Abstract: Utilization data of reserved virtual machine (VM) instances can be obtained from a cloud service provider. A refund recommendation comprising a first quantity of VM instances and a refund credit associated with the first quantity of VM instances can be generated based on the utilization data. A purchase recommendation comprising a second quantity of VM instances and a purchase cost associated with the second quantity of VM instances can be generated. An exchange transaction to return the first quantity of VM instances and purchase the second quantity of VM instances can be generated, where a net total of the exchange transaction is determined based on the refund credit and the purchase cost.

Abstract: A medical device that includes a carrier member, one or more operative components disposed in the carrier member, an optical fiber at least partly disposed in the carrier member, and at least one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor array associated with the optical fiber and disposed in the carrier member. The carrier member includes an insertion end and side walls that contact the subject's body during positioning of the carrier member in the subject's body. The at least one FBG sensor array measures contact forces at one or both of the insertion end and along the side walls of the carrier member during positioning of the carrier member in the subject's body. A multi-core optical fiber configured for use in a medical device for positioning in a subject's body is also provided. A system and method for guiding positioning of a medical device in a subject's body is also provided.

Abstract: A method of treating a steel railway wheels to form a required distribution of compressive residual stress in the rim. In general terms the wheel heated and then quenched from the plate towards the rim. The wheel is first heated to form austenite throughout the plate and rim portions. The wheel is then cooled to form bainite/martensite in the plate portion. The wheel is cooled to form bainite/martensite in an inner portion of the rim. The wheel is cooled to form bainite/martensite in an outer portion of the rim.

Abstract: A method for producing flipbooks over a network includes receiving a video over the network from a client device, converting the video to a standard video format, adjusting a frame rate of the video to a standard frame rate, adjusting a frame size of the video to a standard frame size, generating a printable document from a group of videos including the video, wherein each page of the printable document includes one frame from each video in the group of videos, and printing the printable document to create a printed document. The method may further include cutting the printed document to form individual stacks of printed frames and binding the stacks to produce the individual flipbooks.