Abstract: Certain embodiments are directed to mechanical devices for augmenting dexterous reach and sensing of a user. The devices can include a proximal portion configured to receive an appendage of a user; a distal portion configured to detect sensory information; an articulation positioned between the proximal and distal portion to provide for motion of the distal portion via manipulation of the proximal portion; wherein the distal portion comprising a sensing element and the proximal portion comprises a feedback element, the feedback element being connected to the sensing element providing for physical extension of sensory capabilities of the appendage.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a new method for preparing a WPU synthetic leather foaming layer based on a Pickering foam template method. The key of the method is to use the soft waterborne polyurethane as raw materials, add waterborne crosslinking agent and hydrophobic inorganic solid particles as Pickering waterborne foam stabilizers to obtain Pickering waterborne foam slurry of polyurethane latex particles through high-speed emulsification; and dry the slurry to obtain the waterborne polyurethane foam layer. The preparation process does not use any organic solvents, is clean and environmentally-friendly, and is simple to operate, making it easier to realize industrialized production. In addition, the Pickering foam has strong interface stability, which effectively solves the problem of difficult adjustment of the pore size caused by the accumulation and collapse of bubbles during the drying process of the mechanical foaming method, and the prepared synthetic leather foam layer has good hygienic properties.

Abstract: Disclosed is a floating platform integrating wave attenuation with marine energy power generation and a working method thereof, the platform includes a breakwater, a tuned damping wave energy converter, and an offshore floating wind turbine. The breakwater includes double-cylindrical-boxes and connecting bulkheads, and a moon pool area is formed in a middle of the breakwater; the offshore floating wind turbine and the tuned damping wave energy converter are both connected to the breakwater through a connecting rod. A circular groove is formed on an inner side of each of the connecting bulkheads of the breakwater. The breakwater provides the floating base and power generation environment for the offshore floating wind turbine and the tuned damping wave energy converter, and a plurality of the tuned damping wave energy converters can be disposed, and are evenly distributed beneath the offshore floating wind turbine.

Abstract: Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of methods and systems for segmenting images and expediting a contouring process for MRI-guided adaptive radiotherapy (MR-IGART) comprising applying a convolutional neural network (CNN), wherein the CNN accurately segments organs (e.g., the liver, kidneys, stomach, bowel, or duodenum) in 3D MR images.

Abstract: An apparatus for a heart of a patient having a cardiac assist device adapted to be implanted into the patient to assist the heart with pumping blood. The apparatus has a sensor adapted to be implanted into the patient. The sensor in communication with the cardiac assist device and the heart which measures native volume of the heart. The apparatus has a first cardiac assist device and a second cardiac assist device tuned to maximize blood flow to the body of the patient, while resting the heart so the heart may recover function. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on admittance while the cardiac assist device. Alternatively, the sensor monitors the heart based on impedance.

Abstract: Disclosed are new small molecules having a substituted pyrimidine or substituted fused pyrimidine core structure and the uses thereof for modulating glucocerebrosidase activity. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the small molecules which may be administered in methods of treating diseases or disorders associated with glucocerebrosidase activity, including Gaucher's disease and neurological diseases and disorders such as genetic and sporadic synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy associated with aberrant glucocerebrosidase activity. The small molecules may contain a fluorophore or may be conjugated to a fluorophore in order to prepare a fluorescent probe for use in high throughput screening methods to identify new modulators of glucocerebrosidase activity via fluorescence polarization.

Abstract: Provided is an efficient preparation method of a bimetallic seamless composite pipe, and belongs to the technical field of steel pipe manufacture. The efficient preparation method of the bimetallic seamless composite pipe includes following steps: sheathing a base pipe blank on a cladding pipe blank to obtain a composite pipe blank, and carrying out a stress relief annealing treatment on the composite pipe blank, where the base pipe blank and the cladding pipe blank are made of different materials; heating the composite pipe blank after the stress relief annealing treatment to a hot working window temperature, and sheathing on a core rod of an extrusion cylinder after an insulation treatment, and then extruding along an axial direction of the extrusion cylinder to obtain a bimetallic seamless composite pipe.

Abstract: A plasma activated water production system includes a plasma reactor and a membrane concentrator. The plasma reactor includes an internal cavity, at least one electrically-conductive inlet capillary and outlet capillary. A mixing chamber has a feed gas inlet, a liquid inlet, and a mixed gas and liquid outlet. A power source is provided. The plasma reactor propagates a plasma discharge between the inlet capillary and the outlet capillary. A membrane concentrator includes a water flow channel with a water inlet and a water outlet, a dry gas inlet and a humidified gas outlet. An ion selective membrane is provided, and water will pass through the membrane into the dry gas, and the water leaving the membrane concentrator will have increased concentrations of nitrates, nitrites and hydrogen peroxide. An electrodialysis embodiment and a method of generating plasma activated with increased concentration of nitrates, nitrites and hydrogen peroxide are also disclosed.

Abstract: A rope replacement apparatus includes: a rope conveying mechanism, used for driving a first rope to move along a moving path of a second rope, so as to replace the second rope; a first detection part, used for detecting a first moving speed V1 of the first rope output by the rope conveying mechanism; the first detection part being installed on the rope conveying mechanism; a second detection part, used for detecting a second moving speed V2 of the second rope outside the rope conveying mechanism; the second detection part being installed on the moving path of the second rope; a control part, used for adjusting V1 according to the difference between V1 and V2; the first detection part and the second detection part being both in communication connection with the control part. The rope replacement apparatus improves rope replacement efficiency and slipping can be reduced.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and/or uses of oligonucleotide conjugates for assays and flow cytometry detections and related systems and/or kits. Certain methods are directed to a method for detecting one or more biological targets of a sample in a detection assay, comprising: providing a molecular probe, comprising a binding moiety and an oligonucleotide sequence, to a sample comprising one or more biological targets; binding the one or more biological targets with the binding moiety; providing a detectable component to the sample, wherein the detectable component comprises a signal generating moiety conjugated to an oligonucleotide sequence complementary to the oligonucleotide sequence of the molecular probe; hydridizing the oligonucleotide sequence of the target-bound molecular probe to the detectable component; and detecting a signal generated from the hydridized detectable component. Various other embodiments, applications etc. are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an electrical sensing, pacing, and ablation device comprising a bendable and stretchable balloon catheter and a bendable and stretchable first layer connected to or embedded in said balloon catheter, where the first layer has an electrode array with a plurality of electrodes. The is also a bendable and stretchable second layer connected to or embedded in the balloon catheter, and the second layer has a pressure sensor array with a plurality of pressure sensors.

Abstract: A microgrid system includes a synchronous generator configured to convert mechanical power into electric power, an energy storage system configured to store and supply electric power, a controller configured to control operation of the energy storage system; and a point of common coupling bus connecting the synchronous generator and the battery energy storage system, wherein a controller parameter of the controller is determined based on a level of a disturbance using a trained artificial neural network in response to occurrence of the disturbance in the synchronous generator.

Abstract: The present disclosure may be embodied as methods and/or systems for non-contact measuring of an on-body and/or inside-body motion of an individual. A sensing signal is provided within a near-field coupling range of a motion to be measured. In this way, a measurement signal may be generated as the sensing signal modulated by the motion. The sensing signal may be an ID-modulated signal. In some embodiments, the sensing signal is a backscattered RFID link provided a wireless tag. A downlink signal may be provided to power the wireless tag. The sensing signal may be a harmonic of the downlink signal. The measurement signal is detected. The motion is measured based on the measurement signal. The measurement signal may be detected as far-field radiation after transmission through a source of the motion. The measurement signal may be detected as reflected from a source of the motion as antenna reflection.

Abstract: A computer system for intra-ear sensing and stimulating receives, health data, from an earbud sensor. The system repeatedly calculates an exponential moving average (EMA) of a moving window for the received health data. The system compares each calculated exponential moving average with a lower threshold value and an upper threshold value. The upper threshold value and the lower threshold value are determined based, at least in part, upon a saturation level associated within an amplifier performing the adaptive gain control. When the calculated exponential moving average is larger than the upper threshold, the system decreases a gain associated with the amplifier. When the calculated exponential moving average is smaller than the lower threshold, the system increases a gain associated with the amplifier.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention provides a method for freeze-drying surfactant-stabilized microbubbles. The method includes: preparing vials comprising a mixture comprising microbubbles; partially submerging the vials in a chilled water bath, wherein the water bath has a sub-freezing temperature; placing the vials on a cooled shelf of a lyophilizer; freeze-drying the vials in the lyophilizer; and capping the freeze-dried vials. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for annealing surfactant-stabilized microbubbles. The method includes: preparing vials comprising a mixture comprising microbubbles; passing the vials in and out of liquid nitrogen (LN2) until the mixture is frozen; holding the vials at ?20° C.; placing the vials on a cooled shelf of a lyophilizer; freeze-drying the vials in the lyophilizer; and capping the freeze-dried vials.

Abstract: A cell or tissue embedding device having an aqueous gel serving as an immunoisolation layer, the aqueous gel containing, as components thereof, a denatured polyvinyl alcohol resin having an activated carbonyl group and a crosslinking agent is highly capable of supplying a physiologically active substance.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides gene edited modified immune cells or precursors thereof (e.g., gene edited modified T cells) comprising an exogenous T cell receptor (TCR) and/or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) having specificity for a target antigen, and an insertion and/or deletion in one or more endogenous gene loci, wherein the endogenous gene loci encode regulators of T cell function, thereby resulting in immune cells having enhanced function. Compositions and methods of treatment are also provided. The present invention provides methods of screening for TCR- or CAR-T cells with enhanced immune function (e.g., T cell efficacy, T cell memory, and/or T cell persistence).

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes: receipt and accession of magnetic field data from a constellation of satellites providing global coverage over the Earth in a time span less than one day; inter-calibrating the magnetic field data from all satellites to a common standard; quantifying the global magnetic disturbance and selecting quiescent intervals at least as short as one day for evaluation of Earth's internally-generated field; calculating global maps of the mean vector magnetic field for each quiet interval from the average of all satellite measurements in angular bins; converting the time sequence of global maps of the mean fields to time series of angular harmonic coefficients via direct convolution; applying spectral and regression analysis to the harmonic coefficient time series to identify and remove artifacts in the signals; reconstructing a continuous time and spatial representation of the magnetic field continuous in time and angular position globally.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and compositions comprising chimeric green fluorescent protein (GFP) molecules embedded with foreign molecules. Also disclosed are methods of treating a subject with chimeric GFP molecules embedded with foreign molecules. Further disclosed are methods of delivering a desired molecule to a cell, wherein said desired molecule is embedded within a chimeric GFP molecule.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and method for training neural network based decoders for decoding error correction codes, comprising obtaining a plurality of training samples comprising one or more codewords encoded using an error correction code and transmitted over a transmission channel where the training samples are subject to gradual interference over a plurality of time steps and associate the encoded codeword(s) with an interference level and a parity check syndrome at each of the plurality of time steps, using the training samples to train a neural network based decoder to decode codewords encoded using an error correction code by (1) estimating a multiplicative interference included in the encoded codeword(s) based on reverse diffusion applied to the encoded codeword(s) across the time steps, (2) computing an additive interference included in the encoded codewords based on the multiplicative interference, and (3) recovering the codeword(s) by removing the additive interference.