Abstract: In an indoor environment on fire, automatic deployment of sensors disposed on, beneath or over the floor to look upward the ceiling to observe a body of smoke and flame risen near the ceiling allows important information regarding states and dynamics of the body of smoke and flame to be gathered at an early stage of fire (e.g. before arrival of firefighters). By distributing the sensors over the indoor environment, the states and dynamics of the body of smoke and flame are monitored holistically (i.e. as a whole) even at the early stage of fire. Such information is useful to predict development of the fire. In one implementation, a sensor is held in an infrastructure sensor holder mounted on the ceiling during normal time. Upon detecting occurrence of fire, the sensor drops from the holder to land on the floor and orients a sensing direction vertically upward to perform monitoring.

Abstract: A machine learning method predicts whether a specified subject is at high risk of developing cognitive impairment based upon a data record for said specified subject, and a method of training a dual neural network for such. These methods may work by automatically classifying said subject into a first class associated with a first predicted risk of cognitive impairment or a second class associated with a second predicted risk of cognitive impairment. Subject records are obtained comprising a first set of measured data and a second set of data including results for two or more health assessment questionnaires; and a label indicating that the subject belongs to the first class or second class. These records are used to train first and second neural networks, and in the latter method these trained networks are able to predict whether a specified subject should belong to said first class or second class.

Abstract: An energy storage system is provided for an electric vehicle. The energy storage system comprises a first energy storage source. The first energy storage source includes an ammonia tank configured to hold ammonia, an ammonia converter configured to receive ammonia from the ammonia tank and convert the received ammonia into hydrogen, and a fuel cell system communicating with the ammonia converter and configured to generate output power from hydrogen that is received from the ammonia converter.

Abstract: A method for ultrasound stimulation of spinal cord, the method comprising at least two stimulation cycles, each comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a first real-time spinal cord using a first set of ultrasound transducers; b) selecting a pre-determined stimulation area of the spinal cord from the first real-time spinal cord; c) calculating the position and orientation of the selected stimulation area relative to a second set of ultrasound transducers; and d) stimulating the selected stimulation area of the spinal cord at the calculated relative position and orientation using the second set of ultrasound transducers.

Abstract: Disclosed is polymer-ceramic composite material with colossal permittivity, comprising polymer matrix and ceramic powders embedded in the polymer matrix, wherein a part of the polymer matrix is exposed and adsorbed to the surface of the ceramic powders, and the polymer is electrically insulating. This invention simultaneously achieves large dielectric constant, negligible dielectric loss and high energy density in flexible composite capacitors based on metal-ion co-doped colossal permittivity materials. The host oxides used in this CP system is friendly to the environment, non-toxic and abundant. Additionally, the process developed is relatively simple, low cost and suitable for mass production-scale. Therefore, these composite capacitors have great technological potential for many applications. Compared to the conventional ceramic materials, composites of this invention are lightweight, scalable and easily fabricated into complex shapes towards miniaturization of the compact systems.

Abstract: An orthopedic hinge assembly is provided, which includes a V-shaped blade, an intermediate blade and a terminal blade. The V-shaped blade, the intermediate blade and the terminal blade are provided with holes to allow a fixed member to pass through; the V-shaped blade is hinged to one end of the intermediate blade for supporting the bending of a body; another end of the intermediate blade is hinged to the terminal blade for supporting the bending of the body; the strip-shaped grooves on the V-shaped blade, the intermediate blade and the terminal blade can be used to fix the orthopedic hinge assembly to a surface of the body using a belt or other fixed member, and to make the corrective member stably fix to one side of the body, effectively producing the lateral corrective force; the design of each blade can coordinate the forward bending motion of the body, effectively introducing the corrective force.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for segmenting overlapping cytoplasm in a medical image, including: establishing a cytoplasm shape hypothesis set (201); and selecting a shape hypothesis for each cytoplasm from the established cytoplasm shape hypothesis set to perform constrained multi-shape evolution (202), thereby segmenting overlapping cytoplasm in the medical image, wherein the constrained multi-shape evolution (202) includes: segmenting a clump area composed of a plurality of overlapping cytoplasm to provide clump evidence (301); performing shape alignment to assess quality of the selected shape hypotheses (302); and performing shape evolution to determine a better shape hypothesis for each cytoplasm (3). The present invention further relates to a system for segmenting overlapping cytoplasm in a medical image. The method and system of the present invention can perform shape prior-based overlapping cytoplasm segmentation more accurately and more effectively.

Abstract: A method for supporting positioning of a vehicle using a satellite positioning system is disclosed. The method includes generating, in real-time, a sliding window map (SWM) based on 3D point clouds from a 3D LiDAR sensor and an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), wherein the SWM provides an environment description for detecting and correcting a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) reception; accumulating the 3D point clouds from previous frames into the SWM for enhancing a field of view (FOV) of the 3D LiDAR sensor; receiving global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements from satellites, by a GNSS receiver; detecting NLOS reception from the GNSS measurements using the SWM; correcting the NLOS reception by NLOS remodeling when a reflection point is not found in the SWM; and estimating a GNSS positioning by a least-squares algorithm. It is the objective to provide a method that mitigates NLOS caused by both static buildings and dynamic objects.

Abstract: A combined testbench type and walking type compliant exoskeleton system quickly and efficiently converts from a fixed testbench configuration to a mobile orthosis configuration. The addition of a series elastic actuator allows the combined testbench type and walking type compliant exoskeleton system to have a higher level of safe physical human-robot interaction and safety for users with spasticity or tremor. Alternate embodiments incorporating a combination of the rigid and compliant joints, allowing the combination of a swing test and enhancement of a user's strength for walking or other movement is also disclosed.

Abstract: A non-invasive liquid detection method based on acoustic wave features and an apparatus thereof, the method includes: collecting acoustic waves penetrating a liquid to be tested and extracting acoustic absorption-transmission curve features from the acoustic waves to generate a liquid fingerprint, the acoustic absorption-transmission curve features represent a ratio of an energy of an acoustic signal penetrating the liquid to an energy of an acoustic signal emitted across a plurality of frequencies; inputting the liquid fingerprint into a trained neural network model for detection processing, and outputting detection results. The neural network model is trained with a plurality of sets of data, and each set of data includes: acoustic absorption-transmission curve features, and a label identifying a feature that meets a detection requirement in the acoustic absorption-transmission curve features.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and composition for treating multi-drug resistant cancers, in particular, breast cancers, via administration to a subject the composition including a peptide having a sequence complementary to a highly conserved motif present in substantially all integrins responsible for an integrin-mediated attachment-independent chemoresistance to one or more chemotherapeutic agents. The binding of the sequence of the peptide to the highly conserved motif will enhance accumulation of the chemotherapeutic agents in the tumor-initiating cells and in turn restores the function of the chemotherapeutic agents in the tumor-initiating cells.

Abstract: A smart sub-ambient radiative cooling composition including TiO2 particles; inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of SiO2, CaCO3, SiC, ZnO, Al2O3, ZnO, and mixtures thereof; fluorescent pigment particles; and a polymer useful for sub-ambient radiative cooling, methods of preparation, and use thereof.

Abstract: An algorithm-driven digital ultraviolet (UV) lithography (DUL) method and apparatus used to fabricate high-quality optical waveguide and many other kinds of high-resolution microstructures without the use of a photomask. Instead of the use of an actual photomask, a virtual mask based on a spatial light modulator is used. The DUL method and apparatus can compensate for a proximity effect caused by light scattering and make the exposure adaptive to a nonlinear response curve of a photoresist, in which an exposure dose-map is created based on the bitmap of a designed pattern together with the optimization parameters determined by system configuration and the photoresist. To fabricate large-area patterns, a plurality of sliced exposure dose-submaps with transition zones that can depress the stitching error caused by mechanical mispositioning are generated for digital lithographic exposure process.

Abstract: A spectacle lens can inhibit ametropia of the eyes and ensure full visibility. The spectacle lens comprises: first refraction areas and second refraction areas. Each first refraction area has a first refraction force that may be based on a prescription for correcting the ametropia of the eyes. Each second refraction area has a refraction force different from the first refraction force and may function to focus images on the positions except the retina of the eyes, to inhibit the development of the ametropia. Near the central part of the lens, the second refraction areas form a plurality of independent island-shaped areas, and the first refraction areas form the areas beyond the areas of the second refraction areas.

Abstract: A wideband vibration suppression device utilizing properties of a sonic black hole, comprising: a vibration absorber (101) comprising a uniform portion (1011) of a fixed thickness and a conical portion (1012) integrally connected to the uniform portion (1011), the conical portion (1012) extending from the junction in such a manner that the thickness thereof gradually decreases from the thickness (d1) of the uniform portion (1011) to a predetermined thickness (d2); and a damping layer (102) attached to the conical portion (1012) of the vibration absorber (101).

Abstract: The present application relates to a dual-polarization-joint noise processing method and device. The present application compensates the discrete spectral coefficient noise on the X polarization state with noise information carried by the discrete spectral eigenvalue on the X, Y polarization states, and a correlation coefficient between the discrete spectral eigenvalue and the discrete spectral coefficient on the X polarization state. Similarly, compensating the discrete spectral coefficient noise on the Y polarization state with noise information carried by the discrete spectral eigenvalue on the X, Y polarization states, and a correlation coefficient between the discrete spectral eigenvalue and the discrete spectral coefficient on the Y polarization state.

Abstract: A woven, water-vapor permeable, water-responsive, shape-memory wool fabric that possesses switchable pore size and shape responsive to varying water content absorbed thereby is demonstrated, more particularly, the wool fabric exerts corresponding thermal and water vapor regulations between the wearer and the surroundings with respect to the temperature and humidity changes.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a bracewear for spinal correction and a system for posture training. The system for posture training involves both active and passive corrective forces by using the bracewear and a biofeedback system to address the spinal correction, which can eliminate the adversity of conventional hard braces and reduce the psychological and physiological barriers to treatment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fuel cell power generation device, which includes: a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode, for decomposing hydrogen and generating electric energy through reaction of decomposed hydrogen and oxygen; a first delivery pipe connected between a pipeline of a hydrogen-containing gas and the fuel cell, for delivering the hydrogen-containing gas to the anode of the fuel cell; a first output pipe connected to the fuel cell, for discharging a first remaining gas contacted with the anode of the fuel cell; a second delivery pipe connected to the fuel cell, for delivering an oxygen-containing gas to the cathode of the fuel cell; and a second output pipe connected to the fuel cell, for discharging a second remaining gas contacted with the cathode of the fuel cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a pure-H2O-fed membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) electrolysis system for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (ECO2R) to ethylene (C2H4) and C2+ compounds under an industrial applicable continuous flow condition with at least 1000-hour lifetime, and fabrication method thereof.