Abstract: An optical lens assembly for a near-eye display device includes a light box and a diffractive optical element (DOE). The light box has a first layer facing a display screen of the near-eye display device and a second layer facing the DOE. The light box is configured to receive a first light from a display screen of the near-eye display device and transmit at least a portion of the first light to the DOE through a folded optical path, where the first layer and the second layer are flat. The DOE aligned with an optical axis of an eye and is configured to receive a second light from the light box and converge the second light to the eye.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for recovering at least one product from a fermentation broth. The invention relates to the use of a vacuum distillation vessel to recover products, such as ethanol, from a fermentation broth, where the fermentation broth comprises viable microbial biomass, and where the recovery of the product is completed in such a manner to ensure the viability of the microbial biomass. The invention provides for product recovery at an effective rate so as to prevent the accumulation of product in the fermentation broth. To ensure the viability of the microbial biomass, the invention is designed to reduce the amount of stress on the microbial biomass. By ensuring the viability of the microbial biomass, the microbial biomass may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in an increased efficiency of the fermentation process.

Abstract: A method of machining ceramic matrix composite components includes providing an ultrasonic vibration tool having a tool tip, and exciting the tool by providing a control current, such that the tool tip is repeatedly vibrated towards and away from a ceramic matrix composite workpiece. A slurry feed is supplied including abrasive particles to a surface to be machined by the tool tip. A vibration amplitude of the tool tip is controlled by sensing load on the tool and communicating with a computing device. The computing device controls the vibration amplitude of the tool tip. The computing device is provided with at least one memory programmed with historic data, and is operable to modify the vibration amplitude signal being sent to the tool, and comparing resulting load levels due to the change in vibration amplitude signals, and storing the change in vibration amplitude signals at the memory.

Abstract: Generally described, one or more aspects of the present application correspond to systems and techniques for spectral imaging using a multi-aperture system with curved multi-bandpass filters positioned over each aperture. The present disclosure further relates to techniques for implementing spectral unmixing and image registration to generate a spectral datacube using image information received from such imaging systems. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to using such a datacube to analyze the imaged object, for example to analyze tissue in a clinical setting, perform biometric recognition, or perform materials analysis.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating single-stranded DNA circles from a biological sample. The method comprises the steps of: treating the biological sample with an extractant to release nucleic acids, thereby forming a sample mixture; neutralizing the extractant; denaturing the released nucleic acids to generate single-stranded nucleic acids; and contacting the single-stranded nucleic acids with a ligase that is capable of template-independent, intramolecular ligation of single-stranded DNA to generate the single-stranded DNA circles. All the steps of the method are performed without any intermediate nucleic acid isolation or nucleic acid purification. The single-stranded DNA circles may be amplified and further analyzed. Also provided is a kit which comprises compositions for carrying out the novel methods.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to cinnolinyl and quinolinyl pyrazol-4-yl-pyridine compounds which are allosteric modulators of the M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. The present invention is also directed to uses of the compounds described herein in the potential treatment or prevention of neurological and psychiatric disorders and diseases in which M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are involved. The present invention is also directed to compositions comprising these compounds. The present invention is also directed to uses of these compositions in the potential prevention or treatment of such diseases in which M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are involved.

Abstract: A method for controlling a near eye display system, includes obtaining an eye movement of a user wearing the near eye display system using an eye tracking sensor of the near eye display system, determining a target area of a display of the near eye display system based on the eye movement of the user, the target area of the display being an area that the user is looking at, and controlling a brightness of the target area of the display of the near eye display system to cause a size of a pupil of the user to be in a predetermined range.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification of new therapeutic methods for the FGF21 polypeptide or protein, or mutants, variants, and fusions thereof, for instance, in treating metabolic diseases associated defects in insulin signaling (e.g. insulin receptor mutation disorders (INSR disorders) and/or autoimmune insulin receptor disorders (Type B insulin Resistance)), defects in insulin production such as type 1 diabetes mellitus, mixed dyslipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and other metabolic disorders, and various lipodystrophies such as HIV-HAART induced partial-lipodystrophy, and in reducing the mortality and morbidity of critically ill patients.

Abstract: A telemetry system is disclosed for use in a wellbore extending from the surface. The telemetry system includes fiber optic cable locatable in the wellbore, the fiber optic cable including at least one optical fiber. The telemetry system also includes a telemetry device operable to transmit an optical telemetry signal over the fiber optic cable. An optical detector operably connected to the optical fiber and includes a single-photon detector operable to receive the optical telemetry signal transmitted over the optical fiber.

Abstract: The calibration system of the farming machine receives images from each camera of the camera array. The images comprise visual information representing a view of a portion of an area surrounding the farming machine. To calibrate a pair of cameras including a first camera and second camera, the calibration system determines a relative pose between the pair of cameras by extracting relative position and orientation characteristics from visual information in both an image received from the first camera and an image received from the second camera. The calibration system identifies a calibration error for the pair of cameras based on a comparison of the relative pose with an expected pose between the first pair of cameras. The calibration system transmits a notification to an operator of the farming machine that describes the calibration error and instructions for remedying the calibration error.

Abstract: Machine learning systems and methods are disclosed for prediction of wound healing, such as for diabetic foot ulcers or other wounds, and for assessment implementations such as segmentation of images into wound regions and non-wound regions. Systems for assessing or predicting wound healing can include a light detection element configured to collect light of at least a first wavelength reflected from a tissue region including a wound, and one or more processors configured to generate an image based on a signal from the light detection element having pixels depicting the tissue region, determine reflectance intensity values for at least a subset of the pixels, determine one or more quantitative features of the subset of the plurality of pixels based on the reflectance intensity values, and generate a predicted or assessed healing parameter associated with the wound over a predetermined time interval.

Abstract: A robotic cleaner includes a housing, a suction conduit with an opening, and a leading roller mounted in front of a brush roll. An inter-roller air passageway may be defined between the leading roller and the brush roll wherein the lower portion of the leading roller is exposed to a flow path to the suction conduit and an upper portion of the leading roller is outside of the flow path. Optionally, a combing unit includes a plurality of combing protrusions extending into the leading roller and having leading edges not aligned with a center of the leading roller. Optionally, a sealing strip is located along a rear side of the opening and along a portion of left and right sides of the opening. The underside may define side edge vacuum passageways extending from the sides of the housing partially between the leading roller and the sealing strip towards the opening.

Abstract: A method for remotely bonding a companion device to an implanted medical device to achieve long-term encrypted and authenticated communication channel, that is resilient to companion device failure or compromise and hence mitigates the risk or need for unplanned, revision surgery and/or premature device explanation. Through use of a shared cryptographic key between the two systems, the companion device may request an encrypted challenge number from the implant. Completing the challenge via transmitting an encrypted validation number permits the implanted medical device to bond and perform a new long-term key exchange. The shared cryptographic key can be changed as well, in event of compromise or other adverse event, using a described device firmware update procedure.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for the integration of a gas fermentation process with a gasification process whereby tail gas from the gas fermentation process is recycled to a dryer of the gasification process. The tail gas from the gas fermentation process is utilized to generate heat which in turn is used to dry feedstock to the gasification process. The heat is typically used to heat a drying gas, such as air, which is then directly or indirectly contacted with the gasification feedstock to dry the gasification feedstock. Dried gasification feedstock provides improved yield and improved quality of syngas as compared to gasification feedstock that is not dried.

Abstract: A technique is provided for determining a loss risk assessment score for a vehicle trip. The technique includes, at a vehicle, a computing device receiving first information indicative of operation of the vehicle. The technique also includes, at the vehicle, the computing device receiving second information indicative of an environment at a particular location and time. The computing device correlates the first information and the second information to generate a data set. The technique also includes determining a score for the vehicle trip based at least in part upon the generated data set.

Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus including a body defining an agitation chamber, an agitator partially disposed within the agitation chamber and configured to rotate about a pivot axis, and a debrider at least partially disposed within the agitation chamber. The agitator includes an elongated body having a first and a second end, a sidewall extending radially outward from the elongated body extending between the first and the second ends, and a plurality of bristles extending radially outward from the elongated body. The plurality of bristles are arranged in at least one row adjacent to the sidewall. The debrider includes a plurality of teeth configured to contact a portion of the sidewall as the agitator rotates about the pivot axis.

Abstract: Provided are X-ray and metal detectable thermoset composites and methods of detecting the same. The present X-ray and metal detectable thermoset composites may be formed into trays, sheets, or other substrates suitable for use in food or pharmaceutical processing or manufacturing.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for scene change detection for use with bit-rate control of a video compression system. The method and apparatus may be used for scene change detection in intra-coded and/or inter-coded pictures. The method comprises the steps of: compressing each picture in a video signal in turn; determining complexity data from the compressed signal for each picture after partial compression of the picture; determining from the complexity data whether a scene change may have taken place; and adjusting the compression step and allocated compressed bit number for pictures after a scene change detection in dependence on the result of the determination. For an intra-coded picture, the complexity data is a monotonically increasing function of a quantisation parameter and a compressed bit number used in the compression step for the partial compression from which the complexity data is determined.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for video edge filtering in which a buffer stores pixels required for edge filtering from a plurality of macroblocks. An input tile buffering unit comprising a plurality of dual port tile buffers receives tile portions of each macroblock. These are transposed selectively and provided to a programmable edge filter which performs one dimensional edge filtering on the tile portions. The filtered edges are then selectively transposed in a opposite manner to the first transpose unit and provided to an output buffer as well as provided back to the dual port tile buffers for use in further filtering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for performing overlap transform and deblocking of a decompressed video signal. The video image is sub-divided into a plurality of non-overlapping macroblocks, each of which comprises a plurality of smaller sub-blocks. Each macroblocks comprises two luminance partitions and one chrominance partition. Each partition is buffered and further buffering is provided for sub-blocks of each partition. Overlap transform and deblocking are performed by buffering sub-blocks from current partitions and sub-blocks from partitions from adjacent macroblocks. Overlap transform is performed in the current macroblock for buffered sub-blocks and deblocking is performed for blocks in the adjacent macroblocks.