Abstract: An electrode apparatus and method remove a polarized molecule in a fluid. In another aspect, a non-uniform electric field is created between an anode and a cathode, the fluid flows within a gap between the cathode and the anode, and the polarized molecule is driven by an electrostatic force to and adsorbed on the anode without experiencing a chemical reaction.

Abstract: Inferring product activity includes providing a first product having an attached first harmonic tag; directing, at a first area in which the first product is located, a first transmitted signal of a first frequency; and receiving a first return signal of a first return frequency from the first harmonic tag, wherein the first harmonic tag, upon receiving the first transmitted signal, radiates the first return signal, such that the first return frequency is a harmonic of the first frequency. A computer can then infer, based on the first return signal, a first activity in which the first product is being used.

Abstract: An ingress-egress apparatus for protection of a surgical work site during removal of a surgical implant therefrom includes an inverted frustum surface having a sidewall defining: a bottom open area at a base portion of the frustum surface sidewall, and an opposing top open area at a top portion of the frustum surface sidewall. The top open area has a larger area than the bottom open area. The apparatus includes an ingress port located at the base portion of the frustum surface sidewall and an egress port located at the base portion of the frustum surface sidewall. During surgical removal of the surgical implant using a surgical burr, the apparatus can be used to irrigate the work site, thereby cooling it and protecting it from damage, and further removing metal implant particles generated during burring.

Abstract: A diesel engine employs a turbulent jet ignition system and method. In another aspect, diesel fuel and air are premixed prior to introduction of the mixture into a main engine combustion chamber. A further aspect employs a turbocharger compressor to boost air pressure into a main piston combustion chamber and/or an ignition pre-chamber for missing with a heavy fuel, such as diesel.

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: 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 technique is presented for quantizing pixels of an image using Sigma Delta quantization. In one aspect, pixel values for an image are segmented into columns of pixel values; and for each column in the matrix, pixel values of a given column are quantized using sigma delta modulation. The pixel values in a given column are preferably quantized as a whole, thereby minimizing accumulated quantization error from a starting pixel value in the given column to a current pixel value in the given column. In another aspect, the pixels of an image are quantized using a 2D generalization of Sigma Delta modulation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a representation for a fingerprint includes receiving, by a computer processor, an image of a given fingerprint. The method extracts particular attributes for the given fingerprint from the image using a first neural network. The first neural network is trained to identify particular attributes in fingerprints and constructs a first feature vector from the extracted particular attributes, where the first feature vector has a first fixed length. The method includes extracting textural features of the given fingerprint from the image using a second neural network, where the second neural network is trained to identify textural features that are not limited to particular attributes and constructing a second feature vector from the extracted textural features, where the second feature vector has a second fixed length. The method includes concatenating the first feature vector with the second feature vector to form a representation for the given fingerprint.

Abstract: A system and method is presented for cuff-less blood pressure measurement in a mobile device. A key aspect of this disclosure is the discovery of a new location for blood pressure measurement at the fingertip of a subject and that reflectance-mode photoplethysmography can be used to help make this measurement. Through experiments in human subjects, it was discovered that it is indeed possible to measure systemic blood pressure by having a subject press the fingertip against a reflectance-mode photo-plethysmography-force sensor unit under visual guidance and then compute blood pressure from the resulting variable-amplitude blood volume oscillations and applied pressure via an oscillometric algorithm.

Abstract: Most automatic cuff blood pressure (BP) measurement devices are based on oscillometry. These devices estimate BP from the envelopes of the cuff pressure oscillations using fixed ratios. The values of the fixed ratios represent population averages, so the devices may be accurate only in subjects with normal BP levels. A patient-specific oscillometric BP measurement method was developed. The idea was to represent the cuff pressure oscillation envelopes with a physiologic model and then estimate the patient-specific parameters of the model, which includes BP levels, by optimally fitting it to the envelopes.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium-ion cell has a cell capacity and includes a positive electrode having a recharged potential and a negative electrode. The rechargeable lithium-ion cell also includes a charge-carrying electrolyte. The charge-carrying electrolyte includes a charge-carrying medium and a lithium salt. The rechargeable lithium-ion cell also includes a redox shuttle having the following structure Formula (I).

Abstract: A solar concentrator device is provided. The solar concentrator device includes a waveguide having a luminophore and a first refractive index; a photovoltaic component operably coupled to the waveguide; and a film disposed onto a surface of the waveguide, the film having a second refractive index. The second refractive index of the film is lower than the first refractive index of the waveguide. The waveguide and the film are visibly transparent.

Abstract: Described herein are mutant cyanobacterial cell populations that have a smaller mean cell length than wild type cyanobacterial cell populations of the same species.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a brazing method for joining substrates, in particular where one of the substrates is difficult to wet with molten braze material. The method includes formation of a porous metal layer on a first substrate to assist wetting of the first substrate with a molten braze metal, which in turn permits joining of the first substrate with a second substrate via a braze metal later in an assembled brazed joint. Ceramic substrates can be particularly difficult to wet with molten braze metals, and the disclosed method can be used to join a ceramic substrate to another substrate. The brazed joint can be incorporated into a solid-oxide fuel cell, for example as a stack component thereof, in particular when the first substrate is a ceramic substrate and the joined substrate is a metallic substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for demodulation of a fiber optic interferometric sensor are provided. Another aspect pertains to a system and method employing a single laser to generate multiple quadratic wavelengths to demodulate fiber optic interferometric sensors with approximately sinusoidal fringes. Yet another aspect of the present system and method uses a single frequency laser which is split into multiple paths using a fiber optic coupler, with one path including an intensity modulator and another path including an acousto-optic modulator, whereafter the paths are recombined into a fiber which leads to an interferometric sensor, and the light reflected from the sensor is then directed to a photodetector. A further aspect employs a single frequency laser which is split into multiple paths, with the light in the paths being modulated at different frequencies, whereafter the paths are recombined into a fiber which leads to an interferometric sensor.

Abstract: Deep mutational scanning is a foundational tool for addressing functional consequences of large numbers of mutants, yet a more efficient and accessible method for construction of user-defined mutagenesis libraries is needed. Provided herein are nicking saturation mutagenesis, a single-day, single-pot saturation mutagenesis method using routinely prepped plasmid dsDNA as input substrate. Reproducibility and convenience of the method are demonstrated through validation by an external research laboratory.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to omniphobic coatings, related articles including such coatings, and related method for forming such coatings or articles, for example biobased and/or biodegradable omniphobic coatings. The omniphobic coating includes a reaction product between an amino-functional polymer and an amino-reactive functionalized omniphobic polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 60° C. or less. The omniphobic coating has a weight ratio of amino-functional polymer relative to functionalized omniphobic polymer of at least 1 or 2. A corresponding omniphobic coated article can include the omniphobic coating on a porous substrate such as a cellulosic or paper substrate, for example to provide a water- and oil/fat/grease-resistant coating for a paper-based product.

Abstract: Systems and methods for energy storage and energy recovery are provided. An electrical-to-electrical energy storage system includes a thermochemical energy storage device, a blower, a compressor, a turbine, and an electrical generator. The TCES device includes a vessel, a porous bed, and a heater. The porous bed is disposed within an interior volume of the vessel. The porous bed comprises a reactive material. The reactive material is configured to release oxygen upon being heated to a reduction temperature, and generate heat when exposed to oxygen. The heater is in thermal contact with the reactive material. The blower is configured to remove oxygen from the interior volume. The compressor is configured to flow oxygen into the interior volume. The turbine is configured to receive a heated, oxygen-depleted gas from the interior volume. The generator is configured to be powered by the turbine to generate electricity.

Abstract: An electrode apparatus for removing contaminants from a fluid is provided. In another aspect, an electrochemical destruction apparatus for wastewater effluent using Boron-doped diamond electrodes is employed. A further aspect of the present apparatus includes a fluid-carrying conduit, electrodes located within the conduit, an electrical controller connected to the electrodes, a sensor connected to the controller being adapted to sense a chemical characteristic associated with contaminants in the fluid, and the controller automatically varying an electrical characteristic associated with at least one of the electrodes based, at least in part, on an input from the sensor. Yet another aspect includes a programmable controller and software which automatically employ a feedback control loop to increase or decrease electrical current density to contaminant-removing electrodes.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for tracking magnetically-labeled substances, such as transplanted cells, in subjects using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).