Abstract: A graphene-based membrane, along with its methods of formation and use, is provided. The graphene membrane includes at least two graphene-oxide layers. Each graphene-oxide layer has a plurality of graphene-oxide flakes, with each graphene-oxide flake having a planar graphene structure with oxygen moieties extending therefrom. The graphene-based membrane can have a thickness of about 2 nm to about 20 nm. Such a graphene-based membrane can be utilized to remove ions from water.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for providing trusted display to security sensitive applications on untrusted computing platforms. This invention has a minimal trusted code base and maintains full compatibility with the computing platforms, including their software and hardware. The core of our invention is a GPU separation kernel that (1) defines different types of GPU objects, (2) mediates access to security-sensitive GPU objects, and (3) emulates accesses to security-sensitive GPU objects whenever required by computing platform compatibility.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus having a fluid handling structure, the fluid handling structure configured to confine immersion fluid to a region and including: a meniscus controlling feature having an extractor exit on a surface of the fluid handling structure; and a gas knife system outwards of the extractor exit and including passages each having an exit, the passages having a plurality of first passages having a plurality of corresponding first exits on the surface, and a plurality of second passages having a plurality of corresponding second exits outwards of the first exits on the surface, wherein the surface faces and is substantially parallel to a top surface of a substrate during exposure, and the first exits and the second exits are arranged at a greater distance from the substrate than the extractor exit.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present application disclose a method and device for sending and receiving an optical signal. The method for sending an optical signal comprises: performing serial-to-parallel conversion on a data signal to be transmitted to obtain an I path data sequence, a Q path data sequence and a PPM path data sequence which are in parallel; performing mPQ-encoding on the I path data sequence, the Q path data sequence and the PPM path data sequence to obtain an I path and a Q path of an mPQ-encoded digital signal; shaping the I path and the Q path of the mPQ-encoded digital signal by Nyquist-filtering to obtain an I path and Q path of a filtered digital signal; performing digital-to-analog conversion on the I path and the Q path of the filtered digital signal and mapping the converted I path and Q path onto an optical carrier to obtain a target optical signal and send the same.

Abstract: Methods are generally provided for forming a membrane. In one embodiment, the method includes: dispersing GO nanoparticles in a solvent; depositing the GO nanoparticles on a support to form a GO membrane; and reducing the GO membrane to form a rGO membrane. Also provided is the rGO membrane formed from such methods, along with a plurality of stacked rGO layers. Methods are also provided for separating water from a water/oil emulsion by, for example, passing water through the rGO membrane.

Abstract: Physical Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) resource scheduling system and method based on an instant effect feedback of a guest application and between virtual machines are provided. An agent is inserted between a host physical GPU HostOps dispatch and a host physical GPU guest application interface through a hooking method, for delaying sending instructions and data in the host physical GPU HostOps dispatch, monitoring a relevant display performance condition of a GPU guest application in the virtual machine and a use condition of physical GPU resources, and providing a feedback to any GPU resource scheduling algorithm based on time or a time sequence. With the agent, it is unneeded for the method to make any modification to a virtual machine guest application, a host operating system, a virtual machine operating system, a GPU drive and a virtual machine manager. The present invention does not need to stop a machine operation.

Abstract: A map server receives geographic points from a location tracking device located in a vehicle. The received geographic points describe a path that is representative of a pathway of the vehicle used to complete a trip from a starting location to a destination location. The map server identifies candidate geographic points for each received geographic point where each candidate geographic point is associated with a location on a known roadway. The map server determines a graph of the candidate geographic points and identifies different sub-graphs from the graph. The map server iteratively evaluates the sub-graphs to determine a shortest path from the starting location to the destination location without evaluating all the edges in the sub-graphs.

Abstract: A tracking server receives GPS data from a location tracking device located in a vehicle. The GPS data describes a path that is representative of a pathway of the vehicle used to complete a trip from a starting location to a destination location. The tracking server identifies noisy GPS data included in the received GPS data and revises a portion of path corresponding to the noisy GPS data. The tracking server may update a map database to include one or more road segments associated with the revised portion of the path. Furthermore, the tracking server may calculate a fare for the trip based on the revised path.

Abstract: Thin film composite membranes and methods of fabricating thin film composite membranes are disclosed. A thin film composite membrane can include nitrogen-doped graphene oxide quantum dots. The graphene oxide quantum dots can be doped with nitrogen to increase the performance of the thin film composite membrane. Other particulate compounds can be further integrated with the thin film composite membrane including zeolites, titanium oxides, and sulfur oxides. The thin film composite membranes can be used for various applications including desalination.

Abstract: A map server receives geographic points from a location tracking device located in a vehicle. The received geographic points describe a path that is representative of a pathway of the vehicle used to complete a trip from a starting location to a destination location. The map server identifies candidate geographic points for each received geographic point where each candidate geographic point is associated with a location on a known roadway. The map server determines a graph of the candidate geographic points and identifies different sub-graphs from the graph. The map server iteratively evaluates the sub-graphs to determine a shortest path from the starting location to the destination location without evaluating all the edges in the sub-graphs.

Abstract: An inspection substrate for inspecting a component, e.g. a liquid confinement system, of an apparatus for processing production substrates, e.g. a lithographic apparatus, the inspection substrate comprising: a body having dimensions similar to a production substrate so that the inspection substrate is compatible with the apparatus; an illumination device, e.g. light emitting diodes, embedded in the body; a sensor, e.g. an imaging device or a pressure sensor, for generating inspection information relating to a parameter of a component of the apparatus proximate to the inspection substrate, the sensor embedded in the body; and a storage device embedded in the body, the storage device configured to store the inspection information, e.g. image data.

Abstract: This application describes compounds and methods that can inhibit Scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI) activity, which compounds and methods can used, for example, to mediate high-density lipoprotein (HDL) lipid uptake and treat hepatitis C viral infections.

Abstract: A tracking server receives GPS data from a location tracking device located in a vehicle. The GPS data describes a path that is representative of a pathway of the vehicle used to complete a trip from a starting location to a destination location. The tracking server identifies noisy GPS data included in the received GPS data and revises a portion of path corresponding to the noisy GPS data. The tracking server may update a map database to include one or more road segments associated with the revised portion of the path. Furthermore, the tracking server may calculate a fare for the trip based on the revised path.

Abstract: This application describes compounds and methods that can inhibit Scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI) activity, which compounds and methods can be used, for example, to mediate high-density lipoprotein (HDL) lipid uptake and treat hepatitis C viral infections. The compounds have the formula: wherein R1 and R2 are independently H, halogen, cyano, haloalkyl, haloalkyloxy or OMe; or R1 and R2 together are —O—CH2— or —O—CF2—O—; R3 is H, halogen, cyano, haloalkyl or haloalkyloxy; R4 is C1-6alkyl, C3-6cycloalkyl, C3-6cycloalkylmethyl or C3-6cycloheteroalkyl, wherein the heteroatom is N or O; R5 is H or CH3; R6 is C1-6alkyl or C3-6cycloalkyl; and A, B, D and E are each, independently, CH, N, O or S, wherein at least one of A, B, D and E is N, and another of A, B, D and E is N, O or S.

Abstract: A method for planarizing excimer laser annealed (ELA) poly-crystalline thing films via irradiation. The method includes providing an ELA thin film having an oxide and a top surface with a first surface roughness defined at least by a first plurality of protrusions. The ELA thin film is etched to substantially remove the oxide. At least a portion of the etched ELA thin film is then irradiated using a short-pulse duration excimer laser beam, to form an irradiated thin film with a second surface roughness defined at least by a second plurality of protrusions. The second surface roughness is lower than the first surface roughness.

Abstract: Methods for forming an ultrathin GO membrane are provided. The method can include: dispersing a single-layered graphene oxide powder in deionized water to form a single-layered graphene oxide dispersion; centrifuging the graphene oxide dispersion to remove aggregated graphene oxide material from the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion; thereafter, diluting the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion by about ten times or more through addition of deionized water to the graphene oxide dispersion; and thereafter, passing the single-layered graphene oxide dispersion through a substrate such that a graphene oxide membrane is formed on the substrate. Filtration membranes are also provided and can include: a graphene oxide membrane having a thickness of about 1.8 nm to about 180 nm, with the graphene oxide membrane comprises about 3 to about 30 layers of graphene oxide flakes.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to olefin metathesis. In some embodiments, the present invention provides methods for Z-selective ring-closing metathesis.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present application disclose a method and device for sending and receiving an optical signal. The method for sending an optical signal comprises: performing serial-to-parallel conversion on a data signal to be transmitted to obtain an I path data sequence, a Q path data sequence and a PPM path data sequence which are in parallel; performing mPQ-encoding on the I path data sequence, the Q path data sequence and the PPM path data sequence to obtain an I path and a Q path of an mPQ-encoded digital signal; shaping the I path and the Q path of the mPQ-encoded digital signal by Nyquist-filtering to obtain an I path and Q path of a filtered digital signal; performing digital-to-analog conversion on the I path and the Q path of the filtered digital signal and mapping the converted I path and Q path onto an optical carrier to obtain a target optical signal and send the same.

Abstract: A tracking server receives GPS data from a location tracking device located in a vehicle. The GPS data describes a path that is representative of a pathway of the vehicle used to complete a trip from a starting location to a destination location. The tracking server identifies noisy GPS data included in the received GPS data and revises a portion of path corresponding to the noisy GPS data. The tracking server may update a map database to include one or more road segments associated with the revised portion of the path. Furthermore, the tracking server may calculate a fare for the trip based on the revised path.

Abstract: A computing platform for on-demand I/O channels, which enable secure application to dynamically connect to diverse peripheral devices of untrusted commodity OSes