Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for microfluidic fluid evaporation using femtosecond laser-patterned surfaces are disclosed. A microfluidic device may comprise a femtosecond laser-patterned substrate having at least one input path and at least one output path. The femtosecond laser-patterned substrate may comprise both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic sections. Fluid deposited at an input path may be wicked to an output path due to the surface pattern. A heating device may be provided to heat the fluid to evaporate volatiles therefrom. Vacuums and gas streams may be used to aid in volatile removal. Gas streams may add gas to the microfluidic device to react with the fluid.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for microfluidic fluid evaporation using femtosecond laser-patterned surfaces are disclosed. A microfluidic device may comprise a femtosecond laser-patterned substrate having at least one input path and at least one output path. The femtosecond laser-patterned substrate may comprise both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic sections. Fluid deposited at an input path may be wicked to an output path due to the surface pattern. A heating device may be provided to heat the fluid to evaporate volatiles therefrom. Vacuums and gas streams may be used to aid in volatile removal. Gas streams may add gas to the microfluidic device to react with the fluid.

Abstract: An oven appliance may include a cabinet, a plurality of chamber walls, a heating element, and a controller. The plurality of chamber walls may be mounted within the cabinet. The plurality of chamber walls may define a cooking chamber. The heating element may be mounted within the cooking chamber. The controller may be in operable communication with the heating element. The controller may be configured to initiate a cooking operation that includes receiving a user selection signal indicating an automatic cooking cycle a food item receivable within the cooking chamber, directing the heating element according to a first slow-cook stage, detecting a first threshold condition of the food item within the cooking chamber during the first slow-cook stage, the first threshold condition corresponding to the user selection signal, and directing the heating element according to a second sear stage in response to detecting the first threshold condition.

Abstract: A chillable slab system includes a temperature sensor disposed within an interior chamber of the slab, and a controller. The controller is in communication with the temperature sensor such that a temperature of the slab is measurable by the controller via the temperature sensor. Additionally, one or both of a battery and a charging coil is disposed within the interior chamber of the slab.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber and a climate control assembly for regulating a chamber temperature within the chilled chamber. A controller receives a command to perform a dough proofing cycle and a dough removal time, determines a temperature schedule to facilitate the dough proofing cycle, the temperature schedule ending at the dough removal time, and operates the climate control assembly to regulate a chamber temperature of the chilled chamber in accordance with the temperature schedule.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a monocoque body for an unmanned underwater vehicle (“UUV”) comprising a nose portion, a tail portion, a body interior surface, a body exterior surface. The monocoque body can be a one-piece structural shell made of fiber reinforced polymer. The UUV may further include transverse structural members.

Abstract: A microfluidic device having hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions and a method of manufacture thereof are provided. The microfluidic device may include one or more channels formed using a short-pulse laser that are configured for separation or mixing of fluids. The microfluidic device may further include hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces configured to aid in the separation or mixture of fluids. The short-pulse laser may be a femtosecond laser.

Abstract: A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

Abstract: A cooking appliance and methods for operating the same in a crisp reheat cycle are provided. In one example aspect, the cooking appliance includes features for crisp reheating a food item that has been cooked and chilled thereafter. The cooking appliance includes a casing defining a cooking cavity configured to receive food items. The cooking appliance also includes a controller. The controller can access data that provides a plurality of crisp reheating instructions for operating the cooking appliance in a crisp reheat cycle for various food items. The controller retrieves a crisp reheating instruction associated with a food type selected by a user. The controller then commences the crisp reheat cycle by activating heating elements of the cooking appliance, such as a microwave module, an upper heater module, a lower heater module, and a convection module.

Abstract: A process for forming polymer-grafted nanoparticles is provided. The process utilizes flow chemistry techniques to activate nanoparticle surfaces and then form polymer chains on the activated surfaces in a continuous process, thus avoiding the limitations and shortcomings of batch processes for forming polymer-grafted nanoparticles. The polymer-grafted nanoparticles are particularly useful as a filler or additive in fused deposition modeling (“FDM”) filaments, leading to printed parts having improved properties.

Abstract: A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

Abstract: A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

Abstract: A cooking appliance assembly includes a cooking appliance having a heat source for heating at least one food item, a temperature sensing device, an imaging device for collecting data relating to the temperature sensing device, and a controller communicatively coupled with the cooking appliance assembly, the temperature sensing device, and the imaging device. The controller includes at least one processor for performing one or more operations, including but not limited to determining a type of the temperature sensing device based, at least in part, on the collected data relating to the temperature sensing device from the imaging device.

Abstract: A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

Abstract: A cooking appliance and methods for operating the same in a crisp reheat cycle are provided. In one example aspect, the cooking appliance includes features for crisp reheating a food item that has been cooked and chilled thereafter. The cooking appliance includes a casing defining a cooking cavity configured to receive food items. The cooking appliance also includes a controller. The controller can access data that provides a plurality of crisp reheating instructions for operating the cooking appliance in a crisp reheat cycle for various food items. The controller retrieves a crisp reheating instruction associated with a food type selected by a user. The controller then commences the crisp reheat cycle by activating heating elements of the cooking appliance, such as a microwave module, an upper heater module, a lower heater module, and a convection module.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to ancillary game data. Ancillary game data, including game state events and/or visual/audio elements, is generated from and stored in association with raw or original game play footage by a game state data (GSD) service. The ancillary game data is available for subsequently composition back with the corresponding original media stream, thereby generating a smart media stream, for viewers to consume. Game state events are available for searching and sorting archived media streams or for performing general data mining.

Abstract: A system and method for preheating a cooking chamber of an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance may include one or more heating elements that operate according to a control algorithm that prevents the center oven temperature from exceeding a maximum desired temperature threshold. The control algorithm accounts for discrepancies between the measured oven temperature and the actual center oven temperature, particularly when preheating a cold oven. As a result, the control algorithm selectively operates one or more of the heating elements after the measured oven temperature is above the maximum desired temperature threshold. Preheating the cooking chamber in this manner will improve overall cooking performance.

Abstract: An oven appliance includes a controller configured to provide a first prompt and a second prompt. The first prompt and the second prompt each include a selectable range of values for a characteristic of a food item. A cooking cycle is initiated based on a first response to the first prompt and a second response to the second prompt. The cooking cycle includes activating at least one of a first heating element, a second heating element, and a convection fan based on the first response and the second response. Related methods are also provided.

Abstract: An oven appliance with one or more features for directly measuring a temperature of a food item in a cooking chamber of the oven appliance. The oven appliance is also configured to modify operation of at least one of a first heating element, a second heating element, and a convection fan in response to the directly measured temperature of the food item.

Abstract: A method for monitoring cooking in an oven appliance includes drawing cooking vapors or gases from a cooking chamber to a fluid analysis assembly of the oven appliance during a gas or vapor analysis cooking cycle, determining a cooking status of the food item within the cooking chamber with the controller of the oven appliance based upon a response pattern of a plurality of fluid sensors of the fluid analysis assembly to the cooking vapors or gases during the gas or vapor analysis cooking cycle, and activating an alert with the controller of the oven appliance when the cooking status of the food item within the cooking chamber is a particular cooking status.