Abstract: A high-performance triple-crosslinked polymer and a preparation method thereof are provided. The polymer is obtained by curing and cross-linking a monomer having two epoxy groups, a cross-linking monomer and a functional monomer. The polymer contains a cross-linking network formed by covalent bonds and two types of multi-level hydrogen bonds with different strengths. The interaction strength between the covalent bonds and the two types of hydrogen bonds decreases in a gradient. The dilemma of the strength-ductility tradeoff in a high-performance polymer is overcome by forming a triple-crosslinked network with covalent bonds and multi-level hydrogen bonds with different strengths in the polymer. The dynamic and hierarchical hydrogen bonds are broken and recombined timely and continuously to concurrently maintain the complete structure of the polymer network and enable the polymer network to quickly respond to the transmission and dissipation of the external environment.

Abstract: A system includes a virtual queue controller configured to receive an indication of a reduced capacity event from an amusement park attraction, determine a reduction in capacity of the attraction, identify each guest having a return time in a virtual queue of the attraction that is affected by the reduced capacity event, remove guests having affected return times from the virtual queue, and generate a reaccommodation time slot for the guests removed from the virtual queue, select two or more updated return times within the reaccommodation time slot for each of the guests removed from the virtual queue, provide a notification to each guest removed from the virtual queue requesting guest input to select a single updated return time from the two or more updated return times, and return each guest to the virtual queue upon receiving a corresponding selection of the single updated return time.

Abstract: Various methods and compositions for treating age-associated conditions and other medical conditions, such as muscle diseases, type 2 diabetes, and/or obesity are described. Methods of enhancing cellular uptake of NMN and stimulating NAD+ production are further described. Various mammalian cells and mammalian cell lines are described including those comprising a cDNA encoding a Slc12a8 protein. Gene therapy vectors comprising a nucleic acid encoding Slc12a8 and non-human animals comprising an inactivating mutation in a Slc12a8 gene are also disclosed. Also described are methods for screening a candidate compound to identify compounds that promote NMN transport.

Abstract: This optical coupling device couples a plurality of beams to a single fiber. A plurality of light sources is arranged at predetermined intervals and emits the plurality of beams. A plurality of collimating lens is arranged to face the plurality of light sources and collimates the plurality of beams emitted from the plurality of light sources. A reduction optical system reduces the beam diameter of the plurality of beams collimated by the plurality of collimating lens. A focusing lens focuses the plurality of beams reduced by the reduction optical system on a fiber. A first distance between the light source and the collimating lens arranged so as to correspond to a beam passing through the center of the reduction optical system is different from a second distance between the light source and the collimating lens arranged so as to correspond to a beam passing through the end portion of the reduction optical system.

Abstract: A set top box receives from a remote control device one or more of a codeset identifier, data indicative of a brand and model for a consumer electronic device, and remote control diagnostic information. The set top box then causes information representative of the received codeset identifier, data indicative of a brand and model for a consumer electronic device, and remote control diagnostic information to be displayed in a display device associated with the set top box.

Abstract: A holographic display apparatus capable of providing an expanded viewing window and a display method are provided. The holographic display apparatus includes an image processor configured to provide computer generated hologram (CGH) data to a spatial light modulator, wherein the image processor is further configured to generate a hologram data array comprising information of the holographic image to be reproduced at the first resolution or a resolution less than the first resolution, perform an off-axis phase computation on the hologram data array at the second resolution, and then, generate the CHG data at the first resolution.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a UAV video aesthetic quality evaluation method based on multi-modal deep learning, which establishes a UAV video aesthetic evaluation data set, analyzes the UAV video through a multi-modal neural network, extracts high-dimensional features, and concatenates the extracted features, thereby achieving aesthetic quality evaluation of the UAV video. There are four steps, step one to: establish a UAV video aesthetic evaluation data set, which is divided into positive samples and negative samples according to the video shooting quality; step two to: use SLAM technology to restore the UAV's flight trajectory and to reconstruct a sparse 3D structure of the scene; step three to: through a multi-modal neural network, extract features of the input UAV video on the image branch, motion branch, and structure branch respectively; and step four to: concatenate the features on multiple branches to obtain the final video aesthetic label and video scene type.

Abstract: A method and system for determining flight height of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a determining device that includes a camera at bottom of the UAV carried on a three-axis self-stabilizing tripod head; and a carrier phase difference satellite positioning system (CPDSPS), a graphics processing computer (GPC) and a power supply system provided on top of the UAV The GPC is connected with the CPDSPS, the power supply system and the camera, respectively. An attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) is provided at the bottom of the three-axis self-stabilizing tripod head and connected with the GPC The GPC is configured to determine relative height of the UAV from a canopy of farmland surface crops according to position information acquired by the CPDSPS, attitude information acquired by the AHRS and ground orthographic image acquired by the camera, and determine flight height of the UAV according to the relative height.

Abstract: A Quality of Experience (QoE) optimization system and method are provided. An electronic device inputs key performance indicators (KPIs) and system control parameters collected from a core network, a base station and a user equipment (UE) into a QoE optimization model. The QoE optimization model then optimizes the system control parameters based on the KPIs and a user QoE fed back from the UE to output optimized system control parameters. Furthermore, a strategy emulator controls at least one of a base station emulator and a UE emulator, so as to emulate the QoE optimization model using the at least one of the base station emulator and the UE emulator. Non-real-time optimization adjustments to the QoE optimization model are made based on the result of the emulation performed by the at least one of the base station emulator and the UE emulator.

Abstract: Methods and systems for analyzing brain functional activity data are provided. Also provided are systems that find use in performing the present methods.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for treating Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) in a subject. In one aspect, a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector is provided which includes a nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence encoding Lebercilin. In another aspect, Lebercilin has an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. In yet another aspect, the nucleic acid molecule has a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a variant thereof. In desired embodiments, the subject is human, cat, dog, sheep, or non-human primate.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a method of compound removal from a fluid. The method includes contacting one or more metal organic framework (MOF) compositions with a fluid and sorbing one or more compounds, such as CO2, H2S and condensable hydrocarbons. One or more of CO2, H2S and condensable hydrocarbons can be sorbed simultaneously or in series. The metal organic framework can be an M-soc-MOF.

Abstract: Provided are stem cell biomimetic microparticles comprised of at least one stem cell-derived paracrine polypeptide or growth factor embedded in a polymer core particle that further comprises an outer layer of at least one fragment of a cell membrane of a stem cell disposed on the core particle. The polymer core may be constituted of any biocompatible and biodegradable polymer or copolymer, or a combination thereof that allows the embedding of the paracrine factors and their prolonged release from the core. The core and hence the microparticles can be biodegradable, allowing eventual elimination from the recipient animal or human subject. The core particles are sized to allow both transport through blood vessels and extravasation from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissues. The core particle may further include at least one polypeptide or peptide growth factor to induce the generation and proliferation of a population of stem cells.

Abstract: A spectral method is provided for partitioning type and loading with aerosol optical depth. Based on multi-spectral optical aerosol depth, particle-size distribution and refractive index are derived by normalizing first- and second-order derivatives for processing quantitative calibration of main components. According to the optical feature parameters of various aerosol types, a radiation theory is applied to simulate multi-spectral optical depth for each density, including those of mixed types. The intrinsic parameters of aerosol types are figured out by constructing normalized derivative aerosol indices (NDAI). The clear characteristic differences between aerosol types are used to figure out main components of aerosols and their mixing ratios. The simulation result of the normalized index of various aerosol type is in good agreement with the ground observation data of Aerosol Robotic Network. It shows that NDAI is quite practicable in quantitative calibration of main components of atmospheric aerosol.

Abstract: Structured beams, Bessel beams, Laguerre Gaussian beams, and focused Gaussian are used as a natural waveguide and its group velocity can be subluminal (slower than the speed of light) as compared to a Gaussian beam in free space. A free space dispersion relation for a Bessel beam, i.e., the dependence of its wavenumber on its angular frequency, is outlined from which the Bessel beam's subliminal group velocity is derived. For reasonable conditions a Bessel light beam has associated parameters that allow slowing near a critical frequency. The application of Bessel beams for a natural optical buffer in free space is presented. Optical transitions and selection rules in materials are altered by structured light carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). Nano antennas are used to enhance the interactions of structured light.

Abstract: A computer implemented scheme for a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system where point cloud feature extraction and segmentation by efficiently is achieved by: (1) data structuring; (2) edge detection; and (3) region growing.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions for restoring normal microbiota in pre-term newborns or newborns delivered by Cesarean section and methods for preventing or ameliorating diseases associated with delivery by Cesarean section or pre-term birth comprising administering to said newborns at the time of birth or shortly thereafter an effective amount of a vaginal microbiota inoculum obtained from the newborn's mother or a donor or an effective amount of a probiotic composition. The invention also relates to a device for collecting maternal vaginal microbiota from the vaginal canal of a patient. The device can have a housing forming a cavity, an absorbent material removable disposed within the cavity, and a deployment element disposed in the housing and movable along a length of the housing. The movement of the deployment element can displace the absorbent material out of the cavity and in to the vaginal canal.

Abstract: A low-power wake-up receiver includes a mixer-based two-stage heterodyne architecture that provides multi-stage channel filtering, including a combination of circuits and a digital signal processor that process energy in a plurality of advertising channels to detect a four-dimensional wake-up signature via frequency-hopping among the plurality of advertising channels. One receiver is a BLE/Wi-Fi dual-mode wake-up receiver.

Abstract: The present technology addresses the problem of quickly and safely improving policies in online reinforcement learning domains. As its solution, an exploration strategy comprising diverse exploration (DE) is employed, which learns and deploys a diverse set of safe policies to explore the environment. DE theory explains why diversity in behavior policies enables effective exploration without sacrificing exploitation. An empirical study shows that an online policy improvement algorithm framework implementing the DE strategy can achieve both fast policy improvement and safe online performance.

Abstract: A method for planar transformer with an odd turn ratio includes: determining a turn ratio and winding parameters of a transformer to be manufactured; if the turn ratio is odd, determining that there is respectively one winding turn on a first middle layer and a second middle layer and two winding turns on a top layer and a bottom layer; determining widths of winding wires on marginal layers as well as widths of winding wires on middle layers; winding and parallelly connecting an inner winding wire on the top layer to an inner winding wire on the bottom layer, and then serially connecting the parallel-connected inner winding wires to an outer winding wire to form a primary winding; and parallelly connecting the winding wire on the first middle layer to the winding wire on the second middle layer to form a secondary winding, so as to obtain the transformer.