Abstract: Provided are methods and apparatus for determining a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of at least a portion of a test object. An example provided method includes (i) producing information describing a reference image of the test object portion during low-temperature excitation; (ii) heating the test object portion to a higher temperature; (iii) measuring a change in temperature of the test object portion; (iv) producing information describing an image of thermal change in displacement of the test object portion at the higher temperature; (v) comparing the information describing the image of thermal change in displacement of the test object portion at the higher temperature to the information describing the reference image to produce strain information describing heating-induced changes in strain in the test object portion; and (vi) producing CTE information by correlating the strain information with the change in temperature of the test object portion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of culturing immune cells in a medium comprising at least about 5 mM potassium ion, wherein the medium is capable of increasing the stemness of the immune cells. In some aspects, the immune cells which are cultured using the methods provided herein are modified to express a ROR1-binding protein and have increased level of c-Jun protein. In some aspects, the immune cells are administered to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: A system for building a play area can include two or more panels, each of the two or more panels including a connector and at least one magnet positioned in the connector such that the at least one magnet is able to rotate, the at least one magnet including first and second magnets housed in respective first and second ends of the connector, the at least one magnet including at least one cylindrical magnet, the at least one cylindrical magnet being diametrically magnetized; and first and second dowels connected by the connector; each of the two or more panels being configured such that when at least one edge of each of the first and second panels are brought towards each other from any direction, the at least one magnet in each panel orientates such that a magnetic connection is formed between the two or more panels.

Abstract: An analyzer for a grease interceptor for measuring identity of materials and levels of fat, oil, and grease (FOG), water, sludge and air having a probe which includes a controller and a sensor sub-unit. Sensor circuits include a microcontroller, timers, and sampling capacitors. The sensor sub-unit includes a plurality of electrode ring pairs coupled to a plurality of timers for converting capacitance measurements to frequencies under the control of a microprocessor in the controller. The frequencies identify the measured levels. A calibration of the probe converts a range of frequency values of each sensor circuit to an arbitrary scale for improved accuracy.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a probe for use in minimally invasive surgery. The probe includes a shaft and a tip extending from the shaft. The tip includes a bulbous shape with a smooth and rounded outer surface. In some embodiments, the shaft is separated from the tip by a neck such that both the shaft and the tip expand outward from a concave surface of the neck. In some embodiments, one or both of a neuromonitoring element and an ultrasound sensor are disposed on the tip. In some embodiments, a probe may include a surface feature that resists expulsion of the probe from a human body when the probe is disposed in the human body. In further embodiments, a probe may include insulated material over a first surface region and conductive material over a second surface region.

Abstract: Continuous spatial atomic layer deposition is performed on a particulate substrate in a continuous reactor comprising a plurality of spatially separated, precursor dosing zones and a means for moving the particulate substrate spatially through the precursor dosing zones to apply an atomic layer deposition coating thereon. The precursor dosing zones may be used simultaneously.

Abstract: A shield for a cryogenic chamber and a cryogenic chamber comprising a shield are described. In an example embodiment, a cryogenic chamber comprises an interior housing comprising housing walls that define an action chamber. The action chamber is configured to be cryogenically cooled to an action temperature. The cryogenic chamber further comprises an interior shield at least partially sandwiched within the housing walls. The interior shield is made of a first material that acts as a superconductor at the action temperature.

Abstract: A clutch assembly includes a first clutch having a first translator and a friction pack and a second clutch having first and second coupling members, a locking element, and a second translator. The friction pack includes a first plate fixed to the first coupling member and a second plate fixed to the second coupling member. The first translator of the first clutch is movable to an actuated position in which the plates of the friction pack are engaged with one another thereby causing angular velocities of the first and second coupling members to be synchronized. The second translator of the second clutch is movable to an extended position in which the locking element engages the first and second coupling members with one another thereby causing a power flow path through the first and second coupling members.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an effectiveness of a drug (e.g., on- and off-target effects) may comprise: generating a latent space representation, which represents phenotypic states of a cell type, of nucleic acid sequence data for diseased and normal cells of the cell type; identifying, based at least in part on the latent space topology, a target genomic region; mapping sequence data of a first cell of the cell type, which has been modified, to the latent space to yield a first latent space representation; mapping sequence data of a second cell of the cell type, which has been exposed to the drug and exhibited the first phenotypic state before exposure, to the latent space to yield a second latent space representation; and determining, based at least in part on the first and second latent space representations, the effectiveness of the drug.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an orthotic (or brace) and/or prosthetic ankle joint and associated methods adapted to enable adjustment of a talus section or ankle portion or brace with respect to a tibial section of the orthotic (or brace) and/or prosthetic ankle joint. The talus section or ankle portion of the orthotic (or brace) and/or prosthetic ankle joint is movably coupled to the tibial section with the alignment between the talus section and tibial section being adjustable between various positions by disengagement or engagement of a lock of an adjustment mechanism. As the lock is disengaged, the talus section is enabled to pivot with respect to the tibial section in at least one direction as the user moves along a slope.

Abstract: There is provided compositions for the detection of target cellular material, the composition comprising: a chemically modified substrate; at least one binding moiety, wherein the binding moiety comprises a glycan; and at least one linker covalently linked to the substrate and the binding moiety by a first and second bond. There is also provided methods of preparation of such compositions and methods for detection of target cellular material, such as for detection of pathogenic microorganisms.

Abstract: A privacy-related consent extension and data processing system may be configured to automatically extend one or more privacy-related consents for a user of a first computing device to a second computing device. In various embodiments, the system is configured to provide a computer-readable indicium (indicia) on a previously unknown computing device upon initiation of a transaction between a user and an entity collecting and processing privacy data. In response to a user using a known computing device to scan the computer-readable indicium, in various embodiments, the system may provide the ability to share user consent data provided by the first known device to the second unknown device, allowing the user to provide consent without manually re-entering privacy and consent preferences.

Abstract: A flow cytometer, laser optics assembly thereof, and methods of assembling the same are provided. The flow cytometer is capable of yielding consistent and accurate results despite exposure to adverse environmental conditions such as, for example, temperature changes within a relatively wide temperature range and/or a relatively large amount of random-axis mechanical vibration. The flow cytometer of the present disclosure is additionally or alternatively relatively insensitive to real or apparent core stream shifts, employs a slowly converging beam along the axis perpendicular to core stream flow, and provides the ability to precisely measure time-of-flight.

Abstract: A watercraft comprises a motor, an inertial mass, and a fin. The motor oscillates the inertial mass about an axis, producing a torque reaction on and oscillation of the motor. Oscillation of the motor is communicated to the fin, producing thrust. The system can be operated in reverse, to generate electric power when the system is in a flowing stream of thrust fluid.

Abstract: A surgical robotic system and a method of controlling a location of one or more robotic arms in a constrained space are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the robotic system includes a robotic unit having robotic arms. The system further includes a camera assembly to generate a view an anatomical structure of a patient. The system further includes a controller configured to or programmed to define a constriction area defining safe movement of the robotic arms. The method includes defining safe movement of the robotic arms with respect to the constriction area.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to method, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media for building accounts of a digital system using one or more improved graphical user interfaces. For example, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems provide a consolidated graphical user interface for applying for multiple user accounts simultaneously utilizing application information received via an enrollment workflow. In some cases, upon application to the multiple accounts, the disclosed system creates at least one account and puts a hold on at least one other account until one or more additional requirements are met. Further, the disclosed systems can provide a graphical user interface that facilitates funding of an account by, for example, supplying options corresponding to suggested transfer amounts determined from user account characteristics.

Abstract: A robotic surgery cart has a pair of rear wheel assemblies and a pair of front wheel assemblies. A brake assembly for the robotic surgery cart includes a gearbox interposed between and connected to the pair of rear wheel assemblies by rotatable shafts. Elongate actuators extend between and interconnect the rotatable shafts and brake mechanisms for the front wheel assemblies. A pedal lever is rotatably coupled to the gearbox and can rotate clockwise by pressing one portion of the pedal lever and can rotate counterclockwise by pressing another portion of the pedal lever. Rotation of the pedal lever causes the gearbox to rotate the rotatable shafts to substantially lock the pair of rear wheel assemblies, and substantially simultaneously causes a translation of the elongate actuators to actuate the brake mechanisms of the front wheel assemblies, such that the wheels of the front and rear wheel assemblies brake substantially simultaneously.

Abstract: The present fire pit system includes a fire pit stand including a body including a plurality of openings, wherein the walls of a fire pit body can rest upon the fire pit stand. The fire pit stand protects below surfaces (e.g., floor, ground, etc.) from high heat. The openings in the fire pit stand increase airflow. The fire pit stand fits inside the fire pit body creating a portable unit. When the fire pit is being assembled, the fire pit stand can be removed from inside the fire pit body, placed on the ground, and the fire pit body can be placed on top of the fire pit stand.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a memory device, a memory controller, or both that can communicate via memory standard interfaces. However, the memory device may have physical memory that does not comply with the memory standard by itself. Disclosed herein are solutions that allow various non-standard types of memory, or emerging memory, to be utilized via a host, microprocessor, or memory controller that implements the interface standard. For example, by utilizing a command converter at the microprocessor and a tunneling register at the memory device, a microprocessor can send commands to the memory device by writing them to the tunneling register, which can then be processed at the memory device for operations to be performed with the non-standard or emerging memory.

Abstract: Structures for a coupler and methods of forming a structure for a coupler. A structure for a directional coupler may include a first waveguide core having one or more first airgaps and a second waveguide core including one or more second airgaps. The one or more second airgaps are positioned in the second waveguide core adjacent to the one or more first airgaps in the first waveguide core. A structure for an edge coupler is also provided in which the waveguide core of the edge coupler includes one or more airgaps.