Abstract: Disclosed are a silicon substrate for a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein the reflectance of solar light can be decreased by gap-filling with AZO, and electrical properties, especially resistivity, can be reduced through e-beam irradiation, thus maximizing the cell efficiency and improving the electrical properties of AZO applied to a silicon solar cell.

Abstract: An aqueous-phase catalyst composition including a metal ion including copper, nickel, manganese or iron and a water-soluble linear polymer having a molecular weight ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 is provided. The metal ion and the water-soluble linear polymer have a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:5. A method for preparing polyphenylene ether including providing the disclosed aqueous-phase catalyst composition and adding phenolic monomers to the aqueous-phase catalyst composition to proceed to a polymerization reaction to prepare polyphenylene ether is also provided.

Abstract: A programmable battery source architecture includes: a battery module, including a plurality of battery units, and a programmable battery connection circuit coupled to the battery module. The programmable battery connection circuit includes: a matrix intersection line module, electrically coupled to the battery module for forming a plurality of battery connection configurations; a switch group, disposed at each line intersection of the matrix intersection line module, for switching the battery connection configurations; and a control unit, for dynamically controlling the switch group based on a load requirement, for selecting at least a battery connection configuration from the battery connection configurations, and accordingly, the battery module outputting at least an output voltage based on the selected at least a battery connection configuration.

Abstract: Provided are a bismuth-based piezoelectric material whose insulation property is improved while its performance as a piezoelectric body is not impaired and a piezoelectric device using the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): Bix(Fe1-yCoy)O3??(1) where 0.95?x?1.25 and 0?y?0.30, and a root mean square roughness Rq (nm) of a surface of the piezoelectric material satisfies a relationship of 0<Rq?25y+2 (0?y?0.30).

Abstract: The present disclosure provides protein-containing compositions, methods and uses thereof. A conjugate comprises a globular protein conjugated with a polymer that preserves the folded and functional structure of a protein. In some embodiments, a fusion protein comprises a globular protein conjugated with an elastin-mimic polymer (EMP). Also disclosed is an assembled solid-state or gel-state nanostructure comprising a plurality of conjugates, wherein each comprises a globular protein conjugated with a polymer that preserving the folded and functional structure of a protein. In certain embodiments, provided compositions and methods further comprise an additive.

Abstract: The present invention relates to biologically active single chain relaxin polypeptides comprising a relaxin B chain derived from relaxin-3, the polypeptides being truncated by one or more amino acids at the C-terminus of the relaxin-3 B chain. Typically the single chain relaxin polypeptides are antagonists of the RXFP3 receptor, and in some embodiments are selective antagonists of the RXFP3 receptor.

Abstract: This invention is directed to the application of a previously unknown property of nanomaterials—its ability to enhance protein activity and stability at high temperatures, in organic solvents, and in polymer composites. Nanomaterials such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can significantly enhance enzyme function and stability in strongly denaturing environments. Experimental results and theoretical analysis reveal that the enhancement in stability is a result of the curvature of these nanoscale materials, which suppresses unfavorable protein-protein interactions.

Abstract: A method for determining a lightning hazard distribution of a power network, includes: deriving a shielding failure lightning hazard distribution of the power network and a back flashover lightning hazard distribution of the power network from the number of ground lightning in each grid and ranges of hazardous currents, and deriving a historical lightning hazard distribution of the power network from a lightning faults database of the power network and the grids; and determining the lightning hazard distribution of the power network by integrating the shielding failure lightning hazard distribution of the power network, the back flashover lightning hazard distribution of the power network and the historical lightning hazard distribution of the power network.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for four-path tree structured vector quantization, comprising: (a) placing codebook vectors where magnitudes of vectors are arranged in order at lowermost nodes; (b) configuring upper nodes by averaging vector values of the lowermost adjacent four nodes; (c) calculating mean square errors to paths of the upper nodes (A, B, C, and D) corresponding to four paths from an input vector ‘X’; (d) presetting a threshold between 0 and 1 after the ‘(c)’; (e) calculating thresholds between the input vector ‘X’ and four paths ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’, based on the mean square errors; and (f) comparing the thresholds calculated in the ‘(d)’ with the preset threshold to select a path having a threshold greater than the preset threshold, in which dynamic four-path tree structured vector quantization is used instead of conventional dynamic two-path tree structured vector quantization, thereby more efficiently and quickly searching a codebook.

Abstract: Provided is a wireless power transmission apparatus. The apparatus includes an ultrasound transmitter generating an ultrasound signal in response to an external source voltage and transmitting the generated ultrasound signal to a medium layer and an ultrasound receiver receiving the ultrasound signal through the medium layer and converting the received ultrasound signal into a driving voltage. The ultrasound transmitter and receiver are manufactured to control impedance values thereof to be matched with each other and a distance between the ultrasound transmitter and receiver is controlled according to predetermined distance conditions.

Abstract: A volume holographic imaging system, apparatus and/or method enables the projection of a two-dimensional (2D) slice of a four-dimensional (4D) probing object A 4D probing source object is illuminated to emit or scatter an optical field. A holographic element having one or more recorded holograms receives and diffracts the optical field into a diffracted plane beam having spectral information. A 4-ftelecentric relay system includes a pupil filter on the relayed conjugate plane of the volume hologram and images the pupil of the volume hologram onto the front focal plane of the collector lens. A collector lens focuses the diffracted plane beam to a 2D slice of the 4D probing source object. The focused 2D slice is projected onto a 2D imaging plane. The holographic element may have multiple multiplexed holograms that are arranged to diffract light from the corresponding slice of the 4D probing source object.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inter-cell interference control method and apparatus. The inter-cell interference control method includes providing handover request information including interference information to a source base station, receiving handover completion information in accordance with the handover request information from at least one of the source base station and a target base station, and receiving interference control information in accordance with the interference information from the target base station. According to the present invention, inter-cell interference may be efficiently controlled, and overall performance of a network may be improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides an artificial microstructure. The artificial microstructure includes at least three split rings. The at least three split rings surround and embed in turn. Each split ring is formed by a wire which is made of conductive material, with two terminals of the wire towards each other to form an opening of the corresponding split ring. The present invention also provides an artificial electromagnetic material using the artificial microstructure. The artificial electromagnetic material with the artificial microstructure can achieve the function of broadband wave-absorbing.

Abstract: A portable analytical device including at least one optical unit and optionally an adapting device are provided. The optical unit includes a light beam receiving area, a sample holder, a light beam exiting area, and a lens component. The adapting device holds the optical unit and an external hand-held computing device (EHCD), such that the optical unit is coupled to the EHCD.

Abstract: A system for inspecting the surface of a curved object is provided. This system includes an object having a curved surface; at least one substantially flat interdigital transducer, wherein the interdigital transducer is operative to generate surface energy waves; and at least one coupling device disposed between the curved surface and the substantially flat interdigital transducer, wherein the coupling device is operative to conform to the curved surface, support the interdigital transducer, and provide a medium through which the surface energy waves can effectively travel from the interdigital transducer to the curved surface and across the curved surface in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: An electrolyte mixture for electrolytic capacitor is disclosed. The electrolyte mixture includes a conductive polymer and a nitrogen-containing polymer. The nitrogen-containing polymer includes a cyclic nitrogen-containing polymer, a polymer with primary amine group, a polymer with secondary amine group, a polymer with tertiary amine group, a polymer with quaternary ammonium group, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A multi-class object classifying method and system are disclosed herein, where the multi-class object classifying method includes the following steps: classes, first training images and second training images are received and stored, and first characteristic images and second characteristic images are respectively extracted from the first training images and the second training images; the first training images is used to generate classifiers through a linear mapping classifying method; a classifier and the second characteristic images are used to determine parameter ranges corresponding to the classes and a threshold corresponding to the classifier.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating a piezoelectric device are provided. The methods can include providing a substrate and forming a nanocrystalline diamond layer on a first surface of the substrate. The methods can also include depositing a piezoelectric layer on a first surface of the nanocrystalline diamond layer.

Abstract: A hybrid carbon black, a coating composition, and a shielding material employing the same are provided. The hybrid carbon black includes a core of carbon black, and a cross-linked network polymer film covering the whole surface of the carbon black overall. In particular, the carbon black core has a mass fractal dimension between 2 and 3 and a surface fractal dimension between 2 and 2.5, and the cross linking network polymer film includes a product obtained by crosslinking a composition including a styrene monomer and a divinylbenzene monomer.