Abstract: Dye-sensitized ion-pumping membranes and methods of preparing said membranes are described herein. A regenerative and reversible photoactive dye is covalently-bonded to membrane or separator for ion-pumping. The photoactive dye-functionalized membranes can be arranged with other ion-exchange membranes, which serve as selective contacts to afford photovoltaic action and therefore form a power-producing membrane that pumps ions for use in driving an ion-exchange or ion-transport process, such as desalination and electrodialysis.

Abstract: Generating talking points on behalf of a user and providing the talking points to the user is provided. Talking points can help users to quickly and easily start a personalized conversation that enables participants of the conversation to make a connection, thus eliciting better communication and collaboration. Talking points can be generated based on commitments or requests identified in a previous conversation, anomalies or patterns identified in context data, or information items of interest collected from various data sources. One or more top-ranking talking points are surfaced to the user to help the user start a new conversation or to continue a previous conversation.

Abstract: A liquid seal mating system to accommodate thermal expansion during elevated-temperature operation, including a collar, sized and shaped to receive a discharge end of a gas-delivery conduit and a fence that surrounds the collar and is attached thereto, wherein when installed, the collar accommodates thermal expansion of the gas-delivery conduit along a longitudinal axis of the gas-delivery conduit and limits movement of the gas-delivery conduit perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A method for suppressing bulk fluid motion in an elevated-temperature liquid seal, including attaching a mount to an outer shell of a liquid seal and receiving, within a mating collar, a discharge end of a gas-delivery conduit, the mating collar attached to the mount and being sized and shaped to accommodate thermal expansion of the gas-delivery conduit, filling the outer shell with liquid to submerge the discharge end of the gas-delivery conduit, and flowing gas through the gas-delivery conduit.

Abstract: Systems and methods related to engaging with a virtual assistant via ancillary input are provided. Ancillary input may refer to non-verbal, non-tactile input based on eye-gaze data and/or eye-gaze attributes, including but not limited to, facial recognition data, motion or gesture detection, eye-contact data, head-pose or head-position data, and the like. Thus, to initiate and/or maintain interaction with a virtual assistant, a user need not articulate an attention word or words. Rather the user may initiate and/or maintain interaction with a virtual assistant more naturally and may even include the virtual assistant in a human conversation with multiple speakers. The virtual assistant engagement system may utilize at least one machine-learning algorithm to more accurately determine whether a user desires to engage with and/or maintain interaction with a virtual assistant. Various hardware configurations associated with a virtual assistant device may allow for both near-field and/or far-field engagement.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to deferring a message based upon a target situation for message presentation. One example provides a computing device including an output subsystem including one or more output devices, an input subsystem including one or more user input devices, and a logic device. The computing device further includes memory storing instructions executable by the logic device to receive a message from a remote computing system, output a notification of the message via the output subsystem, and receive via the input subsystem a request for a deferral of the message, the request for the deferral including an annotation to be stored for a later presentation with the message.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for an interactive, intelligent hub built around the completion of a task. This hub brings together resources, information, suggested steps, and other automated assistance to facilitate the completion of the task. AI-based assistance may indicate which steps can be completed by automated processes, and dispatch those processes, or suggest resources to assist in the completion of other steps. The hub displays the current status of the task, and lives until the completion of the task, or abandonment by the user.

Abstract: A system and method to provide computer support for a meeting of invitees comprises accessing one or more sensory data streams providing digitized sensory data responsive to an activity of one or more of the invitees during the meeting, the one or more sensory data streams including at least one audio stream. The method also comprises subjecting the at least one audio stream to phonetic and situational computer modeling to recognize a sequence of words in the audio stream and to assign each word to an invitee, subjecting the sequence of words to semantic computer modeling to recognize a sequence of directives in the sequence of words, and releasing one or more output data streams based on the sequence of directives, the one or more output data streams including one or more notifications.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for scheduling a task of a user based on a cyber-physical-social (CPS) context of activities. The present disclosure is directed to increasing the efficiency of performing tasks by grouping tasks with the same or similar task CPS contexts so that they are performed in conjunction with one another. A stream of user activities is received that encompasses the CPS context, tasks are identified and classified based on a CPS context model. The CPS model is trained using CPS context and annotations for identified tasks as input to create classes of tasks. The classes of tasks from the model are used to group similar tasks. The present disclosure enables users to receive recommendations on clustering tasks with the same or similar contexts based on an online tool, a location, and collaborators to be performed together to improve productivity.

Abstract: A system and method to provide computer support for a meeting of invitees comprises accessing one or more sensory data streams providing digitized sensory data responsive to an activity of one or more of the invitees during the meeting, the one or more sensory data streams including at least one audio stream. The method also comprises subjecting the at least one audio stream to phonetic and situational computer modeling to recognize a sequence of words in the audio stream and to assign each word to an invitee, subjecting the sequence of words to semantic computer modeling to recognize a sequence of directives in the sequence of words, and releasing one or more output data streams based on the sequence of directives, the one or more output data streams including one or more notifications.

Abstract: A digital task document can include instructions for performing a task, and a task state data structure can indicate a state of completion of the task. A first update of the data structure can be performed in response to visual user input received from a user profile via a first computer application/device. A second update of the data structure can be performed in response to natural language input received from the user profile via the second computer application/device. A first set of task guidance can be provided to the user profile via the first application/device in a visual format by displaying the task document on a computer display. A second set of task guidance can be provided to the user profile via the second application/device in a natural language format. The first and second sets of task guidance can be provided using the task document and the data structure.

Abstract: A decorative interior trim piece is provided for use in a low voltage power transmission system, and includes an outer, decorative surface, an opposite inner surface facing a substrate, a first end surface and an opposite second end surface. At least one conductive element extends from the first end surface to said second end surface on the inner surface. Each conductive element has a connector surface at each of the first end and second ends. At least one magnetic fastener is secured to the inner surface for releasably attaching the trim piece to the substrate. A complementary low voltage power transmission system is also disclosed.

Abstract: A headwear system that allows changing the outward appearance of headwear such as a cap is disclosed. The system includes a fabric head covering having a securing mechanism on an interior surface of the fabric. A utility belt is inserted in the securing mechanism. The utility belt has a magnet. A decorative element having a ferrous material is attached to an exterior area of the headwear corresponding to a location of the magnet of the utility belt on the interior surface of the fabric head covering.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for directing the flow of fluids via a production tree. The production tree extends upwardly from a lower surface to an upper surface and at least partially enclosing an upper section of a production bore and an upper section of an annulus bore, wherein one of a lower section and the upper section of the production bore includes a first production valve, the upper section of the production bore includes a second production valve, and the upper section of the annulus bore includes a second annulus valve.

Abstract: Biases in search and retrieval (i.e., situations where searchers seek or are presented with information that significantly deviates from the truth) may be detected by comparison to one or more authoritative sources. Once bias or potential bias is detected, techniques may be applied to indicate and/or compensate for the bias. Such techniques may allow users to more easily assess the veracity of search results, and increase the chances that users will locate accurate answers to their questions.

Abstract: A digital task document can include instructions for performing a task, and a task state data structure can indicate a state of completion of the task. A first update of the data structure can be performed in response to visual user input received from a user profile via a first computer application/device. A second update of the data structure can be performed in response to natural language input received from the user profile via the second computer application/device. A first set of task guidance can be provided to the user profile via the first application/device in a visual format by displaying the task document on a computer display. A second set of task guidance can be provided to the user profile via the second application/device in a natural language format. The first and second sets of task guidance can be provided using the task document and the data structure.

Abstract: Biases in search and retrieval (i.e., situations where searchers seek or are presented with information that significantly deviates from the truth) may be detected by comparison to one or more authoritative sources. Once bias or potential bias is detected, techniques may be applied to indicate and/or compensate for the bias. Such techniques may allow users to more easily assess the veracity of search results, and increase the chances that users will locate accurate answers to their questions.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to antibodies, activatable antibodies, multispecific antibodies, and multispecific activatable antibodies that specifically bind to at least CD3, as well as to methods of making and using these antibodies, activatable antibodies, multispecific antibodies, and/or multispecific activatable antibodies in a variety of therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic indications.

Abstract: Membranes for electrochemical technologies that operate at non-extreme acidic or basic conditions are described herein. The membrane can be a bipolar membrane having an anion-exchange layer, a cation-exchange layer, and a polymer layer containing a catalyst juxtaposed between the two layers. The catalyst can improve the rate for water dissociation and water formation at low applied bias thereby decreasing the overpotential and resistance for overall ion transport, especially when unequal pH values are used between the catholyte and anolyte.

Abstract: A staged gas injection system for a flare tip that can discharge waste gas into a combustion zone is provided. The staged gas injection system includes, for example, a first gas injection assembly and a second stage gas injection assembly. The first gas injection assembly is configured to inject a gas (for example steam or a gas other than steam) at a high flow rate and a high pressure into the flare tip or the combustion zone. The second gas injection assembly is configured to inject a gas (for example, steam and/or a gas other than steam) at a low flow rate and a high pressure into the flare tip or the combustion zone. A flare tip including the staged gas injection system is also provided.