Abstract: An item of footwear for increasing leg-muscle and/or lower-abdominal-/back-muscle tone comprising: a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a user; and a sole comprising at least an upper layer, for engaging a foot of a user in use or a further upper layer, and a lower layer, for engaging the ground in use, wherein the upper layer comprises two or more materials of different compressive resistances, or densities, arranged as a frontal/toe region, an arch region and a heel region, the sole is arranged such that application of a user's weight, during use, causes instability in at least one portion of the upper layer, which requires balance correction by a user.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for stabilizing a colloidal dispersion during transport for low defect tolerance applications. The methods involve eliminating fluid interfaces within a dispersion, storing the dispersion in an environment of inert gas, and degassing the dispersion. Several bottle closure devices are described which may be ideal for use with these methods, being able to seal a container filled with a dispersion, permit the removal of headspace and rapidly empty the contained dispersion. In one aspect, the device includes a vented cap and semi-permeable membrane, which allows the passage of gas into and out of the container, and a dispenser nozzle integrated with the device to allow a stored dispersion to be dispensed without removing the device from the container. In another aspect, the bottle closure device includes an attachment point for a removable downtube and dispenser nozzle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions for use in the treatment of a dermatological condition, comprising a polymer capable of forming nanoparticles an anti-inflammatory and/or analgesic agent. The composition is particularly suited to the treatment of acne and/or atopic dermatitis. The invention also relates to novel uses of polyhexamethylene biguanide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions for use in the treatment or management of inflammation and/or pain, comprising a polymer capable of forming nanoparticles an anti-inflammatory and/or analgesic agent. The invention also relates to novel uses of polyhexamethylene biguanide.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a number of example embodiments that employ controllable delays between successive ladar pulses in order to discriminate between “own” ladar pulse reflections and “interfering” ladar pulses reflections by a receiver. Example embodiments include designs where a sparse delay sum circuit is used at the receiver and where a funnel filter is used at the receiver. Also, disclosed are techniques for selecting codes to use for the controllable delays as well as techniques for identifying and tracking interfering ladar pulses and their corresponding delay codes. The use of a ladar system with pulse deconfliction is also disclosed as part of an optical data communication system.

Abstract: Our client, Seres Therapeutics, has asked us to file a new provisional application related to bacterial compositions and the use of such compositions for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract: Due to the factors such as lens distortion and camera misalignment, stereoscopic image pairs often contain vertical disparities. Introduced herein is a method and apparatus that determine and correct vertical disparities in stereoscopic image pairs using an optical flow map. Instead of discarding vertical motion vectors of the optical flow map, the introduced concept extracts and analyzes the vertical motion vectors from the optical flow map and vertically aligns the images using the vertical disparity determined from the vertical motion vectors. The introduced concept recognizes that although not apparent, vertical motion does exist in stereoscopic images and can be used to correct the vertical disparity in stereoscopic images.

Abstract: A wireless power transfer system for a train that includes one or more locomotive units with an energy storage system and one or more passenger cars units that transmit power to the one or more locomotive units. The wireless power transfer system includes one or more HEP cables through which power is provided from the one or more passenger car units to the one or more locomotive units, one or more wireless power transfer (WPT) transmitters mounted to the rail separate from the train, a WPT receiver on one of the one or more passenger cars configured to receive power from one of the one or more WPT transmitters, and an inverter on the one of the one or more passenger car units connected to the HEP cables. The inverter receives power from the WPT receiver and sends the power to the energy storage system through the HEP cables.

Abstract: Methods of increasing the resistance of plants, in particular soybeans, to nematodes, in particular soybean cyst nematodes, are provided herein. The methods include increasing the expression of Glyma18g02580, Glyma18g02590 and/or Glyma18g2610 in cells of a plant and in particular in root cells of a plant to increase the resistance of the plant and plant cells to nematodes. The methods include increasing the expression using constitutive promoters or by increasing the copy number of the polynucleotides. Constructs for expressing these polypeptides, transgenic cells, transgenic plants and methods of generating the same are also provided. Methods of screening plant cells for resistance or susceptibility to nematodes are also provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method to correct for visual artifacts in a virtual reality (VR) video image where there is significant motion of the video image as a result of user actions. A user may request that the video image be moved, such as a through motion detected through a VR device, i.e., turning the head, or through a request to an application, i.e., joystick feedback to a gaming application. The video image motion can cause stutter and jitter visual artifacts, when the video frame buffer uses a synchronization constraint, such as vertical synchronization (VSync). When the VSync is disabled, a tearing visual artifact can be present. This disclosure presents a frame buffer handling process that operates with VSync disabled. The process allows the display refresh rates to operate at higher frequencies, while correcting for significant motion of the video image, i.e., tearing, through shifting back certain pixels within the scanout frame buffer.

Abstract: At least one processing device, operating upon a body of text in a document, identifies occurrences of at least one content type in the body of text. The at least one processing device thereafter generates a user interface that includes portions of text from the body of text that are representative of at least some of the occurrences of the at least one content type in the document. For each content type, the occurrences corresponding to that content type can be grouped together to provide grouped content type occurrences that are subsequently collocated in the user interface. Those portions of text corresponding to the grouped content type occurrences may be arranged in alphanumeric order. The user interface may comprise at least a portion of the body of text as well as indicia indicating instances of the occurrences within the portion of the body of text.

Abstract: Due to the factors such as lens distortion and camera misalignment, stereoscopic image pairs often contain vertical disparities. Introduced herein is a method and apparatus that determine and correct vertical disparities in stereoscopic image pairs using an optical flow map. Instead of discarding vertical motion vectors of the optical flow map, the introduced concept extracts and analyzes the vertical motion vectors from the optical flow map and vertically aligns the images using the vertical disparity determined from the vertical motion vectors. The introduced concept recognizes that although not apparent, vertical motion does exist in stereoscopic images and can be used to correct the vertical disparity in stereoscopic images.

Abstract: A reflector unit may behave as a retroreflector to reflect light of a selected color. The reflector unit may comprise a first reflector having a first color, a second reflector having a second color, and a mask that either allows incoming light to reach the first reflector and not the second reflector or allows incoming light to reach the second reflector and not the first reflector. An active light unit may emit light of a particular color in response to receiving light. In this fashion, the active light unit may simulate the operation of a reflector. The reflector unit and the active light unit may operate on a bi-directional vehicle.

Abstract: A method for stereoscopically presenting visual content is disclosed. The method comprises identifying and distinguishing between a first type of content and a second type of content of a frame to be stereoscopically displayed. The method also comprises rendering the first type of content in a first left and a first right frame from a single perspective using a first stereoscopic rendering method. Further, the method comprises rendering the second type of content in a second left and a second right frame using a second, different stereoscopic method from two different perspectives. Additionally, the method comprises merging the first and second left frames and the first and second right frames to produce a resultant left frame and a resultant right frame. Finally, the method comprises displaying the resultant left frame and the resultant right frame for stereoscopic perception by a viewer.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method to compensate for visual distortion when viewing video image streams from a multiple camera capture of a scene where the method determines the disparity difference utilizing the user view orientation and then compresses and/or stretches the left and/or right eye video image streams to compensate for the visual distortion. In another aspect, the method describes additional adjustments and corrections to the video image streams including rotating, tilting, shifting, and scaling the video image streams, and correcting for gapping and clipping visual image artifacts. In another aspect, a visual compensation system is described to implement the method. Additionally, a visual compensation apparatus is disclosed to perform the method operations.

Abstract: At least one processing device, operating upon a body of text in a document, identifies occurrences of at least one content type in the body of text. The at least one processing device thereafter generates a user interface that includes portions of text from the body of text that are representative of at least some of the occurrences of the at least one content type in the document. For each content type, the occurrences corresponding to that content type can be grouped together to provide grouped content type occurrences that are subsequently collocated in the user interface. Those portions of text corresponding to the grouped content type occurrences may be arranged in alphanumeric order. The user interface may comprise at least a portion of the body of text as well as indicia indicating instances of the occurrences within the portion of the body of text.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for use in the treatment and prevention of cholestatic diseases.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments for a ladar system that includes an adaptive ladar receiver whereby the active pixels in a photodetector array used for reception of ladar pulse returns can be adaptively controlled based at least in part on where the ladar pulses were targeted by the ladar transmitter.

Abstract: A germicidal motion-detecting lighting system includes a plurality of lighting units configured to electrically connect to one another. Each modular lighting unit has an enclosure, having an enclosure, a light emission window positioned within a first cavity of the enclosure, and a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned within the first enclosure, at least one motion sensor that protrudes through a second cavity of the enclosure, and a processor positioned within the enclosure that detects motion of a user based on data received from the at least one motion sensor and generates an activation command to emit visible light based on the motion of the user. The plurality of light emitting diodes receives the command and emits visible light based on the command. One of the modular lighting units further includes an additional enclosure with a third cavity in which an additional light emission window is positioned to emit ultraviolet light via an additional plurality of light emitting diodes.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of de-fluorinating hydrocarbon mixtures using an aluminum oxide containing resin. Benefits of the methods disclosed herein can include effective and time efficient removal of fluorine compounds from mixtures of hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures.