Abstract: Solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) have been witnessing an impressive progress with the aid of wide bandgap (WBG) devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. Along with obtaining high efficiency as the result of low on-state resistance, response times have been gaining remarkable achievements in microseconds range. Not only that, the reported successes in control and gate drivers design and incorporating fault detection/location techniques in SSCBs are promising. A MOV-resistive capacitive switch (MOV-RCS) snubber for solid state circuit breakers addresses the following: 1) the MOV degradation issue in DCCBs is solved, 2) the maximum allowable DC bus voltage on DCCBs is extended. The solid state circuit breaker and an active clamping snubber includes a first circuit including a fault current bypass based solid state breaker for low voltage direct current systems.

Abstract: The present invention relates to drug delivery systems, and methods of use therein, for the release of therapeutic payloads in response to pathological shear forces, enabling precise control over when and where biologically active agents are deployed. The drug delivery system with structures and functions responsive to shear forces comprises a microparticle, an aptamer, an antibody or antibody binding fragment thereof, and a drug. The system consists of a shear-amplifying microparticle conjugated to an aptamer that functions as a molecular transducer. Upon exposure to pathological flow conditions the drag force on the microparticle induces a conformational change in the aptamer, modulating the release or bioavailability of a drug at a therapeutically relevant location. To promote selective accumulation of the released drug, the construct is functionalized with a monoclonal antibody, which targets the therapeutically relevant location.

Abstract: Concrete materials and thermal energy storage devices employing such concrete materials are disclosed herein. The concrete material may include fibers in an amount ranging from about 1 to about 2 vol. %; an aggregate in an amount ranging from about 50 to about 80 vol. %, wherein the aggregates comprises siliceous aggregate and optionally carbonate aggregate; and a cementitious material in an amount from about 12 to about 20 vol. %, wherein the cementitious material comprises a combination of about 70 to about 85 vol. % of Portland cement and about 15 to about vol. % of silica fume, wherein all volume percentages unless otherwise indicated are based on the total volume of the concrete material.

Abstract: An adhesive that includes a polymer network capable of conversion between two different elastic modulus states with essentially no residual stress evolved in conversion between the two different elastic modulus states, wherein the polymer network comprises either or both of (i) poly (2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogel and/or a copolymers thereof, and (ii) a shape memory polymer. The technology also concerns methods of using such adhesives.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage device may include a heat storage medium, one or more thermosyphons, a discharging plenum chamber, and a discharging plenum chamber. The one or more thermosyphons may include an evaporative section configured to charge the thermal energy storage device, a condensing section configured to discharge the thermal energy storage device, and a heat transfer section extending between the evaporative section and the condensing section and fluidically coupled to the evaporative section and the condensing section. At least a portion of the heat transfer section may be disposed in the solid heat storage medium. At least a portion of the evaporative section and the condensing section may be disposed outside the solid heat storage medium.

Abstract: High pressure spatial chemical vapor deposition apparatuses and related process are disclosed for forming thin films on a substrate. An enclosure includes plural process chambers fluidly isolated from each other by radial separating barriers. Each chamber contains a different source gas comprising volatile reactive species. The substrate is supported beneath the chambers on a rotating heated susceptor. Rotation of the susceptor carries the substrate in a path which consecutively exposes the substrate to the volatile reactive species in each process chamber. The gases first mix in the gaseous boundary layer formed adjacent the substrate. A thin film gradually grows in thickness on the substrate with each successive pass and exposure to the reactive species in each process chamber. The tool pressure and boundary layer thickness may be dynamically varied during the film formation process run via a programmable controller to alter the film composition and features formed on the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system comprising a device that includes electrodes and a sensor operably connected in electrical communication with a controller housing a computer program product that calculates heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure in the circulatory system of a subject by the sensor being placed at or proximate to the cardiac tissue of the subject. Electrodes on the device stimulate the vagal nerve to restore heart rate and arterial blood pressure to normal levels if an abnormality is detected.

Abstract: Described herein are additive manufacturing systems and methods for printing 3D objects.

Abstract: Described herein is a 3D-printed scaffold comprising a peptide-polymer conjugate, the peptide-polymer conjugate having the structure: X—Y—Z—Y—X, wherein X is a biologically active peptide, Y is a linker moiety, and Z is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer.

Abstract: Metal polymer complexes and metal polymer complexes adapted for capturing carbon dioxide are disclosed herein. In accordance with one aspect, provided is a metal polymer complex comprising a polymer comprising at least one monomer having an amine group, the polymer complexed with a transition metal selected from nickel, zinc, copper, and a combination of two or more thereof. According to another aspect, provided is a method for capturing carbon dioxide comprising: providing an inlet gas comprising carbon dioxide and water; producing a carbonate, a bicarbonate, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof to remove carbon dioxide from the inlet gas by contacting the inlet gas with a polymer complex substrate; and removing the carbonate, the bicarbonate, the salt thereof, or the combination thereof from the polymer complex substrate by contacting the polymer complex substrate with a regenerant solution comprising water and at least one of a salt or an acid.

Abstract: Technologies for atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based photothermal two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectroscopy are disclosed. Techniques may comprise providing pulsed light from an infrared (IR) laser source. A pulse sequence may be generated from the IR light. The pulse sequence may comprise one or more time delays among constituent pulses. The pulsed IR light may be focused on matter in a sample region. The pulsed IR light may interact with the matter in the sample region. One or more photothermal expansion mechanical actions in the matter of the sample region may be measured. One or more signals corresponding to the one or more measured photothermal expansion actions may be created and may be recorded as a function of the one or more time delays. A photothermal two-dimensional (2D) spectrum may be extracted from the one or more signals as recorded as a function of the one or more time delays.

Abstract: There may be two active snubbers for direct current (dc) solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs): metal-oxide-varistor with resistor-capacitor-switch (MOV-RCS) and active-MOV with resistor-capacitor-diode (AMOV-RCD). In the snubber branch, either half- or full-controlled switch can be used, leading to four topologies. The improved snubbers offer several improvements: 1) MOV is disconnected from the power line during SSCB OFF-state, which enhances reliability as neither voltage nor power appears on MOV; 2) voltage utilization rate ?v of the main switch is remarkably increased, which improves efficiency and power density, and reduces design cost shows experiments of five prototypes are conducted including four proposed snubbers and a comparison with conventional MOV-RCD snubber.

Abstract: Described herein are agricultural compositions comprising an adduct of urea comprising: urea; and an inorganic salt; wherein the adduct has an average particle size ranging from about 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

Abstract: A method of making SiC nanowires comprising: (a) mixing silicon powder with a carbon-containing biopolymer and a catalyst at room temperature to form a mixture; and (b) heating said mixture to a pyrolyzing temperature sufficient to react said biopolymer and said silicon power to form SiC nanowires.

Abstract: An article of manufacture comprising: (a) a body at least a portion of which is a multi-phase material (MPM) defining a traction surface; (b) the MPM comprising at least first and second zones comprising first and second materials, M1, M2, respectively, at or near the traction surface, the M1 and M2 having first and second Young moduli respectively, the first and second moduli differing by at least a factor of 3; and (c) wherein each of the second zones has a center, and wherein the second zones have a center-to-center radial distribution function having a peak at between 10 ?m and 10 mm.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for realizing a peak-force scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (PF-SNOM). Conventional scattering-type microscopy (s-SNOM) techniques uses tapping mode operation and lock-in detections that do not provide direct tomographic information with explicit tip-sample distance. Using a peak force scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy with a combination of peak force tapping mode and time-gated light detection, PF-SNOM enables direct sectioning of vertical near-field signals from a sample surface for both three-dimensional near-field imaging and spectroscopic analysis. PF-SNOM also delivers a spatial resolution of 5 nm and can simultaneously measure mechanical and electrical properties together with optical near-field signals.

Abstract: Augmented or synergized anti-inflammatory constructs are disclosed including anti-inflammatory terpenes and/or vanilloids covalently conjugated to one another so that the activity of the conjugate is greater than the sum of its parts. Also disclosed are methods of improving the potency of an anti-inflammatory terpene or vanilloid by linking it to another anti-inflammatory terpene or vanilloid via a carbamate linkage, where the potency of the conjugate is greater than the sum of its parts.

Abstract: Resilient members having near-surface architectures including microstructures for controlling friction are provided. A film-terminated array of fibrils having a sharp film/fibril juncture exhibits an unexpectedly large enhancement of adhesion, static friction and sliding friction. The enhancement is provided against rough indenters. A film-terminated array of elongated ridges and valleys unexpectedly exhibits low adhesion, and an unexpectedly large enhancement of sliding friction. The film-terminated ridge/valley design provides an anisotropic structure with direction-dependent frictional properties. The increase in sliding friction force varies as a function of interfibrillar spacing, and corresponds to a mode in which buckling of the terminal film occurs. The near surface architectures may be designed with varying scales and varying parameters to provide performance characteristics tailored to various applications.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein provide for multivariable model predictive control of a multistep plant. In one embodiment, a model predictive controller (MPC) includes a model of the multistep plant. The MPC is operable to linearize at least two steps of the multistep plant into cycle steps based on the model, to process an output signal from the multistep plant, and to independently control the cycle steps based on the output signal to optimize an output of the multistep plant.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for realizing a peak-force scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (PF-SNOM). Conventional scattering-type microscopy (s-SNOM) techniques uses tapping mode operation and lock-in detections that do not provide direct tomographic information with explicit tip-sample distance. Using a peak force scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy with a combination of peak force tapping mode and time-gated light detection, PF-SNOM enables direct sectioning of vertical near-field signals from a sample surface for both three-dimensional near-field imaging and spectroscopic analysis. PF-SNOM also delivers a spatial resolution of 5 nm and can simultaneously measure mechanical and electrical properties together with optical near-field signals.