Abstract: A system having an agent manager and a plurality of agents for assisting a user in reaching a conclusion is provided in at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, the system is in communication with at least one database housing information to be analyzed by at least one of the agents. Further embodiments include the operation of the system and its interaction with the at least one database. In at least one further embodiment, the method includes the development and publication of the agents.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for monitoring a zone, which is a contiguous or non-contiguous, two-dimensional (2D) area or three-dimensional (3D) volume. Among its several advantages, the apparatus includes a plurality of sensors that monitor portions of the zone and report intrusion status to a control unit that provides monitoring boundary information to each of the sensors based on user input and further “maps” or otherwise associates each sensor to control unit outputs in accordance with user-defined behaviors. Still further, as a meaningful aid for configuring monitoring boundaries used by the sensors for objection intrusion detection, in one or more embodiments of the apparatus and method, at least a subset of sensors use a common coordinate frame of reference, based on a common origin located within overlapping sensor fields of view.

Abstract: A porous lift off layer facilitates removal of films from surfaces, such as semiconductors. A film is applied over a patterned porous layer, the layer comprising openings typically larger than the film thickness. The porous material and the film are then removed from areas where film is not intended. The porous layer can be provided as a slurry, dried to open porosities, or fugitive particles within a field, which disassociate upon the application of heat or solvent.

Abstract: A process of forming an electronic device can include forming a stack including a tunnel barrier layer. The tunnel barrier layer can have a ratio of the metal atoms to oxygen atoms of greater than a stoichiometric ratio, wherein the ratio has a particular value. The process can also include forming a gettering layer having a composition capable of gettering oxygen, and depositing an insulating layer over the gettering layer. The process can further include exposing the insulating layer to a temperature of at least approximately 60° C. In one embodiment, after such exposure, a portion of the gettering layer is converted to an insulating material. In another embodiment, an electronic device can include a magnetic tunnel junction and an adjacent insulating layer lying within an opening in another insulating layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a custom cranial remodeling device of a type comprising plastic material is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a first database of three-dimensional digital surface images of trim lines for cranial remodeling devices of a first type; providing a second database of three-dimensional digital surface images of trim lines for cranial remodeling devices of a second type; providing a first program for creating trim lines for a cranial remodeling device of the first type, the first program utilizing the first database; providing a second program for creating trim lines for a cranial remodeling device of the second type, the second program utilizing the second database; generating a three-dimensional model of a desired head shape; forming the plastic material onto the model; and selecting one of the first or the second programs to generate trim lines for the cranial remodeling device.

Abstract: A procatalyst carrier system which includes one or more paraffinic solvents, one or more paraffin-insoluble procatalysts, and optionally one or more cocatalysts wherein the carrier system is in the form of a slurry is provided. Also provided is a process including selecting one or more paraffin-insoluble organometallic procatalysts; adding the one or more procatalysts to a sufficient quantity of paraffinic solvent to form a slurry of the one or more procatalysts in the paraffinic solvent; introducing one or more first cocatalysts into a polymerization reactor; and introducing the slurry into the polymerization reactor; a reaction product of the process and articles made from the reaction product.

Abstract: A method for processing digital image representations representative of a subject head shape comprises: providing a database library of a first plurality of first digital image representations of subject head shapes captured directly from corresponding subjects, and a second plurality of second digital image representations of corresponding modified head shapes. The method includes proving a support vector machine and utilizing the database library plurality of said first and second digital image representation to train the support vector machine to operate on new digital image representations. The method further includes receiving a new digital image representation of a subject head shape captured directly from a new subject; and operating the support vector machine such that the support vector machine operates on the new first digital image representation to generate a corresponding new second digital image representation that replicates a corresponding modified head shape.

Abstract: A ceramic honeycomb structure comprised of at least two separate smaller ceramic honeycombs that have been adhered together by a cement comprised of inorganic fibers and a binding phase wherein the smaller honey-combs and fibers are bonded together by the binding phase which is comprised of an silicate, aluminate or alumino-silicate. The fibers have a multi-modal size distribution in which some fibers have lengths of up to 1000 micons and other fibers have lengths in excess of 1 mm. The cement composition may be made in the absence of other inorganic and organic additives while achieving a shear thinning cement, for example, by mixing oppositely charged inorganic binders in water together so as to make a useful cement composition for applying to the smaller honeycombs to be cemented.

Abstract: The subject invention facilitates alert notification in an industrial environment. The systems and methods enable subscribing devices, such as hosts, to receive events and/or alarms associated with industrial controllers. In addition, a subscribed component can unsubscribe, refresh notification related information, and/or acknowledge a notification. The foregoing can be achieved through a set of objects (e.g., notify objects) that implement a notification and dynamic subscription process. A host system can instantiate an associated notify object, subscribe to an event, and be notified about the event. The invention enables multiple hosts to subscribe to the same event, allows each host to select events of interest, and enables the events to be queued if the events occur faster than can be sent. In one aspect of the invention, the systems and methods can be utilized with an event and alarm infrastructure that is applicable on a Control and Information Protocol (CIP).

Abstract: An engineered aerosol particle for use in aerosol applications is provided. The engineered aerosol particle comprises a fabricated nanoparticle body member being non-spherical. The fabricated nanoparticle body member is configured to provide at least one of auto-rotation, tumbling, or lift when entrained in an airstream to thereby increase settling time of the fabricated nanoparticle body member. An associated method is also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for treating, pre-treating, preparing and conveying a cellulosic feedstock, such as for ethanol production, are disclosed. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for treating a cellulosic feedstock by mixing and heating the cellulosic feedstock and/or by moistening and heating the cellulosic feedstock. The invention also relates to a holding tank, and a method of utilizing the holding tank whereby bridging may be reduced or eliminated and may result in a product stream from autohydrolysis or hydrolysis having an improved yield. The invention further relates to methods and apparatus for obtaining and conveying a cellulosic feedstock, which may be used for the subsequent production of a fermentable sugar stream from the cellulose and hemicellulose in the cellulosic feedstock wherein the fermentable sugar stream may be used for subsequent ethanol production.

Abstract: A control unit 6 causes a vertical scanning circuit 3 to cyclically select any one-dimensional pixel line from among pixel lines 21 to 23 each time a prescribed H period elapses, and controls a read circuit 5 and a horizontal scanning circuit 4 so as to read out pixel signals of an object which has been exposed by the selected pixel line. The control unit 6 further controls a vertical movement unit 8 in such a manner that the scanning speed S satisfies S=P/4H, where P is the arrangement pitch in the vertical direction of the pixel lines 21 to 23 and H is the H period.

Abstract: A hydrogen supplementation fuel apparatus and method having a power source, a hydrogen generator and an accumulator for supplementing hydrogen gas to improve the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines. The hydrogen generator uses electrodes that are helically wound about a separator to increase the hydrogen generation output.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for 3-D photography. Multiple cameras or lens and sensor assemblies are employed to provide a range of interaxial separations. A user selects two of such cameras to achieve a desired interaxial separation, the two cameras separated by an interaxial separation closest to that desired. The systems and methods may be applicable to even low-cost consumer-grade still and video cameras to provide stereoscopic 3-D effects.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing and optimizing virtual microscope slide image quality are provided. In order to determine whether any of multiple virtual slide images has an out of focus area and is therefore a candidate for manual inspection or rescanning, various focus points used to scan each virtual slide image are used to calculate a best fit surface for each virtual slide image. The best fit surface is then used to determine whether any of the various focus points are outliers. If it is determined that a virtual slide image is associated with outlying focus points, it is identified as a candidate for manual inspection or rescanning.

Abstract: A device (100) for analyzing measurement data having a plurality of data sets (206), each data set (206) being assigned to a respective one of a plurality of measurements, each data set (206) having multiple features (208) being indicative of different fractions of a fluidic sample, the device (100) comprising a cluster determining unit (108) configured for determining feature clusters (350) by clustering features (208) from different data sets (206) presumably relating to the same fraction, a spread determining unit (110) configured for determining for at least a part of the feature clusters (350) a spread (352) of the features (208) within a respective feature cluster (350), and a display unit (112) configured for displaying at least the part of the feature clusters (350) together with a graphical indication of the corresponding spread (352).

Abstract: An optical accelerometer and method of determining an acceleration are disclosed. In one aspect, an accelerometer includes a light source, a substrate, a light guide attached to a first side of the substrate and configured to redirect light from the light source through the substrate. The accelerometer also includes a light detector, a proof mass attached to a second side of the substrate via one or more springs, wherein the second side is opposite the first side and wherein motion of the proof mass alters a characteristic of the light from the light source reaching the light detector, and a processor configured to determine an acceleration based on the characteristic of the light reaching the light detector.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide methods and apparatuses for performing a near-instantaneous restore of a database. During operation, the system intercepts a database management system restore request to restore a database from a backup file to a data file, wherein the backup file comprises a first number (e.g., N1) of data pages. Next, in response to intercepting the database management system restore request, the system sends information to the database management system indicating that the backup file comprises a second number (e.g., N2) of data pages, wherein the second number of data pages is less than the first number of data pages (e.g., N2<N1). Once the database management system has copied the fewer number of data pages from the backup file to the data file, the database management system may indicate that the restore is complete, and continue processing database requests as if the database management system was back online.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing, storing, and viewing extremely large imagery data rapidly produced by a linear-array-based microscope slide scanner are provided. The system receives, processes, and stores imagery data produced by the linear scanner as a series of overlapping image stripes and combines the data into a seamless and contiguous baseline image. The baseline image is logically mapped into a plurality of regions that are individually addressed to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the baseline image. The system enables dynamic imagery data compression while scanning and capturing new image stripes that eliminates the overhead associated with storing uncompressed image stripes. The system also creates intermediate level images, thereby organizing the baseline image into a variable level pyramid structure referred to as a virtual slide.

Abstract: A method for processing a three-dimensional image file captured directly from a live subject, the file including the cranium of the subject, comprises: providing a vertex point cloud for the three-dimensional image file; determining a median point for the vertex point cloud; determining a point on the cranium; and utilizing the median point and the cranium point to define a z-axis for the three-dimensional image file.