Abstract: A quantitative gait training and/or analysis system includes one or more footwear modules that may include a piezoresistive sensor, an inertial sensor and an independent logic unit. The footwear module functions to permit the extraction of gait kinematics and evaluation thereof in real time, or data may be stored for later reduction and analysis. Embodiments relating to calibration-based estimation of kinematic gait parameters are described, as well as biofeedback embodiments useful in training runners to maintain a time-varying target velocity or pace.

Abstract: Described is a system and technique for identifying passages of legal precedent and assembling arguments that use this precedent. In embodiments, passages of judicial precedent are identified by taking advantage of a network of judicial citations. In embodiments, identified passages and relevant context from legal opinions are assembled into a synthetic argument that can be used to identify and/or predict relevant legal precedent. In embodiments, the system and technique may be used identify and/or predict precedent relevant to new arguments. The described the system and technique uses state-of-the-art natural language processing techniques, in particular transformer-based language models trained on a legal corpus, to identify and/or predict precedent relevant to a legal argument.

Abstract: Quantum information processing involves entangling large numbers of qubits, which can be realized as defect centers in a solid-state host. The qubits can be implemented as individual unit cells, each with its own control electronics, that are arrayed in a cryostat. Free-space control and pump beams address the qubit unit cells through a cryostat window. The qubit unit cells emit light in response to these control and pump beams and microwave pulses applied by the control electronics. The emitted light propagates through free space to a mode mixer, which interferes the optical modes from adjacent qubit unit cells for heralded Bell measurements. The qubit unit cells are small (e.g., 10 ?m square), so they can be tiled in arrays of up to millions, addressed by free-space optics with micron-scale spot sizes. The processing overhead for this architecture remains relatively constant, even with large numbers of qubits, enabling scalable large-scale quantum information processing.

Abstract: A complex oxide ceramic according to an embodiment is a complex oxide ceramic including a rare earth element and at least one element selected from among molybdenum, tungsten, and vanadium. An example of the rare earth element is at least one species selected from among La, Ce, and Gd.

Abstract: The invention provides a pyrolysis reaction system, the system comprising: a pyrolysis chamber comprising a feed inlet, a gas inlet and a product outlet, wherein the pyrolysis chamber is configured i) to receive a pyrolysable organic feed and an inert gas via the feed inlet and gas inlet respectively, ii) to pyrolyse the organic feed at a pyrolysis temperature to produce a carbonaceous pyrolysis product and a pyrolysis gas, wherein the pyrolysis gas will combine with the inert gas to form a gas mixture having a pyrolysis chamber pressure in the pyrolysis chamber, and iii) to discharge the carbonaceous pyrolysis product via the product outlet; a gas reactor configured to react the pyrolysis gas by combustion and/or carbon deposition at a gas reaction temperature and a gas reactor pressure; and a first partition defining a boundary between the pyrolysis chamber and the gas reactor, the first partition comprising a plurality of first apertures to provide fluid communication between the pyrolysis chamber and the

Abstract: Meta-lens based ocular imaging, near-eye display, and eye-tracking systems are described. The systems can include a single focusing optic and an integrated circuit that provides illumination light and includes an imaging array. The focusing optic includes meta-atoms formed on a substrate. The systems may have no moving parts and achieve imaging or image-projection fields-of-view approaching or exceeding 180 degrees. Because of their low part count, the systems can be robust and have a very small form factor.

Abstract: In the multi-target detection and tracking method, lidar (2D laser scanner) scans point cloud data of surroundings and transfers the collected data to the edge server. Then, the edge server uploads the data to the cloud. After obtaining the lidar data, point clouds of footsteps are extracted through dynamic point extraction, point clustering, and random forest model, respectively. Footsteps are matched to form human tracking trajectory by using trajectory matching. After the tracking process, the walking information is published to the users, in a visual form. Meanwhile, the gait parameters are saved into files, including walking speed and step length, when human is detected. Comparing to the visual sensor based human tracking methods, the present invention employs lidar to avoid the interference of ambient light, which leads to easier implementation and larger universality, especially for multi-target scenarios.

Abstract: Disclosed are a protection equipment, system and method for the destruction of explosives. The protection equipment for the destruction of explosives includes four modules: an inner fence, an outer fence, an anti-leakage fence and a top cover. The modular equipment takes an overall nonmetal flexible composite structure, and the individual modules are light in weight and convenient to operate. It can be operated by two persons or a single person. A protective effect can be achieved during destruction of explosives by using the protection equipment, and even if the explosives explode during destruction, it will not cause injury to surrounding personnel. A protection system for explosive destruction based on the protection equipment can be used to destroy unexploded bomb or explosives under protective conditions, thereby achieving rapid emergency disposal without making contact with the explosives.

Abstract: Methods for the automated template-free synthesis of user-defined sequence controlled biopolymers using microfluidic devices are described. The methods facilitate simultaneous synthesis of up to thousands of uniquely addressed biopolymers from the controlled movement and combination of regents as fluid droplets using microfluidic and EWOD-based systems. In some forms, biopolymers including nucleic acids, peptides, carbohydrates, and lipids are synthesized from step-wise assembly of building blocks based on a user-defined sequence of droplet movements. In some forms, the methods synthesize uniquely addressed nucleic acids of up to 1,000 nucleotides in length. Methods for adding, removing and changing barcodes on biopolymers are also provided. Biopolymers synthesized according to the methods, and libraries and databases thereof are also described. Modified biopolymers, including chemically modified nucleotides and biopolymers conjugated to other molecules are described.

Abstract: A method for controlling hybrid scanning based on a miniature reflecting device, which includes: loading parameters for determinant scanning and circular scanning, setting a scanning start point, and performing determinant scanning; performing low-pass filtering on received sampling data to filter an outlier in a sampling process, and performing singular value determining, to determine whether there is a valid connected domain within a scanning field of view; determining, as a target of interest, a valid connected domain with a maximum quantity of singular values, and obtaining a geometric center of the target of interest by calculating an average value of driving voltages corresponding to the singular values; performing circular scanning by using the geometric center as a scanning center, determining, in a process of scanning an outermost ring, whether singular values are centrosymmetrically distributed on the ring, to fine-tune the scanning center till the singular values are centrosymmetrically distributed

Abstract: Systems and methods for rapid diagnostics related to the use of isothermal amplification reagents for detection of microbial species, including coronavirus, and methods of use, are provided.

Abstract: Provided herein, in some embodiments, are hydrogel-elastomer and hydrogel-alginate devices, compositions and associated methods to encapsulate living cells.

Abstract: A silica aerogel having a mean pore size less than 5 nm with a standard deviation of 3 nm. The silica aerogel may have greater than 95% solar-weighted transmittance at a thickness of 8 mm for wavelengths in the range of 250 nm to 2500 nm, and a 400° C. black-body weighted specific extinction coefficient of greater than 8 m2/kg for wavelengths of 1.5 ?m to 15 ?m. Silica aerogel synthesis methods are described. A solar thermal aerogel receiver (STAR) may include an opaque frame defining an opening, an aerogel layer disposed in the opaque frame, with at least a portion of the aerogel layer being proximate the opening, and a heat transfer fluid pipe in thermal contact with and proximate the aerogel layer. A concentrating solar energy system may include a STAR and at least one reflector to direct sunlight to an opening in the STAR.

Abstract: A data processing method based on secure multi-party computation, an electronic device and a storage medium are disclosed. The data processing method requires firstly obtaining original confidential data and shared key information from a data holding terminal; performing a first encrypting process to the original confidential data based on the shared key information to generate original encrypted data; and then sending the original encrypted data to a node server. Further, the node server obtains a plurality of pieces of the original encrypted data, and performs a service parsing process to generate encrypted result data, and sends the encrypted result data to a data reconstruction terminal. Furthermore, the data reconstruction terminal obtains the encrypted result data and the shared key information, and performs a reconstructing process to the encrypted result data according to the encrypted result data and the shared key information to obtain service result data.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a photonic device includes in part, forming a multitude of metal and dielectric layers over a semiconductor substrate to form a structure. The metal layers form a continuous metal trace that characterize an etch channel. At least one of the metal layers extends towards an exterior surface of the structure such that when the structure is exposed to a metal etch, the metal etch removes the metal from the exterior surface of the structure and flows through the etch channel to fully etch the metal layers. The metal etch leaves behind a dielectric structure characterizing a photonic device. The photonic device may be a suspended rib waveguide, a suspended channel waveguide, a grating coupler, an interlayer coupler, a photodetector, a phase modulator, an edge coupler, and the like. A photonics system may include one or more of such devices.

Abstract: Cascaded metasurfaces can control the phase, amplitude and polarization of an electromagnetic beam, shaping it in three dimensional configuration not achievable with other methods. Each cascaded metasurface has dielectric or metallic scatterers arranged in a period array. The shape of the scatterers determines the three dimensional configuration of the output beam and is determined with iterative calculations through computational simulations.

Abstract: Provided is a solid electrolyte which contains a composition expressed by 3LiOH·Li2SO4. The solid electrolyte has a lithium ion conductivity of 0.1×10?6 S/cm or more at 25° C. and an activation energy of 0.6 eV or more.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for transporting and/or harvesting gas from bubbles, as well as associated articles and systems. In some embodiments, transporting and/or harvesting the gas from the bubbles can reduce or prevent the amount of foam that is present within a system. According to certain embodiments, a conduit comprising a porous wall portion can be at least partially submerged into a foam and/or a bubble-containing liquid. The porous wall portion of the conduit can be configured and/or arranged, according to certain embodiments, such that the porous wall portion provides a fluidic pathway through which gas from the bubbles within the liquid may be channeled to a gaseous environment in the interior portion of the conduit. The gas may be transported, according to certain embodiments, along the interior portion of the conduit into an external gaseous environment and/or harvested from the interior portion of the conduit.

Abstract: Drug delivery articles, resident articles, and retrieval systems e.g., for gram-level dosing, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the residence articles are configured for transesophageal administration, transesophageal retrieval, and/or gastric retention to/in a subject. In certain embodiments, the residence article includes dimensions configured for transesophageal administration with a gastric resident system. In some cases, the residence article may be configured to control drug release e.g., with zero-order drug kinetics with no potential for burst release for weeks to months. In some embodiments, the residence articles described herein comprise biocompatible materials and/or are safe for gastric retention. In certain embodiments, the residence article includes dimensions configured for transesophageal retrieval. In some cases, the residence articles described herein may comprise relatively large doses of drug (e.g., greater than or equal to 1 gram).

Abstract: A method for detecting a tension force defect of a steel cable includes the following steps: step S10: providing an excitation sensor on a first position of a steel cable to be detected and providing a detection sensor on a second position of the steel cable; step S20: obtaining a value of a tension force on the steel cable and obtaining a first display diagram corresponding to the value of the tension force; step S30: loading a white noise signal on the excitation sensor through a power amplifier; step S40: acquiring a detection signal collected by the detection sensor; step S50: uploading the detection signal to a personal computer (PC) and performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) process on the detection signal; step S60: determining whether there is a defect in the steel cable, and if so, performing step S70; step S70: determining a defect position of the steel cable.