Abstract: A method may include generating current and voltage (I-V) data of a photovoltaic (PV) panel at a plurality of predetermined time intervals during operation of the PV panel. The method may also include generating environmental data of a site of the PV panel at the plurality of predetermined time intervals. In addition, the method may include generating I-V characteristic data based on the I-V data and the environmental data. The I-V characteristic data may be representative of actual operating performance of the PV panel over a predetermined period of time corresponding to a duration of the predetermined time intervals.

Abstract: Described herein are aerodynamic wheels. According to some embodiments there is provided a wheel for a vehicle comprising: a rim; an inner hub; an attachment assembly configured to couple rim to inner hub; a first air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface overlaying the attachment assembly configured to couple rim to inner hub and operatively connected to the inner hub and the rim, forming a first axial surface of the wheel; and a second air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface overlaying the attachment assembly configured to couple rim to inner hub and operatively connected to the inner hub and the rim, forming a second axial surface of the wheel, which is axially opposed to the said first surface of the wheel; wherein said first air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface and second air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface are adaptable to external forces and change shape, when subject to such external forces.

Abstract: Described herein are frame elements for bicycles, and bicycles comprising such frame elements, which are moveable and/or morphable. The frame elements may be moveable and/or morphable in response to an external force, such as an aerodynamic wind load, or a control mechanism operatively connected thereto. Examples of the moveable and/or morphable frame elements include a front fork or one or more sections of the front fork, a seat tube or one or more sections of the seat tube, a cockpit or one or more sections of the cockpit, handlebars or one or more sections of the handlebars, a seat tube or one or more sections of the seat tube, a seat post or one or more sections of the seat post, a top tube or one or more sections of the top tube, and a head tube or one or more sections of the head tube.

Abstract: Present application relates to a strategy for compensating for transesterification degradation of lipid-encapsulated SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, in liquid formulations for high-volume distribution. This involves determining the rate of degradation of the encapsulated RNA and calculating an appropriate overage relative to the intended dose. Alternatively, a higher dose of the RNA may be administered to compensate for loss of effective RNA or the RNA may be formulated in higher purity in anticipation of degradation. The strategy provides a balance between supplying effective and safe products and the need for costly manufacturing processes or transportation hurdles, such as cold-chain supply.

Abstract: Present application relates to a strategy for compensating for transesterification degradation of lipid-encapsulated RNA, such as mRNA-LNP, in liquid formulations for high-volume distribution. This involves determining the rate of degradation of the encapsulated RNA and calculating an appropriate overage relative to the intended dose. Alternatively, a higher dose of the RNA may be administered to compensate for loss of effective RNA or the RNA may be formulated in higher purity in anticipation of degradation. The strategy provides a balance between supplying effective and safe products and the need for costly manufacturing processes or transportation hurdles, such as cold-chain supply.

Abstract: Process core isolation for execution of multiple operating systems on a multicore computer system includes booting first and second operating systems (OSs) on a computer system that includes a plurality of processor cores across physical central processing unit(s) (CPUs). Booting the first OS boots the first OS on a first subset of the processor cores. Booting the second OS, different from the first OS, boots the second OS on a second subset of the processor cores. The first and second subsets are mutually exclusive, where a first processor core of a physical CPU of the physical CPUs is included in the first subset and a second processor core of the physical CPU is included in the second subset, and where the first and second OSs execute concurrently on the computer system, and each of the first and second OS executes on only its respective subset of processor core(s).

Abstract: An apparatus and system for aligning and packing rollable items such as prolate or spherical fruit; an apparatus to remove a single tray from a stack of trays and method therefor; a wrapper to wrap a tray in plastic film and method therefor; an apparatus to laterally retain a spherical or prolate fruit and method therefor; and an apparatus for aligning a fruit via series of rollers and/or suction heads and a method therefor.

Abstract: A life vest stowage device comprises a receptacle with a receptacle opening. The device has first and second tabs with first and second tab apertures. In a closed configuration, a closure flap is in a folded position in which it at least partially covers the opening. The first and second tabs are exposed through the closure flap to allow access to the tab apertures from an outer side of the closure flap. A pull strap extends from the interior volume through the opening and over the outer side of the closure flap. The pull strap has a pull strap aperture securable to the first and second tab apertures by a frangible seal, such that the closure flap can only be moved to an unfolded position by moving the pull strap aperture and the first and second tab apertures away from one another so as to break the frangible seal.

Abstract: Described herein are aerodynamic wheels. According to some embodiments there is provided a wheel for a vehicle comprising: a rim; an inner hub; an attachment assembly configured to couple rim to inner hub; a first air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface overlaying the attachment assembly configured to couple rim to inner hub and operatively connected to the inner hub and the rim, forming a first axial surface of the wheel; and a second air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface overlaying the attachment assembly configured to couple rim to inner hub and operatively connected to the inner hub and the rim, forming a second axial surface of the wheel, which is axially opposed to the said first surface of the wheel; wherein said first air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface and second air engaging flexible and aerodynamic surface are adaptable to external forces and change shape, when subject to such external forces.

Abstract: Reliably testing distributed systems in which multiple components interact, including: provisioning resources by a test leader, directing components to perform actions required by test suites, and reporting results. Provisioning resources might be batched in advance, and might overlap resources for multiple test suites. Provisioning and directing might occur on an as-needed basis, might be performed concurrently, and might be reordered for relatively better performance. Directing actions might occur on command by test leaders, might occur by synchronization of resources, or might occur by resources requesting permission to proceed. Resources might act only upon direction by test leaders, or might act on their own initiative when synchronized. Results might be reported to the test leader for comparison, maintained in a database for access by the test leader, or compared by resources on their own initiative in response to instructions from the test leader.

Abstract: Dedicating hardware devices to virtual machines includes dedicating, by a hypervisor executing on a computer system, a set of hardware devices of the computer system to a first virtual machine of the hypervisor, the first virtual machine executing a guest operating system, and the set of hardware devices for use by the guest operating system in execution of the guest operating system, and dedicating network device hardware of the computer system to a second virtual machine of the hypervisor, the second virtual machine being a different virtual machine than the first virtual machine, wherein network communication between the guest operating system and a network to which the computer system is connected via the network device hardware occurs via the second virtual machine.

Abstract: Process core isolation for execution of multiple operating systems on a multicore computer system includes booting first and second operating systems (OSs) on a computer system that includes a plurality of processor cores across physical central processing unit(s) (CPUs). Booting the first OS boots the first OS on a first subset of the processor cores. Booting the second OS, different from the first OS, boots the second OS on a second subset of the processor cores. The first and second subsets are mutually exclusive, where a first processor core of a physical CPU of the physical CPUs is included in the first subset and a second processor core of the physical CPU is included in the second subset, and where the first and second OSs execute concurrently on the computer system, and each of the first and second OS executes on only its respective subset of processor core(s).

Abstract: In a reliable distributed computing system, techniques where user actions or events affecting real system devices (RSD's), or causing the system to make changes to metadata, require fewer accesses to RSD's. When a virtual system device (VSD) is mounted, substantially all the metadata, or at least that associated with data recovery, is read into memory. Changes to that metadata can be made substantially without any metadata accesses to RSD's. No metadata accesses to RSD's are made for read operations, as the RSD would remain unchanged. Metadata is flushed from memory upon write operations. Metadata about data locations can be maintained in memory, so as to be available if any RSD becomes corrupted or otherwise comes to lose data.

Abstract: A life vest stowage device comprises a receptacle with a receptacle opening. The device has first and second tabs with first and second tab apertures. In a closed configuration, a closure flap is in a folded position in which it at least partially covers the opening. The first and second tabs are exposed through the closure flap to allow access to the tab apertures from an outer side of the closure flap. A pull strap extends from the interior volume through the opening and over the outer side of the closure flap. The pull strap has a pull strap aperture securable to the first and second tab apertures by a frangible seal, such that the closure flap can only be moved to an unfolded position by moving the pull strap aperture and the first and second tab apertures away from one another so as to break the frangible seal.

Abstract: Providing differing degrees of reliability or security for distinct devices within a reliable distributed system. Allowing virtual machines to operate in a reliable distributed system without either exposing the actual available devices to guest operating systems, or requiring the guest OS to maintain, or to maintain information about, reliability or security. Methods are responsive to a hierarchy of possible reliability or security failures, to guard more carefully against simultaneous failures of reliability or breaches of security, without additional work or delay. Functions invoked by the user that relate to reliability and security are hidden, so the user can specify a degree of reliability or security without having to implement those requirements themselves. Providing a uniform set of resources available to all users, separating out those individual resources that are allocated to particular users, and emulating particular devices at the request of those particular users.

Abstract: Dedicating hardware devices to virtual machines includes dedicating, by a hypervisor executing on a computer system, a set of hardware devices of the computer system to a first virtual machine of the hypervisor, the first virtual machine executing a guest operating system, and the set of hardware devices for use by the guest operating system in execution of the guest operating system, and dedicating network device hardware of the computer system to a second virtual machine of the hypervisor, the second virtual machine being a different virtual machine than the first virtual machine, wherein network communication between the guest operating system and a network to which the computer system is connected via the network device hardware occurs via the second virtual machine.

Abstract: A life vest stowage device 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure comprises a receptacle 2 with an receptacle opening 3. The life vest stowage device 1 has first and second tabs 17, 18 with first and second tab apertures 25, 26. In a closed configuration, a closure flap 10 is in a folded position in which it at least partially covers the opening 3. The first and second tabs 17, 18 are exposed through the closure flap 10 to allow access to the first and second tab apertures 25. 26 from an outer side of the closure flap 10. A pull strap 12 extends from the interior volume through the opening 3 and over the outer side of the closure flap 10. The pull strap 12 has a pull strap aperture 15 securable to the first and second tab apertures 25, 26 by a frangible seal 31 in such a way that the closure flap 10 can only be moved to an unfolded position by moving the pull strap aperture 15 and the first and second tab apertures 25, 26 away from one another so as to break the frangible seal 31.

Abstract: Techniques that can minimize latency during remote access between nodes in a reliable distributed computing system. A local computing device includes a protocol data unit that interacts with a substantially similar unit at a remote computing device. Each unit executes a finite state machine that is designed to minimize both the amount of wait time between messages and the number of round-trip message exchanges. The state machine resolves each request as quickly as possible to one of three states: SUCCESS, in which the transfer is successful and it is feasible to free the data transfer buffer, COMPLETE, in which the transfer is finished and a next transfer can be initiated, ABORT, in which either the sending or receiving unit declares the transfer to have failed (or aborted by a higher level element).

Abstract: Reliably making configuration changes to distributed systems, including receiving commands for multiple configuration changes, subdividing configuration changes into separate tasks, and performing those tasks at each node. A configuration element receives sets of configuration change commands, acknowledging them so the user need not wait before issuing additional commands. Tasks are determined, each including consistent changes to system configuration, and each including single-device tasklets. Each particular tasklet might be assigned to a particular single device, or to any single device in the system. Next tasks are performed when tasklets are complete. If tasklets are not timely performed due to nodes which are relatively unresponsive, those nodes are marked “failed.” When a failed node returns to responsiveness, it marks itself “recovering.” When a recovering node catches up, it marks itself “operational.” Updates by failed or recovering nodes are skipped while synchronizing with operational nodes.