Abstract: A desalination and cooling system includes a single effect water-lithium bromide vapor absorption cycle (VAC) system and a forward osmosis with thermal-recovery (FO-TR) desalination system. The FO system employs a Thermo-Responsive Draw Solution (TRDS) Fresh water flows from the FS to the TRDS without application of pressure on the saline water. Afterwards, only thermal energy is required to extract fresh water from the TRDS and recover or regenerate the draw solution. The VAC system serves as a cooling source for cooling or air conditioning applications, generating waste heat as a result. The waste heat generated by the VAC system provides the thermal energy needed to recover the draw solution (DS). The VAC system can be powered by low-grade heat sources like solar thermal energy.

Abstract: A method of generating neural and glial cells is provided. The method comprising growing human stem cells under conditions which induce differentiation of said human stem cells into the neural and glial cells, said conditions comprising the presence of retinoic acid and an agent capable of down-regulating Bone Morphogenic Protein activity.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for transmitting and receiving data channels in a communication system. An operation method of a terminal in a communication system may comprise receiving, from a base station, resource allocation information of a plurality of physical uplink shared channels (PUSCHs) used for repetitive transmission of a same transport block (TB); identifying a position of each of the plurality of PUSCHs in a time domain based on the resource allocation information; and repeatedly transmitting the same TB to the base station at the position of each of the plurality of PUSCHs. Therefore, performance of the communication system can be improved.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a context-adaptive entropy model for end-to-end optimized image compression. The entropy model exploits two types of contexts. The two types of contexts are a bit-consuming context and a bit-free context, respectively, and these contexts are classified depending on the corresponding context requires the allocation of additional bits. Based on these contexts, the entropy model may more accurately estimate the distribution of each latent representation using a more generalized form of entropy models, thus improving compression performance.

Abstract: An Erythropoietic Stimulating Agent (ESA) dosing system/method determines patient-specific ESA therapies for patients affected by insufficient hemoglobin production that may benefit from ESA treatment. The ESA dosing system includes a model that represents a process by which red blood cells are produced in humans. The model may include one or more parameters, the values of which are patient-specific. The model takes into account patient-specific historical hemoglobin (Hgb) data and corresponding historical ESA dosage data to estimate the patient-specific values of the model parameters, and determines a target therapeutic dose of the ESA that may maintain the patient's Hgb within a target range.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a monoclonal antibody or an antigen-binding portion thereof having specific binding affinity to RING finger protein 4 (RNF4). The invention is further directed to use of the antibody or an antigen-binding portion thereof in detecting a RNF4-associated disease in a subject, such as cancer.

Abstract: A transponder for securing a product displayed in a shop. The transponder includes two blocks each including a contact surface, the contact surfaces being positioned face to face, the blocks being connected to each other by an adjustable connection, that allows to manually adjust the moving closer together or farther apart of the blocks with respect to one another, thus allowing the transponder to be attached to a suitable element of the product, by gripping the element between the contact surfaces of the blocks, one of the blocks including wireless detection and transmission equipment, which allows the remote management of the presence of the transponder on the suitable element.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a firearm monitoring system comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to generate data indicative of at least one of a movement of the firearm, an orientation of the firearm, or a direction of the firearm, and a communication circuit configured to communicate the data generated using the inertial measurement unit to a device external to the firearm, and a microcontroller module configured to deliver power from a power source to at least one of the inertial measurement unit or the communication circuit, wherein at least the inertial measurement unit is disposed within an action structure of the firearm.

Abstract: An imaging system (200) including a phase-modulating element (202) configured and arranged with optics (100) in an imaging path (300) of the imaging system, to modulate light emitted from an object (150), while the object is in motion with respect to the imaging system, to create a modified point-spread function (PSF); and a processor (700) configured and arranged to generate, on an image plane (500) of the imaging system, a three-dimensional image from the modulated light to provide depth-based characteristics of the object. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon wells and methods that utilize a plug with an included tracer material. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubular conduit. The hydrocarbon wells also include a plug positioned within the wellbore and a tracer detection structure. The plug forms a fluid seal and includes a tracer material. The tracer detection structure is configured to detect the tracer material within a produced fluid stream that is produced from the hydrocarbon well. The methods include releasing the tracer material from the plug and producing the produced fluid stream. The methods also include detecting the tracer material within the produced fluid stream.

Abstract: A system for controlling an operation of an induction motor (IM). A controller processor detects a spectrum of a current signal from received sensor data using a module. Obtain a number of rotor bars and a number of pole pairs of the IM to identify a principle slot harmonics (PSH) type IM from stored IM data. Use the PSH-type IM to identify a static eccentricity (SE) fault signature signal located at a secondary PSH frequency of the PSH-type IM. Determine a level of signal strength in the spectrum of the current signal at a location of the secondary PSH frequency, and compare to a SE fault table database to obtain a SE fault level of the PSH-type IM. Compare the SE fault level to a database to obtain a SE fault threshold, and if the SE fault level is outside the SE threshold, generate an interrupt command to the controller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to soil moisture and soil matric potential measurement using microwave sensor composed of sensor element (1), porous matrix (2), phase shift measurement circuit (3) and circuit protective layer (4). Operating principle is based on the phase shift method in which phase shift of the signal propagating along sensor element (1) is related to the porous matrix (2) moisture content. Porous matrix (2) is in contact with surrounding soil (5) and reflects its water content. Phase shift measurement circuit (3) excite sensor element (1) and measures phase shift. The sensor is independent of soil electrical conductivity owing to the operating frequency in microwave range (˜GHz). In this manner, it is less sensitive to the soil type and therefore less demanding for calibration. The sensor is made of durable elements without consumable parts which enable a long-term operation. Its low power consumption makes it suitable for Internet of Things concept and automatic irrigation systems.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for group-based energy harvesting. The group-based energy harvesting method performed by an access point in an energy harvesting system includes allocating an access period in each group including at least one station, receiving an energy state from the station in the group corresponding to the allocated access period, and scheduling stations in each group as a data transmission station or an energy reception station based on the received energy state.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods of making confined nanocatalysts within mesoporous materials (MPMs). The methods utilize solid state growth of nanocrystalline metal organic frameworks (MOFs) followed by controlled transformation to generate nanocatalysts in situ within the mesoporous material. The disclosure also provides applications of the nanocatalysts to a wide variety of fields including, but not limited to, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, synthetic liquid fuel preparation, and nitrogen fixation.

Abstract: An optical coupling method and apparatus are disclosed. The optical coupling method improve the speed of optical alignment between an optical fiber and a grating coupler (GC) of an optical coupling apparatus for a characteristic test of a silicon photonic integrated circuit (Si-PIC) chip by using a reflective grating couplers disposed on the Si-PIC chip.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for wideband short-range wireless communication using a directional antenna in a millimeter wave band, and the method for wideband short-range wireless communication according to an embodiment may determine a first time interval and a second time interval for a cooperated data frame transfer based on a packet transmission time at each transmission from a source node to a destination node, transmit a frame to a relay node through an antenna pattern directed towards the relay node at a start point of the first time interval, and transmit the frame to the destination node through an antenna pattern directed towards the destination node after a predetermined period of time from a start point of the second time interval.

Abstract: A method of generating a terahertz wave and apparatuses performing the method are disclosed. According to an example embodiment, a method of generating a terahertz wave includes outputting a laser comb by modulating a laser output from a laser source based on a linearly modulated frequency of an output that is output from a frequency source, and generating a terahertz wave based on a first comb line and a second comb line selected from the laser comb.