Abstract: This document provides methods and materials related to selected engineered analogs of atrial natriuretic peptides. For example, this document provides compositions that contain one or more selected engineered analogs of atrial natriuretic peptides provided herein and that have the ability to treat, prevent, or alleviate the symptoms of cardiovascular, cardiorenal, and metabolic disease.

Abstract: In one implementation, a method includes receiving a warped image representing simulated reality (SR) content (e.g., to be displayed in a display space), the warped image having a plurality of pixels at respective locations uniformly spaced in a grid pattern in a warped space, wherein the plurality of pixels are respectively associated with a plurality of respective pixel values and a plurality of respective scaling factors indicating a plurality of respective resolutions at a plurality of respective locations of the SR content (e.g., in the display space). The method includes processing the warped image in the warped space based on the plurality of respective scaling factors to generate a processed warped image and transmitting the processed warped image.

Abstract: Disclosed are an airport control decision support system and method based on semantic recognition of a controller instruction. The system includes a speech acquisition module, a noise processing module, a speech recognition module, a semantic recognition module, a conflict recognition module, and an alarm display terminal. The system can effectively eliminate accidents and potential accidents thereof caused by human factors in a control process, and can improve safety of aircraft ground operation. Different from ordinary speech recognition and semantic recognition, data annotation of pronunciation and intonation is performed based on special pronunciation of air traffic control, and finally a speech database that conforms to airport control standard phrases is constructed. The airport control decision support system is implemented by installing a speech acquisition device and the alarm display terminal in a control seat, and thus the system is economical and practical.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, device and system for tracking potential infected persons in a public place during an epidemic period. The method comprises: determining, according to associated information of a confirmed case, times of motions of the confirmed case in a public place and matching location information; searching for potential infected persons by means of video frame data provided by video monitoring devices in the public place based on an epidemic propagation mechanism; and tracking the potential infected persons based on multi-target tracking, and verifying the identity of the potential infected persons according to critical time nodes in the public place.

Abstract: Disclosed are an aircraft ground guidance system and method based on semantic recognition of a controller instruction. The system includes a semantic recognition module, a path generation and geographic information system (GIS) mapping module, and an aircraft guidance terminal module. The system can improve safety of aircraft ground operation, does not require manual operation of an aircraft guidance vehicle, can reduce construction, transformation, maintenance and operation costs, and meets airport control requirements, and a highly reliable, low-fault, economical and practical airport control decision support system and aircraft ground guidance system in an airport flight area are formed, improving the safety of aircraft ground operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for immersive and simultaneous animation in a mixed reality environment. Techniques disclosed represent a physical object, present at a scene, in a 3D space of a virtual environment associated with the scene. A virtual element is posed relative to the representation of the physical object in the virtual environment. The virtual element is displayed to users from a perspective of each user in the virtual environment. Responsive to an interaction of one user with the virtual element, an edit command is generated and the pose of the virtual element is adjusted in the virtual environment according to the edit command. The display of the virtual element to the users is then updated according to the adjusted pose. When simultaneous and conflicting edit commands are generated by collaborating users, policies to reconcile the conflicting edit commands are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for immersive and simultaneous animation in a mixed reality environment, Techniques disclosed represent a physical object, present at a scene, in a 3D space of a virtual environment associated with the scene. A virtual element is posed relative to the representation of the physical object in the virtual environment. The virtual element is displayed to users from a perspective of each user in the virtual environment. Responsive to an interaction of one user with the virtual element, an edit command is generated and the pose of the virtual element is adjusted in the virtual environment according to the edit command. The display of the virtual element to the users is then updated according to the adjusted pose. When simultaneous and conflicting edit commands are generated by collaborating users, policies to reconcile the conflicting edit commands are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to an audience engagement system and method to display images on a display. The method includes detecting a gaze direction of a designated viewer, rendering a gaze object within an image on a gaze axis corresponding to the gaze direction, rendering an audience object within the image on a normal axis corresponding to a display axis, composting the audience object and the gaze object together in a composited image, and displaying the composited image on the display.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for immersive and simultaneous animation in a mixed reality environment. Techniques disclosed represent a physical object, present at a scene, in a 3D space of a virtual environment associated with the scene. A virtual element is posed relative to the representation of the physical object in the virtual environment. The virtual element is displayed to users from a perspective of each user in the virtual environment. Responsive to an interaction of one user with the virtual element, an edit command is generated and the pose of the virtual element is adjusted in the virtual environment according to the edit command. The display of the virtual element to the users is then updated according to the adjusted pose. When simultaneous and conflicting edit commands are generated by collaborating users, policies to reconcile the conflicting edit commands are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to an audience engagement system and method to display images on a display. The method includes detecting a gaze direction of a designated viewer, rendering a gaze object within an image on a gaze axis corresponding to the gaze direction, rendering an audience object within the image on a normal axis corresponding to a display axis, composting the audience object and the gaze object together in a composited image, and displaying the composited image on the display.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for detecting questions in queries. it is determined whether a query comprises a substantially specific question. In one example, past queries related to the current query are used to validate a whether the query comprises the substantially specific question. In another example, query suggestions are used to validate whether the query comprises the substantially specific question.

Abstract: A ladle that can melt and freeze castable metal in a specific manner so that high quality liquid metal and metal alloys may be produced with minimum oxide and hydrogen content. Upon introduction of a quantity of molten metal into the ladle, staged heating and cooling of the molten metal promotes the liberation of previously-dissolved gases from the castable metal, resulting in significant decreases in as-cast porosity.

Abstract: A ladle that can melt and freeze castable metal in a specific manner so that high quality liquid metal and metal alloys may be produced with minimum oxide and hydrogen content. Upon introduction of a quantity of molten metal into the ladle, staged heating and cooling of the molten metal promotes the liberation of previously-dissolved gases from the castable metal, resulting in significant decreases in as-cast porosity.

Abstract: By determining an amount of a metal to be prepared into a slurry in its liquid state, thereafter applying a motion to the melted metal via a mechanical or physical means when at least a part of the melted metal reaches a temperature below the liquidus temperature and cooling the melted metal in a slurry preparing container to prepare the melted metal into a metal slurry in a semi-solid state, and by concurrently making the semi-solid metal slurry in the slurry preparing container with a shape to be kept almost unchanged, and feeding the semi-solid metal slurry in a state wherein the shape is nearly kept as it is into the shot sleeve/prechamber of the part making machine, a semi-solid metal slurry with the non-dendritic (spherical) primary crystal particles being fine and almost uniform can be fed into the part making machine, with no need of any specifically complex process but with a simple system and plain equipment. Thus, a shaped part with high quality can be produced.

Abstract: By determining an amount of a metal to be prepared into a slurry in its liquid state, thereafter applying a motion to the melted metal via a mechanical or physical means when at least a part of the melted metal reaches a temperature below the liquidus temperature and cooling the melted metal in a slurry preparing container to prepare the melted metal into a metal slurry in a semi-solid state, and by concurrently making the semi-solid metal slurry in the slurry preparing container with a shape to be kept almost unchanged, and feeding the semi-solid metal slurry in a state wherein the shape is nearly kept as it is into the shot sleeve/prechamber of the part making machine, a semi-solid metal slurry with the non-dendritic (spherical) primary crystal particles being fine and almost uniform can be fed into the part making machine, with no need of any specifically complex process but with a simple system and plain equipment. Thus, a shaped part with high quality can be produced.

Abstract: By determining an amount of a metal to be prepared into a slurry in its liquid state, thereafter applying a motion to the melted metal via a mechanical or physical means when at least a part of the melted metal reaches a temperature below the liquidus temperature and cooling the melted metal in a slurry preparing container to prepare the melted metal into a metal slurry in a semi-solid state, and by concurrently making the semi-solid metal slurry in the slurry preparing container with a shape to be kept almost unchanged, and feeding the semi-solid metal slurry in a state wherein the shape is nearly kept as it is into the shot sleeve/prechamber of the part making machine, a semi-solid metal slurry with the non-dendritic (spherical) primary crystal particles being fine and almost uniform can be fed into the part making machine, with no need of any specifically complex process but with a simple system and plain equipment. Thus, a shaped part with high quality can be produced.