Abstract: A method encoding image data including: encoding the image data by an inter-image predictor in which a block of one or more samples of a current image is predicted from a reference block of samples located at one of a number of candidate block positions in a reference image; and selectively applying a constrained inter-image prediction mode in which, in comparison to an inter-image prediction mode for the encoding, one or both of the number of candidate block positions and the number of candidate reference images is reduced.

Abstract: Reagents and methods for extracting and stabilizing metabolites at room temperature and methods in which metabolites and one or more of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids are extracted from a single sample in a unified workflow.

Abstract: A freezable beverage dispenser assembly for cooling alcohol as the alcohol is being poured includes a reservoir that is fillable with a freezable liquid. The reservoir is placed in a freezer thereby facilitating the freezable liquid to freeze into ice. Moreover, the reservoir is comprised of a thermally conductive material such that the reservoir is cooled by the ice. The reservoir has a top wall that is sloped downwardly and a channel is formed into the top wall. A beverage poured into the channel, and the beverage runs down the top wall for dispensing the beverage into a beverage container. The ice in the reservoir cools the beverage when the beverage is poured onto the channel.

Abstract: A method for enhancing customer authentication and consent for finalizing an offer to a customer of a product and/or a service is provided. The method may include using a first receiver to receive an authentication request from an initiator. The authentication request may include a customer name and a customer phone number. The method may also include using a first processor to generate a pin number and transmit the pin number to the customer phone number. The pin number may include an identifier associated with the product and/or service. The method may further include using a second receiver, included in a mobile phone, to receive the pin number, and using a second processor, included on the mobile phone, to authenticate the pin number. The authentication may include verifying a match between the customer phone number and a mobile phone number associated with the mobile phone.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and storage media, for enforcing transaction permissions delegation in a computing environment are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: receive a permissions request, from a requesting computing system for a permissions certificate; transmit a login request to a user computing system associated with a user; receive an acceptance from the user in response to the login request; generate a permissions certificate data structure in response to the acceptance; and return the permissions certificate to the requesting computing system whereby the requesting computing system will be permitted to accomplish the transaction with a transacting party in place of the issuer computing system based on possession of the permissions certificate paired with a cryptographic signature based on a private cryptographic key associated with the requesting computing system.

Abstract: Described are implants and dilators useful in a sacral colpopexy procedure, and related methods. The present invention relates to systems, tools, and methods for treating pelvic organ prolapse by use of a pelvic implant to support pelvic tissue. The pelvic treatments include, for example, treatment of vaginal prolapse by laparoscopic or abdominal procedures.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for an injection device includes an inner body fixable inside a housing. An elongated shaft of the inner body extends in an axial direction. The shaft includes an outer thread and a blocking structure on an outer circumference. A tubular-shaped display member has an inner thread engaged with the outer thread of the inner body (20). A dose member is axially displaceable between a dose setting position and a dose dispensing position relative to the display member. The dose member includes at least one blocking element displaceable, pivotable or bendable in radial direction between a blocking position and a release position and engageable with the blocking structure for inducing a radial displacement of the blocking element. In the blocking position, the blocking element axially abuts with the blocking structure and with the display member to block an axial displacement of the dose member from the dose setting position towards the dose dispensing position.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sender profile and/or recipient profile disambiguation and/or confirmation are disclosed. In instances where a sender profile is not indicated by a user sending a communication from a communal device, heuristic data may be utilized to infer the sender profile. Similar heuristic data may also be used when selection of the sender profile is associated with a low confidence level. Heuristic data may also be used to infer the recipient profile when the user does not indicate the recipient profile or when selection of the recipient profile is associated with a low confidence. Various confirmations may result from the sender and recipient profile disambiguation.

Abstract: A drug delivery system for injecting a medicament includes a housing, a container configured to receive a medicament including a stopper configured to move within the container and a closure, a needle in fluid communication with the container, a spacer configured to be engaged with the stopper, a first plunger, a first spring configured to bias the first plunger in an axial direction, second plunger disposed about the first plunger, a second spring configured to bias the second plunger in an axial direction. The first plunger is configured to move the spacer and the container relative to the housing via the first spring to establish fluid communication between the container and the patient needle, and the second plunger is configured to move the spacer and the stopper relative to the container via the second spring.

Abstract: A video coding or decoding method in which luminance and chrominance samples are predicted from other respective reference samples according to a prediction direction associated with a current sample to be predicted, the chrominance samples having a lower horizontal and/or vertical sampling rate than the luminance samples so that the ratio of luminance horizontal resolution to chrominance horizontal resolution is different than the ratio of luminance vertical resolution to chrominance vertical resolution, so that a block of luminance samples has a different aspect ratio to a corresponding block of chrominance samples, the method including: detecting a first prediction direction defined in relation to a first grid of a first aspect ratio in respect of a set of current samples to be predicted; and applying a direction mapping to the prediction direction to generate a second prediction direction defined in relation to a second grid of a different aspect ratio.

Abstract: A system for achieving memory persistence includes a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and a processor. The processor may indicate a volatile memory range for the processor to backup, and open a memory window for the processor to access. The system further includes a power supply. The power supply may provide power for the processor to backup the memory range of the volatile memory. The processor may, responsive to an occurrence of a backup event, initiate a memory transfer using the opened memory window. The memory transfer uses the processor to move the memory range of the volatile memory to a memory region of the non-volatile memory.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a drive mechanism for an injection device. The mechanism includes an inner body fixable inside a housing of the injection device and including an elongated shaft extending in an axial direction. The shaft includes an outer thread and a blocking structure on an outer circumference. A tubular-shaped display member has an inner thread engaged with the outer thread of the inner body. A dose member is axially displaceable relative to the inner body or the display member between a dose setting position and a dose dispensing position. A blocking ring is axially engageable with the dose member, rotationally fixed to the display member and includes a blocking element to axially engage with the blocking structure for blocking an axial displacement of the dose member from the dose setting position towards the dose dispensing position.

Abstract: Infra-red sensors are often used in turbo molecular pumps to detect the temperature of the rotor or other mechanical parts and therefore indicate imminent, or potential, running failures. As deposits build up on either the infra-red sensor, or on the surface being monitored, the reading given by the sensor may not be a true representation of the actual surface temperature which can cause the pump controller to fail to stop the pump in time. The present invention provides a method and device for calibrating the sensor by creating a determined temperature rise in the sensor whilst keeping the rotor at ambient temperature. In particular the present invention uses the motor stator as the heater for causing the temperature increase.

Abstract: Techniques for synchronizing communication across devices are described. A system receives an input command corresponding to an announcement and sends data representing the announcement to devices of the system. The system receives responses from the devices and causes the device that originated the announcement to output content corresponding to the responses.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for providing a location service. The method includes one or more processors identifying a first user performing a defined interaction on a computing device. The method further includes determining a location of the computing device during the defined interaction. The method further includes recording the determined location. The method further includes receiving a request for location information associated with the first user from a second user. The second user is authorized to access location information associated with the first user. In response to receiving the request from the second user, the method further includes determining a current location of the computing device. The method further includes generating a location status message corresponding to the first user based on the determined current location in relation to the recorded location.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for augmenting neural networks with an external memory. One of the systems includes a memory interface subsystem that is configured to perform operations comprising determining a respective content-based weight for each of a plurality of locations in an external memory; determining a respective allocation weight for each of the plurality of locations in the external memory; determining a respective final writing weight for each of the plurality of locations in the external memory from the respective content-based weight for the location and the respective allocation weight for the location; and writing data defined by the write vector to the external memory in accordance with the final writing weights.

Abstract: A turbomolecular pump and method and apparatus for controlling the pressure in a process chamber using such a pump is disclosed. The turbomolecular comprises: a rotor comprising a plurality of blades on a rotatable shaft; a control motor for driving the rotatable shaft; wherein the control motor is sized to output a power that is more than three times larger than a power required to drive the shaft at a constant velocity that is sufficiently high to provide an exhaust pressure of 5 millibars.

Abstract: A method of video coding in respect of a 4:2:2 chroma subsampling format includes dividing image data into transform units. In a case of a non-square transform unit, the method includes splitting the non-square transform unit into square blocks prior to applying a spatial frequency transform. The method further includes applying a spatial frequency transform to the square blocks to generate corresponding sets of spatial frequency coefficients.

Abstract: The turbine arrangement includes a turbine including a turbine housing which defines a turbine cavity within which a turbine wheel is supported, an inlet upstream of the wheel and an outlet downstream. The arrangement also includes a flow passage configured to permit gas flow without interacting with the wheel, and a valve member moveable between an open configuration wherein gas may flow through the flow passage, and a closed configuration wherein gas is substantially prevented from flowing, a first actuator portion for moving the valve member between the configurations, and a second actuator portion in gas flow communication with a portion of the arrangement upstream of the wheel via an actuator gas passage. The arrangement is configured such that gas may flow through the actuator gas passage to the second actuator portion, where it acts on the second actuator portion to urge the valve member towards the closed configuration.