Abstract: Garment systems include complete, independently wearable garments like gloves, socks, scarves, earmuffs, headbands, hats and the like having attached thereto one or more single-use, air-activated exothermic heating packs sealed in a substantially airtight envelope, which can be opened when it is time for use. Thus, according to embodiments described herein, a user can simply open a package and put on the garment(s), and the exothermic heating pack(s) will be automatically activated by exposure to air, without the user having to place a heating pack inside a special pocket or the garment or fit a heating pack to their body before putting on the garment. The garments can be discarded after use for disposal or recycling.

Abstract: A photoreactive agent and a drug therapy device including a support member configured to pass through a urethra having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal internal lumen. A light generator carried by the support member, potted within the lumen, and positioned within the urethra to deliver light to the prostate. The light generator generates a light band with a peak at a preselected wavelength. A power source external to the support member powers the light generator. The positioning element locates the support member within the urethra. A transparent/translucent, integral window is positioned proximate to the prostate and allows light to pass through. The window extends 360 degrees radially from the support member. The light generator has at least LEDs or LOs having a dimension of approximately 0.3 mm×0.3 mm×0.1 mm (length×width×thickness).

Abstract: A publication-and-subscription mechanism for team rooms, referred to as team room “channels”, through which teams are able to selectively share resources from their team rooms with non-members, and that allows selective contributions, modifications, and discussions from non-members. The team room channels operate as bidirectional information pipelines to other team rooms. The team room channels may either be broadcast to all known teams, or be published selectively to one or more designated “target” teams. The receiving team rooms may then subscribe to specific published channels as appropriate. Information items from a team's team room, such as documents, tasks, representations of team members, and/or other resources, may be added to one or more of a team's published channels. Teams can associate specific permissions with each channel, including Read, Contribute, Modify, and/or Discuss. These permissions apply to all items associated with the channel.

Abstract: A passive clearance control limits thermal expansion between stator components relative to rotor components. A control ring controls clearance in a passive manner and is located on or adjacent to stationary components which thermally expand during engine operation. The control ring is formed of material having low coefficient of thermal expansion such as CMCs (Ceramic Matrix Composites) and therefore limits, inhibits or restrains expansion of the adjacent stator components as temperatures increase. Limiting expansion of the stator component reduces rotor/stator clearances and limits parasitic leakage of fluid along the flowpath through the engine core.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for partial volume correction in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image reconstruction includes receiving emission data related to an activity distribution, reconstructing the activity distribution from the emission data by maximizing a penalized-likelihood objective function to produce a reconstructed PET image, quantifying an activity concentration in a region of interest of the reconstructed PET image to produce an uncorrected quantitation, and correcting the uncorrected quantitation based on a pre-calculated contrast recovery coefficient value to account for a partial volume error in the uncorrected quantitation.

Abstract: A seat comprising a base pan defining cutouts positioned under a seating area for a seated user, a resilient membrane over the cutouts, a cushion on the base pan, at least one air cell pad on the cushion at the seating area and a cover.

Abstract: An electronic medical record employs a hybrid search engine which can perform structured queries for comprehensive search results and text searches for rapid identification of relevant information. A standard structured database of medical data is rendered accessible to text searches by generating pseudo-documents from the database that can then be subjected to standard information retrieval pre-processing.

Abstract: A polymorphic surface may be provided by applying at least one magnetic field across a plurality of movable surface contour elements and selectively passing a current through the magnetic field(s) adjacent selected surface contour elements, with the current being perpendicular to the magnetic field. The current interacts with the magnetic field to generate a Lorentz force driving guided substantially linear motion of the respective surface contour element(s). The surface contour elements may be individually moveable and individually selectable for application of current to generate movement. The surface contour elements may be supported in position after removing the current. The current applied across each selected surface contour element may be varied to control the amount of guided substantially linear motion.

Abstract: Garment systems include complete, independently wearable garments like gloves, socks, scarves, earmuffs, headbands, hats and the like having attached thereto one or more single-use, air-activated exothermic heating packs sealed in a substantially airtight envelope, which can be opened when it is time for use. Thus, according to embodiments described herein, a user can simply open a package and put on the garment(s), and the exothermic heating pack(s) will be automatically activated by exposure to air, without the user having to place a heating pack inside a special pocket or the garment or fit a heating pack to their body before putting on the garment. The garments can be discarded after use for disposal or recycling.

Abstract: A splint for use in stabilizing the nasal septum of a subject following the completion of a septoplasty procedure has a longitudinal axis and is formed of a substantially rigid sheet having a longitudinal length, an anterior end, and a posterior end. The sheet is labeled with a plurality of guide markings that guide a user in shaping the splint prior to implantation of the splint within a nasal passage of the subject.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring operating machinery, acquiring data regarding characteristic behavior of the machinery being monitored, and processing of the data to determine and indicate when significant deviations from normal operating conditions are occurring that represent maintenance initiating or failure mode events. The method includes learning what normal operating conditions are for a machine of interest by acquiring data during observed normal operation, then calculating detection threshold values based on the acquired data. Finally, real-time monitoring of the machinery of interest during operation is employed, with alarms triggered upon occurrence of a previously-defined number of occurrences of behavior exceeding parameters associated with normal operation behavior.

Abstract: This invention relates to an assay label comprising an amorphous carbon particle, a functionalised dextran polymer attached to the surface of the carbon particle and a first member of a complementary binding pair covalently bonded to the functionalised dextran polymer. The invention also provides a device incorporating the assay label, which further comprises a radiation source adapted to generate a series of pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength such that the absorption of the radiation by the label generates energy by non-radiative decay; a sample chamber containing a transducer having a pyroelectric or piezoelectric element and electrodes which is capable of transducing energy generated by non-radiative decay into an electrical signal; and a detector which is capable of detecting the electrical signal generated by the transducer.

Abstract: An electric motor drive system capture and control apparatus for energy savings has an alternating current power source electrically connected to a direct current motor. A power rectifier diode rated for the alternating current power source and the direct current motor is electrically connected in a reverse bias mode between the negative supply wire of the direct current motor and a grounded neutral conductor of the alternating current power source. A ground wire is electrically connected to the direct current motor and cross connected to a hot lag wire of the alternating current power source. The direct current motor is voltage matched to the alternating current power source. A transformer is electrically connected to the alternating current power source and the direct current motor. The system may be scaled to work with a power grid or for use in a vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic device may be used to support user authentication based on biometric readings. In this regard, a unique identification parameter may be generated for each user associated with the electronic device. The unique identification parameter may comprise a user identification input parameter (e.g., alphanumerical password) combined with a set of values (e.g., alphanumerical) generated based on biometrics data generated for the user. In this regard, the biometric based values may be generated based on configuring, for each possible biometric identifier, a range of valid values, such as based on a type of biometric identifier and a specified degree of accuracy. User access may be permitted based on obtaining of a subsequent biometric reading, and generating based thereon a second identification parameter that is compared with the unique identification parameters recognized by the electronic device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for mitigating distortion of a shaft of a gas turbine engine are provided. One method comprises at least one step of applying intermittent rotary power to a shaft of a gas turbine engine. The step of applying intermittent power to the shaft is performed during a period where conditions of temperature differential in the engine exist capable of distorting the shaft. The methods and systems shorten the time needed to start a gas turbine engine in such a way that bowing of a shaft is not a significant problem.

Abstract: An electric motor drive system capture and control apparatus for energy savings has an alternating current power source electrically connected to a direct current motor. A power rectifier diode rated for the alternating current power source and the direct current motor is electrically connected in a reverse bias mode between the negative supply wire of the direct current motor and a grounded neutral conductor of the alternating current power source. A ground wire is electrically connected to the direct current motor and cross connected to a hot lag wire of the alternating current power source. The direct current motor is voltage matched to the alternating current power source. A transformer is electrically connected to the alternating current power source and the direct current motor. The system may be scaled to work with a power grid or for use in a vehicle.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for partial volume correction in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image reconstruction includes receiving emission data related to an activity distribution, reconstructing the activity distribution from the emission data by maximizing a penalized-likelihood objective function to produce a reconstructed PET image, quantifying an activity concentration in a region of interest of the reconstructed PET image to produce an uncorrected quantitation, and correcting the uncorrected quantitation based on a pre-calculated contrast recovery coefficient value to account for a partial volume error in the uncorrected quantitation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for penalized-likelihood reconstruction of a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image includes generating a regularization function in which a smoothing parameter is modulated by one or more data-independent spatially variable modulation factors to compensate for sensitivity variations in a PET voxel dataset, and reconstructing the PET image from the PET emission dataset using the regularization function.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting anomalous behavior in one of a fleet of machines are provided. Data regarding a single characteristic representative of operation of the mechanical system is collected from each machine in a fleet. The systems and methods are configured for processing of the data to determine and indicate when significant deviations from normal operating conditions are occurring that represent the departure from normal operation condition by one or more of the machines in the fleet.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring operating machinery, acquiring data regarding characteristic behavior of the machinery being monitored, and processing of the data to determine and indicate when significant deviations from normal operating conditions are occurring that represent maintenance initiating or failure mode events. The method includes learning what normal operating conditions are for a machine of interest by acquiring data during observed normal operation, then calculating detection threshold values based on the acquired data. Finally, real-time monitoring of the machinery of interest during operation is employed, with alarms triggered upon occurrence of a previously-defined number of occurrences of behavior exceeding parameters associated with normal operation behavior.