Abstract: A pyrolysis plant 20 comprises a grinding pyrolyser 22, being a machine or apparatus in which both particle size reduction and pyrolysis occur simultaneously. Plant 20 also comprises a bin (hopper) 30 for holding wet particulate biomass feedstock. Chute 32 leads from the bin 30 to a biomass dryer 34 which reduces moisture content of the feedstock as low as possible, e.g., to below about 10. Dried feedstock is conveyed from dryer 34 via line 36 to a dried biomass feedstock hopper 38. Dried feedstock is fed from hopper 38 into a chute 40 which leads to an inlet trunnion 42 of grinding pyrolyser 22. A discharge trunnion 44 of grinding pyrolyser 22 leads to a char holder 60 for collecting char particles and a condensation train 62 for condensing vapour generated by the pyrolysis to produce oil.

Abstract: A method for controlling operation of a resonant converter is to be implemented by a control module that generates a drive signal for controlling a power switch of the resonant converter to thereby control an output voltage and an output current provided by the resonant converter to a load. The method includes: (A) configuring the control module to determine if the load is operating in a first mode or a second mode; (B) configuring the control module to generate the drive signal according to the output voltage when the control module determines that the load is operating in the first mode; and (C) configuring the control module to generate the drive signal according to the output current when the control module determines that the load is operating in the second mode.

Abstract: A system and a method for progressive queries, which are a sequence of queries for visual search of an image, sent from a sender to a receiver of a communication network, are disclosed. Queries based on a set of feature points and their associated locations of an image may be selected in sequence. A sender sends a first query to a receiver, wherein the first query comprises a number of feature points which is a subset of the set of feature points of the image invariant to rotation and scaling in creating the image. The sender receives a feedback from the receiver, wherein the feedback is generated by the receiver based on searching an image repository using information from the first query. The sender then decides whether there is a match of the image in the image repository based on the received feedback.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a multimedia queue management solution that maintaining graceful Quality of Experience (QoE) degradation are provided. The method selects a frame from all weighted queues based on a gradient function indicating a network performance rate change and a distortion rate caused by the frame and its related frames in the queue, and dropping the selected frame and all its related frames, and continues to drop similarly chosen frame until a network performance rate change caused by the dropping frame and its related frames meets a predetermined performance metric. A frame gradient is a distortion rate divided by a network performance rate change caused by the frame and its related frames, and a distortion rate is based on a sum of each individual frame distortion rate when the frame and its related frames are replaced by some other frames derived from remaining frames based on a replacement method.

Abstract: A method of coding video content. The method can include, identifying a first plurality of image blocks within a picture based on at least a first image characteristic that is common to each of the first plurality of image blocks. A first image block group can be dynamically defined. At least one of the image blocks can be selected as a predictor block to predict other image blocks within the first image block group. In another arrangement, at least a first image block and a second image block can be identified within a picture. The second image block can be predicted from the first image block. A displacement vector can be defined to associate the second image block with the first image block. A value representing the displacement vector can be included within a header of the second image block.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing an image generate a first vector of a first number dimension for the image from a first number of points of the image based on topological information of the first number of points, and the first vector for the image is invariant to rotation and scaling in creating the image. The first number of points may be locations of a set of rotation and scaling invariant feature points for the image, and the generated first vector may be a graph spectrum of a pair-wise distance matrix generated from the first number of points of the image.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing an image generates, using a linear embedding operator, a second set of feature points from a first set of feature points of the image, so that a pair-wise nearest neighbor (NN) topological relationship among the first set of feature points is preserved in the second set of feature points. The linear embedding operator is determined by an affinity model comprising a first affinity parameter, a second affinity parameter, and an affinity matrix, wherein a sparsity of the affinity matrix is controlled by the first affinity parameter and the second affinity parameter.

Abstract: A system and method for quality of experience estimation are provided. A method for communications device operations includes selecting a portion of a media content stream, processing the portion to produce a processed portion, generating a signature from the processed portion, transmitting the signature, and transmitting the media content stream.

Abstract: An embodiment of an apparatus to authenticate a sequence of video frames includes a process to choose intra-frames of the sequence and sample DC components thereof to produce a set of test fingerprints. To reduce a dimensionality of the test fingerprints, the DC components of the chosen intra-frames are multiplied by a projection matrix formed of eigenvectors associated with the larger eigenvalues of a covariance matrix for a library of frames. The projected test fingerprints are compared against a reference set of fingerprints for authentication. Time-stamp spacings of the chosen intra-frames are determined, and these spacings are employed to select candidate frames for authentication in the reference set of fingerprints.

Abstract: The invention encompasses novel compositions containing a methylation modifying compound isolated from botanical raw materials, including a fruit of the genus Coffea, and microbial raw materials, methods of making such compositions, and methods of treating or preventing human disease using such compositions. The methylation modifying compound in botanical extracts of the present invention can dramatically increase the level of methylation of PP2A, thus increasing cognitive function, particularly in persons suffering from or prone to developing Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: A one-piece core-making technique used in producing railway truck bolsters and side frames, which includes the following steps: 1. After scraping the top of a core box, applying a shaped top mould (11), which is precisely located, from top to bottom. 2. Press or slightly hit the top mould (11) to make sure the top mould covers/caps the scraping surface. 3. Keep pressing to make sure that the flat scraping surface was pressed to a required curved shape, like the shape of the top mould (11). 4. Last, it will become a one-piece core with a partially integrated inner cavity section. The one-piece core made by this technique has a smooth surface. This technique also can improve the internal quality of the product and ease work intensity.

Abstract: A method for controlling operation of a resonant converter is to be implemented by a control module that generates a drive signal for controlling a power switch of the resonant converter to thereby control an output voltage and an output current provided by the resonant converter to a load. The method includes: (A) configuring the control module to determine if the load is operating in a first mode or a second mode; (B) configuring the control module to generate the drive signal according to the output voltage when the control module determines that the load is operating in the first mode; and (C) configuring the control module to generate the drive signal according to the output current when the control module determines that the load is operating in the second mode.

Abstract: A power factor correction controller is utilized for a power factor correction circuit in a critical conduction mode of an electric power converter. The power factor correction controller generates a control voltage according to an output voltage outputted from the electric power converter, and utilizes a first threshold value to detect the control voltage. The power factor correction controller can control the power factor correction circuit to operate in different modes according to various levels of a load. Therefore, an objective according to the present invention for reducing electric power consumption of the electric power converter in a light load or a no-load mode and improving energy transmission efficiency can be attained.

Abstract: Disclosed are compositions for promoting general health and well-being, comprising an extract of a botanical raw material, wherein said extract inhibits the carboxyl demethylating activity of a protein phosphatase, and methods of making and using same.

Abstract: An integer cored craftwork of lorry with swing bolster and sideframe includes: a baroque top mold (11) being located exactly from above to below as sand on the surface of core box being finished to blow. The top mold (11) is pressed for being buckled on the surface of blowing sand, then a definite journey of pressure quantity is finished downwards, so that the locally even surface of blowing sand is extruded to be a curved shape up to the mustard according to the shape of the baroque top mold (11). Finally the integer core forming a integrate lumen section of a cast is finished. It provides a slick surface of integer core while improving the inherent quality of cast and easing the work intension.

Abstract: An object detection algorithm that generates a two-layer Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) during a training session, and subsequent to the training session, uses the two-layer GMM to perform face detection. No labeling of local features is needed. The only input that is provided by a user is the setting of a few global parameters for the image being captured during the training session, such as, for example, the person's facial pose.

Abstract: A system for processing video imaging information, corresponding electronic device, and method of processing video imaging information, are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the electronic device includes a coder capable of compressing the imaging information for transmission via a communications channel, the video imaging information pertaining to a plurality of video source frames including a current source frame. The coder includes means for performing a super-resolution operation in relation to previous frame information representative of at least one of the video source frames occurring prior to the current source frame, the super-resolution operation being performed prior to at least some of the video imaging information corresponding to the current source frame being coded or decoded.

Abstract: A number of uplink transmissions from multiple remote devices is received. The remote devices correspond to a single network node, and each of the uplink transmissions corresponds to a request for content. A subset of remote devices whose uplink transmissions correspond to requests for common content is identified and a Quality of Service (QoS) level corresponding to the number of remote devices in the identified subset is determined. The common content is transmitted to the single network node at the determined QoS level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that authenticate a user of a mobile device with motion sensors. During a learning session, the user initializes the mobile device by providing a motion sample. The mobile device extracts motion features that are unique to the user and converts them to parity bits and to a password shadow. During a recognition session, a motion pattern is gathered from the user moving the mobile device as if it were a virtual pen. The mobile device then uses the stored parity bits to correct small differences between motion patterns exhibited by the same user at different times. The mobile device converts the corrected motion pattern into a motion password that is compared with the stored password shadow. A user is authenticated only if the two values coincide. The system erases the generated motion password.

Abstract: A method of coding video content. The method can include, identifying a first plurality of image blocks within a picture based on at least a first image characteristic that is common to each of the first plurality of image blocks. A first image block group can be dynamically defined. At least one of the image blocks can be selected as a predictor block to predict other image blocks within the first image block group. In another arrangement, at least a first image block and a second image block can be identified within a picture. The second image block can be predicted from the first image block. A displacement vector can be defined to associate the second image block with the first image block. A value representing the displacement vector can be included within a header of the second image block.