Abstract: A method for encoding an image using intra prediction can include determining an intra prediction mode of a current block, generating a mode group indicator and a prediction mode index specifying the intra prediction mode of the current block, constructing a most probable mode (MPM) group including three intra prediction modes determined using a left and an above intra prediction mode of the current block. The method can further include generating a prediction block based on the intra prediction mode of the current block specified by the mode group indicator and the prediction mode index, generating a residual block of the current block, generating a quantization block by transforming and quantizing the residual block. The method can include scanning the quantized block using a scan pattern determined based on the intra prediction mode and the size of a transform unit, and entropy-encoding the scanned information of the quantized block.

Abstract: A system and method for authenticating an application that employs cryptographic keys and functions is provided with white box cryptography employed to secure the application, and to secure communications with the application. The white box includes a transformation of the application and the keys. A secure channel between the white box and a crypto token is used for communications. In some cases, the transformed keys can be employed in authenticating the white box to the crypto token. The presence of a valid crypto token can be periodically determined. In the presence of a valid crypto token, the white box can provide a verifiable message to a remote server. The remote server can verify the message and initiate a service.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a propulsion system having multiple electric motors. A battery system is connected to the electric motors via a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter and an inverter. The battery system includes a battery assembly having a plurality of battery modules. Each of the battery modules has multiple individual battery cells arranged in battery packs, a set of sensors configured to monitor a set of parameters of each battery pack, and a plurality of battery pack mounts. Each battery pack mount includes a base plate and a top plate and an actuator configured to alter a distance between plates. A monitoring unit is configured to monitor a value representative of a battery pack pressure, determine whether the value falls within a pressure threshold window, and maintain the value within the pressure threshold window by actively altering the battery pack pressure.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for decomposing videos into multiple layers (212, 213) that can be re-combined with modified relative timings includes obtaining video data including a plurality of image frames (201) depicting one or more objects. For each of the plurality of frames, the computer-implemented method includes generating one or more object maps descriptive of a respective location of at least one object of the one or more objects within the image frame. For each of the plurality of frames, the computer-implemented method includes inputting the image frame and the one or more object maps into a machine-learned layer Tenderer model. (220) For each of the plurality of frames, the computer-implemented method includes receiving, as output from the machine-learned layer Tenderer model, a background layer illustrative of a background of the video data and one or more object layers respectively associated with one of the one or more object maps.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for a system for navigating a conversation graph using a language model trained to generate Application Programming Interface (API) calls in response to natural language input from a user computing device. A conversational agent implementing a state handler and a language model (LM) communicates with a user computing device through a user frontend. Rather than communicating directly with a user with output in natural language, the agent uses a (LM) trained as described herein to navigate a conversation graph. The state handler receives API calls generated by the LM and updates the state of a conversation with a user as indicated in the graph. After the update, the state handler can perform one or more predetermined actions associated with a node indicating the current state of the conversation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are plants exhibiting a semi-dwarf phenotype with reduced plant height compared to control wildtype plants. Some of the disclosed semi-dwarf plants comprise at least one non-natural brachytic mutation in which the activity of a BR2 gene is reduced. Also disclosed are methods for producing a semi-dwarf corn plant using a CRISPR based genome editing system.

Abstract: A lid for a drinking vessel including a lid base, a movable arm, and an actuator. The base defines a drinking opening. The arm is coupled to the base and located in an interior of the base. The actuator is accessible from an exterior of the base. A first and second magnet unit are coupled to one of the arm or actuator. A third magnet unit is coupled to the other of the arm or actuator. The arm is movable between a sealed position, in which the drinking opening is sealed, and an open position, in which the drinking opening is not sealed. The actuator is movable between a first and second position. A magnetic force maintains the arm in the open position while the actuator is in the second position, and a magnetic force maintains the arm in the sealed position while the actuator is in the first position.

Abstract: A support system includes a post having first and second portions. The first portion is configured to be positioned at least partially below ground, and the second portion is configured to be coupled to the first portion and above the ground. The second portion has first and second post apertures. A U-bolt is configured to abut the first portion such that first and second legs of the U-bolt are positioned, respectively, at least partially through the first and second post apertures. A plate having first and second plate apertures is configured to abut the second portion such that the first and second plate apertures at least partially align, respectively, with the first and second post apertures. First and second nuts are configured to be secured, respectively, to the first and second legs of the U-bolt to help secure the plate and the second portion to the first portion.

Abstract: A transvaginal lift device that includes a speculum having an upper vane and a lower vane. The upper and lower vanes are each elongate with a front end and a rear end. Further, the upper and lower vanes are attached at the rear end such that the two vanes move between a closed position and an open position. Specifically, the upper vane has an opening/window configured to allow prolapsed tissue to protrude through the opening/window into an interior portion of the speculum. A suturing instrument includes a needle cannula and a suture. The suturing instrument is attached to the speculum. Furthermore, the suturing instrument is configured to place the suture in the prolapsed tissue protruding through the opening/window.

Abstract: A motor vehicle for operation by a driver has a frame with wheels and a motor connected to the frame. A steering control is connected to the wheels to establish a steering angle. A controller is operably connected to the steering control, to the motor, and to the wheels, and is operable to selectably drive the wheels in a forward direction in a drive mode and in a rearward direction in a reverse mode. The controller is operable to select a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an improved open vertical display case (OVDC) which utilizes radiant cooling to cool and/or maintain food products at a target temperature. The radiant cooling is performed using a plurality of piping routed through the walls and containing a first refrigerant stream. The plurality of piping may be cooled using a refrigeration circuit. In some embodiments, a phase change material may be used for thermal energy storage and positioned between the plurality of piping and the refrigeration circuit. In some embodiments, the refrigeration circuit may be connected to heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and water heating systems within the building.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods for authenticating users of any device requiring authentication, such as a medical device. The systems, devices, and methods can convert a standard USB mass storage device into a unique USB based authentication device that authenticates a user. The device can be programmed to grant access to one or more functions only upon verification of a user by inserting the USB based authentication device into the medical device.

Abstract: An administered authentication system can authenticate an artificial reality device using an authorization record between a user account and an artificial reality device. In some implementations, the authorization record is created in response to activation of a user account-specific key sent to a user-supplied contact, where an artificial reality device identifier was provided with the user-supplied contact. In other implementations, the authorization record is created in response to activation of a user account-specific key provided to the artificial reality device as a code, where activation of the key includes adding an artificial reality device identifier to a key activation message. In yet other implementations, the authorization record is created in response to an application associated with a user account activating an artificial reality device-specific key, with an artificial reality device identifier, that is provided via the artificial reality device.

Abstract: A system and method and for retrieving assets from a personalized asset library includes receiving a search query for searching for assets in one or more asset libraries, the one or more asset libraries including a personalized asset library; encoding the search query into embedding representations via a trained query representation machine-learning (ML) model; comparing, via a matching unit, the query embedding representations to a plurality of asset representations, each of the plurality of asset representations being a representation of one of the plurality of candidate assets; identifying, based on the comparison, at least one of the plurality of the candidate assets as a search result for the search query; and providing the identified plurality of candidate assets for display as the search result. The plurality of asset representations for the one or more assets in the personalized content library are generated automatically without human labeling.

Abstract: Systems and devices and methods of making and using the same to prepare nut milk products. An exemplary system of the present disclosure includes a blending device capable of blending a quantity of nuts with a quantity of a liquid to break down the quantity of nuts into pieces to generate a blended product, a porous vessel defining an opening and configured to strain the blended product so that when the blended product is introduced into the opening, at least part of a solid fraction of the blended product remains within the porous vessel, and at least part of a liquid fraction of the blended product passes through the porous vessel which is collected as a filtered or strained product, and a non-porous vessel configured to receive at least part of the porous vessel therein and further configured to receive the filtered or strained product.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions comprising two or more sleep-inducing agonists and/or a sleep-inducing antagonist. The compositions are for promoting healthy sleep quality and treating, ameliorating, preventing, or reducing one or more symptoms associated with menopause. Also described herein are methods utilizing the aforementioned compositions.

Abstract: An illustrative dye sublimation apparatus may include a heating surface that may have multiple zones. Each zone may include a single individually controlled heater. A controller may control the heater to generate a range of heat and not merely turn the heater ON and OFF. Therefore, one or more controllers may individually regulate heat from corresponding heaters in the zones thereby maintaining a constant and nearly constant temperature throughout the bed of the dye sublimation apparatus in the heating surface. Furthermore, one or more controllers may maintain a first range of temperature during a first state of a dye sublimation process and a second range of temperature during a second stage of the dye sublimation process.

Abstract: A method includes receiving data identifying a responder in response to a call to an emergency operator, identifying one or more persons associated with the responder, determining communication addresses of communication devices associated with respective persons of the one or more persons, and sending a communication to each of the communication devices using the communication addresses to issue a pre-alert to the one or more persons that allows the one or more persons to prepare for a call to action. A system using natural language processing may be used to analyze a call in progress and aid in dispatching. The system may also identify the responder and assist in initiating the pre-alert prior to an alarm being sounded.

Abstract: Implementations described herein utilize an independent server for facilitating secure exchange of data between multiple disparate parties. The independent server receives client data, via an automated assistant application executing at least in part at a client device, that is to be transmitted to a given third-party application. The independent server processes the client data, using a first encoder-decoder model, to generate opaque client data, and transmits the opaque client data to the given third-party application and without transmitting any of the client data. Further, the independent server receives response data, via the given third-party application, that is generated based on the opaque client data and that is to be transmitted back to the client device. The independent server processes the response data, using a second encoder-decoder model, to generate opaque response data, and transmits the opaque response data to the client device and without transmitting any of the response data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining faces and bodies of people in an image by adaptively scaling images and by iteratively using a deep neural network for inferencing. A camera captures an image including faces and bodies of people. A face/body determiner determines faces and bodies of people appearing in the image by resizing the image into a predetermined pixel dimension as input to the deep neural network. A region cropper determines a crop region associated with a low level of confidence in detecting faces and bodies that are too small to determine with an acceptable level of confidence. The region cropper resizes the crop region into the predetermined pixel dimension as input to the deep neural network. The face and body determiner determines other faces and bodies appearing in the resized crop region. An aggregator aggregates locations of the determined faces and bodies in the image.