Abstract: Collapsible golf bags, golf bag kits, and related methods are provided herein. A collapsible golf bag can include a collapsible chassis having a top portion and a base with sidewalls therebetween. Additionally, the collapsible golf bag can include a foldable stiffening rod configured to engage a portion of the top portion of the chassis and the base of the chassis to separate the top portion and the base and extend the side walls to hold at least a portion of the sidewall taut. The golf bag kits can include a carrying container having an accessible interior, the collapsible chassis, and the foldable stiffening rod.

Abstract: The innovation relates to a device and a method for measuring a powder mass flow for powder cladding. Before the powder cladding, the powder mass flow is set by means of a powder mass determining device and a powder mass flow sensor is calibrated on the basis of the setting. Then a powder switch is used to begin the powder cladding without interrupting the delivery of the powder mass. During the powder cladding, the powder mass flow is monitored by means of the powder mass flow sensor.

Abstract: The present invention includes a spray drying disposable device for use in a spray drying system. The disposable has a spray drying head and a plasma drying chamber. The head has a spray dry nozzle assembly in fluid communication with the plasma source and the pressurized aerosol gas source. The pressurized gas flows in a vortex pattern that atomizes plasma droplets in the chamber. The head also includes a plenum has uniform air pressure of the drying gas. A baffle plate forms the floor of the plenum having drying gas jets that supply drying gas to the chamber. The atomized plasma droplets evaporate in the presence of the drying gas emitted from the jets to obtain dried plasma particles and humid air. A capture filter captures the dried plasma particles and allows the humid air to pass. The humid air passes through the gas outlet and the exhaust port.

Abstract: A system for monitoring payload of a vehicle includes at least one wireless transmitter comprising a piezo-resistive pressure sensor, a transceiver and a battery unit, encapsulated in an insulating casing, the at least one wireless transmitter being configured to be attached to an axle beam of the vehicle and to emit a wireless signal in response to a mechanical strain of the axle beam, a wireless receiver configured to receive the wireless signal from the at least one wireless transmitter.

Abstract: A spiral wound membrane module including a specialized endcap assembly including a connecting conduit defining a passageway extending radially inward from its outer periphery, and a differential pressure sensor connected to the passageway of the connecting conduit.

Abstract: An automated test cell and method for testing a gas turbine test engine is provided. The automated test cell includes a fuel subsystem, an engine lubrication subsystem, a test cell security subsystem, and a system controller. The system controller is in communication with the fuel subsystem, the engine lubrication subsystem, the test cell security subsystem, and a non-transitory memory storing instructions. The instructions when executed cause the system controller to: operate the test engine pursuant to a predetermined test cycle, including producing test data; control the engine lubrication subsystem to provide lubrication to the test engine pursuant to the predetermined test cycle; control the fuel subsystem to provide fuel to the test engine pursuant to the predetermined test cycle; control the test cell security subsystem to monitor an environment within the test cell; and report the test data.

Abstract: Water-absorbing resin particles, in which a light transmittance at a wavelength of 425 nm when the water-absorbing resin particles are swollen 30 times with a physiological saline solution is 20% or more, are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a layered material (having a substrate, at least a buffer layer, with zero or more growth layers) that has been intercalated via a process that decouples (physically and electronically) the buffer layer from the substrate, thereby resulting in the creation of few-atom thick metal layers that exhibit a range of optical properties, including plasmonic or electronic resonance, that enables superior optical (e.g. Raman) detection of molecules.

Abstract: A method and a device for manufacturing a base layer (3) having different degrees of hardness is disclosed. Further a workpiece with a base layer (3) manufactured by such method is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a comprehensive assay capable of comprehensively measuring interactive factors for a variety of different types of proteins. In the present invention, provided is a system for detecting activation of a protein by integrating, with mediation of a plurality of factors, changes in the transcriptional regulatory region of a gene whose expression is changed by activation of the protein. The stimulation response ratio of transcription activity before and after stimulation by ligands possessed by individual transcriptional regulatory regions is synergistically integrated, so that a highly sensitive reporter assay system can be constructed.

Abstract: A drive control device is provided that drives an ultrasonic motor element including a piezoelectric element. The drive control device includes a voltage divider circuit unit resistor forming a voltage divider circuit unit together with an identification resistor that identifies the ultrasonic motor element; a control circuit unit connected to the voltage divider circuit unit and that sets a drive condition of the ultrasonic motor element according to a voltage of an identification signal for identifying the ultrasonic motor element; and a drive circuit unit that applies a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element based on the drive condition set by the control circuit unit.

Abstract: A method for producing a silicon ingot includes withdrawing a seed crystal from a melt that includes melted silicon in a crucible that is enclosed in a vacuum chamber containing a cusped magnetic field. At least one process parameter is regulated in at least two stages, including a first stage corresponding to formation of the silicon ingot up to an intermediate ingot length, and a second stage corresponding to formation of the silicon ingot from the intermediate ingot length to the total ingot length. During the second stage process parameter regulation may include reducing a crystal rotation rate, reducing a crucible rotation rate, and/or increasing a magnetic field strength relative to the first stage.

Abstract: A locking system for a vehicle slide out device may have a paddle having a body portion and a flange portion. The system may also have a lever connected to the paddle where the lever has a locking pawl, and at least one pivot aperture. The system may also have a lever support located adjacent the lever, where the lever support may have at least one pivot extending through the at least one pivot aperture. The system may also have a frame member having a plurality of notches selectively aligned with the locking pawl.

Abstract: Various systems and methods implement a decision architecture for autonomous systems. An autonomous system framework includes a safety ring configured to interface with safety features of an autonomous system; a security ring configured to provide authentication and verification services to transactions passed through the security ring; a privacy ring configured to ensure privacy of a user of the autonomous system; a trustworthiness ring configured to log and provide transparency of transactions passed through the trustworthiness ring; and a well-being ring configured to interface with the user and provide feedback and information to the user on a state of the autonomous system, wherein: each of the safety, security, privacy, trustworthiness, and well-being rings include at least one interface to at least one other of the safety, security, privacy, trustworthiness, and well-being rings.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor which is mounted in a mounting space formed on a backrest of a seat installed in a vehicle and comprises a spindle module including webbing and a spindle having the webbing wound on the outer surface thereof, wherein the spindle is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle corresponding to the thickness direction of the backrest in the mounting space, such that by rotating the direction in which the spindle, on which the webbing is wound, is installed, the width in the longitudinal direction mounted on the backrest of the seat can be minimized, thereby making the retractor more slender.

Abstract: A convolutional neural network (CNN) system for generating a classification for an input image is presented. The CNN system comprises circuitry running on clock cycles and configured to compute a product of two received values, and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions for the circuitry to derive a feature map based on at least the input image; puncture at least one selection among the feature map and a kernel by setting the value of an element at an index of the at least one selection to zero and cyclic shifting a puncture pattern to achieve a 1/d reduction in number of clock cycles, where d is an integer and puncture interval value >1. The feature map is convolved with the kernel to generate an output, and a classification of the input image is generated based on the output.

Abstract: A method of estimating a performance characteristic of a wheel of a vehicle, includes selecting relevant input features based on wheel dynamics and tire behavior, and collecting experimental data for each of the relevant input features at each of a plurality of vehicle operating conditions. The method further includes manually identifying and labeling wheel stability status over time from the experimental data and calculating tractive limit over time from the experimental data. The method also includes training a tractive limit model and training a wheel stability status model. The method further includes receiving a plurality of testing inputs, wherein each of the plurality of testing inputs is received from a sensor on-board the vehicle or from a controller on-board the vehicle and, processing the received testing inputs in a predetermined machine learning process to calculate in one or more data processors a prediction of the performance characteristic.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a connected sales associate service application via a mobile device. The application provides for an integrated platform upon which various tools for providing support to a sales associate are built. The application includes a database of information regarding the operation of a retail establishment, and a database of reference materials. The application provides a user interface for allowing several sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment on multiple mobile devices. The user interface displays information regarding sales and inventory information and reference materials for products, such as user's manuals, which enable the sales associate to answer questions posed by customers. A sales associate can thus search for and find all store products which meet a customer's specifications.

Abstract: A vehicle constant speed travel control method and device are provided in which a target driving power is calculated based on a difference between a target vehicle speed and a vehicle speed, and then a target accelerator pedal opening for calculating a gear ratio in constant speed travel control is set based on the target driving power. Then, a target gear ratio based on the target accelerator pedal opening and based on a towing state of the vehicle is set where the target gear ratio set higher during towing than during non-towing. The setting of the target accelerator pedal opening is set differently in accordance with the towing state of the vehicle. The setting of the target accelerator pedal opening for calculating the gear ratio to be smaller during towing than the during non-towing with respect to the same target driving power.

Abstract: A method and system for multi-account payment processing are described. An example method includes: receiving, at a computing system and for a payment transaction involving one or more items, information associated with a purchaser, wherein the information is associated with a plurality of accounts, and wherein each of the plurality of accounts is associated with distinct account information; determining, at the computing system and based on one or more account selection criteria, one or more accounts of the plurality of accounts to use for processing the payment transaction, wherein the one or more account selection criteria include at least one of merchant type or available funds in the plurality of accounts; and processing, at the computing system, a respective aspect of the payment transaction corresponding to a respective item of the one or more items using a respective account of the determined one or more accounts.