Abstract: A pollinating device for pollinating crop plants includes a base mountable on a carriage. At least one pollination unit is mounted on the base and includes a pollen-releasing apparatus configured to release pollen from male flowers of the plants and at least one nozzle for directing fluid along a flow path for delivering at least some of the released pollen to the pollen-receiving rows of crop plants. Certain pollinating devices include multiple pollination units spaced apart along a width of the base. Some pollination units include at least two opposing nozzles. Plants are pollinated by driving the carriage along a field and directing air from the nozzles over the pollen born by some plants to deliver the pollen to female flowers of other plants in the field.

Abstract: A transmission includes at least one shift element for which both the apply pressure and the release pressure are actively controlled. A controller adjusts the torque capacity of the shift element by varying the apply pressure and the release pressure in a coordinated fashion. During particular events, such as a shift event with the shift element as oncoming element or holding element, both the apply pressure and the release pressure are monotonically increased, mitigating the effect of hysteresis.

Abstract: A pollinating device for pollinating crop plants includes a base mountable on a carriage. At least one pollination unit is mounted on the base and includes a pollen-releasing apparatus configured to release pollen from male flowers of the plants and at least one nozzle for directing fluid along a flow path for delivering at least some of the released pollen to the pollen-receiving rows of crop plants. Certain pollinating devices include multiple pollination units spaced apart along a width of the base. Some pollination units include at least two opposing nozzles. Plants are pollinated by driving the carriage along a field and directing air from the nozzles over the pollen born by some plants to deliver the pollen to female flowers of other plants in the field.

Abstract: A transmission includes at least one shift element for which both the apply pressure and the release pressure are actively controlled. A controller adjusts the torque capacity of the shift element by varying the apply pressure and the release pressure in a coordinated fashion.

Abstract: Offers for goods or services are targeted more efficiently to potential consumers by using a loyalty graph having nodes that correspond to users and edges that correspond to relationships between the users. The offers are transmitted to only superusers, corresponding to supernodes in the loyalty graph. By targeting only the superusers, the number of invitations transmitted as part of the promotion is reduced. The superusers are determined by calculating a weighted score for each node. Each weighted score corresponds to a number of directed connections between a node and its leaf nodes, with the supernodes determined as the subset of nodes having a weighted sum above a pre-determined threshold. After identifying superusers, subgraphs can be generated corresponding to each superuser. The subgraphs can be selected according to different criteria. In this way, promotions can be targeted to superusers in only selected subgraphs or to all the users in selected subgraphs.

Abstract: A predominantly .beta.'-sialon-bonded silicon carbide refractory article is produced by reaction-nitriding a green body containing a plurality of silicon carbide powders, none having an average particle size greater than about 200 micrometers, a metal oxide oxygen source, fine grained silicon, and a source of aluminum. The invention also includes a raw batch and a process for producing the refractory article.

Abstract: A refractory that is highly resistant to sequential steam oxidation and molten alkali attack is formed by reaction nitriding a mixture of silicon carbide grain, silicon metal and aluminum metal. The refractory is suitable as a blast furnace lining.