Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed relating to the stimulating of tissue including nerve tissue based on combinations of capacitors and resistors. Application and removal of voltage to an electrical circuit is taught as part of a method of creating voltage waveforms for nerve and other tissue with such waveforms creating neural signals. The electrical apparatus taught may, include a first electrical node grounded through a first resistor; a second electrical node grounded through a second resistor; a first capacitor connected to both the first electrical node and the second electrical node; a second capacitor separating the second electrical node from a biological grounding point and direct current sources connected to the two nodes.

Abstract: An optical proximity sensor assembly includes an optical proximity sensor with an IR LED emitting light having an infrared wavelength, an IR photo detector sensitive to the infrared wavelength, an optical barrier blocking direct light rays from the LED to the IR photo detector and permitting reflected light rays to reach the at least one photo detector; and an electronic integrated circuit with an amplifier for amplifying a signal detected by the photo detector, an analog to digital converter, LED drivers, noise reduction and ambient light cancellation circuitry, and a digital interface for communication with a microcontroller. The optical proximity sensor is accommodated on a wearable carrier. A single sensor may include a plurality of identical or different LEDs, a plurality of photodiodes, or both. Also, several sensors may be placed on a person's skin along a vascular path to obtain data relating to blood flow and artery stiffness.

Abstract: The present invention describes a bio-based process to produce high quality protein concentrate (HQPC) by converting plant derived celluloses into bioavailable protein via aerobic incubation, including the use of such HQPC so produced as a nutrient, including use as a fish meal replacement in aquaculture diets.

Abstract: Multifunctional dendritic molecular probes that selectively detect Cu2+ ions via potentiometric and fluorometric techniques with low detection limits are disclosed. The selective and reversible binding of the molecules with the Cu2+ ion was used to make solid-state microsensors by incorporating the molecular probes into the carbon-based membranes as an ionophore for Cu (II).

Abstract: Gait, the walking pattern of individuals, is one of the important biometrics modalities. Most of the existing gait recognition methods take silhouettes or articulated body models as gait features. These methods suffer from degraded recognition performance when handling confounding variables, such as clothing, carrying and viewing angle. To remedy this issue, this disclosure proposes to explicitly disentangle appearance, canonical and pose features from RGB imagery. A long short-term memory integrates pose features over time as a dynamic gait feature while canonical features are averaged as a static gait feature. Both of them are utilized as classification features.

Abstract: An electromagnetically actuated robotic device comprises electromagnetic coils, a charge storage element, at least one processor, a plurality of electrically conductive paths, optionally in combination with sensor(s), all arranged in, and/or on, an elastomeric body structure. Shape, gait, and/or electrical properties shape of a robotic device may be altered by selective actuation of one or more electromagnetic coils. Methods for fabricating and using such devices are also provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides modified microRNA nucleic acid compositions that have one or more cytosine and/or uracil bases replaced with gemcitabine or a 5-halouracil, respectively. More specifically, the present disclosure reveals that the replacement of cytosine nucleotides within a microRNA nucleotide sequence with a gemcitabine molecule increases the ability of the microRNA to inhibit cancer progression and tumorigenesis. In addition, the present disclosure reveals that the replacement of cytosine nucleotides within a microRNA nucleotide sequence with a gemcitabine molecule and replacement of uracil bases with 5-halouracil increases the ability of the microRNA to inhibit cancer development. As such, the present disclosure provides various modified nucleic acid (e.g., microRNA) compositions having gemcitabine molecules incorporated in their nucleic acid sequences and methods for using the same.

Abstract: A light emitting device includes a first electrode, a hole transporting layer in contact with the first electrode, a second electrode, an electron transporting layer in contact with the second electrode; and an emissive layer between the hole transporting layer and the electron transporting layer. The emissive layer includes a phosphorescent emitter, a fluorescent emitter, and a host, and the phosphorescent emitter harvests electrogenerated excitons and transfers energy to the fluorescent emitter.

Abstract: CNT foams and methods are provided. The methods may include forming, in a non-solvent liquid, a suspension of CNTs and particles of a pyrolytic polymer; removing the non-solvent liquid; and removing the particles of the pyrolytic polymer to produce a CNT foam having cells that at least substantially correspond to the dimensions of the particles of the pyrolytic polymer. CNT foams having porous structures also are provided.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for segmenting images are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: generating an aggregate U-Net comprised of a plurality of U-Nets, wherein each U-Net in the plurality of U-Nets has a different depth, wherein each U-Net is comprised of a plurality of nodes Xi,j, wherein i indicates a down-sampling layer the U-Net, and wherein j indicates a convolution layer of the U-Net; training the aggregate U-Net by: for each training sample in a group of training samples, calculating, for each node in the plurality of nodes Xi,j, a feature map xi,j, wherein xi,j is based on a convolution operation performed on a down-sampling of an output from Xi?1,j when j=0, and wherein xi,j is based on a convolution operation performed on an up-sampling operation of an output from Xi+1,j?1 when j>0; and predicting a segmentation of a test image using the trained aggregate U-Net.

Abstract: The invention relates to nucleic acids encoding a p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and to inhibitory nucleic acids adapted to inhibit the expression and/or translation of a p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase RNA. Inhibition of p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase in plants improves the incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, giving rise to plant biomass that is more easily processed into useful products such as paper and biofuels.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sorting utilizing an inflatable actuator are disclosed. A sorting system utilizing an inflatable actuator includes an inflatable actuator. The inflatable actuator is disposed in a cantilever beam orientation atop a support surface. The system includes an inflation component coupled to the inflatable actuator to provide an inflation force. Additionally, the system includes a control component configured to send an activation signal to the inflation component responsive to a detection of an object to be sorted. Responsive to the activation signal, the inflation component inflates the inflatable actuator to cause the inflatable actuator to make contact with the object to be sorted. The contact of the inflatable actuator with the object to be sorted causes the object to change from a first trajectory to a second trajectory.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein are directed to methods and apparatus for power distribution. The apparatus can include a power distribution network for a plurality of integrated circuits (IC). According to embodiments, the power distribution network includes a plurality of overlapping power/ground (PG) plane segments and one or more non-overlapping PG (no-PG) plane segments. Each overlapping-PG plane segment is separated from another overlapping-PG plane segment by at least one no-PG plane segment. The no-PG plane segments can include at least one of a multilayered power (P) plane segment with no ground reference of any PG plane and a multilayered ground (G) plane segment with no power reference of any PG plane.

Abstract: Systems and methods of using the same for functional fluorescence imaging of live cells in suspension with isotropic three dimensional (3D) diffraction-limited spatial resolution are disclosed. The method-live cell computed tomography (LCCT)-involves the acquisition of a series of two dimensional (2D) pseudo-projection images from different perspectives of the cell that rotates around an axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging system. The volumetric image of the cell is then tomographically reconstructed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of nanoparticle composites that comprise covalently coupled stabilizing agent molecules that improve stability of the nanoparticle composites and allow for tight packing of lipids and/or membranes. The nanoparticle composites can further comprise inhibition inhibitors and/or lipid components that interact to form a hybrid lipid bilayer membrane around the nanoparticle core. The nanoparticle composites can be coupled to drugs, targeting moieties, and imaging moieties. The nanoparticle composites can be used for in vivo drug deliver, disease diagnosis/treatment, and imaging.

Abstract: A transcatheter prosthetic heart valve includes a stent frame and a leaflet material. The stent frame includes a top portion and a bottom portion. The leaflet material includes a lower portion attached to the stent frame and an upper portion that includes leaflets capable of moving between an open configuration and a closed configuration. At least a portion of the leaflet material weaves through the stent frame. The transcatheter prosthetic heart valve also includes one or more reinforcement components coupled to the stent frame and/or to the leaflet material to enhance performance of the transcatheter heart valve.

Abstract: Methods and kits are described for testing for the presence or absence of any fungus in a sample. Examples of fungi that can be detected include, but are not limited to, those belonging to the genera Candida, Aspergillus and Pneumocystis. The methods include obtaining a sample suspected of containing fungal nucleic acid, including at least one universal region of fungal nucleic acid, and testing for the presence or absence in the sample of the at least one universal region of fungal nucleic acid. Samples may be biological or non-biological.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of determining the feasibility of growing one or more crops by evaluating a plurality of risk factors associated with the growing and determining the feasibility of the growing based on the evaluation of the risk factors. In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure also include steps of tailoring the risk factors based on the determination of the feasibility of the growing and re-determining the feasibility of the growing by evaluation of the tailored risk factors. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure also include a step of implementing the growing based on the determination of the feasibility of the growing.

Abstract: A device configured to determine a level or concentration of a disease-related analyte in a person's blood from volatile analyte(s) in the person's breath. The device includes one or more sensors configured to detect the volatile analyte(s) in the person's breath, a microcontroller in communication with each sensor, a transmitter, a battery, and a housing. The microcontroller contains logic that correlates parameter values from the sensor(s) or the level/concentration of the volatile analyte(s) to the level/concentration of the disease-related analyte. The transmitter is configured to transmit the parametric value from each sensor and/or the level/concentration of the volatile analyte(s) and/or the disease-related analyte. The housing surrounds, encloses and/or secures the sensor(s), the microcontroller, the transmitter and the battery, and contains a tube or opening through which the person exhales so that the person's breath contacts the sensor(s).

Abstract: A soft gripper apparatus is provided. In another aspect, a soft gripper includes tribo-skin pressure sensors, an internal bending sensor, at least one flexible gripping finger and an actuator. A further aspect of a soft gripper apparatus employs longitudinally elongated, laterally spaced apart and self-powering, electrically conductive strips that sense and send a bending signal to a programmable controller indicative of a bending angle of a gripping finger within which the strips are encapsulated. Another aspect of a gripping apparatus includes at least one workpiece pressure sensor and/or at least one bending sensor, which are connected to a programmable controller and electrical circuit to automatically determine a characteristic of the workpiece.