Abstract: The present disclosure provides composition and methods for improving leaf quality of low-alkaloid tobacco plants. Also provided are the identification and genetic engineering of target genes (Leaf Quality Genes) for producing 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.

Abstract: The broad view headlamp includes a plurality of light sources that illuminate an area in front of the headlamp, an area adjacent to each side of the headlamp, and an area below the headlamp. The headlamp includes a number of lighting modes, such that any one of the light sources can be operated individually or in combination with any one or more of the remaining light sources. The headlamp housing has multiple lighting compartments, each having one or more light sources disposed therein. Each compartment includes an optical lens. The various light sources, together with the optical lenses, allow the headlamp to illuminate a view area extending to, at least, the outer boundaries of the far peripheral vision of the human eye, i.e., 110 degrees to the right and left of center. Thus, the total combined view area illuminated by the headlamp is at least 220 degrees.

Abstract: A method performed by at least one processor includes retrieving a dialogue history including a plurality of speech utterances, each speech utterance including one or more words. The method further includes encoding the plurality of speech utterances such that each speech utterance is associated with a sequence identifier indicating an order of each speech utterance in the dialogue history. The method further includes decoding the encoded plurality of speech utterances to generate at least one discourse relation triple corresponding to the dialogue history, the at least one discourse relation triple including a first sequence identifier of a first speech utterance from the plurality of speech utterances, a second sequence identifier of a second speech utterance from the plurality of speech utterances, and a dialogue discourse type.

Abstract: A computing system generates a portal to be accessed by a plurality of users. The portal includes a representation of a game and a plurality of gamification elements. The computing system receives data related to the game represented in the portal. The computing system monitors the data to detect an event to occur within the game. Based on the monitoring, the computing system determines that the event has occurred within the game. Based on the determining, the computing system generates a graphic associated with the event. The computing system generates a non-fungible token corresponding to the event. The non-fungible token is linked to the graphic. The computing system broadcasts the non-fungible token to a blockchain.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for seamless personal hotspot connectivity via personal hotspot tokens. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a personal hotspot-enabled device can include a processor and a memory. The memory can store instructions of an operating system and a personal hotspot application. The personal hotspot-enabled device can receive a personal hotspot token. The personal hotspot application can recognize, via a short-range communication component, a device identification associated with a peripheral device operating in proximity to the personal hotspot-enabled device. The personal hotspot application can request the personal hotspot token from the operating system. The personal hotspot application can inform the operating system of the device identification. The personal hotspot application can then receive the personal hotspot token associated with the device identification. The operating system can create a personal hotspot.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for surgical treatment of mid-foot disorders such as osteoarthritis, spacing disorders, or alignment disorders, including mid-foot arthroplasty devices and systems for the 2nd and 3rd tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint, implants for post-osteotomy spacing and realignment, arthroplasty articular implants, dowel grafts for TMT arthrodesis or fusion, dowel grafts for navicular cuneiform (NC) arthrodesis, dowel grafts for intercuneiform arthrodesis, and/or locking dowels for joint fusion.

Abstract: An apparatus and computerized method for automated loan origination processing via a computer system with communications devices for receiving loan application data and user provided information. Logic mechanisms programmed to automatically generate a loan origination compliance task workflow having an organized sequence of a plurality of compliance tasks in response to the loan application data received from a user. Receiving at a central computer server a loan application having information provided by the user via the user computer terminal and acquiring at the central computer server electronic data relating to the user from one or more databases responsive to receiving the user loan application information. Initiate a review process for the loan application utilizing the user provided information and data acquired from the one or more databases and render an approval decision for the electronic loan application based upon the review process.

Abstract: A luggage case includes: a base configured to accommodate items therein; a cover disposed on the base; and a scale. The scale includes: one or more load sensors disposed on the base; and a controller configured to determine a weight of the luggage case based on signals generated by the one or more load sensors. The scale is configured to be automatically powered on in response to the cover being placed in an open position at least partially exposing an interior space of the base. The scale is configured to be automatically powered off in response to the cover being placed in a closed position in which the cover and the base enclose an interior space of the luggage case.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a preview stream for a user of a video conferencing service. In some aspects, the systems and methods provide for receiving a video stream of at least a portion of a display screen of a user device and determining whether the user device has been designated as a receiving device for receiving a version of the video stream. In response to determining that the user device has not been designated as a receiving device for receiving a version of the video stream, a request is generated to designate the user device as a receiving device in addition to being a presenting device. Based on images of the video stream, a preview stream (e.g., of at least a portion of the display screen) is generated and transmitted for display at the user device.

Abstract: An image-processing technique is described herein for removing a visual effect in a face region of an image caused, at least in part, by screen illumination provided by an electronic screen. The technique can perform this removal without advance knowledge of the nature of the screen illumination provided by the electronic screen. The technique improves the quality of the image and also protects the privacy of a user by removing the visual effect in the face region that may reveal the characteristics of display information presented on the electronic screen. In some implementations, the technique first adjusts a face region of the image, and then adjusts other regions in the image for consistency with the face region. In some implementations, the technique is applied by a videoconferencing application, and is performed by a local computing device.

Abstract: A method of training a machine learning model for classification is described. Training data elements to be classified and rules for classification are received. A first content payload, configured to be served by a content delivery system, is generated. The first content payload represents a first training data element and corresponding rules for classification. The first content payload is sent to the content delivery system for classification of the first training data element by users of a plurality of user devices. Classification samples are received for the first training data element based on the first content payload. Classification identifiers that indicate selected classes for the first training data element are generated based on the classification samples. A machine learning model is trained to classify wild data elements according to the rules for classification using the classification identifiers and the first training data element.

Abstract: A utility box be provided. The utility box may comprise a base and a lid. The base may comprise a keeper that may comprise a keeper opening. The lid may be hingedly attached to the base. The lid may comprise a tang comprising a tang opening wherein the lid may be operative to hingedly close on the base. When the lid is closed on the base, the keeper may be operative to retain the tang and the keeper opening and the tang opening may align.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing machine learning models from negatively affecting mobile devices are provided. For example, a mobile device including a camera, memory devices, and one or more processors are provided. In some embodiments, the processors may be configured to provide images captured by the camera to a machine learning model at a first rate. The processors may also be configured to determine whether one or more of the images includes an object. If one or more of the images includes the object, the processors may be further configured to adjust the first rate of providing the images to the machine learning model to a second rate, and in some embodiments, determine whether to adjust the second rate of providing the images to the machine learning model to a third rate based on output received from the machine learning model.

Abstract: An access and mobility management function (AMF) receives, from a unified data management (UDM), a value for a time duration associated with inactivity of a network slice for a wireless device. The AMF sends, to the wireless device and upon expiration of the time duration, an indication of removal of the network slice.

Abstract: A method may include receiving data related to a plurality of items and processing the data using a machine learning model. The machine learning model may have been trained to output a score for each of the plurality of items based on one or more target variables and to process the data using a grouped linear regression for groups of items based on sub-divisions of the groups. The method may include storing the output in a data store. Each entry in the data store may include at least an item identifier for an item, a group name, and the score. The method may include receiving search criteria for a search and identifying a set of search results in a group of items. The method may include determining an order of the set of search results and outputting the set of search results.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture to improve image recognition searching are disclosed. In some embodiments, a first document image of a known object is used to generate one or more other document images of the same object by applying one or more techniques for synthetically generating images. The synthetically generated images correspond to different variations in conditions under which a potential query image might be captured. Extracted features from an initial image of a known object and features extracted from the one or more synthetically generated images are stored, along with their locations, as part of a common model of the known object. In other embodiments, image recognition search effectiveness is improved by transforming the location of features of multiple images of a same known object into a common coordinate system. This can enhance the accuracy of certain aspects of existing image search/recognition techniques including, for example, geometric verification.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for defining and modifying behavior in an extended reality environment. The systems and methods include receiving a request to build or modify a rule or policy for a given user or activity, obtaining a template based on the user or the activity, displaying the template and tools for editing the template, receiving a modification to the template via the user interacting with the tools of the user interface, and modifying the template based on the modification to generate the rule or policy. The modification includes changing the initial value for the actions or the conditions of the template and saving the template as a separate instance representative of the rule or policy, and the rule or policy includes one or more conditional statements for executing one or more of the actions based on evaluation of one or more of the conditions.

Abstract: An isolation and filtration object including a volume of material having a first geometry wherein permeability is relatively lower, the geometry being that of a plug landable on a landing feature and a second geometry where permeability is relatively higher, the second geometry being larger than the first geometry and occupy a flow path in a borehole in which the plug is deployed. An isolation and filtration system including a housing, a plug seat in the housing, and an isolation and filtration object disposable on the plug seat. A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and an isolation and filtration system connected to the string. A method for operating a borehole including migrating a plug to a seat in a housing, landing the plug in the seat, differentiating pressure across the plug, and transitioning the plug to the second geometry.

Abstract: An archery sight with an elevation rail positioned at an angle to the mounting member permits the scope to be sighted for further distances. The scope includes a level positioned at the top of the central opening in the scope housing. A fiber optic cable is also positioned on top of the scope housing to gather the most light. A fiber optic cap can be slid over the fiber optic cable to adjust the amount of light exposure to the fiber optic cable.

Abstract: In an example, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate comprising an unpolished CZ silicon substrate, a substrate upper side, and a substrate lower side opposite to the substrate upper side. The method includes first annealing the semiconductor substrate at a first temperature in an inert environment for a first time. The method includes second annealing the semiconductor substrate at a second temperature in a wet oxidation environment for a second time. The first annealing dissolves inner wall oxide in bulk region voids and the second annealing fills the voids with semiconductor interstitials. In some examples, the CZ silicon substrate is provided from a CZ ingot grown in the presence of a magnetic field and using continuous counter-doping. The method provides, among other things, a CZ silicon substrate with reduced crystal originated particle (COP) defects, reduced oxygen concentration, and reduced radial resistivity variation.