Abstract: A robotic coupling joint system and method are discussed herein, which may be utilized with a daylighting system or photovoltaic system to track sunlight. The system may provide a spherical joint allowing axial motion about two or more axes of the spherical joint. The joint comprises a first plate with four or more sockets, a second plate, a connector, and one or more spheres positioned between the first and second plates. The connector secures the sphere between the first and second plates. The system may also include a stand, an end effector coupled to the stand by the spherical joint, and a mobility system that is capable of actuating the end effector. The mobility system includes two or more linking elements coupled to the end effector, and a motor coupled to the linking elements to actuate the end effector to track sunlight.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a computer-implemented method for automated identification of air voids on a surface by receiving a plurality of images of the surface; reconstructing the plurality of images into at least one three-dimensional representation of the surface; and feeding the reconstructed three-dimensional representation of the surface into an algorithm specifically trained for air void identification. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a computing device for automated identification of air voids on a surface in accordance with the method of the present disclosure. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a system for automated identification of air voids on a surface.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to methods and systems for optimizing a property of a plant. In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure include: (1) receiving one or more growth-related parameters of the plant; (2) receiving one or more phenotype-related parameters of the plant; (3) receiving one or more qualitative parameters of the plant; (4) utilizing a computing unit to evaluate said one or more growth-related parameters, phenotype-related parameters and qualitative parameters of the plant; and (5) utilizing the computing unit to adjust the one or more of the growth-related parameters of the plant based on the evaluation. In some embodiments, the aforementioned steps are repeated a plurality of times. In some embodiments, the parameters are stored in a database and utilized by a machine-learning algorithm to optimize the evaluation of the parameters and adjustment of the growth-related parameters.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of modulating a stress response in a eukaryotic organism against an environmental stress by introducing an RNA fragment (RF) or an antisense nucleotide to the eukaryotic organism. Thereafter, the RF or antisense nucleotide modulates the stress response against the environmental stress. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to the RFs and antisense nucleotides of the present disclosure. The RFs generally include: a sequence recognition site that contains a reverse complement sequence of a nucleotide sequence of the organism; and a stem loop structure with a paired region that includes paired RNA nucleotides, and an unpaired region that includes unpaired RNA nucleotides in the form of a loop. The antisense nucleotides may include a reverse complement sequence of the RFs.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ethylene and/or propylene cracker unit that uses recycled carbon dioxide as a working fluid. A boiler may also use recycled carbon dioxide as a working fluid. In either instance, instead of releasing high-purity CO2 into the atmosphere, the bulk of the CO2 is utilized as the working fluid and the produced CO2 is captured and sent to the pipeline for utilization or storage. These systems will minimize heat loss and achieve essentially zero CO2 emission to the air.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for overlaying network data on a physical space and/or network devices. Rules are applied to network data that was captured from a network device. Such rules are used to select which network data from the captured network data is to be visualized by a user. The selected network data is then enhanced with additional information (e.g., geographical location). The speed of the transmission and/or volume of the enhanced network data are adapted according to human brain frame rate and user preferences to generate processed network data. Holograms of the processed network data are created for visualization at an augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) device. The AR/VR device overlays the holograms on top of the physical space encompassing the network device and/or the network device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a boiler may that uses recycled carbon dioxide as a working fluid. Instead of releasing high-purity CO2 into the atmosphere, the bulk of the CO2 is utilized as the working fluid and the produced CO2 is captured and sent to a pipeline for utilization or storage. These systems will minimize heat loss and achieve essentially zero CO2 emission to the air.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of determining the feasibility of growing one or more crops by evaluating a plurality of risk factors associated with the growing and determining the feasibility of the growing based on the evaluation of the risk factors. In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure also include steps of tailoring the risk factors based on the determination of the feasibility of the growing and re-determining the feasibility of the growing by evaluation of the tailored risk factors. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure also include a step of implementing the growing based on the determination of the feasibility of the growing.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ethylene and/or propylene cracker unit that uses recycled carbon dioxide as a working fluid. A boiler may also use recycled carbon dioxide as a working fluid. In either instance, instead of releasing high-purity CO2 into the atmosphere, the bulk of the CO2 is utilized as the working fluid and the produced CO2 is captured and sent to the pipeline for utilization or storage. These systems will minimize heat loss and achieve essentially zero CO2 emission to the air.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for enabling early collision detection and handling in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems. A tag receives an instruction from a reader to reflect either a single encoded bit or multiple encoded bits. The tag then reflects either the single encoded bit or the multiple encoded bits to the reader. The reader decodes the received encoded bit(s) from the tag, where the decoded bit(s) are placed in a vector or matrix by the reader. The vector/matrix is then transmitted to the tag, which determines if the reflected bit(s) agree with the corresponding bit(s) in the vector/matrix thereby indicating whether the reflected bit(s) were read successfully by the reader. The tag will then enter a no reflection mode in response to a disagreement between the reflected bit(s) with the corresponding bit(s) in the vector/matrix thereby preventing collisions from occurring.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to modified plants or seeds that contain a mutated gene. The mutated gene includes, without limitation, a pic30 mutant, a mutant homolog of pic30, and combinations thereof. The modified plant or seed is resistant to at least one herbicide, such as picloram. The modified plant or seed may also be resistant to one or more sources of environmental stress, such as drought, plant pathogenesis, biotic stress, and abiotic stress. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of controlling the growth of weeds in a field by applying at least one herbicide to the field that includes the aforementioned modified plants or seeds. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of developing the aforementioned modified plants or seeds by introducing one or more of the aforementioned mutated genes to a plant or seed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of evaluating a meat sample by measuring electricity conducted from water in the meat sample and correlating the evaluation to a property of the meat sample. The water forms (e.g., free water, immobilized water, and bound water) can be evaluated by measuring electricity conducted from water in the meat sample. The property of the meat sample can include, without limitation, a color of the meat sample, or a tenderness of the meat sample.

Abstract: Described herein is photocaging methodology using ruthenium (II) complexes with 7-deazahypoxanthine-based anticancer agents. Specifically, 7-deazahypoxanthines are converted into photoactivatable chemotherapeutic agents for the controlled release of these toxic agents selectively into tumor tissue upon irradiation with light.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are self-healing conductive network compositions. The networks can contain one or more conductive polymers and one or more supramolecular complexes. The supramolecular complex can be introduced into conductive polymer matrix, resulting in a network of the two components. In this network, the nanostructured conductive polymer gel constructs a 3D network to promote the transport of electrons and mechanically reinforce the network while the supramolecular complex contributes to self-healing property and also conductivity. The networks disclosed herein are useful for various applications such as self-healing electronics, artificial skins, soft robotics and biomimetic prostheses.

Abstract: A method for identifying maximal independent sets in parallel may include, on a processor, accessing data representing an undirected graph, generating a respective initial priority value for each vertex, dependent on the vertex degree and an average degree for vertices in the graph, and recording an indication of the initial priority value for each vertex. The method may include determining, for multiple vertices, that no neighbor vertex has a priority value that is higher than that of the vertex. In response, the method may include recording respective indications that each neighbor vertex connected is not to be included in a maximal independent set for the undirected graph and recording an indication that the vertex is to be included in the maximal independent set. The determinations and recordings may be performed in parallel by respective processing elements of the processor. The processor may be a GPU.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for creating a nanoscale structure. The method includes forming a window in a semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure comprising a substrate, a first semiconductor layer, and a mask layer; depositing a second semiconductor layer within the window such that a gap remains between the second semiconductor and a portion of the window; and regrowing the first semiconductor layer such that the first semiconductor layer fills the gap.

Abstract: A fiber fluidic system may be used to produce particles (e.g., NPs and/or microparticles). The fiber fluidic system may include a cylinder with a plurality of elongated fibers oriented along a length of the cylinder. The cylinder may have a first opening at or near a first end of the cylinder and a second opening downstream of the first opening. A constrained phase fluid may be provided through the first opening and a free phase fluid may be provided through the second opening to produce particles (e.g., NPs and/or microparticles) through a second end of the cylinder. The fiber fluidic system may be used to continuously produce the particles at high throughput.

Abstract: A method includes estimating a parametric model for a round-trip time sequence for an electronic transmission over a network. Optimization calculations may be performed to dynamically determine a bound (for example, a lower bound) on re-transmission timeout for an electronic transmission to be conducted over the network.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to modified plants or seeds that contain a mutated gene. The mutated gene includes, without limitation, a pic30 mutant, a mutant homolog of pic30, and combinations thereof. The modified plant or seed is resistant to at least one herbicide, such as picloram. The modified plant or seed may also be resistant to one or more sources of environmental stress, such as drought, plant pathogenesis, biotic stress, and abiotic stress. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of controlling the growth of weeds in a field by applying at least one herbicide to the field that includes the aforementioned modified plants or seeds. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of developing the aforementioned modified plants or seeds by introducing one or more of the aforementioned mutated genes to a plant or seed.

Abstract: A method for process parameter optimization in a robotic manufacturing process includes identifying, in two or more successive iterations, a system model for the robotic manufacturing process. Manufacturing process parameters are optimized based on the model identified. The process may be a robotic assembly process.