Abstract: Disclosed is an anti-buckling jig of a fracture toughness test. The anti-buckling jig includes: a first jig unit provided in a form of surrounding one side surface of a specimen; a second jig unit provided in a form of surrounding the other side surface of the specimen; and a screw provided to allow the first jig unit and the second jig unit to be coupled to each other. During the fracture toughness test of the specimen, the first jig unit and the second jig unit simultaneously support both sides of the specimen, so that the specimen is cracked in a single direction.

Abstract: A system and process for low flow water monitoring in agriculture that measures water consumption at an individual bird/animal/plant level by weighing water in a controlled sealed environment. The system and process include a pressure regulation device fluidly connected to one or more reservoir tanks filled with water. The pressure regulation device is adjustable allowing for different output pressures suitable for many different agriculture applications.

Abstract: Provided are method for treating age-related macular degeneration (AGE), and/or preventing the occurrence or progression thereof in a subject in need thereof. In some embodiments, the methods include administering to the subject in need thereof a composition that has an effective amount of an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase (RTase) activity. Also provided are methods for protecting retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells, retinal photoreceptor cells, and/or choroidal cells; methods for treating geographic atrophy of the eye, and/or for preventing occurrence or progression thereof; and pharmaceutical compositions for treating AGE and/or GA and/or for preventing the occurrence or progression thereof; and/or for protecting RPE cells, retinal photoreceptor cells, and/or choroidal cells.

Abstract: A microfluidic device is disclosed that is used to process cells for the intracellular delivery of molecules or other cargo. The device includes one or more microchannels disposed in a substrate or chip and is fluidically coupled to an inlet configured to receive a solution containing the cells and the molecules or other cargo to be delivered intracellularly to the cells. Each of the one or more microchannels has one or more constriction regions formed therein, wherein the inner surface(s) of the microchannels and the one or more constriction regions have a lipid bilayer disposed thereon. In some embodiments, multiple microfluidic devices operating in parallel are used to process large numbers of cells. The device and method have particularly applicability to delivering gene-editing molecules intracellularly to cells.

Abstract: Methods are provided for reducing type 2 cytokine-mediated inflammation, for example by reducing IL-5 and Il-13 activity, using native and variant neuromedin B (Nmb) peptides or coding sequences. Such methods can be used to treat an inflammatory disorder, such as asthma, COPD or an allergic reaction. Also provided are modified Nmb peptides.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a composite material layer including a core layer and a shell layer. The core layer includes foamed elastomers. The shell layer encapsulates the core layer and continuously covered surfaces of the foamed elastomers, wherein the shell layer includes a material having light absorption. The melting point of the core layer is higher than the melting point of the shell layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a variable-parameter stiffness identification and modeling method for an industrial robot. An effective working space of a robot is divided into a plurality of cubic regions. For an operating task in a certain machining region, different loads are applied to an end effector at multiple positions and multiple postures in the region, and robot joint stiffness in this section is identified and acquired according to the relationship between the loads and an end deformation, thereby realizing accurate stiffness control of the robot in different operating sections during a machining process.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are cyclodextrin molecules covalently modified to store and release nitric oxide, as well as methods of making and uses thereof. The covalently modified cyclodextrin molecules may be tailored, in several embodiments, to release nitric oxide in a controlled manner and are useful for reduction and/or eradication of bacteria and for the treatment of disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to peptides and peptide analogues with high affinity for the PDZ domains of PICK1. The peptide or peptide analogue interacts with PICK1, blocking the native protein-protein interactions between PICK1 and its natural ligands. The invention furthermore relates to the therapeutic use of these peptides and peptide analogues in prevention and/or treatment of diseases and disorders associated with maladaptive plasticity, drug addiction and neuropathic pain.

Abstract: This is to provide an electrically-conductive lubricant having characteristics in combination that it shows liquid crystallinity in a wide temperature range, retains low dynamic friction coefficient, has electrical-conductivity, has almost no loss due to evaporation, decomposition and the like, has a clean appearance, and emits fluorescence, and can find deterioration or leakage immediately. This electrically-conductive lubricant comprises at least one kind of the compound (1) represented by the formula (1): [wherein, R11 and R21 are the same or different from each other, and each is hydrogen or a group —OCH2CH2CH(R?)CH2CH2OR (R is a linear or branched CnH2n+1, 4?n?12, and R? is methyl or ethyl), and R12, R13, R22 and R23 are the same or different from each other, and each is a group —OCH2CH2CH(R?)CH2CH2OR (R is a linear or branched CnH2n+1, 4?n?12, and R? is methyl or ethyl)].

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and compositions for increasing sensitivity, or decreasing resistance, of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents such as kinase inhibitor agents. In some embodiments, the cancer cells are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. The methods and compositions can be integrated into methods of treatment of a subject with cancer, which can further comprise administering a chemotherapeutic agent such as kinase inhibitor agents. In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for profiling the kinome of a cell or group of similar cells that incorporates kinase capture reagents and mass spectrometry analysis.

Abstract: An image decoding method is disclosed in the present specification. An image decoding method according to the present invention may comprise deriving a candidate list for inter-prediction of a current block, deriving motion information of the current block by using the candidate list, deriving a cumulative coding information candidate by using the motion information of the current block, inserting the derived cumulative coding information candidate into a cumulative coding information candidate list and updating the candidate list by using the cumulative coding information candidate list, wherein the updated candidate list is used for inter-prediction of a block to be decoded after the current block.

Abstract: An insulin device configured to control insulin dispensing based on insulin sensitivity. The insulin device includes a processor configured to receive insulin dosing schedule information, psychological stress level data, and body mass index (BMI) data; a sensor configured to generate a blood glucose level measurement. The sensor is calibrated as a function of the psychological stress level data and the BMI data and the processor is configured to monitor and detect changes of the blood glucose level measurement that are determined to have occurred as a function of changes of the psychological stress level data, and identify a time when the BMI data counteracts a detected change in the blood glucose level measurement. The insulin device also includes an insulin dispensing valve controlled by the processor to change the insulin dosing schedule information in accordance with the counteracting BMI data.

Abstract: Molecular biomarkers relating to Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), glaucoma, and other degenerative ocular diseases are provided, as well as methods for using such biomarkers methods of treatment. These biomarkers may be used to monitor the progression of FECD, glaucoma, or other degenerative ocular diseases. Furthermore, these biomarkers may be used to monitor the treatment of FECD, glaucoma, or other degenerative ocular diseases.

Abstract: A multi-police-officer collaborative round-up task allocation and path planning method under the constraint of a road network, including: acquiring a road topological map G of the road network; acquiring police officer distribution information and information of a task target location in the G of the road network; according to the position where the task target appears, a set of nodes that the task target is next likely to reach are determined; acquiring the movement speed of police officers and the task target; confirming a set of police officers to be assigned according to an interception point set and the movement speed of the police officers and the task target; calculating the congestion degree of each intersection in the interception point set; building a multi-police-officer collaborative round-up task allocation and path planning optimization model; solving the optimization model to obtain a multi-police-officer collaborative round-up task allocation and path planning scheme.

Abstract: Disclosed is a speech processing apparatus and method using a densely connected hybrid neural network. The speech processing method includes inputting a time domain sample of N*1 dimension for an input speech into a densely connected hybrid network; passing the time domain sample through a plurality of dense blocks in a densely connected hybrid network; reshaping the time domain samples into M subframes by passing the time domain samples through the plurality of dense blocks, inputting the M subframes into gated recurrent unit (GRU) components of N/M-dimension; outputting clean speech from which noise is removed from the input speech by passing the M subframes through GRU components.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides the synthesis of an imidazolium-based functional ionic liquid copolymer (PMMA-b-PIL-R*) and a preparation method of an alloy ultra-filtration membrane. Firstly, PMMA-b-PIL-R* is prepared from methyl methacrylate (MMA) and polymerizable imidazolium-based functional ionic liquid (IL-R*) containing double bonding as the reactive monomers through sequential radical polymerization. With the use of a non-solvent induced phase separation method, PMMA-b-PIL-R* is introduced into the body of a polymeric membrane material, so as to prepare an alloy ultra-filtration membrane. A hydrogen-bond interaction is generated between the carbonyl in the molecular chain of PMMA-b-PIL-R* and the H . . .

Abstract: A tunable narrow-linewidth photo-generated microwave source based on polarization control includes a high-reflectivity fiber grating, a high-gain fiber, a low-reflectivity polarization-maintaining fiber grating, a stress adjusting device, a single-mode semiconductor pump laser, an optical wavelength division multiplexer, a polarization beam splitter, a polarization controller, an optical coupler, and a photoelectric detector. Birefringence distribution in the low-reflectivity polarization-maintaining fiber grating is controlled by adjusting a stress magnitude of the stress adjusting device to the low-reflectivity polarization fiber grating, thereby controlling a laser frequency working in different polarization modes in a resonant cavity, and a tunable narrow-linewidth photo-generated microwave source is generated by a beat-frequency technology using a dual-wavelength narrow-linewidth laser with variable frequency intervals.

Abstract: A robot system for active and passive upper limb rehabilitation training based on a force feedback technology includes a robot body and an active and passive training host computer system. Active and passive rehabilitation training may be performed at degrees of freedom such as adduction/abduction and flexion/extension of left and right shoulder joints, and flexion/extension of left and right elbow joints according to a condition of a patient. In a passive rehabilitation training mode, the robot body drives the upper limb of the patient to move according to a track specified by the host computer, to gradually restore a basic motion function of the upper limb. In an active rehabilitation training mode, the patient holds the tail ends of the robot body with both hands to interact with a rehabilitation training scene, and can feel real and accurate force feedback.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device and a method of operating the same are provided. The nonvolatile memory device may include a memory cell array having a vertical stack-type structure, a control logic, and a bit line. The memory cell array may include memory cells that each include corresponding portions of a semiconductor layer and a resistance change layer. The control logic, in a read operation, may be configured to apply a first voltage to a non-select memory cell and a second voltage to a non-select memory cell. The first voltage turns on current only in the semiconductor layer portion of the non-select memory cell. The second voltage turns on current in both the semiconductor layer and resistance change layer portions of the select memory cell. The bit line may be configured to apply a read voltage to the select memory cell during the read operation.