Abstract: An anode in an electrochemical cell includes an anode active material comprising sodium and a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer disposed on the anode active material. The SEI layer includes reduction products of an electrolyte solvent and is free of degradation products derived from dissolved anions of an electrolyte salt. The electrolyte solvent and the electrolyte salt are present in an electrolyte of the electrochemical cell. The SEI layer does not include a fluorine content greater than 5 wt. %.

Abstract: A base for use with scaffolding. The base includes side support members and cross members. The side support members have scaffold receiving members provided at ends thereof. The cross members extend between the side support members and are rotatably mounted to the side support members. Wheels are mounted to the cross members. As the cross members are rotated from a first position to a second position, the wheels are moved from an initial position in which the wheels are spaced from a ground or floor surface to a second position in which the wheels are positioned in engagement with the ground or floor surface.

Abstract: A control system for a double-acting air cylinder of an agricultural implement includes a valve assembly configured to control a base end air pressure and a rod end air pressure of the double-acting air cylinder. The control system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the valve assembly. The controller is configured to determine a target base end air pressure and a target rod end air pressure based on a target force of the double-acting air cylinder and a target damping factor of the double-acting air cylinder. The controller is also configured to control the valve assembly such that a first difference between the base end air pressure and the target base end air pressure is less than a first threshold value and a second difference between the rod end air pressure and the target rod end air pressure is less than a second threshold value.

Abstract: An artificial hand, a kit of components for making the artificial hand and a method of making and installing the artificial hand on the arm stump of a person in need thereof. This artificial hand is made of relatively low-cost components and is fairly easy to assemble from a kit of such components. Additionally, the artificial hand can be relatively quickly and easily fit to the arm stump of a person in need thereof so that the person can wear and use the artificial hand immediately without excessive training or instructions.

Abstract: An SEU immune flip-flop includes a master stage data latch having an input, an output, a clock input, being transparent in response to a clock signal first state and being latched in response to a clock signal second state, a slave stage data latch having an input coupled to the master stage data latch output, an output, a scan output, a slave latch clock input, a scan slave latch having an input coupled to the slave stage data latch scan output, an output, and a clock input, being transparent in response to the clock signal second state and being latched in response to the clock signal first state. The slave stage data latch includes a switched inverter disabled when the slave latch is in a transparent state and enabled when the slave latch is in a latched state having a time delay longer than an SEU time period.

Abstract: A container system with an enclosed utensil. The utensil can be stored in a slot in a side wall of the container for easy removal and handling. The enclosed utensil can be retractable, and can include a collar for cleaning the utensil implement.

Abstract: A centrifugal compressor includes a casing, a first compression mechanism and a second compression mechanism. The casing has a first inlet portion, a first outlet portion, a second inlet portion and a second outlet portion. The first compression mechanism includes a first inlet guide vane disposed in the first inlet portion, a first impeller disposed downstream of the first inlet guide vane, a first diffuser disposed in the first outlet portion downstream from the first impeller, and a first motor. The second compression mechanism includes a second inlet guide vane disposed in the second inlet portion, a second impeller disposed downstream of the second inlet guide vane, a second diffuser disposed in the second outlet portion downstream from the second impeller, and a second motor. The first and second motors are arranged to rotate first and second shafts in order to rotate the first and second impellers.

Abstract: A rupture disc valve device as provided herein is configured to selectively release a pressurized material. In some embodiments, the rupture disc has a burst pressure rating less than a pressure of the pressurized material. The valve device selectively braces the rupture disc until release of the pressurized material is desired. To release the pressurized material, the valve device is configured to remove or adjust the bracing support to the rupture disc, allowing the pressurized material to burst the rupture disc.

Abstract: An apparatus balances a discharge in parallel battery configuration by having a battery pack (a) with a first battery system and a second battery system in parallel configuration, and a pulse width modulation device and (b) being interconnectable to a load. Each of the first and second battery systems has, in series and in order, a first voltage sensor, a resistor, a second voltage sensor, a string of battery cells, and a switching device. The first and second voltage sensor, in each battery system, measures an electrical current, used to calculate the voltage drop across each resistor. The voltage drop values for each battery system determine whether the pulse width modulation device alters or maintains the pulse width modulation applied to each battery system's switching device. By maintaining or altering the pulse width modulation applied to each switching device, the apparatus effectively balances the electrical current discharge from each battery system.

Abstract: A lithium thionyl chloride cell having, in a can, a cathode collector, a solution of lithium tetra-chloroaluminate (LiAlCl4) in thionyl chloride (SOCl2), and a lithium alloy anode. The lithium alloy anode has lithium and an alloy material selected from the group consisting of magnesium and aluminum. The composition of lithium in relation to the alloy material ranges from 95:5 to 50:50, by weight, such that the total capacity of the lithium plus the alloying material is greater than the capacity of the thionyl chloride and at the same time the capacity of the lithium alone is less than or equal to the capacity of the thionyl chloride.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for indexing commercials. A viewer may query a search engine for a particular product or service. The index may include descriptors that are provided within a blanking interval within the media stream or within program guide information associated with the stream. The index information may also include Internet hyperlinks. Commercials may also have associated therewith a value that is relative to a value of media content. A viewer may accumulate value by viewing advertisements. Accumulated value may then be used to acquire more content.

Abstract: In one embodiment, multiple (serializer-deserializer) SERDES channels are aligned by selectively slipping one or more of the incoming serial data streams one bit at a time prior to deserialization. Within each SERDES channel, a slip circuit slips the corresponding serial data stream by one bit (i.e., one unit interval (UI)) by extending the high portion of the duty cycle of a corresponding clock signal. The high portion of the clock signal is extended using a 3-to-1 mux that selects a fixed high signal, such as the high power supply rail, as an intermediate mux output signal whenever transitioning between two different applied clock signals that are offset from one another by one UI. In this way, the slip circuit avoids glitches that might otherwise result from switching directly between the two clock signals.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit in a device includes selectable feedback paths and a multiplexer. An internal feedback path is adapted to pass a first input clock signal to the PLL circuit during a low power operation mode of the device and an external feedback path is adapted to pass a second input clock signal to the PLL circuit during a normal operation mode of the device. The multiplexer is provided for selecting between the internal and external feedback paths.

Abstract: In one embodiment, multiple (serializer-deserializer) SERDES channels are aligned by selectively slipping one or more of the incoming serial data streams one bit at a time prior to deserialization. Within each SERDES channel, a slip circuit slips the corresponding serial data stream by one bit (i.e., one unit interval (UI)) by extending the high portion of the duty cycle of a corresponding clock signal. The high portion of the clock signal is extended using a 3-to-1 mux that selects a fixed high signal, such as the high power supply rail, as an intermediate mux output signal whenever transitioning between two different applied clock signals that are offset from one another by one UI. In this way, the slip circuit avoids glitches that might otherwise result from switching directly between the two clock signals.

Abstract: In one embodiment, multiple (serializer/deserializer) SERDES channels are aligned by selectively slipping one or more of the incoming serial data streams one bit at a time prior to deserialization. Within each SERDES channel, a slip circuit slips the corresponding serial data stream by one bit (i.e., one unit interval (UI)) by extending the high portion of the duty cycle of a corresponding clock signal. The high portion of the clock signal is extended using a 3-to-1 mux that selects a fixed high signal, such as the high power supply rail, as an intermediate mux output signal whenever transitioning between two different applied clock signals that are offset from one another by one UI. In this way, the slip circuit avoids glitches that might otherwise result from switching directly between the two clock signals.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for indexing commercials. A viewer may query a search engine for a particular product or service. The index may include descriptors that are provided within a blanking interval within the media stream or within program guide information associated with the stream. The index information may also include Internet hyperlinks. Commercials may also have associated therewith a value that is relative to a value of media content. A viewer may accumulate value by viewing advertisements. Accumulated value may then be used to acquire more content.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for indexing commercials. A viewer may query a search engine for a particular product or service. The index may include descriptors that are provided within a blanking interval within the media stream or within program guide information associated with the stream. The index information may also include Internet hyperlinks. Commercials may also have associated therewith a value that is relative to a value of media content. A viewer may accumulate value by viewing advertisements. Accumulated value may then be used to acquire more content.

Abstract: In an exemplary decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) of a serializer/deserializer (SerDes) receiver, a single current mirror array is shared by multiple current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) functions. The DFE has an initial amplifier stage that applies an initial coefficient COEFF0 to an input data signal and a number of (e.g., five) additional amplifier stages that apply additional coefficients (e.g., COEFF1-COEFF5) to different delayed versions of the recovered output data stream. The outputs of the initial and multiple additional amplifier stages are summed to generate an equalized data signal that is applied to a clock-and-data recovery (CDR) circuit. Due to certain characteristics of the equalizer function, the multiple additional amplifier stages can be implemented using a single shared current mirror array, which save significant amounts of chip area compared to conventional implementations in which each additional amplifier stage has its own dedicated current mirror array.