Abstract: A stapling assembly is disclosed. The stapling assembly comprises a first jaw comprising a first ledge and a second jaw comprising a second ledge. The second jaw is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the first jaw. The stapling assembly also comprises a closure member movable between a first position and a second position. The second jaw is in the open position when the closure member is in the first position, and the second jaw is in the closed position when the closure member is in the second position. The stapling assembly also comprises a firing member movable through a staple firing stroke. The firing member comprises a first extending member which rides along the first ledge during the staple firing stroke and a second extending member which rides along the second ledge during the staple firing stroke.

Abstract: A process is presented for the management of sulfur on a catalyst. The catalyst is a dehydrogenation catalyst, and sulfur accumulates during the dehydrogenation process. Sulfur compounds are stripped from the spent catalyst and the catalyst is cooled before the regeneration process. The process includes controlling the amount of sulfur that needs to be removed from the catalyst before regeneration.

Abstract: A multifunctional restrictive valve for controlling the flow of water therethrough. The valve has a main body with a flow channel through the main body. The main body receives water upstream thereof through an inlet port and passes it out through an outlet port at the downstream end of the body. A flow control assembly is located in the flow channel and includes a temperature sensor/actuator acting on a piston to move, when the temperature sensor heats up the piston, to block water flow control ports. The flow control assembly also includes an override feature wherein the piston is located within a slide and the flow control ports are located in the slide. By moving the slide away from the piston when the piston is blocking the flow control ports, the temperature sensor and piston may be overridden and flow may resume through the main body.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for providing routing and navigational information to users (e.g., visually handicapped users). Example methods may include determining, by one or more computer processors coupled to at least one memory, a first location of a user device and an orientation of a user device, and generating a first route based on the first location, the first orientation, and a destination location. Further, the method may include determining one or more obstacles on the first route using data corresponding to visual information and one or more artificial intelligence techniques; and generating a second route based on the one or more obstacles detected on the first route.

Abstract: A nano-structure includes an outer area at an edge of the nano-structure. A width of the outer area defined by a distance from the edge of the nano-structure is less than 100 ?m. A depth of the nano-structure in the outer area changes gradually between 0% and at least 50% of a maximum depth of the nano-structure. A method includes forming an etch mask on a substrate and etching the substrate with the etch mask using an ion beam to form a nano-structure in the substrate. The etch mask includes an outer area near an edge of the etch mask. A width of the outer area defined by a distance from the edge of the etch mask is less than 100 ?m. A duty cycle of the etch mask in the outer area changes gradually between at least 10% and at least 90%.

Abstract: A method for producing a connection between a sandwich element and a metal element is disclosed herein. In this method, the sandwich element has an interlayer arranged between two cover elements. The method includes providing the sandwich element and the metal element; placing the sandwich element and the metal element in face-to-face contact at least partially overlapping; adding a fastener from the sandwich-element side while a base of the fastener extends within the sandwich element; and friction welding, from the metal-element side, to form a hybrid connection having a mechanical connection between the fastener and the sandwich element and a welding connection between the fastener and the metal element.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to an energy storage arrangement for a vehicle. In particular, the energy storage arrangement includes a battery unit provided in an intermediate space between adjacent fluid tanks. Relative to the above-discussed prior art, this disclosure provides an improved energy storage arrangement which uses the otherwise unused intermediate space between two adjacent fluid tanks. Thus, this disclosure provides a space-saving, efficient, and cost-effective arrangement.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an outer rail coupled to a floor. An inner rail is positioned within the outer rail. A seat base is coupled to the inner rail. Cover members are positioned over the outer rail. An inclined member is coupled to the outer rail and the cover members are configured to pivot about two rotational axes in response to movement of the inclined member.

Abstract: Method for concentrating components through a distillation column are disclosed. A process stream is provided containing hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and water. The process stream is passed into the distillation column at a bottom portion of the distillation column. The process stream is fractionally distilled in the distillation column, forming an overhead vapor stream, a middle fluid stream, and a bottoms liquid stream. The middle fluid stream is removed from a middle location of the distillation column. The bottoms liquid stream is removed from the distillation column. The overhead vapor stream is removed from the distillation column. The middle fluid stream consists of a first portion of the carbon dioxide and a first portion of the hydrocarbons. The bottoms liquid stream consists of a second portion of the hydrocarbons as a first phase and substantially all the water as a second phase.

Abstract: A wipe that can be used deodorize, disinfect, and/or sterilize an object. A wipe manipulator may be used with a wipe to create, energize, or enhance one or more treatment agent in a wipe to improve its efficacy. Desirably, a wipe manipulator is flexible to accommodate to curved surfaces. A wipe includes a flexible membrane or cloth-like element that may apply, distribute, and/or remove a treatment agent to, over, or from a surface of the object. An enhanced treatment agent, such as peracetic acid, may be applied to the surface subsequent to being formed in the wipe as a result of installation of the wipe onto a manipulator, or otherwise activating the wipe. A wipe manipulator may include one or more rechargeable reservoir to contain and apply a synergistic treatment agent to the wipe to create the enhanced treatment agent.

Abstract: A system includes a trailer frame, a lifting mechanism coupled to the trailer frame, wherein the lifting mechanism is configured to raise or lower a coil of pipe or a reel of pipe, a braking mechanism configured to apply pressure to the pipe while the pipe is being deployed by the system, and a hydraulic power unit configured to hydraulically power the system.

Abstract: A sensor for measuring thermal conductivity includes an insulator, a test material over the insulator, a conductor over the test material, and a gas within an open volume adjacent the test material and the conductor. An electrical source is configured to provide an alternating current through the conductor to heat the test material. Leads are connected to the conductor and configured to connect to a voltmeter. A method of measuring thermal conductivity includes disposing the sensor in a reactor core in which a nuclear fuel undergoes irradiation and radioactive decay. An alternating current is provided from the electrical source through the conductor to heat the test material. A voltage is measured as a function of time at the leads connected to the conductor. A thermal conductivity of the test material is calculated based on the voltage measured as a function of time. Methods of forming a sensor are also disclosed.

Abstract: A device and method for aiding in the practice of basketball and other games that require a ball to be returned to a player in order to perform repetitive practice routines. The device generally includes a ball catching component and a ball ejection component. The ball catching component catches balls thrown by the player and delivers them to the ball ejection component so that the ball ejection component has a continuous supply of balls. The invention includes a means for tracking a predetermined color worn by a player on the court and returning the ball toward the player's current position after a predetermined triggering event has occurred.

Abstract: A filter element includes a first end cap, a second end cap, and an intermediate end cap disposed between the first end cap and the second end cap. A ring of first filter media circumscribing a first central cavity is disposed between the first end cap and the intermediate end cap. A ring of second filter media is disposed between the intermediate end cap and the second end cap. The filter element also includes an air-bleed conduit axially extending through the first central cavity and comprising a first portion integrally formed with the first end cap and a second portion integrally formed with the intermediate end cap and configured to connect to the first portion thereby forming a conduit for transmitting fluid.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle door and a diaphragm. The vehicle door includes an inner door panel and an outer door panel that define a door cavity therebetween. The diaphragm is disposed within the door cavity and is attached to an inner surface of the outer door panel. The diaphragm cooperates with the inner surface of the outer door panel to define a diaphragm cavity.

Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of: receiving an image at a first-level analysis component comprising a first neural network structure; analyzing, using the first neural network structure of the first-level analysis component, the image to determine an image category associated with the image; selecting at least one second-level analysis component that is associated with the image category to analyze the image; analyzing, using a second neural network structure associated with the at least one second-level analysis component that was selected, the image to determine whether the image includes non-compliant content; and in response to determining that the image includes non-compliant content, executing a corrective measure. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is described. The method includes a computing system receiving a first voice input from a user for generating a bookmark. Responsive to receiving the voice input, the computing system obtains a resource identifier associated with a resource page. The method includes the computing system storing the resource identifier as a bookmark in a bookmark index that is accessible in response to a request from a user device. The method further includes the computing system using the resource identifier, stored as the bookmark, to access the resource page. The computing system uses the resource identifier to access the resource page based on the request from the user device. The request is generated by the user device in response to the user device receiving a second voice input from the user.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology generally relate to systems and methods for intelligent load shedding. More specifically, various embodiments of the present technology generally relate to intelligent load shedding of traffic based on current load state of target capacity. In some embodiments, a domain name resolution request to translate a domain name into an Internet protocol (IP) address can be received at DNS server. A status of each of multiple scaling units mapped to the domain name can be determined. A set of IP addresses (e.g., four IP addresses) corresponding to a subset of the multiple scaling units closest to the requesting device with statuses indicating availability for new traffic can be identified. Then, the set of IP addresses can be sent to the requesting device. The requesting device can the select which IP address to use (e.g., randomly) to route the traffic.

Abstract: A microstrip capacitor structure includes a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side wherein the first and second sides of the substrate are spaced apart in a vertical direction, first and second conductive microstrip transmission line segments on the first side of the substrate, a conductive ground plane on the second side of the substrate, first and second microstrip capacitor plates connected to respective ones of the first and second microstrip transmission line segments, wherein the first and second microstrip capacitor plates are separated by a dielectric gap, and a complementary resonator comprising a removed portion of the conductive ground plane that is aligned in the vertical direction with at least a portion of the dielectric gap.

Abstract: An increasing number of bots become available each day that perform automated tasks over the Internet to help facilitate a variety of service requests for a user. Thus, embodiments are directed to an orchestration service configured to perform bot network orchestration in order to provide enriched responses to service requests and/or in order to find one accurate answer among large numbers of bot responses to a specific query. For example, a service request for a user that involves at least one service provider may be received. A plurality of bots to orchestrate a processing of the service request may be determined. Instructions may be provided to the bots associated with aspects of the service request, where each bot is selected based on an aspect of the service request. Responses received from the bots may be integrated into a service response and provided to a requestor of the service request.