Abstract: A molecular building block composition can include a metal ion component; and a ligand component including a core including at least one functional group associated with the metal ion component and the core.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to portable energy generation devices and methods. The devices are designed to covert formic acid into released hydrogen, alleviating the need for a hydrogen tank as a hydrogen source for fuel cell power. In particular, an electricity generation device for powering a battery comprising a formic acid reservoir containing a liquid consisting of formic acid; a reaction chamber capable of using a catalyst and heat to convert the formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide; a fuel cell that generates electricity; a delivery system for moving converted hydrogen into the fuel cell; and a battery powered by electricity generated by the fuel cell is provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for simultaneously assaying cell adhesion or cell rolling for multiple cell specimens. One embodiment provides a system for assaying adhesion or cell rolling of multiple cell specimens that includes a confocal imaging system containing a parallel plate flow chamber, a pump in fluid communication with the parallel plate flow chamber via a flow chamber inlet line and a cell suspension in fluid communication with the parallel plate flow chamber via a flow chamber outlet line. The system also includes a laser scanning system in electronic communication with the confocal imaging system, and a computer in communication with the confocal imaging system and laser scanning system. In certain embodiments, the laser scanning system emits multiple electromagnetic wavelengths simultaneously it cause multiple fluorescent labels having different excitation wavelength maximums to fluoresce.

Abstract: A method for estimating a status of a system includes performing independent measurements on the system, associating a value P(?) with a Monte Carlo calculated probability measure P(?), which depends on (1) a preset threshold Nu of unfavorable events, and (2) a total number Ñtot(?) of the independent measurements for collecting the preset threshold Nu, setting a threshold level ? requiring that a critical value ?c of a power related metric ? makes a value P(?c) of the probability measure P to be substantially equal to the threshold level ?, comparing the total number Ñtot(?) to a ratio of (1) a product of a control parameter ? the preset threshold Nu, and (2) the threshold level ?, and interrupting the independent measurements if Ñtot(?) is larger than the ratio, or increasing an output of the system if Ñtot(?) is smaller than or equal to the ratio.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a flight-only mode with a motor only rotating propellers and not rotating on-board wheels to configure the UAV to fly away from a surface of a structure, and a crawling-only mode in which the UAV is configured to crawl on the surface due to the motor only rotating the wheels while not rotating the propellers. In the flight-only mode, a clutch disengages a motor from the wheels so that the motor only engages the propellers to fly to lift from the surface. In the crawling-only mode, the clutch disengages the motor from the propellers so that the motor only engages the wheels to move the UAV on the surface.

Abstract: An optical microstructure is configured to work with an optical fiber or a different substrate and the optical microstructure includes a beam converter including a tapered optical guide configured to transform a gaussian optical beam into a first annular optical beam; an inverted cone having first and second reflection surfaces, each configured to reflect the first annular optical beam, having a radius R1, so that a resulting second annular optical beam has a radius R2 larger than the radius R1; and a prism having a reflection surface configured to reflect the second annular optical beam to form a third converging annular optical beam. The third converging annular optical beam includes plural single optical beams that intersect at a given crossing point, outside the optical microstructure. The plural single optical beams form an optical trap.

Abstract: An opposed, free-piston engine includes a pair of adjacent cylinders, each extending from a first cylinder end to a second cylinder end along an elongate axis and having a first cylinder housing a first pair of opposed, free pistons including a first piston housed towards the first cylinder end and a second piston housed towards the second cylinder end; a second cylinder housing a second pair of opposed, free pistons having a third piston and a fourth piston; and a pair of link rods including a first link rod and a second link rod. The first link rod has a first link rod end and a second link rod end, the second link rod having a third link rod end and a fourth link rod end.

Abstract: A wavefront sensor includes a mask and a sensor utilized to capture a diffraction pattern generated by light incident to the mask. A reference image is captured in response to a plane wavefront incident on the mask, and another measurement image is captured in response to a distorted wavefront incident on the mask. The distorted wavefront is reconstructed based on differences between the reference image and the measurement image.

Abstract: Light olefins may be produced from hydrocarbons by a method including passing a hydrocarbon feed stream into one or more feed inlets of a reactor, using catalyst formulations or mixtures. Catalyst formulations may include multi-zeolite composite particles, or a mixture that is a physically mixed combination of separate particles of at least first composite particles of a first type of zeolite and second composite particles of a second type of zeolite. The reactor may include an upper reactor portion defining an upper reaction zone and a lower reactor portion defining a lower reaction zone. The catalyst may move in a generally downward direction through the upper reactor portion and the lower reactor portion, and the hydrocarbon feed stream may move in a generally upward direction through the lower reactor portion and upper reactor portion such that the hydrocarbon feed stream and the catalyst move with a counter-current orientation.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a gate electrode; a dielectric layer covering one surface of the gate electrode; an indium (In) gallium (Ga) zinc (Zn) oxide (O) (IGZO) thin-film formed over the dielectric layer, and first and second metallic electrodes formed on a surface of the IGZO thin-film to act as source and drain, respectively. The IGZO thin-film has an In concentration of 11%+/?3%, Ga concentration of 11%+/?3%, Zn concentration of 7%+/?3%, and O concentration of 71%+/?3%, with a sum of the concentrations being 100%, and the gas interacts with the IGZO thin-film and changes a current through the IGZO thin-film.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a magnetic substrate including a cured magnetic ink and a cured polymer resin, wherein the cured magnetic ink includes a plurality of functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and wherein the magnetic substrate is a freestanding magnetic substrate.

Abstract: A system for determining a water cut of a water/oil emulsion includes a water cut sensor with a magnetoelastic ribbon, an inductive coil arranged proximate to the magnetoelastic ribbon so that an electromagnetic field produced by the inductive coil electromagnetically excites the magnetoelastic ribbon, and an alternating current source. A processor is configured to determine the water cut of the water/oil emulsion based on a resonant frequency of the magnetoelastic ribbon while the magnetoelastic ribbon is excited by the inductive coil. A feed line is coupled to the water cut sensor. The feed line includes an electrical coupling between the alternating current source and the inductive coil of the water cut sensor. The feedline includes an electrical coupling between the processor and the inductive coil of the water cut sensor or the processor is coupled to an acoustic sensor.

Abstract: A photodetector for detecting deep ultra-violet light includes a substrate; first and second electrodes separated by a channel; and colloidal MnO based quantum dots formed in the channel. The colloidal MnO based quantum dots are sensitive to ultra-violet light having a wavelength lower than 300 nm.

Abstract: Metal-organic frameworks for capturing one or more of SO2, CO2, and H2O are disclosed herein. Non-limiting examples of metal-organic frameworks include NbOFFIVE-1-Ni and AIFFIVE-1-Ni, among others. The metal-organic frameworks can be used in applications for removing and/or sensing one or more of SO2, CO2, and H2O from a fluid composition or an environment, either of which can proceed under dry or humid conditions and/or at room temperature.

Abstract: A method for sequencing biopolymers. The method includes selecting with a sequence generator module an input nucleotide sequence having plural k-mers; simulating with a deep learning simulator, actual electrical current signals corresponding to the input nucleotide sequence; identifying reads that correspond to the actual electrical current signals; and displaying the reads. The deep learning simulator includes a context-dependent deep learning model that takes into consideration a position of a k-mer of the plural k-mers on the input nucleotide sequence when calculating a corresponding actual electrical current.

Abstract: A functionalized fibrous hierarchical zeolite includes a framework comprising aluminum atoms, silicon atoms, and oxygen atoms, the framework further comprising a plurality of micropores and a plurality of mesopores. The functionalized fibrous hierarchical zeolite is functionalized with at least one terminal hydroxyl. Terminal organometallic functionalities are bonded to silicon atoms of the microporous framework, the terminal organometallic functionalities comprising a nickel atom.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure feature an intrinsically microporous ladder-type Tröger's base polymer including a repeat unit based on a combination of W-shaped CANAL-type and V-shaped Tröger's base building blocks, methods of making the intrinsically microporous ladder-type Tröger's base polymer, and methods of using the intrinsically microporous ladder-type Tröger's base polymer to separate a chemical species from a fluid composition including a mixture of chemical species. Embodiments of the present disclosure further include ladder-type diamine monomers for reacting to form a Tröger's base in situ, and methods of making the ladder-type diamine monomers using catalytic arene-norbornene annulation.

Abstract: A method for calculating a velocity model for a subsurface of the earth. The method includes receiving (200) measured seismic data d; calculating (204) predicted seismic data p; selecting (206) a matching filter w that when applied to one of the measured seismic data d or the predicted seismic data p reproduces the other one of the measured seismic data d or the predicted seismic data p; selecting (208) a misfit function J that calculates (1) a distance between the matching filter w and a Dirac Delta function or (2) a travel time shift associated with the measured seismic data; and calculating (218) a new velocity model using the misfit function J, the measured seismic data d, and the predicted seismic data p. The measured seismic data d includes wavefields generated by a seismic source and the wavefields propagate through the subsurface where they are attenuated and reflected, and the attenuated and reflected wavefields are recorded by plural seismic receivers.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a micromodel with a mixed wettability surface representing a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method includes coating a top surface of a hydrophilic substrate with photoresist, covering a top of the photoresist with a photomask, exposing the covered top of the photoresist to UV light that changes a chemical property of a region of the photoresist corresponding to a pattern of the photomask, removing the photomask, removing the region of the photoresist corresponding to the pattern of the photomask based on the chemical property of the region, depositing a hydrophobic thin-film on top of the hydrophilic substrate, and removing a remaining photoresist covered with the thin-film, such that the surface of the hydrophilic substrate is patterned with both a region covered with the hydrophobic thin-film and an uncovered region of the hydrophilic substrate, creating a mixed wettability surface on the hydrophilic substrate that represents the micromodel.