Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to systems and methods for preparing and producing a custom-fitted face mask, including, as non-limiting examples, a CPAP nasal mask and a CPAP full face mask. At least one embodiment of the invention utilizes infrared (IR) lasers, such as, for example, those found on smartphone cameras, in order to generate a 3D point cloud model of an individual's face. This point cloud model is then used to produce a custom face mask cushion, which is used to customize a generic face mask to conform to the user's specific facial geometry.

Abstract: A user profile generating system for generating a user profile for use with a processing device operable to display content includes: a head motion tracking unit operable to identify head motion of the user, an eye motion tracking unit operable to identify eye motion of the user, and a profile generating unit operable to generate a user profile comprising head tracking and eye tracking information for the user, where the generated user profile is used to modify interactions between the user and a processing device.

Abstract: An indicator assembly includes a fastener defining a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an axis extending from the first end to the second end; a first indicator positioned radially outwardly of the fastener relative to the axis of the fastener; and a second indicator positioned radially outwardly of the fastener relative to the axis of the fastener, wherein the second indicator is axially in between the first indicator and the second end of the fastener upon the fastener being oriented in a first position, and wherein the second indicator is radially inwardly or radially outwardly of the first indicator upon the fastener being oriented in a second position.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include swellable smart gel sealants and methods of using smart gel sealants. In certain embodiments, the smart gel sealants reversibly swell when exposed to a certain trigger, such as carbonic acid and/or sulfuric acid. In specific embodiments, the smart gel is comprised within a cement composition.

Abstract: Service providers, such as website operators, may rely on interfacing with third-party systems over the Internet to provide services to their users. Outages and degraded responsiveness of these third-party systems can affect the efficiency of the operations of the service provider. The described embodiments allow a service provider to monitor the responsiveness of one or more third-party systems, including making predictions on the future reliability of those third-party systems. The described embodiments include various monitors, that use outgoing and incoming web traffic data from the service provider, to produce responsiveness parameters of third-party systems, based on which the service provider can dynamically route its outgoing traffic to the more reliable third-party systems.

Abstract: A detachable component of a wearable medical device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology includes a housing and a latch operably associated with the housing. The latch includes a cam having a first position at which the cam projects outwardly from the housing, a second position at which the cam is shifted inwardly relative to the first position, and a third position at which the cam is shifted inwardly relative to the second position. The cam is resiliently biased from the second position toward the first position. Fully actuating the cam moves the cam from the first position to the second position. The detachable component further includes a handle accessible from outside the housing. The handle is movable in an actuating direction to move the cam from the first or second position to the third position.

Abstract: A method for capturing material extracted from biochar is provided comprising the steps of: (i) providing a biochar; (ii) contacting the biochar with an extraction media, where the extraction media causes the removal of residual compounds from the pores and surface of the biochar, creating a resulting extract comprised of the extraction media and removed compounds; and (iii) collecting the resulting extract. The method also can include other steps of extraction and purification. The method further comprises the step of applying the resulting extract to seeds, plants, soil, other agricultural products, or for use in other applications. A biochar having high levels of soluble signaling compounds is also provided, where the biochar is derived from a biomass source that together with predefined pyrolysis parameters produces resulting biochar having increased levels of soluble signaling compounds that are known to increase seed germination rates and early plant growth.

Abstract: A method of characterizing candidate agents including steps of (a) providing a library of candidate agents attached to nucleic acid tags; (b) contacting the library with a solid support to attach the candidate agents to the solid support, whereby an array of candidate agents is formed; (c) contacting the array with a screening agent, wherein one or more candidate agents in the array react with the screening agent; (d) detecting the array to determine that at least one candidate agent in the array reacts with the screening agent; (e) sequencing the nucleic acid tag to determine the tag sequences attached to candidate agents in the array; and (f) identifying the at least one candidate agent in the array that reacts with the screening agent based on the tag sequence that is attached to the at least one candidate agent.

Abstract: A fitting assembly includes a pipe fitting comprising a first fitting segment and a second fitting segment; and an indicator assembly configurable in a loosened configuration and a tightened configuration, the indicator assembly comprising: a fastener coupling the first fitting segment to the second fitting segment; a positive installation indicator mounted on the fastener between the first fitting segment and the second fitting segment, the positive installation indicator defining a channel; and a negative installation indicator mounted on the fastener between the first fitting segment and the second fitting segment, the negative installation indicator slidably engaging the channel; wherein, in the loosened configuration, the negative installation indicator is visible, and in the tightened configuration, the positive installation indicator substantially covers the negative installation indicator and the negative installation indicator is hidden.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lid (400) for an open container (100, 13.10), a lid lifting system (13.100), a tippler (13.200) with the improved lid lifting system (13.100) and a method of lifting a container. The lid and lifting arrangement includes an apertured receiving formation (401) on an upper side of a lid (100) to receive a lift member (13.40). The lift member (13.40) can do one or more than one of the following: engaging the formation (401) will unlock a locking mechanism (13.42,458) holding the lid (400) to a container (100); or allow the lift member (13.40) to be rotated to thereby unlock the locking mechanism (13.42, 458) which locks the lid (400) to the container (100), while simultaneously locking the lift member (13.40, 458) to the lid (400). A lifting device which is able to perform such actions is also disclosed, and a method to operate the lifting device.

Abstract: Measures for providing timer services in a network including a cluster of nodes responsible for providing timer services to clients. At a given node in the cluster, a request to provide a timer is received from a client. Configuration of a primary replica of the requested timer on a first node in the cluster to pop after a first time has elapsed is initiated. A first timer replication message is transmitted to a second node in the cluster, the first timer replication message indicating that the second node should configure a first backup replica of the requested timer. A second timer replication message is transmitted to a third node in the cluster, the second timer replication message indicating that the third node should configure a second backup replica of the requested timer. Popping of the primary, first backup or second backup timer replicas includes initiating callback of a given client.

Abstract: A wireless communication system includes a power amplifier (PA) configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) input signal and to produce a PA output signal, the PA output signal being an amplified version of the RF input signal. A sensor subsystem is configured to perform asynchronous statistical sampling of the RF input signal and of the PA output signal and to generate a sensor subsystem output. A controller, in communication with the sensor subsystem, is configured to obtain the sensor subsystem output and to infer performance of the PA, and may control one or more of a plurality of internal PA parameters. The controller may include a neural network processor to associate a particular statistical input/output characterization with a particular inferred performance for the PA. Compared to known approaches, the system is scalable and achieves lower power consumption, and is configured to obtain information about linearity performance.

Abstract: A wireless telecommunication system includes base stations for communicating with terminal devices. One or more base stations support a power boost operating mode in which a base station's available transmission power is concentrated in a subset of its available transmission resources to provide enhanced transmission powers as compared to transmission powers on these transmission resources when the base station is not operating in the power boost mode. A base station establishes an extent to which one or more base stations in the wireless telecommunications system support the power boost operating mode conveys an indication of this to a terminal device. The terminal device receives the indication and uses the corresponding information to control its acquisition of a base station of the wireless telecommunication system, for example by taking account of which base stations support power boosting and/or when power boosting is supported during a cell attach procedure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a support frame for a breathing apparatus comprising a cylinder cradle for supporting a compressed gas cylinder, a cylinder-retaining strap having a first end secured to the support frame at a first fixing point and a second end adjustably secured to the cylinder-retaining strap between the first and second ends, wherein the adjustable strap loop is secured to a second fixing point so as to form an effective strap length between the first and second fixing points, and a releasable third fixing point, wherein the effective strap length is adjustable by adjusting a position of the second end along the strap to thereby adjust a size of the adjustable strap loop, and releasably securing the adjustable strap loop to the third fixing point.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training an action selection neural network that is used to select actions to be performed by a reinforcement learning agent interacting with an environment. In particular, the actions are selected from a continuous action space and the system trains the action selection neural network jointly with a distribution Q network that is used to update the parameters of the action selection neural network.

Abstract: A sprinkler configured for engagement with a coupling, the sprinkler including a raised lip end; and a distal end disposed opposite from the raised lip end, the sprinkler defining a raised lip between the distal end and the raised lip end, the sprinkler defining a groove between the raised lip and the distal end.

Abstract: A hooked pipe coupling includes a first pipe coupling segment comprising a first arcuate body portion defining a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a first hook extending from the first end, and a first fastener lug extending from the second end, the first arcuate body portion defining a first sloped ledge surface; and a second pipe coupling segment comprising a second arcuate body portion defining a third end and a fourth end opposite the third end, a second hook extending from the third end, and a second fastener lug extending from the fourth end, the second arcuate body portion defining a second sloped ledge surface; wherein the first sloped ledge surface presses against the second sloped ledge surface in a tightened configuration of the hooked pipe coupling to prevent axial movement of the first pipe coupling segment relative to the second pipe coupling segment.

Abstract: A communications device including a transmitter transmitting data signals to a network element of a wireless communications system using shared resources of an uplink of a first wireless access interface included in the network element, a receiver receiving data signals from the network element using shared resources of a downlink of the first wireless access interface, allocations of the shared resources being made by the network element and the uplink of the first wireless access interface is within a first set of resources, and a controller controlling the transmitter and receiver to transmit/receive signals representing data to/from another communications device using a second wireless access interface within a second set of resources formed from resources of the first set of resources for preferable allocation for device-to-device communications by the network element, resources of the second wireless access interface being time divided into at least a data and control regions.

Abstract: Service interruptions in a multi-tenancy, network-based storage system can be mitigated by constraining the execution of queries. In various examples, a network-based storage system may receive a request to execute a query against data maintained by the network-based storage system. The network-based storage system may perform a unit of work to execute the query, progressing through some, but not all, of a set of operations that are to be completed for completing execution of the query. Upon completion of the unit of work, query execution may be paused, query state data may be saved, and query results may be generated for consumption by the requesting computing device. In some embodiments, tokens that are usable to resume query execution based on the saved query state data may be sent to customer computing devices for resuming query execution on-demand.