Abstract: A method of making a molded paper web includes bringing a permeable patterned surface of a patterned cylinder into contact with a nascent web and conveying the nascent web between a transfer surface and the permeable patterned surface over an arc length of the permeable patterned surface. The arc length forms at least a portion of a molding zone. The method also includes applying a vacuum over at least a portion of the arc length. The method further includes transferring the nascent web from the transfer surface to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder in the molding zone. The vacuum is applied during the transferring of the nascent web from the transfer surface to the permeable patterned surface of the patterned cylinder.

Abstract: A method of forming a composite component having a brass or bronze powder metal portion sinter fit into a supporting, ferrous portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides to a web-based software and hardware system that act together with a user device to capture an audio feed, to easily encode and add meta data to the the audio content using input from studio systems, parse the content based on its type, and to provide the means to incorporate a feed segment produced from the encoded audio feed into a secondary production which is used to provide an indexed archive of audio and on-demand broadcast content, for example, by the creation and publication of pod-casts or on-demand broadcast, which includes ad positions inserted and dynamically served.

Abstract: In one example, a device directory server may maintain a digital rights management list for a user device belonging to a device group associated with a user. The device directory server may maintain a primary digital rights management list associating a user device with a primary online account for a user having a content license for a digital content item. The device director server may receive a status update indicating the user device is still in use by the user if sent by the user device. The device directory server may determine whether a status update has been received from the user device. The device directory server may deactivate the user device on the primary digital rights management list when no status update has been received within a pruning period for the user device to be associated with the primary online account.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus that help reduce and prevent infection by controlling and/or reducing the level of contaminants, which include pathogens, allergens and/or odor-causing agents including VOCs. Photocatalytic oxidation is performed in a high humidity environment so that hydrogen peroxide molecules are readily produced.

Abstract: A blending method is described for preparing a blended mixture. The blending method for preparing a blended mixture, the method includes: providing a control system having at least a processor, a computer-readable memory, and a display, wherein the memory contains software configured to receive a recipe defining instructions for preparing a blended mixture using one or more blending materials and amounts for producing a batch size of the blended mixture on a scale; monitoring a weight on the scale as blending materials are added to a receptacle on the scale; and indicating on the display the amounts of the blending materials that have been added to the scale to prepare an amount of a custom blended mixture based upon the selected blending materials.

Abstract: A hydraulic system for an agricultural baler includes: a hydraulic motor; a hydraulically driven component fluidly coupled to the hydraulic motor such that fluid flow between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulically driven component causes the hydraulically driven component to move between a first position and a second position; a flow sensor associated with the hydraulically driven component; and a controller operatively coupled to the flow sensor and the hydraulic motor. The controller is configured to: enter a learning mode to learn a driven movement of the hydraulically driven component from the first position to the second position; determine fluid flow between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulically driven component during the driven movement while in the learning mode; associate the determined fluid flow with the driven movement; and output control signals to the hydraulic motor to reproduce the associated fluid flow and reproduce the driven movement.

Abstract: A multi-color LED illumination device and specifically a lens comprising a cylindrical opening extending into the lens from a light entry region at which one or more LEDs are configured. A concave spherical surface extends across the entirety of the light exit region of the lens, and a TIR outer surface shaped as a CPC extends between the light entry region and the light exit region. There are various diffusion surfaces placed on the sidewall surface of the cylindrical opening, as well as its upper planar surface and the exit surface of the lens. Lunes can also be configured on the sidewall surfaces of the cylindrical opening. The combination of lunes, diffusion elements, and the overall configuration of the lens provides improved color mixing and output brightness using three interactions in a first portion of light and two interactions in a second portion of light.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying a user interface may include an examination and/or elimination of positional bias of interactive categories in order to drive user engagement. A method or system configured to execute the method on a user interface may include creating a first arrangement of categories. The arrangement can be shown on a user device to one or more users a selected number of times. The users' interactions with the categories in the interface may be recorded. The method may further include creating a second arrangement, which is different from the first arrangement, and this second arrangement may be shown to the users the selected number of times and the users' interactions with the second arrangement may be recorded. Based on the frequency of user interactions with the first and second arrangement, a ranked set of the categories may be created and displayed to users.

Abstract: The invention is a Demodulator for an Optical Analog Pulse Position Modulated signal suitable for inclusion in receivers for Free Space Optical communication systems. In one embodiment the Demodulator may use the pulse position modulated optical information signal and the clock signal with different wavelengths. By proper biasing of a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier and selection of wavelengths for the information signal and the clock signal, the performance of the Demodulator is made insensitive to noise in the received signals.

Abstract: Innovations in encoder-side options for intra block copy (“BC”) prediction mode facilitate intra BC prediction that is more effective in terms of rate-distortion performance and/or computational efficiency of encoding. For example, some of the innovations relate to concurrently performing block vector (“BV”) estimation and making block splitting decisions for a block. Other innovations relate to selectively merging blocks into a larger block during BV estimation.

Abstract: An inflatable shoe insert assembly may have an elongated lower element formed of opposing, flexible, polymeric plies that are sealed together to define a tubular inflation chamber that is narrow and elongated and is configured to seal inflation fluid therein; a shoe-upper element formed of opposing, flexible, polymeric plies that are sealed together to define a shoe-upper inflation chamber configured to seal inflation fluid therein; wherein lower and upper inflation chambers are configured and dimensioned to fit together into a shoe and support each other in an installed position to cooperatively support and maintain the shape of the shoe upper.

Abstract: A system for attaching layers of material together comprised of a self-piercing rivet, a layer having a clearance hole through which the self-piercing rivet passes on assembly, and a layer free of a clearance hole and into which the self-piercing rivet is at least partially inserted. The system may include a third layer free of a clearance hole. The system may also include three layers wherein the clearance hole is formed in the middle layer. If the clearance hole is formed in the middle layer, the width of the hole may be greater than the diameter of the self-piercing rivet to avoid contact between the rivet and the middle layer. The layer having the clearance hole may be a hard material such as steel. One or more of the layers may be material that is difficult to pierce or can be damaged if pierced.

Abstract: A limb pad assembly for an archery bow includes an elongated body that articulates about a lateral axis and/or has a curved working surface that contacts a limb of the bow spaced from a riser of the bow by the limb pad assembly. The articulation and/or curved working surface serve to distribute stress along the limb during drawing and firing of the bow to reduce noise and vibration during firing of the bow and to reduce material fatigue in the bow limb, preventing premature limb failure.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for monitoring operation of industrial equipment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a monitoring system is provided that includes a passive backplane and one more functional circuits that can couple to the backplane. Each of the functional circuits that are coupled to the backplane can have access to all data that is delivered to the backplane. Therefore, resources (e.g., computing power, or other functionality) from each functional circuits can be shared by all active functional circuits that are coupled to the backplane. Because resources from each of the functional circuits can be shared, and because the functional circuits can be detachably coupled to the backplane, performance of the monitoring systems can be tailored to specific applications. For example, processing power can be increased by coupling additional processing circuits to the backplane.

Abstract: The present application provides a medical imaging method and system and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The medical imaging method comprises identifying an image quality type of a medical image based on a trained learning network, and generating, based on the identified image quality type, a corresponding control signal for controlling a medical imaging system.

Abstract: This document generally describes systems, methods, devices, and other techniques related to speaker verification, including (i) training a neural network for a speaker verification model, (ii) enrolling users at a client device, and (iii) verifying identities of users based on characteristics of the users' voices. Some implementations include a computer-implemented method. The method can include receiving, at a computing device, data that characterizes an utterance of a user of the computing device. A speaker representation can be generated, at the computing device, for the utterance using a neural network on the computing device. The neural network can be trained based on a plurality of training samples that each: (i) include data that characterizes a first utterance and data that characterizes one or more second utterances, and (ii) are labeled as a matching speakers sample or a non-matching speakers sample.

Abstract: A power system includes a traction battery, and a rectifier including a pair of diodes, a pair of switches, and a pair of capacitors each in parallel with a different one of the switches such that alternating current input to the rectifier results in alternating voltage having parabolic approaches to maximum magnitude values being input to the rectifier. The maximum magnitude values correspond to a magnitude of voltage output to the traction battery.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for selecting content to be presented are provided. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: receiving a request for a first video content item from a user device; receiving an indication that the user device is in a background playback mode; determining that the first video content item is not suitable for presentation in the background playback mode based on one or more properties of audio data; based on the determining that the first video content item is not suitable for presentation in the background playback mode, selecting a second video content item that is suitable for presentation in the background playback mode based on the one or more properties of the audio data of the second video content item; and in response to selecting the second video content item, causing the second video content item to be presented by the user device.