Abstract: Disclosed are modular microbial fuel cell (MFC) devices, systems and methods for treating wastewater and generating electrical energy through a bioelectrochemical waste-to-energy conversion process. In some aspects, a modular MFC system includes a wastewater pretreatment system to receive and pre-treat raw wastewater for feeding pre-treated wastewater for bioelectrochemical processing; one or more modular MFC devices to bioelectrochemically process the pre-treated wastewater by concurrently generating electrical energy and digesting organic contaminants and particulates in the wastewater to yield treated, cleaner water; and a water collection module to receive the treated water from the one or more modular MFC devices and store the treated water and/or route the treated water from the system.

Abstract: A switching regulator sources a power rail and includes a top side or input rail side switch, a bottom side or ground side switch, and an inductor. When the switching regulator is disabled or generally turned off, a bottom side transistor in the bottom side switch is pulsed on and off, or held on, to drain or bleed the power rail to ground. When the bottom side transistor is off and if there is a voltage across the inductor from the power rail at a switching node, current flows through a body diode of the top side switch to the input rail of the switching regulator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing an optoelectronic device comprising a crosslinked polymer material which is prepared from a crosslinkable polymer formulation comprising a polymer with a silazane repeating unit M1 and a Lewis acid curing catalyst. There is further provided a crosslinkable polymer formulation comprising a siloxazane polymer which is particularly suitable for the preparation of technical coatings on articles.

Abstract: The invention relates to an absorbent shoe insole intended to internally line the outsole or sole thereof in order to improve its comfort. The insole is formed from a first profusely perforated water-repellent layer (1) of natural leather or another similar material, a second layer (3) of an absorbent, microporous and hydrophilic material, only allowing the passage of perspiration in a downward direction, a third layer (4) of a purely absorbent material, based on micro-fibers collecting the moisture from the previous layer, a fourth layer (5) based on an open pore heat-formed material acting as a moisture conductor towards the fifth and final layer (6), also of an absorbent material based on micro-fibers and acting as a final moisture collector. An insole with a multi-layer structure is thus achieved, fulfilling the double function of being absorbent and transpirable in addition to forming a flexible, adaptable and shock-absorbing base for the foot of the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to an absorbent shoe insole intended to internally line the outsole or sole thereof in order to improve its comfort. The insole is formed from a first profusely perforated water-repellent layer (1) of natural leather or another similar material, a second layer (3) of an absorbent, microporous and hydrophilic material, only allowing the passage of perspiration in a downward direction, a third layer (4) of a purely absorbent material, based on micro-fibers collecting the moisture from the previous layer, a fourth layer (5) based on an open pore heat-formed material acting as a moisture conductor towards the fifth and final layer (6), also of an absorbent material based on micro-fibers and acting as a final moisture collector. An insole with a multi-layer structure is thus achieved, fulfilling the double function of being absorbent and transpirable in addition to forming a flexible, adaptable and shock-absorbing base for the foot of the user.

Abstract: Thermostable omega-transaminases, particularly thermostable omega-transaminases which have a high reaction rate and which are tolerant to high concentrations of donor amine, can be used to enrich enantiomerically a mixture of chiral amines or to synthesize stereoselectively one of a pair of chiral amines in which the amino group is bound to a non-terminal, chirally substituted, carbon atom.

Abstract: Thermostable omega-transaminases, particularly thermostable omega-transaminases which have a high reaction rate and which are tolerant to high concentrations of donor amine, can be used to enrich enantiomerically a mixture of chiral amines or to synthesize stereoselectively one of a pair of chiral amines in which the amino group is bound to a non-terminal, chirally substituted, carbon atom.