Abstract: A coaxial cable connector assembly including a rear body, a coupler rotatably engaged with the rear body, where the coupler defines an inner channel extending through the coupler between a front portion of the coupler and a rear portion of the coupler, and a nominal portion defining a nominal inner span along the inner channel, and a retainer engaged with the coupler and the rear body, where the retainer couples the coupler to the rear body, where at least one of the retainer and the coupler defines an engagement passage having a non-uniform span, where at least a portion of the engagement passage extends inwardly from the nominal portion of the coupler and is structurally configured to contact an outer conductor of the coaxial cable forming an electrical pathway between the thread of the coupler and the outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

Abstract: In one exemplary aspect, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in an energy extraction system that includes a decelerator cavity coupled to a transport line for a charged particle beam and an energy conversion device coupled to the decelerator cavity. The decelerator cavity is configured to extract energy from the charged particle beam traveling through the decelerator cavity as RF energy. The energy conversion is configured to convert the RF energy into electrical current and supply the electrical current to an electric power grid. The charged particle beam includes charged particles with individual rest masses greater than the rest mass of an electron.

Abstract: A stair system that is associated with a cargo platform of a commercial vehicle for transporting goods is disclosed. The stair system is integral with the vehicle and/or the cargo platform and provides a user/operator with easy and safe access to the cargo platform without occupying the storage space provided by the cargo platform. The stair system can be arranged in a deployed configuration when in use and in a stowed configuration that is road-ready and does not prevent the vehicle from being operated on paved roads.

Abstract: A hood bumper for a vehicle having a hood including: a housing having a wall, a base, an internal chamber, and an opening to the internal chamber. The wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface. the interior surface defines the internal chamber. The hood bumper further including a biasing mechanism operably connected to the housing and a plunger operably connected to the biasing mechanism and configured to receive an exerted force from the hood. The hood bumper further including a bumper head operably connected to the housing and a support frame operably connecting the bumper head to the housing. The plunger is configured to first move into the bumper head to absorb an impact force to the hood, next the bumper head compresses to further absorb the impact force, and then the support frame collapses to even further absorb the impact force.

Abstract: A method of producing succinic acid from a biomass. The method comprises adding citric acid to a biomass comprising microalgae to form an acidified microalgae composition. The acidified microalgae biomass composition is stored under anaerobic conditions without inoculating the acidified microalgae composition with bacteria formulated to produce succinic acid. A coproduct comprising succinic acid is produced. Other methods of producing succinic acid from a biomass are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting one or more three-dimensional structures in a proximity of a vehicle at runtime includes generating, by a processor, a birds-eye-view (BEV) camera image of the proximity of the vehicle, the BEV camera image comprising two-dimensional coordinates of one or more structures in the proximity. The method further includes generating, by the processor, a BEV height image of the proximity of the vehicle, the BEV height image providing height of the one or more structures in the proximity. The method further includes detecting one or more edges of the three-dimensional structures based on the BEV camera image and the BEV height image. The method further includes generating models of the three-dimensional structures by plane-fitting based on the edges of the one or more three-dimensional structures. The method further includes reconfiguring a navigation system receiver based on the models of the three-dimensional structures.

Abstract: Methods to improve redox flow battery performance with improved CE, reduced electrolyte solution crossover, and simplified solution refreshing process have been developed. The methods include controlling the pre-charging degree and conditions to allow high quality metal plating (ductile and uniform), for example, Fe(O), on the negative electrode. Control of the pre-charging conditions can be combined with increasing the concentration of metal ions compared to existing systems, while maintaining the same concentration in both the negative and positive electrolytes, or increasing the concentration of metal ions in the negative electrolyte so that the negative electrolyte has a higher concentration of metal ions than the positive electrolyte.

Abstract: Embodiments describe a system configured with a brain machine interface (BMI) system implemented in a vehicle for performing vehicle functions using electrical impulses from motor cortex activity in a user's brain. The system uses fuzzy states for increased robustness. The fuzzy states are defined by sets of Gaussian kernel-type membership functions that are defined for steering and velocity action function states. The membership functions define fuzzy states that provide overlapping control tiers for increasing and decreasing vehicle functionality. An autonomous vehicle may perform control and governance of transitions between membership functions that may overlap, resulting in smooth transitioning between the states.

Abstract: A crop conditioning device for an agricultural harvesting machine. The crop conditioning device includes a frame, a first conditioning roll connected to the frame, and a second conditioning roll connected to the frame such that the second conditioning roll is movable relative to the first conditioning roll. The crop conditioning device also includes a tension mechanism connected to the second conditioning roll. The crop conditioning device also includes a roll-gap mechanism connected to the second conditioning roll. The crop conditioning device also includes a controller which is configured for automatically setting at least one of an initial tension force and an initial roll gap dependent upon at least one of a type of crop material and at least one operational setting.

Abstract: Disclosed is a quick release tool belt for the waist of a user, which includes a support strap, a release band with belt teeth on a first end and a binding with a release mechanism on the second end and slidably coupled to the release band. The binding has a base, a release rotationally attached to the base with a tooth lock, a tooth coupling rotationally attached to the base and engaged with the release and the release band, and a lever rotationally attached to the release and engaged with the release band with a tightening tooth. When the release is in the engaged position the tooth coupling and the lever are engaged with the release band and when the release is in the release position, the tooth coupling is operably engaged with the release and the tooth coupling and the lever are disengaged with the release band.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for weight measurement of grow towers and/or grow lines with grow towers disposed thereon. In various embodiments, compression type, tension type, and/or beam type load cells may be positioned at various locations within the apparatus to facilitate weight measurement. In one embodiment, a hook, which couples a grow tower to a grow line, includes a tension type load cell disposed between two portions of the hook. The load cell measures force applied thereto which can provide or be translated into a weight measurement.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for providing multi-trailer reverse assistance. In a multi-trailer reverse assistance system in an articulated transport system comprising a lead vehicle, an intermediate trailer, and a final trailer, the reverse assist system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: receive a view of an environment behind the final trailer; cause the view to be displayed in a display screen of a user interface device; receive, via a secondary steering device of the user interface device, a user intended direction of travel of the articulated transport system in reverse to direct the final trailer in a desired direction; continuously calculate controllable steering angles for directing the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction; and control the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction using the calculated controllable steering angles.

Abstract: A vapor separation system including a cooler having an inlet configured to receive an air-oil-water mixture, and an outlet configured to discharge separated oil and water in two different phases of matter. A first sensor is at the outlet of the cooler. A controller is communicatively coupled to the cooler, wherein the controller is configured to receive temperature feedback from the first sensor, and increase or reduce the amount of cooling, with the cooler and based on the temperature feedback, the oil-water mixture to a separation temperature configured to liquefy at least a portion of the oil in the air-oil-water mixture, while maintaining at least a portion of the water in the air-oil-water mixture in a vaporized state.

Abstract: A transition tube is provided for receipt of a fiber optic cable with a jacket portion and a stripped fiber portion. The transition tube allows the optical fiber to be placed within a gel block seal so that the gel block need not contact the jacket of the optical fiber cable. In some examples, the transition tube contains inner geometry to allow easy insertion of an optical fiber cable. In other examples, an end of the cable is sealed within the transition tube.

Abstract: A data storage system includes a plurality of data storage drives, and a system controller coupled to each data storage drive of the plurality of data storage drives. The system controller is configured to store internal drive management data for each data storage drive of the plurality of data storage drives.

Abstract: A method of phrase extraction for ASR models includes obtaining audio data characterizing an utterance and a corresponding ground-truth transcription of the utterance and modifying the audio data to obfuscate a particular phrase recited in the utterance. The method also includes processing, using a trained ASR model, the modified audio data to generate a predicted transcription of the utterance, and determining whether the predicted transcription includes the particular phrase by comparing the predicted transcription of the utterance to the ground-truth transcription of the utterance. When the predicted transcription includes the particular phrase, the method includes generating an output indicating that the trained ASR model leaked the particular phrase from a training data set used to train the ASR model.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding an image block includes a processor that presents, to a machine-learning model, the image block, obtains the partition decision for encoding the image block from the model, and encodes the image block using the partition decision. The model is trained to output a partition decision for encoding the image block by using training data for a plurality of training blocks as input, the training data including for a training block, partition decisions for encoding the training block, and, for each partition decision, a rate-distortion value resulting from encoding the training block using the partition decision. The model is trained using a loss function combining a partition loss function based upon a relationship between the partition decisions and respective predicted partitions, and a rate-distortion cost loss function based upon a relationship between the rate-distortion values and respective predicted rate-distortion values.