Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a boiling point distribution of a sample include controlling the rates of temperature increase for a column and an injection port. An analyzer includes a column having a column heating element and an injection port having an injection port heating element. The temperature of the column can be increased at a first rate, and a temperature of the injection port can be increased at a second rate. The first and second rates are selected such that the temperature of the injection port is within about five to fifteen degrees Celsius of the temperature of the column when the temperature of the injection port reaches a target temperature of minimal thermal decomposition.

Abstract: A wear detection system for detecting beam wear along a support flange of a beam includes a rail riding portion configured to travel along the support flange and a processor portion connected to the rail riding portion. The rail riding portion includes a wear measurement system comprising one or more measuring sensors configured to provide an output indicative of thickness of the support flange. The processor portion includes an integrated processing system that receives the output of the one or more measuring sensors and generates measurement information based on the output.

Abstract: A method of determining identity, purity and/or potency of chondrocytes in vitro includes a) isolating and, optionally, culturing chondrocytes from a biological sample, and b) determining gene expression of at least one marker in the chondrocytes selected from the group consisting of FLT-1, IL-1beta, BSP-2, and type I collagen.

Abstract: An apparatus for diverting a fluid from a subsea well has a blowout preventer with an upper portion and a lower portion, and a diverter affixed between the upper and lower portions of the blowout preventer. Each of the upper portion and lower portion of the blowout preventer has a flow passageway extending vertically therethrough. The diverter has an interior passageway extending vertically therethrough in alignment with the flow passageway of the upper and lower portions of the blowout preventer. The diverter has a flowline communicating with the interior passageway and extends outwardly therefrom. The flowline has a valve thereon which is movable between an open position and a closed position. The open position is suitable for allowing at least a portion of the fluid from the flow passageway to pass outwardly of the flowline to a location remote from the blowout preventer.

Abstract: Beamforming in a satellite communications network includes determining a first delay imparted to signals redirected by a first reflecting dish in a satellite, the first delay being caused by motion of the first reflecting dish relative to the satellite. A second delay imparted to signals redirected by a second reflecting dish in the satellite is determined, the second delay being caused by motion of the second reflecting dish relative to the satellite. Calculating, using the determined first and second delays, beamforming coefficients that enable the generation of a single beam by combining a group of signals that includes a first signal redirected by the first reflecting dish and a second signal redirected by the second reflecting dish.

Abstract: A polymer grouting method for constructing an ultra-thin anti-seepage wall meeting requirements of anti-seepage designs of dams, includes the following steps of: forming continuous slots on a body of the dam and the foundation which need seepage-proofing and reinforcing; and injecting two-component expansive polymer grouting materials to the slots through grouting pipes, a volume rapidly expands after the polymer grouting materials reacts and the slots are filled to form a polymer ultra-thin body, the polymer ultra-thin bodies which are adjacent are cemented together to form a continuous, uniform, and regular cementing ultra-thin polymer anti-seepage wall; this invention is different from the conventional anti-seepage wall technology whatever through the material, the mechanism or the construction methods, which has the advantages such as speediness, ultra-thinness, minimally invasive, lightness, high toughness, economy, and durability, applied in reinforcement projects of a number of the dams and dikes.

Abstract: A single-ended DC linear accelerator for the generation of high-current, high-energy ion beams of H, D or He includes an ion source located in a high-voltage terminal for the creation of the ion beam, an analyzing magnet to purify the ion beam, an accelerating tube and DC high-voltage power supply for accelerating the ions of interest to high energies and a separate pumping tube that transports the vast majority of the neutral gas from the ion source at high-voltage towards a vacuum pump at ground potential, thereby preventing the adverse influence of increased vacuum pressure inside the accelerating tube to facilitate stable acceleration of high-current beams to high energies in single-ended DC linear accelerators. The resulting high-current accelerator for H, D or He has diverse applications, including ion beam cancer therapy, cyclotron injection, silicon cleaving, ion implantation in semiconductor devices and NRA.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mining a temporal requirement from a block diagram model of a closed loop control system are disclosed. One embodiment of a method includes simulating the closed loop control system of a vehicle to obtain simulation traces and determining a candidate requirement by instantiating a template requirement with values of the simulation traces to locate parameter values that suggest that the template requirement is fulfilled. Some embodiments of the method include determining whether a counterexample to the candidate requirement exists; and in response to determining that the counterexample to the candidate requirement exists, obtaining the counterexample to the candidate requirement and adding the counterexample to the simulation traces for inspection.

Abstract: An extruded beam element suitable for the construction of sandwich structures, comprises two parallel plates (2,3), each having a first part (2) and a second part (3), wherein the first parts of said plates (2) are connected by multiple webs, wherein at least two of said webs (1) are inclined with respect to the longitudinal plane (Y) perpendicular to the plates (2,3), and wherein the first parts (2) and the webs (1,5) form a relatively rigid portion of the beam element and the second parts (3) form a relatively flexible portion of the beam element, as well as sandwich panels and tanks comprising said beam elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in connection with a vortex tube process. A pressurized medium flow is fed into a nozzle inlet. The medium flow expands while moving forward. The medium flow is twisted while entering a working tube. The twisted medium flow is divided into separate cold and hot flows. The cold flow is discharged from the vortex tube via a cold flow head after going through a hole in the center of a wall limiting a first end of the working tube. The hot flow is discharged from the vortex tube via a hot flow head after passing through the working tube having a flow valve at its second end. Parameters of thermodynamic processes in the vortex tube are controlled: by regulating the hot flow rate in the hot flow head by regulating the medium flow in the nozzle inlet, by regulating an efflux speed of the cold and/or hot flows in the vortex tube, and/or by intensification of heat transfer in the vortex tube by mechanical, chemical and/or electrical assemblies therein.

Abstract: A system and method for collaborative building of a shared self-refining surrogate model for engineering simulations are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes running a reduced order engineering simulation model on a complex system, and querying a shared self-refining surrogate model upon receiving a request for a higher order simulation for a reduced order simulated item. The method also includes estimating a required higher order simulation result having a desired confidence interval for the reduced order simulated item, and determining whether the required higher order simulation result having the desired confidence interval is in the shared self-refining surrogate model.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting a single phase power supply source into a three phase power supply source. The single phase power supply source is utilized as a first output of the three phase power supply source, while the second and third outputs of the three phase power supply source are created utilizing part of the single phase power supply source combined with a phase shifting inverting circuit.

Abstract: Embodiments of glass run weather strips and door assemblies are described herein. Such assemblies may include a door frame defining a window opening and a window moveable between an open and closed position. A weather strip may be attached to the door frame such that a portion of the window is in contact with the weather strip and an interior garnish may be installed such that a garnish pin extends into an aperture in the weather strip.

Abstract: The present application discloses monitoring a plurality of time inputs to detect a defined time event and providing a report of the plurality of time inputs for analysis in response to detecting the defined time event. To create the report, an event monitor records data relating to the plurality of time inputs in a temporary memory for a defined window of time. In response to detecting the defined time event, the event monitor transfers the data recorded in the temporary memory to a persistent memory and continues to record data relating to the plurality of time inputs to the persistent memory for a second defined window of time. The event monitor provides a report of the data relating to the plurality of time inputs stored in the persistent memory for analysis.

Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus includes a retainer for holding a substrate and substrate rotating device that spins the retainer around a first rotational axis perpendicular to a to-be-polished surface of the substrate. A platen includes an abrasive pad disposed opposite of the to-be-polished surface of the substrate. A platen rotating device spins the platen around a second rotational axis perpendicular to the abrasive pad. A liquid storage chamber includes a wall portion surrounding the outer periphery of the substrate. One end of the wall portion is positionable in a liquid-tight manner with the abrasive pad to define a liquid storage space for retaining a polishing liquid around the outer periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: An improved Modal Assurance Criterion for comparing two mode shapes obtained from modal analysis of a multi-component structure is disclosed. In one embodiment, a first mode shape vector and second mode shape vector for a first mode shape and second mode shape of the multi-component structure, respectively, are formed by grouping modal displacement at each node associated with each component in the multi-component structure. Further, modal assurance criterion (MAC) between the first mode shape vector and second mode shape vector is computed by dividing a square of sum of magnitudes of correlation of the modal displacement at each component for the first mode shape vector and second mode shape vector in the multi-component structure with a product of squared magnitudes of the first mode shape vector and second mode shape vector. Furthermore, the first mode shape and second mode shape of the multi-component structure are compared using the MAC.

Abstract: A pressure-sensitive adhesive composition for an optical member is obtained by blending 100 parts by weight of an acrylic polymer, which contains 80 to 98.7 parts by weight of (a) a monomer constituted of an alkyl acrylate monomer having an alkyl group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms and/or an aromatic ring-containing acrylic monomer, 0.2 to 1.5 parts by weight of (b) an amide group-containing acrylic monomer and 1 to 5 parts by weight of (c) a hydroxyl group-containing acrylic monomer, with 0.12 to 1 part by weight of (d) an isocyanate-based curing agent having an isocyanurate skeleton as a curing agent, and is characterized by substantially containing no metal chelate-based curing agent. Accordingly, a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition, which has excellent heat resistance and wet heat resistance and whose aging time can be particularly shortened, is provided.

Abstract: A grouper apparatus for a packaging machine and methods of grouping items for packaging are provided. The grouper apparatus may have at least two container guides for defining lanes for receiving containers, at least one of the at least two container guides being movable, and at least one timing screw. The at least one timing screw may be positioned at least one of: between the at least two container guides; and coaxial with a corresponding one of the at least two container guides. The at least one timing screw may be adapted to receive and advance at least one lane of containers on either side thereof. A controller may be provided for controlling revolution of the at least one timing screw to provide at least one of a desired output grouping and a desired output rate of the containers.