Abstract: A method of treating recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) that includes constructing a chamber configured to form a hermetic seal, loading the RCA into the chamber, hermetically sealing the chamber, pressurizing the interior of the chamber with carbon dioxide gas, monitoring a pressure and a relative humidity in the interior of the chamber, and controlling the pressure and the relative humidity until a predetermined condition is met.

Abstract: A method of measuring a stress-strain curve in a sample, the method including: providing a structure including a first movable island supported by a first beam, a second movable island supported by a second beam, and a gap therebetween connected by a sample, the sample including an initial length; moving the second movable island with a defined displacement; determining a displacement of the first movable island based on moving the second movable island; calculating a difference between the displacement of the first movable island and the defined displacement of the second movable island based on moving the second movable island; determining an applied strain in the sample based on the difference divided by the initial length of the sample; calculating a force on the sample based on the displacement of the first movable island; calculating a stress on the sample based on the force; and determining the stress-strain curve of the sample by plotting the calculated stress against the applied strain.

Abstract: A method and system for cross-spectrum face recognition is disclosed. The system for off-pose cross-spectrum to frontal visible face matching, which used modified base architectures to extract image representations along with a new sub-network to simultaneously learn pose and domain invariance using new joint-loss function that combines proposed pose-correction and cross-spectrum losses. The system and method demonstrate significant improvements over state-of-the-art domain adaptation methods not only on pose conditions, but also on baseline and varying expressions. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

Abstract: A tissue capture device is disclosed. The tissue capture device may include a frame, wherein the frame defines an orifice. The tissue capture device may include a set of fasteners disposed within the orifice, wherein at least some of the fasteners of the set of fasteners are formed from a material displaying one or more shape-changing properties, wherein the one or more shape-changing properties comprises a transition from a deformed phase to a non-deformed phase.

Abstract: A variable-stiffness mechanism may include racks, pinion gears, spring elements, a cable, and a pulley. The variable-stiffness mechanism may be based on a variable-lever principal using the racks as a lever and the pinion gears as a variable pivot point. The pinion gears may be fixed in position relative to the pulley and coupled together by a gear-to-gear mesh. Alternatively, the pinion gears may be configured to translate relative to the pulley using a central drive rack and drive motor.

Abstract: A method for determining superheat for an air-conditioning system or a heat pump system using a virtual superheat measurement system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a Processing-In-Sensor Accelerator (PISA) that provides a flexible, energy-efficient, and high-performance solution for real-time and smart image processing in AI devices. PISA implements a coarse-grained convolution operation in Binarized-Weight Neural Networks (BWNNs) leveraging a novel compute-pixel with non-volatile weight storage at the sensor side. This reduces power consumption of data conversion and transmission to an off-chip processor. A bit-wise near-sensor in-memory computing unit processes the remaining network layers. Once the object is detected, PISA switches to typical sensing mode to capture the image for a fine-grained convolution using only a near-sensor processing unit. The circuit-to-application co-simulation results on a BWNN acceleration demonstrate minor accuracy degradation on various image datasets in coarse-grained evaluation compared to baseline BWNN models. PISA achieves a frame rate of 1000 and efficiency of 1.74 TOp/s/W.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing the stability and efficiency of perovskite materials, and devices incorporating such perovskite materials. A method of making a perovskite layer includes mixing a perovskite solution with a silica shell precursor solution to produce a perovskite-silica precursor solution, and spin casting or drop casting the perovskite-silica precursor solution on a substrate to form a perovskite material or material layer, wherein the perovskite material or material layer includes a plurality of groups of one or more perovskite grains, each of said plurality of groups wrapped in a silica shell. The silica shell precursor solution may have a chemical structure of Rn—Si—(OR)4-n, where “R” is an alkyl, aryl, or organofunctional group, and “OR” is a methoxy, ethoxy, or acetoxy group.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sensor emplacement using unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). In some examples, a UAS includes a propulsion system and a sensor emplacement system including an auger and one or more motors. The UAS includes a control system configuring for controlling the propulsion system to land the UAS at a sensor emplacement site and controlling the one or more motors of the sensor emplacement system to drive the auger into soil at the sensor emplacement site. The control system is configured for measuring one or more augering parameters from the sensor emplacement system; and determining, using an autonomous system trained on soil data and augering data, one or more soil classification values for the soil based on the one or more augering parameters.

Abstract: A system for inline inspection of a pipeline where the system includes: an inline vehicle to transport the system along the pipeline; a depth camera array (DCA) of multiple RGBD cameras located on an end of the vehicle, circular lights attached around the cameras to illuminate inside the pipeline, and a controller connected to the DCA.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing an ordered cell-containing microarray, and a system for preparing an ordered cell-containing microarray.

Abstract: Provided here are ion conducting materials including one or more macrocycles, and either one or more pendant groups or one or more backbone repeat units. The ion conducting materials exhibit distinctly high ion conductivity in thin film and bulk membrane applications, and further exhibit one or more of ion permselectivity, mechanical strength, self-assembly, stacking, and gating behavior. Further provided are methods for preparation and methods for use of the ion conducting materials.

Abstract: A magnetic gear assembly includes a first magnet ring comprising first magnetic pole-pairs disposed evenly along the first magnet ring, a second magnet ring comprising second magnetic pole-pairs disposed evenly along the second magnet ring, a third magnet ring comprising third magnetic pole-pairs disposed evenly along the third magnet ring, wherein each of the first magnetic pole-pairs, the second magnetic pole-pairs, and the third magnetic pole-pairs comprises two opposing magnets, and a fourth ring comprising ferromagnetic pieces disposed evenly along the fourth ring. The first, second, third, and fourth magnet rings are arranged along an axis, wherein the first and the second magnet rings are positioned on either side of the third magnet ring along the axis, and wherein magnetic flux generated by the third magnet ring is distributed between the first and the second magnet rings during operation of the magnetic gear assembly.

Abstract: This document provides hemp fiber biocomposites and methods and materials for making and using hemp fiber biocomposites. For example, hemp fiber biocomposites that can be used as a hydroponic growth medium are provided. Methods for making hemp fiber biocomposites also are provided.

Abstract: An electronic module is provided, which comprises a plurality of first field effect transistors (FETs), a plurality of second FETs paired with the first FETs, a controller connected to gate nodes of the first and second FETs, and a plurality of spring assemblies disposed between the paired first and second FETs. Each spring assembly has two ends comprises a disc spring that is clamped and at least one conductive path that connects both ends of the spring assembly. One end of the spring assembly is connected to a press-buffer that contacts at least one first FET, while the other end is connected to another press-buffer that contacts at least one second FET.

Abstract: Provided here are hemp-based concrete compositions and methods of production of these compositions. These compositions contain an aggregate containing coarse hemp hurd and an alkali-activated binder including a hemp powder derived from a woody core of a hemp plant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer-implemented method of tracking animals is provided. Such a method typically includes recognizing, by using at least one data processor, individual animals in images of a plurality of the animals; and tracking the animals using a probabilistic tracking-by-detection process. In another aspect, a system for recognizing animals is provided. Such a system typically includes an instance detection and part localization module; a visual marker classification module; a fixed-cardinality track interpolation module; and a maximum a posteriori estimation of animal identity module.

Abstract: An articulated instrument and method of its manufacture includes a plurality of segments connected to one another end-to-end, each having a hollow tubular shape defined by a wall, the wall comprising three or more rectangular panels connected along their respective edges at acute angles. A plurality of tendons extends at least partially through the plurality of segments and is configured to apply tension that selectively causes two adjacent segments from the plurality of tendons to bend relative to one another along a pivot joint disposed between the two adjacent segments. The plurality of segments is formed by staggered rectangular portions of a single sheet of stock material, each rectangular portion being folded to form the hollow tubular shape and connected to an adjacent rectangular portion by a tab, each tab defining a respective pivot joint.

Abstract: An electrical filter is disclosed. The electrical filter can include a conductive concrete structure including at least one of a conductive carbon material, a magnetic material, or a conductive metallic material. The conductive concrete structure is characterized by an electrical conductivity greater than 0.5 siemens per meter. The electrical filter also includes at least one electrical cable disposed within the conductive concrete structure. The at least one electrical cable includes an input to receive an electrical signal and an output to output an attenuated electrical signal.

Abstract: A barrier system includes first and second barrier segments connected to one another. The connection between the segments includes a pair of wedge-shaped connectors disposed between angled faces formed at the opposing ends of the segments. Elastic pads are sandwiched between the respective segment faces and connectors.