Abstract: A vehicle includes a powerplant and a body. The body defines a passenger cabin and a box and having a tailgate mounted to the box. A step assembly is associated with the box and includes a step and a handle. The handle has a sensor configured to receive input from a user located outside of the passenger cabin and output a signal when the input is active. A controller is programmed to, in response to the signal being received, command a torque to the powerplant to propel the vehicle based on the signal.

Abstract: A multi-seat plug valve with a pair of sealing members separated by a rotatable plug, a body with one or more detents for receipt of a respective locking pin, a bonnet with one or more detents for receipt of a respective locking pin, linear track plates (upper/lower), and offset track plates (upper/lower). Each locking pin permanently rests in a respective slot in an upper or lower linear track plate. The locking pins may be moved between respective opposing detents in the upper or lower offset track plate and the bonnet or body, respectively, to affect i) radial movement of the sealing members when the linear track plates are coupled to the body and the bonnet by locking pins, and ii) rotational movement of the sealing members when the linear track plates are coupled to the upper and lower offset track plates by locking pins.

Abstract: A transport vehicle, such as a vision guided vehicle, can comprise a drive portion constructed to facilitate movement of the transport vehicle and a load portion constructed to engage an object of interest. The load portion can comprise an object engagement apparatus and at least one sensor coupled to or disposed within a distal end of the object engagement apparatus, wherein the sensor can be at least a 2D sensor. The engagement apparatus can comprise forks, at least one fork having sensor coupled to or disposed within a fork tip. The 2D sensor can comprise a scanning LIDAR sensor arranged to collect information to identify a pickable pallet, for example.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of a medicinal applicator can comprise a base, a medicinal cream receiving port in the base, and a shaft with a shaft axis that is defined extending down the center of the shaft from the base and terminating at an applicator tip. There is at least one longitudinal outlet port located along a portion of the shaft. A medicinal cream passageway is in communication with the medicinal cream receiving port and the longitudinal outlet port via a funneled chamber. The medicinal cream passageway exits into the funneled chamber partway along the length of the longitudinal outlet port via a passageway exit port. A stop plate that extends essentially radially from the base delineates the base from the shaft.

Abstract: A newly identified protein that is encoded by a polynucleotide sequence associated with cytoplasmic male sterility restorer activity (Rf3) is described. The cytoplasmic male sterility restorer gene can be inserted through breeding introgression into plant genomes to restore cytoplasmic male sterility in plants. Further applications of the newly identified polynucleotide sequence associated with cytoplasmic male sterility restorer activity include a mutation (rf3) which results in cytoplasmic male sterility. The cytoplasmic male sterility restorer gene can be inserted through breeding introgression into plant genomes to result in cytoplasmic male sterility in plants. Methods for detecting the cytoplasmic male sterility restorer (Rf3) and the cytoplasmic male sterility (rf3) gene sequences are further described.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for asset identification and visualization. An example method includes receiving a request for asset visualization that is associated with a plurality of distributed datacenter computing components associated with disparate physical datacenter installations and determining location data for the distributed datacenter computing components. The method further includes generating the asset visualization for presentation to a user associated with the request. The asset visualization is a digital representation of the disparate physical datacenter installations including a visual representation of a presence of the distributed datacenter computing components associated with each disparate physical datacenter installation. The method may render the asset visualization in a virtual reality (VR) environment and/or as an augmented reality (AR) overlay via a user device associated with the user.

Abstract: Some embodiments described herein provide intelligent movable racks for a data center and a central system for monitoring and directing the positioning of such racks within the data center. For example, a rack may include computing equipment as well as a power system, a cooling system, and a cabling system (e.g., for data communication). The rack may include a controller in communication with the computing equipment, the power system, the cooling system, and the cabling system. The rack may also include a rack interface for physically supporting the rack and operatively connecting the systems of the rack to power, cooling, and cabling infrastructure of the data center. The rack interface may receive an autonomous robot for moving the rack within the data center. The controller may control the power system and the cooling system based in part on the autonomous movement of the rack.

Abstract: Thermal management systems and associated methods are provided with acoustic isolation. An example system includes a computing device that defines a first housing supporting one or more processing units and a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a pressure generation mechanism and one or more cooling conduits operably coupled with the pressure generation mechanism, and the one or more cooling conduits provide fluid communication between the computing device and the pressure generation mechanism. The pressure generation mechanism causes circulation of cooling fluid to the computing device via the one or more cooling conduits so as to dissipate heat generated by the one or more processing units, and the pressure generation mechanism is acoustically isolated from the computing device.

Abstract: Devices and methods for physical chip security are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a security module is secured to a board to restrict physical access to an integrated circuit mounted on the security module and provides one or more contacts enabling data access to the integrated circuit.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for time synchronization of a distributed sensor array system (“distributed system”). The distributed system includes multiple sensor nodes, which are time-synchronized using a combination of RF signal data and message-based time techniques across multiple communications mechanisms. Time synchronization is implemented both internally between a sensor node's components and over-the-air between different sensor nodes. The distributed system further employs multiple layers of standardized and custom synchronization protocols to build a scalable, potentially zero-hop, time transfer network. The time synchronization accuracies achieved by the time transfer network enable coherency in the distributed system.

Abstract: A dissolvable solid article that is formed by a homogeneous mixture. The mixture includes from about 10% to about 50% of a water soluble polymer, from about 5% to about 80% of a surfactant; and from about 0.1% to about 40%, of a silicone. The silicone can have a particle size of from about 50 nm to about 25 micron. The silicone can have the article contains up to 0.2% nitrogen coming from the silicone.

Abstract: Devices and methods to update semiconductor components are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a device updates semiconductor components independent of a semiconductor component operational state.

Abstract: A drive system for a zero turning radius (ZTR) vehicle includes a steering control and a sensor configured to receive a position of the steering control. A damper is coupled to the steering control and is configured to apply a selectable amount of resistive force to the steering control. A controller is in communication with the sensor and is configured to operate a motor of the ZTR vehicle responsive to the position of the steering control, and to operate the damper to apply a resistive force to the steering control responsive to actuation of the steering control.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for time synchronization of a distributed sensor array system (“distributed system”). The distributed system includes multiple sensor nodes which are time synchronized using status information of a sensor node (e.g., timestamp of an occurrence of an event such as receipt of a request for local timestamp, a receipt of a calibration signal). A timestamp of an occurrence of the event at a sensor node is determined for each of the sensor nodes and a time offset between a timestamp of an occurrence of the event at a reference node of the distributed system and the timestamp of the corresponding sensor node is determined. The distributed system synchronizes each of the sensor nodes based on the time offset of the corresponding sensor node to time align data signals received by the sensor nodes. The time aligned signals are cohered for further processing.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of a medicinal applicator can comprise a base, a medicinal cream receiving port in the base, and a shaft with a shaft axis that is defined extending down the center of the shaft from the base and terminating at an applicator tip. There is at least one longitudinal outlet port located along a portion of the shaft. A medicinal cream passageway is in communication with the medicinal cream receiving port and the longitudinal outlet port via a funneled chamber. The medicinal cream passageway exits into the funneled chamber partway along the length of the longitudinal outlet port via a passageway exit port. A stop plate that extends essentially radially from the base delineates the base from the shaft.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a personal care composition comprising from about 14% to about 40% of one or more surfactants; from about 0.1% to about 10% of one or more surfactant soluble agents having a ClogP greater than 3.0; wherein when the personal care composition is diluted to about 1.5% surfactant concentration has a ratio of surfactant diffusion coefficient to soluble agent diffusion coefficient greater than 1.2.

Abstract: A closure release method includes monitoring a pressure between a closure of a vehicle and a frame of the vehicle when the closure is closed against the frame. The method further includes detecting a change in the pressure, and releasing the closure from a closed position in response to the change.

Abstract: The disclosure includes a fixed retail scanner including a data reader comprising a main board, one or more camera modules, and a multi-port network switch disposed within a housing of the data reader. The multi-port network switch is configured to provide a network backbone for at least some internal devices within the housing of the data reader and for at least some external devices positioned external to the housing of the data reader and operably coupled with the data reader through the multi-port network switch. Related systems may include a remote server operably coupled to the fixed retail scanner through the multi-port network switch such that image data to the remote server may be communicated via the multi-port network switch from at least one of the main board or the at least one camera coupled to the multi-port network switch.

Abstract: Configurations for interface panels are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, an interface panel includes removable receptacles to provide communication to rack components.

Abstract: A processor core energy-efficiency core ranking scheme akin to a favored core in a multi-core processor system. The favored core is the energy-efficient core that allows an SoC to use the core with the lowest Vmin for energy-efficiency. Such Vmin values may be fused in appropriate registers or stored in NVM during HVM. An OS scheduler achieves optimal energy performance using the core ranking information to schedule certain applications on the core with lowest Vmin. A bootstrap flow identifies a bootstrap processor core (BSP) as the most energy efficiency core of the SoC and assigns that core the lowest APIC ID value according to the lowest Vmin. Upon reading the fuses or NVM, the microcode/BIOS calculates and ranks the cores. As such, microcode/BIOS calculates and ranks core APIC IDs based on efficiency around LFM frequencies. Based on the calculated and ranked cores, the microcode or BIOS transfers BSP ownership to the most efficiency core.