Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for regulating tourniquet cuff pressure based on a personalized tourniquet pressure (PTP) to facilitate safe performance of surgical and medical procedures. The apparatus includes a dual-purpose tourniquet cuff adapted to encircle a region of a patient to provide both a sensor during a first time period and an effector during a second time period. An effector module communicates pneumatically with an inflatable bladder of the cuff for maintaining pressure in the bladder near a PTP during the second time period to safely stop penetration of arterial blood past the cuff. A pulsation sensor that communicates pneumatically with the inflatable bladder during the first time period senses and characterizes pressure pulsations that are indicative of penetration of arterial blood into the region of a patient encircled by the cuff.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the quality of natural gas is provided. The system includes a fuel line for communicating natural gas to an engine. An infrared light source is disposed along the fuel line and is configured to emit a beam of infrared light into the fuel line having a wavelength of 6 to 10 micrometers. An infrared light detector detects a transmission value of the natural gas as the beam of infrared light passes through the fuel line. A natural gas quality module receives the transmission value from the infrared light detector and determines a quality value of the natural gas based on an amount of infrared light absorbed by methane in the natural gas. An engine control module, including a feed-forward control loop, receives the quality value from the natural gas quality module and alters an operating parameter of the engine in response thereto.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and apparatus for treating iron-contained raw material using bath smelting furnace. An iron-contained raw material is mixed with a reducing agent. The mixture is added into a bath smelting furnace. The enriched oxygen is blown into the bath. The smelt is conducted at a temperature of 1200-1600° C. Compared with the traditional process of “sintering/pellet-blast furnace smelting” or “rotary furnace reduction-electrical furnace smelting separation”, the present invention has the remarkable advantages of short process, strong raw material adaptability, high product quality, low energy consumption, low pollution, etc. The present invention provides a new technology direction for effectively and comprehensively utilizing the iron-contained resource and has a wide application prospect.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for a flangeless air filter configured to be mounted onto a flat surface within an air intake system of an internal combustion engine. The flangeless air filter is comprised of a cone-shaped filter medium, retained between a base and a cap, that is fabricated to remove contaminants and particulate matter from an intake airstream. The base includes a pliable seal that forms an airtight connection between the flangeless air filter and the flat surface of the air intake system. A mounting bracket and fasteners may be used to attach the base to the flat surface, compressing the seal there between. In some embodiments, the mounting bracket may be incorporated into, and made a part of the base. A cap is disposed on a top of the flangeless air filter and configured to direct the intake airstream around the cap and toward the filter medium.

Abstract: A bearing system including a wheel assembly transmitting load to a damping assembly, wherein the wheel assembly is configured to rotate angularly relative to the damping assembly.

Abstract: A system for automatically deploying a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position includes one or more processors, an actuator coupled to the windshield wiper blade and communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, one or more optical sensors communicatively coupled to the one or more processors that output an optical signal, and one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more memory modules store logic that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to receive the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, detect whether an accumulation of a substance has formed on the vehicle based on the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, and deploy, with the actuator, the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in response to detecting the accumulation of the substance.

Abstract: Systems and Methods are disclosed for providing measurement data redundancy to intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in an electric power system, without additional redundant components. In various embodiments, a first measurement device obtains measurement data from a first portion of the electric power delivery system. A second measurement device obtains measurement data from a second portion of the electric power delivery system. A first IED monitors the first portion of the electric power delivery system based on measurement data associated with the first portion of the electric power delivery system, and a second IED monitors the second portion of the electric power delivery system based on measurement data associated with the second portion of the electric power delivery system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing butadiene by oxidative dehydrogenation of butylene, comprising: a reaction stage, wherein a multi-stage adiabatic fixed bed in series is used, wherein butylene, oxygen-comprising gas and water are reacted in the presence of a catalyst in each stage of the adiabatic fixed bed with the first stage of the adiabatic fixed bed being further separately fed a diluent, being nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide, and the molar ratio between this separately fed diluents and the oxygen of all the oxygen-comprising gases fed in the subsequent stage(s) of the adiabatic fixed bed being controlled, wherein the oxygen-comprising gas is air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen, and at least one of all the oxygen-comprising gases fed in the subsequent stage(s) of the adiabatic fixed bed is oxygen-enriched air having a specific oxygen concentration or oxygen; and a post treatment stage, wherein the effluent from the last stage of the adiabatic fixed bed is treated to obtain a product b

Abstract: To more appropriately carry out printing at high precision even when a gap distance is large. A printing apparatus includes an inkjet head, a main scan driver, and a controller, where the controller sets a moving speed of the inkjet head according to a gap distance, and sets the moving speed in a main scanning operation so that an entering angle at a time of landing of the ink droplet on a medium becomes smaller than or equal to 45 degrees with respect to at least a position where the gap distance becomes the largest in a region of the medium to become a target of the main scanning operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to nonferrous metallurgy and can be used for producing an aluminum-scandium alloy comprising 0.41-4 wt % of scandium in industrial production setting. The proposed method is carried out by melting aluminum and a mixture of salts comprising sodium, potassium and aluminum fluorides followed by performing simultaneously, while continuously supplying scandium oxide, an aluminothermic reduction of scandium from its oxide and an electrolytic decomposition of the formed alumina, wherein the concentration of the scandium oxide in the salt mixture melt is maintained at 1 to 8 wt. %. Periodically, at least a portion of the produced alloy is removed, aluminum is then charged, and the process of alloy production is continued while supplying scandium oxide. Also proposed is a reactor for producing an aluminum-scandium alloy by the disclosed method.

Abstract: A process for producing a resin-impregnated fiber bundle includes an unwinding step in which a resin-unimpregnated fiber bundle is unwound, a resin impregnation step in which the fiber bundle is passed through an impregnation bath filled with a resin, and an impregnation acceleration step in which after the resin impregnation step, the resin is permeated into the fiber bundle, at least the impregnation acceleration step being performed in a decompression space having a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. It is possible to produce a resin-impregnated fiber bundle using a decompression space for which decompression can be achieved with a simple device and in which the airtightness is easy to maintain and which has been configured so as to result in satisfactory working efficiency.

Abstract: A semiconductor device package includes a substrate, electronic components disposed over a surface of the substrate, an encapsulant encapsulating the electronic components, and a conductive compartment structure. The conductive compartment structure separates at least one first electronic component from at least one second electronic component. The conductive compartment structure includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion includes a first end connected to the first portion and a second end exposed from a lateral surface of the encapsulant, and a width of the second portion is less than a width of the first portion.

Abstract: A method for generating production code from a block diagram on a host computer is provided. A block in the block diagram has a number of input ports for receiving signals and a number of output ports for sending signals. The processor identifies a first block in the block diagram. The input signal is traced back to a second block upstream of the first block. Compliance with a optimization condition is checked, the optimization condition being fulfilled when a group of adjacent blocks has an assignment operation that affects one or more elements of the input signal while leaving at least one element of the composite variable unchanged. A combined production code is generated for the group of adjacent blocks when the optimization condition is fulfilled so that the combined production code includes write instructions for those elements of the composite variable that are affected by the assignment operation.

Abstract: A container lid with a finger entry section, a thumb entry section, a grasping section, and a mating section. The finger entry section includes a finger opening for receiving at least one finger of a hand. The thumb entry section includes a thumb opening for receiving a thumb of the hand. The grasping section is coupled to the finger entry section and the thumb entry section. The grasping section functions to grasp an item when compressed via the finger entry section and the thumb entry section and collectively prevent the finger(s) and the thumb from making direct contact with the item. The mating section is coupled to the finger entry section, the thumb entry section, and/or the grasping section and functions to mate the container lid with a container body.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a container and an indicator. The container includes a section for containing a consumable resource. The consumable resource includes one or more of a dissolvable solid and a miscible liquid. The indicator physically changes position with respect to the container to indicate the amount of consumption of the consumable resource when the container is in an environment that causes the consumable resource to be consumed.

Abstract: An improved method for treating manganese-containing materials, such as seafloor manganese nodules, by leaching with aqueous HNO3 and NO gas, and more particularly to methods for recovering valuable constituents from such nodules, especially manganese, cobalt, nickel, iron, and copper. It also provides a method to leach manganese material to release the titanium, vanadium, cerium, molybdenum and other metals from the manganese oxides and to make them available to be recovered.

Abstract: A quantum device includes a phononic crystal defined on a semiconductor substrate. Phononic cavities are defined in the phononic crystal, wherein each phononic cavity contains an implanted acceptor atom. Phononic waveguides are defined in the phononic crystal, wherein each waveguide is coupled to at least one phononic cavity. At least some phononic waveguides are arranged to provide coupling between phononic cavities and ultrasonic transducers. At least some phononic waveguides are arranged to provide coupling between different phononic cavities.

Abstract: A method for enhancing the cooling efficiency of a computer room air conditioning unit, in a data center, is provided. Raised floor panels are carried on a pedestal support system. The floor panels divide a data center, into upper and lower plenums. A cold aisle is includes air-grate floor panels. The computer room air conditioning unit is operated to condition a heated hot aisle return air flow. A server rack has a front, a back, and side rack support frame members. The support members define an interior server compartment. At least one damper door frame has a top, a bottom and side members. The door frame members define at least one open air flow panel portion. A series of horizontal damper blade members are pivotally mounted in the open panel portion. The damper blade members are pivoted to direct a stream of the conditioned air flow over heat generating components contained in the interior server compartment in order to elevate the temperature of the heated return airflow at the air conditioning unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an intelligent tree transplanter that comprises a rotary support, a structure comprising at least one horizontal hydraulic closed telescopic boom that is driven by and connected to a driving device, wherein there is a multi-way valve assembly, tree-oriented anchor point and infrared horizontal automatic calibration point, wherein there is a ball pool data detector including infrared central contact in the center of the present device; and, a lateral hydraulic telescopic boom that drives the rotary support comprising a number of regolith scrapers, and at least one vertical hydraulic angle rotating shaft connected to a vertical hydraulic telescopic joints are located at the bottom of the device. Vertical hydraulic telescopic joints that are connected to the ball-end horizontal rotating shaft are also located at the bottom of the device.

Abstract: A plug for restricting a flow of fluid within a passageway having an interior surface with a predetermined inner diameter is provided. The plug includes a plate member having an outer edge and a rim bounding the outer edge of the plate member. The rim extends generally normal from the plate member. The rim has a contact portion and an indented portion. The contact portion contacts the interior surface of the passageway to retain the position of the plug within the passageway. The indented portion is spaced apart from the interior surface on the passageway to allow fluid to bypass the plug when the plug is located within the passageway.