Abstract: In exemplary implementations of this invention, an actuated fabricator deposits structural elements (e.g., tensile structural elements) in a 3D pattern over large displacements. The fabricator is supported by at least three elongated support members. It includes onboard actuators that translate the fabricator relative to the ends of the support members. The fabricator is configured, by actuating different translations along different support members, to translate itself throughout a 3D volume. In some implementations, each of the actuators use fusible material to fuse metal tapes together, edge-to-edge, to form a hollow structure that can be shortened or lengthened.

Abstract: Provided are a carbon electrode particularly suitable to be used as a negative electrode of an energy storing apparatus and the like and a method for manufacturing the same by forming the carbon electrode by heat-treating a natural carbon material such as a natural fiber sheet including a natural fiber or cellulose sheet including a natural cellulose fiber which is a natural material other than a petroleum-based material or a petroleum-based synthetic material to reduce manufacturing cost, shorten a manufacturing process, minimize discharge of a hazardous substance, and uniformly maintain storage capacitance even in repeated charging and discharging when being applied to the energy storing apparatus. The carbon electrode includes any one of an alkaline metal particle and an alkaline earth metal particle having an average particle size of less than 100 nm which is formed on a surface in a process of carbonizing a natural carbon material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of genetic engineering, in particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing a phytase variant with an improved thermal stability, and a phytase variant and the use thereof. The phytase variant contains at least one proline modification, compared to the phytase from Escherichia coli and other mutants thereof. The phytase variants with the modification have preferably improved properties, such as the thermal stability, optimal reaction temperature, pH property, specific activity, protease resistance and performance in animal feeds.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an ozone contact tank, which includes a water inlet gallery (1), an aeration gallery (2), a water distribution zone (3), a reaction zone (4) and a water outlet trough (5) which are disposed according to the intake order and are communicated in sequence; the top of the water inlet gallery (1) is communicated with the top of the aeration gallery (2); the bottom of the aeration gallery (2) is communicated with a water inlet end of the water distribution zone (3) via a narrow passage (6); the top of the water distribution zone (3) is communicated with the bottom of the reaction zone (4) via a perforated plate (41); the top of the reaction zone (4) is communicated with the water outlet trough (5). The disclosure also provides an ozone contact method using the ozone contact tank, which can greatly improve the disinfection effect.

Abstract: Methods for production of platelets from pluripotent stem cells, such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are provided. These methods may be performed without forming embryoid bodies or clusters of pluripotent stem cells, and may be performed without the use of stromal inducer cells. Additionally, the yield and/or purity can be greater than has been reported for prior methods of producing platelets from pluripotent stem cells. Also provided are compositions and pharmaceutical preparations comprising platelets, preferably produced from pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract: An optimized coding sequence of human blood clotting factor eight (VIII) and a promoter may be used in vectors, such as rAAV, for introduction of factor VIII, and/or other blood clotting factors and transgenes. Exemplary of these factors and transgenes are alpha-1-antitrypsin, as well as those involved in the coagulation cascade, hepatocye biology, lysosomal storage, urea cycle disorders, and lipid storage diseases. Cells, vectors, proteins, and glycoproteins produced by cells transformed by the vectors and sequence, may be used in treatment.

Abstract: A method including placing a portion of a foot of a newborn in a device, the device including a light emitter and a corresponding receiver coupled on opposite sides of the device, the device further including a processor for processing data from the light emitter and receiver; and determining a presence of congenital heart disease. An apparatus including a body including a chamber of a size to accommodate a portion of a newborn's foot; at least one light emitter and a corresponding detector coupled on opposite sides of the body, the emitter configured to emit light of a prescribed wavelength into the chamber; and a processor coupled to the body and configured to receive a signal from the at least one detector.

Abstract: An electro-optical oscillator includes, in part, a modulator, a signal splitter, N photodiodes with N being an integer greater than one, a signal combiner, and a filter. The modulator modulates an optical signal in accordance with a feedback signal. The splitter splits the modulated optical signal into N optical signals each delivered to a different one of N photo-diodes. Each of the N photo-diodes converts the optical signal it receives to a current signal. The signal combiner combines the N current signals received from the N photo-diodes to generate a combined current signal. The filter filters the combined current signal and generates the feedback signal. The electro-optical oscillator optionally includes, in part, N variable optical gain/attenuation components each amplifying/attenuating a different one of the N optical signals generated by the splitter.

Abstract: A context-awareness synchronization apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium are provided. The synchronization apparatus is electrically connected to a storage server via a network. The synchronization apparatus executes an operating system and an agent program installed on the operating system. The agent program configures a first and second individual spaces within the synchronization apparatus, determines a context of the synchronization apparatus, selects a first and second policy sets from a plurality of policy sets for the first and second individual spaces according to the context respectively, and handles the first and second individual spaces according to the first and second policy sets respectively. The first and second individual spaces are unaware of each other and only recognized by the agent program installed on the operating system.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the measuring toxicity, antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress are provided.

Abstract: As explained hereinbefore, the C12orf59 gene of the present invention suppresses cancer cell invasion and inhibits cancer cell survivability, and the over expression of C12orf59 protein or a fragment thereof inhibits cancer cell invasion, so that C12orf59 gene or a fragment thereof not only can be effectively used for the pharmaceutical composition for preventing and treating cancer but also can be used as a clinical marker for screening a cancer treatment agent candidate, for diagnosing various cancers or for predicting pathological stage. In addition, the C12orf59 gene or a fragment thereof of the present invention can be used for the method for preventing and treating cancer and for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for preventing and treating cancer.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are provided to measure magnetic characteristics of a comparatively thick magnetic sample in a magnetic field or nonmagnetic field by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). In particular, the method, system and apparatus measure the magnetic characteristics of the thick magnetic sample by irradiating the sample with X-ray, and detecting transmissive X-ray passing through the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat treatment method of turnout track comprising performing an accelerated cooling on the turnout track to be treated having a railhead tread with a temperature of 650-900° C. so as to obtain the turnout track with full pearlite metallographic structure, wherein the accelerated cooling velocity performed on the working side of railhead of the turnout track is higher than that performed on the non-working side of the railhead of the turnout track. The present invention provides a turnout track obtained with a heat treatment process as depicted therein. The turnout track in present invention has good straightness; both the hardness and tensile strength of the working side of railhead are higher than that of the non-working side of railhead.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of designing an object based on a three-dimensional model representing a shape of the object is provided. The object may be fabricated from a plurality of materials having one or more known physical properties, wherein the object is designed to exhibit one or more target properties. The method may comprise determining a first composition of the object by providing the three-dimensional model as input to a reducer tree, determining one or more physical properties of the object with the first composition by simulating the object with the first composition, comparing the determined one or more physical properties with the one or more target properties, and determining a second composition of the object based on a result of comparing the determined one or more physical properties with the one or more target properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method of increasing lipid oxidation in a mammal and to agents useful for same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of increasing lipid oxidation in a mammal by administering a ligand which interacts with the IL-6 receptor and signals via interaction with a gp130/LIF receptor heterodimer. In a related aspect, the present invention provides a method of increasing insulin sensitivity in a mammal. The method of present invention is useful, inter alia, in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of conditions characterized by unwanted lipid accumulation (such as obesity, obesity induced-metabolic disorders, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) or inadequate insulin sensitivity.

Abstract: Digital focal plane arrays (DFPAs) with multiple counters per unit cell can be used to convert analog signals to digital data and to filter the digital data. Exemplary DFPAs include two-dimensional arrays of unit cells, where each unit cell is coupled to a corresponding photodetector in a photodetector array. Each unit cell converts photocurrent from its photodetector to a digital pulse train that is coupled to multiple counters in the unit cell. Each counter in each unit cell can be independently controlled to filter the pulse train by counting up or down and/or by transferring data as desired. For example, a unit cell may perform in-phase/quadrature filtering of homodyne- or heterodyne-detected photocurrent with two counters: a first counter toggled between increment and decrement modes with an in-phase signal and a second counter toggled between increment and decrement modes with a quadrature signal.

Abstract: A flexible display panel includes a bending area and a surrounding area adjacent to the bending area. The barrier layer includes first silicon nitride layers and first silicon oxide layers which are overlapped with the bending area. The first silicon nitride layers and the first silicon oxide layers are stacked alternately. Each of the first silicon nitride layers may have a thickness less than or equal to about 400 ?, and each of the first silicon oxide layers may have a thickness less than or equal to about 650 ?.

Abstract: A method of handling a beamforming feedback for a base station of the wireless communication system comprises receiving a message comprising information of an interference caused by a communication between the base station and a communication device of the wireless communication system; determining an accuracy level of channel information according to the information of the interference; controlling the communication device to transmit the channel information with the accuracy level to the base station; and performing a beamforming according to the channel information to communicate with the communication device, after receiving the channel information transmitted by the communication device.

Abstract: A method and a system computationally performs scene analysis of semantic traffic spaces based on an adaptive spatio-temporal ray-based approach. The method includes acquiring a spatial semantic environment map including semantic context data, calculating at least one feature for at least one location on the spatial environment map taking into account the semantic context of the location and determining a category for the at least one location based on the at least one calculated feature. A feature is a ray based feature calculated by integrating input values along at least one ray extending in least one of a space dimension and a time dimension. The ray may have a ray shape corresponding to a general shape of a road and/or the at least one spatially extending ray follows a course of the road and/or is perpendicular to a surrounding road segment orientation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of determining the sequence and/or positions of modified bases in a nucleic acid sample present in a circular molecule with a nucleic acid insert of known sequence comprising obtaining sequence data of at least two insert-sample units. In some embodiments, the methods comprise obtaining sequence data using circular pair-locked molecules. In some embodiments, the methods comprise calculating scores of sequences of the nucleic acid inserts by comparing the sequences to the known sequence of the nucleic acid insert, and accepting or rejecting repeats of the sequence of the nucleic acid sample according to the scores of one or both of the sequences of the inserts immediately upstream or downstream of the repeats of the sequence of the nucleic acid sample.