Abstract: Methods and materials for modulating low light and/or shade tolerance, and red light specific responses in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding low light and/or SD+EODFR-tolerance polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also disclosed are plants having increased low light and/or SD+EODFR tolerance. In addition, methods and materials involved in increasing UV-B tolerance in plants and methods and materials involved in modulating biomass levels in plants are provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a vehicle service are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes receiving data indicative of a service request to provide a vehicle service for an entity with respect to one or more cargo items designated for autonomous transport. The method includes obtaining a first cargo item among the one or more cargo items, from a representative of the entity at a dedicated first transfer hub proximate to a first location associated with the first cargo item. The method includes controlling a first autonomous vehicle to transport the first cargo item from the first transfer hub to a dedicated second transfer hub proximate to a second location associated with the first cargo item. The method includes providing the first cargo item to a representative of the entity at the second transfer hub, to provide the vehicle service.

Abstract: A system may use multiple speech interface devices to interact with a user by speech. All or a portion of the speech interface devices may detect a user utterance and may initiate speech processing to determine a meaning or intent of the utterance. Within the speech processing, arbitration is employed to select one of the multiple speech interface devices to respond to the user utterance. Arbitration may be based in part on metadata that directly or indirectly indicates the proximity of the user to the devices, and the device that is deemed to be nearest the user may be selected to respond to the user utterance.

Abstract: A manufacturing system includes a tape advancing through the manufacturing system and a station of the manufacturing system. The tape includes a first portion having grains of an inorganic material bound by an organic binder. The station of the manufacturing system receives the first portion of the tape and prepares the tape for sintering by chemically changing the organic binder and/or removing the organic binder from the first portion of the tape, leaving the grains of the inorganic material, to form a second portion of the tape and, at least in part, prepare the tape for sintering.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for controlling output of a fuel cell that generates electrical power for an electric machine that propels a vehicle. In one example, a driver demand power reduction is anticipated and output of the fuel cell is adjusted before the driver demand power is reduced so that a greater amount of electric charge may be stored in an electric energy storage device.

Abstract: A computerized system for transacting the purchase and sale of consumer motor fuels between motor fuel merchants and retail consumers through software on a mobile or desktop connected device for periods in the future through the simultaneous execution of multi-party, multi-layered contingent transactions and pricing algorithms to ensure that all inter-related motor fuel merchant transactions are simultaneously transacted upon a retail consumer purchase execution. Motor fuels include refined products such as gasoline and diesel fuel, renewable fuels (e.g. ethanol, biodiesel), natural gas (including liquefied natural gas), jet fuel and electricity.

Abstract: A container having a base and a lid is provided. The lid may be rotatable about a hinge from a closed configuration to an open configuration and may be secured, via one or more latching assemblies. The latch assembly may comprise a latch body, a locking member, a biasing member, and an activating member. The lid may have a handle that has a stowed and a carry position, where the handle may be maintained in the stowed position until acted upon by a first force greater than a threshold force to move the handle from the stowed position to the carry position. Similarly, when in the carry position, the handle may be maintained in the carry position until acted upon by a second force greater than the threshold force to move the handle from the carry position to the stowed position.

Abstract: A chainring assembly includes a chainring carrier adapted to be coupled to a crank arm. The chainring carrier is rotatable about a rotation axis, and includes an outer periphery having carrier threads. A chainring structure includes an inner periphery having chainring threads and an outer periphery comprising a plurality of teeth. The inner periphery of the chainring structure is threadably engaged with the outer periphery of the chainring carrier. In one embodiment, a power meter device includes a body having a torque input section and a torque output section, with the torque output section including an outer periphery having threads adapted to be coupled to a chainring structure.

Abstract: A method of determining wettability may include: measuring an electrical property of a drilling fluid; and correlating the electrical property to wettability.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a necker machine includes a plurality of motors, each motor including an output shaft, a plurality of drive wheel assemblies, each drive wheel assembly operatively coupled to an associated necker machine drive shaft, and a number of timing/drive belts operatively coupled to each drive wheel assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and assays that employ magnetically susceptible beads and point-of-care devices comprising magnetic immunosensors to determine the amount of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in a biological sample obtained from a subject.

Abstract: Adhesive bondlines in a cell-based structural array are thermally cured using tooling blocks inserted into the cells. The tooling blocks have embedded susceptors that are inductively heated by an alternating electromagnetic field generated by an electromagnet.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing payment card credentials provisioned to an Internet of Things (IoT) device via a companion application. A mobile device processor of a consumer mobile device launches a wallet application, displays a wallet application user interface on a touch screen that includes a card management option, receives selection of the card management option, and displays a device list that includes a plurality of icons representing IoT devices. The mobile device processor receives selection of an icon and then displays a payment card representation, payment card information, and card management options including a suspend card option and a delete card option. After receiving a selection of a card management option the mobile device processor transmits instructions to the IoT device to one of delete or suspend the payment card credentials.

Abstract: Examples of computing systems that include input/output (I/O) devices that respect an existing hardware resource partitioning in a modern computing platform are provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for collecting marine sediments using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), comprising at least one handle, at least one central body, at least one drive mechanism, and at least one cover, in which at least one central body includes a lower end comprising an opening, wherein the drive mechanism comprises at least one joining means for connection to a drive system of the ROV, and wherein the at least one cover comprises at least one hingeable structure including at least one connection means with at least one drive mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to automotive interface systems and methods. In one embodiment, an automotive interface system includes a steering wheel and an integrated interpolated variable impedance array that comprises a grid of sensing elements. The sensing elements are configured to power on simultaneously and to simultaneously generate multiple currents along multiple current paths in response to sensing a touch wherein the amount of current generated by a sensing element of the grid is directly proportional to the force applied by the touch. The automotive interface system also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a processor communicatively coupled to the interpolated variable impedance array that are configured to receive the multiple currents along multiple current paths and determine a location, a duration, an area, and a force of the touch from the multiple currents along multiple current paths.

Abstract: A renal therapy system is disclosed. In an example, the renal therapy system includes a user interface device, such as a tablet computer. The renal therapy system also includes a renal therapy machine configured to perform a renal therapy. The renal therapy machine includes a data transfer interface configured to communicatively couple to the user interface device, a dialysis fluid pump, and a processor that operates a connectivity agent having an activated mode and a deactivated mode. When in the activated mode, the connectivity agent enables the processor to send data related to a performance of the renal therapy to a system hub. In the deactivated mode, the processor is prevented from sending the data to or receiving any data from the system hub. The user interface device is configured to receive data from and send data to the processor regardless of a status of the connectivity agent.

Abstract: A system and method for making a jerky meat product may include a pump to pump heated brine at a positive pressure at a desired temperature. Embodiments may also include an injector coupled to the pump to receive the heated brine and inject the heated brine into a cool meat product to elevate the meat product temperature. Embodiments may include a slicer that receives the meat product after the heated brine is injected and slices the meat product to a first thickness. A topical applicator may apply a topical application to coat an exterior of the slices and a flattener may flatten the slices to a second thickness less than the first thickness and to cause the topical application to adhere to the slices. Embodiments may further include a drying oven and/or grill to dry the slices of the second thickness to a desired moisture level.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for provisioning payment card credentials to an Internet of Things (IoT) device that is associated with a companion application. In an embodiment, a mobile device processor displays a companion application user interface (UI) on a display screen, receives a user selection of an option to obtain payment card credentials from the companion application UI, displays a prompt for the user to provide user authentication data to the companion application, receives the user authentication data from a biometric sensor, and authenticates the user.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling an engine idle-stop based on upcoming traffic and road conditions. In one example, a method may include receiving data including traffic information and road characteristics immediately ahead of a vehicle from one or more remote sources, and adjusting one or more vehicle thresholds based on the received data. A duration of a prospective engine idle-stop may be estimated based on the received data and an engine idle-stop may be initiated based on the duration of the prospective engine idle-stop and the adjusted one or more vehicle threshold.