Abstract: An automated assay fluid dispensing system includes a database that associates assay protocols with assay procedures, the procedures including a first assay procedure specifying dissimilar first and second channel procedures for driving first and second channels of a fluid-dispenser cassette. The system includes a controller with a procedure selector to select or to assist a human to select an assay procedure from the database to be executed in an assay run. The controller also includes a cassette driver to drive the cassette to dispense fluids automatically to multiple sites during the assay run so that fluids in the first and second channels are dispensed in accordance with the dissimilar first and second channel procedures. The system includes a cassette interface to engage the cassette so that the controller can drive it to implement the assay run.

Abstract: A fixer composition is disclosed herein. An example of the fixer composition includes from about 5 wt % to about 25 wt % of a co-solvent, from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt % of a calcium salt, from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.6 wt % of a sulfonated chelating agent, and a balance of water.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor has a magnetoresistive rod having a stack of stacked layers that include a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction almost perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, a free layer comprising a magnetostrictive material having a coefficient of magnetostriction greater than 20 ppm to 25° C. and a longitudinal axis of easiest magnetization, the magnetization changing when the free layer is exposed to a magnetic field, a non-magnetic spacer layer interposed between the free and pinned layers to form a tunnel junction or spin valve, and a stress-generating layer for exerting uniaxial stress essentially such that a product of stress and magnetostriction coefficient is greater than 500 ppm·MPa at 25° C. The rod's length is at least ten times its greatest width.

Abstract: A digital-to-analogue converter, with application to electronic circuits with neuromorphic architecture, comprises: transistors of identical nominal geometrical characteristics, but of dispersed current-voltage characteristics, wherein when a constant gate-source voltage is applied to the different transistors, a current varying as a function of the dispersion circulates in the transistor; a digital table receiving a digital word and having a selection output selecting, as a function of the word to be converted, a transistor or transistors supplying a current of desired value representing this word in analogue form. The look-up table is loaded as a function of real measured current-voltage characteristics of different transistors of the set, to establish a look-up between words and current values.

Abstract: A personal interactive voice response service node includes a memory that stores executable instructions, and a processor that executes the executable instructions. The personal interactive voice response service node accepts personalized instructions to define interactive voice response service node prompts on behalf of an individual assigned a communications address serviced by the personal interactive voice response service node. The personal interactive voice response service node accepts personalized instructions to define actions to take in response to selections of corresponding interactive voice response service node prompts. When executed by the processor, the executable instructions cause the personal interactive voice response service node to identify a selection of an interactive voice response service node prompt and execute an action associated with the selection identified.

Abstract: An online data fusion system receives a query, probes a first source for an answer to the query, returns the answer from the first source, refreshes the answer while probing an additional source, and applies fusion techniques on data associated with an answer that is retrieved from the additional source. For each retrieved answer, the online data fusion system computes the probability that the answer is correct and stops retrieving data for the answer after gaining enough confidence that data retrieved from the unprocessed sources are unlikely to change the answer. The online data fusion system returns correct answers and terminates probing additional sources in an expeditious manner without sacrificing the quality of the answers.

Abstract: A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system is disclosed. The RS-DVR system includes a network interface to communicate data between the RS-DVR system and a subscriber system via a network, a file system module coupled to the network interface, an ingest agent coupled to the file system module to receive encoded media segments that represent media content files encoded at a plurality of different bitrates; and a storage architecture coupled to the file system to store the encoded media segments, resulting in stored media segments. The RS-DVR carries out a number of functions and operations to service multiple subscribers and associated subscriber systems, such as various storage device management operations, file structure techniques, assignment of recorded media to subscribers, file system indexing, and supporting shared and per-subscriber content rights.

Abstract: A thermal plasma, advantageously inductive, is used to purify silicon from sawing slurries. For this purpose, a thermal plasma is generated; sawing slurries containing silicon are submitted to the thermal plasma, to form the silicon deposit on the substrate.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for straightening keratinous fibers including: (i) a step of applying on the keratinous fibers a hair straightening composition containing at least one alpha-hydroxy and/or keto acid derivative, the pH of said composition being not more than 9 (ii) a step of increasing the temperature of the keratinous fibers, using heating means, to a temperature ranging between 110 and 250° C.

Abstract: A vent system for an axle of a heavy-duty vehicle includes a check valve and an exhaust tube that is connected to the check valve. The check valve includes a first end that is mounted on the axle, a second end, and a body that is disposed between the first and second ends and is in selective fluid communication with the axle interior. The exhaust tube includes a first end that is mounted on the second end of the check valve, and a second end that is open to atmosphere and is in fluid communication with the check valve body. Using any one of a number of types of configurations for the valve body, the vent system selectively exhausts air from the axle interior to atmosphere to relieve buildups of pressure in the axle, while protecting the integrity of the check valve and preventing contaminants from entering the axle.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving a signal indicating that a first access network is unable to provide a desired quality level for data communication with the terminal; determining, in response to receiving a signal indicating that the first access network is unable to provide the desired quality level of data communication with the terminal, at least one further access network for providing a data flow of the data communication with the terminal; generating a set of policies for the data communication, the set comprising a plurality of policies wherein each policy specifies one or more access networks for one or more data flows of the data communication, and at least one policy specifies the at least one further access network for providing one or more data flows to the terminal; and providing the generated set of policies to the terminal.

Abstract: A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system is disclosed. The RS-DVR system includes a network interface to communicate data between the RS-DVR system and a subscriber system via a network, a file system module coupled to the network interface, an ingest agent coupled to the file system module to receive encoded media segments that represent media content files encoded at a plurality of different bitrates; and a storage architecture coupled to the file system to store the encoded media segments, resulting in stored media segments. The RS-DVR carries out a number of functions and operations to service multiple subscribers and associated subscriber systems, such as various storage device management operations, file structure techniques, assignment of recorded media to subscribers, file system indexing, and supporting shared and per-subscriber content rights.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing speech. A system configured to practice the method monitors user utterances to generate a conversation context. Then the system receives a current user utterance independent of non-natural language input intended to trigger speech processing. The system compares the current user utterance to the conversation context to generate a context similarity score, and if the context similarity score is above a threshold, incorporates the current user utterance into the conversation context. If the context similarity score is below the threshold, the system discards the current user utterance. The system can compare the current user utterance to the conversation context based on an n-gram distribution, a perplexity score, and a perplexity threshold. Alternately, the system can use a task model to compare the current user utterance to the conversation context.

Abstract: Methods for treating polycystic kidney disease with therapeutic renal neuromodulation and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology is directed to methods that at least partially inhibit sympathetic neural activity in nerves proximate a renal artery of a kidney of a patient. One or more measurable physiological parameter corresponding to the polycystic kidney disease can thereby be reduced. Moreover, central sympathetic drive in the patient can be reduced in a manner that treats the patient for the polycystic kidney disease. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can be modulated along the afferent and/or efferent pathway. The modulation can be achieved, for example, using an intravascularly positioned catheter carrying a neuromodulation assembly, e.g., a neuromodulation assembly configured to cryotherapeutically cool the renal nerve or to deliver an energy field to the renal nerve.

Abstract: A mediation server which is able to communicate with a plurality of account managing servers (104) and mediates requests for issuing subscription information transmitted from a plurality of communication devices between each communication device and any one of the plurality of account managing servers (104), the mediation server comprising, a selection unit configured to select the account managing server to which the request is to be transmitted based on information regarding a current operational status of each account managing server stored in a database, when the request is received from the communication device, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the request for issuing the subscription information to the selected account managing server.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agent for stabilising peroxide ions in the air. Said agent is, according to the invention, an aluminosilicate polymer such as imogolite and/or allophane. The invention can be used in particular in the field of anti-bacterial and oxidising agents.

Abstract: As described herein, nickel treated with sulfur provides a surprisingly effective source of nickel atoms for generating nickel-phosphorus-containing ligand complexes useful as hydrocyanation catalysts.

Abstract: A method of performing nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of a body, comprising: immerging said body in a static magnetic field for aligning nuclear spins along a magnetization axis; exposing said body to a gradient pulse and to a transverse radio-frequency pulse for performing slice-selective excitation of said nuclear spins, thus flipping the nuclear spins of atoms contained within a slice of said body; detecting a signal emitted by excited nuclear spins; and reconstructing a magnetic resonance image of said slice of the body on the basis of the detected signal; the method being characterized in that said radio-frequency pulse is constituted by a train of slice-selective elementary pulses, approximately equivalent to a train of elementary rectangular pulses with constant frequencies which are designed for compensating for inhomogeneity of the radio-frequency field within the body.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for presenting a machine translation and alternative translations to a user, where a selection of any particular alternative translation results in the re-ranking of the remaining alternatives. The system then presents these re-ranked alternatives to the user, who can continue proofing the machine translation using the re-ranked alternatives or by typing an improved translation. This process continues until the user indicates that the current portion of the translation is complete, at which point the system moves to the next portion.

Abstract: A method and system is provided of managing a current software item on a managed computer system connectable to a management computer system via a computer network. The method includes identifying, using an agent application, the current software item on the managed computer system, identifying if the current software item is an unauthorized software item; and selectively disabling the unauthorized software item.