Abstract: A palm-type mechanical gripper with variable-position and rotatable fingers and a dual-drive crank-slider parallel mechanism is provided with a crank-slider mechanism on the left side, which is an active driving structure and is driven by two stepping motors to respectively generate angular displacement of cranks and to change lengths of connecting rods, and a crank-slider mechanism on the right side, which is a driven mechanism and is driven at a constant speed by a pair of gears. The mechanical gripper is provided with three plate spring fingers, wherein two fingers are respectively installed on the connecting rods on left and right sides, and under the cooperative effect of the two stepping motors, the eccentricities of the cranks, the positions and angles of the two fingers respectively on the two connecting rods and the position of the other fixed finger can be changed through manual adjustment.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide for the implementation of volumetric diffractive optics equivalent functionality via cascaded planar elements. To illustrate the principle, a design 3D diffractive optics and implement a two-layer continuous phase-only design on a single spatial light modulator (SLM) with a folded system. The system provides dynamic and efficient multiplexing capability. Numerical and experimental results show this approach improves system performance such as diffraction efficiency, spatial/spectral selectivity, and number of multiplexing functions relative to 2D devices while providing dynamic large space-bandwidth relative to current static volume diffractive optics. The limitations and capabilities of dynamic 3D diffractive optics are discussed.

Abstract: A method includes: (1) using a chelating agent, extracting divalent ions from a brine solution as complexes of the chelating agent and the divalent ions; (2) using a weak acid, regenerating the chelating agent and producing a divalent ion salt solution; and (3) introducing carbon dioxide to the divalent ion salt solution to induce precipitation of the divalent ions as a carbonate salt. Another method includes: (1) combining water with carbon dioxide to produce a carbon dioxide solution; (2) introducing an ion exchanger to the carbon dioxide solution to induce exchange of alkali metal cations included in the ion exchanger with protons included in the carbon dioxide solution and to produce a bicarbonate salt solution of the alkali metal cations; and (3) introducing a brine solution to the bicarbonate salt solution to induce precipitation of divalent ions from the brine solution as a carbonate salt.

Abstract: The balloon catheter of the present invention is provided with a balloon base at a front end of a tubular catheter body having a predetermined length. The balloon base includes a cylindrical base having a larger diameter than an outer diameter of the catheter body, and a lumen having substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the catheter body is formed on the base over an entire length with both ends opened. A central axis of the lumen is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a central axis of the base concentric with a central axis of the catheter body, and an outer peripheral surface is formed in parallel with the central axis of the base. The balloon is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the parallel base to obliquely inflate with respect to the central axis of the catheter body during inflation.

Abstract: A method for measuring the dynamic stress field evolution law of a complex heterogeneous structure, comprising: preparing a transparent photosensitive resin model of a complex heterogeneous structure by means of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to serve as a test piece (S101); placing the test piece in a light path of a circularly polarized light dark field, performing continuous stress loading on the test piece, and recording images (S102); acquiring a plurality of continuously changing full-field stress fringe grayscale images according to videos generated by the image recording (S103); then acquiring grayscale value change sequences of pixel points at each position in the images (S104); and finally, calculating full-field fringe orders under continuous loading conditions according to the relation between the grayscale values and the fringe orders so as to calculate full-field stress values under the continuous loading conditions (S105).

Abstract: A system for delivering physical therapy to a user includes an active video gaming system that has a motion detector capable of detecting the physical motions of a user. The system includes parameters related to movement restrictions that a user may have and the system creates a gaming environment based on the parameters.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus for driving a light emitting apparatus is provided. The power supply apparatus includes a lossless snubber circuit and a power converting circuit. The lossless snubber circuit has a first diode, a first inductor and a second diode coupled in series between an input end and a first reference end, and has a first capacitor coupled between the first diode and a second reference end. The power converting circuit has a switch, a transformer and a second indictor. The switch is coupled between the first and second reference ends, and is turned on or off according to a control signal. The second inductor is coupled to a first side of the transformer in parallel.

Abstract: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing holds clinical potential for treating genetic diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. In vivo AAV-mediated delivery of gene-editing components machinery has been shown to successfully remove mutant sequence to generate an exon skipping in the cardiac and skeletal muscle cells of postnatal mdx mice, a model of DMD. Using different modes of AAV9 delivery, the restoration of dystrophin protein expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle of mdx mice was achieved. Here, a humanized mouse model for DMD is created to help test the efficacy of genome editing to cure DMD. Additionally, to facilitate the analysis of exon skipping strategies in vivo in a non-invasive way, a reporter luciferase knock-in version of the mouse model was prepared. These humanized mouse models provide the ability to study correcting of mutations responsible for DMD in vivo.

Abstract: A growth transform neural network system is disclosed that includes a computing device with at least one processor and a memory storing a plurality of modules, including a growth transform neural network module, a growth transform module, and a network convergence module. The growth transform neural network module defines a plurality of mirrored neuron pairs that include a plurality of first components and a plurality of second components. Each first and second component is connected by a normalization link. The first components are interconnected according to an interconnection matrix, and the second components are interconnected according to the interconnection matrix. The growth transform module updates each first component of each mirrored neuron pair according to a growth transform neuron model. The network convergence module converges the plurality of mirrored neuron pairs to a steady state condition by solving a system objective function subject to at least one normalization constraint.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrophoretic analysis chip with which analysis of a sample can be performed with high accuracy in a short amount of time. The present invention includes a first reservoir (11) and a second reservoir (21) provided on a base material (10); a phoresis flow path (33) which connects the first reservoir with the second reservoir and enables phoresis of the sample; and a liquid level adjusting flow path (15) having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the phoresis now path, the liquid level adjusting flow path connecting the first reservoir with the second reservoir and enabling adjustment of a difference in level between a liquid held in the first reservoir and a liquid held in the second reservoir.

Abstract: A multi-layer vector-matrix multiplication (VMM) apparatus is provided. The multi-layer VMM apparatus includes a three-dimensional (3D) NAND flash structure having multiple transistor array layers each includes a number of transistors configured to store a respective weight matrix and a number of word lines configured to receive respective selection voltages corresponding to a respective input vector. Accordingly, each of the transistor array layers can perform a respective VMM operation by multiplying the respective selection voltages with the respective weight matrix. Thus, by providing the respective selection voltages to each of the multiple transistor array layers in a sequential order, it may be possible to carry out a multi-layer VMM operation in the 3D NAND flash structure with reduced footprint, thus making it possible to support a deep neural network (DNN) via such advanced techniques as in-memory computing.

Abstract: The invention features techniques for presenting more than one perspective views to each eye of the viewer, through generating viewing zones with an interval smaller than the diameter of the viewer's pupil by display panel/grating pair/pairs. In the first method, the arraying direction of the small-interval viewing zones is designed having an appropriate small inclination angle to the line connecting the viewer's two pupils, so as to cover each eye with more than one viewing zones which are different with each other. In the extreme case, 4 small-interval viewing zones can implement 3D display with two views for each eye. This is absolutely different with existing grating-based 3D display, which aligns viewing zones along the direction with a small angle (<?/4) to the line connecting the viewer's two pupils and thus a rather large number of small-interval viewing zone is needed for covering the viewer's two eyes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for ocular fundus disease, especially diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration. The prophylactic or therapeutic agent for ocular fundus disease comprising: (S)-(?)-1-(4-fluoro-5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyl-1,4-homopiperazine, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof, as an active ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an endoscopic treatment instrument, and more particularly, to an endoscopic treatment instrument including a detachable end-effector and a contamination prevention cover. The endoscopic treatment instrument includes an end-effector for performing treatment in the endoscopic surgery or an endoscope treatment, a connection section being detachably coupled to an end of the end-effector, and a contamination prevention cover being coupled to the connection section or the end-effector and surrounding a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the connection section so as to prevent contamination of the connection section. According to an embodiment of the present invention, since only the end-effector is separable for replacement and the cover is formed to protect a control unit, it is possible to prevent cross infection between patients caused by the contamination of the end-effector and the control unit.

Abstract: A modular boiler system for implementing fuel combustion is provided. The system includes a first boiler and a second boiler of a plurality of boilers, an oxygen input unit, a fuel input unit, a recycled flue gas input unit, and a flue gas separator. The first boiler receives oxygen from the oxygen input unit, fuel from the fuel input unit, and recycled flue gas from the recycled flue gas input unit. The first boiler outputs intra-system flue gas. The flue gas separator separates the intra-system flue gas into a first and second flue gas stream, transfers the first flue gas stream to the second boiler, and transfers the second flue gas stream to a gas cleaning system. The second boiler receives oxygen from the oxygen input unit, fuel from the fuel input unit, and the first flue gas stream from the flue gas separator.

Abstract: An omni-directional conditioner device includes a carrier that includes a holding part for holding and rotating an object for polishing purpose; a conditioner disposed around the carrier; and a transmission mechanism connected with the carrier on one side and the conditioner on the other side, the transmission mechanism including at least one directional control unit that controls the rotational direction of the conditioner. When the directional adjustment unit is set in one position, the carrier and the conditioner rotate in a same direction, and when the direction control unit is set in another position, the carrier and the conditioner rotate in opposite directions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a biomaterial fabrication process for the manufacture of a collagen based fabric for an aligned collagen fiber network.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a vaccinia virus expressing a foreign gene and capable of killing cancer cells, and a cancer therapy drug comprising the vaccinia virus. The present invention relates to a vaccinia virus, wherein a suicide gene as a foreign gene selected from the group consisting of cytosine deaminase (CD) gene, uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT) gene, and herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene is introduced.

Abstract: The invention provides modified Natural Killer (NK) cells expressing an antigen-specific functional T cell receptor (TCR) complex. These NK cells are used for T cell receptor (TCR) gene therapy in order to circumvent any risk of mispairing of the TCR a and ? chains and to provide Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)-restricted antigen-specific cytotoxicity to the NK cells. The invention additionally provides methods for producing the modified NK cells, therapeutic compositions including the modified NK cells, and methods for using the modified NK cells in therapy of cancer, viral infections, autoimmunity, and graft versus host disease (GvHD).

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to antibodies binding to human respiratory syncytial virus F protein, including both neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies, and methods for use thereof.