Abstract: A method for monitoring progress of a preheat cycle includes: at a start of a preheat cycle, receiving a baseline temperature measurement from a sensor; during the preheat cycle, receiving a plurality of current temperature measurements from the sensor; repeatedly calculating a progress indicator value for the preheat cycle from a baseline progress indicator value; and when a latest one of the plurality of current temperature measurements is less than an immediate prior one of the plurality of current temperature measurements, setting the baseline temperature measurement to the latest one of the plurality of current temperature measurements and setting the baseline progress indicator value to an immediate prior progress indicator value.

Abstract: A retractor assembly that includes a base portion in slidable engagement with two or more retractor arms with at least one of the retractor arms releasably securing a retractor blade configured to be anchored to a bone anchor. The retractor blade includes an elongate blade portion with a retractor engagement portion positioned at the proximal end of the elongate blade portion and an anchor mechanism positioned at the distal end of the elongate blade portion. The anchor mechanism includes a first jaw and second jaw configured to engage the bone implant. When closed around or anchored to the bone implant—which may be a shank of a modular screw system—the components of the modular screw are able to be assembled to the shank without adjusting, loosening, or opening the anchor mechanism.

Abstract: Vehicle control systems can include one or more location sensors, an energy storage device, one or more charge sensors and one or more vehicle computing devices. The location sensor(s) can determine a current location of a vehicle, while the charge sensor(s) can determine a current state of charge of an energy storage device that can be located onboard the vehicle to provide operating power for one or more vehicle systems. The vehicle computing device(s) can communicate the current location of the vehicle and current state of charge of the energy storage device to a remote computing device, receive from the remote computing device a charging control signal determined, at least in part, from the current location of the vehicle and the current state of charge of the energy storage device, and control charging of the energy storage device in accordance with the charging control signal.

Abstract: A surgical system may include a conductive stylet with a distal end advanceable into bone material and a proximal end coupled to a stylet hub. A handle is non-removably attached to the stylet hub, and removably attachable to an insulative cannula hub. The cannula hub is non-removably attached to a conductive cannula that surrounds the stylet when the handle is attached to the proximal end of the insulative cannula hub. An outer insulative sheath is slideably engaged to insulative cannula hub, and has a radio-opaque distal tip. An electrical signal source may be applied to the stylet hub to conduct a pedicle integrity assessment. The handle and stylet may be removed from the cannula assembly, leaving the cannula assembly in place at the surgical site.

Abstract: A contact tip assembly with a preheating tip comprises a welding-type power source configured to provide welding-type current to a welding-type circuit, the welding-type circuit comprising a welding-type electrode and a first contact tip of a welding torch. The assembly also includes an electrode preheating circuit configured to provide preheating current through a portion of the welding-type electrode via a second contact tip of the welding torch, and a voltage sense circuit to monitor a voltage drop across the two contact tips, and the electrode preheating circuit adjusts at least one of the first current or the preheating current based on the voltage drop.

Abstract: A foldable stringed instrument having a neck and/or body that may assume a reduced profile by folding an upper neck portion away from the playing position through the use of a translating bridge assembly and a translating truss assembly, wherein the foldable stringed instrument is capable of housing or otherwise being coupled to any of a variety of electronics or electrical components (e.g. a smart phone or tablet computer) having one or more applications (apps) for driving the operation, functionality and/or effects associated with the foldable stringed instrument.

Abstract: This application is directed to using a single instruction to initiate a sequence of computational operations related to a neural network. An electronic device receives a single instruction to apply a neural network operation to a set of M-bit elements stored in one or more input vector registers. In response to the single instruction, the electronic device implements the neural network operation on the set of M-bit elements to generate a set of P-bit elements by obtaining the set of M-bit elements from the one or more input vector registers, quantizing each of the set of M-bit elements from M bits to P bits, and packing the set of P-bit elements into an output vector register. P is smaller than M. In some embodiments, the neural network operation is a quantization operation including at least a multiplication with a quantization factor and an addition with a zero point.

Abstract: A device includes a processor that includes a rotation vector register file, a second vector register file, and multiply-accumulate circuitry (MAC). The rotation vector register file includes a rotation vector register. The rotation vector register file is configured to rotate data in the rotation vector register. The second vector register file includes a source vector register. The MAC is configured to receive first input data from the rotation vector register file and second input data from the source vector register.

Abstract: This application is directed to using a single instruction to initiate a sequence of computational operations related to a neural network activation function. An electronic device receives a single instruction to apply a linear activation operation to a set of first elements stored in one or more input vector registers. In response to the single instruction, the linear activation operation is implemented on the set of first elements to generate a set of output elements. For each first element, the electronic device detects a sign value of the respective first element, selects a respective scalar from one or more scalars based on the sign value, and applies the linear activation operation on the respective first element based on the selected respective scalar and a bias value to generate a respective element of the set of output elements. The electronic device quantizes the set of output elements.

Abstract: Methods and systems for characterizing extracellular vesicular biomarkers using a biochip with gold nanoparticles. The biochip includes a glass surface, a gold film layer on the glass surface, a plurality of gold nanoparticles coupled to the gold film layer, and a plurality of biotinylated antibodies coupled to the gold nanoparticles. In some implementations, the gold film layer of the biochip is coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). The biotinylated antibodies are selected to capture specific types of extracellular vesicles. PD-L1/PD-1 proteins and RNAs in extracellular vesicles were characterized for cancer immunotherapy.

Abstract: A computerized efficient data processing management method for imaging applications first performs a data flow graph generation by computing means using at least one image data and at least one requested task to generate a data flow graph. The method then applies a task execution scheduling using the data flow graph generated, a caching system configuration, the at least one image data and at least one requested task to schedule execution of the at least one requested task to generate task execution output. In addition, an adaptive data processing method performs caching system update and an optimal data processing method further performs data flow graph update.

Abstract: A leak detection sensor may be capable of dynamically adjusting a sampling time for acoustic data based on monitored fluid flow. The leak detection sensor monitors leak detection information associated with a fluid in a fluid transporting medium over a predetermined time interval, where the leak detection information comprises flow and pressure of the fluid in the fluid transporting medium, and processing the leak detection data monitored at the sampling time in the predetermined time interval, where the sampling time is determined based at least in part on the monitored flow of the fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides a (drug-containing) lipid nanoparticle with: (i) at least one phospholipid; (ii) at least one lysolipid; and (iii) at least one phospholipid comprising a hydrophilic polymer; and (iv) at least one structural lipid of formula (I) which has the following general structure: wherein R and R? are long hydrocarbyl hydrophobic chains, Y is a linker element, and PHG is a polar head group described as large according to its van der Waals radius, and which is different from the phospholipid (i). The lipid nanoparticle can release a drug (or API) from within the lipid nanoparticle as a result of focused ultrasound (FUS) applied continuously, at least twice, to a desired part of the body to induce hyperthermia (an increase in temperature). FUS is applied after the lipid nanoparticle containing the drug has been administered to the live subject, and causes controlled release of the drug at the desired site of the body.

Abstract: A method of operating a cooking appliance includes obtaining a set fluid temperature for a fluid within a cooking utensil, monitoring an actual fluid temperature via a first temperature sensor of a probe, determining a predicted air temperature above the fluid, monitoring an actual air temperature above the fluid via a second temperature sensor of the probe, comparing the actual air temperature to the predicted air temperature, and implementing a responsive action based on the comparison between the actual air temperature and the predicted air temperature.

Abstract: Various devices, apparatuses, and methods for transseptal puncture and crossing are disclosed herein. A transseptal puncture and crossing device can include novel puncture member having a crossing coil mated to a body portion to be able to both cross a tissue and allow a wire or guard be inserted through the puncture member. Though not required, the puncture member can have one or more of novel features, including a tapered coil portion, a transition cutter, a gripper coil portion, an atraumatic guard, and a shaped cutting wire. Methods for transseptal punctures and crossing include adding rotation, oscillation and/or ultrasound to a transseptal puncture device.

Abstract: Therapeutic extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing high copies of functional nucleic acids and other biomolecules are produced in large quantities by laying donor cells on a surface of a chip, adding various plasmids, other transfection vectors and their combinations to a buffer on the chip, applying a pulsulatic electric field across the cells laid on top of the chip surface and plasmids/vectors buffer solution below the chip surface, and collecting the EVs secreted by the transfected cells. The chip surface has a three-dimensional (3D) nanochannel electroporation (NEP) biochip formed on it, capable of handling large quantities of the donor cells. The buffer is adapted for receiving plasmids and other transfection vectors.

Abstract: A bakeware assembly includes a cooking utensil defining a sidewall having a utensil aperture defined therethrough along an insertion direction. A probe adapter is mounted to the sidewall and includes an adapter wall defining an inner surface that is angled relative to the insertion direction to define a tapered channel positioned over the utensil aperture. A temperature probe includes a probe shaft sized for passing through the utensil aperture and a probe base positioned on the probe shaft and being configured for receipt within the tapered channel of the probe adapter, wherein the probe base engages the adapter wall when the temperature probe is in an installed position.

Abstract: A testing device for locating parathyroid glands comprises a module for receiving an aspirated sample of fluid and tissue taken from a suspected parathyroid gland. The module contains a first membrane containing an anti-parathyroid antibody conjugated to nanoparticles for receiving the aspirated sample, resulting in the formation of a sample/conjugate mixture. That mixture flows across adjacent membranes to a test location containing anti-parathyroid and an indicator for parathormone. Presence of a sufficient quantity of parathormone in the conjugate of aspirated sample reaching the test line is evidenced by a readable change in the test line appearance.