Abstract: A waterfowl decoy motion system comprises a self-propelled floating decoy tethered to a submerged line supported below the surface of a body of water by stakes driven into the water bottom. A thruster is attached to the bottom of the decoy such that the direction of propulsion is offset from a longitudinal axis extending along the length of the decoy by an angle of at least one degree. The tether is slidably attached to the submerged line, and a swivel located on the tether allows the decoy to rotate freely. The decoy is guided by the line as it moves across the surface of the water. When the tether reaches a stopper near each end of the line, the offset propulsion angle causes the decoy to turn in an arcing path, turn around, and travel in the opposite direction. The decoy repeats this process in a continuous loop.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are high-throughput sample processing systems and waste management systems, and methods of using the same.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are high-throughput sample processing systems and waste management systems, and methods of using the same.

Abstract: A vehicle has an operator cab with a wall defining an interior of the operator cab. An opening is formed through the wall of the operator cab, and a port is connected to the wall of the operator cab around the opening. The port includes a mounting structure connected to the wall and a tube member extending from the mounting structure and defining a passage therein, where the passage of the tube member is aligned with the opening. One or more conduits can then extend through the opening and the passage of the tube member. One or more additional openings may be formed through other portions of the wall of the cab, and each such opening may have a port and/or one or more conduits extending through.

Abstract: A vehicle has an operator cab with a wall defining an interior of the operator cab. An opening is formed through the wall of the operator cab, and a port is connected to the wall of the operator cab around the opening. The port includes a mounting structure connected to the wall and a tube member extending from the mounting structure and defining a passage therein, where the passage of the tube member is aligned with the opening. One or more conduits can then extend through the opening and the passage of the tube member. One or more additional openings may be formed through other portions of the wall of the cab, and each such opening may have a port and/or one or more conduits extending through.

Abstract: A differential pressure indicator (DPI) for use with a downhole isolation valve includes a tubular mandrel for assembly as part of a casing string and for receiving a tubular string. The mandrel has a stop shoulder and a piston shoulder. The DPI further includes a tubular housing for assembly as part of the casing string and for receiving the tubular string. The housing is movable relative to the mandrel between an extended position and a retracted position and has a stop shoulder and a piston shoulder. The DPI further includes a hydraulic chamber formed between the piston shoulders and a coupling in communication with the hydraulic chamber and for connection to a sensing line. The housing is movable relative to the mandrel and to the extended position in response to tension exerted on the DPI.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a social media analytics platform. An entity may be configured with respect to the platform and a number of social media accounts, and other data such as aliases or search terms associated with the entity. Data is collected at certain intervals from the various online sites, including social media sites, using the various disparate and proprietary interfaces and data models provided by the sites and the configurations for the social media accounts associated with an entity. Using this data obtained from these online sites one or more scores can be calculated or update based on the data, where the score(s) may serve to quantify a facet of the entity's social media exposure and may serve to be domain specific to the entity. The scores for each of the indices for an entity can thus serve to quantify facets of an entity's social media exposure.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein can be employed in a social media analytics platform to monitor which data has been acquired for entities from online sites at which entities may maintain an account, including social media platforms by continually moderating, coordinating or scheduling requests for data retrieval across the online sites to substantially maximize the data pulled from each site, and the freshness of that data, given any imposed rate limits associated with those online sites without slowing or idling the social media analytics platform. This results in increased efficiencies in time and expense and a simultaneous reduction in the number of errors received from the online sites, as the analytics platform can spread out requests over time and fully utilize parallel update processes in a way that respects the rate limiting while still improving freshness of data given that rate limiting.

Abstract: An isolation valve for use in a wellbore includes: a tubular housing; an upper flapper disposed in the housing and pivotable relative thereto between an open position and a closed position; an upper piston operable to open or close the upper flapper; a lower flapper disposed in the housing and pivotable relative thereto between an open position and a closed position; a lower piston operable to open the lower flapper; an opener passage in fluid communication with the pistons and an opener hydraulic coupling; and a closer passage in fluid communication with the pistons and a closer hydraulic coupling.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a first particle in a reactor; the first particle being a magnetic particle or a particle that can be influenced by a magnetic field, an electric field or a combination of an electrical field and a magnetic field; fluidizing the first particle in the reactor; applying a uniform magnetic field, a uniform electrical field or a combination of a uniform magnetic field and a uniform electrical field to the reactor; elevating the temperature of the reactor; and fusing the first particles to form a monolithic solid.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to distributing processing tasks from the reduced-performance computer system to at least one other computer system, to processing, at one computer system, a distributed task received from a reduced-performance computer system, and to establishing a simulation environment for testing distributed computing framework functionality. In an embodiment, a reduced-performance computer system monitors computing tasks to determine a processing resource usage level for each task. The computing tasks are part of a software application that is running on the reduced-performance computer system. The reduced-performance computer system determines that one of the monitored tasks is using processing resources beyond a specified threshold level. The reduced-performance computer system sends the task to another computer system that receives, processes and returns the results of the tasks to the reduced-performance computer system.

Abstract: A fence post extractor includes a sleeve for receiving a fence post and a clamping bar that is pivotable with respect to the sleeve at a pivot joint. The clamping bar pivots between a first position where the fence post is clamped between a second end of the clamping bar and the sleeve, and a second position where the fence post is released with respect to the second end of the clamping bar. A powered lifting apparatus has an engaging portion that is engaged with the clamping bar. The engaging portion is moved under power between a raised position and a lowered position to move the clamping bar between the first and second positions.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to distributing processing tasks from the reduced-performance computer system to at least one other computer system, to processing, at one computer system, a distributed task received from a reduced-performance computer system, and to establishing a simulation environment for testing distributed computing framework functionality. In an embodiment, a reduced-performance computer system monitors computing tasks to determine a processing resource usage level for each task. The computing tasks are part of a software application that is running on the reduced-performance computer system. The reduced-performance computer system determines that one of the monitored tasks is using processing resources beyond a specified threshold level. The reduced-performance computer system sends the task to another computer system that receives, processes and returns the results of the tasks to the reduced-performance computer system.

Abstract: The present invention provides imidazopyridine compounds, compositions containing the same, as well as processes for the preparation and methods for their use as pharmaceutical agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides benzimidazole thiophene compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and their use as pharmaceutical agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides imidazopyridine compounds, compositions containing the same, as well as processes for the preparation and methods for their use as pharmaceutical agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides bezimidazole thiophene compounds pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, processes for preparing the same and their use as pharmaceutical agents.