Abstract: A back brace comprising: a pelvic member configured to be secured to a user such that said pelvic member is essentially immobilized relative to the pelvis of said user; a thoracic member configured to around the user such that said thoracic member is essentially immobilized relative to the thorax of said user; and one or more compliant connectors between said pelvic member and said thoracic member and configured to provide a resistive force between said pelvic member and said at least one thoracic member.

Abstract: Systems and methods for MBIR reconstruction utilizing a super-voxel approach are provided. A super-voxel algorithm is an optimization algorithm that, as with ICD, produces rapid and geometrically agnostic convergence to the MBIR reconstruction by processing super-voxels which comprise a plurality of voxels whose corresponding memory entries substantially overlap. The voxels in the super-voxel may also be localized or adjacent to one another in the image. In addition, the super-voxel algorithm straightens the memory in the “sinogram” that contains the measured CT data so that both data and intermediate results of the computation can be efficiently accessed from high-speed memory and cache on a computer, GPU, or other high-performance computing hardware. Therefore, each iteration of the super-voxel algorithm runs much faster by more efficiently using the computing hardware.

Abstract: An apparatus for compacting and forming depressions along a tract of ground being worked generally consisting of a support means; a drum mounted on the support means for rotation movement about an axis thereof; and a liner formed of a material having earth adherent retarding properties mounted on a cylindrical surface of the drum, having a bay section disposed on the cylindrical surface and a plurality of outwardly projecting sections.

Abstract: An implement for removing the cap of a container, having a top wall and a side wall provided with a peripheral edge, generally consisting of a body having a first surface engageable with an edge portion of the cap and a second surface engageable with a portion of the top wall of the cap, when the edge portion of the cap is engaged by the first surface of the body, permitting the body to be pivoted away from the container, utilizing the second surface of the body as a fulcrum, causing the lid to be pried off of the container; a counter supported on the body; and an element engageable by the cap when the cap engages the surfaces of the body and the body is pivoted relative to the container to pry the cap from the container, for actuating the counter to index a counting mechanism thereof.

Abstract: This invention describes a method and several variants for compiling programs or components of programs in a mixed static and dynamic environment, so as to reduce the amount of time and memory spent in run-time compilation, or to exercise greater control over testing of the executable code for the program, or both. The invention involves generating persistent code images prior to program execution based on static compilation or dynamic compilation from a previous run, and then, adapting those images during program execution. We describe a method for generating auxiliary information in addition to the executable code that is recorded in the persistent code image. Further, we describe a method for checking the validity of those code images, adapting those images to the new execution context, and generating new executable code to respond to dynamic events, during program execution.

Abstract: A method and several variants for using information about the scope of access of objects acted upon by mutual exclusion, or mutex, locks to transform a computer program by eliminating locking operations from the program or simplifying the locking operations, while strictly performing the semantics of the original program. In particular, if it can be determined by a compiler that the object locked can only be accessed by a single thread it is not necessary to perform the “acquire” or “release” part of the locking operation, and only its side effects must be performed. Likewise, if it can be determined that the side effects of a locking operation acting on a variable which is locked in multiple threads are not needed, then only the locking operation, and not the side effects, needs to be performed.

Abstract: Information is computed about the reachability relationships among objects and pointers to enable transformation of a computer program for optimizing the creation and destruction of objects, while strictly performing the semantics of the original program. An interprocedural analysis is used to determine whether an object that is allocated on the heap during the execution of a procedure is not reachable from any global variable, parameter, or the return value of the procedure after it returns. If so, that object can be allocated on the stack frame of the procedure in which it is otherwise heap-allocated. This simplifies the memory allocation and deallocation operations, as allocation on the stack can be done more efficiently than allocation on the heap, and objects allocated on the stack frame of a procedure are automatically deallocated when the procedure returns, without incurring the overhead of garbage collection.

Abstract: A method and several variants for optimizing the detection of out of bounds array references in computer programs are described, while preserving the semantics of the computer program. Depending on the variant implemented, the program is divided at run-time or compile-time into two or more regions. The regions are differentiated by the number of checks that need to be performed at run-time on the array accesses within the region. In particular, some regions of the program will not need any array bounds checks performed at run-time, which will increase the speed at which the computer program executes. As well, the state of program variables at the time any out of bounds access is detected is the same as the state of the program variables would have been had the transformation not been performed. Moreover, the regions not needing any checks at run-time will be known at compile-time, enabling further compiler optimizations on the region.

Abstract: A new Tiered Trenching Backhoe Apparatus for creating a dual tiered trench which allows one service utility to be elevated above another service utility thereby preventing contact of the two service utilities resulting in increased safety. The inventive device includes a syncline plate with an interior angle of approximately 140 degrees, a first and second triangular coupler welded at one end to the syncline plate removably coupling to a pair of existing tooth shanks of a backhoe bucket, a first and second fluke welded to the syncline plate opposite of the triangular couplers, a first and second trihedral support members welded to the interior portion of syncline plate providing support, and a pair of replaceable teeth removably secured to the first and second flukes.

Abstract: A grease composition with a high yield comprises a lubricating oil and a polyurea thickener prepared by reacting a diisocyanate compound with a monoamine and a low molecular weight polyoxyalkylene diamine.

Abstract: A polyurea grease composition is prepared by reacting a diisocyanate with a monoamine and a diamine in the presence of a polyoxyethylene/polypropylene glycol copolymer having a molecular weight of 300 to 15,000 or an alkoxylated alkylene diamine having a molecular weight of 500 to 18,000. The resulting grease composition demonstrates resistance to water absorption and improved yield (low penetration number vs. high).