Abstract: An adjustable core assembly for a nuclear reactor is disclosed herein. The adjustable core can include a plurality of reactivity control cells configured to accommodate a reactivity control rod, and a plurality of unit cells. The plurality of unit cells defines a radial dimension corresponding to an initial power output of the core. Each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells is configured to accommodate fuel configured to generate energy and a heat pipe configured to transfer thermal energy away from the core. Each unit cell of the plurality unit cells can be coupled to an adjacent unit cell in a radial direction, thereby altering the radial dimension, wherein the altered radial dimension corresponds to an adjusted power output of the core, and wherein the adjusted power output of the core is different than the initial power output of the core.

Abstract: A method of controlling an engagement state of an agent during a human-machine dialog is provided. The method can include receiving a spoken request that is a conditional locking request, wherein the conditional locking request uses a natural language expression to explicitly specify a locking condition, which is a predicate, storing the predicate in a format that can be evaluated when needed by the agent, entering a conditionally locked state in response to the conditional locking request, in the conditionally locked state, receiving a request without a need for a wakeup indicator, and for a request evaluating the predicate upon receiving the request, and processing the request if the predicate is true.

Abstract: Vertical hydroponic plant systems and methods are provided herein. The systems may include vertically mounted wall systems that provide case of access while providing a pleasing overall aesthetic. Various methodologies may be employed to provide optimal lighting and nutrients for plant growth.

Abstract: Methods of manufacture for nuclear batteries are provided. The method comprises inserting a radiation source material into a cavity defined within a first component to form a radiation source layer. The first component comprises a first electrical insulator layer defining the cavity and a first casing layer disposed over the first electrical insulator layer. The method comprises contacting the first casing layer with a second casing layer of a second component to form an assembly. The second component comprises a second electrical insulator layer and the second casing layer disposed in contact with the second electrical insulator layer. The method comprises swaging the assembly to form the nuclear battery.

Abstract: A converterless method for converting 226Ra to 225Ac by direct electron beam bombardment with high energy electron beam having an average effective beam power of about 20 to about 250 kW at a beam energy of about 25 to about 100 MeV to impact the 226Ra is disclosed. Contrary to other electron-based bombardment methods, the present method is carried out without a converter that slows the electrons and transforms their kinetic energy into Bremsstrahlung photons, but rather into the production of virtual photons that transmute the target 226Ra to 225Ra that decays to 225Ac.

Abstract: The present invention is a load transfer device and method of use comprising a pulley system attached to a universal pipe mount with a rope retention device. The load transfer device of the present invention allows for the maneuvering of appurtenances, such as antennas or other equipment from a load line rigged to a the main structure of a vertical infrastructure installation, to a desired installation location, such as on a standoff mount. The load transfer device helps to suspend the equipment or antenna in place above the desired installation location, enabling operators to use both hands to install the appurtenance.

Abstract: A gas buster tank system, comprising a self-cleaning tank, wherein the self-cleaning tank comprises a gas buster attachment port, one or more silos, wherein each of the one or more silos comprises a valve, one or more skimmers, an excess water port, excess water piping, a clean water exit port, a circulation inlet port, a circulation piping loop, one or more baffles, an exit line, wherein the exit line comprises one or more pipe arms and a discharge port, and a control system; a gas buster attachment, wherein the gas buster attachment is attached to the gas buster attachment port; a trailer; and a pump trailer, wherein the pump trailer comprises a first pump attached to the circulation inlet port and a second pump attached to the discharge port.

Abstract: For security reasons, a one-way Ethernet communication link is implemented to segregate edge devices for an autonomous vehicle (AV) from the AV compute system. A non-feature rich backchannel allows very limited amounts of data to be transmitted from the edge devices side to the AV compute side. It is a challenge to query information about the edge devices when the backchannel only allows enumerated type data values to be transmitted. To address this concern, the customer-facing access point includes a relay endpoint that operates as a proxy to a web server that manages the edge devices and encodes responses as enumerated type data values to be transmitted over the backchannel.

Abstract: Aspects relate to apparatuses and methods for individualized polygraph testing. The apparatus including at least an interface configured to communicate questions to the user, at least a sensor configured to detect biofeedback signals as a function of a biofeedback of a user, wherein the biofeedback is associated with at least an answer to at least a question, and at least a computing device including at least a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least a processor, the memory containing instructions configuring the at least a processor to receive the biofeedback signals, generate a user state classifier, train the user state classifier as a function of a user state training set, wherein the user state training set includes biofeedback signals correlated to answers of known veracity, and classifying a biofeedback signal of the biofeedback signals to a user state as a function of the user state classifier.

Abstract: The specification provides an assay electrode including a composite containing a matrix and a multiplicity of graphene particles dispersed therein.

Abstract: A system including one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations: parsing a hypertext markup language source code from text strings of query strings of a webpage containing ingredients for a recipe; extracting, using an iterative process, the ingredients for the recipe from the query strings of the webpage; mapping recipe products based on quantities or units of measure of the ingredients, as extracted, for the recipe; and automatically adding the recipe products to an electronic shopping cart. Other descriptions are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for implementing a cluster-wide root secret (“CWRS”) key for distributed node clusters. In a multi-node cluster, a leader node has a leader node security system that generates the CWRS key, which is a common secret key for all workloads (e.g., containers or VMs) in the multi-node cluster. The leader node security system encrypts the generated CWRS key using a public key and/or a bootstrap key received from a non-leader node that requests the CWRS key. In examples, the leader node security system signs the encrypted CWRS key using its private key for subsequent verification, by the requesting non-leader node, that the CWRS key was generated by the leader node security system. The CWRS thus encrypted can be securely sent to the requesting non-leader node for subsequent encryption or decryption of secret data by the security system of the non-leader node.

Abstract: A method for preventing cyberbullying on a social media messaging platform by limiting comments to user submitted content posts to only two-user conversation exchanges between the author of the content post and the person initiating the conversation exchange. The two users in the conversation exchange are able to submit replies only when it is their turn such that both participants may terminate the conversation exchange by failing to reply to the immediately preceding post by the other user.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to adverse user behavior detection and mitigation. In examples, a user account of a social platform may be trusted or untrusted. If the user account is untrusted, activity of the user account may be buffered so as to not directly affect social metrics of the social platform. For example, if the untrusted user account follows a target user account, the untrusted user account may be added to a separate set of followers or otherwise separated from a set of trusted followers of the target user account. Eventually, each user account in the separate set is evaluated to determine whether the user account has transitioned to a trusted user. If the user account is now trusted, it may be migrated to the set of trusted followers. However, if the user account is untrusted, it may be removed from the separate set, thereby reverting the activity.

Abstract: A bi-directional robotic crawler includes a first drive system having a first drive member, a second drive member, and a support member. The first drive member includes a first pair of wheels and the second drive member includes a second pair of wheels. A second drive system includes a third drive member and a fourth drive member. The third drive member includes a first drive element and the fourth drive member includes a second drive element. A linking member selectively pivots the third drive member and the fourth drive member relative to the support member. A motor is mounted to the first drive system. The motor selectively operates the first and second pairs of wheels to move the bi-directional robotic crawler along a first axis and the first and second drive elements to move the bi-directional robotic crawler along a second axis.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating operating an autonomous vehicle. The methods comprise: obtaining LiDAR point cloud data generated by a LiDAR system of the autonomous vehicle; inspecting the LiDAR point cloud data to infer a health of LiDAR beams; identifying bad quality point cloud data based on the inferred health of the LiDAR beams; removing the bad quality point cloud data from the LiDAR point cloud data to generate modified LiDAR point cloud data; and causing the autonomous vehicle to perform at least one autonomous driving operation or mode change based on the modified LiDAR point cloud data.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector and cable assembly includes a cable with one or more strength members secured to a connector that is connectable to both a hardened and a non-hardened fiber optic adapter. The cable can include multiple cable types with various shapes and strength member configurations. The connector includes a connector housing having a one-piece main body and a cover piece mounted thereon. The one-piece main body defines a plug portion compatible with the adapters. A ferrule assembly is mounted in the plug portion and biased outwardly by a spring. An insert within the connector housing includes a spring stop for holding the spring and a cable retention portion for securing the strength members of the cable. The spring stop and the cable retention portion can be included on a one-piece insert or they can separately be included on separate inserts.

Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to improving reliability of processing cache lines with metadata symbols encoded into parity symbols of codewords. The data and metadata of a cache line are encoded into codewords where each codeword is a number of (1) message symbols, each including message bits from data of the cache line, and (2) parity symbols, each including parity bits determined from the message symbols and a metadata symbol. For each codeword of the cache line, the plurality of message and parity symbols are rotated so that a location of each symbol of one codeword is different from other codewords of the cache line. The codewords of the cache line are then stored in memory as rotated. In this manner, the reliability is improved by rotating symbols of the codewords of the cache line, with metadata symbols encoded into parity of codewords, before storage in memory.

Abstract: The present lift lock is employed on a gate that is swingable and liftable on a first axis. In a first position the lift lock is on the first axis and in a blocking position that prevents the gate from being lifted relative to a barrier having the gate. The lift lock is slideable away from the first position on the axis to a second position away from the axis where the lift lock is in an unblocking position, thereby permitting the gate to be lifted on the axis. The lift lock snaps into and out of the second position.

Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers. Stepped surfaces including vertical sidewalls of the insulating layers are present in a staircase region. Pad stacks are located on the stepped surfaces. Each of the pad stacks includes an insulating pad having a same material composition as the insulating layers, and a dielectric material pad having a different material composition than the insulating layers and having sidewalls that are vertically coincident with sidewalls of the insulating pad. Memory stack structures extend through the alternating stack. Each of the memory stack structures includes a vertical stack of memory elements and a vertical semiconductor channel.