Abstract: Disclosed herein are intravaginal ring (IVR) devices comprising barriers that may be metal, polymeric or combinations of metal and polymeric. The IVRs are useful for contraception, treating and/or preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and treating and/or preventing bacterial infections. The IVR's are resistant to distortion due to absorption of vaginal fluids. This allows the IVRs to perform better over time as compared to other intravaginal rings made with copolymeric silicone.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to compositions and techniques for vaginal insertion. In some embodiments, a composition such as a gel may be applied to the vagina of a subject that is relatively viscous, for example, with a viscosity at room temperature of at least 1.5 million cP. The composition may also contain an active ingredient, e.g., dinoprostone, diclofenac, and/or salts thereof. Compositions having such relatively high viscosities may be useful, for example, to prevent the composition from readily exiting the vagina or degrading too quickly. This may, for example, allow the composition to release the active ingredient over a relatively long period of time to the vagina. In some embodiments, such compositions may be prepared by removing air from the composition to increase its viscosity or cause the composition to form a gel, etc.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, wherein said composition comprises a poloxamer, a stabilization polymer, and an active ingredient for treating the bacterial vaginosis, preferably clindamycin, wherein said composition has a viscosity of at least 1.5 million mPa·s.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and compositions for treating a beta-thalassemia.

Abstract: Techniques for distributed network connectivity monitoring of provider network edge location resources from cellular networks are described. A central service transmits test suites of commands to agents executed by test devices, which can execute the commands to test network characteristics between the test devices and target locations via one or multiple cellular communications networks. Results of the testing are sent back to the central service for processing, and the resultant metrics can be used for intelligent latency-based routing of clients, latency-based placement of resources, and/or performance monitoring of deployed resources.

Abstract: Techniques for distributed network connectivity monitoring of provider network edge location resources from cellular networks are described. A central service transmits test suites of commands to agents executed by test devices, which can execute the commands to test network characteristics between the test devices and target locations via one or multiple cellular communications networks. Results of the testing are sent back to the central service for processing, and the resultant metrics can be used for intelligent latency-based routing of clients, latency-based placement of resources, and/or performance monitoring of deployed resources.

Abstract: Techniques for distributed network connectivity monitoring of provider network edge location resources from cellular networks are described. A central service transmits test suites of commands to agents executed by test devices, which can execute the commands to test network characteristics between the test devices and target locations via one or multiple cellular communications networks. Results of the testing are sent back to the central service for processing, and the resultant metrics can be used for intelligent latency-based routing of clients, latency-based placement of resources, and/or performance monitoring of deployed resources.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are intravaginal ring (IVR) devices comprising barriers that may be metal, polymeric or combinations of metal and polymeric. The IVRs are useful for contraception, treating and/or preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and treating and/or preventing bacterial infections. The IVR's are resistant to distortion due to absorption of vaginal fluids. This allows the IVRs to perform better over time as compared to other intravaginal rings made with copolymeric silicone.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and compositions for treating a beta-thalassemia.

Abstract: An improved brake system is provided for a motor vehicle. The system includes a rotor attached to a rim of a wheel and a caliper assembly mounted to a hub of the wheel. The caliper is arranged to retain a friction element and operatively engage the friction element against the rotor.

Abstract: Techniques for a data repository, e.g., a data warehouse, connect multiple disparate systems and combine different software tools to provide a full view of the data warehouse for an end user. An inventory tool integration and services interface includes a tool integration component, a common data component, and an inventory services component. The tool integration component obtains data sets from different tools. The common data component converts each data set and combines the converted data sets. The inventory services component provides the combined data sets through a user interface for an end user. The inventory tool integration and services interface appropriately combines data sets and supports different user interfaces for different end users having different roles within an enterprise. The tool and services integration interface also may obtain a data set from a tool in accordance with an integration option.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining pressure within a tire mounted to a vehicle, wherein the tire is coupled to a tire pressure monitoring system including a sensor coupled to a transmitter, the sensor configured to sense tire pressure and the transmitter configured to transmit the sensed tire pressure to a receiver. First, a first tire pressure is sensed. Then, a calculation is made as to whether the sensed first tire pressure is greater than a predetermined pressure threshold, equal to the predetermined pressure threshold, or less than the predetermined pressure threshold. Next, an indication is provided external to the vehicle that the sensed first tire pressure is greater than a predetermined pressure range, within the predetermined pressure range, or less than the predetermined pressure range.

Abstract: An independent suspension system is provided for coupling a set of wheels to a vehicle body structure. The system includes independently pivotable swing arms, a shock absorber assembly, a joining arm and tie rods. The swing arms are attached to the vehicle body structure and to a respective wheel and the shock absorber assembly is mounted to the vehicle structure. The shock absorber assembly includes a biasing element and a linkage coupled to the joining arm and the biasing element. The suspension system further includes a tie rod connecting each swing arm to the joining arm. The joining arm is arranged to move in a lengthwise vehicle direction under control of the biasing element in response to road input to both wheels, and rotate about an attachment point without lengthwise movement to allow the tie rods to translate in opposite lengthwise direction in response to leaning of the vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting when a spare wheel (SP) is used to replace a previously rolling wheel on a vehicle, where each wheel can transmit wheel ID and motion status signals. The apparatus comprises a receiver, a memory for storing information relating wheel ID and location, a processor coupled to the receiver and memory for analyzing the wheel signals to determine if the SP is rolling, and a timer coupled to the processor that measures how long the SP has been rolling. When the SP has been rolling for predetermined time T, the processor looks at the motion status signals from remaining wheels to determine which is stopped, and then modifies the information stored in the memory to associate the SP ID with the wheel location formerly occupied by the now stopped wheel and associate the stopped-wheel ID with the storage location for the spare.

Abstract: An improved independent suspension system is provided for coupling a set of wheels to a vehicle body structure. The system includes independently pivotable swing arms, a shock absorber assembly and tie rods. The swing arms are attached to the vehicle body structure and to a respective wheel and the shock absorber assembly is mounted to the vehicle structure. The shock absorber assembly includes a biasing element, a joining arm and a linkage coupled to the joining arm and the biasing element. The suspension system further includes a tie rod connecting each swing arm to the joining arm. The joining arm is arranged to move in a lengthwise vehicle direction under control of the biasing element in response to road input to both wheels, and rotate about an attachment point without lengthwise movement to allow the tie rods to translate in opposite lengthwise direction in response to leaning of the vehicle.

Abstract: An improved brake system is provided for a motor vehicle. The system includes a rotor attached to a rim of a wheel and a caliper assembly mounted to a hub of the wheel. The caliper is arranged to retain a friction element and operatively engage the friction element against the rotor.

Abstract: MEMS optical switches can include a substrate having first and second opposing faces and at least one side therebetween. An input is obliquely angled towards the face and optically couples optical radiation towards the face. A movable reflector is on the face and moves from a first position to a second position that is parallel to the first position to reflect the optical radiation from the input to provide reflected optical radiation. A output is obliquely angled away from the face and optically couples the reflected optical radiation away from the face.

Abstract: MEMS optical switches can include a substrate having first and second opposing faces and at least one side therebetween. An input is obliquely angled towards the face and optically couples optical radiation towards the face. A movable reflector is on the face and moves from a first position to a second position that is parallel to the first position to reflect the optical radiation from the input to provide reflected optical radiation. A output is obliquely angled away from the face and optically couples the reflected optical radiation away from the face.

Abstract: A method for improving fat saturation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by placing a fat saturation enhancing material such as a fluorocarbon, preferably perfluorooctylbromide, perfluorodecylbromide, FC-77, or FC-43, on or around a part of the body of a patient to be scanned with MRI, thereby eliminating the skin-air interface and reducing anatomical imaging problems, wherein the placement of the fat saturation enhancing material may be accomplished by enclosing the fat saturation enhancing material in a container which may also contain the MRI coil.