Abstract: A method for preparing and resulting articles of manufacture comprising a substrate having a surface, a bulk beneath the surface, and a grafted polymer layer on the substrate surface, the substrate surface and the grafted polymer layer, in combination, constituting a modified surface having a fibrinogen adsorption of less than about 125 ng/cm2 in a fibrinogen binding assay in which the modified surface is incubated for 60 minutes at 37° C. in 70 ?g/mL fibrinogen derived from human plasma containing 1.4 ?g/mL I-125 radiolabeled fibrinogen.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to articles of manufacture, such as medical devices, having a non-fouling surface comprising a grafted polymer material. The surface resists the adhesion of biological material.

Abstract: The present invention discloses hydrocarbylidene nitrohydrozinecarboximidamides and the use thereof as well as a method for making the same. The structural general formula of the compounds are shown in formula I, wherein, R1 is C1-C10 saturated and/or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbonyl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, halogenated picolyl, halogenated thiazolyl methyl, tetrahydrofuryl methyl or oxazolyl methyl; R2 is hydrogen, C1-C5 saturated and/or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbonyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, pyridyl or substituted pyridyl; R3 is hydrogen, C1-C10 saturated and/or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbonyl, furyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, benzyl or substituted benzyl. The tests of insecticidal activity show that the hydrocarbylidene nitrohydrozinecarboximidamides shown by formula (I) have high preventive efficiency against insect pests of plants, such as aphid, plant hopper, cotton bollworm, asparagus caterpillar, and the like, and can be used as plant insecticides.

Abstract: Processes are described herein for preparing medical devices and other articles having a low-fouling surface on a substrate comprising a polymeric surface. The polymeric surface material may possess a range of polymeric backbones and substituents while providing the articles with a highly efficient, biocompatible, and non-fouling surface. The processes involve treating the substrate to reduce the concentration of chemical species on the surface of or in the substrate without altering the bulk physical properties of the device or article, and thereafter forming a grafted polymer layer on the treated substrate surface.

Abstract: A post-crosslinked adsorbent comprises: monomer units of (a) at least 55 wt % at least one polyvinylaromatic monomer and (b) up to 45 wt % at least one monovinylaromatic monomer; and 0.5-2.5 mmol/g pendent vinyl groups; wherein the dry adsorbent has BET specific surface area in the range of about 650-1000 m2/g, BET average pore diameter 7.2-10 nm, BET porosity 1.29-2.45 mL/g, BJH adsorption micropore volume was less than 20% of total BJH adsorption pore volume, and HK micropore volume was less than 21% of total BJH adsorption pore volume. The invention is also directed to a preparation method for the polymeric adsorbent.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism includes a first rotation assembly, a second rotation assembly substantially parallel to the first rotation assembly, a first connection member, and a second connection member. The first and second rotation assemblies include a first and second pivoting shafts and a first and second brackets sleeved on the first and second pivoting shafts, respectively, and both the first and second brackets includes an engaging portion eccentrically formed on one end respectively thereof. The first connection member includes two pivotal portions. The pivotal portions are rotatably connected to the engaging portions of the first bracket and the second bracket, respectively. The second connection member is sleeved on the first pivoting shaft and the second pivoting shaft.

Abstract: Super-low fouling sulfobetaine and carboxybetaine materials, super-low fouling surfaces and methods of making the surfaces coated with sulfobetaine and carboxybetaine materials, and devices having the super-low fouling surfaces.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism includes two pivoting shafts substantially parallel to each other, two main gears non-rotatably sleeved on the pivoting shafts, respectively. The hinge mechanism further includes two transmission gears positioned between the main gears, and two brackets sleeved on the pivoting shafts, respectively. Each transmission gear meshes with the other transmission gear and one main gear. Each pivoting shaft includes a flange which defines two locking portions, and each bracket forms two latching portions engaging with the locking portions of each pivoting shaft. The locking portions and the latching portions are selected from the structures of groove and hook.

Abstract: Nucleic acid sequence mapping/assembly methods are disclosed. The methods initially map only a contiguous portion of each read to a reference sequence and then extends the mapping of the read at both ends of the mapped contiguous portion until the entire read is mapped (aligned). In various embodiments, a mapping score can be calculated for the read alignment using a scoring function, score (i, j)=M+mx, where M can be the number of matches in the extended alignment, x can be the number of mismatches in the alignment, and m can be a negative penalty for each mismatch. The mapping score can be utilized to rank or choose the best alignment for each read.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a main body, a fixing member rotatably mounted on the main body, and a liquid crystal display rotatably mounted on the fixing member. The liquid crystal display can rotate from a first position facing the main body to a second position facing away from the main body.

Abstract: An embodiment of a hinge assembly includes a main body defining a shaft hole, a connecting shaft including an inserting end rotatably received in the shaft hole, and an expansion member forming a tapered portion and axially positioned in the shaft hole. An end surface of the inserting end toward the expansion member defines a tapered hole corresponding to the tapered portion, and the tapered portion is pressed into the tapered hole to expand the inserting end to resist the inner surface of the shaft hole, thus rotatably connecting the connecting shaft to the main body.

Abstract: A coupling mechanism includes a pivot assembly and a lifting assembly. The pivot assembly includes a first bracket, a pivot pin, a second bracket, and a cam piece. The second bracket is rotatably mounted to the first bracket via the pivot pin and has a valley portion recessed from one surface thereof. The cam piece is mounted to the pivot pin for holding the second bracket at any angle. The cam piece has a peak portion formed on one surface thereof and received in the valley portion of the second bracket at a closed position. The lifting assembly is adjustably assembled to the second bracket such that the lifting assembly is pivotally assembled with the first bracket.

Abstract: A hinge assembly includes a first connecting member, a second connecting member, and a pivot subassembly. The pivot subassembly connects the first connecting member to the second connecting member. The pivot subassembly includes a rotatable shaft, a sleeve, and a positioning ring. The rotatable shaft is non-rotatably connected to the first connecting member. The sleeve is sleeved on the rotatable shaft, and non-rotatably connected to the rotatable shaft. The positioning ring is non-rotatably connected to the second connecting member. The sleeve defines two positioning cutouts, and the positioning ring defines two positioning protrusions engaging with the positioning cutouts. When the rotatable shaft rotates, one of the sleeve and the positioning ring deforms, so that the at least one positioning protrusion disengages from the at least one positioning cutout.

Abstract: An improved system and method for flexible object placement and soft-state indexing of objects in a distributed object store is provided. A distributed object store may be provided by a large number of system nodes operably coupled to a network. A system node provided may include an access module for communicating with a client, an index module for building an index of a replicated data object, a data module for storing a data object on a computer readable medium, and a membership and routing module for detecting the configuration of operable nodes in the distributed system. Upon failure of an index node, the failure may be detected at other nodes, including those nodes that store the replicas of the object. These nodes may then send new index rebuilding requests to a different node that may rebuild the index for servicing any access request to the object.

Abstract: The present invention provides the multifunctional biological and biochemical sensor technology based on the integration of ZnO nanotips with bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices, particularly, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator (TFBAR). ZnO nanotips provide giant effective surface area and strong bonding sites. Furthermore, the controllable wettability of ZnO nanostructured surface dramatically reduces the liquid consumption and enhances the sensitivity of the biosensor device.

Abstract: Predicate checking in conjunction with distributed systems can enable an investigating user to check predicates in the context of instance states and/or distributed states of a distributed system. In an example embodiment, a method entails accepting distributed system simulation data and performing a simulation of a distributed system using the distributed system simulation data to create distributed system simulated states. At least a portion of the distributed system simulated states are exposed. The exposed portion of the distributed system simulated states is retrieved and stored as exposed states for the distributed system. The exposed states for the distributed system are compared to predicate states for the distributed system. If an inconsistency is detected between the exposed states and the predicate states based on the comparing, at least one alarm is issued.

Abstract: A method and a system evaluate a company website's online marketing efficiency on various advertising websites by evaluating both access activities and business activities of users originating from the advertising websites. For each user visiting the company website, the method determines the originating website from which the user enters the company website, and obtains the access activities and the business activities of the user on the company website. The method quantifies the access activities and the business activities of the users who enter the present website from the same originating website to generate evaluation data corresponding to the originating website, and evaluates the company website's online marketing efficiency on the originating website based on the evaluation data of the originating website. Using the disclosed method and system, online marketing efficiency can be evaluated more comprehensively and accurately.

Abstract: A hinge assembly includes a first pivot shaft, a second pivot shaft, a third pivot shaft, a first bracket, a second bracket, a first meshing wheel, a second meshing wheel, a third meshing wheel, and a transmission belt member sleeved on both the first meshing wheel and the third meshing wheel. The first pivot shaft, the second pivot shaft, and the third pivot shaft are substantially parallel. The first and second brackets are non-rotatably sleeved on the first and second pivot shafts, respectively. The third meshing wheel is disposed between the first meshing wheel and the second meshing wheel, and meshes with the second meshing wheel and the transmission belt member. An electronic device using the hinge assembly is also provided.

Abstract: A method of determining static and dynamic imbalance conditions in a horizontal axis washing machine utilizes a number of dynamic algorithms to automatically determine the total load size, the magnitude of any static load imbalance, and the magnitude of any dynamic load imbalance for any given load in a given washing machine based on power measurements from the washing machine motor obtained in predetermined speed profiles.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving data from devices in a way that seeks to preserve privacy and ensure the integrity of the retrieved data is provided. A retrieval system is implemented on a network of devices that communicate with each other via a secure communications link. Each device is directly connected to one or more “friend” devices that it trusts. The retrieval system operates by forwarding a request for data from one friend device to another friend device. Each friend device may optionally add data to the request until all the requested data is added. The request with the retrieved data is returned to the device that initiated the request.