Abstract: Surfactants are imbibed into Halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and the imbibed nanotubes are coated with wax on the nanotube outer surface. The wax layer prevents the surfactant from being disgorged from the HNT lumen until a triggering condition exists. Triggering conditions include contact with oil, which dissolves the wax; or exposure to temperatures above a melt transition of the wax, which causes the wax to melt. Upon exposure to a triggering condition, at least some of the imbibed surfactants are disgorged from the HNT and into the surrounding environment. The disgorged surfactants provide a conventional effect of reducing interfacial tension and changing reservoir rock wettability to enhance oil recovery. A range of surfactants and waxes are usefully employed in the compositions and methods described herein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phononic-isolated Kinetic Inductance Detector (KID) and a method of fabrication thereof. The KID is a highly sensitive superconducting cryogenic detector which can be scaled to very large format arrays. The fabrication process of the KID of the present invention integrates a phononic crystal into a KID architecture. The phononic structures are designed to reduce the loss of recombination and athermal phonons, resulting in lower noise and higher sensitivity detectors.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing remote support and negotiating problem situations of autonomous operation of vehicles based on signal states and vehicle information are described. A system comprises a memory and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: assign vehicles to support queues based on state data, generate a map display including locations of the vehicles, and generate a state display including the support queues, vehicle manager indicators corresponding to the support queues and state indicators corresponding to the state data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing an exchange for physicals (EFP) may comprise receiving, with a matching engine module in communication with a processor, EFP data comprising an amount of securities to be traded and a price. The matching engine module may calculate a first delta percentage between the EFP data and an index based on the amount, the price, and an index value. The matching engine module may calculate a residual delta based on the first delta percentage and an index notional value. The matching engine module may attribute the residual delta to the securities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method and system for crater detection in planetary data based on marked point processes (MPP), effective for various object detection tasks in Earth observation, and for planetary image registration. The resulting spatial features are exploited for registration, together with fitness functions based on the MPP energy, on the mean directed Hausdorff distance, and on the mutual information. Two different methods—one based on birth-death processes and region-of-interest analysis, and the other based on graph cuts and decimated wavelets—are included within the present framework. Experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the present invention in terms of crater detection performance and sub-pixel registration accuracy.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include systems for launching primary or secondary payloads or actuating other launch vehicle or payload or instrumentation devices. The system includes an adapter assembly and at least one sequencer mounted to the adapter assembly. The sequencer includes: controller boards, each of the controller boards having a controller for controlling deployment of the payloads and data files; output ports coupled to the controller boards and configured to transmit signals from the controller boards to dispensers therethrough, deployment mechanisms containing the payloads, the adapter assembly having channels for accommodating the dispensers; and a detector coupled to the controller boards and adapted to detect an external signal and, in response to the external signal, to send an initiation signal to the controller boards. The system also includes at least one power supply coupled to the sequencer and adapted to provide an electrical power to the sequencer.

Abstract: A cryogen-free partially-superconducting electric machine of the wound field synchronous type includes a room temperature semi-slotless stator, a superconducting motor rotor, a gap between the rotor and stator, a torque tube which isolates the cryogenic superconducting motor rotor from a central shaft, bearings, an acoustic cryocooler integrated within the motor rotor and torque tube, a heat exchange, a rotary transformer, a vacuum pump, a vacuum enclosure integrated with the stator, and an eddy current/thermal shield. The electric machine can act as a motor or a generator and produces a high specific power and efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus for selecting a radar installation site for configuring a radar observation network and a method thereof. That is, according to the present invention, an optimal radar observation site is selected through a digital elevation model, GIS information, a beam shield simulation, a propagation environment survey, etc., to collect higher accurate radar data and shorten a time required for a radar installation preliminary survey, etc.

Abstract: Method for establishing a trust chain, comprising: requesting a third CA for a third key pair and a third certificate, writing a private key of the third key pair and the third certificate into a security storage area, the third certificate comprising model information of the smart television (SMTV) terminal and information of a public key of the third key pair. The SMTV terminal check its possession of a fourth certificate on every start, generate a unique fourth key pair in absence of a fourth certificate, submit online a public key of the fourth key pair and a unique identification of each SMTV terminal to a fourth CA to request for a fourth certificate, and send along the third certificate and a signature signed on the request with the private key of the third key pair; write the fourth certificate into the security storage area upon receiving the fourth certificate.

Abstract: An apparatus include one or more DACs and a resistor divider are configured to generate a variable bias voltage VBIAS with respect to a CM voltage VCM. The CM voltage VCM is applied to a cathode of one or more thermopiles or a negative input of one or more amplifiers to prevent saturation and over range of one or more low voltage readout amplifiers and one or more ADCs.

Abstract: Robust techniques for the collection, storage, and processing of data from disparate UAS data sources in an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations environment. A data-agnostic platform hosts a plurality of clients and client services. Baseline configurations and customizations are input to configure the platform for collection, retention, and/or processing of the data, and the client services are automatically configured based in part on those baseline configurations and customizations. Client services are logically arranged within each device memory as a plurality of operational groupings with a predetermined sequence order and a predetermined priority and executed according to the predetermined sequence order and predetermined priority. Data from the data sources is translated into customized data based at least, in part, on the configuration information, and validated for storage.

Abstract: A six-pole patch bandpass filter includes a dielectric substrate and six electrically-conductive isosceles-triangle patches disposed thereon. A first pair of the patches is an electrically connected pair. The first pair of patches is capacitively coupled to a first microstrip. A second pair of the patches is also an electrically connected pair. The second pair of patches is capacitively coupled to a second microstrip. A third pair of the patches are nested between and capacitively coupled to the first pair of patches and the second pair of patches.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides CRISPR-based compositions and methods of their use to impair or promote angiogenesis in a patient to treat indications including, but not limited to, tumor growth, age-related macular degeneration, and metastasis.

Abstract: Described herein are membrane permeabilizing peptides and antimicrobial peptides, polynucleotides encoding the peptides, and compositions containing the peptides. Furthermore, described herein are methods for using the peptides, polynucleotides, and compositions for research, diagnosis, and therapy.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, an attitude, orbit, and de-orbit control system (AODCS) for a satellite is provided. In an example embodiment, the AODCS system comprises one or more selectively retractable booms. The one or more selectively retractable booms are collectively configured to provide a selectively adjustable drag during de-orbiting of a satellite over a predefined de-orbiting time.

Abstract: A method of making a thermal control coating is provided. A primer layer can be applied to a substrate to form an exposed surface. The primer layer can include an epoxy binder and a silica filler. The exposed surface can be treated with an oxygen plasma to form a treated surface. A silicate-based thermal control coating can be applied to the treated surface, for example, by spraying, to form a thermal control coating on the substrate. Spacecraft and spacecraft hardware components coated with the thermal control coating, are also provided.

Abstract: A method of making a multi-layer coating on a substrate is provided and involves applying a mirror coating to a substrate then spraying a silicate topcoat onto the mirror coating. Applying the mirror coating can involve applying a reflective material to the substrate to form a reflective layer and applying an oxide layer to the reflective layer to form the mirror coating. The oxide layer can be made of one or more oxide layers, and each of the one or more oxide layers can include aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, or a combination thereof. The multi-layer coating provides increased IR emittance and decreased solar absorptance relative to conventional thermal control coatings.

Abstract: Processes for real-time drag optimization control for aeroelastic wing structures are disclosed. Adaptive reconfiguration of aircraft control surfaces by an online real-time drag optimization control approach to reduce or minimize drag may reduce the amount of fuel that is consumed by the aircraft during flight. The input data may be obtained from sensor information pertaining to the wing deflection and aircraft state information. The optimization approach may compute an optimal solution of the distributed flight control surface deflections that are integrated in a flight path angle flight control system.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle service system having a display device, a receiver, and a controller. The receiver is configured to receive transmitted data from an autonomous vehicle related to status of the autonomous vehicle and information from a third party related to road conditions. The controller is programmed to monitor the transmitted data related to the status of the autonomous vehicle and the road conditions, determine when the autonomous vehicle requires assistance based on the transmitted data, and, when the autonomous vehicle requires assistance, cause information related to the autonomous vehicle to be displayed on the display device.

Abstract: Nano-sized particles of barium-titanate are heated as a gas mixture of 25% hydrogen and 75% nitrogen is passed there through yielding particles of barium-titanate having oxygen vacancies therein. The particles of barium-titanate having oxygen vacancies therein are coated with silica yielding silica-coated particles having a silica coating thickness in a range of 2-5 nanometers. The silica-coated particles are sintered by application of pressure in a range of 35-50 megapascals and temperature in a range of 950-1050° C. The sintered quantity of material is cooled at a cooling rate in a range of 1-3° C. per minute at least until the temperature thereof is less than 120° C.