Abstract: A disclosed insert for a circular-shaped petri dish can generate a substantially uniform electric field across the petri dish that is filled with a fluid establishing a salt bridge. The insert includes a circular-shaped bottom plate defining a circular-shaped space; a side channel vertically erecting from a circular periphery of said bottom plate; and a pair of current rectifying chambers each having a generally planar shape communicating with the side channel. In at least some aspects of the invention, portions of the side channel bridging the pair of current rectifying chambers each have a generally concave top profile having a lowest point at the center between the pair of current rectifying chambers such that, when the salt bridge is established, the circular-shaped space defined by the bottom plate exhibits a substantially uniform electric field in a substantially entire area of the space.

Abstract: A method of forming a Pb-free perovskite film is provided, the method based on vacuum evaporation and comprising: first depositing a first material comprising Sn halide on a substrate to form a first layer; second depositing a second material comprising organic halide to form a second layer on the first layer to obtain a sequentially-deposited two-layer film on the substrate; and annealing the sequentially-deposited two-layer film on the substrate. During the annealing, the first and second materials inter-diffuse and react to form the Pb-free perovskite film. The second layer is formed to cover the first layer so as to prevent the first layer from air exposure. The solar cell device including the Pb-free perovskite film formed by using the present method exhibits good stability.

Abstract: A method for performing 2-dimensional discrete Fourier transform of a subject image data to be performed in one or more digital processors includes performing 1-dimensional fast Fourier transform on each row of the subject image data and 1-dimensional fast Fourier transform on each column of the subject image, and performing a simplified fast Fourier transform processing on the extracted boundary image without performing column-by-column 1-dimensional fast Fourier transform by: performing 1-dimensional fast Fourier transform only on a first column vector in the extracted boundary image data, using scaled column vectors to derive fast Fourier transform of remaining columns of the extracted boundary image data, and performing 1-dimensional fast Fourier transform on each row of the extracted boundary image data.

Abstract: A novel catalyst includes a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticle including a core made of a catalytic metal and a porous shell surrounding the core, made of metal oxide, the porous shell preserving a catalytic function of the core and reducing reduction of the core and coalescence of the nanoparticles.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing nanoparticle decorated nanowires by a vacuum deposition system having a deposition chamber and an aggregation chamber connected thereto includes: mounting a metal member in the deposition chamber; performing thermal oxidization of the metal member in the deposition chamber in an oxygen atmosphere so as to grow metal oxide nanowires on a surface of the metal member; without breaking vacuum in the vacuum deposition system, generating a vapor of a catalytic metal particles clusters in the aggregation chamber that is connected to the deposition chamber; and without breaking vacuum in the vacuum deposition system, transporting the generated catalytic metal particles clusters to the deposition chamber so as to decorate the metal oxide nanowires with catalytic metal nanoparticles made of the catalytic metal particles.

Abstract: A device for moving a fluid with magnetic gear includes two first balls each having a shape of sphere, respectively fixed to a rotating first shaft through respective centers of the sphere, each of the first balls having a first magnetic dipole in a direction orthogonal to the first shaft; and a second ball having a shape of sphere attaching a blade structure thereon to move the fluid, fixed to a freely rotatable second shaft through a center of the sphere, and having a second magnetic dipole in a direction orthogonal to the second shaft, wherein the centers of the first and second balls altogether form an isosceles triangle with a vertex angle ? being defined about the center of the second ball, satisfying ? = 2 ? arcsin ? ( 1 3 ) ? 70.53 ? ° .

Abstract: The present invention can provide novel C-glycoside derivatives which are biologically important under high stereoselective, mild, atom economical condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel tertiary alcohol derivatives substituted with aryl and trifluoromethyl, and optical isomers thereof. In addition, the present invention also relates to methods for the preparation and use as enantiomer recognition agent thereof. The present invention provides pharmaceutical composition and use as therapeutically active substance thereof.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a perovskite-based optoelectronic device is provided, the method comprising: forming an active layer comprising organometal halide perovskite; making a solution comprising a hole transport material (HTM) and a solvent, the solvent having a boiling point lower than that of chlorobenzene; and forming a hole transport layer (HTL) by spin-coating the solution on the active layer. The solvents having a boiling point lower than that of chlorobenzene include chloroform and dichloromethane.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device is provided, the p-doped HTL device comprising an active layer comprising organometal halide perovskite and a hole transport layer (HTL) formed by vacuum evaporation and configured to transport hole carriers. The HTL includes a first sublayer comprising a hole transport material (HTM) doped with an n-dopant and disposed adjacent to the active layer, a second sublayer comprising the HTM that is undoped and disposed adjacent to the first sublayer, and a third sublayer comprising the HTM doped with a p-dopant and disposed adjacent to the second sublayer. The doping concentration of the n-dopant for the n-doped sublayer is determined to match the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level of the n-doped sublayer with the valence band maximum energy level of the perovskite active layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for screening a compound that inhibits secretion of toxins into host-cell cytoplasm by virulent bacteria using a needle type III secretion system. The compound of the invention is selected by screening for a compound which interacts with a loop region of the cytoplasmic domain of the membrane protein FlhB from Salmonella typhimurium or a paralog thereof. Compositions including the compound of the invention, use of the compound, and methods of treating disorders caused by virulent bacteria are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating a perovskite film is provided, the system including a housing for use as a CVD furnace having first and second sections coupled with first and second temperature control units, respectively. The first and second sections correspond substantially to the upstream and downstream of gases, respectively. One or more substrates are loaded in the second section and controlled by the second temperature control unit, and an evaporation unit containing an organic halide material is loaded in the first section and controlled by the first temperature control unit. Each of the substrates is pre-deposited with a metal halide material. The inside of the housing is pumped down to a low pressure.

Abstract: Apparatus for improving a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a sample is programmed to execute instructions including: removing uncorrelated noise in said 3D reconstruction with COMET or other regularization techniques; and removing correlated noise in said 3D reconstruction by applying an Extended Field Iterative Reconstruction Technique (EFIRT) procedure.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating perovskite films for solar cell applications are provided, the system including a housing for use as a vacuum chamber, a substrate stage coupled to the top section of the housing; a first evaporator unit coupled to the bottom section of the housing and configured to generate BX2 (metal halide material) vapor; a second evaporator unit coupled to the housing and configured to generate AX (organic material) vapor; and a flow control unit coupled to the housing for controlling circulation of the AX vapor. The dimensions of the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the first evaporator unit, the dimensions of the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the substrate stage, and the relative position in the horizontal direction between the two horizontal cross-sectional shapes are configured to maximize the overlap between the two horizontal cross-sectional shapes.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating a perovskite film is provided, the system including a substrate stage configured to rotate around its central axis at a rotation speed, a first set of evaporation units, each coupled to the side section or the bottom section of the chamber, a second set of evaporation units coupled to the bottom section, and a shield defining two or more zones having respective horizontal cross-sectional areas, which are open and facing the substrate, designated for the two or more evaporation units in the second set. The resultant perovskite film includes multiple unit layers, wherein each unit layer is formed by one rotation of the substrate stage, and the composition and thickness of the unit layer are controlled by adjusting at least the evaporation rates, the rotation speed and the horizontal cross-sectional areas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel 4-substituted pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid derivatives, compounds of formula I, wherein R1 and R2 are defined herein. The compounds of formula I are useful for making pharmaceutical compositions to treat proliferative diseases. The present invention also relates to concise methods for preparing compounds of formula I that may be performed under mild reaction conditions.

Abstract: A soft magnetic nanoparticle comprising an iron aluminide nanoalloy of the DO3 phase as a core encapsulated in an inert shell made of alumina.

Abstract: A method of inverse reinforcement learning for estimating cost and value functions of behaviors of a subject includes acquiring data representing changes in state variables that define the behaviors of the subject; applying a modified Bellman equation given by Eq. (1) to the acquired data: q(x)+gV(y)?V(x)=?1n{pi(y|x))/(p(y|x)} (1) where q(x) and V(x) denote a cost function and a value function, respectively, at state x, g represents a discount factor, and p(y|x) and pi(y|x) denote state transition probabilities before and after learning, respectively; estimating a density ratio pi(y|x)/p(y|x) in Eq. (1); estimating q(x) and V(x) in Eq. (1) using the least square method in accordance with the estimated density ratio pi(y|x)/p(y|x), and outputting the estimated q(x) and V(x).

Abstract: Apparatus for improving a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a sample is programmed to execute instructions including: removing uncorrelated noise in said 3D reconstruction with COMET or other regularization techniques; and removing correlated noise in said 3D reconstruction by applying an Extended Field Iterative Reconstruction Technique (EFIRT) procedure.

Abstract: A wave energy converter system includes a plurality of wave energy converter units installed at or adjacent to a shoreline to receive water flows caused by ocean waves approaching the shoreline, each of the wave energy converter units including: a generator having a rotor shaft, the generator being configured to generate electricity in accordance with rotation of the rotor shaft; and a plurality of blades attached to the rotor shaft, the plurality of blades causing the rotor shaft of the generator to rotate in response to the water flows that impinge on the blades, thereby generating electricity; and a power conditioner installed onshore to receive the electricity generated by each of the plurality of wave energy converter units, the power conditioner providing consolidated electricity to an external power grid.