Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments that relate to multi-agent decision system based at least in part on a dual's dual problem formulation. The embodiments limited the amount of information exchanged among autonomous entities. The embodiments can incorporate existing AC optimal power flow (OPF) software systems. In one embodiments, a subgradient-based iterative method is used.

Abstract: A method of calibration is described that simplifies the measurement of battery impedance conducted in-situ while determining battery state-of-health. A single shunt measurement with a known Sum of Sines (SOS) current, at the desired frequency spread and known root mean squared (RMS) current is used to create a calibration archive. A calibration selected from this archive is used to calibrate an impedance measurement made on the battery.

Abstract: Electromagnetic shielding systems, apparatuses, and method are provided. One apparatus is an example free-space absorber metamaterial that includes a first array of patches disposed at a first plane, a conductive backplane disposed at a structural surface plane, and a first dielectric spacer disposed between the first array of patches and the conductive backplane. A first bandwidth of absorption for the free-space absorber metamaterial may be based on the area of a patch in the first array of patches, the first electrical resistance of a patch in the first array of patches, and the first gap distance taken between the first array of patches and the conductive backplane.

Abstract: A radio frequency surface wave attenuator structure is provided. The structure may be configured to be operably coupled with a plurality of other radio frequency surface wave attenuator structures to form a metamaterial. The radio frequency surface wave attenuator structure may include a patch disposed in a first plane and defining a patch area and a backplane disposed in a second plane and extending along the second plane to be shared with the other surface wave attenuator structures. The structure may further include a via spring having a number of turns and being comprised of a conductive material. The via spring may electrically couple the patch to the backplane. The structure may further include a dielectric disposed between the patch and the backplane.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of protein expression. More specifically, the present invention provides compositions and methods for increasing the expression and signaling of proteins on cell surfaces. In particular embodiments, the present invention provides nucleic acids and amino acid sequences useful for improving/increasing protein expression on the cell surface. In several embodiments, the sequences are operably linked to the N-terminal end of the protein of interest. The nucleic acid sequence encoding the sequence tag and the protein can comprise part of an expression vector. The protein can be expressed with the N-terminal sequence tag. In certain embodiments, the sequences of the present invention can be used with one or more chaperone or accessory proteins. In particular embodiments, the one or more chaperone/accessory proteins are encoded by the same vector or separate vectors.

Abstract: A system that generates short charged particle packets or pulses (e.g., electron packets) without requiring a fast-switching-laser source is described. This system may include a charged particle source that produces a stream of continuous charged particles to propagate along a charged particle path. The system also includes a charged particle deflector positioned in the charged particle path to deflect the stream of continuous charged particles to a set of directions different from the charged particle path. The system additionally includes a series of beam blockers located downstream from the charged particle deflector and spaced from one another in a linear configuration as a beam-blocker grating. This beam-blocker grating can interact with the deflected stream of charged particles and divide the stream of the charged particles into a set of short particle packets. In one embodiment, the charged particles are electrons. The beam blockers can be conductors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a comprehensive evaluation method for the performance of contaminated flat membranes, which relates to the field of sewage and waste resource technology. The present invention firstly analyzed the composition of the surface elements of the contaminated membrane by EDX to determine the type of membrane contamination, and then designed different cleaning schemes for organic or inorganic pollution to obtain a sample membrane. When the tensile strength of the contaminated membrane decreased more than 50% than that of the control membrane, it is a waste membrane; when the tensile strength decreased less than 50% and the membrane flux reduced more than 30%, it is a waste membrane; when tensile strength decreased less than 50%, membrane flux reduced less than 30% and the carbon footprint was more than 188 g, it is a waste membrane; otherwise was a old membrane.

Abstract: The subject invention relates to methods for improving a subject's vasculature to normalize maternal hemodynamics, particularly in subjects attempting to conceive via assisted reproductive technologies, and comprises increasing relaxin levels in a subject or increasing any one or more of: relaxin synthesis, relaxin receptor synthesis, relaxin binding to the relaxin receptor, or relaxin receptor activity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultra-thin film silk fibroin/collagen composite implant for tissue engineering and a manufacturing method therefor. The ultra-thin film silk fibroin/collagen silk fibroin/collagen composite implant according to the present invention has no cytotoxicity and can minimize the influence on cell growth, due to the combined use of a refined silk fibroin aqueous solution, collagen and various biomaterials, and thus can be widely used as an ultra-thin film implant for implanting.

Abstract: Systems and methods for targeted therapy based on single-cell stimulus perturbation response. In one embodiment, a method for optimizing stimulus combinations for therapy includes receiving a cell sample, treating the cell sample with a plurality of stimuli by treating a different portion of the cell sample with one of the plurality of stimuli for each of the plurality of stimuli, labeling the cell sample with a plurality of metal-conjugated probes, analyzing the cell sample using a mass spectrometer, obtaining mass spectrometry data from the mass spectrometer, identifying subpopulations within the cell sample using the mass spectrometry data, computing stimulus effects, generating a nested-effects model using the mass spectrometry data, and scoring stimuli combinations using the computing device, wherein the stimulus combinations are combinations made from the plurality of stimuli.

Abstract: Methods and computer-based systems for facilitating assessment of clinical infertility are provided. The methods and systems can be implemented to, for example, facilitate assessment of a subject for an in vitro fertilization treatment cycle, including determining probability of a live birth event. The methods and systems can be implemented to, for example, facilitate a determination of success implantation of embryos, selection of an optimal number of embryos to transfer, and determination of success in subsequent in vitro fertilization treatment cycles following an unsuccessful treatment cycle.

Abstract: Microfluidic methods and systems are provided for continuous flow synthesis and active loading of liposomes, which include a liposome formation region configured to form a population of liposomes and a microdialysis region downstream from the liposome formation region and configured to form a transmembrane gradient for active drug loading of the liposomes. Microfluidic methods and systems for high throughput production of liposomes are also provided featuring high aspect ratio microchannels.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a 3-D OR-PAM image of microvasculature within a region of interest of a subject is provided. The method includes: focusing a first light pulse at a first depth beneath a first surface position within the region of interest; receiving a first PA signal in response to the first light pulse; focusing a second light pulse at a second depth beneath the first surface position within the region of interest; receiving a second PA signal in response to the second light pulse; and forming the 3-D OR-PAM image by combining the first PA signal and the second PA signal.

Abstract: Metal-free materials, manufacturing thereof, method using thereof for (in-situ or ex-situ) catalytically treating contaminated soil or waters, including remediation of groundwater contaminated by haloalkenes, haloalkanes, nitro-compounds, and nitrophenol using sulfide as a reductant. Metal-free materials are manufactured with industrial scrap syrup or biomass. Method using the metal-free materials for in-situ treatment consists with the processes of adding materials into the contaminated medium, introducing sulfide into the contaminated medium, and reductive reacting contaminants with sulfide catalyzed by the metal-free materials. Specially, the formation of in-situ reaction zone is the key point of in situ treatment by retaining the catalyst in the contaminated medium.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of measuring C19MC miRNA amount and/or expression in a post-natal cell and/or tissue. Provided herein are methods of measuring CpG methylation of the upstream C19MC miRNA promoter region in a post-natal cell and/or tissue. Also provided herein are methods of treating a cell, population thereof, and/or a subject in need thereof by administering a C19MC miRNA inhibitor or CRISPR to suppress the expression of specific miRNA within the C19MC or the entire C19MC cluster, population thereof, and/or the subject in need thereof.

Abstract: Biodegradable antimicrobial films are provided that are solid at room temperature and substantially liquefy in situ after implantation into a mammal, such as a human patient. Methods of using the films to cover a medical device, such as a breast implant, prior to insertion into a subject are also provided.

Abstract: A carbothermic reduction method is provided for reducing a La-, Ce-, MM-, and/or Y-containing oxide in the presence of carbon and a source of a reactant element comprising Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, and/or P to form an intermediate alloy material including a majority of La, Ce, MM, and/or Y and a minor amount of the reactant element. The intermediate material is useful as a master alloy for in making negative electrode materials for a metal hydride battery, as hydrogen storage alloys, as master alloy additive for addition to a melt of commercial Mg and Al alloys, steels, cast irons, and superalloys; or in reducing Sm2O3 to Sm metal for use in Sm—Co permanent magnets.

Abstract: Provided is a cocurrent loop thermosyphon system and method for operation thereof. The system includes a first rising tube having first and second ends; a condenser having first and second ends, with the first end connected to the second end of the first rising tube; a return tube having a first end connected to the second end of the condenser; a second rising tube having a first end connected to a second end of the return tube; a pump that pumps liquid within the second rising tube; and an evaporator having a first end connected to the second end of the second rising tube. The second end of the evaporator outputs vapor created by a change in state of the liquid to the first end of the first rising tube.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a 5th Generation (5G) or a pre-5G communication system provided to support a higher data transmission rate than a system beyond a 4th Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). The purpose of the present disclosure is to maximize adaptive transmission performance by designing a puncturing order and a repetition order individually in optimized order. An operation method of a transmission device for adaptive transmission of a codeword according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes generating a codeword using a polar code and transmitting a packet including at least one codeword indicated by a repetition order when bit repetition is needed. The repetition order is determined based on at least one of channel polarization or channel quality information.

Abstract: Coordinate descent is applied to recover a signal-of-interest from only magnitude information. In doing so, a single unknown value is solved at each iteration, while all other variables are held constant. As a result, only minimization of a univariate quartic polynomial is required, which is efficiently achieved by finding the closed-form roots of a cubic polynomial. Cyclic, randomized, and/or a greedy coordinate descent technique can be used. Each coordinate descent technique globally converges to a stationary point of the nonconvex problem, and specifically, the randomized coordinate descent technique locally converges to the global minimum and attains exact recovery of the signal-of-interest at a geometric rate with high probability when the sample size is sufficiently large. The cyclic and randomized coordinate descent techniques can also be modified via minimization of the l1-regularized quartic polynomial for phase retrieval of sparse signals-of-interest, i.e.