Abstract: A soft body robotic device includes a body made at least partly from a polylactic-acid-based material, and a magnetic movement mechanism connected to the body. The magnetic movement mechanism is configured to support movement of the soft body robotic device and to interact with an external magnetic control device for movement of the soft body robotic device.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing an electrical energy storage apparatus includes exciting at least one energy storage system in the electrical energy storage apparatus; sampling data associated with an electrical characteristic of the at least one energy storage system in response to the excitation of the at least one energy storage system; and estimating at least one electrical parameter and/or at least one operational condition attribute of the at least one energy storage system.

Abstract: An electrical energy storage device and a method of forming such electrical energy storage device. The electrical energy storage device includes an electrolyte that is arranged to dissipate energy when subjected to external mechanical load applied to the electrical energy storage device. The electrolyte includes a polymer matrix of at least two crosslinked structures, including a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material; and an electrolytic solution retained by the polymer matrix.

Abstract: A method of preventing or treating a subject suffering from a flavivirus infection by administering an effective amount of berbamine or its analogue to the subject, berbamine has a structure of Formula (I), wherein the flavivirus infection is caused by Japanese encephalitis virus, Zika virus or Dengue virus. A method of inhibiting the entry of a flavivirus, an enterovirus and/or a lentivirus into host cells includes contacting the host cells with an effective amount of berbamine of its analogue, berbamine has a structure of Formula (I), wherein the flavivirus is Japanese encephalitis virus, Zika virus or Dengue virus.

Abstract: A method for preparing a high entropy alloy (HEA) structure includes the steps of: preparing an alloy by arc melting raw materials comprising five or more elements; drop casting the melted alloy into a cooled mold to form a bulk alloy with eutectic microstructure therein; and subjecting the bulk alloy to an acidic condition to form a bulk porous structure with eutectic microstructure therein. A high entropy alloy structure is also provided as prepared by the method.

Abstract: System and method for determining gain characteristics of a circularly-polarized antenna. The method includes receiving a measured first amplitude of a forward gain between a circularly-polarized antenna probe of a first type and a linearly-polarized standard-gain antenna, a measured second amplitude of a forward gain between a circularly-polarized antenna probe of a first type and a circularly-polarized antenna under test, and a measured third amplitude of a forward gain between a circularly-polarized antenna probe of a second type and the circularly-polarized antenna under test. The method also includes determining a left-hand circularly-polarized gain and a right-hand circularly-polarized gain of the circularly-polarized antenna under test based on the measured first amplitude, the measured second amplitude, the measured third amplitude, and a cross-polarization level of the circularly-polarized antenna probes of the first and second types. The determination may be performed using one or more processors.

Abstract: A dielectric resonator antenna and a dielectric resonator antenna array. The dielectric resonator antenna includes a ground plane, a dielectric resonator element operably coupled with the ground plane, and a feed network operably coupled with the dielectric resonator element for exciting the dielectric resonator antenna to provide a wideband omnidirectional response. The dielectric resonator element includes a plurality of portions, including, at least, an innermost portion and an outermost portion arranged around the innermost portion. The innermost portion has a first effective dielectric constant and outermost portion has a second, different effective dielectric constant.

Abstract: A system and method for processing an image including the steps of receiving an input image having a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels have one or more pixel characteristics; and processing the input image to generate an enhanced image by applying a pixel/image relationship to each of the plurality of pixels of the input image, wherein the pixel/image relationship is arranged to adjust the one or more pixel characteristics of each of the plurality of pixels of the input image.

Abstract: A photonic device structure includes: an electro-optical structure including a layer of optical material sandwiched by a pair of electrodes, wherein the layer of optical material is arranged to undergo an electro-optic activity when subjected to a voltage bias across the pair of electrodes; and a cladding layer adjacent to the electro-optical structure.

Abstract: Provided is a platinum complex having a structure represented by formula (I): wherein A1 to A3 each independently represent a 5-membered or 6-membered unsaturated ring, A3 is optionally formed between A1 and A2; X1, X2, and X3 each independently represent carbon or nitrogen; R1 represents hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6 alkyl, —CF2H, —CFH2, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C12 aryl or —CmF2m+1, m is an integer of 1 to 5; R2 and R3 each independently represent hydrogen, C1-C12 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6 alkoxyl, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C12 aryl, or —CnF2n+1, n is an integer of 0 to 3; p and q each independently represent an integer of 1 to 2; and when p or q is equal to 2, two R2's or R3's may join to form a C3-C8 aromatic or nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring.

Abstract: A system and a method for an energy harvesting and storage apparatus including a flexible substrate, an energy harvesting device disposed on the flexible substrate, the energy harvesting device is configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, an energy storage device disposed on the flexible substrate and in electrical communication with the energy harvesting device and configured to receive and store the electrical energy from the energy harvesting device.

Abstract: A method of producing an aptamer selectively binding a non-canonical structure of a target nucleic acid molecule includes the steps of: incubating a plurality of nucleic acid sequences with an enantiomer of the non-canonical structure under suitable conditions to obtain one or more candidate nucleic acid sequences binding to the enantiomer of the non-canonical structure, purifying and amplifying the one or more candidate nucleic acid sequences; repeating said incubating, purifying and amplifying steps for a predetermined number of cycles under different conditions; and producing an enantiomer for selected amplified candidate nucleic acid sequence to obtain the aptamer capable of selectively binding the non-canonical structure of the target nucleic acid molecule. An aptamer selectively binding to a non-canonical structure of a nucleic acid molecule or its enantiomer, the aptamer comprising a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11; as well as uses of the aptamer or its enantiomer.

Abstract: An iridium complex has the structure: wherein X? and X? independently represent carbon or nitrogen; X1, X2, X3, and X4 independently represent carbon or nitrogen; R1 and R5 independently represent substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12 alkyl; R2, R3, and R4 independently represent hydrogen, C1-C12 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C12 aryl, or —CmF2m+1, m is from 1 to 3; each of m and n is from 1 to 3; A1 and A2 independently represent an unsaturated 5-membered or 6-membered ring; B is —O—, —NR— or —CR2—, A2 may join with —NR— or —CR2— to form a C9-C14 N-heteroaromatic or aromatic ring; b is 0 or 1; R6 is hydrogen, fluorine, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6 alkoxyl, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C12 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6 amino, or —CxF2x+1, x is from 1 to 3; and p is from 1 to 3.

Abstract: A method of preventing or treating a subject suffering from Clostiridium difficile infection or its associated symptom includes administering a therapeutic effective amount of a HMGB1 inhibitor to the subject. A method of inhibiting toxin-induced cytotoxic effect in colon cells includes contacting the colon cells with an effective amount of a HMGB1 inhibitor.

Abstract: An energy storage device and a method of fabricating such energy storage device. The energy storage device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte. The combination of the electrodes and the electrolyte is arranged to elastically deform when subjected to an external mechanical load applied to the energy storage device. The electrolyte includes a polymer matrix of at least two crosslinked structures, including a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material; and an electrolytic solution retained by the polymer matrix.

Abstract: A wireless communication system and a precoder device for use in such system. The precoder device includes a delay element arranged to introduce a delay to a plurality of sub-channels of a signal at a transmitter end of the communication system; wherein the delay in a plurality of sub-channels are associated with a process time of a receiver component at a receiver end of the communication system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound for use in an optoelectronic device including a heterojunction. The heterojunction includes a metal-organic framework optimized for operation as an electron transport layer in an optoelectronic device.

Abstract: A system and a method for monitoring a device including the steps of obtaining operation information from a device, wherein the operation information is associated with the condition of the device in operation; and processing the operation information with a device modelling engine to determine one or more operation conditions of the device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and related system for determining a quality of a synthesized video file. The method includes processing a reference video file and a synthesized video file associated with the reference video file to compare the original video file and the synthesized video file. The method also includes determining an extent of flicker distortion of the synthesized video file based on the processing.

Abstract: A system and a method for a torque measurement system for a vehicle having a rotatable member connecting an engine to a torque converter and rotatable about a rotating axis, the torque measurement system including a strain measuring module arranged to measure the strain on the rotatable member; a control module arranged to process the data associated with the strain measurement; and an energy generating module arranged to generate electricity through the movement of the rotatable member, thereby powering the torque measurement system.