Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a bulk barium copper sulfur fluoride (BCSF) material made by combining Cu2S, BaS and BaF2, heating the ampoule between 400 and 550 ° C. for at least two hours, and then heating the ampoule at a temperature between 550 and 950 ° C. for at least two hours. The BCSF material may be doped with potassium, rubidium, or sodium. The present invention also provides for a BCSF transparent conductive thin film made by forming a sputter target by either hot pressing bulk BCSF or hot pressing Cu2S, BaS and BaF2 powders and sputtering a BCSF thin film from the target onto a substrate. The present invention is further directed to a p-type transparent conductive material comprising a thin film of BCSF on a substrate where the film has a conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. The substrate may be a plastic substrate, such as a polyethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, or some other suitable plastic or polymeric substrate.

Abstract: The present embodiments relate methods of preparing metal carbides, for example some embodiments relate to methods of preparing metal carbides that do not contain the formation of an intermediate oxide compound. Some embodiments relate to methods that do not employ hydrocarbons in the reaction. Some embodiments relate to a method of preparing metal carbides that involves citrate gel precursors and a non-hydrocarbon gas but does not use a hydrocarbon gas, does not form an oxide intermediate species and does not produce carbon monoxide. In some embodiments, the metal carbides are transition metal carbides.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a conformal antenna on a surface by providing a composition comprising a polymer matrix and a plurality of metalized tubules and applying the composition to the surface as two parallel wires connected at their ends to make a closed loop with one of the parallel wires broken in the middle. Also disclosed is an alternate method for making a conformal antenna on a surface by spraying a first material comprising a polymer matrix onto the surface and simultaneously spraying a second material comprising a plurality of metalized tubules and a coagulant onto the surface, wherein the first and second materials mix together during the spraying.

Abstract: A computer based system and method for real-time display of co-registered historical and current side scan sonar imagery during a side scan sonar survey. Embodiments also include modules for detection of clutter in the current imagery, identification of features, extraction of snippets, filtering based on predetermined size and shape parameters, and determination if a current feature is the same as a previously identified contact from historical imagery.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating power from the voltage gradient naturally found in marine sediments. A pump flows sediment porewater to an anode, and a cathode is exposed to marine water. The arrangement can power a circuit.

Abstract: A data fusion framework is provided for wide-area assessments of unexploded ordnance. One or more wide-area survey data sources representing assessments of geographic sites that may contain unexploded ordnance (UXO) can be analyzed by a data source module as part of the data fusion framework. The data sources can include a geographic registration and a degree of belief and the data source module can register the data sources to a common map grid. A feature layer module can extract a plurality of feature layers from the wide-area survey data sources. A feature map module can generate a plurality of feature maps for each of the plurality of feature layers based on the degree of belief. Finally, a data fusion module can combine the plurality of feature maps and generate a plurality of output maps. This output maps can then be used by UXO site managers to support decisions regarding remediation efforts.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition having: a polymer having a carbosilane or siloxane backbone and pendant hydrogen-bond acidic groups; and a filler material having polar groups. The polymer is not covalently bound to the filler material.

Abstract: A vehicle including at least one bladder for containing a two-phase liquid-gas fuel at a predetermined pressure, with a bladder outlet arranged to releasing vapor fuel from the bladder. The fuel provides energy for propulsion of the vehicle, and the vapor pressure of the fuel provides initial structural integrity of the vehicle, by rigidizing and stiffening the beam assembly to resist inward buckling until the liquid fuel is expended. In an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle. A combustion chamber and thermoelectric conversion module can generate electricity for a propeller and battery.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a microfabricated gas chromatograph column having two patterned substrates, each optionally having a stationary phase material coating, bonded together to provide a continuous flow channel. The flow channel can have a serpentine arrangement or a modified serpentine arrangement comprising alternating series of consecutive turns in one direction where each series has enough turns to move carrier gas and analyte molecules from the center of the column cross section to an outer wall of the channel or from one outer wall of the channel to the opposite outer wall. Different portions of the substrates can be coated with differing thicknesses of stationary phase material and/or with different stationary phase materials. The column can have a circular cross-section or a semi-circular cross-section where the flat portion of the cross-section has grooves. Also disclosed is the related method of making the microfabricated gas chromatograph column.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new ionic liquid monomer salt and methods of is synthesis and polymerization. The ionic liquid monomer salt is prepared by mixing equimolar amounts of an amine, such as tris[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-ethyl]amine and an acid functionalized polymerizable monomer, such as 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, which is stirred at ambient temperature until salt formation is complete. Also disclosed is a new ionic liquid polymer salts and method for making the same. The synthesis of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid-ammonium salt polymer is accomplished by adding 2,2?-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) to the ionic liquid monomer salt and heating the homogeneous melt at 70° C. for 18 hr.

Abstract: An additive {hacek over (S)}olc filter (ASF) includes i) a first polarizer for receiving an input light, such as from a monochromatic light source, and transmitting a first polarized output, ii) at least one birefringent plate positioned to receive the first polarizer output and transmit an output with wavelength-dependent polarization state, and iii) a second polarizer for receiving the plate output and transmitting a second polarized, filtered output. An ASF spectroscopy system includes the ASF; a monochromatic light source input, e.g. a laser; a sample chamber for exposing a sample to the second polarized, tuned output and generating a signal characteristic of the sample that is filtered by the ASF; and a detector for acquiring the characteristic signal.

Abstract: Magnetoelectronic devices are fabricated by joining the edge of one ferromagnetic thin film element with the top, or bottom, portion of a second ferromagnetic, or nonmagnetic, thin film element. The devices also employ a new operational geometry in which the transport of bias current is in the film plane of at least one of the thin film elements, but is substantially perpendicular to the film plane of at least one of the thin film elements. Additionally, any of the variety magnetoelectronic devices (e.g., current-in-plane spin valves, current-perpendicular-to-the-plane spin valves, magnetic tunnel junctions, and lateral spin valves can be fabricated using these features.

Abstract: A compound having the formula below. X is hydroxyl, a sulfonic ester or salt thereof, a phosphonate or salt thereof, a carboxylate or salt thereof, or a boronic ester or salt thereof. The value n is an integer greater than or equal to 2. A polymer made by polymerizing the compound. A method of: reacting NH2—(CH2—CH2—O)n—CH2—CH2—OH with thiophene acid chloride to form a (SC4H3)—CO—NH—(CH2—CH2—O)n—CH2—CH2—OH amide; reacting the amide with a vinyl sulfonic ester, a vinyl phosphonate, a vinyl carboxylate, or a vinyl boronic ester to form an intermediate; and converting the intermediate to a salt form.

Abstract: A method of ocean property forecasting. The method includes generating one of a magnetic field prediction and an electric field prediction between a first observation point and a plurality of uniform ocean cells by generating a vector sum of magnetic field contributions from a plurality of magnetic field vectors and a vector sum of electric field contributions from a plurality of electric field vectors, respectively. The method further includes generating one of a magnetic field forecast and an electric field forecast of the ocean volume at a second observation point in the ocean volume by re-using the magnetic field vectors and electric field vectors and scaling one of the plurality of magnetic field vectors and the plurality of electric field vectors by a plurality of tri-axial equivalent electrical currents with identical geometry to the first observation point.

Abstract: Coalitions from interactions and adaptations of cognitive map agents are evolved using an algorithm. A population of agents are seeded with cognitive map variants characterizing different cultures or different affiliations. The algorithm evolves this population by modifying the cognitive maps using a modified Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. The modifications include modification to weights of the cognitive map, and the structure of the cognitive map of the global best (gbest) in the neighborhood is imitated according to a weighted random selection, based on the commonality of the node characteristic in the neighborhood. The end results indicate whether a coalition is possible and what cognitive maps emerge. These results are visualized on a 2D grid and measured with a clustering metric.

Abstract: A method for creating a fort.22 input file is provided that comprises the steps of receiving a plurality of user parameters, the plurality of user parameters comprising one or more meteorological data sources, a defined date range, and a data processing request. Then, the one or more meteorological data sources are read for the defined date range. A properly formatted fort.22 file is prepared based on the reader data. Next, it is determined whether a data processing request is present, and if a data processing request is present, an extension/ramping processing program is performed. Finally, the fort.22 file is outputted to a user.

Abstract: A method of making a liquid crystalline fiber is disclosed. A copolymer having a liquid crystalline side group and a crosslinking side group is crosslinked. A fiber of the crosslinking copolymer is drawn before the crosslinking reaction is complete.

Abstract: A phase-modulated analog optical link that uses parallel interferometric demodulation to mitigate the dominant intermodulation distortion present in the link. A receiver for demodulating phase modulated optical signals includes a splitter dividing the phase modulated signal into parallel optical paths, each optical path having an asymmetrical interferometer, the time delays of the interferometers being unequal, and each optical path includes a photodiode optically connected to an output of the interferometer. Outputs of the photodiodes enter a hybrid coupler. Alternatively, outputs of the interferometer enter a balanced photodetector. A phase shifter or time delay element can be included in one optical path to ensure inputs to the coupler or balanced photodetector have the correct phase. The input power to the parallel optical paths is split in a ratio that balances the third-order distortion in the output photocurrent.

Abstract: A method of directing a pulse of laser energy though a workpiece. The workpiece has: a substrate that transmits the laser energy; focusing elements on a surface of the substrate proximal to the laser that focus the laser energy; and a coating on the substrate distal to the laser that absorbs a portion of the laser energy. Each focusing element focuses the laser energy to a point that removes or ablates a portion of the coating from the substrate to produce a hole in the coating.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for non-contact or stand off chemical detection by selectively exciting one or more analytes of interest using an IR source tuned to at least one specific absorption band without significantly decomposing the analyte and determining if the analyte is present by comparing emitted photons with an IR detector signal made before and during or shortly after exciting the analyte. Another embodiment provides a method for non-contact or stand off chemical detection by selectively exciting one or more analytes of interest using an IR source tuned to at least one specific absorption band without significantly decomposing the analyte, wherein the analyte is excited sufficiently to generate a vapor plume, and wherein the plume is examined to detect the presence of the analyte. Additionally, the present invention provides for a system for non-contact or stand off chemical detection.