Abstract: Provided are methods and devices for measuring pressure exerted against a surface. In an aspect, the surface corresponds to the urethra and the device measures the pressure exerted against the urethra. Methods include treatment of a patient suffering urinary stress incontinence. A pressure sensor system is used to determine, pre-surgically, the minimum pressure required to alleviate incontinence. During surgery, the pressure sensor system is employed to ensure the surgical intervention provides a corresponding minimum pressure that was clinically identified. In this manner, the surgical intervention is precisely monitored and measured to insure the appropriate pressure is exerted on the urethra to alleviate stress incontinence, thereby improving surgical outcome and decreasing post-operative complications.

Abstract: Provided is a data transmission rate control method in upward vertical handover in an overlay network environment, including: a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) sender checking whether or not a retransmission timeout event occurs while communicating with a TCP receiver through a dual interface in a TCP scheme; the TCP sender storing a sequence number of a packet having the largest sequence number among transmitting packets, and after that, performing congestion control if the retransmission timeout event occurs; the TCP sender checking whether or not ACK signal corresponding to a sequence number which is equal to or smaller than the stored sequence number is received after the TCP sender performs the congestion control; and the TCP sender determining to execute upward vertical handover if the ACK signal is received.

Abstract: A visual function evaluation is performed using a sequence of interactions with a mobile device. A patient user may perform a variety of visual tests using the mobile device. The mobile device transmits the test results to a remote server implementing analysis of the visual function results using network service. The network service receives the test results, processes the results, and provides the processed results to a healthcare provider. The processed results may include trends of the user's visual function test performance. The healthcare provider, such as a physician, may optimize and administer treatment based on the data. Early detection of changes in visual function can enable the healthcare provider to individualize treatment, helping to prevent vision loss while minimizing visits to the office, discomfort, and expense.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to oligosaccharide compounds and the use of these compounds as pharmaceuticals for treating diseases or conditions in which it is desirable to inhibit ?-secretase.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and medical devices, and in particular, biodegradable scaffolds capable of repairing and replacing cartilagenous meniscuses. Also provided herein are methods of using scaffolds for treating degenerative tissue disorders. In certain embodiments, such scaffolds can promote tissue regeneration of a temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) meniscus.

Abstract: Provided are methods of manufacturing an oriented ceramics containing sodium niobate and a raw material thereof. Specifically, provided is a sodium niobate powder, including cuboidal sodium niobate particles having an average side length of 0.1 ?m or more to 100 ?m or less, at least one face of the cuboid including a (100) plane in pseudo-cubic notation, in which the sodium niobate powder has a perovskite single-phase structure.

Abstract: There is described a material comprising tapes, ribbons, fibrils or fibers characterized in that each of the ribbons, fibrils or fibers have an antiparallel arrangement of peptides in a ?-sheet tape-like substructure wherein the material comprises a pair of self assembling complementary polypeptides.

Abstract: A fault diagnosis method for freewheeling diodes of power converter of switched reluctance motor with two main switches per phase, in which two current sensors are arranged on a power converter with two main switches per phase, wherein, one current sensor LEM1 detects the total current of the main switches connected to the DC bus, and the other current sensor LEM2 detects the total feedback current of the freewheeling diodes connected to the DC bus. By controlling ON/OFF of the upper and lower main switch tubes, short circuit fault of the upper freewheeling diode, short circuit fault of the lower freewheeling diode, short circuit fault of both the upper freewheeling diode and the lower freewheeling diode, open circuit fault of the upper freewheeling diode, open circuit fault of the lower freewheeling diode, or open circuit fault of both the upper freewheeling diode and the lower freewheeling diode can be determined.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are anion-conducting polymers that comprise a cationic benzimidazolium and imidazolium moieties. Methods of forming the polymers and membranes comprising the polymers are also provided.

Abstract: Junction-functionalized block copolymers can be used in forming nanostructures. A junction-functionalized block copolymer can include a first polymer block joined to a second polymer block by a junction, where the junction includes one or more electrostatically charged moieties. The block copolymer can include a moiety of formula (I): A-J-B??(I) where A is a first polymer block, B is a second polymer block, where the A block and the B block are chemically dissimilar, and J is a junction linking the A block to the B block, and including one or more electrostatically charged moieties.

Abstract: A magnetically-levitated blood pump with an optimization method that enables miniaturization and supercritical operation. The blood pump includes an optimized annular blood gap that increases blood flow and also provides a reduction in bearing stiffness among the permanent magnet bearings. Sensors are configured and placed optimally to provide space savings for the motor and magnet sections of the blood pump. Rotor mass is increased by providing permanent magnet placement deep within the rotor enabled by a draw rod configuration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structural damage detection method for detecting damage of a structure. The method comprises scanning the surface of the structure with a tapper tapping with a tapping force at a predetermined frequency band while scanning; measuring the response signals transmitted from the surface of the structure; transforming the measured signals to acquire the signal spectrum at each position of the structure surface; intercepting from the signal spectrum a spectrum envelope; calculating a damage indicator at each position of the structure surface; and determining a position where the damage indicator changes abruptly as a position of structural damage. The present invention further relates to a structural damage detection system utilizing the structural damage detection method and a structural damage detection device for use therein.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate devices, systems, methods, and for displaying information about the direction and magnitude of position, movement, and/or resistive force experienced for an object. The present disclosure also provides a shear display device that can generate skin shear with one or more tactors, each moving in a two- or three-dimensional space. The movement of the tactors can represent to a user various information about an object.

Abstract: Provided are graphene transistors having a tunable barrier. The graphene transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulating thin film disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a graphene layer on the insulating thin film, a first electrode connected to an end of the graphene layer, a second electrode that is separate from an other end of the graphene layer and contacts the semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating layer covering the graphene layer, and a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer, wherein an energy barrier is formed between the semiconductor substrate and the graphene layer.

Abstract: A line-contact dry electrode comprises a conductive electrode base and at least one conductive contact member extending from the conductive electrode base. The conductive contact member includes a plurality of elastic conductive branches arranged intermittently to form a comb-like electrode able to comb and push away the testee's hair and contact the testee's skin.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitating training in clinical procedures via mixed reality simulations are disclosed. Such a system can comprise a physical model and a virtual model of an anatomic region associated with the procedure, wherein the virtual model associates tissue types with locations in the physical model. The system can include a tracking component that tracks locations of at least one clinical instrument relative to the models, and an anatomic feedback component that can produce perceptible changes in the physical model based on the interaction between the instrument and virtual model. A clinical device interface can detect outputs of clinical devices like electrical signals, pressure or flow, wherein feedback to the physical model depends on the tracked position of a clinical device and output from the same or different clinical device. Another component can generate feedback effects to the clinical device. Aspects can simulate anesthesiology procedures like local nerve blockade.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds of formula la, lb and Ic: [Formula Ia, Ib, and Ic] and salts thereof, wherein variables are as described in the specification, as well as compositions comprising a compound of formula Ia-Ic, methods of making such compounds, and methods of using such compounds, e.g., as inhibitors of bacterial RNA polymerase and as antibacterial agents.

Abstract: A robotic gait training system includes a femoral support unit supporting a thigh of a patient, a hip joint support unit supporting buttocks of the patient, a lower leg support unit supporting a lower leg, an ankle support unit supporting an ankle, a support fixing toe tip positioned at an ankle height of the patient in use, a toe tip pad supporting and wrapping a forefoot of the patient, a tilt sensor, a first linear actuator operation unit rotating the femoral support unit based on the hip joint unit, a second linear actuator operation unit rotating the lower leg supporting unit based on the femoral support unit, a control unit generating a functional electric stimulation (FES) control signal, and an FES unit stimulating the plantarflexor or dorsiflexor of ankle joint based on the FES control signal received from the control unit.

Abstract: A novel electron acceptor based on bay-annulated indigo (BAI) was synthesized and used for the preparation of a series of high performance donor-acceptor small molecules and polymers. The resulting materials possess low-lying LUMO energy level and small HOMO-LUMO gaps, while their films exhibited high crystallinity upon thermal treatment, commensurate with high field effect mobilities and ambipolar transfer characteristics.

Abstract: This application concerns systems and methods for compressing natural gas with an internal combustion engine. In a representative embodiment, a system for compressing a gas comprises a reciprocating internal combustion engine including at least one piston-cylinder assembly comprising a piston configured to travel in a cylinder and to compress gas in the cylinder in multiple compression stages. The system can further comprise a first pressure tank in fluid communication with the piston-cylinder assembly to receive compressed gas from the piston-cylinder assembly until the first pressure tank reaches a predetermined pressure, and a second pressure tank in fluid communication with the piston-cylinder assembly and the first pressure tank. The second pressure tank can be configured to receive compressed gas from the piston-cylinder assembly until the second pressure tank reaches a predetermined pressure.