Abstract: A pump assembly including a first subassembly and a second subassembly. The first subassembly includes a fluid conduit; an inlet fluidly coupled to the liquid reactant dispenser and the fluid conduit; an outlet fluidly coupled to a reaction chamber and the fluid conduit; and a diaphragm, defining a portion of the fluid conduit, that flexes to pump the liquid reactant from the inlet to the outlet. The diaphragm preferably includes an actuation point coupled to the diaphragm, wherein the liquid reactant is substantially contained within the first subassembly during pumping. The second subassembly is couplable to the first subassembly, and is fluidly isolated from the liquid reactant. The second subassembly includes an actuator that couples to the actuation point, wherein operation of the actuator causes pumping action.

Abstract: A variable gain analog amplifier is described that uses pulse-density modulation in the form of a sigma-delta modulator (SDM) to produce a gain by modulating the selection of a switch that selects the amount of resistance in a negative feedback loop of the amplifier. The output of the SDM is dithered to increase the gain resolution of the analog amplifier, wherein the increased resolution produces a quiet, inaudible transition between changes in gain setting at an output of the variable gain amplifier and in addition produces a quiet, inaudible mixing and merging of audio signals.

Abstract: III-N material grown on a buffer on a substrate that includes one of a single crystal silicon or a single crystal sapphire. A buffer of single crystal alloy, including one of ErxAl1-xN or (RE1yRE21-y)xAl1-xN, is positioned on the substrate. A layer of single crystal III-N material is positioned on the surface of the buffer and the single crystal alloy has a lattice constant substantially crystal lattice matched to the layer of single crystal III-N material. When the III-N material is GaN, the x in the formula for the alloy varies from less than 1 adjacent the substrate to greater than or equal to 0.249 adjacent the layer of single crystal GaN.

Abstract: A surrogate multilayered material includes a first fiber reinforced layer; the first reinforced layer including a crosslinked polymer and fibers; a second fiber reinforced layer; the second reinforced layer including the crosslinked polymer and the fibers; a foam layer; the foam layer disposed between the first fiber reinforced layer and the second fiber reinforced layer; where opposite faces of the foam layer are in direct contact with the first fiber reinforced layer and the second fiber reinforced layer; the foam layer having a compressive strength of about 3.5 to about 4.5 MPa, when measured as per ASTM-D-1621-73, and a shear strength of 1.50 to about 2.15 MPa, when measured as per ASTM-C-273.

Abstract: A redundancy system for a steering system having a primary controller and a primary power source is provided. The redundancy system may include a secondary controller coupled to a secondary power source and configured to manage control of the steering system, and an interface circuit disposed between at least a first node and a second node. The first node may be in electrical communication with the primary power source, and the second node may be in electrical communication with the secondary power source. The interface circuit may be configured to selectively engage a self-test of the primary power source and the secondary power source, isolate a short at the first node from the secondary power source, and isolate a short at the second node from the primary power source.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a reminder label, specifically to a thermoplastic adjustable reminder label that is configured to indicate removal of content from a bottle to which the thermoplastic reminder label is coupled. The label has a flanged thermoplastic knob extending above a rectangular flange with a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A pair of resilient units is coupled to the flange along transverse sides and extends beyond the transverse sides. Each resilient member terminates in protrusions to engage parallel grooves etched internally in each of longitudinal parallel walls (101, 102) of a housing (130). A flap (110) is hingedly coupled to a housing base frame (140) to frictionally engage the housing and form a floor.

Abstract: Directories in a file system are defined with a dummy cluster in a file allocation table as the initial entry. Subsequent clusters in a directory's definition may define any data for the directory that can be changed in a transaction-safe mode. A directory may be modified in a transaction-safe mode by modifying any of the subsequent clusters while tracking changes in a second file allocation table. When the changes have been made to the directory, a pointer to the second file allocation table may be switched to indicate that the second file allocation table is now last known good. The first file allocation table may then be synchronized with the second.

Abstract: Similar faces may be determined within images based on human perception of facial similarity. The user may provide an image including a query face to which the user wishes to find faces that are similar. Similar faces may be determined based on similarity information. Similarity information may be generated from information related to a human perception of facial similarity. Images that include faces determined to be similar, based on the similarity information, may be provided to the user as search result images. The user then may provide feedback to indicate the user's perception of similarity between the query face and the search result images.

Abstract: The Vibrato Block securely attaches a vibrato device to a guitar without permanent physical modifications to the guitar and provides clearance for the guitar's tailpiece mounting holes for utilization by other guitar accessories. The Vibrato Block consists of a body having a curved guitar contact surface with an attached non-marring, high-friction pad and a mounting plate contact surface corresponding to the vibrato devices mounting plate surface. The Vibrato Block is formed with an internal slot and a plurality of mounting holes. The thickness of the Vibrato Block and adjustability provided by the internal slot enables optimal placement of the vibrato device and unobstructed tailpiece mounting holes. The vibrato device is mounted to the Vibrato Block whereas the Vibrato Block is mounted to the guitar using only the guitar's rear strap button screw mounting point and a fastener, thereby avoiding any physical modifications to the guitar.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance configuration, and associated methods of operation, for an appliance with a controller, a condenser, at least one evaporator, a compressor, and two refrigeration compartments. The configuration may be equipped with a variable-speed or variable-capacity compressor, variable speed evaporator or compartment fans, a damper and/or a dual-temperature evaporator with a valve system to control flow of refrigerant through one or more pressure reduction devices. The controller, by operation of the compressor, fans, damper and/or valve system, depending on the appliance configuration, controls the cooling rate in one or both compartments to synchronize, alternating cycles of cooling the compartments to their set point temperatures.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot and a sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper. The sole component may include a baseplate having a bottom surface and at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate. The sole component may also include a plurality of elongate support members extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, abutting the first ground engaging member at a side portion, and extending horizontally from the side portion of the first ground engaging member; wherein three or more support members of the plurality of support members are unevenly spaced about the ground engaging member. The spaces between the unevenly spaced support members may be devoid of additional support members, and the three or more support members may be independent of other ground engaging members.

Abstract: In a method for automated hyperlinking, a computer receives user input specifying a set of character sequence columns in a table to use for character sequence comparison. The computer detects whether a character sequence entered into an electronic communication in a user interface on a display matches one or more character sequences in fields of the set of character sequence columns. Responsive to the character sequence matching a single character sequence of the one or more character sequences in the fields of the set of character sequence columns, the computer retrieves, from an associated link field in the table, a hyperlink associated with the single character sequence. The computer inserts the hyperlink into the electronic communication.

Abstract: The present application provides an automated beverage dispenser using a number of cups and a number of lids. The automated beverage dispenser may include a lid stack with the number of lids, a lidding mechanism, and a positioning device for maneuvering the lidding mechanism so as to remove one of the number of lids from the lid stack and to attach the lid to one of the number of cups.

Abstract: Rare earth semiconductor and ferromagnetic material epitaxially grown on a silicon substrate includes a buffer of single crystal epitaxial rare earth/aluminum nitride positioned on a single crystal silicon substrate and a single crystal epitaxial rare earth oxide positioned on the single crystal epitaxial aluminum nitride. A layer of single crystal epitaxial semiconductor and ferromagnetic rare earth nitride is positioned on the buffer. A layer of III-V semiconductive material may be optionally positioned on the rare earth nitride layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling the parameters of groups of focal planes as focal plane groups in an array camera are described. One embodiment includes a plurality of focal planes, and control circuitry configured to control the capture of image data by the pixels within the focal planes. In addition, the control circuitry includes: a plurality of parameter registers, where a given parameter register is associated with one of the focal planes and contains configuration data for the associated focal plane; and a focal plane group register that contains data identifying focal planes that belong to a focal plane group. Furthermore, the control circuitry is configured to control the imaging parameters of the focal planes in the focal plane groups by mapping instructions that address virtual register addresses to the addresses of the parameter registers associated with focal planes within specific focal plane groups.

Abstract: A testing apparatus measures cooling power of an electrically-powered Microclimate Cooling Unit (MCU) at the point of use of the MCU. The tester includes fluid supply and return ports for fluidly connecting to the MCU. A fluid heater provides a heat load to fluid in the tester. Fluid temperatures upstream and downstream of the heater are measured. The fluid flow rate is adjustable and measurable. A digital processor extracts the temperature and fluid flow rate data and computes cooling watts. The computed cooling watts are compared to the manufacturer's specifications to determine if the MCU is operating properly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing a call are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a request at a server for dealer information. The request may be initiated by a user via his or her mobile station. The example method may also include determining whether there is user preference information and user location information included in the request. The information may be used to limit the amount of search results to increase relevancy. The method may also include searching a database for at least one dealer based on the user preference information and the user location information, and transferring the at least one dealer information to the user.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for inserting elongated fixation elements into screw implants include one or components for visualizing the insertion process from a unique vantage point. One apparatus features a steering apparatus for adjusting the position of a receiver element on a screw implant, so that an elongated fixation element, such as a rod, can be inserted through a transverse passage in the receiver element. The steering apparatus may include an extension tube and a steering control member coupled to the extension tube. The extension tube may be configured for coupling to the receiver element, and the steering control member may be configured for coupling to the extension tube. The steering control member may include an opening for receiving an endoscope. The endoscope may be used to visually monitor the elongated fixation element as it is inserted into the transverse passage of the receiver element.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a lean-burn internal combustion engine, engine management means and an exhaust system for treating exhaust gas of the engine. The exhaust system comprises a first oxidation catalyst disposed on a first honeycomb monolith substrate. The first oxidation catalyst comprises platinum supported on a first metal oxide support comprising at least one reducible oxide, and is substantially free of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals. The engine management means is arranged, when in use, intermittently to modulate the lambda composition of the exhaust gas entering the first oxidation catalyst to a rich lambda composition.