Abstract: A bearing assembly, method of assembling a bearing assembly and a pump are disclosed. The bearing assembly is for mounting a rotatable shaft of a pump, and comprises an inner ring and an outer ring and a plurality of rollable elements mounted between said inner and outer rings. The bearing assembly has a lubricant directing element extending radially outwards from an outer circumference of the inner ring. The lubricant directing element may comprise a sloped radial surface, at least a portion of the sloped radial surface facing an annular gap between the inner and outer rings, a radially inner portion of the sloped surface being closer to the rollable elements than a radially outer portion of the sloped surface.

Abstract: A computer implemented method includes accessing training data that includes images, associated alternative text, and proximately located text providing instructions describing a user interface. The images are paired with text captions derived from the proximately located text and image's alternative text, training a vision and language model in a self-supervised manner using language masking, region masking, and image-text alignment techniques on respective image region features and tokenized text captions. Fine-tuning of the vision and language model is performed to obtain a specialized model representing user interface elements and associated functions.

Abstract: This disclosure provides techniques and systems for evaluating the performance and learning of neuronal cell cultures. This is done with a collection of reference environments that provide reinforcement learning tasks. A neuronal cell culture is communicatively connected to a conventional electronic computing device that provides inputs and measures outputs. The connection may be implemented, for example, with a multi-electrode array (MEA). A reinforcement learning “gym” is created from multiple reinforcement learning tasks that can be provided to a neuronal cell culture in a standardized way. The neuronal cell cultures are trained to perform the tasks by use of rewards. This provides a standardized framework to evaluate biological learning in neuronal cell cultures so that different types of neuronal cell cultures can be compared. Standardized and reproducible techniques for evaluating the learning of neuronal cell cultures aids the development of neuronal cell cultures as compute substrates.

Abstract: This disclosure provides techniques and systems for using a neuronal cell culture such as an organoid as a compute substrate. The cell culture is communicatively connected to an electronic computing device that provides input signals and receives output signals from the cell culture. The connection may be implemented, for example, with a multi-electrode array (MEA). The neuronal cell culture may function as a reservoir in reservoir computing. The neuronal cell culture when functioning as a reservoir provides a fixed, non-linear system that receives inputs and generates outputs. The neuronal cell culture may also function as a spiking neural network (SNN) where the neurons are nodes and the activation potentials are spikes. Neuronal cell cultures provide compute substrates that are energy efficient, cost-effective to manufacture, biodegradable, and adaptable.

Abstract: This disclosure provides techniques and systems for using neuronal cell cultures such as organoids as a testing platform for drug development. The neuronal cell cultures are trained to perform goal-oriented behavioral tasks. The ability of the neurons to perform a task is identified through connections to a computing device that provides inputs and measures outputs from the neurons. The neuronal cell culture is then exposed to a potential drug while evaluating its ability to perform the task. The performance of the neuronal cell culture in the presence and absence of the drug is compared and this provides the basis for evaluating the effects of the drug. Better performance on the task may indicate efficacy of the drug while decreased competency decreased competency may indicate toxicity. Personalized testing can be provided by using induced pluripotent stem cells generated from a patient's own somatic cells.

Abstract: A pump monitoring system includes a controller and a microphone for detecting sound waves. The controller is configured to receive an audio signal from the microphone representing sound waves generated by the vacuum pump. The controller processes the received audio signal to generate a frequency domain representation of the audio signal. The frequency domain representation of the audio signal is analysed to identify at least one fault condition frequency component indicative of a fault condition. A fault condition signal is output to identify the fault condition in dependence on the identification of the at least one fault condition frequency component. In a further embodiment, the pump monitoring system comprises a vibration sensor for detecting vibrations. The present invention also relate to a vacuum pump; a method of monitoring a vacuum pump; and a nontransitory computer-readable medium.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for delivering one or more drugs. In some embodiments, a drug delivery system includes a housing having a distal end with an inlet through which an inspiratory flow of air passes into the housing, a proximal end having a patient interface attached thereto, the patient interface being configured to interface with a user, and an inspiratory flow pathway extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the housing. A nitric oxide (NO) source is positioned within the housing and is configured to deliver NO-containing gas to the patient interface. A secondary drug source is positioned within the housing and is configured to deliver a secondary drug to the patient interface. A controller is configured to control an amount of NO-containing gas and an amount of the secondary drug delivered using a control scheme.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes: input reception circuitry configured to receive a signal indicative of a characteristic of rotating assembly rotation; and bearing wear monitoring circuitry configured to analyze the signal characteristic of rotating assembly rotation. The bearing wear monitoring circuitry is also configured to identify one or more signal features indicative of bearing wear. Bearing wear produces variation in rolling friction of the bearing and therefore is one cause of variation in shaft torque. Aspects recognise that variations in shaft torque can be indirectly monitored, measured and/or determined by appropriate measurement or monitoring of operational characteristics of a pump motor and that it may be possible to distinguish variations in shaft torque which can be attributed to bearing wear from those variations in shaft torque caused by one or more other factors.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel methods of identifying, monitoring or determining the risk of developing a protein misfolding neurodegenerative disorder in a subject, particularly an alpha synucleinopathy (including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) using extracellular vesicle samples. Corresponding methods for selecting a treatment and assaying for the presence of a pathological prion-like protein (or one or more ceramide species) in an extracellular vesicle sample are also provided.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices for nitric oxide generation are provided for use with various ventilation and/or medical devices and having a humidity control system associated therewith. In some embodiments, a system for generating nitric oxide comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a reactant gas, a scrubber configured to remove nitric dioxide NO2 from the product gas, and a humidity control device configured to alter a water content of at least one of the reactant gas and the product gas to control humidity within the system.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel methods of identifying, monitoring or determining the risk of developing a protein misfolding neurodegenerative disorder in a subject, particularly an alpha synucleinopathy (including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) using extracellular vesicle samples. Corresponding methods for selecting a treatment and assaying for the presence of a pathological prion-like protein (or one or more ceramide species) in an extracellular vesicle sample are also provided.

Abstract: A computer implemented method includes accessing training data that includes images, associated alternative text, and proximately located text providing instructions describing a user interface. The images are paired with text captions derived from the proximately located text and image's alternative text, training a vision and language model in a self-supervised manner using language masking, region masking, and image-text alignment techniques on respective image region features and tokenized text captions. Fine-tuning of the vision and language model is performed to obtain a specialized model representing user interface elements and associated functions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing content provenance are provided. A network system accesses a plurality of documents. The plurality of documents is then hashed to identify one or more content features within each of the documents. In one embodiment, the hash is a MinHash. The network system compares the content features of each of the plurality of documents to determine a similarity score between each of the plurality of documents. In one embodiment, the similarly score is a Jaccard score. The network system then clusters the plurality of documents into one or more clusters based on the similarity score of each of the plurality of documents. In one embodiment, the clustering is performed using DBSCAN. DBSCAN can be iteratively performed with decreasing epsilon values to derive clusters of related but relatively dissimilar documents. The clustering information associated with the clusters are stored for use during runtime.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices for nitric oxide generation are provided for use with various ventilation and/or medical devices and having a humidity control system associated therewith. In some embodiments, a system for generating nitric oxide comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a reactant gas, a scrubber configured to remove nitric dioxide NO2 from the product gas, and a humidity control device configured to alter a water content of at least one of the reactant gas and the product gas to control humidity within the system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for nitric oxide (NO) generation systems are provided. In some embodiments, an NO generation system comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing NO from a flow of a reactant gas. The electrodes have elongated surfaces such that a plasma produced is carried by the flow of the reactant gas and glides along the elongated surfaces from a first end towards a second end of the electrode pair. A controller is configured to regulate the amount of NO in the product gas by the at least one pair of electrodes using one or more parameters as an input to the controller. The one or more parameters include information from a plurality of sensors configured to collect information relating to at least one of the reactant gas, the product gas, and a medical gas into which the product gas flows.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for delivering one or more drugs. In some embodiments, a drug delivery system includes a housing having a distal end with an inlet through which an inspiratory flow of air passes into the housing, a proximal end having a patient interface attached thereto, the patient interface being configured to interface with a user, and an inspiratory flow pathway extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the housing. A nitric oxide (NO) source is positioned within the housing and is configured to deliver NO-containing gas to the patient interface. A secondary drug source is positioned within the housing and is configured to deliver a secondary drug to the patient interface. A controller is configured to control an amount of NO-containing gas and an amount of the secondary drug delivered using a control scheme.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for generating nitric oxide (NO). In some embodiments, systems comprise a microwave generator configured to produce microwave energy of varying pulse duration, pulse frequency, and power level and a microwave cavity configured to utilize microwave energy to generate a plasma ball within a flow of reactant gas containing nitrogen and oxygen flowing through the microwave cavity to produce a product gas containing NO. At least one stub can be positioned in the microwave cavity and is configured to focus the microwave energy at a location at which the plasma ball is formed. A controller in electrical communication with the microwave generator can be configured to control the microwave generator to initiate and maintain the plasma ball so the plasma ball is suspended in the flow of reactant gas and does not contact a surface of the at least one stub and the microwave cavity.

Abstract: A set of unstructured data is analyzed to infer structural elements from the unstructured data, and quantized data quality levels, indicative of data quality in the structural elements, are assigned to the structural elements. A set of structured data is generated to include the structural elements inferred from the unstructured data and associations between respective ones of the structural elements in the set of structured data and the corresponding quantized quality levels assigned to the structural elements. The set of structured data, including the associations between respective ones of the structural elements and the corresponding quantized quality levels assigned to the structural elements, is provided to a user interface application to enable the user interface application to visually display varying data qualities in the set of structured data.

Abstract: Techniques for synthesizing and analyzing data are disclosed. A ML model anonymizes microdata to generate synthesized data. This anonymizing is performed by reproducing attributes identified within microdata and by applying constraints to prevent rare attribute combinations from being reproduced in the synthesized data. User input selects attributes to filter the synthesized data, thereby generating a subset of records. A UI displays a synthesized aggregate count representing how many records are in the subset. Pre-computed aggregate counts are accessed to indicate how many records in the microdata embody certain attributes. Based on the user input, there is an attempt to identify a particular count from the pre-computed aggregate counts. This count reflects how many records of the microdata would remain if the selected attributes were used to filter the microdata. That count is displayed along with the synthesized aggregate count. The two counts are juxtaposed next to one another.

Abstract: Systems and methods for nitric oxide (NO) generation systems are provided. In some embodiments, an NO generation system comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing NO from a flow of a reactant gas. The electrodes have elongated surfaces such that a plasma produced is carried by the flow of the reactant gas and glides along the elongated surfaces from a first end towards a second end of the electrode pair. A controller is configured to regulate the amount of NO in the product gas by the at least one pair of electrodes using one or more parameters as an input to the controller. The one or more parameters include information from a plurality of sensors configured to collect information relating to at least one of the reactant gas, the product gas, and a medical gas into which the product gas flows.