Abstract: The invention provides a solar thermal storage method capable of supplying heat of about 1000-1300 K to an external facility for 24 hours. Disclosed is a solar thermal storage method for storing heat using solar light energy, comprising a concentrated beam irradiation step S1 of irradiating a reactive ceramics layer with a concentrated beam obtained by concentrating solar light to heat the same while moving the reactive ceramics layer formed using reactive ceramics that transforms from an oxidized form to a reduced form with a release of oxygen when heated and returns to the oxidized form when brought into contact with the oxygen; and a thermal storage step S2 of storing the heat emitted from the reactive ceramics layer in thermal storage means while bringing the reactive ceramics layer heated in the concentrated beam irradiation step S1 into contact with gas containing the oxygen.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of designing a three-dimensional object based on a shape of the object, the object to be fabricated via additive fabrication from a plurality of materials, is provided. The method comprises selecting, for a first volume element of the object, one of the plurality of materials based at least in part on a position of the first volume element within the object, at least one spatial decomposition of the object, the at least one spatial decomposition identifying a plurality of volumetric subregions of the object, and a material composition of at least a first volumetric subregion of the plurality of volumetric subregions, wherein the first volumetric subregion comprises the position of the first volume element.

Abstract: The present invention teaches a successful synthesis regime to grow highly oriented plate-like In2Te3 nanostructures inside bulk thermoelectric Bi2Te3 using a thermodynamically driven nucleation and growth technique. As described herein, the inventive materials can further be doped with +2 and +4 rare earth elements, and others, in order to achieve the desired performance characteristics.

Abstract: Technologies are generally provided to enable the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in OFDM communication systems to be adjusted to a particular level. In some examples, an N-symbol transmission vector may be partitioned into k equal partitions, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) may be performed on each partition, and an interleaving union of FFT results may be generated. The results of the interleaving union may be used for transmission after mapping them to the M subcarriers and performing an M-point IFFT. On the receiver side, FFT may be performed on M subcarriers, where each of L end user devices may be assigned N subcarriers out of M=N*L available subcarriers. The N subcarriers of the FFT results may be de-mapped and subjected to an interleaving partition. Subsequently, an Inverse FFT (IFFT) may be performed on each partition and results of the IFFT operation employed for symbol detection.

Abstract: A state estimation apparatus obtains observation data sets for a tracking target object, and estimates an internal state of the object using likelihoods obtained from the observation data sets and the reliability of each observation data set. A first observation obtaining unit obtains first observation data. A second observation obtaining unit obtains second observation data. A first likelihood obtaining unit obtains a first likelihood based on the first observation data. A second likelihood obtaining unit obtains a second likelihood based on the second observation data. A likelihood combining unit obtains a combined likelihood based on the first and second likelihoods, first reliability data indicating the reliability of the first observation data, and second reliability data indicating the reliability of the second observation data.

Abstract: A communication network comprising of at least one remote base station; and a plurality of antenna ports connected to the at least one remote base station; wherein the remote base station controls the plurality of antenna ports. The remote base station is configured for defining mutually exclusive entry and exit points for the antenna ports in at least one of time; or frequency. Also, disclosed herein is a communication network comprising of at least one network controller and at least one base station, wherein the network controller is configured for assigning entry and exit points for each base station.

Abstract: Using porous hollow fiber membranes, systems/methods for continuously synthesizing polymer-coated particles by anti-solvent crystallization are provided. The disclosed systems/methods provide for synthesis of polymer-coated drug particles/crystals from solutions of the polymer and the drug particles in suspension by exposing the solution to an anti-solvent through a porous hollow fiber device. A feed solution of a coating polymer with suspended drug particles can be exposed to an anti-solvent through hollow fiber pores, thereby causing the polymer to precipitate on and coat the drug particles. In addition, a feed solution of a coating polymer with drug in solution can be exposed to an anti-solvent through hollow fiber pores, thereby causing the drug to crystallize from the solution and the polymer to precipitate/coat the drug. Results indicate that a uniformly coated, free-flowing product may be developed in this advantageous porous hollow fiber anti-solvent crystallization method.

Abstract: Disclosed are fibers that include a composite of at least three different materials, where the at least three different materials include a conductor, an insulator, and a non-centrosymmetric material, and where each material is disposed in one or more different cross-sectional regions of the fiber, with each region extending along a common length of the fiber.

Abstract: In a method for brazing a sheet material without use of flux, an inert gas is firstly introduced into an oxygen pump to reduce an oxygen partial pressure in the inert gas to 1×10?10 Pa or less, and the sheet material is heated in a brazing furnace in an atmosphere of the inert gas discharged from the oxygen pump. A core alloy of the sheet material or a brazing filler alloy cladded to a surface of the core alloy contains Mg. Both the core alloy and the brazing filler alloy may contain Mg. Accordingly, brazability of the sheet material is sufficiently improved.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques and systems for extracting energy from the endocochlear potential (EP) in animal subjects (e.g., human subjects) and using the extracted energy to operate circuits (e.g., electronic device, sensors, and transmitters). The subject matter of this disclosure is embodied, for example, in a system for extracting energy from an endocochlear potential of an animal, wherein the system includes a pair of electrodes, and a circuit coupled to the pair of electrodes. The circuit includes a boost converter, an energy buffer component configured to receive voltage from the boost converter, a start-up rectifier configured to provide voltage to the energy buffer component, and a control component configured to provide control signals to the boost converter. The power extracted from the endocochlear potential is equal or larger than the quiescent power of the circuit.

Abstract: Distributed content caching is implemented in an efficient, low cost manner within a content delivery network (CDN). In various embodiments, content is identified for caching at a number of gateway devices within a CDN by minimizing a cost function associated with content delivery in the network. The cost function may take into consideration costs of delivering content to users from gateway devices as well as costs associated with delivering content to users from centralized locations of a CDN.

Abstract: An ion trap-based device and method for analyzing and detecting bipolar ions is provided. The device includes multiple electrodes of an ion trap; a radio frequency voltage source configured to form a radio frequency electric field; a direct current voltage source configured to form a bias electric field, positive and negative ions in the ion trap being separated by the bias electric field; a first and second detectors, configured to detect the positive and negative ions, respectively. A bipole and quadrupole field direct current voltage detection modes may be employed. A single positive ion or negative ion operation mode in a conventional biological mass spectrometry method is improved, so that the positive and negative ion modes are performed simultaneously; without any resolution loss, the analysis speed is increased, the sample consumption is reduced, and the accuracy of quantitative analysis of the samples is improved.

Abstract: Message dissemination speed is increased during multicast operations in a network by intelligently selecting one or more feedback time slots for use by destination nodes. In at least one implementation, a feedback time slot is selected based upon probabilities that a plurality of data packets will be successfully distributed to a plurality of destination nodes by various future time slots. These probabilities may be estimated based on, for example, packet erasure probabilities in the network. In some implementations, only destination nodes that have not yet successfully received a plurality of data packets are permitted to transmit feedback during feedback time slots.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate, or prodrug thereof, wherein U, J, V, X, R2a, R2b, R2c, R5 and t are as described herein. The present invention relates generally to inhibitors of histone deacetylase and to methods of making and using them. These compounds are useful for promoting cognitive function and enhancing learning and memory formation. In addition, these compounds are useful for treating, alleviating, and/or preventing various conditions, including for example, neurological disorders, memory and cognitive function disorders/impairments, extinction learning disorders, fungal diseases and infections, inflammatory diseases, hematological diseases, and neoplastic diseases in humans and animals.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting electromagnetic radiation within a target frequency range is provided. The apparatus includes a substrate and one or more resonator structures disposed on the substrate. The substrate can be a dielectric or semiconductor material. Each of the one or more resonator structures has at least one dimension that is less than the wavelength of target electromagnetic radiation within the target frequency range, and each of the resonator structures includes at least two conductive structures separated by a spacing. Charge carriers are induced in the substrate near the spacing when the resonator structures are exposed to the target electromagnetic radiation. A measure of the change in conductivity of the substrate due to the induced charge carriers provides an indication of the presence of the target electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: Compositions that include nanoscale structured materials or precursors thereof (e.g., self-assembling peptides) are described. The compositions can include other substances (e.g., a vasoconstrictor). Also described are methods for using the compositions to promote hemostasis, to protect the skin or wounds from contamination, to decontaminate a site upon removal of previously applied compositions that provided a protective coating, and to inhibit the movement of bodily substances other than blood. The compositions are also useful in isolating tissue, removing tissue, preserving tissue (for, e.g., subsequent transplantation or reattachment), and as bulking, stabilizing or hydrating agents. Medical devices that include the compositions (e.g., a stent or catheter), bandages or other wound dressings, sutures, and kits that include the compositions are also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides multi-tailed lipid compounds, and salts and stereoisomers thereof, and methods of preparing the compounds. Also provided are compositions including a compound of the invention and an agent (e.g., an siRNA, mRNA, plasmid DNA, small molecule, protein, peptide). The present invention also provides methods, and kits using the compositions for delivering an agent to a subject (e.g., to the liver, spleen, or lung of the subject) or cell and for treating and/or preventing a range of diseases, such as genetic diseases, proliferative diseases, hematological diseases, neurological diseases, immunological diseases, gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., liver diseases), respiratory diseases (e.g., lung diseases), painful conditions, psychiatric disorders, metabolic disorders, and spleen diseases.

Abstract: A family of iron-based, phosphor-containing bulk metallic glasses having excellent processibility and toughness, methods for forming such alloys, and processes for manufacturing articles therefrom are provided. The inventive iron-based alloy is based on the observation that by very tightly controlling the composition of the metalloid moiety of the Fe-based, P-containing bulk metallic glass alloys it is possible to obtain highly processable alloys with surprisingly low shear modulus and high toughness.

Abstract: Data blocks to be stored on a disk-based data storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, etc.) are coded together to form a plurality of linearly independent network coded blocks. The network coded blocks are then stored on the data storage device. Coded seeking may then be used to retrieve the original data blocks from the data storage device in a time-efficient manner. A read request may be sent to the data storage device requesting an innovative coded packet associated with the original data blocks. In response to the read request, the data storage device may read an innovative coded packet from the disk that is closest to current position of a read element of the device.

Abstract: An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.