Abstract: The present application demonstrates that sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) acts as a cellular lipoamidase that negatively regulates pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) activity through hydrolysis of its lipoamide cofactors.

Abstract: Emulsion breaking and phase separation is achieved by droplet adhesion. An emulsion breaking device includes a channel having distinct adjacent zones with distinctly different surface wettability characteristics, namely, solvophilic and solvophobic surfaces. The device is positioned such that the upstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the continuous phase of the emulsion, and the downstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the dispersed phase of the emulsion. As the emulsion flows from the upstream zone to the downstream zone, the change in surface wettability characteristics promotes adhesion of the dispersed phase as the dispersed phase wets the surface of the downstream portion of the channel, which results in breaking of the emulsion. Subsequent collection of the broken emulsion in a collection vessel results in separation of the disparate phases to facilitate their recapture and recycling.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a system for securing communications between an implantable wearable medical device (IWMD) and an external device (ED) is disclosed. The system includes a wireless radio frequency (RF) channel configured for communication between the IWMD and the ED. The system further includes a vibration-based side channel configured for verifying communication between the IWMD and the ED such that the RF channel is activated only when the IWMD detects a vibration signal generated by an ED.

Abstract: A mean radiant temperature sensor is used to measure radiant heat exchange to determine comfort. Disclosed herein are a spherical-motion average radiant temperature sensor (SMART Sensor) device or system, and an associated method, for taking an average overall global reading while also being able to record weighting for different directions easily in spherical coordinates.

Abstract: Systems and methods for prediction of state of charge (SOH), state of health (SOC) and other characteristics of batteries using acoustic signals, includes determining acoustic data at two or more states of charge and determining a reduced acoustic data set representative of the acoustic data at the two or more states of charge. The reduced acoustic data set includes time of flight (TOF) shift, total signal amplitude, or other data points related to the states of charge. Machine learning models use at least the reduced acoustic dataset in conjunction with non-acoustic data such as voltage and temperature for predicting the characteristics of any other independent battery.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell and method of making are disclosed. The photovoltaic cell includes a substrate having a surface at least partially covered in wrinkles and folds, the folds dividing the surface into a plurality of domains. A photoactive layer is formed on the substrate. At least one transparent electrode is coupled to the photoactive layer and configured to allow transmission of light into the photoactive layer. The domains may have a wrinkle periodicity of less than 2 ?m. The folds may have a fold density of less than 0.25. The transport layer may comprise PEDOT:PSS. The photoactive layer may comprise P3HT:PCBM. The photoactive layer may comprise a bulk heterojunction.

Abstract: Mechanical energy harvesting is an increasingly important method of providing power to distributed sensor networks where physical connection to a power source is impractical. Conventional methods use vibrations to actuate a piezoelectric element, coil/magnet assembly, or capacitor plates, thereby generating an electric current. The low charge-density of these devices excludes their application in low frequency and static load sources, with the lowest frequency reported devices limited to 10 Hz. These frequency limitations can be overcome by exploiting the piezoelectrochemical effect, a similar but physically distinct effect from the piezoelectric effect whereby an applied mechanical load alters the thermodynamics of an electrochemical reaction to produce a voltage/current. Piezoelectrochemical energy harvesters are expected to produce orders of magnitude more energy per load cycle than piezoelectrics and comparable power capabilities.

Abstract: The present invention provides tissue scaffolds, methods of generating such scaffolds, and methods of use of such scaffolds to generate aligned and functional tissues for use in methods including regenerative medicine, wound repair and transplantation.

Abstract: This disclosure provides, among other things, a method of sample analysis, that comprises: (a) binding target analytes to capture agents that are attached to a surface of a plate, wherein the plate comprises (i) a sensing amplification layer comprises nanostructures that enhance signals and (ii) the capture agents are attached to said sensing amplification layer; (b) reading the plate with a reading device to produce an image of signals that represent individual binding events; and (c) identifying and counting individual binding events in an area of the image, thereby providing an estimate of the amount of one or more analytes in the sample. A system for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A sensitivity boosted laser dispersion spectroscopy system for sensing a sample in a sample cell or in an open path crossing the sample. The system includes a local oscillator arm and a sample arm containing the sample cell or the open path crossing the sample. A laser source is configured to generate a first light beam directed along the sample arm and a second light beam, the second light beam being frequency shifted and directed along the local oscillator arm. An intensity modulator/phase modulator/frequency shifter is disposed in the sample arm configured to generate a multi-frequency beam having known frequency spacing which is then passed through the sample cell to generate a sample arm output. A beam combiner is configured to combine the sample arm output and the second light beam from the local oscillator arm and generate a combined beam. A photodetector is configured to detect the combined beam for sensing the sample in the sample cell.

Abstract: A user authentication system for an electronic device for use with a plurality of wireless wearable medical sensors (WMSs) and a wireless base station that receives a biomedical data stream (biostream) from each WMS. The system includes a BioAura engine located on a server, the server has a wireless transmitter/receiver with receive buffers that store the plurality of biostreams, the BioAura engine has a look up stage and a classifier, the classifier generates an authentication output based on the plurality of biostreams, the authentication output authenticates the user's access to the electronic device. The wireless base station has a transmitter/receiver having receive buffers that store the biomedical data from each WMS, the wireless base station has a communication engine that retrieves the biostream from each WMS and transmits the plurality of biostreams to the server.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus directed to a global metronome configured at each of one or more locations to receive a high accuracy timing signal and responsively update a local clock thereto, to determine a phase of a virtual metronome using the updated local clock, a predetermined epoch start time and a predetermined virtual metronome period, to phase synchronize a local metronome to the virtual metronome, and to control local devices providing audio playback and/or a sequence of nonmusical events in accordance with start/stop/tempo messages configured in accordance with the local metronome. By using the global metronome at each of a plurality of locations to synchronize/control devices at those locations, the local devices that each of the plurality of locations are inherently synchronized with each other.

Abstract: Provided is a hydrogel. The hydrogel includes a liquid and a plurality of microfibers suspended in the liquid as an entangled network. The entangled network includes physically entangled microfibers that are mechanically interlocked.

Abstract: Measurements on organic single crystals reveal remarkable optical and electrical characteristics compared to disordered films but practical device applications require uniform, pinhole-free films. Disclosed herein is a process to reliably convert as-deposited amorphous thin films to ones that are highly crystalline, with grains on the order of hundreds of microns. The disclosed method results in films that are pinhole-free and that possess grains that individually are single crystal domains.

Abstract: A method is provided for Fourier domain dynamic correction of optical fringes in a laser spectrometer. The method includes Fourier transforming a background spectrum contaminated with the optical fringes to obtain baseline fringes in a frequency domain. The method includes partitioning the baseline fringes in the frequency domain using bandpass filtering to obtain partitioned baseline fringes. The method includes reconstructing the partitioned baseline fringes as separate spectra using an inverse Fourier transform. The method includes constructing a fitting model to approximate the background spectrum by assigning a first and a second free parameter to each of partitioned baseline fringe components to respectively allow for drift and amplitude adjustments during a fitting of the fitting model. The method includes applying the fitting model to a newly acquired spectrum to provide an interpretation of the newly acquired spectrum having a reduced influence of spectral contamination on concentration retrieval.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process and device that enables ultra-high resolution one- and two-dimensional spatial imaging of Rayleigh, Raman and Thomson spectral features without the need for a spectrometer. The disclosed approach provides the capability for imaging of a single spectral feature such as a single rotational Raman line and the simultaneous elimination of background scattering, or for separating the rotational Raman image from the Rayleigh scattering. High collection efficiency provides the opportunity for single pulse time frozen images to be acquired.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to inteins, split inteins, compositions comprising inteins and methods for use of these.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of microfluidics in the preparation of cells and compositions for therapeutic uses.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process and device allowing for fast measurements of the physicochemical properties of amphiphiles (lipids, surfactants, soaps, . . . ). A Marangoni flow is created and characterized using amphiphiles to be characterized. The observed flow is characterized, and using the disclosed process, one can deduce from this measurement many important physicochemical parameters of the amphiphiles such as their critical micellar concentration. Compared to existing techniques, the disclosed process offers the advantage that it requires a single experiment to deduce the parameters, when other techniques (pendant drop method, conductometry, etc . . . ) require the measurement of a quantity (interfacial tension, conductometry) against a systematically varied parameter (amphiphile concentration, . . . ). The disclosed process and devices are ideal to characterize and/or screen rapidly amphiphiles molecules based on their interaction with a solvent.

Abstract: Methods of preparing fluorinated compounds by carboxylative fluorination using fluoride are contained herein. Fluorinated compounds are provided. Methods of using fluorinated compounds are contained herein.