Abstract: Systems and methods for silicon-dominant lithium-ion cells with controlled utilization of silicon may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode has an active material comprising more than 50% silicon. The battery may be charged by lithiating silicon while not lithiating carbon. The active material may comprise more than 70% silicon. A voltage of the anode during discharge of the battery may remain above a minimum voltage at which silicon can be lithiated. The anode may have a specific capacity of greater than 3000 mAh/g. The battery may have a specific capacity of greater than 1000 mAh/g. The anode may have a greater than 90% initial Coulombic efficiency and may be polymer binder free. The battery may be charged at a 10 C rate or higher. The battery may be charged at temperatures below freezing without lithium plating. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for batteries comprising a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, wherein the anode is a Si-dominant anode that utilizes water-soluble maleic anhydride- and/or maleic acid-containing polymers/co-polymers, derivatives, and/or combinations (with or without additives) as binders.

Abstract: A system comprising a client device and a server network, the client device configured to receive a query; transmit the query; receive a populated response; and display the populated response. The server network may be configured to receive the query; tokenize the query; generate an intent-match likelihood for each of a plurality of supported question intents; classify the query based on the intent-match likelihoods; evaluate each of the intent-match likelihoods to a confidence threshold; extract, via a Named Entity Recognition model, one or more entities from the query; determine one or more entity values for each of the one or more entities; query the at least one database to incorporate intent to the one or more entities and the one or more entity values; populate a response template with the one or more entity values and one or more specifics; and store the query and the populated response.

Abstract: A method of operating an articulatable surgical instrument. The method includes providing a rotary drive motion to a rotary drive member of a surgical end effector and converting the rotary drive motion to an upper axial motion and a lower axial motion at locations that are distal to the articulation joint. The method further includes applying the upper axial motion to an upper portion of a firing member and applying the lower axial motion to a lower portion of the firing member such that the upper axial motion and lower axial motion drives the firing member distally through the surgical end effector from a starting position to an ending position.

Abstract: Electrode or electrolyte additives for energy storage devices comprising symmetrical or asymmetrical alkylsulfonyl imide or cyclic alkylene sulfonylimide salts are disclosed. The energy storage device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a Si-based electrode, a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electrolyte composition. Symmetrical or asymmetrical alkylsulfonyl imide or cyclic alkylene sulfonylimide salts may serve as additives to the electrodes or to the electrolyte composition, or both.

Abstract: Springs can provide energy return and have a conductivity that changes in relation to an amount of strain or deformation of the spring. An upper-extremity prosthetic device includes a first coil spring coupled to a first member and a first cantilever spring extending from the first member to a surface adapted to engage with an object. The first coil spring is arranged to absorb energy and to provide energy return in response to movement of the first member. The first coil spring includes a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface separate from the first conductive surface by non-conductive surfaces. The first cantilever spring includes a conductive trace with a plurality of conductive segments arranged on the conductive trace.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot includes a foot portion and a switching adapter. The switching adapter includes a first member coupled to the foot portion, a second member, a third member interposed between the first member and the second member, and a locking mechanism. The third member has a first side wall and a second side wall larger in length than the first side wall. The third member is configured to rotate relative to the first member and the second member towards a first position, thereby placing the prosthetic device in a walking mode. The third member is further configured to rotate relative to the first member and the second member towards a second position, thereby placing the prosthetic device in a running mode. The locking mechanism is configured to rotate with the third member in response to rotation of the third member.

Abstract: A method for determining a driving maneuver of a vehicle with a control unit includes receiving a measurement data relating to a traffic situation from a sensor, determining a current detection area of the sensor by evaluating the measurement data, and creating a sensor model based on the measurement data. An estimated detection area of the sensor from the measurement data is modelled through forward simulation based on a vehicle position of the vehicle. A change in the estimated detection area of the sensor due to a driving maneuver is determined along with the driving maneuver that causes an increase in the estimated detection area due to the sensor model.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to the field of somatic gene therapy. The invention provides a nucleic acid construct comprising a transgene encoding a therapeutic protein, a tetracycline-responsive aptazyme sequence, and inverted terminal repeats (ITRs). The nucleic acid construct can be transferred to a subject in need thereof in the form of a viral vector, in particular an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector. The Tet-responsive aptazyme sequence allows for a tightly controlled expression of the transgene in the subject, thereby avoiding toxic side effects. The nucleic acid construct and the viral vectors comprising same are particularly useful in the treatment of proliferative diseases like cancer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for water soluble weak acidic resins as carbon precursors for silicon-dominant anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and pyrolyzed water-soluble acidic polyamide imide as a primary resin carbon precursor. The electrode coating layer may include a pyrolyzed water-based acidic polymer solution additive. The polymer solution additive may include one or more of: polyacrylic acid (PAA) solution, poly (maleic acid, methyl methacrylate/methacrylic acid, butadiene/maleic acid) solutions, and water soluble polyacrylic acid. The electrode coating layer may include conductive additives. The current collector may include a metal foil, where the metal current collector includes one or more of a copper, tungsten, stainless steel, and nickel foil in electrical contact with the electrode coating layer. The electrode coating layer may be more than 70% silicon.

Abstract: Additives for energy storage devices comprising crown ethers are disclosed. The energy storage device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, where at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a Si-based electrode, a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electrolyte composition. Crown ether compounds may serve as additives to the first electrode and/or the second electrode, as well as the separator.

Abstract: A method for formation of cylindrical and prismatic can cells may include providing a battery, where the battery includes one or more cells, with each cell including at least one silicon-dominant anode, a cathode, and a separator. The battery also includes a metal can that contains the one or more cells such that during formation a pressure between 50 kPa and 1 MPa is applied to the one or more cells. The battery may include strain absorbing materials arranged between the one or more cells and interior walls of the can. The strain absorbing materials may include foam. The strain absorbing materials may include a solid electrolyte layer. The strain absorbing materials may include PMMA, PVDF, or a combination thereof. The pressure during a formation process may be due to a thickness of the strain absorbing materials being thicker than an expansion of the one or more cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods for an ultra-high voltage cobalt-free cathode for alkali ion batteries may include an anode, a cathode, and a separator, with the cathode comprising an active material ANi(1-x)MnxSbOy, where x is a number between 0.0 and 1.0, y is an integer, and A comprises one or more of lithium, sodium, and potassium. The anode may include one or more of an alkali metal, silicon, and carbon. In one example, x is a value in the range between 0.05 and 0.9 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8 where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 50 milliamp-hours per gram. In another example, x is a value in the range between 0.4 and 0.6 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8, where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 70 milliamp-hours per gram.

Abstract: Electrolytes and electrolyte additives for energy storage devices comprising metal amide bases are disclosed. The energy storage device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a Si-based electrode, a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode and an electrolyte composition comprising at least one electrolyte additive comprising a metal amide base compound.

Abstract: Systems and methods for continuous lamination of battery electrodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode includes a current collector, a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, the anode comprising a polymeric adhesive layer coated onto the current collector, and an active material coated onto the polymeric adhesive layer such that the polymeric adhesive layer is arranged between the active material and the current collector, wherein the anode is subjected to a heat treatment to induce pyrolysis after application of the polymeric adhesive layer to the current collector and application of the active material to the polymeric adhesive layer, the heat being applied to the anode at a temperature between 500 and 850 degrees C.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pulverization mitigation additives for silicon dominant anodes may include an electrode including a metal current collector and an active material layer on the current collector. The active material layer may include islands of material separated by cracks, with the islands including, at least, silicon and conductive additives. At least a portion of the additives may extend from within the islands and bridge the cracks of the active material layer. The conductive additives may form a structure providing electrical conductivity between a first island and a second island, or between at least one island and the metal current collector. The additives may include between 1% and 40% of the active material layer. The active material layer may include between 20% to 95% silicon. The conductive additives may include carbon nanotubes and/or graphene sheets.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that provide for a silicon-carbon composite material that includes nanoparticulate (e.g., nanocrystalline) silicon derived from a reaction between a zintl salt and metal halide. The nanoparticulate silicon-carbon composite material can be used to provide electrode materials (e.g., anode) and cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating silicon carbon composite powder that have the electrical properties of thicker, active material silicon carbon composite films or carbon composite electrodes, and may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the electrodes may include silicon carbon composite powder.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conductive polymer monomers as cathode additives for silicon-based lithium ion batteries may include a silicon-based anode, an electrolyte, and a cathode. The cathode may include an active material and small amounts of dispersed conductive polymer monomer additive. The cathode active material may include one or more of nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), and lithium manganese oxide (LMO). The conductive polymer monomer additive may any known monomer based on thiophene, aniline, and/or pyrrole core structures alone or in combination. The conductive polymer monomer additive may comprise 5% or less by weight of the active material, or 1% or less by weight of the active material, or 0.5% or less by weight of the active material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for silicon-dominant lithium-ion cells with controlled utilization of silicon may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode has an active material comprising more than 50% silicon. The battery may be charged by lithiating silicon while not lithiating carbon. The active material may comprise more than 70% silicon. A voltage of the anode during discharge of the battery may remain above a minimum voltage at which silicon can be lithiated. The anode may have a specific capacity of greater than 3000 mAh/g. The battery may have a specific capacity of greater than 1000 mAh/g. The anode may have a greater than 90% initial Coulombic efficiency and may be polymer binder free. The battery may be charged at a 10C rate or higher. The battery may be charged at temperatures below freezing without lithium plating. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel.