Abstract: An aqueous formulation that has at least one aqueous hydrophobizing agent and at least one water-soluble cationic polymer can be used to produce aqueous coating compositions that have improved early rain resistance. The water-soluble cationic polymer can have quaternary ammonium groups and amino groups. The hydrophobizing agent is an aqueous silicone resin emulsion, a silicone oil emulsion, an emulsion or microemulsion of an amino-functional silicone oil, a silane emulsion, or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein provide a surgical ear speculum comprising a tubular body having an anterior end, a posterior end, and a first length from the anterior end to the posterior end. The tubular body has an inner layer, an outer layer, and a middle layer between the inner layer and the outer layer. The inner layer, the outer layer, and the middle layer are peripherally disposed around a central cavity of the surgical ear speculum. The central cavity extends from the anterior end of the surgical ear speculum to the posterior end of the surgical ear speculum. The inner layer comprises a first membrane, and the outer layer comprises a second membrane. The middle layer comprises an expandable and contractible wire mesh disposed between the first membrane and the second membrane.

Abstract: The present teachings generally provide for an actuator assembly to move between a decoupled position, and a coupled position. The actuator assembly includes a shift assembly including a gear connected to the motor, an input member in communication with the gear configured to transition between a first position and a second position; an output member operatively connected to the input member and configured to move a distance defining a stroke length between a disengaged position and an engaged position; and a biasing member connecting the input member to the output member. The input member rotates from the first position to the second position relative to the output member, increasing a tension of the biasing member due to an interference causing a blocked condition. The biasing member rotates the output member in a releasing condition upon clearance of the interference such that the output member rotates through the stroke length.

Abstract: Methods and assemblies for attaching leaflets to a frame of a prosthetic heart valve using a connecting skirt are disclosed. As one example, a prosthetic heart valve can include an annular frame comprising a plurality of struts and a valvular structure mounted within the frame and comprising a plurality of leaflets. A cusp edge portion of each leaflet can be connected to the frame by a connecting skirt, where each connecting skirt comprises a central portion and opposing side base portions on opposite sides of the central portion, and each connecting skirt can further comprise side extension portions that extend away from the cusp edge portion of the leaflet and across a portion of cells of the frame that are disposed between cusp edge portions of adjacent leaflets, and covers at least one entire cell of the portion of cells.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of examination of a semiconductor specimen. The method includes obtaining an e-beam image representative of a given layer of a given structure on the specimen in runtime, processing at least the e-beam image using a ML model, and obtaining yield related prediction with respect to the given structure prior to performing an electrical test. The ML model is previously trained using a training set comprising multiple stacks of e-beam images corresponding to multiple sites of the given structure on one or more training specimens, each stack of e-beam images representative of the at least given layer of a respective site; and test data acquired from an electrical test performed at the multiple sites and related to actual yield of the training specimens, the test data respectively correlated with the stacks of e-beam images and used as ground truth thereof.

Abstract: A solar panel racking system that can include end clamps, mid clamps, bottom clamps, L-foot adapter assemblies, rails, and L-foot assemblies. The solar panel racking system minimizes the use of tools by snapping many of the mounting components in place. The end clamps, mid clamps, and bottom clamps can snap over the rail sides and lock into upper detented portions of the rail sides. The upper detented portions are structured to prevent upward movement of the end clamps, mid clamps, and bottom clamps. The L-foot adapter body of the L-foot adapter assembly snaps over lower detented portions of rail sides and secures the rail to an L-foot assembly. The end clamps, mid clamps, bottom clamps, rails, and L-foot adapter assemblies are independent of the L-foot assembly, allowing a selection of L-foot assemblies to be used as appropriate with the solar panel racking system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a face mask having at least one heating element configured to inactivate microorganisms including but not limited to bacteria, fungi, yeast, molds, viruses, etc.

Abstract: A method for treating an infection in a subject is provided. The method includes administering to the subject, via an oral inhalation route, an amount of a composition that is effective to inhibit the infection. The composition contains a phosphatidylglycerol such as POPG.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve including a frame, leaflet structure, and sealing member disposed around an outer surface of the frame is disclosed. As one example, the sealing member includes a knitted fabric layer, the knitted fabric layer comprising a base layer forming an inner surface of the knitted fabric layer, where the base layer has a mesh-like structure. The knitted fabric layer further comprises a plush outer surface comprising a plurality of pile yarns knit into loops and that extend outward from the base layer.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a reliable, convenient, noninvasive, and cost-effective determination of structural and valvular abnormalities in the left ventricular outflow tract. Embodiments obtain a noninvasive optical pulse plethysmogram from the systolic and diastolic phases of the cardiac cycle for subsequent morphologic waveform analysis to determine left ventricular outflow tract anomalies. Left ventricular outflow tract abnormalities alter the rate of increase in flow during early systole and decrease in flow during late systole. These flow variances at the aortic valve are amplified as the pulse wave moves to the periphery due to a combination of the ventricular-aortic interaction, pulse augmentation, and reflections at branching vessels and changes in diameter.

Abstract: An adjustable animal washing system includes an enclosure structure forming an interior volume. An animal is to be located at least partially in the interior volume. Spray devices are disposed in the interior volume. At least a portion of the enclosure structure is adjustable to change one or more dimensions of the interior volume based on size of the animal or one or more of the plurality of spray devices are adjustable to wash the animal based on the size of the animal.

Abstract: There is provided a process for continuously producing carbon nanofilaments and a carbon sequestration reactor for continuously producing carbon nanofilaments. There is also provided a pyrolysis system configured to produce a pyrolysis product including fuel from a carbon-based feedstock, such waste plastics. There is also provided a pyrolysis process wherein at least a portion of the pyrolysis product is recycled as fuel for the pyrolysis system and/or as feedstock for the carbon sequestration process and reactor. At least a portion of the products of the carbon sequestration process and reactor can be fed into a plasma reactor to produce hydrogen and carbon black and/or graphene.

Abstract: System and methods for jogging a robot end-effector in constant awareness. On a graphical user interface is displayed, dynamically in real-time while the robot is moving, a current position and a relative indicator for the current position for each of a plurality of joints of the robot. A position of the relative indicator for each of the plurality of joints is proportional to an actual position of a corresponding joint with respect to physical limits thereof. Is also displayed three or more input elements, each having clickable buttons at extremities thereof and a thumb marker movable along at least one of a curvilinear track and across an area. Each of the three or more input elements is associated with at least one of: one or two of the plurality of joints of the robot and one or two degrees of freedom of the robot end-effector.

Abstract: Disclosed are standing seam clamps and solar panel racking systems that include the standing seam clamps. The standing seam clamps may include detents in the sides of their clamp bodies that allow a solar panel clamp to secure to the clamp body without threaded fasteners. The standing seam clamp includes structure to secure solar panel racking system without rails. The standing seam clamp may be optionally structured to secure both rail-less and rail-base solar panel racking systems.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology generally relate to robotic devices, artificial intelligence, and computer vision. More specifically, some embodiments relate to an imaging process for detecting failure modes in a robotic motion environment. In one embodiment, a method of detecting failure modes in a robotic motion environment comprises collecting one or more images of a multiple scenes throughout a robotic motion cycle. Images may be collected by one or more cameras positioned at one or more locations for collecting images with various views. Images collected throughout the robotic motion cycle may be processed in real-time to determine if any failure modes are present in their respective scenes, report when failure modes are present, and may be used to direct a robotic device accordingly.

Abstract: A method for determining the spatial orientation of an object from at least one measuring signal which includes the response of the object to electromagnetic interrogation radiation. A method for predicting the trajectory of at least one object from at least one measuring signal which includes the response of the object to electromagnetic interrogation radiation, in conjunction with a scalar velocity of the object. A method for training a classifier and/or a regressor.

Abstract: Methods and systems of displaying flow-volume loops of a patient and variability of the flow-volume loops across measured breaths are disclosed. The methods comprise obtaining a physiological dataset of the patient on a data acquisition device, applying a smoothing and curve fitting algorithm to the physiological dataset on a processing device to obtain real-time volume and flow data at a plurality of time instances, applying a visualization algorithm on the processing device to the volume and flow data to create a series of flow-volume loops based on the volume and flow data, and outputting a plot of the flow-volume loops on a display device to aid evaluation or diagnosis of the patient.

Abstract: A method for operating a hand-held power tool, in particular a rotary impact wrench, the hand-held power tool comprising a tool holder for receiving a tool such as a tool bit or a nut, wherein the tool is configured to rotatably drive the fastening element via a corresponding drive of a fastening element, includes screwing the fastening element into a substrate while rotating the tool holder, and thus the fastening element, in a first direction of rotation, and rotating the tool holder in a second direction of rotation opposite the first direction of rotation at a predefined speed and for a predefined time period.

Abstract: A method for operating a hand-held power tool, preferably a rotary impact wrench, the hand-held power tool comprising a tool holder for receiving a tool such as a tool bit or a nut, wherein the tool is configured to rotatably drive the fastener via a corresponding drive of a fastener includes partially releasing the fastener from a screwed state, by rotating the tool holder and thus the fastener in a first direction of rotation, rotating the tool holder in a second direction or rotation opposite the first direction of rotation, and renewed rotating of the tool holder and thus the fastener in the first direction of rotation.