Abstract: A rotary machine, such as a turbomachine of a gas turbine engine, for example, including a rotor and a rotor seal assembly. The rotor is rotatable about a rotational axis and has a rotor seal face. The rotor seal assembly includes a seal body, one or more primary fluid conduits formed in the seal body, and a retraction assembly. The seal body has a seal face and is positionable to form a fluid-bearing gap between the seal face of the seal body and the rotor seal face. The one or more primary fluid conduits are fluidly connected to the fluid-bearing gap to supply a fluid to the fluid-bearing gap. The retraction assembly is connected to the seal body to move the seal body in a retraction direction away from the rotor seal face.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes an automotive battery system that uses switching devices to increase operational performance and reliability. The battery system includes a battery cell, a primary switching device electrically coupled to a terminal of the battery cell, and a secondary switching device electrically coupled to the terminal of the battery cell and in parallel with the primary switching device. The primary switching device includes an electromechanical switching device that enables charging or discharging of the battery and generates a boosted voltage. A secondary switching device includes a solid-state switching device and a diode, electrically coupled in series, which detect short circuit conditions in a power-efficient manner and remove the short circuit condition by using the boosted voltage to actuate the armature.

Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided for allowing multiple surgical instruments to be inserted into sealing elements of a single surgical access device. The sealing elements can be movable along predefined pathways within the device to allow surgical instruments inserted through the sealing elements to be moved laterally, rotationally, angularly, and vertically relative to a central longitudinal axis of the device for ease of manipulation within a patient's body while maintaining insufflation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for topology discovery in a multi-hop ad hoc network. The method operates on two time and distance scales. Nodes periodically transmit messages to their immediate neighbors that enable the discovery of their two-hop network topologies (i.e., within two hops). Less frequently, nodes broadcast messages network-wide that enable the discovery of the global network topology at all nodes. In multi-hop ad hoc network architectures that are characterized by efficient broadcast protocols—e.g., Barrage Relay Networks—the proposed method provides a particularly efficacious means for global topology discovery.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for establishing network-wide time synchronization in a time-slotted barrage relay network. In the first phase, nodes obtain coarse, slot-level time synchronization by estimating the time-of-arrival (TOA) of a message that rapidly floods the network via the barrage relay mechanism. In the second phase, fine time synchronization is achieved via a messaging protocol that exchanges TOA information between neighboring nodes.

Abstract: A system and method is presented for establishing relayed communications involving (1) sending a request message from a source node to a destination node through a plurality of intermediate nodes, (2) receiving the request message at the destination node, and (3) sending an acceptance message from the destination node to the source node through at least a subset of the intermediate nodes, wherein an intermediate node relays the request or acceptance message by receiving the message and re-transmitting the message, and wherein the intermediate node is capable of receiving the message from more than one other intermediate node.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for conducting a relayed communication involving a source node, a plurality of intermediate nodes, and at least one destination node, involving at the source node transmitting a signal associated with the relayed communication on a first medium allocation, at each one of the plurality of intermediate nodes relaying the signal onto a next medium allocation in response to receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a current medium allocation, and at the at least one destination node receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a last medium allocation, wherein at least one node among the plurality of intermediate nodes and the at least one destination node receives signals associated with the relayed communication from multiple intermediate nodes as transmitted on at least one medium allocation.

Abstract: Methods and systems for on-demand adaptation of packet time-to-live in time-slotted barrage relay networks are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes: transmitting a first packet from a first node in a wireless ad hoc network to a second node in the wireless ad hoc network; determining a first path distance, in terms of number of hops, from the first node to the second node, based on the first packet transmission; transmitting a second packet from the second node to the first node, wherein the second packet includes content representing the first path distance; and determining a time-to-live value for subsequent transfers from the first node to the second node, by taking into account the first path distance, wherein the time-to-live value limits the number of hops each packet is allowed to take in subsequent transfers from the first node to the second node.

Abstract: Methods for coordinating access to a barrage relay networks are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes: receiving, by a first node, a first message from a second node on a network; suppressing transmission of messages by the first node; receiving, by the first node, a second message corresponding to the first message or waiting a sufficient amount of time without receipt of the second message; reactivating transmission of the messages by the first node.

Abstract: A system and method is presented for establishing relayed communications involving (1) sending a request message from a source node to a destination node through a plurality of intermediate nodes, (2) receiving the request message at the destination node, and (3) sending an acceptance message from the destination node to the source node through at least a subset of the intermediate nodes, wherein an intermediate node relays the request or acceptance message by receiving the message and re-transmitting the message, and wherein the intermediate node is capable of receiving the message from more than one other intermediate node.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for conducting a relayed communication involving a source node, a plurality of intermediate nodes, and at least one destination node, involving at the source node transmitting a signal associated with the relayed communication on a first medium allocation, at each one of the plurality of intermediate nodes relaying the signal onto a next medium allocation in response to receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a current medium allocation, and at the at least one destination node receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a last medium allocation, wherein at least one node among the plurality of intermediate nodes and the at least one destination node receives signals associated with the relayed communication from multiple intermediate nodes as transmitted on at least one medium allocation.

Abstract: Methods and systems for on-demand adaptation of packet time-to-live in time-slotted barrage relay networks are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes: transmitting a first packet from a first node in a wireless ad hoc network to a second node in the wireless ad hoc network; determining a first path distance, in terms of number of hops, from the first node to the second node, based on the first packet transmission; transmitting a second packet from the second node to the first node, wherein the second packet includes content representing the first path distance; and determining a time-to-live value for subsequent transfers from the first node to the second node, by taking into account the first path distance, wherein the time-to-live value limits the number of hops each packet is allowed to take in subsequent transfers from the first node to the second node.

Abstract: Methods for coordinating access to a barrage relay networks are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes: receiving, by a first node, a first message from a second node on a network; suppressing transmission of messages by the first node; receiving, by the first node, a second message corresponding to the first message or waiting a sufficient amount of time without receipt of the second message; reactivating transmission of the messages by the first node.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for conducting a relayed communication involving a source node, a plurality of intermediate nodes, and at least one destination node, involving at the source node transmitting a signal associated with the relayed communication on a first medium allocation, at each one of the plurality of intermediate nodes relaying the signal onto a next medium allocation in response to receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a current medium allocation, and at the at least one destination node receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a last medium allocation, wherein at least one node among the plurality of intermediate nodes and the at least one destination node receives signals associated with the relayed communication from multiple intermediate nodes as transmitted on at least one medium allocation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for topology discovery in a multi-hop ad hoc network. The method operates on two time and distance scales. Nodes periodically transmit messages to their immediate neighbors that enable the discovery of their two-hop network topologies (i.e., within two hops). Less frequently, nodes broadcast messages network-wide that enable the discovery of the global network topology at all nodes. In multi-hop ad hoc network architectures that are characterized by efficient broadcast protocols—e.g., Barrage Relay Networks—the proposed method provides a particularly efficacious means for global topology discovery.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for establishing network-wide time synchronization in a time-slotted barrage relay network. In the first phase, nodes obtain coarse, slot-level time synchronization by estimating the time-of-arrival (TOA) of a message that rapidly floods the network via the barrage relay mechanism. In the second phase, fine time synchronization is achieved via a messaging protocol that exchanges TOA information between neighboring nodes.

Abstract: A system and method is presented for establishing relayed communications involving (1) sending a request message from a source node to a destination node through a plurality of intermediate nodes, (2) receiving the request message at the destination node, and (3) sending an acceptance message from the destination node to the source node through at least a subset of the intermediate nodes, wherein an intermediate node relays the request or acceptance message by receiving the message and re-transmitting the message, and wherein the intermediate node is capable of receiving the message from more than one other intermediate node.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for conducting a relayed communication involving a source node, a plurality of intermediate nodes, and at least one destination node, involving at the source node transmitting a signal associated with the relayed communication on a first medium allocation, at each one of the plurality of intermediate nodes relaying the signal onto a next medium allocation in response to receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a current medium allocation, and at the at least one destination node receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a last medium allocation, wherein at least one node among the plurality of intermediate nodes and the at least one destination node receives signals associated with the relayed communication from multiple intermediate nodes as transmitted on at least one medium allocation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and materials used to isolate and detect a high bone mass gene and a corresponding wild-type gene, and mutants thereof. The present invention also relates to the high bone mass gene, the corresponding wild-type gene, and mutants thereof. The genes identified in the present invention are implicated in bone development. The invention also provides nucleic acids, including coding sequences, oligonucleotide primers and probes, proteins, cloning vectors, expression vectors, transformed hosts, methods of developing pharmaceutical compositions, methods of identifying molecules involved in bone development, and methods of diagnosing and treating diseases involved in bone development. In preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods for treating, diagnosing and preventing osteoporosis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and materials used to isolate and detect a high bone mass gene and a corresponding wild-type gene, and mutants thereof. The present invention also relates to the high bone mass gene, the corresponding wild-type gene, and mutants thereof. The genes identified in the present invention are implicated in bone development. The invention also provides nucleic acids, including coding sequences, oligonucleotide primers and probes, proteins, cloning vectors, expression vectors, transformed hosts, methods of developing pharmaceutical compositions, methods of identifying molecules involved in bone development, and methods of diagnosing and treating diseases involved in bone development. In preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods for treating, diagnosing and preventing osteoporosis.