Abstract: A speech processing system includes an input for receiving an input utterance spoken by a user and a word alignment unit configured to align different sequences of acoustic speech models with the input utterance spoken by the user. Each different sequence of acoustic speech models corresponds to a different possible utterance that a user might make. The system identifies any parts of a read prompt text that the user skipped; any parts of the read prompt text that the user repeated; and any speech sounds that the user inserted between words of the read prompt text. The information from the word alignment unit can be used to assess the proficiency and/or fluency of the user's speech.

Abstract: A computer-implemented machine learning method for improving speaker separation is provided. The method comprises processing audio data to generate prepared audio data and determining feature data and speaker data from the prepared audio data through a clustering iteration to generate an audio file. The method further comprises re-segmenting the audio file to generate a speaker segment and causing to display the speaker segment through a client device.

Abstract: A balloon implantation kit includes an inflatable biodegradable balloon configured to be implanted in a human body and a hydrogel composition. In some cases, the hydrogel composition is provided in a container configured to be introduced into the biodegradable balloon. For some applications, the biodegradable balloon includes a joint spacer for treatment of a joint of a human subject, such as a subacromial spacer, a glenohumeral spacer, or a spacer for another joint, such as a knee, hip, ankle, or hand (e.g., CMC1) joint. In these applications, the biodegradable balloon is configured to be inserted into a space of a joint of the human body, and is shaped to provide mechanical support to the joint until the biodegradable balloon resorbs into the human body. For other applications, the biodegradable balloon includes a soft tissue spacer.

Abstract: A magnetoelectric nanocomposite (MEN) is described. The MEN are used as a colorectal cancer treatment. The MEN includes a shell having at least one ferroelectric compound and a rare earth (R) metal doped spinel ferrite nanoparticle (SFNP) core, of a formula of CoxMn1-xR2-yFeyOz wherein x=0.1-0.9, y=1.90-1.99, and z=3-5; and R is at least one rare earth metal selected from the group consisting of cerium (Ce), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb) and thulium (Tm). A method of making MENs is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a water-soluble granule compositions comprising 1-amino-1-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (“ACC”), a filler selected from the group consisting of lactose, dextrose, sucrose or a mixture thereof, one or more wetting agents selected from the group consisting of a non-ionic ethoxylated sorbitan, a polyoxyethylene glycol alkyl ether and an anionic dioctyl sulfosuccinate, one or more binders selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone and a lignosulfonate and one or more organosilicon surfactants selected from the group consisting of a polyalkyleneoxide modified heptamethyltrisiloxane and a polyether trisiloxane.

Abstract: Provided herein are compounds of Formula A, B or C that can inhibit the replication of influenza viruses, reduce the amount of influenza viruses, and/or treat influenza.

Abstract: A method for decoding an audio query may include: extracting one or more acoustic features from the audio query in response to receiving the audio query from a user; determining a generic word and a domain specific word based on the one or more acoustic features; and decoding the audio query based on the generic word, the domain specific word, and the one or more acoustic features to identify at least one word associated with the audio query.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a kit-of-parts for bleaching keratin fibers, comprising: an aqueous composition A comprising a) one or more non-acetylated sugar alcohol(s), and/or their mixtures, a bleaching composition B comprising b) one or more persalt(s) and/or peroxy salt(s), c) one or more alkalizing agent(s), and an aqueous oxidizing composition C, wherein the total concentration of compound(s) according to a) in the aqueous composition A is in the range of 1% to 50% by weight, calculated to the total weight of the aqueous composition A, and wherein the bleaching composition B comprises less than 5% by weight of water, calculated to the total weight of the bleaching composition B.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for door knock access control are disclosed. A monitoring system for monitoring a property includes: a proximity sensor located at a door of the property; a microphone that is configured to detect sound within an area near the door and generate audio data that represents the detected sound; and a monitor control unit configured to perform operations including: receiving, from the proximity sensor, proximity data indicating an object positioned within a set proximity to the door; based on receiving the proximity data, activating the microphone; receiving, from the microphone, the audio data; determining that a similarity between the audio data and stored audio data representing a knocking pattern satisfies similarity criteria; and in response to determining that the similarity between the audio data and the stored audio data satisfies similarity criteria, performing a monitoring system action.

Abstract: Systems and methods for audio processing are described. The system may include a display; a user input device; an audio communications terminal; a recording medium; a tagging system for tagging each of the messages recorded on the recording medium as a function of a question with which each of the messages recorded on the recording medium is associated; and a processor comprising code for: initiating one of the questions of the plurality of questions; displaying the one of the questions of the plurality of questions, having been initiated, on the display; recording via the audio communications terminal audio for a respective response associated with the one of the questions of the plurality of questions, having been initiated; directing the tagging system to tag the response associated with the one of the questions of the plurality of questions; and repeating the steps of each of the plurality of questions.

Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is disclosed. The method includes receiving the encoded audio bitstream and decoding the audio data to generate a decoded lowband audio signal. The method further includes extracting high frequency reconstruction metadata and filtering the decoded lowband audio signal with an analysis filterbank to generate a filtered lowband audio signal. The method also includes extracting a flag indicating whether either spectral translation or harmonic transposition is to be performed on the audio data and regenerating a highband portion of the audio signal using the filtered lowband audio signal and the high frequency reconstruction metadata in accordance with the flag. The high frequency regeneration is performed as a post-processing operation with a delay of 3010 samples per audio channel.

Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is disclosed. The method includes receiving the encoded audio bitstream and decoding the audio data to generate a decoded lowband audio signal. The method further includes extracting high frequency reconstruction metadata and filtering the decoded lowband audio signal with an analysis filterbank to generate a filtered lowband audio signal. The method also includes extracting a flag indicating whether either spectral translation or harmonic transposition is to be performed on the audio data and regenerating a highband portion of the audio signal using the filtered lowband audio signal and the high frequency reconstruction metadata in accordance with the flag. The high frequency regeneration is performed as a post-processing operation with a delay of 3010 samples per audio channel.

Abstract: Hair care compositions and methods for providing conditioning benefits to hair is disclosed. The hair care compositions may include one or more nonionic surfactants comprising one or more alkylpolyglucosides; one or more fatty alcohols; one or more fatty esters comprising caprylic/capric triglyceride; about 0.5 to about 30 wt. % of a fatty compound other than fatty alcohol and fatty ester; one or more silicones comprising polysilicone-11; one or more thickening agents; and water, wherein the hair care composition is an emulsion, and all weight percentages are based on the total weight of the hair care composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cellulose powder containing an alkali-soluble substance capable of dissolving in 17.5% by mass of aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, the content of the alkali-soluble substance being 32% by mass or more and 44% by mass or less with respect to the total mass of the cellulose powder, the use thereof, and tablets using the same.

Abstract: The disclosure features novel lipids and compositions involving the same. Nanoparticle compositions include a novel lipid as well as additional lipids such as phospholipids, structural lipids, and PEG lipids. Nanoparticle compositions further including therapeutic and/or prophylactics such as RNA are useful in the delivery of therapeutic and/or prophylactics to mammalian cells or organs to, for example, regulate polypeptide, protein, or gene expression.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing high-purity hydrosilylation products, and also to the products that may be produced by this process and to the use thereof as surfactants.

Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is disclosed. The method includes receiving the encoded audio bitstream and decoding the audio data to generate a decoded lowband audio signal. The method further includes extracting high frequency reconstruction metadata and filtering the decoded lowband audio signal with an analysis filterbank to generate a filtered lowband audio signal. The method also includes extracting a flag indicating whether either spectral translation or harmonic transposition is to be performed on the audio data and regenerating a highband portion of the audio signal using the filtered lowband audio signal and the high frequency reconstruction metadata in accordance with the flag. The high frequency regeneration is performed as a post-processing operation with a delay of 3010 samples per audio channel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid concentrate comprising a plant growth regulator like prohexadione dissolved in an ionic liquid, the ionic liquid comprising an organic base and a strong acid. The ionic liquid may comprise an amine, amide, imine, imide or urea. The strong acid preferably is ethephon.

Abstract: An embodiment includes executing a querying process that returns database documents containing text associated with a database environment. The embodiment tokenizes the database documents into a series of n-gram tokens and groups the tokens into topic classes using natural language processing (NLP). The embodiment also generates a feature map by applying a convolution layer to an image that depicts a database structure graph of the database environment. The embodiment detects an architectural element in the image by applying a region proposal network (RPN) to the feature map and classifies the architectural element into one of the plurality of topic classes using a trained neural network. The embodiment renders, responsive to a user selection of the architectural element, an overlay depicting information about the architectural element using text and other architectural elements that are in a same topic class as the user-selected architectural element.

Abstract: A hair cosmetic composition including components (A) to (C), wherein the content of component (A) is 0.01 to 5.00% by mass and the content of component (B) is 5.00 to 96.77% by mass: (A) an epoxyaminosilane copolymer, which is a reaction product of compounds (a) to (d): (a) a polysiloxane having two or more oxiranyl groups or oxetanyl groups; (b) a polyether having two or more oxiranyl groups or oxetanyl groups; (c) aminopropyltrialkoxysilane; (d) a specific amine; (B) a micelle formation inhibitor selected from (b1) to (b3): (b1) an organic compound having a solubility parameter ?H of 10.0 to 15.8 MPa1/2, excluding (b3); (b2) a compound selected from ethanol and the like; (b3) an organic salt; (C) water.