Abstract: The present invention relates to a process that uses one or more evaporators to treat produced water containing silica. To address silica scaling, a crystallizing reagent is mixed with the produced water upstream of the evaporator. The crystallizing reagent is designed to precipitate a silica adsorbing compound such as magnesium hydroxide. The feedwater with the adsorbed silica is directed to an evaporator that produces a distillate and a concentrate containing the adsorbed silica. At least a portion of the concentrate having the silica adsorbing compound is directed to a separator that separates the silica adsorbing compound from the concentrate and recycles it back to where it is mixed with the produced water.

Abstract: Systems and methods of repairing damage to the body structure of a vehicle based on a comparison of vehicle damage to vehicle specification data to indicate the magnitude and direction of vehicle damage to formulate a repair plan for review.

Abstract: A manufacturing line includes a tape of green material that is directed through a furnace so that the furnace burns off organic binder material and then partially sinters the tape without the use of a setter board. Sintered articles resulting from the manufacturing line may be thin with relatively large surface areas; and, while substantially unpolished, have few sintering-induced surface defects. Tension may be applied to the partially sintered tape as it passes through a second furnace on the manufacturing line to shape resulting sintered articles.

Abstract: A method for processing a data package to be sent to an addressed recipient. The method comprises obtaining payload data to be sent over a data network as a data package. The data package comprises the payload data and a header. The method also comprises analysing the header of the data package based on a plurality of characteristics, the header comprising at least an addressed recipient, and the characteristics comprising at least a recipient identifier and a transmission time. A risk indicator is generated, which indicates a risk associated with the analysis of the addressed recipient of the data package. The data package is processed to determine a handling action for the data package. The handling action is based on the risk indicator and is applied the handling action to the data package to generate a processed data package. The processed data package is then transmitted to the addressed recipient.

Abstract: A system for processing a data package, comprising an input module for receiving a data package over a data network. The data package comprising a header and payload data and storage for storing at least one criterion. The system comprises a buffer for temporarily storing at least a part of the data package; and a decision-making module for determining a risk score based on the at least one criterion and the at least a part of the data package and being indicative of a handling action to apply to the data package. The system comprises an updating module for recalculating the at least one criterion in the storage; and a processing module for determining a handling action for the data package, wherein the handling action is based on the risk score. The recalculation is performed asynchronously with regard to the determination of the risk score.

Abstract: A method for analysing data received by an addressed recipient of a data package. The method comprises receiving a data package over a data network. The data package comprises a header and payload data. The header of the data package is analysed to determine a plurality of characteristics, the characteristics comprising at least an identifier and a transmission time. The method also comprises generating a risk indicator, wherein the risk indicator indicates a risk associated with the analysis of the header. A handling action is generated based on the risk indicator; and provided along with the payload data to the addressed recipient.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sheath delivery system that uses a continuous flow of sheath fluid into a pressurized internal reservoir that substantially matches the outflow of sheath fluid through the nozzle of a flow cytometer. A substantially constant level of the sheath fluid is maintained. If the sheath fluid level falls below a desired level, or goes above a desired level, a dampened control system is used to reach the desired level. In addition, air pressure in the pressurized internal container is controlled so that an external sheath container can be removed and refilled with additional sheath fluid without stopping the sheath delivery system 100. Differences in pressure are detected by a droplet camera, which measures the droplet breakoff point to determine the pressure of the sheath fluid in the nozzle.

Abstract: Methods and systems for pumping fluid through tubing are provided. Methods include orbiting one or more first rollers at multiple angular speeds around the periphery of a substantially circular first disk having a first radius with each first roller travelling at the same angular speed as the other first rollers, orbiting second rollers at a second angular speed around a substantially circular second disk having substantially the first radius, and increasing the pressure of fluid in tubing between one first roller and one second roller by causing the one or more first rollers to orbit at a first angular speed greater than the second angular speed so the one first roller moves along and fully compresses the tubing in a first section of the first disk, and simultaneously causing the one second roller to move along and fully compress the tubing in a first section of the second disk.

Abstract: A robotic vehicle is provided with a novel wheel design and a virtual differential transmission. The novel wheels are generally rounded with scallops along the outer periphery permitting secure engagement of irregular terrain structures, such as the rungs of an inclined ladder. The virtual differential transmission employs rotational sensors in independently driven wheels to maintain information on the relative rotational position of left- and right-side wheels. When necessary, the relative rotational position information is used to selectively drive the left- or right-side wheel until the scallops in a left-side wheel are horizontally aligned with the scallops in a right-side wheel. Thus, the virtual differential transmission can realign the scallops in left- and right-side wheels to facilitate their mutual engagement with a terrain structure, such as a ladder rung.

Abstract: A method includes impregnating a region of a glass sheet with a filler material in a liquid state. The glass sheet includes a plurality of glass soot particles. The filler material is solidified subsequent to the impregnating step to form a glass/filler composite region of the glass sheet.

Abstract: Techniques for managing a flow of an unmanned vehicle within a space may be described. In particular, the unmanned vehicle may be determined as being location within the space. The space may be associated with metric that may be based on a plurality of other unmanned vehicles also located within the space. Pairs of location and time data may be computed for the unmanned vehicle. The pairs may represent a path for the unmanned vehicle to use within the space. The pairs of location data and time data computed based on data associated with the unmanned vehicle, data associated with at least one of the other unmanned vehicles, and the metric associated with the space. Once computed, the pairs may be provided to the unmanned vehicle.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for preventing code reuse attacks are disclosed. According to one method, the method includes executing, on a processor, code in a memory page related to an application, wherein the memory page is protected. The method also includes detecting a read request associated with the code. The method further includes after detecting the read request, modifying, without using a hypervisor, at least one memory permission associated with the memory page such that the code is no longer executable after the code is read.

Abstract: A vision-based state estimation framework to estimate the state of an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) used for inspection of an underwater structure, for example, a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The framework employs an external overhead, pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera as the primary sensing modality and incorporates prior knowledge of the geometry of the structure.

Abstract: A method includes impregnating a region of a glass sheet with a filler material in a liquid state. The glass sheet includes a plurality of glass soot particles. The filler material is solidified subsequent to the impregnating step to form a glass/filler composite region of the glass sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is an automated method and apparatus for automatically setting a drop delay period by detecting calibration particles in a waste stream. The drop delay is incremented over a series of drop delays and the number of calibration particles in the waste stream is detected for each drop delay. The drop delay is selected which has the least number of calibration particles in the waste stream.

Abstract: An apparel cart comprises a base portion that includes a table; a slideable shelf; and a pull-out drawer, each constructed and arranged for positioning under the table and extendable from either a first side or second side of the table; a hanger rod assembly extending from a first end of the table, wherein at least one of the table, the slideable shelf, the pull-out drawer, or the hanger rod assembly is constructed and arranged for a user to perform an operation on at least one apparel item; and a set of wheels coupled to a bottom region of the base portion for moving the apparel cart between a location where the operation is performed on the at least one apparel item to another location.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process that uses one or more evaporators to treat produced water containing silica. To address silica scaling, a crystallizing reagent is mixed with the produced water upstream of the evaporator. The crystallizing reagent is designed to precipitate a silica adsorbing compound such as magnesium hydroxide. The feedwater with the adsorbed silica is directed to an evaporator that produces a distillate and a concentrate containing the adsorbed silica. At least a portion of the concentrate having the silica adsorbing compound is directed to a separator that separates the silica adsorbing compound from the concentrate and recycles it back to where it is mixed with the produced water.

Abstract: A prosthetic device is provided including (a) an ankle component, (b) a foot component coupled to the ankle component, wherein the foot component has a longitudinal length extending at least partially along a sagittal plane of a user when the prosthetic device is in use, wherein the foot component has a thickness extending at least partially along a transverse plane of a user when the prosthetic device is in use, and (c) a coupling mechanism positioned between the foot component and the ankle component, wherein the coupling mechanism couples a rotation of the foot component with respect to the sagittal plane to a rotation of the foot component with respect to the transverse plane.

Abstract: Described herein is a framework for efficient task-agnostic, user-independent adaptive teleoperation of mobile robots and remotely operated vehicles (ROV), including ground vehicles (including legged systems), aircraft, watercraft and spacecraft. The efficiency of a human operator is improved by minimizing the entropy of the control inputs, thereby minimizing operator energy and achieving higher performance in the form of smoother trajectories by concurrently estimating the user intent online and adaptively updating the action set available to the human operator.

Abstract: A viewing system includes a first optics system having a first aperture size and a first field of view, and optics that provide a lightpath to a first sensor. The optics system has a second optics system having a second aperture sized to be less than the first aperture size, and a second field of view greater than the first field of view; the second optics system providing a lightpath to a second sensor. Also provided is a display switchable between a first view mode in which a wide field image provided by the second sensor is displayed, and a second view mode in which a narrow field image provided by the first sensor is displayed.