Abstract: The present invention to provide a method of operating a thermal energy storage device comprising a body of heat transfer fluid, said body of heat transfer fluid comprising an upper temperature region comprising heat transfer fluid having a temperature above a upper threshold temperature, a lower temperature region comprising heat transfer fluid having a temperature below a lower threshold temperature and a thermocline region separating the upper and lower temperature regions and comprising heat transfer fluid having a temperature above a lower threshold temperature and below an upper threshold temperature, wherein during charging of the thermal energy storage device, heat transfer fluid is removed from the thermocline region of the body of heat transfer fluid and when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid being removed from the thermocline region of the body of heat transfer fluid rises above a maximum temperature, said heat transfer fluid being removed is brought to a temperature equal to or below said

Abstract: A system includes a wet extrusion process machine configured to receive, mix, and convey a plurality of ingredients to an extrusion die, the plurality of ingredients include a protein powder, an oil, and water. The system includes an electronic process control system (EPCS) configured to control the wet extrusion machine using a plurality of process settings effective to produce an extrusion die mixture which is forced into, passes through, and is output from the extrusion die. The system further includes a supervisory machine intelligence control system (SMICS) operatively coupled with at least one of a direct fibrosity measurement (DFM) subsystem configured to directly measure one or more physical fibrosity parameters of the extrusion die mixture, and an indirect fibrosity measurement (IFM) subsystem configured to measure one or more extrusion process parameters associated with the extrusion die mixture.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for device-independent quantum key generation and distribution between a first and a second receiver, the method comprising the steps of: a) Generating an entangled information pair, comprising two entangled quantum moieties that have at least one quantum state entangled with each other, such as a polarization, b) Transmitting a first entangled quantum moiety of the two entangled quantum moieties to the first receiver (A) and a second entangled quantum moiety of the two entangled quantum moieties to the second receiver (B), and measuring the quantum states of the entangled moieties with a set of selected detection settings chosen randomly at each receiver c) In a modification step, assigning each measurement value b1 measured with a detection setting B1 a complementary value b 1 ? according to a noise-probability p, wherein the noise-probability p is larger than 0 and lower than 1, such that a modified plurality of measurement values b 1 ˜ is obtained

Abstract: Provided herein is an inositol polyphosphate oligo alkyl ether compound, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, for use in treatment or prevention of a disease associated with formation of calcium salt crystals.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing ink composition includes a polysiloxane bearing a plurality of alkenyl groups and a crosslinking agent bearing a plurality of thiol groups. The polysiloxane and the crosslinking agent form an emulsion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a perfusion loop assembly for an ex vivo liver perfusion including: a pump for providing a fluid flow of a perfusion fluid through a first branch line and a second branch line; the first branch line being configured to provide a first portion of the perfusion fluid to the hepatic artery of the liver; the first branch line being coupled with a first gas exchanger, the second branch line being configured to provide a second portion of the perfusion fluid to the portal vein of the liver; the second branch line further including a first valve for controlling the flow of the perfusion fluid into the portal vein of the liver, a liver chamber assembly configured to hold the liver ex vivo, a liver outlet line attached to the vena cava of the ex vivo liver, at least one reservoir connected to the liver outlet and upstream from the pump.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of providing a graft scaffold for cartilage repair, particularly in a human patient. The method of the invention comprising the steps of providing particles and/or fibres; providing an aqueous solution of a gelling polysaccharide; providing mammalian cells; mixing said particles and/or fibres, said aqueous solution of a gelling polysaccharide and said mammalian cells to obtain a printing mix; and depositing said printing mix in a three-dimensional form. The invention further relates to graft scaffolds and grafts obtained by the method of the invention.

Abstract: A system includes a machine learning (ML) model-based video downsampler configured to receive an input video sequence having a first display resolution, and to map the input video sequence to a lower resolution video sequence having a second display resolution lower than the first display resolution. The system also includes a neural network-based (NN-based) proxy video codec configured to transform the lower resolution video sequence into a decoded proxy bitstream. In addition, the system includes an upsampler configured to produce an output video sequence using the decoded proxy bitstream.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device (1) for converting a wireless signal (2) in the mm-wave or sub-THz range into at least one modulated optical signal (16). The electronic device (1) comprises an antenna element (11) for converting the wireless signal (2) into a guided electrical signal (12), wherein the antenna element (11) is arranged on a printed circuit board (10b?) or on a first integrated chip (10?). The electronic device (1) comprises an electrical signal converter (13) for converting the at least one guided electrical signal (12) into a conditioned electrical signal (14), wherein the electrical signal converter (13) is arranged on a second integrated chip (10?).

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for the automated synthesis of at least one chemical compound including: at least one cartridge including at least one first compartment for providing at least one first reagent for the chemical synthesis of the at least one compound; at least one second compartment for providing at least one second reagent for the chemical synthesis of the at least one compound, and at least one third compartment for purifying the at least one synthesized compound; at least one reaction container for providing the compounds to be fed into at least one of the compartments of the cartridge and/or collecting the reaction product from at least one of the compartments of the cartridge; at least one solvent container at least two flow path selecting valves and at least one pump.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprises magnet means for generating a main magnetic field in a sample region, encoding means for generating encoding magnetic fields superimposed to the main magnetic field, RF transmitter means for generating MR radiofrequency fields, driver means for operating said encoding means and RF transmitter means to generate superimposed time dependent encoding fields and radiofrequency fields according to an MR sequence for forming images or spectra; and acquisition means for acquiring an MR signal from said object. The magnet means comprise a primary magnetic field source providing a static magnetic field B0 and at least one secondary magnetic field source providing an adjustable magnetic field B?.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods and systems for generating three-dimensional (3D) models and facial hair models representative of subjects (e.g., actors or actresses) using facial scanning technology. Methods accord to embodiments may be useful for performing facial capture on subjects with dense facial hair. Initial subject facial data, including facial frames and facial performance frames (e.g., images of the subject collected from a capture system) can be used to accurately predict the structure of the subject’s face underneath their facial hair to produce a reference 3D facial shape of the subject. Likewise, image processing techniques can be used to identify facial hairs and generate a reference facial hair model. The reference 3D facial shape and reference facial hair mode can subsequently be used to generate performance 3D facial shapes and a performance facial hair model corresponding to a performance by the subject (e.g., reciting dialog).

Abstract: A thread-like variable stiffness device including an elongate shaft, the shaft includes a polymeric material, and a heat conducting device configured to exchange heat with the polymeric material to cause a phase transition of the polymeric material conferring a variable stiffness to the thread-like device, wherein the polymeric material is a thermoset shape memory material.

Abstract: A system for managing non-linear transmedia content data is provided. Memory stores a plurality of transmedia content data items and associated linking data which define time-ordered content links between the plurality of transmedia content data items. The plurality of transmedia content data items are arranged into linked transmedia content subsets comprising different groups of the transmedia content data items and different content links therebetween. A control engine receives one or more instructions to create a new time-ordered content link between at least two of the plurality of transmedia content data items. The control engine modifies the linking data stored in the memory to include the new time-ordered content link.

Abstract: The present invention provides polymersomes comprising amphiphilic block-copolymers and their use to quantify ammonia in samples (e.g., body fluid samples). More particularly, it provides a polymersome comprising (a) a membrane, which comprises a block copolymer of poly(styrene) (PS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), wherein the PS/PEO molecular weight ratio is higher than 1.0 and lower than 4.0; and (b) a core which encloses an acid and at least one pH-sensitive dye. Compositions, strips and kits comprising the polymersomes are also provided along with methods of quantifying ammonia in a sample using the polymersomes, compositions and kit.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods and systems for generating three-dimensional (3D) models and facial hair models representative of subjects (e.g., actors or actresses) using facial scanning technology. Methods accord to embodiments may be useful for performing facial capture on subjects with dense facial hair. Initial subject facial data, including facial frames and facial performance frames (e.g., images of the subject collected from a capture system) can be used to accurately predict the structure of the subject's face underneath their facial hair to produce a reference 3D facial shape of the subject. Likewise, image processing techniques can be used to identify facial hairs and generate a reference facial hair model. The reference 3D facial shape and reference facial hair mode can subsequently be used to generate performance 3D facial shapes and a performance facial hair model corresponding to a performance by the subject (e.g., reciting dialog).

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing facial retargeting using a patch-based technique are disclosed. One or more three-dimensional (3D) representations of a source character's (e.g., a human actor's) face can be transferred onto one or more corresponding representations of a target character's (e.g., a cartoon character's) face, enabling filmmakers to transfer a performance by a source character to a target character. The source character's 3D facial shape can separated into patches. For each patch, a patch combination (representing that patch as a combination of source reference patches) can be determined. The patch combinations and target reference patches can then be used to create target patches corresponding to the target character. The target patches can be combined using an anatomical local model solver to produce a 3D facial shape corresponding to the target character, effectively transferring a facial performance by the source character to the target character.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a drone (1) comprising one or more propellers (2) and one or more actuators (3) for actuating said one or more propellers (2) to generating a thrust force which enables the drone (1) to fly; a controller (4) which is configured such that it can control the flight of the drone (1), wherein the controller (4) comprises a memory (6) having stored therein a plurality of predefined sets of positions which define a virtual rail which can be used to guide the flight of the drone (1) so that the drone can avoid collision with an subject; and wherein the controller further comprises a mathematical model (7) of the drone; wherein the controller (4) is configured to control the flight of the drone by performing at least the following steps, (a) approximating lag error based on the position of the drone (1) measured by a sensor (5) and the virtual rail, wherein the lag error is the distance between a point along the virtual rail which is closest to the drone (1) and an

Abstract: The invention is related to an inositol polyphosphate oligo alkyl ether compound, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, for use in treatment or prevention of a disease associated with formation of calcium salt crystals.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and a system for processing concrete granulate for subsequent recycling of the concrete granulate. In the method, a container of the system is filled with concrete granulate, said container being gas-tight at least in some regions. Subsequently, gas comprising CO2 is fed, continuously or noncontinously, according to a level of CO2 absorption by the concrete granulate in the container, said level being determined by means of at least one sensor. After a predefined CO2 saturation of the concrete granulate has been detected, the concrete granulate, which have been enriched with CO2, are removed.