Abstract: Various embodiments provide a steering control mechanism, an imaging endoscopy system incorporating a steering control mechanism, and a method of assembling a steering control mechanism. The steering control mechanism is configured for controlling bending of a steering section of an endoscope in a first plane via first and second steering wires. It comprises a first rotational drive wheel comprising first and second drive wheel body portions, the first drive wheel body portion comprising a first drum element coupled to the first steering wire, and the second drive wheel body portion comprising a second drum element coupled to the second steering wire. The rotational drive wheel is configured to provide one-way relative rotation of the first drum element and the second drum element.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide an imaging endoscopy system comprising a hand controller, an insertion section having a proximal end connected to the hand controller and a distal end for insertion into a subject, the distal end having a steering section and a distal tip, and a steering control mechanism comprising a first continuous steering wire. The first continuous steering wire has first and second ends coupled to a user control assembly at the hand controller, and an intermediate portion fixed at the distal tip of the insertion section, thereby defining two steering wire portions extending from the hand controller to the distal tip, said steering wire portions capable of being tensioned to cause bending of the steering section in response to operation of the user control assembly of the hand controller.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a bendable member for an imaging endoscope and an imaging endoscope incorporating said bendable member. The bendable member comprises a series of constructional elements arranged longitudinally in series along the bendable member and formed integrally with a plurality of living hinge elements that permit bending between adjacent constructional elements, wherein, when the bendable member is straight, a first living hinge element of the plurality of living hinge elements has a different bending stiffness to a second living hinge element of the plurality of living hinge elements.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for portfolio trading of corporate bonds. Liquidity takers generate a list of bonds to send to liquidity providers where the liquidity provider provides quotes for one or more of the bonds. The decision to trade is made at the portfolio level and the winning dealer trades the portfolio or sub-portfolio.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microbial compositions for enhancing bile acid metabolism in a subject, methods of manufacturing the compositions, and methods of selecting subjects in need of treatment with the compositions. Certain bile acid transforming or converting genes and bile acid transforming or converting bacteria are used to select desired bacterial isolates or suitable donors or patients, predict treatment success, or track treatment response.

Abstract: An osteotomy procedure may be performed to correct a misalignment of a bone, such as a bunion deformity. In some examples, the osteotomy procedure involves making a spherical-shaped cut transecting a first metatarsal, thereby forming a first metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped projection and a second metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped recess. The method further involves moving the second metatarsal portion in at least two planes relative to the first metatarsal portion, thereby adjusting an anatomical alignment of the second metatarsal portion.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for portfolio trading of corporate bonds. Liquidity takers generate a list of bonds to send to liquidity providers where the liquidity provider provides quotes for one or more of the bonds. The decision to trade is made at the portfolio level and the winning dealer trades the portfolio or sub-portfolio.

Abstract: An osteotomy procedure may be performed to correct a misalignment of a bone, such as a bunion deformity. In some examples, the osteotomy procedure involves making a spherical-shaped cut transecting a first metatarsal, thereby forming a first metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped projection and a second metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped recess. The method further involves moving the second metatarsal portion in at least two planes relative to the first metatarsal portion, thereby adjusting an anatomical alignment of the second metatarsal portion.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, inter alia, materials, devices, kits and methods that may be used for loading scaffolds into delivery devices and delivery of scaffolds into the body of a patient, including delivery of scaffolds to the sinuses for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, among other purposes.

Abstract: User-level privacy preservation is implemented within federated machine learning. An aggregation server may distribute a machine learning model to multiple users each including respective private datasets. Individual users may train the model using the local, private dataset to generate one or more parameter updates. Prior to sending the generated parameter updates to the aggregation server for incorporation into the machine learning model, a user may modify the parameter updates by applying respective noise values to individual ones of the parameter updates to ensure differential privacy for the dataset private to the user. The aggregation server may then receive the respective modified parameter updates from the multiple users and aggregate the updates into a single set of parameter updates to update the machine learning model. The federated machine learning may further include iteratively performing said sending, training, modifying, receiving, aggregating and updating steps.

Abstract: Systems and methods for platform occupancy detection on an aerial device are described. An aerial platform may be provided for the aerial device. A worker may perform operations in the aerial platform and connect to an interlock system thereof. The worker may have an associated transmitter configured to transmit a signal. A first receiver and a second receiver may be disposed on the aerial platform to receive the signal. Based on the time difference between receiving the signal at the first receiver and receiving the signal at the second receiver, the position of the transmitter may be triangulated. If the transmitter is determined to be within the aerial platform and the worker is not connected to the interlock system, preventive actions may be taken before operation of the aerial platform is permitted.

Abstract: Herein are techniques for domain adaptation of a machine learning (ML) model. These techniques impose differential privacy onto federated learning by the ML model. In an embodiment, each of many client devices receive, from a server, coefficients of a general ML model. For respective new data point(s), each client device operates as follows. Based on the new data point(s), a respective private ML model is trained. Based on the new data point(s), respective gradients are calculated for the coefficients of the general ML model. Random noise is added to the gradients to generate respective noisy gradients. A combined inference may be generated based on: the private ML model, the general ML model, and one of the new data point(s). The noisy gradients are sent to the server. The server adjusts the general ML model based on the noisy gradients from the client devices. This client/server process may be repeated indefinitely.

Abstract: A conductive member such as conductive pad (1) for use in radiofrequency ablation, the conductive member being flexible so as to conform to a subject's skin, the conductive member comprising a conductive skin contact layer (5) arranged for contact with the subject's skin and a conductive layer (4) over the conductive skin contact layer, in which the conductive skin contact layer (5) and the conductive layer (4) are both conductive to DC electrical signals.

Abstract: A tissue splayer (76) is described which includes an index finger portion (4) and a middle finger portion (5). The tissue splayer also includes a first pivot joint (80) coupling the index finger portion (4) to the middle finger portion (5) to permit the middle finger portion (5) to rotate relative to the index finger portion (4) about a first pivot axis (81). The tissue splayer (76) also includes a first splay mechanism (88) configured to permit rotation of the middle finger portion (5) away from the index finger portion (4) about the first pivot axis, and to resist rotation of the middle finger portion (5) towards the index finger portion (4) about the first pivot axis (81).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that collapse risk in connection with electronic trades. The method includes collecting electronic trades, each electronic trade comprising party information, buy/sell information; determining hedge amounts for buys/sells for the electronic trades based on buy/sell data; simultaneously determining net hedge amounts for market participants; simultaneously determining a net hedge percentage for electronic trades; determining an individual hedge size for one or more first market participants based on a unique umbrella hedge value, wherein the umbrella hedge value for each of the first market participants is the net hedge percentage of said first market participant's net hedge amount; and distributing instructions to the plurality of market participants to fill the plurality of electronic trades at prices controlled by each first market participant's unique umbrella hedge value and by a composite mid-price for a plurality of second market participants.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for portfolio trading of corporate bonds. Liquidity takers generate a list of bonds to send to liquidity providers where the liquidity provider provides quotes for one or more of the bonds. The decision to trade is made at the portfolio level and the winning dealer trades the portfolio or sub-portfolio.

Abstract: An osteotomy procedure may be performed to correct a misalignment of a bone, such as a bunion deformity. In some examples, the osteotomy procedure involves making a spherical-shaped cut transecting a first metatarsal, thereby forming a first metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped projection and a second metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped recess. The method further involves moving the second metatarsal portion in at least two planes relative to the first metatarsal portion, thereby adjusting an anatomical alignment of the second metatarsal portion.

Abstract: An osteotomy procedure may be performed to correct a misalignment of a bone, such as a bunion deformity. In some examples, the osteotomy procedure involves making a spherical-shaped cut transecting a first metatarsal, thereby forming a first metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped projection and a second metatarsal portion having a spherical-shaped recess. The method further involves moving the second metatarsal portion in at least two planes relative to the first metatarsal portion, thereby adjusting an anatomical alignment of the second metatarsal portion.

Abstract: A device for controlling a fluid flow in an array of fluid pathways on a microfluidic chip is provided. The device comprising: two or more resistors provided upstream of the chip wherein each upstream resistor is configured to provide a resistance at an upstream end of a fluid pathway; two or more resistors provided downstream of the chip wherein each downstream resistor is configured to provide a resistance at a downstream end of a fluid pathway, wherein the values of the resistances are selected in order to control a proportion of fluid that flows through each fluid pathway.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, inter alia, materials, devices, kits and methods that may be used for loading scaffolds into delivery devices and delivery of scaffolds into the body of a patient, including delivery of scaffolds to the sinuses for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, among other purposes.