Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods pertaining to a next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation protocol and method for the optimization of sequencing quality and yield. In particular, the present disclosure provides a novel sequencing platform referred to as OmeSeq, which enables high-fidelity, dosage-sensitive genotyping and strain-level metagenomic profiling of various DNA and RNA templates across animal, plant, microbial, and viral genomes.

Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a charge pump circuit, which includes a drive power supply; a flying capacitor; and a pump capacitor that is coupled in parallel to the drive power supply and the flying capacitor in response to a first control signal being in first state and is configured to receive charge from the flying capacitor to boost a pump voltage across the pump capacitor to a value that exceeds a drive voltage provided by the drive power supply responsive to a transition of the first control signal from the first state to a second state. The electronic circuit further includes a gate drive circuit coupled to the charge pump circuit.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a electrocatalyst from waste tires. The method comprises the steps of providing rubber pieces; optionally contacting the rubber pieces with a sulfonation bath to produce sulfonated rubber; pyrolyzing the rubber to produce tire-derived carbon composite comprising carbon black, wherein the pyrolyzing comprises heating to at least 200° C.-2400° C.; activating the tire-derived carbon composite by contacting the tire-derived carbon composite with an alkali anion compound to provide activated tire-derived carbon supports; and loading the activated carbon-based supports with platinum cubes. In another embodiment, the tire-derived carbon composite is activated by annealing in a carbon dioxide atmosphere.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the controlled delivery of a drug as a function of bioavailable drug concentration, a sensor device for detecting bioavailable drug concentration, and a delivery device that controls delivery of the drug based on the real-time detection of bioavailable drug concentration.

Abstract: Distributed fiber optic chemical and radiation sensors formed by coating the fibers with certain types of response materials are provided. For distributed chemical sensors, the coatings are reactive with the targets; the heat absorbed or released during a reaction will cause a local temperature change on the fiber. For distributed radiation sensors, coating a fiber with a scintillator enhances sensitivity toward thermal neutrons, for example, by injecting light into the fiber. The luminescent components in these materials are taken from conjugated polymeric and oligomeric dyes, metal organic frameworks with sorbed dyes, and two-photon-absorbing semiconductors. The compositions may exhibit strong gamma rejection. Other scintillators combining luminescent materials with neutron converters are available. With a multiple-layer coating, it may be possible to identify the presence of both neutrons and gamma rays, for example. Coatings may be applied during manufacture or in the field.

Abstract: A lubricant composition comprising: (i) silver or gold nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules; (ii) palladium or platinum nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules; and (iii) a fluid in which components (i) and (ii) are present. Further described are methods for applying the lubricant composition onto a mechanical device for which lubrication is beneficial, with resulting improvement in friction and wear reduction and/or corrosion inhibition.

Abstract: A system and methods for monitoring an impact of geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) or an E3 component of electromagnetic pulses (EMP-E3), involving a transducer generating a transduced signal in response to a magnetic field of a current carrying element of a transmission line. The transduced signal reflects harmonic characteristics of the current carrying element, and is amplified and filtered, then digitally converted. Excessive impact is detected when a threshold condition is met with respect to a total harmonic distortion (THD) and/or a change in THD. The THD can be calculated from amplitudes of harmonic components of interest. The amplitudes can be calculated in various ways, including Fourier transforming the digital signal to locate peaks in the resulting spectral lines, or using a phase sensitive detection algorithm in which the digital signal is multiplied by a phase swept reference signal and then integrated.

Abstract: A tummy time support for infants has a wedge-shaped support having a flat bottom surface, a top surface inclined at a first angle in a range of about 8° to about 20° relative to the bottom surface, a front side at the peak of the incline, a rear side at the base of the incline. In a top view thereof, the front side has two concave recesses positioned proximate shoulder positions of an infant and the rear side has a single elongate concave recess with a peak centered between the two concave recesses. Kits are disclosed that have of a mat having a first fastener and a first tummy time support having a second faster releasably mutable to the first fastener. The kit can include a toy support and a second tummy time support that is bigger or smaller than the first tummy time support.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns methods for making a composition comprising a light metal and an intermetallic comprising the light metal and a light rare earth element. The composition also may include a plurality of nanoparticles comprising an oxide of the light metal. The method includes directly reducing a light rare earth element precursor compound in a melt of the light metal, thereby forming the light rare earth element and nanoparticles of the light metal oxide.

Abstract: Amphiphilic co-polymer lipid particle has a core comprising a chlorophyll pigment-protein complex or a bacteriochlorophyll pigment-protein complex within an annulus of membrane lipids, and an outermost layer of amphiphilic co-polymer surrounding an outermost surface of the membrane lipids. Such lipid particles are made by isolating photosynthetic membrane to form isolated photosynthetic membrane, adjusting the chlorophyll concentration of the isolated photosynthetic membrane, and solubilizing the isolated photosynthetic membranes in an amphiphilic co-polymer for a preselected time period that allows amphiphilic co-polymer lipid particles to form. The amphiphilic co-polymer lipid particles form a layer between a cathode and an anode in a photo-electrical energy generating device, and methods of making the same, including a layer of detergent micelles encapsulating lipid proteins rather than amphiphilic co-polymer lipid particles.

Abstract: A method of performing time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry on a sample includes the step of directing a beam of primary ions to the sample, and stimulating the migration of ions within the sample while the beam of primary ions is directed at the sample. The stimulation of the ions is cycled between a stimulation state and a lower stimulation state. Secondary ions emitted from the sample by the beam of primary ions are collected in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry is then performed on the secondary ions. A system for performing time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry on a sample is also disclosed.

Abstract: Inorganic halides (e.g., inorganic halide scintillators) of the general formula A3B2X9, including inorganic halides comprising thallium monovalent cations and/or combinations of different halides, are described. Radiation detectors including the inorganic halide scintillators and methods of using the detectors to detect high energy radiation are also described. In some cases, the scintillators can include a gadolinium cation, a boron cation, a lithium cation, a chloride ion, or combinations thereof and the scintillator can be used to detect neutrons.

Abstract: A method includes performing by a processor: receiving a plurality of synchrophasor measurements of a power system signal associated with a time interval from a plurality of phasor measurement units (PMUs), respectively, each of the plurality of synchrophasor measurements including a phase angle, frequency value, and a timestamp associated with the synchrophasor measurement; determining, for each of the plurality of PMUs, a dominant mode frequency of a forced oscillation signal component of the power system signal based on the frequency value and the phase angle; determining, for each of the plurality of PMUs, a mode angle of the forced oscillation signal component at the dominant mode frequency; and determining a geographic forced oscillation source location for a source of the forced oscillation signal component based on the plurality of mode angles associated with each of the plurality of PMUs, respectively, and geographic locations of the plurality of PMUs.

Abstract: A power converter circuit includes a switch including a field effect transistor, the field effect transistor being a wide bandgap field effect transistor and being configured to maintain an on operational state responsive to a maintenance signal received through a gate terminal, a current sensing circuit that is configured to estimate a drain terminal current of the field effect transistor responsive to a voltage between the gate terminal of the field effect transistor and a source terminal of the field effect transistor, and a gate driving circuit that is configured to generate the maintenance signal responsive to the estimate of the drain terminal current.

Abstract: Thermoplastic elastomer compositions comprising acrylic multigraft copolymers are described. The multigraft copolymers comprise a rubbery polyacrylate backbone and a plurality of randomly spaced glassy polyacrylate side chains. The multigraft copolymers can be prepared using a facile grafting through method that can provide copolymers with enhanced purity. The acrylic multigraft copolymers exhibit microphase separated morphologies and “superelastomeric” properties, including an elongation at break, stress at break, and/or strain recovery behavior that exceeds that of conventional triblock copolymer polyacrylate thermoplastic elastomers.

Abstract: A modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase comprising a tyrosine residue 20 having a phenylalanine (Y20F) mutation, a microorganism harboring the modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and a method of producing ester by feeding the microorganism are disclosed. The method includes providing the microorganism harboring a modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in an environment suitable for the microorganism to produce an ester and feeding the microorganism (i) a sugar or a cellulose, and (ii) an alcohol and/or a carboxylic acid.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a photovoltaic module and a computation module that is coupled to the photovoltaic module and is configured to receive power therefrom, the computation module being configured to communicate an active message to a controller in response to the computation module transitioning to a power on state and configured to receive a task command from the controller in response to communicating the active message to the controller.

Abstract: A plasticized terephthalate-based polyester blend comprising a terephthalate-based polyester (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, i.e., PET) homogeneously blended with a fatty acid or ester thereof, wherein said fatty acid or ester thereof is present in said polyester blend in an amount of 1-50 wt %. Also described herein is a method for producing a plasticized terephthalate-based polyester blend, the method comprising melt mixing a terephthalate-based polyester with a fatty acid or ester thereof at a temperature in a range of 230-250° C. to produce said polyester blend, wherein said fatty acid or ester thereof is present in said polyester blend in an amount of 1-50 wt % and is homogeneously blended with said terephthalate-based polyester.

Abstract: This invention provides novel indole, indazole, benzimidazole, benzotriazole, indoline, quinolone, isoquinoline, and carbazole selective androgen receptor degrader (SARD) compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and uses thereof in treating hyperproliferations of the prostate including pre-malignancies and benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, advanced prostate cancer, castration resistant prostate cancer, other AR-expressing cancers, androgenic alopecia or other hyper androgenic dermal diseases, Kennedy's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and uterine fibroids, and to methods for reducing the levels (through degradation) and/or activity (through inhibition) of any androgen receptor including androgen receptor-full length (AR-FL) including pathogenic and/or resistance mutations, AR-splice variants (AR-SV), and pathogenic polyglutamine (polyQ) polymorphisms of AR in a subject.