Abstract: A hand tool or plier including a plurality of lever arms, a number of jaws, a cam assembly and a cam follower. The plier tool provides efficient and comfortable transfer of energy from the human hand to the plier tool by utilizing an lever arm and at least part of the cam to generate a transformational increase in mechanical advantage and allow maximum amount of power to be derived from a hand squeezing action, and to do so with a minimum discomfort and strain to the hand because the strongest part of the hand squeezes the handles portions with the greatest travel.

Abstract: A method for selective sound field environment processing for one or more wireless earpieces, each of the one or more wireless earpieces including comprising a plurality of microphones is provided. The method includes receiving audio input of a sound field environment from the plurality of microphones of each of the one or more wireless earpieces, identifying background noise in the sound field environment, identifying audio from at least one sound source within the sound field environment, processing the audio input using one or more processors of at least one of the wireless earpieces to reduce the background noise and processing the audio input using one or more processors of the at least one of the wireless earpieces to enhance the audio from the at least one sound source within the sound field environment to provide processed audio, and transducing the processed audio at one or more speakers of the one or more wireless earpieces.

Abstract: In various implementations, designs of relatively simple ultra-wideband STAR front-end systems are provided. For example, such systems may include implementations utilizing a plurality of antenna arms in which a first portion of the arms is configured to transmit and a second portion of the arms is configured to receive. In one implementation, for example, a co-channel simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) monostatic aperture configuration includes a single-polarized multi-port monostatic co-channel simultaneous transmit and receive (c-STAR) spiral antenna aperture. Other examples are also provided.

Abstract: The hybrid solar thermal enhanced oil recovery system with an oxy-fuel combustor is an enhanced oil recovery system utilizing solar thermal enhanced oil recovery during the daytime and utilizing an oxy-fuel combustor in the nighttime. A solar heater is used for the solar thermal enhanced oil recovery, generating steam injected into an oil field having an oil well for enhanced oil recovery. During the nighttime, when solar heating is not available, an oxy-fuel combustor produces carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The carbon dioxide is injected into the oil field for miscible enhanced oil recovery and the nitrogen is separately injected into the oil field for immiscible enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: The evaporative condenser cooling system is an air cooling system combining an evaporative condenser and a sensible heat exchanger. The evaporative condenser cools environmental air in a conventional manner, and includes a condenser immersed in water contained within a water reservoir. The water in the reservoir is also used to humidify another portion of environmental air, which is, in turn, cooled by evaporative cooling, and this cooled air is used in a heat exchange process with the sensible heat exchanger. The sensible heat exchanger is in communication with the water reservoir to provide additional cooling to the water therein, which is used to provide a further cooled environment for the condenser, enhancing heat exchange between the condenser and the water in which it is immersed.

Abstract: A capability for providing access control for a geo-fenced service (GFS) is presented herein. In general, a GFS is a network-hosted service having associated therewith a spatial region within which the network-hosted service may be accessed. The spatial region of the GFS may be defined based on one or more witnesses co-located at a location of the spatial region within which the GFS may be accessed, which are associated with the GFS in order to support access control for the GFS. The capability for providing access control for the GFS, based on a request by a user device to access the GFS, uses one or more co-located witnesses associated with the GFS to verify the presence of the user device within the spatial region within which the GFS may be accessed before granting access by the user device to the GFS.

Abstract: A system for generating electricity, heat, and desalinated water having a gas turbine system connected to a first electric generator, a waste heat recovery boiler (WHRB) system, a combined heat and power (CHP) generation system connected to a second electric generator, one or more solar powered energy systems, and a desalination system. The desalination system is connected to the CHP generation system and the WHRB system. The gas turbine system generates electricity and heat, the WHRB system is connected to and uses the exhaust of the gas turbine system to provide heat and steam power to the CHP generation system. The CHP generation system produces and provides electricity and heat to the desalination system, which produces product water, and at least one solar powered energy system provides thermal energy to one or more of the gas turbine system, the WHRB system, the CHP generation system, and the desalination system.

Abstract: A radiant cooling system comprises an enclosure, a cooling element and a cooling device. The enclosure includes a first wall that is transmissive of infrared radiation. The cooling element is disposed in the enclosure. The cooling device is coupled to the cooling element. The cooling element provides cooling mainly by radiative exchange. The system promotes cooling by radiative exchange and significantly reduces condensation problems and is compatible with open and enclosed spaces. Thermal losses of cooling power to conductive and convective pathways are significantly reduced. The system comes in a variety of forms including flat, cylindrical and dome-like geometries.

Abstract: A system includes a wearable device having at least one sensor configured to determine a user's fingerprint data, at least one data storage device containing authentication data, and at least one processor configured to compare the user's fingerprint data with the authentication data in order to authenticate a user. A method of authenticating a wearable device includes producing a fingerprint, determining fingerprint data derived from the fingerprint with one or more sensors, comparing the fingerprint data with authentication data on one or more data storage devices, and authenticating the user if the fingerprint data and the authentication data match.

Abstract: The present disclosure introduces methods and apparatus for connecting first and second downhole components. A first interface of a first subassembly is coupled to a first component. The first subassembly includes a first connector. A second interface of a second subassembly is coupled to a second component. The second subassembly includes a body and a second connector extendable from the body. The second connector remains communicably connected to the second interface by a conductor extendable from and retractable into the body, including when the second connector is extended away from the body and coupled to the first connector.

Abstract: A device and method for storing tire repair material in or around the wheel barrel of a tire. Also, a device and a method for repairing a compromised tire using tire repair material stored in or around the wheel barrel of a tire. In some embodiments, the means for storing the tire repair material in or around the wheel barrel may comprise non-interconnected bays. Device embodiments may also comprise a tire repair material applying means (for example, means utilizing some form of propulsion and/or spraying). Thus, in some embodiments, the tire repair material may be applied to a compromised section of the inside surface of the tire, originating from the direction of the wheel barrel. In some embodiments, the device may also comprise a means for detecting a compromised tire and the punctured section thereof, as well as a means for signaling commencement of application of the tire repair material.

Abstract: A thermoplastic sulfur-polymer composite comprises a thermoplastic polymer, such as polyethylene and polystyrene; and a sulfur element. Such sulfur element functions as passive sulfur filler in this composite. The thermoplastic polymer is a polymer matrix; and the sulfur filler is dispersed in the polymer matrix. There is no chemical reaction occurs after the addition of the sulfur filler into the host polymer and no chemical bond formed between the polymer and the sulfur filler. The thermoplastic sulfur-polymer composite can be a nanocomposite by either adding certain nanofillers into the composite or making the sulfur filler as sulfur nanoparticles. With its similar physical properties and lower manufacturing costs, the thermoplastic sulfur-polymer composites are good alternatives of the respective pure polymers.

Abstract: The evaporative condenser cooling system is an air cooling system combining an evaporative condenser and a sensible heat exchanger. The evaporative condenser cools environmental air in a conventional manner, and includes a condenser immersed in water contained within a water reservoir. The water in the reservoir is also used to humidify another portion of environmental air, which is, in turn, cooled by evaporative cooling, and this cooled air is used in a heat exchange process with the sensible heat exchanger. The sensible heat exchanger is in communication with the water reservoir to provide additional cooling to the water therein, which is used to provide a further cooled environment for the condenser, enhancing heat exchange between the condenser and the water in which it is immersed.

Abstract: A thermoplastic composition is disclosed that includes a polyaryl ester polymer or copolymer and a phthalone compound according to the formula wherein Z1 represents the atoms necessary to complete a 9- to 13-membered single or fused aromatic ring structure, Z2 represents the atoms necessary to complete a pyridine or quinoline ring, each R1 and each R2 can independently be halogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an aromatic or aliphatic thioether group, an aromatic or aliphatic carboxylic acid ester group, or an aromatic or aliphatic amide group, a is an integer from 0 to 6, b is an integer from 0 to 4, n is 1 or 2, and X is present only if n=2 and is a single bond or a divalent organic radical bonded to the Z1 ring structure through an ether, ketone, or thio linkage.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a reagent fluid dispensing device may be provided. The reagent fluid dispensing device may include a chamber for receiving a reagent fluid, the chamber having a first opening and a second opening; a first fluid conduit connected to the first opening of the chamber; a reservoir connected to the first fluid conduit, the reservoir having a first opening, wherein the first opening of the reservoir is connected to the first fluid conduit to form a passive valve, wherein the reservoir is dimensionalized for storing a predetermined volume of the reagent fluid; and a pneumatic conduit connected to the second opening of the chamber, wherein selective application of pneumatic pressure to the chamber through the pneumatic conduit transfers the reagent fluid from the reservoir to the chamber through the first fluid conduit. According to various embodiments, a microfluidic device including the reagent fluid dispensing device, and a method of dispensing a reagent fluid may be provided.

Abstract: A pneumatic valve system that includes an actuator that pneumatically actuates a valve, and circuitry that calculates a control signal to control the actuator by compensating for nonlinear dynamic of the actuator using a stable inverse model of the valve, optimizes parameters of the stable inverse model such that a difference between output information of the pneumatic valve system and desired reference information is reduced, and outputs the control signal to control the actuator.

Abstract: A method of preparing nanoparticles of date palm seeds comprises providing date seed powder; mixing the date seed powder with an acid solution to produce date palm seed nanoparticles; and isolating the date palm seed nanoparticles. A method of controlling the growth or proliferation of bacteria can include administering an effective amount of the date palm seed nanoparticles synthesized according to the present method to a site of bacterial activity.

Abstract: A system and a method provide a photovoltaic system which regenerates the output characteristics of the photovoltaic at different ambient condition with high precision under all environmental conditions. The photovoltaic system includes a photovoltaic array, a buck/boost converter, a DC link capacitor to connect the buck/booster converter to a load/inverter, an adaptive network-based fuzzy inference maximum power point tracking controller, a voltage control loop, a proportional integral controller to maintain the output voltage of the photovoltaic array to the reference voltage by adjusting the duty ratio of buck/boost converter.