Abstract: In some embodiments, a spinal stabilization system may be formed in a patient using quick-connect sleeve assemblies. Each quick-connect sleeve assembly can be coupled to a bone fastener assembly in a fast and intuitive way. In one embodiment, a quick-connect sleeve assembly has a detachable member and a movable member. Both members engage a collar of the bone fastener assembly. In one embodiment, the engagement can be locked via one or more locking features to facilitate screwing a bone fastener of the bone fastener assembly onto a vertebral body in a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Each quick-connect sleeve assembly has a low profile and is particularly shaped for minimally invasive entry.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to provisioning a deduplication data store. An example includes receiving inputs indicating an expected data amount and at least one retention period for the deduplication data store; performing a comparison of the at least one retention period to a stored data structure; determining at least one storage multiplier based on the comparison of the at least one retention period to the stored data structure; and determining an amount of storage to provision for the deduplication data store based on the expected data amount and the at least one storage multiplier.

Abstract: Unlaminated bearings (or Torque Transfer Elements, or TTEs) are disposed to slide and displace within pockets (or “housing cavity receptacles”) provided in the internal periphery of a housing in which an articulating shaft is received. As the shaft “tilts” about its untilted axial centerline during misaligned rotation, convex curved bearing surfaces on shaft pins slidably rotate against corresponding concave curved bearings surfaces on the T as received in the housing cavity receptacles. Further, substantially flat surfaces on the TTEs are disposed to slidably displace against corresponding bearing surfaces on the housing cavity receptacles as the shaft tilts and the convex curved bearing surfaces on the shaft pins slidably rotate against the concave curved bearing surfaces on the TTEs. The sliding displacement of TTEs with respect to the housing cavity receptacles during articulated rotation is in a direction generally parallel to the shaft's untilted axial centerline.

Abstract: Rotary positive displacement machines based on trochoidal geometry that includes a helical rotor that undergoes planetary motion relative to a helical stator are described. The rotor can have a hypotrochoidal-based cross-sectional shape, with the corresponding stator cavity cross-sectional shape being the outer envelope of the rotor cross-sectional shape as it undergoes planetary motion, or the stator cavity can have an epitrochoidal-based cross-sectional shape with the corresponding rotor cross-sectional shape being the inner envelope of the stator cross-sectional shape as it undergoes planetary motion. Such machines can be configured so that the stator axis is spaced from the rotor axis, the rotor is configured to spin about its axis and the stator is configured to spin about its axis, and/or the rotor and the stator are held at a fixed eccentricity so that the rotor undergoes planetary motion relative to the stator, but does not orbit.

Abstract: Tapered stator designs are engineered in a positive displacement motor (PDM) power section to relieve stator stress concentrations at the lower (downhole) end of the power section in the presence of rotor tilt. A contoured stress relief (i.e. a taper) is provided in the stator to compensate for rotor tilt, where the taper is preferably more aggressive at the lower end of the stator near the bit.

Abstract: The invention is a flywheel rotor that includes a number of adjacent laminations, stacked one on top of another, where each of the laminations has the same shape and is rotationally symmetric around a center axis, and where the shape is substantially circular and includes a plurality of protrusions exterior to the circumference, and each of the laminations includes at least one hole for a fastening bolt to pass through. The invention typically includes an endplate at each end of stack of laminations. One of the two endplates may attach to a stubshaft.

Abstract: A glass syringe barrel is provided that has an at least partially conically shaped upper portion and a longitudinal axis. The glass syringe barrel has a top end through which a liquid can be ejected and a bottom end into which a plunger stopper can be pushed. The glass syringe barrel includes, in a direction from the top end to the bottom end, a cone, a shoulder region, and a body region. The shoulder region has and outer contour that has a concave and substantially circular arc-shaped area c1 with an outer radius r1. The outer contour of the glass syringe barrel in the shoulder region is defined by a certain value for r1.

Abstract: A method for producing a container includes identifying a location at a body, with the body at this location having a stress parameter which has a value less than or equal to a threshold value. The identifying includes deriving the threshold value from a simulation result of a simulation based on a finite element method of the stress parameter for a surface area and/or a volume area of the body with or without a marking element present, the identifying also includes obtaining a mean value by the simulation for the stress parameter for at least a part of at least one of the surface area or the volume area of the body. The threshold value is a sum of the mean value and 1000 % or less of an absolute value of the mean value. A marking element is provided which allows identification of the container at the identified location.

Abstract: A glass syringe barrel is provided that has an at least partially conically shaped upper portion and a longitudinal axis. The glass syringe barrel has a top end through which a liquid can be ejected and a bottom end into which a plunger stopper can be pushed. The glass syringe barrel includes, in a direction from the top end to the bottom end, a cone, a shoulder region, and a body region. The shoulder region has and outer contour that has a concave and substantially circular arc-shaped area c1 with an outer radius r1. The outer contour of the glass syringe barrel in the shoulder region is defined by a certain minimum value the radius of curvature.

Abstract: Rotary positive displacement machines based on trochoidal geometry and including a helical rotor that undergoes planetary motion relative to a helical stator can be designed and configured so that the axial load or rotor pressure force is positive, negative, or neutral. In some embodiments, a change in axial load, caused by a change in differential pressure across the machine, can be used to trigger a change in a mechanical configuration of the machine.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to storing manifest portions in a metadata cache. An example includes receiving, by a storage controller, a read request associated with a first data unit. In response to receiving the read request, the storage controller stores a manifest portion in a metadata cache, the stored manifest portion comprising a plurality of records, the plurality of records including a first record associated with the first data unit. The storage controller determines storage information of the first data unit using pointer information included in the first record of the stored manifest portion, and replaces the pointer information in the first record with the determined storage information of the first data unit.

Abstract: Examples implementations relate to journals for metadata changes. An example includes detecting, by a storage controller, metadata changes associated with a container index of a deduplication storage system; recording, by the storage controller, the detected metadata changes in a journal associated with the container index, where the journal is included in a journal group comprising a plurality of journals; determining, by the storage controller, whether a filled amount of the journal exceeds a fill threshold; and, in response to a determination that the filled amount of the journal does not exceed the fill threshold, writing the journal group from memory to persistent storage.

Abstract: A system and method for the dynamic discovery of prices through the use of an auction is provided. In one embodiment, the system allows a seller to auction homogenous assets or liabilities to a plurality of bidders. The assets or liabilities may be organized in baskets by maturity, by geographic location, by type, by a property, etc. The system may determine the eligibility for acceptance of bids submitted by the bidders and a plurality of bids may be determined to be eligible for acceptance using the same or different criteria. Further, a margin by which the bids are acceptable may be determined and a representation of the margin may be communicated to the seller or a bidder. The seller may configure an auction event with auction parameters, such as bid floors and hurdle rates and may alter event parameters while the auction is ongoing.

Abstract: Testing software applications is routinely limited by time or testing iterations rather than exhaustively testing ever possible permutation of inputs or execution paths. By configuring a testing device to only perform relevant tests, the test results are more meaningful (e.g., few false-positives) and relevant to the application. Additional effects include reduced processing times and storage requirements. As described herein, source code is analyzed to determine elements that indicate a particular environment for the source code's corresponding machine code. When the source code indicates that a particular environment is not a candidate for execution of the machine code, tests associated with that particular environment are excluded. The testing device is then configured to perform those tests, either statically or dynamically, that are relevant for those environments that actually apply.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides descriptions of electrical box assemblies for supporting heavy fixtures, such as ceiling fans, and facilitating electrical connections to the fixtures. The electrical box assembly includes an electrical box that allows a connection between the box and electrical conduits and a connection, e.g., a weatherproof connection, with a housing of the fixture. The box has an open front face to house electrical connections between the fixture and wires supplying electrical power to the box via the conduits. The box has a bottom wall and an open front face. A reinforcement member fits within the electrical box and includes a panel shaped to conform to at least a portion of the bottom wall and one or more standoffs extending toward the open front face of the box. When the reinforcement member is positioned within the box, mounting holes in the bottom wall of the box and reinforcement member are aligned to allow the box to be attached to a building structure.

Abstract: A ball-CV style transmission suitable for use in a Positive Displacement Motor (PDM). A shaft provides shaft wings received into housing receptacles on a housing. A Unitary Torque Transfer Element (UTTE) is interposed between each shaft wing and housing within each housing receptacle, with a spherical surface on the UTTE received into a recess preferably on the housing. The UTTEs float within their corresponding housing receptacles so as to maintain torque transfer contact between all thrust surfaces during articulated rotation of the shaft with respect to the housing. The UTTEs preferably float generally radially towards the shaft centerline as angular deflection increases during articulated rotation.

Abstract: A sensor pod system includes one or more sensor pods with a plurality of sensors configured to collect data from an environment. The sensor pod system may include a cleaning system to clean sensing surfaces of sensor pods during operation. The sensor pod system may include sensors of different types and modalities. Sensor pods of the sensor pod system may be modularly installed on a vehicle, for example, an autonomous vehicle and collect and provide data of the environment during operation of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of database recovery includes starting a first database server, starting a second database server, starting a third database server, and starting an application server after starting the first database server, the second database server, and the third. The first, second, and third database servers are configured to store data according to first, second, and third database management systems, respectively, and the application server is configured to run application modules of a set of application modules. The method of database recovery further includes starting a search module, starting a product catalog management module, starting a web connectivity module after starting the search module, starting a graphical user interface module after starting the web connectivity module, and starting at least one business operations module.

Abstract: A glass container is provided having a glass tube with a first end and a second end and a glass bottom closing the second end. The glass tube has a longitudinal axis and has, in a direction from the first to the second end, a top region, a junction region, a neck region, a shoulder region, and a body region. The top region is at the first end and has an outer diameter (dt), the neck region has an outer diameter (dn) with dn<dt, the body region extends to the second end and has an outer diameter (db) with db>dt, and the glass tube in the body region has a thickness (lb). The outer contour in a transition area between the top and neck regions is defined by a radius of curvature. The glass containers have a neck squeeze test load of at least 1100 N.