Abstract: The detection range and the detection precision of a sensor device that makes use of the deformation of a viscoelastic elastomer are made variable. The sensor device comprises a magnetic viscoelastic elastomer containing electroconductive magnetic particles dispersed therein so as to demonstrate an elastic modulus that varies depending on a magnetic field applied thereto and an electric resistance in a prescribed direction that varies depending on a deformation thereof, electromagnets for applying a magnetic field that can be varied to the magnetic viscoelastic elastomer, a resistance detection circuit for detecting the electric resistance of the magnetic viscoelastic elastomer, and a control unit for computing at least one of a deformation state of the magnetic viscoelastic elastomer and a load applied to the magnetic viscoelastic elastomer according to a detection value of the resistance detection circuit and a magnitude of the magnetic field applied by the electromagnets.

Abstract: The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polychronous wave propagation system that is based on relative timing between two or more propagated waves through a wave propagation medium. The relative timing may be associated with interference patterns of energy between the propagated waves. Operational behavior of the polychronous wave propagation system is based on the relative timing of the propagated waves and distances between initiators that transmit the propagated waves and responders that receive the propagated waves. The operational behavior may include arithmetical computations, memory storage, Boolean functions, frequency-based computations, or the like. The polychronous wave propagation system relies on time delays between the propagated waves that result from propagation velocities of the propagated waves through the wave propagation medium. By incorporating the time delays into the system, operational capacity may be greatly enhanced.

Abstract: A robot cleaner is provided. The robot cleaner includes a camera obtaining an image including a user; and a control unit extracting, an arm image including an arm, from the image obtained by the camera, calculating an angle of an arm of an user from the arm image, and determining a function intended by the angle of the arm calculated to control execution of the function.

Abstract: A hydrogel material for use in three-dimensional scaffold printing is disclosed. The material is formed from a first triblock polymer having a formula ABA and a second triblock polymer having a formula AmaBAma, wherein A is a first polymer, B is a second polymer, and Ama is a methacrylate of the first polymer. The material is thermosensitive and photocrosslinkable. A method of manufacturing the material is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical transmitter, comprising: a master laser device for generating a master signal; one or more slave laser devices, injected with the master signal such that signals generated by the one or more slave laser devices are phase-locked with the master signal; an input for receiving one or more data streams to be transmitted, the one or more data streams being used to modulate respectively the one or more slave laser devices, such that each signal generated by the one or more slave laser devices respectively comprises a modulated part and a carrier part; and an interfering arrangement, for destructively interfering the signals generated by the one or more slave laser devices with a signal derived from the master signal, so as to generate an output signal in which the carrier part is at least partially cancelled. In embodiments, the transmitter comprises multiple slave laser devices, whose outputs can be coherently multiplexed together to generate multiple-bit output signals.

Abstract: Various systems, methods and apparatuses for a rotary valve are disclosed. A rotary valve apparatus may have a case, a fluid conducting apparatus inside the case, and an electromagnetic actuator. The electromagnetic actuator may align the fluid conducting apparatus with various ports in the case. In this manner, fluid may be conducted through the ports. The electromagnetic actuator may rotate the fluid conducting apparatus to align with different ports in the case. Thus, the apparatus may operate as a valve, connecting and disconnecting various ports in response to the electromagnetic actuator.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser element is realized with high beam quality (index M2<1). A diffraction grating 6ba of a diffraction grating layer 6 extends along a principal surface 2a and is provided on a p-side surface 6a of the diffraction grating layer 6; the refractive index of the diffraction grating layer 6 periodically varies in directions extending along the principal surface 2a, in the diffraction grating 6ba; the diffraction grating 6ba has a plurality of holes 6b; the plurality of holes 6b are provided in the p-side surface 6a and arranged in translational symmetry along a square lattice R3; the plurality of holes 6b each have the same size and shape; each hole 6b corresponds to a lattice point of the diffraction grating 6ba and is of a triangular prism shape; a shape of a bottom face 6c of the hole 6b is an approximate right triangle.

Abstract: A method is provided to generate a 3D image using a light-field camera that includes a main lens, a micro-lens array, a light sensing component, and an image processing module. The micro-lens array forms a plurality of adjacent micro-images at different positions of the light sensing component. Each micro-image includes multiple image zones corresponding to different viewing angles. For each micro-image, the image processing module obtains image pixel values from the image zones, so as to generate camera images corresponding to different viewing angles. The image processing module combines the camera images to generate the 3D image.

Abstract: Therapeutic methods for treating a subject with benign prostatic hypertrophy by inhibition of the activity of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to reduce the amount of prostatic hyperplastic tissue in the subject are described herein.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated methodology that monitors a system. The method determines scheduling parameters of a system. The system includes a plurality of subsystems. The method determines diagnostic parameters of the system and generates a linear parameter varying (LPV) model. The LPV model relates an input, the diagnostic parameters, and the scheduling parameters to an output. In addition, the method monitors each of the plurality of subsystems as a function of the LPV model.

Abstract: A suturing device including an outer bendable body and an inner bendable needle with a freely bendable angle includes a longitudinally extending outer hollow body having a point and a hollow passage and an inner needle portion or part disposed therein. The outer hollow body is constructed and dimensioned to receive a sized suture needle within the hollow passage with slightly close tolerances welded at its base to a point along the hollow body of the outer part and wherein the outer body includes a lower relatively stiff bendable material and an upper portion of relatively malleable material adjacent to and fixed to the lower portion. Further, the outer hollow body is more malleable as it becomes closer to the point.

Abstract: Nucleic acids encoding mutant elongation factor proteins (EF-Sep), phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase (SepRS), and phosphoseryl-tRNA (tRNASep) and methods of use in site specific incorporation of phosphoserine into a protein or polypeptide are described. Typically, SepRS preferentially aminoacylates tRNASep with O-phosphoserine and the tRNASep recognizes at least one codon such as a stop codon. Due to the negative charge of the phosphoserine, Sept-tRNASep does not bind elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). However, mutant EF-Sep proteins are disclosed that bind Sep-tRNASep and protect Sep-tRNASep from deacylation. In a preferred embodiment the nucleic acids are on vectors and are expressed in cells such as bacterial cells, archeaebacterial cells, and eukaryotic cells. Proteins or polypeptides containing phosphoserine produced by the methods described herein can be used for a variety of applications such as research, antibody production, protein array manufacture and development of cell-based screens for new drug discovery.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical or dietary composition comprising deoxyuridine and a pharmaceutically or dietetically suitable carrier. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of supplementing the dietary needs of a subject. This method includes administering to the subject a dietary supplementing effective amount of deoxyuridine. Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating cancer in a subject. This method includes selecting a subject having cancer and administering to the selected subject a therapeutically effective amount of uridine, thereby treating the cancer in the selected subject.

Abstract: A prodrug having antioxidant activity, including a phosphorylated compound having a thiol group. A method of treating oxidative stress by administering a prodrug of a phosphorylated compound including a thiol group, removing a phosphate group of the prodrug, and treating oxidative stress. A method of increasing bioavailability of a thiol compound by creating a prodrug by phosphorylating a thiol compound, administering the prodrug, preventing first pass metabolism of the prodrug, removing a phosphate group from the prodrug, and providing active drug to a site in need of therapy from oxidative stress. A method of preventing radiation damage to healthy tissue by administering a prodrug comprising a phosphorylated compound including a thiol group, removing a phosphate group of the prodrug to provide active drug, and preventing radiation damage to healthy tissue.

Abstract: A frequency-efficient antenna operation method is provided in a multiuser beamforming system. The method includes determining channel correlations and channel gain differences between channels using channel information received from multiple terminals, classifying the multiple terminals into at least one or more clusters using the channel correlations and channel gain differences, selecting a beamforming vector for each of the one or more clusters using the channel information of at least one or more terminals in the one or more clusters, allocating power to the terminals in each of the one or more clusters, and forming a beam based on the allocated power and the selected beamforming vector. According to the method, interference due to sharing space resources may be reduced and more efficient data communication may be achieved.

Abstract: A reconfigurable integrator/differentiator circuit includes: a first input terminal; a first output terminal; a first current follower having a second input terminal, a second inverting output terminal providing feedback to the first input terminal, a third non-inverting output terminal being connected to the first output terminal, and a fourth inverting output terminal; a second current follower having a third input terminal, a fifth inverting output terminal providing feedback to the first output terminal, and a sixth non-inverting output terminal being connected to the first input terminal; a single capacitor being connected between the fourth inverting output terminal and ground; a first resistor being connected between the first input terminal and the second input terminal; and a second resistor being connected between the fourth inverting output terminal and the third input terminal.

Abstract: A method for operating a sensor, including simultaneously exciting a first set of electrodes and sensing an output of each electrode of a second set of electrodes, storing output data corresponding to the output of each electrode of the second set of electrodes in a memory storage device, shifting at least one electrode from the first set of electrodes to the second set of electrodes and at least one electrode from the second set of electrodes to the first set of electrodes, and repeating the simultaneously exciting and sensing, the storing, and the shifting until an output data has been stored for each possible pair of electrodes in the first and second set of electrodes.

Abstract: Systems, devices, uses and methods relating to magnetorhological materials including carbon nanotubes, such as single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, are disclosed. Uses of magnetorheological materials such as in motion damping/vibration isolation are also disclosed.

Abstract: Described herein is a major breakthrough in nuclear reprogramming and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. Fusion of the powerful transcription activation domain (TAD) of MyoD to the Oct4 protein makes iPSCs generation faster, more efficient, purer, safer and feeder-free. Also, disclosed herein is the first report of the use of a TAD fused to a transcription factor as a method for making iPSCs. By combining transcription factors and TADs, this approach to nuclear reprogramming can have a range of applications from inducing pluriopotency to inducing transdifferentiation without transitioning through iPSCs.