Abstract: Systems and methods for encoding radiofrequency, RF, data, e.g., electrical signals, by a microbeamformer are disclosed herein. The microbeamformer may use a pseudo-random sampling pattern (700) to sum samples of the RF data stored in a plurality of memory cells. The memory cells may be included in a delay line of the microbeamformer in some examples. The summed samples may form an encoded signal transmitted to a decoder which reconstructs the original RF data from the encoded signal. The decoder may use knowledge of the pseudo-random sampling pattern to reconstruct the original data in some examples.

Abstract: Disclosed are solvency enhancer compositions, for example, as additives to lubricating oils and as formulated in lubricating oil compositions and associated methods of preparation and use thereof. The compositions and methods can dissolve at least one of oxidation products and other organic polar compounds, due to lubricant degradation, formed and suspended in oil compositions including adding an effective amount of a solvency enhancer to the oils, wherein the solvency enhancer includes Guerbet alcohols. Further described are methods for dissolving organic deposits in an oil system including adding an effective amount of a solvency enhancer to the oil system, wherein the solvency enhancer includes Guerbet alcohols. Also provided are methods for preventing sludge and varnish formation in in-service oils including adding an effective amount of a solvency enhancer to the oils, wherein the solvency enhancer includes Guerbet alcohols.

Abstract: A method and associated circuits protect data stored in a secure data circuit of a telecommunication device equipped with a near-field communication (NFC) router, a microcontroller, and the secure data circuit. In the method, each message received with the NFC router is parsed to retrieve a communication pipe identifier and an instruction code. The communication pipe identifier and the instruction code are compared to corresponding information in a filter table. Instruction codes of particular messages that attempt to modify a communication pipe by reassigning one end of the communication pipe from the port of the NFC router to a different circuit are acted upon. These messages are blocked from reaching the secure data circuit when the instruction code is not authorized in the filter table, and these messages are permitted when the instruction code is authorized in the filter table.

Abstract: Imaging data (20) are acquired by a PET scanner (6) or other imaging device. Iterative image reconstruction of the imaging data is performed to generate a reconstructed image (22). The iterative image reconstruction includes performing an update step (24) that includes an edge preserving prior (28) having a spatially varying edge preservation threshold (30) whose value at each image voxel depends on a noise metric (32) in a local neighborhood of the image voxel. The noise metric may be computed as an aggregation of the intensities of neighborhood image voxels of the reconstructed image in the local neighborhood of the image voxel. The edge preserving prior may be a Relative Difference Prior (RDP). For further noise suppression, during the iterative image reconstruction image values of image features of the reconstructed image that have spatial extent smaller than a threshold (38) may be reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, devices, and machine-readable mediums which provide a wearable device, such as a smart ring, that provides feedback to guide users in performing physical tasks. Tasks may include tasks associated with an application executing on a mobile device of the user.

Abstract: The service-providing device (11, 18, 19) of the invention is configured to obtain a code associated with the service-providing device, to wirelessly transmit the code, and to receive data from a service-using device (1,2) in response to the wireless transmission. The code does not comprise characteristics of the service-providing device. The service-using device of the invention is configured to receive information about one or more service-providing devices located on a secure local area network (29) over the secure local area network. The information comprises a code for each of the one or more service-providing devices. The service-using device is further configured to select one or more of the received codes, listen for wireless transmission of the selected one or more codes, and transmit data to a device which wirelessly transmitted at least one of the selected one or more codes.

Abstract: In some examples, a landing device is configured to be disposed within a container receptacle of a pneumatic transport system, the landing device comprising: a landing platform defining a landing surface for a container of the pneumatic transport system, the landing platform comprising: a first material configured to at least partially deform in response to the container impacting the landing surface; and a second material disposed over the first material, the second material configured to facilitate removal of the container from the container receptacle; and a base mechanically connected to a second surface of the landing platform, the base configured to secure the landing device to the container receptacle, wherein the landing device is configured to be inserted into the container receptacle without removing one or more components of the container receptacle.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate operational support for network infrastructures are discussed. The disclosed system and method facilitate a unified view of the current state of the network and networked devices including real-time log monitoring and for providing metrics for long term system planning. One such method can include the acts of automatically discovering a device deployed on a network, receiving device and network related data in real-time, determining whether a device is authorized, terminating device network access, filtering device data, validating device configuration, configuring a device and providing an output for use by a user. The disclosed system and method can be utilized, for example, to reduce the time involved in troubleshooting and resolving network issues, for establishing a baseline for network performance and for network capacity planning.

Abstract: A method for identifying two or more infections as related or non-related infections based on an estimated genetic relatedness of the two or more infections, comprising: (i) receiving, for each of two or more infected patients, infection-relevant information comprising an antibiotic resistance profile for the patient's infection, a geo-temporal record for the patient, and a caregiver history for the patient; (ii) estimating, using a trained genetic relatedness model, a genetic relatedness of at least two of the two or more infections; (iii) comparing the estimated genetic relatedness between at least two of the two or more infections to a predetermined threshold; (iv) identifying, based on the comparison, the at least two of the two or more infections as a related infection or a non-related infection.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for a portable mass airflow (MAF) training module configured to simulate an air intake into an internal combustion engine. An in-line blower draws an airflow through an air filter by way of a first air duct and a second air duct. A throttle assembly is coupled between the first air duct and the second air duct. The throttle assembly includes a throttle plate that may be rotated to regulate the airflow. The power output of the in-line blower is variable to simulate the air intake of various sizes of the internal combustion engine. A MAF sensor and a duct velocity sensor are configured to provide airflow information. The portable MAF training module enables a practitioner to select a desired throttle setting and observe a resultant mass airflow through the portable MAF training module that is measured by the MAF sensor.

Abstract: A method of irrigation comprises supplying water to an inclined irrigation pipe provided with a plurality of drippers such that a pressure at a highest level of the inclined irrigation pipe is at most 200 cm H2O.

Abstract: Disclosed is a crest element in an armor layer assembly of a breakwater. The crest element includes: a central part; two wings extending from the central part in opposing directions along, when placed on a breakwater, the length direction of the breakwater; and a nose extending from the central part in a forward direction transverse to the length direction of the breakwater. The backside of the central part is a vertically oriented, back face facing in a backward direction opposite to the forward direction. The crest element may in particular be used as crest element for armor layers including armor elements of the type having a central part from which: two wings extend in opposing directions, and a tail and nose extend in opposing directions transverse to the direction of extension of the wings. Also disclosed is an armor layer, a breakwater and methods using the crest elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of an object (10) positioned in an examination volume of a MR device (1). It is an object of the invention to enable efficient spiral MR imaging even in situations of strong Bo inhomogeneity. The method of the invention comprises: subjecting the object (10) to an imaging sequence comprising at least one RF excitation pulse and sinusoidally modulated magnetic field gradients, acquiring MR signals along two or more spiral k-space trajectories (31, 32, 33) as determined by the sinusoidal modulation of the magnetic field gradients, wherein the origins of the spiral k-space trajectories are offset from each other, and reconstructing an MR image from the acquired MR signals. Moreover, the invention relates to a MR device (1) and to a computer program for a MR device (1).

Abstract: A method for managing a communication session includes receiving a request to perform a task. The task is divided into one or more steps. One or more user devices are identified that can be used to perform one or more of the steps. One or more communication channels are identified that are available to the one or more user devices. The communication session is permitted to switch from one or more of the user devices and communication channels to complete the one or more steps of the task while maintaining a continuity of the communication session.

Abstract: An internal element (310) for a feeding bottle (100) is provided, the feeding bottle comprising a teat component (110), and a container component (120), which together define a bottle volume extending longitudinally between a base end of the container component, and a top end of the teat component. The internal element (310) comprises a disc element (620) configured to be positioned within the bottle volume extending transverse the longitudinal axis, and further comprises one or more tab elements (640) protruding from an outer periphery (630) of the disc element for being received between interfacing parts of a coupling arrangement (340, 342) of the bottle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhanced payment codes are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for presenting a machine-readable code to a transaction terminal may include (1) a computer payment application executed by a computer processor of a mobile electronic device displaying an image of a first payment device on a display; (2) the computer payment application receiving a signal from a sensor in the mobile electronic device indicating that the display is being presented to a transaction terminal; (3) the computer application requesting a machine readable code from a provider of machine-readable codes for the first payment device; (4) the computer application receiving the machine readable code for the first payment device; and (5) the computer application displaying the machine readable code on the display.

Abstract: A near field communication (NFC) router of a telecommunication device has communication pipes between gates of the NFC router. The pipes include a set of communication pipes to implement NFC transactions, which are coupled between radio-frequency gates of the NFC router and physical gates of the NFC router assigned to a security circuit. An attempt to use a pipe, other than one of the set, to implement an NFC transaction is detected by, in response to receiving a message in a NFC communication format via a pipe, comparing bits associated with the pipe with stored bits associated with the set of communication pipes. In response to the comparing indicating the pipe is not one of the set of communication pipes, implementation of the NFC transaction is blocked.

Abstract: The present disclosure advantageously describes ultrasound imaging arrays that comprise ergonomic, non-rectangular shapes, as well as associated systems and methods. Non-rectangular transducer arrays allow for ergonomic probe shapes that improve patient comfort, maneuverability of the ultrasound device, and operator workflow. For example, an ultrasound imaging device can include an array of acoustic elements comprising a non-rectangular perimeter. The array includes a plurality of active elements configured to emit ultrasound energy and receive echoes corresponding to the emitted ultrasound energy, and a plurality of buffer elements surrounding the plurality of active elements at the non-rectangular perimeter of the array of acoustic elements. An edge seal comprising a sealing material is positioned at least partially around the plurality of buffer elements, and a buffer element of the plurality of buffer elements is spaced from at least one other buffer element by the sealing material of the edge seal.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a request to open an account associated with a customer, information regarding the account, and a mobile device identifier. The mobile device identifier is received from a third-party computing system based on a first wireless communication between the mobile device and the third-party computing system. The method includes validating the mobile device as belonging to the customer based on the received mobile device identifier and binding the mobile device identifier to the customer based on the validation. The method includes establishing the account for the customer based on the received information regarding the account and generating a token for the account. In response to establishing the account and generating the token, the token is provided to the third-party computing system and provisioned to the validated mobile device via a second wireless communication between the mobile device and the third-party computing system.

Abstract: A cell phone case includes a housing, pod, and cover. The housing has: a first opening creating a first housing cavity to house the cell phone; and a second opening forming a second housing cavity to house the pod. The pod includes: a backing, a container, and a strip. The container has an elongated opening into a cavity that houses sanitizing wipes. A portion of the strip is sized to cover and extend beyond a periphery of the opening, and releasably adhere to the container to seal the opening to house the sanitizing wipes in a waterproof manner. A second portion of the strip is grasped to unseal and reseal the first portion. The cover attaches to the housing to hide the pod, which may be releasably retained in the housing even when the cover is removed. A spray bottle of sanitizer is stored in the second housing cavity.