Abstract: The present invention generally provides methods and compositions for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and depression and/or anxiety. The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms, particularly gut-colonizing probiotics, modified to produce L-DOPA.

Abstract: Acoustofluidic systems including acoustic wave generators for manipulating fluids, droplets, and micro/nano objects within a fluid suspension and related methods are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, an acoustofluidic system includes a substrate including a substrate surface. The system also includes an acoustic wave generator configured to generate acoustic streaming within an acoustic wave region of the substrate surface. Further, the acoustic wave generator is controllable to change the acoustic streaming for movement of a droplet or other micro/nano object on a fluid suspension about the acoustic wave region.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for extracting a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw from a dental implant. One such system includes an extractor tool having a tubular outer body and a conductor positioned within the tubular outer body, and an applicator that receives and end of the extractor tool and also includes a heating element that converts electrical energy into heat that is conducted to the extractor tool to melt a thermoplastic adhesive in a cavity at the distal end of the extractor tool, such that the melted thermoplastic adhesive can conform to and engage with a broken fragment of a dental abutment screw within a dental implant when the adhesive cools. The extractor tool can then be rotated to unscrew the broken fragment from the dental implant.

Abstract: Systems, computer-readable media, and methods are disclosed for parallel data processing for service function chains with network functions spanning multiple servers. An example system includes a first server hosting a first network function of a service function chain, a second server hosting a second network function of the service function chain, a mirror function deployed in a first switch to replicate a plurality of packets received by the system and to send respective copies of the plurality of packets to the first network function and to at least one of the second network function and a third network function of the service function chain, and a merge function deployed in a second switch to merge respective outputs of the first network function and the at least one of the second network function and the third network function.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and storage medium for load dispatch optimization for residential microgrid. The method includes collecting environmental data and time data of residential microgrid in preset future time period; obtaining power load data of residential microgrid in future time period by inputting environmental data and time data into pre-trained load forecasting model; obtaining photovoltaic output power data of residential microgrid in future time period by inputting environmental data and time data into pre-trained photovoltaic output power forecasting model; determining objective function and corresponding constraint condition of residential microgrid in future time period, where optimization objective of objective function is to minimize total cost of residential microgrid; obtaining load dispatch scheme of residential microgrid in future time period by solving objective function with particle swarm algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine compounds. The present invention further relates to methods for inhibiting Plasmodium comprising contacting Plasmodium with pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine compounds described herein. Also described herein are methods of treating malaria comprising administering pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine compounds to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: A method and a system for evaluating inertia of a power system and a storage medium. The method includes: injecting a cosine active power disturbance into the power system by small-disturbance injection, and obtaining frequency response at a node where the disturbance is injected, where the active power disturbance can be an energy storage, wind power, or photovoltaic power; acquiring an evaluation framework of inertia and frequency regulation capability of the power system according to relative characteristics of a frequency response function; and constructing a mathematical relationship between the impedance and frequency response characteristics according to a relationship among active power disturbance, frequency fluctuation and impedance.

Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein facilitate determination of risk of recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after ablation based on fractal features. One example embodiment is configured to generate a binary mask of at least a portion of a CT scan of a heart of a patient with AF; compute one or more radiomic fractal-based features from at least one of the binary mask or the portion of the CT scan; provide the one or more radiomic fractal-based features to a trained machine learning (ML) classifier; and receive a prediction from the trained ML classifier of whether or not the AF will recur after AF ablation, wherein the prediction is based at least in part on the one or more radiomic fractal-based features.

Abstract: A prosthetic device includes a flexible interface configured to conform to a residual limb of a user, a prosthetic socket including an outer shell more rigid than the flexible interface and positioned external to at least a portion of the flexible interface, and one or more vibrational devices placed in connection with the flexible interface to impart vibration to the residual limb.

Abstract: A cyclone includes a hollow cylindrical upper portion and a hollow conical lower portion having an inclined wall and a base wall. The base wall and the inclined wall are continuous contact with each other, and the inclined wall of the hollow conical lower portion is in continuous contact with an outer wall of the hollow cylindrical upper portion. A total cyclone height is from about 10 to about 30 millimeters, and a ratio of the total cyclone height to an inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical upper portion is from about 0.7 to about 1.3. An angle between an inner surface of the base wall and an inner surface of the inclined wall is from about 110 to about 130 degrees.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel adrenomedullin derivative sustainable for a long period which is capable of substantially suppressing unwanted side effects while maintaining pharmacological effects of adrenomedullin. An aspect of the invention relates to a compound represented by formula (I): [wherein A is an Fc region of an immunoglobulin, B is a peptide moiety derived from adrenomedullin or a modified form thereof with adrenomedullin activity, and L is a linking group comprising a peptide having any given amino acid sequence] or a salt thereof, or a hydrate thereof. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing the compound represented by formula (I), and a medicament comprising the compound as an active ingredient. A-L-B??(I).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a T/R switch. The T/R switch includes a double sided microstripline based hybrid couplers with a top side and a bottom side each including two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers. Each of the two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers includes an inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and an outer microstripline based hybrid coupler. The inner microstripline based hybrid coupler forms an inner loop of the two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler forms an outer loop. In a transmission mode, the inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler at the top side of the dual-tuned T/R switch are activated. In a receiving mode the inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler at the top side and at the bottom side of the dual-tuned T/R switch are activated.

Abstract: This application relates to a method of preparing a composite material for an electric wiring connector. In one embodiment, the method includes preparing a powder mixture including (i) a metal powder composed of aluminum or aluminum alloy particles and magnesium particles and (ii) a polymer powder. The method may also include sintering the powder mixture to produce a composite material for the electric wiring connector using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. This application also relates to a composite material for an electric wiring connector prepared through the method described above. This application further relates to a method of manufacturing an electric wiring connector, the method including forming a housing of the electric wiring connector with the composite material. This application further relates to an electric wiring connector manufactured by the method.

Abstract: A biosensor detector device is disclosed suitable for use in measuring membrane fluidity or membrane permeability. The biosensor detector device is formed of a solid substrate having a lipid bilayer compatible surface, a multi-lamellar lipid membrane structure derived from a biological cell and localized on the lipid bilayer compatible surface, an aqueous layer interposed between each lipid bilayer of the multi-lamellar lipid membrane structure. The biological membrane is derived from human red blood cells and localized on the lipid bilayer compatible surface. An electrode forming all or part of the lipid bilayer compatible surface may be used to detect disruptions in the multi-lamellar lipid membrane structure and hemolytic activity in a test sample.

Abstract: A system to process images includes a light source configured to emit a first illumination pattern onto one or more first portions of a scene. The system also includes an image sensor configured to capture light reflected from the scene in response to the emitted first illumination pattern. The system also includes an optimizer configured to perform raytracing of the light reflected from the scene. The system further includes a processor operatively coupled to the optimizer. The processor is configured to determine a parameter of a surface of the scene based on the raytracing, cause the light source to emit a second illumination pattern onto one or more second portions of the scene based at least in part on the parameter of the surface, and refine the parameter of the surface of the scene based on additional raytracing performed on reflected light from the second illumination pattern.

Abstract: The invention relates to the technical field of oil and gas drilling, and discloses an amphiphilic block polymer ultralow-permeability agent and an intelligent temporary plugging type water-based drilling fluid. The ultralow-permeability agent contains a structural unit provided by styryl hydrophobic monomer, maleic anhydride and acrylamide; the drilling fluid contains two or more of water, sodium bentonite, Pac-Lv, the ultralow-permeability agent, calcium carbonate, one-way plugging agent, white asphalt and barite which are stored in a mixed manner or independently stored.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nanoplasmonic biosensor capable of label-free multiplex detection of disease markers in blood with high selectivity and sensitivity and a method for detecting disease markers using the nanoplasmonic biosensor. The nanoplasmonic biosensor of the present invention enables label-free multiplex detection of miRNAs as disease markers in blood with high selectivity and sensitivity. Therefore, the nanoplasmonic biosensor of the present invention can be effectively used for the diagnosis of miRNA-related diseases and clinical applications.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat-driven adsorption vacuum dehumidification system including a vapor adsorption apparatus having a water permeable hydrophilic membrane separating the apparatus into at least a feed section and a low-pressure or vacuum section (evaporator), and providing a water vapor pressure difference to extract moisture from the air flowing through the apparatus into the evaporator, followed by adsorption in an adsorption chamber, and subsequently desorbed when acted as a desorption chamber to form water vapor which is condensed in a condenser. Adsorption and desorption chambers inter-change periodically to form a complete system cycle. Heating of chamber/compartment can be from waste heat or a renewable source in the absence of any electricity supplied externally. Related method for using a heat-driven adsorption vacuum dehumidification system to remove moisture from the air is also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling bio-slimes in a clean circulating water system through a physical-chemical-superconducting high gradient magnetic separation coupling process. An inorganic composite flocculant is added to circulating water to gather Zoogloea in the circulating water with micro-nano particles in hydrosol through demulsification to form alum floc. The resulting water passes through a superconducting high gradient magnetic separation system. A magnetic field strength of the superconducting high gradient magnetic separation system and flow rate of the circulating water are controlled to generate strong magnetic flocculation to allow floc to grow, such that the Zoogloea in the circulating water wraps the micro-nano particles to separate the Zoogloea from water.

Abstract: A Static Electrostatic Generator (SEG) is disclosed which produces static charges at high voltage and low current. The SEG is capable of generating positive or negative charges on a metal sphere by reversing the polarity of a DC source. The conversion efficiency of the system is about 47% and its design is simple, lightweight, and easy to manufacture. The SEG is a static device and no mechanical movement is required to produce charges. Also, the design is easily scalable.