Abstract: A method of performing an ultrasound-guided procedure may include (a) providing a medical device that has (i) a therapeutic distal tip configured to percutaneously alter internal tissue or bone at a treatment site of a patient; (ii) a source of biocompatible fluid; and (iii) a delivery system configured to selectively deliver a quantity of the biocompatible fluid, with echogenic microbubbles therein, to an area external and adjacent to the therapeutic distal tip. The method may further include subcutaneously advancing the therapeutic distal tip toward the treatment site; delivering a quantity of biocompatible fluid with echogenic microbubbles to the area; observing, via ultrasound, an anatomic structure proximate the treatment site and dispersion of the echogenic microbubbles at the area; and based on a nature and location of the dispersion, steering the therapeutic distal tip relative to the anatomic structure, and continuing to advance the therapeutic distal tip toward the treatment site.

Abstract: Systems and methods for treating a raw wastewater feed stream using a low energy ejector, which works as a heat pump to increase the pressure and temperature of a two-phase distillate stream used, in part, to heat the raw wastewater feed stream. The systems and methods utilize heat from a liquid distillate stream and a concentrated liquid wastewater stream to pre-heat the raw wastewater feed stream and produce a liquid distillate product stream.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, an intermediate transfer belt, and a stretching roller. The intermediate transfer belt has a pair of test regions on opposite sides of a printing region in the width direction, and the image forming section transfers a test pattern image to the test regions. The image forming apparatus further includes an image density sensor and a counter-sensor member having a counter portion facing the image density sensor across the intermediate transfer belt. The edge positions of the counter portion in the width direction are inward, in the width direction, of the edge positions of the stretching roller in the width direction.

Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of lipid bilayers over an array of cells in a nanopore based sequencing chip is disclosed. Each of the cells comprises a well. A salt buffer solution is flowed over the array of cells in the nanopore based sequencing chip to substantially fill the wells in the cells with the salt buffer solution. A lipid and solvent mixture is flowed over the array of cells to deposit the lipid and solvent mixture over at least some of the wells in the cells. A first portion of the cells, each having a lipid bilayer over its well, is detected. A second portion of the cells, each having a lipid membrane but not a lipid bilayer over its well, is detected. An electrical lipid-thinning stimulus is selectively applied to the second portion of the cells but not to the first portion of the cells.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for treating hydrocarbon-bearing formations previously subjected to hydraulic fracturing. In at least certain embodiments, a purpose of the treatment is to mobilize incremental oil from the formation by increasing effective Stimulated Rock Volume (eSRV) using diverters and a treatment composition that includes LPG as carrier fluid. At least some of the methods include pumping into the wellbore a treatment composition comprising LPG combined with one or more surfactants each of which is fully or partially dissolved into the LPG, causing the treatment composition to make contact with water residing in the formation such that at least a portion of the one or more surfactants dissolves into the water, and recovering a composition that includes residual hydrocarbons and at least some of the LPG and water that resided in the formation and at least some of the one or more surfactants that were pumped into the wellbore.

Abstract: When the dimension of a primary transfer roller in the width direction is represented by Wa, the dimension of a counter-sensor member in the width direction is represented by Wb, the dimension of an intermediate transfer belt in the width direction is represented by Wc, and the maximum dimension of a sheet in the width direction is represented by Wd, then the relationship Wd?Wa<Wb?Wc is fulfilled. The transfer position of a test pattern image is a position a predetermined distance away, inward in the width direction, from the edge of the intermediate transfer belt in the width direction. The predetermined distance is twice or more the distance in the width direction from the edge of the intermediate transfer belt in the width direction to the edge of the primary transfer roller in the width direction.

Abstract: A computer vision system and method for detecting and modeling features of a building in a plurality of images is provided. The system includes a computer system in communication with a database of aerial imagery, and computer vision system code executed by the computer system which automatically detects contours and infers interior roof features of the building. The system first processes the plurality of images to identify a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) line segments in each image. Then, the system processes the plurality of 2D line segments to generate a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) line segments. The plurality of 2D line segments are then processed to detect a contour of the structure, and the contour of the structure is utilized by the system to infer interior roof lines from the structure. A model of the roof of the structure is finally generated using the detected contour and interior roof lines.

Abstract: The herein disclosed bus bar 1 includes a first joint area that is joined to a terminal part of a first electric storage device, includes a second joint area that is joined to a terminal part of the second electric storage device, and includes a cross-linked area connecting the first joint area and the second joint area. Then, on at least one of the first joint area and the second joint area, a buffering part is provided that is configured to absorb a stress caused by a fluctuation of an interval between the first joint area and the second joint area. The bus bar having the above described configuration can mitigate the stress applied onto the joint part of the terminal part of the bus bar.

Abstract: A method may include providing a syringe device having (a) a single needle, (b) a first syringe comprising saline with microbubbles, (c) a second syringe comprising a therapeutic compound, and (d) a connector coupling the single needle to the first syringe and to the second syringe. The method may further include guiding the single needle to an injection site of a patient; injecting, with the first syringe, a quantity of saline with microbubbles; confirming a desired position of the single needle, with ultrasound imaging, by identifying the microbubbles in the quantity of saline relative to a tip of the single needle and further relative to one or more anatomical landmarks visible with the ultrasound imaging; and injecting, with the second syringe, the therapeutic compound at the injection site.

Abstract: A maintenance device maintains a head unit including a plurality of inkjet heads. The maintenance device includes a plurality of caps, a plurality of supply parts, one sub-tank, and a replenishment part. The caps are provided for the inkjet heads, and attached to nozzle surfaces of the inkjet heads. The supply parts are provided for the caps, store a humidifying medium, pass air through the humidifying medium to generate a humidified air, and supply the humidified air to the caps. The sub-tank stores the humidifying medium, is opened to atmosphere and communicates with all the supply parts. The replenishment part replenishes the humidifying medium to the sub-tank.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developing container, a developing roller, a regulating blade, a seal member, and a resin member. The regulating blade includes a mounting plate and a blade plate. The developing container has a facing part facing a step part due to thickness difference between the mounting plate and the blade plate. The seal member has a resin placement area, and is squeezed between the regulating blade and the facing part. The resin placement area is an area that penetrates the seal member and is surrounded by the seal member. The resin placement area overlaps the step part.

Abstract: Techniques for replacing nanopores within a nanopore based sequencing chip are provided. A first electrolyte solution is added to the external reservoir of the sequencing chip, introducing an osmotic imbalance between the reservoir and the well chamber located on the opposite side of a lipid bilayer membrane. The osmotic imbalance causes the membrane to change shape, and a nanopore within the membrane to be ejected. A second electrolyte solution is then added to the external reservoir to provide replacement nanopores and to restore the membrane shape. The replacement nanopores can be inserted into the membrane, effectively replacing the initial pore without causing the destruction of the membrane.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image formation units, an eraser drive circuit, a static elimination voltage power supply and a control unit. The image formation unit includes an image carrying member, a charging device, a development device and a static eliminator. The eraser drive circuit drives light emitting diodes included in the static eliminators. The eraser drive circuit includes a monochrome drive circuit that drives only the light emitting diode included in the static eliminator provided in the image formation unit where the toner image of black is formed and a color drive circuit that drives the light emitting diodes included in the static eliminators provided in the image formation units where the toner images of all colors including black are formed, and the eraser drive circuit includes a common constant current drive circuit as a part of the monochrome drive circuit and the color drive circuit.

Abstract: A method of using a remote server to operate a first appliance of a plurality of appliances connected to an external network includes receiving one or more images from a second appliance of the plurality of appliances, analyzing the one or more images to detect a hand gesture, identifying a responsive action associated with the hand gesture, and instructing the first appliance to implement the responsive action.

Abstract: An appliance door includes an inner door panel with a plurality of emboss locators and an outer door panel with a plurality of emboss locators. The outer door panel mounts to the inner door panel, and a plurality of handle brackets mount to the outer door panel. Additionally, each of the plurality of emboss locators of the inner door panel is engaged with a respective one of the plurality of emboss locators of the outer door panel.

Abstract: A protective interface cushion device includes an upper half, a lower half, a cutout, a recessed surface, and an exclusion region. The upper half has a first interior surface and a first outer surface. The lower half has a second interior surface and a second outer surface. The first and second interior surfaces are configured to receive a cryostorage bag. The cutout forms an opening through at least one of the first interior surface, the first outer surface, the second interior surface, and the second outer surface. The cutout is configured to restrict a first cryostorage bag fill volume. The recessed surface, on the first and/or second interior surfaces, is configured to restrict a second cryostorage bag fill volume. The exclusion region, between the first interior surface and the second interior surface, is configured to displace liquid contents of the cryostorage bag into the first and/or second fill volume.

Abstract: A pluggable transceiver receives, from a client, a first message that indicates a first source IP address as being an IP address of a client, a first destination IP address as being an IP address of the pluggable transceiver, a first source port as being a port of the client, and a first destination port as being a port of the pluggable transceiver. The pluggable transceiver updates the first message to indicate the first source IP address as being the IP address of the pluggable transceiver, the first destination IP address as being an IP address of a server, and the first destination port as being a port of the server. The pluggable transceiver sends the updated first message to the server.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a method for operating a receiver includes configuring a receiver front-end circuit of the receiver according to a selected power consumption configuration. The method includes adjusting a quiescent current of a programmable flat gain stage coupled to the receiver front-end circuit according to the selected power consumption configuration to compensate for any gain loss of the receiver front-end circuit in the selected power consumption configuration. The selected power consumption configuration may be a reduced power consumption configuration and the programmable flat gain stage may be configured to at least partially compensate for the gain loss of the receiver front-end circuit in the reduced power consumption configuration.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and an intermediate transfer belt. The image carrier has a surface on which an amorphous silicon photosensitive layer is formed. The intermediate transfer belt is a plastic belt having a surface resistivity of 9.5 to 10.5 (log ?/square). An offset amount of the primary transfer roller from the image carrier is 0 to 2 (mm), a contact surface pressure between the image carrier and the intermediate transfer belt is 0.5 to 1.5 (gf/mm2), and a charge density of primary transfer current that flows when the primary transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller is 0.016 to 0.040 (?C/cm2).