Abstract: A mooring loop is operative to secure a movable device such as a ship in connection with a bollard or other fixed structure. The exemplary mooring loop includes a continuous rope segment that includes at least one coil or a plurality of coils. The rope segment defining the mooring loop includes an inner core surrounded by an outer jacket. A plurality of controlled failure points are included in the rope segment. The failure points enable the rope segment to permanently elongate in response to an applied tension force at a level above a working range, which elongation is visibly observable. The controlled failure point is defined between segmented ends of a severed inner core such that only the outer jacket is located at the controlled failure point.

Abstract: A video decoder decodes a first indication (190) indicating whether transform coefficients of a first transform coefficient block (921) corresponding to a first color component are encoded into a data stream. The decoder also decodes a second indication (190) indicating whether transform coefficients of a second transform coefficient block (922) corresponding to a second color component are encoded into the data stream using context-adaptive entropy decoding with a context selected based on the first indication for the first transform coefficient block (921). The decoder further derives a block (84) of the picture by, separately for the first color component and the second color component, a reverse transformation of the first transform coefficient block (921 and the second transform block (922, respectively.

Abstract: A medical analyzer and coagulation profiler performs various interrogations on specimens. A motor with reduction gearing moves and a video camera observes the samples, the cartridges or parts thereof. Changes in images are compared and recorded with a central processor that controls a display. Power supply, temperature controller, motor and gearing are mounted in a box which attaches to a smartphone. The smartphone provides the video camera, illumination and central processor that control the movement, temperature and display. The device makes testing simpler for small hospitals, clinics, ambulances, remote locations and individuals and controls a number of parallel or serial devices operating simultaneously or sequentially. A cartridge insertion actuates a circular motion to generate a blood profile based on changes. Change is analyzed with a video camera and processor such as in a smartphone and is plotted to show an amplitude and time. A smartphone provides a specific movement pattern.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine includes a display device, a player input interface configured to receive player input from a player; and a game controller configured to execute instructions. The instructions cause the processor to generate, based on a random number generator, at least one random number, query a lookup table of display symbols to be displayed in a grouped symbol position on the display device. At least one entry in the lookup table is associated with a plurality of single symbol positions and a weight, wherein the plurality of single symbol positions includes a population of partial symbols. A grouped symbol is displayed having a height at least two times the height of a single symbol position and comprising at least two of the partial symbols, the two partial symbols combining to display a complete symbol having a height at least two times the height of a single symbol position.

Abstract: A transaction is detected on a terminal. A context for an association of items, bags, shelving, carts, and individuals present during the transaction is maintained from images captured during the transaction. Rules are processed to determine actions to process during the transaction and/or after the transaction based on reported transaction details, the context, and analytics derived from the images for the context. In an embodiment, at least one rule identifies an action that overrides an attendant intervention at the terminal, which would have been issued for a detected weight discrepancy by a scale of the terminal.

Abstract: Aspects of disclosure provide a method for attaching wiring connections to a component using both design and field measured data of the component to produce accurate wiring connections.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for ascertaining the occupancy of a building are presented. The building is divided into one or more control zones which correspond to physical areas of the building associated with controllable modules, such as HVAC units, lighting, irrigation, or other environmental features such as fountains, music, video, and the like. Zone parameters define how zone devices shall react to the number of occupants located in the particular zone. A building control system detects individual mobile devices in and around the building, and determines the locations of each device by using trilateration and/or location services. The identified mobile devices act as proxies for building occupants. The locations of these devices are correlated with the locations of the zones in the building, and the building control system then adjusts the operating parameters of the zone based on the number of devices present in the zone.

Abstract: A beam shaping device (1; 31) comprising first (3; 33) and second (4; 37) optically transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer (2; 36) sandwiched there between, and first (5; 34) and second (6; 35) electrodes arranged on a side of the liquid crystal layer (2; 36) facing the first substrate (3; 34). The beam shaping device (1; 31) is controllable between beam-shaping states, each permitting passage of light through the beam-shaping device in a direction perpendicular thereto. The beam shaping device (1; 31) is configured in such a way that application of a voltage (V) across the first (5; 34) and second (6; 35) electrodes results in an electric field having a portion essentially parallel to the liquid crystal layer (2; 36) in a segment thereof between neighboring portions of the electrodes (5, 6; 34; 35) and extending substantially from the first substrate (3; 34) to the second (4; 35) substrate.

Abstract: A climbing practice board provides a panel having both threaded holes for the receipt of anchors and support holes allowing attachment of the practice board to a variety of elevated supports.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to compositions comprising diastereomer of a macrolide exhibiting improved therapeutic profile in the context of inhibiting cell proliferation compared to the corresponding compositions comprising mixture of diastereomers. The disclosure further provides drug-ligand conjugates formed using diastereomer of the macrolide. The disclosure also provides novel method of preparation of diastereomer of the macrolide and their therapeutic uses.

Abstract: Systems and methods of transmitting a multi-user (MU) wake-up packet in FDMA. In the wake-up setup stage, an STA informs the AP that it can resolve an MU wake-up packet transmitted in FDMA. Accordingly, AP allocates a frequency channel to the STA in a WUR setup response frame which indicates a channel offset relative to the primary channel. Moreover, if a WUR channel allocated to an STA is inaccessible or there is on pending wake-up signal for the STA, no wake-up signal is included in the MU wake-up packet while any other accessible allocated channels may still be utilized for transmitting the scheduled wake-up signals. During such a transmission, an inaccessible channel may be punctured; and an accessible channel having no pending wake-up signal may be used to carry an invalid wake-up signal or a legacy preamble followed with no wake-up signal.

Abstract: A sensing manipulator of an articulated arm is disclosed. The sensing manipulator includes a compliant section and a movement detection system provided along a first direction of the compliant section such that movement of the compliant section along both the first direction and at least one direction transverse to said first direction, are detectable by the movement detection system.

Abstract: Described are nicotine-degrading enzyme variants that exhibit increased nicotine-degrading activity and/or decreased immunogenicity relative to the wild-type NicA2 and NOX enzymes, compositions comprising the variants, and methods using them.

Abstract: A system includes one or more privacy vaults. At least one of the one or more privacy vaults is associated with at least one individual user, stores contents associated with the associated at least one individual user, and stores specific identification of a plurality of third-party entities, authorized to access at least a portion of the contents stored by the one or more privacy vaults, along with access permissions, one or more of the access permissions defined for each of the plurality of third-party entities. At least one of the access permissions defines accessibility of the contents for at least one of the plurality of third-party entities for which the at least one access permission is defined.

Abstract: A gate safety barrier system is provided for use at a loading dock to prevent accidental or inadvertent movement of a loading dock vehicle and/or personnel through an access passageway provided on the loading dock. The gate safety barrier includes a pair of bollards positioned on opposite sides of the passageway and a horizontal center member pivotally mounted on pivot bollard. The horizontal center member includes two sections connected together by means of a center hinge. The horizontal center member moves to close and block the passageway. When in the closed position the horizontal center member spans the distance between the bollards. The system provides safety, ease of use, and improved functionality which protect personnel while the assembly is being moved between closed blocked passageway to open unblocked passageway.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for spectroscopic analysis of biological material is provided that includes analyzing samples of biological material from a plurality of sources, and delivering samples of biological material to at least one flow cell for spectroscopy, and determining whether the spectroscopic analysis for each sample of the plurality of samples is or is predicted to be ambiguous in that it is affected by at least two non-discriminable factors. If such a determination is made, a disambiguating step can be performed.

Abstract: A system and method configured to enhance gameplay between users in an online game and to provide enhanced interest in virtual goods associated with collections of virtual goods through the ability to rotate drop rates associated with these virtual goods from time to time. The system and method includes the provision of functionality which allows providers of online games to periodically rotate drop rates associated with mystery boxes in order to maintain and/or generate additional interest in specific mystery boxes. As a result, it is possible for game operators to enhance revenue opportunities associated with these boxes even in the case where such boxes have been available for a relatively lengthy period of time and/or where players would have otherwise lost interest in specific boxes.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a switched-mode power supply is provided. The switched-mode power supply includes at least two output stages. Each output stage has a converter. A frequency of at least one of the output stages is modulated by way of a modulation unit configured to provide a modulation signal that is combined with a switching signal for driving a switching element of the converter of the at least one output stage.

Abstract: Various proposed schemes pertaining to interleaving of combinations of multiple resource units (RUs) in wireless local area networks (WLANs) are described. In one example, data in a service data unit (SDU) is processed. The process data is then transmitted to a receiving entity over at least some of a plurality of resource units (RUs). The processing of the data involves either: (i) performing tone mapping by using one joint tone interleaver on one or more combinations of multiple RUs of the plurality of RUs within one frequency segment of a predefined bandwidth; or (ii) performing tone mapping by using multiple tone interleavers on the one or more combinations of multiple RUs of the plurality of RUs over multiple frequency segments of the predefined bandwidth.

Abstract: A system for spraying plants comprises a location-determining receiver for estimating a position of a sprayer with respect to one or more rows of plants. A distance sensor is arranged to measure a distance between a nozzle assembly and a plant row segment. A guidance module is adapted to align the nozzle assembly with a target path between the rows of plants, such as a centered path between the rows, or offset between the rows of the plants. A first nozzle is targeted toward a first zone with respect to the plant row segment based on a first spray pattern of the first nozzle. A second nozzle is targeted toward a second zone with respect to the plant row segment based on a second spray pattern of the second nozzle. A nozzle selection module for selecting automatically a first nozzle or a second nozzle based on maximum coverage of a target zone around the plant segment based on the first zone, the second zone, and the measured distance.