Abstract: Improved cement for concrete is provided having reduced carbon footprint and improved mechanical properties. A limestone-free process of making the clinker provides a 70% reduction of carbon footprint vs. conventional manufacture of Portland cement. Curing the resulting cement in a temperature range from 80° C. to 100° C. advantageously enhances growth of fibrous minerals in the concrete.

Abstract: A system for neuromodulation includes a split-ring resonator (SRR) comprising a resonance circuit, the SRR being implantable in a cranial target site and a source of microwave signals, wherein the microwave signals are deliverable wirelessly to couple with the SRR to produce a localized electrical field, wherein the localized electrical field inhibits one or more neurons at the cranial target site with submillimeter spatial precision.

Abstract: A method for quantifying disorder and extracting a corresponding numerical value of an order parameter from contrast analysis applied to optical images acquired of the solar photosphere. Temporal variation of the order parameter may be utilized to predict events such as solar flares, which have the ability to disrupt both communication systems and satellite orbits. The degree of order of the photosphere may be monitored to predict solar flares and other solar events. The method may utilize a spin-based (Ising/Potts) model of disorder.

Abstract: This invention describes methods for treating wound healing pathologies, inhibiting or reversing fibrotic skin disorders, including but not limited to keloids, atrophic and hypertrophic scars, and reversing skin aging via generating new dermal adipocytes (DAs). Methods described herein comprise (a) grafting of human hair follicles or (b) direct delivery of conditioned media from in vitro cultured hair follicles, or (c) delivery of purified individual factors secreted by hair follicles, or (d) delivery of small molecule agonists that mimic hair derived signaling activities, or (e) delivery of small molecule antagonists that inhibit anti-adipogenic programs, or (f) delivery of small molecule agonists of pro-adipogenic programs to convert endogenous wound or scar skin fibroblasts into new DAs.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for treating metabolic diseases in a subject are provided. A viral vector is provided which includes a nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence encoding a GLP-1 receptor agonist fusion protein and regulatory sequences which direct expression thereof.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for non-verbal communication. Aphasia and other speech related disorders can prevent people from communicating effectively or efficiently. Without effective communication, individuals can become depressed, anxious, and/or have worsening health outcomes. Many embodiments described herein allow for communication based on eye tracking of the individual to allow more effective and efficient communication between the individual and a third party, such as a family member or caretaker. Further embodiments are capable of monitoring mental state (e.g., depression and anxiety) and/or providing early detection of health events (e.g., stroke and cognitive decline).

Abstract: Charged ultrafiltration membranes are synthesized by thermally initiated free-radical polymerization of sodium styrene sulfonate in the pores of an ultrafiltration pre-cursor membrane. The resulting grafted chains of the charged UF membrane provide significant negative charge to maintain nearly complete rejection of proteins at significantly higher flux.

Abstract: A method of correcting singletons in a selected AAV sequence in order to increasing the packaging yield, transduction efficiency, and/or gene transfer efficiency of the selected AAV is provided. This method involves altering one or more singletons in the parental AAV capsid to conform the singleton to the amino acid in the corresponding position(s) of the aligned functional AAV capsid sequences.

Abstract: Systems and methods detect messages in transmitted and received data in communication systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In one embodiment, a communication system controller includes a processor, a memory, and a receiver, wherein the processor obtains a transmission signal using the receiver, extracts features in the transmission signal, and detects a message in the transmission signal based on the extracted features using a machine learning classifier.

Abstract: Systems, methods, network devices, and machine-readable media disclosed herein perform chosen ciphertext attack secure encryption given any public key infrastructure that has been established with only chosen plaintext attack security. The resulting chosen ciphertext attack secure encryption makes black-box use of the chosen plaintext attack secure scheme and other underlying primitives, and specifically new public keys do not need to be created or distributed.

Abstract: A heat exchanger and method of making same are disclosed. In another aspect, a method of making a heat exchanger includes sintering powder metal and hot isostatic pressing of the powder metal. Moreover, an aspect of the present heat exchanger apparatus employs plates in a stacked arrangement with supercritical-CO2 flowing between the plates and between adjacent fins. Still another aspect of a heat exchanger apparatus is made of a nickel-based alloy.

Abstract: The present invention provides microfluidic devices and methods for measuring blood. The microfluidic devices of the present invention include an inlet port adapted and configured to receive a fluid sample, a microfluidic flow path in fluidic communication with the inlet port, an outlet in fluidic communication with the microfluidic flow path, the outlet: having a smaller cross-sectional area than the microfluidic flow path; and adapted for communication with a pressure sink. The microfluidic devices further include a priming circuit in fluidic communication with the microfluidic flow path such that when a priming fluid is applied under pressure to the priming circuit, the priming fluid will flow through the microfluidic flow path to the inlet port due to low resistance to laminar flow in the microfluidic flow path relative to the outlet.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides, inter alia, a recombinant engineered deubiquitinase (DUB) and methods for treating or ameliorating an inherited ion channelopathy, such as long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, or cystic fibrosis, in a subject. Further provided are methods for screening mutations causing such inherited ion channelopathies for a trafficking-deficient mutation that is treatable by the recombinant engineered DUB disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for a passive backscattering beamformer based on large-area electronics (LAE). Low power is critical for distributed nodes in future IoT/5G networks. A key emerging solution is using ubiquitous 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi infrastructure with passive backscattering nodes, for low-power communication. LAE enables monolithic integration of devices over large and flexible substrates, with recent advances into the gigahertz regime opening new opportunities for wireless systems. An LAE passive backscattering beamformer is chosen that is capable of (1) enhancing the backscattered signal power in a scalable manner enabled by LAE's monolithic integrability over meter-scale area; (2) configuration between constructive/destructive beamforming; (3) frequency-shift keying for data modulation and SNR enhancement, by shifting the signal away from the incident interferer; and (4) frequency division multiplexing for increasing data bandwidth.

Abstract: A photo-curable composition includes a fluorinated monomer including cross-linkable functional groups, and a photoinitiator. Manufacturing methods using the photo-curable composition are provided.

Abstract: A fully 3-D printed, soft, monolithic 4-DoF fingertip haptic technology is provided, called FingerPrint, that stimulates linear and rotational shear, pressure, and vibration on the finger pad. Constructed using an origami waterbomb base mechanism and printed from a flexible material, the device embeds four sets of eight foldable vacuum-powered pneumatic actuators to achieve three translational (x, y, z) and one rotational (torsion) tactile motions and forces of a tactor end-effector on the finger pad skin.

Abstract: A method of making flexible and stretchable semiconductor devices with reduced footprints can include coating a gate electrode layer having a first composition over an elastomer layer, solidifying a portion of the gate electrode layer by irradiation to form a gate electrode, coating a dielectric layer having a second composition over the gate electrode layer, solidifying a portion of the dielectric layer by the irradiation to form a gate dielectric, coating a semiconductor layer having a third composition over the dielectric layer, solidifying a portion of the semiconductor layer by the irradiation to form a device core, coating a terminal layer having the first composition over the dielectric layer, and solidifying a portion of the terminal layer by the irradiation to form a source electrode and a drain electrode contacting the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A scalable high-impedance component (SHIC) may include a flexible polyimide core may include one or more vias. The SHIC may include a magnetic film formed on one or more sides of the flexible polyimide core. The SHIC may include a polymer layer formed on the magnetic film, the polymer layer isolating the magnetic film and the flexible polyimide core. The SHIC may include a metal layer formed on the polymer layer and within the vias, such that the metal layer forms windings that extend through the one or more vias. The SHIC may include a magnetic paste disposed on the metal layer such that the SHIC shields a desired frequency of electromagnetic interference.

Abstract: Systems and methods for randomized coordinated reset deep brain stimulation in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes a deep brain stimulation system and a neurostimulator coupled to a plurality of electrodes, where the neurostimulator is configured to deliver randomized coordinated reset stimulation to a brain via the plurality of electrodes, where the coordinated reset stimulation comprises a plurality of consecutive time windows, where within each consecutive time window, a pulse is delivered by each electrode in the plurality of electrodes at a respective amplitude at a respective time in the time window, and wherein at least one of: the respective amplitude of the pulse for a given electrode in the plurality of electrodes is randomly varied in each consecutive time window, and the respective time of the pulse for a given electrode in the plurality of electrodes is randomly varied in each consecutive time window.

Abstract: A processing unit leverages a decode stage's pool of instructions, thereby expanding available instruction choices and eliminating the need for expensive OoO techniques to identify reordering opportunities. The processing unit introduces instruction reordering by presenting an alternative instruction to the warp scheduler through the existing interface rather than offering the oldest instruction in each warp. The result is a simple and efficient OoO engine that operates predominantly in the processing unit's front end.