Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This assembly includes a fuel source and an engine component. The engine component forms a peripheral boundary of the flowpath. The engine component includes a component internal passage. The engine component is configured to receive fuel from the fuel source. The engine component is configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the component internal passage thereby cooling the engine component and providing at least partially cracked fuel. The assembly is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for infusing a product component, comprising the steps of: placing the product component into a container; positioning into the product component an expansion agent, the expansion agent comprising at least one of a liquid form and a solid form; pressure sealing the container; forming, through a phase change of the expansion agent, gas bubbles of the expansion agent in the product component; and forming a gas phase propellant of the expansion agent in the container, where the product component is permeated with the expansion agent, such as where the product component is a cream, fat, dairy product, and/or milk substitute.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for packaging a dispensable substance, including the steps of: placing a first product component into a container; adding a second product component into the container at an initial pressure of less than 1.31 atm, the container comprising a valve dispensing port; sealing the container; and increasing pressure in the container through a phase change of the second product component to a final pressure in the container, the final pressure at least 0.26 atm greater than the initial pressure. Optionally, the second product component warms in the container at least ten degrees Celsius and undergoes a phase change from a solid or liquid to a gas, which increases pressure in the container and functions as a propellant and/or as an expansion agent.

Abstract: A material includes a metallic, nanoporous structure having a plurality of nanopores having a porosity that allows passage of insulin but not IgG. The metallic nanoporous structure includes titanium, 316L stainless steel and may have a textured nano-sericeous surface. A nanoporous bicontinuous structure can be integrated with nanopores.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a vaporization device are described that include one or more features, such as for generating a combined inhalable aerosol. In some embodiments, the vaporization device can include one or more heaters that are configured to heat one or more vaporizable materials. Various embodiments of heating elements and heating systems for use in vaporization devices are also described.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a shell; the shell having an inlet port for introducing a polymer solution into the shell and an outlet port for removing the polymer solution from the shell; wherein the polymer solution comprises a polymer and a solvent that is operative to dissolve the polymer; a plurality of plates in the shell; where the plurality of plates is stacked one atop the other to define a central passage that is in fluid communication with the inlet port of the shell; where the plurality of plates further defines a plurality of conduits, each conduit extending radially outwards from the central passage, where the plurality of conduits is in fluid communication with the central passage; and where the apparatus is operated at a pressure and a temperature effective to maintain the polymer solution in a single phase during its travel through the apparatus.

Abstract: A novel and advantageous vendor agnostic loyalty program. More particularly, a novel and advantageous loyalty program that spans multiple vendors and multiple manufacturers. The loyalty program may be used by a customer at one or a plurality of vendors. The loyalty program tracks what is bought by each customer at what location of what vendor, how many points or rewards are accumulated by each customer at what location of what vendor, and what product incentives for what products from what manufacturer are redeemed at what location of what vendor.

Abstract: A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to provide guidance to a user regarding management of a physiologic condition such as diabetes. The determination may be based upon a patient glucose concentration level. The glucose concentration level may be provided to a stored model to determine a state. The guidance may be determined based at least in part on the determined state.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for facilitating litigation funding advances are disclosed. The systems and methods may include performing steps for: receiving claim information on a contentious batch of one or more claims through an electronic portal; surfacing the claim information to one or more potential funders via the electronic portal, wherein the claim information comprises a payment schedule in return for a funding advance by the one or more potential funders; receiving one or more user inputs from a first funder among the one or more potential funders to transfer the funding advance for a first batch of one or more claims corresponding to the claim information; and initiating a first secure transaction between the one or more potential funders and a legal counsel of the first batch of one or more claims.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, computer systems and computer-implemented products for making synthetic regulatory elements, and provides polynucleotide's, transgenic cells, and transgenic organisms (including viruses and viral vectors) produced by these methods. The invention thereby provides regulatory sequences to meet various gene expression objectives, including the ability to stack a plurality of heterologous genes for expression in a single cell, while avoiding gene silencing or reduced expression levels.

Abstract: Described is a polyurethane foam use as a wound pad or wound pad layer, wherein the polyurethane foam has an antimicrobial salt. Also described is a wound pad and a wound dressing that includes the polyurethane foam, a method for manufacturing a wound pad or wound pad layer and to a method for manufacturing a wound dressing.

Abstract: A resonator circuit device. The present invention provides for improved resonator shapes using egg-shaped, partial egg-shaped, and asymmetrical partial egg-shaped resonator structures. These resonator shapes are configured to give less spurious mode/noise below the resonant frequency (Fs) than rectangular, circular, and elliptical resonator shapes. These improved resonator shapes also provide filter layout flexibility, which allows for more compact resonator devices compared to resonator devices using conventionally shaped resonators.

Abstract: A battery pouch is described. The battery pouch including an outer layer and an inner layer disposed on the outer layer. The inner layer including at least one sensor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for direct detection of chemical reactions are provided. Electric charge perturbations of the local environment during enzyme-catalyzed reactions are sensed by an electrode system with an immobilized target molecule. The charge perturbation caused by the polymerase reaction can uniquely identify a DNA sequence. The polymerization process generates local perturbations of charge in the solution near the electrode surface and induces a charge in a polarazible gold electrode. This event is detected as a transient current by a voltage clamp amplifier. Detection of single nucleotides in a sequence can be determined by dispensing individual dNTPs to the electrode solution and detecting the charge perturbations. Alternatively, multiple bases can be determined at the same time using a mix of all dNTPs with subsequent analysis of the resulting signal.

Abstract: Magnetic cell levitation and cell monitoring systems and methods are disclosed. A method for separating a heterogeneous population of cells is performed by placing a microcapillary channel containing the heterogeneous population of cells in a magnetically-responsive medium in the disclosed levitation system and separating the cells by balancing magnetic and corrected gravitational forces on the individual cells. A levitation system is also disclosed, having a microscope on which the microcapillary channel is placed and a set of two magnets between which the microcapillary channel is placed. Additionally, a method for monitoring cellular processes in real-time using the levitation system is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for sensing state of a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: providing the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising a set of heat exchange pipes at least partially inserted into a housing of the heat exchanger; providing a heat exchange state model; detecting first signals passing through a first portion of the heat exchanger with a first ultrasonic sensor; detecting second signals passing through a second portion of the heat exchanger with a second ultrasonic sensor; and at least one of the steps of: (1) training the heat exchange state model with the first signals and the second signals; and (2) receiving output from the heat exchange state model, the heat exchanger state model previously trained with the first signals and the second signals.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for cleaning a heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: providing the first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger comprising a set of heat exchange pipes at least partially inserted into the first heat exchanger; inserting a blasting lance in a first pipe of the set of heat exchange pipes, the blasting lance comprising: a front end and a set of ultrasonic sensors; spraying a cleaning fluid forward into the first pipe from a front end of the blasting lance; and emitting a force wave from a first ultrasonic sensor physically directly connected to the blasting lance and optionally sensing an imperfection in a second pipe of the set of heat exchange pipes with the first ultrasonic sensor while the blasting lance is at least partially inserted into the first pipe of the heat exchange pipes.

Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus and method of use thereof for measuring state of a pipeline grid using sets of sensor arrays mounted to sections of the pipeline. Data from the sensors is collected and used to determine state of the pipeline grid as a function of time and/or location.

Abstract: The invention provides recombinant DNA molecules and constructs, as well as their nucleotide sequences, useful for modulating gene expression in plants. The invention also provides transgenic plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds comprising the recombinant DNA molecules operably linked to heterologous transcribable DNA molecules, as are methods of their use.