Abstract: A hydrogen storage material analyzer along with its analysis and activation methods, the hydrogen storage material analyzer including a H2 absorption-desorption cycling tester, a temperature-programmed desorption spectrometer, a specimen holder and a temperature-controlled furnace.

Abstract: A heat equalizer includes a container structure having a heating block in which a working fluid is held for heating and vaporizing a material to be heated, a heater placed at the bottom of the container structure, and a material feed pipe allowing the outside and the inside of the container structure to communicate with each other. In the heating block, as a flow path in which the material to be heated flows, a main header pipe connected to the material feed pipe and extending in the horizontally, and a riser pipe branching from the main header pipe and extending vertically are formed. As a condensation path in which the working fluid is cooled and condensed, condensation holes formed respectively on the opposite sides of the riser pipe and extending horizontally, and a condensation pit formed under the riser pipe are formed. Between the condensation holes and the condensation pit, the main header pipe is placed.

Abstract: A multi-resolution display system including a desktop display area, a foveal projection device, a sensor, a control unit, and a manually adjustable fixture is provided. The desktop display area displays a central image and a low-resolution image. The control unit determines six-dimensional (6D) orientation information of the foveal projection device relative to the desktop display area according to a projected image detected by the sensor, so as to control the foveal projection device to project the central image within a target area on the desktop display area. The manually adjustable fixture fixes the foveal projection device on top of the desktop display area, and the movement of the manually adjustable fixture has a freedom of up to six dimensions.

Abstract: The invention discloses an optical communication system using grounded coplanar waveguide, comprising a current buffer and a transimpedance amplifier (TIA). Transmission lines of the optical communication system have grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) structures. The current buffer receives a current signal from a signal source, and outputs the current signal after reducing capacitance effects of the signal source. The TIA converts the current signal to a voltage signal, wherein a first end of the TIA receives the current signal, a second end of the TIAn outputs the voltage signal, and a shunt-shunt feedback circuit is coupled between the first end and the second end. Therefore, the present invention can minimize the circuit area and lower the power consumption as well.

Abstract: A colorimetric reagent in the form of nanoparticles, composite nanoparticles, and nanoparticle coatings, including methods of use, methods of preparation, deposition, and assembly of related devices and specific applications. The colorimetric reagent comprises cerium oxide nanoparticles which are used in solution or immobilized on a solid support, either alone or in conjunction with oxidase enzymes, to form an active colorimetric component that reacts with an analyte to form a colored complex. The rate of color change and the intensity of the color are proportional to the amount of analyte present in the sample. Also described is the use of ceria and doped ceria nanoparticles as an oxygen storage/delivery vehicle for oxidase enzymes and applications in biocatalytic processes in anaerobic conditions of interest in biomedicine and bioanalysis.

Abstract: A counter-rotating axial flow fan in which the shape of stationary blades of a middle stationary portion is optimized to reduce noise is provided. Defining the maximum axial chord length of front blades as Lf, the maximum axial chord length of rear blades as Lr, and the maximum axial chord length of stationary blades as Lm, a relationship of Lm/(Lf+Lr)<0.14 is satisfied. Defining the maximum dimension between the blade chord for lower surfaces of the stationary blades and the lower surfaces as K1, the maximum axial chord length Lm of the stationary blades satisfies a relationship of Lm/K1>5.8.

Abstract: This invention is based in part on the elucidation of new structural conformations and functions of the sodium/potassium adenosine triphosphate synthase (Na/K ATPase), and especially elucidation of new binding sites and interactions. The present invention provides practical applications of several surprising structural and functional relationships between Na/K ATPase and compounds which interact with Na/K ATPase. Disclosure of these structures and relationships provides insight and practical solutions to chemically affecting not only the Na/K ATPase interactions, but also regulators known to be upstream and downstream.

Abstract: A device and method of making and using the same. The device includes first and second substrates that are spaced to define a fluid space. Polar and non-polar fluids occupy the fluid space. A first electrode, with a dielectric layer, is positioned on the first substrate and electrically coupled to at least one voltage source, which is configured to supply an electrical bias to the first electrode. The fluid space includes at least one fluid splitting structure that is configured to facilitate the movement of the non-polar fluid into a portion of the polar fluid. Fluid splitting structure assisted movement of the non-polar fluid splits the polar fluid.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention can resolve molecules beyond the optical diffraction limit in three dimensions. A double-helix point spread function can be used to in conjunction with a microscope to provide dual-lobed images of a molecule. Based on the rotation of the dual-lobed image, the axial position of the molecule can be estimated or determined. In some embodiments, the angular rotation of the dual-lobed imaged can be determined using a centroid fit calculation or by finding the midpoints of the centers of the two lobes. Regardless of the technique, the correspondence between the rotation and axial position can be utilized. A double-helix point spread function can also be used to determine the lateral positions of molecules and hence their three-dimensional location.

Abstract: Optical phase modulators are disposed in separate arms of an optical interferometer for forming short optical pulses. The optical phase modulators are driven by signals from an electrical nonlinear transmission line (NLTL). A time delay (typically on the order of the NLTL fall time) is introduced between the NLTL signals in the two arms of the interferometer. With this arrangement, the interferometer provides short optical pulses at its output. In one experiment, 70 ps switching was demonstrated using discrete LiNbO3 traveling wave electro-optic modulators and commercially available NLTLs capable of delivering a 35 ps falling edge. A preferable approach is to integrate the NLTLs with the phase modulators, to further improve bandwidth. This fast switch can be used for various applications, such as implementing an Optical Time Division Multiplexing (OTDM) network architecture, and providing arbitrary waveform generation (AWG) capability.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for enhancing taxane sensitivity are provided. Aspects of the subject methods include administering to a subject a txr1 pathway modulatory agent in conjunction with a taxane. Also provided are txr1 polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding the same. The subject methods and compositions find use in a variety of different applications.

Abstract: An electric water heater having a filtering device includes an electric water heating device and a filtering device. The filtering device communicates with the electric water heating device, and includes a shell having at least an accommodating area, an inlet connecting to one end of the shell and communicating with the accommodating area, an outlet connecting to the other end of the shell and communicating with the electric water heating device and the accommodating area, a porous magnetic resin film located inside the accommodating area, and a calcium sulfite filter membrane in the accommodating area and between the outlet and the porous magnetic resin film. With the combination of the porous magnetic resin film and the calcium sulfite filter membrane respectively for the absorption of metallic impurities in water and chlorine removal, the scales can be avoided from generating after the electric water heating device heats the water.

Abstract: Air bubbles may be used to reduce radiated underwater noise. Two modalities of sound attenuation by air bubbles were shown to provide a reduction in radiated sound: bubble acoustic resonance damping and acoustic impedance mismatching. The bubbles used for acoustic resonance damping were manifested using gas-filled containers coupled to a support, and the acoustic impedance mismatching bubbles were created using a cloud of freely-rising bubbles, which were both used to surround an underwater sound source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provide an improved EM reverberation chamber which facilitates the dynamic three dimensional (3D) manipulation of EM field polarization within the chamber and produces a uniform field distribution inside the chamber. The chamber includes one or more walls with tunable lumped elements. A controller is provided to generate one or more control signals that are applied to the lumped elements and tunes their impedance in response to the one or more control signals. The result is to generate, within the chamber an electromagnetic field that appears to be random or pseudo-random in polarization, but which is sufficiently uniform in magnitude for EM testing.

Abstract: Use of an isolated peptide comprising an amino acid sequence being no more than 25 amino acids in length, the amino acid sequence comprising at least one aspartate or a homolog thereof, the peptide having an Insulin-Degrading Enzyme (IDE) inhibitory activity, for the manufacture of a medicament identified for treating a disease selected from the group consisting of diabetes, obesity, hyperglycemia, retinal damage, renal failure, nerve damage, microvascular damage and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of treating or preventing a substance-related disorder using selective delta opioid receptor-1 (DOP-R1) agonists, delta opioid receptor-2 (DOP-R2) antagonists, and/or mu opioid receptor (MOP-R) antagonists, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate, or prodrug thereof. The methods provided herein further comprise administering a therapeutically effective amount of a combination of a DOP-R1 agonist and a DOP-R2 antagonist. The methods also comprise administering a therapeutically effective amount of a combination of a DOP-R1 agonist and an MOP-R antagonist. The methods provided herein further comprise administering a therapeutically effective amount of a combination of a DOP-R1 agonist and a DOP-R2 antagonist and a MOP-R antagonist. The invention also relates to compositions containing the same. The invention also relates to methods of determining delta opioid receptor specificity of candidate agents.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for automatically testing a raster image processor. The method may identify the correctness of the bitmap output by the raster image processor to be tested by comparing an abstract code of a bitmap generated by the RIP to be tested with that generated by a reference RIP to determine whether they are consistent with each other, so as to identify the correctness and stability of the RIP to be tested. Furthermore, the test samples can be submitted automatically. Thus, the convenience and efficiency are improved with respect to the manual submitting.

Abstract: A buck-boost power converter switches the switches thereof with a novel sequence and extends the switching periods of the switches to reduce the switching loss and conduction loss when the input voltage thereof approaches the output voltage thereof. The influence of the load current of the power converter on the duty thereof is taken into account to switch the power converter between modes at correct time points, so as to prevent the output voltage from being affected by the mode switching.

Abstract: Vaccine compositions and methods for protecting a mammalian subject against infection with S. pneumoniae are disclosed. The vaccines and methods comprise an effective amount of one or more Streptococcus pneumoniae cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins and/or immunogenically-active fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof, wherein the proteins are selected from a defined group of proteins associated with age-dependent immunological responses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a biomolecule-based electronic device in which the biomolecule with redox potential is directly immobilized on the substrate. The present invention enables to excellently exhibit the capability of a protein-based bio-memory device in which it is preferable to use the substrate on which cysteine-introduced recombinant proteins are effectively immobilized and a self-assembled layer (SAM) is fabricated. It becomes realized that a redox potential is regulated using intrinsic redox potential of the protein dependent on applied voltage. The present invention provides a novel operating method in which three potentials are applied throughout four steps. The present invention has some advantages of fabricating a protein layer in a convenient manner and inducing electron transfer by fundamental electrochemical or electronic operation.