Abstract: A method of automated measurement of motility and morphology parameters of the same single motile sperm. Automated motility and morphology measurements of the same single sperm are performed under different microscope magnifications. The same single motile sperm is automatically positioned and kept inside microscope field of view and in focus after magnification switch. A method of automated non-invasive measurement of sperm morphology parameters under high magnification of imaging. Sperm morphology parameters including subcellular structures are automatically measured without invasive sample staining. A method of automatically selecting sperms with normal motility and morphology and DNA integrity for infertility treatment.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microcapsules, methods of using such microcapsules in the delivery of drugs and probiotic microbes to subjects in need thereof, and methods of using such microcapsules for in vitro culture of microbes. In particular, the microcapsules comprise novel siloxane-based membranes that maintains transport properties essential to communication and growth of microbes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for the cryopreservation of stem cells, such as stem-cell derived retinal pigment epithelial cells, that have been seeded onto and cultured on a substrate, such as a polymeric substrate. Such cryopreserved stem cells are useful for cell therapies, such as treatment of ocular damage or disease.

Abstract: A laser-assisted microfluidics manufacturing process has been developed for the fabrication of additively manufactured structures. Roll-to-roll manufacturing is enhanced by the use of a laser-assisted electrospray printhead positioned above the flexible substrate. The laser electrospray printhead sprays microdroplets containing nanoparticles onto the substrate to form both thin-film and structural layers. As the substrate moves, the nanoparticles are sintered using a laser beam directed by the laser electrospray printhead onto the substrate.

Abstract: Provided are a computer mouse and a method for operating the computer mouse, with the computer mouse including a palm-rest on a first side thereof, a baseplate on a second side substantially opposite the first side, hinges positioned along an edge of the palm-rest, and finger-rests, with each finger-rest fixedly attached to one end of a respective hinge.

Abstract: An in-memory computing architecture is disclosed that can evaluate the transitive closure of graphs using the natural parallel flow of information in 3-D nanoscale crossbars. The architecture can be implemented using 3-D crossbar architectures with as few as two layers of 1-diode 1-resistor (1D1R) interconnects. The architecture avoids memory-processor bottlenecks and can hence scale to large graphs. The approach leads to a runtime complexity of O(n2) using O(n2) memristor devices. This compares favorably to conventional algorithms with a time complexity of O((n3)/p+(n2) log p) on p processors. The approach takes advantage of the dynamics of 3-D crossbars not available on 2-D crossbars.

Abstract: The present invention relates to rhomboidal phase bismuth oxide that maintains electric conductivity of at least about 1×10?2 S/cm at temperature of about 500° C. for at least about 100 hours. In particular, the bismuth oxides of the invention have stable conductivity at a temperature range from about 500° C. to about 550° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator-equipped knee ankle foot orthosis in which a control device calculates a thigh phase angle based on an angle-related signal detected by a thigh orientation detecting means at one sampling point, applies the thigh phase angle at that sampling point to an assisting force control data, which is stored in the control device in advance and indicates the relationship between the thigh phase angle and a size of the assisting force to be imparted to a lower leg-side brace, to obtain the size of the assisting force to be imparted to the lower leg-side brace at that sampling point, and executes operational control for an actuator unit such that the assisting force having the size is output.

Abstract: A surface emission laser formed of a group III nitride semiconductor includes a first conductivity type first clad layer; a first conductivity type first guide layer on the first clad layer; a light-emitting layer on the first guide layer; a second guide layer on the light-emitting layer; and a second conductivity type second clad layer on the second guide layer. The first or second guide layer internally includes voids periodically arranged at square lattice positions with two axes perpendicular to one another as arrangement directions in a surface parallel to the guide layer. The voids have a polygonal prism structure or an oval columnar structure with a long axis and a short axis perpendicular to the long axis in the parallel surface, and the long axis is inclined with respect to one axis among the arrangement directions of the voids.

Abstract: A method for specifically and efficiently quantifying the expression of targeted RNA variants with specific terminal sequences suitable to identify multiple isoforms bearing complex heterogeneity in terminal sequences by hybridizing a 5?-Dbs-adapter to the 5?-end of target RNAs, wherein the 5?-Dbs-adapter has a stem-loop structure whose protruding 5?-end base-pairs with the 5?-end of target RNAs, and wherein the loop region of 5?-Dbs-adapter contains a base-lacking spacer which will terminate reverse transcription in a subsequent step; hybridizing a 3?Db-adapter to the 3?-end of target RNAs, wherein the 3?-Db-adapter has a stem-loop structure whose protruding 3?-end base-pairs with the 3?-end of target RNAs; ligating both adapters with target RNAs by RN12 ligation to form a “dumbbell-like” structure; and, amplifying and quantifying the ligation product by RT-PCR.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of predicting whether a pulmonary nodule in a subject is benign or non-small cell lung cancer, comprising obtaining the results of an assay that measures an expression level of miR205-5p in a plasma sample from the subject; obtaining the results of an assay that measures an expression level of miR126 in a plasma sample from the subject; obtaining the results of an assay that provides a size of the pulmonary nodule in the subject; and calculating a probability value based on the combination of the expression levels of miR205-5p and miR126, and the size of the pulmonary nodule, wherein if the probability value exceeds a specified threshold, the pulmonary nodule is predicted as non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a scheduling method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system using a sliding window superposition coding scheme. In the present disclosure, in a wireless communication system, if a UE is located in a cell edge, data throughput can be improved. An eNB using an SWSC scheme can provide fast scheduling. An eNB can provide higher throughput.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a lignite char supported nano-cobalt composite catalyst and a preparation method thereof. In the method, lignite is used as a raw material, and a lignite char supported high dispersion nano-cobalt composite catalyst is obtained by a modified impregnation method followed by a high temperature pyrolysis process. The composite catalyst prepared by the present disclosure has a hierarchical pore structure, a high specific surface area, and uniformly dispersing nano-sized cobalts on the lignite char with controllable particle size, so that the obtained catalyst has an excellent catalytic activity for low-temperature CO2 methanation; moreover, the preparation process is simple and feasible, the raw materials used are cheap and easily available. Therefore, the composite catalyst is very suitable for industrial production and application.

Abstract: A fairing skin repair method based on measured wing data includes fairing skin registration. Data set P1 through denoising and filtering wing point cloud data is reorganized to obtain a key point set P. A histogram feature descriptor in a normal direction of any key point in set P and a skin point cloud data Q is calculated. Euclidean distance between feature descriptors of two points is calculated through K-nearest neighbor algorithm, and points with high similarity are added into a set M. A clustering is performed on set M using a Hough voting algorithm to obtain a local point cloud set P? in set P. The method includes fairing skin repair. The boundary line of the point frame is projected onto Q, and a distance between a projection line on the point cloud and the boundary line is calculated to obtain an amount of skin to be repaired.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed which permit ventilation therapy concurrent with humidity and aerosol drug delivery. Exemplary mixer-heaters employ alternating actuation of humidity and drug nebulizers and may use a single constant power setting for the heating section while keeping a controlled outlet temperature over the course of treatment.

Abstract: A sacrificial concrete for a core catcher and a preparation method thereof are provided. The sacrificial concrete includes raw materials in parts by weight as follows: cement, 575˜625 parts; a quartz sand, 1200˜1300 parts; a hematite ore, 700˜800 parts; water, 200˜220 parts; a water reducing agent, 7˜10 parts; and strontium oxide, 0˜10 parts. The process of the preparation method is simple, and the sacrificial concrete with excellent performances of fluidity, strength and high-temperature resistance can be prepared by the known mixing technology. The sacrificial concrete can reduce releasing of radioactive substances 89Sr and 90Sr, so as to improve safety of nuclear power plants in case of a severe accident. Moreover, the sacrificial concrete can be used not only in a core catcher of current third generation nuclear power plant, but also in a core catcher of future fourth generation nuclear power plant, and has widespread engineering application value.

Abstract: Provided are a macromolecular material that exhibits high toughness and self-healing properties, and that can be produced by a simple process, as well as a method for producing the material. The macromolecular material contains a crosslinked polymer crosslinked by the interaction between a host group and a guest group. The crosslinked polymer contains a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (1a) and a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (2a).

Abstract: A manually-operated quantification soft tissue mobilization (QSTM) device includes a pressure applicator and a sensor member. The pressure applicator is configured to enable a user to dynamically apply a stroking mechanical force as the pressure applicator is moved over an area treatment areas of a patient's soft tissue. The sensor member including an accelerometer and a gyrometer is configured to determine various parameters of the dynamically applied stroking mechanical force in three dimensions as the pressure applicator is moved over the treatment areas of the patient's soft tissue. These parameters include a force magnitude in three dimensions, an angle in multiple axes, a stroke position, a stroke frequency, a sensed vibration magnitude at dominant spectral frequencies, and/or a rate of the stroking mechanical force dynamically applied to the soft tissue.

Abstract: A culture system for co-culturing a first cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells and a cell layer or tissue formed of a second cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells different from the former cells comprising: a first culture tank for co-culturing under anaerobic conditions the first cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells and the cell layer or tissue formed of the second cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells; a second culture tank for pooling a liquid culture medium of aerobic conditions; one or more substance-exchange structures that are disposed so as to connect the first culture tank to the second culture tank; and the aforesaid cell layer or tissue that is disposed so as to cover the surface on the first culture tank side of the substance-exchange structure(s).

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compound parabolic concentrators. In one implementation, a compound parabolic concentrator may include a parabolic array having a base, a side wall, and an aperture for receiving light and a dielectric layer having a refractive index. In another implementation, a stacked compound parabolic concentrator may include a parabolic array having a base, a side wall, and an aperture for receiving light and multiple dielectric layers within the array. Each dielectric layer may have a refractive index, and the refractive index may decrease with each dielectric layer moving from the base of the parabolic array to the light receiving aperture.