Abstract: Systems and methods discussed herein may harness geothermal energy from geothermal wells, such as a retrofitted decommissioned well, that may be utilized for water desalination. Hot fluids extracted from the geothermal well may be utilized to generate geothermal energy that can be utilized to power desalination devices to removal minerals and/or salt from produced water from another well. These hot fluids may be recirculated back into the geothermal well to gather heat and to form a closed-looped system that provides thermal energy to the desalination unit. The treated water may be stored for latter agricultural, municipal, and/or other use, or it may be utilized further hydraulic fracturing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of making polymerizable bio-based monomers containing one phenolic hydroxyl group which has been derivatized to provide at least one polymerizable functional group which is an ethylenically unsaturated functional group (such as a [meth]acrylate group), where the precursors of the polymerizable bio-based monomers are derived from raw lignin-containing biomass. Also disclosed herein are bio-based copolymers prepared from such bio-based monomers and a co-monomer, and methods of making and using such bio-based copolymers. In particular, the bio-based copolymers can be used as pressure sensitive adhesives, binders, and polymer electrolytes.

Abstract: A method for constructing networked preferential gas migration pathways and diverting and extracting gas. The method proposes that a fracture generation hole, a fracture guidance and development hole, a lateral rupture hole, and a fracture connection hole are respectively constructed in a roof in roadways on two sides of a working face in advance of an advance stress change area. Artificial guided fractures are actively constructed and formed inside the hard roof. Under a mining-induced stress effect, the artificial guided fractures and mining-induced fractures intersect with and are connected to each other to form networked preferential gas migration pathways. Meanwhile, boreholes for artificial guided fractures accelerate roof fracturing to form a rupture bed separation fracture area in a roof. Gas flows and migrates in a timely and efficient manner along networked fracture pathways and concentrates in the rupture bed separation fracture area in the roof.

Abstract: A radiofrequency transmitter comprises a negative impedance converter having an input port and an output port; a first antenna electrically coupled to the input port of said negative impedance converter and operatively configured to emit electromagnetic radiation of a first polarization; and a second antenna electrically coupled to the output port of the negative impedance converter and operatively configured to emit electromagnetic radiation of a second polarization. The radiofrequency transmitter is operatively configured to emit an oscillating signal having a first frequency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of preventing, inhibiting, delaying, and/or mitigating seizures by administration of a steroid, e.g., a neurosteroid, e.g., allopregnanolone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for encoding and decoding an image by skip encoding. The image-encoding method by skip encoding, which performs intra-prediction, comprises: performing a filtering operation on the signal which is reconstructed prior to an encoding object signal in an encoding object image; using the filtered reconstructed signal to generate a prediction signal for the encoding object signal; setting the generated prediction signal as a reconstruction signal for the encoding object signal; and not encoding the residual signal which can be generated on the basis of the difference between the encoding object signal and the prediction signal, thereby performing skip encoding on the encoding object signal.

Abstract: Autonomous detection of damage in a polymer coating is described by utilizing microcapsules in a polymer coating having free and/or residual amines. The microcapsules contain a color indicator, such as 2?,7?-dichlorofluorescein (DCF), bromophenol blue (BPB) or fluorescamine, which is reactive with the free and/or residual amines present in the polymer coating. For coatings without the presence of free and/or residual amines, a color indicator microcapsule can be combined with a second type of microcapsule filled with a base. When sufficient damage is inflicted to the coating, the microcapsules in and/or around an area of the damage will rupture, and the color indicator will react with the free and/or residual amines or the base to autonomically indicate the area in which the coating has been damaged.

Abstract: The present invention relates to genetically modified microorganisms comprising one or more heterologous nucleic acid molecules together encoding at least three different proteins, each protein comprising an enzymatic domain and a bacterial microcompartment-targeting signal polypeptide, wherein said enzymatic domains each catalyse a different substrate to product conversion in the same metabolic pathway, and wherein said microorganisms are essentially free of bacterial microcompartments (BMCs); and to cell free systems comprising aggregates comprising at least three different proteins, each protein comprising an enzymatic domain and a bacterial microcompartment-targeting signal polypeptide, wherein said enzymatic domains each catalyse a different substrate to product conversion in the same metabolic pathway, and wherein said system does not comprise bacterial microcompartments; and to methods for the production of said microorganisms and cell free systems and their use in methods of producing a product of int

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heart rate monitoring method based on heartbeat harmonics. First, mixed data of a subject, which includes a fundamental respiration signal, respiration harmonics, a fundamental heartbeat signal, and heartbeat harmonics, is acquired by scanning a set of range bins. Range Doppler processing of the mixed data is performed to determine a range bin of interest. Data spectrum is then extracted based on a portion of the mixed data acquired at the range bin of interest. Next, the data spectrum is adaptively filtered to at least remove a spectrum peak of the fundamental respiration signal and a spectrum peak of the fundamental heartbeat signal mixed with a portion of respiration harmonics that are spectrally close to the fundamental heartbeat signal. Finally, the fundamental heartbeat signal is recovered based on a strongest heartbeat harmonic in the filtered data spectrum.

Abstract: A trunk supporting exoskeleton comprises: a supporting trunk; thigh links configured to move in unison with a wearer's thighs; and first and second torque generators located on both left and right halves of the wearer substantially close to the wearer's hip. The torque generators couple the supporting trunk to the thigh links, and generate torque between the thigh links and the supporting trunk. When the wearer bends forward such that a predetermined portion of the supporting trunk passes beyond a predetermined angle from vertical, a torque generator(s) imposes a resisting torque between the supporting trunk and the thigh link(s), causing the supporting trunk to impose a force against the wearer's trunk, and the thigh link(s) to impose a force onto the wearer's thigh. When the predetermined portion does not pass beyond the predetermined angle, the torque generators impose no resisting torques between said supporting trunk and respective thigh links.

Abstract: A modified metal nanoparticle comprising a metal nanoparticle and a cyclic polyether modifying the metal nanoparticle.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides bifunctional compounds including a polypeptide targeting moiety conjugated to a small molecule in a site-specific manner both of which bind to the same target protein resulting in potent and specific binding characteristics and methods of identifying such compounds.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting metastasis of cancer cells is provided. Inhibitors of heparan sulfate (HS) or hyaluronic acid (HA) are applied to a tumor or a surgical location after removal of the bulk of the tumor. The inhibitors enzymatically cleave surface HS or HA; genetically modify cancer cells to decrease HS or HA production or interfere with the signaling pathway between HS or HA and a MMP or syndecan.

Abstract: Disclosed are computational modeling methods employing RMS fluctuation values associated with energy functions to compute binding properties of a subject biomolecule and an identified target. An energy function (or force field) that relates the molecular structure of a biomolecule to an energy value, modified with terms calculated from sets of RMS fluctuation values of the biomolecule, the target and the complex, are used to identify a potential mutation or modification suitable for imparting a selected property to a biomolecule of interest. Uses of the method in the manufacture of non-native proteins having a selected modified property are also provided. Therapeutic agents (proteins, antibodies, TCRs) enzymes, etc., prepared according to the present methods are also provided. Non-native biomolecules having improved properties, for example, weaker or enhanced binding affinity in a modified TCR, are described. Enzymes, industrial reagents, and the like, created using the disclosed methods are also presented.

Abstract: Reagents, methods, and kits for assaying enzymes associated with lysosomal storage diseases MPS-I, MPS-II, MPS-IIIA, MPS-IIIB, MPS-IVA, MPS-VI, and MPS VII.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for modulating repeat non-ATG protein (RAN protein) translation are provided. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods for treating a subject having a disease associated with RAN protein translation by administering the subject a modulator of eIF3 or an eIF3 subunit, or an antibody that bind to a RAN protein.

Abstract: In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods and compositions for modulation of miR-122 expression in a cell or a subject. In some embodiments, methods and compositions described by the disclosure are useful for the treatment of liver-associated diseases (e.g., chronic liver disease, alcoholic liver disease).

Abstract: This invention proposes a new method and software to generate a path with good quality for aerial video shooting in large scale scenes. Using a coarse 2.5D model of a scene, this path generation method consists of several steps: first the user is expected to specify a set of landmarks and designate a superset of key-views for each landmark; our system then automatically generates and evaluates a variety of local camera moves for observing each landmark, which are smooth and collision-free; then automatically determines the optimal order in which the landmarks should be visited, chaining the local camera moves into a single continuous trajectory. Thus, users are able to focus on specifying the visual content that should be captured by the aerial video, rather than on the difficult lower level aspects of designing and specifying the precise drone and camera motions.

Abstract: A magnetic piston shoe pair for an axial piston pump and the motor includes: pistons, coil suites, piston shoes and a swash plate, wherein the interior of the coil suite is a closed coil; the bearing surface that the end surface of the swash plate abuts the piston shoe is provided with micro-molding holes; the micro-molding holes are hemispherical; the back surface of the swash plate is provided with a primary iron core and two secondary iron cores; the iron cores are wound with coil; the coil is connected to an external alternating current power supply. When the pump/motor is working, the coil is energized to generate a magnetic field, thereby adsorbing the piston shoe on the swash plate. Meanwhile, the coil suite generates an inductive magnetic field.

Abstract: A method of using machine learning algorithms in analyzing laboratory test results of body fluid to detect microbes in the body fluid includes using a body fluid detection module for analytic measurements in body fluid of a person to create biological samples; sending the biological samples of a plurality of persons and corresponding microbes infection statuses to perform machine learning algorithms to establish a microbes in body fluid prediction model; and sending data obtained from the body fluid detection of a patient for testing to the microbes in body fluid prediction model for operation and analysis in order to determine whether the microbes is present in body fluid.