Abstract: Below grade fluid containment structures, which may include a foam floor and a foam wall extending upward from the floor, the foam wall being formed from foam panels. A granular material is provided for reducing hydraulic soil pressure against an exterior face of the foam wall that would otherwise be exerted by the soil, if the soil were allowed to be positioned up against the foam, particularly the foam wall. The well-draining granular material may be gravel, crushed stone, or the like, which provides better drainage as compared to the surrounding soil material. The interior face of the foam is coated with an elastomeric abrasion resistant impact resistant polymeric coating that seals the below grade interior space defined between the floor and the wall in a seamless water-tight configuration.

Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide image resolution enhancement. For example, a method includes: receiving an original image (e.g., a visible light image) of a scene comprising image pixels identified by pixel coordinates; resizing the original image to a larger size, where the resized image is divided into a first plurality of reference blocks; enhancing a resolution of the resized image by iteratively: injecting high frequency data into the resized image, extracting from the resized image a first plurality of matching blocks that meet a mutual similarity condition with respect to the reference block, and adjusting the high frequency data of the reference block based on a correlation between the reference block and the first plurality of matching blocks. A system configured to perform such a method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A female hardened fiber optic connector for terminating an end of a fiber optic cable that is suitable for making an optical connection with another hardened cable assembly and cable assemblies using the same are disclosed. The female hardened fiber optic connector includes a connector assembly, a crimp body, a connector sleeve, and female coupling housing. The connector sleeve has one or more orientation features that cooperate with one or more orientation features inside the female coupling housing. The crimp body has a first shell and a second shell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the front end for securing a cable.

Abstract: A collision mitigation system makes use of ladar sensors to identify obstacles and to predict unavoidable collisions therewith, and a duplex radio link in communication with secondary vehicles, and a number of external airbags deployable under the control of an airbag control unit, to reduce the forces of impact on the host vehicle, secondary vehicles, and bipeds and quadrupeds wandering into the roadway. A suspension modification system makes use of ladar sensors to identify road hazards, and make adaptations to a number of active suspension components, each with the ability to absorb shock, elevate or lower the vehicle, and adjust the spring rate of the individual wheel suspensions.

Abstract: Novel hyperthermophilic Dictyoglomus beta-mannanases are provided for use in high temperature industrial applications requiring enzymatic hydrolysis of 1,4-?-D-mannosidic linkages in mannans, galactomannans, and glucomannans. Also provided are methods and compositions for fracturing a subterranean formation in which a gellable fracturing fluid is first formed by blending together a hydratable polymer and a Dictyoglomus beta-mannanase as an enzyme breaker. An optimized and stabilized recombinant Dictyoglomus beta-mannanase is provided that shows superior performance/effectiveness and properties in degrading guar and derivatized guars at pH ranges from 3.0 to 12 and temperatures ranging from 130° F. to in excess of 270° F.

Abstract: An apparatus for setting a plug in a borehole penetrating a subsurface formation includes a tool mandrel defining a chamber having a port and a power charge disposed in the chamber for emitting a pressurized gas upon ignition. The apparatus also includes an outer sleeve at least partially surrounding the tool mandrel and defining an annulus between the outer sleeve and the tool mandrel where the annulus is in communication with the port. The apparatus further includes a piston disposed in the annulus and having an outer surface facing uphole within the annulus, the piston being in mechanical communication with a setting sleeve of the plug, wherein displacement of the setting sleeve causes setting of a slip and a seal of the plug.

Abstract: Provided is a process for making a dispersion of composite particles comprising (i) providing a dispersion of crosslinked polyolefin particles in an aqueous medium, (ii) performing emulsion polymerization on one or more vinyl monomers in the presence of the crosslinked polyolefin particles to produce the dispersion of composite particles.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify media for ahead of time watermark encoding. An example apparatus includes a processor to determine a first identifier associated with first media based on a query including the first identifier, a first scheduled broadcast time of the first media, and a first duration of the first media; and a comparator to: in response to determining a database includes a second identifier associated with second media, determine whether a second duration of the second media at a second scheduled broadcast time overlaps the first duration of the first media at the first scheduled broadcast time; and in response to determining that the second duration of the second media at the second scheduled broadcast time does not overlap the first duration of the first media at the first scheduled broadcast time, store the first identifier in the database.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is described. The method includes a computing system receiving an item of digital content from a user device. The computing system generates one or more labels that indicate attributes of the item of digital content. The computing system also generates one or more conversational replies to the item of digital content based on the one or more labels that indicate attributes of the item of digital content. The method also includes the computing system selecting a conversational reply from among the one or more conversational replies and providing the conversational reply for output to the user device.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to deconflict malware or content remediation are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a site redirector to identify a first request to be transmitted from a client device to a destination site identified by a uniform resource locator (URL), a site verifier to determine whether the first request indicates that a user has authorized navigation to the destination site, and a URL encoder to, in response to determining that the user has authorized the navigation to the destination site, generate a data field based the domain of the destination site, the site redirector to transmit a second request to a network security monitor, the second request to indicate to the network security monitor that the user has authorized the navigation to the destination site, the second request including the data field and the URL.

Abstract: Induction charging devices and methods are disclosed for a portable electronic device that has a reception coil coupled to a power source and an outwardly projecting attachment mounted thereon. In some versions, the devices include a housing having a wall with an outwardly facing charging surface and a recess sized to receive the attachment with the portable electronic device disposed on the charging surface. In some versions, devices can include an attachment device coupled to a rear of a housing that can releasably secure to a portion of a vehicle and a mount coupled to a front of the housing configured to receive a portion of the attachment therein to secure the portable electronic device to the housing. A charging assembly within the housing can include a transmission coil disposed so that with the recess or mount receiving the attachment therein, the transmission and reception coils are sufficiently aligned to charge the power source of the portable electronic device.

Abstract: A home system can include a central control unit, which can be paired with a plurality of accessory devices including a client device. The client device can receive an instruction signal from a contactless card. An application of the client device can process the instruction signal and generate an event signal. The client device can transmit the event signal to the central control unit and the central control unit can transmit a device signal to one or more of the accessory devices. The device signal can instruct the one or more accessory devices to perform one or more tasks.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses are provided for reducing peak energy demand and to smooth intermittent energy profiles from onsite variable energy sources and loads. Some embodiments use system level and device level analysis and optimization to adaptively adjust the operation of a behind the meter energy storage (BMES) to smooth out energy generation variabilities and follow a reference load signal, including at short time resolutions.

Abstract: A press-hardened steel assembly after hot stamping/hot forming including a core layer having a tensile strength of ?about 1,800 megapascals to ?about 2,200 megapascals and ?about 90 volume % martensite, the core layer having a first thickness ?about 40% to ?about 96% of the thickness of the press-hardened steel assembly; and a first surface layer along a first surface of the core, the first surface layer having a tensile strength of ?about 800 megapascals to ?about 1,200 megapascals and ?about 90 volume % martensite and bainite. The press-hardened steel assembly has a tensile strength of ?about 1,600 megapascals to ?about 2,000 megapascals and a VDA 238-100 bending angle of ?about 50° to ?about 80°.