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: The disclosure describes a method of reducing or preventing the growth of microbes on the surface of an object, wherein the object is of such material that it can act as a working electrode. The method comprises the steps of providing a counter electrode, and a reference electrode. The object is used as the working electrode. A first electrical current is passed through the working and counter electrodes. The first current through the counter electrode is varied such that a first electric potential of the working electrode is constant relative to the electric potential of the reference electrode. In some embodiments, a second electrical current is passed through the counter electrode such that a second electric potential of the working electrode is constant relative to the electric potential of the reference electrode.

Abstract: Imaging agents that can bind to ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) without binding to the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). The imaging agents comprise a base structure for selective binding to GOAT that is coupled via an amino acid linker to a chemical group to enable imaging such as a fluorescent label, radioactive tracer, or metal chelator. For example, the imaging agent may comprise a ghrelin substrate mimetic inhibitor incorporating an unmodified 2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (Dap) group at the site analogous to serine 3. These agents enable specific detection and imaging of GOAT versus the GHS-R1a receptor in a variety of biological contexts.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of determining turbidity and concentration simultaneously a sample by irradiating the sample with a single incident wavelength and simultaneously measuring wavelength shifted (IE) and unshifted (EE) light emitted. A relative volume of light emitted from two phases may be determined, wherein the two phases comprise a first Rayleigh and Mie scattering and fluorescent phase associated with suspended particles, and a second, non-scattering but fluorescent phase associated with suspending solution. Volumes of the phases and/or concentrations of specific fluorophores or Raman active species are calculated from the volume of light emitted by the first phase relative to the total volume of light emitted from the first and second phases.

Abstract: A system of topographic patterns for the prevention of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. The patterns may be provided on the surfaces of certain devices that are prone to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, such as urinary catheters. To reduce bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, and to remove existing biofilms, the patterns are induced to transform from a first topography to a second topography. For example, the surface patterns may be formed from a shape memory polymer and then heated to transform the patterns from the first topography to the second topography to dislodge bacteria and prevent fouling.

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 needle having shaft that forms a tip and a portion proximate to the tip that is formed from a shape memory polymer. The shaft of the needle may be programmed to curl from a straight configuration to a curved configuration upon triggering by heat, thereby moving the sharp tip and providing a non-stick needle for safe and easy disposal.

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 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: 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: Synthetic disaccharide hydrocarbons (DSHs) that reactive bacterials swarming motility and inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. A library of DSHs were tested in several experiment for the impact on various Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations and compared against existing compounds to determine efficacy and utility. Certain DSHs were also to determine the ability to clear bacteria in a mouse pneumonia model.

Abstract: Superconducting metamaterials composed of lumped-element inductors and capacitors are used to implement microwave photonics with novel dispersion relations and dense mode spectra that can be coupled to qubits. Metamaterial lattices may have qubits coupled to different unit cells in the metamaterial such that each qubit will couple strongly to modes with an antinode at the qubit location. Through simultaneous driving of combinations of modes, large amplitudes are produced at only one or a few unit cells, resulting in large ac Stark shifts of qubits located there, and providing a frequency-addressable qubit array without requiring flux-tunability and with reduced control wiring.

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 hybrid laser printing (HLP) technology that utilizes ultrafast laser in sequential additive-subtractive modes to create 3D hydrogel constructs. The approach involves the synergistic use of additive crosslinking and subtractive ablation processes that are conventionally mutually exclusive. HLP can be operated at virtually any penetration depth and allow fabrication of multi-layer hydrogel constructs at micrometer resolution. HLP was used to print ready-to-use functional chips using commonly used hydrogels for potential cellular communication and migration applications. HLP was also found to be compatible with in situ printing of cell-laden hydrogel constructs. HLP makes shaping of soft hydrogels into 3D multiscale functional devices possible.

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 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system that addresses three major challenges in airborne MIMO communications, namely, antenna blockage due largely to the movement and orientation of the airborne platforms, the presence of unknown interference inherent to the intended application, and the lack of channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter. The system is implemented on a Diagonal Bell-Labs Layered Space-Time (D-BLAST) MIMO architecture and includes spatial spreading to counter antenna blockage, temporal spreading to mitigate signal to interference and noise ratio degradation due to intended or unintended interference, and a simple low rate feedback scheme to enable real time adaptation in the absence of full transmitter CSI.

Abstract: A system for evaluating a DNA sample and determining whether the sample contains related individuals and/or unrelated individuals with high levels of alleles sharing. Trained and pre-validated machine learning algorithms are to rapidly and probabilistically assess the presence of relatives in a DNA mixture. To make a probabilistic determination, the system evaluates aspect of the sample that have not be considered before, such as peak heights, peak height ratios, maximum peak heights, minimum peak heights, ratios of allele heights to one another, number of contributors using maximum allele count method, and quantitative measures of the amount of DNA contributed by the male and female organisms. The system identifies whether a DNA sample has contributors that are not readily identifiable based on the data and can thus improve downstream analysis.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for lowering blood glucose. More specifically, the present invention provides compositions comprising a complex comprising IF and B12 conjugated to a peptide comprising a GLP-1 agonist. Advantageously, the composition may be delivered subcutaneously.

Abstract: A hybrid laser printing (HLP) technology that utilizes ultrafast laser in sequential additive-subtractive modes to create 3D hydrogel constructs. The approach involves the synergistic use of additive crosslinking and subtractive ablation processes that are conventionally mutually exclusive. HLP can be operated at virtually any penetration depth and allow fabrication of multi-layer hydrogel constructs at micrometer resolution. HLP was used to print ready-to-use functional chips using commonly used hydrogels for potential cellular communication and migration applications. HLP was also found to be compatible with in situ printing of cell-laden hydrogel constructs. HLP makes shaping of soft hydrogels into 3D multi scale functional devices possible.