Abstract: A system for creating a simulated foot position, with or without weightbearing, includes a base configured to support a foot thereon and a footpad securable with the base in an upright position. The footpad in the upright position receives the foot thereagainst such that the footpad maintains the foot in a simulated foot position. The footpad pivotally secures with the base such that the footpad moves between the upright position and a stowed position. The footpad further pivotally secures with the base such that the upright position of the footpad includes multiple upright positions having different angles that provide the footpad with multiple simulated foot positions.

Abstract: A composite building insulation panel includes a rigid foam core having a planar surface, a facing bonded to the planar surface, and at least one layer of mesh embedded within the foam core. The facing includes an outer skin layer and a reinforcing layer between the planar surface and the outer skin layer. The embedded mesh may be coated with an intumescent material.

Abstract: A system for charging electric vehicles that includes a rail structure, a mobile base unit, a battery charge station and a battery. The mobile base unit is supported by the rail structure. The mobile base unit includes a movable base connected to the rail structure and a drive motor configured to move the movable base along the rail structure. The movable base defines a first battery compartment. The battery charge station defines a second battery compartment. The battery is movable by the movable base between a first position in which the battery is received in the first battery compartment and electrically coupled to the mobile base unit to provide power to the drive motor, and a second position in which the battery is received in the second battery compartment and electrically coupled to the battery charge station to charge the battery.

Abstract: Methods of mapping buildings for first responders, include using a smart device app to identify data related to entrances and exits in the building; storing the data in a centralized location or smart device app; and providing the data from the centralized location to the first responders in emergency situations. The methods may include recognizing patterns of the entrances and exits with the smart device app, the smart device app collects images, such that important objects recognizing in the collected images with the smart device app. A drone may be used to assist in mapping the building and measurements, such that the images collected by the drone are subject to important object recognition. The data to create augmented reality maps that are provided to first responders in emergency situations. Third-party devices may contribute to mapping the building and external factors mapped, including type of access to house, driveway, elevation.

Abstract: An employment, income, and/or unemployment claims and/or benefits verification system and method. The system may include a server, the server may include a verification application, a controller, operating memory, and a communications interface, wherein the server is accessible via a network; a data store in communication with the server; one or more data sources, wherein the one or more data sources may be accessible to the verification application via the network; and wherein the controller may be configured to execute stored program instructions.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for automatically applying a bias towards filled-space in footprints of features that may have non-Lambertian surfaces during photogrammetric reconstruction of images with the features. The systems and methods may generate an observation model for the feature based on range-image estimates and determine whether the feature is a building or water using a land-cover classification. The systems and methods may determine a footprint of the features and may generate a modified observation model with a bias towards filled-space within the footprint of the feature. The systems and methods may apply a voxel reconstruction algorithm to the modified observation model to generate a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the feature.

Abstract: Embodiments include techniques to determine a set of credit risk assessment data samples, generate local credit risk assessment attributions for the set of credit risk assessment samples, and normalize each local credit risk assessment attribution of the local credit risk assessment attributions. Further, embodiments techniques to compare each pair of normalized local credit risk assessment attributions and assign a rank distance thereto proportional to a degree of ranking differences between the pair of normalized local credit risk assessment attributions. The techniques also include applying a K-medoids clustering algorithm to generate clusters of the local risk assessment attributions, generating global attributions, and determining insights for the neural network based on the global attributions.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for applying laser energy having desired pulse characteristics, including a sufficiently short duration and/or a sufficiently high energy for the photomechanical treatment of skin pigmentations and pigmented lesions, both naturally-occurring (e.g., birthmarks), as well as artificial (e.g., tattoos). The laser energy may be generated with an apparatus having a resonator with the capability of switching between a modelocked pulse operating mode and an amplification operating mode. The operating modes are carried out through the application of a time-dependent bias voltage, having waveforms as described herein, to an electro-optical device positioned along the optical axis of the resonator.

Abstract: A method may include sending, by a master base station of a wireless device to a secondary base station of the wireless device, a request message that includes one or more available radio access network (RAN) visible quality-of-experience (QoE) metrics that can be collected by the secondary base station from the wireless device. The wireless device may be connected to the master base station and the secondary base station. In response to the request message, receiving, by the master base station from the secondary base station, a message comprising at least one first RAN visible QoE metric that can be collected by the secondary base station from the wireless device. The method may further include sending, by the master base station to the wireless device, a radio resource control (RRC) message, after receiving the request message, to reconfigure the wireless device.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a liquid-storage portion including a housing configured to store a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating system also includes a heater configured to heat liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a vibratable element including a plurality of passages through which the heated liquid aerosol-forming substrate passes to form an aerosol, and an actuator arranged to vibrate the vibratable element to generate the aerosol.

Abstract: A method of establishing a baseline strength of a chemical mixture flowing through a cleanable circuit of a beverage dispenser by allowing incoming water to flow through said cleanable circuit while measuring a total flow rate Qtot; providing a pump connected to said cleanable circuit that can pump a chemical into said incoming flowing water of said cleanable circuit; calculating a required chemical flow rate Qchem value to achieve a desired value of dilution ratio (DR) by utilizing said desired value of DR and said measured value of said total flow rate Qtot in a predefined equation; determining from said required chemical flow rate Qchem value a required pump excitation voltage by performing at least one step selected from the group consisting of an Equation-Based Pump Voltage Determination Step, and a Calibration-Based Pump Voltage Determination Step; and performing an EC Baselining Step on said cleanable circuit, whereby an ECbaseline value is obtained for use as a baseline strength for comparing cleaning

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for inactivity-based prompting of task completion. For instance, a task related to an account may be identified as an incomplete task along with a task status related to the task as incomplete. The task and task status may be stored in a data store in association with an account identifier. In response to receiving a session inactivity indication for an account session established via an application executing on a user computing device, the data store may be queried using the account identifier to determine the task status for the task. The task status may be determined as remaining incomplete, and a notification indicating the incompletion may be generated. Additionally, a communication channel may be determined for transmission of the notification that increases a likelihood of notification engagement to prompt completion of the task. The notification may be transmitted via the communication channel.

Abstract: A micro-channeling system, the system includes a micro-channeling device, a needle tip connector and a variety of micro-needling assemblies. The micro-channeling device is designed to provide reciprocal motion, in and out of skin, for the micro-needling assemblies when applied to skin. A quick connector is provided for easy interchange of the micro-needling assemblies. Benefits of the system include ergonomic holding, versatility of needle arrays and reduced vibration.

Abstract: A vehicle including a cabin interior, a pillar support structure at least partially exposed to the cabin interior, and a deployable table operatively coupled to the pillar support structure. The deployable table is movable between a stowed position pivoted against the pillar support structure and a deployed position pivoted vehicle inward within the cabin interior.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for synchronizing and locking clocks identifies entangled pairs of photons by comparing a first and second list of measured state values of single photons, wherein the first list is compiled by photon arrival times measured using a first clock and the second list is compiled by photon arrival times measured using a second clock. Entangled pairs of photons are identified by a match of the measured state values of single photons in their respective lists. Elapsed times of the first and second clocks are determined by taking the difference between arrival times of respective identified entangled pairs of photons measured using their respective clocks. A rate of one of the first and second clocks is changed based on a difference between the elapsed times, thereby synchronizing the first and second clocks. Clocks are locked by repeating.

Abstract: A sandbox database is created. The sandbox database is typically a temporary database. For example, the sandbox database may be a test database for evaluating a new version of software. Creating the sandbox database comprises creating a sandbox cache in the sandbox database and copying metadata from a main database to the sandbox database. The sandbox cache is used to store record(s) that are accessed during the use of the sandbox database. The metadata is used to reference the record(s). This allows for a simpler process for creating a temporary database to be used for testing software.

Abstract: A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include a base portion, a first cover, a second cover, an aerosol-forming substrate, and a heater. The base portion includes an engagement assembly configured to couple with the first cover and the second cover. The first cover defines a first recess, and the second cover defines a second recess. When assembled, the first cover is aligned with the second cover such that the first recess and the second recess collectively form a chamber. The aerosol-forming substrate is within the chamber. The heater is configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol. The heater includes a first end section, an intermediate section, and a second end section. The heater extends through the base portion such that the intermediate section is in the chamber, while the first end section and the second end section are external segments.

Abstract: A carbo-chlorination process is disclosed for selectively producing AlCl3 from an alumina-containing feedstock, comprising introducing the following into a fluidized bed reactor maintained at 600-700° C.: (a) dried and calcined feed stream comprising the alumina-containing feedstock and a carbon feed; (b) chlorinating agent; (c) selectivity agent; (d) dried air; and optionally (e) off-spec AlCl3. The process further includes removing a vapor stream from the reactor in which preferably about 75-80%, of the alumina present in the reactor is converted to AlCl3; and also removing a solid raw pozzolan stream from the reactor, wherein about 90-99% of the silica present in the reactor remains unconverted and exits the reactor through the solid raw pozzolan stream. The vapor stream comprising AlCl3 is purified to create an AlCl3 product stream comprising preferably greater than about 99.99% AlCl3.

Abstract: Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.

Abstract: A mounting system selectively engageable to a panel projection extending from a metal panel defining a surface of a building. The mounting system comprises a mounting device with a body with a wall. First and second legs extend from the wall and are flexible with respect to the wall. The first leg comprises a first aperture that is unthreaded and which has a first interior diameter. The second leg comprises a second aperture which has a second interior diameter that is less than the first interior diameter. The second aperture may optionally be threaded. The mounting system further comprises a clamping fastener with a shaft that may extend into the first aperture and out of the second aperture. The clamping fastener may be tightened to draw the first and second legs together to engage the panel projection and removably secure the mounting device to the panel projection.