Abstract: The present disclosure relates to genetically modified strains of Salmonella, engineered to be tumor navigating and to alter tumor metabolism in the tumor microenvironment. Also provided herein are methods of producing and methods of using such genetically modified Salmonella strains to treat cancer.

Abstract: A supercapacitor apparatus within a sealed housing to provide a high-voltage EDLC energy storage unit includes cells stacked on one another, with each cell having a set of supercapacitors that are interconnected within the apparatus in a parallel-series configuration to provide an internally balanced energy storage unit that is capable of stand-off voltages of 10 volts or higher. The energy storage unit does not require balancing resistors or more complicated external balancing circuitry. The electrodes of the supercapacitors are comprised of carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets.

Abstract: Devices and methods of allocating distributed energy resources (DERs) to loads connected to a microgrid based on the cost of the DERs are provided. The devices and methods may determine one or more microgrid measurements. The devices and methods may determine one or more real-time electricity prices associated with utility generation sources. The devices and methods may determine one or more forecasts. The devices and methods may determine a cost associated with one or more renewable energy sources within the microgrid. The devices and methods may determine an allocation of the renewable sources to one or more loads in the microgrid.

Abstract: An alloy includes aluminum, a rare earth element, and an alloying element selected from the following: Si, Cu, Mg, Fe, Ti, Zn, Zr, Mn, Ni, Sr, B, Ca, and a combination thereof. The aluminum (Al), the rare earth element (RE), and the alloying element are characterized by forming at least one form of an intermetallic compound. An amount of the rare earth element in the alloy is in a range of about 1 wt. % to about 12 wt. %, and an amount of the alloying element in the alloy is greater than an amount of the alloying element present in the intermetallic compound.

Abstract: Systems and devices for phase-accurate vehicle positioning are disclosed. These systems and devices facilitate high-precision estimations of positions, orientations, velocities, and accelerations of signal nodes in a distributed network (e.g., including base stations and vehicles, such as aircraft or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)). The positioning estimations are based on time-of-arrival estimations of low-bandwidth signals and a phase-accurate distributed coherence algorithm. In some cases, the low-bandwidth signals may further facilitate joint communications and positioning estimations between the signal nodes.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides, among other things, compounds, compositions, and methods useful in inhibiting bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These compositions and methods find many uses in medicine and research, e.g., treating subjects afflicted with active or latent bacterial infections.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and associated method for a thrust-vector controlled unmanned aerial and ground vehicle are disclosed herein.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for identifying biomarkers of disease capable of affecting cognitive function. The biomarkers identified by the methods of the prevention may be used for predicting whether a mammal will develop a disease capable of affecting cognitive function. More specifically, the present invention relates to the identification of biomarkers predictive of neurological diseases in a mammal and the use of these biomarkers in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and/or prognosis of the neurological disease. The methods and systems provided enable an assessment and theoretical prediction of neocortical amyloid loading based on the measurement of biomarkers that will provide an indication of whether a mammal is likely to develop a neurological disease.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for inducing an immune response to Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a mammalian subject. These methods include administering to the mammalian subject an effective amount of a MetQ protein and an effective amount of a K-type CpG oligodeoxynucleotide, thereby inducing the immune response. Also disclosed are immunogenic compositions including an effective amount of a MetQ protein and an effective amount of a K-type CpG oligodeoxynucleotide.

Abstract: Various aspects according to the instant published patent application relate to a functionalized nanoscale diamond. The functionalized nanoscale diamond includes a functionalized surface. The functionalized surface includes a brominated portion and a hydroxylated portion. In further aspects, the brominated portion can be reacted with an amine to form an aminated nanoscale diamond.

Abstract: A microfluidic device comprising one or more fluidic microchannels and one or more arrays of cell assay units is disclosed. Each cell assay unit in turn comprises at one bipolar electrode, micropocket, reaction chamber, and leak channel. In some embodiments, the cell assay unit further comprises two or more split BPEs inside the reaction chamber. The disclosed microfluidic device can be used to separate cells, especially rare cells, from its biological matrix and then analyze the isolated cell inside the reaction chamber. The disclosed device can isolate and analyze cells in a high-throughput fashion and without any modification or labelling to the cells. Cells isolated using the disclosed devices does not lose their vitality.

Abstract: The presence of analytes can be detected in the bodily fluid using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) or Electrochemical Capacitance Spectroscopy (ECS) in devices, such as handheld point-of-care devices. The devices, as well as systems and methods, utilize using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) or Electrochemical Capacitance Spectroscopy (EIS) in combination with an antibody or other target-capturing molecule on a working electrode. Imaginary impedance or phase shift, as well as background subtraction, also may be utilized.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for transmitting OFDM signals through a communication channel exhibiting frequency selective fading, such as an aeronautical 2-ray channel, using a signal modulation scheme at the transmitter that is selected based on a measurement of signal to distortion ratio (SDR) at the receiver. The SDR measurement at the receiver is used to generate an estimated best modulation scheme based on the real-time detection and measurement of SDR at the receiver, and provide feedback to the transmitter through a feedback channel of the newly selected modulation scheme. In certain configurations, the selected modulation scheme is one of multiple possible quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) schemes, which enables adaptation of the transmitted OFDM signal to optimize throughput based on distortion of individual tones of the OFDM signal received at the receiver.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that includes colliding a laser with an electron beam to produce backscattered x-rays while the electron beam is traversing a circular arc. This backscattering process is inverse Compton scattering (ICS). ICS x-rays are emitted in the same direction as the electrons. Because this ICS direction is changing as a function of time, the position of the x-ray beam on a detector will change depending on the timing of electron/laser collision. This position change is easily detected and converted to a timing measurement sensitive at the femtosecond scale, converting a very difficult timing measurement of laser pulse, electron pulse, and x-ray pulse synchronization into a simple and robust position measurement.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for rational design of nicotine haptens. More particularly, provided herein are methods for designing, selecting, and synthesizing nicotine haptens and nicotine hapten conjugates. Also provided herein are novel nicotine haptens and methods for using nicotine haptens to treat nicotine addiction.

Abstract: Methods, compositions, systems and devices are provided in which zeolite particles, preferably of silicon and aluminum, are used as desiccants. In embodiments a plurality of zeolite particles are provided that are less than 1 mm in size. The particles may be arrayed such that at least some of the plurality of particles are spaced apart from each other and may be arrayed in rows and columns. Embodiments provide the particles are useful or removing water under ambient conditions and in removing water from air or material and in an embodiment removing water from plant material, such as harvested crop material, or where the dried air is contacted with plant material. Microwave radiation may be used to efficiently and in a cost effective manner dehydrate the rehydrated particles.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for detecting deception in computer-mediated communications that can include (i) parsing digital text to identify processable language-action cues in the digital text, (ii) automatically analyzing, using a computing device and using a machine learning-based classifying algorithm, the processable language-action cues to produce respective probabilities of the digital text including the deceptive content, where the machine learning-based classifying algorithm is trained with training data including (A) training language-action cues from digital data indicating response information known to be deceptive and digital data indicating response information known to be truthful and (B) respective predictor weights associated with the training language-action cues, and (iii) displaying a histogram on a user display device, where the histogram indicates, over a period of time, frequencies of the respective probabilities of the digital text including the deceptive content.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of transdifferentiating preadipocytes, populations of transdifferentiated preadipocytes, and methods of using the transdifferentiated preadipocytes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing titanium dioxide-coated nanostars. Titanium precursors are hydrolyzed into crystalline TiO2 polymorphs at low temperatures, allowing the delicate morphology of the nanostars to be preserved while maintaining their desirable photocatalytic properties.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for a swallowable pH sensor made entirely of edible and digestible materials. A substrate is provided and an electrical circuit pattern is printed on a top surface of the substrate. The electrical circuit pattern includes a plurality of interdigitated electrodes and an antenna portion. The substrate is rolled into a cylindrical form such that the interdigitated electrodes are positioned on an outermost layer of the rolled substrate. The rolling of the substrate also causes the antenna portion of the electrical circuit pattern to form into a coil shape.