Abstract: A method for treating a metal material to make a surface portion hydrophobic. The method includes oxidizing an untreated surface portion of the metal material to form an oxidized surface portion. The untreated surface portion has metal atoms. The oxidizing step forming bonds between the metal atoms and oxygen atoms. The method further includes doping the oxidized surface portion with a liquid containing a fluorine-containing salt to form a fluorinated surface portion. The doping step forming bonds between fluorine atoms and at least a portion of the metal atoms and the oxygen atoms. The fluorinated surface portion is hydrophobic.

Abstract: An automated method and system for stacking and loading wrapped or unwrapped facemasks into a carton in a facemask production line includes conveying individual wrapped facemasks in a continuous stream to a stacking location. At the stacking location, the facemasks are deposited into a vertical accumulator such that the facemasks are stacked in the accumulator. Upon reaching a predetermined fill level of facemasks in the accumulator, a bottom retainer in the accumulator is opened such that the stacked facemasks drop into a carton placed below the accumulator. Upon opening the bottom retainer, a mid-level retainer is actuated in the accumulator that captures facemasks that continue to be deposited into the accumulator at an intermediate height above the bottom retainer. The bottom retainer is closed after the stacked facemasks drop into the carton, and the mid-level retainer is then opened such that the facemasks captured by the mid-level retainer drop onto the bottom retainer.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for voice enabled assistant for community demand fulfillment are described herein. A community of user devices may be identified that are registered with a voice-based supply and demand matching service. A supply of an item may be determined based on first user audio collected from a first user device of the community of user devices. A demand for the item may be determined based on second user audio collected from a second user device of the community of user devices. An indication of the supply may be transmitted to a user of the second user device.

Abstract: A computational method for simulating the motion of elements within a multi-element system using a neural network force field (NNFF). The method includes receiving a combination of a number of rotationally-invariant features and a number of rotationally-covariant features of a local environment of the multi-element system; and predicting a force vector for each element within the multi-element system based on the combination of the number of rotationally-invariant features, the number of rotationally-covariant features, and the NNFF, to obtain a simulated motion of the elements within the multi-element system.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for automated voice assistant personality selector are described herein. A task may be identified that is to be completed by a user of a voice-enabled virtual assistant. A response may be output in connection with the task using a default personality for the voice-enabled virtual assistant selected based on the task. A task completion checkpoint may be determined for the task. It may be identified that the task completion checkpoint has not been reached. A personality profile of the user may be compared to personality data of a set of voice-enabled virtual assistant profiles corresponding to respective members of a set of available voice personalities for the voice-enabled virtual assistant. An escalation personality may be selected for the voice-enabled virtual assistant based the comparison and the task. Commands for facilitating user completion of the task may be transmitted via the voice-enabled virtual assistant using the selected escalation personality.

Abstract: A desalination device includes a container, first and second electrodes, an anion exchange membrane (AEM), and a power source. The container contains saline water that has an elevated concentration of dissolved salts. The AEM separates the container into first and second compartments into which the first and second electrodes, respectively, are arranged. The AEM has a continuous porous structure and a plurality of negatively-charged oxygen functional groups coupled to the porous structure. The power source is configured to selectively apply a voltage to one of the first and second electrodes. The AEM has a selective permeability when the voltage is applied such that cations in the saline water solution have a first diffusion rate d1 therethrough and anions in the saline water solution have a second diffusion rate d2 therethrough. The first diffusion rate d1 is less than the second diffusion rate d2 and greater than or equal to zero.

Abstract: A water softening device includes a container configured to contain water, first and second electrodes arranged in fluid communication with the water, and a power source. The first electrode includes a conversion material that has a first composition and a second composition coexisting with the first composition. The first composition includes calcium ions bonded thereto and the second composition includes sodium ions bonded thereto. The power source supplies current in a first operating state such that the second composition exchanges sodium ions for calcium ions in the water to generate a soft water solution. The first and second electrodes are connected in a second operating state such that the first composition exchanges calcium ions for sodium ions in the water to generate a wastewater solution. The conversion material undergoes a reversible conversion reaction to convert between the first and second compositions within the water stability window.

Abstract: A device for removing chloride-containing salts from water includes a container configured to contain saline water, a first electrode arranged in fluid communication with the saline water, and a power source. The first electrode includes a conversion material that is substantially insoluble in the saline water and has a composition that includes at least two or more of aluminum, chlorine, copper, iron, oxygen, and potassium. The composition varies over a range with respect to a quantity of chloride ions per formula unit. The power source supplies current to the first electrode in a first operating state so as to induce a reversible conversion reaction in which the conversion material bonds to the chloride ions in the saline water to generate a treated water solution. The conversion material dissociates the chloride ions therefrom into the saline water solution in a second operating state to generate a wastewater solution.

Abstract: A desalination battery includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an intercalation compound contained in the first electrode, a container configured to contain a saline water solution, and a power source. The intercalation compound includes at least one of a metal oxide, a metalloid oxide, a metal oxychloride, a metalloid oxychloride, and a hydrate thereof with each having a ternary or higher order. The first and second electrodes are configured to be arranged in fluid communication with the saline water solution. The power source is configured to supply electric current to the first and second electrodes in different operating states to induce a reversible intercalation reaction within the intercalation compound. The intercalation compound reversibly stores and releases target anions from the saline water solution to generate a fresh water solution in one operating state and a wastewater solution in another operating state.

Abstract: A method and associated method are provided or introducing a supply of reserve nose wires in a facemask production line prior to depletion of running nose wires in the production line. A first nose wire source and first cutter system are provided for supplying the running nose wires to the production line. A reserve nose wire source and second cutter system are staged in a stand-by state proximate to the first nose wire source. Prior to depletion of the first nose wire source, the reserve nose wire source and second cutter system are brought up to an operational speed while diverting nose wires from the second cutter system away from the production line. At operational speed of the reserve nose wire source and second cutter system, nose wires from the second cutter system are diverted to the production line while diverting nose wires from the first cutter system away from the production line.

Abstract: A method and associated system are provided for splicing a reserve nose wire to a running nose wire in a facemask production line, wherein the running nose wire is supplied continuously from a supply roll. Prior to depletion of the running nose wire, the supply roll is moved from an operating location to an intermediate location that is further from the production line while continuing to supply the running nose wire from the supply roll. The supply roll is then moved from the intermediate location back towards the production line while decelerating the supply roll to a stop, thereby creating an accumulation of the running wire functionally between the supply roll and the production line. With the supply roll at a stop, the running nose wire is continuously supplied from the accumulation and a leading end of a reserve roll of nose wire is spliced to the running nose wire at a location upstream of the accumulation where the running nose wire is at a standstill.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for dynamic micropayment fee selector are described herein. A transaction stream may be obtained from an electronic transaction processing service. A transaction velocity of a set of transactions that correspond to a user account of the electronic transaction processing service included in the transaction stream may be calculated for a first period of time. A fee tier data structure may be generated based on the transaction velocity. A fee tier of the fee tier data structure may be applied to the user account. An indication of the applied fee tier and an electronic representation of the fee tier data structure may be transmitted to a device associated with the user account.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for automated voice assistant personality selector are described herein. A task may be identified that is to be completed by a user of a voice-enabled virtual assistant. A response may be output in connection with the task using a default personality for the voice-enabled virtual assistant selected based on the task. A task completion checkpoint may be determined for the task. It may be identified that the task completion checkpoint has not been reached. A personality profile of the user may be compared to personality data of a set of voice-enabled virtual assistant profiles corresponding to respective members of a set of available voice personalities for the voice-enabled virtual assistant. An escalation personality may be selected for the voice-enabled virtual assistant based the comparison and the task. Commands for facilitating user completion of the task may be transmitted via the voice-enabled virtual assistant using the selected escalation personality.

Abstract: A method and associated system are provided for cutting and placing individual nose wires in a facemask production line. A continuous wire is supplied from a supply source to a cutting station in the facemask production line where the continuous wire is cut into individual nose wires having a defined length. A first web is conveyed to a vacuum conveyor, and the individual nose wires are deposited from the cutting station onto the vacuum conveyor such that the nose wires are drawn by vacuum against the first web at a defined spacing and orientation. With the vacuum conveyor, the first web and attached nose wires are conveyed to a folding station wherein the first web and nose wires are combined with a second web such that the nose wires are encapsulated between the first and second webs.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for splicing a reserve nose wire to a running nose wire in a facemask production line. Prior to depletion of the running nose wire, a reserve nose wire is brought up to a transport speed in a conveying direction of the running nose wire. At or near a zero relative speed between the running nose wire and the reserve nose wire, a leading end of the reserve nose wire is introduced onto the running nose wire, and the two wires are spliced together. The running nose wire is then cut upstream of the splice location such that the reserve nose wire becomes a new running nose wire in the production line.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for cutting and placing individual nose wires in a facemask production line. A continuous wire is supplied from a source to a cutting station in the production line. At the cutting station, the wire is engaged with a set of driven feed rollers that advance the wire at a first speed to a cutting roller, wherein the wire is cut into individual nose wires. The individual nose wires from the cutting roller are then engaged by a set of delivery rollers to deposit the individual nose wires onto a running carrier web. The delivery rollers are independently driven relative to the feed rollers and cutting roller such that the nose wires from the cutting roller are initially accelerated and transported away from the cutting roller at a second speed that is greater than the first speed and then decelerated and moved onto the carrier web at a third speed that is less than the first speed.

Abstract: A method and associated system for cutting and placing individual nose wires in a facemask production line include supplying a continuous wire from a supply source to a cutting station where the continuous wire is cut into individual nose wires having a defined length. The nose wires are then conveyed to a treatment station prior to being deposited onto a carrier web. At the treatment station, a surface treatment is performed on a side of the nose wires that results in an increased surface attachment of the nose wires to the carrier web.

Abstract: A method and associated system are provided for splicing a reserve nose wire to a running nose wire in a facemask production line, wherein the running nose wire is supplied continuously from a supply roll. Prior to depletion of the running nose wire, the supply roll is moved from an operating location to an intermediate location that is further from the production line while continuing to supply the running nose wire from the supply roll. The supply roll is then moved from the intermediate location back towards the production line while decelerating the supply roll to a stop, thereby creating an accumulation of the running wire functionally between the supply roll and the production line. With the supply roll at a stop, the running nose wire is continuously supplied from the accumulation and a leading end of a reserve roll of nose wire is spliced to the running nose wire at a location upstream of the accumulation where the running nose wire is at a standstill.

Abstract: An automated method and system for stacking and loading wrapped facemasks into a carton in a facemask production line include conveying individual wrapped facemasks to a delivery location adjacent to a rotary wheel, the rotary wheel conveyor having individual pick-up devices spaced around a circumference thereof. Each wrapped facemask is picked-up with a respective pick-up device on the rotary wheel conveyor and transported to a first carton staging area at a first location on the circumference of the rotary wheel. At the first staging area, the facemasks are released from the rotary wheel conveyor and deposited into a carton.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for placing nose wires in a facemask production line. A supply of individual pre-cut nose wires are supplied to a dispenser in the production line. With the dispenser, the nose wires are metered at a defined spacing and orientation onto a running carrier web that is conveyed past the dispenser. The carrier web and nose wires deposited thereon are conveyed to a folding station wherein a binder web is folded over an edge of the carrier web such that the nose wires are encapsulated between the binder web and the carrier web.