Abstract: A method for producing a purified stream of vinyl chloride monomer, the method comprising (i) providing a gaseous stream that includes vinyl chloride monomer, carbon dioxide, and water; (ii) dehydrating the gaseous stream to remove substantially all of the water from the stream to thereby produce a substantially dehydrated stream; (iii) liquifying at least the vinyl chloride monomer within the substantially dehydrated stream; and (iv) separating the carbon dioxide as a gaseous stream from the liquid vinyl chloride monomer to thereby produce a purified vinyl chloride monomer stream.

Abstract: Inert matrices for use with ?-synuclein seed amplification assays (“?S-SAA” s) are provided. The inert matrices accurately reflect the absence of misfolded ?S protein when used as a negative control, in the form of no, perceptively low, or delayed ?S substrate self-aggregation, yet will readily permit aggregation of the ?S substrate with seeds when used as a positive control. The inert matrices may be used to screen for ?S-SAA reagent competence. The inert matrices may be used to dilute samples taken from peripheral biological matrices. Finally, the inert matrices may be used as a diluent for serial dilutions of ?S-SAA samples, to enable semi-quantitative versions of ?S-SAAs.

Abstract: Described herein are devices and methods for delivering implants that include multiple coupled anchors. The anchors are secured to tissue using a multi-opening guide tunnel that is configured to releasably retain one or more portions of the implant located between two of the anchors. The releasable retention of one or more intervening portions of the implant maintains the position of the implant and the guide tunnel until the implant is secured to the tissue. The multi-opening guide tunnel permits securement of the multiple anchors without requiring repositioning of the guide tunnel for each anchor.

Abstract: A fault-rectification method for an eccentric screw pump of a conveying apparatus for conveying viscous construction materials, comprising the steps of monitoring a start of a conveying operation of the eccentric screw pump by way of a characteristic-variable-monitoring program of a control device of the conveying apparatus, wherein a working-free program is executed by the control device of the eccentric screw pump if, for one or more characteristic variables. The characteristic-variable-monitoring program acquires characteristic-variable values which are stored, alone or in combination with one another, as fault values that indicate jamming of a rotor/stator unit of the eccentric screw pump, and wherein otherwise a conveying operation is begun. The eccentric screw pump is operated in the working-free program in such a way that an electric motor of a drive unit of the conveying apparatus is multiply alternately switched on and switched off.

Abstract: A liquid delivery system includes a source of hydraulic fluid and a hydraulic cylinder fluidically coupled to the source of hydraulic fluid and having a hydraulic piston movable between first and second limit positions. The liquid deliver system includes a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the hydraulic cylinder and a sensor device located outside the hydraulic cylinder and configured to sense a position of the rod and to generate a signal indicating the sensed position. The liquid delivery system includes a liquid cylinder comprising a liquid piston, operably driven by the rod, to pump a liquid along a flow path to a fluid applicator.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for releasing a catheter from an implant may include a catheter comprising first and second elongate elements, first and second elongate element lumens, a tissue anchor lumen, apertures corresponding to each of the lumens, and retaining portions between adjacent apertures. The first elongate element may extend out of its lumen through the first elongate element aperture, across the retaining portion transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis, and towards the second elongate element aperture. The first elongate element may then extend into the second elongate element aperture, loop over the second elongate element, and extend back across the retaining portion and into the first elongate element lumen. In some instances, the second elongate element is retracted to uncouple the first and second elongate elements from each other and to open a channel for the release of tethered tissue anchors.

Abstract: Inert matrices for use with ?-synuclein seed amplification assays (?S-SAAs) are provided. The inert matrices accurately reflect the absence of misfolded ?S protein when used as a negative control, in the form of no, perceptively low, or delayed ?S substrate self-aggregation, yet will readily permit aggregation of the ?S substrate with seeds when used as a positive control. The inert matrices may be used to screen for ?S-SAA reagent competence. The inert matrices may be used to dilute samples taken from peripheral biological matrices. Finally, the inert matrices may be used as a diluent for serial dilutions of ?S-SAA samples, to enable semi-quantitative versions of ?S-SAAs.

Abstract: Briefly stated, the invention is directed to retrieving a semantically matched knowledge structure. A question and answer pair is received, wherein the answer is received from a query of a search engine. A question is constraint-matched with the answer based on maximizing a plurality of constraints, wherein at least one of the plurality of the constraints is a similarity score between question and answer, wherein the constraint matching generates a matched sequence. For one or more answer sequences, a subsequence is found that are not parsed as answer slots. Query results are obtained from another search engine based on a combination of the answer or question, and the non-answer subsequence. And a KB based is refined on the query results and the constraint matching and based on a neural network training, for a further subsequent semantic matching, wherein the KB includes a dense semantic vector indication of concepts.

Abstract: A liquid delivery system includes a source of hydraulic fluid and a hydraulic cylinder fluidically coupled to the source of hydraulic fluid and having a hydraulic piston movable between first and second limit positions. The liquid delivery system includes a rod connected to the piston and extending out of the hydraulic cylinder and a sensor device located outside the hydraulic cylinder and configured to sense a position of the rod and to generate a signal indicating the sensed position. The liquid delivery system includes a liquid cylinder comprising a liquid piston, operably driven by the rod, to pump a liquid along a flow path to a fluid applicator.

Abstract: Described herein are devices and methods for delivering implants that include multiple coupled anchors. The anchors are secured to tissue using a multi-opening guide tunnel that is configured to releasably retain one or more portions of the implant located between two of the anchors. The releasable retention of one or more intervening portions of the implant maintains the position of the implant and the guide tunnel until the implant is secured to the tissue. The multi-opening guide tunnel permits securement of the multiple anchors without requiring repositioning of the guide tunnel for each anchor.

Abstract: An injection molding apparatus and hot runner system are disclosed. The injection molding apparatus includes a plurality of mold plates in which the hot runner system is received. A manifold receives molding material and has a manifold channel that extends between an inlet and an outlet. A nozzle delivers moldable material to a mold cavity. The nozzle has a nozzle channel in fluid communication between the manifold channel and the mold cavity. A valve pin seal is located at the upstream end of the nozzle, and a valve pin that is connected to an actuator extends through the manifold and nozzle is slidably received in the valve pin seal. The hot runner system further includes a thermal bridge that is in conductive thermal communication with the valve pin seal and a cooled one of the plurality of mold plates.

Abstract: A device includes a body and a clipping mechanism including first and second clipping members. At least the first member is rotatably coupled to a distal end of the body so that the mechanism transitions between Closed State, in which distal ends of the members are in abutting contact, and Open State, in which the first member is rotated away from the second member to allow an adhesive material to be extended distally past the distal ends. A working channel of the device is formed in the body and components of the mechanism. The channel extends longitudinally through the device so that the material passes into a proximal end of the channel, through the channel, and distally past the distal ends when the mechanism is in Open State, whereupon the mechanism transitions into Closed State and a portion of the material severed and applied to target.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of isolating and preparing live African Swine Fever (ASF) viruses (ASFV) and an ASFV vaccine composed of ASF virus particles. ASF viral components, and/or immunosuppressive protein factors. The ASFV vaccine can be used to immunize pigs and wild boars, or can be used to immunize species other than pig or wild boar, such as fowl, bovine, goat, rabbit, donkey or horse, to generate polyclonal immunoglobulins with broad-spectrum specificity to the ASFV. The ASFV-specific immunoglobulins then can be extracted and purified. The ASFV-specific immunoglobulins can provide acute treatment of ASF-infected pigs or wild boars or preventative treatment for pigs or wild boars at risk of ASF, for example that may have been exposed to ASFV or ASFV-infected subjects.

Abstract: A paint spraying system includes a paint spray gun, a spray tip removably coupled to the paint spray gun and having a tip orifice configured to output paint atomized in a spray pattern, the spray tip further including a readable element, a pump configured to pump the paint from a paint source to the paint spray gun, and a reader coupled to the paint spray gun and configured to read the readable element and to generate a signal indicative of an identifier of the spray tip. The system includes one or more processors configured to determine an identity of the spray tip based on the signal generated by the reader, identify a characteristic of the spray tip based on the identity of the spray tip, and generate a control signal based, at least in part, on the identified characteristic of the spray tip.

Abstract: In some aspects, a method, a system, or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are described for using a machine learning (ML) model to obtain annotations of a pathology slide image obtained in a first imaging modality, where the ML model is trained based in part on images obtained from a second imaging modality different from the first imaging modality. The first imaging modality is a conventional scanner for whole-slide images (WSI). The second imaging modality may include one or more of multispectral imaging (MSI), polarization imaging, quantitative phase imaging, or a combination thereof. The trained ML model can generate annotations that include more details with higher accuracy in comparison to annotating based on the WSI images alone.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for denoising images of samples produced using polarization microscopy. Polarization images captured by polarization microscopy contain not only signals produced from polarization, but also signals produced from scattering by artifacts (e.g., crystals and/or hemosiderin). These off-target signals reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the birefringent substance of interest, and reduce the utility and accuracy of polarization microscopy for substance quantification. The techniques developed by the inventors and described herein reduce noise resulting from scattering, thus enabling much cleaner, noise-reduced images. The images so produced can be either directly visualized by a medical practitioner or used for downstream machine-learning models. Noise reduction involves i) dividing an image in segments (e.g., pixels or groups of pixels), ii) performing spectral analysis of each segment, and iii) separating each segment on the basis of its spectral profiles.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for releasing a catheter from an implant may include a catheter comprising first and second elongate elements, first and second elongate element lumens, a tissue anchor lumen, apertures corresponding to each of the lumens, and retaining portions between adjacent apertures. The first elongate element may extend out of its lumen through the first elongate element aperture, across the retaining portion transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis, and towards the second elongate element aperture. The first elongate element may then extend into the second elongate element aperture, loop over the second elongate element, and extend back across the retaining portion and into the first elongate element lumen. In some instances, the second elongate element is retracted to uncouple the first and second elongate elements from each other and to open a channel for the release of tethered tissue anchors.

Abstract: A fluid spraying system includes a fluid applicator having a tip that atomizes a fluid. The fluid spraying system also includes a pump configure to pump the fluid from a fluid source to the tip and a control system. The control system identifies at least one characteristic of the tip or the fluid and communicatively couples to the pump. The control system also controls an operating characteristic of the fluid spraying system based on a characteristic of the tip or the fluid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structure for attachment/detachment of an energy pack for an electric vehicle and, more specifically, a structure for attachment/detachment of an energy pack for an electric vehicle, wherein: the energy capacity of a main energy supply device is reduced, and thereby fuel economy/efficiency can be increased through weight reduction; and an energy pack capable of additional energy supply is separately provided and detachably attached inside the vehicle depending on the travel distance of the vehicle, and thereby the driving conditions of the electric vehicle can be optimized without a need to change driving qualifications.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a delivery apparatus for carrying out the method, wherein the delivery apparatus comprises an eccentric screw pump having a rotor-stator unit with an outlet, a drive unit, a control device and a delivery section, and wherein the delivery apparatus comprises at least one pressure sensor and a characteristic-variable detection device.