Abstract: A flow control device including a flow channel having a housing defining an inside surface, the inside surface having an irregular helical structure of constant orthogonal cross-sectional dimensions.

Abstract: A system and method for the production of microbial consortiums and by-product material is provided. A physical containment system comprising phase spaces arranged in a discrete order to favor specific biological reactions is also provided. Phase profiles and phase data sets include the pre-determined physical and biological parameters for the phase space transitions. Movement of material from one phase to the next is hydraulically balanced enabling working fluid to continuously move in a fixed direction and rate of flow. Continuous monitoring of phase profiles and phase data sets provide feedback to the system enabling alteration of the conditions in the system to control reactions therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method, and apparatus for producing a dimensionally stable extruded board product for use in surface coverings. The board product may be a basalt casting powder-based product for use as a substrate for wall or other surface coverings or may be used as a core layer in a modular floor covering unit. The modular floor covering unit comprises multiple layers. The layers are a thin cut stone veneer layer, a core layer with a density similar to that of the thin cut stone veneer layer, and an optional magnetically receptive underlayment layer. Other layers or combinations of layers may also be used.

Abstract: An annular scraper ring assembly for a packing arrangement is disclosed. The annular scraper ring assembly can form a seal with a plunger included in a fluid end of a reciprocating pump and includes two or more rings, including a first ring and a second ring. The first ring is formed from a resilient material configured to form a seal against a plunger included in a fluid end of a reciprocating pump and includes an upstream face and an inner surface. The second ring defines a caroming surface configured to engage the upstream face of the first ring and cam the inner surface inwards when the first ring is compressed against the second ring.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to photovoltaic devices. In one embodiment, a method for forming a gallium arsenide based photovoltaic device includes providing a semiconductor structure, the structure including an absorber layer comprising gallium arsenide. A bypass function is provided in a p-n junction of the semiconductor structure, where under reverse-bias conditions the p-n junction breaks down in a controlled manner by a Zener breakdown effect.

Abstract: A method includes receiving audio data corresponding to an utterance spoken by the user and captured by the user device. The utterance includes a command for a digital assistant to perform an operation. The method also includes determining, using a hotphrase detector configured to detect each trigger word in a set of trigger words associated with a hotphrase, whether any of the trigger words in the set of trigger words are detected in the audio data during the corresponding fixed-duration time window. The method also includes determining identifying, in the audio corresponding to the utterance, the hotphrase when each other trigger word in the set of trigger words was also detected in the audio data. The method also includes triggering an automated speech recognizer to perform speech recognition on the audio data when the hotphrase is identified in the audio data corresponding to the utterance.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a semiconductor structure comprising a III-nitride light emitting layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region. A contact disposed on the p-type region includes a transparent conductive material in direct contact with the p-type region, a reflective metal layer, and a transparent insulating material disposed between the transparent conductive layer and the reflective metal layer. In a plurality of openings in the transparent insulating material, the transparent conductive material is in direct contact with the reflective metal layer.

Abstract: Illumination devices as include a frame intended to be worn by a user and one or more light sources (e.g., LEDs) positioned by the frame so as to be near a user's zygomatic bones and oriented to project light in a direction of the user's view when the illumination device is worn on the wearer's head. The frame may be shaped to be worn over the user's ears and behind the user's head, and may be made of one or more of plastic, metal and/or a metal alloy, carbon fiber, wood, cellulose acetate, natural horn and/or bone, leather, and an epoxy resin. An optional strap may be retractably attached to connect portions of the frame over the wearer's head. The LEDs may be included in respective panels swivelly mounted to booms of the frame and the panels may further include imaging devices, such as a camera, and/or a projector.

Abstract: A polarization modulator includes a first liquid crystal cell and a second liquid crystal cell. The first liquid crystal cell has a first type of liquid crystals configured to rotate an optical axis of light parallel to a first plane of the first liquid crystal cell. The second liquid crystal cell is configured to receive the light from the first liquid crystal cell. The second liquid crystal cell has a second type of liquid crystals configured to rotate the optical axis of the light perpendicular to a second plane of the second liquid crystal cell.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure includes a method of manufacturing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, including connecting a first wire and a second wire across a chip, maintaining the spaced apart distance between the first wire and the second wire adjacent to each side of the chip to define a spaced apart segment of the first wire and the second wire that forms part of an inductive loop, connecting the first wire and the second wire at each side of the chip distal from and adjacent to the spaced apart segment of the first wire and the second wire to close the inductive loop, define connected wire segments, and to form an RFID assembly, and moving the RFID assembly through a casing material at or above a glass transition temperature of the casing material to encase the RFID assembly.

Abstract: A decoder is configured to decode a bitstream having a block based geometric partition having a plurality of orthogonal block boundaries by assigning a first plurality blocks on one side of an angled line segment a first common motion vector and by assigning a second plurality of blocks on the other side of the angled line segment a second common motion vector different than the first common motion vector. The decoder reconstructs the first plurality of blocks using the first common motion vector and the blocks in the second plurality of blocks using the second common motion vector.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an agricultural composition comprising a protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitor, one or more sugar alcohols and optionally, one or more auxin herbicides. The present invention is further directed to a method of controlling weeds comprising applying concurrently or sequentially a PPO inhibitor and one or more sugar alcohols, and optionally one or more auxin herbicides to the weeds or an area in need of weed control.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a light-colored material for a food product, including: creating a starting light-colored material, wherein the starting light-colored material comprises a protein and a fiber; creating a light-colored material from the starting light-colored material by adding a fat to the starting material; molding the light-colored material to a predetermined shape; and baking the light-colored material to a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A continuous sieving apparatus is described. The continuous sieving apparatus includes a sieve surface attached to a wall. A set of openings is formed in the sieve surface so as to define a set of pathways extending through the sieve surface. The set of opening are defined by a length dimension that is greater than a width dimension. An action system is configured to move the sieve surface in one or more directions (e.g., horizontally and vertically). Such movement causes a first pupa having a first cephalothorax width that is less than the width dimension to move through any one of the set of openings, and a second pupa having a second cephalothorax width that is greater than the width dimension to be prevented from moving through the set of openings.

Abstract: A computing support system is configured to programmatically manage support access to a computing system via a support technician console across multiple levels of support access. The system receives a request to authenticate a user requesting support for the computing system, issues one or more authentication challenges to the user to authenticate the identity of the user, receives one or more corresponding authentication challenge responses from the user based on the authentication challenge, and verifies a level of authentication based on the authentication challenge response, the level of authentication being selected from multiple levels of authentication. The system also determines a level of support access to the computing system based on the verified level of authentication and the identity of the user and programmatically enforces limits on the support access to the computing system via the support technician console based on the determined level of support access.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for applying tags with attached elastic anchor bands onto the tops of objects such as bottles in a high speed packaging application. The apparatus includes an infeed assembly for feeding a web, a conveyor assembly that receives a web and conveys it along a path in an upstream direction, a rotating selector wheel, a placement assembly, a pair of rotating jaw assembles, a vacuum cup of the selector wheel, and stretched elastic bands over the tops of respective bottles being conveyed along a path below the placing assembly. The elastic bands then snap onto the tops of their respective bottles to secure the tags to the bottles.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to suspension assemblies for vehicles. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to secondary springs for suspension assemblies of vehicles. In some embodiments, a secondary spring can comprise a base, a tip, and one or more extension members positioned between the base and the tip that are configured to be removably coupled to the base and/or the tip to adjust a length of the secondary spring. In some embodiments a user can adjust the length of the secondary spring, so that the secondary spring is compatible with a given coil spring of the suspension assembly, by increasing or decreasing the number of extension members included in the secondary spring and/or by replacing one or more of the extension members with longer or shorter extension members.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising fibronectin based scaffold domain proteins that bind, for example, proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin-9 (PCSK9).

Abstract: A processing device in one embodiment is configured to generate a first sound cue of a first type, the first sound cue comprising a primary entrainment cue for an entrainment sonification system, to generate one or more additional sound cues of a second type, each of the one or more additional sound cues comprising an auxiliary entrainment cue for the entrainment sonification system, to provide the first sound cue and the one or more additional sound cues to one or more audio devices of the entrainment sonification system for generation of sound for audible presentation to a user, to receive from one or more sensors of the entrainment sonification system one or more feedback signals, and to adjust one or more characteristics of at least one of the first sound cue and the one or more additional sound cues based at least in part on the one or more received feedback signals.

Abstract: Network planning based on collected crowd-sourced access point quality and selection data can optimize access point frequency and/or bandwidth selection. A cloud-based application can be utilized in conjunction with a mobile device to build a database of access point quality and thresholds suitable for real-time and other jitter-sensitive services. The mobile device jitter measurements and selection thresholds can be collected at a cloud platform, which creates an access point performance and selection threshold profile from which the network can facilitate access point frequency and/or bandwidth selections.