Abstract: The invention relates to a payload frame for deploying a payload underwater. The payload frame includes at least three lead screws, each lead screw connected near a top end of the lead screw to the payload by a corresponding spherical bearing; at least three motors, each motor connected to a bottom end of one of the lead screws, the motor to rotate the lead screw through the corresponding spherical bearing; at least three feet, each foot attached to one of the motors, the feet to support and secure the payload frame on a water body bed; an accelerometer attached to the payload, the accelerometer to measure gravity vectors of the payload; and a microcontroller connected to the accelerometer and the motors. The microcontroller to receive the gravity vectors from the accelerometer and control each of the motors based on the gravity vectors to position the payload in a target orientation.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a pyro gasifyer apparatus and method that may be used in a pyro-gasification system. According to an example embodiment, a loading unit may receive waste and a pyro gasifier unit may receive the waste and convert it into purified syngas through a two-stage process using exhaust gas and a gasifying agent. An engine may receive the purified syngas and generate the exhaust gas, such that a gasifying unit may generate the gasifying agent using energy provided by the exhaust gas. A control unit may monitor and control the amount of the purified syngas, the exhaust gas, and the gasifying agent.

Abstract: In a configurable vehicle a variety of mechanisms connect an external heat sink to an interior volume of the vehicle without creating a fluid conduit between the exterior and interior volume of the vehicle. Reliability of the vehicle is improved since exterior elements cannot penetrate to the interior of the vehicle.

Abstract: This invention describes resins with phosphate cores and a simple, three-step process for their synthesis. Preferred resins are cyanate ester resins with bridging phosphate groups. These resins can be cured to produce thermoset polymers having Tgs of between 131 and >360° C. depending on the number of cyanate ester groups per phosphate and the substitution pattern of the aromatic rings. The high char yields of these resins, up to about 67%, coupled with the phosphate core means that these materials will have applications as fire-resistant polymers. Additionally, these materials can potentially be blended with conventional cyanate esters or other compatible thermosetting resins to improve the fire resistance of composite materials. Other applications may include use in fire-resistant circuit boards, or as surface coatings to reduce flammability of conventional composite materials or thermoplastics.

Abstract: The method of the present invention for making a BNNT fabric comprises dispersing Boron-Nitride nanotubes at loading greater than 5 weight % in an electrospinning delivery solution; electrospinning the delivery solution onto a collector thereby forming a mat comprised of BNNT-PAN nano fibers; and, finally removing any electrospinning delivery solution from the mat leaving a fabric of intertwined Boron-Nitride nanotubes.

Abstract: Provided is a frangible munitions device optimized for a dome and cylinder that yields fragments having shapes corresponding to a predetermined embossment pattern upon explosive rupture. The embossment pattern includes a first set of inner regular hexagonal embossments formed into the dome and cylinder that are aligned with the axis of the cylinder, and a second set of outer pre-deformed hexagonal shapes that distort to produce regular hexagonal shapes after drawing into the cylinder wall. The second set of shapes are separated by sharp transition regions. The shapes are embossed in a repeated pattern around the hollow cylinder and the dome top. The dome yields a plurality of fragments having shapes corresponding to the first set of inner regular hexagonal embossments upon explosive rupture, while the cylinder yields a plurality of fragments having shapes corresponding to the second set of outer pre-deformed hexagonal embossments upon explosive rupture.

Abstract: A device is provided for rotation rate measurement. The device includes a laser, pre- and post-selection polarizers, a birefringent crystal, and a detector. The laser emits a photon beam. The crystal separates the beam into separate parallel beams by phase difference in response to the rotation rate as measured by the detector.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and thermoset made by: reacting a di- or tri-functional isocyanate with a silyl-containing compound to form a polyurethane having at least one unreacted isocyanate group, reacting the polyurethane with an aminoalkylalkoxysilane to form an alkoxysilane-terminated polyurethane, and moisture-curing the alkoxysilane-terminated polyurethane to form the thermoset. The silyl-containing compound has the formula: SiR1n[R3—(O—CO—X—R3)m—OH]4-n. Each X is —O— or —NR2—; each R1 is an alkyl group or an aryl group; each R2 is —H, an alkyl group, or an aryl group; each R3 is an alkylene group; n is 0, 1, or 2; and each m is a non-negative integer. The thermoset may be degraded by treatment with a solution of a fluoride salt in an organic solvent.

Abstract: Provided are apparatus and methods for transmission of a signal in a safe and secure fashion. Embodiments include apparatus and methods that surround a signal beam(s) of interest with outer beams/signals to protect the inner signal. The outer beams construct a conduit like tunnel through which the signal beam(s) travels inside of for transmission to a receiving device. These outer beams further offer safety and security to the signal beam(s) of interest by cutting the signal source if these outer beams are broken. The outer beams can also modify the atmosphere around the signal beam(s) to an ideal, predetermined atmosphere to maximize signal propagation and minimize signal noise and loss.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of treating or preventing a bacterial disease or infection, antibacterial compositions, and antibacterial surfaces, including an isolated polypeptide comprising an enzymatically active domain (EAD) of a Bacillus bacteriophage endolysin.

Abstract: Heterostructures include a layer of a two-dimensional material placed on a multiferroic layer. An ordered array of differing polarization domains in the multiferroic layer produces corresponding domains having differing properties in the two-dimensional material. When the multiferroic layer is ferroelectric, the ferroelectric polarization domains in the layer produce local electric fields that penetrate the two-dimensional material. The local electric fields modulate the charge carriers and carrier density on a nanometer length scale, resulting in the formation of lateral p-n or p-i-n junctions, and variations thereof appropriate for device functions.

Abstract: A supported heterogeneous catalyst material for catalyzing the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction for the selective formation of CO using an alkali metal-doped molybdenum carbide on a gamma alumina support (A-Mo2C/?-Al2O3, A=K, Na, Li). The A-Mo2C/?-Al2O3 catalyst is synthesized by co-impregnation of molybdemun and alkali metal precursors onto a ?-Al2O3 support. It is then carburized to form the A-Mo2C/?-Al2O3.

Abstract: A digital adaptive optics encoder module includes an input mounting flange, a collimating lens, a bandpass filter, digital adaptive optic elements, refocusing lens, an output mounting flange, and a housing. The input mounting flange is capable of attaching to a telescope. The collimating lens is capable of expanding light from a target to fill a plurality of primary apertures. The bandpass filter has a bandwidth ranging from about 40 nm to about 100 nm. The digital adaptive optic elements include the plurality of primary apertures, an optical spreader, a focusing optic, and a detector. The refocusing lens is capable of refocusing an output from the digital adaptive optic elements onto a sensor plane. The output mounting flange is capable of attaching to an output connection. The housing encloses all of the interior components of the digital adaptive optics encoder module.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a release system for delaying application of chemical reagents in a lateral-flow immunoassay. A chemistry release fiber comprising a permeable membrane and a chemical release agent is used to delay chemical reagent delivery to the indicator of a lateral-flow immunoassay. Also disclosed is the related method of delaying application of chemical reagents in a lateral-flow immunoassay.

Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is provided to receive a coherent input photon in an initial pointer state for producing a continuously variable “faux qubit” in a magic state. The MZI apparatus includes first and second ports, first and second beam-splitters, first and second mirrors, and a modular interaction operator. The emitter produces an input coherent photon in an initial pointer state along an emission direction. The first and second ports are respectively disposed parallel and perpendicular to the emission direction. The first and second beam-splitters are disposed respectively collinearly with the emission direction and between the first and second ports parallel to and offset from the emission direction. The first and second mirrors are disposed respectively offset from and collinearly with the emission direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system for receiving electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals from a plurality of sources or directions. A communication system comprises a transmission section surrounding an antenna section. The transmission section can be made of concentric layers of lens elements, mirror elements, or refraction medium. The layers allow incoming EMR to be directed to the antenna section through reflection or refraction. The antenna section can be made of a plurality of antenna elements such that each antenna element detects incoming EMR signals from different angles of origin even when the signals are received simultaneously.

Abstract: A solid state circuit breaker that may include a metal oxide varistor (MOV) that is connected in series to a thyristor, the MOV to clamp voltage of current flowing through the solid state circuit breaker; the thyristor including a gate to control flow of the current to the MOV along a first path to the MOV; a breakover diode to activate at a target voltage level to allow the current to flow to the MOV along a second path; and a Zener diode to close the gate and allow current to flow along the first path in response to the current on the second path.

Abstract: A containment apparatus for collecting electrolyte from a battery relief vent is provided. The containment apparatus includes a body comprising a reservoir, a relief vent aperture, an internal baffle, and an upper vent aperture; a push-on connection that attaches the relief vent aperture to the battery relief vent; and a viewing window on an external side of the body. The containment apparatus attaches to a pressure relief vent on a battery to capture droplets of electrolyte that are released from the battery relief vent. Liquid electrolytes travel through the relief vent aperture and into the reservoir, and vaporized electrolyte condenses on the baffle and falls into the reservoir as droplets or travels past the baffle and is directed through the upper vent aperture via the walls. The device prevents electrolytes from accumulating on the outside of the battery and associated hardware within the vicinity of the battery.

Abstract: Methods, and systems, for Multiagent Pathfinding for Non Dynamic Programming Problems, including a CE method which provides for sampling from a complex probability distribution that is not necessarily known in a closed form. The applications of this method include rare-event simulation, variance reduction for estimation problems, and stochastic optimization. The method iteratively searches for a probability distribution that is “close” to the intended distribution, where the closeness of distributions is measured using the Kullback-Liebler (KL) divergence between the distributions. At each step, the method generates samples according to a current candidate distribution from the family. Next, it uses those current candidate distribution samples to move the distribution toward a new candidate distribution that is closer in the sense of KL divergence to the target distribution.

Abstract: A microcapacitor array for providing artificial muscles is described. The microcapacitor array includes a dielectric body with electrode chambers, positive electrodes in positive electrode chambers, the positive electrodes being connected by a first set of channels in the dielectric frame; negative electrodes in negative electrode chambers, the negative electrodes being connected by a second set of channels in the dielectric frame. The first and second set of channels are arranged so that application of a voltage differential between the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes generates an attractive force between each set of adjacent positive and negative electrodes.