Abstract: Battery parameters, state of charge, and state of health co-estimation are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes determining a terminal current and a terminal voltage of a battery. The method also includes maintaining a battery model that defines a relationship between a parameter of the battery, the terminal current, and the terminal voltage. Further, the method includes determining the parameter of the battery based on the battery model and the acquired terminal current and the terminal voltage.

Abstract: A method for making a pressure sensitive adhesive comprising: (a) reacting (i) at least one dibasic acid or anhydride thereof with (ii) at least one epoxide having at least two epoxy groups, one diol or polyol, or one diamine at a stoichiometric molar excess of reactive carboxylic acid groups relative reactive epoxy groups, hydroxyl groups or amine groups to produce a thermoplastic prepolymer or oligomer capped with a carboxylic acid group at both prepolymer or oligomer chain ends, or a thermoplastic branched prepolymer or oligomer with at least two of the prepolymer or oligomer branches and chain ends capped with a carboxylic acid group; and (b) curing the resulting carboxylic acid-capped prepolymer or oligomer with at least one polyfunctional epoxy to produce a pressure sensitive adhesive, wherein the polyfunctional epoxy is not an epoxidized vegetable oil.

Abstract: Methods and systems for producing prescribed unit size poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) polymers and copolymers are provided. The methods and systems can employ recombinant bacteria that are not native producers of PHA or lack enzymes to degrade PHA once synthesized, metabolize short to long chain fatty acids without induction, and express an (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratase and a PHA synthase, the (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratase and PHA synthase having wide substrate specificities. The recombinant bacteria are fed at least one fatty acid substrate that is equal in carbon length to the prescribed or desired unit size of the PHA polymer to be produced. The prescribed unit size PHA that is produced is then isolated and/or purified.

Abstract: A portable self medication management system and method comprising at least a plurality of receptacles, a scanner, a display screen, a housing for a compact electronic box, a compact electronic box and a processor to acquire medication information from a medication container, determine whether the medication information exists in a first database, if the medication information does not exist in the first database, associate the medication information with a location information comprising a receptacle and store the medication information and the location information in the first database, indicate the location information, and confirm placement of the medication container in the associated receptacle, notify a user to administer the medication held in the medication container, and request the user to scan the medication container of the notified medication, detect retrieval of an incorrect medication container from the plurality of receptacles, and issue a warning of the detection, and provide instructions fo

Abstract: This invention provides Methods of conveniently controlling seed germination in genetically modified plants by the administration of a chemical modulator. The plant comprises a hormone-regulating gene placed under the control of a gene switch.

Abstract: The invention provides energy efficient depolymerization of polyesters such as post-consumer polylactic acid. Ultrasonic induced implosions can be used to facilitate the depolymerization. The expanding market of polylactic acid-based plastic products, such as water bottles and packaging materials, has raised concerns of contaminating the recycling stream, which is largely filled with petroleum-based plastics. Thus the development of an energy efficient and economically viable PLA recycling process is urgently needed. Post consumer PLA was exposed to methanol as the suspension media in the presence of organic or ionic salts of alkali metals such a potassium carbonate and sodium hydroxide as depolymerization catalysts to provide high quality lactic acid monomers in high yield.

Abstract: A combustion chamber may include an upper and a lower chamber. The chambers may be separable to aid in loading fuel and removing spent fuel. The cross-section of the upper combustion chamber may be less than the cross-section of the lower section. Charcoal or other biomass fuel may be added into the lower combustion chamber and may be supported by a grate. Oxygen may be fed into the combustion chamber through a plurality of apertures that may be substantially shielded from direct line of site of the fuel bed. The upper combustion chamber may further include an annular constriction, to aid in constricting the view factor between the cooking vessel and the fuel bed. The constriction may also aid in radiating energy back to the fuel bed.

Abstract: Polymers for photoresists and monomers for incorporation into those polymers are disclosed. The polymers comprise at least two components: an acid labile component and a photolytically stable and acid-stable component. The polymers may also contain a third, photoacid generator (PAG) component. The acid-labile component is based on the presence of a readily cleavable oxygen-carbon bond that usually occurs in a sterically hindered ether or ester.

Abstract: A digester with separate stages for hydrolysis and methanogenesis is disclosed. The digester includes a leachate bay reactor, which may be configured as modular, multi-bay units. Waste material is added to the leachate bay reactor. A leachate storage tank is fluidically connected to the leachate bay reactor, which facilitates hydrolysis. Leachate from the leachate storage tank is recirculated through the leachate bay reactor. A high rate methanogenic reactor is fluidically connected to the leachate storage tank to cycle the leachate in a fixed film environment for biogas production from solubilized organic matter. The reactor may be operated in an anaerobic digestion mode, or a dual aerobic-anaerobic digestion mode. The reactor may also include a struvite system having a crystallizer unit and a separation unit to reduce ammonium and phosphate accumulation during operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel barcode microstructures and methods for making and using the microstructures for molecular recognition, and/or delivery of therapeutic, diagnostic, contrast, and imaging agents.

Abstract: The present application relates to an electrochemical metal-air cell in which a low temperature ionic liquid is used.

Abstract: Therapeutic peptides (and peptoids) for preventing or inhibiting tissue damage associated with ischemia and/or reperfusion are provided, along with peptides (and peptoids) for preventing or inhibiting cancerous tissue growth. The peptides are derived from ?2-glycoprotein I. Pharmaceutical and veterinary compositions comprising the peptides are also provided. Methods of using the peptides to prevent or inhibit tissue damage associated with ischemia and/or reperfusion and/or to prevent or inhibit tissue damage or the growth of cancerous tissue are also provided.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system is provided for implementing application protocol field extraction. The system includes: an automata generator configured to receive the extraction specification that specifies data elements to be extracted from data packets and generate a counting automaton; and a field extractor configured to receive a data flow and operates to extract data elements from the data packets in accordance with the counting automaton. The extraction specification is expressed in terms of a context-free grammar, where the grammar defines grammatical structures of data packets transmitted in accordance with an application protocol and includes counters used to chronicle parsing history of production rules comprising the grammar.

Abstract: A process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids as biofuel or additive to a petroleum fuel for use in a compression ignition (CI) engine. The process preferably provides a partial transesterification of a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters with at least one alkyl alcohol containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst to produce a mixture of the fatty acid methyl esters and alkyl alcohol esters of the fatty acids.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for treatment of toxin poisoning are disclosed.

Abstract: A system provides an in situ or non-invasive vibro-acoustic (VA) analysis of an arbitrary complex vibrating structure. The noise diagnostic system includes a plurality of first transducers for measuring acoustic pressure in a sound field near a noise source. At least one second transducer measures normal surface velocity on the noise source. A computer acquires acoustic pressure data from the plurality of first transducers and normal surface velocity data from the at least one second transducer. The computer generates a transfer matrix representing a correlation between normal surface velocity on the noise source and the acoustic pressure in the sound field.

Abstract: A computer system maintains a biological data structure having molecular feature data. The system receives data elements indicating biological molecular features and knowledge elements that represent biological concepts. The system individually associates unique identifiers with the elements. For individual elements, the system maintains an internal element set of the other unique identifiers for the other elements that are directly associated with that one individual element. For the individual elements, the system maintains an external element set of the other unique identifiers for the other elements that have that one individual element in their own internal element sets. Although not required, the computer system may process a query indicating a search scope and a molecular feature for an individual biological entity, and responsively process the molecular feature and the elements based on the search scope to induce a knowledge sub-graph for the individual biological entity.

Abstract: A system for controlling unwanted flow separation. One or more microjets are placed to feed auxiliary fluid into a region of suspected flow separation on a surface. If the separation is intermittent, sensors can be employed to detect its onset. Once separation is developing, the microjets are activated to inject a stream of high-velocity gas in a direction that is transverse to the prevailing flow. This injected stream forms counter-rotating vortices in the prevailing flow and thereby transfers momentum from the prevailing flow into the boundary layer proximate the surface.

Abstract: A method of forming a biodiesel product and a heterogeneous catalyst system used to form said product that has a high tolerance for the presence of water and free fatty acids (FFA) in the oil feedstock is disclosed. This catalyst system may simultaneously catalyze both the esterification of FAA and the transesterification of triglycerides present in the oil feedstock. The catalyst system is comprised of a mixture of zinc oxide and a second metal oxide. The zinc oxide includes a mixture of amorphous zinc oxide and zinc oxide nanocrystals, the zinc nanocrystals having a mean grain size between about 20 and 80 nanometers with at least one of the nanocrystals including a mesopore having a diameter of about 5 to 15 nanometers. Preferably, the second metal oxide is a lanthanum oxide, the lanthanum oxide being selected as one from the group of La2CO5, LaOOH, and combinations or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia crapemyrtle plant named ‘CREC-0001’, characterized by its medium to dark purple color flowers and medium to large growth habit.