Abstract: A simulation-based optimization framework determines the sizing of components of an analog circuit to meet target design specifications while also satisfying the robustness specifications set by the designer. The robustness is guaranteed by setting a limit on the standard deviations of the variations in the performance parameters of a circuit across all process and temperature corners of interest Classifier chains are used that, in addition to modeling the relationship between inputs and outputs, learn the relationships among output labels. Additional design knowledge is inferred from the optimal ordering of the classifier chain.

Abstract: An alignment guide for total ankle replacement surgery and a method of creating and using the alignment guide. The alignment guide has a surface that interfaces with a corresponding surface of a superior aspect a talus of a patient, and as second surface portion that interfaces with a corresponding distal surface of a section of a tibia of the patient. When the alignment guide is in position, it maintains the ankle of the patient in a preselected position.

Abstract: In this paper, a novel field-programmable analog array (FPAA) is proposed to secure the intellectual property (IP) of analog and mixed-signal circuits. A obfuscation technique is developed to efficiently mask the topology of both differential mode and single-ended mode analog circuits.

Abstract: A structure for enhancing condensation and wetting dynamics includes a substrate and a plurality of grooves formed in the substrate, forming fins. The fins having fin tops and a coating is applied over the fin tops.

Abstract: A polymerizable monomer prepared by reacting at least one epoxidized cardanol with (meth)acrylic anhydride or (meth)acryloyl chloride in the presence of one or more of triethylamine, tertiary amines, pyridines and pyridine derivatives; wherein the epoxidized cardanol is formed by epoxidation of an unsaturation site of a cardanol having the formula: wherein R is selected from hydrogen and an alkyl, or alkenyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms, and n is 7, 10, or 13, a polymer and resin made form the polymerizable monomer, and a method of preparing such a polymer. The resin created from this monomer is suitable for moderate temperature composites and coatings applications.

Abstract: A solid polymer electrolyte including a comb-chain crosslinked network formed by reacting poly(glycidyl methacrylate) with a functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) or functionalized poly(ethylene oxide). Batteries including the solid polymer electrolytes, a cathode, and a metal anode or one or more lithium salts are also described. A process of preparing the solid polymer electrolyte involves reacting a poly(glycidyl methacrylate) with a functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) or functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) to form a crosslinked network in a single-step polymerization process. The solid polymer electrolyte provides improved resistance to lithium dendrite formation and has excellent physical and electrical properties that make it particularly suitable for use in lithium batteries.

Abstract: A soft magnetic composite comprising an iron or iron alloy ferromagnetic material coated with an oxide material. An interface between the ferromagnetic material and the layer of oxide contains antiphase domain boundaries. Two processes for producing a soft magnetic composite are also provided. One process includes depositing an oxide layer onto an iron or iron alloy ferromagnetic material by molecular beam epitaxy at a partial oxygen pressure of from 1×10?5 Torr to 1×10?7 Torr to form a coated composite. The other process includes milling an iron or iron alloy ferromagnetic material powder and an oxide powder by high-energy milling to form a mixture; compacting the mixture and curing in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature from 500° C. to 1200° C. to form a soft magnetic composite.

Abstract: Enabling quick feature delivery is essential for product success and is therefore a goal of software architecture design. But how may we determine if and to what extent an architecture is “good enough” to support feature addition and modification, or determine if a refactoring effort is successful in that features may be added more easily? The applications may use Feature Space and Feature Dependency, derived from a software project's revision history that capture the dependency relations among the features of a system in a feature dependency structure matrix (FDSM), using features as first-class design elements. The applications may also use a Feature Decoupling Level (FDL) metric that may be used to measure the level of independence among features.

Abstract: With the fasting growth of renewable energy resources and DC supplied loads, DC electrical systems have been increasingly received attentions all over the world. DC breaker systems play a key role in protection systems for disconnecting sources and loads, and they are also used mainly for removing faulted sections from the system accurately and reliably. Solid state DC breakers benefit from fast response time and compactness features; however, due to the lack of zero current realization and high-power losses, the reliability and efficiency of these devices is low. The system proposes a solid-state DC breaker for medium voltage DC (MVDC) systems.

Abstract: A polymerization method including radically polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization medium comprising a chain transfer agent, and a free radical initiator prepared by oxidizing a reaction product of a ligand-reactive decomplexation agent and an alkyl-borane complex of the formula: wherein R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen, an alkyl group containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group containing from 3-12 carbon atoms, and an aryl group containing from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein the aryl group may be optionally substituted with an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and at least one of R1, R2, and R3 is an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group or an aryl group, and L is a complexing agent selected from one or more amine groups, amidine groups, hydroxide groups, alkoxyl groups, alkyl ether groups, alkoxide groups and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Pharmaceutical compositions comprising a RelA enzyme inhibitor and a bactericidal antibiotic, wherein said RelA enzyme inhibitor binds to the RelA enzyme in bacteria to reduce biofilm formation and to degrade biofilms that have been formed. The pharmaceutical compositions can be used to treat bacterial biofilm diseases.

Abstract: A thyristor-based dc solid state circuit breaker (SSCB) named Y-type includes a new complementary commutation circuit including a capacitor-capacitor pair, which features three advantages. First, a fast commutation is achieved using a countercurrent pulse injection by the capacitor-capacitor pair structure. Second, metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) are disconnected from the power line when SSCB is OFF, which solves the reliability issue due to the MOV degradation and enhances the voltage utilization rate of the main switch. Third, benefiting from the capacitor-capacitor pair structure, reliable reclosing and rebreaking are obtained for practical applications.

Abstract: An alignment guide for total ankle replacement surgery and a method of creating and using the alignment guide. The alignment guide has a surface that interfaces with a corresponding surface of a superior aspect a talus of a patient, and as second surface portion that interfaces with a corresponding distal surface of a section of a tibia of the patient. When the alignment guide is in position, it maintains the ankle of the patient in a preselected position.

Abstract: Benzoxazine compounds, methods of making them, polymers made therefrom and methods of polymerizing the benzoxazines. These renewable benzoxazine monomers and polymers that utilize the variety of building blocks found in renewable plant biomass, demonstrate excellent processability and large temperature windows for processing of resin systems.

Abstract: A method for the delivery of power to subthreshold (sub-Vt) circuits uses unused current during idle-mode operation of super-threshold (super-Vt) circuits is used to supply sub-Vt circuits. Algorithmic and circuit techniques use dynamic management of idle cores when reusing the leakage current of the idle cores. A scheduling algorithm, longest idle time-leakage reuse (LIT-LR) enables energy efficient reuse of leakage current, which generates a supply voltage of 340 mV with less than ±3% variation across the tt, ff, and ss process corners. The LIT-LR algorithm reduces the energy consumption of the switch and the peak power consumption by, respectively, 25% and 7.4% as compared to random assignment of idle cores for leakage reuse. Second, a usage ranking based algorithm, longest idle time-simultaneous leakage reuse and power gating (LIT-LRPG) enables simultaneous implementation of power gating (PG) and leakage reuse in a multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) platform.

Abstract: Manufacturing lightweight aggregate (LWA) by a sintering technique requires a delicate balance among three conditions: forming sufficient amount of molten liquid phase during sintering; reaching an appropriate viscosity for solid-liquid suspension; and emitting sufficient amount of gas that can be entrapped by the liquid phase to form pores. LWAs were made from low-calcium and high-calcium Waste Coal Combustion Ash (W-CCA) including fly ash and bottom ash. A mass fraction of at least 40% liquid phase for fly ash and 50% for bottom ash is required for a successful entrapment of emitted gaseous phases during sintering. Larger pores were observed in the microstructure of LWA samples made using high-calcium W-CCA in comparison to low-calcium W-CCA. This result was mainly attributed to the high-calcium samples forming liquid phases with lower viscosity values and emitting higher amounts of gaseous phase during sintering than did the low-calcium samples.

Abstract: A proposed technique allows for the security of the logic cone through logic locking and secures the outputs of the circuit from the scan chain without modifications to the structure of the scan chain. Since the oracle responses in test mode do not correspond to the functional key, satisfiability (SAT) attacks are not able to leverage the responses from the scan chain. In addition, a charge accumulation circuit is developed to prevent and detect any attempt to enter the partitioned test mode while the correct circuit responses are still stored within the registers.

Abstract: The growing research interest in passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)-based devices and sensors in a diverse group of applications calls for flexibility in reader antenna performance. A low-cost, easy-to-fabricate, and pattern reconfigurable UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID reader antenna in the RFID ISM band (902-928 MHz in the US) may offer a 54 MHz bandwidth (890 944 MHz) and 8.9 dBi maximum gain. The reconfigurable antenna can radiate four electronically switchable radiation beams in the azimuth plane. The antenna may be LHCP (Left Hand Circularly Polarized) with axial ratio (AR) in the ranging from 0.45 dB to 7 dB in the RFID ISM band.

Abstract: A method for evaluating reading comprehension is provided. The method includes the steps of providing at least one printed passage of text; providing a test subject, the test subject wearing a device for measuring brain frontal lobe usage; requiring the test subject to read the printed passage; providing a question based on the printed passage for the test subject to answer; and determining whether the device measures brain frontal lobe usage. A system for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention provides a method for freeze-drying surfactant-stabilized microbubbles. The method includes: preparing vials comprising a mixture comprising microbubbles; partially submerging the vials in a chilled water bath, wherein the water bath has a sub-freezing temperature; placing the vials on a cooled shelf of a lyophilizer; freeze-drying the vials in the lyophilizer; and capping the freeze-dried vials. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for annealing surfactant-stabilized microbubbles. The method includes: preparing vials comprising a mixture comprising microbubbles; passing the vials in and out of liquid nitrogen (LN2) until the mixture is frozen; holding the vials at ?20° C.; placing the vials on a cooled shelf of a lyophilizer; freeze-drying the vials in the lyophilizer; and capping the freeze-dried vials.