Abstract: A stick-slip stage device includes a carriage assembly configured to support a payload, the carriage assembly comprising at least three piezoelectric stick-slip actuators each having one or more contact points. At least two rails are positioned on opposing sides of the carriage assembly and configured to interact with one or more of the contact points to form a guideway for movement of the carriage assembly. A fixed structure connects the at least two rails and is configured to generate a friction force between the at least two rails and one or more of the contact points of the at least three piezoelectric stick-slip actuators. A method of making a stick-slip stage device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A state space controller includes an integral part configured to integrate a control deviation, wherein the control deviation indicates a difference between a digital value of a gradient coil current and a reference current; a delay compensator configured to generate a digital control amount according to the integrated control deviation by the integral part, and generated a pulse-width modulation drive signal according to the digital control amount, and includes a subtractor of which a non-inverting input terminal is connected to an output terminal of the integral part, a delayer configured to delay the digital control amount by one calculation cycle, and a first feedback loop configured to delay the digital control amount by one calculation cycle and multiply a first compensation coefficient to obtain a first compensation amount, wherein the first compensation amount is input into a first inverting input terminal of the subtractor.

Abstract: Provided are methods and compositions for identifying candidate agents for treatment of obesity, liver disease, and/or diabetes. Such methods include, e.g., contacting a mammalian cell or cell population with a test agent, and measuring an expression level and/or activity level of ClpP in the mammalian cell or in cells of the cell population. Also provided are methods and compositions for treating an individual (e.g., one who is obese and/or has diabetes). Treatment methods include administering an inhibitor of ClpP to the individual (e.g., to prevent or reduce weight gain, to increase insulin sensitivity, and/or to increase glucose tolerance).

Abstract: A drive circuit of a radio-frequency (RF) transmitting coil and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device are provided. According to an example, the drive circuit includes a controller, a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) coupled with the controller, a RF amplifier coupled with the DAC, a power divider coupled with the RF amplifier, and a plurality of phase shifters respectively coupled with at least three output ports of the power divider.

Abstract: A semi-resonant actuator assembly includes a resonating body comprising a piezoelectric plate having a first length, a first width, and a first thickness, and an inactive plate having a second length substantially equal the first length, a second width substantially equal to the first width, and second thickness. A thickness of the resonating body is provided by a sum of the first thickness of the active piezoelectric plate and the second thickness of the inactive plate.

Abstract: The terminal is used within a card edge connector. Each terminal includes a base, a connecting tail extending downwardly form the base, first and second extending sections commonly extending upwardly from the base while spaced from each other, and first and second contacting sections respectively extending from the corresponding extending sections and into the central slot wherein all the base, the extending sections, the contacting sections and the connecting section lie in a same plane. The first contacting section is lower than the second contacting section. The first extending section is closer to the central slot than the second extending section is, and has more deflected regions thereof than the second extending section for increasing the length and the corresponding resiliency thereof.

Abstract: A method of processing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data is provided. According to an example of the method, after a set of MRI data of a subject is obtained by an MRI system, interpolation may be performed on real parts and imaginary parts of the set of MRI data, respectively, to obtain real part interpolation results and imaginary part interpolation results. Interpolation is performed on amplitudes of the set of MRI data to obtain amplitude interpolation results. Target interpolation results are determined with the real part interpolation results, the imaginary part interpolation results and the amplitude interpolation results. Then, an MRI image of the subject is reconstructed with the target interpolation results.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method is provided. The method includes: a first echo signal and a second echo signal generated from each of channels of a MRI device are acquired by performing a pre-scanning according to an imaging sequence; a correction displacement with which an imaging phase consistency is maximum is determined by shifting a signal curve of the second echo signal for each of the channels for a plurality of times; a one-order phase correction value and a zero-order phase correction value for the channels are determined under the imaging sequence according to the correction displacement; a formal scanning is performed according to the imaging sequence to obtain scanning data; and a phase correction is performed on the scanning data according to the one-order phase correction value and the zero-order phase correction value to obtain target scanning data for reconstructing an image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums for correcting time in a nuclear magnetic resonance device are provided. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining respective transmission time delays of three gradient pulse signals that are generated by a three-dimensional gradient subsystem of the nuclear magnetic resonance device and include a slice-selection gradient signal, a phase-encoding gradient signal, and a frequency-encoding gradient signal, determining a time correction value according to the obtained respective transmission time delays of the three gradient pulse signals, and correcting a respective output time of each of the three gradient pulse signals, an output time of a radio-frequency (RF) pulse signal generated by a RF transmitting subsystem of the nuclear magnetic resonance device, and a reception time of a magnetic resonance signal received by a RF receiving subsystem in a scanning cycle according to the determined time correction value.

Abstract: The terminal is used within a card edge connector. Each terminal includes a base, a connecting tail extending downwardly form the base, first and second extending sections commonly extending upwardly from the base while spaced from each other, and first and second contacting sections respectively extending from the corresponding extending sections and into the central slot wherein all the base, the extending sections, the contacting sections and the connecting section lie in a same plane. The first contacting section is lower than the second contacting section. The first extending section is closer to the central slot than the second extending section is, and has more deflected regions thereof than the second extending section for increasing the length and the corresponding resiliency thereof.

Abstract: A chemical solution cleaning process for removing backside contamination prior to metallization involves selective chemistries of a mixture containing NH4OH and H2O2 that may be diluted to specific concentrations depending upon the topside metal and passivation of a semiconductor wafer, which is applied after removing a topside protection material to protect the topside circuitry.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods of identifying a candidate agent for treating an apoE-associated neurodegenerative disorder. The methods involve contacting a PCSK1 or a PCSK2 polypeptide with an apolipoprotein E polypeptide in the presence of a test agent.

Abstract: A card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing extending in a longitudinal direction and defining at least one tower portion extending upwardly from a longitudinal end thereof, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing, and an ejector received in the at least one tower portion for latching with or ejecting a memory card. The ejector has a base portion rotatably attached to the tower portion and a locking portion rotatably attached to the base portion, the at least one tower portion has a slot, the locking portion is rotatable inward to face towards the top surface of the insulative housing in order to reduce a height of the card edge connector, the base portion has a lower ejecting section, and the locking portion has an upper locking section.

Abstract: A card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing, a number of contacts retained in the insulative housing, and an ejector received in the insulating housing for locking with a memory card. The insulative housing includes a passageway and at least one tower portion extending upwardly from an end thereof. The tower portion has a two opposite side walls, and a middle wall located between two side walls. The ejector has a base portion defining a lower ejecting section, a locking portion defining a locking section, and a narrowed reinforcing portion formed between the base portion and the locking portion. The narrowed reinforcing portion being thinner than the base portion and the locking portion, and the middle wall has a narrowed slot communicating with the elongated passageway to permit the narrowed reinforcing portion to rotate inward to lower a height of the card edge connector.

Abstract: A differential assembly includes a differential housing, two side gears, at least one output hub, and at least one pinion gear assembly. When a torque input is provided to the first side gear, eccentric contact surfaces on the first side gear and the output hub contact under compression forces, and compression forces between the outer cylindrical surface of the first side gear and an inner cylindrical surface of the differential housing and between the outer cylindrical surface of the first output hub and the inner cylindrical surface of the differential housing cause frictional forces between the differential housing and the first side gear and between the differential housing and the first output hub to provide a torque bias to the differential assembly. In some embodiments, the differential housing includes a second output hub and eccentric contact surfaces on the second side gear and the second output hub.

Abstract: A stick-slip stage device includes a carriage assembly configured to support a payload, the carriage assembly comprising at least three piezoelectric stick-slip actuators each having one or more contact points. At least two rails are positioned on opposing sides of the carriage assembly and configured to interact with one or more of the contact points to form a guideway for movement of the carriage assembly. A fixed structure connects the at least two rails and is configured to generate a friction force between the at least two rails and one or more of the contact points of the at least three piezoelectric stick-slip actuators. A method of making a stick-slip stage device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing extending in a longitudinal direction and defining at least one tower portion extending upwardly from a longitudinal end thereof, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing, and an ejector received in the at least one tower portion for latching with or ejecting a memory card. The ejector has a base portion rotatably attached to the tower portion and a locking portion rotatably attached to the base portion, the at least one tower portion has a slot, the locking portion is rotatable inward to face towards the top surface of the insulative housing in order to reduce a height of the card edge connector, the base portion has a lower ejecting section, and the locking portion has an upper locking section.

Abstract: A card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing, a number of contacts retained in the insulative housing, and an ejector received in the insulating housing for locking with a memory card. The insulative housing includes a passageway and at least one tower portion extending upwardly from an end thereof. The tower portion has a two opposite side walls, and a middle wall located between two side walls. The ejector has a base portion defining a lower ejecting section, a locking portion defining a locking section, and a narrowed reinforcing portion formed between the base portion and the locking portion. The narrowed reinforcing portion being thinner than the base portion and the locking portion, and the middle wall has a narrowed slot communicating with the elongated passageway to permit the narrowed reinforcing portion to rotate inward to lower a height of the card edge connector.

Abstract: A two-axis angular pointing device includes a pivot bearing configured to support a payload. A first actuator is positioned to contact the payload at a first drive point. A second actuator is positioned to contact the payload at a second drive point. The first actuator is configured to generate a first movement of the payload in a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane defined by a center of the pivot bearing, the first drive point, and the second drive point to cause the payload to rotate around a first rotation axis. The second actuator is configured to generate a second movement of the payload at the second drive point in the direction substantially orthogonal to the plane to cause the payload to rotate around a second rotation axis. A method of making a two-axis angular pointing device is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts received in the housing. At least a retainer is retained in the insulative housing. The retainer includes a soldering portion leaning on a bottom side of the housing and said housing defines a hole corresponding to said soldering portion. The hole communicates with exterior in both a lengthwise direction and an inserting direction which is perpendicular to the lengthwise direction for enhancing the stability of welding.