Abstract: Described herein is a circuit and related method for improving the dynamic range and the linearity characteristic of a CMOS image sensor. In various embodiments of the CMOS image sensor, a current sampler, a comparator, and a 1-bit memory are incorporated in each pixel circuit. In the image sensor, pixels are arranged in columns and a column slice is used to read the digital and analog singles from each column. In addition, a calibration circuit is incorporated in the sensor circuit for providing calibration current, which is used to generate calibration parameter. The image sensor operates in three non-overlapping modes: the difference mode, the WDR mode, and the calibration mode. The image sensor is switched among the three modes by control signals, which are provided to the image sensor by various control circuits. The image sensor normally operates in the difference mode and switches to the WDR mode when the difference between consecutive frames is over a threshold.

Abstract: Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes were grown on both sides of a metallic or metal-coated substrate by water vapor-assisted chemical vapor deposition. Aligned carbon nanotube films of thickness ranging from 1 ?m to over 100 ?m were obtained. By manipulating various operating factors—position of substrate in the reactor, amount of water vapor, amount of catalyst, reactor temperature, and growth time, the morphology and thickness of these carbon nanotube films could be adjusted.

Abstract: An apparatus having a three-dimensional integrated circuit structure is described herein. The apparatus include an interposer for carrying a plurality of high and low-power chips. The high-power chips are attached and connected to one side of the interposer, while the low-power chips are attached and connected to the other side of the interposer. In generally, the high-power chips produce more heat than does the low-power chip during their operations. The interposer further include through silicon vias and redistribution layers for connecting the chips on both surfaces. In addition, the interposer assembly is attached and connected to a substrate layer, which is in turn attached and connected to a printed circuit board. In order to provide improve thermal management, the interposer surface carrying the high-power chips are oriented away from the circuit board. A heat spreader is attached to the back sides of the high-power chips for dissipating the heat.

Abstract: A system and method of integrating IP multicasting with application layer multicasting for media streaming. The proposed approach teaches forming an overlay P2P tree using a scalable protocol. New node either detects an existing IP multicasting island to join or forms a new one. Ingress node of each island is adaptively elected and streams media to nodes in its island via IP multicasting, while getting the media from its parent node via traditional unicast to achieve much lower end-to-end delay and link stress.

Abstract: A self-humidifying fuel cell is made by preparing a porous substrate, coating the substrate with a zeolitic material (or a graphene derivative) and filling the pores with a mixture of graphene derivative and proton-conducting material (or a proton-conducting material). The coating of the substrate includes selecting a zeolitic material, and applying coating on the pore walls and surface of the porous substrate, to form zeolitic material-coated pores. The resulting composite material is used as a self-humidifying proton-conducting membrane in a fuel cell.

Abstract: A liquid crystal (LC) pixel, a method for providing an output thereof and a liquid crystal display device are provided. The LC pixel includes: a first electrode (5) having comb-like structures; an alignment layer (6) adjacent to the first electrode (5), wherein the alignment layer (6) is patterned with local areas that are different from the remaining area of the alignment layer (6) and wherein the local areas are configured to produce local defects in initial orientation in an LC layer (1) upon application of a control voltage; and the LC layer (1), configured to asymmetrically diffract light passing through the LC layer (1) based on configuration of the comb-like structures and the alignment layer (6).

Abstract: A UV detector is designed to provide a photoresponse with a cutoff wavelength below a predetermined wavelength. The detector uses a sensor element having an active layer comprising a MgS component grown directly on a substrate. A thin layer metal layer is deposited over the active layer and forms a transparent Schottky metal layer.

Abstract: Passivation of group III-nitride heterojunction devices is described herein. The passivation facilitates simultaneous realization of effective/high current collapse suppression and low leakage current without the use of a sophisticated multiple-field plate technique. The passivation can be achieved by growing a charge-polarized AlN thin film on the surface of a group III-nitride based heterojunction device by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition such that positive polarization charges are induced at the interface to compensate for a majority of negative charges at the interface.

Abstract: A polarization converter and polarization conversion systems are provided. The polarization converter and polarization conversion systems include a patterned polarization grating with left hand and right hand polarization grating domains. The polarization grating domains are configured to diffract incident non-polarized light into beams having left and right circular polarization states.

Abstract: A conductive thin film device includes a substrate and a thin film structure applied to the substrate. The thin film structure is applied as a first layer and forms a one-dimensional nanomaterial networked layer deposited on the substrate. A coating layer overlays the one-dimensional nanomaterial networked layer and can be made from graphene or graphene oxide. The coating layer at least partially covers the nanomaterial networked layer, thereby forming the device as a double-layer structure.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a novel retinoic acid regulated gene whose expression product displays useful morphogenic/mitogenic properties. The present invention further concerns an isolated nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:1 encoding a retinoic acid regulated expression product having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

Abstract: An acoustic energy absorption metamaterial includes at least one enclosed planar frame with an elastic membrane attached having one or more rigid plates are attached. The rigid plates have asymmetric shapes, with a substantially straight edge at the attachment to said elastic membrane, so that the rigid plate establishes a cell having a predetermined mass. Vibrational motions of the structure contain a number of resonant modes with tunable resonant frequencies.

Abstract: Distributive content delivery techniques are applied in a content delivery system. A content delivery overlay is generated as a function of delay times, bandwidth requirements, and throughput of a network. Helpers are added to the content delivery network as a function of delay times, bandwidth requirements, and throughput. Further, content can be transmitted without exchanging buffermaps or waiting for whole packets to be transmitted.

Abstract: A method of forming a polarizing material is provided including exposing a layer of dichroic material to activating light illumination to provide an ordered structure with a distinguished absorption axis and thus photo-induce polarization, and fixing the induced polarization by polymerization of the dichroic layer. Novel polarizing materials formed thereby are also provided. By selectively exposing regions of the dichroic material to differing activating radiation, different regions with different polarization axes can be created. The polarizing material can also be provided with a coating or coatings to alter the spectral responses, and a stack formed of a plurality if dichroic layers can be provided.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus described herein are associated with devices including hybrid electrodes. A heterostructure semiconductor transistor can include a III-N-type semiconductor heterostructure including a barrier layer overlying an active layer and a hybrid electrode region including a hybrid drain electrode region. Further, a heterostructure semiconductor rectifier can include a III-N-type semiconductor heterostructure and a hybrid electrode region including a hybrid cathode electrode region. Furthermore, the hybrid electrode region of the transistor and rectifier can include permanently trapped charge located under a Schottky contact of the hybrid electrode region.

Abstract: A method to utilize a chemical genus of chromen-4-one derivatives as non-toxic, environment friendly antifouling agent, a coating material for objects submerged under the water and subject to biofouling based on the chromen-4-one compounds, as well as a method of obtaining one of such chromen-4-one antifouling compounds, 4?,5,7-trihydroxy-isoflavone, from a natural source. Particularly exemplary of such substituted chromen-4-one antifouling compounds are provided and they are 4?,5,7 -trihydroxy-isoflavone, 4?,5-dihydroxy-3,6,7,8 tetramethoxy-flavone, 3?,5-dihydroxy-3,4?,6,8 tetramethoxy-flavone, 4?,5-dihydroxy-3,6,7-trimethoxy-flavone, 4?,5,7-trihydroxy-flavone, 3?,4?,6,7-tetrahydroxy-flavone, and 5-monohydroxy-flavone.

Abstract: Provided herein are fluorescent bioprobes comprising fluorogens that exhibit aggregation-induced emission (AIE) labeled on biomolecules. The present subject matter relates to a fluorescent bioprobe comprising one or more fluorogen labeled on chitosan. The present subject matter is also directed to methods of preparing the fluorescent bioprobes, methods of labeling and detecting DNA and/or proteins with the fluorescent bioprobe, and methods of cell imaging including live cell tracking.

Abstract: The subject disclosure presents power semiconductor devices, and methods for manufacture thereof, with improved ruggedness and. In an aspect, the power semiconductor devices are power field effect transistors (FETs) having enhanced suppression of the activation of the parasitic bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and a normal threshold value. The devices comprise a doped source (14) of a first conductivity type, a doped body (15) of a second conductivity type, a source electrode (20) short-connecting the doped body and the doped source, a doped drift region (10) of the first conductivity type, a first layer (30) of a gate dielectric region (36) covering the surface of the doped drift region (10), and forming channel from the doped source (14) to the doped drift region (10), a second layer (31) of the gate dielectric region (36) over the first layer (30), a third layer (32) of the gate dielectric region (36) over the second layer (31), and a gate electrode (21) over the third layer (32).

Abstract: Data encoding and/or decoding techniques are applied in a codec system. Pixel parameters and error thresholds can be determined. A prediction mode can be determined. Further, a prediction mode can predict values of an encoded and/or decoded media item. In one aspect, compositions of media items can determine prediction modes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel myomegalin isoform—myomegalin variant 8 (MMG8). The myomegalin variant 8 regulates microtubule organization at the Golgi apparatus, protein modification, secretion and trafficking, and cell proliferation. The present invention also provides nucleic acid molecules encoding the myomegalin isoforms, and vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acid molecules. Also provided are fusion constructs comprising the myomegalin isoform and antibodies that bind specifically to the myomegalin isoforms of the present invention. The present invention further provides uses of the myomegalin isoform as a diagnostic biomarker and as a target for screening for therapeutics for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and lysosomal storage diseases.