Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improved efficiency and flue gas scrubbing in a fired heater using a condensing convection section. The method preheats a hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon/water process feed stream in a coil in the convection section of a fired heater, collects condensate from the flue gas, and scrubs the flue gas with the recirculated condensate. The apparatus has a heat transfer coil disposed in the convection section, to preheat a process stream and form condensate from the flue gas, and a condensate recirculation loop to collect the condensate from the convection section and scrub the flue gas with the condensate.

Abstract: A low profile acoustic module is described. Embodiments include a headset acoustic module having first and second chambers. The first chamber has a side wall and first portion of a back wall, and defining a first volume. The side wall defines an opening sized to retain a speaker, and the first chamber defines a first volume. The second chamber is adjacent the first chamber, and comprises an inner wall, a front wall, and a second portion of the back wall, and defining a second volume greater than the first volume. The second volume is fluidly coupled to the first volume via a first set of vents on the inner wall, the second volume is fluidly coupled to an ambient atmosphere via a second set of vents, and the inner wall comprises at least a portion of the side wall.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an alkali metal coated current collector for a battery, the method includes melting the alkali metal, removing impurities floating on the surface of the melted alkali metal; applying the purified melted alkali metal to the surface of at least one side of a passing current collector substrate to form a coating on the current collector substrate.

Abstract: A dishwasher appliance and a wash assembly for tubular articles in a dishwasher includes a base forming a conduit, a nozzle fluidly coupled to the conduit and configured to fit within a reusable straw such that the nozzle provides a dedicated flow of wash fluid to the inside of the straw. The wash assembly includes a retainer system to removably secure the straw to the wash assembly. The retainer system may include a resilient clip secured to the nozzle and deformable to accept and release the straw.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scanning optical codes with improved energy efficiency are disclosed. In some embodiments, a disclosed method includes: obtaining a video captured by a camera; determining, based on a machine learning model, whether an optical code is included in any frame image of the video; presenting a viewable area on a display operatively coupled to the camera, once the video starts to include at least a portion of the optical code; and dynamically adjusting the viewable area based on a size of the optical code in each frame image of the video.

Abstract: A speaker assembly includes a speaker body comprising an outer surface that comprises a first slit exit port and a second slit exit port. The speaker further includes a slit that extends within the speaker body between the first slit exit port and the second slit exit port. The slit includes a slit volume that is partially defined by inner surfaces of the slit. A first driver having a front end that forms part of the inner surface of the slit and defines a first portion of the slit volume.

Abstract: Some aspects relate to technologies for generating pivots using a generative model and grouping items into pivot groups using the pivots. Pivots are generated by obtaining item information for items, generating a prompt using the item information, and causing a generative model to use the prompt to generate text for the pivots, including a pivot name and pivot description for each pivot. A pivot embedding is also generated for each pivot. When items are to be returned to a user device (e.g., as recommended items or search result items), item embeddings for the items and the pivot embeddings for the pivots are used to assign each item to a particular pivot to generate pivot groups that each includes a pivot name, a pivot description, and assigned items. User interface information is provided to present at least a portion of the pivot groups on a user device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to whey protein micelles for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a condition linked to a reduced concentration of plasma amino acids in a patient. A further aspect of the invention is a meal replacement comprising whey protein micelles.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include an electrode calendering system for manufacturing electrodes with enhanced edge quality. An exemplary system includes an active material supply including an electrode material and a coating roll coupled to the active material supply. The coating roll is positioned to coat a current collector with the electrode material. A back roll is positioned to transfer the current collector to the coating roll. The system includes at least one of a bare foil supporting material roll and a coated foil supporting material roll. The bare foil supporting material roll is positioned to apply a support material onto a first portion of the current collector prior to the current collector being coated with the electrode material. The coated foil supporting material roll is positioned to apply the support material onto the first portion of the current collector after the current collector is coated with the electrode material.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include a roll press design for manufacturing tailored porosity electrodes. An exemplary roll press includes a top roller and a bottom roller separated from the top roller by a gap. At least one of the top roller and the bottom roller includes a raised region and an indented region. The raised region includes a first radius and the indented region includes a second radius less than the first radius. The gap includes a distance selected to accommodate a current collector. The current collector includes a bare portion and a coated portion having thereon an electrode material of a first thickness. A difference between the first radius and the second radius is selected, based on the first thickness, to evenly distribute stress across the bare portion and the coated portion of the current collector during a calendering process for forming a tailored porosity electrode.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new method of characterising a target RNA polynucleotide by taking one or more measurements as the target RNA polynucleotide moves with respect to a transmembrane pore. The movement is controlled by a DNA helicase. The invention also relates to a modified RNA construct wherein the RNA polynucleotide has been modified to increase DNA helicase binding thereto.

Abstract: A gas lift valve including a body with interior charging chamber; a housing defining a bore in fluid communication with the charging chamber; a plug positioned within the bore and an a first O-ring forming a seal between an external surface of the plug and an interior surface of the bore, a crush washer is positioned between the plug and a surface of the housing; and a cap positioned with respect to the housing such that the plug is positioned within the cap interior bore and a second O-ring forms a seal between a first external surface of the housing and a first interior surface of the cap.

Abstract: A method for adhering a tubular body onto a surface that includes smoothing a portion of the surface to create a smoothed segment of the surface and applying a tubular body directly onto the smoothed segment of the surface after the smoothing of the portion of the surface. The surface at the smoothed segment is smoother than the remainder of the surface. The method further includes applying an uncured protectant onto the tubular body while the tubular body is on the smoothed segment of the surface and curing the uncured protectant into a cured protectant while the uncured protectant is on the tubular body on the smoothed segment of the surface. The cured protectant protectively encases and adheres the tubular body to the surface.

Abstract: A method for adhering a tubular body to a surface. The tubular body may be, for example, a communication line and the surface may be a road. The method includes deploying a tubular body directly onto a natural surface, applying an uncured protectant onto the tubular body while the tubular body is on the natural surface, and shaping the uncured protectant to possess a constant cross-sectional shape around the tubular body on the natural surface. The method includes curing the uncured protectant into a cured protectant to adhere the tubular body and the cured protectant to the natural surface, whereby the tubular body is protectively encased and adhered to the natural surface.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for generating a virtual gaming environment. Specifically, an instance of a virtual gaming environment is generated and hosted on a server. Responsive to communicatively connecting a first and second user computing devices, a virtual gaming environment is populated with at least a first virtual avatar, a virtual desktop, a second virtual avatar, and a second virtual desktop. It is determined that the first virtual avatar is within a first predetermined distance of the second desktop, and based on this, a resolution at which to render a visual representation of activities being executed by a second user computing device associated with the second desktop is determined. A bandwidth at which the visual representation is renderable in real time at the determined resolution is calculated. The visual representation is transmitted, utilizing the calculated bandwidth, to the first user computing device at the determined resolution.

Abstract: Synthetic methods for forming a crosslinked polymer network with dynamic bonds within its crosslinks from a pre-existing unsaturated organic polymer are provided. The dynamic bonds enable the resulting crosslinked polymer network to be chemically or mechanically recycled or otherwise reprocessed. Also provided are crosslinked polymer networks made using the synthetic methods and methods for reprocessing the crosslinked polymer networks using thiol exchange reactions.

Abstract: Systems and methods are directed to a compression scheme for stable universally unique identities in a collaborative editing environment. A client receives edits to a document and immediately creates a local short identity for an element of each edit, whereby the local short identity represents an offset from a base unique identity associated with the client from which a unique identifier assigned to the element is derivable. The local short identity information including the local short identity for each element is transmitted to a server. Subsequently, global short identity information is received from the server from which one or more global short identities that each map to a local short identity of a client of a plurality of clients collaborating on the document can be determined by the client. Each global short identity is a compact identity that is universally unique to the plurality of clients including the client.

Abstract: A dishwasher includes a tub that includes a tub side wall. The dishwasher appliance also includes a slide assembly mounted to the tub side wall. The slide assembly includes a universal inner member that includes a front slot, a back slot, and a center tab. The front slot and the back slot each defined the universal inner member. The center tab is located between the front slot and the back slot approximately along a first direction. The slide assembly also includes a slide apparatus attached to the universal inner member.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for controlling the insertion of a membrane channel into a membrane are disclosed. In one arrangement a first bath holds a first liquid in contact with a first surface of a membrane. A second bath holds a second liquid in contact with a second surface of the membrane. The membrane separates the first and second liquids. A first electrode contacts the first liquid. A second electrode contacts the second liquid. A driving unit applies a potential difference across the membrane via the first and second electrodes to promote insertion of a membrane channel into the membrane from the first liquid or the second liquid. A membrane voltage reduction unit is connected in series with the membrane. The driving unit applies a driving voltage across the membrane voltage reduction unit and the membrane, the driving voltage providing the potential difference across the membrane.

Abstract: A method for determining a distance between an initiator radio transceiver and a reflector radio transceiver is provided. The method comprises the initiator radio transceiver transmitting a first radio signal at a first transmission time and the reflector radio transceiver receiving the first radio signal at a first reception time. The reflector transceiver samples the first radio signal using a sampling clock signal having a sampling period and determines a first reception-time value at a temporal resolution that is finer than the sampling period, including a fractional component representative of a fraction of the sampling period. The reflector transceiver transmits a second radio signal at a second transmission time that is offset from the sampling clock signal by an amount that depends on said fractional component so as to provide a predetermined dwell time that is determined to an accuracy finer than the sampling period.