Abstract: A road marker apparatus, system and lighting module and corresponding methods of manufacture, installation and replacement. There is a road insert having upwardly facing ridges and an internal cavity with interior surface textures and a tapered front cavity; a boot of incompressible material disposed within the internal cavity of the road insert and form-fit thereto; and a housing body removably disposed within the boot cavity and form-fit thereto. An array of exterior surface textures that operate as a forward operating taper lock between the housing body and the road insert that restricts forward movement and rotation of the housing body with respect to the road insert; and a housing cavity within which one or more physical modules may be disposed. There is a rear lock behind the housing body that prevents rearward displacement of the housing body with respect to the road insert.

Abstract: Improved detection and tracking methods and systems are disclosed herein. The use of RFID labels that are operably connected upon complex formation in a binding assay is described as well as the use of RFID labels and supplemental identifiers to enhance component tracking in assay systems.

Abstract: A method and system utilizing one or more agricultural drones in combination with agricultural equipment, e.g., an agricultural boom sprayer, to evaluate the crops being farmed, and to improve the real-time delivery and dispensing of liquid from the sprayer including monitoring and verifying that the liquid is being dispensed correctly and/or in accordance with a desired distribution pattern or level.

Abstract: A small-sized head-mount type vision testing device, which is mounted on a testee's head, including: a display device that presents a visual target to an eyeball of the testee; a display optical system that guides light of the visual target presented on the device to the retina; an imaging device that images the eyeball; and an observation optical system that guides an image of the eyeball to the imaging device, and further including a mirror that reflects light of a specific wavelength and transmits the other light at a point closer to the eyeball side than the display device, wherein an optical axis from a pupil to the mirror in the display optical system and an optical axis from the pupil to the mirror in the observation optical system, coincide with each other, and the optical axes are bent through the mirror.

Abstract: A power supply includes a half-bridge circuit. The power supply further includes an output inductor connected to a switch node that is common to a high side switch and a low side switch of the half-bridge. During a turn ON time of the low side switch, a current detection circuit of the power supply samples and holds in a capacitor a valley of an inductor current flowing through the output inductor. Also during the turn ON time of the low side switch, the current detection circuit samples and holds in another capacitor a peak of the inductor current. During a turn OFF time of the low side switch, a sense inductor current that is representative of the inductor current is generated by combining the charges stored in the capacitors.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods, devices, and kits for conducting a quantitative analysis of a whole blood sample. Various modifications to the disclosed methods, devices, and kits are described.

Abstract: Improved component tracking methods and systems are disclosed herein. The use of suspended reagent and/or sample identifiers are described as well as the use of suspended and supplemental identifiers to enhance component tracking in assay systems.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer-readable recording medium for automated storage tiering are provided. A temperature level of each data block in all data storage devices with different tier levels is calculated based on its usage level and usage history so as to accordingly calculate a total amount of preserved storage space for all the data storage devices. Next, a storage space of each of the data storage devices is divided into a preserved storage space and a non-preserved storage space according to the total amount of the preserved storage space and a storage capacity of the corresponding data storage device. Each of the data blocks is migrated to the non-preserved storage space in the corresponding data storage device according to its temperature and the tier level of each of the data storage devices.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a bicycle hub that provides improved drive line efficiency and bike-to-rider torque feedback. The drive line efficiencies are due to lower rolling resistance resulting from a novel bearing and sprag clutch configuration, a lightweight design, and immediate torque transfer from the cassette drive to the hub body. The bike-to-rider feedback has been improved as the torque transfer is smooth, predictable, and immediate.

Abstract: A strain wave gearing with a built-in motor is provided with a motor, a wave gear mechanism enclosing the motor coaxially, and a heat-insulation spacing formed therebetween. The wave gear mechanism has a wave generator attached to the motor rotor so as to rotate integrally with the motor rotor. A wave generator plug of the wave generator is fixed to a rotor magnet back yoke of the motor rotor so as to enclose the rotor magnet back yoke. The spacing is formed in a contact surface portion between the rotor magnet back yoke and the wave generator back yoke, whereby heat transfer from the motor to the wave gear mechanism is suppressed.

Abstract: A system for delivering a stent from a catheter sheath in a longitudinal direction comprising: a thumbwheel mounted on an axle, the axle being supported by opposite walls of a housing; a first pinion mounted on the axle; a second pinion mounted on the axle, whereby rotation of the thumbwheel causes rotation of the first pinion and rotation of the second pinion; a first rack, engageable with the first pinion at a first surface of the first pinion, the first rack being operably connected with a stent-engaging member; a second rack, engageable with the second pinion at a second surface of the second pinion, the second surface being disposed in a direction diametrically opposite the first surface, the second rack being operably connected with a sheath configured to confine the stent.

Abstract: A new cement valve is disclosed for use in the production of an oil or gas well where hydraulic fracturing has been employed. In particular, the embodiments include a cement valve having a reclosable valve. When properly located, a first piston sleeve is hydraulically actuated to open the cement ports on the tool. After the cement has been pumped through the tool and the cement ports to a wellbore annulus, a blocking ball is dropped to stop flow through the tool. The tool is internally pressurized. The pressure overcomes shear pins to force downward movement of a ball housing inside the cement valve. This movement translates a travelling pin along a guide path, which rotates a ball valve inside the ball housing, releasing the blocking ball to open up the internal flow path through the cement valve at the same time the cement ports are closed.

Abstract: Balloon catheter comprises an elongate catheter shaft having a proximal section, a distal section, and an inflation lumen defined therein and a multilayer balloon on the distal section of the shaft comprising a first layer made of a first polymer material having a first Shore durometer hardness, a second layer made of a second polymer material having a second Shore durometer hardness greater than the first Shore durometer hardness, wherein the second layer is an inner layer relative to the first layer, and a third layer made of a third polymer material having a third Shore durometer hardness less the first Shore durometer hardness, wherein the third layer is an inner layer relative to the second layer. Method of making a balloon catheter is also provided.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for plating a metal onto a work piece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a plating chamber, a substrate holder, an anode chamber housing an anode, an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between a substrate and the anode chamber during electroplating, an auxiliary cathode located between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element, and an insulating shield with an opening in its central region. The insulating shield may be movable with respect to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element to vary a distance between the shield and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element during electroplating.

Abstract: System and method for generating and storing electricity by electromagnetic induction using a magnetic field modulated by the formation, dissipation, and movement of vortices produced by a vortex material such as a type II superconductor and further including a vortex flux generator in cryostat and a refrigerant compartment having bi-directionally thermal transfer to the vortex flux generator. Magnetic field modulation occurs at the microscopic level, facilitating the production of high frequency electric power. Generator inductors are manufactured using microelectronic fabrication, in at least one dimension corresponding to the spacing of vortices. The vortex material fabrication method establishes the alignment of vortices and generator coils, permitting the electromagnetic induction of energy from many vortices into many coils simultaneously as a cumulative output of electricity. A thermoelectric cycle is used to convert heat energy into electricity.

Abstract: A body cavity drainage device includes a drainage tube with a distal end configured for insertion into the body cavity of a patient, a fluid outlet at a proximal end of the drainage tube; and an activation apparatus coupled to the drainage tube between the proximal end of the drainage tube and the distal end of the drainage tube. The activation apparatus may be configured to alter a position of the distal end of the drainage tube in response to an input at a control device of the activation apparatus, and a first portion of the drainage tube extending from the activation apparatus toward the distal end may be at least substantially coaxial with a second portion of the drainage tube extending from the activation apparatus toward the proximal end. Methods relate to forming a body cavity drainage devices.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide wind sensor motion compensation for wind sensors mounted to moving platforms. A wind sensor motion compensation system may include a wind sensor, a wind sensor accelerometer, one or more additional sensors, actuators, controllers, user interfaces, and/or other modules mounted to or in proximity to a vehicle. The wind sensor motion compensation system may be implemented with one or more logic devices adapted to receive sensor signals and determine a sensor-motion compensated wind velocity. The logic devices may be adapted to receive a wind sensor acceleration and a relative wind velocity from a wind sensor, determine a wind sensor velocity from the wind sensor acceleration, and determine a sensor-motion compensated relative wind velocity from the wind sensor velocity and the relative wind velocity.

Abstract: An MR compatible steerable sheath with elastomeric member is provided. The elastomeric member is configured to serve as a reservoir and receive contrast media therewithin. The elastomeric member is positioned on the distal end of the steerable sheath and may circumferentially surround the sheath shaft or be offset from a longitudinal axis thereof. In operation, the contrast media allows a user to view the distal tip of the steerable sheath by virtue of the contrast media contained within the elastomeric member.

Abstract: A method for generating a post-silicon validation test for a system on chip (SOC), may include obtaining a selection of action scenarios from a set of scenarios originally constructed for generating simulation tests; combining the selected scenarios into a combined scenario in which the selected scenarios are to be executed in parallel; and generating a post-silicon test code corresponding to the combined scenario.

Abstract: The present application is related to a system and method for load balancing and connection multiplexing structured query language (SQL) queries among a plurality of database servers. A device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a plurality of database servers receives an SQL query to access a database provided by the plurality of database servers from a client via a first connection established between the device and the client. The device identifies for the SQL query a policy for selecting among the plurality of servers. The policy includes an expression to identify predetermined data from content of the SQL query. The device may select a server from the plurality of servers based on applying the expression of the policy to content of the SQL query and forward the SQL query to the selected server via a second connection established between the device and the selected server.