Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound represented by formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are disclosed as useful for treating or preventing diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, NASH, inflammation related disorders, and related diseases and conditions. The compounds are useful as agonists of the G-protein coupled receptor GPR120. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment are also included.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit an optical signal. The light source includes a seed laser diode configured to produce a seed optical signal and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to amplify the seed optical signal to produce an amplified seed optical signal, where the emitted optical signal includes the amplified seed optical signal. The lidar system also includes a scanner configured to direct the emitted optical signal into a field of regard of the lidar system and a receiver configured to detect a portion of the emitted optical signal scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target.

Abstract: Disclosed is an alcohol dehydrogenase mutant and application thereof in cofactor regeneration, and belongs to the technical fields of enzyme engineering and bioengineering. The alcohol dehydrogenase mutant is obtained by mutating valine at position 84 and/or tyrosine at position 127 in alcohol dehydrogenase having an original amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID No. 1. The alcohol dehydrogenase mutant has high activity for a variety of alcohol co-substrates, and can catalyze these enzyme co-substrates for the regeneration of cofactor NADPH. Compared with the wild-type alcohol dehydrogenase KpADH, the alcohol dehydrogenase mutant has higher activity and catalytic efficiency, and for co-substrate 1,4-butanediol, its kcat value can be up to 75.9 min?1, its kcat/Km value can be up to 2009 min?1·M?1, and its Km value can be as low as 11.3 mM. Therefore, the alcohol dehydrogenase mutant has a higher value in industrial application.

Abstract: A transparent ceramic optic includes: a lasing region comprising at least one lasing species dopant; and a transparent region transparent to light generated by the lasing species. At least the transparent region is doped with at least one other dopant species such that the lasing region and the transparent region are characterized by a difference in refractive index between the two regions in an amount of about 1.0×10?4 or less. Inventive formulations of inks suitable for fabricating transparent ceramic optics having desirable compositional characteristics such as concentration gradients in desired spatial arrangements, e.g. using additive manufacturing techniques such as direct ink writing and/or extrusion freeform fabrication are also disclosed, along with suitable techniques for forming the transparent ceramic optics from such inks.

Abstract: An impact shield for earthquake protection is described herein. The impact shield may include a canopy constructed of a puncture-resistant material, the canopy defining a first internal volume accessible via a first opening, the canopy being structured to form a semispherical shape when in an inflated state, the semispherical shape defining a space dimensioned for sheltering at least one human body; a support joined to the canopy and constructed of the puncture-resistant material, the support defining a second internal volume accessible via the first opening and a second opening, the support located within the space, the support structured to form a column when in the inflated state; and a fitting joined to the support for closing the second opening to fix the first internal volume and the second internal volume after inflation of the support and the canopy.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrolyte additive, an electrolyte and a lithium ion secondary battery containing the same. The electrolyte additive has a structure of Formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen, a phenyl, a cyano group, an alkyl cyano group or a C1 to C6 alkyls, and each of R2 to R5 is independently selected from hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl. By means of the electrolyte additive, the electrolyte and the lithium ion secondary battery containing the same of the present disclosure, a technical effect of improving electric performance of the lithium ion secondary battery at high voltage and high temperature is achieved.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrolyte additive, an electrolyte and a lithium ion secondary battery containing the same. The electrolyte additive has a structure of Formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen, a phenyl, a nitrile group, a cyano group substituted by one or more C1 to C6 alkyls, or a C1 to C6 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more C1 to C6 alkyls or C2 to C6 alkenyls, and each of R2 to R5 is independently selected from hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more C1 to C6 alkyls. By means of the electrolyte additive, the electrolyte and the lithium ion secondary battery containing the same of the present disclosure, a technical effect of improving and enhancing high-temperature storage performance and high-temperature cycle performance of the lithium ion secondary battery is achieved.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an ink includes a polymer precursor, a copolymer, a catalyst, and a solvent. In another embodiment, a product includes a three-dimensional printed structure having ligaments, where an average diameter of the ligaments is in a range of about 10 microns to about 500 microns.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology relate managing database query concurrency. A method of the present technology can include receiving a query, generating a first query plan that can be used to execute the query in system memory without any system memory constraints, and estimating a system memory cost for executing the query in the system memory using the first query plan. The method can also include placing the query in a queue if available system memory does not satisfy the estimated system memory cost. The method can further include conditionally selecting the query from the queue, conditionally generating a second query plan for the query that can be used to execute the query in the system memory in compliance with a system memory constraint, and conditionally executing the query in the system memory.

Abstract: In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods of making a living structure from a bio-ink material of freeze-dried cells and methods of using the living structure for biosensing, tissue regeneration, environment sensing, drug discovery, catalysis, and/or clinical implementation.

Abstract: A separator made of ion conductive ink is produced by additive manufacturing. A micro-battery is produced with the separator made of ion conductive ink located between the battery's anode and cathode. The separator functions to keep the anode and cathode apart and to facilitate the transport of ions to produce an operative micro-battery.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method includes forming a structure by printing an ink, the ink including a glass-forming material, and heat treating the formed structure for converting the glass-forming material to glass. According to another embodiment, an ink composition includes a glass-forming material and a solvent.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for modeling text-to-articulatory movement conversion is provided. In the method, text features are generated for a plurality of texts, wherein the text feature comprises a phoneme. Articulatory features are determined for the plurality of texts from a plurality of audio signals and a plurality of visual signals, wherein the audio signals record speeches of the plurality of texts, the visual signals record three-dimensional images of an articulator when speaking the plurality of texts, and the articulatory features indicate articulatory positions of the articulator in the speeches. A text-to-articulatory movement model is established with the text features as inputs and the articulatory features as outputs.

Abstract: Novel compounds of the structural formula (I), and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, are agonists of G-protein coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) and may be useful in the treatment, prevention and suppression of diseases mediated by the G-protein-coupled receptor 40. The compounds of the present invention may be useful in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and of conditions that are often associated with this disease, including obesity and lipid disorders, such as mixed or diabetic dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia.

Abstract: A transparent ceramic optic includes: a lasing region comprising at least one lasing species dopant; and a transparent region transparent to light generated by the lasing species. At least the transparent region is doped with at least one other dopant species such that the lasing region and the transparent region are characterized by a difference in refractive index between the two regions in an amount of about 1.0×10?4 or less. Inventive formulations of inks suitable for fabricating transparent ceramic optics having desirable compositional characteristics such as concentration gradients in desired spatial arrangements, e.g. using additive manufacturing techniques such as direct ink writing and/or extrusion freeform fabrication are also disclosed, along with suitable techniques for forming the transparent ceramic optics from such inks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound represented by formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are disclosed as useful for treating or preventing diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, NASH, inflammation related disorders, and related diseases and conditions. The compounds are useful as agonists of the G-protein coupled receptor GPR120. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment are also included.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a fiber-optic amplifier includes an optical gain fiber configured to amplify input light received from a seed laser. The optical gain fiber includes a first gain section configured to: receive the seed-laser input light and co-propagating pump light; and amplify the seed-laser input light as it propagates along the first gain section. The seed-laser input light and the co-propagating pump light propagate along the first gain section in a same direction. The optical gain fiber also includes a second gain section configured to: receive the amplified input light from the first gain section; receive counter-propagating pump light; and further amplify the amplified input light as it propagates along the second gain section. The amplified input light and the counter-propagating pump light propagate along the second gain section in opposite directions. The fiber-optic amplifier also includes a first pump laser diode and a second pump laser diode.

Abstract: A system and method of caching and parameterizing intermediate representation code includes receiving, by a database, a query, parsing, by the database, the query to obtain a plan tree comprising a plurality of plan nodes arranged in hierarchical order descending from a top plan node, generating, by the database, node intermediate representations (IRs) for the plan nodes, executing, by the database, a first query using the node IRs, and reusing, by the database, the node IRs to execute subsequent queries.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of relocating data in a distributed database comprises: creating, by one or more processors, a second table in the distributed database, the second table including all columns from a first table; copying, by the one or more processors, a first set of tuples from the first table to the second table; modifying, by the one or more processors, during the copying of the first set of tuples, data of the first table according to a modification; after the copying of the first set of tuples, modifying, by the one or more processors, data of the second table according to the modification; and switching, by the one or more processors, the second table for the first table in a catalog of the distributed database.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for forming a three dimensional, hierarchical, porous metal structure with deterministically controlled 3D multiscale pore architectures. The method may involve providing a feedstock able to be applied in an additive manufacturing process, and using an additive manufacturing process to produce a three dimensional (3D) structure using the feedstock. The method may involve further processing the 3D structure through at least a de-alloying operation to form a metallic 3D structure having an engineered, digitally controlled macropore morphology with integrated nanoporosity.