Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe energy storage devices. In one example, an energy storage device includes an anode having a plurality of active material particles, a cathode having a transition metal oxide material, and an electrolyte including a room temperature ionic liquid to couple the anode to the cathode. Each of the plurality of anode active material particles have a particle size of between about one micrometer and about fifty micrometers. One or more of the plurality of anode active material particles are enclosed by and in contact with a membrane coating permeable to lithium ions.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image encoding and decoding method, image processing device, and computer storage medium, comprising: entropy-encoding a plurality of replication parameters of a current encoding block according to their order after adjustment, to generate a video code stream comprising information of the plurality of replication parameters; said plurality of replication parameters comprising one or more types of replication parameter components. Parsing the video code stream, comprising the information of the plurality of replication parameters, of a decoding block; entropy-decoding said plurality of replication parameters to obtain binary code of said plurality of replication parameters; adjusting said binary code to obtain the values of said plurality of replication parameters; said plurality of replication parameters comprising one or more types of replication parameter components.

Abstract: Methods and systems for sound propagation and perception for autonomous agents in dynamic environments are described. Adaptive discretization of continuous sound signals allows one to obtain a minimal, yet sufficient sound packet representation (SPR) for human-like perception, and a hierarchical clustering scheme to facilitate approximate perception. Planar sound propagation of discretized sound signals exhibit acoustic properties such as attenuation, reflection, refraction, and diffraction, as well as multiple convoluted sound signals. Agent-based sound perceptions using hierarchical clustering analysis that accommodates natural sound degradation due to audio distortion facilitate approximate human-like perception.

Abstract: A three-dimensional electronic, biological, chemical, thermal management, or electromechanical apparatus and method of configuring such an apparatus. In an example embodiment, an apparatus can include a substrate and one or more layers of a three-dimensional structure configured on and/or from the substrate. The three-dimensional structure includes one or more internal cavities configured by an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system enhanced with a range of secondary embedding processes. The three-dimensional structure can be configured with one or more structural integrated metal objects spanning one or more of the internal cavities of the three-dimensional structure for enhanced electromagnetic properties.

Abstract: Surface conjugated diamagnetic Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (diaCEST) agent carriers and methods of making and using are described herein. The particles are safe alternatives to conventional paramagnetic or superparamagnetic metal-based MRI contrast agents that are often toxic and therefore not biocompatible. The carriers described herein can provide simultaneous monitoring of multiple particle types labeled with ‘multicolor’ diaCEST contrast agents. In some embodiments, the carriers are micro- and/or nanoparticles. In other embodiments, the carriers are liposomes. In some embodiments, the particles and/or liposomes are mucus penetrating. In other embodiments, the particles and/or liposomes are not mucus penetrating.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling qubits to perform quantum computation is provided. In some aspects, the system includes at least one superconducting quantum processor comprising a multi-qubit architecture having coupled qubits that are described by an anharmonic energy spectrum. The system also includes a microwave source connected to the at least one superconducting quantum processor, and configured to provide a microwave irradiation to at least one of the coupled qubits in the multi-qubit architecture to perform a gate on the at least one of the coupled qubits. The system further includes a controller configured to direct the microwave source to provide the microwave irradiation to at least one of the coupled qubits in the multi-qubit architecture.

Abstract: A logic element includes a logic block, a clock generator, a clock assigner and at least one sampling element. The logic block implements a logic function on input data to obtain a plurality output data signals. The output data signals are sampled by respective clock signals. The clock generator generates phase-shifted clock signals from a reference clock signal. The clock assigner assigns differing ones of the phase-shifted clock signals to respective output data signals. The sampling element(s) sample the output data signals in accordance with the respective assigned phase-shifted clock signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a block copolymer comprising at least one PA block and at least one PB block. The PA block represents a polymer block comprising one or more units of monomer A, and the PB block represents a polymer block comprising one or more units of monomer B. Monomer A is a vinyl, acrylic, diolefin, nitrile, dinitrile, or acrylonitrile monomer. Monomer B is a radically polymerizable plant oil monomer containing one or more triglycerides. The present invention also relates to a method of preparing a thermoplastic block copolymer by radical polymerizing a radically polymerizable monomer with a radically polymerizable plant oil monomer containing one or more triglycerides, in the presence of an initiator and a transition-metal catalyst system to form the thermoplastic block copolymer. The polymerized plant oil-based block copolymers are useful in a variety of applications, such as asphalt modifiers, rubber compositions, adhesives, tires, in the automobile industry, footwear, packaging, etc.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to implementations of physically unclonable functions (PUFs) for cryptographic and authentication purposes. Specifically, the disclosure describes implementations of machine learning engines (MLEs) in conjunction with PUFs generating outputs having multiple states.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a vertical structure nonpolar LED chip on a lithium gallate substrate and a preparation method therefor. According to the method, LED epitaxial wafers are grown on a lithium gallate substrate, wherein the LED epitaxial wafers comprise a GaN buffer layer grown on the lithium gallate substrate, a non-doped GaN layer on the GaN buffer layer, an n-type doped GaN thin film on the non-doped GaN layer, an InGaN/GaN quantum well on the n-type doped GaN thin film and a p-type doped GaN thin film on the InGaN/GaN quantum well. Then, electrode patterns are prepared on the surfaces of the LED epitaxial wafers by the steps of spin coating, photoetching, developing and cleaning, and an electrode metal is sequentially deposited on the upper surfaces of the epitaxial wafers. Then, the LED epitaxial wafers are transferred to a copper substrate.

Abstract: A hearing diagnosis device and a hearing diagnosis method are provided. The device includes a storage unit, an otoacoustic emission detecting module, and a hearing diagnosis management module. The storage unit stores a hearing diagnosis image sample database and a hearing information sample database. The otoacoustic emission detecting module is configured to perform an otoacoustic emission detecting operation by playing a test audio to an ear of a user to obtain a first hearing diagnosis image corresponding to the ear. The hearing diagnosis management module is configured to perform a hearing diagnosis operation according to the first hearing diagnosis image, a plurality of hearing diagnosis image samples of the hearing diagnosis image sample database, and a plurality of hearing information samples, respectively corresponding to the hearing diagnosis image samples, of the hearing information sample database, so as to determine first hearing information of the ear.

Abstract: Embodiments provide an integrated motor-compressor assembly including a rotating impeller to compress a fluid passing therethrough, and diffuser vanes radially spaced from the impeller, each of the diffuser vanes including a stator winding therearound, the stator windings being supplied with current to generate sufficient magnetic flux for rotating the impeller. Embodiments provide an integrated motor-compressor assembly including a volute casing housing a rotating impeller to compress a fluid passing therethrough, a stator fixedly positioned in the volute casing proximate to the impeller, the stator including stator poles axially spaced from the impeller, each of the stator poles including a stator winding, the stator windings being supplied with current to generate sufficient axial magnetic flux for rotating the impeller.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a DNA-targeting RNA that comprises a targeting sequence and, together with a modifying polypeptide, provides for site-specific modification of a target DNA and/or a polypeptide associated with the target DNA. The present disclosure further provides site-specific modifying polypeptides. The present disclosure further provides methods of site-specific modification of a target DNA and/or a polypeptide associated with the target DNA The present disclosure provides methods of modulating transcription of a target nucleic acid in a target cell, generally involving contacting the target nucleic acid with an enzymatically inactive Cas9 polypeptide and a DNA-targeting RNA. Kits and compositions for carrying out the methods are also provided. The present disclosure provides genetically modified cells that produce Cas9; and Cas9 transgenic non-human multicellular organisms.

Abstract: A system and method for securing access to sensitive content on the web is disclosed. The approach automates compartmentalization practices for accessing different kinds of content with different browser instances. The automation is transparent to the user and does not require any modification of how non-sensitive content is accessed. For sensitive content, a Fresh Browser Instance (FBI) is automatically created to access the content. In addition, the automatic FBI system may provide support for novice users with predefined sensitive content sites as well as for more experienced users who can define conflict of interest (COI) classes which allows content from sites in the same user-defined class to coexist in a browser instance.

Abstract: Monitoring systems and methods for tracking movement of one or more animals in an enclosure, such as a fish tank, include introducing various stimuli, such as food, light, and auditory stimuli, and tracking the movement of the animals in response to these stimuli. Movement patterns of the animals can be determined and analyzed from data obtain from cameras that record images/videos of the relevant portions of the enclosure.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to Prostaglandin receptor EP2 antagonists, derivatives, compositions, and methods related thereto. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to methods of treating or preventing conditions and diseases in which EP2 receptor activation has a physiological role, such as but not limited to, brain injury, inflammatory diseases, neuroinflamation after a seizure, pain, endometriosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, skin inflammation, vascular inflammation, colitis, and neurological disorders by administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound disclosed herein to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: An intervention for sleep disorders comprises collagen, a gelatin peptide, or the amino acid glycine; L-theanine; lactucopicrin, deoxylactucopicrin, or another lactucopicrin derivative; hyaluronic acid; epigallocatechin gallate; and quinic acid. The intervention helps regulate pro-inflammatory biomarkers that are often associated with insomnia development and progression. These biomarkers include cytokines and enzymes associated with tryptophan degradation. Inhibition of these enzymes and cytokines improves tryptophan availability and sleep quality, and allows individuals to sleep better with fewer side effects. The novel composition promotes high-quality, deep sleep.

Abstract: The invention provides a direct solvent free method for the selective synthesis of trialkoxysilanes having the formula SiH(OR)3, the method comprises providing a mixture of metallic silicon and copper based catalyst in a packed bed reactor, wherein neither the metallic silicon nor the silicon-catalyst mixture is subjected to any washing step. Claim 1 relates to a direct solvent free method for the selective synthesis of trialkoxysilanes having the formula SiH(OR)3, wherein each R is a C1-C4 alkyl, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mixture of metallic silicon and copper based catalyst in a packed bed reactor; heating the mixture at an activation temperature of about 180° C.-about 250° C.; introducing C1-C4 alcohol to the reactor at a reaction temperature of about 180° C.-less than about 250° C.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods of site-specific modification of a target DNA, or a protein associated with a target DNA, in a eukaryotic cell. The present disclosure provides methods of binding a target DNA in a eukaryotic cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating autoimmune, microbial, metabolic, neoplastic, and posttraumatic diseases mediated by inflammation in a subject. Compositions and methods including at least one importin beta-selective nuclear transport modifier (NTM) and/or at least one importin alpha-selective NTM, and/or at least one importin alpha-specific NTM, and/or at least one inhibitor of importin alpha and importin beta complex formation may be administered to a subject to modulate the transport of transcription factors, mediated by nuclear import adaptors, into the nucleus of a cell resulting in a decrease or abrogation of inflammation.