Abstract: Aspects of stone identification methods and systems are described. According to one aspect, an exemplary method comprises: transmitting to a processing unit, with an imaging element mounted on a distal end of a scope, image data about a stone object inside a body cavity; generating from the image data, with the processing unit, a visual representation of the stone object and the body cavity; establishing from a user input, with the processing unit, a scale for the visual representation; determining from the visual representation, with the processing unit, a size of the stone object on the scale; comparing, with the processing unit, the size of the stone object with a predetermined maximum size to determine a removal status; and augmenting, with the processing unit, the visual representation to include an indicator responsive to the removal status. Associated systems are also described.

Abstract: A medical scope device such as an endoscope is produced using a cast aluminum process including a molten casting aluminum alloy including a maximum of 0.2-0.3% Si and at least 5% Zn. The process includes providing an investment casting mold, casting the aluminum alloy in the mold to create a component and removing the mold from the component, post-machining the component to meet a desired specification, and after post-machining the component, performing surface finishing, such as centrifugal barrel finishing (CBF) sufficient to remove impurities on casting surfaces by 2-3 mils, then coating the component with a micro-crystalline aluminum anodic coating of at least 0.5 mil thickness. A medical scope and product-by-process is also provided employing such techniques.

Abstract: An adhesive composition comprising a silane-modified epoxy resin, a dicyclopentadiene novolac epoxy resin and a curing agent. The composition shows good oily steel bonding, even in the absence of CTBN rubber or rubber adducts as toughening agents, with good Tg values of the cured resin and good Tg retention after hot wet aging.

Abstract: A containerized environment and application that are configured for component specific continuous replication and granular application level application. A key value store, which stores key values related to configuration data of the containerized application, is replicated continuously to a replicated key value store at a replica site. Persistent volumes may also be replicated to a replica site. The replication can be performed to multiple replica sites in an application specific manner.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a III-N device including an insulating substrate. The insulating substrate includes a first side and a second side. The device further includes a III-N material structure on a first side of the insulating substrate, and a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode on a side of the III-N material structure opposite the substrate. A backmetal layer on the second side of the insulating substrate, and a via hole is formed through the III-N material structure and the insulating substrate. A metal formed in the via-hole is electrically connected to the drain electrode on the first side of the substrate and electrically connected to the backmetal layer on the second side of the substrate.

Abstract: In accordance with the present approach, a collaborative chat system is provided that enables collaborative communication between a user preferring a native chat platform and a different user who communicates using a non-native or third-party chat platform. The user may particularly select various other users to be added to a collaborative chat, regardless of which chat platform the other users have set as their main or preferred communication channel. Indeed, when displaying the various users available to be added to the collaborative chat, the collaborative chat system may display a visual indication or icon that indicates which chat platform the various users are available through. The collaborative chat system or platform may utilize bi-directional communications between the native chat platform and any communicatively coupled third-party chat platforms to link the user with the selected other users within a collaborative chat instance.

Abstract: An electronic module for a half-bridge circuit includes a base substrate with an insulating layer between a first metal layer and a second metal layer. A trench formed through the first metal layer electrically isolates first, second, and third portions of the first metal layer from one another. A high-side switch includes an enhancement-mode transistor and a depletion-mode transistor. The depletion-mode transistor includes a III-N material structure on an electrically conductive substrate. A drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is connected to the first portion, a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is connected to the second portion, a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is connected to a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is connected to the electrically conductive substrate, and the electrically conductive substrate is connected to the second portion.

Abstract: An electronic module for a half-bridge circuit includes a base substrate with an insulating layer between a first metal layer and a second metal layer. A trench formed through the first metal layer electrically isolates first, second, and third portions of the first metal layer from one another. A high-side switch includes an enhancement-mode transistor and a depletion-mode transistor. The depletion-mode transistor includes a III-N material structure on an electrically conductive substrate. A drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is connected to the first portion, a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is connected to the second portion, a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is connected to a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is connected to the electrically conductive substrate, and the electrically conductive substrate is connected to the second portion.

Abstract: A self-adhesive prepreg comprising a fibre reinforcement layer having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the fibre reinforcement layer has been pre-impregnated with a self-adhesive resin composition. The self-adhesive may be used as a structural reinforcement and is especially adapted for direct bonding to oily steel or galvanized steel in the automotive, aerospace and other sheet metal fabrication industries.

Abstract: An example system for dynamic agent management involving multiple queues is presented. The system may include a remote network management platform that manages a network by way of a computational instance. A first group and a second group of agents may be assigned to address work items in a first queue in the computational instance. The second group may also be assigned to address and prioritize work items in a second queue in the computational instance. A computing device within the computational instance may assign a work item originating from a client device in the managed network into the first queue according to routing rules. The assignment may cause a timer to record a duration that the work item is in the first queue. The computing device may assign one of the second group of agents to address the work item based on the duration exceeding a pre-determined value.

Abstract: A computational instance may contain queues configured to hold work items. The work items may be representations of user submissions requesting actions from a plurality of agents. The computational instance may also contain computing devices configured to: (a) obtain a set of assignment rules that specify mappings between (i) respective selection criteria for the assignment rules, and (ii) one or more candidate agents from the plurality of agents that can be assigned to address the work items with content that match the respective selection criteria, (b) read, from the queues, a work item corresponding to a user submission, (c) iterate through the assignment rules according to an ordering until a particular assignment rule with associated selection criteria that matches content of the work item is found, and (d) assign the work item to a particular agent from the one or more candidate agents.

Abstract: A pacifier includes a shield and a body. The body includes a proximal end portion coupled to the shield, a distal end portion opposite the proximal end and defining a nipple, and one or more stabilizers defined between the proximal end and the distal end. The one or more stabilizers extend outwardly from the body and each define an axis perpendicular to a major longitudinal axis of the body.

Abstract: One example method includes discovering an application topology, discovering relationships between microservices that are elements of the application topology, ranking the microservices, identifying one or more of the microservices as a persistency microservice, selecting one or more persistency microservices for backup, and defining a backup policy based on the microservice relationships, the microservice rankings, and the selected persistent microservices. A backup operation is then performed that includes backing up persistent data and/or persistent metadata generated and/or modified by one or more of the persistency microservices.

Abstract: An indication from a live agent in a communication session with a user to invoke a specified automated agent interactive conversation flow is received. The communication session with the user is transitioned from the live agent to the specified automated agent interactive conversation flow. During the specified automated agent interactive conversation flow, the live agent retains control over the communication session. An indication of an interaction of the user with the specified automated agent interactive conversation flow is provided. The communication session with the user is returned back to the live agent.

Abstract: A medical scope device such as an endoscope is produced using a cast aluminum process including a molten casting aluminum alloy including a maximum of 0.2 - 0.3% Si and at least 5% Zn. The process includes providing an investment casting mold, casting the aluminum alloy in the mold to create a component and removing the mold from the component, post-machining the component to meet a desired specification, and after post-machining the component, performing surface finishing, such as centrifugal barrel finishing (CBF) sufficient to remove impurities on casting surfaces by 2 - 3 mils, then coating the component with a micro-crystalline aluminum anodic coating of at least 0.5 mil thickness. A medical scope and product-by-process is also provided employing such techniques.

Abstract: One example method includes identifying a group of microservices that form respective portions of an application, capturing any relations among microservices in the group of microservices, generating one or more restore policies for the application, based on identified relations among the microservices in the group of microservices, and configuring one of the restore policies so that such restore policy specifies restoring, together, a microservice that was identified as a partial cause of a problem, and any other microservices that are dependent on that microservice.

Abstract: A self-adhesive prepreg comprising a fibre reinforcement layer having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the fibre reinforcement layer has been pre-impregnated with a self-adhesive resin composition. The self-adhesive may be used as a structural reinforcement and is especially adapted for direct bonding to oily steel or galvanized steel in the automotive, aerospace and other sheet metal fabrication industries.

Abstract: A system for re-calibrating a machine includes an arm having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The arm is configured to be coupled to a frame of the machine and to move within a range of motion during an active state of the machine. The system includes a target element on the first end of the arm, the target element including an outer surface and a projection extending away from the outer surface. A portion of the outer surface defines an eccentric surface along the target element. The system includes a magnetic field sensor coupled to the frame and configured such that the sensor is operable to detect the projection 1) in response to the arm being positioned outside of the range of motion and concurrently 2) when the machine is not in the active state.

Abstract: Described herein are lateral III-N (e.g., GaN) devices having a III-N depleting layer. A circuit includes a depletion-mode transistor with a source connected to a drain of an enhancement-mode transistor. The gate of the depletion-mode transistor and the gate of the enhancement-mode transistor are biased at zero volts, and the drain of the depletion-mode transistor is biased at positive voltage to block a current in a forward direction. Then, the bias of the gate of the enhancement-mode transistor is changed to a first voltage greater than the threshold voltage of the enhancement-mode transistor and a first current is allowed to flow through the channel in a forward direction. Then, the bias of the gate of the depletion-mode transistor is changed to a second voltage and a second current is allowed to flow through the channel in a forward direction where the second current is greater than the first current.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing data protection operations in a containerized application. A sidecar application is associated with or attached to a main application. The sidecar application has access to the resources of the main application. Backup requests are handled by the sidecar so that the application, which may be stateful, can be placed in a consistent state prior to performing the backup operation. The backup operation is then performed on the consistent application or on the data that is quiesced.