Abstract: An Isolating Transmission Line Transformer (ITLT) for use in a data communications system is provided, the transformer comprising: a substantially planar substrate formed of electrically insulative material having opposed first and second surfaces; a first port formed of two separate terminals provided at one part of the substrate; a second port formed of two separate terminals provided at a second part of the substrate; a first conductor connected in series to the first port and arranged as a single loop; a second conductor which is electrically isolated from the first conductor and connected in series to the second port, the second conductor being arranged as a single loop in a substantially opposite orientation to the first conductor; wherein the first and second ports and at least part of the first and second conductors are provided on the substrate surface(s); and a core arranged between the first and second ports to cover the majority of the first and second conductors.

Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper, an outsole and a midsole. The outsole has upper and lower surfaces. The midsole has a midsole lower surface that contacts the upper surface of the outsole. The midsole has at least one cavity located in a heel or a forefoot portion, which cavity opens to a midsole upper surface. A cushion is located in the cavity. The cushion includes resilient balls located in a resilient matrix material. The balls have a first durometer and the matrix material has a second durometer that is different than the first durometer. The midsole has a lower cavity in the lower surface of the midsole, which lower cavity is aligned with an opening in the outsole. Balls are located in the lower cavity. A retainer keeps the balls in the lower cavity and provides a visual indication of the balls in the lower cavity.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes a modulation region, an input port, an output port, and a modulation actuator. The modulation region includes an inhomogeneous arrangement of two or more different materials having different refractive indexes to structure the modulation region to manipulate one or more optical properties of an optical carrier wave in response to a modulation bias. The input port is optically coupled to the modulation region to inject the optical carrier wave into the modulation region. The modulation actuator is disposed proximate to the modulation region and adapted to apply the modulation bias to the modulation region to generate a modulated wave. The modulation bias adjusts at least one of the different refractive indexes of the inhomogeneous arrangement to provide variable control of the one or more optical properties of the optical carrier wave. The output port is optically coupled to the modulation region to receive the modulated wave.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a closed loop aptamer development system that leverages in vitro experiments and in silico computation and artificial intelligence-based techniques to iteratively improve a process for identifying binders that can bind a molecular target. Particularly, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to obtaining, using an experimental assay, experimental data for a set of aptamers. The experimental data includes multiple pairs of data, each pair of data having: (i) an aptamer sequence for an aptamer from a set of aptamers, and (ii) a measurement for the characteristic of the aptamer with respect to a given target. A reward model is fine-tuned, using the experimental data, to predict a function-approximation metric for the characteristic of each aptamer in the set of aptamers. A decoder model is fine-tuned for generating novel aptamer sequences based on the function-approximation metric generated by the reward model for the novel aptamer sequences.

Abstract: A system for transporting hazardous particles includes a pneumatic conveyer for conveying the hazardous particles to an exit using a carrier gas; and an input mechanism for conveying the hazardous particles to the pneumatic conveyer. The input mechanism includes a tubular chamber for receiving the hazardous particles; an input pipe extending from the tubular chamber for conveying the hazardous particles into the tubular chamber; and an output pipe extending from a bottom of the tubular chamber. The output pipe includes an upper valve movable between a closed position and an open position, a middle valve movable between a closed position and an open position, and a lower valve. The upper valve and the middle valve, when in their respective closed positions, define a storage chamber for storing a portion of the hazardous particles.

Abstract: In some embodiments, techniques for creating a design for a physical device are provided. A computing system receives an initial design of the physical device. Performance of the physical device is simulated using the initial design. A performance loss value is determined for the physical device based on the simulated performance at a target wavelength and one or more delta wavelengths. The performance loss value is backpropagated to determine a gradient corresponding to an influence of changes in the initial design on the total performance loss value. The initial design of the physical device is revised based at least in part on the gradient.

Abstract: Novel deuterium- or fluorine-containing chemical compounds are provided. They are centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxants, effective for treating various types of muscle spasms, including acute musculoskeletal pain, low-back pain, inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, and perioperative care for hip and knee replacements or related conditions. In addition, pharmaceutical compositions and methods for their preparation and use are described.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a multi-variant control system for an industrial facility. In one form of a method, a processor monitors a behavior of a distributed control system with respect to at least a set of uncontrolled variables, a set of controlled variables, and a set of monitored variables; trains a model based on the monitored behavior utilizing at least one of artificial intelligence or machine learning; and identifies, based on the model, a subset of controlled variables for optimization. Further, the processor monitors a behavior of the industrial facility without the use of the distributed control system; optimizes, based on the monitored behavior, the subset of controlled variables to obtain a target result and restrict variation of values of the set of monitored values; and executes a control system for the industrial facility based on the optimization of the subset of controlled variables.

Abstract: Various electronic credentials comprising signal activation are disclosed. An electronic credential core comprises a controller configured to maintain an off-state until activated by a received signal during a personalization process. The electronic credential core further comprises an antenna configured to receive a first signal. The energy in the first signal is harvested by a signal interface. The signal interface generates a second signal using the harvested energy of the first signal. The second signal is provided to the controller. The controller transitions to an active state and continuously performs one or more functions until an onboard battery is depleted. By maintaining an off-state until personalization, the electronic credential can be stored without draining power from the battery, extending the shelf life of the electronic credential.

Abstract: An interpolated flat-panel display comprises a display substrate, pixel controllers disposed in a controller array over the display substrate, and pixels disposed in a pixel array over the display substrate. Each pixel controller is connected to one or more control lines and is operable to output pixel information. Each pixel is operable to emit light in response to pixel information received from a pixel controller. The pixel array is larger than the controller array, each pixel is connected to at least one pixel controller, and at least some pixels are interpolated pixels connected to at least two pixel controllers and are operable to emit light in response to pixel information received from the at least two pixel controllers.

Abstract: An interpolated flat-panel display comprises a display substrate and an array of clusters disposed on the display substrate. Each cluster comprises an exclusive group of display pixels and a cluster controller for controlling the display pixels. The cluster controller is operable to receive input data specifying a desired light output from one or more but fewer than all of the display pixels in the group of display pixels, calculate interpolated data at least in part from the input data, and drive the display pixels to emit light in response to the calculated interpolated data and received input data. The input data can correspond to an image pixel in an input image. The cluster controller can be operable to receive a parameter value describing attributes of a local portion of the input image including the image pixel and the interpolated data is calculated at least in part from the parameter value.

Abstract: Photonic devices, photonic integrated circuits, optical elements, and techniques of making and using the same are described. A photonic device includes an input region adapted to receive an optical signal including a multiplexed channel characterized by a distinct wavelength, a dispersive region optically coupled with the input region to receive the optical signal, the dispersive region including a plurality of sub-regions defined by an inhomogeneous arrangement of a first material and a second material, and a plurality of output regions optically coupled with the input region via the dispersive region. The plurality of sub-regions can include an input channel section, an in-coupler section, a parallel channel section, an out-coupler section, and an output channel section. The plurality of sub-regions together can configure the photonic device to demultiplex the optical signal and to isolate the multiplexed channel at a first output region of the plurality of output regions.

Abstract: The provided is a switching cycle adaptive control method for a switching power supply. The method includes: setting a voltage threshold for a bus voltage and forming voltage partitions; acquiring a bus voltage and determining the voltage partition to which the acquired bus voltage belongs; setting a power threshold for an output power of a switching power supply and forming power partitions; performing closed-loop control on a reference voltage and an output voltage of the switching power supply and determining the power partition to which the acquired output power belongs; setting different reference valley numbers P; setting different power valley numbers Q; determining a real-time reference valley number P and a real-time power valley number Q; adding the reference valley number P and the power valley number Q to obtain the number of valleys; and adjusting the frequency of a PWM signal of the switching power supply.

Abstract: A Secure Environment Public Register (SEPR) provides a method and system that allows precious metals in the shape of bar(s) or units to be certified, specially numbered to provide exact linkage to an owner, allow secure movement of precious metals between secure facilities, and though Blockchain allow secure transfer of ownership between individuals and organizations. The SEPR allows gold and other precious metals to be easily held and traded in commerce with all the advantages of holding precious metals. The SEPR system allows exact audits of the metal bars on hand and avoids over-selling units since each bar is serialized and ownership is documented in a public register.

Abstract: An information provision device in an information provision system includes, as its functions: a score control circuit that increases or decreases a provision timing score on the occurrence of a predetermined action; a timing determination circuit that determines the coming of the time to provide quiz information if the provision timing score exceeds a predetermined threshold; a priority control circuit that determines or changes, based on the situation of, e.g., a sport game on each occurrence of an action, priority associated with text information from which quiz information is generated; a quiz information generation circuit that generates appropriate quiz information based on the situation of, e.g., the sport game at the time determined; and a quiz information provision circuit that provides the generated quiz information to a user.

Abstract: An integrated device comprises an electrically conductive substrate having an upper surface comprising a recess and a lower surface for contacting the device, a multi-layer stack provided on the upper surface of the substrate and lining the recess, and an electrically conductive layer for contacting the device provided on the multi-layer stack. The multi-layer stack comprises a first, a second, a third and a fourth dielectric layer. Immediately adjacent dielectric layers have different bandgaps to trap charge carriers at respective interfaces between the dielectric layers during operation of the device.

Abstract: An x-ray fluorescence system and method of fabrication are provided which include a titanium x-ray source, a focusing, doubly-curved lithium fluoride (LiF) crystal optic, and a detector. The titanium x-ray source includes a titanium target on which electrons impinge to generate a diverging x-ray beam with a titanium-based characteristic energy, and the focusing, doubly-curved LiF crystal optic monochromates and focuses the diverging x-ray beam from the titanium x-ray source to provide a monochromated and focused x-ray excitation beam directed to impinge on a sample. The crystal optic and the titanium x-ray source operate at a Bragg angle which facilitates polarization within the x-ray fluorescence system. The detector receives fluorescence from the sample induced by the x-ray excitation beam impinging thereon, with the fluorescence is indicative of a concentration of at least one element in the sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to large area field emission devices based on the incorporation of macroscopic, microscopic, and nanoscopic field enhancement features and a designed forced current sharing matrix layer to enable a stable high-current density long-life field emission device. The present invention pertains to a wide range of field emission sources and is not limited to a specific field emission technology. The invention is described as an X-ray electron source but can be applied to any application requiring a high current density electron source.

Abstract: An exemplary wafer structure comprises a source wafer having a patterned sacrificial layer defining anchor portions separating sacrificial portions. A patterned device layer is disposed on or over the patterned sacrificial layer, forming a device anchor on each of the anchor portions. One or more devices are disposed in the patterned device layer, each device disposed entirely over a corresponding one of the one or more sacrificial portions and spatially separated from the one or more device anchors. A tether structure connects each device to a device anchor. The tether structure comprises a tether device portion disposed on or over the device, a tether anchor portion disposed on or over the device anchor, and a tether connecting the tether device portion to the tether anchor portion. The tether is disposed at least partly in the patterned device layer between the device and the device anchor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides mammalian cell lines for expression of viral vectors, and methods of making and using the same. Provided methods employ use of identifiers that are capable of being packaged into a viral vector to select and/or identify mammalian cell lines with engineered sequences associated with beneficial characteristics for viral vectors production. Exemplary viral vectors include AAV vectors.