Abstract: Aspects of various embodiments are directed to sensor apparatuses and methods thereof. An example sensor apparatus includes a capacitor and sensor circuitry. The capacitor includes a first substrate having a first electrode, a second substrate having a second electrode, and a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a plurality of apertures arranged in a pattern, the first and second electrode being separated by the dielectric layer and arranged with an overlapping area with respect to one another. The sensor circuitry is coupled to the capacitor and configured and arranged to detect normal and shear forces applied to the sensor apparatus based on changes in capacitance derived from changes in at least one of a distance between the first and second electrodes and the overlapping area of the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: Simulated motion of the papillary muscles in a heart simulator is provided that simulates natural motion of the papillary muscles. This improves heart valve simulation. This can be done with a six degree of freedom robotic actuator (e.g., a Stewart platform or the like) appropriately driven by a controller. This can also be done with a robotic actuator that provides constrained motion of its effector by including a mechanical linkage, as long as the resulting simulated papillary muscle motion includes time-varying position and orientation of the papillary muscle.

Abstract: A method for quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) includes [800] performing an MRI scan using a conventional pulse sequence to obtain a qualitative MR image; and [802] applying the qualitative MR image as input to a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to produce a quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation parametric map. The qualitative MR image is the only image input to the deep neural network to produce the quantitative MR relaxation parametric map. The conventional pulse sequence may be a Spoiled Gradient Echo sequence, a Fast Spin Echo sequence, a Steady-State Free Precession sequence, or other sequence that is commonly used in current clinical practice.

Abstract: Compositions comprising an iboga alkaloid and a cardioprotective agent are provided. Use of the compositions in treating neuropsychiatric disorders are described, where the cardioprotective agent is administered before, during and/or after the iboga alkaloid.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) by administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that inhibits signaling mediated by a bone morphogenetic protein type 1A receptor (BMPR-1A) or bone morphogenetic protein type 2 receptor (BMPR-2). Also provided are methods and compositions to increase the rate of neural stem cell self-renewal.

Abstract: Inducible promoters for the coordinated expression of at least one heterologous gene in yeast and methods of using them are disclosed. In particular, the invention relates to sets of inducible promoters derived from S. cerevisiae and related species that can be induced in the presence of nonfermentable carbon sources.

Abstract: Processes and materials to detect cancer, transplant rejection, or fetal genetic abnormalities from a biopsy are described. In some cases, nucleic acid molecules, such as cell-free nucleic acids, can be sequenced, and the sequencing result can be utilized to detect sequences indicative of a neoplasm, transplant rejection, or fetal genetic abnormality. Detection of somatic variants occurring in phase and/or insertions and deletions (indels) can indicate the presence of cancer, transplant rejection, or fetal genetic abnormalities in a diagnostic scan, and a clinical intervention can be performed.

Abstract: Methods for treating a neuropsychiatric disorder by administering an iboga alkaloid and a cardioprotective agent in conjunction with analysis of brain image data is described. Also described are methods to improve brain health and to slow or reverse brain aging by disorder by administering an iboga alkaloid and a cardioprotective agent, where analysis of brain image data is used to monitor and/or evaluate treatment effectiveness.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods of improving the structure and/or function of a joint tissue of a subject by administering to the subject an amount of a 15-PGDH inhibitor effective to inhibit 15-PGDH activity and/or reduce 15-PGDH levels in the subject. The methods described herein are useful for treating joint dysfunction and/or degeneration associated with aging, injury, disease, disorder, and/or condition.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to ultrasound imaging with reduced speckle. Ultrasound imaging with frequency compounding and angle compounding is disclosed. Techniques are disclosed to make ultrasound imaging with frequency and angle compounding more robust. One such technique is non-rigid image registration to align ultrasound images for angle compounding. Another disclosed technique includes selecting a subset of ultrasound images for non-rigid ultrasound image registration.

Abstract: Behavioral and mental health therapy systems in accordance with several embodiments of the invention include a wearable camera and/or a variety of sensors (accelerometer, microphone, among various other) connected to a computing system including a display, audio output, holographic output, and/or vibrotactile output to automatically recognize social cues from images captured by at least one camera and provide this information to the wearer via one or more outputs such as (but not limited to) displaying an image, displaying a holographic overlay, generating an audible signal, and/or generating a vibration.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for targeted treatment of cancer are disclosed. In particular, the invention relates to methods of targeting anti-cancer therapy to cells exhibiting aberrant signaling associated with cancer pathogenesis by administering synthetic signaling proteins that couple detection of an oncogenic signal to release of therapeutic agents into cancerous cells.

Abstract: We use the AC Hall effect to characterize a magnetic field at an unknown frequency (or frequencies). The current to the Hall sensor is driven at a known frequency f. The output Hall voltage is characterized in a frequency range from f1 to f2 (with f<f1<f2 and f2?f1<2f). This provides a measurement of the magnetic field in a frequency range from f1?f to f2?f. The resulting measurement of magnetic field spectral components is phase-independent and requires no prior knowledge of exact magnetic field frequency.

Abstract: Metal powder particles for use in additive manufacturing are made by removing material from the surface of the particles using wet chemical etching to create a nanoscale texturing of the surface, increasing absorptivity by the metal powder particles of incident laser light and maintaining flowability. The nanoscale texturing has sub-wavelength features at laser wavelengths in the range 800-1100 nm. The particles are substantially spherical and have mean diameters in the range 10-70 ?m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to T cell compositions and methods of using the same in the context of therapy and treatment. In particular, the invention provides chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that are modified to maintain functionality under conditions in which unmodified CAR T cells display exhaustion. Compositions and methods disclosed herein find use in inhibiting or reversing CAR T cell exhaustion (e.g., by modulating CAR surface expression) thereby enhancing CAR T cell function. Compositions and methods of the invention fmd use in both clinical and research settings, for example, within the fields of biology, immunology, medicine, and oncology.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for treating SCID-X1 in subjects, comprising genetically modifying cells from the subjects ex vivo by integrating a full-length, codon-optimized IL2RG cDNA at the endogenous IL2RG locus.

Abstract: Blockchain-based, smart contract platforms have great promise to remove trust and add transparency to distributed applications. However, this benefit often comes at the cost of greatly reduced privacy. Techniques for implementing a privacy-preserving smart contract is described. The system can keep accounts private while not losing functionality and with only a limited performance overhead. This is achieved by building a confidential and anonymous token on top of a cryptocurrency. Multiple complex applications can also be built using the smart contract system.

Abstract: A catalyst structure includes: (1) a substrate; (2) a catalyst layer on the substrate; and (3) an adhesion layer disposed between the substrate and the catalyst layer. In some implementations, an average thickness of the adhesion layer is about 1 nm or less. In some implementations, a material of the catalyst layer at least partially extends into a region of the adhesion layer. In some implementations, the catalyst layer is characterized by a lattice strain imparted by the adhesion layer.

Abstract: There are provided herein, inter alia, cationic amphipathic polymers, complexes, and compositions comprising same, and methods for their use including for the delivery of therapeutic, diagnostic and imaging agents, including nucleic acids, into a cell. The complexes, compositions and methods may facilitate delivery and targeted release of the therapeutic, diagnostic and imaging agents to particular cell types and tissues.

Abstract: A method for diagnostic imaging with reduced contrast agent dose uses a deep learning network (DLN) [114] that has been trained using zero-contrast [100] and low-contrast [102] images as input to the DLN and full-contrast images [104] as reference ground truth images. Prior to training, the images are pre-processed [106, 110, 118] to co-register and normalize them. The trained DLN [114] is then used to predict a synthesized full-dose contrast agent image [116] from acquired zero-dose and low-dose images.