Abstract: The present disclosure presents a separator for a lithium-containing battery, including a polymeric membrane; and a ceramic coating on at least one surface of the polymeric membrane, wherein the ceramic coating is chemically reactive with lithium ions to provide an ionically conductive and electrically insulating surface layer; and wherein the ceramic coating has a thickness of about 1 ?m or more and about 10 ?m or less.

Abstract: A network system is provided between at least a first client site and a second client site, the first and the second client site are at a distance from one another. A client site network component is implemented at least at the first client site, the client site network component bonding or aggregating one or more diverse network connections so as to configure a bonded/aggregated connection that has increased throughput. At least one network server component may be configured to connect to the client site network component using the bonded/aggregated connection. A cloud network controller may be configured to manage the data traffic and a virtual edge providing transparent lower-link encryption for the bonded/aggregated connection between the client site network component and the network server component.

Abstract: A method and a former for necking and thickening a tube end. The former includes a hydraulic cylinder, a pusher, a concave die, a filler block, a plurality of heating rods and a heating device. The hydraulic cylinder is connected to a disc provided with a guide sleeve. The pusher is provided on the hydraulic cylinder and passes through the guide sleeve. The concave die is provided at a side of the pusher and includes a mold cavity and a plurality of heating holes. The filler block is provided in the mold cavity. The heating rods are provided in the heating holes connected to the heating device. The filler block includes a tapered portion provided at one end of the filler block and a diameter-reduced portion. The tapered portion is threadedly connected to the diameter-reduced portion. An ejector pin is provided at one end of the diameter-reduced portion.

Abstract: Batteries and associated methods of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, a battery includes a battery case, an anode within the battery case, a cathode within the battery case, a separator configured to electrically insulate the anode from the cathode and the battery case, an electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode, and first and second terminal connections connected with respective ones of the anode and the cathode, and wherein the first and second terminal connections are configured to conduct electrons between the anode and the cathode via a load which is external of the battery case.

Abstract: A content item generation system which implements techniques for selecting and identifying content items to return in response to a request is described. For example, the content item generation system may separate requirements included with a request into first and second sets of requirements. The first set of requirements may be used to identify which content items or content item campaigns may be suitable to respond to the request. The second set of requirements may be used to determine whether items associated with the selected content items or content item campaigns correspond to technical requirements specified in the request.

Abstract: A network system is provided between at least a first client site and a second client site, the first and the second client site are at a distance from one another. A client site network component is implemented at least at the first client site, the client site network component bonding or aggregating one or more diverse network connections so as to configure a bonded/aggregated connection that has increased throughput. At least one network server component may be configured to connect to the client site network component using the bonded/aggregated connection. A cloud network controller may be configured to manage the data traffic and a virtual edge providing transparent lower-link encryption for the bonded/aggregated connection between the client site network component and the network server component.

Abstract: A lithium metal pouch cell having a specific energy ?300 Wh·kg?1 includes an anode comprising lithium metal and an anode current collector, the anode having an areal capacity N (mAh·cm?2); a cathode comprising a cathode material and a cathode current collector, the cathode having an a real capacity P (mAh·cm?2), wherein a ratio of N/P is within a range of 0.02 to 5; an electrolyte having an electrolyte mass E and comprising a lithium active salt and a solvent, the lithium metal pouch cell having an electrolyte mass to cell capacity (E/C) ratio within a range of 1 to 6 g·Ah?1; a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode; and a packaging material defining a pouch enclosing the anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator; wherein a protruding tab of the anode current collector and a protruding tab of the cathode current collector are external to the pouch.

Abstract: A new acoustic tag and process are disclosed for identifying and tracking underwater hosts in up to three dimensions. The acoustic tag has an operation lifetime up to a year or longer at a pulse rate interval of about 15 seconds. The acoustic tag has a signal detection range up to at least about 500 meters that enhances detection probability.

Abstract: Energy storage devices having hybrid anodes can address at least the problems of active material consumption and anode passivation that can be characteristic of traditional batteries. The energy storage devices each have a cathode separated from the hybrid anode by a separator. The hybrid anode includes a carbon electrode connected to a metal electrode, thereby resulting in an equipotential between the carbon and metal electrodes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring organisms within an aquatic environment are described. According to one aspect, an injectable acoustic transmission device includes a body configured to be injected inside of an organism, a transducer within the body and configured to convert a plurality of electrical signals into a plurality of data transmissions which are transmitted externally of the body and the organism, a plurality of circuit components within the body and configured to use electrical energy from a power source to generate the electrical signals which are provided to the transducer, and wherein the transducer defines an internal volume and at least one of the circuit components is provided within the internal volume of the transducer.

Abstract: A media item cache manager system which implements techniques for efficiently using cache memory to respond to requests. The cache memory may include information on items along with a status indicator for each of the items, indicating different status information. Some examples of possible status indicators include valid, invalid, or in-progress indicators.

Abstract: A system for conserving resources in a multi-channel control system environment is provided. A resource limit that is associated with a content delivery campaign is determined. A prediction of resource usage that is associated with the content delivery campaign and a first content delivery channel is determined. A content request is received through a second content delivery channel that is different than the first content delivery channel. In response, based on data contained within the content request, the content delivery campaign is identified. Also, based on the resource limit and the prediction of resource usage associated with the content delivery campaign and the first content delivery channel, it is determined whether to respond to the content request with data associated with the content delivery campaign.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring organisms within an aquatic environment are described. According to one aspect, an injectable acoustic transmission device includes a body configured to be injected inside of an organism, a transducer within the body and configured to convert a plurality of electrical signals into a plurality of data transmissions which are transmitted externally of the body and the organism, a plurality of circuit components within the body and configured to use electrical energy from a power source to generate the electrical signals which are provided to the transducer, and wherein the transducer defines an internal volume and at least one of the circuit components is provided within the internal volume of the transducer.

Abstract: Techniques for optimizing network-transferred multi-card content items are provided. In one technique, a first content item selection event is initiated that involves a set of content delivery campaigns that includes a content delivery campaign that includes a content item that comprises multiple cards. The content delivery campaign is selected and the content item is transmitted to a first computing device, where the multiple cards have a first card configuration. One or more events that are associated with the first computing device displaying at least one card of the plurality of cards is identified. Based on the events, a second card configuration is determined. Another content item selection event that involves the content delivery campaign is initiated and the content delivery campaign is selected. The content item is transmitted to a second computing device, where the multiple cards have the second card configuration.

Abstract: A request intermediary processing system which implements techniques to allow tracking of responses to requests when there is an intermediary. In an embodiment, the intermediary includes an internal exchange. The internal exchange may manage one or more content item providers and select content items from among the one or more internal content item providers to respond to requests. The intermediary may include, when responding to a request, inserting or embedding a token or other means so that the integrity of a content item provider-specific tracking data is maintained, while including request intermediary processing system-specific tracking data.

Abstract: A request filtration system that implements techniques to reduce load on a downstream service by efficiently filtering requests before they are processed by the downstream service. The request filtration system may be used by a request processing system to eliminate requests that satisfy any of one or more filters. For example, each filter specifies one or more attributes that may apply to one or more requests. If a request satisfies a filter, then the request is not considered by the downstream service or a content item does not need to be selected by the request processing system in response to the request.

Abstract: A device for minimally invasive bone harvesting surgery described herein includes a cutter, a sleeve, and a drive control system. The cutter includes a head and a spiral conveying portion. An external screw thread is disposed on a surface of the spiral conveying portion, the sleeve is sleeved on the cutter, and the head and at least a part of the screw thread of the surface of the spiral conveying portion are exposed from the sleeve. The drive control system drives and controls the cutter to work. The device for minimally invasive bone harvesting surgery in this invention only needs a very tiny skin incision and bone window, cuts or grinds cancellous bone to bone fragments and then conveys them through a screw thread channel, which realizes the oriented conveying of the harvested bone.

Abstract: Described are chips for detecting a target in a sample including a microfluidic flow chamber comprising one or more flow channels having a capture surface and at least one micromixer. Described are methods of using this chip wherein targets are identified by total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF).

Abstract: A freezing temperature controllable spray freezing tower for preparing micron-sized spherical ice particles includes a tower body, an atomization system, a material feeding system, a circulatory air supplying system, a refrigeration system and a tower wall cooling and thermal insulation system. An air storage cavity is formed at a top of the tower body, a freezing chamber is formed inside the tower body, a material collecting chamber is formed at a bottom of the tower body. The atomization system is in communication with the air storage cavity, the material feeding system is in communication with the atomization system, the circulatory air supplying system is in communication with the bottom of the freezing chamber and the refrigeration system respectively, the refrigeration system is connected to the air storage cavity and a tower wall of the tower body. Thus the operation is convenient and simple.