Abstract: In a heat tracing system using heat from a radiant heater to heat a circulating fluid, thermoelectric generation modules are used to generate electricity for powering a circulating pump. Thermoelectric power generation modules are sandwiched between a heat-absorbing plate and a heat sink, and this assembly is positioned with the heat-absorbing plate adjacent to a radiant heater. A conduit loop passes through the heat sink, such that a fluid circulating through the conduit is heated from heat drawn from the heater into the heat sink. Due to the temperature differential between the hot and cold sides of the thermoelectric modules, the modules produce electricity to power the pump circulating the fluid through the conduit loop. Supplementary heat exchanger components may be provided for additional fluid-heating capacity, and thereby increasing the amount of heat available for the heat tracing loop.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for providing ancillary content in media assets. Specifically, a media guidance application may alert a user to remove, or modify, portions of a media asset based on an emotional response profile associated with the media asset. The emotional response profile may indicate representative emotional responses of other users associated with one or more progression points of the media asset. Upon determining that a user currently consuming the media asset is approaching a portion of the media asset associated with undesirable emotional responses, the media guidance application may alert the user to remove, or modify, the undesirable portion.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application that predicts user preferences based on detected events. For example, in response to a trigger, the media guidance application may monitor data associated with a user. The media guidance application may then process the monitored data to determine if the monitored data indicates that a user profile of a user should be updated.

Abstract: A method of manufacture for a vaginal insert. The vaginal insert may have a core, a cover, and a removal element. In various embodiments, the cover can be conformed to the vaginal insert.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for determining the occurrence of a closed or open apnea. Respiratory air flow from a patient is measured to give an air flow signal. The determination of an apnea is performed by applying an oscillatory pressure waveform of known frequency to a patient's airway, calculating a complex quantity representing a patient admittance (12) and comparing its value with ranges (14,16) indicative of open or closed apneas. The method distinguishes open from closed apneas even when the model used to calculate admittance is not based on details of the respiratory apparatus. In addition the patient admittance may be compared with admittance during normal breathing to avoid having to characterize the airway.

Abstract: A method of manufacture for a vaginal insert. The vaginal insert may have a core, a cover, and a removal element. In various embodiments, the cover can be conformed to the vaginal insert.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for bending sheet glass are disclosed. The present invention improves on the state-of-the-art by providing apparatus and methods that prevent unwanted distortion of the glass sheet. The apparatus and methods utilize localized heating at the bend to allow for overall glass sheet temperatures to be reduced, along with optional mechanical devices for improved bend quality.

Abstract: A bio-resin composition contains cellulose acetate and a biodegradable secondary polymer in a ratio of at least 10:1 by weight of the total weight of the composition wherein the secondary polymer is an aliphatic polyester such as polybutylene succinate or an aliphatic co-polyester such as polybutylene succinate adipate or an aliphatic/aromatic polyester such as polybutylene adipate terephthalate. The secondary polymer may be present in an amount up to 10% by weight, more preferably up to 6% by weight and more preferably still in the range 2% to 3% by weight of the total weight of the composition where the combined amount of secondary polymer and cellulose acetate may be up to 85% of the total weight of the composition.

Abstract: A pull roll apparatus and method are described herein that can control a cross-draw tension and a down-draw tension of a glass sheet while manufacturing the glass sheet. In one embodiment, the pull roll apparatus includes a first driven stub roll pair, a second driven stub roll pair and a control device (e.g., PLC) that controls the first and second driven stub roll pairs while a first edge portion of the glass sheet is drawn between two vertically downtilted rolls associated with the first driven stub roll pair and while an opposing second edge portion of the glass sheet is drawn between two vertically downtilted rolls associated with the second driven stub roll pair. If desired, the pull roll apparatus may include a pulling roll assembly (located below the first and second driven stub rolls) or another set of driven stub roll pairs (located below the first and second driven stub roll pairs).

Abstract: A process for the production of a composition comprising a water-insoluble sartan which comprises the steps of: a) providing a mixture comprising: i) a water-insoluble sartan, ii) a water soluble carrier, iii) a solvent for each of the sartan and the carrier, and b) spray-drying the mixture to remove the or each solvent and obtain a substantially solvent-free nano-dispersion of the sartan in the carrier.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing the performance of a digital network include capturing a stream of digital data, e.g., interne protocol (IP) packets, that represent streaming video, identifying which of the IP packets include bit errors, determining to which of a plurality of pixels the IP packets including bit errors belong and identifying such pixels as corrupted pixels, and illuminating only the corrupted pixels on a display of a tool. Corrupted pixels in different time blocks can be displayed with different colors to gain a better appreciation of the bit error rate over time.

Abstract: Systems and methods, comprising a directed heat source coupled to a multi-wire feed-head configured to feed one or more wires having diverse compositions into a heat affected region, are provided for the synthesis of alloy samples having defined compositions, combinatorial alloy sample series and libraries, and shaped alloy components.

Abstract: An MRI-guided interventional system includes a trajectory guide frame for guiding an interventional device with respect to a patient in an MRI-guided procedure and including a base, a platform, a targeting cannula, and a stabilizer mechanism. The platform is mounted on the base and includes a support table and a moving plate that is translatable relative to the support table and the base along a translational axis. The targeting cannula is mounted on the moving plate for movement therewith and includes an elongate guide bore defining a trajectory axis. The stabilizer mechanism is operable to selectively control movement between the support table and the moving plate to stabilize a position of the targeting cannula with respect to the base. The frame is operable to translate the moving plate along the translational axis relative to the base to position the trajectory axis. The translational axis is transverse to the trajectory axis.

Abstract: A method for determining fluid characteristics of a multicomponent fluid is provided. The method includes a step of measuring a first density, ?1, of a multicomponent fluid comprising one or more incompressible components and one or more compressible components at a first density state. The method further includes a step of adjusting the multicomponent fluid from the first density state to a second density state. A second density, ?2, of the multicomponent fluid is then measured at the second density state and one or more fluid characteristics of at least one of the compressible components or the incompressible components are determined.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically tagging a media asset are provided. Verbal input is received from a user while the user is accessing the media asset. A request to adjust playback of the media asset is received from the user. Responsive to receiving the verbal input and the request, a combination of the verbal input and the request is cross-referenced with an attribute database to identify an attribute associated with the combination. The identified attribute is associated with the media asset.

Abstract: A hardware device for monitoring and intercepting data packetized data traffic at full line rate, is proved. In high bandwidth embodiments, full line rate corresponds to rates that exceed 100 Mbytes/s and in some cases 1000 Mbytes/s. Monitoring and intercepting software, alone, is not able to operate on such volumes of data in real-time. An exemplary embodiment comprises: a data delay buffer with multiple delay outputs; a search engine logic for implementing a set of basic search tools that operate in real-time on the data traffic; a programmable gate array; an interface for passing data quickly to software sub-systems; and control means for implementing software control of the operation of the search tools. The programmable gate array inserts the data packets into the delay buffer, extracts them for searching at the delay outputs and formats and schedules the operation of the search engine logic.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for flexible-location reservations and pricing for network-accessible resources are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of resources of a provider network distributed across multiple locations, and a resource manager. The resource manager implements a programmatic interface to allow a client to specify a flexible location option for a resource reservation request, indicating that the resource manager is to select one or more locations at which to reserve resource capacity. When a reservation request with the flexible location option specified is received, the resource manager selects a particular location based at least in part on heuristics using resource utilization data. In response to a resource activation request for the reservation, the resource manager activates a resource at a launch location selected from the multiple locations.

Abstract: A ventilator device delivers ventilatory support to a patient in a back up timed mode when patient respiration is not detected or a spontaneous mode when patient respiration is detected. The timing threshold governing the back-up mode is chosen to deviate from normal expected respiration time for the patient to promote patient initiated ventilation in the spontaneous mode but permit back-up ventilation in the event of apnea. Automated adjustments to the timing threshold during the timed mode are made from the less vigilant timing threshold to a more vigilant threshold at or near a timing of normal expected breathing of the patient. Such adjustments may be made from a minimum to a maximum vigilance timing settings or incrementally there between as a function of time in the timed mode which is preferably the number of delivered machine breaths.

Abstract: A magnetorheological fluid-based hydraulic mount apparatus (20, 220) for supporting a vibration source on a base is disclosed. A main fluid passage (104, 304) extends between pumping chamber (64, 264) and receiving chamber (66, 266) for passing the fluid therebetween. Electromagnet coil (98, 298) variably generates a magnetic flux across the main fluid passage to variably change the damping stiffness of the mount. A rate dip track passage (120, 320) extends between the pumping chamber (64, 264) and receiving chamber (66, 266) for oscillating the magnetorheological fluid (68, 268) therethrough to decrease the dynamic stiffness of the mount apparatus (20, 220) at predetermined frequencies.