Abstract: The invention provides herein epigenetics changes identified in differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of DNA of a father that are associated with the risk for an offspring having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The invention further provides methods of determining a risk of having an offspring with ASD, methods of diagnosing ASD in a subject, and methods of determining an association between exposure to an environmental factor in a subject and an increased risk of having an offspring with ASD. The invention also provides a kit for determining whether a subject has or is at risk of having or inheriting a risk of having ASD.

Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to heat smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus has a housing and a plurality of heater segments longitudinally arranged within the housing for heating smokable material contained within the apparatus. At least one heater segment is arranged so as to heat smokable material contained within the at least one heater segment more quickly than at least one other heater segment heats smokable material contained within the at least one other heater segment.

Abstract: A touch-sensitive screen arrangement includes a substrate configured to be touched by and elastically deformed or deflected by a finger of a human user. A first capacitive sensor is positioned relative to the substrate such that the first capacitive sensor can detect the substrate being touched by the finger. The first capacitive sensor is elastically deformed by the finger of the human user touching the substrate. A second capacitive sensor is positioned relative to the first capacitive sensor such that the second capacitive sensor can detect a change in capacitance between the first capacitive sensor, which is grounded to reduce the variability associated with the user, and the second capacitive sensor due to the elastic deformation of the first capacitive sensor that results from the substrate being touched by the finger.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a positive pressure breathing circuit and a method for ventilating a patient. The breathing circuit can be used in any type of pressurized breathing therapy including, for example, continuous positive air (way) pressure (CPAP) therapy and bilevel positive air pressure therapy where the inspiratory and expiratory pressures differ.

Abstract: A patient interface has a single loop headstrap and a mask for covering at least the nostrils of the user. The single loop headstrap extends from the mask at either end. A short length of supple conduit is coupled to the mask by a swivel or ball joint to allow rotation of the conduit relative to the mask through different angles and orientations.

Abstract: A multi-mode system and method for imaging a patient's breast with x-rays in one or more of a CT mode, a narrow-angle tomosynthesis mode, a wide angle tomosynthesis mode, and a mammography mode, using essentially the same equipment, on one or more compressions or immobilizations of the breast.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering a flow of gas has a housing, a cover, and a magnetic coupling system arranged to magnetically couple the cover-to the housing. Each of the housing and cover having complementary locating features, the locating features being adapted to locate and align the cover and the apparatus relative to each other to allow for the magnetic coupling. The apparatus also has a handle movably connected to the housing and is movable from a first position to a second position. The housing and the handle comprise complementary interlock features arranged to engage with each other when upward force is applied to the handle in the second position, and the interlock features are disengaged from each other when the handle is in the second position but upward force is not applied to the handle.

Abstract: A holder apparatus for holding a conduit and/or patient interface such as a cannula, has a mount 251 to couple with a breathing assistance apparatus 10 and at least one mechanical feature 237a, 237b for holding the conduit and/or patient interface such as a cannula in place relative to the breathing assistance apparatus.

Abstract: Interfaces for positive pressure therapy having a mask assembly, a headgear assembly and a connection port assembly are disclosed herein. The connection port assembly has a ball joint connection with the mask assembly and includes a quick release button for easily disconnecting the gases source conduit from the mask assembly. The mask assembly may include a bias flow vent that is formed separately and attached to the mask assembly. The headgear assembly encircles the rear region of the user's head and may include at least some portions that are substantially non-stretchable.

Abstract: A patient interface has a single loop headstrap and a mask for covering at least the nostrils of the user. The single loop headstrap extends from the mask at either end. A short length of supple conduit is coupled to the mask by a swivel or ball joint to allow rotation of the conduit relative to the mask through different angles and orientations.

Abstract: A respiratory mask can have a frame supporting a sealing arrangement. Various features of the frame and sealing arrangement can improve comfort and reduce the occurrence of pressure sores. The frame can include cheek supports that have a large surface area configured to spread loads over a greater area of the patient's face and therefore reduce the forces applied to the face and the occurrence of point loads. The seal can have a main body that includes a spring with a silicone skin, wherein the spring applies a substantially constant force to the face and/or nares of the patient.

Abstract: A patient interface has a single loop headstrap and a mask for covering at least the nostrils of the user. The single loop headstrap extends from the mask at either end. A short length of supple conduit is coupled to the mask by a swivel or ball joint to allow rotation of the conduit relative to the mask through different angles and orientations.

Abstract: A hybrid heating and cooling system, the system comprising an indirect-direct evaporative cooler (IDEC) subsystem; a heat pump subsystem; and a mixing plenum located between and in fluid communication with the IDEC subsystem and the heat pump subsystem, the mixing plenum being configured to mix a flow of fluid from the IDEC subsystem and a flow of fluid from the heat pump subsystem. The IDEC subsystem and the heat pump subsystem are independently operable to achieve a plurality of heating and/or cooling modes of operation.

Abstract: High molecular weight functionalized polymers (“high dielectric polymers”) are disclosed herein, along with related methods of use and manufacture. The high dielectric polymers have a relatively high dielectric permittivity (e.g., greater than 10) as well as a relatively low glass transition temperature (e.g., less than ?30° C.). The polymers may be produced utilizing addition polymerization or anionic ring opening to yield a linear or branched polymer backbone containing numerous residual nucleophiles. Then, nucleophilic substitution may be carried out to functionalize the residual nucleophiles. The functionalized polymer may then be purified and used as polymer electrolyte in an electrochemical cell (e.g., as nonaqueous polymeric electrolyte in a secondary Li-ion battery), if desired.

Abstract: A backdraft damper assembly is shown and described herein. In one embodiment, a damper assembly comprises: a main body, the main body having an inner surface defining throat, the throat defining an axial fluid flow path; a first door, the first door being hingedly connected within the main body; and a second door, the second door being hingedly connected within the main body, the damper assembly being transitionable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, at least a portion of each of the first door and the second door being received within a portion of the inner surface of the main body when the damper assembly is in the open configuration, such that the first door and the second door are not within the axial fluid flow path.

Abstract: A breathing assistance apparatus has a housing with a recess. A guard is mounted to the housing, the guard having a base and a barrier. At least part of the base is flexible. The barrier is movable between a covering position in which the barrier partly covers the recess and an access position in which the recess is less covered or is uncovered by the barrier. Said at least part of the base is configured to flex as the barrier is moved between the covering position and the access position.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include a pin that is pushed in between two spokes of a wheel to lock the vehicle and removed from between the spokes of the wheel to unlock the vehicle. In one embodiment, a single-sided lock may include a pin holster for securing the pin while the vehicle is unlocked. In some embodiments, a single-sided lock mechanism may be permanently affixed to and/or built in to a vehicle, increasing the ease of use of the single-sided lock by preventing users from misplacing the lock. In one embodiment, a single-sided lock may include a mechanism for preventing accidental re-locking of a lock that has just been unlocked, further improving the user experience. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Abstract: A blower unit for use as part of an integrated blower/humidification system is described. The blower unit has an outer casing, which encloses and forms part of the blower unit, the casing including an air inlet vent. The blower unit further includes a humidifier compartment for receiving a humidifier unit with a separate gases inlet and outlet, the compartment having a heater base for heating the contents of the humidifier unit. The compartment also has a blower inlet port which aligns with the humidifier unit inlet in use, the blower providing a gases path through the casing between the inlet vent and the inlet port. The blower unit also includes a fan for providing a pressurised gases stream along the gases path, and a power supply unit for powering the fan. The gases path is routed over the power supply unit in order to provide a cooling air flow.

Abstract: During text-to-speech processing, a speech model creates output audio data, including speech, that corresponds to input text data that includes a representation of the speech. A spectrogram estimator estimates a frequency spectrogram of the speech; the corresponding frequency-spectrogram data is used to condition the speech model. A plurality of acoustic features corresponding to different segments of the input text data, such as phonemes, syllable-level features, and/or word-level features, may be separately encoded into context vectors; the spectrogram estimator uses these separate context vectors to create the frequency spectrogram.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the technology described herein dynamically determine at least one target LM skill to use to generate an output for an initial prompt without the need for the target LM skill to be included in the original prompt. Embodiments of the technology described herein perform this determination via an intermediate LM skill layer that implements an orchestration loop in a computationally efficient manner that reduces effects of hallucination by identifying one or more target LM skills based on each task identified in the initial prompt. Embodiments of the intermediate LM skill layer are separate from the user device and the LLM. For example, the intermediate LM skill layer is positioned between an LLM abstraction layer and an application layer by which a user can interface with the intermediate LM skill layer.