Abstract: A method of transducing electrical energy to sound is disclosed which includes providing a transducer, the transducer includes lead zirconate titanate (PZT) particles mixed with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in a flexible substrate aligned in a first direction, forming a transducer subsystem, a first conductive protective electrode having a width and a length configured to provide a first electrical connectivity to an external circuit, and a second conductive protective electrode having the width and the length and configured to provide a second electrical connectivity to the external circuit, wherein the transducer subsystem is sandwiched between the first and second conductive protective electrodes, and providing an external circuit configured to provide an electrical signal to the first and second conductive protective electrodes to thereby transduce the electrical signal to sound.

Abstract: An example system includes: a landmark detection engine to detect landmark positions of landmarks in images based on facial detection; an optical flow landmark engine to determine the landmark positions in the images based on optical flow of the landmarks between the images; a landmark difference engine to determine, for a landmark in a given image: a distance between a detected landmark position and an optical flow landmark position of the landmark; and a weighted landmark determination engine to determine, for a first and second image, a position for the landmark in the second image based on: a respective detected landmark position and a respective optical flow position of the landmark in the second image; and respective distances, determined with the landmark difference engine, between a first detected landmark position of the landmark in the first image and respective optical flow landmark positions for the first and second images.

Abstract: A safety vent assembly for a cylindrical battery may include a burst disk configured to open and at least partially define a vent in response to a thermal runaway of the battery. The safety vent assembly may further include a current collector and a positive terminal. A turbulence promoter may be defined on the current collector. Gas from inside the battery may pass through the turbulence promoter and the vent formed by the burst disk during thermal runaway.

Abstract: A perovskite-polymer composite comprising a perovskite and a polymer, wherein the polymer has a structural unit comprising a thiourea (—HN(C?S)NH—) fragment and a (—R1—O—R2—) fragment, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-C6 alkyl or a cycloalkyl linker; a mechanically robust and self-healable solar cell comprising same; and a method of making same.

Abstract: A method of selectively controlling materials structure in solution based chemical synthesis and deposition of materials by controlling input energy from pulsed energy source includes determining solution conditions, searching and/or determining energy barrier(s) of a desired materials structure formation, applying precursor solution with selected solution condition onto a substrate, and applying determined input energy from a pulsed energy source with a selected condition to the substrate, thereby nucleating and growing the crystal.

Abstract: A method of sensing a current in a conductor includes controlling a digital to analog converter output to cancel residual offset voltage in a magnetic tunnel junction device prior to sensing the current with the magnetic tunnel junction device. The method includes switching input to the magnetic tunnel junction device between a fixed voltage and an output of a digital to analog converter while switching input to a band pass filter between a lower and an upper voltage output of the magnetic tunnel junction device. The output of the digital to analog converter is modified to provide a low-amplitude unsaturated sine-wave at an output of the band pass filter, at which point changes in the output of the band pass filter are associated with the amount of current in a sensed conductor.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring and tracking the behavior of cells and tissues in a culturing medium, for example, in a cell culture medium or an in vivo tissue environment, using a tissue scaffold system having one or more sensor arrays. Such monitoring systems include a tissue scaffold system and one or more sensor arrays on the tissue scaffold system in vertically stackable configurations. The sensor array(s) are configured to monitor electrical impedance and/or electrophysiological activities of cells or tissues which may be provided to an external data acquisition system for production of a three-dimensional (3D) map.

Abstract: Methods and systems capable of measuring gas temperatures utilizing plasma discharges. Such a method performs a measurement of a temperature of a gas by generating a probing nanosecond plasma pulse in the gas, and then using an optical emission spectroscopy technique to measure the temperature of the gas by processing a light emission signal excited by the probing nanosecond plasma pulse.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present application relates to methods and materials for weed control of a field of a crop plant using a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor selected from the group consisting of ES20 and ES20-1 to ES20-9 of FIG. 1A. In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for treatment or prevention of an infection through inhibition of biofilm formation of microorganisms comprising the step of applying a therapeutic effective amount of a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor selected from the group consisting of ES20 and ES20-1˜ES20-9 of FIG. 1A, or a salt thereof, in combination with one or more other commonly used antibiotics. A composition matter comprising said compounds and methods of use are within the scope of the present invention.

Abstract: An igniter system and method for igniting a propellant by an optical energy source. The igniter system including an igniter composite and a propellant. The igniter composite including a reactive component and a fluoropolymer. The propellant is coupled to the igniter composite. The igniter composite has a composition including nano-aluminum at ideal stoichiometry in polyvinylidene fluoride. The igniter composite is configured to achieve a sustained ignition from a wavelength emitted from the optical energy source. The wavelength is between around 250 nanometers to around 1100 nanometers.

Abstract: The present disclosure teaches a method of treating a patient in need of therapeutic intervention with bioactive cyclic peptide molecules which are useful as antimicrobials, anticancer agents, antiparasitic, immunosuppressants, and others.

Abstract: Bis-amide inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) and methods of using them to treat a severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Abstract: A shape-morphing fin includes a fixed portion, a multistable portion, a coupling portion, and a vibration source. The multistable portion functions as a negative stiffness element. The multistable portion is selectively movable between a first position and a second position. The movement between first position and the second position is configured to remove the ice formation from the structure. The coupling portion couples the fixed portion to the multistable portion. The vibration source is configured to produce a resonant vibration to engage the movement of the multistable portion from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sensing vibrational absorption induced photothermal effect via a visible light source. A Mid-infrared photothermal probe (MI-PTP, or MIP) approach achieves 10 mM detection sensitivity and sub-micron lateral spatial resolution. Such performance exceeds the diffraction limit of infrared microscopy and allows label-free three-dimensional chemical imaging of live cells and organisms. Distributions of endogenous lipid and exogenous drug inside single cells can be visualized. MIP imaging technology may enable applications from monitoring metabolic activities to high-resolution mapping of drug molecules in living systems, which are beyond the reach of current infrared microscopy.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present application relates to methods and materials for weed control of a field of a crop plant using a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor selected from the group consisting of ES20 and ES20-1 to ES20-9 of FIG. 1A. In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for treatment or prevention of an infection through inhibition of biofilm formation of microorganisms comprising the step of applying a therapeutic effective amount of a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor selected from the group consisting of ES20 and ES20-1˜ES20-9 of FIG. 1A, or a salt thereof, in combination with one or more other commonly used antibiotics. A composition matter comprising said compounds and methods of use are within the scope of the present invention.

Abstract: A state of battery testing system is disclosed which includes a charger, a load to be coupled across the battery's positive and negative terminals, a processer adapted to apply a predetermined voltage pulse across the battery's positive and negative terminals, apply the load to the battery, measure and log current through the load as Iexp, and establish a model based on establishing an initial estimation of state of the battery (?0), and establishing a modeled state of battery (?i) based on a plurality of internal parameters of the battery. The model is adapted to output a model current through the load, inputting ?0 and the plurality of internal parameters of the model to thereby generate Imodel, generate an objective function (f) based on a comparison of Imodel and Iexp, and iteratively optimize ?i, and output ?optimal based on the iterations.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a material is described. The method includes preparing a powder mixture including yttrium aluminum garnet doped with a fissionable isotope, grinding the powder mixture to form a first milled powder, drying the first milled powder, calcinating the first milled powder to form a calcinated powder, grinding the calcinated powder to form a second milled powder, drying the second milled powder, shaping the second milled powder to form a plurality of shaped material portions, and sintering the plurality of shaped material portions.

Abstract: A system may provide an eco-feedback and gaming platform for home energy management. The system may generate daily energy scores for a plurality of households. The system may prepare a community energy conservation game in which community conservation goals and participation thresholds are generated. The system may execute the game by receiving time series date from each of the households and rewards the households for participating in achieving the community goal.

Abstract: Ceramic and ceramic composite components suitable for high temperature applications and methods of manufacturing such components. The components are formed by a displacive compensation of porosity (DCP) process and are suitable for use at operating temperatures above 600° C., and preferably above 1400° C., and possess superior mechanical properties.

Abstract: A locking device includes a lock body configured to be secured to a part of a bicycle, a cable within the lock body and having a first end accessible from an exterior of the lock body, a spring coil mechanism within the lock body for coiling the cable within the lock body and enabling the cable to be selectively extended from the lock body to lock the bicycle to a separate structure by wrapping the cable around the separate structure and then locking the first end of the cable to the lock body, and a communication and control unit incorporated into the lock body and configured to communicate with a remote device to allow the remote device to wirelessly unlock the first end of the cable from the lock body.