Abstract: A method for encoding a point cloud to generate a bitstream of compressed point cloud data is provided, wherein the point cloud's geometry is represented by an octree-based structure with a plurality of nodes having parent-child relationships by recursively splitting a volumetric space containing the point cloud into sub-volumes each associated with a node of the octree-based structure. The method includes: determining eligibility of planar mode for a present node to be encoded for at least two directions; in the case of eligibility of planar mode in at least two directions of the present node, determining one planar flag indicating planar context information for the at least two directions; and entropy encoding occupancy of the present node based on the determined planar context information to produce encoded data for the bitstream.

Abstract: Rubber compounds with increased resistance to fire are disclosed. The rubber compounds are incorporated into fire seals and in particular into fire seals for aerospace applications. The advance rubber compounds are created by adding a powdered vitreous or glass material in combination with a fiber such as carbon fiber, with or without intumescent material to a base rubber compound and then curing.

Abstract: A method, a system and an apparatus are employed in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The method of building a virtual reality (VR) environment includes building the VR environment as formatted video content; defining at least one interactive overlay; and providing the at least one interactive overlay with a position information on a viewpoint of the VR environment.

Abstract: A method and a device for transmitting viewpoint switching capabilities in a Virtual Reality 360 (VR360) application are provided. The method for transmitting viewpoint switching capabilities in a VR360 application includes determining a configuration for switching between viewpoints in the VR360 application; and signaling the configuration to the VR360 application.

Abstract: A method for encoding, in a bitstream, point attributes associated to a point of a point cloud, includes: determining, for a point P to be encoded to the bitstream, a predictor list of k predictor points of the point cloud including k points of the point cloud nearest to the point P to be encoded, wherein the k points are selected according to their relative position to each other; and encoding the point attributes associated to the point P to be encoded by predictive encoding based on attributes of the predictor points of the predictor list.

Abstract: A battery-centric virtual grid system may include battery modules, each including: one or more battery cells, one or more processors that obtain performance information from the one or more battery cells, the one or more processors configured to identify a respective device being powered by the respective modules from the plurality based on the respective performance information and to determine characteristics of the respective device being powered by the respective module from the plurality based on the performance information or configured to receive data from the respective device powered by the module from the plurality, the one or more transceivers configured to remotely receive and transmit data, thus the respective device becoming part of an IOT network via the respective module, and an enclosure at least partially enclosing the one or more battery cells, the one or more module processors, and the one or more transceivers.

Abstract: A device for inserting a tube into a body cavity of a patient includes a tube; a probe; and a needle configured to enter the body cavity, and to enable entry of the tube and the probe into the body cavity, wherein the device is configured such that the needle, the tube and the probe distally advance in the body cavity after entry of the probe into the body cavity, with the probe advancing distally beyond the needle.

Abstract: Provided are a method and device for video coding, video decoding and storage medium. The video coding method includes: classifying video frames into independent frames and dependent frames, which comprise a first type of the dependent frames; generating region wise packing (RWP) coding configuration of each of the independent frames by coding parameters of the respective one of the independent frames, wherein the RWP coding configuration of the independent frames comprises the parameters to be unpacked to restore the video; and for each of the first type of the dependent frames, generating RWP coding configuration of the dependent frame by coding parameters of the dependent frame based on difference and dependency between the parameters of the dependent frame and the parameters of an independent frame used as a reference for the coding of the dependent frame.

Abstract: Disclosed is the invention to conduct immuno-adsorption of free 25(OH) vitamin D from blood or blood components, notably serum or plasma, after which the absorbed material is measured. A fluoro-alkyl surfactant is used to enhance the solubility of Vitamin D and allow the measurement of free Vitamin D2. The invention thus employs a binding protein to absorb the free 25(OH) vitamin D. Thereafter the binding protein comprising the 25-OH vitamin D is subjected to a competitive binding assay with a labeled vitamin D compound, preferably radiolabeled, fluorescent labeled, luminescent labeled, biotin labeled, gold labeled or enzyme labeled. Alternatively the immunocaptured 25-OH vitamin D can be quantitated by mass spectrometry.

Abstract: A method is provided to reduce the surface temperature at high latitudes beneath mixed-phase low-level clouds. The clouds are seeded by ice crystals from dry ice pellets or from water droplets sprayed by effervescent nozzles or by injection of silver iodide. The ice crystals convert supercooled liquid water in the clouds into ice crystals by the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process. Ice-only clouds are more transmissive to long wavelength radiation than mixed-phase clouds, thereby allowing more surface long wavelength radiation to escape into space or into higher, colder regions of the atmosphere.

Abstract: There is provided methods and apparatus of encoding/decoding a point cloud representing a physical object. Points of the point cloud are ordered based on azimuthal angles representing capture angles of sensors and sensor indices associated with sensors. The encoding method comprises encoding, into a bitstream, at least one order index difference representing a difference between order indices of two consecutive ordered points by: obtaining at least one binary data by binarizing the at least one order index difference; and for each binary data, selecting a context based on a distance between an azimuthal angle associated with the binary data and an azimuthal angle of an already encoded point, and context-based entropy coding the binary data in the bitstream, based on the selected context.

Abstract: An omnidirectional media playback method, a terminal device and a computer readable storage medium. The method comprises: obtaining viewpoint looping information associated to a current viewpoint from omnidirectional media data (S202); and looping the current viewpoint according to the viewpoint looping information (S204). A mechanism for allowing viewpoint looping is provided and information about the viewpoint looping is defined.