Abstract: A knife (10) having a body (16) with a handle (14) and a blade (12), the blade having two sides (22), an upper edge (18) and a sharp lower edge (20) for cutting, the body having an upper side which includes at least two indentations (42, 48) which are spaced apart from one another, wherein at least one of the indentations is formed in the upper edge of the blade.

Abstract: Devices and minimally invasive methods for reducing the size of a cardiac valve annulus in a beating heart. Embodiments of the methods can include advancing an energy delivery catheter into the heart proximate a cardiac valve annulus, the energy delivery catheter having at least two electrodes. Then advancing the two electrodes such that the two electrodes pierce into the cardiac valve annulus at a distance from one another. The methods further include applying an approximating force to at least one of the two electrodes, thereby reducing the distance between the two electrodes, and applying energy between the at least two electrodes, thereby heating and shrinking the annulus in a direction of the approximating force.

Abstract: A thermal welding marking system for attachment to a thermal welding machine including: a hammer arm rotatably connected to a mounting bracket attached to the thermal welding machine, wherein a distal end of the hammer arm is shaped to receive a marker or pen therein; a cable or spring connected to the distal end of the hammer arm; a cable connecting the hammer arm to a hand lever mounted adjacent to hand controls on the thermal welding machine, wherein movement of the hand lever raises or lowers the distal end of the hammer arm and thereby raises or lowers the marker or pen therein. In operation, the thermal welding machine is advanced across the edges of overlapping building roofing material and the marker or pen is intermittently lowered/raised to mark locations along a seam of the edges of overlapping building roofing material where the seam is either open or closed.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of aggregate banding comprising defining an aggregate banding dimension for a first data source, the aggregate banding dimension including at least one aggregation variable, at least one banding variable, and at least one band based at least partly on the at least one banding variable; summarizing the data source based at least partly on the at least one aggregation variable, the summary including at least one distinct value of the at least one aggregation variable; and defining a mapping relationship of the at least one distinct value of the at least one aggregation variable to the or respective band(s) based on the value of the at least one banding variable. The invention further provides related systems and processor-executable instructions.

Abstract: Prosthetic heart valve devices for percutaneous replacement of native heart valves and associated systems and method are disclosed herein. A prosthetic heart valve device configured in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present technology can include a valve support having an upstream end and a downstream end extending around a longitudinal axis and having a cross-sectional shape. The valve support can have an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is configured to support a prosthetic valve. The device can also include an expandable retainer coupled to the upstream end of the valve support. The retainer can be configured to engage tissue on or near the annulus. In some embodiments, the valve support is mechanically isolated from the retainer such that the cross-sectional shape of the valve support remains sufficiently stable when the retainer is deformed in a non-circular shape by engagement with the tissue.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method may comprise coupling a plurality of reinforcement fibers to a plurality of spherical components; inserting the plurality of spherical components into an enclosure; and heating the enclosure to cause the plurality of spherical components to expand, wherein the plurality of spherical components expands to form a geodesic structure, wherein the geodesic structure comprises a plurality of polyhedron components configured in a geodesic arrangement.

Abstract: This invention relates to compounds of general formula (I) in which R1, R2, R3, R4, L, X and Z are as defined herein, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and salts, and to methods of using such compounds, salts and compositions for the treatment of abnormal cell growth, including cancer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound of formula I; wherein R1 is an alkyl pyrazole or an alkyl carboxamide, and R2 is a hydroxycycloalkyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and compositions containing these compounds, for use to treat a brain tumor, particularly glioblastoma. The invention provides effective treatment of a brain tumor and can be used by oral administration of a compound of Formula I as further described herein. The invention also provides a method to treat a subject having a brain tumor such as glioblastoma, wherein the method comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of Formula I. Gene signatures correlated with successful treatment using these methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to fluid bed processes that utilize silica particles as a fluidization aid. The process comprises reacting one or more reactants in a reactor comprising a fluid bed to form a product. The fluid bed comprises a catalyst composition comprising a catalyst and an inert additive composition comprising silica particles from 0.5 wt % to 30 wt %, based on the total weight of the catalyst composition. The silica particles are discrete, inert particles that are mixed with the catalyst in the fluid bed.

Abstract: A travel pillow has an integral head portion that can be positioned behind the head of the traveler during use. The travel pillow incorporates a charging station in one of the forwardly extending arms and a stress reliever in the opposing arm. A Bluetooth™ audio system is included to pair with selected electronic devices to enhance the entertainment of the traveler. The pillow also includes a central opening, corresponding for positioning the traveler's neck, which receives a removable snack bowl and lid, held in place within the central opening by a releasable closure device on the opposing arms of the travel pillow. The lid can be formed to receive an electronic device, such as a cell phone or a digital device generating sound received by the audio system. The head portion can be formed as an animal head with the stress reliever being the tail of the animal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for isolating audio content and biometric authentication include receiving, with an audio receiver, an audio signal spanning a plurality of frequency bands, identifying a speech signal carried by a voice frequency band selected from the plurality of frequency bands, enhancing the speech signal relative to other audio content within the audio signal, and extracting a voice profile key that uniquely identifies the speech signal, wherein enhancing the first speech signal comprises adjusting attack and release times of the speech signal based on sound events within the speech signal, the attack time being associated with very high frequency sounds that are not phase-shifted.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and computing devices are described herein for restoring gameplay by replaying past inputs. During gameplay, capture logic captures participant inputs that were received to change states of game objects. The capture logic stores the captured information in an electronic record of period(s) of the gameplay. After the period(s) of gameplay, replay logic receives a request to initiate subsequent gameplay beginning from a point in time from a period of past gameplay. The replay logic causes the subsequent gameplay to begin from the point at least in part by loading saved state information and replaying the captured participant inputs.

Abstract: A heart valve repair device, comprising an atrial-fixation member having an expandable mesh configured to have oval or circular shape in a deployed configuration, the atrial-fixation member defining a central lumen; and a baffle extending from a portion of the atrial-fixation member, the baffle having an anterior portion with a smooth, atraumatic surface configured to coapt with at least a portion of one or more native leaflets of a native heart valve, a posterior portion configured to engage and displace at least a portion of another native leaflet of the native heart valve, wherein the baffle extends radially inward from the atrial-fixation member into the central lumen to approximate a closed position of the displaced native leaflet.

Abstract: A knife (10) having a body (16) with a handle (14) and a blade (12), the blade having two sides (22), an upper edge (18) and a sharp lower edge (20) for cutting, the body having an upper side which includes at least two indentations (42, 48) which are spaced apart from one another, wherein at least one of the indentations is formed in the upper edge of the blade.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the area of improved anti-IgE antibodies and antigen binding agents, and compositions thereof, which target IgE, for instance: for use in treating disorders caused by IgE (such as allergic responses, or certain autoimmune responses); and, in particular, disorders caused by the interaction of IgE with the Fc?RI receptor. In particular, this invention relates to improved anti-IgE antibodies and antigen binding agents related to novel mutants of omalizumab (Xolair®). The improved anti-IgE antibodies and antigen binding agents of the invention may have improved affinity for IgE and/or an improved interaction with the C?2 domain of IgE and/or an improved modified epitope on IgE (for instance further involving the C?2 domain of IgE) and/or the ability to disassociate IgE from the Fc?RI receptor for instance at pharmaceutically-relevant concentrations.

Abstract: A software program is executed, the software program requiring one or more physical interactions with a user through an input/output (I/O) device, wherein each of the one or more physical interactions includes respective predefined dimensions indicating a proficiency in performing one of the one or more physical interactions. The one or more physical interactions are tracked. A familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions is generated based on the respective predefined dimensions for each of the one or more physical interactions. The software program is customized based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions.

Abstract: A software program is executed, the software program requiring one or more physical interactions with a user through an input/output (I/O) device, wherein each of the one or more physical interactions includes respective predefined dimensions indicating a proficiency in performing one of the one or more physical interactions. The one or more physical interactions are tracked. A familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions is generated based on the respective predefined dimensions for each of the one or more physical interactions. The software program is customized based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound of formula I; wherein R1 is an alkyl pyrazole or an alkyl carboxamide, and R2 is a hydroxycycloalkyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and compositions containing these compounds, for use to treat a brain tumor, particularly glioblastoma. The invention provides effective treatment of a brain tumor and can be used by oral administration of a compound of Formula I as further described herein. The invention also provides a method to treat a subject having a brain tumor such as glioblastoma, wherein the method comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of Formula I. Gene signatures correlated with successful treatment using these methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for initiating secure operations in a microprocessor system is described. In one embodiment, one initiating logical processor initiates the process by halting the execution of the other logical processors, and then loading initialization and secure virtual machine monitor software into memory. The initiating processor then loads the initialization software into secure memory for authentication and execution. The initialization software then authenticates and registers the secure virtual machine monitor software prior to secure system operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for initiating secure operations in a microprocessor system is described. In one embodiment, one initiating logical processor initiates the process by halting the execution of the other logical processors, and then loading initialization and secure virtual machine monitor software into memory. The initiating processor then loads the initialization software into secure memory for authentication and execution. The initialization software then authenticates and registers the secure virtual machine monitor software prior to secure system operations.