Abstract: The present invention provides an on-line real-time diagnosis system and method for wind turbine blade (WTB) damage. The system includes a four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a cloud database, and a computer system. The four-rotor UAV captures images of WTBs in real time, and transmits the images to the computer system. The cloud database stores an image library used for a Visual Geometry Group (VGG)-19 net image classification method, where an image in the image library stored in the cloud database is dynamically captured from a network. The computer system is used to perform training by using the image library to obtain an improved VGG-19 net image classification method, and classify, by using the improved VGG-19 net image classification method, the images of the WTBs received from the four-rotor UAV, to obtain a WTB damage diagnosis and classification result and a damage grading result.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for the preparation of porous metal oxide materials, including metal oxide xerogels and metal oxide aerogels. Methods for preparing porous metal oxide materials can comprise (i) reacting a metal alkoxide with water in the presence of a catalyst system to form a partially hydrolyzed sol, (ii) contacting the partially hydrolyzed sol with a base catalyst and a non-aqueous solvent to form a precursor gel; and (iii) drying the precursor gel to form the porous metal oxide material. The catalyst system employed in step (i) comprises a combination of a weak acid and a strong acid.

Abstract: Provided herein are high-throughput, high-quality methods of consecutive in situ hybridization for analysis of the genome and/or transcriptome in an individual cell with single-molecule sensitivity. In particular, provided herein are methods comprising visualizing individual genomic loci or transcripts as single detectable signals (e.g., fluorescent spots) which remain in place during consecutive hybridization. In each cycle of consecutive hybridization, detectably labeled probes hybridize to the probe used in the previous cycle, and also introduce the binding sites for the probe of the following cycle. Through consecutive cycles of probe hybridization, imaging, and signal removal, different genomic loci or RNA species can be identified by unique detectable signal profiles (e.g., fluorescent spots with unique color sequences). The number of varied color sequences increases exponentially with the number of hybridization cycles, which enables the genome or transcriptome-wide analysis.

Abstract: Identifying pathways that are significantly impacted in a given condition is a crucial step in the understanding of the underlying biological phenomena. All approaches currently available for this purpose calculate a p-value that aims to quantify the significance of the involvement of each pathway in the given phenotype. These p-values were previously thought to be independent. Here, we show that this is not the case, and that pathways can affect each other's p-values through a “crosstalk” phenomenon that affects all major categories of existing methods. We describe a novel technique able to detect, quantify, and correct crosstalk effects, as well as identify novel independent functional modules. We assessed this technique on data from four real experiments coming from three phenotypes involving two species.

Abstract: A fertilizer gradient energy system includes a membrane module. A membrane module may include a first section and a second section. The first and second sections may be separated by a semipermeable membrane. A load may be connected to the membrane module. The first section may be configured to receive a concentrated fertilizer solution. The second section may be configured to receive a freshwater feed solution. In embodiments, a semipermeable membrane may be configured to facilitate pressure retarded osmosis of the freshwater feed solution from the first section to the second section to increase a fluid pressure in the second section. The semipermeable membrane may include an anion exchange membrane. The membrane module may include a third section. A cation exchange membrane may separate the first and third section. Anion and cation exchange membranes may facilitate reverse electrodialysis. Methods of capturing energy via a membrane module are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing a small form-factor, wirelessly powered transceiver are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless powered transceiver includes a receive antenna configured to receive a receive signal, a transmit antenna configured to transmit a transmit signal, a power harvesting system including a rectifier circuit configured convert radio frequency energy from the receive signal into DC (direct current) voltage, and a power management unit (PMU) configured to set the operating mode and biasing condition of the receive and transmit circuitry blocks and provide DC voltage from the receive circuitry block to the transmit circuitry block to maintain a minimum voltage, a receiver circuitry block configured to provide energy from the receive signal to the power harvesting system, and a transmitter circuitry block including a data modulator circuit, the data modulator circuit configured to generate the transmit signal using DC voltage received from the power management unit.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance may include an archwire and multiple orthodontic brackets. The archwire may fit within a human mouth and contain multiple male connectors. Each orthodontic bracket may have a configuration that facilitates attaching the orthodontic bracket to a single tooth. Each orthodontic bracket may allow one of the male connectors to be locked into the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action. The male connector may be unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracket after being locked in the orthodontic bracket. A manual unlocking action may allow the male connector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket.

Abstract: Provided herein are anti-FGL2 monoclonal antibodies. Further provided herein are methods to reverse suppressive immune mechanisms, such as for the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases.

Abstract: A vertical hydroponic plant production apparatus for allowing vertical hydroponic greenhouse crop production is provided. The apparatus comprises a hollow grow tube having a front face, a back face, an open first end, and an open second end. A slot is formed in the front face of the grow tube with the slot having a width equal to only a portion of a width of the front face. A media material is insertable into the grow tube. The slot allows the front face to expand outward during insertion of the media material and biased inward against the media material once the media material is inserted. The grow tube is positionable in either a horizontal position, vertical position, or any position between the horizontal position and the vertical position allowing inclined, multi-angled crop production and multi-storied conveyor style crop production.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, systems, and implementations for inductive heating of a foreign metallic implant are disclosed. A foreign metallic implant may be heated via AMF pulses to ensure that the surface of the foreign metallic implant heats in a uniform manner. As the surface temperature of the foreign metallic implant rises, acoustic signatures may be detected by acoustic sensors that may indicate that tissue may be heating to an undesirable level approaching a boiling point. Once these acoustic signatures are detected, the AMF pulses may be shut off for a time period to allow the surface temperature of the implant to cool before applying additional AMF pulses. In this manner, the surface temperature of a foreign metallic implant may be uniformly heated to a temperature adequate to treat bacterial biofilm buildup on the surface of the foreign metallic implant without damaging surrounding tissue.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a delivery vector for transferring a small peptide coding sequence to a cell for expression of the small peptide coding sequence within the cell. The delivery vector comprises a secretory signal sequence; a sequence encoding a carrier protein operatively associated with the secretory signal sequence; a sequence encoding a cleavage site operatively associated with the sequence encoding a carrier protein; and a sequence encoding a small peptide operatively associated with the sequence encoding a cleavage site.

Abstract: An annular axial mixing system for combined gas and liquid flow. The system includes a gas-liquid separator to separate a multiphase gas and liquid into a gas flow and a liquid flow. A lower leg in communication with the gas-liquid separator is configured to receive liquid flow. An upper leg in communication with the gas-liquid separator is configured to receive gas flow. An annular mixing chamber receives gas from the upper leg. A static liquid chamber, at least a portion of which is within the mixing chamber, is in communication with the lower leg and includes perforations therein to receive gas bubbles from the gas in the annular mixing section chamber in order to mix the flows.

Abstract: A porous activated asphaltene material is described with a method of making and a method of using for the adsorption of a contaminant from a solution. The porous activated asphaltene material may be made by functionalizing solid asphaltene with nitric acid, and then treating the product with a metal hydroxide. The resulting porous activated asphaltene material exhibits a high porosity, and may be cleaned and reused for adsorbing contaminants.

Abstract: The elastomeric electrode includes: a stretchable substrate 10 having wrinkles formed on one surface thereof, the peaks C and valleys T of the wrinkles being repeated; a wrinkled metal nanoparticle layer 20 including metal nanoparticles 21 and formed by deposition of the metal nanoparticles along the wrinkles of the substrate 10; and a wrinkled monomolecular layer 30 including a monomolecular material having one or more amine groups (—NH2) and formed by deposition of the monomolecular material onto the metal nanoparticle layer 20. Also disclosed is a method for preparing the elastomeric electrode.

Abstract: The discovery of mutant or fusion kinases that drive oncogenesis, and the subsequent approval of specific inhibitors for these enzymes, has been instrumental in the management of some cancers. However, acquired resistance remains a significant problem in the clinic, limiting the long-term effectiveness of most of these drugs. Herein is demonstrated a strategy to overcome this resistance through drug-induced MEK cleavage (via direct procaspase-3 activation) combined with targeted kinase inhibition. This combination effect is shown to be general across diverse tumor histologies (melanoma, lung cancer, and leukemia) and driver mutations (mutant BRAF or EGFR, fusion kinases EML4-ALK and BCR-ABL). Caspase-3-mediated degradation of MEK kinases results in sustained pathway inhibition and substantially delayed or eliminated resistance in cancer cells in a manner superior to combinations with MEK inhibitors.

Abstract: A method and an electrocatalytic electrode for electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide to methanol are provided. An exemplary electrocatalytic electrode includes copper (I) oxide crystals electrodeposited over an atomically smooth copper electrode.

Abstract: A device, such as a light-emitting device, e.g. a laser device, comprising: a plurality of group III-V semiconductor NWs grown on one side of a graphitic substrate, preferably through the holes of an optional hole-patterned mask on said graphitic substrate; a first distributed Bragg reflector or metal mirror positioned substantially parallel to said graphitic substrate and positioned on the opposite side of said graphitic substrate to said NWs; optionally a second distributed Bragg reflector or metal mirror in contact with the top of at least a portion of said NWs; and wherein said NWs comprise aim-type doped region and a p-type doped region and optionally an intrinsic region there between.

Abstract: An information processing device includes a first time-frequency converter configured to perform a time-frequency conversion with respect to an input signal, using a window function having a first width, a second time-frequency converter configured to perform a time-frequency conversion with respect to the input signal, using a second window function having a second width smaller than the first width, and a modification processing unit configured to modify an output of the second time-frequency converter, using a frequency analysis result based on an output of the first time-frequency converter.

Abstract: Poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers with pendant cationic groups are provided which have an alkaline-stable cation, piperidinium, introduced into a rigid aromatic polymer backbone free of ether bonds. Hydroxide exchange membranes or hydroxide exchange ionomers formed from these polymers exhibit superior chemical stability, hydroxide conductivity, decreased water uptake, good solubility in selected solvents, and improved mechanical properties in an ambient dry state as compared to conventional hydroxide exchange membranes or ionomers. Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells comprising the poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers with pendant cationic groups exhibit enhanced performance and durability at relatively high temperatures.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Vaccinium plant named ‘TH-1241’, characterized by a combination of early season ripening and short fruit development period; large berries with good color and flavor; highly vigorous growth; and a medium chilling requirement of about 350-450 hours, or more, below about 45° F.