Abstract: Use of urine and serum biomarkers in diagnosing diabetic nephropathy, staging diabetic nephropathy, monitoring diabetic nephropathy progress, and assessing efficacy of diabetic nephropathy treatments. These biomarkers include urine precursor alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, urine alpha-1 antitrypsin, urine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, urine osteopontin, serum osteopontin, their fragments, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Use of urine biomarkers for diagnosing nephropathy, monitoring nephropathy progress, and assessing efficacy of a nephropathy treatment. These urine biomarkers include leukocyte-associated Ig-like receptor-2, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, their fragments, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Use of urine biomarkers for diagnosing nephropathy, monitoring nephropathy progress, and assessing efficacy of a nephropathy treatment. These urine biomarkers include leukocyte-associated Ig-like receptor-2, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, their fragments, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Use of urine and serum biomarkers in diagnosing diabetic nephropathy, staging diabetic nephropathy, monitoring diabetic nephropathy progress, and assessing efficacy of diabetic nephropathy treatments. These biomarkers include urine precursor alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, urine alpha-1 antitrypsin, urine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, urine osteopontin, serum osteopontin, their fragments, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A system for assisting fixed-focus image-capturing device to focus, which includes: an image-capturing device with fixed-focus function; a platform for placing objects; a movable structure connected to the image-capturing device or the platform, for adjusting the distance between the image-capturing device and the platform; a notifying unit, which generates a physical quantity to notify a user; and a control unit in communication with the image-capturing device and the notifying unit, for determining the distance between the image-capturing device and the platform, and when the distance is equal to a best-shot distance, sending a signal to the notifying unit to generate the physical quantity. The invention also discloses a method for assisting fixed-focus image-capturing device to focus.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided. The fuel cell system includes a fuel tank, a fuel supply unit, a fuel cell stack, a liquefied recycling unit, a liquid level modulation unit, a sensing unit and a control unit. The fuel supply unit supplies a first fuel to the fuel tank. The fuel tank provides a second fuel to the fuel cell stack, and the fuel cell stack generates a first gas. The liquefied recycling unit liquefies the first gas, transforming the first gas into a recycled fluid. The liquid level modulation unit guides the recycled fluid into the fuel tank to maintain a stable fuel level of the second fuel in the fuel tank. The sensing unit senses a current signal provided by the fuel cell stack. The control unit calculates a current quantity according to the current signal to supply the first fuel to the fuel tank.

Abstract: A wire connector includes first and second connecting members that are adapted to hold respectively at least one wire to be connected separably to each other, a waterproof ring, and a locking unit. The waterproof ring is sleeved on a first connecting segment of the first connecting member. The second connecting member includes a second connecting segment sleeved releasably on the first connecting segment, and a receiving segment surrounding the waterproof ring for watertight contact with the waterproof ring. The locking unit includes two engaging components disposed on the second connecting member, and two hook components disposed on the first connecting member and engaging respectively and detachably the engaging components for pulling the receiving segment toward a shoulder of the first connecting segment to cooperate with the shoulder to clamp tightly the waterproof ring therebetween, thereby securing firmly the second connecting member to the first connecting member.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a femto access point comprises a baseband processor, an RF modulator/demodulator coupled to the baseband processor to modulate/demodulate data for communication within a predetermined frequency range, one or more antennas to coupled to the RF modulator/demodulator to transceive information with one or more wireless devices via a wireless communication link, and a control module to implement a femto transmission-free zone in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain and in which the femto access point does not transmit data. Other embodiments may be described.

Abstract: Embodiments of a base station and method for reducing asynchronous interference in a multi-tier OFDMA overlay network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a lower-tier base station is configured to adjust OFDMA frame boundaries to cause frames communicated by a higher-tier to arrive within a cyclic prefix at the lower-tier base station. The lower-tier base station may also be configured to adjust OFDMA frame boundaries to cause frames communicated by a lower-tier of the network to arrive within a cyclic prefix at a higher-tier mobile station. Accordingly, frames from one tier may arrive within the cyclic prefix of another thereby reducing asynchronous interference.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods of isolating and purifying protein from a bioreactor process. The invention relates to employing a protein phase separation methodology to isolate or purify protein product in the forms of solid, semi-solid, or suspension during a protein manufacturing purification process as a stable storage intermediate. This approach is designed to allow the isolated protein product (purified or partially purified) to be stored over an extended period of time prior to further protein purification steps.

Abstract: The invention discloses a command control system including a light emitting unit, an image capturing unit, a storage unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit is coupled with the image capture unit and the storage unit. The light emitting unit emits light to form an illumination area. The image capture unit captures a plurality of pieces of image information in the illumination area. The storage unit stores different commands corresponding to the image information. The processing unit performs functions according to the commands corresponding to the image information.

Abstract: Use of urine biomarkers for diagnosing nephropathy, monitoring nephropathy progress, and assessing efficacy of a nephropathy treatment. These urine biomarkers include leukocyte-associated Ig-like receptor-2, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, their fragments, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Use of urine and serum biomarkers in diagnosing diabetic nephropathy, staging diabetic nephropathy, monitoring diabetic nephropathy progress, and assessing efficacy of diabetic nephropathy treatments. These biomarkers include urine precursor alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, urine alpha-1 antitrypsin, urine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, urine osteopontin, serum osteopontin, their fragments, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Methods of treating cancer in patients in need thereof with human interleukin-18 (IL-18) polypeptides and substitution mutants thereof that are conjugated to water-soluble polymers at specific sites on the human IL-18 protein are disclosed.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and a method for checking for hydrogen leakage are provided. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module having at least one fuel cell. The fuel cell system further includes a valve coupled to the fuel cell module and a hydrogen source for allowing hydrogen to be passed to the fuel cell module or blocking hydrogen from being passed to the fuel cell module. The fuel cell system further includes a controller board coupled to the valve and the fuel cell module for checking output voltage of the at least one fuel cell to determine whether there is hydrogen leak. The control board controls the valve for blocking hydrogen from being passed to the fuel cell module when the control board determines that there is a hydrogen leak.

Abstract: Battery management systems and methods are provided. The system includes an electronic device and a fuel cell module. The electronic device includes a processing module, a first power adapter, a first communication interface, and a rechargeable battery. The fuel cell module includes a second power adapter connected with the first power adapter, a second communication interface connected with the first communication interface, at least one fuel cell, and a control unit. The control unit receives a first status of the rechargeable battery from the electronic device via the processing module, the first communication interface and the second communication interface, and determines whether to charge the rechargeable battery using the fuel cell via the second power adapter and the first power adapter according to the first status.

Abstract: A system for automatically classifying documents includes a database, a positioning-information capturing device, a locating device, and a document comparison device. The database is used for storing a reference document. The positioning-information capturing device is used for capturing the positioning information of a plurality of objects in a digitized document. The locating device is used for capturing the corresponding objects of the reference document according to the positioning information of the objects. The document comparison device then proceeds with an orientation process and determines whether the digitized document and the reference document are of the same classification according to the distances between all of the objects of the digitized document and the nearest objects thereto in the reference document. A method and a computer readable recording medium for automatically classifying documents are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for automatically cropping image objects, including: an object contour detecting step, an image dividing step, and an image merging step. The object contour detecting step detects object contours with Modified Laplacian Contour Detector to generate a binary image. The image dividing step divides the binary image into a background region and a plurality of non-background regions with Connected Components Algorithm (CCA). The image merging step merges the closer non-background regions from large to small, and determines whether the merging is reasonable for cropping the image object.

Abstract: Human interleukin-18 (IL-18) polypeptides and substitution mutants thereof were conjugated to water-soluble polymers at specific sites on the human IL-18 protein. These conjugated human IL-18 and substitution mutants thereof retain biological activity. These conjugated cytokines demonstrate enhanced and unexpected biological properties when compared to the corresponding unconjugated cytokines.

Abstract: A system for assisting fixed-focus image-capturing device to focus, which includes: an image-capturing device with fixed-focus function; a platform for placing objects; a movable structure connected to the image-capturing device or the platform, for adjusting the distance between the image-capturing device and the platform; a notifying unit, which generates a physical quantity to notify a user; and a control unit in communication with the image-capturing device and the notifying unit, for determining the distance between the image-capturing device and the platform, and when the distance is equal to a best-shot distance, sending a signal to the notifying unit to generate the physical quantity. The invention also discloses a method for assisting fixed-focus image-capturing device to focus.