Abstract: The present invention discloses a control device and method for formation of a weld seam based on frontal visual sensing of a weld pool. In the present disclosure, structural light is adopted to irradiate the concave surface of the weld pool, and a visual sensor is adopted to acquire corresponding structured light images. The weld pool depression feature is acquired through image processing. The welding current is adjusted in real time to maintain the weld pool depression feature constant, and thus the uniform backside width of the weld seam can be acquired to achieve uniform and consistent penetration of the weld seam. The present disclosure only relies on the structural light information on the topside of the weld pool to achieve the control of formation of the weld seam and can be applied to the filler-wire-free DC gas tungsten arc welding of tight butt joints.

Abstract: A nonreciprocal phased-array antenna includes an array of resonant antennas a1, . . . , an. During transmission, an outbound signal having a frequency f0 and a phase shift ?di caused by propagation through a data network feeds into each resonant antenna ai. Each resonant antenna ai upconverts the outbound signal using a modulation signal having a frequency fm and a phase shift ?mi caused by propagation through a modulation network to produce an upconverted radiated signal having a frequency f0+fm and a phase proportionate to ?di+?mi. During reception, an inbound signal of frequency f0+fm is received at each resonant antenna ai and is downconverted using the modulation signal to produce a downconverted signal having a frequency f0 and a phase proportionate to ??mi. After passing through the data network to the inbound port, the downconverted signal has a phase proportionate to ?di??mi.

Abstract: An active electronic device that enables bidirectional communication over a single antenna or path is disclosed. The device may be characterized by a forward path (from an input to an antenna port) offering high gain, and a reverse path (to a receiver port) that can be configured as an finite impulse response (“FIR”) filter. An amplifier of the device is disclosed, the amplifier allowing for tuning of output resistance using passive mixers.

Abstract: A phase-shifted full-bridge converter and a control method thereof are disclosed. The proposed control method of a phase-shifted full-bridge converter, wherein the phase-shifted full-bridge converter includes a full-bridge switching circuit having a first and a second output terminals, a main transformer having a primary winding and coupled to the switching circuit, and an autotransformer having a primary winding and coupled to the main transformer, includes providing an induced common current flowing through the primary winding of the autotransformer; and causing the induced common current being reflected to the primary winding of the main transformer to cause a primary side current flowing through the primary winding of the main transformer to increase both slopes of a valid duty cycle and a dead-zone period such that the primary side current has a relatively lower transition level and a relatively shorter transition time.

Abstract: A last-stage pressure drop-adjustable multistage brush seal structure. The seal structure comprises a stator casing, gears, gear shafts, stator casing vent holes, a brush wire beam, downstream brush seal piece vent through holes, downstream brush seal upper side gear teeth, and the like. The stator casing is stationary. An upstream brush seal piece is fixedly mounted on the inner side of the stator casing. According to the last-stage pressure drop-adjustable multistage brush seal structure, reverse driving force moment in an inclined direction of brush wires is given to the gear shafts, torsion moment is transferred to the gears through the gear shafts, and the downstream brush seal piece gear teeth are engaged with the downstream brush seal piece and transfer the torsion moment to the downstream brush seal piece, such that the downstream brush seal piece rotates around a rotor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compounds of Formula (I) or (II), pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isotopic variant, stereoisomer, or a mixture thereof. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound, methods of treating a poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1-mediated disease or disorder in a subject, methods of detecting a poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1-mediated neurodegenerative disease or disorder, or methods of monitoring cancer treatment in a subject. In some embodiments, the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1-mediated disease or disorder is a neurodegenerative disease or cancer.

Abstract: A polarization imager is provided that includes a plurality of CMOS photodetectors and a plurality of polarization filters. Each of the plurality of CMOS photodetectors has a photodiode that is configured to operate in forward bias mode. Further, each of the plurality of polarization filters is monolithically integrated with a corresponding one of the plurality of CMOS photodetectors. Each of the plurality of photodiodes exhibits a logarithmic response to a flux of incident photons. The polarization imager achieves a dynamic range of at least 100 decibels with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 60 decibels.

Abstract: Various examples of out-of-plane multicolor waveguide holography systems, methods of manufacture, and methods of use are described herein. In some examples, a multicolor waveguide holography system includes a planar waveguide to convey optical radiation between a grating coupler and a metasurface hologram. The grating coupler may be configured to couple out-of-plane optical radiation of three different color incident at three different angles into the planar waveguide. The combined multicolor optical radiation may be conveyed by the waveguide to the metasurface hologram. The metasurface hologram may diffractively decouple the three colors of optical radiation for off-plane propagation to form a multicolor holographic image in free space.

Abstract: A robot skin apparatus includes polymer membranes encapsulating a pressure sensor. The sensor includes piezo-sensitive material in contact with a pair of electrodes in spaced relationship to form a circuit. The apparatus may include a flexible substrate, with the electrodes thereon. The piezo-sensitive material may be piezoresistive film. The electrodes may be symmetrically patterned on the substrate to form a substantially circular peripheral boundary. The apparatus may include pressure sensors on opposite sides of a plane for temperature compensation, a plurality of pressure sensors arrayed on the substrate, and a data acquisition system. A method of fabricating the apparatus includes a wet lithography process for patterning the piezoresistive film. A system includes a pair of gripper fingers, an actuator connected to the fingers, a robot skin apparatus positioned on one of the fingers, and an electronic unit for receiving data from the robot skin and controlling the fingers.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a self-monitoring intravenous catheter system is provided. An alarm controller is provided that receives signals representing a pH value, an oxygen saturation value, and a pressure value in proximity to the distal end of the catheter. By performing a fuzzy logic analysis of the values, the alarm controller is able to detect that the catheter is about to fail or has failed, and can cause alerts to be presented. In some embodiments, an intravenous catheter is provided that has a pH sensor and an oximeter disposed at a distal end of the catheter to obtain the pH value and oxygen saturation values analyzed by the alarm controller. Embodiments of the catheter and self-monitoring intravenous catheter system may be particularly useful in treating neonates, who are sensitive to catheter failure and are not capable of detecting the signs of failure themselves.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for power line control of devices. The system operates in two modes. In mode one, the system operates on an open loop architecture with a controller generating a sinusoidal wave using a crystal oscillator. Control information is added to the sinusoidal wave by alternating the output of two phase shifted waves which have the same frequency and amplitude to form a control signal. The resulting control signal is sent on a power line. The control signal is received using a crystal filter, decoded and converted to executable instructions for the devices and data parameters for sensors. In mode two, the system operates on a hybrid open loop/closed loop architecture where devices are jointly controlled by the controller and the sensors.

Abstract: A method of treating a biofilm on a surface, comprising: providing a surface having a biofilm; and administering to the surface a treatment that reduces a concentration of pyruvate of the biofilm, comprising pyruvate produced by at least a portion the biofilm, under conditions effective reducing maintenance of the biofilm on the surface. A composition, comprising purified enzyme, within a particle, effective for reducing pyruvate concentration in an aqueous suspension of the composition.

Abstract: Exemplary processing methods may include flowing a first deposition precursor into a substrate processing region to form a first portion of an initial compound layer. The first deposition precursor may include an aldehyde reactive group. The methods may include removing a first deposition effluent including the first deposition precursor from the substrate processing region. The methods may include flowing a second deposition precursor into the substrate processing region. The second deposition precursor may include an amine reactive group, and the amine reactive group may react with the aldehyde reactive group to form a second portion of the initial compound layer. The methods may include removing a second deposition effluent including the second deposition precursor from the substrate processing region. The methods may include annealing the initial compound layer to form an annealed carbon-containing material on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solution for cryopreservation of animal cells or animal tissues which substantially includes a cryoprotectant that contains 0.5 w/v % to 6.0 w/v % of dextran or derivatives thereof or salts thereof and contains dimethyl sulfoxide, and includes a physiological aqueous solution; a cryopreserved product of animal cells or animal tissues which includes animal cells or animal tissues, and includes the above-described solution for cryopreservation of animal cells or animal tissues; and a cryopreservation method of animal cells or animal tissues, which is a method using the above-described solution for cryopreservation of animal cells or animal tissues.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for predicting presence of one or more neurological deficits. The system may include a microphone, a camera, one or more memory devices storing instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to extract audio information including a period density entropy coefficient and a mel frequency cepstral coefficient from an audio feed received from the microphone. Additionally, the instructions may cause the processor to determine position and depth information of eye movement from a video feed received from the camera and detect features of interest including facial landmarks, spatial orientation of limbs, and positional information of limb movements from the video feed. The one or more processors may further extract the features of interest from the video feed and process the extracted features of interest by aligning the extracted features of interest to a common reference.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a three-dimensional cell and tissue culture system for the female reproductive tract. In particular provided herein the system includes individual female reproductive cultures in a dynamic microfluidic setting or integrated using a microfluidic microphysiologic system. In some embodiments, the present invention provides ex-vivo female reproductive tract integration in a three dimensional (3D) microphysiologic system.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide, for instance, a method for evaluating a function, such as transforming potential, of multiple different genes of interest, and a method capable of evaluating drug sensitivity of a subject having each gene of interest.

Abstract: An electrical energy generating device includes an electrical energy generating element, a first container, a second container, and a liquid having positive and negative ions. The electrical energy generating element includes a first porous electrode, an eggshell membrane, and a second porous electrode stacked on each other in that order. The first container is located on a side of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane. The second container is located on a side of the second porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane. The liquid is located in at least one of the first container and the second container, and the liquid is configured to penetrate from one of the first container and the second container to another through the electrical energy generating element.

Abstract: A colorimetric sensor array includes a CMOS image sensor having a surface including pixels and a multiplicity of colorimetric sensing elements. Each sensing element has a sensing material disposed directly on one or more of the pixels. The colorimetric sensing elements are distributed randomly on the surface of the CMOS image sensor. Fabricating the colorimetric sensor array includes spraying a sensing fluid in the form of droplets directly on a surface of a CMOS image sensor and removing the solvent from the droplets to yield a multiplicity of sensing elements on the surface of the CMOS image sensor. Each droplet covers one or more pixels of the CMOS image sensor with the sensing fluid. The sensing fluid includes a solvent and a sensing material. The droplets are distributed randomly on the surface of the CMOS image sensor.

Abstract: A power-factor corrected AC/DC converter has three half-bridge legs, electrically coupled with each other in parallel, each leg having a pair of switches. Each switch of the pair is electrically coupled to the other in series via a respective node that is electrically coupled through an inductor to an AC line. The converter has a fourth half-bridge leg electrically coupled with the other legs to form an electrically parallel circuit. The fourth leg has a pair of switches electrically coupled to each other in series via a fourth node, which is selectively electrically coupleable to a neutral or a second AC line. The converter has a controller that operates the three legs as a 3-channel interleaved AC/DC boost converter and couples the fourth node to the neutral or second AC line if the input is single-phase, and as a 3-phase AC/DC boost converter if the input is three-phase.