Abstract: A bone fixation device is provided with an elongate body having a longitudinal axis and having a flexible state and a rigid state, a plurality of grippers disposed at longitudinally spaced locations of the elongated body, a curved rigid hub connected to the elongated body, and an actuator operably connected to the grippers to deploy the grippers from a first shape to an expanded second shape. Methods of repairing a fracture of a bone are also disclosed. One such method comprising inserting a bone fixation device into an intramedullary space of the bone to place at least a portion of an elongate body of the fixation device in a flexible state on one side of the fracture and at least a portion of a curved rigid hub on another side of the fracture, and operating an actuator to deploy a plurality of grippers of the fixation device to engage an inner surface of the intramedullary space to anchor the fixation device to the bone.

Abstract: A knob safety assembly is operative to selectively restrict depression of a cooking element control knob. The safety assembly includes a blocking plate disposed inside of a bezel assembly. The bezel assembly includes an outer bezel defining one or more angled camming surfaces, and an inner bezel. Rotation of the inner bezel with respect to the outer bezel about a rotational axis slides an ear of the blocking plate along the camming surface to effect movement of the blocking plate along the rotational axis between a raised position, in which the blocking plate restricts depression of a cooking element control knob, to a recessed position, in which the blocking plate facilitates depression of the control knob. The inner bezel is releasably locked from rotating with respect to the outer bezel, and engages the blocking plate to constrain the blocking plate against movement along the rotational axis when locked.

Abstract: A server receives a customer service request and customer identification information associated with the customer service request. A home location of the customer is identified based, at least in part, on the customer identification information. An interactive voice response application is selected based, at least in part, on the home location. The selected interactive voice response application is provided to a voice portal, wherein the voice portal services the customer service request.

Abstract: Described herein are accessory devices that are configured to both perform accessory functions for electronic devices, as well as output content that is supplemental or complementary to content being output by the electronic devices. The accessory functionality of the accessory devices may be far-ranging and may include reading lights, covers, projectors, universal serial bus (USB) drives, cameras, page-turn buttons, audio jacks, expansion headers, Bluetooth devices, biometric sensors, ambient light sensors, and more. These accessory devices may complement the operation of any number of electronic devices. For instance, an accessory device may both comprise a reading light to illuminate a display of an electronic book (eBook) reader device, as well as a display to display content that has been deemed supplemental to the content being displayed by the eBook reader device.

Abstract: A face mask has upper and lower portions made of mask material. The upper and lower portions are joined together at side portions and a front portion. The side portions converge as the side portions extend from a face edge to the front portion. The mask has sections between the face edge and the front portion, with each section having a head retainer, a nose strip or both. The sections are divisible from each other along separation zones or bands that extend between the side edges. The size of the mask can be reduced by removing one or more sections, leaving one or more sections that incorporate the front edge and the shortened side edges.

Abstract: A method for tracking modifications to tables or relationships. In one embodiment, the method includes updating a first value stored in a first field of a record in a table in response to a database system receiving a first structured query language (SQL) statement from a customer relationship management (CRM) application. A first record is inserted into a history table in response to the first SQL statement, wherein the first record comprises a foreign key field that stores a copy of the primary key of the record, a field that stores a copy of the first value after it is updated, a field that stores a name of the first field, and a first date field. The first date field stores either the date when the first SQL statement was received by the database system, the date of the day that immediately follows the date when the first SQL statement was received by the database system, or a date that was entered into a field of a user interface.

Abstract: A split keyboard with an optional middle section of keys for controlling regular PC input to a host, two play music, and to input and play music with a multiple octave keyboard that when the middle section of keys are removed can be portable to travel. And when working on just the split keyboard inputting data to a host the operator arms are not abducted do to the perpendicular advantage or slide apart keyboard where an operators arms are perpendicular to the keyboard keys.

Abstract: A knob safety assembly is operative to selectively restrict depression of a cooking element control knob. The safety assembly includes a blocking plate disposed inside of a bezel assembly. The bezel assembly includes an outer bezel defining one or more angled camming surfaces, and an inner bezel. Rotation of the inner bezel with respect to the outer bezel about a rotational axis slides an ear of the blocking plate along the camming surface to effect movement of the blocking plate along the rotational axis between a raised position, in which the blocking plate restricts depression of a cooking element control knob, to a recessed position, in which the blocking plate facilitates depression of the control knob. The inner bezel is releasably locked from rotating with respect to the outer bezel, and engages the blocking plate to constrain the blocking plate against movement along the rotational axis when locked.

Abstract: In one aspect, a passive flow control device for controlling flow of a fluid is provided, which device in one configuration include a longitudinal member configured to receive fluid radially along a selected length of the longitudinal member, the longitudinal member including flow restrictions configured to cause a pressure drop across the radial direction of the longitudinal member. In another aspect, a method of completing a wellbore is provided, which method in one embodiment may include providing a flow control device that includes a tubular with a first set of fluid flow passages and at least one member with a second set of fluid passages placed outside the tubular, wherein the first and second set of passages are offset along a longitudinal direction and the member is configured to receive a fluid along the radial direction; placing the flow control device at a selected location a wellbore; and allowing a fluid flow between the formation and the flow control device.

Abstract: A stair-step, expandable file folder is disclosed, in which each pocket in the folder has the same depth, rather than the back pockets being deeper than the front pockets. The folder is formed from a group of attached dividers. Each divider in the group is generally planar and includes two horizontal folds near a bottom edge of the divider. The divider area above the folds forms a wall of a pocket. The divider area between the folds extends to an adjacent divider and forms the bottom of the pocket. The divider area below the folds is attached to the adjacent divider. The adjacent divider forms an opposing wall of the pocket. When the group of dividers is compressed front-to-back, the dividers all have the same lateral footprint. When the group is expanded front-to-back, the dividers translate vertically, so that the tops of the dividers are all visible simultaneously from the front of the folder.

Abstract: Polymers comprising residues of cage compound monomers having at least one polyalkoxy silyl substituent are provided. The cage compound monomers are selected from borane cage compound monomers comprising at least 7 cage atoms and/or carborane cage compound monomers comprising 7 to 11 cage compound monomers. Such polymers can further comprise one or more reactive matrices and/or co-monomers covalently bound with the cage compound monomer residues. Articles of manufacture comprising such polymers are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for determination of mechanical integrity of bone includes embedding a threaded rod into the bone, extracting the threaded rod out of the bone, and measuring the force required to extract the threaded rod from the bone, wherein the force required to extract the threaded rod is indicative of the mechanical integrity of the bone. A device for determining the mechanical integrity of bone includes a housing, a rod holder mounted to the housing and configured to hold a threaded rod which is embedded in the bone, a pulling force applicator which applies a pulling force to the rod holder to extract the threaded rod from the bone, and a pulling force measuring instrument which measures the pulling force applied to the rod holder by the pulling force applicator as the threaded rod is extracted from the bone.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a genus of insect inhibitory proteins that exhibit properties directed to controlling Lepidopteran and/or Hemipteran crop pests, methods of using such proteins, nucleotide sequences encoding such proteins, methods of detecting and isolating such proteins, and their use in agricultural systems.

Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for providing remote trust management for machine to machine communications in a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a sensor to join a wireless network, determines a trust score of the sensor by a server at the network, and allows the sensor to join the wireless network if the trust score is greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A geoposition is determined at a point using a geoposition determining mobile communication device. A crop management zone is identified based on one or more predetermined crop management boundaries and the geoposition of the point. Information about the field is wirelessly communicated between the geoposition determining mobile communications device and a remote site. Analysis may be performed at the remote site with the results of the analysis communicated to the mobile communication device at the growing point. Information may be collected at the point which is stored or analyzed at the remote site. Information may include digital images of plant conditions which may be analyzed to determine conditions such as disease or pest infestation. Contextual information from a number of different types of sources may be used to provide meaningful analysis and feedback to the producer. The producer may define crop management zones using the geoposition determining mobile communication device.

Abstract: A method can include providing a system of equations with associated variables that describe physical phenomena associated with a geologic formation; decoupling the system of equations to provide a system of pressure equations with associated pressure variables; solving the system of pressure equations for values of the pressure variables; and, based at least in part on the values of the pressure variables, solving the system of equations for values of the associated variables where the solving the system of equations includes applying a block approximate inverse preconditioner technique to at least blocks of mass conservation terms of the system of equations. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing received signals in a multi-carrier system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes estimating one or more first propagation channel coefficients based on a training sequence in each of one or more first slots received over a first radio channel, equalizing signal samples from one or more second slots received over a second radio channel immediately frequency-adjacent to the first radio channel, using the first propagation channel coefficients, and demodulating user data bits from the equalized signal samples. In some embodiments, the training sequence is located at a fixed position in each of the one or more first slots and user data bits are demodulated from a directly corresponding position in each of the second slots. Improved data rates are thus achieved by constraining radio carriers in a multi-carrier system to frequency-adjacent channels and eliminating training symbols from one of the signals.

Abstract: Embodiments of a tiered damping solution to protect a computer system from shock are disclosed. More specifically, in one embodiment at an external level the computer system may be protected from a shock and vibration by the use of dampeners which may be located on the chassis of the computer system to cover possible contact points. The devices are isolated from remaining shock or vibration by utilizing isolating materials at points where the device mounts to, or otherwise contacts, the chassis. Within the device itself another tier of protection may serve to protect components within a device by isolating the components from the points at which the component mounts to, or otherwise contacts, the device.