Abstract: The disclosure relates to microchemical (or microfluidic) apparatus as well as related methods for making the same. The methods generally include partial sintering of sintering powder (e.g., binderless or otherwise free-flowing sintering powder) that encloses a fugitive phase material having a shape corresponding to a desired cavity structure in the formed apparatus. Partial sintering removes the fugitive phase and produces a porous compact, which can then be machined if desired and then further fully sintered to form the final apparatus. The process can produce apparatus with small, controllable cavities shaped as desired for various microchemical or microfluidic unit operations, with a generally smooth interior cavity finish, and with materials (e.g., ceramics) able to withstand harsh environments for such unit operations.

Abstract: An improved alkaline pretreatment of biomass is provided that is a single-stage, two oxidant alkaline oxidative pretreatment process. The process uses a homogenous catalyst with at least two oxidants (Hydrogen peroxide and enhanced levels of oxygen) in an alkaline environment to catalytically pretreat lignocellulosic biomass in a single-stage oxidation reaction. The provided single-stage alkaline-oxidative pretreatment improves biomass pretreatment and increase enzymatic digestibility to improve the economic feasibility of production of lignocellulose derived sugars.

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: The disclosure relates to microwave cavity plasma reactor (MCPR) apparatus and associated optical measurement system that enable microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPACVD) of a component such as diamond while measuring the local surface properties of the component while being grown. Related methods include deposition of the component, measurement of the local surface properties, and/or alteration of operating conditions during deposition in response to the local surface properties. As described in more detail below, the MPCR apparatus includes one or more electrically conductive, optically transparent regions forming part of the external boundary of its microwave chamber, thus permitting external optical interrogation of internal reactor conditions during deposition while providing a desired electrical microwave chamber to maintain selected microwave excitation modes therein.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for electrochemical reductive carboxylation of an unsaturated organic substrate to form a dicarboxylic organic product. The unsaturated organic substrate is electrochemically reduced with a carbon dioxide reactant in an ionically conductive, water-immiscible reactant medium to form the dicarboxylic organic product. The dicarboxylic organic product is recovered in an aqueous product medium. Example dicarboxylic organic products include phthalic acid, naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, and 1,12-dodecanedioic acid.

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: Enzymes and methods are described herein for manufacturing terpenes, including terpenes.

Abstract: A method for identifying brain-state dependent functional areas of unitary pooled activity (FAUPAs) using a statistical model that does not require a priori knowledge of the activity-induced ideal response signal time course is provided. A system for identifying a functional network in a brain of a living object includes a FAUPA identifier configured to identify FAUPAs by analyzing a plurality of images of the brain over a predetermined period. The plurality of images include a plurality of voxels, and the FAUPA identifier analyzes each voxel of the plurality of voxels in relation to one or more surrounding voxels of each voxel until each voxel of the plurality of voxels is evaluated. A brain network identification module configured to construct the functional network based on the identified FAUPAs that are functionally connected. A display module configured to display images of the brain depicting the FAUPAs included in the functional network.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a package durability includes extracting, using a package evaluation system, a plurality of customer reviews for a specific product from a user-identified website. Each customer review includes data that is used to express a customer's experience with the specific product. The method includes identifying one or more packaging related reviews based on a packaging list profile and the plurality of customer reviews; predicting whether each of the one or more packaging related reviews is a negative review or a positive review; and determining whether the package meets an assurance level based on a percentage of failure rate. The assurance level indicates whether the package provides an acceptable level of performance. The method includes providing a notification of a determination of whether the package meets the assurance level.

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 with high barrier properties. The omniphobic coating includes an oleophobic and hydrophilic first layer, and a hydrophobic and optionally oleophilic second layer adjacent to the first layer. A corresponding omniphobic coated article can include the omniphobic coating on a substrate such as a porous cellulosic or paper substrate, for example to provide a water- and oil/fat/grease-resistant coating for a paper-based product. The first layer of the omniphobic coating is adjacent to the substrate and the second layer is adjacent to the first layer at a position further from the substrate than the first layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides probiotic compositions for promoting plant growth. The compositions include bacterial cultures of phyllobacteria and rhizobacteria isolated from media supplemented with rare earth elements. Applicants have found that such bacteria act synergistically with rare earth elements to enhance plant growth. Inoculums of the plant growth promoting bacteria for application to plants, plant seeds, or plant growth media are provided. Also provided are methods for stimulating plant growth by applying the bacterial cultures and inoculums.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a thermoset omniphobic composition, which includes a thermoset polymer with first, second, and third backbone segments, urethane groups linking the first and third backbone segments, and urea groups linking the first and second backbone segments. The first, second, and third backbone segments generally correspond to urethane or urea reaction products of polyisocyanate(s), amine-functional hydrophobic polymer(s), and polyol(s), respectively. The thermoset omniphobic composition has favorable omniphobic properties, for example as characterized by water and/or oil contact and/or sliding angles. The thermoset omniphobic composition can be used as a coating on any of a variety of substrates to provide omniphobic properties to a surface of the substrate. Such omniphobic coatings can be scratch resistant, ink/paint resistant, dirt-repellent, and optically clear.

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: The disclosure relates to a thermoset omniphobic composition (such as an omniphobic polyurethane or epoxy composition) which includes a thermoset polymer with first, second, and third backbone segments. The first, second, and third backbone segments can correspond to urethane or urea reaction products of polyisocyanate(s), amine-functional omniphobic polymer(s), and polyol(s), respectively, for omniphobic polyurethanes. Similarly, the first, second, and third backbone segments can correspond to urea or beta-hydroxy amine reaction products of polyamine(s), isocyanate-functional omniphobic polymer(s), and polyepoxide(s), respectively, for omniphobic epoxies. The thermoset omniphobic composition has favorable omniphobic properties, for example as characterized by water and/or oil contact and/or sliding angles. The thermoset omniphobic composition further has favorable barrier properties, for example with respect to water vapor and oxygen transmission as well as water absorption.

Abstract: An organic compound destruction apparatus and method are provided. In another aspect, a laterally oriented discharge arc generated from an electrode in a reactor, destroys an undesired or contaminant organic molecule in a liquid solution. Another aspect includes a system which uses electrodes and a magnetic field to generate and drive laterally oriented discharge arcs in a reactor to destroy organic compounds, such as PFAS molecules, in a liquid. Another aspect includes using at least one pair of co-axial electrodes submerged in a liquid to concentrate organic contaminants around the center electrode where gas bubbles are generated to capture and transport the contaminants to the plasma region above the liquid surface. Still another aspect includes a system which uses a grid or mesh electrode to create a discharge arc in a plasma chamber to destroy organic compounds, such as PFAS molecules, in a liquid.

Abstract: Accurate vehicle localization is arguably the most critical and fundamental task for autonomous vehicle navigation. While dense 3D point-cloud-based maps enable precise localization, they impose significant storage and transmission burdens when used in city-scale environments. A highly compressed representation for LiDAR maps, along with an efficient and robust real-time alignment algorithm for on-vehicle LiDAR scans, is proposed here. The proposed mapping framework, requires less than 0.1% of the storage space of the original 3D point cloud map. In essence, mapping framework emulates an original map through feature likelihood functions. In particular, the mapping framework models planar, pole and curb features. These three feature classes are long-term stable, distinct and common among vehicular roadways. Multiclass feature points are extracted from LiDAR scans through feature detection.

Abstract: A flexible photovoltaic device is provided. The flexible photovoltaic device includes a flexible inorganic halide perovskite. The flexible inorganic halide perovskite is free of organic components, has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 1 ?m to less than or equal to about 1 nm, and has an average grain size of less than or equal to about 500 nm.

Abstract: Current oscillometric devices for monitoring central blood pressure (BP) maintain the cuff pressure at a constant level to acquire a pulse volume plethysmography (PVP) waveform and calibrate it to brachial BP levels estimated with population average methods. A physiologic method was developed to further advance central BP measurement. A patient-specific method was applied to estimate brachial BP levels from a cuff pressure waveform obtained during conventional deflation via a nonlinear arterial compliance model. A physiologically-inspired method was then employed to extract the PVP waveform from the same waveform via ensemble averaging and calibrate it to the brachial BP levels. A method based on a wave reflection model was thereafter employed to define a variable transfer function, which was applied to the calibrated waveform to derive central BP.

Abstract: A medication bottle includes an outer container wall, an inner container wall and a fluid, such as an aversive liquid, located between the walls. In another aspect, the fluid is located within separate compartments or channels located between the walls where the walls contact or are secured to each other. A further aspect provides a removeable cap including multiple sensors, at least one of which is a biometric sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are bioluminescent indictors comprising a bioluminescent peptide split by a binding peptide capable of binding a ligand. The bioluminescent indicator bioluminesces upon binding of the binding peptide to its ligand to bring the regions of the bioluminescent peptide into such proximity that the indicator bioluminesces. The bioluminescent indicator may further comprise a leader domain and a transmembrane domain. The bioluminescent indicator acts as a biosensor that can detect and quantify a ligand without the need for an additional light source. Methods for imaging internal body structures are also presented.