Abstract: A high purity valve (10) includes a valve body (12) having an inlet (40) and an outlet (42) separated by a valve seat (32), and a diaphragm (22) having a central stem (23) that has a first end coupled to a piston (20) for actuating the valve, and a poppet (28) for engaging the valve seat to close the valve. The poppet forms a dual point seal (50/52, 50?/52?) with the valve seat having at least two points of contact between an annular surface (30) of the poppet and the valve seat. The annular surface of the poppet may be either a concave surface or a convex surface that provides the dual point seal. The valve has a retainer (14) adjacent the diaphragm, and the diaphragm has a flexible web (26) that extends radially outward from the central stem. The retainer has a surface (60) adjacent the web, and the surface is spaced apart from the web such that the web does not contact the surface when the valve is pressurized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deterministically switching a free layer in a spin orbit torque magnetoresistive random access memory (SOT-MRAM) cell is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an SOT-MRAM memory cell is provided. The SOT-MRAM memory cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction, a ferromagnetic bias layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a free layer having primarily two bi-stable magnetization directions, a reference layer having a fixed magnetization direction, and an insulating tunnel barrier layer positioned between the free layer and the reference layer. The ferromagnetic bias layer is configured to provide spin orbit torque via anomalous Hall effect and simultaneously configured to provide a magnetic bias field on the free layer to achieve deterministic switching. The antiferromagnetic layer is positioned below the ferromagnetic bias layer and is configured to pin a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic bias layer in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to N-heterocyclic sulphonamide compounds, in particular pyrazole sulphonamide compounds, and their use as N-myristoyl transferase inhibitors.

Abstract: Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.

Abstract: Electrical connector assemblies are provided that include electrical connectors having electrical contacts that have receptacle mating ends are provided. The connector housings of the provided electrical connectors include alignment members that are capable of performing staged alignment of components of the electrical connector assemblies. The provided electrical connector assemblies and the electrical connectors provided therein are capable of operating at a data transfer rate of forty gigabits per second with worst case multi-active cross talk that does not exceed a range of about two percent to about four percent.

Abstract: A dynamic spectrum arbitrage (DSA) system includes a home subscriber server (HSS), a mobility management entity (MME), an eNodeB, a dynamic spectrum controller (DSC), and a dynamic spectrum policy controller (DPC). The DSC may receive resource allocation information from the DPC, and send updated information and instructions to the HSS. The HSS may be configured to receive information from the DSC, detect changes to HSS subscription information (e.g., user profile information), determine whether the changes affect the information managed/stored by an MME component, and send the detected changes to the MME component when the HSS determines that the changes affect the information managed/stored by the MME. The MME component may use the information included in the received messages to add, remove, or modify the MME's stored subscription information or user profile information. The MME component may then communicate these updates, additions, or changes to the HSS component.

Abstract: An crush resistant optical cable and/or crush resistant optical fiber buffer tube are provided. The cable generally includes a tube having at least one layer formed from a first material and an optical fiber located within a channel of the first tube. The buffer tube is configured to protect optical fibers from crush or impact events through a cushioning action. For example, the first material may be a polymer material having modulus of elasticity of less than 200 MPa, and the layer of the tube acts as a compliant cushioning layer at least partially contacting and surrounding an outer surface of the optical fiber when radially directed forces are applied to the outer surface of the tube.

Abstract: A conduit for a breathing circuit includes a heater associated, at least in part, with a hydrophilic layer. The purpose of the heater is to evaporate any condensed liquid collecting in the conduit, which is first sucked up by the hydrophilic layer. The heated wick reduces the risk of collected water being passed to the patient and causing choking fits or discomfit. It is preferred that the heated wick lies freely in the conduit to settle at low points in the conduit where condensation may collect.

Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to a method and system for localizing and confining an autonomous mobile work system or systems for performing work in a user defined space is disclosed. The system can include two or more variable reflective base stations at first and second locations that can modify their optical or electromagnetic reflectivity based upon either an external command via wired or wireless communications interface, or automatically on a regular or asynchronous time schedule under programmed or user settable control. The system also can include one or more autonomous mobile work systems capable of sensing the state of the variable reflectance base stations via sensors such as electromagnetic or optical sensors capable of measuring distance to the reflective base stations.

Abstract: A shielded enclosure receives REID-tagged packaging from consumed medical items. The enclosure includes a housing and a lid. An opening in the lid receives the packaging into an internal space. A chute surrounds the opening and extends downward into the internal space. The chute has front, left, right, and rear walls. A hood attached to the lid surrounds the opening. An aperture in the hood allows passage of the packaging into the lid opening. The hood includes rear, right, left, and top walls. RF absorbing material covers inside surfaces of the chute and hood, including a front panel on the chute front wall, a rear panel on the hood rear wall and the chute rear wall, a left side panel on the hood left side wall and the chute left side wall, a right side panel on the hood right side wall and the chute right side wall, and a top panel on the hood top.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed in which inherited activation opens a secure communication path from the host operating system (OS) to the guest (virtual machine) OS. The license state of the software on the host is passed through this channel, and software installed in the guest uses this information to inform its own product activation process. The virtualized (guest) software may then activate without any outside communication when the license requirements for the host are met.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical imaging are disclosed. The optical fingerprint sensor includes an image sensor array; a collimator filter layer disposed above the image sensor array, the collimator filter layer having an array of apertures; and an illumination layer disposed above the collimator filter layer. The collimator filter layer filters reflected light such that only certain of the reflected light beams reach optical sensing elements in the image sensor array. Employing the collimator filter layer prevents blurring while allowing for a lower-profile image sensor.

Abstract: The methods and compositions disclosed herein are effective in the promoting the reattachment of delaminated cartilage to bone. The methods (and related compositions) comprise the removal of the acellular layer of the delaminated cartilage thereby exposing the underlying chondrocyte cells thereby allowing the promotion of the reattachment of the delaminated cartilage.

Abstract: A telescoping joint is used to space out ends of a string and distribute the string weight between the tie-down locations. The joint can be compressed to reduce its length but has a locking mechanism that prevents extension under tensile loading. The seals in the joint provide a longer service life due to minimization of relative movement in the expansion joint components. The locking mechanism is preferably a ratchet system that uses a body lock ring that is enabled after breaking a shear pin.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter includes devices and methods relating to vacuums and vacuum assemblies. In some aspects, methods and devices relate to a vacuum assembly including a body defining an evacuated vacuum chamber, a conduit in the body extending between the vacuum chamber and an exterior of the body, a plug at least partially occluding the conduit, and a seal between the plug and the body that seals the vacuum chamber from the exterior of the body.

Abstract: A method for routing customer service requests to call centers includes collecting data associated with customer service experience between a customer and a call center regarding a completed customer call. The collected data is analyzed to determine a quality of customer service for one or more completed calls between the customer and the call center. A nature of an incoming customer call is determined. The incoming customer call is routed to a call center based upon making reference to the analyzed collected data such that the nature of the customer call matches with corresponding one or more favorable attributes of the call center.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the health of a gas turbine engine of at least a pair of engines of an aircraft for example. The method comprising the steps of: a) obtaining steady state readings from predetermined sensors on the engines; b) calculate a percentage difference of the steady state readings from a unique engine linear synthesis model for each engine; c) compare the difference between the percentage differences for each engine and d) where this difference exceeds a predetermined value issue a warning as to an engine health problem. Maintenance of the engine can therefore be advantageously scheduled.

Abstract: Certain embodiments herein are directed to determining an allocation of wireless spectrum, which may include one or more frequencies for communicating content, among operator networks that provide wireless (for example, cellular) services to their customers. Information associated with a supply of wireless spectrum and a demand for wireless spectrum may be analyzed to determine an allocation of the wireless spectrum. Various techniques may be used to determine the allocation, such as various types of auctions, mathematical or statistical techniques, and/or heuristic approaches that may consider various factors. Upon determining an allocation of the wireless spectrum, configuration information associated with the wireless spectrum may be determined and sent to one or more devices associated with respective operator networks, where the configuration information may be used to configure the operator network to utilize the allocated wireless spectrum.

Abstract: Scalable urban traffic control system has been developed to address current challenges and offers a new approach to real-time, adaptive control of traffic signal networks. The methods and system described herein exploit a novel conceptualization of the signal network control problem as a decentralized process, where each intersection in the network independently and asynchronously solves a single-machine scheduling problem in a rolling horizon fashion to allocate green time to its local traffic, and intersections communicate planned outflows to their downstream neighbors to increase visibility of future incoming traffic and achieve coordinated behavior. The novel formulation of the intersection control problem as a single-machine scheduling problem abstracts flows of vehicles into clusters, which enables orders-of-magnitude speedup over previous time-based formulations and is what allows truly real-time (second-by-second) response to changing conditions.

Abstract: A laser is configured to emit light along a substrate-parallel plane along a first surface of the laser. An etched facet is on an emitting end of a lasing cavity and an etched mirror is on another end of the lasing cavity. An etched shaping mirror redirects light received from the etched facet in a direction normal to the substrate-parallel plane. A slider comprises an optical input coupler configured to couple the light from the laser into a waveguide of the slider. At least one protrusion is disposed on the laser and at least one recession is disposed on the slider, the at least one protrusion and the at least one recession configured to align the laser with the slider to allow the light to be coupled into the optical input coupler.