Abstract: A process for the preparation of thermoplastic auxetic foams comprising the steps of: a) taking conventional thermoplastic foam; b) subjecting said foam to at least one process cycle wherein the foam is biaxially compressed and heated; c) optionally subjecting the foam to at least one process cycle wherein the biaxial compression is removed and the foam mechanically agitated prior to reapplying biaxial compression and heating; d) cooling said foam to a temperature below the softening temperature of said foam; and e) removing said compression and heat.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for estimating the 3D orientation angles for remotely deployed devices with flexible arms such as dipole antennas of receivers used in marine controlled-source electromagnetic surveys to explore for hydrocarbons. Acoustic transponders or transducers, or other positioning sensors such as attitude sensors or strain-sensitive fiber optic cables are placed on each electrode arm of the receiver. Acoustic sensors (101) on the receiver frame (94) work in conjunction with the positioning sensor(s) (101) on the electrode arms (92) to provide accurate 3D spatial position of the receiver electrodes (93) relative to the receiver frame. Alternatively, sonar transducers mounted on the frame are used to image the electrode arms, which image can be enhanced by fixing reflectors to the arms. An attitude sensor is mounted on the receiver frame, enabling conversion of the relative electrode positions to an earth reference frame.

Abstract: A method of calibrating ion collision energy used in a mass spectrometer, comprises: (a) obtaining fragment ion yield data for each of a plurality of precursor ion populations having respective mass-to-charge ratios at each of a plurality of settings of a fragmentation-energy-related variable; (b) locating, for each mass-to-charge ratio, reference values of the fragmentation-energy-related variable, each reference value corresponding to a respective reference feature of the ion yield data at the mass-to-charge ratio; (c) determining, from the plurality of locating steps, the variation, with mass-to-charge-ratio, of each of the reference values of the fragmentation-energy-related variable; (d) associating each of the reference values of the fragmentation-energy related variable with respective reference values of a dimensionless useable-fragmentation-energy variable; and (e) storing parameters describing the variation of each of the reference values of the fragmentation-energy-related variable with mass-to-cha

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method includes sending a signal to a first module associated with a stage of a switch fabric and receiving a signal from the first module a first amount of time after sending the signal to the first module. A signal is sent to a second module associated with the stage of the switch fabric and a signal is received from the second module a second amount of time after sending the signal to the second module. The second amount of time is less than the first amount of time. A cell of a first data packet is sent to the first module and a cell of a second data packet is sent to the second module a third amount of time after sending the cell of the first data packet. The third amount of time is associated with the difference between the first amount of time and the second amount of time.

Abstract: A wearable band with an adjustable size or length. The band includes a first band element and a second band element with a planar body extending from a first to a second end. The second band element body is greater in length than the first band element body and includes a hole for receiving the first band element body. The band includes a coupling mechanism that detachably connects an outer sidewall of the first band element body to the inner sidewall of the second band element body, e.g., to allow the two band elements to be selectively disconnected and reassembled without tools. The coupling mechanism includes a first coupling component extending along the outer sidewall of the first band element and a second coupling element extending along the inner sidewall of the second band element such that the two band elements are connected along the periphery of the hole.

Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) includes a magnetic free layer having a variable magnetization direction; an iron (Fe) dusting layer formed on the free layer; an insulating tunnel barrier formed on the dusting layer; and a magnetic fixed layer having an invariable magnetization direction, disposed adjacent the tunnel barrier such that the tunnel barrier is located between the free layer and the fixed layer; wherein the free layer and the fixed layer have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and are magnetically coupled through the tunnel barrier.

Abstract: A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material molded to provide details to accept audio devices and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips.

Abstract: An optical communication system is disclosed. The optical communication system includes a reflection hub connected to a plurality of communication modules. The communication modules communicate optical signals to one another via two way light channels, such that an optical signal is scattered off a diffuse surface at a distal end of the reflection hub and into the two way light channel of each communication module.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an approach is provided in which a thread is selected from multiple active threads, along with a corresponding weighting value. Computational logic determines whether one of the multiple threads is dispatching an instruction and, if so, computes a dispatch weighting value using the selected weighting value and a dispatch factor that indicates a weighting adjustment of the selected weighting value. In turn, a resource utilization value of the selected thread is computed using the dispatch weighting value.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described that use a cylindrical drum type vacuum drum and allows accurately registered, high resolution laser patterning of thin films on discrete lengths or flexible substrate material that are unwound from an unwind reel and after processing are rewound onto a rewind reel. Length compensator units are provided either side of the drum to accommodate variations in the length of the substrate due to differential rotation of the drum and the unwind and rewind reels.

Abstract: Synchronizing access to resources in a hybrid computing environment that includes a host computer, a plurality of accelerators, the host computer and the accelerators adapted to one another for data communications by a system level message passing module, where synchronizing access to resources includes providing in a registry, to processes executing on the accelerators and the host computer, a key associated with a resource, the key having a value; attempting, by a process, to access the resource including determining whether a current value of the key represents an unlocked state for the resource; if the current value represents an unlocked state, attempting to lock access to the resource including setting the value to a unique identification of the process; determining whether the current value is the unique identification of the process; if the current value is the unique identification accessing the resource by the process.

Abstract: Methods of preventing early awakenings, and improving sleep efficiency in hours 7 and 8 of a period of sleep, by administration of low doses of doxepin (e.g., 1-6 mg).

Abstract: Both a system and method for cleaning a low pressure separation vessel of a high pressure polyethylene polymerization plant are provided. The system includes a polytetrafluoroethylene lining that covers the interior surfaces of the vessel, and a cover mounting assembly including an annular clamp for detachably mounting a cover over the vessel. The mounting assembly includes a clamp actuator for quickly securing and releasing the cover with respect to a top rim of the vessel. The vessel is drained of liquid polyethylene and allowed to cool to ambient temperature, thus creating a frozen “skin” of polyethylene around the interior surfaces of the vessel. The clamp actuator releases the cover. The polyethylene skin is peeled off the interior sides the vessel and gathered up at the top to form a neck, thus peeling the polyethylene skin away from the polytetrafluoroethylene lining along with any degraded polymers or other impurities that have accumulated on the interior surfaces of the vessel.

Abstract: A constant volume combustor device includes detonative combustion. In one form the wave rotor of the constant volume combustor is supported by magnetic bearings.

Abstract: A device to capture and store or generate energy from variations in water level of a water body has a housing and an input shaft rotatably mounted to the housing. A drive belt is rotatably connected to the input shaft and a float is attached to that drive belt so that the float reciprocally drives the input shaft as the water levels increase and decrease. An output shaft is also rotatably mounted to the housing while a first one-way clutch is operatively disposed between the input shaft and the output shaft so that the input shaft rotatably drives the output shaft through the clutch in one rotational direction. A reversing gear is rotatably mounted to the housing and rotatably drives a second one-way clutch also operatively coupled to the second shaft to drive the second shaft in the same rotational direction as the first clutch, but during the opposite rotation of the input shaft.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to enable a near-end receiver to control the far-end transmitter's data transmission such that the near-end receiver's TC data buffers do not overflow. In an embodiment, a high waterline and low waterline implemented into a near-end receiver are used to determine when the near-end receiver's TC data buffers are near maximum capacity. In an embodiment, the near-end receiver transmits a Packet Transfer Mode (PTM) All Idle Out Of Sync (AIOOS) codeword to the far-end transmitter when the high waterline is reached, and the near-end receiver stops transmitting the AIOOS codeword when the low waterline is reached.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and computer readable media for input output memory management unit (IOMMU) two-layer addressing in the context of memory address translations for I/O devices. According to an embodiment, a method includes translating a guest virtual address (GVA) to a corresponding guest physical address (GPA) using a guest address translation table according to a process address space identifier associated with an address translation transaction associated with an I/O device, and translating the GPA to a corresponding system physical address (SPA) using a system address translation table according to a device identifier associated with the address translation transaction.

Abstract: A system for providing flight accident insurance at low price and fixed coverage comprises means for limiting the number of policies that can be sold on any given flight to not more than a predetermined number. The predetermined number may be 20. The system comprises an input device for receiving information from a traveler and an output device for providing an insurance quote to said traveler.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus for outputting a group of images for display, the group being taken from a plurality of images, each image in the plurality of images having a face located therein, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to: retrieve a set of images from a storage medium, the set of images containing at least the plurality of images from which the group of images to be displayed is selected; identify the face in each of the plurality of images; identify variable features on the face in each of the plurality of images; establish the group of images in accordance with a measure of the dissimilarity between the variable features in the plurality of images; and output the group of images for display.