Abstract: An apparatus for deployment and retrieval of section dividers includes a frame, a deployment rail, a first section divider carrier rail, and a second section divider carrier rail. The structure includes a first end of the first section divider carrier rail coupled to a first end of the deployment rail and a first end of the second section divider carrier rail coupled to a second of the deployment rail. A first actuator coupled to the first end of the first section divider carrier rail. A second actuator coupled to the second end of the first section divider carrier rail. The structure further includes a first deployment and retrieval system coupled to the first section divider carrier rail, wherein the first deployment and retrieval system guides a first retrieval body at a first end of a first section divider from the deployment rail to the first section divider carrier rail.

Abstract: A rotor assembly is provided and includes a rotor, tongs and an actuation system. The rotor includes a shaft defining a rotational axis about which the rotor is rotatable and rotor elements supported on the shaft to define grooves. The tongs are disposed in the grooves to occupy and move between first and second positions. At the first positions, the tongs are retracted from the grooves. At the second positions, the tongs are engaged in the grooves to disentangle fibers from the rotor. The actuation system is configured to bias the tongs toward the first positions and is actuatable to drive the tongs into the second positions.

Abstract: Devices and processes for axial disentanglement of debris from a rotatable mechanical agitator generally includes a cleaning member including a top stem portion, an intermediate cutting portion, and a bottom base portion; and a cylindrically-shaped mechanical agitator rotatably mounted within a head unit. The mechanical agitator includes one or more channels extending along a longitudinal axis and the head unit includes a slot opening coaxially aligned with a channel when in use. The bottom base portion and the intermediate cutting portion are configured to traverse a length of the one or more channels, wherein the intermediate cutting portion is positioned to cut debris entangled on the mechanical agitator when the top stem portion slidingly engages the slot opening in the head unit.

Abstract: A biobased flame retardant, a process for forming a biobased flame retardant, and an article of manufacture. The flame-retardant compound includes at least one moiety derived from a biobased dicarboxylic acid and at least one organophosphorus moiety. The process includes providing an organophosphorus compound and malic acid or a hydroxylated derivative of a biobased dicarboxylic acid. The process also includes reacting the organophosphorus compound and the malic acid or hydroxylated derivative to form a flame retardant. The article of manufacture includes a polymer and an organophosphorus flame retardant derived from a biobased dicarboxylic acid.

Abstract: An interlocking device for monitoring and enforcing shipping and acclimation conditions includes a servo motor, at least one locking pin, a battery, and a printed circuit board disposed within an enclosure, where the battery is electrically coupled to the servo motor and the printed circuit board. The interlocking device further includes a housing of an input power connector insertable into a first end of the enclosure to prevent the housing of the input power connector from electrically coupling to a power source, where the servo motor is configurable to engage the at least one locking pin to prevent a removal of the housing of the input power connector while inserted in the first end of the enclosure. The interlocking device further includes the printed circuit board configured to control the servo motor based on readings from one or more sensors electrically coupled to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A terminally-functionalized derivative of a cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) compound, a method to form a polymer, and an article of manufacture comprising a polymer derived from the terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative. The terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative has two, three, four, or five reactive functional groups. The polymer is prepared by obtaining CNSL compounds, reacting the CNSL compounds to form the terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative, and polymerizing the terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative.

Abstract: A flame-retardant compound, a process for forming a flame-retardant compound, and an article of manufacture. The flame-retardant compound includes a tetrazine moiety and at least one ligand comprising a brominated moiety. The process includes providing starting materials, which include a nitrile compound, a bromine source, and hydrazine. The process also includes reacting the starting materials to form a tetrazine flame retardant. The article of manufacture includes a polymer and a flame-retardant compound having a tetrazine moiety and at least one ligand comprising a brominated moiety.

Abstract: A rotor assembly is provided and includes a rotor, tongs and an actuation system. The rotor includes a shaft defining a rotational axis about which the rotor is rotatable and rotor elements supported on the shaft to define grooves. The tongs are disposed in the grooves to occupy and move between first and second positions. At the first positions, the tongs are retracted from the grooves. At the second positions, the tongs are engaged in the grooves to disentangle fibers from the rotor. The actuation system is configured to bias the tongs toward the first positions and is actuatable to drive the tongs into the second positions.

Abstract: An interlocking device for monitoring and enforcing shipping and acclimation conditions includes a servo motor, at least one locking pin, a battery, and a printed circuit board disposed within an enclosure, where the battery is electrically coupled to the servo motor and the printed circuit board. The interlocking device further includes a housing of an input power connector insertable into a first end of the enclosure to prevent the housing of the input power connector from electrically coupling to a power source, where the servo motor is configurable to engage the at least one locking pin to prevent a removal of the housing of the input power connector while inserted in the first end of the enclosure. The interlocking device further includes the printed circuit board configured to control the servo motor based on readings from one or more sensors electrically coupled to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: Devices and processes for axial disentanglement of debris from a rotatable mechanical agitator generally includes a cleaning member including a top stem portion, an intermediate cutting portion, and a bottom base portion; and a cylindrically-shaped mechanical agitator rotatably mounted within a head unit. The mechanical agitator includes one or more channels extending along a longitudinal axis and the head unit includes a slot opening coaxially aligned with a channel when in use. The bottom base portion and the intermediate cutting portion are configured to traverse a length of the one or more channels, wherein the intermediate cutting portion is positioned to cut debris entangled on the mechanical agitator when the top stem portion slidingly engages the slot opening in the head unit.

Abstract: A flame-retardant compound, a process for forming a flame-retardant compound, and an article of manufacture are disclosed. The flame-retardant compound includes a tetrazine moiety and at least one organophosphorus moiety. The process includes obtaining starting materials, which include a benzonitrile compound, a phosphorus-based compound, and hydrazine. The process also includes reacting the starting materials to form a tetrazine flame retardant. The article of manufacture includes a polymer and a flame-retardant compound having a tetrazine moiety and at least one organophosphorus moiety.

Abstract: A flame-retardant compound, a process for forming a flame-retardant compound, and an article of manufacture. The flame-retardant compound includes a tetrazine moiety and at least one ligand comprising a brominated moiety. The process includes providing starting materials, which include a nitrile compound, a bromine source, and hydrazine. The process also includes reacting the starting materials to form a tetrazine flame retardant. The article of manufacture includes a polymer and a flame-retardant compound having a tetrazine moiety and at least one ligand comprising a brominated moiety.

Abstract: A biobased flame retardant, a process for forming a biobased flame retardant, and an article of manufacture. The flame-retardant compound includes at least one moiety derived from a biobased dicarboxylic acid and at least one organophosphorus moiety. The process includes providing an organophosphorus compound and malic acid or a hydroxylated derivative of a biobased dicarboxylic acid. The process also includes reacting the organophosphorus compound and the malic acid or hydroxylated derivative to form a flame retardant. The article of manufacture includes a polymer and an organophosphorus flame retardant derived from a biobased dicarboxylic acid.

Abstract: A terminally-functionalized derivative of a cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) compound, a method to form a polymer, and an article of manufacture comprising a polymer derived from the terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative. The terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative has two, three, four, or five reactive functional groups. The polymer is prepared by obtaining CNSL compounds, reacting the CNSL compounds to form the terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative, and polymerizing the terminally-functionalized CNSL derivative.

Abstract: An apparatus for deployment and retrieval of section dividers includes a frame, a deployment rail, a first section divider carrier rail, and a second section divider carrier rail. The structure includes a first end of the first section divider carrier rail coupled to a first end of the deployment rail and a first end of the second section divider carrier rail coupled to a second of the deployment rail. A first actuator coupled to the first end of the first section divider carrier rail. A second actuator coupled to the second end of the first section divider carrier rail. The structure further includes a first deployment and retrieval system coupled to the first section divider carrier rail, wherein the first deployment and retrieval system guides a first retrieval body at a first end of a first section divider from the deployment rail to the first section divider carrier rail.

Abstract: A flame-retardant compound, a process for forming a flame-retardant compound, and an article of manufacture are disclosed. The flame-retardant compound includes a tetrazine moiety and at least one organophosphorus moiety. The process includes obtaining starting materials, which include a benzonitrile compound, a phosphorus-based compound, and hydrazine. The process also includes reacting the starting materials to form a tetrazine flame retardant. The article of manufacture includes a polymer and a flame-retardant compound having a tetrazine moiety and at least one organophosphorus moiety.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include receiving system status information about a plurality of computer systems from a plurality of customers. The system status information includes a plurality of types of system status information and each of the plurality of customers provides at least a subset of the plurality of types of system status information. Customer identifiers are removed from the received system status information. For each of the customers it is determined whether a type of the plurality of types of system status information was received from the customer. Based at least in part on determining that the type of system status information was received from the customer, a trend in the type of system status information is determined. The trend is based at least in part on system status information received from at least one other of the plurality of customers. The trend is provided to the customer.

Abstract: Particular embodiments comprise providing a surface mesh for an object, generating a voxel grid comprising volumetric masks for the mesh, and generating a lit mesh, wherein the lit mesh comprises a shaded version of the mesh as positioned in a scene. The voxel grid may be positioned over the lit mesh in the scene, and a first ray may be traced to a position of the voxel grid. If the traced ray passed through the voxel grid and hit a location on the lit mesh, then one or more second rays may be traced to the hit location on the lit mesh. If the traced ray hit a location in the voxel grid but did not hit a location on the lit mesh, then one or more second rays may be traced from the hit location in the voxel grid to the closest locations on the lit mesh. Finally, color sampled at one or more locations proximate to the position of the voxel grid may be blurred outward through the voxel grid to create a volumetric projection.

Abstract: Particular embodiments comprise providing a surface mesh for an object, generating a voxel grid comprising volumetric masks for the mesh, and generating a lit mesh, wherein the lit mesh comprises a shaded version of the mesh as positioned in a scene. The voxel grid may be positioned over the lit mesh in the scene, and a first ray may be traced to a position of the voxel grid. If the traced ray passed through the voxel grid and hit a location on the lit mesh, then one or more second rays may be traced to the hit location on the lit mesh. If the traced ray hit a location in the voxel grid but did not hit a location on the lit mesh, then one or more second rays may be traced from the hit location in the voxel grid to the closest locations on the lit mesh. Finally, color sampled at one or more locations proximate to the position of the voxel grid may be blurred outward through the voxel grid to create a volumetric projection.

Abstract: Shading attributes for scene geometry are predetermined and cached in one or more alternate scene representations. Lighting, shading, geometric, and/or other attributes of the scene may be precalculated and stored for at least one of the scene representations at an appropriate level of detail. Rendering performance is improved generally and for a variety of visual effects by selecting between alternate scene representations during rendering. A renderer selects one or more of the alternate scene representations for each of the samples based on the size of its filter area relative to the feature sizes or other attributes of the alternate scene representations. If two or more alternate scene representations are selected, the sampled values from these scene representations may be blended. The selection of scene representations may vary on a per-sample basis and thus different scene representations may be used for different samples within the same image.