Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for shale pyrolysis. A retort may include a first side and a second side opposite the first side, where the first side and the second side include descending angled surfaces at alternating angles to produce zig-zag motion of shale descending through the retort. Steam distributors may be coupled to the first side, with collectors coupled to the second side, to produce crossflow of steam and heat across the descending shale. A steam temperature control subsystem may be coupled to the steam distributors and may deliver higher-temperature steam to an upper portion of the retort and lower-temperature steam to a lower portion of the retort.

Abstract: A metal furnace header gate system haying a recirculation port in the furnace, a hot gas generator, a gas blower, and a furnace door. The door has an embedded gas manifold and outlet ports that each connect the manifold to a directional nozzle. The blower draws exhaust from the recirculation port into the hot gas generator, which generates additional exhaust and mixes the exhaust gases together. The blower forces this exhaust mixture into the manifold, through the nozzles, and into the furnace. A computer controls the blower and the hot gas generator to regulate the system.

Abstract: A carrier device includes a body member having two parallel sections, terminal ends of which extend in a common direction. A bracket nested with the body member has two lateral side members extending in the common direction. Each side member has a terminal end and a loop proximate the end defining a hole. An interior is defined between the sections of the body member and between the side members of the bracket. A binding member engages the sections of the body member and passes through the respective hole of each side member defined by the loop. A retention member, for retaining a magazine when inserted into the carrier device, also passes through the respective holes. The binding member draws sections of the body member toward each other to maintain frictional engagement of an inserted magazine or other article with interior contact points of the carrier device.

Abstract: An automated fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) dynamically measures, using an angle encoder, twists in an optical fiber cable caused by movements of a mouse or other animal and automatically unwinds the optical fiber cable(s) by engaging a motor. To optimize its efficiency, the unwinding process is activated automatically only when the angle encoder reaches a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the optical fiber is unwound in increments of 360°. Various embodiments allow simultaneous transfer of optical signals through independent channels to and from multiple sites of a freely moving animal through a rotating interface and with minimal mechanical impact on the natural behavior of the animal. The design principle leads to a minimal variation of light transmission over rotation suitable for life science applications. A single channel FORJ device can be readily expanded to a two-, three- or more-channel device.

Abstract: The present disclosure is to determine a probable root cause of a performance issue. For example, a method can include processing, using a processor, a set of calls for a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transaction wherein individual calls of the set of calls have a set of parameters; and identifying, using the processor, that the HTTP transaction has a performance issue that falls below a predetermined level of a performance metric. Further steps can include separating, using the processor, the set of calls into a first group with the performance issue and a second group without the performance issue; discovering, using the processor, a common subset of parameters among the first group; and determining that the common subset of parameters is a probable root cause of the performance issue if the common subset of parameters is not found in the second group.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing coherent diffraction in an optical device are disclosed. An optical device may include a grating medium with a first hologram having a first grating frequency. A second hologram at least partially overlapping the first hologram may be provided in the grating medium. The second hologram may have a second grating frequency that is different from the first grating frequency. The first and second holograms may be pair-wise coherent with each other. A manufacturing system may be provided that writes the pair-wise coherent holograms in a grating medium using a signal beam and a reference beam. Periscopes may redirect portions of the signal and reference beams towards a partial reflector, which combines the beams and provides the combined beam to a detector. A controller may adjust an effective path length difference between the signal and reference beams based on a measured interference pattern.

Abstract: Aggregation of content based on user-generated topics is provided. Users may associate one or more topics with content items stored across various workloads and repositories. A topic may be a word or phrase of the user's choice, and may be utilized for discoverability of information and aggregation of content items. Topics and content items associated with topics may be acted on (e.g., a user may add or delete topics to associate with a content item, associate or disassociate content items with a topic, embed a set of content items or a stream of content items associated with a topic into other experiences, follow topics, etc.). Content items identified as related to a specific topic may be automatically suggested as possible content items of interest to the user. Additionally, when a user follows a topic, the user may be notified of any changes that occur to the topic.

Abstract: A bicycle may include a front triangle and a rear suspension system that couples the front triangle to a rear wheel and is dampened by at least one shock absorber. The rear suspension system includes a six-bar linkage having two ternary links separated from each other by one or more binary links, such that the two ternary links do not share a common joint. One of the ternary links may comprise a chain stay. In some examples, the other ternary link may comprise the front triangle. In some examples, the other ternary link may comprise a rocker arm coupling a seat stay link to the shock absorber.

Abstract: A decoder for decoding a data stream into which media data is coded has a mode switch configured to activate a low-complexity mode or a high-efficiency mode depending on the data stream, an entropy decoding engine configured to retrieve each symbol of a sequence of symbols by entropy decoding using a selected one of a plurality of entropy decoding schemes, a desymbolizer configured to desymbolize the sequence of symbols to obtain a sequence of syntax elements, a reconstructor configured to reconstruct the media data based on the sequence of syntax elements, selection depending on the activated low-complexity mode or the high-efficiency mode.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for performing trick plays of segmented video content are provided. A point at which a trick play begins may be based on a playback time associated with a video segment that includes the video frame currently displayed when a request to start the trick play is received. A point at which to resume playback of the normal rate video content may be similarly based on a trick play playback time associated with a trick play video segment that includes the trick play video frame currently outputted when a request to stop the trick play is received.

Abstract: Nasal respiratory assembly includes flexible tubing connected to a fluid source. The flexible tubing includes a pair of receptacles through which the fluid is dispensed, a pair of posts, and a connector with a central opening sized and shaped to cooperate with one of the receptacles. Each post includes a flange sized and shaped to fit over the nostril of a patient; a main body comprising a passageway configured therein.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for filtering a point cloud generated by a LIDAR device in an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. A point cloud comprising a plurality of points is generated based on outputs of the LIDAR device. The point cloud is filtered to remove a first set of points in the plurality of points that correspond to noise based on one or more of: point intensity measurements, distances between points, or a combination thereof. Perception data is generated based on the filtered point cloud. Operations of the autonomous vehicle are controlled based on the perception data.

Abstract: A pedelec bottom bracket drive unit includes a rigid drive housing and a tolerance compensation sheet-metal spring which is arranged to stand substantially in a vertical plane. The tolerance compensation sheet-metal spring includes at least one fixing point at a housing side and at least one mounting point for fastening the tolerance-compensating sheet-metal spring to a pedelec-frame-side drive mount. The at least one fixing point has a fixing point traverse axis. The tolerance compensation sheet-metal spring is fixed to the rigid drive housing at the at least one fixing point at the housing side. The at least one mounting point has a mounting point traverse axis. The at least one mounting point is arranged offset with respect to a next adjacent fixing point of the at least one fixing point as viewed from the fixing point traverse axis and from the mounting point traverse axis.

Abstract: A window well is composed of a fiber reinforced plastic and an outer layer. The window well also has a body having multiple ribs interposed between multiple wall surface portions. Each rib is positioned between two different wall surface portions and is defined by a corresponding height and depth. The outer layer includes a fabric veil that is at least partially embedded into the thermoplastic. The fabric veil can be made of different types of fabric material. The fabric veil can also have a multi-colored printed pattern that imitates the texture of a natural material. The outer layer of the window well improves the aesthetics of the window well and provides increased durability.

Abstract: Shingles have self-seal strips with features that include sealant dashes or dots separated by drainage gaps. The self-seal strips are registered with each shingle so that the features are positioned at the same locations on each shingle. A method of making such shingles includes synchronizing the rotation of sealant applicator wheels with the shingle chop cutter so that cuts are made at repeated designated locations along the applied self-seal strips.

Abstract: A downhole tool operable to connect within a downhole tool string. The downhole tool may include a first sub, a second sub, and a movable joint movably connecting the first sub and the second sub to facilitate relative angular movement between the first sub and the second sub. The downhole tool may be operable to connect together a first portion of the tool string and a second portion of the tool string and facilitate relative angular movement between the first portion of the tool string and the second portion of the tool string when the downhole tool is connected within the tool string.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for providing a value indicating a judgment of whether a human or an autonomic computer application operating a client computer is interacting with a server, by: receiving data from the client computer including active data relating to interactions of the client computer with a website of the server and passive data of the client computer; analyzing received data from the client computer for indication of a human operating the client computer, wherein the analyzing includes analyzing the received data in conjunction with model data based on human interactions from a prior session with the same website and developing a first analysis value; determining that the first analysis value fails to meet a first analysis predetermined criteria; and providing a request for further data from the client computer based on the determination that the first analysis value fails to meet the first analysis predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A method for processing a vehicle end-of-line (EOL) testing routine includes determining whether a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is issued during the vehicle EOL testing routine and obtaining vehicle network data generated during the vehicle EOL testing routine. The method includes, in response to a determination that the DTC is issued during the vehicle EOL testing routine, storing the vehicle network data in a database, associating the DTC with an electronic control module from a plurality of electronic control modules, identifying a designated agent from among a plurality of agents based on the DTC and a ECM-agent directory, and electronically transmitting a notification to the designated agent, where the notification provides access to the vehicle network data and the DTC.

Abstract: A first wireless device may determine a number of sidelink slots, configured in a sidelink resource pool configuration, over a fixed duration. The first wireless device may determine a reservation period in units of slots based on a first reservation period in milli-second (ms) and the number of sidelink slots. The first wireless device may transmit a transport block via one or more transmission resources selected based on the reservation period.

Abstract: A method may include obtaining an indicator that a first device is in a location of a second device and in response to obtaining the indicator, sending a redirect request to a communication service provider of the first device to direct, to the second device, incoming communication requests handled by the communication service provider that are directed to the first device. The method may further include after sending the redirect request and after a communication request to a communication session is directed to the first device, obtaining, at the second device, a communication indication to participate in the communication session. The method may further include directing audio of the communication session to a transcription system and obtaining, at the second device, the transcription of the audio from the transcription system. The method may also include presenting, by the second device, the audio and the transcription.