Abstract: Novel crystalline porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and methods for their synthesis are provided herein. The MOFs include a M6(?3-OH)8(OH)8(?2,?2-(O2C)2cyclam)8 cluster, and a metal atom coordinated to the one or more cyclam of the cluster, wherein M is Zr or Hf, and the metal atom is any one of Cu, Ni, Cr, Ru, Co, and Gd. The MOFs can be used as an adsorbent, alone or in a medium with other components, of CO2. The MOFs can also be used as a catalyst for the transformation of CO2 and epoxides to cyclic carbonates. The MOFs can also be used in the electrochemical catalytic reduction of CO2. The MOFs can also be used for photocatalytic CO2 reduction for the production of carbon-based fossil fuels. The MOFs can also be used for light-induced nitric oxide (NO) release. The MOFs can also be used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents.

Abstract: Provided herein are 3D printing systems including, but not limited to, 3D printing systems that can, in some aspects, be configured to print multi-materials and/or 3D structures having micro-scale features. In some aspects, the 3D printing system can include a jethead, wherein the jethead can include a body portion, one or more printing material dispensers that are each coupled to one or more feedstock material reservoirs and the body portion, and at least one cleaning unit configured to clean a printed object, a printing platform, a component of an x axis cartridge, or any combination thereof. Also provided herein are scanning projection optical micro-sterolithography systems that can be configured to allow for printing micro-scale features in large scale 3D objects.

Abstract: In various aspects, a polymer resin is provided for vat or ultraviolet-assisted direct ink writing (UV-DIW) photopolymerization. The resin can include a polyamic acid salt formed from the addition of a photocrosslinkable amine to a polyamic acid. The resin can include a photoinitiator suitable for initiating crosslinking of the photocrosslinkable amine when exposed to a light source of a suitable wavelength and intensity. The polyamic acid can be formed, for instance, by the addition of a diamine to a suitable dianhydride. Methods of additive manufacturing using the resins are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for in vivo treatment of cell proliferative disorders. Included is a method of treating tissue with electrical energy, the method comprising: delivering electrical energy to tissue using one or more electroporation devices comprising one or more electrodes; and cooling the tissue, surrounding tissue, one or more of the electrodes, or one or more of the electroporation devices to minimize heating. In embodiments, the invention can be used to treat solid tumors, such as brain tumors, and in some embodiments, exemplary methods rely on non-thermal irreversible electroporation (IRE) to cause cell death in treated tumors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to airfoils having surface treatments to reduce trailing edge noise. The surface treatment is designed to reduce trailing edge noise by modifying the boundary layer turbulence as it approaches the trailing edge. The surface treatment accomplishes its function by breaking up spanwise-oriented turbulence approaching the trailing edge, thereby reducing the spanwise correlation lengthscales; deflecting the boundary layer turbulence away from the edge; and/or creating spanwise vortices or instability waves to reduce the turbulence-edge interaction.

Abstract: Disclosed are a vehicle anti-collision forewarning method, an in-vehicle computer device and a vehicle anti-collision forewarning system.

Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.

Abstract: A matrix transformer particularly suited to large voltage step-down, high current applications achieves increased good current sharing uniformity or air gap and electrical characteristics and reduced or eliminating termination losses, core losses and winding losses with a unitary magnetic core structure featuring sheets of magnetic material and a two-dimensional array of pillars on which windings, oriented in opposite directions on pillars that are adjacent in orthogonal directions, can be formed or placed comprising metallization on or embedded in a printed circuit board (PCB) structure. Magnetic flux density is reduced by at least one-half by dividing the magnetic flux in each pillar into two paths of increased width in the sheets of magnetic material. Magnetic flux density may be further decreased and flux uniformity improved by extending the sheets of magnetic material beyond a periphery defined by the pillar array.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material includes a first material layer including a polycrystalline lead zinc niobate-lead zirconate titanate material arranged in a 001 crystal direction; and a second material layer including a mono-crystalline material having a 001 crystal face, wherein the lead zinc niobate-lead zirconate titanate and the mono-crystalline material are different. Also a piezoelectric device including the piezoelectric material.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for training and deploying machine-learned communication over multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) channels.

Abstract: A three-phase, N-level inverter and method are disclosed. A circuit topology of the inverter comprises first, second and third sets of switches and first, second and third inductors. Each switch comprises at least first, second and third terminals, the first terminals being control terminals. The first terminals of the first, second and third inductors are electrically coupled to the first, second and third sets of switches, respectively. A current controller performs a control algorithm that causes it to output first, second and third sets of gating signals to the control terminals of the switches of the first, second and third sets of switches, respectively, to cause them to be placed in an on state or an off state in a particular sequence to perform zero voltage switching while maintaining synchronization of the three phases of the three-phase, N-level inverter.

Abstract: An exoskeleton to assist a user in moving as object comprising an upper body harness, a mid-body harness, and a lower body harness. First and second sets of elongated energy return members are located between the harnesses and are used to assist a user in moving an object.

Abstract: A bidirectional three-phase direct current (DC)/DC converter and method are disclosed. The converter comprises a primary side comprising a DC bus having a positive side and a negative side, a first set of rectifiers connected between the positive side and the negative side of the DC bus, a first set of M resonant tanks connected to a respective rectifier of the first set of rectifiers and a first set of M transformers. Each transformer is connected to a respective resonant tank. Each resonant tank comprises a resonant capacitor and a resonant inductor. The secondary side of the converter is fully symmetrical to the primary side of the converter to ensure that the conversion gain in the forward and reverse directions is the same.

Abstract: Various examples of an integrated parallel matrix transformer and inductor are disclosed herein. In one aspect, the transformer includes a first magnetic core having a first set of pillars of a first transformer and a second set of pillars of a second transformer and a second magnetic core having a first and second inductor pillar. The first and second magnetic cores can be separate or integrated into one core. The transformer also includes a planar winding structure. The planar winding structure may include a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings. The primary winding can be configured to equally divide a primary current. The primary winding can extend a number of turns to conduct half of the primary current around the first inductor pillar and the first set of pillars and to conduct half of the primary current around the second inductor pillar and the second set of pillars.

Abstract: Various examples are provided related to improvements in generalized flow profile production. In one example, a method includes determining a downstream flow profile including a pressure profile and a velocity profile; fabricating a pressure profile generator including distortion screen(s) disposed on a backing structure; fabricating a velocity profile generator including turning vanes in a flow path through the velocity profile generator that are configured to generate the velocity profile; attaching the pressure profile generator to an input side of the velocity profile generator; and installing the flow conditioning device in the flow field of interest. Flow through the flow conditioning device produces the downstream flow profile in the flow field of interest.

Abstract: The present invention provides a detector and method for detecting substances in complex mixtures. The detector includes a microfabricated preconcentrator, a separation column with an on-chip thermal conductivity detector, a controller for controlling flow and thermal management and a user interface. The thermal conductivity detector includes a first resistor located at an inlet of the separation column and a second resistor located at an outlet of the separation column.

Abstract: Methods for the cross-metathesis of polysaccharides with one or more olefin-terminated side chains and cross-metathesized products are described. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for the synthesis of cellulose ?-carboxyesters via olefin cross-metathesis with acrylates is described. Conditions of the reactions were relatively mild and the olefin-substituted polysaccharides and the appropriate acrylate partners appear to follow Grubbs rules as summarized herein. Additionally, a method of hydrogenation of the cross-metathesized product is described. The compounds and methods may be useful for waterborne coating applications, adhesives, lubricants, or any product in need of dispersion in an aqueous media.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for automated program synthesis from a natural language for domain specific computing applications. In one embodiment, a natural language processor may be configured to parse words from a sentence of text formed in a natural language, such as English, following a grammatical structure for the natural language. The words may be compared to a dictionary to identify a token. The text formed in the natural language may be converted to an intermediate format of programming code in a programming language, such as C, where the intermediate format includes the token. The token may invoke a function or a routine of a library written in the programming language. The intermediate format may be compiled into executable program code to generate an application, such as a video game, for execution.

Abstract: Described herein are water desalination membranes and methods of desalinating water. Sulfonated poly(arylene ether) polymers are also disclosed, including those comprising one or more sulfonate groups at various points along the polymer chain. The polymers may be used as at least a portion of a water desalination membrane. The polymers described herein are useful for preventing transport of aqueous ionic species (e.g., Na+ and Cl?) across a membrane made from the polymers while allowing water to pass. Chlorine-stable polymers are described, as well as polymers exhibiting good performance for rejecting monovalent cations in the presence of polyvalent cations.

Abstract: A membrane hetero-structure includes a polymer layer and a single-layer or multi-layer graphene sheet disposed on the polymer layer. The membrane hetero-structure is tensioned across a frame having an opening such that both the polymer layer and the graphene sheet extend across the opening. An optional rigid member is provided in a center of the membrane to be spaced apart from edges of the opening. The assembly of the frame and membrane hetero-structure forms an electrostatically driven micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) or sound generation and recording apparatus. In one instance, when a voltage signal is applied between an electrode layer parallel to the membrane and contacts on the frame that are electrically connected to the graphene sheet, the membrane hetero-structure is actuated.