Abstract: A phase locked loop (PLL) includes a phase detector configured to receive a reference signal and a feedback signal, wherein the reference signal has a reference frequency, sample the feedback signal, and output a phase detection signal indicative of a phase of the feedback signal. A voltage controlled oscillator is configured to generate an output signal based on the phase detection signal. The output signal has an output frequency greater than the reference frequency.

Abstract: Recent advances in model pruning have enabled sparsity-aware deep neural network accelerators that improve the energy efficiency and performance of inference tasks. SONA, a novel transform-domain neural network accelerator is introduced in which convolution operations are replaced by element-wise multiplications and weights are orthogonally structured to be sparse. SONA employs an output stationary dataflow coupled with an energy-efficient memory organization to reduce the overhead of sparse-orthogonal transform-domain kernels that are concurrently processed while maintaining full multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) array utilization without any conflicts. Weights in SONA are non-uniformly quantized with bit-sparse canonical-signed-digit (BS-CSD) representations to reduce multiplications to simpler additions.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method of preparing a polymer scaffold including admixing a biotinylated reagent and a polymer to form a biotinylated polymer, subjecting the biotinylated polymer to conditions sufficient to form the polymer scaffold and optionally admixing the polymer scaffold with a streptavidin-modified biomolecule to form a biomolecule-modified polymer scaffold. The disclosure further provides a method of preparing a polymer scaffold including admixing a first click chemistry reagent and a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer to form a modified PLGA polymer, subjecting the modified PLGA polymer to conditions sufficient to form the polymer scaffold, and optionally admixing the polymer scaffold with a biomolecule modified to include a second click chemistry reagent that selectively reacts with the first click chemistry reagent, to form a biomolecule-modified polymer scaffold.

Abstract: A droplet-based microfluidic rheometer system and method of use for real-time viscosity monitoring of blood coagulation is disclosed. Droplets of blood samples are generated in a microfluidic rheometer, and the size of the droplets is highly correlated to the sample viscosity. The size of the droplets can be determined optically using an inverted light microscope and a camera or using electrodes. The microfluidic rheometer systems provides viscosity measurements in less than a second and consumes less than 1 ?l blood or plasma over an hour period. The viscosity measurements may be displayed and transmitted to the Internet or cloud storage.

Abstract: Left turns are known to be one of the most dangerous driving maneuvers. An effective way to mitigate this safety risk is to install a left-turn enforcement—for example, a protected left-turn signal or all-way stop signs—at every turn that preserves a traffic phase exclusively for left turns. Although this protection scheme can significantly increase the driving safety, information on whether or not a road segment (e.g., intersection) has such a setting is not yet available to the public and navigation systems. This disclosure presents a system that exploits mobile crowdsensing and deep learning to classify the protection settings of left turns.

Abstract: A vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system for use between a first vehicle and at least a second vehicle. The system includes an electric power system disposed in each of the first and second vehicles configured to provide electrical drive power to a vehicle drive system for propulsion of the associated vehicle and a power transfer system configured to transfer electric power from at least the electric power system of the first vehicle to the electric power system of the second vehicle while the vehicles are in motion or stationary.

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) micro-scale shells are presented with selectively removed regions/openings and which can be used in sensors and actuators, including gyroscopes. Example shells consisting of a suspended ring-shaped resonator that is supported using multiple beams that are not in the plane of the ring and are attached to a support post can be formed. Shells with various sizes and geometries of selectively removed regions and openings allow the creation of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and actuators with a wide range of engineered mechanical and electrical properties. These shells can be used to form stacked 3D structures for various types of MEMS sensor and actuator devices, such as resonant gyroscopes, with sense and drive electrodes that conform to the curved profile of the resonant shell using for gyroscopes. 3D shells formed from a starting parent substrate are released and separated from their parent substrate using a number of techniques.

Abstract: An epitaxial growth process, referred to as metal-semiconductor junction assisted epitaxy, of ultrawide bandgap aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) is disclosed. The epitaxy of AlGaN is performed in metal-rich (e.g., Ga-rich) conditions using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The excess Ga layer leads to the formation of a metal-semiconductor junction during the epitaxy of magnesium (Mg)-doped AlGaN, which pins the Fermi level away from the valence band at the growth front. The Fermi level position is decoupled from Mg-dopant incorporation; that is, the surface band bending allows the formation of a nearly n-type growth front despite p-type dopant incorporation. With controlled tuning of the Fermi level by an in-situ metal-semiconductor junction during epitaxy, efficient p-type conduction can be achieved for large bandgap AlGaN.

Abstract: A real-time automotive radar simulation tool is developed based on reduced statistical models summarized from physical-based asymptotic and full-wave simulations. Some models have been verified with measurements. The simulation tool can help save cost and time for the automotive industry, especially for autonomous vehicles. The simulation tool can also help develop new functionalities like target identification or classification as well as help prevent false alarms.

Abstract: A plasmonic device incorporating a special hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) metamaterial is used for plasmonic lithography, including ultraviolet (UV) lithography. It may be a Type II HMM (??<0 and ??>0) whose tangential component of the permittivity ?? is close to zero. Due to the high anisotropy of the Type II epsilon near zero (ENZ) HMM, only one plasmonic mode can propagate horizontally with low loss in a waveguide system with ENZ HMM as its core. In certain aspects, a Type II ENZ HMM comprises alternating layers of aluminum/aluminum oxide films and the associated unusual mode of light transmission is used to expose a photosensitive layer in a specially designed lithography system. Methods for making patterns of nanofeatures via such plasmonic lithography are also provided, including as a plasmonic roller device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems and kits for the diagnosis, prognosis and the determination of progression of cancer in a subject. The invention also provides biomarkers that define subgroups of prostate cancer, clinically useful classifiers for distinguishing prostate cancer subtypes, bioinformatic methods for determining clinically useful classifiers, and methods of use of each of the foregoing. The methods, systems and kits can provide expression-based analysis of biomarkers for purposes of subtyping prostate cancer in a subject. Further disclosed herein, in certain instances, are probe sets for use in subtyping prostate cancer in a subject. Classifiers for subtyping a prostate cancer are provided. Methods of treating cancer based on molecular subtyping are also provided.

Abstract: In various aspects, the present disclosure provides an example autonomous microsystem for immersion into a fluid. The autonomous microsystem includes electronics, a power source, and a packaging system that surrounds the electronics and the power source. The electronics can be configured to sense and record one or more environmental conditions. The packaging system may include a deformable shell that defines an internal space and a plurality of filler particles disposed in the internal space and configured to control a density of the autonomous microsystem in relation to the fluid. The filler particles may comprise a low-density material having a bulk density greater than or equal to about 100 kg/m3 and less than or equal to about 1,000 kg/m3 and have a packing density greater than or equal to about 1011/m3 and less than or equal to about 1021/m3.

Abstract: A customizable headgear assembly for neuropsychological and neurological treatment, monitoring, or testing of a patient. The headgear assembly comprising a structural frame having a plurality of anatomical landmark tabs each individually configured to be located upon an anatomical landmark of a patient's head. The structural frame having first and second portions releasably coupled to enable the first and second portions to be at least partially separated for placement and removal from the patient's head. A plurality of electrode holders being operable coupled to the structural frame each configured to locate an electrode upon a predetermined neurological position of the patient.

Abstract: A pulse shaping device includes an inductor that is selectively output-coupled to a first port of a capacitor. The inductor is charged to a selected current throughput and then coupled to the first port to generate a first characteristic within the current flowing at a second port of the capacitor. The capacitor is charged until reaching a clamping voltage at the first port. A voltage clamp of the shaping device clamps the first port of the capacitor at the clamping voltage to generate a second characteristic within the current flowing at a second port of the capacitor.

Abstract: The increased use of graph algorithms in diverse fields has highlighted their inefficiencies in current chip-multiprocessor (CMP) architectures, primarily due to their seemingly random-access patterns to off-chip memory. Here, a novel computer memory architecture is proposed that processes operations on vertex data in on-chip memory and off-chip memory. The hybrid computer memory architecture utilizes a vertex's degree as a proxy to determine whether to process related operations in on-memory or off-chip memory. The proposed computer memory architecture manages to provide up to 4.0× improvement in performance and 3.8× in energy benefits, compared to a baseline CMP, and up to a 2.0× performance boost over state-of-the-art specialized solutions.

Abstract: A rectifier apparatus for a wireless inductive charging system includes a first PCB having a metal layer, a dielectric layer provided on a surface of the metal layer, and a circuit layer provided on an opposite surface of the dielectric layer relative to the metal layer, the circuit layer including copper traces and circuit components, the circuit components including a capacitor array. The apparatus includes a second PCB having a non-metallic substrate and a plurality of inductors formed in the non-metallic substrate, each inductor comprised of a magnetic core and metallic windings, where the plurality of inductors are electrically coupled forming an inductor array. The circuit layer of the first PCB and the inductor array of the second PCB are electrically coupled to form a rectifier circuit to provide DC power. The circuit layer and the inductor array can be electrically coupled via aligned contact pads on each PCB.

Abstract: Pervasive and interactive displays promise to present digital content seamlessly throughout a room. However, traditional display technologies do not scale to room-wide applications due to high per-unit-area costs and the need for constant wired power and data infrastructure. This disclosure proposes the use of photochromic paint as a display medium. Applying the paint to any surface or object creates ultra-low-cost displays, which can change color when exposed to specific wavelengths of light. New paint formulations are developed that enable wide area application of photochromic material. Along with a specially modified wide-area laser projector and depth camera that can draw custom images and create on-demand, room-wide user interfaces on photochromic enabled surfaces. System parameters such as light intensity, material activation time, and user readability are examined to optimize the display. Results show that images and user interfaces can last up to 16 minutes and can be updated indefinitely.

Abstract: A load balancing method is disclosed, the method includes establishing a processing network including a plurality of task-processing processors interconnected therewith, each processor of the plurality having a queue of tasks to be processed, establishing a k-regular graph including nodes and branches connecting the nodes, where k is the degree of the graph, assigning d walkers to the k-regular graph, where each walker is randomly assigned to a node, receiving a new task to be processed, walking from the assigned nodes to new nodes by randomly choosing a new node from one or more available nodes, without backtracking from each of the assigned nodes to a node from which each of the d walkers immediately walked, comparing the queues of the new nodes, determining which queue of the new nodes has the least number of tasks; and assigning the new task to the node with the least number of tasks.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and method for producing ?-polyglutamic acid (PGA). In particular, provided herein are bacterial co-culture systems and methods for producing PGA.

Abstract: Provided herein are small molecules that bind to GAS41 and inhibit GAS41 activity, and methods of use thereof for the treatment of cancer.