Abstract: According to one aspect, a lidar system is a lidar system which includes one set of mechanical, e.g., optical, components, and two or more sets of electrical and/or software components. The beams which are provided by the optical components are effectively alternated between a first and second sets of electrical and/or software components. The redundancy provided by the first and second sets of electrical and/or software components allows the lidar system to remain operational in the event that one set of electrical and/or software components becomes non-operational.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a spinal implant. The spinal implant may be used for lateral insertion into an intervertebral disc space. For example, the spinal implant may include a spacer body to which a plate is fixed. The intervertebral spacer body may include a pair of opposite sides having a pyramid-shaped teeth to fuse to bone. The plate defines at least one upper and lower borehole that each receives a screw. Each screw attaches the plate to a vertebral body between which the intervertebral spacer body is inserted. The boreholes may include locking threads that are adapted to lock the screws into place by engaging complementary locking threads of head of the screw.

Abstract: Presently provided are a rotatable disc and a shoe sole. The rotatable disc is configured to be attached to the shoe sole. The shoe sole has at least two of rotatable discs in the shoe sole, wherein each of the rotatable discs are configured and disposed to independently rotate 360° about the shoe sole.

Abstract: A forest fire retardant composition contains a retardant compound that includes a phosphate salt. The phosphate salt may include diammonium phosphate, diammonium orthophosphate, monoammonium phosphate, monoammonium orthophosphate, monosodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, disodium phosphate hydrate, sodium ammonium phosphate, sodium ammonium phosphate hydrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, trisodium phosphate, or dipotassium phosphate, and combinations thereof. The forest fire retardant composition may include an ammonium source. The composition may be in the form of a dry concentrate, a liquid concentrate, or a final diluted product. The final diluted product is effective in suppressing, retarding, and controlling forest fires while exhibiting corrosion resistance and low toxicity.

Abstract: A method of providing turning path guidance for a vehicle includes determining parameters of a turn region of a roadway using a controller of the turning path guidance system. The parameters include lane data and turning angle data. Positions of objects in and around the turn region of the roadway are detected using a sensor system of the vehicle. A map of the turn region is generated based on the lane data, turning angle data and that shows the detected objects using the controller. A turning path for the vehicle for navigating the turn in the turn region that avoids the detected objects is determined using the controller. The map with the turning path is displayed on a display screen in the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method of bio-cleaning an ignition interlock device (IID). The method comprises receiving a handheld unit of an IID in a fixtured arrangement with an IID calibration station, and applying, while maintaining the IID handheld unit in the fixtured arrangement, a bio-cleaning agent to at least one ingress port of the IID handheld unit in a consolidated IID bio-cleaning and IID calibration operation.

Abstract: A valve, including: a valve seat including a seating surface with an outer edge furthest, an inner edge, and a first portion; and a valve body including a sealing surface with an outer edge, an inner edge, and a first portion. In a closed position, the first portion of the sealing surface is in contact with the first portion of the seating surface to block flow through the valve. The sealing surface tapers from the first portion of the sealing surface to the inner edge of the sealing surface or the outer edge of the sealing surface, or the seating surface tapers from the first portion of the seating surface to the inner edge of the seating surface or the outer edge of the seating surface. In the open position, the first portion of the sealing surface is free of contact with the first portion of the seating surface.

Abstract: One example method for video conference acceleration includes connecting, by an accelerator device, to a local area network (“LAN”), the LAN in communication with a wide area network (“WAN”); transmitting, via the LAN and the WAN, registration information to a video conference provider, the registration information identifying network configuration information; receiving, from the video conference provider via the WAN and the LAN, an identifier corresponding to the accelerator device; after receiving the identifier, receiving, from a first client device, a request to access a meeting; determining whether the meeting is available at the accelerator device; and in response to determining that the meeting is available at the accelerator device, transmitting access information to the first client device.

Abstract: An articulating driver having a ball-in-socket joint. The driver may include a driver tip having a spherical head, a retention cap having a domed surface to mate with the spherical head, an input shaft, a spring disposed in an end of the input shaft and in a recess of the retention cap opposite that of the domed surface, and a housing that receives the input shaft, the spring, the retention cap and the spherical head. The housing may have a tapered end to positionally retain the spherical head therein. In another aspect, the driver may include a driver tip coupled to the input shaft that includes an interface to engage a screw. A bushing may engage the driver tip at one end and receive the screw at the other end to retain the screw within the driver.

Abstract: According to one aspect, mechanisms already in vehicles may be substantially repurposed or reconfigured to facilitate autonomous driving. Cruise control controls, e.g, a cruise control stem or stick, in a vehicle may be configured for use to activate and to deactivate an autonomous mode in the vehicle. By repurposing cruise control controls to activate and to deactivate an autonomous mode, drivers may efficiently activate and deactivate the autonomous mode while a vehicle operates, a vehicle includes an autonomy system, an activator mechanism, and a cruise control system. The autonomy system is configured to enable the vehicle to operate in an autonomous mode when the autonomy system is in an active state. The activator mechanism including a toggle having a first toggle state and a second toggle state.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition and method for improving the selectivity of nitride etching versus oxide etching and can be used with conventional phosphoric acid wet etch compositions. The invention describes additives that serve to inhibit silicon, oxides, and related compounds regrowth (i.e., redeposition) on the silicon oxide surface. In certain embodiments, the invention provides certain amino-substituted aryl compounds which are bound to a tri-alkoxy silane.

Abstract: A forest fire retardant composition contains a retardant compound that includes a phosphate salt. The phosphate salt may include diammonium phosphate, diammonium orthophosphate, monoammonium phosphate, monoammonium orthophosphate, monosodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, disodium phosphate hydrate, sodium ammonium phosphate, sodium ammonium phosphate hydrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, trisodium phosphate, or dipotassium phosphate, and combinations thereof. The forest fire retardant composition may include an ammonium source. The composition may be in the form of a dry concentrate, a liquid concentrate, or a final diluted product. The final diluted product is effective in suppressing, retarding, and controlling forest fires while exhibiting corrosion resistance and low toxicity.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a spinal implant. The spinal implant may be used for lateral insertion into an intervertebral disc space. For example, the spinal implant may include a spacer body to which a plate is fixed. The intervertebral spacer body may include a pair of opposite sides having a pyramid-shaped teeth to fuse to bone. The plate defines at least one upper and lower borehole that each receives a screw. Each screw attaches the plate to a vertebral body between which the intervertebral spacer body is inserted. The boreholes may include locking threads that are adapted to lock the screws into place by engaging complementary locking threads of head of the screw.

Abstract: A pumping system utilizes a linear actuator to move a shaft attached to two pistons within cylinders to pump a working fluid. A housing is designed with coolant passageways and one-way valves such that movement of the shaft also pumps coolant past cooling fins and over a motor. The shaft is formed of several sections joined by couplers which slide within a bore of the housing. The couplers have a non-round shape and the bore has a complimentary non-round cross section such that rotation of the shaft is prevented.

Abstract: An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition and method for improving the selectivity of nitride etching versus oxide etching and can be used with conventional phosphoric acid wet etch compositions. The invention describes additives that serve to inhibit silicon, oxides, and related compounds regrowth (i.e., redeposition) on the silicon oxide surface. In certain embodiments, the invention provides certain amino-substituted aryl compounds which are bound to a tri-alkoxy silane.

Abstract: A forest fire retardant composition contains a retardant compound that includes a phosphate salt. The phosphate salt may include diammonium phosphate, diammonium orthophosphate, monoammonium phosphate, monoammonium orthophosphate, monosodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, disodium phosphate hydrate, sodium ammonium phosphate, sodium ammonium phosphate hydrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, trisodium phosphate, or dipotassium phosphate, and combinations thereof. The forest fire retardant composition may include an ammonium source. The composition may be in the form of a dry concentrate, a liquid concentrate, or a final diluted product. The final diluted product is effective in suppressing, retarding, and controlling forest fires while exhibiting corrosion resistance and low toxicity.

Abstract: A digital media system is configured to provide modified concurrent video streams to a client device. A plurality of concurrent video streams is accessed. The plurality of concurrent video streams includes a first concurrent video stream. It is detected that the first concurrent video stream is selected for display in a primary window among a set of windows to be displayed on a display screen. A second concurrent video stream is generated based on the first concurrent video stream. The plurality of concurrent video streams is modified by adding the generated second concurrent video stream to the plurality of concurrent video streams. The modified plurality of concurrent video streams is provided to a device configured to display the modified plurality of concurrent video streams concurrently together in corresponding different windows among the set of windows.