Abstract: A transdermal drug delivery (TDD) system is provided accelerating the TDD process through the combination of (1) a micropump, (2) microneedles, and (3) nanoencapsulation. A 3D printed shape memory alloy (SMA) triggered micropump combined with polymeric nanoparticles loaded with a drug can be pumped through integrated microneedles. An SMA spring wire is used to actuate a loaded pumping spring to drive an elastic membrane into a chamber. The system's performance characterized an average membrane speed of 0.28 m/s. The efficacy of the system showed an almost 100% improvement for the total percentage of deposited polymeric nanoparticles over that of the untreated solution. The rapid response and demonstrated efficacy can be aimed for transdermal insulin injection.

Abstract: A method for ammonia (NH3) decomposition to hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2) includes introducing and passing a H2-containing feed gas stream into a reactor containing an industrial waste-based nickel (Ni-SMR) catalyst at a temperature of 500 to 900° C. to form a reduced Ni-SMR catalyst; introducing and passing an NH3-containing feed gas stream through the reactor in contact with the reduced Ni-SMR catalyst at a temperature of 100 to 1000° C. thereby converting at least a portion of the NH3 to H2 and regenerating the Ni-SMR catalyst particles to form a regenerated Ni-SMR catalyst, and producing a residue gas stream leaving the reactor; and separating the H2 from the residue gas stream to generate a H2-containing product gas stream.

Abstract: A multiphase wireless power transfer pad has at least a first coil and a second coil and permeable material which includes a region of reduced magnetic permeability configured to minimise coupling between the first and second coils.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of a LiDAR system to determine the distance of an object from the LiDAR system. Embodiments of the LiDAR system can use a coarse estimate of the distance of an object from the LiDAR system which is then used by a fast search to determine an estimate of the distance of an object from the LiDAR system within a precision threshold. In some embodiments the LiDAR system can use adaptive precision when determining the distance of an object from the LiDAR system.

Abstract: Hydrogel nanobeads include an ionically crosslinked sulfated polysaccharide biopolymer such as a carrageenan. In an embodiment, the hydrogel nanobeads comprise kappa carrageenan (?Cg) and a metal ion crosslinking agent. In an embodiment, the metal ion crosslinking agent includes a metal ion selected from the group consisting of Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ti3+. The hydrogel nanobeads can be used for removal of pollutants in wastewater.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry and a housing having peripheral conductive housing structures. The wireless circuitry may include first and second antennas. The first antenna may have a resonating element arm formed from a first segment of the peripheral conductive housing structures. The second antenna may have a resonating element arm formed from a second segment of the peripheral conductive housing structures separated from the first segment by a gap. Switchable short paths may be coupled between the second segment and ground on opposing sides of an antenna feed for the second antenna and/or may be coupled between the first and second segments and ground on opposing sides of the gap. Additionally or alternatively, a switch may be coupled between the first and second segments across the gap and a tuning component may couple the second segment to the ground structures.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with sidewalls and a conductive plate. A segment of the sidewalls may form a radiating arm of an antenna. A display may be mounted to the sidewalls. The display may include a conductive frame and a flexible printed circuit. The flexible circuit may have a bend. Conductive foam may short a conductive trace on the flexible circuit to the conductive frame near the bend. Low injection pressure overmolding (LIPO) may be molded over the flexible circuit, the foam, and the frame. A conductive spring may short the frame to the conductive plate. The spring may include a wider and/or thinner portion that optionally includes one or more notches for reducing its inductance. The conductive plate, the spring, the frame, the foam, and the conductive trace may form part of the antenna ground for the antenna.

Abstract: The modular intramedullary fixation device is a multi-piece bone fixation device for insertion into the medullary cavity of a bone. In one embodiment, the modular intramedullary fixation device is formed from a plurality of substantially Z-shaped modular elements, which are assembled together to a desired length and width. In additional embodiments, the modular intramedullary fixation device includes a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a connector for connecting the two portions to each other. The connector may be provided in a wide variety of configurations, including an adjustable connector for adjusting the length of the modular intramedullary fixation device. Each of the proximal and distal portions may further have an adjustable length.

Abstract: Methods for stimulating the growth, yield, and secondary metabolite production of Curcuma longa plants are provided. Administration of between about 10 ml/L and about 40 ml/L Aloe vera extract to Curcuma longa plants results in increased plant growth, rhizome production, and production of secondary metabolites including curcuminoids.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, devices, and computer-readable media for detecting lanes and objects in image frames of a monocular camera. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising receiving a plurality of images; identifying a horizon in the plurality of images by inputting the plurality of images into a deep learning (DL) model (either stored on a local device or via a network call); determining one or more camera parameters based on the horizon; and storing or using the camera parameters to initialize a camera.

Abstract: Hydrogel nanobeads include an ionically crosslinked sulfated polysaccharide biopolymer such as a carrageenan. In an embodiment, the hydrogel nanobeads comprise kappa carrageenan (KCg) and a metal ion crosslinking agent. In an embodiment, the metal ion crosslinking agent includes a metal ion selected from the group consisting of Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ti3+. The hydrogel nanobeads can be used for removal of pollutants in wastewater.

Abstract: Hydrogel nanobeads include an ionically crosslinked sulfated polysaccharide biopolymer such as a carrageenan. In an embodiment, the hydrogel nanobeads comprise kappa carrageenan (?Cg) and a metal ion crosslinking agent. In an embodiment, the metal ion crosslinking agent includes a metal ion selected from the group consisting of Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ti3+. The hydrogel nanobeads can be used for removal of pollutants in wastewater.

Abstract: A dot-product architecture and method are disclosed for calculating floating-point dot-products of two vectors. The architecture includes an array of multiplier units that each include an integer logic that multiplies integer values of corresponding elements of the two vectors; an exponent logic that adds exponent values of the corresponding elements of the two vectors to form an unbiased exponent values, and a local shifter that forms a first shifted value by shifting a product-integer value by a number of bits in a predetermined direction based on a difference value between an unbiased exponent value corresponding to the product-integer value and a maximum unbiased exponent value for the array of multiplier units. An adder tree adds shifted values output from local shifters of the array of multiplier units to form an output, and an accumulator accumulates the output of the addition unit.

Abstract: A processor. In some embodiments, the processor includes: a first tile, the first tile being configured: to feed a first nibble from a third queue, through a first shuffler, to a first multiplier, and to multiply, in the first multiplier, the first nibble from the third queue by a first nibble of a third weight; to feed a second nibble from the third queue, through the first shuffler, to a second multiplier, and to multiply, in the second multiplier, the second nibble from the third queue by a second nibble of the third weight; and to feed a first nibble from a fourth queue, through the first shuffler, to a third multiplier, and to multiply, in the third multiplier, the first nibble from the fourth queue by a first nibble of a fourth weight.

Abstract: A system for failure detection in solar collectors receives first retraction data including a first retraction time associated with a first retraction process of a solar collector from a first position to a second position. The system also retrieves reference data including a reference retraction time associated with a reference retraction process of the solar collector from the first position to the second position based on the received first retraction data. The system also calculates a first settling time associated with the first retraction process of the solar collector based on the first retraction time and the reference retraction time. The system also detects a first anomaly in a functionality of one or more joints of the solar collector based on the calculated first settling time. The system also outputs a first alert based on the detected first anomaly.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, devices, and computer-readable media for detecting lanes and objects in image frames of a monocular camera. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising receiving a sample set of image frames; detecting a plurality of markers in the sample set of image frames using a convolutional neural network (CNN); fitting lines based on the plurality of markers; detecting a plurality of vanishing points based on the lines; identifying a best fitting horizon for the sample set of image frames via a RANSAC algorithm; computing an inverse perspective mapping (IPM) based on the best fitting horizon; and computing a lane width estimate based on the sample set of image frames using the IPM in a rectified view and the parallel line fitting.

Abstract: The disclosed LiDAR systems and methods are for object detection. The LiDAR system for object detection comprising: i) a receiver configured to receive a light signal reflected from an object; ii) a digital converter configured to convert the received light signal into a digital signal; iii) a pre-processor configured to pre-process the digital signal based on median filtering and to generate a pre-processed signal corresponding to the digital signal; and iv) a processor configured to analyze the pre-processed signal based on a threshold technique to detect a presence of the object.

Abstract: A chip card having a card body having a metal layer that is at least partially covered by a coating that is more conductive than the metal layer, an RF chip, and a first RF antenna that is placed in a cut-out zone and connected to the chip. The metal layer includes at least one RF antenna portion that is electrically insulated from the metal layer and from the first RF antenna and that is configured to collect an image current induced by first eddy currents flowing at least over the coating of the metal layer and to allow coupling to the first antenna.

Abstract: Hydrogel nanobeads include an ionically crosslinked sulfated polysaccharide biopolymer such as a carrageenan. In an embodiment, the hydrogel nanobeads comprise kappa carrageenan (?Cg) and a metal ion crosslinking agent. In an embodiment, the metal ion crosslinking agent includes a metal ion selected from the group consisting of Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Ti3+. The hydrogel nanobeads can be used for removal of pollutants in wastewater.

Abstract: A chipcard having a card body formed by at least one dielectric layer and one metal layer, the metal layer having a cavity and an outline, the metal layer further having a slit, the card further having an antenna extending in the cavity. The card further includes at least one metal label at least partially covering the cavity and the antenna, the label being fixed onto one of the faces of the card, the metal label having a metal layer comprising a pattern having a first part formed by first etched metal lines delimiting at least one zone that is at least partially of metal, and a second part made of second etched metal lines forming only open loops.