Abstract: In a method of atomic precision advanced manufacturing (APAM), an atomic or molecular resist layer on a substrate surface is selectively depassivated by locally exciting the substrate surface with an optical beam effective to eject adsorbed atoms or molecules from the substrate surface. The substrate surface is further processed by exposing it to a precursor gas, decomposing the precursor gas to release a dopant, and incorporating the dopant into the substrate surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to towerless vertical-axis wind turbines with pre-tensioned rotors. The present disclosure is further directed to a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) with supported blade ends (e.g., Darrieus type) which replaces the center tower with tensioned supports, such as tensioned guy wires, and blade pre-load.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a device and method to engineer the superconducting transition width by suppressing the phonon populations responsible for the Cooper-pair decoherence below the superconducting transition temperature via phononic bandgap engineering. The device uses phononic crystals to engineer a phononic frequency gap that suppresses the decohering thermal phonon population just below the Cooper-frequency, and thus the normal conduction electron population. For example, such engineering can relax the cooling requirements for a variety of circuits yielding higher operational quality factors for superconducting electronics and interconnects.

Abstract: A hermetically-sealed edge-connect header that can withstand high temperatures, high pressures (or high vacuum levels), and high vibration environments, along with two corresponding connectors are disclosed. After brazing the edge-connect header components, the assembly is machined to form a slot with a portion of each of a plurality of electrical conductors removed in the machining process, resulting in a header with a high pin density. During the process of mating the first connector design to the edge-connect header, a plurality of wipers in the connector deflect, thereby causing the wipers to extend from the connector and contact the corresponding electrical conductors in the header. During the process of mating the second connector design to the edge-connect header, each of a plurality of wipers formed of low-mass, compliant metal wool, forms multiple contact points with a corresponding electrical conductor in the header.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an Aspergillus niger host cell comprising a gene of interest operatively linked to an ecm33 promoter of an ascomycete fungi, wherein the gene of interest is heterologous to the ecm33 promoter and/or to Aspergillus niger. In some embodiments, the gene of interest is a glycoside hydrolase enzyme. In some embodiments, the glycoside hydrolase enzyme is a glucosidase.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling the phase shifts produced in a binary corporate tree network of the kind, e.g., that can drive a phased array for steering an optical beam. The method employs a novel phase-wrapping technique in which an entire layer of the binary tree is disabled when the phase added in that layer reaches 2?. With that technique, it is possible to economize on electrical control lines and on the use of electric power, while still maintaining the ability to produce arbitrary phases at the output of the tree network.

Abstract: A method for increasing a speed or energy efficiency at which a computer is capable of modeling a plurality of random walkers. The method includes defining a virtual space in which a plurality of virtual random walkers will move among different locations in the virtual space, wherein the virtual space comprises a plurality of vertices and wherein the different locations are ones of the plurality of vertices. A corresponding set of neurons in a spiking neural network is assigned to a corresponding vertex such that there is a correspondence between sets of neurons and the plurality of vertices, wherein a spiking neural network comprising a plurality of sets of spiking neurons is established. A virtual random walk of the plurality of virtual random walkers is executed using the spiking neural network, wherein executing includes tracking how many virtual random walkers are at each vertex at a given time increment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tunable microresonators, as well as methods of designing and tuning such resonators. In particular, tuning includes applying an electrical bias to the resonator, thereby shifting the resonant frequency.

Abstract: A battery cell comprising a composite water-responsive safety layer and/or composite water- and pH-responsive safety layer to protect against tissue damage and/or electrolysis, when the battery cell is exposed to aqueous solution or tissue, is provided. The composite water-responsive safety layer and/or composite water- and pH-responsive safety layer is adapted to change from a non-electronically conducting state to an electronically conducting state.

Abstract: Extensive deployment of interoperable distributed energy resources (DER) on power systems is increasing the power system cybersecurity attack surface. National and jurisdictional interconnection standards require DER to include a range of autonomous and commanded grid-support functions which can drastically influence power quality, voltage, and the generation-load balance. Investigations of the impact to the power system in scenarios where communications and operations of DER are controlled by an adversary show that each grid-support function exposes the power system to distinct types and magnitudes of risk. The invention provides methods for minimizing the risks to distribution and transmission systems using an engineered control system which detects and mitigates unsafe control commands.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of converting a depolymerized lignin aromatic compound into a bioproduct, comprising: (a) providing a composition comprising a depolymerized lignin aromatic compound, optionally a depolymerized cellulose, and optionally a depolymerized hemicellulose, and (b) introducing a genetically modified microorganism to the composition, wherein the genetically modified microorganism is capable of converting the depolymerized lignin aromatic compound into a bioproduct; such that the depolymerized lignin aromatic compound is converted into a bioproduct.

Abstract: A hybrid ferroelectric/non-ferroelectric piezoelectric microresonator is disclosed. The hybrid microresonator uses a ferroelectric layer as the actuator as ferroelectric materials typically have higher actuation coefficients than non-ferroelectric piezoelectric materials. The hybrid microresonator uses a non-ferroelectric piezoelectric layer as the sensor layer as non-ferroelectric piezoelectric materials typically have higher sensing coefficients than ferroelectric materials. This hybrid microresonator design allows the independent optimization of actuator and sensor materials. This hybrid microresonator design may be used for bulk acoustic wave contour mode resonators, bulk acoustic wave solidly mounted resonators, free-standing bulk acoustic resonators, and piezoelectric transformers.

Abstract: Disclosed here is a method for making a nanoporous material, comprising aerosolizing a solution comprising at least one metal salt and at least one solvent to obtain an aerosol, freezing the aerosol to obtain a frozen aerosol, and drying the frozen aerosol to obtain a nanoporous metal compound material. Further, the nanoporous metal compound material can be reduced to obtain a nanoporous metal material.

Abstract: A method of forming a coated component using an additive manufacturing system including building a body portion of the component on a build plate. An outer surface of the body portion can include an indentation resulting from the additive manufacturing system. The method further includes performing at least one post-build process on the body portion. The method yet further includes forming a coating layer on an outer surface of the processed body portion. The coating layer may surround a portion of the body component and may impregnate the indentation. A thickness of the coating layer may be a function of at least one of surface roughness, size of the indentation, or a diameter of particles used to build the additive manufactured bracket.

Abstract: A method and system for sensing and controlling temperature with magnetic fields are provided. The method comprises placing a compound in thermal communication with a number of temperature or heat sources and placing a number of magnets in thermal communication with the compound. A number of magnetic sensors are placed in electromagnetic communication with the number of magnets. Changes in the magnetic field of the magnets are detected by the sensors and used to determine the temperature of the compound according to a model that maps magnetic field characteristics to temperature. The amount of cure of the compound can then be estimated from the temperature. The temperature or heat sources are controlled in response to the temperature measurement and the estimated amount of cure of the compound.

Abstract: A method for digital image segmentation is provided. The method comprises training a neural network for image segmentation with a labeled training dataset from a first domain, wherein a subset of nodes in the neural net are dropped out during training. The neural network receives image data from a second, different domain. A vector of N values that sum to 1 is calculated for each image element, wherein each value represents an image segmentation class. A label is assigned to each image element according to the class with the highest value in the vector. Multiple inferences are performed with active dropout layers for each image element, and an uncertainty value is generated for each image element. The label of any image element with an uncertainty value above a predefined threshold is replaced with a new label corresponding to the class with the next highest value.

Abstract: We provide an electrochemical sensor in which working microelectrodes are arranged in an array and interconnected in parallel. The working electrodes are arranged so that in use, they are electrochemically coupled to a counter electrode structure through an electrolyte. The sensor also includes a microporous body arranged so that in use, it is situated at a boundary between a gaseous environment and the electrolyte. In another aspect, we provide a method of sensing in which a sample of gas is admitted to a liquid electrolyte maintained by pores of a porous substrate. A voltage is applied to the liquid electrolyte, and an electrical response to the applied voltage is observed, thereby to detect electrochemical evidence of an analyte within the liquid electrolyte.

Abstract: Viruses and other bioagents are of high medical and biodefense concern and their detection at concentrations well below the threshold necessary to cause health hazards continues to be a challenge with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and selectivity. Ideally, assays for accurate and real time detection of viral agents and other bioagents would not necessitate any pre-processing of the analyte, which would make them applicable for example to bodily fluids (blood, sputum) and man-made as well as naturally occurring bodies of water (pools, rivers). We describe herein a robust biosensor that combines the sensitivity of surface acoustic waves (SAW) generated at a frequency of 325 MHz with the specificity provided by antibodies and other ligands for the detection of viral agents.

Abstract: A system for characterizing thermal properties of thermally anisotropic heterogeneous samples includes a heating element, a first temperature sensing device, a second temperature sensing device, and a computing system. The heating element is positioned at a first location within a sample and heats the sample. The first temperature sensing device outputs data indicative of temperatures of the first location to the computing device. The second temperature sensing device outputs data indicative of temperatures of the second location to the computing device. The computing device computes a thermal conductivity of the sample based upon the temperatures of the first location. The computing device further outputs an indication of a portion of the sample to which the thermal conductivity pertains based upon the second temperatures.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods useful for confined-channel digital microfluidics that combine high-throughput droplet generators with digital microfluidic for droplet manipulation. The present disclosure also provides an off-chip sensing system for droplet tracking.