Abstract: A foam material includes the reaction product of a polyol mixture and an isocyanate mixture and a graphite filler obtained from spent lithium-ion batteries in an amount of ?0.025 wt. % to ?0.5 wt. % such that the graphite filler provides a foam material that has a plane wave absorption coefficient of greater than or equal to about 0.75 at 600 Hz.

Abstract: A sample collection device includes an inlet, a waste chamber having a waste chamber opening, a collection chamber having a collection chamber opening, and a toggling mechanism configured to select between a first fluid path from the inlet to the waste chamber via the waste chamber opening, and a second fluid path from the inlet to the collection chamber via the collection chamber opening.

Abstract: A method in a vehicle, includes: providing, via an HMI, a request to be followed indication responsive to receipt of a request to be followed from a following vehicle; providing, via the HMI, a request to enter a tether operating mode; entering the tether operating mode and selecting a tether goal between the lead vehicle and the following vehicle; providing, via the HMI, a tether mode indication that indicates that the lead vehicle is in the tether operating mode; monitoring a headway between the lead vehicle and following vehicle; adjusting a preplanned trajectory calculated by a driver assistance system to facilitate the following vehicle obtaining and maintaining the tether goal; modifying driver assistance system operation based on a level at which the headway is greater than the tether goal; and generating control signals for vehicle actuators to control the lead vehicle to facilitate the following vehicle maintaining the tether goal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model using a multi-turn process to generate a suggested draft reply to a selected message. A first turn of the multi-turn process uses a shorter prompt including at least a portion of the body of the selected message and that requests multiple draft replies from the AI model. The resulting AI-generated draft replies are shortened, summarized, and/or otherwise converted into a plurality of shortened summaries that are presented as reply options to a user. Upon selecting a shortened summary, a more robust prompt is generated in a second turn with the AI model with the selected reply option to generate a more complex suggested draft reply to the selected message. Additionally, various customization options are provided, which when selected, reframe a query presented to the AI model to generate a more relevant and personalized response.

Abstract: A system for informing cooking style decisions, the system includes a computing device designed and configured to receive a personal recipe relating to a user. The computing device also designed and configured to select a cooking style, including locating in a recipe database a set of cooking styles associated with the personal recipe and selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of the user's biological extraction. Additionally, the computing device is designed and configured to incorporate the cooking style into the personal recipe of the user.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides tobacco Nic1b locus and associated genes (e.g., a group of ERF genes). Also provided are tobacco plants with altered total alkaloid and nicotine levels and commercially acceptable leaf grade, their development via breeding or transgenic approaches, and production of tobacco products from these tobacco plants. Further provided are compositions and methods for producing tobacco plants having novel mutations or alleles to reduce nicotine levels. Further provided are sequence polymorphisms and molecular markers for breeding tobacco with reduced nicotine or alkaloids while maintaining tobacco leaf grade and tobacco product quality.

Abstract: A method for monitoring intoxication of a user, the method including: receiving a set of samples from a body region of a user; generating an intoxication metric based on the set of samples; and providing a notification to the user based on the intoxication metric. The method can additionally or alternatively include: modifying operation of the transdermal alcohol sensing device based on the intoxication metric; determining contextual data; maintaining a hydration level of the transdermal alcohol sensing device; and any other suitable processes. A system for monitoring intoxication of a user including a sensor and a housing. The system can additionally or alternatively include any or all of: an inlet, a fastener, an electronics subsystem, a user device, and/or any other suitable component.

Abstract: Systems for detecting and resolving exceptions associated with document irregularities during a document upload process are disclosed. One example of an irregularity is a deviation from an expected standard format for a document type of the document. The system can receive, via a document upload application installed on user equipment, a document to be uploaded to a user account maintained by the system. An OCR component may be used to detect exceptions associated with the document and the system may include a component to handle any detected exceptions to prevent termination of the document upload process.

Abstract: A voice-biometrics based solution for unwanted self-invocations by virtual assistant applications is proposed. In various embodiments, a processing system is configured to control a virtual assistant. The processing system may have stored in a memory at least one voiceprint created using voice biometrics based on recorded utterances of synthetic speech from the virtual assistant. The at least one voiceprint may be used to prevent self-invocation of a virtual speech session by matching the voiceprint created using the synthetic speech utterances with the incoming audio stream.

Abstract: A tool having an elongated body that is triangular in cross-section such that it includes three elongated straight edges with major surfaces extending between two edges. The straight edges are of differing lengths so as to be used on instruments of different scale sizes and may also include notches formed at intervals along the length of the edge. The edges with notches can be used on a fretboard having frets already in place with the edge being positioned on the fretboard with a fret extending into each notch.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating via a communications network with a load control system of a respective user environment, receiving information on the load control system via the communications network, displaying graphical user interfaces based on the received information, and controlling and configuring the load control system via graphical user interfaces by communicating via the communications network messages the load control system.

Abstract: A hybrid washer tower is provided that includes a columnar outer wall extending from a distal end to a proximal end. The columnar outer wall defines a hollow barrel that extends from the distal end to the proximal end so that the hollow barrel being at least partially enclosed by the outer wall. The hybrid washer tower also includes at least one lateral tang positioned on and projecting from a terminal portion of the distal end of the outer wall to engage with surrounding bone or tissue. Furthermore, the hybrid washer tower includes an interlock channel defined within the outer wall with an open section positioned at a terminal portion of the proximal end of the outer wall to accept a connection pin positioned on a surgical instrument and direct the movement of the surgical instrument as it progresses through the hollow barrel.

Abstract: A method of decoding video data in merge mode can include constructing a merge candidate list using available spatial and temporal merge candidates, deriving motion information using a merge index and the merge candidate list, generating a prediction block using the motion information, generating a residual block by inverse-quantizing a quantized block using a quantization parameter and a quantization matrix and by inverse-transforming the inverse quantized block, and generating a reconstructed block using the residual block and the prediction block. The quantization parameter is generated per quantization unit and a minimum size of the quantization unit is adjusted per picture, and the quantization parameter is generated using a quantization parameter predictor and a differential quantization parameter.

Abstract: A method including parsing a scene file to extract relevant scene file data; sending the relevant scene file data to a converter; translating, by the converter, the relevant scene file data into a format compatible with a respective rendering engine; mapping the translated scene file data using the respective rendering engine into a scene representation, wherein the scene representation is compatible with an Immersive Technologies Media Format (ITMF).

Abstract: A load control device for an electrical load is configured to operate in a normal mode and a burst mode to adjust the amount of power delivered to the electrical load. The load control device comprises a control circuit that operates in the normal mode to regulate an average magnitude of a load current conducted through the load between a maximum rated current and a minimum rated current. During the normal mode, the control circuit controls the operating period of a load regulation circuit between a high-end operating period and a low-end operating period. The control circuit operates in the burst mode to regulate the average magnitude of the load current below the minimum rated current. During the burst mode, the control circuit adjusts the low-end operating period to be less than or equal to a minimum on time of the load regulation circuit.

Abstract: A bone screw includes a screw body having a head at one end of the screw and a tip at an opposite end of the screw; head threads directly attached to the screw body and continuous around the head of the screw; tip threads directly attached to the screw body and continuous around the tip of the screw; and overhanging thread portions between the head threads and the tip threads, the overhanging thread portions spaced apart, with unthreaded channels between the overhanging thread portions and the overhanging thread portions overhanging a portion of the unthreaded channels.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for an interactive element presentation process are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may include a storage device and logic, at least a portion of the logic implemented in circuitry coupled to the storage device. The logic may operate to maintain a platform database of services selection information based on user selections of a plurality of services, receive an onboarding request from a user device to register a user with a service platform requiring background verification, determine an onboarding request result, and transmit an eligible set of the plurality of service options for presentation on a user device based on a user level of approval and services selection information. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A solid electrolyte includes a first inorganic solid electrolyte and a second inorganic electrolyte. The first inorganic electrolyte has a formula of Li3?yHyOX, where X is at least one halogen and 0<y?1. The second inorganic solid electrolyte has an ionic conductivity greater than 0.01 mS/cm. The second inorganic solid electrolyte is dispersed in the first inorganic solid electrolyte, forming a composite inorganic solid electrolyte.

Abstract: A method to connect a direct current power (DC) source to a universal alternating current (AC) load can include an energy storage device configured to output a fixed voltage in a range of 84-135 volts (for 120 volt based systems) or 180-264 volts (for a 230 volt based systems). The universal AC load has input comprising a diode bridge followed by a storage capacitor. The unregulated DC source can be connected to the universal AC load by a switch that is turned on (closed) and off (open) with a low-frequency signal (e.g., 90 and 135 Hz) and a duty cycle between 80% and 98%. A sensor and inductor can be added to protect from excessive currents.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling virtual units in a virtual scene at a computing device. The method includes, in response to receiving a first user input, displaying, on a display device, a first user interface (UI) that includes a plurality of command elements, the plurality of command elements comprising a union set of virtual unit actions performable by each user controllable virtual unit available to a user in the virtual scene. The method also includes receiving a second user input indicating a selection of a command element among the plurality of command elements in the first UI. The method further includes controlling one or more virtual units in the virtual scene to execute an action corresponding to the selected command element, the one or more virtual units being selected according to the first user input.