Abstract: The lithium-sulfur rechargeable battery (10) includes a negative electrode (14) formed from a composite of sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN), carbon black and carbon nanofibers coated on an aluminum substrate. The negative electrode (14), a corresponding positive electrode (16), an electrolyte (20) and a separator (18) are each disposed within a cell housing (12). The positive electrode (16) is formed from an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or salts thereof. The alkali metal of the positive electrode (16) may be, for example, lithium, sodium, potassium or cesium, and the alkaline earth metal of the positive electrode (16) may be, for example, magnesium, calcium or barium. Alternatively, the positive electrode (16) may be formed from aluminum, silver, zinc, hydrogen or salts thereof. The electrolyte (20) is formed from an alkali metal salt dissolved in an organic solvent.

Abstract: The heat index thermostat is an electronic, programmable thermostat having a microcontroller or microprocessor programmed to regulate the temperature of an enclosed space, such as a room or building. The thermostat has a user interface that permits the user to select a mode of operation and to enter a set temperature, and input terminals for receiving signals from relative humidity, indoor temperature, and other sensors. In a heat index mode of operation, the temperature is regulated by reference to a lookup table based on a heat index equation. The microcontroller uses the table inversely by using the set temperature as the heat index temperature, looking up the room temperature that would result in that heat index temperature given the measured relative humidity in the room. The thermostat then turns the cooling/heating unit on or off until the measured room temperature is equal to the temperature determined from the lookup table.

Abstract: A polypentenamer-silica composite can include a surface-modified silica compound and a polypentenamer chain grafted onto the surface-modified silica compound. The polypentenamer has physical properties similar to natural rubber. The polypentenamer-silica composite is recyclable. As such, the polypentenamer-silica composite can be used for manufacturing recyclable tires.

Abstract: The acid gas removal system for removing acidic gases from gaseous hydrocarbons (10) removes sour gases, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2), from an input gaseous stream. The system (10) includes a contactor (12) for contacting the input gaseous stream with an absorption liquid solvent (ALS), and a stripper (24) for recycling the absorption liquid solvent (ALS) and removing acidic gases (AG) therefrom, but with the addition of a pair of plate-plate heat exchangers (22, 26). The first heat exchanger (22) heats the used absorption liquid solvent (UALS) output from the contactor (12) prior to injection into the stripper (24). The used absorption liquid solvent (UALS) is heated via heat exchange with the acidic gases (AG) output from the stripper (24). The second heat exchanger (26) cools the recycled absorption liquid solvent (RALS) before injection back into the contactor (12).

Abstract: An arrangement configured to allocate network interface resources to a virtual machine, the arrangement comprising: an interface configured to receive a first network interface requirement for a first virtual machine; and a hypervisor module configured to compare the first network interface requirement to stored network interface information for one or more network interfaces associated one or more computing devices, and to allocate resources of at least one of the one or more network interfaces to the first virtual machine such that the first network interface requirement is met.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods for identifying denial constraints are provided herein. The denial constraints can be used with a database schema R. A predicate space P can be generated for an instance I in the schema R. An evidence set EviI can be generated. The evidence set EviI can include sets of satisfied predicates in the predicate space P for each instance I. A minimal set of predicates can be identified for the evidence set EviI. Valid denial constraints can be identified from the minimal set by inverting the predicates in the minimal set.

Abstract: A transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus for visible light communication and a visible light communication system resistant to optical interference is provided. The visible light communication system includes a transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. The transmitting apparatus includes a complimentary data generator and two transmitting modules. The transmitting modules include plurality of visible light sources and a transmitting polarization lens. Polarization of the two transmitting polarization lenses are orthogonal to each other. The receiving apparatus includes two receiving modules and a differential amplification module. The receiving modules include a photodiode and a receiving polarization lens. Polarization of the receiving polarization lens pair and transmitting polarization lens pair are the same.

Abstract: The multi-layered membrane (100) for separating oil and water includes a porous top layer (110), a porous bottom layer (130), and a particulate middle layer (120) positioned between the top layer (110) and the bottom layer (130), the middle layer (120) being hydrophobic and adapted for adsorbing oil, such as trace amounts of oil, that may pass through the top layer (110). The top layer (110) and the bottom layer (130) are hydrophilic and oleophobic. While the membrane (100) does not require any external pressure other than the gravitational forces exerted on the oil/water mixture W to drive the filtration of the oil/water mixture W through the membrane (100), the filtration can be driven by a vacuum or other type of external pressure.

Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for producing carbon and syngas from carbon dioxide (CO2). The system includes a first reactor (7) for producing solid carbon (15) from a feed including CO2 and a volatile organic compound such as methane (1), and a second reactor (20) for producing syngas. Reactions in the first reactor (7) are conducted in a limited oxygen atmosphere. The second reactor (20) can use dry reforming, steam reforming, and/or partial oxidation reforming to produce the syngas (22).

Abstract: The electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction includes nanosheets of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) deposited on a carbon fiber substrate. The catalyst is formed in stepwise fashion by chemical vapor deposition of nanosheets of MoO3 onto the substrate, then reducing the MoO3 to nanosheets of MoO2 using sublimed sulfur, then by reaction of sulfur vapor with the MoO2 to form nanosheets of MoS2 on the carbon fiber substrate. The catalyst is multifaceted, having a large density of edges providing catalytically active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The activity of the catalyst is enhanced by coating the catalyst with spherical fullerenes (nC60).

Abstract: Photovoltaic perovskite oxychalcogenide material and an optoelectronic device are provided. The optoelectronic device includes a cathode layer, an anode layer, and an active layer disposed between the cathode layer and the anode layer. In one embodiment, the active layer includes a perovskite oxychalcogenide compound and the perovskite oxychalcogenide compound is NaMO2Q, wherein M is Nb or Ta, and Q is S, Se or Te.

Abstract: A method for cleaning data stored in a database, the method comprising providing a set of fixing rules. Each fixing rule incorporates a set of attribute values that capture an error in a plurality of semantically related attribute values, and a deterministic correction which is operable to replace one of the set of attribute values with a correct attribute value to correct the error. The method further comprises comparing at least two of the fixing rules with one another to check that the error correction carried out by one fixing rule is consistent with the error correction carried out by another fixing rule.

Abstract: The organic semiconductor polymers relate to polymers containing an indolo-naphthyridine-6,13-dione thiophene (INDT) chromophore. The organic semiconductor polymers are formed by polymerizing INDT monomer with thiophene to obtain a conjugated polymer of the chromophore linked by thiophene monomers (INDT-T), with phenyl to obtain a conjugated polymer of the chromophore linked by phenyl monomers (INDT-P), with selenophene to obtain a conjugated polymer of the chromophore linked by selenophene monomers (INDT-S), or with benzothiadazole to obtain a conjugated polymer of the chromophore linked by benzothiadazole monomers (INDT-BT).

Abstract: A computer implemented method for integrating data into a target database may include: providing a plurality of source databases which each may include a relational schema and data for integration into the target database; generating at least one complexity model based on the relational schema and data of each source database, each complexity model indicating at least one inconsistency between two or more of the data sources which may be require to be resolved to integrate the data from the data sources into the target database; and generating an effort model that may include an effort value for each inconsistency indicated by each complexity model, each effort value indicating at least one of a time period and a financial cost to resolve the inconsistency to integrate data from the data sources into the target database.

Abstract: The orthophosphate electrodes for rechargeable batteries include an anode and a cathode, each formed from an orthophosphate material, for use in a conventional electrolytic cell-type rechargeable battery. The orthophosphate anode is an anode formed from an orthophosphate material having the formula A2T2B(PO4)3, and the orthophosphate cathode is a cathode formed from an orthophosphate material having the formula A3T2B(PO4)3, where A represents an alkali metal and T and B each represent a transition metal. The alkali metal may be lithium (Li) sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), monovalent cations thereof, or combinations thereof and each transition metal may be titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The metal-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of a lactone is a method of alkoxycarbonylating a ?-lactone, specifically 3-ethylidene-6-vinyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one. The method includes combining the ?-lactone with an alcohol in an organic solvent in the presence of a catalyst system that includes palladium or a salt thereof to form a reaction mixture, which is heated to 110-130° C. at a pressure of 20-50 bar for between 3-5 hours under flow of carbon monoxide gas. The product of the reaction is a substituted 2-octendioate diester. The alcohol may be methyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, 2-ethylhexanol, isobutyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, or phenol. The solvent may be toluene, acetonitrile, or tetrahydrofuran. The method may include adding an acid to the reaction mixture, which may be dilute (about 5 mol %) sulfuric or p-toluenesulfonic acid. The catalyst system may also include a phosphine ligand.

Abstract: The two-dimensional metal carbide desalination membrane includes a stack of two-dimensional metal carbide layers. A two-dimensional metal carbide included in the two-dimensional metal carbide layers may have the formula Ti3C2Tx, where T represents a terminating functional group, and x represents a number of the terminating functional groups. The terminating group may be oxygen, hydroxide (OH), fluorine or combinations thereof. The two-dimensional metal carbide desalination membrane includes nano-channels which are selectively permeable to ions. The two-dimensional metal carbide desalination membrane is selectivity permeable to a number of different cations, including Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ni2+ and Al3+, with counter Cl? anions. Permeation rates depend on the charges of the cations and the ions' hydrated radius, with a critical point around 4.0 ?. The two-dimensional metal carbide desalination membranes can be used as desalination and/or water filtration membranes.

Abstract: The cross-layer time synchronization method is a cross-layer synchronization approach that utilizes a timing recovery module at a physical layer (PHY), derives the information about the clock frequency offset from the timestamp-embedded message, and exploits it for synchronization at the higher layers. This approach either results in minimizing the cost of synchronization resulting in energy efficiency or improving the accuracy of the clock parameters' estimates by exploiting the PHY information. Some applications of this cross-layer technique include, but are not limited to, energy efficient wireless networks, cooperative networks or distributed MIMO networks.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an iron-modified montmorillonite adsorbent for effectively removing heavy metals from water. The iron modified montmorillonite can be synthesized using a facile intercalation wet synthesis procedure that requires low energy and minimal use of chemicals. The iron modified montmorillonite adsorbent effectively removes heavy metals, such as arsenite, strontium, barium, phosphate, from water.

Abstract: The dispiro-oxepine/dispiro-thiapine derivatives for optoelectronic semiconductors is a compound based on a structure having a functionalized dispiro compound of formula (Ia) or (Ib) with the core unit being a seven-membered heterocycle oxepine or thiapine, the derivative being formed by combining (Ia) or (Ib): with two moities selected from K1 and K2: The derivative is used as a hole transporting material in an optoelectronic and/or photoelectrochemical device.