Abstract: Provided are compositions and methods of use of a pharmaceutical composition in the manufacture of a medicament for preventing or treating a diabetic kidney disease, the pharmaceutical composition including a chemokine C-C motif ligand 7 (CCL7) antagonist and/or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The medicament can prevent or treat diabetic kidney disease by protecting tubular epithelial cells, reducing glomerular hypertrophy, glomerulosclerosis, and fibrosis. The present disclosure also provides a method for preventing or treating a diabetic kidney disease in a subject in need thereof, including administering an effective amount of a CCL7 antagonist and/or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to the subject to inhibit an activity of CCL7.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of first forming a gate structure on a substrate, forming a first spacer on the gate structure, forming a patterned mask on the gate structure and one side of the gate structure, removing the first spacer on another side of the gate structure, and then forming a source/drain region adjacent to two sides of the gate structure.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer and a ferroelectric layer. The semiconductor layer is over the substrate. The semiconductor layer is a single crystal silicon layer or a single crystal germanium layer. The ferroelectric layer is over the semiconductor layer. The ferroelectric layer is in physical contact with the semiconductor layer and has an orthorhombic phase.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums are provided for encoding a video signal. An encoder determines a reference picture associated with a video block within the video signal and obtains reference samples of the video block from the reference picture. The encoder determines a luma interpolation filter for the video block coded in an affine motion mode based on a scaling ratio derived from resolutions of the reference picture and a current picture. The encoder further obtains luma inter prediction samples of the video block by applying the luma interpolation filter to the reference samples.

Abstract: Provided herein is flexible retroreflective sheeting that includes an emboss layer having retroreflective elements, a backing layer and/or metallized layer in contact with the retroreflective elements, and an interleaf layer sandwiched between two adhesive layers. The tensile and color properties of the layers of the construction allow the sheeting to be particularly useful as a label for articles, e.g., traffic safety devices, subject to crushing or bending. Also provided are methods and articles including the provided sheeting.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a molding system for fabricating a FRP composite article. The molding system includes a detector, a resin dispenser, a processing module, and a molding machine. The detector is configured to capture a graph of a woven fiber from a top view. The resin dispenser is configured to provide a resin to the woven fiber to form a FRP. The processing module is configured to receive the graph and a plurality of parameters of the FRP. The processing module includes a CNN model, and is configured to use the CNN model to obtain a plurality of predicted mechanical properties of the FRP according to the graph and the plurality of parameters of the FRP. The molding machine is configured to mold the FRP to fabricate the FRP composite article according to the plurality of predicted mechanical properties.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus performs a method of decoding video data, including: reconstructing, from a video bitstream, a picture frame that includes a luma component, a first and a second chroma components, and applying a trained neural network based in-loop filter to the reconstructed picture frame by: converting a first resolution of the samples of the at least one of the first and the second chroma components to a second resolution of the samples of the luma component when the first resolution is different from the second resolution; concatenating samples of at least one of the first and the second chroma components with the luma component; processing the concatenated samples using a convolutional neural network; and reconverting the samples of the at least one of the first and the second chroma components processed by the convolutional neural network from the second resolution back to the first resolution.

Abstract: Various systems and methods are presented regarding interrupting a write operation to enable a read operation to be performed on a digital tape system. An initial write operation to the tape can be paused, a read operation performed on a previously written data file conducted, and upon completion of the read operation, the write operation can be recommenced. Interrupt points can be positioned within respective data blocks. Based upon knowledge of the amount of data written during the initial write operation, a position P can be determined (relative to the location of the nearest prior interrupt point) such that when the tape is advanced to place the tape head in a position to recommence the write operation after the read operation has been performed, the tape can be positioned such that the tape head is at position P. Accordingly, interruption of the write operation enables random access of the tape.

Abstract: A computing device performs a method of decoding video data by receiving, from a bitstream, a first syntax element associated with an SBT coding unit that indicates that there exists at least one non-zero transform coefficient in the SBT coding unit; determining a first transform unit that includes non-zero transform coefficients; receiving a second syntax element associated with a first chroma component of the first transform unit, a third syntax element associated with a second chroma component, and a fourth syntax element associated with luma component of the first transform unit; decoding the transform coefficients of chroma and luma components of the first transform unit, based on the second, third and fourth syntax elements; and setting transform coefficients of luma and chroma components of rest of the plurality of transform units to zeros.

Abstract: A method for controlling bit-width for bi-directional optical flow (BDOF) for video coding includes encoding a first reference picture and a second reference picture, the second reference picture being different than the first reference picture, wherein the first reference picture is displayed before a current picture and the second reference picture is displayed after the current picture. A motion refinement of a coding unit (CU) is calculated by minimizing a difference between a first prediction L0 and a second prediction L1. First gradient values for the first prediction L0 and second gradient values for the second prediction L1 are calculated. A final bi-prediction of the CU is calculated. Also disclosed are an associated apparatus and an associated non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

Abstract: A communication device includes a metal mechanism element, a loop radiation element, a first radiation element, and a second radiation element. The metal mechanism element has a slot. The loop radiation element is coupled to the metal mechanism element. The first radiation element has a feeding point. The first radiation element is coupled to a first connection point on the loop radiation element. The second radiation element is coupled to a second connection point on the loop radiation element. Both the first radiation element and the second radiation element are disposed inside the loop radiation element. An antenna structure is formed by the metal mechanism element, the loop radiation element, the first radiation element, and the second radiation element.

Abstract: A drug carrier with a property of crossing the blood-brain barrier comprises an extracellular vesicle with a human leukocyte antigen-G antibody on its surface. This carrier can serve as a pharmaceutical composition for promoting apoptosis of brain tumor cells, inhibiting growth of brain tumor cells, or reducing expression of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in brain tumor cells. These effects contribute to the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include generating a plurality of predictions that each define a plurality of future inputs for a model. A deviation curve is generated by determining a distance between each prediction of the plurality of predictions and a respective known data point of a plurality of known data points. One or more points in the deviation curve are sampled and the sampled points are compared to a low threshold and a high threshold. A judgement is determined for each prediction to determine whether the respective prediction will be accepted or denied as an input to the model. The future inputs for the model are modified based on the judgments.

Abstract: Provided are a sound gathering device for voiceprint monitoring and a preparation method. The sound gathering device is a cone structure and includes a front end portion (1) and a rear end portion (2), the front end portion (1) is trumpet-shaped, an inner wall surface of the front end portion (1) is present a pattern array of a microstructure (3), and the microstructure (3) presenting the pattern array is formed through laser etching. A sound wave frequency monitored by the sound gathering device is 50 Hz˜10 kHz, and a sound wave enters the sound gathering device from an entrance of the front end portion (1), is reflected through the pattern array of the microstructure (3) on the inner wall surface of the front end portion (1), and is transmitted from an exit of the rear end portion (2), and a sound pressure of the exit of the rear end portion (2) is 4 times˜8 times a sound pressure of the entrance of the front end portion (1).

Abstract: An electrochemical device includes a housing, a first sealing ring, and an electrode post. The housing includes a cover provided with a through-hole. The cover includes a first wall surface and a second wall surface. The first sealing ring includes a first annular surface and a second annular surface. The first annular surface connects to the first wall surface. The first sealing ring is disposed around a hole axis of the through-hole. The electrode post includes a first part and a second part. The first part is inserted into the through-hole. The second part is connected to an end portion of the first part, the end portion being located in the inner cavity of the housing. A third annular surface includes a first region connected to the second annular surface. The first region includes a first edge and a second edge.

Abstract: A connection structure includes at least one yarn wire, a back adhesive, and a circuit board. The yarn wire includes a yarn and a metal wire that are helically twisted. The back adhesive is elastic and is in an adhesive gel state when coming in contact with heat. A through hole is formed on the circuit board, and a diameter of the through hole D, a diameter of the yarn wire d, a shrunken diameter of the yarn wire being stretched dmin, and a jig thickness t of a jig have a relation of: 2d>D>2dmin+t. During assembly, the yarn wire is aligned with the through hole of the circuit board. A portion of the yarn wire is extruded into and passes through the through hole by using the jig, and the portion of the yarn wire forms a protruding wire segment.

Abstract: A connection method for a yarn wire and a circuit board includes steps as follows: providing at least one yarn wire, a back adhesive, and a circuit board, at least one through hole is formed on the circuit board, and a diameter D of the through hole, a diameter d of the at least one yarn wire, a shrunken diameter dmin of the yarn wire being stretched, and a jig thickness t of a jig have a relation of: 2d>D>2dmin+t; placing the yarn wire on the back adhesive, aligning the yarn wire having the back adhesive with the through hole, and extruding and passing the yarn wire through the through hole by using the jig to penetrate the back adhesive; pulling the jig out along a pulling direction; and adhering a fixing back adhesive to one side of the circuit board.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for treatment of dry-eye disorders are provided. In particular, the present disclosure provides methods and compositions for modulating WNT (Wingless and lnt-1) signaling in a subject to modulate regeneration of tear-producing acinar cells to treat aqueous-deficient type dry-eye diseases. Further disclosed are WNT signaling modulators used in the methods.