Abstract: Provided are self-powered actively steerable converter dollies (SPASCDs) for long combination vehicles (LCVs), LCVs utilizing SPASCDs, and methods of operating such LCVs. These SPASCDs could be used with conventional tractors and/or specifically configured tractors. A SPASCD may include an electrical drive, which can generate power (e.g., to charge SPASCD's battery) or generate torque using the electrical power stored in SPASCD's battery (e.g., to assist the tractor during acceleration or going uphill). The SPASCD also comprises steerable wheels and a steering component, configured to change the steering angle of the steerable wheels. The steering angle may be changed in response to various inputs, such as the steering angle of the tractor's front steerable wheels, the steering angle of the steerable wheels of another trailer in the same LCV, sensor inputs, and the like. This steering feature allows change the track of the SPASCD, e.g., to follow the tractor's track.

Abstract: An image acquisition and analysis system is disclosed. The system enables high throughput, objective analysis of microbial samples over days or weeks. The system may accommodate upwards of twelve 96- or 384-well plates simultaneously (liquid or solid media). The system may acquire and analyze a large number of samples in a short period of time. For example, over 384 samples per minute or 18,432 samples per hour. The system hardware may include a multi-spectral imager (fluorescence and bright field detection), electro-mechanical assemblies, and an optional high-resolution stage. The system may automate image acquisition, image data processing, simplify data storage, and enable automated analysis tools to significantly reduce the manual labor and time associated with such tasks. The system may allow for quick processing and analysis of data into clear phenotypic classes.

Abstract: Provided are turbine engines and methods of operating thereof by heating and evaporating liquid fuels in a controlled manner prior to burning. Specifically, a fuel is heated and evaporated while avoiding coking. Coking is caused by pyrolysis when the fuel contacts a metal surface within a certain temperature range, which is referred herein to a coking temperature range. In the described methods, the fuel is transferred from one component, maintained below the coking temperature range, to another component, maintained above this range. The fuel is airborne and does not contact any metal surfaces during this transfer, and coking does not occur. In some examples, the fuel is also mixed with hot air during this transfer. The heated fuel, e.g., as an air-fuel mixture, is then supplied into a combustor, where more air is added to reach flammability conditions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a geared traction drive system configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a driveshaft for transmitting power to the wheel; an electric drive motor for driving the driveshaft, the electric drive motor configured to receive signals from a vehicle dynamic control system to command a required speed; a gear reduction component for reducing the speed of the motor by a predetermined factor to a lower speed suitable for driving the wheel; and a drive electronics component that works with the electric drive motor to drive the wheel to the speed commanded by the vehicle dynamic control system.

Abstract: A loading assembly for crimping and loading a prosthetic heart valve into a delivery device includes a loading base, a base funnel, and a compression member. The loading base has a support and a body extending from the support with a recess defined within the body. The recess is configured to receive a substantial portion of the annulus section of the heart valve in an at least partially collapsed condition. The base funnel is configured to be coupled to the loading base and to at least partially collapse the annulus section of the heart valve as it is inserted into the recess in the loading base. The compression member is configured to be coupled to the loading base with the heart valve inserted in the recess for further collapsing the heart valve and loading it into the delivery device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for securing a data connection for communicating between two end-points are described herein. One of the end-points may be a server and the other of the end-points may be a client that wants to communicate with the server. The data connection may be secured based on a previously-established secure connection and/or a self-signed or self-issued certificate. In some variations, by using the previously-established secure connection and/or a self-signed or self-issued certificate, the secure communication between the server and the client may be conducted without using a third-party authentication service and without requiring a third-party CA to issue a certificate for the server.

Abstract: An x-ray spectrum collected from a sample via excitation of the sample by an electron beam includes artifacts due to interaction volume, surface effects, contamination, or other interferences with the desired collection of representative x-rays from the sample. Inline spectral correlation, summation, averaging, other aggregation, or combinations thereof provides more precise collection of x-ray spectrum from multi-phase, unprepared, particle, or complex samples.

Abstract: Provided are self-powered actively steerable converter dollies (SPASCDs) for long combination vehicles (LCVs), LCVs utilizing SPASCDs, and methods of operating such LCVs. These SPASCDs could be used with conventional tractors and/or specifically configured tractors. A SPASCD may include an electrical drive, which can generate power (e.g., to charge SPASCD's battery) or generate torque using the electrical power stored in SPASCD's battery (e.g., to assist the tractor during acceleration or going uphill). The SPASCD also comprises steerable wheels and a steering component, configured to change the steering angle of the steerable wheels. The steering angle may be changed in response to various inputs, such as the steering angle of the tractor's front steerable wheels, the steering angle of the steerable wheels of another trailer in the same LCV, sensor inputs, and the like. This steering feature allows change the track of the SPASCD, e.g., to follow the tractor's track.

Abstract: Provided are gearboxes including compound planet gear assemblies as well as methods of using such gearboxes. A gearbox includes at least a first ring gear and a second ring gear. Depending on the current gear selection, one of these ring gears may be engaged with a shifting mechanism or not engaged with any ring gears when in a neutral gear. The first ring gear may be constantly engaged with a first planet gear of a compound planet gear assembly, while the second ring gear may be constantly engaged with a second planet gear of the same compound planet gear assembly. The first planet gear may be also engaged with a sun gear coupled to a shaft. Another shaft is coupled to the shifting mechanism. Different gear selections of the gearbox engage different ring gears to the shifting mechanism thereby changing the rotational speed ratio of the two shafts.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a geared traction drive system configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a driveshaft for transmitting power to the wheel; an electric drive motor for driving the driveshaft, the electric drive motor configured to receive signals from a vehicle dynamic control system to command a required speed; a gear reduction component for reducing the speed of the motor by a predetermined factor to a lower speed suitable for driving the wheel; and a drive electronics component that works with the electric drive motor to drive the wheel to the speed commanded by the vehicle dynamic control system.

Abstract: An x-ray spectrum collected from a sample via excitation of the sample by an electron beam includes artifacts due to interaction volume, surface effects, contamination, or other interferences with the desired collection of representative x-rays from the sample. Inline spectral correlation, summation, averaging, other aggregation, or combinations thereof provides more precise collection of x-ray spectrum from multi-phase, unprepared, particle, or complex samples.

Abstract: A diffraction pattern is averaged with adjacent diffraction patterns to increase a signal to noise ratio thereof and improve indexing accuracy. The pixels of a diffraction pattern image are averaged with a correlated pixel from one or more adjacent diffraction patterns. Noise artifacts are reduced in intensity, while signals present in each of the patterns reinforce one another to produce an averaged diffraction pattern which is then indexed.

Abstract: Provided are gearboxes including compound planet gear assemblies as well as methods of using such gearboxes. A gearbox includes at least a first ring gear and a second ring gear. Depending on the current gear selection, one of these ring gears may be engaged with a shifting mechanism or not engaged with any ring gears when in a neutral gear. The first ring gear may be constantly engaged with a first planet gear of a compound planet gear assembly, while the second ring gear may be constantly engaged with a second planet gear of the same compound planet gear assembly. The first planet gear may be also engaged with a sun gear coupled to a shaft. Another shaft is coupled to the shifting mechanism. Different gear selections of the gearbox engage different ring gears to the shifting mechanism thereby changing the rotational speed ratio of the two shafts.

Abstract: Provided are gearboxes including compound planet gear assemblies as well as methods of using such gearboxes. A gearbox includes at least a first ring gear and a second ring gear. Depending on the current gear selection, one of these ring gears may be engaged with a shifting mechanism or not engaged with any ring gears when in a neutral gear. The first ring gear may be constantly engaged with a first planet gear of a compound planet gear assembly, while the second ring gear may be constantly engaged with a second planet gear of the same compound planet gear assembly. The first planet gear may be also engaged with a sun gear coupled to a shaft. Another shaft is coupled to the shifting mechanism. Different gear selections of the gearbox engage different ring gears to the shifting mechanism thereby changing the rotational speed ratio of the two shafts.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a geared traction drive system configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a driveshaft for transmitting power to the wheel; an electric drive motor for driving the driveshaft, the electric drive motor configured to receive signals from a vehicle dynamic control system to command a required speed; a gear reduction component for reducing the speed of the motor by a predetermined factor to a lower speed suitable for driving the wheel; and a drive electronics component that works with the electric drive motor to drive the wheel to the speed commanded by the vehicle dynamic control system.

Abstract: A movable game controller for controlling aspects of a computer controlled game display with apparatus for determining the linear and angular motion of that movable controller. The apparatus includes a plurality of self-contained inertial sensors for sensing the tri-axial linear and tri-axial angular motion of the moving controller. Each sensor is mounted at a fixed linear position and orientation with respect to the others. The linear and angular motion of the controller is computed from the correlated motion sensor readings of each of the plurality of self-contained inertial sensors.

Abstract: A diffraction pattern is averaged with adjacent diffraction patterns to increase a signal to noise ratio thereof and improve indexing accuracy. The pixels of a diffraction pattern image are averaged with a correlated pixel from one or more adjacent diffraction patterns. Noise artifacts are reduced in intensity, while signals present in each of the patterns reinforce one another to produce an averaged diffraction pattern which is then indexed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a geared traction drive system configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a driveshaft for transmitting power to the wheel; an electric drive motor for driving the driveshaft, the electric drive motor configured to receive signals from a vehicle dynamic control system to command a required speed; a gear reduction component for reducing the speed of the motor by a predetermined factor to a lower speed suitable for driving the wheel; and a drive electronics component that works with the electric drive motor to drive the wheel to the speed commanded by the vehicle dynamic control system.

Abstract: A video gaming system includes a wireless controller that senses linear and angular acceleration to calculate paths of controller movement over a broad range of controller motion. The system also includes an electromagnetic alignment element, such as a set of LEDS. The controller includes an additional sensor to sense light from the LEDs over a relatively restricted range of controller motion, and use this sensed light to dynamically calibrate the controller when the controller passes through the restricted range of motion over which the sensor senses the light.

Abstract: A battery system is provided in which the batteries are mounted between a pair of substrates, the system further including at least one cooling tube mounted next to the batteries, the cooling tube used to withdraw heat from the batteries via a circulating liquid coolant.