Abstract: There is provided a fusion protein comprising albumin and retinol-binding protein, which can be used for preventing or treating fibrotic diseases. The fusion protein, in which albumin and a retinol-binding protein (RBP) are bound together, induces the formation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets in stellate cells and returns the shape of activated stellate cells to the previous shape thereof before activation. Therefore, the fusion protein can be effectively used in preventing or treating fibrotic diseases occurring in the liver, pancreas, lungs, or other organs.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis method for a brake system of a vehicle determines whether the failure occurs in a regenerative braking device, a front-wheel friction braking device or a rear-wheel friction braking device. The method may include comparing a driver's required acceleration/deceleration with a current acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, determining that a failure has occurred in the brake system of the vehicle when the driver's required acceleration/deceleration is different from the current acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle and comparing a driver's required braking torque with a regenerative braking maximum torque, and determining that the failure does not occur in the brake system of the vehicle when the driver's required acceleration/deceleration is substantially equal to the current acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle.

Abstract: In accordance with the present teachings, a method of producing composite having a 3A Q3D reinforcement phase is disclosed. The method of producing the composite provides producing a three-dimensionally woven configuration where a first fiber from a first sheet of reinforcement phase is interwoven or mechanically linked with at least one of an adjacent second layer and then back into the first sheet. The linking fibers are passed between layers at an acute angle generally less than about 10 degrees. The method includes impregnating the woven construction with a curable polymer such as epoxy.

Abstract: Provided are a stacked LC resonator and a band pass filter using the same. The stacked LC resonator includes a flat metal base layer; a plurality of spiral inductors disposed layer by layer, corresponding to the flat metal base layer; and a plurality of dielectric layers, formed between the spiral inductors, and between the flat metal base layer and the spiral inductor corresponding to the flat metal base layer. The band pass filter includes two resonators with symmetrical structures, wherein the spiral inductors of the two resonators are disposed corresponding to each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to optical beam steering. There is described an optical beam steering apparatus, comprising: a splitter arranged to split an optical beam into at least a first part having a first polarization and a second part having a second polarization, said first and second polarizations being substantially mutually orthogonal; a first liquid crystal device region arranged to receive said first part and to have director orientation substantially aligned to said first polarization; and a second liquid crystal device region arranged to receive said second part and to have director orientation substantially aligned to said second polarization.

Abstract: An electrosurgical generator is disclosed. The generator includes a radio frequency output stage configured to generate a radio frequency waveform and a sensor circuit configured to measure a property of the radio frequency waveform during a predetermined sampling period to determine whether an arc event has occurred. The generator also includes a controller configured to determine a total charge and/or total energy deposited by the radio frequency waveform during the predetermined sampling period associated with the arc event. The controller is further configured to adjust the output of the electrosurgical generator based on at least one parameter to limit arcing.

Abstract: A composite biocompatible hydrogel material includes a porous polymer matrix, the polymer matrix including a plurality of pores and providing a Young's modulus of at least 10 GPa. A calcium comprising salt is disposed in at least some of the pores. The porous polymer matrix can comprise cellulose, including bacterial cellulose. The composite can be used as a bone graft material. A method of tissue repair within the body of animals includes the steps of providing a composite biocompatible hydrogel material including a porous polymer matrix, the polymer matrix including a plurality of pores and providing a Young's modulus of at least 10 GPa, and inserting the hydrogel material into cartilage or bone tissue of an animal, wherein the hydrogel material supports cell colonization in vitro for autologous cell seeding.

Abstract: Magneto-electric nanoparticles in a subject interact with an external magnetic field to cause stimulation of neural networks in the subject. Electric signals in the neural network are coupled to magnetic dipoles induced in the nanoparticles to cause changes in electric pulse sequences of the subject's brain.

Abstract: Disclosed are organic-inorganic hybrid self-assembled multilayers that can be used as electrically insulating (or dielectric) materials. These multilayers generally include an inorganic primer layer and one or more bilayers deposited thereon. Each bilayer includes a chromophore or “?-polarizable” layer and an inorganic capping layer composed of zirconia. Because of the regularity of the bilayer structure and the aligned orientation of the chromophore resulting from the self-assembly process, the present multilayers have applications in electronic devices such as thin film transistors, as well as in nonlinear optics and nonvolatile memories.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a micromechanical filter includes multiple subfilters, each subfilter comprising multiple piezoelectric resonators mechanically coupled in series, wherein the subfilters are mechanically coupled to each other in parallel.

Abstract: A wireless network node can include a wireless network antenna, a processor in communication with the wireless network antenna, and a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable code. The processor can be configured to calculate an initial buffer size. The processor can be configured to adjust the initial buffer size to a current buffer size based on a current network load.

Abstract: Schemes are described to produce quasi-static charge separation, Terahertz radiation, and programmable magnetic field generation using linearly-polarized light in unbiased, transparent insulators. The methods exploit a recently-observed magneto-electric optical nonlinearity that produces intense magnetization in undoped, homogeneous dielectrics. Analysis reveals that strong magnetic effects can be induced at modest optical intensities even with incoherent light. Consequently, efficient solar power conversion is feasible without the semiconductor processing or electron-hole pair generation that is required in conventional photovoltaic cells. Additionally, conditions and techniques are described to generate intense THz radiation in unbiased substrates and large magnetic fields orientated transverse to the direction of propagation of light, without the need for any external permanent magnetic or electromagnetic apparatus.

Abstract: An arsenic compound solution, and an albumin nanoparticle and a lyophilized preparation prepared using same and entrapping an arsenic compound. The arsenic compound solution is prepared using the following method: adding As2O3 powder in sterile deionized water to obtain a suspension, 6 to 25 mg of As2O3 powder being added in every mL of sterile deionized water; dripping an NaOH solution to the obtained suspension until the powder is fully dissolved and adjusting the pH of the solution to 7.5 to 9, and making the concentration of the obtained arsenic compound solution be 5 to 20 mg/mL in terms of the added As2O3. The albumin nanoparticle is prepared by mixing an albumin solution and the arsenic solution and the arsenic solution with the mass ratio of the added As2O3 in arsenic compound solution to the albumin ranging from 1:5 to 1:20 and using a method of solvent removing and physical curing.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a drug-delivery device includes one or more reservoirs that may each contain a therapeutic agent for delivery to a patient.

Abstract: Low-temperature organometallic nucleation and crystallization-based synthesis methods for the fabrication of semiconductor and metal colloidal nanocrystals with narrow size distributions and tunable, size- and shape-dependent electronic and optical properties. Methods include (1) forming a reaction mixture in a reaction vessel under an inert atmosphere that includes at least one solvent, a cationic precursor, an anionic precursor, and at least a first surface stabilizing ligand while stirring at a temperature in a range from about 50° C. to about 130° C. and (2) growing nanocrystals in the reaction mixture for a period of time while maintaining the temperature, the stirring, and the inert-gas atmosphere.

Abstract: Majority and minority logic can be implemented by voltage controlled switching of magneto-electric layers of magneto electric magnetic tunnel junction (ME-MTJ) devices. A ME-MTJ device includes an exchange bias-controlled switching element and a pinned ferromagnetic layer on an antiferromagnetic layer. In one case, the switching element includes a magneto electric (ME) layer on a free ferromagnetic (FM) layer, and is separated from the pinned FM layer by an insulator. To implement a majority or minority logic gate a single ME-MTJ device may be used where the device is provided with three electrodes contacting the ME layer in an overlaying relationship with the ME layer. The orientation of the pinned FM layer indicates whether the gate is a majority or a minority logic gate.

Abstract: An all-dielectric metamaterial cladding is provided that can strongly confine light inside conventional low-index dielectric waveguides for use with photonic integrated circuits and nano-photonic devices. A class of metamaterials with dual electric and magnetic anisotropy along with giant birefringence can provide the ideal quasi-transverse electromagnetic mode propagation inside a glass core. A Transformed Cladding Waveguide can show an order of magnitude decreased cross-talk as compared to conventional waveguides.

Abstract: A frozen dessert improved in shape retention without an adverse effect on the properties of the frozen dessert such as viscosity, texture and flavor is provided. The frozen dessert contains plant-derived microfibrillated cellulose.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for identifying bacteria by analysis of lipid A and/or lipoteichoic acid structure and/or mass spectrometry ionization patterns.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide polymer matrix nanocomposites reinforced with nano-scale materials such as nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes and methods of fabricating. The nanomaterials are provided within relatively low weight fractions, for example in the range of approximately 0.01 to about 0.4% by weight and distributed within the matrix by a magnetic mixing procedure to provide substantially uniform reinforcement of the nanocomposites. Advantageously, these nanocomposites provide significantly enhanced tensile strength, strain to failure, and fracture toughness over corresponding neat matrices.