Abstract: Knee pain caused by osteoarthritis is relieved by modifying the shape change of bone(s) underlying articular cartilage, by a method comprising evaluating the bone shape of the patient's joint, injecting the patient with a peptide of SEQ ID No. 1 or applying other therapeutic interventions that can reduce the shape change of the bone(s) underlying articular cartilage, and thereafter evaluating the bone shape of the patient's joint.

Abstract: A power management system includes a relay connected to an electrical load, a power management module configured to receive electrical power from each of a battery and a utility source, and in communication with the relay, and a controller in communication with the battery and the power management module. The controller monitors a battery load on the battery and communicates to the power management module to selectively disconnect the relay connected to the electrical load based on the battery load.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described herein for improving the security of personal information by preventing attempts at gleaning personal information from authentication questions. A computing device may receive a request for access to an account associated with a user. The request may comprise candidate authentication information. Based on comparing the candidate authentication information with the account data, the computing device may generate a synthetic authentication question. The synthetic authentication question may be generated as if the candidate authentication information is valid. A response to the synthetic authentication question may be received, and the request for access to the account may be denied.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a wireless MWD module is included in a MWD tool to enable communication between the MWD tool and a rig wireless module located at a rig surface. In some embodiments, a repeater is disposed at a drill collar to enable enhanced communication between the wireless MWD module in the MWD tool disposed within a borehole and the rig wireless module located at the rig surface.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for scanning operations for co-located satellite antennas are described. For instance, a set of co-located satellite antennas may transmit a set of component transmit signals to form a beam, where a first line segment at a boundary of the beam is tangential to a first sphere having a surface that encompasses Earth, where a location on the first line segment tangential to the surface of the first sphere is above a surface of the Earth by a threshold altitude. The set of co-located satellite antennas may receive a set of component receive signals including reflected energy of the beam. A central processor may apply a set of beamforming coefficients to the set of component receive signals to obtain a receive beam signal and may process the receive beam signal to obtain a signature associated with an object within a limb of the Earth.

Abstract: A method includes flowing a first fluid through a first channel of a microfluidic apparatus and flowing a second fluid through a second channel of the microfluidic apparatus. The first fluid comprises biological material and a matrix material and is immiscible with the second fluid. The first and second fluids are combined at a junction to form droplets of the first fluid dispersed in the second fluid in a third channel. Multiple exposures of a droplet in the third channel are captured in a single image, comprising: illuminating a region of the third channel with multiple successive illumination pulses during a single frame of the imaging device; identifying the droplet and determining a velocity or a size of the droplet based on an analysis of the captured exposures; and controlling the flow of the first fluid or second fluid to obtain droplets of a target size or velocity.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described herein for improving the accuracy of synthetic authentication questions by analyzing third party account data. A request for access to a first account associated with a user may be received. The first account may be managed by a first organization. A transactions database might be queried for first account data. Second account data corresponding to a second account associated with the user might be received. That second account may be managed by a second organization different from the first organization. One or more second transactions, unique to the second account, may be identified. A synthetic transaction, configured to be different from transactions in the first account and the one or more second transactions, may be generated. An authentication question may be generated based on the synthetic transaction. Access to the first account might be provided based on a response to the authentication question.

Abstract: Aspects described herein may relate to techniques for detecting login activity to a financial account during a knowledge-based authentication process. The login activity may be related to access to an online interface for the financial account. The detection of login activity during the authentication process my indicate that the integrity of the authentication process is compromised as login access may provide an individual with transaction data that may be used to answer transaction-based authentication questions. As a result of detecting login activity, an alternative authentication process may be initiated or an authentication request related to the financial account may be denied.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for drone-based systems and methods for capturing a multi-media representation of an entity. In some embodiments, the multi-media representation is digital, or multi-view, or interactive, and/or the combinations thereof. According to particular embodiments, a drone having a camera is controlled or operated to obtain a plurality of images having location information. The plurality of images, including at least a portion of overlapping subject matter, are fused to form multi-view interactive digital media representations.

Abstract: Content is organized for brands by selecting a plurality of brand templates. After each selection, a set of properties is generated by applying a portion of settings of the respective brand template, with the remaining settings being overridden with settings for a channel communicating one of a plurality of presentations to a node of a network involved in the communication. The plurality of presentations may include different renditions of the same content. The properties may include sections configured for different focus areas and/or types of content associated with at tags to enable brand-level-targeting. Filters may be identified in the properties. Based on each of the identifications, a property from among the generated sets of properties may be selected based on comparisons with the associated tags.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described herein for improving computer authentication processes using vocal confidence processing. A request for access to an account may be received. An authentication question may be provided to a user. Voice data indicating one or more vocal utterances by the user in response to the authentication question may be received. The voice data may be processed, and a first confidence score that indicates a degree of confidence of the user when answering the authentication question may be determined. An overall confidence score may be modified based on the first confidence score. Based on determining that the overall confidence score satisfies a threshold, data preventing the authentication question from being used in future authentication processes may be stored. The data may be removed when a time period expires.

Abstract: An optical fiber for use in distributed vibration sensing has perturbations along its length. The perturbations may be applied externally to a mode field diameter of the optical fiber. Alternatively, the perturbations may be applied through the use of fusion splicing of fiber lengths that form the optical fiber.

Abstract: An air launch apparatus includes a frame, a grip, and a plurality of sidewalls and also includes a hollow substantially cylindrical barrel having a central longitudinal axis. The air launch apparatus further includes a piston disposed substantially concentric with the barrel. The piston is configured to move longitudinally along the outer surface of the barrel in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis. The air launch apparatus also includes a nut that is configured to engage the piston as a front block carrying the nut is drawn rearward toward a user, and to hold the piston stationary relative to the front block while so engaged. A plunger, fixedly connected to the piston, is configured to move with the piston. Movement of the piston and plunger, forward during cocking draws air into a volume within an air chamber of the air launch apparatus. The plunger, together with the piston, is driven rearward (toward the user) during firing of the air launch apparatus.

Abstract: A structure is provided having a floor, and a canopy made from a flexible, substantially air-impermeable material and having a tubular rib. The canopy has an air inlet port by which the interior of the tubular rib can be connected to a source of compressed air, and is movable by the supply of compressed air from a collapsed state in which the tubular rib is deflated to an inflated state in which the tubular rib is inflated and supports the canopy in such a way that the canopy encloses an interior space above the floor and forms a roof and side walls of the structure. The floor has three substantially rigid floor panels which may be arranged together to form a substantially planar floor, or connected together to form the base and sides of a container in which the canopy can be stored when in the collapsed state.

Abstract: A method for producing an olefin product, including the steps of converting a hydrocarbon feedstock to an unsaturated hydrocarbon stream through a steam cracking process in an olefins production plant; combusting hydrogen to provide at least some of the heating duty to the steam cracking process, wherein the hydrogen has a carbon intensity less than about 1.0 kg CO2e/kg H2, wherein the hydrogen is produced using a hydrogen production process; providing at least some of the required energy for the hydrogen production process from a biomass power plant; and processing the unsaturated hydrocarbon stream to recover the olefin product. The olefin product may comprise ethylene having a well-to-gate carbon intensity less than about 0.6 kg CO2e/kg C2H4, or may comprise propylene having a well-to-gate carbon intensity less than about 0.6 kg CO2e/kg C3H6.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimization-based travel itinerary planning utilizing a multiattribute travel booking platform are described herein. The system has a database, a scheduler, a parser, and a processor. The database stores a travel lexicon having attribute names, a travel taxonomy having look-up tables, and user preferences for a user related to travel attributes. The scheduler instantiates the travel attributes in terms of the travel lexicon and indexes them, searches for feasible travel itineraries, and transmits an optimal travel itinerary. The parser parses the travel-related query and ascertains a relevant attribute set, which produces attribute values. The processor receives a travel-related query from a user device, receives the user preferences from the database, ranks and weights the attribute values, associates values to the feasible travel itineraries, scores the feasible travel itineraries, and selects the optimal travel itinerary.

Abstract: An illustrative method includes determining that a total amount of read traffic and write traffic processed by a storage system during a time period exceeds a threshold; determining a first compressibility metric associated with the write traffic; determining a second compressibility metric associated with the read traffic; determining, based on a comparison of the first compressibility metric with the second compressibility metric, that the write traffic is less compressible than the read traffic; determining, based on the total amount of read traffic and write traffic exceeding the threshold and on the write traffic being less compressible than the read traffic, that the storage system is possibly being targeted by a security threat; and modifying, in response to the determining that the storage system is possibly being targeted by the security threat, a data protection parameter set for one or more recovery datasets generated by the storage system.

Abstract: A system for treating cardiac arrhythmias comprising a generator including: a sensing circuitry configured to evaluate one or more identified signals representative of electrical activity of the heart and detect an arrhythmia, a control circuitry that is configured to control delivery of a therapy in response to the detected arrhythmia, the therapy including a first stage of electrical pulses delivered via at least a first electrode, wherein the first set of electrical pulses is configured to destabilize and/or terminate a reentry associated with the arrhythmia, and a first lead coupled to the generator, wherein the first lead includes the first electrode. The therapy further includes a second stage of electrical pulses delivered via the first electrode and/or a second electrode, wherein the second stage of pulses is configured to terminate the reentry; and an inter-stage delay separating the first and second stages of electrical pulses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to sulfonylureas and sulfonylthioureas comprising a monocyclic imidazolyl group of formula (I): wherein Q is selected from O or S, R1 is an imidazolyl group, wherein the imidazolyl group is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more monovalent substituents, and R2 is a cyclic group substituted at the ?-position, wherein R2 may optionally be further substituted. The present invention further relates to salts, solvates and prodrugs of such compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and to the use of such compounds in the treatment and prevention of medical disorders and diseases, most especially by the inhibition of NLRP3.

Abstract: Aspects discussed herein may relate to techniques for authenticating a user using transaction-based authentication questions. The transaction-based authentication questions may be provided to the user. The user may provide audible responses to the transaction-based authentication questions that may be captured by a smart device, such as an always on listening device. Authentication of the user may be based on voice analysis of the audible responses to the transaction-based authentication questions and/or based on the answers to the transaction-based authentication questions.