Abstract: One variation of a method for identifying a user entering an autonomous vehicle includes: receiving a ride request from the user, the ride request specifying a pickup location; at the autonomous vehicle, autonomously navigating to the pickup location, scanning a field near the autonomous vehicle for a human approaching the autonomous vehicle, and, in response to detecting the human proximal the autonomous vehicle, recording an image of the human; detecting a face of the human in the image; accessing a faceprint characterizing facial features of the user; and, in response to the face of the human detected in the image exhibiting features represented in the faceprint, identifying the human as the user and triggering a door of the autonomous vehicle to unlock for the user.

Abstract: One variation of a method for customizing motion characteristics of an autonomous vehicle for a user includes: accessing a baseline emotional state of the user following entry of the user into the autonomous vehicle at a first time proximal a start of a trip; during a first segment of the trip, autonomously navigating toward a destination location according to a first motion planning parameter, accessing a second emotional state of the user at a second time, detecting degradation of sentiment of the user based on differences between the baseline and second emotional states; and correlating degradation of sentiment of the user with a navigational characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; modifying the first motion planning parameter of the autonomous vehicle to deviate from the navigational characteristic; and, during a second segment of the trip, autonomously navigating toward the destination location according to the revised motion planning parameter.

Abstract: One variation of a method for monitoring an interior state of an autonomous vehicle includes: at the autonomous vehicle, recording a pre-ride image of an interior of the autonomous vehicle prior to initiating a ride; following completion of the ride, recording a post-ride image of the interior of the autonomous vehicle; detecting a region of the post-ride image differing from the pre-ride image, the region of the post-ride image representing a change in the interior of the autonomous vehicle following occupancy of the autonomous vehicle by a user; classifying a type of an object depicted in the region of the post-ride image based on features extracted from the region of the post-ride image; and in response to classifying the object depicted in the region of the post-ride image as a personal item, serving a prompt to the user to retrieve the object from the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A queue management capability enables allocation and management of tracking queue entries, such as load and/or store queue entries, at execution time. By introducing execution-time allocation of load/store queue entries, the allocation point of those entries is delayed further into the execution stage of the instruction pipeline, reducing the overall time the entry remains allocated to a specific instruction. The queue management capability may also resolve deadlock conditions resulting from execution-time allocation of the queue entries and/or provide a mechanism to avoid such deadlock conditions.

Abstract: One variation of a method for executing autonomous rideshare requests includes: following arrival of an autonomous vehicle proximal a pickup location specified in a rideshare request submitted by a user, setting a user arrival timer for a first duration and a depart timer for a second duration exceeding the first duration; serving a state of the user arrival timer to a mobile computing device affiliated with the user; rendering a state of the depart timer on an external display arranged on the autonomous vehicle; in response to failure of the user to arrive at the autonomous vehicle prior to expiration of the user arrival timer, departing from the pickup location without the user; and, in response to the user arriving at the autonomous vehicle prior to expiration of the user arrival timer, departing from the pickup location with the user prior to expiration of the delay timer.

Abstract: A fluid sampler includes: a sample cell that includes: a substrate comprising: a first port; a second port in fluid communication with the first port; a viewing reservoir in fluid communication with the first port and the second port and that receives the fluid from the first port and communicates the fluid to the second port, the viewing reservoir including: a first view membrane; a second view membrane; and a pillar interposed between the first view membrane and second view membrane, the pillar separating the first view membrane from the second view membrane at a substantially constant separation distance such that a volume of the viewing reservoir is substantially constant and invariable with respect to a temperature and invariable with respect to a pressure to which the sample cell is subjected.

Abstract: A load-conveying and transport apparatus includes a first frame, a conveyor carried by the first frame, and a second frame mounted to the first frame for movement between lowered and raised positions relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies below the conveyor, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies proud of the conveyor, when the second frame is in the raised position relative to the conveyor. The conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon without interference from the second frame, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame is for supporting the load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load, when the second frame is in the raised position.

Abstract: A localized gap plasmon resonator includes: a pad including: a first plasmonic material to support a surface plasmon; and a first plasmon surface; a nanoelectromechanical (NEM) member disposed opposing the first plasmon surface of the pad and spaced apart from the pad by a plasmon gap, the plasmon gap supporting a plasmon resonance; and a plasmonic nanoprism disposed on the NEM member and including: a second plasmonic material to support a surface plasmon; and a second plasmon surface, such that: the second plasmon surface of the plasmonic nanoprism opposes the first plasmon surface of the pad; and the pad, the plasmonic nanoprism, and the plasmon gap support a localized gap plasmon (LGP) mode.

Abstract: A magnetic endoscopic system including a wireless endoscope. The wireless endoscope includes one or more cameras and one or more lights for viewing internal portions of a body. The wireless endoscope further includes one or more magnets. The magnetic endoscopic system also includes a positioner externally positioned against the body for moving the wireless endoscope when positioned entirely or partially within the portions of the body. The positioner includes at least one magnet for attracting the one or more magnets and magnetically moving the wireless endoscope.

Abstract: Provided herein are improved compounds, compositions and associated methods for reducing expression of ApoCIII mRNA and protein in a subject having, or at risk of having, diabetes. Also provided herein are compounds, compositions and associated methods improving peripheral insulin sensitivity, a lipid profile and a diabetes profile as well as reducing free fatty acids and intramyocellular triglyceride deposition.

Abstract: Anthropometric measurements provide indicators of human and livestock health and wellbeing. Today, there is a well-developed manual protocol to measure the proportionate size of humans but it is slow, requires bulky and costly equipment, is subject to accuracy and precision errors, and requires initial and on-going training of field staff. There are also techniques to measure animal size but they generally require fixed installations and multiple imagers. Portable 3-D imaging systems in conjunction with portable computing devices and access to the cloud computing and storage infrastructure will be useful tools to automatically, objectively extract these anthropometric measures, and to consistently provide other anthropometric measures which heretofore have been unobtainable, provided the difficulty of scanning moving subjects can be overcome.

Abstract: Technical solutions are described for authenticating a hosting system prior to securely deploying a shrouded virtual server. An example method includes receiving, by a hypervisor, a request for a public certificate, from a client device that requested the virtual server, and sending the public certificate of the hosting system that executes the hypervisor. The method also includes receiving, in response to the public certificate being successfully authenticated by the client device using a third-party verification system, a session key based on a public key included in the public certificate. The method also includes decrypting the session key using a private key, where the private key is pre-installed in the hosting system by a manufacturer of the hosting system, and sending an acknowledgement message encrypted using the session key. The method also includes establishing a secure communication between the client device and the hypervisor using the session key.

Abstract: A load-conveying and transport apparatus includes a first frame, a conveyor carried by the first frame, and a second frame mounted to the first frame for movement between lowered and raised positions relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies below the conveyor, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies proud of the conveyor, when the second frame is in the raised position relative to the conveyor. The conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon without interference from the second frame, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame is for supporting the load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load, when the second frame is in the raised position.

Abstract: Technical solutions are described for securely deploying a shrouded virtual server. An example method includes sending, by a host manager, authentication information of a hosting system to a client device in response to a request from the client device. The \method also includes receiving a request to deploy a virtual server using a shrouded mode. The method also includes deploying a preconfigured hypervisor on the hosting system, where the preconfigured hypervisor is deployed in an immutable mode that disables changes to security settings of the preconfigured hypervisor. The method also includes deploying, by the preconfigured hypervisor, a preconfigured boot image as an instance of the virtual server on the preconfigured hypervisor. The method also includes sending, by the host manager, an identifier of the virtual server for receipt by the client device.

Abstract: The present disclosure is applicable to all vehicles having an engine mounted therein. In one embodiment, an aft mount system for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The aft mount system includes a vehicle chassis and at least one flexible mounting member disposed within the vehicle chassis, wherein when a gas turbine engine is received within the vehicle chassis, an exhaust portion of the gas turbine engine is substantially mounted within the vehicle chassis through engagement with the at least one flexible mounting member.

Abstract: A load-conveying and transport apparatus includes a first frame, a conveyor carried by the first frame, and a second frame mounted to the first frame for movement between lowered and raised positions relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies below the conveyor, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies proud of the conveyor, when the second frame is in the raised position relative to the conveyor. The conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon without interference from the second frame, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame is for supporting the load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load, when the second frame is in the raised position.

Abstract: Techniques for generating a design structure for cache power reduction are described herein. In one example, a system includes logic to detect memory address information corresponding to accessed data in a first instruction, and detect memory address information corresponding to accessed data in a second instruction. The logic can also compare the memory address information corresponding to the first instruction and the memory address information corresponding to the second instruction, and detect, based on the comparison, that the accessed data in the first instruction and the accessed data in the second instruction are in a same data range of the memory device. The logic can also execute the second instruction using the accessed data from the first instruction.

Abstract: A method in a computer-aided design system for generating a functional design model of a processor, is described herein. The method comprises detecting memory address information corresponding to accessed data in a first instruction, and detecting memory address information corresponding to accessed data in a second instruction. The method further comprises comparing the memory address information corresponding to the first instruction and the memory address information corresponding to the second instruction, and detecting, based on the comparison, that the accessed data in the first instruction and the accessed data in the second instruction are in a same data range of the memory device. In addition the method comprise executing the second instruction using the accessed data from the first instruction and detecting an error from the execution of the second instruction.