Abstract: [Problem] To provide a fluorescent probe that detects calpain activity in cells at high sensitivity. [Solution] A compound represented by the following general formula (I) or a salt thereof.

Abstract: A pneumatic lower extremity gait rehabilitation training system includes a support device for reducing the burden of supporting a user's body weight by lower extremity in a walking therapy, an exoskeleton rehabilitation device for adjusting the user's walking coordination at a treadmill, a center-of-gravity adjusting device for adjusting a change of upper and lower centers of gravity, and a remote monitoring device for receiving and capturing a signal of an angle displacement of a joint mechanism in a walking cycle. The user may support her/his body weight by the support device and the center-of-gravity adjusting device to reduce the gravity exerted onto the user's legs. The exoskeleton rehabilitation device improves the flexibility, safety and lightweight of walking and requires fewer driving elements. The remote monitoring device sends analyzed signals to the treadmill to adjust the user's walking speed, so as to improve the rehabilitation effect.

Abstract: The device for sutureless repair of an injured (severed) nerve includes a securement band connected by a transparent membrane to form a loop. The band includes two opposing approximation claws that extend into the region of the transparent membrane. An aperture in the transparent membrane is covered by an enclosure having an inlet nozzle and an outlet nozzle. An elongate member having a blade on its bottom end extends through an aperture in the top of the enclosure. The band is strapped around the patient's limb with the transparent membrane adhesively secured over the incision, the severed nerve ends are irrigated with saline and air is evacuated in the process. The blade incises the severed ends of the nerve to expose fresh nerve tissue under vacuum, and the severed ends are approximated. The device is left in place for the severed nerve ends to reunite.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user. Appropriate set up data, generally in the form of command library codes, is displayed to the user by the interactive instruction set and associated programming for entry and trial by the user in set up of the desired appliance(s).

Abstract: An apparatus for model predictive control (“MPC”) is disclosed. A method and system also perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a measurement module that receives battery status information from one or more sensors receiving information from a battery cell, and a Kalman filter module that uses a Kalman filter and the battery status information to provide a state estimate vector. The apparatus includes a battery model module that inputs the state estimate vector and battery status information into a battery model and calculates a battery model output, the battery model representing the battery cell, and an MPC optimization module that inputs one or more battery model outputs and an error signal in a model predictive control algorithm to calculate an optimal response. The optimal response includes a modification of the error signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a video background removal method, which relates to the technical field of video analysis, and in particular to a background removal method based on an image block, a Gaussian mixture model and a random process. Firstly, the concept of blocks is defined, and a foreground and a background are determined by means of comparing a difference between blocks; a threshold value is automatically adjusted by using a Gaussian mixture model, and at the same time, the background is updated by using the idea of random process; and finally, an experiment is made on a BMC dataset, and a result shows that this method surpasses most of the current advanced algorithms, and the accuracy is very high. This method has wide applicability, can be applied to monitor video background subtraction, and is applied very importantly in the field of video analysis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for prevention or treatment of bronchial asthma comprising a PKR inhibitor as an active ingredient. The PKR inhibitor and derivatives thereof according to the present invention can be used as a pharmaceutical for prevention, amelioration or treatment of bronchial asthma and as a supplementary health food because the PKR inhibitor and derivatives thereof reduce the total counts of inflammatory cells, eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of neutrophilic severe asthma-induced mice, reduce airway inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness, and reduce inflammatory mediators.

Abstract: An electric power system or power grid is optimized using a computer-implemented tool the represents in computer memory the optimization function and at least one constraint, which the processor operates upon using a linear programming solver algorithm. The constraints are represented in memory as data structures that include both real and reactive power terms, corresponding to at least one of a power flow model and a transmission line model. The transmission line model is represented using a piecewise linear representation. The power flow model may also include for each node in the power system a real power loss term representing transmission line loss allocated to that node.

Abstract: An implantable medical device can include an electrode substrate electrically connected to at least one electrode. The device can have a pseudoporous surface across the electrode substrate and electrode. This surface can result in a real surface area (RSA) greater than the geometric surface area (GSA) of the device. The pseudoporous surface can be a macroporous surface enabling a charge injection capacity greater than 1 mC/cm2 while minimizing rejection of the device by surrounding tissue in chronic implant applications. The electrode can be a thin layer of conductive material, such as platinum or another metal, conformally deposited on the pseudoporous surface of the electrode substrate. A method of making the implantable device can include forming the device having an electrode substrate and at least one electrode electrically coupled to the electrode substrate, and forming a pseudoporous surface on the electrode substrate and electrode.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for characterizing a two-dimensional nanomaterial sample. The two-dimensional nanomaterial sample is placed in a vacuum chamber. An electron beam passes through the two-dimensional nanomaterial sample to form a diffraction electron beam and a transmission electron beam to form an image on an imaging device. An angle ? between the diffraction electron beam and the transmission electron is obtained. A lattice period d of the two-dimensional nanomaterial sample is calculated according to a formula d sin ??d?=?, where ? represents a wavelength of the electron beam.

Abstract: A ride vehicle includes a base configured to move through an attraction environment and a sphere engaging the base and further including one or more ride seats disposed within the sphere. The one or more ride seats are coupled to an upper surface of a platform disposed within the sphere. The ride vehicle also includes a sphere drive system of the base configured to engage with an external surface of the sphere to rotate the sphere relative to the base. The upper surface of the platform is configured to remain substantially horizontal while the sphere drive system rotates the sphere.

Abstract: A turbo-compression cooling system includes a power cycle and a cooling cycle coupled one to the other. The power cycle implements a waste heat waste heat exchanger configured to evaporate a first working fluid and a turbine configured to receive the evaporated working fluid. The turbine is configured to rotate as the first working fluid expands to a lower pressure. A condenser condenses the first working fluid to a saturated liquid and a pump pumps the saturated liquid to the waste heat waste heat exchanger. The cooling cycle implements a compressor increasing the pressure of a second working fluid, a condenser condensing the second working fluid to a saturated liquid upon exiting the compressor, an expansion valve expanding the second working fluid to a lower pressure, and an evaporator rejecting heat from a circulating fluid to the second working fluid, thereby cooling the circulating fluid.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for measuring temperatures and pHs of a sample in situ using NMR spectroscopy, and for sealing one or more ends of a capillary tube after a reference material has been added to the capillary tube, which is used in an in situ NMR temperature measurement device. A method for measuring a pH of a sample in situ using NMR spectroscopy includes providing an in situ NMR pH measurement device. This device includes a sample housing member configured to house a target sample, at least one pH sensor configured to exhibit an NMR spectral change due to a change in pH value of the target sample, and a pH sensor containment member configured to house the at least one pH sensor. The target sample is added to the sample housing member. NMR spectra are obtained to then determine the pH of the target sample.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for continuous preparation of high bulk density methionine crystals.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to freeze casting. In one aspect, a method comprises providing an apparatus. The apparatus comprises a container and a cooling surface. A bottom of the container comprises a wedge. The wedge comprises a first substantially planar surface and a second substantially planar surface with an angle between the first and the second substantially planar surfaces. An interior bottom of the container comprises the second substantially planar surface. The cooling surface is in contact with the first substantially planar surface. A slurry is deposited on the second substantially planar surface, the slurry comprising a plurality of particles in a liquid. The cooling surface is cooled to cool the slurry at a specified cooling rate.

Abstract: A high dynamic range image information hiding method includes embedding secret information and extracting the secret information. The step of embedding secret information includes obtaining three channel values of every pixel in an original high dynamic range image; according to every channel value and corresponding 5-bit exponent of every pixel, determining an embedding significance bit of the information to be embedded in every channel value of every pixel; embedding information into every channel value of every pixel; and obtaining a high dynamic range image embedded with the secret information.

Abstract: The presently disclosed and/or claimed inventive concept(s) relates generally to oxidative oxidized reaction products made from the mechanocatalytic oxidative depolymerization of lignin. More particularly, but without limitation, the mechanocatalytic oxidative depolymerization of lignin is performed in a non-aqueous/non-solvent based and solvent-free process, i.e., via a solid-solid mechanocatalytic oxidative reaction methodology. In one particular embodiment, the process of making such oxidative oxidized reaction products includes, without limitation, the step of mechanocatalytically reacting an oxidation catalyst with lignin or a lignin-containing material. The oxidative reaction products obtained from the process include, for example, at least one of vanillin, and syringealdehyde, vanillic acid, and syringic acid.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to detection systems and methods. One illustrative detection system may include a distributed radiation source having a plurality of radiation source focus points, which irradiate an object under detection, wherein the plurality of radiation source focus points are divided into a certain number of groups, and a primary collimator that limits rays of each of the radiation source focus points such that the rays emit into an XRD detection device. An XRD detection device may include a plurality of XRD detectors that are divided into the same number of groups as the radiation source focus points, wherein XRD detectors in a same group are arranged to be separated by XRD detectors in other groups, and rays of each of the radiation source focus points are received by XRD detectors having the same group number as the group number of the radiation source focus point.

Abstract: A barite filter cake removing composition, and single- and multi-stage methods of removing a barite filter cake from a wellbore. The composition comprises at least one polymer removal agent, at least one chelating agent, and at least one converting agent. The single-stage method includes contacting the barite filter cake with the composition to dissolve the barite filter cake from the wellbore. The multi-stage method includes contacting the barite filter cake from the wellbore with at least one polymer removal agent to remove a polymer coat present on the barite filter cake, contacting the barite filter cake with at least one converting agent to convert barium sulfate in the barite filter cake to a barium salt of carbonate, formate, cyanide, nitrate, and/or chloride, and removing the barium salt of carbonate, formate, cyanide, nitrate, and/or chloride with at least one chelating agent.

Abstract: A light emitting device includes a first electrode, a hole transporting layer in contact with the first electrode, a second electrode, an electron transporting layer in contact with the second electrode; and an emissive layer between the hole transporting layer and the electron transporting layer. The emissive layer includes a metal-assisted delayed fluorescent (MADF) emitter, a fluorescent emitter, and a host, and the MADF emitter harvests electrogenerated excitons and transfers energy to the fluorescent emitter.