Abstract: A patient transfer apparatus is provided and includes a frame, a seat assembly coupled to the frame, and a track assembly coupled to the frame. The track assembly includes a moveable track for traversing stairs and a motor configured to drive the track. The apparatus further includes a control system. The control system includes a controller configured to control the motor and to adjust a speed of the apparatus based on an occupancy of the seat assembly upon traversing the stairs based on a current to the motor upon traversing stairs.

Abstract: Technology related to scheduling services on a platform including configurable computing resources is disclosed. In one example, a method includes scheduling a service to execute on a first computing node based on an availability of general-purpose computing resources at the first computing node. The first computing node can be selected from a plurality of computing nodes. Network traffic transiting the first computing node can be analyzed during the execution of the service to determine a hardware accelerator of a second computing node is capable of assisting the execution of the service. The service can be scheduled to execute on the second computing node and the hardware accelerator of the second computing node can be used to assist with the execution of the service.

Abstract: An exhaust and air intake system for a direct vent fireplace. A low-profile manifold assembly is coupled to a direct vent fireplace and is configured to receive exhaust gases from the fireplace and expel the exhaust gases outside of the building in which the fireplace is located. The manifold assembly also takes in fresh air from outside of the building and provides the fresh air to the fireplace to use during combustion. The manifold assembly includes separate chambers for the exhaust gases and the fresh air so that the exhaust gases and the fresh air do not mix together within the manifold assembly. Several pressure reduction and equalization structures are incorporated into the manifold assembly to regulate the amount and pressure of fresh air provided to the fireplace.

Abstract: Existing currency validation (CVAL) devices, systems, and methods are too slow, costly, intrusive, and/or bulky to be routinely used in common transaction locations (e.g., at checkout, at an automatic teller machine, etc.). Presented herein are devices, systems, and methods to facilitate optical validation of documents, merchandise, or currency at common transaction locations and to do so in an obtrusive and convenient way. More specifically, the present invention embraces a validation device that may be used alone or integrated within a larger system (e.g., point of sale system, kiosk, etc.). The present invention also embraces methods for currency validation using the validation device, as well as methods for improving the quality and consistency of data captured by the validation device for validation.

Abstract: A glass cleaning device including a handle and an attachment adaptor provided to the handle. The attachment adaptor may be affixed to the handle or may be configured to be sold separately and may also be configured to be removable from the handle. The attachment adaptor is configured to attach to a replaceable windshield wiper blade of the type conventionally available for vehicles. In some cases, the glass cleaning device may include a windshield wiper blade together with the handle and/or the attachment adaptor. In some cases, the handle is extendible. The ability to use commercially available windshield wiper blades allows a large selection of easily available replacements or options for the cleaning head of the glass cleaning device.

Abstract: A linear fireplace system, assemblies, modular units, and related methods that can be installed in a modular fashion at a selected installation location so as to avoid drawbacks experienced in the prior art. The system can include modular linear units, corner units, and/or end units interconnectable to form a modular linear fireplace assembly. The system can include an alignment track system with a track member that receives alignment rails on the bottom of the modular units to axially align the interconnected units. The system can include a combustion air flow passage within the fireplace that maintains a relatively low exterior temperature of the assembly and that allows combustible and non-combustible building materials to be installed against or immediately adjacent to the top and base portions of the modular units of the assembly.

Abstract: Existing currency validation (CVAL) devices, systems, and methods are too slow, costly, intrusive, and/or bulky to be routinely used in common transaction locations (e.g., at checkout, at an automatic teller machine, etc.). Presented herein are devices, systems, and methods to facilitate optical validation of documents, merchandise, or currency at common transaction locations and to do so in an obtrusive and convenient way. More specifically, the present invention embraces a validation device that may be used alone or integrated within a larger system (e.g., point of sale system, kiosk, etc.). The present invention also embraces methods for currency validation using the validation device, as well as methods for improving the quality and consistency of data captured by the validation device for validation.

Abstract: A steam generating system includes a furnace, a nozzle tip assembly for pulverized coal and primary air as well as means for conveying secondary air in the furnace. The nozzle according to the invention comprises a nozzle body (3) and several channels (5) being connected with the nozzle body, the channels are diverging from each other. At the exit faces (17) of the channels obstructions (13) are disposed to induce huge turbulences of the primary air when entering the furnace. Due to these turbulences the primary air and the entrained coal are mixed very well before being combusted in the furnace. This results in a better more effective combustion with reduced NOx-emissions.

Abstract: An end effector assembly (114) includes a first jaw member (114a) having a first tissue contact surface (122) and a second jaw member (114b) having a second tissue contact surface (122). The second jaw member (114b) is pivotally coupled to the first jaw member (114a). The tissue contact surfaces (122) may include raised steps (122b) that define an exhaust channel (124). A longitudinally extending knife slot (214) may be defined in one or both of the tissue contact surfaces (122). One or more exhaust slots (216), which may be defined in one or both of the tissue contact surfaces (122), are in communication with the knife slot (214). The exhaust channel (124) and the exhaust slots (216) direct fluid away from the jaw members (114a, 114b) to minimize thermal damage risks associated with tissue sealing.

Abstract: A patient transport apparatus is provided with a lift mechanism to move a litter relative to a base between lift configurations, a user interface with an input control and an indicator, a height sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to compare signals generated by the height sensor against a value associated with a transport configuration, operate the indicator in a first state when the signal corresponds to the value to communicate to a user that the litter is arranged in the transport configuration, to operate the indicator in a second state when the signal differs from the value to communicate to the user that the litter is arranged in a lift configuration other than the transport configuration, and to drive the lift mechanism to move to the transport configuration in response to the signal being within a predetermined threshold of value upon user disengagement of the input control.

Abstract: Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, network traffic management apparatuses, and network traffic management systems that utilize a reverse tunnel proxy in a cloud environment. The reverse tunnel proxy in a cloud environment automatically discovers its environment and creates an appropriate tunnel without using a public IP. The reverse tunnel proxy in a cloud environment utilizes an outgoing connection along with an initialization and channelization to connect to the cloud and accepts an incoming connection in response. In embodiments, a cloud initiates a connection and a tunnel is created without need for additional IP addresses. In embodiments, the reverse tunnel proxy in a cloud environment connects to a client as a server and a private key is stored at a server side without pushing private keys into a public environment.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine readable media are provided for location-based time-limited services. In exemplary embodiments, one or more beacons are disposed within a facility to define a geo-fenced zone. A dynamic notification module implemented in a server receives a notification that a client device is within the geo-fenced zone and determines that the device meets designated criteria based on the device interacting with the beacons at a designated time. The dynamic notification module transmits a first message to the device that includes item information associated with the geo-fenced zone, receives a response to the first message at a subsequent time and in response transmits instructions to the device to execute a time-limited service. Subsequently, the dynamic notification module transmits a second message to the device including information for a complementary item and a dynamic sale price for the complementary item.

Abstract: Technology related to disaggregating network traffic is disclosed. In one example, a method can include determining whether individual network flows are members within a first subset of the network flows. A second subset of the first subset of network flows can be learned in response to determining a change in a number of servers available to service the network flows. A first network packet can be forwarded to a first server in response to the first network packet being a member of the first subset of network flows and a member of the learned second subset of the first subset of network flows. A second network packet can be forwarded to a second server in response to the second network packet being a member of the first subset of network flows but not a member of the learned second subset of the first subset of network flows.

Abstract: Technology related to scheduling services on a platform including configurable computing resources is disclosed. In one example, a method includes scheduling a first service to execute on a computing node based on an availability of general-purpose computing resources at the computing node. The computing node can be selected from a plurality of computing nodes. Network traffic transiting the computing node can be analyzed during the execution of the first service to determine a hardware accelerator of the computing node is capable of assisting the execution of the first service. The hardware accelerator can be used to assist with the execution of the first service. A second service can be scheduled on the computing node based on the availability of the general-purpose computing resources and the usage of the hardware accelerator on the computing node.

Abstract: A linear fireplace system, assemblies, modular units, and related methods that can be installed in a modular fashion at a selected installation location so as to avoid drawbacks experienced in the prior art. The system can include modular linear units, corner units, and/or end units interconnectable to form a modular linear fireplace assembly. The system can include an alignment track system with a track member that receives alignment rails on the bottom of the modular units to axially align the interconnected units. The system can include a combustion air flow passage within the fireplace that maintains a relatively low exterior temperature of the assembly and that allows combustible and non-combustible building materials to be installed against or immediately adjacent to the top and base portions of the modular units of the assembly.

Abstract: A patient support apparatus supports a patient and includes a litter. A base is disposed below the litter. A lift mechanism is configured to move the litter and the base relative to one another between extended and collapsed positions. The lift mechanism includes first and second frame assemblies each including an outer frame member and an inner frame member arranged to move within the outer frame member. First and second rollers and first and second slide members are disposed between the outer and inner frame members. The first and second rollers are arranged to roll along at least one of the outer and inner frame members with a load exerted on the lift mechanism from the litter. The first and second slide members are arranged to slide along at least one of the outer and inner frame members with a load exerted on the lift mechanism from the base.

Abstract: A method of detecting a potato virus in a crop image depicting at least one potato plant includes storing the crop image in a memory, identifying a first region of the crop image depicting potato plant leaves, identifying a plurality of edges within the first region, determining whether an image segment of the crop image within the first region satisfies one or more leaf creasing criteria symptomatic of leaf creasing caused by the virus based on the edges that are located within the image segment, determining whether the image segment satisfies one or more color criteria symptomatic of discoloration caused by the virus, and determining whether the segment displays symptoms of potato virus based on whether the image segment satisfies one or more of the leaf creasing criteria and the color criteria. A system and computer readable medium are also disclosed.

Abstract: A modification of a power boiler is disclosed, which comprises water walls enclosing the furnace for heating water and producing steam; a superheater system provided above the furnace for superheating steam; an additional superheater mounted in the furnace for further superheating steam from the superheater system. A modifying method of a power boiler is also disclosed, which comprises steps of mounting an additional superheater on water walls in a furnace; connecting an output of a superheater system to an inlet of the additional superheater; and connecting an outlet of the additional superheater to a turbine for producing power at an improved plant heat rate.

Abstract: Technology related to scheduling services on a platform including configurable computing resources is disclosed. In one example, a method includes scheduling a first service to execute on a computing node based on an availability of general-purpose computing resources at the computing node. The computing node can be selected from a plurality of computing nodes. Network traffic transiting the computing node can be analyzed during the execution of the first service to determine a hardware accelerator of the computing node is capable of assisting the execution of the first service. The hardware accelerator can be used to assist with the execution of the first service. A second service can be scheduled on the computing node based on the availability of the general-purpose computing resources and the usage of the hardware accelerator on the computing node.

Abstract: A patient handling apparatus includes a patient support surface, a base, and a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit includes a pump, a fluid reservoir, and a hydraulic cylinder operable to selectively raise or lower the patient support surface or the base. The hydraulic circuit controls flow of fluid between the cylinder and the fluid reservoir to thereby control the movement of the base or patient support surface. In addition, the hydraulic circuit may include a manual bypass circuit configured to bypass the pump in response to a manual input, which allows manual extension or retraction of the cylinder, for example, when the pump is not operational. The hydraulic circuit may also include a pump bypass circuit configured to bypass the pump to allow fluid to discharge from the cap end to the fluid reservoir for faster evacuation of fluid from the cylinder, thereby increasing retraction speed of the rod.