Abstract: A process for forming a capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer, the process comprising: combining an acid catalyst and an uncapped poly(arylene ether) composition comprising an uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer comprising a phenolic end group ortho-substituted with a (C1-C12-hydrocarbyl)(C1-C12-hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group, to form a first reaction mixture; reacting the (C1-C12-hydrocarbyl)(C1-C12-hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group of the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer in the presence of the acid catalyst under conditions effective to cleave a (C1-C12-hydrocarbyl)(C1-C12-hydrocarbyl)amino group from the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer, to form a second reaction mixture; adding a nucleophilic catalyst and a capping agent to the second reaction mixture; and reacting the capping agent and the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer under conditions effective to provide a product mixture comprising the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer; preferably wherein the (C1-C6-hydrocarbyl)(C1-C6-hydroc

Abstract: An illustrative report server interoperates with one or more enhanced storage managers to evaluate whether backup operations and restore operations meet their recovery point objectives (RPO) and recovery time objectives (RTO), respectively. RTO is evaluated using a tiered approach based on past performance of restore and/or backup operations. The illustrative storage manager executes pre-defined queries that extract relevant information from an associated database that houses information about storage operations. The report server recommends alternative kinds of backup operations for data that fails to meet its RTO using traditional backups. The report server is configured to analyze and report RPO and RTO readiness for several levels of data entities, including multiple systems, single system, groups of clients, single clients, and subclients.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes at least one housing, a nozzle, a piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material, a control component, and a transport element. The at least one housing may enclose a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition. The nozzle may be coupled to the housing to discharge aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir. The control component may include a microprocessor coupled to and configured to drive the piezoelectric or piezomagnetic material to vibrate and cause a discharge of components of the aerosol precursor composition and thereby produce an aerosol for inhalation by a user. And the transport element may be configured to control an amount of aerosol precursor composition delivered from the reservoir.

Abstract: A system for testing and validating the performance of a pressure sensor includes a test fixture operatively connected to the pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is configured to identify a fluid pressure relative to an atmospheric pressure. A microcontroller is in electrical communication with the test fixture and the pressure sensor, and the microcontroller is configured to cause the test fixture to introduce air and/or vapor through the pressure sensor at a known fluid pressure. The microcontroller is also configured to receive the identified fluid pressure from the pressure sensor, the identified fluid pressure being based on the air and/or vapor flowing through the pressure sensor. A power source is in electrical communication with the microcontroller, and a display is in electrical communication with the microcontroller. The display is configured to display results to a user, the results comprising the determination of the performance of the pressure sensor.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to stimulators of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), pharmaceutical formulations comprising them and their uses thereof, alone or in combination with one or more additional agents, for treating various diseases, wherein an increase in the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) or an increase in the concentration of cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP), or both, or an upregulation of the NO pathway is desirable.

Abstract: An input circuit for detecting low voltage analog signals in an electrically noisy environment receives the analog input signal at an input terminal. The analog input signal is compared to a variable reference signal at a comparator circuit. An active hysteresis circuit provides feedback to the comparator. In a first operating mode, the active hysteresis circuit may be disabled or be configured to output a constant voltage. In a second operating mode, the active hysteresis circuit may be enabled or configured to output a varying level of voltage. The output of the feedback circuit is summed with the variable reference signal and supplied as the input signal to the comparator, such that signal against which the analog input signal is compared is a general constant value in the first operating mode and varies with respect to time in the second operating mode.

Abstract: A product use and behavior instrument includes a housing defining a central compartment therein. A controller is positioned within the central compartment. The controller includes a first connector. The first connector is configured to operatively and removably couple the product use and behavior instrument to a battery element. A second connector is configured to operatively and removably couple the product use and behavior instrument to a tank element. A sensor circuit is structured to collect at least one use data characteristic of a smoking action. The smoking action is associated with use of at least one of the tank and battery element. Local memory is structured to store the at least one use data characteristic of the smoking action. A communication interface is structured to communicate the stored at least one use data characteristic of the smoking action to a remote computing device.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for managing and minimizing chronic pain. In particular, provided herein are systems and methods for managing and minimizing chronic pain with light therapy.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example and includes receiving at least one first input indicating at least one network condition associated with a first user device having a user associated therewith. The first user device has a first bearer channel established between the first user device and a gateway, and the first bearer channel has a first quality of service level. The method further includes determining whether to modify the first user device to a second quality of service level based upon the received at least one first input, and sending a first request to a first network element instructing the first network element to modify the first user device to the second quality of service level.

Abstract: A method for Xx/Xn interface communication is disclosed, comprising: at an Xx/Xn gateway for communicating with, and coupled to, a first and a second radio access network (RAN), receiving messages from the first RAN according to a first Xx/Xn protocol and mapping the received messages to a second Xx/Xn protocol for transmission to the second RAN; maintaining state of one of the first RAN or the second RAN at the Xx/Xn gateway; executing executable code received at an interpreter at the Xx/Xn gateway as part of the received messages; altering the maintained state based on the executed executable code; and receiving and decoding an initial Xx/Xn message from the first RAN; identifying specific strings in the initial Xx/Xn message; matching the identified specific strings in a database of stored scripts; and performing a transformation on the initial Xx/Xn message, the transformation being retrieved from the database for stored scripts, the stored scripts being transformations.

Abstract: Techniques for a session identifier for a communication session are described. According to various implementations, a session identifier that is usable for initiating a communication session is allocated prior to the communication session being initiated. The session identifier can then be activated to enable the session identifier to be used for routing data packets of a communication session.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cell ID disambiguation are described. In one embodiment, a method may be disclosed for constructing a neighbor table, comprising: receiving, at a mobile base station, a physical cell identifier (PCI) of a detected neighbor base station from a user equipment (UE); receiving a global positioning system (GPS) position of the mobile base station; and associating the GPS position of the mobile base station with the PCI of the detected neighbor base station in a neighbor table.

Abstract: Biosensors and methods for localized surface plasmon resonance biosensing are disclosed. The biosensor can include a substrate having a substrate surface to which a plurality of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) antennae are affixed. The LSPR antennae can be affixed via an affixation surface of the LSPR antenna. The LSPR antennae can have a functional surface opposite the affixation surface. Each functional surface can be functionalized by a plurality of single-stranded DNA.

Abstract: A reflective PPG sensor, in which motion artifacts have a reduced effect, is configured to be placed on one of a forehead, a finger or a wrist of a subject on a location selected according to a predetermined range of a signal quality index and has a force per unit area between 0.3 N/cm2 and 1.5 N/cm2, and a bonding pressure, for sensor to skin adhesion, between 10 N/cm2 and 20 N/cm2. In one instance, the reflective PPG sensor of these teachings also has a weight between 6 g and 12 g.

Abstract: Operating a fire control system is described herein. One method includes receiving, at a gateway device, first operational data of a first format from a control panel, determining a model associated with the control panel based on the first operational data, wherein the model includes correlations between the first operational data and alarm information of a second format, receiving second operational data of the first format from the control panel, and determining alarm information of the second format associated with the second operational data based on the model.

Abstract: Operating a fire control system is described herein. One method includes receiving, at a gateway device, first operational data of a first format from a control panel, determining a model associated with the control panel based on the first operational data, wherein the model includes correlations between the first operational data and alarm information of a second format, receiving second operational data of the first format from the control panel, and determining alarm information of the second format associated with the second operational data based on the model.

Abstract: Manners of scheduling downloads for a user equipment (UE). The UE is configured to establish a connection to a network and receive an indication of a user-initiated download, determining whether the download is to be performed now or at a subsequent time, when the download is to be performed at the subsequent time, determine a time window during which the download is to be initiated and initiate the download during the time window.

Abstract: Methods and systems for specifying and enforcing network policies are provided. One method for configuring a network that includes a plurality of heterogeneous network access devices includes creating a network enforcement profile based on at least one enforcement policy, and determining a network access device group of the plurality of heterogeneous network access devices that are capable of managing the enforcement profile. The method further includes providing vendor-specific configuration parameters for at least one network access device of the network access device group so as to cause the network to manage the network enforcement profile, and applying the vendor-specific configuration parameters to the at least one network access device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing vendor agnostic captive portal authentication in a network that includes a plurality of network access devices are provided. For instance, one method includes receiving a redirect request for a communication between a first user-terminal and a first network access device, the redirect request including at least one of a vendor-specific item of information of the first network access device and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the first network access device. The method further includes comparing the at least one of the vendor-specific item of information of the first network access device and the IP address of the first network access device against each of a plurality of entries of a network access device database, and providing the first user-terminal access to a captive portal page in response to an appropriate match.

Abstract: A method and computer-readable storage device and apparatus for controlling a roadway resource are disclosed. For example, the method receives from a device associated with a vehicle a request to reach a target destination by a target arrival time and a maximum payment amount to reach the target destination by the target arrival time. The method next determining a route to the target destination and determines a roadway resource along the route that is controllable. The method then sends an instruction to the device associated with the vehicle, where the instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle along the route and controls the roadway resource to enable the vehicle to reach the target destination by the target arrival time.