Abstract: A method is provided for making food product ingredients from indigestible keratinous protein-containing material. The methods generally include adding an amount of cereal bran and/or one or more reducing sugars to the keratinous protein-containing material to provide a mixture and hydrolyzing the mixture. The methods generate fewer unpleasant odors, and food product ingredients produced by the method can similarly benefit. Antioxidants may also be added, and in such embodiments, even fewer off odors may be generated and/or palatability may be enhanced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a binocular disparity image are provided. A method of determining a disparity of a binocular disparity image that includes a left eye image and a right eye image includes acquiring features of a plurality of pixels of the binocular disparity image based on an event distribution of the binocular disparity image, calculating a cost matrix of matching respective pixels between the left eye image and the right eye image based on the features, and determining a disparity of each matched pair of pixels based on the cost matrix.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a big-model low-permeability microcrack core includes: (1) determining the size of a microcrack core to be manufactured; (2) placing stones in a baking oven to bake for 24h under 120° C., placing the stones into a mixer, mixing and spraying oil, enabling the oil to seep into the stone, evenly forming a thin oil film on stone's surface; (3) mixing the oil sprayed stone with quartz sand and cement, adding water to mix evenly to obtain cement paste; (4) spreading butter on core mold's inner surface to form a thin butter film, pouring the cement paste into the core mold to obtain a cement sample; (5) loading confining pressure outside the core according to the requirements of porosity and permeability of the mold to adjust a pore permeability value; (6) obtaining the big-model core with microcrack after the cement sample is dried and formed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for acquiring an image disparity are provided. The method may include acquiring, from dynamic vision sensors, a first image having a first view of an object and a second image having a second view of the object; calculating a cost within a preset disparity range of an event of first image and a corresponding event of the second image; calculating an intermediate disparity of the event of the first image and an intermediate disparity of the event of the second image based on the cost; determining whether the event of the first image is a matched event based on the intermediate disparity of the event of the first image and the intermediate disparity of the event of the second image; and predicting optimal disparities of all events of the first image based on an intermediate disparity of the matched event of the first imaged.

Abstract: Methods and kits for accurate determination of salivary levels of Abeta42 are provided. A method of analysing a saliva sample includes the steps of obtaining the saliva sample from a subject; stabilizing the saliva sample; measuring the level of Abeta42 present in the stabilized saliva sample by contacting the stabilized saliva sample with an antibody capable of binding to Abeta42; comparing the determined level of the Abeta42 present in the stabilized saliva with that of a control level of Abeta42 derived from a saliva sample of an unaffected control group sample; and displaying the comparison of the determined level and the control level, wherein the determined level relative being greater than the control level is indicative of Alzheimer's disease in the subject or the subject being at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: Augmented reality (AR) based component replacement and maintenance may include receiving a first wireless signal from a pair of AR glasses worn by a user. An image of a component viewed by the user may be analyzed and compared to a plurality of images of components stored in a database that includes information associated with the plurality of images of the components. Based on a match of the image of the component viewed by the user to one of the plurality of images of the components stored in the database, the component viewed by the user may be identified. An inventory of the identified component may be analyzed to determine whether a supplier includes the identified component in stock, and in response to a determination that the supplier includes the identified component in stock, an estimated time of delivery of the identified component to the user may be determined.

Abstract: Augmented reality (AR) based component replacement and maintenance may include receiving a first wireless signal from a pair of AR glasses worn by a user. An image of a component viewed by the user may be analyzed and compared to a plurality of images of components stored in a database that includes information associated with the plurality of images of the components. Based on a match of the image of the component viewed by the user to one of the plurality of images of the components stored in the database, the component viewed by the user may be identified. An inventory of the identified component may be analyzed to determine whether a supplier includes the identified component in stock, and in response to a determination that the supplier includes the identified component in stock, an estimated time of delivery of the identified component to the user may be determined.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a big-model low-permeability microcrack core includes: (1) determining the size of a microcrack core to be manufactured; (2) placing stones in a baking oven to bake for 24 h under 120° C., placing the stones into a mixer, mixing and spraying oil, enabling the oil to seep into the stone, evenly forming a thin oil film on stone's surface; (3) mixing the oil sprayed stone with quartz sand and cement, adding water to mix evenly to obtain cement paste; (4) spreading butter on core mould's inner surface to form a thin butter film, pouring the cement paste into the core mould to obtain a cement sample; (5) loading confining pressure outside the core according to the requirements of porosity and permeability of the mould to adjust a pore permeability value; (6) obtaining the big-model core with microcrack after the cement sample is dried and formed.

Abstract: Materials for, and methods of, colorizing a metallic surface with micro-gratings using vibration cutting technologies are provided. Micro-gratings on aluminum, brass, and stainless steel surfaces can be rapidly created to effect, under illumination, at least one color observable in the visible spectrum using elliptical vibration texturing, a vibration-assisted mechanical cutting process. The modified metallic surface can display multiple visible colors, an iridescent effect caused by changes in one or more cutting parameters employed to produce the micro-gratings, the angle of illumination by an incident light, and/or the viewing angle of the surface under illumination.

Abstract: A direct method for manufacturing a large model fractured core and maintaining original oil-water saturation, including the following steps: (1) determining the volume V, porosity ?, permeability K, oil saturation So, water saturation Sw and the like of a fractured core to be manufactured; (2) preparing simulated oil, and determining the used oil mass mo=Vo×?o; (3) under the circumstance of no consideration of oil saturation, acquiring the mass of the used water, cement and quartz sand; (4) while establishing oil saturation, acquiring the mass mw of water for manufacturing the core as mw=a?Vo×?w; (5) mixing oil, water and an emulsifier evenly to prepare an oil-in-water emulsion; (6) adding cement and quartz sand into the emulsion and stirring evenly to obtain cement slurry; (7) when a cement sample is in a semi-solidified state, cutting the cement sample with a steel wire; and (8) solidifying the cement sample to the end.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus and an object recognition method are provided. The object recognition method includes generating an input image based on an event flow of an object, generating a composite feature based on features extracted by a plurality of recognizers, and recognizing the object based on the composite feature.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an experimental loop system for fluidization exploitation of solid-state marine gas hydrate, comprising: four modules, namely a gas hydrate sample large-amount and rapid preparation module, a gas hydrate multi-scale smashing and slurry fidelity transfer module, a gas hydrate slurry pipeline conveying characteristic experiment module, and a data collection and monitoring and safety control module. The gas hydrate experimental loop device provided by the present disclosure may be used for researching the synthesis, decomposition, gas storage rate and phase equilibrium of gas hydrate, and researching the pipeline conveying flow resistance and heat transfer characteristics, and is significant for solving the blockage problem in the gas pipeline conveying process, storage and conveying of the gas hydrate, solid-state fluidization exploitation of the marine gas hydrate and pipeline conveying experimental simulation thereof.

Abstract: Materials for, and methods of, colorizing a metallic surface with micro-gratings using vibration cutting technologies are provided. Micro-gratings on aluminum, brass, and stainless steel surfaces can be rapidly created to effect, under illumination, at least one color observable in the visible spectrum using elliptical vibration texturing, a vibration-assisted mechanical cutting process. The modified metallic surface can display multiple visible colors, an iridescent effect caused by changes in one or more cutting parameters employed to produce the micro-gratings, the angle of illumination by an incident light, and/or the viewing angle of the surface under illumination.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-contact wire array tension control device for controlling a plurality of tension respectively corresponding to a plurality of electrical discharge wires, including delivering spools and electromagnets. The delivering spool has a magnetic end and a wire outputting end, the wire outputting end is coupled with an electrical discharge wire for outputting the electrical discharge wire. A plurality of electromagnets are coupled to the corresponding magnetic end for controlling a spin rate of the corresponding delivering spool, wherein the spin rate of the corresponding delivering spool is controlled by adjusting a magnetic force generated by the electromagnet. Moreover, a magnetic direction of the electromagnet is parallel to an axial direction of the delivering spool. The invention uses the electromagnets to control the magnetic damping force of the delivering spools for simultaneously controlling the tension of the electrical discharge wires by non-contact method.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for producing pancreatic beta cells in a subject. The methods include administering to the subject a vector encoding heterologous Pancreas duodenal homeobox protein (Pdx) 1 and MafA, wherein the vector does not encode Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) and wherein the subject is not administered any other nucleic acid encoding Ngn3. The vector is administered intraductally into a pancreatic duct of the subject. Compositions are disclosed that include a) a viral vector comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleic acids encoding Pdx1 and a nucleic acid encoding MafA, wherein the vector does not encode Ngn3; b) a buffer; and c) a contrast dye for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. These compositions are of use in any of the methods disclosed herein.

Abstract: An image deblurring method and an image deblurring apparatus are provided. The image deblurring method includes acquiring a blurred image and a dynamic vision sensor (DVS) event set that is recorded by a DVS while the blurred image is exposed, and deblurring the blurred image, based on the DVS event set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting an object using an event-based sensor is provided. An object detection method includes determining a feature vector based on target pixels and neighbor pixels included in an event image, and determining a target object corresponding to the target pixels based on the feature vector.

Abstract: Materials for, and methods of, colorizing a metallic surface with micro-gratings using vibration cutting technologies are provided. Micro-gratings on aluminum, brass, and stainless steel surfaces can be rapidly created to effect, under illumination, at least one color observable in the visible spectrum using elliptical vibration texturing, a vibration-assisted mechanical cutting process. The modified metallic surface can display multiple visible colors, an iridescent effect caused by changes in one or more cutting parameters employed to produce the micro-gratings, the angle of illumination by an incident light, and/or the viewing angle of the surface under illumination.

Abstract: A tornado shelter which meets the structural performance criteria of ICC, FEMA, ASCE, AISI, and ACI, produced from trapezoidal cold-formed steel panels.