Abstract: Amorphous SiOx (SiO2), SiONx, silicon nitride (Si3N4), surface treatments are provided, on both metal (titanium) and non-metal surfaces. Amorphous silicon-film surface treatments are shown to enhance osteoblast and osteoblast progenitor cell bioactivity, including biomineral formation and osteogenic gene panel expression, as well as enhanced surface hydroxyapatite (HA) formation. A mineralized tissue interface is provided using the amorphous silicon-based surface treatments in the presence of osteoblasts, and provides improved bone cell generation/repair and improved interface for secure attachment/bonding to bone. Methods for providing PEVCD-based silicon overlays onto surfaces are provided. Methods of increasing antioxidant enzyme (e.g., superoxide dismutase) expression at a treated surface for enhanced healing are also provided.

Abstract: A fastener for use in joining dissimilar materials manufactured by the process of producing the fastener with an external surface that forms an electrically insulating oxide layer when subjected to oxidation and, after manufacture and prior to use, subjecting the fastener to a pre-oxidation process to grow the desired oxide layer in situ on the external surface of the fastener. The present invention also provides a dissimilar material joint in which the pre-oxidized fastener is used to mechanically join dissimilar materials with the oxide layer electrically insulating the fastener from at least one of the dissimilar materials. The fastener may be a rivet used in friction self-piercing riveting (F-SPR). The fastener may be fabricated from an alloy capable of forming Al2O3 or Cr2O3 by thermal oxidation. The fastener may be pre-coated with Al or Cr that functions as a seed layer to form Al2O3 or Cr2O3.

Abstract: A method can include: in a heat exchanger, cooling a biocrude oil emulsion stream received from a biocrude oil emulsion source, wherein the emulsion can include a biocrude oil phase, an aqueous phase, and solids; in a first mixing vessel, mixing the emulsion with a solvent to dissolve the biocrude oil phase and form a biocrude-solvent solution; in a first separator assembly, separating the biocrude-solvent solution from the aqueous phase and the solids; in a solvent recovery apparatus, recovering solvent from the biocrude-solvent solution; in a second mixing vessel, mixing the solvent with the aqueous phase and the solids received from the first separator assembly to dissolve biocrude oil remaining in the aqueous phase and the solids; and supplying the solvent and biocrude oil to the first mixing vessel as the solvent. In some examples, such a method can more effectively separate biocrude oil from the emulsion than conventional techniques.

Abstract: Slicer system for generating molecular dynamic graded lattice structures that can be used as infill for additively manufactured articles. Molecular dynamically generated lattice infill is based on force balancing a node distribution instead of a circle packing. Field data can be utilized to adjust the spacing of the node distribution according to a force balance equilibrium model that accounts for the field expected to be experienced by the article being additively manufactured. The resultant non-uniform honeycomb structures from force-balancing robustly and efficiently address the connection issues with traditional non-uniform lattice structures.

Abstract: A compound having the following structure: wherein: R1 is a linker having the formula —(CH2)n-L1-, wherein L1 contains 1-6 carbon atoms and at least one —NH— linkage and at least one oxygen-containing or sulfur-containing linkage, and n is an integer of 0-3; R2 is a group having the formula —C(Y)-E, wherein Y is O or S, and E is a hydrocarbon group and either: (i) at least one carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen unsaturated bond or (ii) at least one alkyl halide group; R3 is selected from H, NR?2, NHC(O)R?, and —(CH2)p-T, wherein T contains at least one —NH— linkage; Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd, Re, and Rf are independently selected from of H, hydrocarbon groups containing 1-3 carbon atoms, fluorine atom, and chlorine atom; X is N or CR9, wherein R9 is selected from H, hydrocarbon groups containing 1-3 carbon atoms, fluorine atom, and chlorine atom; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

Abstract: An efficiency-based powertrain control system and method to provide real-time optimization of powertrain efficiency for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

Abstract: Structures including a curved corrugated wall fabricated from a plurality of layers formed of one or more shaped strips and methods of forming the structures are described. A shaped strip used in the fabrication includes a variable profile across the width of the strip with a first edge of a strip defining a series of cell profiles of a first geometric shape and a second, opposite edge of the strip defining a series of cell profiles of a second, different geometric shape, with each cell transitioning from the first profile to the second profile across the width of the strip. The geometry of the cell profiles at either end of each cell can be designed with respect to one another to allow for radial orientation of the strip about an axis with little or no deformation or stress on the strip edges.

Abstract: A battery includes an anode, a cathode, and a porous separator having a surface and percolating pores providing a porosity of from 20% to 80%. A passively impact resistant composite electrolyte includes an electrolyte and electrically non-conducting particles that enable shear thickening. The particles can have a polydispersity index of no greater than 0.1, an average particle size in a range of from 50 nm to 1 ?m, and an absolute zeta potential of greater than ±40 mV. The shear thickening enabling particles can be from 10 wt. % to 40 wt. % of the total weight of the separator and shear thickening particles. Between 20-40 wt. % of the shear thickening enabling particles are located in the pores of the separator.

Abstract: Systems for determining an end-point of a delayering process using optical end-point detection are described. In embodiments, the systems include a controller with an optical end-pointing (OE) module that is configured to determine an end-point of a delayering process based at least in part on the color or thickness of a surface layer of an integrated circuit (IC). In embodiments, the OE module determines whether an end-point of the delayering process has been reached based at least in part on a comparison of a determined thickness of an IC surface layer to a target thickness. The thickness of the surface layer may be determined by the OE module using a machine learning model, such as a convolutional neural network. Methods of identifying an end-point of a delayering process are also described.

Abstract: Methods for removing one or more contaminants from water are provided that can include providing a contaminated water mixture and one or more guest compounds; forming a hydrate complex comprising water and the one or more guest compounds; and separating the water from the guest compounds to provide water with less contaminant. Mixtures are also provided that can include a liquid component comprising water and at least one contaminant, and a solid component comprising a hydrate complex.

Abstract: Local, autonomous rules for grid-forming inverter control are disclosed herein that maintain sufficient inverter capacity in the event of disruptions. The controls only rely on local measurements of frequency, voltage, real and reactive power, and real and reactive power set-points. Inverters using such controls do not need neighboring node or inverter measurements. Additionally, the control systems described herein apply local inverter parameters such as droop gains and inverter capacity. These local controls provide robustness to uncertainty in the measurements or to malicious data, and require very little computational power to obtain appropriate set points independent of topology or network parameters.

Abstract: A Register Transfer Level (RTL) representation is recovered from a netlist representing an integrated circuit (IC). The netlist is converted to a graph comprising nodes belonging to a set of node types and edges connecting the nodes. The set of node types includes an instance node type representing an electronic component and a wire node type representing signal transfer between components. The graph is converted to a standardized graph by replacing subgraphs of the graph with standardized subgraphs. An RTL representation of the standardized graph is generated by operations including building signal declarations in a hardware description language (HDL) from the wire nodes of the standardized graph and building signal assignments in the HDL from instance nodes of the standardized graph.

Abstract: A method of forming a metal nanomaterial comprises forming a precursor solution comprising a metal precursor and a metal oxide precursor. A complexing agent is added to the precursor solution, and the metal precursor and the metal oxide precursor are hydrolyzed to form a sol. The sol is heated to form a gel, which is calcined to incorporate metal cations from the metal precursor into a metal oxide lattice from the metal oxide precursor. The calcined gel is exposed to a reducing agent to exsolve the metal from the metal oxide lattice and to form a metal nanomaterial comprising a metal and a metal oxide is formed. Additional methods of forming a metal nanomaterial are also disclosed.

Abstract: A modular radio frequency (RF) device includes N base units, each including a differential segmented array (DSA) tile with a support board and a two-dimensional (2D) array of electrically conductive tapered projections disposed on the support board. Neighboring pairs of the electrically conductive tapered projections form RF pixels. The N DSA tiles are arranged to form an RF aperture. The N base units are programmed to switch the RF aperture between a first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, the N base units are operated as at least two independent subsets with each subset operating as an RF transmitter or receiver independently of the other subsets. In the second operating mode all N base units coherently combine as a single phased array RF transmitter or receiver.

Abstract: A system is provided for transferring power between a stator and a rotor of an excitation system. The stator and the rotor may form part of a rotary transformer that includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, where power is transferred from the primary winding to the secondary winding or conversely from the secondary winding to the primary winding.

Abstract: An energy storage system that includes a molten sodium-containing salt in contact with a layer disposed on a surface of a ??-alumina solid electrolyte, wherein the surface layer comprises a composite comprising carbon, a metal, and a metal oxide.

Abstract: A method implemented by a software for a multimodal evaluation engine stored on a memory is provided herein. The software is executable by a processor coupled to the memory to cause the method. The method includes receiving multimodal signatures of an object of interest from inspection elements and processing the multimodal signatures to transform the multimodal signatures into formats. The method also includes generating data representations of the formats and detecting whether anomalies are present within the object of interest based on the data representations.

Abstract: Processing flows and related systems and methods are disclosed. A computing system includes one or more data interfaces, one or more other components, and a controller. The one or more data interfaces are configured to provide an interface to a data source. The one or more other components include one or more controller plugins, one or more processing nodes, or both the one or more controller plugins and the one or more processing nodes. The controller is configured to manage interactions between the one or more data interfaces and the one or more other components and enable a user to chain together the one or more data interfaces and the one or more other components according to one or more flows. The one or more controller plugins are configured to provide results of the one or more flows to one of a user interface and a system interface.

Abstract: A mobile robot may include one or more driven wheels, one or more sensors, and a sample collector. The sample collector may include a collection medium holder, a plurality of collection mediums disposed within the collection medium holder, and a collection medium applicator configured to releasably couple to a respective collection medium disposed within the collection medium holder.

Abstract: A mixed-matrix composite integrated fiber-optic (FO) sensor system was developed that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO2. A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating on the FO sensor comprising plasmonic nanocrystals and zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase CO2 over a large concentration range. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense CO2 in the presence of other geologically relevant gases. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved CO2 in natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field.