Abstract: A method of increasing operational efficiency of a power plant includes determining an average rate of accumulation of scale-forming compounds in a cooling water source, directing water from the cooling water source having a first concentration of scale forming compounds through a treatment system to produce a treated water having a lower concentration of scale-forming components than the first concentration by operating the treatment system with operating parameters selected such that a rate of removal of the scale-forming components from the water in the treatment system is greater than the average rate of accumulation of the scale-forming components, directing the treated water back into the cooling water source, and circulating water including the treated water from the cooling water source through a cooling system of the power plant.

Abstract: Parkin protein variants having activating mutations and/or fused to a mitochondrial targeting sequence are provided. The engineered Parkin may be a fusion protein including a mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS); a transmembrane domain; and a Parkin protein or functional variant or fragment thereof, such as a Parkin having an N-terminal deletion. The MTS may be the MTS of PINK1 or a functional variant thereof. Alternatively or in addition, the engineered Parkin may have one or more activating mutations, such as single amino-acid substitutions. The engineered Parkin may be delivered in a vector, such as an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, and may be used to treat a disease or disorder, such as Parkinson’s disease or any of various neurodegenerative diseases.

Abstract: The method includes making a blank from a single web of material, the making including first configuring a first side panel and a second side panel to extend from first opposing ends of a bottom panel, second configuring a ramp panel to extend from a first edge of the first side panel, and third configuring a top panel and a lid panel to extend from second opposing ends of the bottom panel.

Abstract: A computing system including a processor configured to transmit, to a client computing device, a data quality specification prompt including a data quality specification template. The processor may receive a data quality specification from the client computing device. The data quality specification may be an at least partially filled copy of the data quality specification template and may include a data quality rule for entries included in a database. The data quality specification may further include a violation rate threshold for the data quality rule. The processor may store the data quality specification in memory. As specified by the data quality specification, the processor may determine that among the entries, a proportion of the entries exceeding the violation rate threshold violate the data quality rule. The processor may transmit a data quality rule violation notification to the client computing device.

Abstract: A dispersion device includes a first dispersion generating system, a second dispersion generating system and an outlet end element including a first outlet corresponding to the first dispersion generating system and a second outlet corresponding to the second dispersion generating system.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods of enhancing the gameplay of a toy are disclosed herein. For example, the toy can be a remotely controlled vehicle that includes a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader, configured to detect signals generated by a plurality of markers with RFID tags. Each marker of the plurality can be arranged such that the markers define a course for the remotely controlled vehicle. Certain markers can be designated as a starting line, a finish line, and “special,” which would enable programmable and variable gameplay features and actions of the remotely controlled vehicle. The remotely controlled vehicle can be communicably coupled to a mobile computing device configured to receive and process signals from the vehicle, display metrics associated with the gameplay, enable immediate functioning of special tag features, display metrics, and generate control codes transmitted to the vehicle, which control certain features in accordance with the programmed gameplay.

Abstract: An apparatus for retaining a transmission line within a drill string component includes a drill string component comprising a bore having an internal diameter. A slot having a shoulder is formed in the internal surface to receive an electromagnetic transmission line. A tension anchor is configured to be attached to the electromagnetic transmission line. The tension anchor comprises an inner sleeve configured to be crimped onto an outer diameter of the electromagnetic transmission line, and an outer sleeve configured to be coupled with the inner sleeve. The outer sleeve comprises an electrical connector device configured to be electrically coupled with the electromagnetic transmission line. The tension anchor is further configured to be received in the slot in engagement with the shoulder.

Abstract: A tracking system includes a central monitoring location, a tracking device, and a first tracking application. The first tracking application operates on a cellular device, the cellular device also having a second tracking application. The tracking device is lockably attachable to a limb of monitored person. The tracking device has first electronic hardware that provides health and status information about the tracking device to the first tracking application when in range, and second electronic hardware that is detectable by the second tracking application operating on the cellular device when in range, for which the second tracking application can determine relative location information about the tracking device relative to the cellular device and transmit the relative location information to an independent tracking database. The absolute and relative location information can be combined to provide a more accurate location of the monitored person.

Abstract: A method includes receiving an input text sequence to be synthesized into speech in a first language and obtaining a speaker embedding, the speaker embedding specifying specific voice characteristics of a target speaker for synthesizing the input text sequence into speech that clones a voice of the target speaker. The target speaker includes a native speaker of a second language different than the first language. The method also includes generating, using a text-to-speech (TTS) model, an output audio feature representation of the input text by processing the input text sequence and the speaker embedding. The output audio feature representation includes the voice characteristics of the target speaker specified by the speaker embedding.

Abstract: Mechanical biomimicry translator. Epidermal lesion-removal triage-platform. Present invention cryotreats humanity suffering from benign basal-cell to aggressive, malignant, oncological lesions. Hand-held, artisan-styled monoframe. Prosthetic Blitzkrieg processing. Dermatology-tool. Deployment eviscerates common histological abnormalities. Holographic Skeletal-Reflex Exoframe. Clinical. Metered. Structured. 360° rotate/ablate. Backbone. Glide-rails. Asymmetrical, gain-of-function; filtration-membrane. Ground-zero; mobile directed-energy-matrix. Level-2 Spec-Ops-7. Digital encoder modulates/dispenses 3rd party biologics. Multi-factor authentication; oncological, epidemiological, gynecological; Gender-balanced. L.G.B.T.Q.I.A+ compatible. Agnostic. Mercy-Aid. NGO. Rapid-Defense, Rapid-Offense-Procedures. De-risking cryodestruction. Multi-mission capable; first-aid, mobile family-medicine; medical-tourism. Pocket-Sherpa form-factor. Panoramic lesion harvesting. Recyclable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to efficient processes useful in the preparation of fluorinated nucleosides, such as (2S,3R,4S,5R)-5-(2-amino-6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-9H-purin-9-yl)-3-fluoro-4-hydroxy-2-(mercaptomethyl)tetrahydrofuran-3-yl dihydrogen phosphate, also known as 3?-fluoro-thio-guanosine monophosphate or 3?-F-thio-GMP. Such fluorinated nucleosides may be useful as a biologically active compound and or as an intermediate for the synthesis of more complex biologically active compounds. The present invention also encompasses intermediates useful in the disclosed synthetic processes and the methods of their preparation.

Abstract: Integrated system enables implementors to integrate functionality into software systems to enable user identity and access management across customers/products. Management platform enables a pool of accounts/technical components representing users/machines to be authenticated against systems/products, authenticated accounts/technical components to perform functions within systems/products, representations of external software systems as products to be mapped to identities, accesses, organizations, and permissions, and representation of groups of accounts organized by a common aspect where the groups can request access to products licensed by the groups. Multi-factor authentication module enables various third-party technologies to lend MFA functionality to the management platform and the users. Product license purchase module enables an entity external to the implementor and represented by an organization to request and gain access to products in a formalized manner.

Abstract: An advisory system of a vessel that monitors variables of a vessel system inclusive of systems and subsystems that are used to operate the vessel. The advisory system may use machine-learning to learn from an operator (i) whether or not two variables are related to one another, and (ii) likelihood that a variable will reach a threshold, and, optionally, time until reaching the threshold. The system may receive operator feedback (i) to indicate whether the two variables are related to one another, and (ii) whether a behavior of the variable is normal or not normal. Thereafter, if a determination that the same two variables are related to one another and behaving in a similar manner, provide notification to the operator of the behavior. In response to determining that the variable is behaving (e.g., trending) in a similar manner that is not normal, providing a notification to the operator.

Abstract: An automated bootstrap process implemented as a simple state machine generates an initial pose for an autonomous vehicle, without reliance on human intervention. To trigger initiation of the bootstrap process automatically, the autonomous vehicle remains stationary. A GPS-derived position estimate, combined with lidar sweep data and HD map reference point cloud data, can be used to generate a pose using an iterative closest point algorithm. The bootstrap solution can then be automatically validated by a machine learning-based binary classifier trained with appropriate features. Full automation of the bootstrap process may facilitate launching a fleet service of autonomous vehicles.

Abstract: An encoder for use with video data, first supplemental data, second supplemental data, and a display device. The encoder includes: a memory; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory to cause the encoder to: generate modified video data based on an incorporation of the first supplemental data into the video data such that the supplemental video will be displayed at a predetermined location when the modified video is displayed on the display device; generate metadata associated with the predetermined location; generate an encoded transport stream including the modified video data, the metadata and the second supplemental data; and transmit the encoded transport stream to the display device so as to enable the display device to decode the encoded transport stream and display the modified video and the second supplemental video such that the second supplemental video is not displayed at the predetermined location.

Abstract: This document describes methods, systems and computer program products related to cloud-based rendering. The subject matter of this document is embodied in a method that includes receiving, at a server, information associated with a job of rendering one or more frames at the server, and using, at the server, an application to perform at least a portion of the rendering. The use of the application to perform the rendering bears a charge according to a usage license associated with the application. The method also includes measuring, at the server, an amount of use of the application in performing the rendering for use in determining the charge.

Abstract: Processes of polymerizing olefins. The process includes polymerizing contacting ethylene and a (C3-C40)alpha-olefin comonomer in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a procatalyst and a bimetallic activator complex. The bimetallic activator complex includes an anion and a countercation. The anion having a structure according to formula (I).

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for fault diagnosis in an industrial environment generally includes processing the plurality of sensor data values to determine a recognized pattern therefrom; retrieving at least one industrial-environment digital twin corresponding to the industrial environment, the at least one industrial-environment digital twin comprising a plurality of component digital twins, with each of the plurality of component digital twins corresponding to one of the plurality of components in the industrial environment, and wherein the at least one industrial-environment digital twin and the plurality of component digital twins are visual digital twins that are configured to be rendered in a visual manner; and rendering the at least one industrial-environment digital twin and the at least one respective component digital twin corresponding to the particular component in the client application in response to the received request and based on the operational condition of the particular component.

Abstract: A hanging chair includes a collapsible spreader bar that reduces the size of the product when in a disassembled configuration. The hanging chair includes a flexible seating portion having first and second side edges. A plurality of ropes connect the first and second side edges of the flexible seating portion to the collapsible spreader bar.

Abstract: An encoder for video encoding and decoding with long term reference picture retention. The encoder generates an encoded bitream for a compliant decoder. At the decoder, coded pictures are decoded using a list of references pictures, of which at least one is a long term reference picture. A first picture is decoded using the long term reference picture. A second picture is decoded without using the long term reference picture which is inactive but is retained in a buffer. A subsequent picture is then decoded again using the long term reference picture.