Abstract: A method for forming a sensing system responsive to a wavefield of acoustic or seismic signals. One embodiment includes providing a foil layer having first and second opposing surfaces and piezoelectric properties. The foil layer, configured as a sheet, is positioned about a frame surface which provides the foil layer a stable shape while permitting the sheet configuration of the foil layer to be responsive to a wavefield of seismic or acoustic energy. Coupling between the foil layer and the frame is so limited as to render direct coupling of the foil layer with signals of the wavefield the predominant means for stimulating the sensor element with seismic energy.

Abstract: A split cycle internal combustion engine comprising a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston; a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston; a crossover passage between the compression cylinder and the combustion cylinder arranged to provide working fluid to the combustion cylinder; a controller arranged to determine a peak temperature of combustion in the combustion cylinder based on a received indication of a peak temperature of combustion in the combustion cylinder; and a coolant system arranged to regulate a temperature of the working fluid supplied to the combustion cylinder; wherein, in response to determining that the peak temperature of combustion exceeds a selected threshold, the controller is configured to control the coolant system to regulate the temperature of the working fluid supplied to the combustion cylinder so that a peak temperature of combustion in the combustion cylinder is less than the selected threshold.

Abstract: A power tool is provided including a brushless DC (BLDC) motor having a stator assembly and a rotor; a substantially-cylindrical motor housing having an open end for receiving the stator assembly, a rear end, a substantially-cylindrical bearing pocket formed in the rear end to receive the rear bearing of the motor therein, and a radially-extending slot formed at or near its rear end; and a positional sensor board radially received within the slot along a central receiving axis. The positional sensor board includes a curved inner edge shaped to be positioned around the bearing pocket and includes positional sensors mounted around the curved inner edge and facing the rotor to sense a rotational position of the rotor. The curved inner edge is disposed on a side corner of the positional sensor board such that the positional sensor board is asymmetrically-shape in a direction of the receiving axis.

Abstract: Indazole compounds which are useful as allosteric potentiators/positive allosteric modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4 (mGluR4); synthetic methods for making the compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of using the compounds, for example, in treating neurological and psychiatric disorders or other disease states associated with glutamate dysfunction.

Abstract: The disclosure includes methods, systems and apparatus for predictive management of efficient selecting and receiving of retail electric utility service to a facility for a period, by automated selecting of a retail utility service provider corresponding to a selected least cost path of predicted rate plan choices across the period, wherein costs of all possible, viable time-bounded predicted rate plan choices are determined for predicted consumer usage where a predicted market of retail rate formulas for the period are predicted in relation to at least one variable, such as weather.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating a plurality of possible segmentations of an image. In one aspect, a method comprises: receiving a request to generate a plurality of possible segmentations of an image; sampling a plurality of latent variables from a latent space, wherein each latent variable is sampled from the latent space in accordance with a respective probability distribution over the latent space that is determined based on the image; generating a plurality of possible segmentations of the image, comprising, for each latent variable, processing the image and the latent variable using a segmentation neural network having a plurality of segmentation neural network parameters to generate the possible segmentation of the image; and providing the plurality of possible segmentations of the image in response to the request.

Abstract: A computing system and method leverage aggregated information regarding historical medication usage and medication availability to efficiently determine a unified purchasing solution. In a method, an order is received for a quantity of a medication. For a covered entity, a portion of the quantity of the medication that is able to be satisfied pursuant to a 340B program is determined based upon information regarding historical usage of the medication for outpatients and prior purchases under the 340B program. The method also includes determining the portions that are separately able to be satisfied pursuant to a group purchasing organization (GPO) program and a wholesaler/prime vendor program. The method further includes determining a proposed purchasing solution and to cause information regarding the proposed purchasing solution to be provided including information regarding savings based upon the prices of the medication for a respective period of time that was provided by the supplier.

Abstract: A surgical system for penetrating and determining a characteristic of tissue. An instrument generates rotational torque, and a drill bit tool body extends along an axis between a distal end to engage tissue and a proximal end to couple to the instrument. An emitter operatively coupled to the instrument emits light. A detector operatively coupled to the instrument detects light. An emission lightguide within the tool body transmits light emitted by the emitter toward the tissue as the instrument rotates the tool body. A detection lightguide within the tool body is spaced from the emission lightguide and transmit light reflected by the tissue toward the detector as the instrument rotates the tool body. The emitter emits light into the emission lightguide along the axis, and the detector detects light reflected from the tissue exiting the detection lightguide transverse to the axis when the tool body is coupled to the instrument.

Abstract: A golf club head comprises a face and a golf club head body. The face includes a toe end, a heel end, a crown end, and a sole end. The face defines a thickness from an outer surface to an inner surface of the face. The face defines a leading edge, the leading edge being the forwardmost edge of the face. The golf club head body is defined by a crown, a sole, and a skirt. The crown is coupled to the crown end of the face. The sole is coupled to the sole end of the face. The skirt is coupled to the sole and the crown. The golf club head body defines a trailing edge, the trailing edge being the rearwardmost edge of the golf club head body.

Abstract: A hand-held tool that includes a housing. The housing includes a handle. A tool also includes a motor assembly, a battery assembly and a circuit board. The motor assembly includes a motor, the motor including a rotatable motor output shaft, a motor positive terminal and a motor negative terminal. The motor assembly also includes a first rigid conductive electrical connector having a first end fixed to the motor positive terminal and a second end fixed to the circuit board. The battery assembly includes a battery cell with a battery cell positive terminal and a battery cell negative terminal. The battery assembly further includes a second rigid conductive electrical connector having a first end fixed to the battery cell positive terminal and a second end fixed to the circuit board.

Abstract: The disclosure includes optical systems and near-eye optical elements configured to suppress stray infrared light. Infrared illuminators illuminator an eyebox area with narrow-band infrared illumination light for eye-tracking. A combiner layer receives reflected infrared light reflected of an eye of the user and directs the reflected infrared light to a camera configured to capture eye-tracking images of an eye of a user. An anti-reflection (AR) coating may be disposed on a base curvature to reduce Fresnel reflections that generate stray light. A ghost suppression component may be paired with the infrared illuminators to reduce stray light becoming incident on the camera.

Abstract: An optic for a firearm includes a housing, an optics train, an adjustment ring, and a detector. The optics train is disposed within the housing and along a longitudinal axis of the housing. The adjustment ring is supported by the housing and configured to adjust a magnification of the optics train. The detector is engaged with the adjustment ring and configured to convert rotation of the adjustment ring into a digital magnification.

Abstract: Disclosed are asphalt binder compositions that contain at least one sterol or stanol additive, or blends of sterols and stanol additives, wherein the sterol or stanol additive is derived from an animal waste or manure source such as swine manure. These sterol and stanol-based additives improve various rheological properties of the asphalt binder compositions showing reduced and/or mitigated aging characteristics.

Abstract: An improved technique for acoustic sensing involves, in one embodiment, launching into a medium, a plurality of groups of pulse-modulated electromagnetic-waves. The frequency of electromagnetic waves in a pulse within a group differs from the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in another pulse within the group. The energy scattered by the medium is detected and, in one embodiment, may be used to determine a characteristic of the environment of the medium. For example, if the medium is a buried optical fiber into which light pulses have been launched in accordance with the invention, the presence of acoustic waves within the region of the buried fiber can be detected.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to obtain a sequence of transformer rules. The transformer rules specify a set of data elements arranged according to a first structured data format, and structural changes to be performed on the data elements that convert the data elements into a second structured data format. The processor receives a block of data from a file arranged according to the first structured data format. The processor executes the sequence of transformer rules to perform the structural changes to the block of data. When executing the particular transformer rule, the processor applies an adapter associated with the transformer rule to modify values in the block of data specified by the particular transformer. The processor then provides for display or storage the block of data as converted into the second structured data format by the sequence of transformer rules.

Abstract: Provided herein is technology relating to methods for assaying a cell-containing body sample and particularly, but not exclusively, to treating a sample under conditions to cause cell lysis, preferably by means of a detergent; and subjecting the lysed sample to conditions causing the cleavage of nucleic acid molecules. The technology additionally relates to using nucleic acid cleavage conditions to enhance a membrane assay, a device for carrying out such an assay, and a kit for use in the assay.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for testing communication systems. In one embodiment, a communication device tester may include a traffic disciplining subsystem to generate a first stream of data packets satisfying a metric and may communicate the first stream of data packets to a test device in a first test scenario. A delay subsystem may generate a variable delay in a second stream of data packets and communicate the second stream of data packets to the test device in a second test scenario. A data corruption subsystem may corrupt a third stream of data packets and communicate the third stream of data packets to the test device in a third test scenario. A test subsystem may determine whether the test device satisfies at least one criterion of each of the first test scenario, the second test scenario, and the third test scenario.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine of a vehicle. In one example, a method may include positioning an oxygen sensor in an engine exhaust downstream from a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, determining an oxygen storage capacity of the SCR catalyst based on a measurement of the oxygen sensor, and determining an extent of deactivation of the SCR catalyst based on the oxygen storage capacity.