Abstract: A highly cytocompatible direct cell encapsulation method using rapidly fabricated porous hydrogels. Using sodium bicarbonate and citric acid as blowing agents, photo-curable polymers were used to produce highly porous materials within a matter of minutes. Cells were directly encapsulated within methacrylated poly(vinyl alcohol), gelatin, and poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels at viabilities as high as 93% by controlling solution variables, such as citric acid content, viscosity, pH, and curing time. Cell viability within the resulting porous constructs was high (>80%) over 14 days of analysis with multiple cell types, thereby providing a simple, versatile, and tunable method for cell encapsulation within highly porous constructs that can be used for the delivery of cell-based therapies.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for shaping double-network hydrogels into customized 3D structures. A one-pot prepolymer formulation containing photo-cross-linkable acrylamide and thermoreversible sol-gel ?-carrageenan with a suitable crosslinker, and photo-initiator/absorbers was used. The formulation was polymerized using a TOPS system with heating stage to photo-polymerize the primary acrylamide network into a 3D structure above the sol-gel transition of ?-carrageenan (80° C.). Cooling down then generates the secondary physical ?-carrageenan network to realize tough double-network hydrogel structures. Printed 3D structures had superior lateral (37 ?m) and vertical (180 ?m) resolutions and 3D design freedoms (internal voids) that exhibit ultimate stress and strain of 200 kPa and 2400% respectively under tension, and simultaneously exhibit high compression stress of 15 MPa with a strain of 95%, both with high recovery rates.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the management and treatment of obesity, metabolic disorders, nausea and emesis using a ODN peptides and synthetic derivatives thereof are disclosed.

Abstract: A structure and a related method of assembling a structure made up of a plurality of individual building elements. A 2-dimensional continuous digital or analog image, such as a texture pattern, is mapped onto a 3-D model of the structure to be assembled. Portions of the continuous image are imprinted on a common facing surface of each of the individual building elements to serve as a visual guide for assembling the structure in conjunction with a unique naming code for each building element, the code being based on mapped coordinates of the 3-D model. A texture or other pattern can also be imbedded into a facing side of the assembled structure.

Abstract: A process for converting avocado peels into hard carbon-based anodes for sodium ion batteries and a hard carbon material formed according to that process. The avocado peels are simply washed and dried, and then carbonized using a high temperature conversion step. Electrochemical measurements confirmed the applicability of avocado-derived hard carbon as electrode active materials, with high reversible capacities of 320 mAh/g over 50 cycles at 50 mA/g, good rate performance of 86 mAh/g at 3500 mA/g, and Coulombic efficiencies above 99.9% after 500 cycles.

Abstract: A torchiere style sanitizing device for disinfecting airborne pathogens while providing aesthetic area lighting. A reversible fan exchanges air between the upper room air plume and the lower air plume by passing the air through a center disinfecting section. The disinfection section may include a linear UV-C light, reflective tube, and light trap positioned at one or both ends of the disinfection section to maximize the exposure of the air to the UV-C light and contain the UV-C light within the device. The device includes a conventional illumination source in an upper shade and can selectively provide one of more of room air flow, room air disinfection, and room illumination.

Abstract: Methods and devices for masking emotional information of a user population, e.g., from a voice assistant device. For instance, the device may comprise one or more processor; a microphone; and a speaker. The one or more processor is configured to: listen, using the microphone, to multiple samples of speech by the user population; iteratively create emotionally obfuscating noises, using the multiple samples of speech, to determine a final emotionally obfuscating noise; recognize, using the microphone, a wake word of the voice assistant device; and generate the emotionally obfuscating noise over utterances by a user.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders using an GPR75 inhibitor are provided herein.

Abstract: A shape memory polymer hydrogel that is biodegradable, includes antimicrobial agents, and has a tunable drug delivery is used for wound healing internally and externally. The shape memory polymer is synthesized using a combination of hydrophilic precursors that are configured to have two to four functional end groups, with at least one component that has at least three functional groups. The synthesis route provides for a covalently crosslinked thermoset hydrogel. The chemistry can be tuned to provide desired transition temperatures for delivery (e.g. below 37° C.) and desired pore sizes for healing (e.g. 250-500 ?m).

Abstract: A method and system for probabilistic solar generation forecasting under rapidly changing weather conditions integrate copula theory with an extreme gradient tree boosting (XGBoost) classifier to enhance forecast accuracy. Historical weather data is partitioned into meteorological clusters, and bivariate copulas analyze spatiotemporal correlations to select optimal features. Multivariable Vine and Gaussian copulas model variable dependencies, with an XGBoost classifier dynamically selecting the optimal copula based on real-time weather conditions. Synthetic weather data, generated using the selected copula, captures uncertainties and is applied to a trained XGBoost regression tree to produce probabilistic forecasts. The method achieves up to 60% higher accuracy than conventional models under non-sunny conditions, leveraging Gaussian Kernel Density Estimation and Huber loss for robustness.

Abstract: An optimization solution based on quantum annealing for model predictive control (MPC) of a rooftop unit (RTU) for minimizing energy usage. The solution achieved less than 2 percent differences from conventional approaches and improved computational speed from hours to seconds. The solution also demonstrated an 80% reduction in total electric usage and a 21 percent electric bill reduction considering day-ahead price time-of-use demand response signals.

Abstract: An approach to achieve highly tunable adhesion using low pressure by inducing sidewall buckling in soft hollow pillars (SHPs). Dry adhesion of these SHPs can be changed by two orders of magnitude (up to 145×) using low activating pressure (˜?10 kPa or ˜20 kPa). Negative pressure triggers sidewall buckling while positive pressure induces sidewall bulging, both of which can significantly change stress distribution at the bottom surface to facilitate crack initiation and reduce adhesion therein. A single SHP can be activated by a micropump to manipulate various lightweight objects with different curvature and surface texture. An array of SHPs can realize selective pick-and-place of an array of objects. Minor modifications to the SHPs in terms of geometry and material (with or without cap, circular or noncircular cross section) can further enhance the adhesion tuning performance of these SHPs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to engineered peptides and to methods of making engineered peptides. The present invention also relates to methods of treatment comprising administration of the engineered peptides to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: A rechargeable calcium battery formed from a calcium metal anode, a cathode formed from a composite carbon/sulfur (C/S), a metal oxide, or a metal sulfide, and a multi-component electrolyte containing a mixture of different salts. The calcium anode is formed as a thin, pure calcium metal foil that is polished and combined with a copper collector for redox activity. The cathode may be formed from a carbon-sulfur (CS) composite or metal oxide/sulfide, such as CaMxOy or CaMxSy, or formed from binary and ternary metals, such as CaM1aM2bOy/Sy and CaM1aM2bM3cOy/Sy. The battery also includes a multi-component electrolyte including calcium salts, such as Ca(TSFI)2, Ca(ClO4)2, Ca(BF4)2, and CaPF6, or the pairing of lithium, sodium and potassium salts with one of the anions, such as Ca(TFSI), NaPF6, and Li(TFSI).

Abstract: An HVAC control system having a cloud-based optimization engine in communication with a local building hub that interfaces with the building HVAC system and room units. The cloud-based optimization engine implements an optimal and predictive control strategy to integrate occupancy prediction, weather forecasting, and modeling of indoor infection risk, indoor air quality, and building energy consumptions. The control strategy includes a model-based predictive control and a model-free reinforcement learning approach. The control strategy considers outdoor weather (both thermal and air quality) conditions, indoor occupancy and requirements for IAQ and infectious risk reduction to decide whether outdoor air should be introduced and how much fresh air will be introduced into the space. Communications with the building hub allow the local HVAC unit to be driven according to the optimization plan. Individual room sensing units can provide local sensor data to the cloud-based optimization engine.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a quantum processor comprising a substrate, a qubit structure formed on the substrate, an electroplated phonon downconversion material, and furrows through the electroplated phonon downconversion material forming a plurality of electroplated phonon downconversion islands coupled to the substrate configured to channel deposited energy away from the qubit structure. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the same.

Abstract: An evaporator for purposes of thermal management of various electronic devices includes one or more supporting planar structures. A plurality of nano/micro-channels are formed in a surface of each of the one or more supporting planar structures, the plurality of nano/micro-channels being in parallel and spaced relation to one another. A pair of reservoirs may be disposed at opposing ends of the evaporator in which at least one of the reservoirs contains a quantity of a heat dissipative fluid. In at least one version, a plurality of single plane evaporators can be formed in a vertically stacked configuration, which is supported by at least one manifold(s) configured to permit heat dissipative fluid to enter and exit each evaporator.

Abstract: A quantum device, i.e., a two-qubit entangling gate, and a related method, are presented. The quantum device includes a first qubit, a second qubit, and a ring resonator with left-handed wave dispersion. The ring resonator is coupled to the first and second qubits. In one embodiment, a quantum device includes a plurality of qubits and a ring resonator with left-handed wave dispersion. The plurality of qubits may include 2, 3, 4, 5 or more qubits positioned around the ring resonator. The ring resonator is coupled to a first pair of the qubits, e.g., a first and second qubit. In such a case, the ring resonator has a dense multi-mode spectrum near the qubit frequencies, allowing for large variations in the interaction strength between the qubits. Such a configuration enables a two-qubit entangling gate that entangles the coupled pair of qubits.

Abstract: A series of chimeric peptides that provide a mechanism for obesity treatment concomitant with T2DM in the form of dual agonism of the anorectic neuropeptide Y-receptor (Y2-R) and the glucoregulatory receptor GLP1-R. Preliminary results show that, dependent on the selected peptide, once-daily administration suppress FI in male and female rats can be reduced to 12-65% compared to baseline conditions before treatment, dependent on dose and age of animals, and glucose tolerance can be improved as well. Peptides also demonstrated Y1-receptor agonism, conferring protection on beta-islet cells against inflammatory damage. The peptides were designed by targeting serial anorectic pathways simultaneously and are promising candidates for modulating FI and glucoregulation in an efficacious and safe way.

Abstract: An assay and kit for detecting N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E) in a sample that uses a lipid binding protein, such as Saposin B, to capture A2E in the sample and assist in the extraction and measurement of A2E via mass spectroscopy. A2E thus serves as a marker for macular degeneration so that the assay and kit of the invention can be used to detect the presence or severity of macular degeneration.