Abstract: Techniques for training local decoders for use in a local and global decoding scheme for quantum error correction of circuit-level noise within quantum surface codes such that the decoding schemes have fast decoding throughout and low latency times for quantum algorithms are disclosed. The local decoders may have a neural network architecture and may be trained using training data sets comprising simulated rounds of syndrome measurements for respective simulated quantum surface codes in addition to information such as syndrome differences, qubit placements, and temporal boundaries within the simulated rounds of syndrome measurements in order to train the local decoders for arbitrarily sized quantum surface codes and arbitrary numbers of rounds of syndrome measurements. Following a local decoding stage in which a large number of data errors have been corrected by a local decoder, error correction for remaining errors may continue with a more efficient global decoding stage.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing a local neural network and global decoding scheme for quantum error correction of circuit-level noise within quantum surface codes such that the decoding schemes have fast decoding throughout and low latency times for quantum algorithms are disclosed. A local neural network decoder may be pre-trained via a supervised learning technique such that the local neural network decoder may be applied for error correction in the presence of circuit-level noise in arbitrarily sized surface codes in a local decoding stage. Prior to a global decoding stage, an intermediate stage may be used to remove vertical pairs of highlighted vertices within the matching graph, which may reduce a syndrome density within the matching graph to allow for faster decoding at the global decoding stage. Such an intermediate stage may include application of a syndrome collapse or vertical cleanup technique.

Abstract: A method for training a control policy. The method includes estimating the variance of a value function which associates a state with a value of the state or a pair of state and action with a value of the pair by solving a Bellman uncertainty equation, wherein, for each of multiple states, the reward function of the Bellman uncertainty equation is set to the difference of the total uncertainty about the mean of the value of the subsequent state following the state and the average aleatoric uncertainty of the value of the subsequent state and biasing the control policy in training towards regions for which the estimation gives a higher variance of the value function than for other regions.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to biodegradable ureteral stents comprising an anti-cancer drug, and to a composition for use in medicine that may be used to ensure patency of a channel, namely a mammal ureter, for example, an obstructed ureter by a urinary stone, neoplasia or by a surgical procedure. The biodegradable ureteral stents (BUS) disclosed in the present disclosure unexpectedly allow a proper release of anti-cancer drugs, thus extending the duration of the treatment and increasing the efficacy of the treatment.

Abstract: The use of tocotrienols in medicine, veterinary or cosmetics, namely through the stabilization of tocotrienols, in particular in cosmetic formulations without hampering its functions in the skin is provided. In particular, the modification of tocotrienols with nicotinic acid results in the stabilization of the molecule and the penetration profile in human skin. The compounds and composition of are useful in medicine, veterinary or cosmetic industry namely in the prevention, therapy or treatment of skin diseases, skin disorders, or as a therapy or treatment of acne, seborrheic dermatitis or as an anti-aging agent.

Abstract: A computer-implemented control method of constrained controlling of a computer-controlled system. The system is controlled according to a control input, which is safe if a constraint quantity resulting from the controlling of the computer-controlled system exceeds a constraint threshold. A current control input is determined based on previous control inputs and corresponding previous noisy measurements. The computer-controlled system is controlled according to the current control input, thereby obtaining a current noisy measurement of the resulting constraint quantity. The current control input is determined based on a mutual information between a first random variable representing the constraint quantity resulting from the current control input and a second random variable indicating whether a further control input is safe.

Abstract: A captured image contains a region of interest (ROI) including a plurality of characters to be recognized as text, and non-ROI content to be excluded from the OCR. The captured image is preprocessed to detect and locate the ROI in the captured image, and to determine a boundary of the ROI, including transforming the captured image to a first feature descriptor representation (FDR), and performing a comparison between the first FDR and at least one ROI template that includes at least a second FDR of a representative ROI image. The preprocessing produces an output to be provided to an OCR engine to perform autonomous OCR processing of the ROI while ignoring the non-ROI content based on the determined boundary of the ROI.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer implemented method for providing in advance information on driving actions for improving the global efficiency of a vehicle. The method comprising the steps of receiving vehicle technical data (VTD) from a VTD processor at a processing device; generating local information at the processing device from the received VTD and processing device information generated by the processing device; creating remote information at a remote server from the processing device information, external data provider information coming from one or more external data providers and client logistic information; and presenting the remote information and optionally the local information to the driving agent in advance of the driving action using the processing device. A system for carrying out said method comprising at least one processing device connected to a remote server is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a silk-fibroin ink suitable for 3D printing. The ink for 3D printing now disclosed may be used in chemical and pharma industries, medicine, engineering, manufacturing namely for the production of capsules, fibres, membranes, particles, scaffolds, medical devices, microfluidic devices and patient-specific implants.

Abstract: One general aspect includes a system to translate language exhibited on a publicly viewable sign, the system including: a memory configured to include one or more executable instructions and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions, where the executable instructions enable the processor to carry out the steps of: reviewing the sign; translating relevant information conveyed on the sign from a first language to a second language; and producing an output in an interior of a vehicle, the output based on the second language of the relevant information.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method and apparatus for determining a preferred off-road vehicle path including a lidar operative to generate a depth map of an off road surface, a camera for capturing an image of the off road surface, a processor operative to receive the depth map, determine a vehicle path in response to the depth map and a host vehicle characteristic, combine a graphical representation of the vehicle path with the image to generate an augmented image, and a display to display the augmented image to a host vehicle operator.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composition for the release of the bioactive substance comprising: sucrose acetate isobutyrate dissolved in an ionic liquid and an additive selected from the list consisting of: chitin, silk fibroin, cellulose, alginate, chitosan, gellan gum, dextrin, collagen, guar gum, carregeenan, heparin, kefiran, or mixtures thereof. By taking advantage of the properties of an ionic liquid (IL), in particular 1-butyl-imidazolium acetate (BMIMAc), it was possible to achieve a good dissolution of SAIB, which combined with chitin and/or silk, natural polymers, allows the development of the structures with different shape and sizes.

Abstract: A system comprises fuel consumption prediction circuitry and user interface circuitry. The fuel consumption prediction circuitry is operable to receive trip constraints for a trip to be made by a vehicle, and vehicle information for the vehicle. The fuel consumption prediction circuitry is operable to generate, based on the trip constraints and the vehicle information, a first trip option having a first predicted travel time and a first predicted fuel consumption, and a second trip option having a second predicted travel time and a second predicted fuel consumption. The fuel consumption prediction circuitry is operable to communicate the first trip option and the second trip option to user interface circuitry. The user interface circuitry is operable to receive the first trip option and the second trip option and present the options to a user.

Abstract: Stents and methods for producing stents are provided. The stent includes a polymeric substrate comprised of 10-50% (w/w) of alginate and 45-85% (w/w) of gelatine and further includes a polymeric biodegradable resin for coating said polymeric substrate. The stent can also include a contrast agent. The stent can further include a crosslinking agent. The method for producing the stent includes dissolving the alginate and gelatine in water and stirring to obtain a polymeric substrate. The method also includes adding a crosslinking agent to the substrate, injecting the substrate into a mold to obtain the stent, placing the stent in a first alcohol solution, and placing the stent in a crosslinking agent solution. The method further includes placing the stent in a second alcohol solution, and a series of interchanging drying and immersing steps.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method and apparatus for determining a preferred off-road vehicle path including a lidar operative to generate a depth map of an off road surface, a camera for capturing an image of the off road surface, a processor operative to receive the depth map, determine a vehicle path in response to the depth map and a host vehicle characteristic, combine a graphical representation of the vehicle path with the image to generate an augmented image, and a display to display the augmented image to a host vehicle operator.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to gellan gum and gellan gum-based hydrogels (GG-based hydrogels) for promoting chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells, preferentially osteogenic. The present disclosure also relates to a composition for use in bone, cartilage and soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, preferably for use in bone.

Abstract: One general aspect includes a system to translate language exhibited on a publicly viewable sign, the system including: a memory configured to include one or more executable instructions and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions, where the executable instructions enable the processor to carry out the steps of: reviewing the sign; translating relevant information conveyed on the sign from a first language to a second language; and producing an output in an interior of a vehicle, the output based on the second language of the relevant information.

Abstract: An auto-encoder is configured to verify character detection and/or classification results generated by an automated optical character recognition system. The auto-encoder may be trained to reconstruct visual representations of the detected character, and a determination of whether the character detection result comprises a true positive or false positive may be based on a reconstruction error between the image data in which the character was detected and a reconstructed image generated by the auto-encoder.

Abstract: A captured image contains a region of interest (ROI) including a plurality of characters to be recognized as text, and non-ROI content to be excluded from the OCR. The captured image is preprocessed to detect and locate the ROI in the captured image, and to determine a boundary of the ROI, including transforming the captured image to a first feature descriptor representation (FDR), and performing a comparison between the first FDR and at least one ROI template that includes at least a second FDR of a representative ROI image. The preprocessing produces an output to be provided to an OCR engine to perform autonomous OCR processing of the ROI while ignoring the non-ROI content based on the determined boundary of the ROI.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composition of at least one predominantly positively charged polyelectrolyte polymer and at least one predominantly negatively charged polyelectrolyte polymer, a preferred composition comprises poly-L-lysine and a gellan gum, preferably a methacrylate gellan gum. The present subject-matter further relates to methods for generating composition of the present disclosure and to uses of a mixture according to the disclosure for biomedical applications such as cellular and acellular systems for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications or as drug delivery systems, for the treatment of several diseases namely diabetes mellitus.