Abstract: The invention relates to quick acting interfaces that allow for easier transportation and maintenance of precision rifles. Embodiments include an interface with an engaging segment and a receiving segment that engage one another and lock together. The engaging segment may have a series of connective bearings that fit into indentations inside the receiving segment. Embodiments allow a firearm to be modulated such that a barrel of the firearm may be disassembled without the need of any specialized equipment and reassembled without impacting the firearm's accuracy or reliability. Embodiments are scalable such that multiple interfaces can be used to adjust the total length of the firearm barrel.

Abstract: An apparatus for electrochemical experimentation with an isolated microstructural region on a surface comprising a metal sample coated with a photoresist, a region of interest, a light source, comprising optoelectronic devices such as spatial light modulators or digital micromirror devices for direct modulation of the light distribution itself and avoiding the use of a mask, wherein the exposed region is created by light from the light source and wherein the metal sample is immersed.

Abstract: A blast containment system for trash cans includes a donut-shaped bag having a sealed donut-shaped bottom positioned at the base of the trash can, and an open donut-shaped top positioned and retained at a top periphery of the trash can. An open-ended tubular region extends through the bag between its donut-shaped top and donut-shaped bottom. A rigid container having an open top is disposed in the tubular region of the bag with its open top being coupled to the donut-shaped top of the bag. A liquid fills the bag.

Abstract: An optical system has a beam-steering device, a light source, and a controller that controls the light source to actively control wavelength of the incoming light to control the output angle of the outgoing light output from the BS device. The BS device may have incoupler, waveguide, and/or outcoupler electrodes, and the system may have corresponding controllable voltage supplies actively controlled by the controller to selectively modify electric fields applied to the BS device to control corresponding operating characteristics of the BS device (e.g., in-plane and/or out-of-plane output angles of the outgoing light and/or device incoupling angle). An alternative optical system has a BS device, a detector array that generates detector signals corresponding to outgoing light received from the BS device, and a controller that processes the detector signals to determine one or more wavelengths of the outgoing light.

Abstract: This invention describes resins with phosphate cores and a simple, three-step process for their synthesis. Preferred resins are cyanate ester resins with bridging phosphate groups. These resins can be cured to produce thermoset polymers having Tgs of between 131 and >360° C. depending on the number of cyanate ester groups per phosphate and the substitution pattern of the aromatic rings. The high char yields of these resins, up to about 67%, coupled with the phosphate core means that these materials will have applications as fire-resistant polymers. Additionally, these materials can potentially be blended with conventional cyanate esters or other compatible thermosetting resins to improve the fire resistance of composite materials. Other applications may include use in fire-resistant circuit boards, or as surface coatings to reduce flammability of conventional composite materials or thermoplastics.

Abstract: A payload release mechanism is provided, which operates utilizing a pressure differential between the mechanism and the surrounding medium. A piston is movably seated within a chamber of the release mechanism. The piston serves to seal the chamber from the surrounding medium, though one end of the piston is in communication with the surrounding medium. The pressure differential between the end of the piston in communication with the surrounding medium and the medium within the chamber causes the piston to move. The piston movement is used to trigger the release of the payload. The amount of movement which triggers the release can be calibrated to correspond to a predetermined pressure differential.

Abstract: A smart part comprising: a body, manufactured by a three-dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing (AM) process, having high-stress and low-stress sections, wherein when the smart part is in operational use the high-stress section is subjected to higher stress than the low-stress section; and wherein the body comprises a void having a predefined geometry intentionally created within the high-stress section of the body during the AM process, such that the void is completely embedded within the body and is configured to provide quality assurance information.

Abstract: Alarms, including features such as source IP address, destination IP address, and timestamp, generated by an intrusion detection system are grouped into clusters. A rank value for each alarm within each cluster is determined by summing a weighted value for each feature within the respective alarm. A cluster rank is determined by summing each of the rank values within each cluster and dividing by the number of alarms in the respective cluster. The source IP address is used to determine a network IP address and subnet of a network architecture associated with the source IP address. The cluster ranks are displayed graphically to a user using a graphical database within a graphical user interface. Each of the clusters are mapped to a node link pair in the graphical database using an a priori logical network topology based upon the network IP address and the subnet of the network architecture.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for treatment of articles, using glass failure generated pulses. The apparatus and method is directed towards the hardening and compaction of a spherical article surrounded by a glass orb in a confined arrangement. The apparatus includes a striker having first and second opposing strikers for striking the glass orb from different sides of the confinement arrangement, to create an explosive reaction that pressure-treats the spherical article, thereby causing the hardening and compaction.

Abstract: An unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is equipped with a GPS, heading sensor, depth and altitude sensors, and an acoustic navigation system. The UUV is deployed in the vicinity of the target location and releases an acoustic transponder (beacon). Using the acoustic navigation system with the GPS reference, the UUV conducts a survey to determine the horizontal location of the beacon on the seafloor and calculates a relative position between the beacon and the target. The UUV can plan a travel path allowing it to relocate the target, using the beacon as a navigation aid. The UUV can submerge to target depth and search for the target using a forward looking sensor. Once the target is acquired on the sensor, the UUV can home to the target.

Abstract: This patent describes an improvement to 3D printing which includes applying ultrasound waves on the print bead such that ultrasonic resonance occurs and fills unwanted voids and improves final print robustness.

Abstract: A method for activating implanted dopants and repairing damage to dopant-implanted GaN to form n-type or p-type GaN. A GaN substrate is implanted with n- or p-type ions and is subjected to a high-temperature anneal to activate the implanted dopants and to produce planar n- or p-type doped areas within the GaN having an activated dopant concentration of about 1018-1022 cm?3. An initial annealing at a temperature at which the GaN is stable at a predetermined process temperature for a predetermined time can be conducted before the high-temperature anneal. A thermally stable cap can be applied to the GaN substrate to suppress nitrogen evolution from the GaN surface during the high-temperature annealing step. The high-temperature annealing can be conducted under N2 pressure to increase the stability of the GaN. The annealing can be conducted using laser annealing or rapid thermal annealing (RTA).

Abstract: Various methods are provided to produce welded structures resistant to hydrogen induced cracking (HIC), improve wear resistance, reduce manufacturing steps including pre/post weld treatments, and improving corrosion resistance. Exemplary methods include using exothermic reactive powder mixtures on as-welded hot surface(s) during weld cooling which generate rapid exothermic reaction melting and hydrogen removal which results in reduction of hydrogen, creation of a wear/corrosion prevention or reduction layer, and a reduction of residual stresses effect in the weld initially formed in initial welding. Alternative embodiments can also employ post cooling re-heating and application of one or more alternative methods using exothermic reactive powders.

Abstract: A mobile automated pipe or shaft non-destructive inspection system with rotational inspection sensor assembly for 360 degree imaging or sensing and generation of three dimensional models or sensing imaging or depictions of the pipe or shaft, preservative removal/application system, mobile platform mounting, and control system as well as related methods.

Abstract: In the absence of inventive practice, the hydrodynamic flows on both sides of a vertically oriented bluff body (e.g., cylinder) traveling through water tend to hug the bluff body proximate its curved back surface and to converge behind the bluff body, resulting in lateral sway of the bluff body. Exemplary inventive practice provides for attachment of a pair of waterjet-streaming devices at opposite axial ends of a bluff body such as a cylinder. The waterjet streams discharged by the two inventive devices, which adjoin the vertical bluff body, deflect the hydrodynamic flows on both curved side surfaces of the bluff body. The inventive apparatus thereby encourages a continued approximate parallelity of the hydrodynamic flows behind the bluff body, resulting in significantly greater stability of the bluff body. Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide for attachment of a single waterjet-streaming device at one axial end of the bluff body.

Abstract: A device for communications comprising a power interconnect board, an acoustic board electrically connected to the processor board, a radio frequency board electrically connected to the processor board, and an optical board electrically connected to the power interconnect board.

Abstract: A modular porous swale filtration system. The modular porous swale filtration system may comprise one or more modular porous swales, absorption media, liner, and perforated pipe. Each modular porous swale may have a porous concrete block and filtration joint. The porous concrete block may snugly fit within a trench having a lower portion filled with the absorption media. The absorption media may include gravel, activated alumina, bone char, or an activated alumina and bone char mixture. The porous concrete block may have a top surface inwardly-sloped to a nadir. The filtration joint may be disposed within the porous concrete block and along the nadir. The liner may cover one or more surfaces of the trench. The perforated pipe may be located within the absorption media. The filtration joint may substantially align above a portion of the perforated pipe when the modular porous swales are installed within the trench.

Abstract: Provided are compositions and methods for promoting tolerance to auto-immune antigens. In general the compositions include quantum dots (QDs) that are in association with auto-immune peptide antigens. It is shown that QDs can be used to generate immunological tolerance by controlling the density of self-antigen on QDs. Peptide-QDs rapidly concentrate in draining lymph nodes, and co-localize with macrophages expressing scavenger receptors involved intolerance. Treatment with peptide-QDs reduces disease incidence 10-fold. The degree of tolerance and the underlying expansion of regulatory T cells correlates with the density of myelin molecules presented on QDs such that higher numbers of tolerogenic particles displaying lower levels of self-peptide are more effective for inducing tolerance than fewer particles each displaying higher densities of peptide. The disclosure is therefore relevant to promoting tolerance to antigens that are involved in a variety of autoimmune disorders.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for identification of a detection event relevant in applications focused on real-time or near real-time reporting in a continuous monitoring application. A controller collects data from a plurality of sensors and compares recent data to background data to determine whether an event has occurred. A system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is considered to have detected an event of interest when at least a specified minimum number of sensors report a detection event at the same time.

Abstract: A multifunctional quantum node device involving a semiconductor vacancy qubit structure, a superconductor quantum memory nanowire coupled with a spin state of the semiconductor vacancy qubit structure, and a superconductor qubit logic circuit coupled with the superconductor quantum memory nanowire and the semiconductor vacancy qubit structure, whereby the device is a hybrid device operable as an interface for at least one of computing and quantum-entangled networking.