Abstract: A device for distributing flow through a shell side of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the device comprising a shell-side flow distributor configured to direct flow through all zones of a tube-bundle positioned in the shell, the shell-side flow distributor comprising an inlet flow distributor configured to direct flow from an inlet nozzle to all zones of the tube-bundle, the inlet flow distributor comprising an inlet distributor plate positioned proximate to the inlet nozzle in the shell side; and one or more window distributor plates, each window distributor plate comprising a window extending through a thickness of the window distributor plate, wherein the one or more window distributor plates are arranged in a vertical stack adjacent to the inlet distributor plate; and a flow guidance system, the flow guidance system disposed in the tube-bundle, wherein the flow guidance system comprises one or more flow guidance plates.

Abstract: A method for selecting one or more Regions of Interest (RoIs) for human annotations includes obtaining sensor data generated by one or more sensors of a vehicle; applying at least one class-agnostic heuristic function to the sensor data to determine a presence and an approximate position of one or more objects in an RoI of the sensor data; selecting one or more RoIs having proposed annotations for the one or more objects for refinement by an annotator; and outputting the one or more selected RoIs.

Abstract: Methods for extracting mtDNA include flowing a sample containing a cell into a microfluidic channel of a microfluidic device, capturing the cell on an array of microfeatures disposed within the microfluidic channel, lysing the captured cell and collecting lysate from the microfluidic device, sequencing nucleic acid from the lysate to obtain sequence data, and analyzing the sequence data to identify mtDNA sequences from the cell.

Abstract: A method for the production of a glassy metal polymer composite is disclosed. The method comprises adding a polymer and a metal to an extruder, wherein the extruder is heated to an extrusion temperature greater than the melting point of the polymer and the melting point of the metal; mixing the metal and the polymer in the extruder for a predefined residence time; and co-extruding the composite from the extruder.

Abstract: A method for the production of a glassy metal polymer composite is disclosed. The method comprises adding a polymer and a metal to an extruder, wherein the extruder is heated to an extrusion temperature greater than the melting point of the polymer and the melting point of the metal; mixing the metal and the polymer in the extruder for a predefined residence time; and co-extruding the composite from the extruder.

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: 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: An architecture for linear-time extraction of maximally stable extremal regions (MSERs) having an image memory, heap memory, a pointer array and processing hardware is disclosed. The processing hardware is configured to in real-time analyze image pixels in the image memory using a linear-time algorithm to identify a plurality of components of the image. The processing hardware is also configured to place the image pixels in the heap memory for each of the plurality of components of the image, generate a pointer that points to a location in the heap memory that is associated with a start of flooding for another component and store the pointer in the array of pointers. The processing hardware is also configured to access the plurality of components using the array of pointers and determine MSER ellipses based on the components and MSER criteria.

Abstract: An architecture for linear-time extraction of maximally stable extremal regions (MSERs) having an image memory, heap memory, a pointer array and processing hardware is disclosed. The processing hardware is configured to in real-time analyze image pixels in the image memory using a linear-time algorithm to identify a plurality of components of the image. The processing hardware is also configured to place the image pixels in the heap memory for each of the plurality of components of the image, generate a pointer that points to a location in the heap memory that is associated with a start of flooding for another component and store the pointer in the array of pointers. The processing hardware is also configured to access the plurality of components using the array of pointers and determine MSER ellipses based on the components and MSER criteria.

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: An industrial-strength scrim is made of thermoplastic tapes woven together in a twill weave, in which the weft tapes cross over at least two successive warp tapes and under at least one successive warp tape, in a repeating pattern. Such weave permits more tapes per inch to be accommodated in the scrim than for a plain weave, producing a scrim having greater mechanical strength, less cramming and folding of tapes and a smoother surface with fewer voids, suitable for coating.