Abstract: Disclosed is a method for quantitative detection of a small, aberrant viral nucleic acid. The method includes combining a detection mixture with a sample, and allowing a reaction with the test mixture to begin. The sample includes an RNA sample. The detection mixture includes a Cas13 enzyme, a reporter, a sequence-specific CRISPR RNA (crRNA), and a buffer. The method includes determining a quantitative value representative of the reporter in the test mixture, where the quantitative value is a measure of an amount of target RNA present in the RNA sample.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for improving the throughput of a neural network, using multiplexing and demultiplexing of information. Specifically, the multiplexing may include receiving a plurality of inputs, generating transformed inputs by performing, via a multiplexing layer, a transformation to each input of the plurality of inputs, and combining the transformed inputs into a single compact representation of the plurality of inputs. The demultiplexing may include receiving an output from a neural network, generating a plurality of values by converting, via a demultiplexing layer, the output back into independent representations, and producing predictions for each input based on the plurality of values. Further improvements may be seen when pretraining of the neural network and/or high-throughput transformers are incorporated.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are compounds of Structural Formula I. Compounds of Structural Formula I inhibit aldehyde dehydrogenase isoform 1a3 (ALDH1a3) and are useful for treating cancer, for example, metastatic or chemoresistant cancer, such as metastatic cancer resistant to chemotherapy. Also disclosed herein are compositions comprising compounds of Structural Formula I and uses of compounds of Structural Formula I for treating cancer, for example, metastatic or chemoresistant cancer.

Abstract: A design methodology and tool called INFORM are provided that use a two-phase approach for sample-efficient constrained multi-objective optimization of real-world nonlinear systems. In the first optional phase, one may modify a genetic algorithm (GA) to make the design process sample-efficient, and may inject candidate solutions into the GA population using inverse design methods. The inverse design techniques may be based on (i) a neural network verifier, (ii) a neural network, and (iii) a Gaussian mixture model. The candidate solutions for the next generation are thus a mix of those generated using crossover/mutation and solutions generated using inverse design. At the end of the first phase, one obtains a set of nondominated solutions. In the second phase, one chooses one or more solution(s) from the non-dominated solutions or another reference solution to further improve the objective function values using inverse design methods.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for enhanced nucleic acid detection using blocked or partially blocked crRNAs or target RNAs, and a composition of matter (detection reactions consisting of occluded crRNAs or target RNAs). Here, the mechanism of Cas 13 protein activation in response to RNA structure perturbations was systematically probed using a massively multiplexed screen. It was found that there are two distinct sequence-independent modes by which secondary structure affects Cas13 activity: structure in the protospacer region competes with the crRNA and can be disrupted via a strand-displacement mechanism, while structure in the region 3? to the protospacer has an allosteric inhibitory effect. The kinetic nature of the strand displacement process was leveraged to improve Cas13-based RNA detection and enhance mismatch discrimination by up to 50-fold, enabling sequence-agnostic mutation identification at low (<1%) allele frequencies.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a spherical-motion average radiant temperature sensor (SMART Sensor) system which can be used in various applications, including but not limited to, informing or controlling HVAC systems in buildings, locating and tracking people or objects, and detecting the release of gases. The system may optionally include the use of sensors other than a non-contacting temperature sensor to improve calculations and determinations made by the system.

Abstract: A process for making liquid fuels, especially diesel fuel, from primary alcohols. The process involves subjecting a feedstock comprising primary alcohols to Guerbet coupling to yield a first intermediate mix; subjecting the first intermediate mix to hydrogenolysis to yield a second intermediate mix; and subjecting the second intermediate mix to etherification to yield a liquid fuel suitable for use in internal combustion engines.

Abstract: Media are described herein for the degradation and/or remediation of fluorochemicals. Briefly, a medium comprises an electron donor; a fluorochemical component; an electron acceptor; and a Feammox bacterium and/or one or more enzymes exhibiting reductive dehalogenase activity, the Feammox bacterium and/or enzyme(s) capable of fluorochemical degradation in conjunction with oxidation of electron donor and electron transfer to the electron acceptor. In some embodiments, the fluorochemical component comprises one or more fluorochemicals selected from the group consisting of perfluoroalkyl compounds, polyfluoroalkyl compounds, fluorinated carboxylic acids, fluorinated alcohols, and fluorinated sulfonates. The medium, in some embodiments, comprises water, soil, sludge, sorbents and/or solids contaminated with the fluorochemical component.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses provide a scalable framework for analyzing queuing and transient congestion in network switches. The system reports which flows contributed to the queue buildup and enables direct per-packet action in the data plane to prevent transient congestion. The system may be configured to analyze queuing in legacy network switches.

Abstract: A magnetic orbital angular momentum beam accelerator will accelerate charged particles, electrons or ions, from rest in zero or low magnetic field into a high magnetic field regions with high kinetic energies in the form of magnetic orbital angular momentum. For example, a beam injector that accelerates electrons or ions into 1T magnetic fields with tens of keV kinetic energies transverse to the magnetic fields can be used to heat magnetically confined plasmas, to inject an initial energetic plasma component with high magnetic orbital angular momentum and to produce highly transverse particle momenta to the magnetic field for electron or ion beam lithography.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a machine-learning based system for mental health disorder identification and monitoring is disclosed. The system includes one or more processors configured to interact with a plurality of wearable medical sensors (WMSs). The processors are configured to receive physiological data from the WMSs. The processors are further configured to train at least one neural network based on raw physiological data augmented with synthetic data and subjected to a grow-and-prune paradigm to generate at least one mental health disorder inference model. The processors are also configured to output a mental health disorder-based decision by inputting the received physiological data into the generated mental health disorder inference model.

Abstract: Described herein, are compositions and methods for preserving human milk, preventing rancidity of human milk, extending shelf life of human milk, and maintaining the nutritional properties of human milk. Specifically, the present disclosure provides, among other things, devices for storing preserved human milk and methods and compositions for preserving the same.

Abstract: Compositions of matter and methods for using the composition of matter may be provided. The method may include providing a virus-like particle (VLP) comprising C. elegans retrotransposon 1 (Cer1) and a heterologous RNA-based agent to an organism and allowing the organism to transfer the heterologous RNA-based agent to a tissue within the organism.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to image processing, and more particularly, toward techniques for structured illumination and reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) images. Disclosed herein is a method to jointly learn structured illumination and reconstruction, parameterized by a diffractive optical element and a neural network in an end-to-end fashion. The disclosed approach has a differentiable image formation model for active stereo, relying on both wave and geometric optics, and a trinocular reconstruction network. The jointly optimized pattern, dubbed “Polka Lines,” together with the reconstruction network, makes accurate active-stereo depth estimates across imaging conditions. The disclosed method is validated in simulation and used with an experimental prototype, and several variants of the Polka Lines patterns specialized to the illumination conditions are demonstrated.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention and treatment of fibrosis by the inhibition of fibronectin matrix assembly, as well as insights into the molecular mechanism by which cell-mediated assembly of fibronectin (FN) matrix contributes to extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. Peptides S2, S3, S20, and variants thereof may be utilized, either alone or fused to one or more proteins. In one aspect, a construct comprising a first protein fused to a first end of a peptide and a second protein fused to a second end of the peptide may be used, where the peptide has at least 80% sequence identity to S2, S3, or S20. The peptide may then be allowed to interact with fibronectin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are optogenetic circuits for the bacterium Escherichia coli that induce gene expression in darkness and repress it under blue light. Applying them to metabolic engineering improves chemical production compared to chemically induced controls in light-controlled fermentations. More particularly, these circuits can be used to control protein production with light. The system and method use light as a suitable alternative to chemical induction for microbial production of chemicals and proteins.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a power converter circuit is disclosed. The power converter circuit includes a plurality of voltage splitting units (VSUs) coupled to a plurality of current splitting units (CSUs). The VSUs are connected to each other in series and the CSUs are connected to each other in parallel. The VSUs each have a fixed voltage conversion ratio and are operated at a lower frequency than the CSUs. The CSUs each have an adjustable voltage conversion ratio and are operated at a higher frequency than the VSUs.

Abstract: Use of high frequency waves, such a millimeter waves, in many circumstances is prevented due to their inability to diffract around common obstacles. Disclosed herein is a system and method for transforming an incident high frequency wave. The system includes meta-atom pairs that define a surface. The meta-atom pairs generate an electro-magnetic response by interacting with an incident wave. This electro-magnetic response can be modulated by applying voltage to the meta-atom pairs. The electro-magnetic response transforms the incident wave into an emitted wave based on its controlled properties. The system and method are able to, by changing the voltage applied, steer the emitted wave a full 360 degrees as wells as transmit it through the surface without significant power loss. Embodiments enable the transmission through or around many obstacles that would normally interfere with high frequency waves.

Abstract: A power conversion system includes one or more switched capacitor input cells connected between an input dc source and a plurality of interleaved multilevel voltage rails, one or more inductor links connected to the plurality of interleaved multilevel voltage rails, and one or more output cells, wherein each output cell is connected to an output load and all of the plurality of interleaved multilevel voltage rails through a corresponding inductor link.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for generating full-band audio from narrowband audio using a GAN-based audio super resolution model. A method of generating full-band audio may include receiving narrow-band input audio data, upsampling the narrow-band input audio data to generate upsampled audio data, providing the upsampled audio data to an audio super resolution model, the audio super resolution model trained to perform bandwidth expansion from narrow-band to wide-band, and returning wide-band output audio data corresponding to the narrow-band input audio data.