Abstract: A nanosilica containing fluid system for shale stabilization in a shale formation. The nanosilica containing fluid system comprising a functionalized nanosilica composition operable to react with shale at the surface of the shale formation to form a barrier on the shale formation. The functionalized nanosilica composition comprising a nanosilica particle, the nanosilica particle having a mean diameter, and a functionalization compound, the functionalization compound appended to the surface of the nanosilica particle. And an aqueous-based fluid, the aqueous-based fluid operable to carry the functionalized nanosilica composition into the shale formation. The functionalization compound is an amino silane. The aqueous-based fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, deionized water, sea water, brine, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a connection of a second device to a first device comprises a wireless connection that is used to relay information to and from the first and second devices. In further embodiments, at least one of said first and second devices comprises a smartphone and a destination device to which the first and second devices transmit information comprises a base station. In yet further embodiments, the first device solicits from the second device a processing capability; receives an acknowledgement from the second device that the second device can provide the processing capability; receives the processing capability from the second device; and uses the processing capability of the second device to increase an amount of information that is conveyed to the destination device.

Abstract: An extinguishing system for a high-voltage battery of a motor vehicle, including at least one extinguishing agent container with a gaseous extinguishing agent; a seal for sealing the extinguishing agent container, which prevents an outflow of the extinguishing agent into the interior of the high-voltage battery; a control device interacting with the seal device, designed to open the seal upon the incidence of a triggering signal, thus allowing the extinguishing agent to flow into the interior of the high-voltage battery and to displace any air included therein; an auto-ignition mechanism that interacts with the seal, which auto-ignites at a certain auto-ignition temperature and opens the seal.

Abstract: A driving authorization system for a vehicle includes a connectivity unit for communication at least with a key and a keyless access authorization system. A server has an access lock, which can be activated or deactivated by the key and/or the keyless access authorization system. The keyless access authorization system is an application on a mobile device, further having an immobilizer. The immobilizer is designed in such a way that it is activated when the access lock is activated by the application and is deactivated again in this case only when the access lock is deactivated by the application.

Abstract: A device for generating a condensation aerosol includes vaporization chamber having an upstream first inlet and a downstream outlet. A tube supplies liquid to a heater in the vaporization chamber. The liquid is pumped out of the tube and onto the heater, which vaporizes the liquid. Air flows from inlets through the vaporization chamber, and generally perpendicular to the tube. The vaporized liquid is entrained in the air, forming a condensation aerosol having a particle size in a selected range. A second inlet provides a substantially laminar flow of air into the airflow path, wherein the second inlet is downstream of the heater; and the device capable of changing air flow in the vaporization chamber to change the particle size of the condensation aerosol and/or to change the amount of visible vapor emitted from the device.

Abstract: A first semiconductor die includes first bonding pads. The first bonding pads include proximal bonding pads embedded within a first bonding dielectric layer and distal bonding pads having at least part of the sidewall that overlies the first bonding dielectric layer. A second semiconductor die includes second bonding pads. The second bonding pads are bonded to the proximal bonding pads and the distal bonding pads. The proximal bonding pads are bonded to a respective one of a first subset of the second bonding pads at a respective horizontal bonding interface and the distal bonding pads are bonded to a respective one of a second subset of the second bonding pads at a respective vertical bonding interface at the same time. Dielectric isolation structures may vertically extend through the second bonding dielectric layer of the second semiconductor die and contact the first bonding dielectric layer.

Abstract: A firearm suppressor with a monolithic core includes an elongate main body, a projectile borehole extending an entire length of the elongate main body such that the elongate main body includes both an entrance opening for the projectile borehole and an exit opening for the projectile borehole, and multiple hollow chambers. The entrance opening is structured to attach to an end portion of a barrel of a firearm. The hollow chambers are disposed along the length of the elongate main body and connect the projectile borehole to an outer surface of the elongate main body. A first one of the hollow chambers is disposed in a direction perpendicular relative to the projectile borehole, and a second one of the hollow chambers is disposed in a non-perpendicular direction relative to the projectile borehole.

Abstract: A vortex generator apparatus for an aircraft includes a surface section having a receiving recess, a vortex generator having a first edge, an opposite second edge and a vortex generator surface component extending from the first edge to the second edge, wherein the first edge is fixedly arranged in or adjacent to the receiving recess. The vortex generator surface component includes at least one electroactive polymer assembly, wherein the at least one electroactive polymer is switchable into an extended state by applying an electrical voltage and into a neutral state by removing the electrical voltage. The electroactive polymer assembly and the vortex generator surface component are configured to retract the vortex generator surface component completely into the receiving recess in the neutral state of the electroactive polymer assembly and to extend the vortex generator surface component from the receiving recess in the extended state.

Abstract: A head stabilization device useable for stabilizing a head of a patient during a medical procedure includes a modular design where stabilization assemblies of various configurations are interchangeable at receiving portions along a frame. The device includes a tensioning feature positioned away from the stabilization assembly but still operable to increase or decrease an amount of force the stabilization assembly applies to the patient's head. The device includes a locking feature for a stabilization assembly having a rotatable member having one or more stabilization features connected thereto. The device includes an adjustment feature to adjust a spacing between frame members with the adjustment feature providing a continuous range of adjustment rather than finite adjustment increments.

Abstract: Spacecraft servicing systems include a spacecraft servicing device and at least one mission extension pod comprising at least one spacecraft servicing component. The spacecraft servicing device is configured to transfer the at least pod to a target spacecraft in order to service the target spacecraft with the at least one spacecraft servicing component of the at least one pod. Spacecraft servicing pods configured to be supplied to a spacecraft with a spacecraft servicing device include at least one spacecraft servicing component.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficient use of unlicensed spectrum are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method performed by a transmitter comprises performing a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure for a channels within a transmit bandwidth of the transmit node, where the transmit bandwidth is divided into a bandwidth parts that correspond to the channels. The method further comprises transmitting a transmission in a subset of the bandwidth parts that correspond to a subset of the channels determined, based on a result of the LBT procedure, to be available. Transmitting the transmission comprises transmitting the transmission in accordance with a transmit scheme that uses carrier aggregation and/or carrier merging to transmit the transmission on the subset of the bandwidth parts and uses resources in one or more guard bands between two or more adjacent bandwidth parts from among the subset of the bandwidth parts.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to certain (2S)—N-[(1S)-1-cyano-2-phenylethyl]-1,4-oxazepane-2-carboxamide compounds (including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof), that inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase 1 (DPP1) activity, to their utility in treating and/or preventing clinical conditions including respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to their use in therapy, to pharmaceutical compositions containing them and to processes for preparing such compounds.

Abstract: Systems and methods of assisting users in collision avoidance in a virtual reality environment include tracking a location of first and second users in a physical environment; based on the tracked location of each of the users, calculating a collision probability between the first user and the second user in the physical environment; comparing a threshold collision probability to the calculated collision probability; and when the calculated collision probability exceeds the threshold collision probability and the first user avatar visible to the second user and the second user avatar visible to the first user do not visually suggest to each of the first user and the second user a representation of the probability of collision in the physical environment, a collision alert is triggered.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for assessing atrial fibrillation in a subject, said method comprising the steps of determining the amount of FGFBP-1 in a sample from the subject, and comparing the amount of FGFBP-1 to a reference amount, whereby atrial fibrillation is to be assessed. Moreover, the present invention relates to methods for the prediction of stroke based on the amount of FGFBP-1.

Abstract: Using large-scale reinforcement learning to train a policy model that can be utilized by a robot in performing a robotic task in which the robot interacts with one or more environmental objects. In various implementations, off-policy deep reinforcement learning is used to train the policy model, and the off-policy deep reinforcement learning is based on self-supervised data collection. The policy model can be a neural network model. Implementations of the reinforcement learning utilized in training the neural network model utilize a continuous-action variant of Q-learning. Through techniques disclosed herein, implementations can learn policies that generalize effectively to previously unseen objects, previously unseen environments, etc.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is for determining at least one main acquisition parameter determining a dose of x-rays to be emitted from an x-ray emitter during image acquisition using an x-ray emitter and an x-ray detector. A first image data of a first preparatory image is evaluated to determine if a repeat condition is fulfilled and/or to determine the main acquisition parameter and/or at least one second preparatory acquisition parameter. The first preparatory image is acquired by the x-ray detector using at least one first preparatory acquisition parameter to control the x-ray emitter. In all cases or when the repeat condition is fulfilled, the main acquisition parameter is determined depending on second image data of a second preparatory image, acquired by the x-ray detector after the first preparatory image while at least one second preparatory acquisition parameter is used to control the x-ray emitter.

Abstract: A communication device is provided that includes a baseband circuit and a transmitter configured to transmit a first signal and a projected signal. The baseband circuit is configured to determine the projected signal based on an estimated signal state information such that an energy of a shaped projected signal is smaller than an energy of a shaped signal. The estimated signal state information is an estimate of a signal state information based on the first signal and a received signal that is received by a receiver of the second communication device. The shaped projected signal is the projected signal received by the receiver of the second communication device and filtered by a filter of the second communication device. The shaped signal is the received signal filtered by the filter of the second communication device.