Abstract: A head unit device for controlling motion of an object includes a chamber filled with a shear thickening fluid (STF) and a piston. The piston is housed within the chamber and exerts pressure against the STF from a force applied to the piston from the object. The STF is configured to have a decreasing viscosity in response to a first range of shear rates and an increasing viscosity in response to a second range of shear rates. The piston includes at least one piston bypass between opposite sides of the piston that controls flow of the STF between the opposite sides of the piston to selectively react with a shear threshold effect of the first range of shear rates or the second range of shear rates.

Abstract: An area isolation system (AIS) is provided. The AIS may include a barrier adjacent to a work area, a barrier control panel (BCP) operatively connected to and disposed proximate the barrier, the BCP including a BCP controller in communication with a BCP short-range transceiver, the BCP controller configured to control the barrier, and a machine configured to autonomously operate within the work area. The machine may include a remote shutdown module (RSM) having an RSM controller in communication with an RSM short-range transceiver, and an RSM unique identifier preprogrammed into a memory associated with the RSM controller. The RSM short-range transceiver may be configured to send signals indicative of the RSM unique identifier to the BCP short-range transceiver when a machine radio zone associated with the RSM short-range transceiver intercepts with a BCP radio zone associated with the BCP short-range transceiver.

Abstract: A composite nanoparticle comprising a nanoparticle confined within a cross-linked collapsed polyelectrolyte polymer wherein the nanoparticle comprises a charged organic ion.

Abstract: A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, including the steps of: changing the conformation of a dissolved polyelectrolyte polymer from a first extended conformation to a more compact conformation by changing a solution condition so that at least a portion of the polyelectrolyte polymer is associated with a precursor moiety to form a composite precursor moiety with a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm; and cross-linking the polyelectrolyte polymer of the composite precursor moiety to form a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, including the steps of, collapsing at least a portion of a polyelectrolyte polymer in solution about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm, wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer has an extended conformation in a first solution state and a more compact conformation in a second solution state; and cross-linking the polyelectrolyte polymer of the composite precursor moiety to form a composite nanoparticle wherein the precursory moiety is a charged organic ion.

Abstract: A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, including the steps of, collapsing at least a portion of a polyelectrolyte polymer in solution about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm, wherein the polyelectrolyte polymer has an extended conformation in a first solution state and a more compact conformation in a second solution state; and cross-linking the polyelectrolyte polymer of the composite precursor moiety to form a composite nanoparticle wherein the precursory moiety is a charged organic ion.

Abstract: A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, including the steps of: changing the conformation of a dissolved polyelectrolyte polymer from a first extended conformation to a more compact conformation by changing a solution condition so that at least a portion of the polyelectrolyte polymer is associated with a precursor moiety to form a composite precursor moiety with a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm; and cross-linking the polyelectrolyte polymer of the composite precursor moiety to form a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: A composite nanoparticle comprising a nanoparticle confined within a cross-linked collapsed polyelectrolyte polymer wherein the nanoparticle comprises a charged organic ion.

Abstract: In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a shape-static polymer template with a size in the range between about 1 nm to about 100 nm; (b)) incorporating one or more nanoparticle precursor moieties with the shape-static polymer template; and either (c) oxidizing the precursor moieties to form a composite nanoparticle comprising one or more of an inorganic oxide and hydroxide nanoparticle; or (c) adding an ion with an opposite charge polarity to the at least one nanoparticle precursor moieties to effect formation of a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multifunctional nanocomposite with at least two components, at least one component of which is a nanoparticle that includes a polymer.

Abstract: A method includes collapsing a polymer on a precursor moiety including a catalyst to form a composite having the polymer and the precursor moiety; and forming a nanoparticle from the composite.

Abstract: In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a shape-static polymer template with a size in the range between about 1 nm to about 100 nm; (b)) incorporating one or more nanoparticle precursor moieties with the shape-static polymer template; and either (c) oxidizing the precursor moieties to form a composite nanoparticle comprising one or more of an inorganic oxide and hydroxide nanoparticle; or (c) adding an ion with an opposite charge polarity to the at least one nanoparticle precursor moieties to effect formation of a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material; (b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties; (c) cross-linking the polymeric material; (d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a shape-static polymer template with a size in the range between about 1 nm to about 100 nm; (b)) incorporating one or more nanoparticle precursor moieties with the shape-static polymer template; and either (c) oxidizing the precursor moieties to form a composite nanoparticle comprising one or more of an inorganic oxide and hydroxide nanoparticle; or (c) adding an ion with an opposite charge polarity to the at least one nanoparticle precursor moieties to effect formation of a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a shape-static polymer template with a size in the range between about 1 nm to about 100 nm; (b)) incorporating one or more nanoparticle precursor moieties with the shape-static polymer template; and either (c) oxidizing the precursor moieties to form a composite nanoparticle comprising one or more of an inorganic oxide and hydroxide nanoparticle; or (c) adding an ion with an opposite charge polarity to the at least one nanoparticle precursor moieties to effect formation of a composite nanoparticle.

Abstract: Methods of producing stabilized composite nanoparticles comprising a nanoparticle and a multiple polyelectrolyte stabilizing moiety layer, a method of producing a multilayer stabilized composite nanoparticle, and such nanoparticles.

Abstract: Methods of producing stabilized composite nanoparticles comprising a nanoparticle and a multiple polyelectrolyte stabilizing moiety layer, a method of producing a multilayer stabilized composite nanoparticle, and such nanoparticles.

Abstract: Methods of producing stabilized composite nanoparticles comprising a nanoparticle and a multiple polyelectrolyte stabilizing moiety layer, a method of producing a multilayer stabilized composite nanoparticle, and such nanoparticles.

Abstract: A console-based multi-user authentication process allows multiple users of a game console to be authenticated together in a single request/reply exchange with an authentication entity. The results of which is the possession of a single ticket that can be used to prove authenticity of multiple authentication principals to one or more online services. Also described is a handshake process that can be used to initially establish an authentication account for each game console, in which the account creation server can trust that a genuine game console is making the request.

Abstract: A system determines whether to grants access to a network server by a user. Initially, a user attempts to gain access to a network server, such as a web server. Prior to granting access to the network server, the network server authenticates the user by sending an authentication request to an authentication server. The authentication server determines whether the user was already authenticated by the authentication server. If the user was already authenticated by the authentication server, then the network server is notified that the user is authenticated. The network server then grants the user access to the network server. If the user was not already authenticated by the authentication server, then login information is retrieved from the user and compared to authentication information maintained by the authentication server. If the retrieved login information matches the authentication information, then the network server is notified that the user is authenticated.