Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to the detection and/or elimination of a first nucleic acid and enrichment of a second nucleic acid in a sample, for example to exclude the first nucleic acid from downstream analysis or sequencing, or to exclude such sequences from a downstream data set.

Abstract: A method of encryption key provisioning that includes providing, by a quantum computing safe method, a shared secret data to a device and to a security service; using the provided shared secret data to provide a root key; and using the root key for a sequence of stages, wherein each stage includes an operation which converts a start key into a different generated key, and the same stages are carried out in parallel at the device and at the security service; wherein the root key is used as the start key for a first stage, and a generated key produced by each stage, except for the final stage, is used as a start key for a next stage of the sequence; and wherein the generated keys produced by the last stage of the sequence at the device and at the security service are symmetric keys.

Abstract: A computer-based method for automatically evaluating validity and extent of at least one damaged object from image data, comprising: (a) receiving image data comprising one or more images of at least one damaged object; (b) processing said one or more images using an image alteration detection algorithm to detect fraudulent manipulation of said one or more images by classifying at least one attribute of said one or more images; (c) removing any image comprising fraudulent manipulation from said one or more images; (d) processing said one or more images using at least one machine learning algorithm to identify at least one of: a damaged object in any one of said one or more images a damaged area of said damaged object, and an extent of damage of said at least one damaged area; and (e) generating a predictive analysis to repair and/or replace said at least one damaged object.

Abstract: A method includes: receiving a script configured to modify the audio-video file; calculating a performance metric based on execution of the script on a set of test files; classifying the script as performant based on the performance metric; defining a metadata store associated with the script and the audio-video file; receiving a playback request specifying a rendition of the audio-video file from a computational device; in response to receiving the playback request: accessing a set of data inputs from the metadata store; executing the script on a frame of the audio-video file based on the set of data inputs to generate a modified frame of the audio-video file; transcoding the modified frame of the audio-video file into the rendition to generate an output frame of the audio-video file; and transmitting the output frame of the audio-video file to the computational device for playback at the computational device.

Abstract: A method includes: receiving a script configured to modify the audio-video file; calculating a performance metric based on execution of the script on a set of test files; classifying the script as performant based on the performance metric; defining a metadata store associated with the script and the audio-video file; receiving a playback request specifying a rendition of the audio-video file from a computational device; in response to receiving the playback request: accessing a set of data inputs from the metadata store; executing the script on a frame of the audio-video file based on the set of data inputs to generate a modified frame of the audio-video file; transcoding the modified frame of the audio-video file into the rendition to generate an output frame of the audio-video file; and transmitting the output frame of the audio-video file to the computational device for playback at the computational device.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing a magnetic rotor unit comprises providing a composite magnetic rotor body. The composite magnetic rotor body comprises magnetic particles dispersed in a polymer resin. The composite magnetic rotor body has a hole. The method further comprises inserting a shaft into the hole. The outer diameter of the shaft corresponds to the inner diameter of the hole. The method further comprises heating of the shaft. By heating the shaft, the elevated temperature of the shaft surface preferentially induces the polymer resin from an inner surface of the hole to exude or sweat on to the shaft surface, so as to provide a bonding layer between the magnetic rotor body and the shaft. An apparatus for such manufacture, and a magnetic rotor unit manufactured by such method, are also provided. Such rotor units have wide application, and may for example be used in sensors, electromagnetic generators, pulse generators, motors, magnetic brakes and magnetic couplings.

Abstract: A Flow Boulevard system of transportation for existing urban and suburban streets which optimizes vehicular capacity and flow for at grade facilities having intervening crossing streets is provided. The system may be applied to a single street right of way having two-way traffic with a median and enables packs of traffic to continuously flow in both directions concurrently. Flow Boulevards may be connected through interchanges supporting continuously flowing traffic to that connect to couplets of one-way streets to define networks of high vehicular capacity and continuous flowing traffic over large urban areas. Lane signals are provided to optimize traffic flow in each flow boulevard lane and at each interchange.

Abstract: The Flow Boulevard concepts provide a system of transportation improvement for urban and suburban existing development and or new development. The system provides the optimization of vehicular capacity and level of service for at grade interrupted flow facilities without the widening of streets. The system is comprised of single and couplet street configurations that allow corridors and networks to be developed that have vehicles flowing without stopping throughout the corridor or network. Benefit of true bus rapid transit is attained by removing the necessity to stop at signals and with only stopping for boarding and alighting of bus riders. Consolidation of population increases in low density settings by introducing medium density corridors can dramatically reduce vehicular miles traveled in suburban locations to conserve resources and reduce greenhouse gases. The system of improvement is both inexpensive by using existing streets and has little impact on existing development by not widening streets.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a beverage into a receptacle is provided having one or more taps, between them defining two beverage flow paths. One of the beverage flow paths is provided with a flow restriction for inducing turbulence in the beverage flow for producing foam. An arrangement is provided for directing the beverage flow path subjected to the turbulence inducing flow restriction to be not vertically orientated at an outlet such that fobbing of the beverage in the receptacle is prevented.