Abstract: An audio distribution system includes an audio source; and a plurality of audio playback devices in communication with each other and with the audio source. A group of the audio playback devices are arranged to render audio content provided by the audio source in synchrony. One of the audio playback devices within the group is configured as an audio master which distributes audio content from the audio source to the other audio playback devices within the group, and one of the plurality of audio playback devices, other than the audio master, is configured as a clock master, which distributes clock information that the group of audio playback devices synchronizes to.

Abstract: A media-content augmentation system includes a processing system that receives input data in the form of temporally-varying events data. The processing system resolves the input into one or more categorized contextual themes, correlates the themes with metadata associated with at least one reference media file, and then splices or fades together selected parts of the media file, thus generating as an output, a media product in which transitions between its contextual themes are aligned with selected temporal events in the input data. The temporarily-varying events take the form of a beginning and an end in the case of a sustained feature, or a specific point in time for a hit point. A method aligns sections in digital media files with temporally-varying events data to compose a media product. The system augments a sensory experience of a user by dynamically changing and then playing selected media files within the context of the categorized themes input to the processing system.

Abstract: The disclosure describes various aspects of a system with scalable and programmable coherent waveform generators. A network and digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) cards used by the network are described where each DAC card has a clock divider/replicator device with an input SYNC pin, a digital logic component, and one or more DAC components, and each output of the DAC components is used to control optical beams for a separate qubit of a quantum information processing (QIP) system. The network also includes a first distribution network to provide a clock signal to the clock divider/replicator device in the DAC cards, and a second distribution network to provide a start signal to the DAC cards, where the start signal is used by the digital logic component in the DAC card to assert the input SYNC pin when the start signal is asserted unless it is masked by the digital logic component.

Abstract: A delivery device 1010 for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve 200, the delivery device including an inner shaft 1026, a distal sheath 1024 disposed about a portion of the inner shaft and forming a compartment 1023 with the inner shaft, the compartment being adapted to receive the prosthetic heart valve, the inner shaft and the distal sheath being movable relative to one another, and a handle 1020 including a frame 1030 having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the handle further including a deployment actuator 1021 and a hub 1100, each of the deployment actuator and the hub being independently capable of opening and closing the compartment, the hub further including a hub actuator 1600 coupled to the inner shaft.

Abstract: A property vector representing extractable measurable properties, such as musical properties, of a file is mapped to semantic properties for the file. This is achieved by using artificial neural networks “ANNs” in which weights and biases are trained to align a distance dissimilarity measure in property space for pairwise comparative files back towards a corresponding semantic distance dissimilarity measure in semantic space for those same files. The result is that, once optimised, the ANNs can process any file, parsed with those properties, to identify other files sharing common traits reflective of emotional perception, thereby rendering a more liable and true-to-life result of similarity/dissimilarity. This contrasts with simply training a neural network to consider extractable measurable properties that, in isolation, do not provide a reliable contextual relationship into the real-world.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein are for high throughput object handling and X-Ray screening systems. Material handling systems can adopt the proposed system to assist with the transportation of objects into X-Ray screening machines populated with lead curtains to curtail radiation emissions. The lead curtains associated with X-Ray screening machines can cause numerous problems to the safe and secure transportation of the objects. The systems and methods proposed control several aspects of the object handling to overcome the problems associated with the lead curtains. The system and methods results in the increase of system throughput, improved efficiency, reduction in line stoppages and general wear and tear. Systems can include a smart conveyor that assists objects through lead curtains using flights that are raised behind the trailing edge of the objects. The system can include smart conveyors and control systems that communicate with the X-Ray machine regarding the identity and status of the objects.

Abstract: A safety garment system including a garment having an interior side, an exterior side, a harness, a first handle, and a second handle. The harness is configured on the interior side of the garment. The first handle and the second handle are configured on the exterior side and are positioned on opposing sides at a shoulder portion of the garment. The garment can be used to safely drag a wearer to safety in an emergency using the harness, the first handle, and the second handle.

Abstract: Linear fiducials including notches or chevrons with known angles relative to each other are formed such that each branch of a chevron appears in a cross-sectional face of the sample as a distinct structure. Therefore, when imaging the cross-section face during the cross-sectioning operation, the distance between the identified structures allows unique identification of the position of the cross-section plane along the Z axis. Then a direct measurement of the actual position of each slice can be calculated, allowing for dynamic repositioning to account for drift in the plane of the sample and also dynamic adjustment of the forward advancement rate of the FIB to account for variations in the sample, microscope, microscope environment, etc. that contributes to drift. An additional result of this approach is the ability to dynamically calculate the actual thickness of each acquired slice as it is acquired.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring sural nerve conduction velocity and amplitude, the apparatus including a housing; stimulation means for electrically stimulating a human sural nerve; a biosensor comprising a plurality of electrodes for detecting a sural nerve response evoked by the stimulation means; acquisition means electrically connected to the biosensor for electrically acquiring the sural nerve response detected by the biosensor; processing means electrically connected to the acquisition means for digitizing, processing and storing the acquired sural nerve response; calculation means electrically connected to the processing means for calculating the conduction velocity and amplitude of the processed sural nerve response; and display means for displaying the sural nerve conduction velocity and amplitude; wherein the stimulation means and the biosensor are designed to be placed on a patient's anatomy, in the vicinity of a sural nerve.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide immunogenic compositions for protection against S. pneumoniae, in particular against S. pneumoniae serogroup 10A and 39, while limiting the number of conjugates. The present invention therefore relates to new immunogenic compositions for use in pneumococcal vaccines and to vaccination of human subjects, in particular infants and elderly, against pneumococcal infections using said immunogenic compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for sterile extraction, drying, storage, and transformation of immature and mature maize and monocot embryos. The present disclosure also describes a dried, storable, freezable value added maize and monocot explants.

Abstract: An angle of attack sensor includes a housing having an open end and a closed end, a faceplate positioned on the open end of the housing, the faceplate having an opening, a vane assembly extending through the opening of the faceplate, a vane shaft connected to the vane assembly and extending within the housing, the vane shaft having a bore extending through the vane shaft, a bearing surrounding the vane shaft, a vane shaft seal surrounding the vane shaft adjacent the bearing, and a first vent hole extending from an interior surface of the vane shaft to an exterior surface of the vane shaft between the bearing and a first end of the vane shaft seal, the first vent hole being in fluid communication with the bore of the vane shaft.

Abstract: A delivery device for smokable cannabis and a manufacturing method for same with a defined active cannabis compound. Plant material from a plurality of cannabis plants representing a plurality of cannabis cultivars is harvested based on parent cultivars' active cannabis compound profile. Plant material is shredded to a size range applicable to loading into a smokable device, measured proportions of plant materials are combined to produce a mixed batch with a projected desirable active cannabis compound profile. Material is then processed, analyzed, loaded into smokable delivery device, labeled and distributed.

Abstract: Generally, management of refrigerant in an evaporator of an HVAC chiller is described. Methods, systems, and apparatuses to manage refrigerant in an evaporator can include one or combination of the following approaches: (1) by use a refrigerant displacement array to physically prevent refrigerant from residing where the array is positioned; (2) by control of the interstitial velocity of refrigerant flow within the volume of the shell of an evaporator; (3) by a phase biased distribution of the refrigerant mixture, so that a gaseous portion is uniformly distributed into the evaporator shell, while liquid refrigerant and oil is distributed into the evaporator shell at a designated area; and (4) by preventing or reducing the occurrence of foaming inside the evaporator through anti-foaming surfaces, such as by the use of refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic material(s). Refrigerant management can in turn improve the thermal performance and overall efficiency of the evaporator.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products of audio processing based on Adaptive Intermediate Spatial Format (AISF) are described. The AISF is an extension to ISF that allows spatial resolution around an ISF ring to be adjusted dynamically with respect to content of incoming audio objects. An AISF encoder device adaptively warps each ISF ring during ISF encoding to adjust angular distance between objects, resulting in increase in uniformity of energy distribution around the ISF ring. At an AISF decoder device, matrices that decode sound positions to the output speaker take into account the warping that was performed at the AISF encoder device to reproduce the true positions of sound sources.

Abstract: Self-righting articles, such as self-righting capsules for administration to a subject, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may be configured such that the article may orient itself relative to a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). The self-righting articles described herein may comprise one or more tissue engaging surfaces configured to engage (e.g., interface with, inject into, anchor) with a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). In some embodiments, the self-righting article may have a particular shape and/or distribution of density (or mass) which, for example, enables the self-righting behavior of the article. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may comprise a tissue interfacing component and/or a pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery of the active pharmaceutical agent to a location internal of the subject).

Abstract: The mouth-guard, includes a body with a formation for extending around a portion of at least one of maxillary and mandibular teeth of a wearer and located against a portion of at least one of maxillary and mandibular teeth and at least at one of: an anterior teeth region of the wearer; a posterior teeth region of the wearer; and a position between the anterior and posterior teeth regions of the wearer. The mouth-guard includes a system for monitoring the mouth-guard's acceleration and communicates acceleration data to a monitoring station, and a power source for monitoring acceleration. The power source is embedded within the body and is located within a region that is at a posterior teeth region of the wearer. The system for monitoring acceleration is embedded within the body and is located within a region that is at a posterior teeth region of the wearer.

Abstract: A circuit device can be implemented, which includes a zener diode barrier composed of one or more zener diodes. The circuit device further includes one or more detection circuits electronically in series with the zener diode (or zener diodes) of the zener diode barrier. The zener diode barrier functions as an IS (Intrinsically Safe) barrier. The detection circuit (or circuits) facilitates the production of detailed information concerning different types of events detected by the detection circuit(s).

Abstract: This disclosure relates to computer-implemented management of first and second electronic documents, each of containing a sequence of content components. A user interface displays a first sequence of display elements to represent the first electronic document, and a second sequence of display elements to represent the second electronic document. Each of the display elements in each of the displayed sequences represents an individual content component or group of content components of the electronic document represented by that sequence. The first and second sequences are displayed alongside each other, with their respective display elements in an initial alignment, to allow a side-by-side comparison of the electronic documents. The user can automatically realign the sequences to a selected content component.

Abstract: A safety barrier for an excavating machine, the safety barrier including: a first body configured to be located adjacent an ecrind of a walkway of the excavating machine; and a second body moveably connected to the first body, the second body being configured to move between an access position and a closed position.