arranged on at least one flexible substrate. Each sensor element is configured to detect red and green or NIR light, and to output a signal representing an amount of red or green or NIR light detected. The first and second arrays and the array of sensor elements form a plurality of interleaved measurement pixels, each pixel comprising one of the first light emitting elements and a corresponding sensor element, and one of the second light emitting elements and a different corresponding sensor element.

Abstract: A switched-capacitor (SC) network in an SC converter is controlled to operate at varying resonant modes to achieve high conversion ratio efficiency, at a low circuit component count. These power converters are suited to numerous application areas including improving energy efficiency of data centers. A family of resonant switched capacitor (SC) converters with multiple operating phases are presented “Multi-Resonant SC Converters”. Described in detail are an 8-to-1 Multi-Resonant-Doubler (MRD) converter and a 6-to-1 Cascaded Series-Parallel (CaSP). The topology of these converters make them amenable to combining like units in parallel toward reaching higher power levels.

Abstract: A detector module is provided that can be used as part of a time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) system. The detector module comprises a plurality of emitter elements, each emitter element including an emitter composed of a substance that produces scintillation light and/or Cherenkov radiation in response to gamma photons and, coupled to each of two opposing ends of the emitter, a plurality of photodetectors. The height or thickness of the emitters between their coupled photodetectors is less than 20 mm (e.g., 5-15 mm). The photomultipliers may be silicon photomultipliers or SiPMs that have surface areas less than approximately 9 mm2. Due to the quantity of photodetectors, their operating locations at both ends of each emitter, and the relative thinness of the emitters, the emitter elements and the detector module provide a timing resolution better (lower) than 100 ps full width at half maximum.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, compositions and methods for using a split dCas protein system to modify the epigenetic profile of a gene of interest. The systems, compositions, and methods are useful for modifying the epigenetic profile of a particular gene within a cell, based on the discovery that effective expression of a larger-sized recombinant protein can be successfully achieved using two separate expression cassettes each encoding a half of the protein fused with a half of an intein, utilizing the unique feature of an intein system to ultimately rejoin the two halves to form one larger fusion protein with the intein spliced out.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for increasing resistance of plants to a disease caused by infection with bacteria of a Liberibacter species.

Abstract: A single photon radiation detector is designed for a particular radiation source fluence, such that an incident radiation photon strikes a scintillator monolith, creating scintillation photons, which are amplified by appropriately sized channels of photomultipliers optically coupled to the scintillator monolith. The photomultiplier output is electronically shaped into a corresponding stream of scintillation pulses (otherwise referred to as scintillation photons) that pass through a comparator to produce a bitstream of the detected scintillation photons, which is sampled into a field programmable gate array (FPGA) acting as a giga-sample transceiver to produce time-to-digital conversions, capable of producing an output data stream of 10's-of-giga-samples per second or more. Appropriate design ensures sparsity of scintillation photon arrival, so that each photon in the bitstream corresponds to a single incident scintillation photon.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor which can achieve sensitivities competitive with modern sensors while simultaneously maintaining a small size, low power consumption, simplicity of design, and low cost. The magnetic field sensor utilizes nonlinear precession dynamics of subatomic spins to attain parametric amplification of a magnetic field. A preliminary experimental implementation of the proposed concept establishes its feasibility and can already demonstrate significant benefits over existing approaches to sensing.

Abstract: Glaucoma or pathogenic intraocular pressure is treated by locally administering to an eye in need thereof formulations of a Wnt5a inhibitor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for producing fuels, such as biofuels, and commodity chemicals. In some embodiments, the methods comprise pretreating cellulosic biomass with a sugar acid. In some embodiments, the methods further comprise recycling sugar acids that are produced during fermentation for use in the subsequent pretreatment of cellulosic biomass. In some embodiments, the methods further comprise utilizing one or more components produced during pretreatment for subsequent fermentation. Fuels and commodity chemicals produced according to the methods of the present invention are also provided herein.

Abstract: A dual-shell architecture and methods of fabrication of fused quartz resonators is disclosed. The architecture may include two encapsulated and concentric cavities using plasma-activated wafer bonding followed by the high-temperature glassblowing. The dual-shell architecture can provide a protective shield as well as a “fixed-fixed” anchor for the sensing element of the resonators. Structures can be instrumented to operate as a resonator, a gyroscope, or other vibratory sensor and for precision operation in a harsh environment. Methods for fabricating a dual-shell resonator structure can include pre-etching cavities on a cap wafer, pre-etching cavities on a device wafer, bonding the device wafer to a substrate wafer to form a substrate pair and aligning and bonding the cap wafer to the substrate pair to form a wafer stack with aligned cavities including a cap cavity and a device cavity. The wafer stack may be glassblown to form a dual-shell structure.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a precision-positioning/quality control system capable of measuring the exact position of any given mechanical component/part of any size or shape used during an assembly process. In one aspect, a process for performing high-accuracy localization and positioning of a rigid object is disclosed. This process can begin by receiving a full image of the object. The full image is then processed by a deep-learning module to identify a set of regions of interest on the object. Next, the identified regions in the set of regions of interest are subsequently processed to identify a number of surface points within each identified region and accurately estimate their positions. After sequentially processing all the regions of interest, the process subsequently generates an accurate position estimation for the object based on the combined set of identified high-precision surface points for the set of regions of interest.

Abstract: An anode in an electrochemical cell includes an anode active material comprising sodium and a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer disposed on the anode active material. The SEI layer includes reduction products of an electrolyte solvent and is free of degradation products derived from dissolved anions of an electrolyte salt. The electrolyte solvent and the electrolyte salt are present in an electrolyte of the electrochemical cell. The SEI layer does not include a fluorine content greater than 5 wt. %.

Abstract: Grow gallium-containing semi-conductor layers are grown on a substrate, wherein the gallium-containing semiconductor layers comprise AlxGayInzNvPwAsu, where 0?x?1, 0?y?1, 0?z?1, 0?v?1, 0?w?1, 0?u?1, v+w+u=1, and x+y+z=1. Dry etching of the gallium-containing semiconductor layers exposes sidewalls of the layers. Surface treatments are performed to recover from damage to the sidewalls resulting from the dry etching. Dielectric materials are deposited on the sidewalls, for example, by atomic layer deposition (ALD), to passivate the sidewalls. The resulting gallium-containing semiconductor layers have an improvement in optical efficiency as compared to gallium-containing semiconductor layers that are not subjected to the surface treatments and the deposition of the dielectric materials.

Abstract: Hemofilters for in vivo filtration of blood are disclosed. The hemofilters disclosed herein provide an optimal flow of blood through the filtration channels while maintaining a pressure gradient across the filtration channel walls to enhance filtration and minimize turbulence and stagnation of blood in the hemofilter.