Abstract: Methods and apparatus are configures to measure an eye without contacting the eye with a patient interface, and these measurements are used to determine alignment and placement of the incisions when the patient interface contacts the eye. The pre-contact locations of one or more structures of the eye can be used to determine corresponding post-contact locations of the one or more optical structures of the eye when the patient interface has contacted the eye, such that the laser incisions are placed at locations that promote normal vision of the eye. The incisions are positioned in relation to the pre-contact optical structures of the eye, such as an astigmatic treatment axis, nodal points of the eye, and visual axis of the eye.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, at a processing system, a first signal including an output of a speaker device and an additional audio signal. The method also includes determining, by the processing system, based at least in part on a model trained to identify the output of the speaker device, that the additional audio signal corresponds to an utterance of a user. The method further includes initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speaker device based on determining that the additional audio signal corresponds to the utterance of the user.

Abstract: A method of imaging an object includes obtaining an image data set from a raster scan. The image data set has a plurality of data points, each data point having an associated location and intensity; generating a reduced data set by selectively removing one or more data points from the image data set based upon an assigned probability of retaining the one or more data points in the data set, the assigned probability being a function of the intensity of a data point; generating a triangulation graph as a planar subdivision having faces that are triangles, the vertices of which are the data points and the edges of which are adjacent vertices; and segmenting the triangulated data set by finding a path with lowest cost between that vertex and every other vertex, wherein the cost is a function of the respective intensity of the vertices.

Abstract: A heating hanger. The hanger includes a casing, having a lower and upper grills. The casing further includes a heating ensemble, which provides heat employing resistive heating elements, and a fan. A cycle commutator controls the operation of the heating ensemble and fan to provide heated forced airflow to a garment hanging on the hanger.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are configures to measure an eye without contacting the eye with a patient interface, and these measurements are used to determine alignment and placement of the incisions when the patient interface contacts the eye. The pre-contact locations of one or more structures of the eye can be used to determine corresponding post-contact locations of the one or more optical structures of the eye when the patient interface has contacted the eye, such that the laser incisions are placed at locations that promote normal vision of the eye. The incisions are positioned in relation to the pre-contact optical structures of the eye, such as an astigmatic treatment axis, nodal points of the eye, and visual axis of the eye.

Abstract: Described is a novel process for fractionating biomass pyrolysis oil quantitatively into energy dense hydrophobic aromatic fraction and water-soluble organics in an economical and energy efficient manner. Using the concepts of solvents and anti-solvent behaviours to separate the pyrolysis oil, which is an emulsion, a method utilising minimal quantities of solvents and water is proposed, By comparison with the existing methods to isolate the hydrophobic aromatic fraction, there is a volume reduction of greater than 50:1. Additionally, there is a significant time saving over the 24 hours for the accepted method as a solvent, and the anti-solvent system is pontaneous.

Abstract: The power protection system includes a host driver in the host system and an SSD driver situated in an SSD. In one aspect, the host driver includes a write buffer able to store information during a write operation to an open-channel solid state drive (“OCSSD”). The SSD driver connected to the host driver via a bus includes an SSD double data rate (“DDR”) buffer configured to store a copy of content similar to content in the write buffer and an SSD nonvolatile memory (“NVM”) coupled to the SSD DDR buffer and configured to preserve the data stored in the SSD DDR buffer when a power failure is detected. The SSD driver also includes a power supply, which can be a capacitor, coupled to the SSD DDR buffer for providing power to the SSD DDR buffer when the power is lost.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, at a processing system, a first signal including an output of a speaker device and an additional audio signal. The method also includes determining, by the processing system, based at least in part on a model trained to identify the output of the speaker device, that the additional audio signal corresponds to an utterance of a user. The method further includes initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speaker device based on determining that the additional audio signal corresponds to the utterance of the user.

Abstract: The opening control device includes a fixed support configured to be mounted on the door leaf, a handle movably mounted on the support, a mechanism for electrical and mechanical activation of an unlocking of a latch of the motor vehicle door leaf respectively for electrically and mechanically actuating the unlocking of the latch, the mechanism being mechanically coupled with the handle of the vehicle such that the application of a predefined pulling force on the handle causes the electrical or mechanical activation of the unlocking of the latch. The activation mechanism includes a first lever for electrical activation of the latch and a second lever for mechanical activation of the latch movably mounted relative to each other.

Abstract: A fiducial is generated on an internal anatomical structure of the eye of a patient with a surgical laser. A toric artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is positioned so that a marker of the toric IOL is in a predetermined positional relationship relative to the fiducial. This positioning aligns the toric IOL with the astigmatic or other axis of the eye. The toric IOL is then implanted in the eye of the patient with high accuracy.

Abstract: A laser system is calibrated with a tomography system capable of measuring locations of structure within an optically transmissive material such as a tissue of an eye. Alternatively or in combination, the tomography system can be used to track the location of the eye and adjust the treatment in response to one or more of the location or an orientation of the eye. In many embodiments, in situ calibration and tracking of an optically transmissive tissue structure such as an eye can be provided. The optically transmissive material may comprise one or more optically transmissive structures of the eye, or a non-ocular optically transmissive material such as a calibration gel in a container or an optically transmissive material of a machined part.

Abstract: The present application relates to methods for the production of plant material suitable for the extraction and purification of saponins, through plantations of clone plants of defined chemotype, including ultrahigh density plantations of Quillaja saponaria Molina, and methods to increase the recovery of saponins by solid/liquid extraction of the harvested plant material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing network traffic are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for optimizing the performance of a plurality of networks includes a first terminal device, a traffic steering controller, and a terminal traffic steering agent. The traffic steering controller may be configured to receive user profiles, terminal metrics and network performance metrics and create traffic steering rules based on the user profiles, terminal metrics, and network performance. The terminal traffic steering agent may be configured to receive traffic steering rules from the traffic steering controller and direct a virtual network switch based on the traffic steering rules. The virtual network switch may be configured to handle network traffic at a virtual network interface and, based on directions received from the traffic steering controller, exchange network traffic at least at a physical interface of at least one of the plurality of access networks.

Abstract: The invention relates to self-assembling microparticles comprising a solid matrix and probiotic bacteria, wherein the solid matrix comprises soybean protein and a divalent or trivalent metal, and wherein the probiotic bacteria are distributed throughout the solid matrix; said matrix protects said probiotic bacteria during processing, storage, as well as during transit through the gastrointestinal tract, thus prolonging their lifetime and facilitating release into the intestine and improving their probiotic effect. The present invention also relates to the method for obtaining the self-assembling microparticles and to the products and compositions incorporating them.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a method to reduce the number of signals to be read out in a detector characterized in that it comprises using a lower photosensor granularity at least at the center obtaining a granularity degree at the photosensor that is edge dependent, wherein the granularity at the detector corners can be higher than at any other detector zone or wherein the granularity at the detector edges can be higher than at any other detector zone, and wherein the number of signals to be read out is reduced by joining signals in at least the center zone of the detector, or is reduced by using different photosensor elements at the center of the photosensor with regard to the remaining photosensor zones, and its use in nuclear medicine imaging techniques.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to pathogen resistant citrus compositions, organisms, systems, and methods. For example, a composition may comprise a peptide (e.g., a defensin peptide) and/or a nucleic acid (e.g., a defensin nucleic acid). A pathogen resistant citrus plant may comprise, in some embodiments, a defensin peptide and/or an expressable nucleic acid encoding a defensin peptide.

Abstract: An electrical device comprises a printed circuit board, a first contact portion, a second contact portion, a first conductive wall and a second conductive wall. The printed circuit board has a first surface and a second surface, on which the first contact portion and the second contact portion are disposed, respectively. The first conductive wall and the second conductive wall are in electrical contact with the first contact portion and the second contact portion, respectively. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are offset from one another in a direction parallel to at least one of the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: A gamma ray Compton TOF camera system includes multiple detector modules, each comprising a gamma radiation sensitive material and arranged in layers formed by one or more detector modules. The layers are placed such that they interfere an incoming gamma ray in order to completely or partially absorb it after one or more Compton interactions and are spatially separated in order to allow for the determination of the temporal order of each gamma ray interaction inside the camera system. The camera system also includes read out electronics and a Data Acquisition System where signals from the detector modules will be readout, digitized and sent to a processing unit, which is capable to obtain the 3D position, energy and temporal sequential order of the individual interactions produced by a single incident gamma ray.

Abstract: A laser system is calibrated with a tomography system capable of measuring locations of structure within an optically transmissive material such as a tissue of an eye. Alternatively or in combination, the tomography system can be used to track the location of the eye and adjust the treatment in response to one or more of the location or an orientation of the eye. In many embodiments, in situ calibration and tracking of an optically transmissive tissue structure such as an eye can be provided. The optically transmissive material may comprise one or more optically transmissive structures of the eye, or a non-ocular optically transmissive material such as a calibration gel in a container or an optically transmissive material of a machined part.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an imaging radiation detection module with novel configuration of the scintillator sensor allowing for simultaneous optimization of the two key parameters: detection efficiency and spatial resolution, that typically cannot be achieved. The disclosed device is also improving response uniformity across the whole detector module, and especially in the edge regions. This is achieved by constructing the scintillation modules as hybrid structures with continuous (also referred to as monolithic) scintillator plate(s) and pixelated scintillator array(s) that are optically coupled to each other and to the photodetector.