Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining the nucleic acid composition in a total nucleic acid mixture comprising a first nucleic acid and a second nucleic acid. The method comprises: 1) treating the total nucleic acid mixture with a bisulfate, to convert the non-methylated cytosine in the total nucleic acid mixture into uracil, and obtain a converted total nucleic acid mixture; 2) subjecting the converted total nucleic acid mixture to multiplexed fluorescent quantitative PCR using a first set of amplification primers and a second set of amplification primers; and 3) based on the ratio R of the methylated amplification product to the non-methylated amplification product of the predetermined nucleic acid fragment, a methylation proportion M1 of the predetermined nucleic acid fragment in the first nucleic acid, and a methylation proportion M2 of the predetermined nucleic acid fragment in the second nucleic acid, determining the nucleic acid composition in the total nucleic acid mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fast protection switching in multicast, where the method includes: determining a primary path and a secondary path to a source node, where the secondary path and the primary path have minimum tail coincidence; receiving, by using both the primary path and the secondary path, multicast traffic replicated by an upstream neighboring node, and replicating multicast traffic received by the primary path to a downstream neighboring node; and if the primary path is faulty, replicating multicast traffic received by the secondary path to the downstream neighboring node. In the present invention, primary and secondary paths can have minimum tail coincidence, which overcomes a problem that fault protection switching in a multicast network requires that primary and secondary paths existing from a routing node to a multicast source are completely separate in physical topology.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a method. The method can include: providing a carrier substrate; forming a first device material over the carrier substrate; and after forming the first device material over the carrier substrate, transforming the first device material into a second device material. Meanwhile, the transforming the first device material into the second device material can include: causing a cationic exchange in the first device material; and causing an anionic exchange in the first device material. The causing the cationic exchange in the first device material and the causing the anionic exchange in the first device material can occur approximately simultaneously. Other embodiments of related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight system includes: a light source, configured to generate light; a patterned polarization grating polarization converter (PPG-PC) assembly, configured to convert the generated light from a first polarization state to a second polarization state. The PPG-PC further includes: a patterned polarization grating (PPG) having a plurality of domains, wherein the plurality of domains of the PPG include at least two different types of domains, and wherein each domain of the PPG is configured to diffract incident light into first and second types of light beams corresponding to a first diffraction order; and a patterned retarder (PR), having a plurality of domains, the plurality of domains of the PR including domains corresponding to areas where the first type of light beams output from the PPG and including domains corresponding to areas where the second type of light beams output from the PPG converge.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fast protection switching in multicast, where the method includes: determining a primary path and a secondary path to a source node, where the secondary path and the primary path have minimum tail coincidence; receiving, by using both the primary path and the secondary path, multicast traffic replicated by an upstream neighboring node, and replicating multicast traffic received by the primary path to a downstream neighboring node; and if the primary path is faulty, replicating multicast traffic received by the secondary path to the downstream neighboring node. In the present invention, primary and secondary paths can have minimum tail coincidence, which overcomes a problem that fault protection switching in a multicast network requires that primary and secondary paths existing from a routing node to a multicast source are completely separate in physical topology.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining the nucleic acid composition in a total nucleic acid mixture comprising a first nucleic acid and a second nucleic acid. The method comprises: 1) treating the total nucleic acid mixture with a bisulfate, to convert the non-methylated cytosine in the total nucleic acid mixture into uracil, and obtain a converted total nucleic acid mixture; 2) subjecting the converted total nucleic acid mixture to multiplexed fluorescent quantitative PCR using a first set of amplification primers and a second set of amplification primers; and 3) based on the ratio R of the methylated amplification product to the non-methylated amplification product of the predetermined nucleic acid fragment, a methylation proportion M1 of the predetermined nucleic acid fragment in the first nucleic acid, and a methylation proportion M2 of the predetermined nucleic acid fragment in the second nucleic acid, determining the nucleic acid composition in the total nucleic acid mixture.

Abstract: A polarization converter and polarization conversion systems are provided. The polarization converter and polarization conversion systems include a patterned polarization grating with left hand and right hand polarization grating domains. The polarization grating domains are configured to diffract incident non-polarized light into beams having left and right circular polarization states.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell structure comprising transparent terahertz (THz) windows, alignment layers, protective layers, in-plane electrodes, out-of-plane electrodes, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer. The in-plane electrodes generate in-plane electric fields that are parallel to the liquid crystal layer and the out-of-plane electrodes generate out-of-plane electric fields that are perpendicular to the liquid crystal layer. The in-plane and out-of-plane electrodes have wire-grid patterns to increase THz wave transmission efficiency. The wire-grid patterned electrodes are transparent to THz waves that have parallel polarization compared to a grating vector of the wire grid pattern and are opaque to THz waves of perpendicular polarization. These two electrodes are controlled independently to tune the optical properties of the LC and improve the operating speed of THz LC devices.

Abstract: Described herein are multi-segmented nanowires, nanosheets and nanobelts, and devices and methods using them for the generation of multicolor and white light.

Abstract: The invention relates to a use of an urushiol compound (code named GQ-5) in preparation of pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation. We verify that GQ-5 inhibited the interaction of Smad3 with TGF-? type I receptor (T?RI), inhibited subsequent phosphorylation of Smad3, reduced nuclear translocation of Smads complex, and suppressed the transcription of major fibrotic genes such as ?-smooth muscle actin (?-SMA), collagen I and fibronectin. Therefore, GQ-5 could be a potent and selective inhibitor of TGF-?1-induced Smad3 phosphorylation, and be used to prepare pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight system includes: a light source, configured to generate light; a patterned polarization grating polarization converter (PPG-PC) assembly, configured to convert the generated light from a first polarization state to a second polarization state. The PPG-PC further includes: a patterned polarization grating (PPG) having a plurality of domains, wherein the plurality of domains of the PPG include at least two different types of domains, and wherein each domain of the PPG is configured to diffract incident light into first and second types of light beams corresponding to a first diffraction order; and a patterned retarder (PR), having a plurality of domains, the plurality of domains of the PR including domains corresponding to areas where the first type of light beams output from the PPG and including domains corresponding to areas where the second type of light beams output from the PPG converge.

Abstract: The invention relates to a use of an urushiol compound (code named GQ-5) in preparation of pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation. We verify that GQ-5 inhibited the interaction of Smad3 with TGF-? type I receptor (T?RI), inhibited subsequent phosphorylation of Smad3, reduced nuclear translocation of Smads complex, and suppressed the transcription of major fibrotic genes such as ?-smooth muscle actin (?-SMA), collagen I and fibronectin. Therefore, GQ-5 could be a potent and selective inhibitor of TGF-?1-induced Smad3 phosphorylation, and be used to prepare pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting Smad3 phosphorylation.

Abstract: Described herein are multi-segmented nanowires, nanosheets and nanobelts, and devices and methods using them for the generation of multicolor and white light.

Abstract: A load sharing method includes: receiving, by a second provider edge PE device, a multi-chassis MC negotiation synchronization frame sent by a first PE device, where the MC negotiation synchronization frame carries information used to indicate a first virtual local area network VLAN; determining, by the second PE device, an active/standby state of the second PE device according to the information used to indicate a first VLAN, where the active/standby state of the second PE device corresponds to the first VLAN; and sending, by the second PE device, the active/standby state of the second PE device to a customer edge CE device, so that the CE device forwards a frame of the first VLAN according to the active/standby state of the second PE device.

Abstract: A polarization converter and polarization conversion systems are provided. The polarization converter and polarization conversion systems include a patterned polarization grating with left hand and right hand polarization grating domains. The polarization grating domains are configured to diffract incident non-polarized light into beams having left and right circular polarization states.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell structure comprising transparent terahertz (THz) windows, alignment layers, protective layers, in-plane electrodes, out-of-plane electrodes, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer. The in-plane electrodes generate in-plane electric fields that are parallel to the liquid crystal layer and the out-of-plane electrodes generate out-of-plane electric fields that are perpendicular to the liquid crystal layer. The in-plane and out-of-plane electrodes have wire-grid patterns to increase THz wave transmission efficiency. The wire-grid patterned electrodes are transparent to THz waves that have parallel polarization compared to a grating vector of the wire grid pattern and are opaque to THz waves of perpendicular polarization. These two electrodes are controlled independently to tune the optical properties of the LC and improve the operating speed of THz LC devices.

Abstract: A method for measuring work function includes the steps of: (a) providing a field emission electron source having a carbon nanotube tip as a cathode electrode and a spaced anode electrode, having a predetermined spaced distance therebetween; (b) applying a voltage between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode and measuring a first current-voltage curve of the field emission electron source in a vacuum environment; (c) forming a layer of field emission material at least on the surface of the carbon nanotube tip; (d) measuring a second current-voltage curve of the now-treated field emission electron source in the same conditions as that in the step (b); (e) achieving two Fowler-Nordheim curves calculated from the two current-voltage curves according to the Fowler-Nordheim equation; and (f) comparing the two Fowler-Nordheim curves and calculating the work function of the field emission material therefrom.