Abstract: Provided are a passivation layer for forming a semiconductor bonding structure, a sputtering target making the same, a semiconductor bonding structure and a semiconductor bonding process. The passivation layer is formed on a bonding substrate by sputtering the sputtering target; the passivation layer and the sputtering target comprise a first metal, a second metal or a combination thereof. The bonding substrate comprises a third metal. Based on a total atom number of the surface of the passivation layer, O content of the surface of the passivation layer is less than 30 at %; the third metal content of the surface of the passivation layer is less than or equal to 10 at %. The passivation layer has a polycrystalline structure. The semiconductor bonding structure sequentially comprises a first bonding substrate, a bonding layer and a second bonding substrate: the bonding layer is mainly formed by the passivation layer and the third metal.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for obtaining a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNab), including screening memory B cell cultures from a donor PBMC sample for neutralization activity against a plurality of HIV-1 species, cloning a memory B cell that exhibits broad neutralization activity; and rescuing a monoclonal antibody from that memory B cell culture. The resultant monoclonal antibodies may be characterized by their ability to selectively bind epitopes from the Env proteins in native or monomeric form, as well as to inhibit infection of HIV-1 species from a plurality of clades. Compositions containing human monoclonal anti-HIV antibodies used for prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection are provided. Methods for generating such antibodies by immunization using epitopes from conserved regions within the variable loops of gp120 are provided. Immunogens for generating anti-HIV1 bNAbs are also provided. Furthermore, methods for vaccination using suitable epitopes are provided.

Abstract: A method for making iridium oxide nanoparticles includes dissolving an iridium salt to obtain a salt-containing solution, mixing a complexing agent with the salt-containing solution to obtain a blend solution, and adding an oxidating agent to the blend solution to obtain a product mixture. A molar ratio of a complexing compound of the complexing agent to the iridium salt is controlled in a predetermined range so as to permit the product mixture to include iridium oxide nanoparticles.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a sample collection component, by which a removable light shielding component is disposed on a main body of the sample collection component to shield at least a portion of the light that passes through a storing space of the sample collection component.

Abstract: Provided are photo-curable foam-forming compositions, methods of making and using them, and a dispenser for injecting the foam-forming composition for the insulation of buildings. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides for a method of insulating a surface, such as that of a building cavity with an insulating foam, the method comprising: irradiating a foam-forming composition with light, the foam-forming composition comprising: a polymerizable component (e.g., based on epoxy or acrylate); an effective amount of a photoinitiator; and a blowing agent; and injecting the irradiated foam-forming composition adjacent the surface.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods are provided that create and/or validate a spending blockchain transaction that includes i) a plurality of locking scripts each representing an instance of an execution thread (which can be execution threads that are forked from an execution thread represented by a locking script of a previous blockchain transaction and/or execution threads of at least one previous blockchain transaction that are managed and/or controlled for inter-thread communication and control) or ii) a locking script representing an instance of an execution thread joined from a plurality of execution threads represented at least one previous blockchain transaction. Once created and/or validated, the spending blockchain transaction can be communicated on a blockchain network for storage in a blockchain ledger. The blockchain transactions can implement thread-specific locking scripts and associated fork, join and barrier constructs for concurrent or asynchronous threads of execution.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to injection of a serialized set of field values of an unlocking transaction into a locking script, such as for distributed ledge technologies and consensus-based blockchains. A first transaction to validate is received at a node in the blockchain network. The first transaction includes a first script that includes a set of field values of the first transaction and, as a result of being executed, causes the node to obtain a set of field values. A second transaction is obtained, with the second transaction having been validated. The second transaction includes a second script that, as a result of being executed, causes the node to generate a signature based at least in part on the set of field values supplied as a result of execution of the first script. The first transaction is validated by execution of the first script and the second script.

Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledge technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. Methods for causing an injection of a serialized previous transaction into a locking script are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network, which may be, for example, a Bitcoin blockchain. A first transaction to validate is received at a node in a blockchain network, with the first transaction including a first script. The first script, as a result of being executed, causes the node to at least obtain a first set of field values corresponding to the first transaction and obtain a second set of field values corresponding to a particular transaction. A second transaction is obtained, with the second transaction having been validated and including a second script.

Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledger technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. Computer-implemented methods for locking and unlocking blockchain transactions are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network. A first unlocking script of the unlocking blockchain transaction is configured to unlock a first locking script, wherein the first locking script is configured, when executed together with the first unlocking script, to determine, based on the first locking script and a constraint for verifying the unlocking blockchain transaction. Verifying the unlocking blockchain transaction is based on a set of constraints and corresponding field of the unlocking blockchain transaction, wherein data is based on the set of constraints. Providing data at the corresponding field of the unlocking blockchain transaction. Finally, making the unlocking blockchain transaction available to one or more nodes of a blockchain network.

Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledger technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. Computer-implemented methods for a self-replicating smart contract with termination condition are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network. A first transaction including a first script is validated by a node in the blockchain network including a third script, and a second set of field values of a second transaction, wherein the second set of field values includes a copy of the second script causing to obtain the second transaction. The second transaction includes a second script, validated by a node upon determining that a termination condition is unfulfilled, at least obtaining the third script from the first set of field values, and determining that the copy of the second script matches the third script. The first transaction is validated as a result of execution of the first script and the second script.

Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledger technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. Computer-implemented methods for locking blockchain transactions are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network. A first locking script is configured in a blockchain network. The first locking script is executed together with a first unlocking script, based on data obtained by executing the first unlocking script and a set of constraints. Verification that a first set of field values of the unlocking blockchain transaction is obtained by executing the first unlocking script and the set of constraints against the unlocking blockchain transaction. Validating the unlocking blockchain transaction according to the set of constraints. Finally, making the locking blockchain transaction available to one or more nodes of the blockchain network.

Abstract: There is described a computer-implemented method of outputting a transmission to a second node of a blockchain, the method being performed by a first node of the blockchain, the method comprising: determining a computational power devoted by a further node to a blockchain; determining, based on the determined computational power, a parameter relating to: the influence of the further node on a consensus mechanism of the blockchain; and/or a reward for the further node; and outputting a transmission to the second node of the blockchain in dependence on the parameter.

Abstract: There is disclosed a computer-implemented method of proposing a block for addition to a first blockchain, the method comprising: identifying a block of a second blockchain; and including in a proposal block for the first blockchain a reference to the identified block of the second blockchain only when: the identified block of the second blockchain extends the second blockchain; and/or the identified block of the second blockchain exceeds a threshold probability of finality; and proposing the proposal block for addition to the first blockchain.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for obtaining a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNab), including screening memory B cell cultures from a donor PBMC sample for neutralization activity against a plurality of HIV-1 species, cloning a memory B cell that exhibits broad neutralization activity; and rescuing a monoclonal antibody from that memory B cell culture. The resultant monoclonal antibodies may be characterized by their ability to selectively bind epitopes from the Env proteins in native or monomeric form, as well as to inhibit infection of HIV-1 species from a plurality of clades. Compositions containing human monoclonal anti-HIV antibodies used for prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection are provided. Methods for generating such antibodies by immunization using epitopes from conserved regions within the variable loops of gp120 are provided. Immunogens for generating anti-HIV1 bNAbs are also provided. Furthermore, methods for vaccination using suitable epitopes are provided.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for causing an injection of a serialized previous transaction into a locking script. A first script, of a first transaction to be validated, causes a node to at least obtain a first set of field values corresponding to the first transaction and obtain a second set of field values corresponding to a particular transaction. A second script, included in a second transaction, causes the node to at least obtain the first set of field values and the second set of field values of the particular transaction supplied as a result of execution of the first script, extract a transaction identifier from the first set of field values, and determine, based at least in part on the second set of field values, that the particular transaction corresponds to the transaction identifier. The first transaction is validated by executing the first script and the second script.

Abstract: A technique for locking a blockchain transaction based on undetermined data, using a blockchain network. A locking node may include a locking script in a blockchain transaction to lock a digital asset. The locking script includes a public key for a determined data source and instructions to cause a validating node executing the locking script to verify the source of data provided in an unlocking script by: a) generating a modified public key based on the public key for the determined data source and based on data defined in the unlocking script; and b) evaluating a cryptographic signature in the unlocking script based on the modified public key. The blockchain transaction containing the locking script is sent by the locking node to the blockchain network. The lock may be removed using a cryptographic signature generated from a private key modified based on the data.

Abstract: The invention relates to distributed ledge technologies such as consensus-based blockchains. Computer-implemented methods for securely providing undetermined data from a determined or undetermined source are described. The invention is implemented using a blockchain network, which may be, for example, a Bitcoin blockchain. A first transaction to validate is received at a node in a blockchain network, with the first transaction including a first script that includes at least a first value, at least a portion of which includes data that is unconstrained by a second script, and a second value. A second transaction is obtained. The second transaction having been validated and including the second script that, as a result of being executed, causes the node to obtain the first value and the second value as a result of execution of the first script, and validate, based at least in part on first value and the second value, that the data is associated with a data source.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of processing images for extracting information about known objects comprises the steps of receiving an image containing a view of a known object at a scale dependent on an object distance of the known object from an image capture location of the image; determining, from a world model representing one or more known objects in the vicinity of the image capture location, an object location of the known object, the object location and the image capture location defined in a world frame of reference; and based on the image capture location and the object location in the world frame of reference, applying image scaling to the image, to extract a rescaled image containing a rescaled view of the known object at a scale that is substantially independent of the object distance from the image capture location.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a sample collection component, by which a removable light shielding component is disposed on a main body of the sample collection component to shield at least a portion of the light that passes through a storing space of the sample collection component.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for obtaining a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNab), including screening memory B cell cultures from a donor PBMC sample for neutralization activity against a plurality of HIV-1 species, cloning a memory B cell that exhibits broad neutralization activity; and rescuing a monoclonal antibody from that memory B cell culture. The resultant monoclonal antibodies are characterized by their ability to selectively bind epitopes from the Env proteins in native or monomeric form, as well as to inhibit infection of HIV-1 species from a plurality of clades. Compositions containing human monoclonal anti-HIV antibodies used for prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection are provided. Methods for generating such antibodies by immunization using epitopes from conserved regions within the variable loops of gp120 are provided. Immunogens for generating anti-HIV1 bNAbs are also provided. Furthermore, methods for vaccination using suitable epitopes are provided.