Abstract:
A motion actuator comprises a cylindrical movable shaft and a stage that contains an expansible/contractible device and two clamps. The expansible/contractible device can be controlled to drive the axial motion of the movable shaft, and the two clamps can be controlled to grip/release the shaft. The two clamps and the expansible/contractible device are each controlled by a bimorph structure, which comprises a cut cylindrical piezoelectric tube section in a hole enclosed by a thin wall in the stage. By sequentially activating the three piezoelectric tube sections, axial motions of the movable shaft relative to the stage in small steps are made. Each of the two clamps can be adjusted by a screw, which presses a spring structure that makes contact with the top surface of the movable shaft, so that the clamps can grip the movable shaft firmly when actuated, but not when not actuated. The flat top surface of the movable shaft is designed to inhibit the possible rotation along its axis during its axial motion. The shaft is supported by two lines at the bottom of each of the two clamps to reduce the contact area, which improves the reliability of the motion.
Abstract:
This invention relates to methods of preparing substrates that enhance the Raman signal of analytes in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The SERS-active substrate comprises an array of metal nanoparticles at least partially embedded in a template. The substrate's uniform and readily reproducible SERS-active properties with a wide range of analyte concentrations substantially enhance the power and utility of SERS. This invention also provides sensors, as well as Raman instruments, comprising the SERS-active substrates.
Abstract:
A fusion protein containing a polyhedrin of a virus and a foreign polypeptide sequence. Also disclosed are a recombinant occlusion body containing the fusion protein, an isolated nucleic acid containing a sequence encoding the fusion protein, and a recombinant virus containing the nucleic acid. Within the scope of this invention are related expression vectors, host cells, compositions, and preparation methods.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a crystalline structure of glutaminyl cyclase (QC). The invention also relates to the methods of preparing the crystalline structure of QC and the methods for identifying candidate inhibitors of QC. This invention further provides a structural basis for the rational design or identification of new inhibitors that may be used to treat QC-associated disorders.
Abstract:
A novel method for coding and decoding video data and codec thereof are disclosed. The invented method provides an FGS (fine grained scalability) algorithm using bit plane coding technique. While conducting the bit plane encoding, the spatial and temporal dependence between bit planes is used to exploit the redundancy in the bit planes. In the embodiment of this invention, the bit plains are represented by quadtrees and bit plane prediction is made to remove the spatial and temporal redundancy in a video. The scalability of the video data is fine grained since atoms of the motion residuals do not have to be grouped as coding units.
Abstract:
A baculovirus that infects a host cell without lyzing the host cell and related protein expression method. Within the scope of this invention are in vitro and in vivo methods for detecting protein folding or a cell lysis activity of a sample. Also within the scope of this invention is a method of screening for a compound for treating a disease associated with misfolding of a protein.
Abstract:
The present invention provides medicinally active extracts and fractions, and a method for preparing the same by extracting and fractioning constituents from the tissue of components of Ganoderma lucidum. These active extracts and fractions are useful for inhibiting tumor growth, modulating immune response, and increasing hematopoietic activity.
Abstract:
A microfluidic device that includes one or more microchannels configured to transport fluid, and one or more microchambers configured to receive the fluid, wherein each of the one or more microchannels is coupled in fluid communication to at least one of the one or more microchambers. The microfluidic device also includes a first set of electrodes, each of the electrodes electrically coupled to one of the one or more microchannels, and configured to selectively apply an adjustable voltage to the respective microchannel to cause the fluid in that microchannel to flow. The microfluidic device further includes a second set of electrodes, where each of the electrodes in the second set of electrodes is electrically coupled to corresponding microchambers and configured to apply an adjustable voltage to the corresponding microchambers to direct flowing fluid into those corresponding microchambers from the microchannels to which those corresponding microchambers are coupled.
Abstract:
Method for preparation of anode film for thin film battery comprises: providing a target material to provide Li ion and Ti ion and a substrate comprising a base layer, a buffer layer and a precious metal current collector layer; sputtering LiMO layer on a said substrate at high temperature in a vacuum chamber and obtaining the anode film for thin film battery of this invention. In this invention, material for the precious metal current collector may be a precious metal such as Ag, Au, Pt etc., the alloy and oxides of these metals. The sputtering temperature may be above 300° C., preferably above 500° C. and most preferably above 650° C. The anode thin film material so prepared may be Li4Ti5O12. This invention also discloses anode film so prepared and thin film battery using such anode film.
Abstract:
A method of inducing an immune response in a subject against a flavivirus. The method involves administering to the subject with a fusion polypeptide including a signal peptide and a part of an envelope protein of the flavivirus, or with an expression vector containing a nucleic acid encoding the fusion polypeptide. Also disclosed are a polypeptide, an expression vector, and vaccines containing the polypeptide or expression vector.