Abstract: A levee barrier panel to form a levee retaining wall has a top and a bottom and a plurality of apertures extending from the top to the bottom of the levee barrier panel. A cutter tool extends through to the bottom of each panel to transform the levee composition into a slush whereby a vacuum removably attached to the aperture sucks out the slush thereby forming an opening in the levee. The levee barrier panel is then lowered into the opening.

Abstract: A crankset that includes a first crank, a second crank, a first spindle portion, a second spindle portion, and an attachment assembly. Each of the first crank and the second crank include an end adapted to engage a pedal. The first spindle portion includes a first end coupled to the first crank and a second end that has a first engagement member defined by at least one protrusion and at least one cavity. The second spindle portion includes a first end coupled to the second crank and a second end that has a second engagement member defined by at least one protrusion and at least one cavity that are substantially mirror images of the at least one protrusion and the at least one cavity of the first spindle portion, and that engage the corresponding at least one cavity and the at least one protrusion of the first spindle portion.

Abstract: A crankset including a first crank and a second crank and a spindle. Each of the first crank and the second crank includes an end adapted to engage a pedal. The spindle includes a first end coupled to the first crank and a second end coupled to the second crank. The first end has an elongated portion secured to the first crank to define an elongated attachment between the first end and the first crank.

Abstract: An apparatus for locally controlling smooth muscle tone includes a first electrode for insertion into an artery; a barrier for preventing the first electrode from contacting an arterial wall; a second electrode; a power supply; and a controller for coupling the power supply to the electrodes. The controller is configured to cause the electrode to maintain a waveform for controlling polarization of smooth muscle tone.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a function call in source code is replaced inline with a body of the function. The body of the function includes a call to a metafunction, first alternative source code, and second alternative source code. The metafunction is evaluated to determine whether a compile-time environment attribute is true. If the compile-time environment attribute is true, the first alternative source code is compiled into object code, where the first alternative source code relies on truth of the compile-time environment attribute. If the compile-time environment attribute is false, the second alternative source code is compiled into the object code, where the second alternative source code does not rely on the truth of the compile-time environment attribute. For example, in an embodiment, the first alternative source code accesses an argument via an address of the argument while the second alternative source code copies the argument to a temporary variable and accesses the argument via the temporary variable.

Abstract: A stem assembly for a bicycle that includes a handlebar and a fork having a steerer. The fork is coupled to a wheel and is rotatable about a steering axis to turn the wheel. The stem assembly includes a stem that has a steerer aperture configured to receive the steerer and a handlebar receiving portion configured to receive the handlebar. A wedge is at least partially disposed within the steerer aperture and partially surrounds the steerer aperture. The wedge includes a tapered surface that defines an angle between the steering axis and the stem.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize metadata collected for a lock in a computer program to determine an optimal lock acquisition strategy for the lock. The metadata is typically collected via profiling of the computer program to determine a wait characteristic for the lock in the particular runtime environment in which the computer program executes, and the metadata is used to select from among different lock access implementations to be used to attempt to acquire the lock, often enabling an optimum lock access implementation to be selected for a lock.

Abstract: A bicycle designed to reduce the transfer of vibrations to the rider. The bicycle includes a seatpost assembly comprising an inner member, an outer member at least partially surrounding a portion of the inner member, and a damping member disposed between the inner member and the outer member. The damping member provides vibration damping between the frame and the seat. Preferably, the inner member includes a necked portion positioned within the damping member. In addition, the damping member can include a body portion positioned inside the outer member and a head portion positioned longitudinally adjacent the outer member. The concepts of the present invention are also applicable to frame members of the bicycle frame, such as the chainstays, the seatstays, and the fork.

Abstract: A steering interface for a bicycle including a front fork. The steering interface includes a handlebar formed as a separate component and a stem including an attachment portion and a bar-receiving portion. The attachment portion is adapted to engage the front fork to connect the stem to the bicycle. At least a portion of the bar-receiving portion is formed around a portion of the handlebar such that the handlebar and the stem are integrated into a single component.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, receive a request to load a class and decide whether debug is enabled for the class. If debug is enabled, a class loader with debug enabled is created. The class and all classes subsequently loaded by the debug-enabled class loader are then kept in interpreted mode. In response to a debug request directed to the class, a determination is made whether a class loader with debug enabled loaded the class. If the class loader with debug enabled did load the class, the debug request is performed; otherwise, the debug request is rejected.

Abstract: A bicycle designed to reduce the transfer of vibrations to the rider. The bicycle includes a frame having a first frame element and a second frame element. A first wheel is coupled to the frame and a damping member is disposed between the first frame element and the second frame element. The damping member provides vibration damping between the first frame element and the second frame element.

Abstract: A bicycle designed to reduce the transfer of vibrations to the rider. The bicycle includes a seatpost assembly comprising an inner member, an outer member at least partially surrounding a portion of the inner member, and a damping member disposed between the inner member and the outer member. The damping member provides vibration damping between the frame and the seat. Preferably, the inner member includes a necked portion positioned within the damping member. In addition, the damping member can include a body portion positioned inside the outer member and a head portion positioned longitudinally adjacent the outer member. The concepts of the present invention are also applicable to frame members of the bicycle frame, such as the chainstays, the seatstays, and the fork.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment collect profile information about class-type checks, calculate a number of class-type checks that minimizes a cost of inlining, generate inline code for the number of class-type checks for a site in a method, and sort the inline code based on a frequency of the class types. Any remaining class-type checks at the site that are not handled by the inlined class-type checks are handled via an out-of-line function call. In this way, inlined code is used when it provides better performance than an out-of-line function, and the out-of-line function call is used when it provides better performance than the inlined code.

Abstract: This invention relates to sprayable aqueous silicone emulsions which form silicone elastomers upon the removal of water having improved smoke and fire resistant properties. The aqueous silicone emulsion comprises water, a product of a diorganosiloxane polymer and a crosslinker, a surfactant and a filler selected from the group consisting of aluminum trihydrate, fumed titanium dioxide, magnesium oxide, ceramic fillers and zinc borate. The silicone emulsion has a viscosity of 10,000 to 120,000 mPa s and exhibits pseudo plastic rheology which facilitates its application by spraying. A softening agent may also be added for modulus control.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of sealing openings in structural components of a building to reduce the amount of smoke which may pass through the opening in the event of a fire. The method comprises filling an opening in a structural component of a building with a support material; applying a coating of a silicone composition over the filled opening and allowing the silicone composition to cure into a continuous elastomeric film having certain properties. These silicone compositions exhibit pseudo plastic rheology which facilitates their application by spraying.