Abstract: A scaffold of hollow fibers comprising a mixture of polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) and cellulose nanofibers (CNF), medical products made of these scaffolds and methods of using the scaffolds in regenerative medicine. A method for producing the scaffolds is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for preparing a modular planar interconnect plate for a solid oxide fuel cell includes the steps of: (a) providing a metal blank sheet, (b) stamping a main region of the metal blank sheet to form a plurality of columns of upper protrusions on an upper surface of the main region of the metal blank sheet and a plurality of columns of lower depressions on a lower surface of the main region of the metal blank sheet, and (c) stamping the main region of the metal blank sheet to form a plurality of rows of lower protrusions on a lower surface of the main region of the metal blank sheet and a plurality of rows of upper depressions on the upper surface of the main region of the metal blank sheet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for chemical production of 3,6-anhydro-L-galactitol (L-AHGoI), which is a novel sugar alcohol, and agarobititol (ABol), which is a disaccharide having the same agarobititol as a reductant end thereof, from sea algae.

Abstract: The deformable body according to the present invention includes a substrate in which a hole is formed, a disc disposed above the hole, and a plurality of hinges protruding from a side surface of the disc and connecting the disc and the substrate.

Abstract: A solar distillation system for producing a distillate and providing cooling for a structure or appliance, and a method of using the system to produce a distillate and cool a structure or appliance. The system includes a distillate cooling coil, a secondary cooling coil, an expansion valve which is capable of controlling an amount of a coolant that flows through each of the coils. The system also includes a compressor, a plurality of sensors including a temperature sensor and a distillate flow sensor, and a controller which receives input from the sensors and controls the activity of the compressor and expansion valve. The system is capable of producing distillate at night in the absence of solar radiation.

Abstract: This present disclosure relates to the use of one or more biomarkers for diagnosis, screening, or monitoring aortic aneurysm disease (e.g., ascending aortic aneurysm, descending thoracic aortic aneurysm, abdominal aortic aneurysm and Marfan syndrome) in a biological sample (e.g., a blood sample) of a subject. Accordingly, this disclosure provides methods and kits for determining the presence of one or more biomarkers for aortic aneurysm disease in a biological sample of a subject; methods for using the presence of such biomarkers to predict or diagnose aortic aneurysm disease in a subject; and methods to select or modify a therapeutic regimen (e.g., a beta-blocker treatment) for a subject based on the use of such biomarkers.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device configured to monitor a power grid determines whether a configuration of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) of the device requires updating, the configuration comprising one or more digital signal processor (DSP) applications (apps), and updates the configuration when required. The device measures grid metrics of a power grid (e.g., voltage and current), and also determines GPS-based time for synchronizing zero crossing events of the grid metrics to the GPS-based time. According to the one or more DSP apps, the grid metrics can be processed by the device, and then the processed grid metrics and synchronized zero crossing events can be shared. In one specific embodiment, processing the grid metrics according to the one or more DSP apps comprises estimating an impedance of one or more individual circuit segments based on measured grid metric response to a transient event (e.g., active or passive events).

Abstract: A mine exploitation method based on stoping, separation and filling control is disclosed herein. The method includes deploying a gangue-less coal mining system; choosing a suitable coal and gangue separation method according to a separation requirement; choosing a suitable filling method according to mine geology, production conditions and rock stratum control requirement; reversely calculating a filling rate according to gangue discharge requirement and control indexes by utilizing theoretical calculation, simulation and experiment; determining a filling process and a separation process according to the filling rate; and feeding back and adjusting the filling process and separation process parameters by monitoring filling and control effect indexes.

Abstract: Provided are antisense oligomers targeted against bacterial mRNAs and other macromolecules associated with a biochemical pathway and/or cellular process, and related compositions and methods of using the oligomers and compositions to treat an infected mammalian subject, for example, as primary antimicrobials or as adjunctive therapies with classic antimicrobials.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that implements a photonic neuron. This photonic neuron includes: an excitatory-input photo detector that converts an optical excitatory input signal into a corresponding electrical excitatory input signal; and an inhibitory-input photo detector that converts an optical inhibitory input signal into a corresponding electrical inhibitory input signal. It also includes an electrical neuron that receives the electrical excitatory and inhibitory input signals, and generates an electrical output signal, which includes periodic voltage spikes that are triggered by integration of the electrical excitatory and inhibitory input signals. Finally, the photonic neuron includes a light-emitting output device, which converts the electrical output signal into a corresponding optical output signal.

Abstract: A shared optics and telescope for transmitting a transmission beam and receiving a return signal is provided. The shared optics and telescope includes a pair of axicon lenses operable to shape the transmission beam into an annular beam having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, a secondary mirror operable to deflect the annular beam into a deflected annular transmission beam, and a primary mirror that includes an inner mirror portion and an outer mirror portion, the inner mirror portion operable to expand the deflected annular transmission beam, and the outer mirror portion operable to collect the return signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a blue fluorescent powder for a three primary color warm white LED and a preparation method thereof. SrCO3, NH4Cl, H3BO3, Eu2O3, and NH4H2PO4 function as raw materials to obtain a chemical formula of a blue fluorescent powder Sr(2-x)Eux(BO3)y(PO4)(1-y)Cl in a reducing atmosphere by a solid-state sintering method, wherein 0.001?x?0.1 and 0.001?y?0.5. The blue fluorescent powder is mixed with CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ red fluorescent powder and (SrBa)2SiO4:Eu2+ green fluorescent powder at a certain proportion to emit warm white light with a light efficiency and a color rendering index under a violet light excitation. An application prospect is wide.

Abstract: The methods and systems described herein provide an improved emulsion droplet based nucleic acid amplification method, which allows nucleic acids contained in biological systems to be detected, quantitated and/or sorted based on their sequence as detected with nucleic acid amplification techniques, e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The nucleic acids can be free floating or contained within living or nonliving structures, including particles, viruses, and cells. The nucleic acids can include, e.g., DNA or RNA.

Abstract: A method and system for determining an irradiation dose. The method for determining the irradiation dose includes determining a pixel having a biological feature in a region of interest in a radiotherapy simulated locating image by using a retrospective label; extracting a local radiomics feature based on the pixel having the biological feature, in which the local radiomics feature includes a grayscale histogram intensity, a tumor shape feature, a textural feature, a Laplacian of Gaussian filtering feature, and a wavelet feature; acquiring the local radiomics features to be measured; identifying a positive region having the local radiomics features to be measured based on the local radiomics features; performing three-dimensional reconstruction for the peripheral boundary of the positive region to determine a three-dimensional image.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for rapidly dehazing an underground pipeline image based on dark channel prior (DCP). The method includes: preprocessing a hazy underground pipeline image to obtain a dark channel image corresponding to the hazy image; average-filtering the obtained dark channel image to estimate an image transmittance; compensating an offset value for an average filtering result to obtain a rough estimate of the transmittance; using a pixel value of the original image and an average-filtered image to estimate a global atmospheric light value; and using a physical restoration model to restore a dehazed image. The method of the present invention realizes the timeliness of the algorithm while ensuring the dehazing effect, and is suitable for scientific fields such as video monitoring of underground pipeline environment and identification of underground pipeline defects.

Abstract: A joint attachment system for a reconfigurable truss includes a first joint attachment having a first pivot axis and a second joint attachment having a second pivot axis. The first joint attachment and second joint attachment form a concentric spherical joint linkage when attached to a first body member and a second body member, respectively. The first pivot axis of the first joint attachment intersects the second pivot axis of the second joint attachment at a single point X which defines a center of the concentric spherical joint linkage. The concentric spherical joint linkage is configured to allow the addition of one or more joint attachments and body members to the truss node. In addition, the concentric spherical joint linkage is configured to allow the removal of one or more joint attachments and body members from the truss node.

Abstract: An antibody and/or binding fragment thereof, wherein the antibody and/or binding fragment thereof comprises a light chain variable region and a heavy chain variable region, the light chain variable region comprising complementarity determining region (CDR) CDR-L3 and the heavy chain variable region comprising CDR-H1, CDR-H2 and CDR-H3, with the amino acid sequences of said CDRs comprising one or more of the sequences set forth below: CDR-L3; selected from any one of SEQ ID NOs: 123, 126-130, 142, 148 or 149; CDR-H1: SEQ ID NOs: 121 or 124; CDR-H2; SEQ ID NOs: 122 or 125; and/or CDR-H3: selected from any one of SEQ ID NOs: 196-226.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N?-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in Nicotiana plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for cytochrome P450s that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Expression cassettes, vectors, plants, and plant parts thereof comprising inhibitory sequences that target expression or function of the disclosed cytochrome P450 polypeptides are also provided. Methods for the use of these novel sequences to inhibit expression or function of cytochrome P450 polypeptides involved in this metabolic conversion are also provided. The methods find use in the production of tobacco products that have reduced levels of nornicotine and its carcinogenic metabolite, NNN, and thus reduced carcinogenic potential for individuals consuming these tobacco products or exposed to secondary smoke derived from these products.

Abstract: A system and method for outage prediction for electrical distribution utilities using high-resolution weather forecasts, geographic data (e.g., land use and vegetation around overhead-lines) and utility infrastructure data (e.g., transformer fuses, etc.) to predict distributed outage occurrences (e.g., number of outages over a 2-km gridded map) in advance of a storm.

Abstract: Electrocatalysts of formula Al?x,BxO3??, wherein A=a metal with an acid-stable oxide and B=a platinum-group-metal (PGM), are provided, as are methods of making the electrocatalysts via rapid plasma oxidation, methods of using the electrocatalysts to catalyze e.g. oxygen evolution reactions (OERs), and devices comprising the electrocatalysts.