Abstract: Electrocatalysts for use in fuel cells are claimed. The electrocatalysts include a particle core of a metal selected from W, Mo, and Re and a metal selected from Ni, Fe, and Co. A layer of Pd is adhered to the core, and a layer of catalytically active metal is adhered to the layer of Pd. A fuel cell and a method for producing electrical energy are also claimed.

Abstract: An image encoding method includes preprocessing source images according to preset preprocessing requirements to generate preprocessed images, merging the preprocessed images according to preset merging requirements to generate a target image, and encoding the target image.

Abstract: An optical network-on-chip, an optical router, and a signal transmission method. The optical network-on-chip includes: N2 intellectual property IP cores, N2/2 gateways, and N2 optical routers. The N2 optical routers form two subnets, and every N2/2 optical routers form one subnet. Each gateway in the N2/2 gateways is connected to every two IP cores in the N2 IP cores, where IP cores connected to different gateways are different, and the two IP cores connected to each gateway are in one-to-one correspondences with the two subnets. The N2/2 gateways are in one-to-one correspondences with the N2/2 optical routers in each subnet in the two subnets, where each gateway is connected to an optical router that is in each subnet and that is corresponding to each gateway.

Abstract: The present particles, compositions and methods are Nb-oxide embedded carbon based electrocatalysts. In one embodiment, a carbon based support particle is provided having NbOx (0 ?x?2 is average value of amorphous low-oxidation-state niobium oxides) and a catalytically active metal deposited thereupon. In one embodiment, a method is provided of embedding niobium oxides into pores of carbon black, which involves filling about 4 nm pores on Ketjenblack EC 600JD (KB) with Nb(V) ethoxide by sonication, and decomposing/reducing dried Nb(V) precursor in carbon to ?5 nm particles of NbOx. The embedded, small metal or metal oxide particles over porous carbon surface may find applications in fuel cell and battery technologies. The present compositions can be used for fabricating active and durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Abstract: A routing node includes: at least one optical buffer, a switching node, and at least one transmission waveguide, where an output end of each optical buffer is connected to an input end of the switching node; each transmission waveguide is connected to an output end of the switching node. The optical buffer is configured to parse a received optical signal to obtain an identifier of a destination routing node, and send the identifier to the switching node. The switching node determines whether an output port required by the destination routing node is in an idle state or a busy state; and control the optical buffer to store the optical signal if the output port is in a busy state; or send the optical signal to the destination routing node if the output port is in an idle state.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a vehicular lane line data processing method, apparatus, storage medium, and device. The method includes: acquiring at least two consecutive original images of a vehicular lane line and positioning data of the original images; calculating, using a deep neural network model, a pixel confidence; determining an outline of the vehicular lane line and using the outline of the vehicular lane line as a candidate vehicular lane line; calculating a vehicular lane line confidence; filtering the candidate vehicular lane line; recognizing attribute information of the vehicular lane line; and determining map data of the vehicular lane line. The vehicular lane line data can be efficiently and precisely determined, the labor costs in high-precision map production is greatly reduced, and the mass production of high-precision maps can be achieved.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing high-precision map data, a storage medium and a device. The method includes: performing at least twice collection on map data along a target trajectory so as to respectively acquire at least twice original map data; recognizing an object in the original map data respectively, and extracting an object feature; matching the object feature in each of the original map data; considering an object with the matched object feature as a reference object; and performing fusion processing on each of the original map data. An object in original map data is recognized and an object feature is extracted, then the object feature in each of the original map data is matched and the object obtained after the matching is considered as a reference object, and the reference object is utilized to perform fusion processing on the original map data.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a vehicular lane line data processing method, apparatus, storage medium, and device.

Abstract: A method of communication between a base band unit (BBU) and a plurality of remote radio units (RRUs) via a point-to-multipoint time division multiplexing passive optical network (TDM-PON) system is provided. The method can be performed by an ONU and comprises receiving Ethernet packets from the Ethernet interface of an RRU of the plurality of RRUs, performing time-division multiplexing of the Ethernet packets to generate multiplexed packets, storing in a buffer of the ONU the multiplexed packets based on a pre-determined buffer starting time and buffer size, packaging the multiplexed packets in the buffer to fixed length transmission blocks (TBs) having pre-allocated time slots for TDM-PON upstream transmission, and transmitting the TBs to an optical line terminal (OLT) that is communicatively coupled to the BBU such that no contention of TBs occurs at the OLT.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for manipulating data comprises receiving log transaction information from a primary database system at a secondary database system and parsing the log transaction information to identify data objects that have been modified on the primary database system. The secondary database system determines whether the data objects are present in main memory on the secondary database system. If the data objects are not in the main memory, they are copied from persistence data volumes to the main memory. The data objects are modified by replaying the log transactions on the data objects in the main memory. Then, the data objects in the persistence data volumes are modified. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Abstract: This disclosure provides methods of downregulating or eliminating gene expression of one or more Dynamic Influencer of Gene expression (DIG) and/or one or more DIG-like (DIL) sequences in plants and plant cells, as well as constructs and compositions useful in such methods. Such recombinant plants can have decreased abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity, decreased salt sensitivity, or both.

Abstract: An optical buffer and a method for storing an optical signal using the optical buffer, where the optical buffer includes a first waveguide, a first optical delay waveguide loop and a controller. The first waveguide includes a first arm and a second arm, where a first end of the first arm is an input end of the optical buffer, and a second end of the second arm is an output end of the optical buffer. A second end of the first arm connects to a first end of the second arm. The first optical delay waveguide loop connects to the first arm at a first end using a first optical switch, and a second part of the first optical delay waveguide loop connects to the second arm at a second end using a second optical switch. The controller connects to the first optical switch and the second optical switch respectively.

Abstract: An optical network-on-chip, an optical router, and a signal transmission method. The optical network-on-chip includes: N2 intellectual property IP cores, N2/2 gateways, and N2 optical routers. The N2 optical routers form two subnets, and every N2/2 optical routers form one subnet. Each gateway in the N2/2 gateways is connected to every two IP cores in the N2 IP cores, where IP cores connected to different gateways are different, and the two IP cores connected to each gateway are in one-to-one correspondences with the two subnets. The N2/2 gateways are in one-to-one correspondences with the N2/2 optical routers in each subnet in the two subnets, where each gateway is connected to an optical router that is in each subnet and that is corresponding to each gateway.

Abstract: An annular optical shifter and a method for controlling shift, where the annular optical shifter includes: a first bent straight-through waveguide, connecting an input end and an output end of an optical signal, and configured to transmit, to the output end, the optical signal input from the input end; multiple optical delay waveguide loops, arranged transversely and parallel on two arms of the first bent straight-through waveguide, where the multiple optical delay waveguide loops are configured to temporarily store optical signals; multiple pairs of optical switches, where each pair of optical switches are configured to control on and off of an optical path that is on the two arms of the first bent straight-through waveguide and two sides of an optical delay waveguide loop corresponding to each pair of optical switches; and a controller, configured to implement shift-up or shift-down of the optical signals.

Abstract: A routing node includes: at least one optical buffer, a switching node, and at least one transmission waveguide, where an output end of each optical buffer is connected to an input end of the switching node; each transmission waveguide is connected to an output end of the switching node. The optical buffer is configured to parse a received optical signal to obtain an identifier of a destination routing node, and send the identifier to the switching node. The switching node determines whether an output port required by the destination routing node is in an idle state or a busy state; and control the optical buffer to store the optical signal if the output port is in a busy state; or send the optical signal to the destination routing node if the output port is in an idle state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed by extraction into a water immiscible organic extractant during the fermentation. The invention also relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible extractant composition. The invention further relates to compositions comprising a solution of butanol in a water immiscible organic extractant composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed by extraction into a water immiscible organic extractant during the fermentation. The invention also relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible extractant composition. The invention further relates to compositions comprising a solution of butanol in a water immiscible organic extractant composition.

Abstract: An annular optical shifter and a method for controlling shift, where the annular optical shifter includes: a first bent straight-through waveguide, connecting an input end and an output end of an optical signal, and configured to transmit, to the output end, the optical signal input from the input end; multiple optical delay waveguide loops, arranged transversely and parallel on two arms of the first bent straight-through waveguide, where the multiple optical delay waveguide loops are configured to temporarily store optical signals; multiple pairs of optical switches, where each pair of optical switches are configured to control on and off of an optical path that is on the two arms of the first bent straight-through waveguide and two sides of an optical delay waveguide loop corresponding to each pair of optical switches; and a controller, configured to implement shift-up or shift-down of the optical signals.

Abstract: An optical buffer and a method for storing an optical signal using the optical buffer, where the optical buffer includes a first waveguide, a first optical delay waveguide loop and a controller. The first waveguide includes a first arm and a second arm, where a first end of the first arm is an input end of the optical buffer, and a second end of the second arm is an output end of the optical buffer. A second end of the first arm connects to a first end of the second arm. The first optical delay waveguide loop connects to the first arm at a first end using a first optical switch, and a second part of the first optical delay waveguide loop connects to the second arm at a second end using a second optical switch. The controller connects to the first optical switch and the second optical switch respectively.

Abstract: A system and method for determining depth information of an object is provided. The system projects dots on an object and captures an image of the object with captured dots. The system identifies the captured dots based on a brightness of the captured dots and identifies coordinates of the captured dots. The system processes the captured image by removing brightness information of pixels outside of the captured dots. The system processes the captured dot by overlaying synthesized dot image on the captured dot. The system divides the processed captured image into captured sections and compares the captured sections to reference sections. The system selects individual reference sections having a highest correlation score for each of the captured sections and correlates a captured dot from each of the captured sections to a reference dot in respective corresponding reference sections. Depth information may be calculated based on coordinates of the captured dots and correlated reference dots.