Abstract: The present invention generally relates to carbophosphates and other compounds. Such compounds may be used in batteries and other electrochemical devices, or in other applications such as those described herein. One aspect of the invention is generally directed to carbophosphate compounds, i.e., compounds containing carbonate and phosphate ions. For example, according to one set of embodiments, the compound has a formula Ax(M)(PO4)a(CO3)b, where M comprises one or more cations. A may include one or more alkali metals, for example, lithium and/or sodium. In some cases, x is greater than about 0.1, a is between about 0.1 and about 5.1, and b is between about 0.1 and about 5.1. In certain embodiments, the compound may have a unit cell atomic arrangement that is isostructural to unit cells of the minerals sidorenkite, bonshtedtite, bradleyite, crawfordite, or ferrotychite.

Abstract: Fuel management system for efficient operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. Injectors inject an anti-knock agent such as ethanol directly into a cylinder of the engine. A fuel management microprocessor system controls injection of the anti-knock agent so as to control knock and minimize that amount of the anti-knock agent that is used in a drive cycle. It is preferred that the anti-knock agent is ethanol. The use of ethanol can be further minimized by injection in a non-uniform manner within a cylinder. The ethanol injection suppresses knock so that higher compression ratio and/or engine downsizing from increased turbocharging or supercharging can be used to increase the efficiency or the engine.

Abstract: Sensors and methods for determination of analytes are provided. Analytes including explosives (e.g., RDX or PETN) may be determined by monitoring, for example, a change in an optical signal of a material upon exposure to the analyte. In some embodiments, the analyte and the material may interact via a chemical reaction to form a new emissive species. Embodiments described herein may provide inexpensive sensors with high selectivity and sensitivity.

Abstract: Ultra-wide bandwidth (UWB) transmission is a promising technology for indoor localization due to its fine delay resolution and obstacle-penetration capabilities. However, the presence of walls and other obstacles present a significant challenge in terms of localization, as they result in positively biased distance estimates. Measurement campaigns with FCC-compliant UWB radios can quantify effects of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation. Features of waveforms measured during a campaign can be extracted for use in distinguishing between NLOS and line-of-sight situations in embodiments of the present invention. Embodiments further include classification and regression methods based on machine learning that improve the localization performance while relying solely on the received signal. Applications for systems employing an example embodiment of the invention include indoor or outdoor search and recovery with high accuracy and low cost.

Abstract: A tangible social network system comprises at least two interactive physical objects adapted for communicatively linking with each other, a visualization application for providing a visual representation of a user's tangible social network, and an object communication frame. An interactive physical object comprises a controller for forming a communicatively linked relationship with another interactive physical object and for receiving and responding to commands and data received from a linked object, and an audio or visual response subsystem. An object communication frame comprises a housing adapted to receive interactive physical objects, a communications subsystem for managing communications with installed objects and with interactive physical objects communicatively linked with installed objects, a controller, and a power subsystem for powering installed objects.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable medium are provided for a composable analytics environment. A graphical module repository is provided that consists of a plurality of graphical modules that are configured to perform a data processing function. An input is received from a user indicating a selection of at least one graphical module from the graphical module repository to be part of an application. A data set to be analyzed by the application is received. The application designed by the user is executed.

Abstract: A method of protecting a semiconductor structure from water and a semiconductor structure formed by the method. The semiconductor structure includes a wide-bandgap semiconductor material in which at least one semiconductor device is formed. The method includes heating the semiconductor structure in a vacuum to a temperature of at least 200° C. to remove water from the semiconductor structure. The method also includes, after the heating of the semiconductor structure, forming a layer comprising a hydrophobic material over the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure is kept in the vacuum between the heating of the semiconductor structure and the forming of the layer comprising the hydrophobic material.

Abstract: A needle-free transdermal transport device for transferring a substance across a surface of a biological body includes a reservoir for storing the substance, a nozzle in fluid communication with the reservoir and a controllable electromagnetic actuator in communication with the reservoir. The actuator, referred to as a Lorentz force actuator, includes a stationary magnet assembly and a moving coil assembly. The coil assembly moves a piston having an end portion positioned within the reservoir. The actuator receives an electrical input and generates in response a corresponding force acting on the piston and causing a needle-free transfer of the substance between the reservoir and the biological body. The magnitude, direction and duration of the force are dynamically controlled (e.g., servo-controlled) by the electrical input and can be altered during the course of an actuation cycle. Beneficially, the actuator can be moved in different directions according to the electrical input.

Abstract: Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing in many organisms by a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). Using a Drosophila in vitro system, we demonstrate that 19-23 nt short RNA fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNAi. The short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are generated by an RNase III-like processing reaction from long dsRNA. Chemically synthesized siRNA duplexes with overhanging 3? ends mediate efficient target RNA cleavage in the lysate, and the cleavage site is located near the center of the region spanned by the guiding siRNA. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the direction of dsRNA processing determines whether sense or antisense target RNA can be cleaved by the produced siRNP complex.

Abstract: The invention provides core-shell magnetic particles comprising a magnetic core and a functional shell, methods for making same, methods of separation using same, methods for using same, and devices comprising same. The particles and methods of the invention are useful for targeting and removing substances of interest that may be found in complex mixtures.

Abstract: There are disclosed display devices with integral touch screens and methods for operating display panels. A display panel may include a plurality of pixels, each pixel controlled by a corresponding one of a plurality of column electrodes and a corresponding one of a plurality of row electrodes. Each column electrode may be coupled to a respective column driver circuit and at least some of the column electrodes may be coupled to respective column sensing circuits adapted to sense capacitive coupling between the respective column electrodes and a probe adjacent to an external surface of the display panel. Each row electrode may be coupled to a respective row driver circuit and at least some of the row electrodes may be coupled to respective row sensing circuits adapted to sense capacitive coupling between the respective row electrodes and a probe adjacent to an external surface of the display panel.

Abstract: The invention provides for engineering and optimization of systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are vectors and vector systems, some of which encode one or more components of a CRISPR complex, as well as methods for the design and use of such vectors with additional functional domains. Also provided are methods of directing CRISPR complex formation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells to ensure enhanced specificity for target recognition and avoidance of toxicity.

Abstract: A robotic zipper system for joining and separating zipper halves of a zipper tape. A chassis retains an actuator that drives a zipper slide geometry along the zipper tape to join or separate the zipper tape. A sensor can determine zipper slide position, and a control module can provide an electrical signal to the motor to move in forward or reverse. The actuator can have a motor that drives a gear system that mechanically engages zipper teeth. Teeth of the gear system can be out of phase to mesh with alternating gaps between the zipper teeth. The actuator can be removable relative to a zipper slide. Zipper slide geometry could be integrated into the chassis, such as in the form of a channel, potentially with a central post. A sensor could be positioned to detect the presence or absence of zipper teeth through an opening in a base plate.

Abstract: Proteomic methods for identifying cancer related proteins and related products and kits are provided. The cancer specific proteins are extracellular matrix proteins that are associated with various aspects of cancer. Panels or signature sets of proteins useful in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancers as well as monitoring therapeutic progress in a cancer patient are provided herein along with methods for their detection and for their use in targeting imaging and/or therapeutic agents to the tumors via binding to the specified proteins. The proteins were identified using proteomics analyses of tissue samples taken from cancer patients. In certain aspects the proteins are particularly useful in colon cancer patients.

Abstract: Provided herein are molecular analog gene circuits that exploit positive and negative feedback to implement logarithmically linear sensing, addition, subtraction, and scaling thus enabling multiplicative, ratiometric, and power-law computations. The circuits exhibit Weber's Law behavior as in natural biological systems, operate over a wide dynamic range of up to four orders of magnitude, and can be architected to have tunable transfer functions. The molecular circuits described herein can be composed together to implement higher-order functions that are well-described by both intricate biochemical models and by simple mathematical functions. The molecular circuits described herein enable logarithmically linear analog computation within in-vitro and in-vivo systems with a broad class of molecules, all of which obey the Boltzmann exponential equations of thermodynamics that govern molecular association, attenuation, transformation, and degradation.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems for cell separation based on cell rolling on surfaces along edges of regions coated with cell adhesion molecules. A variety of designs of coated regions and edges are disclosed.

Abstract: Surfaces having a hierarchical structure—having features of both microscale and nanoscale dimensions—can exhibit superhydrophobic properties and advantageous condensation and heat transfer properties. The hierarchical surfaces can be fabricated using biological nanostructures, such as viruses as a self-assembled nanoscale template.

Abstract: In exemplary implementations of this invention, a digital material comprising many discrete units is used to fabricate a sparse structure. The units are reversibly joined by elastic connections. Each unit comprises fiber-reinforced composite material. Each unit is small compared to the sparse structure as a whole. Likewise, in a sparse structure made from this digital material, the number of types of units is small compared to the total number of units. The digital material is anisotropic. This anisotropy may be due to different fiber orientations within each unit. Furthermore, different units in a single sparse structure may be oriented in different directions and in different, non-parallel planes. In some cases, the digital material is reinforced with carbon fibers, and connections between units are stronger than the units themselves. The small discrete units may be assembled into a strong, lightweight sparse structure, such as an airframe.

Abstract: Methods of treating a fungal infection in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject a modified saponin.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for depositing an organic film layer on a substrate. In one implementation a method to deposit organic film by generating vaporized organic particles; streaming a carrier fluid proximal to a source to carry the vaporized organic particles and solid organic particles from the source towards the substrate; transporting the vaporized and solid organic particles through a discharge nozzle with a plurality of micro-pore openings, placed between the source and the substrate, that permits the passage of at least a portion of the vaporized or solid organic particles through the micro-pores; depositing the vaporized organic particles and the solid organic particles that are transported through the discharge nozzle onto the substrate.