Abstract: A method includes the steps of: monitoring status information of a blockchain system; determining whether the status information meets a blockchain branch condition; when the status information matches the blockchain branch condition, writing a branch instruction to a selected block of the blockchain, wherein the branch instruction is configured to enable the blockchain to form a plurality of branches, and divide a plurality of blockchain devices in the blockchain system into a plurality of groups to verify the branches in parallel; and obtaining a maximum transmission delay time in the group, and deciding a new one to generate blocks of the first branch according to the maximum transmission delay time.

Abstract: Disclosed are monoacylated Toll-like receptor 2 ligands which can be used in both the development of targeted agents for the imaging and treatment of pancreatic cancer as well as other cancers, and as an adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy. The monoacylated compounds disclosed herein have a higher binding affinity for TLR2 relative to a known potent diacylated agonists, but only ?½ the bioactivity. Competition of the monoacylated compound with the diacylated compound for binding TLR2 was confirmed. Hence, the reported monoacylated compounds are inhibitors/antagonists of TLR2 activation.

Abstract: Provided are an proton conducting polymer electrolyte membrane and a manufacturing method thereof which control the proton conducting nanochannel size and proton conductivity by phase separation improvement of a polar aprotic solvent in casting the proton conducting polymer electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: A technique involves modular storage of network service plan components and provisioning of same. A subset of the capabilities of a service design system can be granted to a sandbox system to enable customization of service plan offerings or other controls.

Abstract: This invention relates to automatic insulin delivery systems and methods of administering insulin. Preferably the systems and methods comprise a predictive feedforward control.

Abstract: In this study, we capitalized on the antimicrobial property and low oral bioavailability of known salicylanilide anthelmintics (closantel, rafoxanide, niclosamide, oxyclozanide) to target the gut pathogen. The anthelmintics displayed excellent potency against C. difficile strains 630 and 4118 (with MIC values as low as 0.06-0.13 ?g/mL for rafoxanide) via a membrane depolarization mechanism, interestingly, closantel, rafoxanide and compound 8 were bactericidal against logarithmic- and stationary-phase cultures of the BI/NAP1/027 strain 4118. Further evaluation of the salicylanilides showed their preferential activity against Gram-positive over Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the salicylanilides were non-hemolytic and were non-toxic to mammalian cell lines HepG2 and HEK 293T/17 within the range of their in vitro MICs and MBCs. The salicylanilide anthelmintics exhibit desirable bactericidal and pharmacokinetic properties and are amenable to repositioning as anti-C. difficile agents.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions, methods and uses of humanin or a humanin analog, for example, in treating a subject with humanin or a humanin analog, in part, to reduce, decrease, or inhibit cardiotoxicity caused or induced by an anti-cancer or anti-tumor therapeutic agent, or to protect or preserve cardiac function in the presence of an anti-tumor or anti-cancer therapeutic agent. In some aspects, humanin or humanin analogs, alone or in combination with another cardioprotective agent such as Dexrazoxane are used in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent to treat a hyperproliferative disease or disorder.

Abstract: A method of monitoring for the presence of an oxidizing chemical species in an aqueous or non-polar environment includes steps of exposing a structured compound semiconductor material to the oxidizing chemical species in the environment and detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted by the structured compound semiconductor material upon exposure to the oxidizing chemical species. The structured compound semiconductor material is a phytate scaffold material and a metal dopant.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for performing cycles of aspect ratio dependent deposition and aspect ratio independent etching on lithographically patterned substrates are described herein. Methods are suitable for reducing variation of feature depths and/or aspect ratios between features formed and partially formed by lithography, some partially formed features being partially formed due to stochastic effects. Methods and apparatuses are suitable for processing a substrate having a photoresist after extreme ultraviolet lithography. Some methods involve cycles of deposition by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and directional etching by atomic layer etching.

Abstract: A modulator and a modulation method using a non-uniform 16-symbol signal constellation are disclosed. The modulator includes a memory and a processor. The memory receives a codeword corresponding to a low-density parity check (LDPC) code having a code rate of 2/15. The processor maps the codeword to 16 symbols of the non-uniform 16-symbol signal constellation on a 4-bit basis.

Abstract: A device is provided for securing a plurality of infrared radiation detectors from unwanted infrared radiation. The device includes a structure supporting the plurality of infrared radiation detectors. A plurality of nanowires are positioned adjacent to each other so as to define a layer. The layer has an inner surface positioned adjacent an outer surface of the structure and an outer surface directable towards a source of unwanted infrared radiation. The plurality of IR radiation detectors are aligned with a desired field of view so as to receive IR radiation radiating from any objects in the field of view such that a first portion of the IR radiation engages and is absorbed by IR radiation detectors, while a second portion of the IR radiation engages and is absorbed by IR radiation detector is absorbed by layer.

Abstract: A capacitor structure includes: a first substrate having a first electrode part provided on one surface thereof; a second substrate having a second electrode part provided on a surface thereof, which faces the first substrate; and a dielectric layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a Poisson's ratio of the first substrate or the second substrate is different from a Poisson's ratio of the dielectric layer. The capacitor structure has a substantially constant capacitance even when the capacitor structure is exposed to external strain.

Abstract: An optical receiver includes a transimpedance amplifier that converts a current signal corresponding to an optical signal into a voltage signal. The transimpedance amplifier includes an input terminal receiving the current signal, an output terminal outputting the voltage signal, an inverting circuit including a pull-up device that pull-up drives the voltage signal of the output terminal according to the current signal, and a pull-down device that pull-down drives the voltage signal of the output terminal according to the current signal, a feedback resistor electrically connected between the input and output terminals, a first resistor electrically connected between the input terminal and the pull-up device, and a second resistor electrically connected between the input terminal and the pull-down device.

Abstract: Ribozymes exhibiting tRNA synthetase activity and substrate specificity, as well as methods for engineering and producing the same, are disclosed. The ribozymes of the present disclosure comprise a T-box module fused with a flexizyme module. The flexizyme module provides high promiscuity with respect to amino acid substrates and the T-box module provides tRNA substrate specificity, which may be engineered as desired. Systems are also described for aminoacylation of suppressor tRNAs with unnatural amino acids (uAAs), such systems comprising the ribozyme previously mentioned, suppressor tRNA, and the desired uAA(s). Methods for incorporating a uAA into a growing polypeptide chain using the ribozyme hereof are also provided.

Abstract: A data storing method performed by a data storing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a step of calling insert operation for storing first data in a first page having a space for storing data, a step of checking whether overflow in which there is no space for storing the first data in the first page occurs, a step of checking whether the overflow occurs in the first page and dead data is stored in the first page, and a step of generating an overflow buffer page to store the first data in the overflow buffer page when the overflow occurs in the first page and the dead data is stored in the first page and there is a transaction accessing the dead data.

Abstract: A filament assembly can include: a button having a planar emitter region with one or more apertures extending from an emission surface of the planar emitter region to an internal surface opposite of the emission surface; an inlet electrical lead coupled to the button at a first side; an outlet electrical lead coupled to the button at a second side opposite of the first side; and a low work function object positioned adjacent to the internal surface of the planar emitter region and retained to the button. The planar emitter region can include a plurality of apertures. The low work function object can include a porous ceramic material having the barium, and may have a polished external surface. An electron gun can include the filament assembly. An additive manufacturing system can include the electron gun having the filament assembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for transmitting and receiving audio, particularly, to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving of object-based audio contents, which packetizes audio objects having the same characteristic. To achieve the above, the present invention includes filtering a plurality of ESs according to common information, adding a packet header to the respective filtered ESs and generate ES packets, aggregating all the generated ES packets and then adding a multi-object packet header to the aggregated ES packets to generate an object packet, and multiplexing the generated object packet, packetizing the multiplexed object packet according to a transmitting media and transmitting the packetized object packet.

Abstract: An electronic component such as a voltage controllable reconfigurable capacitor or transistor is formed by printing one or more layers of ink on a non-conductive substrate. Ferroelectric ink or semi-conductive ink is printed and conductive resistive or dielectric ink is printed on a s same or different layers. Reconfigurability is achieved by printing resistive biasing circuitry wherein when a changing voltage is applied to the biasing circuitry, an electronic property of the electronic component changes in response to the changing voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for detecting a malicious device based on swarm intelligence. The method includes detecting a malicious device by causing at least one exploration ant to access a device swarm along movement routes in which pheromone trail values are taken into consideration, wherein the exploration ant is generated in response to a detection request received from a security management server, when the at least one exploration ant detects a suspicious device that is suspected to be a malicious device, causing the exploration ant to return along the movement routes in reverse order, and returning pheromone trail values generated by devices on the return movement routes to a malicious device detection apparatus, and identifying whether the suspicious device is the malicious device by calculating an optimal solution based on a local information set generated by aggregating the pheromone trail values returned for movement routes.

Abstract: The multi sample prediction method of the present invention comprises the steps of: determining a sample group consisting of a plurality of samples inside a decoding target block; determining a representative position corresponding to the sample group, inside the decoding target block; determining a representative prediction value for the sample group, on the basis of the determined representative position; and determining the determined representative prediction value as the final prediction value for each of the plurality of samples making up the sample group. The present invention enhances efficiency in encoding/decoding and reduces complexity thereof.