Abstract: The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), increase phenylalanine, or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

Abstract: A method may include determining a position and movement of a shadow on a plurality of solar modules of a solar power plant using an analysis of irradiance data from sensors disposed proximate the plurality of solar modules. The method may include predicting future power output for the plurality of solar panels based on the movement of the shadow over the plurality of solar modules and modifying a power output of the solar power plant based on the predicted future power output.

Abstract: A torque enhancing device that includes a torque contact body having one or more torque driver and/or recessed recipient torque contact surface configurations, inclusive of those in a multi-tier arrangement. The body having a Z-axis depth or thickness, and each of the torque contact surface configurations includes a pair of X-axis extending torque contact side walls that are spaced apart by L1 along a Y-axis, and a pair of Y-axis extending torque contact side walls that are spaced apart by L2 along the X-axis, with at least one of the one or more torque contact surface configurations having four concave contoured surface portions positioned between respective adjacent most ends of the X-axis extending torque contact side walls and the Y-axis extending torque contact side walls, and a length ratio L2/L1 is less than 1 as to provide a torque enhancement contact surface configuration. A method of driving such as insertion or removal of the recessed recipient such as in fastener form is included.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an in vitro cell based potency assay to determine the relative potency of a composition, including a pharmaceutical composition, comprising an mRNA encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as compared to a reference sample. Also provided is a process for releasing or accepting a batch of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an mRNA encapsulated in an LNP using the in vitro cell based potency assay. The methods and processes described comprise (i) transfecting a population of cells with a test sample of the composition, (ii) transfecting a different population of cells with a reference sample of the pharmaceutical composition, wherein the cells in step (ii) are the same cell type as the cells in step (i); (iii) detecting the amount of expression of a polypeptide encoded by the mRNA in the transfected cells; and comparing the amount of expression, thereby determining the relative in vitro potency of the composition.

Abstract: A method for generating random numbers includes initializing a pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) having a state of 2048 bits comprising inner bits and outer bits, the inner bits comprising the first 128 bits of the 2048 bits and the outer bits comprising the remaining bits of the 2048 bits. The method also includes retrieving AES round keys from a key source, and for a threshold number of times, executing a round function using the AES round keys by XOR'ing odd-numbered branches of a Feistel network having 16 branches of 128 bits with a function of corresponding even-numbered neighbor branches of the Feistel network, and shuffling each branch of 128 bits into a prescribed order. The method also includes executing an XOR of the inner bits of the permuted state with the inner bits of a previous state.

Abstract: Method, apparatus, and non-transitory storage medium for end-to-end neural image compression using non-linear quantization with substitution, including receiving one or more input images, generating a substitute image associated with the input image based on the input image using a neural network based substitute feature generator, compressing the substitute image, quantizing the compressed substitute image to obtain a quantized representation of the input image with higher compression performance by using a non-linear quantizer, and entropy encoding the quantized substitute image using a neural network based encoder to generate a compressed representation of the quantized representation.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a plurality of word lines that include a plurality of word line zones, a plurality of non-volatile memory cells coupled to the plurality of word lines, and a control circuit coupled to the non-volatile memory cells. The control circuit is configured to determine a corresponding initial program voltage for each of the word line zones. Each corresponding initial program voltage is determined based on a number of program erase cycles.

Abstract: In curing a matrix material of a rollable optical fiber ribbon, ultraviolet light may be concentrated in a selected range of wavelengths to avoid further curing the primary coating of each fiber. A ribbon may be made by aligning the fibers, each having at least a primary coating, into a ribbon shape, applying a matrix material in intermittently distributed portions along the ribbon-shaped group of fibers, and exposing the ribbon-shaped group of fibers and applied matrix material to ultraviolet light concentrated in a range of wavelengths absorbed more by the matrix material than by the primary coating.

Abstract: A method and system for limiting mobile device functionality when the mobile device is located in a pre-defined fixed geographic area. The mobile device may receive a local disabling signal from a disabling device, which, when detected by a Device Owner Application resident on the mobile device, limits the mobile device functionality. Alternatively, the system may use GPS based geofencing to determine that the mobile device is in a predefined geographic area, and then transmit instructions to the mobile device, where a Device Owner Application operates to restrict the mobile device functionality. Mobile device functionality may be limited by restricting the mobile device's ability to send and receive text messages, email messages and phone calls; restricting the mobile device's ability to respond to user input; restricting the mobile device's ability to utilize a web browser; and restricting the mobile device's web browser from accessing predetermined web sites.

Abstract: A system manages access to an asset using a separate physical cryptographically-secure key device. A memory stores a public key as an unalterable record. An access configuration controller reads the public key from the memory to control the access to the asset. The public key is cryptographically paired with a private key securely recorded in the separate physical cryptographically-secure key device. The access configuration controller receives an access control change instruction signed by the private key and verifies a valid signing of the access control change instruction by the private key using the public key read from the memory. A storage system secured by the access configuration controller stores access authorization records managing access to the asset. The access configuration controller alters access authorization records according to the access control change instruction, responsive to verification of the valid signing of the access control change instruction.

Abstract: A portable low voltage material combustion system and methods of making and using the system including a non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program code executable to deliver an output voltage or an output current from the mobile computing device to an igniter which converts the output voltage or the output current into heat sufficient to ignite a primer composition to generate flame spread in associated combustible materials.

Abstract: A power system including a gate driver configured with test circuitry to detect faults is disclosed. The power system may be configured to test the fault detection circuitry in order to confirm its ability to detect faults. Various methods and circuit implementations are disclosed to determine the ability of the system to detect faults. The testing may include different configurations and protocols in order to make conclusions about which components are likely responsible for a failure. These components may include components included in the gate driver or externally coupled to the gate driver. The disclose approach does not significantly add complexity because a test input to initiate a test may be communicated from a low voltage side to a high voltage side over a shared communication channel.

Abstract: An infrastructure device includes a transceiver, programmed to communicate with a plurality of vehicles, wherein at least one of the vehicles is located within a distance defined from a location of the infrastructure device, and at least one of the vehicles is located outside the distance from the location of the infrastructure device; and a controller, programmed to measure a channel busy ratio (CBR) for communication with the plurality of vehicles, measure a package error rate (PER) for communication with one or more of the vehicles located within the distance, and responsive to the CBR being greater than a CBR threshold, or the PER being greater than a PER threshold, record an interference event into a log.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system is a reverse-proxying HTTP cache server that handles user session management and dynamically forwards requests to origin/backend servers based on the content being requested. It caches data from origin servers in order to reduce the stress placed on each origin server. It uses encrypted authorization tokens to handle session management and is able to modify origin data on-the-fly in order to inject per-client authorization information into the data stream. It can enforce maximum concurrent session limits, user bans, limit exemptions, and time-limited live content previews.

Abstract: Disclosed are an electronic cigarette and methods for controlling the power to the electronic cigarette which provides various modes of operation, including both regulated and no-regulated mode. The method is implemented m the form of an electronic power control program that controls the constituent parts of the electronic cigarette, including the battery, atomizer, heating element, smoke liquid or juice, and related circuitry.

Abstract: A pesticide formulation of the present invention includes Bacillus thuringiensis, a polyethylene glycol having a weight average molecular weight of from 1,000 g/mol to 12,000 g/mol as measured according to gel permeation chromatography, and a polyphenol.

Abstract: A system for electric aircraft navigation includes a sensor configured to detect a navigation signal, a flight controller, wherein the flight controller is configured to receive the navigation signal, identify a navigation status as a function of the navigation signal, and determine an aircraft adjustment as a function of the navigation status, and a pilot display, wherein the pilot display is configured to display the aircraft adjustment to a user, and present an autonomous function configured to enact the aircraft adjustment automatically.

Abstract: Systems and methods for aggregating samples of Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) data representing state information of a communications network. Each sample may be associated with one of a plurality of different frequency ranges, where the samples are aggregated over a temporal range and aggregated over a frequency range. The data aggregated in this manner may then be used to configure the network.

Abstract: Examples described herein generally relate to receiving a query context for service events occurring on one or more networks, determining, based on the query context, a set of service events occurring on the one or more networks, querying multiple layers of a multiple-layer relational graph to determine one or more other service events having a defined relationship with the set of service events at one or more of the multiple layers, where the multiple layers include a configuration layer, an observation layer, and learned layer, defining relationships between services or service events, and indicating, via a user interface and in response to the query context, the one or more other service events.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods useful for modulating protein expression in eukaryotic cells. The invention also provides transgenic plants, edited plant cells, plant parts, and seeds comprising depleted or optimized Kozak sequences and methods of their use.