Abstract: The present invention relates to an autocatalytic reductive chemical procedure with solid-solid interaction in conditions of supersaturation of salts, via the phenomenon of efflorescence in order to dissolve a copper metal, from a metallogenically primary ore or chalcopyrite concentrate that contains same. The method comprises two steps, referred to as “Reductive Activation Step” and “Dry Autocatalytic Reductive Transformation Step” or efflorescence, which can be repeated as many times as necessary to maximise the extraction of copper or base metal of interest. The invention can also be used for sulphurised base metals such as nickel, zinc, cobalt, lead and molybdenum, among others, regardless of the common impurities of sulphurised ores, as occurs with the presence of arsenic.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for serving two or more uncorrelated loads connected to a renewable energy powerplant. The uncorrelated loads comprise a power grid and one or more industrial processes. A system may comprise a renewable energy system (RES), an energy storage system (ESS), and a controller programmed to: discretize an upcoming forecast horizon into a plurality of time periods; calculate one or more metrics for sending energy generated by the first RES to: (1) the ESS, (2) the power grid, and (3) the one or more industrial processes; prioritize the: (1) ESS, (2) power grid, and (3) one or more industrial processes.

Abstract: There is provided a method for processing an input signal (700). The input signal (700) is processed at least by converting the input signal (700) from a first colour space to a second colour space, to produce a first processed signal. The processed signal is encoded by a first encoding module (703) to generate a first encoded signal (710). A decoded signal is generated by decoding the first encoded signal (710). The decoded signal is processed at least by converting the decoded signal from the second colour space to the first colour space to produce a second processed signal. The second processed signal and the input signal (700) are processed by a second encoding module (707) to generate a second encoded signal (720).

Abstract: A system includes a renewable energy source (RES) that provides electrical energy and a first energy storage system (ESS) coupled to and configured to receive electrical energy from the RES, wherein the first ESS is configured to direct electrical energy to a source-sensitive destination. The system further includes a second ESS coupled to and configured to receive electrical energy from the RES and coupled to and configured to receive electrical energy from a non-renewable energy source to receive electrical energy, wherein the second ESS is configured to direct electrical energy to a non-source-sensitive destination.

Abstract: A feed stream including ethane is flowed to a purification unit that includes a first oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst. The feed stream is contacted with the first oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst at a first temperature to reduce a concentration of impurities in the feed stream to produce a purified feed stream. The purified feed stream is flowed to an oxidative dehydrogenation unit that includes a second oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst. The purified feed stream is contacted with the second oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst in the presence of oxygen at a second temperature greater than the first temperature to dehydrogenate ethane to produce a product stream that includes ethylene.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in measuring on patterned samples, aimed at determining asymmetry in the pattern. A set of at least first and second measurements on a patterned region of a sample is performed, where each of the measurements comprises: directing illuminating light onto the patterned region along an illumination channel and collecting light reflected from the illuminated region propagating along a collection channel to be detected, such that detected light from the same patterned region has different polarization states which are different from polarization of the illuminating light, and generating a measured data piece indicative of the light detected in the measurement. Thus, at least first and second measured data pieces are generated for the at least first and second measurements on the same patterned region. The at least first and second measured data pieces are analyzed and output data is generated being indicative of a condition of asymmetry in the patterned region.

Abstract: A video decoder chipset comprises a video decoder function, an upscaler function and a combiner function. The video decoder function is configured to (i) decode encoded video data to generate decoded video data at a first level of quality, the encoded video data having been derived by an encoder using first video data at a second, higher level of quality and (ii) output the decoded video data for storage in a memory. The upscaler function is configured to (i) obtain the decoded video data from the memory and (ii) upscale the obtained decoded video data to generate second video data at the second level of quality. The combiner function is configured to (i) obtain residual data, the residual data having been derived by the encoder based on the first video data and the second video data, (ii) combine the second video data with the residual data to generate enhanced video data, and (iii) output the enhanced video data.

Abstract: A polymer processing aid (PPA) reduces melt defects in extruded polyolefins in the absence of fluoropolymers. The polymer processing aid comprises a polyalkylene glycol such as a polyethylene glycol together with a high pressure low density polyethylene (LDPE) and reduces melt defects well in a thermoplastic polyolefin such as a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

Abstract: Circuits and methods for use in amplifying amplitude and phase modulated signals. A circuit uses a digital controlled multi stage combiner, a signal phase discrete mapper and a combiner digital control circuit with N parallel signal feeding it. The signals resulting from N power amplifiers have phases with belonging to an alphabet with M discrete phases prior to being fed to the multi stage combiner. The phases of the N input signals are converted in an control signal generator into Ns sets of digital control signals to control N·M sets of switches where the signals are selected according the phase and sent to the corresponding combiner in the M possible combiners. Each one combiner from the set of M combiner then combines these signals. A second stage with digital controlled combiner, combines into two sub-sets of signals the signals resulting from first stage and the resulting outputs of the combiner are then combined by a third combining digital controlled stage into the output signal.

Abstract: A system for controlling power distribution between a renewable energy source (RES) that generates electrical power, a power grid, an energy storage system (ESS) coupled to and configured to store electrical power from the RES and the power grid, and a behind-the-meter (BTM) load coupled to and configured to receive electrical power from the RES, the ESS, and the power grid includes a controller. The controller includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the controller to determine a prioritization mode and control the flow of electrical power in the system based on the prioritization mode.

Abstract: A method of setting up a joining device for joining a cover lens to a housing of a vehicle lighting device. The joining device features a mounting fixture and a robot with a suction head, The method features at least the following steps: inserting a housing into the mounting fixture and a cover lens into the suction head; transferring the suction head to an initial joining pose; joining the cover lens to the housing with the suction head in the initial joining pose; measuring the pose of the cover lens relative to a reference-point system, which comprises reference points on the surface of the housing and/or the cover lens; determining a set of translations and/or rotations, which transfer the cover lens to an optimal pose with minimal deviations from a target pose; and correcting the initial joining pose of the suction head with the determined set of translations and/or rotations.

Abstract: A system and methods for Advance Process Control (APC) in semiconductor manufacturing include: for each of a plurality of waiter sites, receiving a pre-process set of scatterometric training data, measured before implementation of a processing step, receiving a corresponding post-process set of scatterometric training data measured after implementation of the process step, and receiving a set of process control knob training data indicative of process control knob settings applied during implementation of the process step; and generating a machine learning model correlating variations in the pre-process sets of scatterometric training data and the corresponding process control knob training data with the corresponding post-process sets of scatterometric training data, to train the machine learning model to recommend changes to process control knob settings to compensate for variations in the pre-process scatterometric data.

Abstract: A method for pre-treating a catheter prior to using the catheter in a medical procedure, and a related apparatus, are provided. The method comprises exposing, in a plasma chamber positioned in a medical care center, and under sterile conditions, intraluminal surfaces and extraluminal surfaces of the catheter to plasma. The plasma is electromagnetically-generated adjacently to the intraluminal surfaces and extraluminal surfaces, thereby rendering, at least temporarily, the intraluminal surfaces and extraluminal surfaces of the catheter hydrophilic.

Abstract: A dual reactor solution polymerization process gives high density polyethylene compositions containing a first ethylene copolymer and a second ethylene copolymer. The polyethylene compositions can be used in the manufacture of injection molded closures or cast film having good barrier properties.

Abstract: Shrimp processing apparatus to head and optionally sever the mud veins of shrimp, along with methods for heading and mud vein severing are described herein. The shrimp processing apparatus may be provided in systems may include one or more processing stations configured to perform one or more of the following functions on each shrimp: measurement of individual shrimp, severing the mud vein of individual shrimp, and heading of individual shrimp.

Abstract: A polyethylene composition has a density of from 0.941 to 0.962 g/cm3; a melt index, I2 of from 0.5 to 5.0 g/10 min; a melt flow ratio, I21/I2 of ?40; a Z-average molecular weight distribution, Mz/Mw of ?2.5; a comonomer distribution breadth index, CDBI50 of >50 wt %; and a long chain branching factor, LCBF of >0.0010. In a temperature rising elution fractionation (CTREF) analysis, the polyethylene composition has greater than 70 weight percent of material eluting at a temperature of greater than 90° C.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in measuring one or more characteristics of patterned structures. The method comprises: performing measurements on a patterned structure by illuminating the structure with exciting light to cause Raman scattering of one or more excited regions of the pattern structure, while applying a controlled change of at least temperature condition of the patterned structure, and detecting the Raman scattering, and generating corresponding measured data indicative of a temperature dependence of the detected Raman scattering; and analyzing the measured data and generating data indicative of spatial profile of one or more properties of the patterned structure.

Abstract: A bimodal polyethylene composition has a density of from 0.940 to 0.949 g/cm3, a melt index, I2 of greater than 5 g/10 min and an environmental stress crack resistance, ESCR of greater than 1000 hours as determined by ASTM D1693 in 100% IGEPAL CO-630 under condition B. The bimodal polyethylene composition which comprises a first ethylene copolymer and a second ethylene copolymer is relatively easy to process and may be used to make molded articles.

Abstract: A computer-based system, and a computer-implemented method, mentors students, particularly women and ethnic and racial minorities, intending to enter healthcare professions. The system uses a gamified mobile-enabled web application (App) that serves as a visual and interactive dashboard populated with checklists, career support resources, strategies, tips, and a mentoring platform to educate, encourage, empower, and facilitate the entry of students into the healthcare professions.

Abstract: Methods for controlling an integrated renewable energy source (RES) and energy storage system (ESS) of a RES-ESS facility having a point of grid interconnect (POGI) limit are provided. A forecast for energy production of the RES as well as a state of charge (SOC) schedule are used to calculate a SOC target-based POGI cap that is less than the POGI limit, with the SOC target-based POGI cap representing as low a peak power output value as possible while still ensuring satisfaction of the SOC schedule. The forecasted RES production, SOC schedule, and SOC target-based POGI cap are used to generate a time-varying charge/discharge control signal for the ESS that ensures the SOC schedule is satisfied.