Abstract: A turbocharger includes a compressor and an airflow adjustment assembly. The airflow adjustment assembly includes a plurality of guide vanes. Each of the plurality of guide vanes has a guide tip and a guide base spaced from the guide tip along an axis. The guide tips define a vane diameter (VD) less than the inlet diameter (ID) and perpendicular to the axis. The airflow adjustment assembly further includes a sliding ring and a plurality of connecting rods. The sliding ring is configured to be axially movable along the axis. Additionally, the plurality of connecting rods are axially moveable along the axis when the sliding ring moves axially along the axis, thereby selectively increasing and/or decreasing the vane diameter (VD) when the sliding ring moves axially along the axis.

Abstract: A fire-stopping material for use in sandwich panels is provided, wherein the fire-stopping material comprises a resilient, porous material at least partially impregnated with an intumescent agent. A panel for an internal wall and an internal wall are also provided, comprising the fire-stopping material disposed between two substantially parallel boards, such as plaster boards. A method of providing a service penetration through an internal wall is also provided.

Abstract: A guitar comprises a body having a bottom and sides and a top. An outer perimeter of a top is attached to an upper rim of the sides, wherein an upper surface of the top is in tension due to bending of the top into a substantially domed shape and wherein the thickness of the top is thinner in the area of the outer perimeter than a central portion, thereby reducing the tension in the upper surface of the top in the area of the outer perimeter.

Abstract: Methods of culturing and detecting a biomarker which may be associated with autoimmune diseases, in particular inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease; also a screening method for substances suitable for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn's disease; the method including culturing a biomarker in a culture media which includes a culture broth, OADC, PANTA and Mycobactin J.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a string instrument, such as a guitar, having a neck support-fingerboard brace unit. The neck support-fingerboard brace unit is formed as a unitary unit or formed by fixedly attaching a neck support to a fingerboard brace before attaching the fingerboard brace to a guitar top. The solid connection between the neck support and the fingerboard brace allows the fingerboard brace, which rests on a guitar side, to provide support to the guitar neck, thus, reducing deformation in the guitar neck and the fret board.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a string instrument, such as a guitar, having a neck support-fingerboard brace unit. The neck support-fingerboard brace unit is formed as a unitary unit or formed by fixedly attaching a neck support to a fingerboard brace before attaching the fingerboard brace to a guitar top. The solid connection between the neck support and the fingerboard brace allows the fingerboard brace, which rests on a guitar side, to provide support to the guitar neck, thus, reducing deformation in the guitar neck and the fret board.

Abstract: A method of forming interconnects in a semiconductor device is provided. A mask including first and second openings is formed over a non-conductive structure. An etch is performed through the mask openings to define (a) a via trench having a via trench width and (b) an interconnect trench having a smaller width than the via trench width. A fill layer is deposited over the structure and (a) fills only a partial width of the via trench to thereby define via trench cavity and (b) fills the full width of the interconnect trench. A further etch is performed through the via trench cavity to form a via opening extending downwardly from the via trench. The remaining fill layer material is removed. The interconnect trench, via trench, and via opening are metallized to form a trench interconnect, a via interconnect, and a via extending downwardly from the via interconnect.

Abstract: A method for preparing exosomes or exosome-like vesicles packaged with a nucleic acid of interest is provided. In certain embodiments, the method may comprise: introducing into an exosome-producing cell a nucleic acid construct comprising the nucleic acid sequence of interest incorporated in a pre-miR-451 structural mimic, and allowing the cell to produce exosomes. Nucleic acid constructs, compositions, and uses thereof are also provided.

Abstract: A compressor may include a casing defining a discharge cavity and a seal cavity. A rotary shaft may be disposed in the casing, and a shaft seal assembly may be disposed in the seal cavity and about the rotary shaft. An impeller may be coupled with and configured to be driven by the rotary shaft. A balance piston may be integral with the impeller and may define the discharge cavity and the seal cavity. A balance piston seal may be disposed about the balance piston such that the balance piston seal and the balance piston define a radial clearance therebetween. The radial clearance may be configured to provide fluid communication from the impeller to the discharge cavity. A heat shield may be disposed in the discharge cavity, and may be configured to prevent the conduction of heat from the discharge cavity to the seal cavity via the casing.

Abstract: A pneumatic deicer includes a base layer, a forming layer, a first chamber, and a first sensor. The base layer has an inlet, a first side, and a second side. The forming layer is connected to the base layer along at least two seams and has inner side and an outer side with the outer side being distant from the base layer. The first chamber is formed between the base layer and the forming layer and configured to be inflated by air passing into the first chamber through the inlet in the base layer. The first sensor is situated within the first chamber.

Abstract: Furnace tubes for cracking hydrocarbons that in an embodiment have a longitudinal array of pins having i) a maximum height from about 2 to about 4.8 cm; ii) a contact surface with the tube, having an area from about 0.1% to about 10% of the tube external cross section area iii) a uniform cross section along the length of the pin. (i.e., they are typically not tapered); and iv) a length to diameter ratio from about 4:1 to about 2:1 have an improved heat transfer over bare fins and reduced stress relative to a fined tube.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a string instrument, such as a guitar, having a neck support-fingerboard brace unit. The neck support-fingerboard brace unit is formed as a unitary unit or formed by fixedly attaching a neck support to a fingerboard brace before attaching the fingerboard brace to a guitar top. The solid connection between the neck support and the fingerboard brace allows the fingerboard brace, which rests on a guitar side, to provide support to the guitar neck, thus, reducing deformation in the guitar neck and the fret board.

Abstract: A de-icing assembly for a surface of an aircraft includes a carcass, seams, inflation passages, a manifold, and a reinforcement stitchline. The carcass includes a first layer, a second layer, and a carcass centerline. The seams are sewn into the carcass and join the first and second layers of the carcass together. The inflation passages are formed by the seams and are disposed between the first and second layers of the carcass. The manifold includes a width and a manifold centerline oriented approximately perpendicular to the carcass centerline and is fluidly connected to and is disposed beneath the carcass. The first reinforcement stitchline is sewn into the carcass adjacent to one of the plurality of seams and is disposed at a location on the carcass overlapping with the manifold. The first reinforcement stitchline is disposed approximately perpendicular to the manifold centerline and extends across the width of the manifold.

Abstract: A model management system for managing models that carry out at least one function on data obtained from at least one tag is arranged to store data indicative of a plurality of model modules, each model module configured to implement core functionality of a model, and data indicative of a plurality of non-core functions, each non-core function configured to implement non-core functionality of a model. The system is also arranged to store a plurality of application containers, each including components required to execute a model and each application container defining a computing environment suitable for implementing the model. The system includes a model implementer arranged to implement a model by implementing at least one model module defined for the model and implementing at least one non-core function defined for the model, and the model implementer is arranged to implement the model using a stateless container suitable for implementing the model.

Abstract: A stringed instrument includes a body; an elongated neck; and a headstock, wherein the neck has a fingerboard on a top side with spaced-apart frets disposed perpendicularly along its length and extending from a first to a second side of the fingerboard. A top surface of the frets forms a fret plane having a first and second convex radiused surface, the first surface extending from an upper edge of the plane towards a center thereof and the second surface extending from a lower edge of the plane to a center thereof. In one embodiment, the first surface forms a smaller radius and the second surface forms a larger radius.

Abstract: A turbocharger rotor shaft assembly and associated turbocharger that includes at least one turbine rotor member having a first face and an opposed second face; and a rotor shaft having a first end and an opposed second end distal from the first end, wherein the rotor shaft is connected to the at least one turbine rotor at a location proximate to the first end and projects outward therefrom, the rotor shaft having an outwardly oriented face and an interior chamber defined therein, the interior chamber having an interior chamber volume. The turbocharger rotor shaft also includes at least one thermal transfer material contained in the interior chamber of the rotor shaft that has a thermal conductivity value that is greater than the thermal conductivity value of the material of construction of the rotor shaft.

Abstract: A range of alloys of Mg and at least one of Cu, Si, Ni and Na alloys that is particularly suitable for hydrogen storage applications. The alloys of the invention are formed into binary and ternary systems. The alloys are essentially hypoeutectic with respect to their Cu and Ni contents, where one or both of these elements are present, but range from hypoeutectic through to hypereutectic with respect to their Si content when that element is also present. The terms hypoeutectic and hypereutectic do not apply to Na if it is added to the alloy. The alloy compositions disclosed provide high performance alloys with regard to their hydrogen storage and kinetic characteristics. They are also able to be formed using conventional casting techniques which are far cheaper and more amenable to commercial use than the alternative ball-milling and rapid solidification techniques which are much more expensive and complex.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, furnace tubes for cracking hydrocarbons having a longitudinal array of pins having i) a maximum height from 0.5-1.3 cm; ii) a contact surface with the tube, having an area from 0.1%-10% of the tube external surface area iii) a uniform cross section along the length of the pin. (i.e. they are not tapered); and iv) a length to diameter ratio from 1.5:1 to 0.5:1 have an improved heat transfer over bare fins and reduced stress relative to a fined tube.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery pack includes a plurality of prismatic lithium polymer cells and one or more graphite heat spreaders. Each spreader has at least two major surfaces and is made of one of a sheet of a compressed mass of exfoliated graphite particles, a graphitized polyimide sheet, or combinations thereof.