Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for dispensing articles includes a dispensing outlet, laterally opposed, elongate first and second guide walls defining a singulating channel therebetween, a dispensing path extending through the singulating channel to the dispensing outlet, and a drive system. The drive system includes a belt and a belt actuator operable to drive the belt. The dispensing apparatus is configured to convey articles on the belt in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed. The singulating channel is configured to singulate the articles as the articles are conveyed along the dispensing path and through the singulating channel toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed. The first guide wall extends laterally across the singulating channel at an oblique angle to vertical to overhang at least a portion of the singulating channel and engage articles conveyed along the singulating channel.

Abstract: Communication between an owner of a lost tracking device and a finder of a lost tracking device is established. A tracking system receives an identifier of a tracking device and a request for a web page from a mobile device that has captured an image of a smart code on the tracking device. The smart code is embedded with a URL to the web page. The system displays the web page on the mobile device and prompts the user to provide a location of the mobile device. The location is associated with the identifier of the tracking device. A notification indicating the location of the tracking device is generated for the owner. The owner is prompted to provide information to establish contact with the finder of the device, and the web page is populated with the owner's provided information for display on the finder's mobile device.

Abstract: A vapor sample collection apparatus and method of vapor sample collection. The vapor sample collection apparatus has a connection port to connect a first end of a tube to an exhaust port of a vaporizer device, a vacuum pump connected to a second end of the tube, a manifold connected to the vacuum pump, and a vapor containment vessel for collecting a vapor sample, where the vacuum pump is configured to draw a predetermined pressure on the tube. The method of vapor sample collection includes connecting a connection port to an exhaust port of a vaporizer device, the connection port being attached to a first end of a tube, activating the vaporizer device to vaporize a sample containing an active ingredient, drawing a predetermined pressure on a second end of the tube using a vacuum pump, and collecting a vapor sample from the vaporizer device in a vapor containment vessel.

Abstract: A method, a computer program product, and a computer system fuse features for multi-modal classifications for a plurality of modality inputs. The method includes receiving a request indicative of the modality inputs to be selected. The method includes performing an embeddings level fusion operation to concatenate features from the modality inputs. The method includes performing a multi-modal discriminative feature level fusion operation that integrates feature representations learned by applying different network structures on the modality inputs. The method includes determining weights of the concatenated features and the feature representations based on a measure of the concatenated features and the feature representations indicative of affecting a final prediction performance. The method includes generating fused features for the modality inputs based on the concatenated features, the feature representations, and the weights.

Abstract: A banknote comprising a substrate and a plurality of print layers printed by the same print process type printed onto the substrate, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer. Also, a method of producing a plurality of banknotes including: providing a substrate, in the form of a web, to a print press including a plurality of print units of the same print process type, wherein the web will pass through each of the plurality of print units, and at least part of the web is printed in a print run; printing a print layer on to the substrate at each of the plurality of print units, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for securement of parts. One embodiment is a method for securing a part during fabrication. The method includes forming an interference fit between a pin and a wall defining a hole, supporting a weight of the part with the interference fit, and rotating the part around an axis of the part while the weight of the part is supported.

Abstract: A system includes a memory device and a processing device to initialize a block family associated with the memory device and a timer at initialization of the block family. The processing device further stores, in non-volatile memory of the memory device, a value of the timer before powering down the system while the block family is still open. The processing device further detects a power on of the system and measures a data state metric associated with one or more memory cell of a page of the memory device that is associated with the block family. The processing device further compares a level of the data state metric to a temporal voltage shift function to estimate a time after program value of the page and increments the value of the timer, restored from the non-volatile memory, based on the time after program value.

Abstract: A valve assembly includes an upper portion to be coupled to guide legs, a cavity being formed within one of the upper portion or the guide legs and a coupling member being associated with the other of the upper portion or the guide legs, wherein the upper portion is coupled to the guide legs via a single force application process.

Abstract: Managing a lifecycle of data by identifying data objects that are subject to same control rules in each stage of the lifecycle as grouped data, where the control rules allow only authorized access to or authorized operations on the grouped data based on a current stage of the lifecycle. A dataset is generated for the grouped data by identifying metadata of the grouped data to be processed similarly within the lifecycle, and storing the metadata in the dataset. The control rules associated with the grouped data as stage tags for the dataset. Actions performed on the data referenced by the dataset are monitored to ensure that the monitored actions comply with control rules using the stage tags of the dataset.

Abstract: Preparation of anhydrous lithium sulfide (Li2S) purified suitably for applications in advanced batteries, and, in particular, for synthesis of solid electrolytes based on Li2S, including sulfide solid electrolytes of the type that may be described as crystalline (e.g., polycrystalline), amorphous (e.g., glass) and combinations thereof, such as sulfide glass-ceramic solid electrolyte materials.

Abstract: A system including a vacuum cell, an ion pump, and a multi-layer magnetic shield is described. The vacuum cell includes a magnetic field-sensitive section, a pump section, and a channel section providing a vacuum conductance path between the magnetic field-sensitive section and the pump section. The ion pump is in the pump section. The multi-layer magnetic shield surrounds at least a portion of the ion pump. The multi-layer magnetic shield has a first layer and a second layer. The first layer is between the second layer and the ion pump. The first layer has a moderate relative magnetic permeability and a high saturation magnetization. The second layer has a high relative magnetic permeability and a moderate saturation magnetization.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surgical tool and method for forming a pilot bore by inserting a guide wire into bone. The surgical tool is also constructed to insert a bone screw that is preloaded onto the surgical tool with a guide wire extending along the longitudinal axis of the bone screw. This construction allows the guide wire and the bone screw to be located and placed without removing the tool from the surgical site. More particularly, the device includes a cannulated hand grip and driving tool used for the rotation of a pedicle screw into bone. The rear portion of the hand grip includes a slide assembly that is suited to grip a guide wire. The slide assembly includes a T-handle to control the sliding movement of the guide wire. The rear surface of the slide is constructed to be impacted with a hammer or similar device.

Abstract: Improved techniques to utilize and manage a group of media items (or media assets) on a computing device are disclosed. The group of media items can be utilized and managed at a host computer for the host computer as well as a media device (e.g., media player) that can couple to the host computer. One popular example of a group of media items is known as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks. One aspect pertains to providing a persistent media device playlist at a host computer. Another aspect pertains to imposing capacity limits to a playlist, such as a media device playlist. Still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that enables a user to trade-off storage capacity of a media device between media asset storage and data storage. Yet still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that assists a user with selecting media items to fill a group of media items.

Abstract: A method for assisting game play. The method includes monitoring game play of the user playing a gaming application, wherein the user has a defined task to accomplish, wherein the task is associated with a task type. The method includes determining a task type proficiency rule for the task type based on results of a plurality of players taking on a plurality of tasks having the task type. The method includes determining a player proficiency score for accomplishing the task based on the task type proficiency rule. The method includes determining a user predictive rate of success in accomplishing the task based on the player proficiency score, the task type proficiency rule, and the task. The method includes determining a recommendation for the user based on the user predictive rate of success.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a retractor with a plurality of rods that are cylindrical over part of their length, a light source, and a fiber optic cable, where at least one rod includes a body with an opening therein. The opening extends from an upper surface of the rod, through an interior of the rod, and then to a side surface of the rod located between ends of the rod. The opening is sized so that at least a single monofilament fiber optic cable is disposable therethrough. The system is adapted so that any number of rods may include a fiber optic cable disposed therein and so that the cable may be easily removed or inserted from the rod during use of the retractor.

Abstract: An example method to facilitate online collaboration includes granting access to a collaboration space to multiple client devices, each associated with a corresponding one of multiple users, the multiple users including a first user and a second user. The method includes receiving input from the first user to create a first set of graphical objects in the collaboration space. The method includes receiving input from the second user to create a second set of graphical objects in the collaboration space. The method includes applying different visual attributes to graphical objects authored by different users to visually identify an author or creator of each graphical object such that all graphical objects of the first set of graphical objects have a first visual attribute and all graphical objects of the second set of graphical objects have a second visual attribute that is different than the first visual attribute.

Abstract: A packaged, sealed container system for stable storage of a formulation of an oxygen-sensitive pharmaceutical compound, the packaged, sealed container system comprising a primary container including therein a formulation of an oxygen-sensitive pharmaceutical compound, a secondary outer container comprising a first flexible sheet layer, an opposing second flexible sheet layer, and a seal disposed along a common peripheral edge of the first and second flexible sheet layers, such that the primary container is disposed between and enclosed by the first and second flexible sheet layers of the secondary outer container. An oxygen scavenger is also disposed between and enclosed by the first and second flexible sheet layers of the secondary outer container. The oxygen scavenger is in fluid communication with the contents of the primary container.

Abstract: A protein scaffold based on a consensus sequence of fibronectin type III (FN3) proteins, such as the tenth FN3 repeat from human fibronectin (human Tenascin), including isolated nucleic acids that encode a protein scaffold, vectors, host cells, and methods of making and using thereof have applications in diagnostic and/or therapeutic compositions, methods and devices. In particular, protein scaffold molecules binding to IgG have been identified as useful for diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications.