Abstract: The present inventions relate to a breeding system for the production of polyploid maize seeds, maize plants, or maize plant parts where cycles of meiosis, syngamy, and selection are used for interpopulation improvement of progenitor lines, and sexual polyploidization occurs during hybrid production by inducing clonal gamete formation in the parents that are to be crossed. Reciprocal recurrent selection can be used to inform selection of candidate maize lines that are either advanced to a gene editing or genetic modification system or crossed and selected to induce clonal gamete formation by arresting meiotic recombination and chromosome reduction. Crosses of parent maize plants bearing clonal gametes are planned and executed based upon predicted heterotic performance at the polyploid level. The final product is a homogeneous population of hybrid polyploid maize seed, or derivative thereof, bearing both parents' complete nuclear genomes.

Abstract: The present inventions relate to a breeding system for the production of polyploid potato seeds, plants, or plant parts where cycles of meiosis, syngamy, and selection are used for interpopulation improvement of progenitor lines, and sexual polyploidization occurs during hybrid production by inducing clonal gamete formation in the parents that are to be crossed. Reciprocal recurrent selection can be used to inform selection of candidate potato lines that are either advanced to a gene editing or genetic modification system or crossed and selected to induce clonal gamete formation by arresting meiotic recombination and chromosome reduction. Crosses of parent plants bearing clonal gametes are planned and executed based upon predicted heterotic performance at the polyploid level. The final product is a homogeneous population of hybrid polyploid potato seed, or derivative thereof, bearing both parents' complete nuclear genomes. In some instances, the method is used to generate seedless plants.

Abstract: An actuator for a separate downhole tool, including an electric linear actuator, a latch driven by the linear actuator and configured to interact with and operate a movable component of the separate tool. A subsurface safety valve system, including a subsurface safety valve having a flow tube, the valve lacking an operable actuator, and an actuator runnable into the valve, the actuator latchable to the valve to operate the flow tube. A method for controlling a well including installing a subsurface safety valve in a tubing string at a target location in a borehole of the well, the subsurface safety valve lacking an actuator, running an actuator to the valve, engaging the actuator with the valve, and operating the valve with the actuator. A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and an actuator disposed within or as a part of the string.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include a video camera assembly that includes: (1) a housing; (2) an image sensor positioned within the housing and having a field of view corresponding to a scene in the smart home environment; and (3) a concave-shaped front face positioned in front of the image sensor such that light from the scene passes through the front face prior to entering the image sensor; where the front face includes: (a) an inner section corresponding to the image sensor; and (b) an outer section between the housing and the inner section, the outer section having a concave shape that extends from an outer periphery of the outer section to an inner periphery of the outer section; and where the concave shape extends around an entirety of the outer periphery.

Abstract: A head unit device for controlling motion of an object includes a chamber filled with a shear thickening fluid (STF) and a piston. The piston is housed within the chamber and exerts pressure against the STF from a force applied to the piston from the object. The STF is configured to have a decreasing viscosity in response to a first range of shear rates and an increasing viscosity in response to a second range of shear rates. The piston includes at least one piston bypass between opposite sides of the piston that controls flow of the STF between the opposite sides of the piston to selectively react with a shear threshold effect of the first range of shear rates or the second range of shear rates.

Abstract: A system and method in accordance with example embodiments for comprehensive sales and service data reporting. Sales and service events that take place at a front end branch of an enterprise may be input into a front end system and transmitted to a backend system where various modules then use the front end system data to generate various data and reports to display various data, such as, for example, sales incentive metrics and key performance indicators.

Abstract: Systems and methods for external account authentication are disclosed herein. They include receiving a call to pair the external account with a secure account, extracting external data from the external account, the external data corresponding to external account content, providing user activity data from the secure account as an input to an authentication machine learning model, providing the external data as an input to the authentication machine learning model, the authentication machine learning model configured to output a certainty level that the external account is associated with a user of the secure account based on the external data and the activity data, receiving the certainty level from the authentication machine learning model, determining that the certainty level meets a certainty threshold, and pairing the external account with the secure account based on determining that the certainty level meets the certainty threshold.

Abstract: An example of an apparatus to transport utility-scale lithium-ion batteries in a racked and operational state. The apparatus includes a base and an isolation platform. In addition, the apparatus includes an isolator mounted on the base to support the isolation platform. The isolator is to dampen forces exerted on the isolation platform from the base. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a rack mounted onto the isolation platform. The rack is to secure a plurality of lithium-ion batteries to store energy at a utility-scale to be provided to a power distribution network. The plurality of lithium-ion batteries is racked in an operational state during transportation.

Abstract: A method for recycling dye from a dyed textile, the method comprising providing a textile coloured with a dye; adding the textile to a bath comprising a solution of ionic liquid, thereby causing the dye to strip from the textile and to disperse within said solution.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide polishing pads having a composite pad body and methods for forming the polishing pads. In one embodiment, the composite pad body includes one or more first features formed from a first material or a first composition of materials, and one or more second features formed from a second material or a second composition of materials, wherein the one or more first features and the one or more second features are formed by depositing a plurality of layers comprising the first material or first composition of materials and second material or second composition of materials.

Abstract: A load control system may control an electrical load in a space of a building based on one or more parameters regarding the physical condition of an occupant. The parameters may be gathered by one or more sensing devices. The sensing devices may be included in a mobile device. A system controller may receive the parameters and may automatically control the electrical loads in response to the parameters. The system controller may control the electrical load to attempt to adjust the physical condition of the occupant in response to the sensed parameters. The system controller may control the electrical load to provide an alert, an alarm, and/or a warning in response to the sensed parameters.

Abstract: Systems, method and computer readable medium are provided for automated storage and retrieval. User authentication information is received via a user interface for a dynamic storage and retrieval device. The user identity is verified based upon the authentication information and previously stored authentication data. Order information is retrieved for an order associated with the user following the verifying of user identity, the order information indicating one or more locations for items associated with the order. Instructions are transmitted to initiate a physical opening of at least one of the dynamic storage and retrieval device and at least one static storage location to enable the user to retrieve at least one item of the order, the static storage location including a controller controlling a locking mechanism and communicatively coupled to the dynamic storage and retrieval device.

Abstract: A method of imaging a turbine engine test component with a first surface and a second surface that is spaced from the first surface. The turbine engine test component includes a plurality of film holes with inlets formed in the second surface or interior that are fluidly coupled to outlets formed in the first surface or exterior. The method includes flowing airflow through the plurality of film holes of the turbine engine test component, obtaining thermographic data, determining a test dataset, and calculating a performance score.

Abstract: A device receives first transaction information associated with a first transaction, and a first transaction account utilized for the first transaction and associated with a first financial institution. The device determines, based on a fraud model, that the first transaction is to be denied due to potential fraud associated with the first transaction account and receives second transaction information associated with a second transaction, and a second transaction account utilized for the second transaction and associated with a second financial institution. The device processes the first transaction information and the second transaction information, with a matching model, to determine whether the first transaction information matches the second transaction information and determines that the first transaction was incorrectly denied when the first transaction information matches the second transaction information within a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to an immunogenic composition that includes a mutant Clostridium difficile toxin A and/or a mutant Clostridium difficile toxin B. The mutant toxin may include a glucosyltransferase domain having at least one mutation and a cysteine protease domain having at least one mutation, relative to the corresponding wild-type C. difficile toxin. The mutant toxins may include at least one amino acid that is chemically crosslinked. In another aspect, the invention relates to methods and compositions for use in culturing Clostridium difficile and in producing C. difficile toxins.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes crosslinking agents derived from glycerol and/or waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) of Formula I and Formula II which may find use in various polymer applications, including as an additive in personal care products.

Abstract: Machines, devices, and other objects are configured to use authorization tokens to verify object identities without human input. In examples, the object uses a password to validate the object's identity to an authorization server to obtain an access token for use in multiple applications. In another example, the object uses a certificate to validate the object's identity to an authorization server to obtain an access token. In other examples, any other suitable identifying data may be used to validate the object's identity to an authorization server to obtain an access token. The process of using passwords, certificates, or other validation processes to obtain tokens or other authorization mechanisms allows the object to authenticate themselves without human interaction and to use a single identity to access services from multiple service providers that trust a central authorization server.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles having a waist gasketing element, with the gasketing element having an adhesive zone and one or more adhesive-free zones. At least a portion of the waist gasketing element is adhesively attached to a chassis of the absorbent article. Additionally, a portion of the waist gasketing element is mechanically attached to a portion of the absorbent article.

Abstract: Systems, methods, articles of manufacture, and computer-readable media for secure authentication based on passport data stored in a contactless card associated with an account. An application may receive an indication to perform an operation. The application may receive encrypted data from the card. The application may receive an indication that the authentication server verified the encrypted data based on a private key. The application may receive encrypted passport data from the contactless card, the encrypted passport data for a passport associated with the account. The application may determine an attribute of the passport based at least in part on image data or text input. The application may decrypt the encrypted passport data based on the attribute of the passport. The application may initiate performance of the operation based on the received indication specifying that the authentication server verified the encrypted data and the decryption of the encrypted passport data.