Abstract: A membrane is provided including a coating layer having cellulose nanofibers produced from oxidized cellulose microfibers and an electrospun substrate upon which the coating layer is applied. The nanofibers of the electrospun substrate have a diameter greater than that of the cellulose nanofibers. The membrane also has non-woven support upon which the electrospun substrate is disposed. Microfibers of the non-woven support have a diameter greater than that of the nanofibers of the electrospun substrate. Application of electrospun membrane is in microfiltration area, while the cellulose nanofiber membrane serves in ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis after chemical modification.

Abstract: An apparatus for spectroscopic Doppler imaging comprises collection and focusing optics, a field splitter configured to form a composite image from multiple fields of view, and a Fabry-Perot etalon configured to spatially modulate the incoming light in order to analyze the spectral content of the light from spatially resolved regions of a scene. Methods for Doppler imaging of a scene comprise split-field imagery and scene scanning techniques to create a spatially resolved spectral profile spectra of a scene, useful for measuring and profiling wind vectors and temperatures within the scene.

Abstract: A device for use in reducing or preventing the occurrence of restenosis following procedures such as PTCA, in which a stent is used to hold a bodily lumen open. The device comprises a two layered stent, one lying within the other. Both stent layers have an open weave structure, such that they can expand to the correct dimensions after implantation. The outer stent layer is static and grips the inner wall of the lumen in which it is deployed in the usual manner. The inner layer stent is constructed such that it can be vibrated relative to the outer static stent layer. The inner layer stent may be made of a material which can be vibrated from an external source, such as a ferromagnetic material. This vibration prevents restenosis of the treated lumen. Alternatively, a vibrator, such as a piezoelectric device, can be installed on the inner stent layer.

Abstract: Dominant negative (DN) variants of transcriptional enhancer factor 1-related (RTEF-1) are described. DN RTEF-1 polypeptides may be directly targeted to cells or delivered in nucleic acid expression vectors to alter cellular transcription. Methods for inhibiting VEGF production and thereby treating angiogenic disorders such as cancer are described. For example, in certain aspects, DN RTEF-1 may be used to treat angiogenic disorders of the eye such as age related macular degeneration (AMD).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for indicating flash memory life. While data is being stored in a flash memory, the number of writes in a plurality of blocks of the flash memory increases. The amount of flash memory life is calculated on the basis of the number of write times in the plurality of blocks. The calculated amount of life can be transmitted to a host. In addition, when the calculated amount of life is greater than a threshold value, a signal providing notice that the life of the flash memory has reached a dangerous level can be output.

Abstract: A system for extracting a 3D shape of a hot metal surface, includes: a light source unit emitting four types of light, i.e. two types of light each having different wave bandwidths that are different from a wave bandwidth emitted by a hot target object, and two other types of light having the same wave bandwidths as the above-described two types of light, respectively, so that the types of light having the same bandwidths are polarized in different directions so as not to interfere with one another; an image acquisition unit simultaneously emitting the four types of light, polarized from the light source, onto the target object so as to acquire 2D images of the target object; and an image processing unit using a photometric stereo technique so as to combine the 2D images acquired by the image acquisition unit and extract a 3D shape of the surface of the target object.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to, among other things, compounds that are inhibitors of Memapsin 1 and, as a result, are effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease or diabetes (e.g., Type 2 diabetes).

Abstract: The invention provides the disclosure of a novel plant growth pathway involving several receptor like kinases. The pathway was shown to work largely independent of brassinosteroids and involves several members of the CrRLK1L family of receptor kinases. According to the invention, HERK1, HERK2, FER, THE1 and the brassinosteroid BES1 may be modulated to influence plant growth and elongation. The invention includes methods, and transformed plants, cells tissues and seeds with increased cellular elongation and other related yield traits.

Abstract: A method for acquiring by a base station (BS) synchronization between BSs in a mobile communication system with a distributed cell structure is provided. The method includes measuring a timing error with other BS as a synchronization target. The method also includes performing a synchronization operation with the other BS using at least one first sub-frame based on the measured timing error, wherein a number of symbols included in a first sub-frame is less than a number of symbols included in a second sub-frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing diseases caused by vascular permeability, containing imatinib, which has been conventionally used as an agent for treating chronic myeloid leukemia, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient, and a method for treating disease caused by vascular permeability using the composition. The pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing diseases caused by vascular permeability of the present invention contains imatinib, which has been conventionally used as an agent for treating chronic myeloid leukemia, as an active ingredient, so as to provide a novel use of imatinib and to be able to effectively treat or prevent diseases caused by vascular permeability, and thus may be widely applied to develop a novel agent for treating diseases caused by vascular permeability.

Abstract: This invention relates to collagen-binding synthetic peptidoglycans and engineered collagen matrices comprising a collagen matrix and a collagen-binding synthetic peptidoglycan where the collagen-binding synthetic peptidoglycan can be aberrant or can have amino acid homology with a portion of the amino acid sequence of a protein or a proteoglycan that regulates collagen fibrillogenesis. The invention also relates to kits, compounds, compositions, and engineered graft constructs comprising such collagen-binding synthetic peptidoglycans or engineered collagen matrices and methods for their preparation and use.

Abstract: A tamper detection arrangement for use within an integrated circuit (1), the arrangement comprising: at least one input capacitor (4) having a first capacitance value; a feedback capacitor (5) having a second capacitance value; a sensing arrangement comprising an amplifier circuit having the at least one input capacitor as an input and the at least one feedback capacitor in a feedback loop across the amplifier operable to detect a change in the capacitance values between the at least one input capacitor and the feedback capacitor; and a protective shield to protect a sensitive area (2) of the integrated circuit from tampering, the shield being provided by the at least one input capacitor (4).

Abstract: A linear-motion stage that is angularly or radially symmetric or asymmetric, or monolithic may be used as the moving mechanism in a Fourier transform spectrometer. In embodiments, a linear-motion stage includes a base; a first multiple-arm linkage extending from the base to a first carriage attachment piece; and a second multiple-arm linkage extending from the first carriage attachment piece to the base. The first multiple-arm linkage constrains a motion of the first carriage attachment piece to motion in a first plane and the second multiple-arm linkage constrains the first carriage attachment piece to motion in a second plane, the first and second planes intersecting at a plane intersection line. The first and second multiple-arm linkages constrain the motion of the first carriage attachment piece along a carriage motion line.

Abstract: A humeral prosthetic head has a non-spherical articulation surface coupled with an intermediate component connecting the head and the humerus, the intermediate component connected to the epiphysis, metaphysis, or diaphysis, or to one or more additional components connected to the humerus. The intermediate portion provides for axial and angular offset of the head with respect to a connection to the humerus, using a curvilinear tapered engagement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for the non-invasive selection of high-quality seeds, based on optical coherence tomography, by which pathogen-infected and pathogen-free seeds can be discriminated in a non-invasive manner. The apparatus is operated by the processes of scanning a seed of diagnostic interest in a non-invasive manner using an optical coherence tomographic unit; processing interference signals of the scanned tomographic images to produce tomographic image data of the seed of diagnostic interest; analyzing the tomographic image data; comparing the analyzed tomographic image data with preset reference tomographic image data; diagnosing the seed of diagnostic interest as a pathogen-infected or pathogen-free seed according to the comparison data; and selecting high-quality seeds according to the diagnosis data. It can screen high-quality seeds with rapidity, convenience, and accuracy at a low cost and is industrially applicable, making a great contribution to agricultural quarantine inspection.

Abstract: An elongate, longitudinally oriented outer sleeve includes an outer sleeve surface and has a sleeve body. A stem-receiving cavity extends from a distal sleeve end into the sleeve body. The distal sleeve end includes a sleeve interference protrusion extending from the distal sleeve end away from the sleeve body. A joint articulating member includes an elongate, longitudinally oriented stem. The joint articulating member includes a joint articulating surface spaced apart from a distal stem end by an angularly extending connector neck. When the stem is inserted into the stem-receiving cavity, the stem and the outer sleeve are configured for selective relative rotation about a shared longitudinal axis, and the connector neck impinges upon the sleeve interference protrusion responsive to a predetermined amount of relative rotation between the stem and the outer sleeve to prevent relative rotation between the stem and the outer sleeve outside a predetermined range of allowable rotation.

Abstract: A rectifier includes: first and second high side switches including source terminals connected to an alternating current input terminal and drain terminals connected to one end of an output capacitor; first and second low side switches including drain terminals connected to the alternating current input terminal and source terminals connected to a ground terminal and another end of the output capacitor; and a cross connector configured to allow parasitic capacitance of the first high side switch or the second high side switch to flow to a ground when the first high side switch or the second high side switch is turned off.

Abstract: Disclosed are 1?,25-dihydroxy-24,24-difluoro-2-methylene-19-nor-vitamin D analogs and their pharmaceutical uses. These new vitamin D analogs are 19-nor-vitamin D analogs having two fluorine atom substitutions at the 24 position (C-24) in the side chain and optionally having a 2-methylene substituent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a high speed actuator. The high speed actuator includes an actuation part configured to cause deformation such as bending or twisting and an active stiffness controller on a surface of the actuation part or in the actuation part configured to control in real time a stiffness (e.g., of the actuator) according to an external signal. The active stiffness controller may control a stiffness of the high speed actuator in order for the actuator to be actuated at a high speed. Moreover, since the stiffness of the actuator is controlled in real time, a speed of the actuator may be controlled in real time.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method that includes capturing sound in a natural language environment using at least one sound capture device that is located in the natural language environment. The method also can include analyzing a sound signal from the sound captured by the at least one sound capture device to determine at least one characteristic of the sound signal. The method additionally can include reporting metrics that quantify the at least one characteristic of the sound signal. The metrics of the at least one characteristic can include a quantity of words spoken by one or more first persons in the natural language environment. Other embodiments are provided.