Abstract: The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing nicotine. Also provided are tobacco plants with decreased tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). The present disclosure further provides modified tobacco plants with low nicotine and increased antioxidant capacity. Further provided are tobacco plants or material with low nicotine and low TSNAs. Also provided is cured tobacco material of the tobacco plants provided herein and tobacco products comprising this cured tobacco material.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for predicting a behavior of a pedestrian on the basis of a behavioral profile of the pedestrian. The behavioral profile may be generated in a personal communication device of the pedestrian (such as a smartphone) based on activities performed by the pedestrian such as walking on a sidewalk, stepping off the sidewalk to walk on a road, standing on a sidewalk waiting for a traffic light to change, stepping onto the road when waiting for a traffic light to change, and/or crossing a road when the traffic light is red. The behavioral profile may also be based on other factors such as a traffic citation, an accident report, a status of a driver's license, and/or physical characteristics of the pedestrian (age, gender, etc.).

Abstract: A system for association-based scattering processing includes a spatial light modulator configured to modulate one or more of phase and amplitude of light irradiated from a light source to a target object. Additionally, the system includes processing circuitry configured to evaluate a field distribution for one localized illumination, induce a set of field distributions for a plurality of localized illuminations based on the field distribution for the one localized illumination, and apply the set of field distributions to the spatial light modulator, scanning a plurality of localized illuminations on the target object.

Abstract: A self-leveling staircase. The staircase has a first flight of self-leveling steps having a first end adjacent to the ground and a plurality of stair treads pivotally attached at a right edge to a first pair or stair rails and at a left edge to a second pair of stair rails. A self-leveling platform is pivotally attached on a second end of the first flight of self-leveling steps and to the first and second pair of stair rails. A second flight of self-leveling steps having a first end is pivotally attached to an opposite side of the self-leveling platform from the first flight of self-leveling steps. The second flight of self-leveling step has a plurality of stair treads pivotally attached at a right edge to a third pair of stair rails and pivotally attached at a left edge on front and back ends thereof to a second pair of stair rails.

Abstract: A vehicle airbag assembly includes a vehicle trim panel including at least one door having an outer surface facing a vehicle cabin and an inner surface facing an airbag prior to deployment, In a pre-deployed state the door extends across an opening and is movably coupled to a rim to open upon deployment of the airbag to permit passage of the airbag through the opening. At least one edge of the door has a tear seam that couples the door to the vehicle trim panel. A bridging member is adjacent the inner surface of the door. The bridging member is configured to contact the inner surface at a location away from the rim and support the door in the pre-deployed state. The bridging member extends at least partially across the opening and is movable upon deployment of the airbag such that the airbag is permitted to pass through the opening.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antimicrobial sheet formed with a base comprising a synthetic resin, the antimicrobial sheet comprising: a fine metal particle mixed to the base; and an auxiliary additive mixed to the base and the metal particle to uniformly distribute the metal particle in the formed sheet. Thus, according to the disclosure, the metal particles having the antimicrobial function is uniformly distributed throughout the entire area as integrally coupled to the base of the construction material, is excellent in durability because the particles having the antimicrobial function are positioned close to the surface of the base as integrally coupled to the base, and removes germs being in contact with the surface.

Abstract: An ultraviolet light absorber (UVA) Universal Composition powder coating is provided. The composition can include about 73.0 to about 78.0 weight percent (wt. %) of a silicone resin, about 2.0 to about 7.0 wt. % of a hardener, about 0.7 to about 1.2 wt. % of a UV stabilizer, about 0.7 to about 1.2 wt. % of a flow modifier, about 15.0 to about 20.0 wt. % of a glass flake, and about 0.1 to about 0.6 wt. % of a catalyst. A UVA additive composition including a plurality of UVA additive particles having a continuous phase of a silicon resin that contains a hardener, a UV stabilizer, a flow modifier, glass flakes, and a catalyst, wherein the plurality of UVA additive particles have a particle size of 0.5 to 100 ?m, is also provided.

Abstract: An emergency guidance and advisement system is provided to automatically determine a floor map of a building and using the floor map for advising how to exit the building during an emergency, such as a fire. The system can automatically create an escape plan, based on pre-disaster and in-disaster motion detection of users within the home, and provide dynamic advisement to guide users out of the home during an emergency.

Abstract: Fluidic and electrofluidic devices comprising carbon nanotubes and methods of making and using the same are provided. The carbon nanotubes may be densely bundled to span an aperture in a substrate. A polymeric coating over the substrate may contain reservoir(s) etched therein, the reservoir(s) in fluid connectivity with the carbon nanotubes. X-rays may be directed through the aperture and fluid-filled carbon nanotubes with x-ray analysis providing data on fluid structure and dynamics inside the carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally related to a method and system for customizing a customer experience. In one embodiment, a method is provided herein. A computing system receives from a computing device positioned in a facility one or more video streams. The one or more video streams capture a customer in the facility. The computing system identifying an identity of the customer by parsing the one or more video streams to identify one or more audio or visual cues of the customer. The computing system determines, based on the identity of the customer, that the customer has one or more previous transactions at the facility. The computing system predicts, based on the one or more previous transactions, a new transaction at the facility. The computing system notifies the computing device positioned in the facility in preparation of the new transaction.

Abstract: A bedding system includes a chassis having a bottom wall, opposite first and second side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall and opposite first and second end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The walls define a cavity. A coil pack is positioned in the cavity. The coil pack includes a plurality of springs. A first cover is positioned over the coil pack. The first cover is attached to the chassis by a first zipper. A comfort layer is positioned over the first cover. The comfort layer is attached to the chassis by a second zipper. A second cover is positioned over the comfort layer. The second cover is attached to the chassis by a third zipper. In some embodiments, kits and method of use are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an article comprising a plurality of domains fused together; wherein the domains comprise a core comprising a first metal; and a first layer disposed upon the core; the first layer comprising a second metal; the first metal being chemically different the second metal. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising rolling a sheet in a roll mill; the sheet comprising a first metal and having disposed upon each opposing face of the sheet a first layer that comprises a second metal; the second metal being chemically different from the first metal; cutting the sheet into a plurality of sheets; stacking the plurality of sheets; and rolling the stacked sheets in the roll mill to form a blank.

Abstract: Image sensors may include backside illuminated global shutter pixels that are implemented using stacked substrates. To provide high dynamic range in the pixels, only a predetermined portion of charge that has been generated in the pixel photodiodes is kept and stored in the pixel photodiodes when the pixels are illuminated by high light levels. In the low light level illumination conditions, all of the accumulated charge is stored in the pixel photodiodes, thereby preserving high sensitivity and low noise. Dynamic charge overflow may be used to increase the high dynamic range. To achieve low noise operation in a global shutter scanning mode, dynamic charge overflow may be combined with correlated double sampling techniques.

Abstract: Luminescence test measurements are conducted using an assay module having integrated electrodes with a reader apparatus adapted to receive assay modules, induce luminescence, preferably electrode induced luminescence, in the wells or assay regions of the assay modules and measure the induced luminescence.

Abstract: A food-processing device for blending and mixing food comprises a mixing vessel, a blade holder, and a motor base. The motor is a high power motor. The device has various safety features designed for the high power motor. The blade holder comprises a safety mechanism that prevents the motor base from operating without the mixing vessel covering the blade. The mixing vessel also contains emitters that interact with detectors on the motor base that can allow a user to select an alternate blend speed according to the mixing vessel that is attached.

Abstract: Techniques for transmitting data may include: receiving, at a host, an initiator data transfer rate indicating a communication rate at which an initiator port of the host communicates over a first path using a communications fabric with a target port of a data storage system; receiving, at the host, a target data transfer rate indicating a communication rate at which the target port of the data storage system communicates over the first path using the communications fabric with the initiator port of the host; determining, at the host, whether the initiator data transfer rate and the target data transfer rate are different; and responsive to determining that the initiator data transfer rate and the target data transfer rate are different, performing processing that limits a rate at which data is transmitted between the initiator and target ports in accordance with the initiator and target data transfer rates.

Abstract: High performance modules for use in System-in-Package (SIP) devices, and methods of manufacture for such modules and SIPs. The modules employ one or more interposer substrates on which high performance components and/or devices are operatively mounted and interconnected.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for storing data in a storage system, comprising: receiving a write request at the storage system; detecting whether the write request is associated with one of a deduplication tier or a non-deduplication tier of the storage system; when the write request is associated with the deduplication tier of the storage system, storing data associated with the write request in the first portion of the volume and updating a first mapping structure to map the first LBA to at least one first hash digest that is generated based on the data; and when the write request is associated with the non-deduplication tier of the storage system, storing data associated with the write request in the second portion of the volume and updating the first mapping structure to map the first LBA to a second hash digest that is generated based on a second LBA.

Abstract: The range of measurement in spectrally controlled interferometry (SCI) is extended by superimposing multiple modulations on the low-coherence light used for the measurement. Optimally, a spectrally controllable light source modulated sinusoidally with low spectral frequency is combined with a delay line, such as provided by a Michelson interferometer. The resulting light is injected into a Fizeau interferometer to generate localized fringes at a distance corresponding to the effect of the spectrally modulated source combined with the optical path difference produced by the delay line. The combination provides a convenient way to practice SCI with all its advantages and with a range that can be extended to the degree required for any practically foreseeable application. Alternatively, a single source capable of multiple modulations can be used instead of a separate second modulator component.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for a capacitive sensor configured to detect rain. The capacitive sensor may provide a reception electrode in communication with a drive electrode to form an electric field and a ground electrode surrounding the reception and drive electrodes. The ground electrode may couple the rain to a ground potential resulting in a decrease in the capacitance of the capacitive sensor.