Abstract: The present invention includes a method of determining the dry body weight of a patient undergoing dialysis by means of segmental bioimpedance analysis. In preferred embodiments, dry body weight is determined by comparison to the bioimpedance values of normal subjects or by monitoring changes in bioimpedance during dialysis. One embodiment of the present invention is a device for determining dry body weight during dialysis.

Abstract: Methods of synthesizing a peptide or peptide-like molecule to a polypeptide or protein target based on mode-matching each member of a set of peptide constituents of the peptide or peptide-like molecule to peptide constituents of the target polypeptide or protein target.

Abstract: An optical structure includes a substrate having two side surfaces. A first layer of high refractive index material is formed on the substrate. A sacrificial layer is formed on the first layer. A second layer of high refractive index material is formed on the sacrificial layer. At a predefined temperature the sacrificial layer is evaporated, thus forming an air gap between the first layer and the second layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite for catalytic distillation, comprising a substrate material, and a modifying material and an active material, wherein said substrate material is made of porous materials, said modified material comprises at least one metal oxide, and said active material comprises an active component for a catalytic reaction. The catalytic distillation composite according to the present invention serves as both distillation packings and catalysts, and can allow catalysts to make the best of its effenciency, provide sufficient contact areas between gas and liquid phases, which facilitates mass transfer between gas and liquid phases, boosts effects in both reaction and separation and is liable for filling, removing and utilizing in industries.

Abstract: An architecture of a fine granularity scalable (FGS) codec has an encoder and a decoder configurable in three prediction modes. The coarse prediction loop in the base layer of the encoder has a switch for selecting either coarse prediction output or fine prediction output in the encoder. The fine prediction loop in the enhancement layer of the encoder also has a switch for selecting either coarse prediction output or fine prediction output. Two-pass encoding is used in the encoder. The first pass extracts coding parameters and classifies macroblocks of a video frame into three groups each being assigned with all-coarse prediction mode, all-fine prediction mode or mix prediction. The second pass uses the assigned modes to encode the macroblocks. A rate adaptation algorithm is provided to truncate the enhancement bit-planes for low bit rate, medium bit rate and high bit rate and allocate bit efficiently for achieving higher video quality.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure including a uniform etch-stop layer. The uniform etch stop layer has a relative etch rate which is less than approximately the relative etch rate of Si doped with 7×1019 boron atoms/cm3. A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a uniform etch-stop layer providing a handle wafer, and bonding the uniform etch-stop layer to the handle wafer. The uniform etch-stop layer has a relative etch rate which is less than approximately the relative etch rate of Si doped with 7×1019 boron atoms/cm3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a memory build-in self-diagnosis and repair with syndrome identification. It uses a fail-pattern identification and a syndrome-format structure to identify faulty rows, faulty columns and single faulty word in the memory during the testing process, then exports the syndrome information. Based on the syndrome information, a redundancy analysis algorithm is applied to allocate the spare memory elements repairing the faulty memory cells. It has a sequencer with enhanced fault syndrome identification, a build-in redundancy-analysis circuit with improved redundancy utilization, and an address reconfigurable circuit with reduced timing penalty during normal access. The invention reduces the occupation time and the required capture memory space in the automatic test equipment. It also increases the repair rate and reduces the required area overhead.

Abstract: A method for forming a silicon oxynitride layer, suitable to be used in the production of semiconductor devices, e.g. poly-silicon thin film transistors, is provided. A plasma surface treatment is performed over a substrate after a silicon nitride/silicon oxide layer has been formed on the substrate by a glow discharge system to transform the silicon nitride/silicon oxide layer into a silicon oxynitride layer. The semiconductor device may be completely manufactured in simplex equipment. Therefore, the production time and production cost are favorably reduced.

Abstract: An algorithm process for treating fly ash found in flue gas to prevent rapping reentrainment of fly ash particles comprising adding ammonia to the fly ash particles in a stoichometric amount of one part or somewhat less of ammonia to one part of sulfur trioxide, such that rapping reentrainment of fly ash particles in the flue gas is prevented. An algorithm is used to determine the amount of sulfur in the flue gas.

Abstract: Provided are an intelligent parcel monitoring and controlling apparatus for real-time pickup and delivery, a method thereof, a terminal for the intelligent parcel monitoring and controlling apparatus, and a method for operating the terminal. The apparatus can correct address errors, generate optimum pickup/delivery sequences, and monitor the pickup and delivery in postal or door-to-door parcel delivery services.

Abstract: Described herein are chimeric peptides comprising a soluble trimeric coiled-coil and all or a portion of the N-peptide region of HIV gp41. These molecules are stable, trimeric coiled-coils that inhibit HIV entry into cells, such as human cells. Such peptides can be further assessed to demonstrate their ability to serve as potent anti-HIV therapeutic molecules and thus, as therapeutic molecules or drugs.

Abstract: Method of making an electroplated interconnection wire of a composite of metal and carbon nanotubes is disclosed, including electroplating a substrate having a conductive baseline on a surface thereof in an electroplating bath containing a metal ion and carbon nanotubes, so that an electroplated interconnection wire of a composite of the metal and carbon nanotubes is formed on the conductive baseline. Alternatively, a method of the present invention includes preparing a dispersion of carbon nanotubes dispersed in an organic solvent, printing a baseline with the dispersion on a surface of a substrate, evaporating the organic solvent to obtain a conductive baseline, and electroplating the surface in an electroplating bath containing a metal ion, so that an electroplated interconnection wire of a composite of the metal and carbon nanotubes is formed on the conductive baseline.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a shopping cart with RFID capability, for detecting a RFID tag, comprising: a frame, further comprising: an accommodating space for accommodating RFID-tagged items; a plurality of wheels, coupling to the frame for carrying the frame to move according to the rotation of the wheels; and a cover, rotatably mounted on the frame for sealing the accommodating space; a reader unit, further comprising: a RFID reader, attached to the frame; and at least an antenna, electrically connected to the RFID reader and being received in the accommodating space of the frame; a memory unit, attached to the frame and being electrically connected to the RFID reader; a control unit, further comprising: an actuating device, coupled to the frame and the cover in respective and capable of open/close the cover while operating; a sensing device, attached to the frame and being electrically connected to the RFID reader, capable of activating the RFID reader to start/stop reader RFID tags through the antenn

Abstract: An integrated optic polarization converter includes a plurality of core layers used to approximate a gradually twisted waveguide and therein adiabatically transform a propagating mode from an initial polarization state to a different final polarization state.

Abstract: Nucleic acids encoding cytochrome P450 variants are provided. The cytochrome P450 variants of have a higher alkane-oxidation capability, alkene-oxidation capability, and/or a higher organic-solvent resistance than the corresponding wild-type or parent cytochrome P450 enzyme. A preferred wild-type cytochrome P450 is cytochrome P450 BM-3. Preferred cytochrome P450 variants include those having an improved capability to hydroxylate alkanes and epoxidate alkenes comprising less than 8 carbons, and have amino acid substitutions corresponding to V78A, H236Q, and E252G of cytochrome P450 BM-3. Preferred cytochrome P450 variants also include those having an improved hydroxylation activity in solutions comprising co-solvents such as DMSO and THF, and have amino acid substitutions corresponding to T235A, R471A, E494K, and S1024E of cytochrome P450 BM-3.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling the length of a carbon nanotube, in cooperation with a substrate having at least one reference level on a surface of the substrate on which at least one carbon nanotube is formed, comprising at least one positioning platform for mounting and calibrating the substrate; a discharging electrode mounted on one side of the positioning platform to cut the carbon nanotube wherein the position of the discharging electrode can be calibrated with the positioning platform; a piezoelectric actuator for calibrating the position of the discharging electrode or the height of the discharging electrode relative to the substrate reference level; a position sensor for detection of the height of the substrate; and a voltage pulse supplying means for applying a voltage pulse to the discharging electrode to cut the carbon nanotube.

Abstract: Sharing a resource may include the use of label values associated with information units presented to the resource. The label values may be determined based on, for example, arrival rates and/or committed flow rates. Criteria may be applied to label values to determine if the associated information units may be dropped.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell and devices using the photovoltaic cell are provided. In certain examples, the photovoltaic cell may include a first material disposed on a first electrode and effective to generate an exciton upon absorption of electromagnetic energy. In some examples, the photovoltaic cell may also include a second material electrically coupled to the first electrode and separated from the first material, the second material effective to receive the generated exciton from the first material. In other examples, the photovoltaic cell may also include a second electrode electrically coupled to the second material and electrically coupled to the first electrode. Solar panels and power systems using the photovoltaic cell are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for forming a composition comprising organosilsesquioxanes, comprises the following steps: 1. partially hydrolysing hydrolysable inorganic monomer precursors comprising at least 50 moles % of first hydrolysable inorganic monomer precursors having the formula RSiY3, in which R is an organic group, the R—Si bond is a non-hydrolysable bond, each Y group is the same as or different to one another and is selected from chemically-reactive groups such that each Si—Y bond is hydrolysable to form a Si—OH bond, to form inorganic monomers and allowing partial condensation of the inorganic monomers to form a liquid composition comprising inorganic oligomers; 2.

Abstract: A gene encoding DNA which is selected from a) or b): a) DNA having a nucleotide sequence from the 190th position to the 807th position of a nucleotide sequence represented in SEQ ID NO: 1 of the Sequence Listing; or b) DNA which hybridizes to DNA of a) under stringent conditions, and encodes a transcription factor capable of altering characters of a plant.