Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for controlling the operation of an industrial machine including one or more components. A method of controlling the industrial machine includes determining a position of at least one of the one or more components of the industrial machine during a digging operation, determining a hoist bail pull setting based on the position of the at least one of the one or more components and a relationship between component position and hoist bail pull, and setting a level of hoist bail pull to the hoist bail pull setting. The level of hoist bail pull early in the digging operation is greater than the level of hoist bail pull later in the digging operation.

Abstract: An electromagnetic radiation activated device comprises a property changing material and at least one functionalized fullerene that upon irradiation of the functionalized fullerenes with electromagnetic radiation of one or more frequencies a thermally activated chemical or physical transformation occurs in the property changing material. The thermal activated transformation of the property changing material is triggered by the heating or combustion of the functionalized fullerenes upon their irradiation. The device can include a chemical agent that is embedded in the property changing material and is released when the material is heated by the functionalized fullerenes upon irradiation.

Abstract: A surgical needle is disclosed and includes an elongated needle body defining a longitudinal axis The surgical needle has a first end for attachment to a suture and a second needled end for penetrating tissue. The needled end includes lower and upper opposed surfaces and a pair of side surfaces extending between the lower and upper surfaces and being contiguous therewith. The upper surface and side surfaces extend to a pointed tip. The lower surface extends to a cutting edge, which is defined at the intersection of the side surfaces and proximal of the pointed tip. The cutting edge extends in oblique relation relative to the longitudinal axis and terminates at the pointed tip.

Abstract: The stability and power conversion efficiency of a wave energy converter (WEC) which includes a float, a spar and a power taken device (PTO) connected between the spar and the float is increased by connecting a heave plate to the spar in a very secure manner and by carefully limiting the movement between the float and spar to one direction (i.e., up-down motion). Buoyancy chambers may be attached to the WEC to facilitate its transportation and deployment. The WEC may be formed in sections and assembled at, or close to, the point of deployment.

Abstract: Apparatus embodying the invention include a damping plate attached to the submerged end of a spar-like element floating in a body of water. The spar like element tends to move up and down in a vertical direction in response to passing waves. The damping plate has a pair of oppositely facing surfaces extending transversely to the vertical direction of the movement of the spar-like element and vertical structures (“lips”) mounted on the oppositely facing surfaces for increasing the effective mass of water pushed during movement of the damping plate through the water. Damping plates with lips, as per the invention, may be used in wave energy converters to control the relative motion between the spar-like element and a float to increase the energy produced.

Abstract: Evaporative emissions management for a vehicle having a fuel tank and a low-vacuum internal combustion engine, including hybrid electric vehicles, include first and second canisters with the second canister disposed between the first canister and atmosphere. A refueling valve routes fuel vapors from the fuel storage tank through the first canister, and to the second canister when the first canister becomes saturated, during refueling. Other than during refueling, the refueling valve is closed to route fuel vapors around the first canister and directly into the second canister. First and second purge valves are controlled during canister regeneration or purging so air from atmosphere is routed primarily through the second canister to the engine to purge the second canister before the purge valves are operated to route air from atmosphere through both the second and first canisters to purge the first canister.

Abstract: A jury profiling system and method. A profiling system is provided that includes: A profiling system for profiling prospective jurors, comprising: a system for generating a case specific scoring table based on a set of survey data, wherein the survey data includes attribute data for a set of respondents and liability findings from the set of respondents for at least one hypothetical case, wherein the case specific scoring table provides a score for each of a plurality of attribute combinations; an attributed jury pool database for storing a set of attributed juror records; an interface for selecting a potential juror from the attributed jury pool database; and a system for scoring the potential juror by comparing attributes of the potential juror with the attribute combinations in the case specific scoring table.

Abstract: A surgical needle possesses enhanced needle attributes including needle sharpness and resistance to bending or breaking during use. The surgical needle includes an elongated needle body defining a longitudinal y axis and x and z axes transverse to the y axis. The elongated needle body includes a central shaft and a first end for attachment to a suture and a second needled end for penetrating tissue. The needled end includes lower and upper opposed planar surfaces and a pair of side surfaces extending between the lower and upper planar surfaces and contiguous therewith. The upper surface and side surfaces extend to a pointed tip. The lower surface extends to a cutting edge defined at the intersection of the side surfaces and proximal of the pointed tip. The cutting edge extends in oblique relation relative to the longitudinal axis of the needle body and terminates at the pointed tip.

Abstract: A surgical needle includes an elongated needle body defining a longitudinal axis. The surgical needle has a first end for attachment to a suture and a second needled end for penetrating tissue. The needled end includes lower and upper opposed surfaces and a pair of side surfaces extending between the lower and upper surfaces and being contiguous therewith. The upper surface and the side surfaces extend to a pointed tip. The lower surface extends to a cutting edge, which is defined at the intersection of the sides surfaces and proximal of the pointed tip. The cutting edge extends in oblique relation relative to the longitudinal axis and terminating at the pointed tip.

Abstract: An electroless method of forming high aspect ratio metal particles includes the steps of mixing a metal or metal salt with at least one acid to form an acidified metal halide salt solution, and mixing the solution with a supersaturated sol to form a sol comprising solution. Metal cations provided by the acidified metal salt are reduced to form a plurality of high aspect ratio metal particles. Instead of using a sol, an organic compound can be oxidized to generate the reducing agent. A metal comprising particle assembly includes a plurality of high aspect ratio metal platelets having an aspect ratio of a major dimension averaging from 10 to 200 times a nanoscale minor dimension of the platelet. The platelets can be used for nail polish, eye liner or the cores for medical delivery vehicles.

Abstract: Improvements in trunnion shaft-controlled swashplate axial hydraulic piston pumps as well as hydraulic systems used in hydrostatic transmissions utilized. e.g., in zero-turn-radius (ZTR) wheeled vehicles, such as grass mowers, with one embodiment thereof pertaining to, in combination, the noted pump, devoid of any internal servo control, and a reversible power actuator, for controlling the angle of the swashplate, externally affixed to the housing containing the pump and operatively interconnected with an end of the trunnion shaft extending from the pump housing, with the power actuator being one of a rotary actuator, a fluid power axial cylinder and a rotary electronic actuator.

Abstract: Apparatus embodying the invention include a damping plate attached to the submerged end of a spar-like element floating in a body of water. The spar like element tends to move up and down in a vertical direction in response to passing waves. The damping plate has a pair of oppositely facing surfaces extending transversely to the vertical direction of the movement of the spar-like element and vertical structures (“lips”) mounted on the oppositely facing surfaces for increasing the effective mass of water pushed during movement of the damping plate through the water. Damping plates with lips, as per the invention, may be used in wave energy converters to control the relative motion between the spar-like element and a float to increase the energy produced. Damping plates with lips, as per the invention, may be used to effectively dampen the motion of an offshore platform to which the spar-like element is fixedly attached.

Abstract: The stability and power conversion efficiency of a wave energy converter (WEC) which includes a float, a spar and a power taken device (PTO) connected between the spar and the float is increased by connecting a heave plate to the spar in a very secure manner and by carefully limiting the movement between the float and spar to one direction (i.e., up-down motion). Buoyancy chambers may be attached to the WEC to facilitate its transportation and deployment. The WEC may be formed in sections and assembled at, or close to, the point of deployment.

Abstract: A geometric measurement system is adapted to precisely measure one or more surfaces of objects such as corneas, molds, contact lenses in molds, contact lenses, or other objects in a fixture. The geometric measurement system can employ one or more of three possible methods of measurement: Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing with wavefront stitching; phase diversity sensing; and white light interferometry.

Abstract: A geometric measurement system is adapted to precisely measure one or more surfaces of objects such as corneas, molds, contact lenses in molds, contact lenses, or other objects in a fixture. The geometric measurement system can employ one or more of three possible methods of measurement: Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing with wavefront stitching; phase diversity sensing; and white light interferometry.

Abstract: A geometric measurement system is adapted to precisely measure one or more surfaces of objects such as corneas, molds, contact lenses in molds, contact lenses, or other objects in a fixture. The geometric measurement system can employ one or more of three possible methods of measurement: Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing with wavefront stitching; phase diversity sensing; and white light interferometry.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a stable pipelineable blend from a heavy residue of a catalytic hydroconversion process operating at high (60-80%) conversion rate by blending the heavy residue with a virgin bitumen, such as a bitumen produced from the Peace River or Cold Lake oil sand deposits in Alberta, Canada, and/or with a Wabasca virgin heavy crude oil wherein the 524° C.+ Fraction of the blend is controlled such that: 1) The blend comprises less than 40 vol % of heavy 524° C.+ components, components which boil at atmospheric pressure at a temperature above about 524 Degrees Celsius; and 2) The 524° C.+ fraction in the blend comprises less than about 80 vol % of heavy residue originating from the hydroconversion process.

Abstract: A jury profiling system and method. A profiling system is provided that includes: an attributed jury pool database for storing a set of attributed juror records; an interface for retrieving an attributed juror record from the database for a prospective juror; a system for modeling a profile of the prospective juror based on a modeling data set; and a system for generating profile data about the prospective juror based on the profile.

Abstract: Improvements in trunnion shaft-controlled swashplate axial hydraulic piston pumps as well as hydraulic systems used in hydrostatic transmissions utilized. e.g., in zero-turn-radius (ZTR) wheeled vehicles, such as grass mowers, with one embodiment thereof pertaining to, in combination, the noted pump, devoid of any internal servo control, and a reversible power actuator, for controlling the angle of the swashplate, externally affixed to the housing containing the pump and operatively interconnected with an end of the trunnion shaft extending from the pump housing, with the power actuator being one of a rotary actuator, a fluid power axial cylinder and a rotary electronic actuator.

Abstract: The writing motion of a hand, pen or stylus is reported via a digital communications link, such reporting taking the form of packets of digital data, such packets containing position information, such packets also containing real-time information. Apparatus is described for recording the movement of a stylus during handwriting, for example in the execution of a handwritten signature. The apparatus comprises digitizer means, capable of sensing the position of a stylus, and defining an active signing area. A control circuit is capable of sampling at least orthogonal X and Y coordinates, in the plane of the active signing area, of a stylus in proximity to the digitizer means, and of then transmitting information regarding said coordinates together with real-time information via a digital communications link. The real-time information is represented either as a sequential number or in absolute form as clock-time.