Abstract: A method of making an acoustic sensor (e.g., a piezoelectric sensor for a piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems microphone) includes forming or depositing one or more piezoelectric layers to define a beam extending between a proximal portion and a distal tip (e.g., unsupported free end), the beam having a width in plan view that is greater at a location distal of the proximal portion than at the proximal portion. The method also comprises attaching the beam to a substrate in cantilever form so that the proximal portion of the beam is anchored to the substrate and the distal tip is a free unsupported end of the beam. One or more electrodes are disposed on or in the proximal portion of the beam.

Abstract: A manufacturing method disclosed herein includes a preparing step at which a lithium ion secondary battery having been electrically charged to be equal to or more than a predetermined reference SOC is prepared, a filling step at which an inside of the lithium ion secondary battery is filled with an aqueous medium, and a collecting step at which the aqueous medium is collected from the inside of the lithium ion secondary battery. By doing this, it is possible to prepare a Li solution in which Li of a negative electrode active material is eluted into the aqueous medium. Then, by collecting this Li solution, it is possible to easily perform collection of a large amount of Li.

Abstract: A processing device within a computing system uses a scheduler that dynamically processes jobs. Jobs are received at the processing device. The scheduler uses one or more scheduling algorithms to schedule the jobs for processing. The processing device queries one or more external systems for factors related to parameters and attributes at the external systems. Factors may include quality of service, capacity, load, time of day, and operations currently running on the external system. The scheduler uses the factors from the external system to modify the schedule for the received jobs.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer provided directly or indirectly on the conductive substrate. The photosensitive layer includes a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer. The charge transport layer contains a binder resin, a hole transport material, and a phthalocyanine pigment. The binder resin includes a specific polyarylate resin. The specific polyarylate resin includes a first repeating unit represented by general formula (1), a second repeating unit represented by chemical formula (2), a third repeating unit represented by chemical formula (3), and a fourth repeating unit represented by chemical formula (4). In general formula (1), X represents a divalent group with a carbon number of 1 to 10. R1 and R2 each represent, independently of one another, a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group with a carbon number of 1 to 6.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor housing that supports a photoconductor drum so as to rotate about a shaft, a developing housing that supports a developing roller, so as to rotate about a shaft, a first contact member provided on an end portion of the photoconductor housing in an axial direction, and a second contact member provided on an end portion of the developing housing in the axial direction, and configured to make contact with the first contact member. The photoconductor housing includes a first bonding projection, projecting outward from the end portion in the axial direction. The first contact member includes a first elongate slot, longer than a diameter of the first bonding projection in a back-and-forth direction, and is fixed to the photoconductor housing, by bonding the first bonding projection, inserted through the first elongate slot, to the first contact member.

Abstract: The toner container includes a container body, a transmission gear, a cap member, and a seal member. The transmission gear is fitted to the container body under a circumferential-movement restricted condition, and transmits rotation driving force to the container body. The cap member covers an opening of the container body, and retains a rotation-halted state while the container body and the transmission gear are rotating. The seal member is placed between the container body and the cap member. The transmission gear has a large-diameter portion larger in outer diameter than the other portions. The cap member includes a body portion, and a cylindrical-shaped retaining portion protruded from the body portion in a rotational-axis direction. A fore end portion of the retaining portion is in contact with a step gap portion on one side of the large-diameter portion closer to the cap member.

Abstract: A gear connection structure included in a drive device of a document conveyance device includes: a rotary shaft extending in an axial direction thereof; a parallel pin inserted through a pin hole formed in the rotary shaft, the pin hole passing through the rotary shaft in a radial direction thereof orthogonal to the axial direction; a gear; and a biasing member. The gear includes: a shaft hole through which the rotary shaft is passed; and a pin groove inside which the parallel pin is placed. The biasing member biases the parallel pin placed inside the pin groove from a separate wall being one of a pair of walls of the pin groove toward a contacting wall being the other of the pair of walls to press the parallel pin against the contacting wall and against a side of an inner periphery of the pin hole close to the contacting wall.

Abstract: A document transport device includes an ejection tray on which documents ejected in a predetermined ejection direction are loaded and a stopper that prevents documents from falling from the ejection tray in the ejection direction. The stopper has a rotating shaft rotatably supported at the ejection tray in a direction intersecting the ejection direction, a contact piece provided at the rotating shaft to be hit by a tip of a document in the ejection direction, and a weight piece provided at the rotating shaft. The stopper is able to pivot to be in a standing posture in which the contact piece stands due to the weight of the weight piece and pivot to be in a tilting posture in which the stopper tilts in the ejection direction from the standing posture when a predetermined force is applied to the contact piece.

Abstract: Described herein are variants of alpha-hemolysin having at least one amino acid substitution at H35G, E111N, M113A, and/or K147N in the mature, wild-type alpha-hemolysin amino acid sequence. In certain examples, the variant may have a substitution at E111S, M113S, T145S, K147S, or L135I in the mature alpha-hemolysin amino acid sequence. The ?-hemolysin variants may also include a substitution at H144A and/or a series of glycine residues spanning residues 127 to 131 of the mature, wild-type alpha hemolysin. Also provided are nanopore assemblies including the alpha-hemolysin variants, the assembly having an increased nanopore lifetime. Further, provided are variants that, in addition to providing increased lifetime, provide a decreased time-to-thread. Hence, the variants provided herein both increase nanopore lifetime and improve efficiency and accuracy of DNA sequencing reactions using nanopores comprising the variants.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotary mechanism that allows a display device to rotate between a landscape orientation in which the long sides are opposed in an up-down direction, and a portrait orientation in which the short sides are opposed in the up-down direction, and a controller that displays a second preview screen, in which a preview image display region has been expanded, when the display device, displaying a first preview screen, has been shifted from the landscape orientation to the portrait orientation. When the display device is shifted from the portrait orientation to the landscape orientation, in a state where the second preview screen is displayed on the display device, and a job assigned with respect to image data corresponding to the second preview image is suspended, the controller displays a message urging inputting of an instruction on whether to resume the job, on the display device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a receiver that receives a manual input operation via an operation device and a voice instruction via a microphone; and a controller that executes a job on the basis of setting received by the receiver. The controller performs control of not executing a predefined job of the image forming apparatus when the microphone is brought into a state where voice is input and executing the predefined job when the microphone is not in the state where voice is input.

Abstract: Reconfigurable patch antenna systems are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a mobile device includes a patch antenna configured to handle a radio frequency signal at a signal feed. The patch antenna includes a plurality of antenna segments. The front-end system further includes a plurality of switches each configured to control connection of a respective one of the first plurality of antenna segments to the first signal feed, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches to provide a frequency adjustment to the patch antenna.

Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system includes a first decomposition chamber that receives exhaust and treatment fluid, a first dosing module that includes a first injector that injects the treatment fluid into the first decomposition chamber, and a second decomposition chamber disposed downstream of the first decomposition chamber and that receives the exhaust and the treatment fluid from the first decomposition chamber. The exhaust aftertreatment system further includes a second dosing module that includes a second injector that injects the treatment fluid into the second decomposition chamber and a pressure sensor that generates a pressure signal based on a pressure of the treatment fluid in the second dosing module. The exhaust aftertreatment system further includes a variable resistor selectively switchable between multiple resistances.

Abstract: A hardware trojan security system may perform a computer implemented method to secure an electronic facility in relation to a hardware trojan, by performing a trojan vulnerability analysis, locating an instrument site location, identifying a selected instrument in relation to an effect of the trojan, marking instrument control-side markers and instrument operative-side markers, marking facility model control-side markers and facility model operative-side markers, marking access architecture control-side markers, and connecting the instrument with the facility model and access architecture by matching corresponding markers.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for distributing millimeter wave cellular service over a face of a building are disclosed. In certain embodiments, an antenna assembly includes an antenna upper unit configured to extend from a top of a building, such as from a roof. The antenna upper unit includes a first linear antenna array that radiates a transmit beam having a disc-shaped pattern. The antenna assembly includes an antenna lower unit configured to extend from the building beneath the antenna upper unit. The antenna lower unit includes a second linear antenna array that receives the transmit beam.

Abstract: A method for treating a subject is provided. The method includes performing surgery on the subject such as, for example, a carotid endarterectomy. Light therapy is administered to the subject as an adjuvant to the surgery.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for saturation detection of power amplifiers are provided. In certain embodiments, a power amplifier system includes a carrier amplifier including a first capacitor and a first gain bipolar transistor having a base configured to receive a radio frequency signal through the first capacitor. The power amplifier system further includes a saturation detector including a resistor and a detection bipolar transistor that is located within 20 ?m of the first gain bipolar transistor. The detection bipolar transistor has a base connected to the base of the first gain bipolar transistor through the resistor and a collector that generates a saturation detection current indicating a saturation of the first gain bipolar transistor.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for electrically adjustable antenna stencils for controlling antenna pattern for beamforming are provided. In certain embodiments, a mobile device includes a front-end system including a plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits, an antenna array including a plurality of electrically-adjustable stencils each connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of electrically-adjustable stencils to control an antenna pattern of the antenna array.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a trust rating system and method provide a precise and accurate, structured (yet adaptable and flexible), quantifying way of expressing historical trustworthiness so the user or decision maker can make more informed decisions on the data or information being evaluated.

Abstract: Methods and systems for acquiring transmission electron microscope video data on a rolling-shutter detector at an enhanced frame rate and without temporal distortions are described. Also described are methods to enhance the dynamic range of image and diffraction data acquired using a transmission electron microscope. The disclosed methods and systems may also be applicable to photon detection and imaging systems.