Abstract: A blower includes a housing including an inlet and an outlet, a motor to drive a rotatable shaft, first and second impellers provided to the shaft, the first and second impellers each including a plurality of impeller blades, a first stationary component provided to the housing and including stator vanes downstream of the first impeller, and a second stationary component provided to the housing and including stator vanes downstream of the second impeller. A first set of stator vanes of the first stationary component is provided around the motor and are configured and arranged to direct airflow along the motor, to de-swirl the airflow and to decelerate air to increase pressure. A blower including a third impeller and third stationary component positioned above the first impeller is also described.

Abstract: Example techniques may involve temporary configuration of a media playback system in a place of accommodation, such as a hotel. In particular, the media playback system in a guest's room is configured with one or more settings of the guest's home media playback system. Example settings include user accounts of a various services, such as streaming audio services and/or voice assistant services. Other example settings include artists, albums, audio tracks, audio books, stations, and other audio content that the guest previously designated as a favorite using their home media playback system. When the guest leaves (e.g., checks-out of) of the place of accommodation, these settings are removed from the media playback system in the guest's room.

Abstract: A wide field fundus camera is disclosed to implement multiple illumination beam projectors and to capture multiple retinal images at various viewing angles to facilitate wide field retinal examination. The wide field fundus camera contemplates an ultra-wide field lens that can provide edge to edge imaging of the entire retina at a single alignment. The wide field fundus camera contemplates configuration of said multiple illumination beam projectors to provide visualization of retina and Purkinje reflections simultaneously to facilitate determination of proper camera alignment with the eye. The wide field fundus camera further contemplates control of multiple illumination beam projectors in a programmable manner to further assess alignment of each illumination beam projector with the eye and to capture said multiple retinal images.

Abstract: Pesticidal compositions are provided that include at least one pesticidal active ingredient and benzyl alcohol. Adjuvant compositions and associated methods are provided for use with at least one pesticidal active ingredient that include benzyl alcohol.

Abstract: Versatile devices, systems, and methods of cold brewing coffee and/or tea are disclosed which use pre-manufactured disposable coffee-containing cups. Alternatively, coffee or tea may be placed within a meshed container for cold brew. A single mug device and large volume dispensers are disclosed using the same cold brew technique, which has been shown to produce higher dissolved coffee/tea, resulting in a higher quality beverage.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods provide operations for a respiratory disorder therapy by generating a flow or pressure therapy with supplementary oxygen. The method may be implemented by one or more processors that may set one or more therapy parameters associated with generating a flow of air to a patient interface via an air circuit. The one or more processors may set one or more supplementary oxygen parameters associated with introducing supplementary oxygen into the flow of air at the air circuit. The method may involve computing an oxygen performance metric associated with characteristic(s) of a patient and the air flow with the supplementary oxygen. The computing may include applying function(s) comprising the therapy parameter(s) and supplementary oxygen parameter(s). Output, such as a display indicator or automated therapy control change(s), may be generated using the computed oxygen performance metric. Changes to therapy parameter(s) may be made to optimise the metric.

Abstract: Methods and systems for executing a simulation of a multibody system are described herein. In one broad aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method for executing a simulation of a multibody system, where a physics-based simulator is used to simulate the multibody system by: partitioning the multibody system into a plurality of subsystems, the multibody system comprising bilateral and unilateral constraints, and a set of interfaces that couple at least two of the subsystems is defined; at each of a plurality of time steps, employing a Schur complement method to compute an effective mass at each interface of the set of interfaces, and solving each of the plurality of subsystems to obtain a plurality of internal impulses.

Abstract: A chemical vapour deposition process for preparing a coated glass substrate, said process comprising at least the following steps in sequence: a) providing a glass substrate having a surface, b) depositing a layer based on SiCO and/or SiNO on the surface of the glass substrate, c) exposing the layer based on SiCO and/or SiNO to a gaseous mixture (i) comprising water, and d) subsequently depositing a layer based on a TCO over the layer based on SiCO and/or SiNO.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. The cartridges may be assembled by transporting carriages between various substations at which parts are added to a base. In another assembly method, the base may be moved between a plurality of robots which direct the base downwardly into contact with components to couple the components therewith. An inspection system may inspect the cartridges at various stages of completion.

Abstract: A lighting device includes a light permeable body which has an aperture through which light enters the body. A light source is moveable relative to the body to enable the lighting device to adopt selectively one of a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the light source is positioned over the aperture so that light emitted by the light source passes through the body before illuminating the room. In the second configuration, the light source is spaced laterally from the aperture so that the room is illuminated directly by light emitted from the light source.

Abstract: A method of adapting an auto injector configured to actuate a prefilled syringe, the auto injector having a biasing member having a spring constant, the prefilled syringe being filled with a volume of therapeutic fluid, the prefilled syringe including a barrel, stopper, and a needle, the stopper having a path of travel, the biasing member arranged to move the stopper along the path of travel. An auto injector having an injection spring adapted to an aged prefilled syringe.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and system for communication with a user's family members using the DNA of the user without making the DNA profile public. According to a first aspect, there is provided a computer implemented method of locating one or more members of a familial network, comprising the steps of: generating one or more encryption keys derived from a first genomic sequence; encrypting a message using the or each encryption key to form an encrypted message; sending the encrypted message to one or more remote devices wherein decrypting the encrypted message at the one or more remote devices uses one or more encryption keys derived from a second genomic sequence; and receiving a confirmation regarding whether the decryption of the encrypted message was successful by any of the one or more remote devices.

Abstract: A system and method for utilizing a plain-old-telephone (“POT”) to interface with a digital assistant system. The POT is linked to an interface adapted to selectively provide a bidirectional audio connection to a standard telephone communication network, or to provide an interface to a digital assistant system in response to user voice commands. The functionality of the POT digital assistant interface being dependent upon the user input—DTMF tone/pulse dialing signals as opposed to voice commands spoken into the POT mouthpiece. Audio cues and prompts, as well as audio responses from the digital assistant system are provided to the user via the POT earpiece. Digital assistant functionality is provided via a simple and familiar interface, without impeding any standard voice telephony functionality (making/receiving calls, call waiting, caller ID, etc.

Abstract: A firearm for firing cased telescoped (CT) ammunition cartridges that includes a split chamber configured to fully support a CT cartridge when it is fired, and that includes i) a dynamic rear chamber portion defining a pocket in a face of a bolt, and ii) a static front chamber portion that is integral to the barrel and separate from the bolt. A cartridge extraction mechanism engages the CT cartridge prior to the CT cartridge being fired, and holds the CT cartridge in the pocket in the bolt face as the bolt moves rearward to pull the CT cartridge out of the static front chamber portion and into an ejection position. An ejector is operable to eject the CT cartridge from the pocket in the face of the bolt when the CT cartridge reaches the ejection position.

Abstract: An optical fiber with low attenuation and methods of making same are disclosed. The optical fiber has a core, an inner cladding surround the core, and an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding. The outer cladding is chlorine-doped such that the relative refractive index varies as a function of radius. The radially varying relative refractive index profile of the outer cladding reduces excess stress in the core and inner cladding, which helps lower fiber attenuation while also reducing macrobend and microbend loss. A process of fabricating the optical fiber includes doping an overclad soot layer of a soot preform with chlorine and then removing a portion of the chlorine dopant from an outermost region of the overclad soot layer. The soot preform with the modified chlorine dopant profile is then sintered to form a glass preform, which can then be used for drawing the optical fiber.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of manufacturing viruses. Also provided herein are bioreactors comprising virus-infected host cells comprising viruses. In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to production of recombinant oncolytic viruses, e.g., recombinant vaccinia viruses.

Abstract: System and method directed towards providing full and even illumination of a patient's retina through lighting integrated into a handheld fundus lens. By integrating the lighting, the method and system reduces and even eliminate many lens artifacts and reflections. By increasing the accuracy, quality, and field of view afforded during clinical examination of the retina, the method and system will allow practitioners to make more accurate diagnoses and will increase safety during retinal surgical procedures.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with oil intake pipes defining oil inlets on both sides of a tunnel type sump. Each oil intake pipe includes a valve which is operable to close the respective flowpath when the respective sump portion is tilted upwardly about the length axis of the engine. The inlets may be arranged to remain submerged in a minimum quantity of oil which is retained in each sump portion while the engine is tilted through its maximum angular range about both length and width axes.

Abstract: A method for the surface oxidation of carbon black comprises continuously mixing a solution or slurry of the carbon black in an organic or other solvent with a liquid carrier containing a reagent for surface oxidation of the carbon black in a counter current mixing reactor whereby to obtain reaction of the carbon black with the reagent and the formation of a surface oxidised carbon black as a dispersion of nanoparticles in the liquid carrier and solvent mixture.