Abstract: Provided are systems, devices and methods for ventilating patients. For example, provided are ventilation masks. The described ventilation masks can be used in ventilation procedures of patients.

Abstract: A method for designing and selecting a protein having a stabilized structure compared to a corresponding wild type protein, and proteins having at least six amino acid substitutions with respect to a corresponding wild type protein, designed for improved thermal stability, improved specific activity and/or improved expression levels, are provided herein.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical input/output device and an opto-electronic system including the same. The device includes a bulk silicon substrate, at least one vertical-input light detection element monolithically integrated on a portion of the bulk silicon substrate, and at least one vertical-output light source element monolithically integrated on another portion of the bulk silicon substrate adjacent to the vertical-input light detection element. The vertical-output light source element includes a III-V compound semiconductor light source active layer combined with the bulk silicon substrate by a wafer bonding method.

Abstract: Systems and methods for fractionating whole stillage from an ethanol production facility are provided. Whole stillage undergoes a separation of its liquid portion (thin stillage) from the solid portion (fiber cake). In some embodiments, the solids and liquids in whole stillage may be separated utilizing a screening centrifuge. The fiber cake may be dried to generate a high fiber animal feed. The thin stillage may be provided to a three-phase separator for separation into an oil emulsion, an aqueous clarified stillage, and a protein paste. The protein paste may be dried to generate a high protein animal feed with greater than about 45% protein content. The clarified thin stillage is condensed to yield a syrup with greater than around 60% solids. The oil emulsion is subjected to a pH adjustment to liberate the oil from the emulsion, which is then separated.

Abstract: A method includes providing a data processor having an instruction pipeline, where the instruction pipeline has a plurality of instruction pipeline stages, and where the plurality of instruction pipeline stages includes a first instruction pipeline stage and a second instruction pipeline stage. The method further includes providing a data processor instruction that causes the data processor to perform a first set of computational operations during execution of the data processor instruction, performing the first set of computational operations in the first instruction pipeline stage if the data processor instruction is being executed and a first mode has been selected, and performing the first set of computational operations in the second instruction pipeline stage if the data processor instruction is being executed and a second mode has been selected.

Abstract: A conductive paper electrode includes a paper, a carbon powder layer, a graphite layer and a nanostructural layer. The carbon powder layer is positioned over the paper. The graphite layer is positioned over the carbon powder layer. The nanostructural layer is positioned over the graphite layer. An electrochemical capacitor includes two conductive paper electrodes and an electrolyte interposed therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for fabricating a laterally-limited two-dimensional structure through template synthesis. The methods of the invention are useful in forming homogenous and heterogeneous layered materials. The invention also provides structures and devices formed by the method of the present invention and uses thereof.

Abstract: A jig for a sample for a solar photovoltaic device is disclosed. The jig includes a cradle unit supporting the sample and a contact unit including at least one probe pin coming into contact with a busbar of the sample located in the cradle unit. The contact unit includes a coupling plate coupled with the cradle unit and at least one contact bar including a PCB and connected to the coupling plate, the contact bar having at least one probe pin aligned with the busbar of the sample with interposition of a probe pin connecting block. the jig includes a rotation support unit coupled with the cradle unit by a rotation shaft to allow the cradle unit to be rotated at an angle of 180° or greater so that upper and lower surfaces of the sample supported by the cradle unit are reversed.

Abstract: Single-step synthesis processes for production of ultrahigh molecular weight block copolymers are described. The ultrahigh molecular weight copolymers can have a molecular weight of about 106 or greater and can be formed within a few hours in a surfactant-free environment. The formation process is controlled by initiator-starvation conditions in a sequential polymerization of monomers exhibiting different solubility in the solvent.

Abstract: This document provides methods and materials involved in assessing mammals (e.g., humans) for arthritis. For example, methods and materials for assessing a mammal's gut microbial diversity to identify the mammal as having arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) are provided. This document also provides methods and materials involved in treating arthritis.

Abstract: A system and methods for controlling pulse parameters during transcranial magnetic stimulation are provided. Multiple coils are placed on external body parts, and are controlled using an external control unit coupled to a stimulator having fast switches. The timing of the switches, as well as other parameters within the stimulator, determine the pulse parameters, such as pulse shape. The variety of pulse shapes obtainable using such a system and methods provides controlled physiologic effects within an internal body organ.

Abstract: A method is to be implemented by a processor connected to a storage device and an image capturing device, and includes steps of: performing a first and a second classifications on an image received from the image capturing device for respectively obtaining first and second results of obstacle detection, and storing the same in the storage device; determining whether there is a distinct obstacle, which is an obstacle indicated by one of the first and second results of obstacle detection, and not indicated by the other one of the first and second results of obstacle detection; and calculating a penalty score based on the distinct obstacle, and updating a credibility score by subtracting the penalty score therefrom.

Abstract: A method for ballistocardiography (BCG) and a BCG system ballistocardiography (BCG) system for heart beat determination are provided. The method includes digitizing a plurality of signals received from a corresponding plurality of sensors, estimating a plurality of smoothed cepstra corresponding to each of the plurality of digitized signals in response to a smoothed cepstrum analysis of a digital signal at a reception time of each of the plurality of digitized signals, and estimating a fused cepstrum for the plurality of digitized signals in response to the plurality of smoothed cepstra. The method further includes determining a heart rate in response to the plurality of smoothed cepstra and the fused cepstrum.

Abstract: The application provides new compositions and methods for stimulating the production of natural killer (NK) cells in a subject. NK cells can be selectively expanded with a combination of stimulating ligands. Methods and compositions for the administration of stimulatory ligands modified to self-insert into tumor cells, thereby stimulating an increase in the number of NK cells in proximity to a tumor, are also described.

Abstract: A method for printing including disposing a first ink onto a substrate to form a first ink layer on the substrate in an area where a diagnostic image will be printed; disposing a second ink onto the first ink layer to form a second ink diagnostic image, wherein the first ink has a first color density and the second ink has a second color density that is different from the first ink color density, wherein the second ink drops hit and displace areas of the first ink layer creating holes which provide a density contrast; curing or drying after forming the second ink diagnostic image; wherein the second ink diagnostic image is rendered visible by the contrast between the second ink diagnostic image and the substrate as compared to the first ink layer and the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a cell clustering method, used to classify multiple small cells into N clusters and including the following steps: based on throughputs, respectively placing N small cells having a largest interference with each other into the N clusters to initialize the clusters; and based on the throughputs, separately adding a small cell having a smallest interference with the clusters into the clusters, and repeating the step until all the small cells are allocated into the clusters. The present invention further discloses a spectrum overlapping multiplexing method based on the cell clustering method. According to the present invention, the cell system average spectral efficiency and the cell edge spectral efficiency in an ultra dense network can be improved.

Abstract: Provided are FTN-based OFDM transmission apparatus and method for efficient coexistence of broadband and sporadic traffics which may share radio resources with a Nyquist rate or more of efficiency by inserting the sporadic traffic into resources allocated to the broadband traffic in uplink transmission of a mobile communication system and use the band multiplexing even to a multi input multi output (MIMO) transmission apparatus. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce quality deterioration according to actual offloading of subcarriers by removing some frequency components to remove a frequency domain allocated with some subcarriers among frequency components of the broadband traffic to selectively offload subcarriers having low contribution rate for the actual broadband transmission and to use the sporadic traffic in a grant-free access scheme by using bands used for the offloaded subcarriers in the sporadic traffic transmission.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to associating disparate tracks from multiple sensor inputs for observed objects. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to receiving a first input from a first sensor and a second input from a second sensor, generating the disparate tracks including first sensor tracks and second sensor tracks for the observed objects that correspond to the first input and the second input. The method includes identifying correlations between the first sensor tracks and the second sensor tracks by computing association likelihoods between the first tracks and the second tracks within a permutation matrix according to an objective cost function. The method includes controlling a vehicle according to the correlations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes selecting, by a virtual problem-based learning (PBL) system, information indicative of a medical profile of a patient; accessing, by the virtual PBL system, information indicative of a team of students using the virtual PBL system; generating, by the virtual PBL system and based on the medical profile, an medical PBL schema comprising a medical problem to be solved by the team of students; generating a plurality of sections in the medical PBL schema, with each section promoting solving of the medical problem, and with each section associated with (i) a private work environment for a student to privately analyze the medical problem, and (ii) a shared, anonymous work environment for the students to view analysis performed by other students in solving the medical problem; and transmitting, to one or more client systems used by the students participating in the virtual problem-based learning system, the medical PBL schema.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method for transmitting and receiving compressed data and an apparatus therefor. According to the method for transmitting compressed data, a transmission apparatus for transmitting compressed data standardizes the value of an In-phase/Quadrature-phase (IQ) data sample to a preset type that is selected from among a positive number and a negative number, determines the sample type of the IQ data sample, the value of which is standardized to the preset type, based on a sample type determination rule, generates a compressed bit string based on the compression rule pertaining to the determined sample type, generates compressed data, including at least one of a reference bit corresponding to the sample type, the sign bit of the IQ data sample, and the compressed bit string, for each IQ data sample, and transmits the compressed data to a reception apparatus.