Abstract: Coated articles are described herein that include a first layer. The first layer may comprise a planarization layer and/or a hydroxyl-modified layer. The planarization layer includes a silica or a partial silica-like having Si—O—Si—O bonds. The coated article further includes a surface-modifying layer disposed on a first surface area of the first layer. In aspects, the first layer has a molar ratio of hydrogen to silicon of about 0.2 or more. Methods of forming coated articles can include evaporating a functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and impinging an ion beam thereon to from a planarization layer. Methods for forming coated articles can include impinging a plasma at a first major surface of a substrate to form a hydroxyl-modified layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid concentrate comprising a plant growth regulator like prohexadione dissolved in an ionic liquid, the ionic liquid comprising an organic base and a strong acid. The ionic liquid may comprise an amine, amide, imine, imide or urea. The strong acid preferably is ethephon.

Abstract: An article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate with at least one surface that has a textured region. The textured region includes a plurality of topographical features that define voids opening towards the surface. The article further includes a coating that comprises a cured silicon oxide (SiOx) material positioned in a pattern on at least a portion of the textured region to fill the voids at least partially. The cured SiOx material planarizes the textured region and modifies surface attributes such as haze, distinctness-of-image (DOI), surface roughness, and abrasion performance. A method is disclosed for planarizing a textured surface by jetting a solution comprising a SiOx material and a solvent in a pattern on a portion of the textured surface. The SiOx solution is cured to form a coating comprising the cured SiOx material.

Abstract: Coated articles are described herein that include a surface-modifying layer that is fluorine-free. In aspects, the surface-modifying layer comprises a partial silica-like network having a ratio of Si—O—Si bonds to Si atoms in the anti-fingerprint coating from about 2 to about 3. Additionally or alternatively, the surface-modifying layer further comprises an alkyl silane at the exterior surface and bonded to a Si—O group in the silica-like network. Methods include evaporating a functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane onto a first major surface. Methods include impinging an ion beam on the first major surface. Alternatively, methods include disposing and heating a solution comprising a polysilazane or a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane on a first major surface. In aspects, methods include reacting material at the first major surface with a alkyl silane.

Abstract: A duct assembly, to house and route utilities for example in floors, walls and overhead spaces, including a plurality of tracks connected together with a plurality of joint bars, where each track includes a bottom side, opposed side walls separated by a central wall and an open top. The assembly includes a shelf support partway along the wall between the bottom side and the open top to support a plurality of middle covers defining a lower chase. The assembly further including a plurality of top covers removably connected to a top of the tracks to define an upper chase.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatuses for dose optimization is disclosed. A predetermined threshold may be assigned to a medication. Dose-responses from each subject of a plurality of subjects may be collected and evaluated so that a determination may be made regarding whether a particular dose is equal to a true minimum dose with satisfactory efficacy value.

Abstract: A coated article for use as a display screen for automotive displays includes a substrate that is a glass or a glass ceramic and has at least one surface, and an ETC coating bonded to the surface of the substrate by inkjet printing. A method for applying the ETC coating onto the substrate to produce the coated articles includes providing the substrate having the surface, where the substrate is a glass substrate or a glass ceramic substrate. The method further includes preparing an ETC coating composition that includes a polymer and a solvent. The viscosity of the ETC coating composition is from 2 cP to 30 cP. The method further includes inkjet printing the ETC coating composition onto the surface of the substrate and curing the ETC coating composition to produce the ETC coating. Inkjet printing increases the durability and uniformity of the ETC coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid dispersion comprising (i) at least one growth regulator which has a solubility in vegetable oil of about 0.1 wt % or less; (ii) an organic hydrophobic carrier, preferably a vegetable oil, hydrocarbon oil or paraffin oil, or a derivative thereof; wherein the at least one growth regulator which is insoluble or unstable in water, is present in the liquid dispersion in an amount exceeding 0.1 wt %; and wherein more than 90% of the particles of said growth regulator has a particle size of between 1-7 ?m; wherein the dispersion further comprises (iii) an emulsifier which stabilizes the dispersion in the organic carrier, and which causes the concentrate to be water miscible and self-emulsifying when diluted in water in a suitable dilution, such as for example a 1:50 dilution or higher dilution; wherein the dispersion is essentially water free.

Abstract: An article and method of manufacturing an article is provided. The article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate having a primary surface with an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface. An intermediate coating containing a cured polysilazane or a cured silsesquioxane material is disposed over the anti-reflective coating. An easy-to-clean (ETC) coating containing a polymer and/or fluorinated material is disposed directly on the intermediate coating. The method of manufacturing the article includes curing an intermediate coating solution containing a polysilazane or a silsesquioxane to form an intermediate coating at a temperature of about 300° C. or less.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a glass article comprising: forming a first layer of a first metal on a glass substrate, the glass substrate comprising silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide; subjecting the glass substrate with the first layer of the first metal to a first thermal treatment; forming a second layer of a second metal over the first layer of the first metal; and subjecting the second layer of the second metal to a second thermal treatment, the first thermal treatment and the second thermal treatment inducing intermixing of the first metal, the second metal, and at least one of aluminum, aluminum oxide, silicon, and silicon dioxide of the glass substrate to form a metallic region comprising the first metal, the second metal, aluminum oxide, and silicon dioxide. The first metal can be silver. The second metal can be copper.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a glass article comprises: (A) forming a first layer of catalyst metal on a glass substrate; (B) heating the glass substrate; (C) forming a second layer of an alloy of a first metal and a second metal on the first layer; (D) heating the glass substrate, thereby forming a glass article comprising: (i) the glass substrate; (ii) an oxide of the first metal covalently bonded thereto; and (iii) a metallic region bonded to the oxide, the metallic region comprising the catalyst, first, and second metals. In embodiments, the method further comprises (E) forming a third layer of a primary metal on the metallic region; and (F) heating the glass article thereby forming the glass article comprising: (i) the oxide of the first metal covalently bonded the glass substrate; and (ii) a new metallic region bonded to the oxide comprising the catalyst, first, second, and primary metals.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid dispersion comprising (i) at least one growth regulator which has a solubility in vegetable oil of about 0.1 wt % or less; (ii) an organic hydrophobic carrier, preferably a vegetable oil, hydrocarbon oil or paraffin oil, or a derivative thereof; wherein the at least one growth regulator which is insoluble or unstable in water, is present in the liquid dispersion in an amount exceeding 0.1 wt %; and wherein more than 90% of the particles of said growth regulator has a particle size of between 1-7 ?m; wherein the dispersion further comprises (iii) an emulsifier which stabilizes the dispersion in the organic carrier, and which causes the concentrate to be water miscible and self-emulsifying when diluted in water in a suitable dilution, such as for example a 1:50 dilution or higher dilution; wherein the dispersion is essentially water free.

Abstract: To enhance the scaling of data processing systems in a computing environment, a number of data objects indicated in an allocation queue and a first attribute of the allocation queue are determined, where the allocation queue is accessible to a plurality of data processing systems. A number of data objects indicated in the allocation queue at a subsequent time is predicted based on the determined number of data objects and the first attribute. It is determined whether the active subset of the plurality of data processing systems satisfies a criterion for quantity adjustment based, at least in part, on the predicted number of data objects indicated in the allocation queue and a processing time goal. Based on determining that the active subset of data processing systems satisfies the criterion for quantity adjustment, a quantity of the active subset of data processing systems is adjusted.

Abstract: A cloud monitoring system is disclosed herein that uses a filtering paradigm after metric data aggregation and before storing in a repository that allows querying the metric data to significantly reduce the raw data stored into the repository. A persistence filter identifies extremal cloud metrics that are persistent across time windows, increasing the confidence that extremal metrics correspond to abnormal behavior. A cloud metric filter comprising a sequence of logical and statistical filters that are interchangeable in order and use allows for dynamic filtering of cloud data. The cloud metric filter has a feedback control loop to update the order and parameters of individual filters based on properties of filtered metric values. Intelligent filtering of cloud metric data yields a focused set of statistically significant metric data for monitoring and eliminates noisy metric data for normal behavior.

Abstract: A cloud monitoring system is disclosed herein that uses a filtering paradigm after metric data aggregation and before storing in a repository that allows querying the metric data to significantly reduce the raw data stored into the repository. A persistence filter identifies extremal cloud metrics that are persistent across time windows, increasing the confidence that extremal metrics correspond to abnormal behavior. A cloud metric filter comprising a sequence of logical and statistical filters that are interchangeable in order and use allows for dynamic filtering of cloud data. The cloud metric filter has a feedback control loop to update the order and parameters of individual filters based on properties of filtered metric values. Intelligent filtering of cloud metric data yields a focused set of statistically significant metric data for monitoring and eliminates noisy metric data for normal behavior.

Abstract: A method of producing an electrochemically derived graphene oxide and product produced therefrom. The method comprises locating graphite particles within an electrochemical cell having a working electrode, counter electrode, and an aqueous acid electrolyte, the working electrode being positioned within the electrolyte to contact at least a portion of the graphite particles; agitating the graphite particles within the electrolyte; and applying a potential difference between the working electrode and counter electrode, thereby resulting in electrochemical exfoliation and oxidation of the graphite particles to produce graphene oxide.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a glass article comprises: (A) forming a first layer of catalyst metal on a glass substrate; (B) heating the glass substrate; (C) forming a second layer of an alloy of a first metal and a second metal on the first layer; (D) heating the glass substrate, thereby forming a glass article comprising: (i) the glass substrate; (ii) an oxide of the first metal covalently bonded thereto; and (iii) a metallic region bonded to the oxide, the metallic region comprising the catalyst, first, and second metals. In embodiments, the method further comprises (E) forming a third layer of a primary metal on the metallic region; and (F) heating the glass article thereby forming the glass article comprising: (i) the oxide of the first metal covalently bonded the glass substrate; and (ii) a new metallic region bonded to the oxide comprising the catalyst, first, second, and primary metals.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a glass article comprises: (A) forming a first layer of catalyst metal on a glass substrate; (B) heating the glass substrate; (C) forming a second layer of an alloy of a first metal and a second metal on the first layer; (D) heating the glass substrate, thereby forming a glass article comprising: (i) the glass substrate; (ii) an oxide of the first metal covalently bonded thereto; and (iii) a metallic region bonded to the oxide, the metallic region comprising the catalyst, first, and second metals. In embodiments, the method further comprises (E) forming a third layer of a primary metal on the metallic region; and (F) heating the glass article thereby forming the glass article comprising: (i) the oxide of the first metal covalently bonded the glass substrate; and (ii) a new metallic region bonded to the oxide comprising the catalyst, first, second, and primary metals.

Abstract: To enhance the scaling of data processing systems in a computing environment, a number of data objects indicated in an allocation queue and a first attribute of the allocation queue are determined, where the allocation queue is accessible to a plurality of data processing systems. A number of data objects indicated in the allocation queue at a subsequent time is predicted based on the determined number of data objects and the first attribute. It is determined whether the active subset of the plurality of data processing systems satisfies a criterion for quantity adjustment based, at least in part, on the predicted number of data objects indicated in the allocation queue and a processing time goal. Based on determining that the active subset of data processing systems satisfies the criterion for quantity adjustment, a quantity of the active subset of data processing systems is adjusted.

Abstract: To enhance the scaling of data processing systems in a computing environment, a number of data objects indicated in an allocation queue and a first attribute of the allocation queue are determined, where the allocation queue is accessible to a plurality of data processing systems. A number of data objects indicated in the allocation queue at a subsequent time is predicted based on the determined number of data objects and the first attribute. It is determined whether the active subset of the plurality of data processing systems satisfies a criterion for quantity adjustment based, at least in part, on the predicted number of data objects indicated in the allocation queue and a processing time goal. Based on determining that the active subset of data processing systems satisfies the criterion for quantity adjustment, a quantity of the active subset of data processing systems is adjusted.