Abstract: A soft pressure sensing apparatus is provided. In one aspect of the present pressure sensing apparatus, a polymeric member, including conductive particles therein, is located between offset angled and crossing sets of electrodes. A further aspect includes a controller configured to calculate at least one regularized least-squares algorithm, to reduce cross-talk between the resistive members. In another aspect, a pressure sensor apparatus includes a piezoresistive film encapsulated between layers of substantially perpendicular electrodes to create a resistor network circuit where the ability to reconstruct cell resistance from measured two-point resistance. A method of manufacturing a pressure sensor includes using a mechanical vinyl cutter for the electrodes and/or piezoelectric resistive members.

Abstract: A yeast-containing dough that is used to form a leavened dough product having a desired degree of leavening is initially formed as two separate dough subcomponents that, when combined, leavens through a fermentation reaction process to form a dough having the desired degree of leavening. The first dough subcomponent includes a leavening activator, flour, salt and water, while the second dough component includes a biological leavening agent, flour, and water. When combined, the leavening agent reacts in the presence of the biological leavening activator through a fermentation process to form the dough having a desired degree of leavening, which can then be heated to a temperature exceeding a viability temperature of the leavening activator to terminate the fermentation process and form the leavened dough product. The dough can also be combined with at least one non-dough component to form the leavened dough product.

Abstract: Gait, the walking pattern of individuals, is one of the important biometrics modalities. Most of the existing gait recognition methods take silhouettes or articulated body models as gait features. These methods suffer from degraded recognition performance when handling confounding variables, such as clothing, carrying and viewing angle. To remedy this issue, this disclosure proposes to explicitly disentangle appearance, canonical and pose features from RGB imagery. A long short-term memory integrates pose features over time as a dynamic gait feature while canonical features are averaged as a static gait feature. Both of them are utilized as classification features.

Abstract: The disclosed articles, apparatus, methods, and compositions provide for the integration of different and environmentally-friendly processes for extraction, stabilization, and formulation of active compounds with health and/or other benefits from lignocellulosic by-products of food processes. The active compounds can include one or more of polyphenols, flavonoids, o-diphenols, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids. A high-pressure, high-temperature extraction process provides a means to recover a substantial portion of the active compounds from a biomass feedstock. The corresponding extract can be encapsulated, which provides a convenient form for stabilization and delivery of the active compounds into a final product, for example an active packaging material or corresponding actively packaged food item.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously modifying degradation rates of at least two compounds including a first compound having a first unmodified degradation rate constant k1 and a second compound having a second unmodified degradation rate k2 is provided. The method includes combining a first composition including the first compound with a second composition including the second compound, degrading the first compound and forming a first degradation product; and degrading the second compound and forming a second degradation product. The second degradation product modifies the first unmodified degradation rate constant k1 of the first compound to a first modified degradation rate k1? and the first degradation product modifies the second unmodified degradation rate k2 of the second compound to a second modified degradation rate k2?. Compositions resulting from the method are also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for multi-object tracking is set forth. Object data for boundaries of a plurality of objects are received. Poisson multi-Bernoulli mixture filtering is performed on the object data to form a filtered set of object data. Ultimately, the filtered set of object data is used to control the operation of the vehicle. Identifiers and probabilities are associated with the objects to reduce the set of object data.

Abstract: Described herein are modified plants, plant cells, and plant seeds that have at least one mutant loss-of-function JAZ gene and at least one loss-of-function cdk8 gene. Such plants are highly resistant to pests and environmental stress and have restored growth and increased seed yield compared to plant lines with a jazD genetic background.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to sintering compositions that can be used in three-dimensional printing or additive manufacturing processes. The sintering compositions generally include one or more metallic iron-containing powders and a minor amount of a boron-containing powder as a sintering aid. Sintered models or products formed from the sintering compositions have substantially improved density and surface roughness values relative to models formed without the boron-containing powder.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes multiple fuel injections external to a pre-chamber. A further aspect provides an engine pre-chamber ignition apparatus which employs a pre-assembled and/or removable cartridge including an ignitor and a fresh air inlet but not a fuel inlet injector directly mounted thereto. Another aspect of a vehicular engine apparatus includes a fuel injector positioned externally to a pre-chamber which delivers an initial greater quantity of fuel for combustion and then a later and smaller quantity of fuel for pre-chamber ignition.

Abstract: A plasma activated biochar filter is provided. In another aspect, Fluorine-based reactive gas is used in a plasma reactor to activate biochar. A further aspect employs a substrate flocked with plasma activated biochar. Yet another aspect employs plasma activated and fluorinated biochar on a porous substrate to act as an oil-fluid separating filter.

Abstract: A two-dimensional image of a vehicle occupant in a vehicle is collected. The collected two-dimensional image is input to a machine learning program trained to output one or more reference points of the vehicle occupant, each reference point being a landmark of the vehicle occupant. One or more reference points of the vehicle occupant in the two-dimensional image is output from the machine learning program. A location of the vehicle occupant in an interior of the vehicle is determined based on the one or more reference points. A vehicle component is actuated based on the determined location. For each of the one or more reference points, a similarity measure is determined between the reference point and a three-dimensional reference point, the similarity measure based on a distance between the reference point and the three-dimensional reference point.

Abstract: Methods of infecting a mosquito with Wolbachia and controlling a mosquito population with the Wolbachia-infected mosquito are provided herein. The method includes microinjecting a suspension including Wolbachia cells and buffer into a target mosquito embryo to produce a Wolbachia-infected G0 female. The suspension including Wolbachia cells and buffer is obtained by homogenizing a donor insect embryo, tissue, and/or whole body infected with Wolbachia to form a homogenate and the Wolbachia cells are separated from the homogenate.

Abstract: A method for identifying brain-state dependent functional areas of unitary pooled activity (FAUPAs) using a statistical model that does not require a priori knowledge of the activity-induced ideal response signal time course is provided. A system for identifying a functional network in a brain of a living object includes a FAUPA identifier configured to identify FAUPAs by analyzing a plurality of images of the brain over a predetermined period. The plurality of images include a plurality of voxels, and the FAUPA identifier analyzes each voxel of the plurality of voxels in relation to one or more surrounding voxels of each voxel until each voxel of the plurality of voxels is evaluated. A brain network identification module configured to construct the functional network based on the identified FAUPAs that are functionally connected. A display module configured to display images of the brain depicting the FAUPAs included in the functional network.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for obtaining useful compounds from lichens.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is provided. Another aspect pertains to a self-leveling polishing apparatus for smoothing diamonds. Yet another aspect of the present system uses a ball and swivel joint in a diamond polishing machine. A further aspect employs a polishing apparatus including a diamond-holder, an elongated arm using gravity to apply downward polishing pressure of the diamond workpiece against a polishing wheel, and a sweeping transmission to cause the holder to radially move across the rotating polishing wheel.

Abstract: A method of treating a bacterial infection including bacteria that have become resistant to an antibiotic in a subject in need thereof is provided. The method includes administering to the subject a safe and therapeutically effective amount of the antibiotic and a reviving agent selected from the group consisting of glass-ceramic particles, silver ions, and combinations thereof. The reviving agent restores antibiotic activity to the antibiotic against the bacteria.

Abstract: An assembly that includes a first substrate formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; and a second substrate formed of a polymer composite that includes a plurality of carbon fibers. The second substrate is joined to the first substrate in a manner where a surface of exposed carbon fibers contacts the aluminum or aluminum alloy of the first substrate; and an is adlayer formed on the surface of the exposed carbon fibers that is configured to inhibit galvanic corrosion of the first substrate, corrosion of the carbon fibers, and debonding of the polymer of the composite from the carbon fibers upon formation of a galvanic couple between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Abstract: Material mixing for an additive manufacturing apparatus is provided. A further aspect employs multiple material inlets for simultaneously feeding a polymer and/or nanocomposite material in at least a first inlet, and ceramic or other particles in at least a second inlet, to a single additive manufacturing outlet nozzle. In another aspect, a three dimensional printing machine varies a chemical or compounding characteristic, such as a loading percentage, of printing material during printing. In another aspect, in situ mixing of a polymer and/or nanocomposite with variable amounts of ceramic, magnetic or other particles therein in an additive manufacturing apparatus, such as a multi-material aerosol jet printing machine.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to textile biosensors and related systems that can be used for in situ health monitoring and disease detection. The biosensors include a flexible or textile substrate, a working electrode embroidered thereon, a reference electrode embroidered thereon, optionally a counter electrode embroidered thereon, and an enzyme probe bound to the working electrode. The biosensors can be integrated directly onto fabrics and garments to provide lightweight, unobtrusive wearable sensing systems that do not compromise wearer mobility, comfort or attention.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to microchemical (or microfluidic) apparatus as well as related methods for making the same. The methods generally include partial sintering of sintering powder (e.g., binderless or otherwise free-flowing sintering powder) that encloses a fugitive phase material having a shape corresponding to a desired cavity structure in the formed apparatus. Partial sintering removes the fugitive phase and produces a porous compact, which can then be machined if desired and then further fully sintered to form the final apparatus. The process can produce apparatus with small, controllable cavities shaped as desired for various microchemical or microfluidic unit operations, with a generally smooth interior cavity finish, and with materials (e.g., ceramics) able to withstand harsh environments for such unit operations.