Abstract: An apparatus using reconfigurable integrated sensor elements with an efficient energy harvesting capability is described. Each sensor element has sensing and energy harvesting mode. In the sensing mode, the sensor element measures an environmental characteristic by generating electrical charge and outputs a time-encoded signal indicative of the measurement. In the energy harvesting mode, the sensor element itself is used to harvest energy from ambient energy source and makes it available to other sensor elements or circuit components. The sensing element is switched from the sensing mode to the energy harvesting mode when the electrical charge reaches a predetermined threshold. An image sensor device using asynchronous readout for harvesting energy from incident light while generating images is also described.

Abstract: In one embodiment, program code is added to a social network's web pages or site such that the content a first user accesses is locally stored at the first user's system. When another user, who is a friend of the first user, as defined by the social networking site, browses to that same content, the program code fetches it from the first user, instead of directly from the social networking site. The content is thus directly exchanged between the users without a transaction at the website. The present invention leverages the storage and bandwidth resources of social networking users to help serve content.

Abstract: A method for making cathode slurry is provided and includes the following steps. First, a number of electron emitters, an inorganic binder, and an organic carrier are provided. Second, the electron emitters, the inorganic binder, and the organic carrier are mixed to obtain a mixture. Third, the mixture is mechanically pressed and sheared.

Abstract: High sensitivity thermal detectors that perform beyond the blackbody radiation noise limit are described. Thermal detectors, as described herein, use spectrally selective materials that absorb strongly in the wavelength region of the desired signal but only weakly or not at all in the primary thermal emission band. Exemplary devices that can be made in accordance with the present invention include microbolometers containing semiconductors that absorb in the MWIR and/or THz range but not the LWIR.

Abstract: A transcutaneous prosthesis includes a first component shaped for implantation into a bone, the first component including flutes or grooves on a surface thereof for deterring rotation of the prosthesis within a bone; a second component adapted for location between the bone and the skin, the second component having a surface treatment for stimulation of fibroblastic cell proliferation and attachment of epithelial cells; and a third component adapted for location to extend from the skin surface and is adapted to extend directly from the skin surface in use, the third component having a coating of a non-stick material on an outer surface thereof, the coating having a surface energy that is lower than a surface energy of the first and second components and which is low enough to deter bacterial adhesion.

Abstract: A method for controlling a data center, comprising a plurality of server systems, each associated with a cooling system and a thermal constraint, comprising: a concurrent physical condition of a first server system; predicting a future physical condition based on a set of future states of the first server system; dynamically controlling the cooling system in response to at least the input and the predicted future physical condition, to selectively cool the first server system sufficient to meet the predetermined thermal constraint; and controlling an allocation of tasks between the plurality of server systems to selectively load the first server system within the predetermined thermal constraint and selectively idle a second server system, wherein the idle second server system can be recruited to accept tasks when allocated to it, and wherein the cooling system associated with the idle second server system is selectively operated in a low power consumption state.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of inhibiting the growth of a shoot apical meristem of a cucurbit rootstock plant, comprising contacting a shoot apical meristem of the cucurbit rootstock plant with an effective amount of a composition comprising one or more fatty alcohols, thereby inhibiting the growth of the shoot apical meristem of the cucurbit rootstock plant. The present invention further provides methods for preparing and producing cucurbit rootstock plants for grafting and methods for grafting. Additionally provided are cucurbit rootstock plants and plant parts and grafted cucurbit plants produced by the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for constructing a cable-stayed bridge with a tensionless stay cable, including the steps for: constructing a main tower 100, continuously installing a suspension cable 200 over a main span and a side span, installing a plurality of hangers 210 on the suspension cable 200, arranging an anchorage cable 220 in a longitudinal direction by connecting the anchorage cable 220 to a lower end of the hanger 210, installing a stay cable 110 in sequence, constructing a girder by connecting a segment 300 constituting the girder to each of the stay cables 110 in sequence, and connecting the segments 300 one another in a longitudinal direction, and removing the suspension cable 200, the hanger, and the anchorage cable 220.

Abstract: Methods and related systems for treating patients suffering from several disorders including bladder dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and bowel elimination disorders are disclosed and described. The method can include identification of the disorder followed by the step of accessing a pudendal nerve of the patient. A microelectrode array having a plurality of electrodes thereon is inserted into the pudendal nerve of the patient. A controller is electronically associated with the microelectrode array which is programmed to provide selective activation and/or blocking of various muscles using the microelectrodes of the array. The selective stimulation can be tuned to selectively activate or block at least one muscle selected from the group consisting of the external urethral sphincter, the detrusor muscle, the anal sphincter, and the cavernous smooth musculature of the penis.

Abstract: Disclosed are a filter and a method to improve the objective and subjective video coding performance The filter comprises: a parameter estimation unit configured to determine means and variances from a pilot frame; a filter unit configured to receive quantized residual coefficients in video coding process and restore coefficients from the quantized residual coefficients and the determined means and variances; an inverse ICT unit configured to apply an inverse ICT to the restored coefficients to obtain a filtered frame; a rate-distortion optimization unit configured to determine a quadtree block partition index; and an adaptive block selection unit configured to select final blocks according to quadtree block partition index, the final blocks being utilized to form the filtered frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating or preventing cardiac disorders in a subject in need thereof by inhibiting the expression or function of both miR-499 and miR-208 in the heart cells of the subject. In particular, specific protocols for administering inhibitors of the two miRNAs that achieve efficient, long-term suppression are disclosed. In addition, the invention provides a method for treating or preventing musculoskeletal disorders in a subject in need thereof by increasing the expression or activity of both miR-208 and miR-499 in skeletal muscle cells of the subject.

Abstract: A method for inducing mucosal immune responses in a subject in need thereof to an antigen includes administering to the subject a vaccine composition including the antigen and a Dioscorea polysaccharides as an adjuvant. Because of the immuomodulatory effect of the Dioscorea polysaccharides, the vaccine composition is further capable of breaking immunological tolerance in the subject.

Abstract: Adaptive notch filters can be used to estimate offending frequencies caused by feedback within a hearing aid system. The offending frequencies can be suppressed by filtering. Offending frequencies can be identified based on variability of the adaptive notch filter parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for inhibiting attacks with a network are provided. In some embodiments, methods for inhibiting attacks by forwarding packets through a plurality of intermediate nodes when being transmitted from a source node to a destination node are provided, the methods comprising: receiving a packet at one of the plurality of intermediate nodes; determining at the selected intermediate node whether the packet has been sent to the correct one of the plurality of intermediate nodes based on a pseudo random function; and forwarding the packet to the destination node, based on the determining. In some embodiments an intermediate node is selected based on a pseudo random function. In some embodiments, systems and methods for establishing access to a multi-path network are provided.

Abstract: This invention provides a simple means for detecting a renal disorder, a diagnostic marker for a renal disorder that enables prognostic prediction of a renal disorder (e.g., diabetic nephropathy and IgA nephropathy) and evaluation of the degree of nephropathy at the phase of stage-II diabetic nephropathy by measuring the megalin level in urine associated with a renal disorder used for the detection means, and use of such marker. The invention also provides the use of human megalin obtained from the urine sample of a subject as a marker for detecting a renal disorder.

Abstract: A computer-implemented includes receiving, from one or more contributing channels, medical data; assigning the received medical data to one or more data silos; and generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a patient portal, with the patient portal including: one or more visual representations of the one or more data silos for data associated with a user that requested the patient portal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cyclization process of forming a multiple ring compound from an isoprenoid compound. The cyclization process involves reacting the isoprenoid compound with an acetal initiator under conditions sufficient to form the multiple ring compound. The isoprenoid compound is contacted with an initiator and optionally with a catalyst. Cyclization occurs by reaction of the initiator with the isoprenoid compound. Cyclic acetal compounds wherein the acetal forms part of 6-membered unsaturated ring are also defined.

Abstract: In a corpus of scientific articles such as a digital library, documents are connected by citations and one document plays two different roles in the corpus: document itself and a citation of other documents. A Bernoulli Process Topic (BPT) model is provided which models the corpus at two levels: document level and citation level. In the BPT model, each document has two different representations in the latent topic space associated with its roles. Moreover, the multi-level hierarchical structure of the citation network is captured by a generative process involving a Bernoulli process. The distribution parameters of the BPT model are estimated by a variational approximation approach.

Abstract: Reduced dyes, such as hydrocyanines, deuterocyanines, and/or other deuterated dyes capable of detecting one or more reactive oxygen species are described herein. The reduced dyes exhibit little or no fluorescence due to the disrupted ? conjugation. However, upon reaction with ROS, the reduced dyes are oxidized, regenerating the extended ? conjugation and causing a substantial increase in fluorescence intensity. In many case, the oxidized dye is generally membrane impermeable. However, upon reduction, many of the reduced dyes are membrane permeable. Thus, reduced dyes can accumulate in cells and/or tissue to amplify the signal. Once inside the cell or tissue, the reduced dye is reoxidized upon reaction with ROS, and the oxidized dye again becomes membrane impermeable, trapping the dye within the cell. The reduced dyes can be used to image ROS, such as hydroxide radical and superoxide, in serum, cell cultures, tissue explants, and in vivo.

Abstract: An image processing method for providing a digitized image as an approximation of an image function ƒ, wherein the digitized image comprises a plurality of pixels with a predetermined pixel size, comprises the steps of providing the image function ƒ from Radon data comprising a plurality of projection functions measured corresponding to a plurality of predetermined projection directions (v), and determining pixel values from the image function, the pixel values representing the digitized image to be obtained, wherein the pixel values are determined in dependence on at least two image function values within the pixel size of the respective pixel. Furthermore, an imaging method and an imaging device using the image processing method are described.