Abstract: The present disclosure relates to keratin nanomaterials, methods for obtaining keratin nanomaterials, and biomaterials made from keratin nanomaterials. In particular, keratin nanomaterials comprising Type I and Type II monomer pairs are disclosed as well as a method for obtaining keratin nanomaterials comprising obtaining a solution of keratin and processing the solution by ultrafiltration with buffer solution containing phosphate.

Abstract: Aspects of capacitor voltage ripple reduction in modular multilevel converters are described herein. In one embodiment, a power converter system includes a modular multilevel converter (MMC) electrically coupled and configured to convert power between two different power systems. The MMC includes one or more phase legs having a cascade arrangement of switching submodules, where the switching submodules include an arrangement of switching power transistors and capacitors. The MMC further includes a control loop including a differential mode control loop and a common mode control loop. The differential control loop is configured to generate a differential control signal based on a target modulation index to reduce fundamental components of voltage ripple on the capacitors, and the common mode control loop is configured to inject 2nd order harmonic current into a common mode control signal to reduce 2nd order harmonic components of the voltage ripple on the capacitors.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the health of dialysis patients with Raman spectroscopy measurements of one or more target analytes is described. The methods include irradiating one or more fluids of interest with light to produce one or more spectrum and detecting the spectrum with a detector. The fluids of interest are preferably those related to dialysis, including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In a preferred embodiment, the fluids are irradiated with monochromatic light, and one or more Raman spectra are detected as a result of the irradiation. The fluids may be irradiated within the dialysis tubing itself, or removed from the dialysis tubing and irradiated in a separate chamber. The Raman spectra of one or more target analytes of a dialysis patient may be followed over time or compared to one or more reference spectra, thereby providing information on the health of dialysis patients.

Abstract: A plug-and-play antenna may be used with many different types of wireless communication devices. An antenna may be coupled to an impedance tuning component and a waveform generator. A calibration control module receives radio status information, controls the waveform generator to vary a response of the antenna, and tunes the impedance tuning component to match impedances between a radio and the antenna.

Abstract: A low profile power converter structure is provide wherein volume is reduced and power density is increased to approach 1 KW/in3 by at least one of forming an inductor as a body of magnetic material embedded in a substrate formed by a plurality of printed circuit board (PCB) lamina and forming inductor windings of PCB cladding and vias which may be of any desired number of turns and may include inversely coupled windings and which provide a lateral flux path, forming the body of magnetic material from high aspect ratio flakes of magnetic material which are aligned with the inductor magnetic field in an insulating organic binder and hot-pressed and providing a four-layer architecture comprising two layers of PCB lamina including the embedded body of magnetic material, a shield layer and an additional layer of PCB lamina, including cladding for supporting and connecting a switching circuit, a capacitor and the inductor.

Abstract: A method for impedance measurement in a three-phase AC system is provided. The method includes injecting a shunt perturbation signal into the three-phase AC system and collecting a response to the shunt perturbation signal, and injecting a series perturbation signal into the three-phase AC system and collecting a response to the series perturbation signal. The response to the shunt perturbation signal and the response to the series perturbation signal are then transferred from abc coordinate to dq coordinates. At least one impedance of the three-phase AC system is calculated based on the response to the shunt perturbation signal and the response to the series perturbation signal.

Abstract: Procedures are described for enhancing target system execution integrity determined by power fingerprinting (PFP): by integrating PFP into the detection phase of comprehensive defense-in-depth security; by deploying a network of PFP enabled nodes executing untrusted devices with predefined inputs forcing a specific state sequence and specific software execution; by embedding module identification information into synchronization signaling; by combining signals from different board elements; by using malware signatures to enhance PFP performance; by automatic characterization and signature extraction; by providing secure signature updates; by protecting against side-channel attacks; performing real-time integrity assessment in embedded platform by monitoring their dynamic power consumption and comparing it against signatures from trusted code, including pre-characterizing power consumption of the platform by concentrating on trace sections carrying the most information about the internal execution status; by u

Abstract: Procedures are described for enhancing target system execution integrity determined by power fingerprinting (PFP): by integrating PFP into the detection phase of comprehensive defense-in-depth security; by deploying a network of PFP enabled nodes executing untrusted devices with predefined inputs forcing a specific state sequence and specific software execution; by embedding module identification information into synchronization signaling; by combining signals from different board elements; by using malware signatures to enhance PFP performance; by automatic characterization and signature extraction; by providing secure signature updates; by protecting against side-channel attacks; performing real-time integrity assessment in embedded platform by monitoring their dynamic power consumption and comparing it against signatures from trusted code, including pre-characterizing power consumption of the platform by concentrating on trace sections carrying the most information about the internal execution status; by u

Abstract: Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for implementing modulating a radiating signal of a high Q antenna in order to transmit from one frequency to one or more different frequencies which may be in the same narrow band frequency spectrum or in a wide band frequency spectrum.

Abstract: In a two-stage power converter providing voltage regulation in a first stage, zero voltage switching (ZVS) is provided in switches in an unregulated, constant frequency second stage of a two-stage power converter by an inductor of a CLL resonant circuit connected in parallel with both a series connection of an external inductor and a primary winding of one or more transformers connected in series and an output of the switching circuit so that the output capacitances of the switches can be charged and discharged, respectively, by current in the parallel-connected inductor and independently of current in the magnetizing inductance of the transformer. Therefore, the magnetizing inductance of the transformer can be made sufficiently large to balance currents delivered to respective loads as is particularly desirable for driving a plurality of unbalanced LED strings independently of the value of the parallel-connected inductor which is desirably small.

Abstract: Gas separation membrane compositions including at least one crosslinked polymer, gas separation membranes made of such compositions, methods for making such gas separation membranes, and methods of using such membranes to separate gases are described. In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer includes polyarylene ethers (PAE).

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: Aspects of the disclosure provide a circuit for driving a power switch. The circuit includes a first circuit configured to provide a charging current to charge a control terminal of the power switch, a second circuit configured to provide a discharging current to discharge the control terminal of the power switch, and a control circuit configured to provide control signals to the first circuit and the second circuit to activate/deactivate the first circuit and the second circuit. At least one of the charging current and the discharging current ramps from a first level to a second level at a rate.

Abstract: A configurable furniture system and method are disclosed. The system and method include one or more panels, each of the panels having one or more working edges. One or more hinges successively connect the panels together at the working edges. The system is able to convert from a folded configuration into a functional configuration, which may be a chair, desk, lounge, table or stool.

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: An example system includes at least one acoustic sensor configured to generate at least one time-dependent acoustic data signal indicative of an acoustic signal generated by a thermal spray system performing a process possessing a plurality of process attributes, and a computing device including an acoustic data signal processing module configured to receive the at least one time-dependent acoustic data signal, and transform the at least one time-dependent acoustic data signal to a frequency-domain spectrum, wherein each process attribute of the plurality of process attributes is associated with at least one respective frequency band, and a correlation module configured to determine a process attribute of the plurality of process attributes by identifying at least one characteristic of the frequency-domain spectrum.

Abstract: An example system includes at least one acoustic sensor configured to generate at least one acoustic data signal indicative of an acoustic signal generated by a thermal spray system comprising a flowstream, a computing device, and an acoustic data signal processing module operable by the computing device to determine an ignition attribute of the thermal spray system by analyzing at least a pre-ignition window of the acoustic data signal received by the computing device.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for telecommunications spectrum sharing between multiple heterogeneous users, which leverage a hybrid approach that includes both distributed spectrum sharing, spectrum-sensing, and use of geo-reference databases.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power device that includes an upper power module and a lower power module. The upper power module and the lower power module are coupled in series between two supply voltages, and are respectively controlled by a first control signal and a second control signal. Interconnections of the power device are inductively coupled to prevent reliability issues, such as crosstalk, self turn on, self sustained oscillation, and the like.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power circuit that includes a first switch circuit in parallel with a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit and the second switch circuit are coupled to a first driving node, a second driving node, a source node and a drain node via interconnections. The power circuit receives a control signal between the first driving node and the second driving node to control a current flowing from the drain node to the source node through the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit. In the power circuit, a first interconnection and a second interconnection of the interconnections are inductively coupled to balance the current flowing through the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit.