Abstract: A method includes flowing brine including one or more hardness minerals from a desalination system to a mineral removal system. The method also includes removing the one or more hardness minerals from the brine in an ion separation system disposed upstream from and fluidly coupled to the mineral removal system. The ion separation system may generate a first softened brine and includes a plurality of ion exchange subsystems each including an ion exchange resin. The method also includes saturating the ion exchange resin of at least one ion exchange subsystem with the one or more hardness minerals removed from the brine and regenerating the saturated ion exchange resin. The method further includes recovering the one or more hardness minerals from the ion exchange resin via the mineral removal system. The mineral removal system is fluidly coupled to the ion separation system.

Abstract: A receptacle connector includes an outer housing, an inner housing, and an interface seal. The outer housing defines a cavity configured to receive a plug connector through a mating opening of the outer housing. The inner housing is disposed within the cavity of the outer housing. The inner housing holds a contact subassembly that is connected to a cable. The inner housing includes a sleeve that surrounds a mating section of the contact subassembly. The sleeve is spaced apart from an interior surface of the outer housing by an annular gap. The interface seal is on an outer surface of the sleeve. The interface seal engages an inner surface of a nose of the plug connector within the annular gap to seal an interface between the sleeve of the inner housing and the nose of the plug connector.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a suture anchor. The suture anchor includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end, the body including threads along at least a partial length of the body and at least one through hole, the threads including a profile such that the threads located near the distal end of the body include a first shape and the threads located near the proximal end of the body include a second shape different from the first shape. Delivery devices and anchor dilators are also disclosed.

Abstract: An adjustable scaffolding that may adjust to the curvature of a structure. The adjustable scaffolding may comprise a main member, pegs, wing platforms, and rails. A method of use may be employed in which the main member is attached to a structure. The pegs may be secured to the main member in any desired orientation to adjust to the curvature of a structure. Wing platforms may be placed over the pegs, allowing a user to walk along the wing platform. Railing is placed within the pegs, allowing the pegs and the railing to secure the wing platform to the main member.

Abstract: Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy and methods for making and using same are disclosed. A particle of material includes a first substance that includes at least one component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent that remains a droplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A stabilized railway car truck consists of two side frames and a bolster. The bolster has laterally opposite ends, each end extending into and supported within a side frame opening on a spring group. The stabilized railway car truck also includes a transom extending into supporting contact with each sideframe by a hinge assembly. The spring group is supported at each transom end. The hinge assembly includes a pin arrangement that allows one sideframe to move vertically with respect to the other sideframe.

Abstract: A cloud-based media content management system for managing access to media content items is disclosed. Managing access to media content items by a cloud-based media content management system may include, for example, managing uploads of media content items from a population of media devices, reducing duplication of media content data stored in cloud-based storage, and providing user-controlled access to media content items stored in cloud-based storage across any number of user devices. In this context, a cloud-based media content management system and cloud-based storage system generally refer to hosted computing and data storage services that may be accessed by media devices and other devices over a digital network such as the Internet.

Abstract: A system for removing minerals from a brine using electrodialysis. One system includes a gypsum removal system configured to receive a feed stream having a first amount of gypsum, to extract at least a portion of the gypsum from the feed stream, and to produce a first output having a second amount of the gypsum less than the first amount of the gypsum. The system also includes an electrodialysis (ED) system fluidly coupled to the gypsum removal system and configured to receive the first output from the gypsum removal system, to produce a second output having a substantially sulfate hardness free sodium sulfate solution, to produce a third output having a sodium chloride solution, and to produce a fourth output having a mineral solution.

Abstract: A utility housing includes an enclosure having a plurality of walls and a central opening for receiving a utility component. An insert is configured to be positioned in the central opening and has a plurality of insert side walls comprising a first insert side wall and a second insert side wall at least partially defining a central region. A first flange extends from the first insert side wall into the central region and a second flange extends from the second insert side wall into the central region. A removable cover is configured to be placed over the insert. A removable lid is configured to connect to the enclosure.

Abstract: A friction shoe for a railway car truck is provided. The railway truck comprises two parallel sideframes, a suspension spring assembly supported by the sideframes, and a bolster transversely mounted between the sideframes and supported by the suspension spring assembly. Each sideframe has at least one vertical support face, and the bolster has at least one sloped support face. The friction shoe comprises a bottom base engaging and supported by a suspension control spring, a sloped face engaging the sloped wall of the bolster. The friction shoe further includes a vertical face including a pocket, with a friction liner in the pocket. The friction liner engaging the vertical column of the sideframe. The friction shoe friction liner comprised of a material providing a damping force of between 700 and 16,250 pounds and a normal force of between 2000 and 12,000 pounds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a suture anchor. The suture anchor includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end, the body including threads along at least a partial length of the body and at least one through hole, the threads including a profile such that the threads located near the distal end of the body include a first shape and the threads located near the proximal end of the body include a second shape different from the first shape. Delivery devices and anchor dilators are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for analysis of hydrocarbons in water, the method comprising the steps of: extracting the hydrocarbons from a water sample; introducing the extracted hydrocarbons to a solvent system; determining the relative concentrations of the hydrocarbons in the solvent system and at least one solvent in the solvent system by 1H NMR analysis, wherein the solvent system comprises at least one solvent with a 1H NMR signal distinguishable from a 1H NMR signal of the hydrocarbons.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a delivery device and screw combination. The combination includes a delivery device comprising a handle and a shaft coupled to the handle, the shaft including a proximal end, a distal end, a non-circular cannulation, and markings along a length of the shaft; an interference screw coupled to the delivery device comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the screw including threads extending in an open helical form from the proximal end to the distal end, a suture bridge located at a distal end of the screw and housed within a slot of the delivery device shaft, and a plurality of runners extending longitudinally along an interior of the screw, the runners housed within grooves of the delivery device shaft; and a suture disposed around the suture bridge, ends of the suture extending through the cannulation of the delivery device shaft.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an anchor assembly. The anchor assembly includes an anchor defining a cavity and an opening to the cavity; and a headless insertion member configured for arrangement within the anchor cavity, the insertion member including a body having a threaded proximal portion, a non-threaded distal portion, and a cannulation extending a partial length of the insertion member. Other anchor assemblies, anchors, and delivery devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: A motor controller for a blower in a gas-burning appliance. The motor controller includes a processor configured to receive a measured pressure differential measured by a sensor disposed in an airflow generated by the blower. The processor is configured to compute a motor speed based on the measured pressure differential and a pressure differential set-point for the gas-burning appliance. The processor is configured to operate the blower at the motor speed to drive the measured pressure differential toward the pressure differential set-point.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus identify downhole equipment and correlate input data with the equipment to improve planning and/or inventory operations. For some embodiments, oilfield equipment or tubular goods such as drill pipe include a shaped recess along an outer circumference for receiving a tag cartridge by shrink fitting. Once tagged, detector system configurations at pipe yards may facilitate logging the presence and location of each drill pipe and correlating specific data, such as inspection data, to each drill pipe. Further, this correlation populates a database utilized to achieve other business functions such as forecasting number of additional drill pipe needed to purchase, invoicing customers according to actual tracked wear/use of the drill pipe being returned, and providing well or job specific drill string population using known history pipe joints.

Abstract: An exemplary optical connector assembly may include a substrate of an optical printed circuit board (OPCB) with at least one optical device thereon, the substrate including one or more recesses, an optical connector with one or more alignment members for coupling an end of an optical waveguide to the optical device, and one or more inserts, each having an orifice for receiving one of the one or more alignment members and each arranged to be received in one of the one or more recesses. When assembled, the one or more inserts may be received in the one or more recesses and the one or more alignment members may be received in the orifices of the one or more inserts thereby coupling the optical waveguide to the substrate to form the exemplary optical connector assembly.

Abstract: A method includes supplying a supersaturated brine stream having a plurality of minerals and anti-scalant from a water treatment system to a gypsum removal system disposed within a mineral removal system. The gypsum removal system includes a gypsum reactor that may receive the supersaturated brine, may deactivate the anti-scalant such that gypsum precipitates from the supersaturated brine, and may generate a gypsum slurry having a mixture of desupersaturated brine, precipitated gypsum, and the anti-scalant in solution with the desupersaturated brine. The method also includes supplying gypsum seed crystals to the gypsum reactor. The gypsum seed crystals may precipitate the gypsum from the supersaturated brine to generate the gypsum slurry. The method also includes directing a first portion of the gypsum slurry from the gypsum reactor to a gypsum settler.

Abstract: Described is an improved method of removing lipopolysaccharide from an aqueous medium comprising gelatin and lipopolysaccharides, said method comprising the steps of providing an aqueous medium comprising gelatin and lipopolysaccharides, adding to the aqueous medium a micelle-forming surfactant, contacting the medium with a solid adsorbent, separating the solid adsorbent of from the medium and recovering the aqueous medium comprising the gelatin, wherein the method is performed at conditions below the cloud point of the surfactant.

Abstract: Systems, computer programs, and methods for coordinating employee activities to facilitate fulfillment of orders for items and/or services sold by retailers and provided to customers for pick-up are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: receiving one or more pick-up orders; generating tasks associated with preparing portions of the one or more pick-up orders using one or more carts; receiving a first electronic confirmation that the portions of the one or more pick-up orders have been prepared; receiving a notification associated with the one or more pick-up orders; generating tasks associated with moving the portions of the pick-up orders prepared for pick-up before the notification from the one or more carts to a pick-up location within a pick-up facility; and receiving a second electronic confirmation that the tasks associated with moving the portions of the one or more pick-up orders have been completed.