Abstract: Provided herein, inter alia, are compositions of short chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing microorganisms and methods of making and using the same to inhibit pathogenic bacterial populations in the gastrointestinal tracts of an animal and additionally promote improvement of one or more metrics in an animal, such as increased bodyweight gain, decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR), improved gut barrier integrity, reduced mortality, reduced pathogen infection, and reduced pathogen shedding in feces.

Abstract: A wide field of view heterodyne receiver is provided for enhancing mixing efficiency of a returned signal with a local oscillator signal to generate a heterodyned signal. The returned signal defines a first wave front, and the local oscillator signal defines a second wave front. The receiver includes an optics system, a local oscillator, and a focal plane array. The optics system is operative to transmit the returned signal along an optical path and to focus the returned signal onto a focal plane. The local oscillator is operative to provide the local oscillator signal being directable toward the focal plane. The focal plane array is disposed coincident with the focal plane and is operative to receive the focused returned signal and the local oscillator signal. Upon reaching the focal plane array, the first wave front and the second wave front are planar and oriented substantially parallel relative each other.

Abstract: An optical system having at least one dichroic Mangin mirror. The optical system has a front-end optical sub-system or a light source operative to emit an optical beam. The optical beam is dispersed into at least a first color beam and a second color beam and has certain degree of monochromatic aberration. The dichroic Mangin mirror is disposed along the optical paths of both the first and second color beams. The dichroic Mangin mirror includes a first surface operative to transmit the first color beam only, but reflects the second color beam. Therefore, upon incident on the dichroic Mangin mirror, the second color beam is reflected, while the first color beam transmits through the first surface and is then reflected off from the second surface. Thereby, the first and second color beams can be focused at the same position, which is referred as an achromatic system focus. Thereby, the chromatic aberration caused by the dispersion can be eliminated.

Abstract: A beam steerer comprising a mirror, a joint, and two linear actuators. The joint, which is attached to a periphery of the mirror is rotatable about two perpendicular axes. The linear actuators control rotational movement of the mirror about the two axes. A laser beam or other signal is reflected off of the mirror and redirected to define a field of regard and a focal point in front of the mirror. The beam steerer may be mounted behind a window of an object such that a plane of the window and the focal point coincides and a foot print of the field of regard of the beam through the window is smaller compared to a corresponding foot print when the beam directed onto the mirror is aligned with the joint and the alignment is maintained throughout the rotation of the mirror about the joint.

Abstract: This invention provides a unique gas shield or shroud surrounding the effluent of a thermal spray device that effectively can extend the working distance or standoff between the thermal spray device and the surface being coated. This invention provides a method of spraying materials, including ceramic materials and reactive materials, at a long standoff and a method of controlling the temperature of the effluent being deposited using heated gas shield.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing material, including adhesives, onto a substrate, including boxes and cartoons. A first and second dispenser are either operated in a dispense and standby mode or both dispense at least a portion of the dispensed pattern. The detection of a failure of one of the dispensing guns causes the other gun to dispense the complete pattern while de-activating the failed gun thereby maintaining production.

Abstract: A laser module with integral cooling is disclosed. The module is intended for coupling to a fiber optic cable for various applications. The module is generally cylindrical and has a laser diode array mounted centrally therein. A cooling channel is in thermal relation with the array either directly or via a diamond substrate. A fiber optic coupler mates with the portion of the housing carrying the array and carries a lens subassembly. During assembly, the coupler is positioned to accurately focus the output of the array into a beam suitable for transmission to the fiber optic cable. Coolant is coupled to the channel with a removable coupling manifold or similar arrangement which may also carry electrical contacts for energizing the array.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in supplying thermoplastic material such as hot melt adhesive from containers includes an apparatus for detecting and indicating when thermoplastic material or adhesive has moved out the container such that the container may be removed from the apparatus. Both force responsive and temperature responsive indicators are disclosed, along with various signalling devices, to inform an operator when the container may be removed leaving the material within the apparatus.

Abstract: A process of providing a thermal spray powder feed coating composition composed of stabilized zirconia mixed with zircon and a selected oxide, such as yttria, to form a refractory oxide coating ideally suited for hearth rolls for annealing steel.

Abstract: A thermal spray powder feed coating composition composed of stabilized zirconia mixed with zircon and a selected oxide, such as yttria, to form a refractory oxide coating ideally suited for hearth rolls for annealing steel. Process for producing the coating and the coated article so produced is also disclosed.

Abstract: A thermal spray powder feed coating composition composed of stabilized zirconia mixed with zircon and a selected oxide, such as yttria, to form a refractory oxide coating ideally suited for hearth rolls for annealing steel Process for producing the coating and the coated article so produced is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cylindrical lens and a binary optical element for collimating with low optical aberrations an asymmetrically diverging input wavefront. The binary optical element is formed on a planar substrate on which a binary optical diffraction pattern is etched on the front surface thereof. The binary optical diffraction pattern is designed such that each ray of light from the diverging input light source will travel the same optical path length or vary from that optical path length by an integer multiple of the wavelength of the light in travelling from its source to its exit from the front surface of the binary optical element. A beam angle alignment element is also provided, to be utilized in conjunction with a cylindrical lens and the binary optical element, for correcting angular misalignments of diode lasers whose output wavefront has an optical axis which is either above or below the plane in which the active region is formed.

Abstract: A sliced transform lens is used to combine and focus the optical output signals of a planar M by N laser diode array onto M detector elements in a linear detector by displacing lens slices. A sliced transform lens is used to separate the composite image of the laser diode array on the detector plane into ten spots (400 emitters per spot) by displacing the lens slices relative to each other collimated He-Ne laser beam was used to examine the sliced transform lens and the linear detector array was used to measure the image sizes and the crosstalks between the images. The results show the minimum separation is approximately five detector spacings apart. The lens elements are cut from a bulk material (BK-7) and ground to desired thickness and parallelism. Then the elements are "glued" together with standard optical wax compound and ground to the prescribed focal length. THe lens slices are cut before grinding, hence the composite lens is symmetric and zero-curf configuration is preserved.

Abstract: An improved erosion resistant coating for a gas path component of a turbo machine which comprises the thermal spraying of a chromium carbide, such as Cr.sub.3 C.sub.2, and an age hardenable nickel base alloy, such as Inconel 718, onto the gas path component and then, preferably, heat treating the deposited coating to harden the coating.

Abstract: A tungsten chromium carbide-nickel coated article and process for producing it in which the coating contains chromium-rich particles having at least 3 times more chromium than tungsten and wherein said chromium-rich particles comprise at least about 4.5 volume percent of the coating.

Abstract: A tungsten chromium carbide-nickel coated article and process for producing it in which the coating contains chromium-rich particles having at least 3 times more chromium than tungsten and wherein said chromium-rich particles comprise at least about 4.5 volume percent of the coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel-oxidant mixture for detonation gun applications comprising an oxidant such as oxygen and a fuel mixture of two combustible gases such as acetylene and propylene. The invention also relates to articles coated in a process using this fuel-oxidant mixture.

Abstract: A rotary gas seal in which a first member, e.g., a tip, cooperates with a second member to inhibit gas flow therebetween, the improvement wherein, the tip is provided with a ceramic or metallic coating bonded thereto, the surface of the coating having a plurality of laser-formed depressions and providing a wear-resistant, cutting surface capable of cutting into the second member. Also, a turbine or compressor blade having a tip surface adapted to cooperate with a sealing surface to form a seal between the blade and the sealing surface and a ceramic or metallic carbide coating bonded to said tip surface, the coating having a plurality of laser-formed depressions and providing a wear-resistant, cutting surface capable of cutting into the sealing surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coated article comprising a substrate coated with a tungsten carbide-cobalt layer having a strain-to-fracture greater than 4.3.times.10.sup.-3 inch per inch and a Vickers hardness of greater than about 875 HV.sub.0.3.

Abstract: A coating composition applied to a substrate by a thermal spray process which consists essentially of from about 6.5 to about 9.0 weight percent cobalt, from about 2.0 to about 4.0 weight percent chromium, from about 3.0 to about 4.0 weight percent carbon and the balance tungsten.