Abstract: A technique for assessing a vehicle condition is provided that determines whether damage has occurred to the vehicle using electrical property data acquired by one or more electrical property detection systems disposed on one or more surfaces of the vehicles. The electrical property detection system include a conductive polymer material that changes in response to chemical deformations and/or mechanical deformations in the conductive polymer material, which may result from objects and/or other vehicles damaging the conductive polymer material. Based on the electrical property data, a control system may generate a damage assessment output, such as an alert for a vehicle owner.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first interaction request to transfer a first interaction amount from a sender to a receiver. The first interaction request comprise a sender identifier, a receiver identifier, the first interaction amount, and a condition. The computer generates a smart contract this information, and then hashes the to form a first hash key. The computer incorporates the information, and the first hash key into a first block in a blockchain. The computer receives a second interaction request from the receiver device to transferring a second amount from the receiver to a third party, the second interaction request comprising the receiver identifier, a second interaction amount, and a third party identifier. The computer hashes this information to form a second hash key. The server computer incorporates this information and the second hash key into a second block in the blockchain.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to analyze and evaluate a data set of action objects which arise in audio and/or visual media contents. The action objects are visual and/or audible objects or elements in an audio and/or visual media content which can be perceived by a viewer and/or listener and are not physical characteristics of the digital data of a video file or an audio file. Another aim of the invention is to analyze and evaluate the action objects described in the data set by means of parameters and parameter values according to the significance of the parameters and parameter values and the quality of the data set with respect to the action objects and to make the same measurable.

Abstract: The present application provides tobacco inbred plants dS1746, dS1746MS, dS1564 and dS1564MS. The present application also provides parts of such plants and products made from those parts. The present application also includes progeny of the provided plants including hybrids.

Abstract: A tablet that includes a solid solution of soluble fiber and one or more sugar alcohols, the solid solution having a glass transition temperature of less than 40° C., and one or more additives dispersed in the solid solution such that at least one additive is released from the tablet when the tablet is chewed or dissolved within an oral cavity.

Abstract: A technique provides for wireless control of a machine tool, e.g. a portable machine tool used on-site. According to an embodiment, a motor is connected with a tool post assembly via a gearbox. The motor is coupled with a machine controller, and the tool post assembly is mounted proximate an object to be machined. For example, the object may be machined via a cutting tool mounted to a cutter post of the tool post assembly. The machine controller operates to control movement of the cutter post along a desired axis during the cutting operation. The machine controller and thus the cutting operation, however, are controlled wirelessly according to control instructions provided via a control device, e.g. a handheld control device, which is placed in wireless communication with the machine controller.

Abstract: Disclosed is a synthetic T cell receptor (TCR) having antigenic specificity for an HLA-A2-restricted epitope of thyroglobulin (TG), TG470-478. Related polypeptides and proteins, as well as related nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, and populations of cells are also provided. Antibodies, or an antigen binding portion thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions relating to the TCRs of the invention are also provided. Also disclosed are methods of detecting the presence of cancer in a mammal and methods of treating or preventing cancer in a mammal.

Abstract: Quantum Information Processing (QIP) with the availability of Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) device(s) are available to work on quantum algorithms. Different problems, which are hard to solve by classical computation, but can be sped up (significantly in some cases) are also being populated. However, current approaches solve only two cluster max-cut problems. Mining the two cluster Max-Cut problem within the framework of quantum Ising model, embodiments of the present disclosure solve Quadratic Unconstrained D-ary Optimization (QUDO) problems by quantum computing with the identification of an appropriate Hamiltonian. More specifically, the problem is mapped to an Ising model to obtain a d-ray Quantum Ising Hamiltonian. The d-ray Quantum Ising Hamiltonian is then executed on one or more qudit processors, to obtain one or more resultant quantum states which are measured in a qudit computational basis to obtain at least one solution.

Abstract: An initiator circuit for a perforating gun includes a microprocessor structured to perform a circuit-startup algorithm comprising determining whether the circuit supply voltage is stable enough for operation and, if it is, or if a predetermined period of time has passed since powering up the circuit, sending a message indicating the circuit (and thus gun) is ready for operation. The sent message may be a communication uplink indicating an address of the circuit and its ready state or a short burst of pulses indicating the circuit's ready state.

Abstract: A method including: capturing or receiving data associated with behavior of a user of a virtual reality device during a session in a virtual environment, wherein the data includes sensory inputs associated with the user from one or more sensors and information associated with user parameters; initiating authentication of the user in the virtual environment; comparing the captured or received data with historic data of the user, wherein the historic data is associated with behavior of the user monitored for a plurality of sessions over a period of time in the virtual environment; determining a score based on the comparison; comparing the score with a predefined threshold score; and in response to determining that the score is above the predefined threshold score, authenticating the user.

Abstract: Embodiments of a recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) F ectodomain trimer stabilized in a prefusion conformation are provided. Also disclosed are nucleic acids encoding the RSV F ectodomain trimer and methods of producing the RSV F ectodomain trimer. Methods for inducing an immune response in a subject are also disclosed. In some embodiments, the method can be a method for treating or preventing a RSV infection in a subject by administering a therapeutically effective amount of the recombinant RSV F ectodomain trimer to the subject.

Abstract: Methods and devices for consistently and accurately controlling the depth of the graft tunnel. A sheath is inserted into the bone until a stop member on the sheath contacts the bone. A cutting member is then deployed to drill a larger bore in the tunnel until making contact with the distal end of the sheath. The cutting member may be drawn retrograde within the tunnel, or driven antegrade from an opening opposite the opening in which the sheath resides. The drill and the sheath can then be removed, leaving the tunnel that includes a tunnel portion sized to fit a graft so that the graft fits tightly within the tunnel portion and is flush with the opening of the tunnel.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device includes a housing that defines a capsule-receiving cavity, a lid configured to close the housing, and a replaceable mouthpiece coupleable to the lid such that air entering the housing and drawn through the capsule-receiving cavity exits out of the mouthpiece. The lid may be fixedly coupled to the housing at a first point and releasably coupleable to the housing at a second point. The capsule-receiving cavity may have a first end having a first width, and a second end have a second width that is different from the first width. The capsule-receiving cavity may be tapered between the first end and the second end. The mouthpiece may be coupleable to the first end. One or more alignment member may be disposed at or towards the second end. The alignment members may include seals and/or electrical connections and/or flat surfaces and/or angled surfaces.

Abstract: A credentialing method and apparatus for facility access. The apparatus can include a system that includes one or more BLE beacons located within proximity to a facility, where one or more of the beacons identifies a location or other information unique to its proximity to the facility. The apparatus can further include an eBadge used by a person seeking access to the facility. The eBadge can also in some embodiments be a BLE beacon. Interaction between the one or more BLE beacons, a credentialing provider's app operating on the person's mobile device, and the person's eBadge operate in the system to perform a method of controlled access to the facility. In some embodiments, administrators with access to the credentialing provider's app also can control, monitor, report, and observe details concerning such facility access.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying formation porosity and formation lithology. The method may include disposing a PNL tool into a borehole that is disposed in a formation, emitting a neutron from a neutron source on the PNL tool into the formation, and capturing one or more gammas expelled from formation in response to the neutron from the neutron source to form a plurality of pulsed neutron logging (PNL) measurements in a log. The method may further include identifying a formation porosity and a formation lithology with an artificial neural network that at least partially incorporates the PNL measurements.

Abstract: A system and method for secure authentication between applications that may be attacked with an attack originating from a quantum computer is provided. The systems and methods can involve generating a plurality of keys, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is unique and determining one or more pairs of applications from a plurality of applications, wherein each pair can include applications that can connect. The systems and methods can also involve upon receiving a request from a first application of the plurality of applications to connect to a second application of the plurality of applications finding the pair of the one or more pairs that includes both the first application and the second application and associating one key of the plurality of keys to the pair, and performing by the first application and the second application, mutual authentication using the one key.

Abstract: HIC-resistant materials may include sensors embedded within or otherwise coupled thereto for use in a hydrogen service environment. In an example, a diagnostic system includes a first sensor embedded within a structural metal for exposure to hydrogen for generating a signal response to both the hydrogen and one or more parameter. A second sensor is embedded within the structural metal for generating another signal response to the one or more parameter. A hydrogen-suppressing layer is provided to suppress any response of the second sensor to the hydrogen. A controller in communication with the first and second sensors distinguishes the signal response of the first sensor from the signal response of the second sensor to characterize the hydrogen and the one or more other parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for peer-to-peer secure document exchange are disclosed. The system may allow a document provider to securely transmit a certified document to a document verifier using decentralized storage. The verifier system may generate a session key pair and transmit the session public key to a trusted API provider. The trusted API provider may generate a session nonce. The verifier system may transmit the session nonce to the provider system. The provider system may use the session nonce to retrieve the session public key. The provider system may encrypt a certified document using the session public key and store the encrypted certified document in the decentralized storage. The verifier system may retrieve the encrypted certified document by polling the trusted API provider based on the session nonce. The verifier system may decrypt the encrypted certified document using the session private key.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein disclose methods and systems for community item distribution. In some implementations, the community item distribution system includes a platform for users to post information regarding items they want to share with the community. The community item distribution system can categorize the information and establish donation parameters for the shared items. The donation parameters can include where and when items can be donated or retrieved, what types of items can be donated, and who can request the donated items. In some cases, the community item distribution system can generate a user interface listing the available items that users can request. Upon request of an item, the community item distribution system can schedule a drone to transport the item, in a secured container with ultraviolet lights to disinfect the item, from the storage location to the delivery location.