Abstract: Proteases regulate a wide range of normal cellular functions where dysregulated activity is observed in various diseases. Compositions and methods use protease activity multiplexed bead-based immunoassays to profile protease activity. This platform technology integrates protease activity measurements with total protein quantification techniques. It represents a significant improvement over existing detection techniques by allowing for multiplexed, sensitive active protease measurements in complex biological samples. Exemplary multiplexed detections are realized in a single assay using a minute sample amount (e.g., 5 ?l) for active recombinant MMP-1, -2, -3, -7, 9, and 12 and those same MMPs in cell culture supernatant, menstrual fluid effluent, and peritoneal aspirates. This multiplexed platform achieves high level of sensitivities equal to or better than existing leading single-plex detection strategies.

Abstract: A micro-interface strengthening reaction system and method for preparing polyethylene by using a solution process are provided. The system includes a pre-polymerization reactor and a polymerization reactor connected in sequence. The pre-polymerization reactor is provided with a pre-polymerization micro-interface generators, and the polymerization reactor is provided with a micro-interface generator. The system further includes a desolvation tower for removing solvents and impurities from the polyethylene product. A polyethylene inlet is disposed at a middle part of the desolvation tower, and the polyethylene inlet is connected with the flash tank bottom outlet. A nitrogen micro-interface generator for dispersing and breaking high-temperature nitrogen into micro-bubbles is disposed within the desolvation tower.

Abstract: A ladder-structural gravity-assisted-heat-pipe geothermal energy recovery system without liquid-accumulation effect, comprises a ladder-structural gravity-assisted heat pipe, a condenser, and a liquid tank. The ladder-structural gravity-assisted heat pipe comprises a return pipe, an outer pipe and an inner pipe. The return pipe is provided in a space between the outer pipe and the inner pipe and communicated with the liquid tank, and the space between the outer pipe and the inner pipe is divided to form a ladder structure. A liquid working medium flows from the liquid tank through the return pipe into each section sequentially, absorbs heat from a high-temperature rock through a wall of the outer pipe, vaporizes into a gaseous working medium, gets into the inner pipe, and rises to the condenser to condense and flows to the liquid tank to circulate. Such design greatly improves the heat transfer efficiency in geothermal energy recovery using ultra-long heat pipes.

Abstract: The present invention provides compounds of Formula (I), and pharmaceutically compositions thereof. Compounds of Formula (I) are binders of bromodomains and/or bromodomain-containing proteins (e.g., bromo and extra terminal (BET) proteins). Also provided are methods, uses, and kits using the compounds and pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting the activity (e.g., increased activity) of bromodomains and/or bromodomain-containing proteins and for treating and/or preventing in a subject diseases associated with bromodomains or bromodomain-containing proteins (e.g., proliferative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, viral infections, fibrotic diseases, metabolic diseases, endocrine diseases, and radiation poisoning). The compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits are also useful for male contraception.

Abstract: Disclosed are an impedance correcting method and apparatus, and an impedance-corrected signal line for an optical transceiver. The impedance correction method includes receiving an impedance according to an error of a resin applying process of a signal line for an optical transceiver, acquiring a correction parameter for generating a correction impedance based on the impedance according to the error, and determining the correction impedance for correcting the impedance according to the error based on the correction parameter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of mannuronic diacid oligosaccharide composition in the treatment of inflammation.

Abstract: Methods for the top-down design of nucleic acid nanostructures of arbitrary geometry based on target shape of spherical or non-spherical topology are described. The methods facilitate 3D molecular programming of lipids, proteins, sugars, and RNAs based on a DNA scaffold of arbitrary 2D or 3D shape. Geometric objects are rendered as node-edge networks of parallel nucleic acid duplexes, and a nucleic acid scaffold routed throughout the network using a spanning tree formula. Nucleic acid nanostructures produced according to top-down design methods are also described. In some embodiments, the nanostructures include single-stranded nucleic acid scaffold, DX crossovers, and staple strands. In other embodiments, the nanostructures include single-stranded nucleic acid scaffold, PX crossovers and no staples. Modified nanostructures include chemically modified nucleotides and conjugated to other molecules are described.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for detecting speech concatenating points and a storage medium. The method includes: acquiring a speech to be detected, and determining high-frequency components and low-frequency components of the speech to be detected; extracting first cepstrum features and second cepstrum features corresponding to the speech to be detected according to the high-frequency components and the low-frequency components; splicing the first and the second cepstrum feature of speech per frame in the speech to be detected in units of frame so as to obtain a parameter sequence; inputting the parameter sequence into a neural network model so as to obtain a feature sequence corresponding to the speech to be detected, wherein the model has been trained, has learned and stored a correspondence between the parameter sequence and the feature sequence; and performing detection of speech concatenating points on the speech to be detected according to the feature sequence.

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring muscle sarcomere length are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method comprises illuminating a set of muscle fibers with electromagnetic radiation, measuring an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation as reflected from the muscle fibers, the measuring occurring as a function of wavelength, determining wavelengths corresponding to maximums of reflected intensity, and correlating the determined wavelengths with respective muscle sarcomere lengths. In an embodiment, a system comprises an illumination source system for illuminating the set of muscle fibers with electromagnetic radiation, and an analyzer for measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation as reflected from the muscle fibers.

Abstract: A method for a multielement analysis via neutron activation. The method includes generating fast neutrons with an energy in the range of 10 keV to 20 MeV and moderating the neutrons, irradiating the sample with the neutrons, and measuring the gamma radiation emitted by the irradiated sample using a detector to determine at least one element of the sample. The sample continuously irradiated in a non-pulsed fashion. The measurement is implemented during the irradiation. The determination of the at least one element includes an evaluation of the measured gamma radiation. The sample is subdivided into individual partitions and the measurement is implemented using a collimator. The evaluation includes a spatially resolved and energy-resolved determination of the neutron flux within the respective partition of the sample and calculation of energy-dependent photopeak efficiencies and neutron flux and neutron spectrum within a single partition of the sample by an approximation method.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method of rapid generation-adding breeding of rice in the technical field of rice breeding, including soaking seeds of the rice, germination, seedlings cultivation, managing and regulating of the rice at the growth stage, and harvesting the rice. The managing and regulating the rice at the growth stage includes dynamic light quality and photoperiod control in vegetative growth period, heading period and pustulation period; growth period involves light environment regulation with the ratio of red light:blue light:white light of 0.8-1:0.8-1:1.0, photoperiod of 16-18 h; heading period involves light environment regulation with the ratio of red light:blue light:white light of 1-2:0.5-1:1, photoperiod of 12-13.5 h; and pustulation period includes light environment regulation with the ratio of red light:blue light:white light of 1-2:1:1, photoperiod of 16-18 h.

Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are destroyed by oxidation in supercritical conditions. PFAS in water is concentrated in a reverse osmosis step and salt from the resulting solution is removed in supercritical conditions prior to destruction of PFAS in supercritical conditions.

Abstract: The invention provides for delivery, engineering and optimization of systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are delivery systems and tissues or organ which are targeted as sites for delivery. Also provided are vectors and vector systems some of which encode one or more components of a CRISPR complex, as well as methods for the design and use of such vectors. Also provided are methods of directing CRISPR complex formation in eukaryotic cells to ensure enhanced specificity for target recognition and avoidance of toxicity and to edit or modify a target site in a genomic locus of interest to alter or improve the status of a disease or a condition.

Abstract: An apparatus to: analyze a data set to identify a candidate topic not in a set of topics; determine whether the prominence of the candidate topic within the data set meets a threshold; in response to meeting the threshold, retrieve a rate of increase in frequency of the candidate topic in online searches; in response to meeting a threshold rate of increase, retrieve the keyword most frequently used in online searches for the candidate topic, use the keyword to retrieve a supplemental data set, and analyze input data extracted from the supplemental data set to determine whether the candidate topic can change the accuracy of a forecast model; and in response to determining that the candidate topic can change the accuracy, add the candidate topic to the set of topics and replace the forecast model with a forecast model trained for the set of topics augmented with the candidate topic.

Abstract: Smart membranes (14) are integrated into a small, unmanned surface vessel (20) to enable the efficient, automated cleanup of oil spills. Such a vessel (20) has the potential to provide a low-cost, modular solution for day-to-day oil-spill cleanup operations, especially in confined aquatic areas, such as under piers and in the small spaces between marine vessels and piers. The smart membranes (14) are provided on the surface of a conveyor belt (34) that circulates the membranes (14) through the surrounding body of water (10) for oil collection, as well as through an internal reduction chamber (22) of the vessel (20) for oil release. The smart membranes (14) are adapted to attract and repel oil (12) in response to low-voltage commands applied across the conveyor belt (34), using a process that is repeatable for a number of cycles, offering high efficiency and long durability (FIG. 5).

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel compound which has antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare that are causative bacteria of MAC infection and which is different in backbone structure from known drugs for treatment of MAC infection. One aspect of the present invention relates to a compound of Formula (I) [where R1 has the same meaning as described in the specification and claims] or a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing the compound of Formula (I) or a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof, and a therapeutic agent for Mycobacterium avium complex infection (MAC infection), which comprises the compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A flow battery field, an electrode slurry, a slurry electrode, a flow battery, and a stack are disclosed. The electrode slurry comprising electrode particles and electrolyte that contains active substance. Based on 100 pbw active substance, the electrode particles are 10-1,000 pbw. The slurry electrode comprises: a bipolar plate, a current collector, and a slurry electrode reservoir configured to store electrode slurry. In the two opposite sides of the bipolar plate, one side is adjacent to the current collector, and the other side is arranged with a slurry electrode cavity, and flow channels are arranged and extended between the bipolar plate and the slurry electrode cavity, so that the electrode slurry is circulated between the slurry electrode cavity and the slurry electrode reservoir. A flow battery that employs the electrode slurry can provide higher and more stable power output under the same current condition and is lower in cost.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a high efficiency flexible thin film solar cell module including a see-thru pattern. The method of manufacturing a flexible thin film solar cell module includes: sequentially forming a light-absorbing layer, a first buffer layer, and a first transparent electrode layer on the release layer; forming a second buffer layer on the exposed bottom surface of the light-absorbing layer; forming a P2 scribing pattern by removing at least one portion of each of the first buffer layer, the light-absorbing layer, and the second buffer layer; forming a second transparent electrode layer on the second buffer layer and the first transparent electrode layer exposed by the P2 scribing pattern; and forming a P4 see-thru pattern by selectively removing at least one portion of the first buffer layer, the light-absorbing layer, the second buffer layer, and the second transparent electrode layer.

Abstract: The method includes configuring a first CLI-RS configuration at a first UE (200a). Further, the method includes configuring a second CLI-RS configuration at a second UE (200b). Further, the method includes generating a CLI-RS sequence using a common CLI-RS reference point known to the first UE (200a) and the second UE (200b). Further, the method includes filling the CLI-RS sequence in the first set of CLI-RS resources indicated in the first CLI-RS configuration. Further, the method includes transmitting the CLI-RS sequence filled in the first set of CLI-RS resources indicated in the first CLI-RS configuration to the second UE (200b). Further, the method includes receiving the CLI-RS sequence transmitted by the first UE (200a). Further, the method includes processing the received CLI-RS sequence based on the second CLI-RS configuration.

Abstract: The present invention provides: industrially desirable and novel optically-active cyclopentenone derivatives; and a novel industrial manufacturing method. The novel optically-active cyclopentenone derivatives and method for manufacturing the same are, respectively: an intermediate for industrially desirable and novel prostaglandin derivatives and the like; and a method for manufacturing the same. It is expected that the present invention will be commercialized and industrialized.