Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for manufacturing and using heat-shrink elastomeric. An example method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprises providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape; modifying the thermoplastic elastomeric element to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape; heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element; adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.

Abstract: A composition of an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-taxoid conjugate formulated in an oil-in-water nanoemulsion (NE) drug delivery system in combination with an immune-oncology (IO) agent to enhance therapeutic efficacy in refractory cancers, such as PDAC. A method of treating cancer, by administering an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition including an omega03 PUFA-taxoid conjugate in combination with an IO agent encapsulated in an NE drug delivery system to a subject in need of treatment, and treating cancer.

Abstract: The current disclosure relates to the design of an apparatus for enhancing the operation and reliability of high-power multi-chip modules, which are used in the design and implementation of power electronics converters. This apparatus is especially useful for modules containing recently-commercialized, high-performance wide band-gap semiconductors such as Silicon Carbide (SiC), which commonly emit undesirable high-frequency ringing and oscillation in the “Near-RF” spectral band between 1-30 MHz. The disclosed apparatus provides near-complete elimination of this high frequency spectral content, while leaving the desired frequency range (1-100 kHz) of the module unaffected. In addition to the suppression of this undesirable high-frequency content, the disclosed apparatus also provides for accurate, galvanically-isolated, high-bandwidth, real-time current measurement, which is essential for some types of power electronics converters.

Abstract: A method for realizing rate-splitting multi-access in a mobile cell-free massive MIMO system includes the following steps: splitting, by an access point, the data of each user into two parts with common message and private message, coding all the common message into one super message common message stream, coding each piece of the private message into a private message stream; coding, by the access point, the private message stream using an arbitrary linear pre-coding method, coding the super common message stream using an optimal pre-coding method, and sending the final coded super common message streams to user terminals after superimposing the final coded super common message stream on the private message streams; first decoding, by the user terminals, the super common message stream, removing the super common message stream using successive interference cancellation technology, and then decoding the private message streams.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to antibodies binding to and neutralizing norovirus and methods for use thereof. Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a method of detecting a norovirus infection in a subject comprising (a) contacting a sample from the subject with an antibody or antibody fragment having clone-paired heavy and light chain CDR sequences; and (b) detecting norovirus in the sample by binding of the antibody or antibody fragment to a norovirus antigen in the sample.

Abstract: Within examples, a laser includes a first electrode and a second electrode; a first transport layer and a second transport layer that are between the first electrode and the second electrode; a gain layer positioned between the first transport layer and the second transport layer, where the gain layer comprises a material having a Perovskite crystal structure; and a substrate on which the first electrode, the second electrode, the first transport layer, the second transport layer, and the gain layer are formed, where a distributed feedback (DFB) waveguide is formed within the first transport layer, and where the laser is configured such that a current flowing through the gain layer between the first electrode and the second electrode causes the gain layer to emit coherent light. Examples also include methods for fabricating the laser, as well as additional lasers and methods for forming those lasers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods, compositions, and kits for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) and TBI-associated impairments in a subject. The methods include administering to the subject an interleukin-7 (IL-7) or IL-7 agonist, a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF?) inhibitor, or both. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using biomarkers for identifying a subject that is likely to respond to a treatment for TBI-associated impairments, and monitoring the subject's response to such treatment.

Abstract: Provided are devices for carrying out reactions, which in some embodiments can include a plurality of first, second, third, and fourth reservoirs disposed on first and second surfaces, wherein the first and second surfaces are configured to move relative in to each other between first, second, third, fourth, and fifth positions to expose the first, second, third, and fourth reservoirs to each other or isolate the first, second, third, and fourth reservoirs from each other, as desired. In some embodiments, the devices include one or more detection windows that are substantially transparent to light in the ultraviolet (UV)/visible spectrum to allow assaying the extent to which a reaction has proceeded and/or to determine an optimal degree thereof. Also provided are methods for using the disclosed devices for performing reactions including but not limited to conjugation reactions as well as to optimize the same.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing carbon quantum dots (CQDs) including reacting a mixture of macroalgae and ethanol hydrothermally in an autoclave at a reaction temperature between 150 degrees Celsius (° C.) and 250° C. to form a suspension. The method further includes separating the CQDs from the suspension. The CQDs have a size of 1 to 5 nanometers (nm). The CQDs have a Stokes shift of at least 80 nm at an excitation wavelength of 270-410 nm.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method for designing a nonsymmetric freeform surface optical system, and the method including the following steps establishing an initial plane system. The initial plane system is consistent with the expected system structure, but there is no focal power in the initial plane system. The image plane tilt angle of the initial plane system is defined as ?. The point-by-point method is used to calculate the coordinates and normal vectors of the data points used to construct the freeform surface. The iterative optical system is obtained by iteration; and the iterative optical system is optimized.

Abstract: A privacy-enhanced federated decision-making method, apparatus, system and a storage medium are provided for training a global decision-making model for ensuring data privacy of data terminals. Each federated data terminal reports information about a local decision-making model to a federated coordinator, and a federated coordinator trains a global decision-making model by using the information about the local decision-making model reported by the federated data terminals. The trained global decision-making model can be used for coordinating decision making of the federated data terminals, such as coordinating a decision-making sequence of the federated data terminals or coordinating whether the federated data terminals need to participate in a decision-making task. The method resolves the problem of difficult coordination across the data terminals, and improves the decision-making accuracy of the data terminals.

Abstract: A method of producing bismuth oxyhalide quantum dots without heat. The method is a one-pot method that includes synthesizing bismuth oxyhalide quantum dots at room temperature. The method results in quantum dots preferably having bismuth and halide in a molar ratio of 1:1. Further, the bismuth oxyhalide quantum dots produced demonstrate excellent photocatalytic activity in the visible light spectrum and possess improved surface characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a genetically modified yeast cell comprising at least six or more of the following modifications: increased expression of Mus musculus fatty acid reductase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase 1, fatty acid synthase 2, a mutant of the bottleneck enzyme encoded by ACC1 insensitive to post-transcriptional and post-translational repression, and/or a desaturase encoded by OLE1, and reduced expression of DGA1, HFD1, ADH6, and/or GDH1. The present invention provides a method for constructing the genetically modified yeast cell, and a method for producing a fatty alcohol from the genetically modified yeast cell.

Abstract: A dense optical flow calculation system and method based on an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) are provided. The system comprises a software system deployed on a host and a dense optical flow calculation module deployed on the FPGA. Pixel information of two continuous frames of pictures is obtained from a host end in the system, and optical flow is obtained by calculation by means of the steps such as smoothing processing, polynomial expansion, intermediate variable calculation, optical flow calculation. An image pyramid and iterative optical flow calculation can be achieved by repeatedly calling a calculation core module in the FPGA; a final calculation result is returned to the host end.

Abstract: Methods and articles of manufacture for free-standing lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) thin films are disclosed. The methods facilitate synthesizing the LiPON thin films in a free-standing form with controllable film thicknesses and areas. The free-standing LiPON thin films, absent a solid substrate contacting the LiPON thin films, enable studying fundamental properties of LiPON thin films including mechanical properties and glassy transition behavior. In some embodiments, the method includes modifying a surface of a substrate, forming a layer of LiPON on the modified surface of the substrate, and separating the layer of LiPON from the substrate. The free-standing LiPON thin films, no longer requiring solid substrates, may be used in applications requiring an ionically conductive or electronically insulating coating, film, or barrier layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a semiconductor strip extending above a semiconductor substrate, forming shallow trench isolation (STI) regions on opposite sides of the semiconductor strip, recessing a portion of the semiconductor strip, etching the STI regions to form a recess in the STI regions, forming a first thermal conductive layer in the recess, forming a source/drain epitaxy structure on the first thermal conductive layer, and forming a gate stack across the semiconductor strip and extending over the STI regions.

Abstract: In various aspects and embodiments the invention provides a method of treating epilepsy in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising providing to the subject an effective amount of an FLNA modulator. In various embodiments, the FLNA modulator is PTI-125 or kartogenin. In various embodiments, the epilepsy is epilepsy associated with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type II or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions, systems and methods for treating diabetes in a subject. The composition of the present invention includes a decellularized vascular graft, a biocompatible hydrogel encasement with tunable rigidity, and a plurality of cells such as pancreatic islet cells.

Abstract: Methods for simplified, rapid gel electrophoresis size-purification and downstream sequencing of an Oligo Library, for example an miRNA Library, based on co-purifying a DNA ladder molecular weight standard customized to co-migrate with Library to provide highly salient bands on the gel at the upper and lower ends of the Library size range, permitting precise cutting and avoiding the negative effects of gel distortion, variation of DNA migration rate in different lanes, and the difficulty of matching sample to ladder across a large distance. The methods may be applied to increase yield and purity in an Oligo Library of low-quality or low input Oligo, and in particular in small RNA samples.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to the polynucleotide sequences of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to isolated or recombinant nucleic acids and polypeptides comprising desirable nucleic acid sequences and mutations disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, isolated or recombinant RSV comprising the nucleic acids and polypeptides disclosed herein (e.g., attenuated recombinant RSV) are also provided, as are immunogenic compositions including such nucleic acids, polypeptides, and RSV genomes that are suitable for use as vaccines. Attenuated or killed RSV containing these nucleic acids and mutation in the form of copied nucleic acids (e.g., cDNAs) are also contemplated.