Abstract: A horizontal muffler for an agricultural vehicle is provided. One agricultural vehicle includes an exhaust system having a muffler configured to direct exhaust out of an engine and to reduce a noise of the exhaust. The agricultural vehicle also includes a steering wheel configured to control steering of the agricultural vehicle. The muffler is disposed forward of the steering wheel relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural vehicle. Moreover, the muffler extends in a substantially horizontal direction such that a flow of the exhaust through the muffler is substantially parallel to a ground surface.

Abstract: A multilayer coating systems suitable for use as optical interference filters in lighting systems, for example, halogen lamps. Such an optical interference filter contains alternating layers of a high refractive index material and a low refractive index material. The high refractive index material consists of niobia, titania, and incidental impurities and contains either about 25 to less than 50 mol % titania and the balance niobia and incidental impurities, or contains about 60 to about 80 mol % titania and the balance niobia and incidental impurities.

Abstract: A centralized social network tool is configured to interface with and integrates into one or more videogames and/or videogame series. The social network tool may be integral to the theme of the games and be pervasive within game play. The social network may drive progression of the story and interaction between characters. According to another aspect of the invention, the members of the social network may include actual members (corresponding to real people) and virtual members (e.g., artificial intelligence controlled bot members). The virtual members may be part of the social network and may interact with real members within and outside of the game as part of the theme of the game.

Abstract: A pipe connector comprises a first pipe section 2 having a first end 2a and having teeth 17 formed on its outer surface proximate to but spaced axially apart from the first end 2a. A second pipe section 3 having a second end 3 which, in use, is to be connection to the first end 2a of the first pipe section 2. A sleeve 8 is slidably mounted on the outer surface of the second pipe section for movement between a first extended position, in which a front end 8a of the sleeve 8 projects beyond the second end 3 of the second pipe section so as, in use, to overlap the first end 2a of the first pipe section 2 when abutted against the second end 3 of the second pipe section, and a second retracted position in which said front end is withdrawn so as at least to be aligned with the second end 3 of the second pipe section, the sleeve 8 having teeth 13 formed on it outer surface at least in the region of the front end 8a.

Abstract: A method for dynamically provisioning a machine with applications to assist with work is a cloud computing environment is described. In one embodiment, such a method includes identifying a machine available for provisioning with at least one application. The method identifies work associated with a cloud computing environment. Responsive to identifying the work, the method determines how the machine can most optimally assist with the work. The method then dynamically provisions the machine with at least one application selected to enable the machine to most optimally assist with the work. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A protective cover having a front cover, a rear cover including a middle rear cover, an exterior rear cover, and a folding portion that connects the middle rear cover to the exterior rear cover, an articulable back that connects the rear cover to the front cover, a holding sheet that is attached to an inner surface of the exterior rear cover and is not attached to the middle rear cover, the holding sheet having bands located at corners of the holding sheet, the bands configured to be attached to corners of an electronic device for securing the electronic device to the protective cover, and an anti-slip pad attached to an inner surface of the front cover.

Abstract: A system and method are configured to provide a videogame to one or more players. The videogame may involve a series of different sets of content within which players perform activities. A group of players may be associated with the content sets. The players may include virtual players controlled by artificial intelligence and one or more real world players. Players may progress through the videogame by moving from content sets to content sets, performing objectives in the various content sets, and interacting with the players within those content sets.

Abstract: A protective cover having a front cover, a rear cover including a middle rear cover, an exterior rear cover, and a folding portion that connects the middle rear cover to the exterior rear cover, an articulable back that connects the rear cover to the front cover, a holding member that is attached to an inner surface of the exterior rear cover and not attached to the middle rear cover for securing the electronic device to the protective cover, and a battery attached to the middle rear cover.

Abstract: A protective cover having a front cover, a rear cover including a middle rear cover, an exterior rear cover, and a folding portion that connects the middle rear cover to the exterior rear cover, an articulable back that connects the rear cover to the front cover, a holding sheet that is attached to an inner surface of the exterior rear cover and is not attached to the middle rear cover, the holding sheet having bands located at corners of the holding sheet, the bands configured to be attached to corners of an electronic device for securing the electronic device to the protective cover, and an anti-slip pad attached to an inner surface of the front cover.

Abstract: A method includes decompressing first compressed video data to provide uncompressed video data in a first order. The method includes compressing the uncompressed video data to provide second compressed video data in a second order. The decompressing and compressing are based on first and second compression rates, respectively. The first order may be based on fundamental blocks of a frame of video data and the second order is based on lines of the frame of video data. The compressing may include alternating compression of partial portions of a first line of uncompressed video data with compression of partial portions of at least a second line of uncompressed video data to thereby generate a first line of compressed video data corresponding to the first line of uncompressed video data and at least a second line of compressed video data corresponding to the second line of uncompressed video data.

Abstract: A modular distillation apparatus including at least one heat exchanger that preheats contaminated liquids: a heater that heats the contaminated liquid from the heat exchanger; an evaporator condenser adapted o boil the contaminated liquid coming out of the heater to produce water vapor and contaminant concentrate, and condenser the water vapor into distilled water; a vacuum chamber capable of operating at below atmospheric pressure, the vacuum chamber housing the evaporator condenser and including at least one partition to separate the distilled water from the contaminate concentrate; a vapor compressor operably associated with the vacuum chamber to receive water vapor from the evaporator condenser in the vacuum chamber and pump the water vapor at pressure back through the evaporator condenser, wherein the heat exchanger recovers sensible heat from outgoing condensed distilled water and contaminant concentrate recycled from the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A system and method are configured to provide a videogame to one or more players. The videogame may involve a series of different sets of content within which players perform activities. A group of players may be associated with the content sets. The players may include virtual players controlled by artificial intelligence and one or more real world players. Players may progress through the videogame by moving from content sets to content sets, performing objectives in the various content sets, and interacting with the players within those content sets.

Abstract: A horizontal muffler for an agricultural vehicle is provided. One agricultural vehicle includes an exhaust system having a muffler configured to direct exhaust out of an engine and to reduce a noise of the exhaust. The agricultural vehicle also includes a steering wheel configured to control steering of the agricultural vehicle. The muffler is disposed forward of the steering wheel relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural vehicle. Moreover, the muffler extends in a substantially horizontal direction such that a flow of the exhaust through the muffler is substantially parallel to a ground surface.

Abstract: The invention provides materials and methods relating to antibodies specific for a soluble form of CTLA-4 (sCLTA-4). Such antibodies have been shown to have a strong boosting effect on antigen-specific human immune responses.

Abstract: An air intake system for an off-road vehicle includes an intake conduit upstream of a segmented debris removal device and a mail filter element. A baffle is disposed in the intake conduit and extends into the incoming air stream to avoid swirl in the air stream and provide more even air flow distribution into the segments of the segmented debris removal device. The baffle may have two generally parallel elements spaced from one another to reduce mixing of air regions separated by the baffle. The baffle reduces or eliminates vortices that adversely affect air flow into the segmented debris removal device.

Abstract: Compounds with aryl ring(s) at porphyrin meso position(s) bearing an amino group in position 4 relative to the porphyrin macrocycle, and at least one unsubstituted 5 (hydrogen-bearing) meso position with the 10-, 15-, and/or 20-relationship to the aryl ring bearing the amino group, and metal complexes thereof, feature broad spectral absorption throughout the visible region. These compounds are electropolymerized to form electrically conducting porphyrin and porphyrin-fullerene polymers that are useful in photovoltaic applications. The structure of one such electrically conducting porphyrin polymer is shown below.

Abstract: A pixel interpolation process is based on detection of a potential edge in proximity to a pixel being estimated, and the angle thereof. The potential edge and its angle is determined based on filtering of offset or overlapping sets of lines from a pixel window centered around the pixel being estimated and then cross-correlating the filter results. The highest value in the correlation result values represents a potential edge in proximity to the pixel being estimated and the index of the highest value represents the angle of the potential edge. This information is used in conjunction with other information from the cross-correlation and analysis of the differences between pixels in proximity to verify the validity of the potential edge. If determined to be valid, a diagonal interpolation based on the edge and its angle is used to estimate the pixel value of the pixel. Otherwise, an alternate interpolation process, such as vertical interpolation, is used to estimate the pixel value for the pixel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for detecting current presence and/or determining capabilities of subscribers, and enabling users of communication devices to initiate communication sessions with other communication devices of selected ones of the subscribers, in selected manners, based at least in part on current presence and/or capabilities of the other subscribers, are described herein. In various embodiments, the initiating is performed without or substantially without further input from an initiating user on the other communication device.