Abstract: An actuator component for a droplet ejection head; wherein said actuator component comprises a substrate and one or more strips of piezoelectric material fixedly attached to said substrate; wherein said one or more strips of piezoelectric material comprise one or more layers of piezoelectric material, and an array of fluid chambers defined within said one or more strips of piezoelectric material and extending in an array direction; wherein said actuator component further comprises one or more cover parts; wherein the or each cover part extends in said array direction and is fixedly attached to at least one of a side face of one of said strips of piezoelectric material and/or at least a portion of said substrate; and wherein said one or more cover parts comprise a plurality of openings so as to enable fluid to be supplied to selected ones of said fluid chambers through said openings. Associated methods of manufacturing an actuator component for a droplet ejection head are also provided.

Abstract: Methods for removing impurities from precursors and related systems are provided. A method comprises at least one thermal cycle. The at least one thermal cycle comprises one or more of the following steps: heating a vessel comprising a precursor and at least one impurity to a temperature for a duration sufficient to vaporize at least a portion of the at least one impurity; measuring a vapor pressure within the vessel to obtain a measured vapor pressure and comparing the measured vapor pressure to a set point vapor pressure; and when the measured vapor pressure is above or within the set point vapor pressure, removing, from the vessel, at least a portion of a vapor comprising the at least one impurity. Other methods and systems are provided herein.

Abstract: A system for collecting tissue samples, such as meat tissues on carcasses, for example in the food industry. Also provided are methods for collecting tissue samples, and to a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions to execute at least one step of the method for collecting tissue samples.

Abstract: Diffuser plates in vaporizers, and related systems and methods, are provided. A vaporizer comprises a vessel having an outlet. The vessel contains or is configured to contain a vaporizable precursor that, when vaporized, produces a precursor vapor. The vessel discharges or is configured to discharge the precursor vapor through the outlet. The vaporizer includes a diffuser located within the vessel, between the vaporizable precursor and the outlet. The diffuser has a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a plurality of holes extending from the first surface of the diffuser through to the second surface of the diffuser.

Abstract: High purity molybdenum-containing precursors and related systems and methods are provided. A precursor delivery system comprises a vaporizer vessel that is configured to contain a vaporizable precursor that, when vaporized, produces a precursor vapor. The precursor delivery system comprises at least one protective surface treatment. The at least one protective surface treatment covers a sufficient amount of at least one gas-exposed surface of the precursor delivery system to reduce an amount of at least one contaminant in the precursor vapor as compared to a precursor vapor produced by a precursor delivery system without the at least one protective surface treatment.

Abstract: A system for collecting tissue samples, such as meat tissues on carcasses, for example in the food industry. Also provided are methods for collecting tissue samples, and to a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions to execute at least one step of the method for collecting tissue samples.

Abstract: A precursor vessel comprises a hafnium halide precursor. The hafnium halide precursor comprises less than 1 ppm of at least one impurity. The at least one impurity comprises at least one of a titanium contaminant, a chromium contaminant, an aluminum contaminant, an iron contaminant, or any combination thereof. Related systems and related methods are also provided, including, for example and without limitation, systems for delivery of vapor precursors, methods for purifying a precursor, and the like.

Abstract: An electric machine having a hybrid insulative-conductive manifold is disclosed. In one aspect, an electric machine includes a manifold that includes an insulative plate and a conductive backplate positioned adjacent to the insulative plate. The insulative plate and the backplate define a first channel and a second channel therebetween. The electric machine also includes a prime winding and a secondary winding electrically isolated from the prime winding. The prime winding and the secondary winding are both in fluid communication with the first channel and the second channel. A terminal conductor extends through the backplate and insulative plate and is electrically coupled with the prime winding. The terminal conductor is electrically isolated from the backplate and provides cooling fluid to the prime winding and the first channel so that cooling fluid flows between the terminal conductor and the prime winding and between the terminal conductor and the first channel.

Abstract: A method of treating a surface of wood products to inhibit the uptake of moisture into the wood by providing an aqueous formulation comprising polyethylene-vinyl acetate in water, 2-99 percent polyethylene-vinyl acetate by weight. The aqueous formulation is applied to the surface of wood products, wherein the wood products remain outdoors or in a damp environment having 60% or greater relative humidity. The aqueous formulation is allowed to dry and form a micro-film on the surface of the wood products. The moisture content in the wood products is maintained at 16 percent or less. A pesticide effect on the surface of the wood products is produced, inhibiting infestation of the wood products by insects.

Abstract: Intelligent risk detection systems and methods include one or more processors, one or more memory components communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, and machine readable instructions that cause the system to determine one or more risk factors with respect to a monitored item based on one or more sensors, determine, via a risk model, a risk score indicative of a risk of a danger event based on the one or more risk factors, detect whether the risk score is above a threshold risk score, generate a risk event detection when the risk score is above the threshold risk score, transmit a risk detection alert based on generation of the risk event detection, activate a risk mitigation activation sensor, and determine whether an updated risk score is below the threshold risk score such that the risk of the danger event is determined to be mitigated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for messaging a user include one or more processors, one or more memory components, and machine readable instructions that cause the AI system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors: request a consent input from a user, receive the consent input from the user, send a message to a mobile device of the user, responsive to the user selecting an option of being connected to the agent, and responsive to the user not selecting the option of being connected to the agent, and send one or more further messages presenting the user with the option of being connected to the agent on a pre-determined schedule until (i) a pre-determined duration of time expires or (ii) the user selects the option of being connected to the agent within the pre-determined duration of time.

Abstract: A system capable of autonomous operation is disclosed for cleaning a tube bundle of a heat exchanger core. The system comprises a lance for directing a jet of fluid into spaces between the tubes of the bundle, a carriage for advancing the lance into the bundle, a mount movable relative to the carriage for holding the lance, and a sensor for detecting relative movement between the lance and the carriage, so as to detect when a reaction force acting on the lance upon encountering an obstruction in the tube bundle exceeds a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A heat exchanger cleaning system is disclosed which is capable of determining the position of a lance within a tube bundle of a heat exchanger core. The system comprises a lance for directing a jet of fluid into spaces between the tubes of the bundle, an arm mounted alongside the lance and movable relative thereto, an abutment mounted to an end of the arm to sense an outer surface of the heat exchanger core, and a transducer for measuring the position of the lance relative to the arm to determine the extent of travel of the tip of the lance beyond the front face of the tube bundle.

Abstract: Molybdenum precursors with high purity and methods for purifying molybdenum precursors are provided. A method comprises obtaining a first vessel comprising a solid reagent; vaporizing at least a portion of the solid reagent to produce a vapor comprising a MoCl5 vapor and a molybdenum impurity vapor; flowing at least a portion of the MoCl5 vapor and at least a portion of the molybdenum impurity vapor to a second vessel; condensing at least a portion of the MoCl5 vapor in the second vessel to separate the MoCl5 from the molybdenum impurity; and removing at least a portion of the molybdenum impurity vapor from the second vessel to obtain a MoCl5 precursor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to RNA constructs, and particularly, although not exclusively, to mRNA constructs and saRNA replicons and to nucleic acids and expression vectors encoding such RNA constructs. The invention extends to the use of such RNA constructs in therapy, for example in treating diseases and/or in vaccine delivery. The invention extends to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such RNA constructs, and methods and uses thereof.

Abstract: A precursor comprises a tungsten precursor and a carbon-containing material. The precursor comprises less than 0.02% by weight of the carbon-containing material based on a total weight of the precursor. A method for purifying a tungsten precursor may comprise at least one of the following steps: obtaining a source vessel containing a tungsten precursor and a carbon-containing material; separating the tungsten precursor from at least a first portion of the carbon-containing material; recovering a precursor in a collection vessel; or any combination thereof.

Abstract: In various examples, systems and methods are disclosed for generating and/or analyzing candidate paths for a multi-body vehicle—e.g., a tractor trailer truck—based on obstacle avoidance considerations and using an uncertainty representation for the vehicle. The uncertainty representation may correspond to a trailer portion of the multi-body vehicle to account for the variations in rotation of the trailer with respect to the tractor. As such, the uncertainty representation may be indicative of a probability that the trailer of the vehicle occupies locations and/or points in world space. This probability—combined with the probability of locations of actors in the environment—may be used to generate candidate paths that satisfy various constraints—e.g., a minimum stochastic distance—between the vehicle and the actor.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric ceramic having the composition: a[PbTiO3]-b[SrTiO3]-c[BiFeO3]-d[(KxBi1-x)TiO3]; wherein 0.4<x<0.6; 0.1<a<0.4; 0.01<b?0.2; c?0.05; d?0.01; and a+b+c+d=1 optionally comprising an A- or B-site metal dopant in an amount of up to 2 at. %.

Abstract: A system including a vessel for containing a fill material and a vibration source connected to the vessel. The vibration source can increase a bulk density of the fill material. A fill material ratio can be defined as a particle density of the fill material divided by the bulk density of the fill material after vibration. After the vibration source increases the bulk density of the fill material, the fill material ratio can range from about 0.15 to about 0.75.

Abstract: The invention relates to RNA constructs, and particularly, although not exclusively, to mRNA constructs and saRNA replicons and to nucleic acids and expression vectors encoding such RNA constructs. The invention extends to the use of such RNA constructs in therapy, for example in treating diseases and/or in vaccine delivery. The invention extends to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such RNA constructs, and methods and uses thereof.