Abstract: A method to generate renewable high performance composites and thermoplastics. These materials can be generated from a renewable phenol (syringaldehyde) that can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass. The use of syringaldehyde as a precursor to composites has the potential to reduce the cost and environmental impact of structural materials, while meeting or exceeding the performance of current petroleum derived resins.

Abstract: A method to generate renewable high performance composites and thermoplastics. These materials can be generated from a renewable phenol (syringaldehyde) that can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass. The use of syringaldehyde as a precursor to composites has the potential to reduce the cost and environmental impact of structural materials, while meeting or exceeding the performance of current petroleum derived resins.

Abstract: A process used to cast films including: mixing BBL and a room temperature molten salt from a range of about 35:65 weight ratio, dissolving the mixture in about 1% methanesulfonic acid to produce a BBL solution, drop casting the solution onto glass or gold coated glass at 140° C. in air and heating for about 2 hours to produce films, drying the films in a vacuum oven at about 100° C. for at least 24 hours under dynamic vacuum, and rinsing the films to remove residual ionic liquid.

Abstract: An article of footwear with a dynamically responsive element for kicking a ball is disclosed. In preferred embodiments, an article of footwear comprises a sole element, an upper element, and a ball contacting element. The ball contacting element comprises a first layer configured to contact a ball and a second layer, with the first layer contiguously coupled with a portion of the second layer. The first layer and second layer may be configured to form a ball contacting element on a portion of the upper element. The first layer may comprise a Non-Newtonian material and the second layer may comprise a Newtonian layer, or the first layer may comprise a Newtonian material and the second layer may comprise a Non-Newtonian layer. In further preferred embodiments, a ball contacting element may comprise a third layer, which may be contiguously coupled with a portion of the second layer.

Abstract: A system and method is presented where a low-IF architecture can be used to allow existing wireless standards to be used for joint wireless/power-line channel transmission in the provision of diversity communications channels. Diversity combining of wireless and power-line channels can be employed, wherein the input noise to the maximum-likelihood detector can be Class A-distributed. For uncoded BPSK, the BER can be a function of PLC impulsiveness and can improve wireless-only BER by orders of magnitude when PLC SNR >10 dB. The error performance can be equivalent to BER of the static PLC channel for low wireless SNR and can improve with a slope of ?1 at high wireless SNRs. The inflection point between these two regions can occur at approximately 0 dB when PLC noise is Gaussian, and increases above 20 dB as the noise becomes more impulsive.

Abstract: A benzo-fused-heterocyclic elongated dye having a superior molecular hyperpolarizability and yet having an acceptably-low optical absorbance of light near 1550 nm in wavelength, which is an important optical communication band for telecommunication applications.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for noninvasively assessing intracranial pressure by controllably osculating at least a portion of a subject's ocular globe while applying a force sufficient to collapse an intraocular blood vessel and correlating the collapse pressure to intracranial pressure. Also provided are ophthalmic components useful in ophthalmic imaging applications, such as retinal, corneal, and pupil imaging. The components may include an optical contact surface that has a radius of curvature that is greater than the radius of curvature of a subject's cornea.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for noninvasively assessing intracranial pressure by controllably applanating at least a portion of a subject's ocular globe so as to collapse an intraocular blood vessel and correlating the collapse pressure to intracranial pressure. Also provided are ophthalmic components useful in ophthalmic imaging applications, as well as methods of assessing intracranial pressure that are based, at least in part, on the degree of papilledema, if any, present in the subject.

Abstract: A process used to cast films including: mixing BBL and a room temperature molten salt from a range of about 35:65 weight ratio, dissolving the mixture in about 1% methanesulfonic acid to produce a BBL solution, drop casting the solution onto glass or gold coated glass at 140° C. in air and heating for about 2 hours to produce films, drying the films in a vacuum oven at about 100° C. for at least 24 hours under dynamic vacuum, and rinsing the films to remove residual ionic liquid.

Abstract: A system and method is presented where a low-IF architecture can be used to allow existing wireless standards to be used for joint wireless/power-line channel transmission in the provision of diversity communications channels. Diversity combining of wireless and power-line channels can be employed, wherein the input noise to the maximum-likelihood detector can be Class A-distributed. For uncoded BPSK, the BER can be a function of PLC impulsiveness and can improve wireless-only BER by orders of magnitude when PLC SNR >10 dB. The error performance can be equivalent to BER of the static PLC channel for low wireless SNR and can improve with a slope of ?1 at high wireless SNRs. The inflection point between these two regions can occur at approximately 0 dB when PLC noise is Gaussian, and increases above 20 dB as the noise becomes more impulsive.

Abstract: Provided are methods for noninvasively assessing intracranial pressure (“ICP”) based on optic nerve sheath diameter (“ONSD”) and a blood velocity metric, such as pulsatility or resistivity index. Also provided are related devices and systems for performing the claimed methods.

Abstract: Processing a notification intended for delivery to multiple recipients associated with a broadcast list. Software executes within an alerts service environment to receive a notification addressed to a broadcast alias, determine a list of recipients associated with the broadcast alias to receive the notification, and broadcast the received notification to each recipient in the determined list.

Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering coordinated notifications to a user. Each entity that is involved in a transaction with a user generates notifications to update the user about the status of the transaction. The notifications are sent to a notification interface that is accessible by each entity. The notification interface sends the notifications to a router that delivers the notifications to the user according to user preferences, notification status, and user online status. The notifications each contain an identifier that enables them to be coordinated and delivered to the appropriate user.

Abstract: A heatable hair crimper has a hollow handle and a comb formed of metallic prongs in rows and columns. Alternate rows are mounted to a metal base plate heated by a pad. When a plunger is squeezed the plate is moved so that hair extending across the comb in the columns is formed and held in tortuous paths while heat is applied via the prongs. Jointed levers are disposed within the hollow handle and are straightened by squeezing action on the plunger.