Abstract: An integrated guidance and feedback control scheme for steering an underactuated vehicle through desired waypoints in three-dimensional space. The guidance and control algorithm takes as an input the desired trajectory for the translational motion that passes through the given waypoints, and autonomously generates the desired trajectory for the attitude based on the desired thrust direction to achieve the translational motion trajectory. A feedback control law is obtained to steer the underactuated vehicle towards the desired trajectories in translation and rotation.

Abstract: An air handler unit for use with residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The air handler unit has high resistance mediums (HRMs) coupled closely to a wide-angle vane-diffuser mixed-flow fan system. The HRMs are placed immediately upstream and downstream of the wide-angle vane-diffuser mixed-flow fan to form a closely coupled, compact air handler that provides significant efficiency and noise benefits.

Abstract: A two-stage treatment process for destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an aqueous stream. The two-stage treatment process uses a combination of multifunctional crystalline molecular sieves, such as zeolites and zeotypes, to separate PFAS from the aqueous stream, catalytically decompose and defluorinate any PFAS molecules, and generate non-toxic waste products that are safe for disposal. The first stage includes adsorption of the PFAS within one of a pair of vessels containing porous, hydrophobic, hydrothermally stable molecular sieves, dehydration of the captured PFAS on the sieves, and catalytic ozonation of the captured PFAS molecules on the dried sieves. The second stage involves catalytic decomposition and neutralization of the ozonation results with one of a pair of vessels including a zeolite-supported CaO catalyst, catalytic oxidation of any toxic CO generated by the decomposition, and an acid wash for regeneration of the spent catalyst.

Abstract: A system and method for minimizing indoor infection risk and improving indoor air quality (IAQ) while maximizing energy savings. The system integrates occupancy detection and forecasting, outdoor weather conditions and forecasting, indoor infection risks and air quality modeling, any tunable air filtration, the clean air delivery rate, and any portable air cleaners. The system outputs the total amount of outdoor air intake, the air temperature of the supply air into the space, the supply air flow rate into the space, the operation mode of tunable air filtration/purification/disinfection, the operation mode of the in-room air cleaner, and space/room temperature set-points, and thus can serve as the central controller for an HVAC system.

Abstract: A secondary battery having an electrode assembly including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the electrode plates, wherein the electrode plates are disposed in a rolled spiral configuration. A can is sized to house the electrode assembly and a cap assembly, which includes a vent plate having a plurality of deformable sections and one or more electric connection portions disposed between the deformable sections that are radially disposed and fixedly secured to an electrode assembly. When an internal pressure of the secondary battery is greater than a predetermined level, the deformable sections upwardly deform to drive the electric connection portions into contact with one or more multiple points of a current interrupt device (CID). The secondary battery has a low aspect ratio as compared to cylindrical cells with an overall height dimension that is smaller than a corresponding width dimension.

Abstract: A bacteria-responsive shape memory polymer (SMP) platform with clinical impact for chronic wound infection control. A bacteria-responsive SMP is synthesized in a primary shape and then fixed in a secondary shape until exposed to a second stimulus, which comprises the presence of bacterial proteases. During active infection, bacteria release proteases that degrade peptides in the SMP backbone and induce recovery to the primary shape, thereby providing a visual indication of an infection. In addition, on the microscopic scale, the SMP shape change can help inhibit biofilm formation and make them more susceptible to treatment with antibiotics.

Abstract: A single solar battery device formed by a solid-state Li battery intrinsically stacked on a monolithic triple junction solar cell sharing the same electrode in between. The solar cell generates a voltage high enough to directly photo-charge a Li battery at the required C-rate without use of a converter. The subcells of the monolithic triple junction solar cell are connected monolithically in series via optimized tunnel recombination junctions through which electrons and holes from the connected subcells can recombine. The intrinsic integration of the battery with solar cell enables using of a single device without an external cable connection, thus facilitating and decreasing the installation cost.

Abstract: A prokaryote was genetically engineered to develop operationally simple, high-yield biosynthetic route for the production of farnesylated proteins. The recombinant organism was modified to express a target protein, a peptide sequence fused to the target protein at a C-terminus, and an alpha and a beta subunit of a prenyltrasferase. The prenyltrasferase may be farnesyltransferase or geranylgeranyl transferase, and the peptide sequence may comprise cysteine, two hydrophobic amino acids, and an amino acid having selectivity to farnesyltransferase or geranylgeranyl transferase.

Abstract: A shape memory polymer scaffold for treatment of a fistula. The scaffold is formed from a shape memory polymer foam that can be triggered to expand from a compressed shape to an expanded shape in response to hydration and/or heating. The shape memory polymer foam includes an antibacterial component and a biodegradable component so that the scaffold addresses infective agents in the fistula and will degrade over time as the fistula heals. The foam may comprise poly(vinyl alcohol), starch, and a phenolic acid.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for oxidizing peptides and forming disulfide bonds. In some aspects, a rapid, green, and facile oxidation of peptides (e.g., cysteine containing peptides) is performed (e.g., to promote the formation of 1-3 or more disulfide bonds). In some aspects, methods are conducted in aqueous solutions, in air, utilizing a biocompatible corrin ring-containing compound (e.g., dicyanocobinamide). In some aspects, reaction times are under 1 hour and a simple one step removal of the catalyst can be performed.

Abstract: A strategy for bacterial persister control using amphiphilic antibiotics that do not require active transport to penetrate bacterial membranes of persister cells. Persister cells have reduced drug efflux and accumulate more minocycline than normal cells, leading to effective killing of this dormant subpopulation upon wake-up. While dormancy is a well-known cause of antibiotic tolerance, it also provides an Achilles' heel for controlling persister cells by leveraging dormancy associated reduction of drug efflux.

Abstract: A dampening device that can be coupled to a medical implant to eliminate harmful electrical oscillations. The device includes circuity that detects harmful electrical oscillations in the implant. The device also includes circuity that generates cancelling electrical signals that counter the detected electrical oscillations. Alternatively, in a medical implant having a taper junction such as a standard hip implant, resistance welding of the taper junction just prior to surgical implanting may be performed after the appropriately dimensioned components are selected to eliminate a metal on metal interface where corrosion is most likely to occur.

Abstract: A solid-state lithium battery having an interfacial layer of silicon nitride (Si3N4) that ensures an intimate contact between a garnet-type electrolyte and the lithium due to its lithiophilic nature and formation of an intermediate lithium-metal alloy. The interfacial resistance experiences an exponential drop from 1197 ?cm2 to 84.5 ?cm2 and lithium symmetrical cells with an Si3N4-modified garnet exhibited low overpotential and long-term stable plating/stripping cycles at room temperature compared to bare garnet and was demonstrated to operate with high cycling efficiency and energy density, excellent rate capability and stability.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a lithium battery containing a low concentration of gadolinium nitrate (Gd(NO3)3). In an electrolyte of 1 M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), DME:DOL (1:1), and 1% LiNO3, 1 mg/ml of Gd(NO3)3 as additive will promote the plating/stripping of lithium metal with nodular morphology and support dendrite suppression so that less dead lithium is formed on Li anode surface.

Abstract: Artificial lipoproteins bearing non-canonical post-translational modifications that are synthesized by leveraging substrate promiscuity of an acyltransferase. The non-canonical functionality of these lipoprotein results in a distinctive hysteretic assembly that is absent from the canonical lipoproteins and is used to prepare hybrid multiblock materials with precise and programmable patterns of amphiphilicity due to the unique assembly and function of the non-canonical post-translational modifications.

Abstract: A parallel diarylethene mechanophore with mirror symmetry may be converted to its anti-parallel stereoisomer of C2 symmetry under ultrasound-induced force field. Concomitantly, the stereochemistry-converted material gains new stereochemistry-selective activity to undergo photocyclization reactions. The mechanophore thus uses a mechanical approach to converting the axial chirality of a sterically congested diarylethene molecule, modifying its molecular symmetry and its physical and chemical properties in response to an mechanical stimulus.

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: The invention involves the coupling of compounds that can be bound by Haptocorrin (R-binder; Transcobalamin I; HC) to a target drug to improve pharmacokinetics, avoid undesirable side effects, and/or modify CNS access and localization. The pharmaceutical effect may be improved by conjugating the drug to haptocorrin binding substrate. This allows the conjugate to become bound to unsaturated haptocorrin in the blood, thereby protecting the drug from metabolism or excretion to increase protein half-life while not interfering with the efficacy of the protein drug. The conjugation may additionally prevent the drug from reaching the central nervous system or modify where the drug localizes and produces undesirable side effects such as nausea or hypophagia. Such a route also would prevent, in all case save for actual vitamin B12, binding by serum transcobalamin II (TCII), and thus not cause B12 deficiency with long term use.

Abstract: A speech analysis system that can accurately determine whether a predetermined sound in a spoken work has been correctly pronounced. The speech analysis system includes a machine learning algorithm that has been trained to consider temporal and spectral information about the frame-by-frame components of a target sound. The speech analysis system is personalized based on previous therapy recordings for a speaker's specific error and correct/mispronounced exemplars from speakers with matched vocal tracts. The speech analysis system may be integrated into an adaptive therapy program, such as Speech Motor Chaining, to provide an assessment of proper speech and personalized biofeedback in the place of a live clinician.

Abstract: A steerable robotic needle formed from a compliant wire that is surrounded by an inner layer having one or more tunable regions positioned in predetermined locations and an inert region extending over the rest of the wire. The tunable region changes stiffness in response to an external trigger, such as heating via electrical energy, so that the needle can bend more readily in the predetermined location. The inner layer may be encapsulated in an elastomeric tube to prevent heat from reaching the surrounding environment. The resulting change in stiffness allows the needle to perform maneuvers in a body that require a larger curvature.