Abstract: The present invention is directed to a gypsum panel and a method of making such gypsum panel. For instance, the gypsum panel comprises a gypsum core and a first facing material and a second facing material sandwiching the gypsum core. The gypsum core includes gypsum, a thermal insulation additive, and a shrinkage reduction additive. The gypsum core includes 3 wt. % or less of vermiculite based on the weight of the gypsum in the gypsum core. The gypsum panel passes ASTM E119-20.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of welding a tab to a terminal using a laser welding system. The laser welding system comprises a single-mode infra-red laser. The method comprises placing the tab in contact with the terminal of the cell, and welding the tab to the terminal by controlling the laser beam to produce a weld path having a predetermined shape. During welding, the system is configured to control the beam to oscillate elliptically about a centreline of the predetermined shape, wherein the oscillations comprise a first component in a direction tangential parallel to the weld path and a second component in a direction normal to the weld path.

Abstract: A ski pole basket, typically made of a polymeric material, that includes at least one generally rigid portion with a specifically shaped perimeter/interface configured to interface with the heel lip of a ski boot is described. When the basket is attached to a ski pole, a skier can use the pole to press down on the ski boot while he/she removes his/her foot from the boot while in a substantially erect standing position.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to triblock and pentablock copolymers and methods of making thereof. Aspects of the disclosure further relate to block copolymer hydrogels that exhibit both fatigue resistance and fracture resistance with superior rates of recovery.

Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.

Abstract: A vehicle charging station includes a shroud configured to guide a vehicle charge plug that is lowered from a vehicle toward a charge connector as the vehicle moves toward the charging station. The vehicle charge plug and the charge connector have contacts arranged on a connector face that is generally perpendicular to a surface on which the vehicle charging station rests.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of cleaning surfaces of an enclosable environment of a contamination comprising a microbial and viral load. The method includes the steps of sealing the enclosable environment and placing water, and a solid or gel pack, into a container and generating a vortex the container by rotating an impeller. The agitation causes the solid or gel pack to release a gaseous cleaning agent. An air-borne spray exiting from the container spreads throughout the enclosable environment to contact the surfaces to be cleaned within the enclosable environment. The enclosable environment is maintained closed for an effective time period while the air-borne spray dwells on the surfaces to eliminate or substantially reduce the load of the contamination.

Abstract: Concepts for creating a metatype tree for metatype introspection are presented. One example comprises decoding a parent metatype from a synthetic dataset by decoding one or more child metatypes of the parent metatype. The method then comprises creating a metatype tree comprising a parent node and one or more child nodes of the parent node. The parent node comprises the decoded parent metatype and the one or more child nodes of the parent node comprise the one or more decoded child metatypes.

Abstract: A system comprises an instrument drive system that comprises a first housing, a first magnetic coupling member within the first housing, and a motor mechanically coupled to the first magnetic coupling member. The motor is configured to rotate the first magnetic coupling member. The system further comprises a medical instrument that comprises a second housing, a rotor within the second housing, and a second magnetic coupling member within the second housing and mechanically coupled to the rotor. The second magnetic coupling member is spaced from and magnetically coupled to the first magnetic coupling member. Rotation of the first magnetic coupling member causes rotation of the second magnetic coupling member and the rotor.

Abstract: An electrical architecture that allows power to be transferred to a battery powered machine while the machine is moving and that allows the machine to be charged while stationary.

Abstract: A switch and wireless charging assembly comprising: a platform movable with respect to a center axis between a first position and a second position; a wireless charging assembly coupled to the platform; and a switch activated in response to the platform moving to the second position.

Abstract: Hybrid materials are disclosed including molecular/protein crystals integrated with synthetic polymers. The disclosed materials combine the structural order and periodicity of crystals, the adaptiveness and tunable mechanical properties of polymeric networks, and the chemical versatility of protein building blocks. Some of the properties of the disclosed materials include the following: 1) allows crystals—which are typically rigid and brittle—to expand and contract reversibly; 2) incorporates polymers to increase the mechanical toughness of the crystals and allow self-healing; 3) reversibly expand/contract crystal lattices and mobilize the protein components therein may provide a new means to improve X-ray diffraction quality and explore otherwise inaccessible protein structural states using 3D protein crystallography; 4) creation of chemically and mechanically differentiated domains within single crystals.

Abstract: A database system and a computer implemented method for managing functions in the database system is provided. The method, implemented using instructions that may be stored in the database system, involves obtaining first data representing a set of one or more operations to be performed on data in the database system. Second data, representing a function definition, is derived from the first data and the function definition includes the set of one or more operations and a set of state variables. A function is generated according to the second data. Generating the function includes storing a set of one or more values for respective ones of the state variables. The set of values are stored in an isolated computing environment in the database system and the function is configured to operate on the values in the isolated computing environment.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of cleaning surfaces of an enclosable environment of a contamination comprising a microbial and viral load. The method includes the steps of sealing the enclosable environment and placing water, and a solid or gel pack, into a container and generating a vortex the container by rotating an impeller. The agitation causes the solid or gel pack to release a gaseous cleaning agent. An air-borne spray exiting from the container spreads throughout the enclosable environment to contact the surfaces to be cleaned within the enclosable environment. The enclosable environment is maintained closed for an effective time period while the air-borne spray dwells on the surfaces to eliminate or substantially reduce the load of the contamination.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-program product includes displaying a plurality of factor-setting user interface (UI) control elements configured to receive an input of characters for specifying a set of design of experiment factors for creating a design of experiment (DOE), displaying a plurality of factor type UI control elements configured to receive input for specifying a factor type of a plurality of factor types, displaying a plurality of dynamic rows of editable UI control elements configured to receive inputs of experimental values for the set of DOE factors, and displaying a composite factor UI control component configured to receive inputs for generating one or more control signals that add or remove one or more DOE factors of the set of DOE factors.

Abstract: Techniques for business-to-business (B2B) chat routing are disclosed, including: receiving, by a B2B chatbot during a chat session with a user, user input including a user-supplied business name; performing a business lookup based at least on the user-supplied business name, to obtain a canonical business name and a unique business identifier associated with the canonical business name; performing a customer relationship management (CRM) system lookup based at least on the unique business identifier, to identify a corresponding business account; routing the chat session from the B2B chatbot to a human chat agent assigned to the corresponding business account.

Abstract: An imaging system may include a sample stage comprising a surface to support a sample container, the sample container including a sample having a plurality of sample locations; an optical stage to image the sample at the plurality of sample locations; one or more actuators physically coupled to at least one of the sample stage and the optical stage to move the sample stage relative to the optical stage to focus the optical stage onto a current sample location of the plurality of sample locations; a first light source to illuminate the current sample location; a second light source to project a pair of spots on a next sample location of the plurality of sample locations; and a controller to determine, based on an image of the pair of spots projected on the next sample location, a focus setting for the next sample location.

Abstract: Various embodiments are drawn to systems and methods for detecting an analyte of interest in a sample including an optical sensor, a capture probe attached to a surface of the optical sensor wherein the capture probe is capable of binding to the analyte to form a duplex or complex, and an antibody capable of binding to the analyte, duplex, or complex. In several embodiments, systems and methods further include a particle attached to the antibody or capable of binding to the antibody. In several embodiments, systems and methods for analyte detection feature one or more of the following: high detection sensitivity and specificity, scalability and multiplex capacity, ability to analyze large analytes, and ability to detect or measure multiple individual binding events in real-time.

Abstract: A laser beam welding system comprises a welding laser source and a penetration monitoring laser source arranged for simultaneous operation in a manner such that a penetration monitoring laser beam from the penetration monitoring laser source is incident on a molten weld pool at a process site comprising an area of contact between a connection tab and a cell terminal, the connection tab and cell terminal to be joined by the welding system, and wherein the molten weld pool is created by a welding laser beam emitted by the welding laser source. The penetration monitoring laser beam is reflected from the molten weld pool to a receiver arranged to receive the reflected penetration monitoring laser beam. Data is outputted indicative of the distance travelled by the penetration monitoring laser beam and therefore the penetration of the welding laser beam at the process site.