Abstract: A rotating shadowband for shading a pyranometer includes a cylindrical ring and a semicircular shadowband held within the cylindrical ring, a motor configured for rotating the shadowband, at least one solar panel, a rechargeable battery, and a controller having circuitry configured to power the first motor to rotate the semicircular shadowband. The semicircular shadowband may include a window opening, wherein the window opening substantially extends from a center of the band to a first end. The controller rotates the shadowband 0 to 360 degrees about the central axis of the cylindrical ring to alternately shade the pyranometer for making diffuse radiation measurements and expose the pyranometer to direct solar radiation for making global radiation measurements. Alternatively, the shadowband may be solid and rotate pivotally 0 to 180 degrees or 0 to 360 degrees within the cylindrical ring to alternately shade and expose a pyranometer head to and from direct sunlight respectively.

Abstract: A system for simulating surgery includes an electromagnetic tracking system comprising an emitter and a plurality of electromagnetic sensors and a plurality of model bone fragments, each of the model bone fragments operatively connected to one of the plurality of electromagnetic sensors. A method for simulating surgery includes electromagnetically tracking position of a plurality of model bone fragments and a model bone shaft using an electromagnetic tracking system and displaying virtual fluoroscopic images based on sensed position of the model bone fragments and the model bone shaft.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of making a synthetic, biodegradable, bone graft comprising a three-dimensional porous structure; a formulation of constituents for use in said method; a synthetic, biodegradable bone graft produced by said method; and a method of surgery comprising use of said bone graft.

Abstract: Exemplary methods of etching a silicon-containing material may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The fluorine-containing precursor may be characterized by a molecular formula of XFy, and y may be greater than or equal to 5. The methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor. The methods may include flowing the plasma effluents into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region, and the substrate may include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may include laterally etching the layers of silicon nitride.

Abstract: Desalination systems, apparatus, and related methods for use with saline fluids are disclosed. A disclosed desalination system includes an HDH system including a humidifier and a dehumidifier that, together, are configured to process a first saline fluid to produce freshwater in the dehumidifier. The desalination system also includes an AD system operatively coupled to the HDH system. The AD system includes a first bed, a second bed, an evaporator, and a condenser that, together, are configured to process a second saline fluid to produce freshwater in the condenser. The condenser is configured to transfer heat exhausted by the first or second bed from a vapor, obtained from the second saline fluid, to air circulating through the humidifier and the dehumidifier to drive the HDH system. The evaporator is configured to provide a cooling effect.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for obtaining induced stem cells, methods of making and use thereof.

Abstract: A domino full adder based on delayed gating positive feedback comprises a first PMOS transistor, a second PMOS transistor, a third PMOS transistor, a fourth PMOS transistor, a fifth PMOS transistor, a sixth PMOS transistor, a seventh PMOS transistor, an eighth PMOS transistor, a ninth PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor, a second NMOS transistor, a third NMOS transistor, a fourth NMOS transistor, a fifth NMOS transistor, a sixth NMOS transistor, a seventh NMOS transistor, an eighth NMOS transistor, a ninth NMOS transistor, a tenth NMOS transistor, an eleventh NMOS transistor, a first inverter, a second inverter, a third inverter and a fourth inverter.

Abstract: Cu(II) detection in the presence of main group heavy metal ions and d-, f- and g-element interferents relies on a colorimetric chelating complex between 3-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde-4-hydroxybenzoylhydrazone (3-HNHBH) and Cu(II). Derivatives and entrapped forms of the probe were aligned with the methods of analysis, featuring spectrophotometric, reflectometric, lateral flow, microfluidic, lab-on-paper, positional array, dynamic array, flow cytometry and tandem stage devices. A remotely operating software capable of DFT calculations predicted the observed detection limit of 0.34 ?g L?1 (<5 nM) as well as high selectivity towards copper ions in the presence of competing Zn+2 and Ni+2. The probe was readily regenerated against metal complexation by using a 0.5 M HCl solution, indicating its feasibility to be a re-usable sensor for the convenient detection of copper ions in water-organic media.

Abstract: Evaluating a pressure ulcer includes: detecting in a color input image a boundary of the pressure ulcer to get a RGB region of interest (ROI) image; converting the RGB ROI image to a grayscale ROI image; processing the grayscale ROI image using a Linear Combination of Discrete Gaussians (LCDG) process to estimate three main class probabilities of the grayscale ROI image; processing the RGB ROI image using predetermined RGB values to estimate the three main class probabilities of the RGB ROI image; and combining the probabilities of the grayscale ROI image and the probabilities of the RGB ROI image to determine an estimated labeled image; and normalizing and refining the estimated labeled image using a Generalized Gauss-Markov Random Field (GGMRF) process to produce a final segmentation image.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an adjuvant having high safety to living bodies and an action to sufficiently reinforce immune function, and a vaccine comprising the adjuvant. Specifically, the present invention relates to 34 novel adjuvant candidate compounds, which have been identified by screening 145 food additives and 51 injection additives, using, as indicators, an increase in the antibody titer against influenza virus and a protective effect against infection with influenza virus, and then selecting those having the function of increasing the antiviral antibody titer in blood and the protective effect against viral infection. In addition, the present invention also relates to a vaccine comprising these adjuvant candidate compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides a carboxylated nanodiamond-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 delivery system for gene editing comprising nanodiamond (ND) particles as the carriers of CRISPR-Cas9 components designed to introduce the mutation in a given gene for repairing a tissue damage.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to multimodal imaging system, comprising: a fiber-coupled fluorescence imaging system, which operates based on ultra-violet (UV) excitation light; and a fiber-coupled optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system. The multimodal imaging system also includes a fiber optic interface comprising a single optical fiber, which facilitates light delivery to a sample-of-interest and collection of returned optical signals for both the fluorescence imaging system and the OCT imaging system. During operation of the system, the single optical fiber carries both UV light and coherent infrared light through two concentric light-guiding regions, thereby facilitating generation of precisely co-registered optical data from the fluorescence imaging system and the OCT imaging system.

Abstract: Provided are astexin-1, astexin-2 and astexin-3 lasso peptides, which are based on sequences identified in Asticaccaulis excentricus, and methods of making and using same. Astexin-1 is highly polar, in contrast to many lasso peptides that are primarily hydrophobic, and has modest antimicrobial activity against Caulobacter crescentus, a bacterium related to Asticaccaulis excentricus. The solution structure of astexin-1 was determined, revealing a unique topology that is stabilized by hydrogen bonding between segments of the peptide. Astexins-2 and -3 are intracellular lasso peptides.

Abstract: A photometric dispensing nozzle unit, a photometric dispensing apparatus, and a photometric dispensing method are for preventing an increase in apparatus scale and have a simple structure to be easily handled. A nozzle performs suction/discharge of gas through a distal end opening and can have a dispensing tip attached thereto. A light guide end portion is provided in the nozzle and can receive or irradiate light at a distal end of the nozzle. A dispensing cylinder has a cylinder having a cavity therein, a plunger that is slidable in the cavity, and a suction/discharge port that performs suction/discharge of gas. A suction/discharge flow path passes through the nozzle and communicates with the suction/discharge port and the distal end opening of the nozzle. A light guide path is optically connected to the light guide end portion through the nozzle but not through the dispensing cylinder.

Abstract: A thermoelectric composition is provided that includes a nanocomposite comprising a copper selenide (Cu2Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) distributed therein. M may be selected from the group consisting of: indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof. The thermoelectric composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.). Methods of making such a thermoelectric nanocomposite material by a sequential solid-state transformation of a CuSe2 precursor are also provided.

Abstract: Systems, device configurations and methods are provided for indoor localization for a navigator receiver based on broadband communication signals such as LTE. In one embodiment, an LTE-IMU framework determines receiver position indoors. Two different designs of LTE receivers are provided based on code phase and carrier phase determinations of the received signal. A base/navigator framework is presented to correct unknown clock biases of the LTE eNodeBs. In this framework, the base receiver is placed outdoors, has knowledge of its own position, and makes pseudorange measurements to eNodeBs in the environment whose positions are known. The base transmits these pseudoranges to the indoor navigating receiver, which is also making pseudorange measurements to the same eNodeBs. The navigating receiver differences the base and navigator pseudoranges.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a system for accessing video content is disclosed. The system includes one or processors on a video hosting platform for hosting the video content, where the processors are configured to generate an automated transcription of the video content and apply text clustering modules based on a trained neural network to segment the video content.

Abstract: The present invention provides a a nanostructure which includes: a core comprising one or more planes configured to come into planar contact with at least one plane of an ice crystal; and an oligopeptide which is conjugated to at least one plane of the core and comprises (Thr)n-, (Ala)n-, (Ser)n-, or (Gly)n-, wherein the nanostructure is a polyhedron-shaped nanostructure present in water in a colloidal form to control freezing, and n is an integer of 2 to 7.

Abstract: A graphene structure includes one or more graphene layers. The graphene layers allow for microwave squeezing with gains up to 24 dB over a wide bandwidth.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for agonizing a type-2 orexin receptor (OX2R) in a cell determined to be in need thereof, including the general method of (a) administering to a subject a cyclic guanidinyl OX2R agonist and (b) detecting a resultant enhanced wakefulness or increased resistance to diet-induced accumulation of body fat, or abbreviated recovery from general anesthesia or jet lag.