Abstract: A method of separating a ribbon of optical fibers held together by bonding material. The method includes the steps of routing a thread around each of the optical fibers and moving the thread in a first direction to bread the bonding material between the optical fibers.

Abstract: Users create, view, and interact with massive amounts of content every day, including browsing websites, engaging with social platforms, collaborating electronically with friends and colleagues, transacting with apps and/or plugins, creating and editing documents, and the like. Traditionally, the content associated with various user interactions is siloed based on the entity with which the user interacts. Accordingly, to achieve a goal, it is up to the user to compile content across various sources, identify and organize tasks and subtasks, and track progress and completion of the goal. The present application determines a goal for a user based on monitoring user interactions. A data structure is created for the goal, including determining applicable tasks and subtasks. The data structure becomes a living entity for storing and tracking the goal by continuing to monitor user interactions and determine the user's progress towards completion of each task and, ultimately, the goal.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for authenticating a user before performing a transaction. For example, a user can initiate a transaction and a software application can collect information about the transaction and the user, generate a message, such as a message compliant with the ISO 20022 standard, and send the message to an account processing system. The processing system can determine whether the transaction is secure, then proceed with either allowing or denying the transaction.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer-readable storage medium for predicting pronunciation of a text sample, including generating an encoding of allowable pronunciations of the text sample, selecting predicted text samples corresponding to an audio sample, the predicted text samples including the text sample and one or more co-emitted text samples, outputting the text sample, and updating the encoding of allowable pronunciations of the text sample based on pronunciations of the one or more co-emitted text samples.

Abstract: A system that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may perform operations including, for example, monitoring performance parameters in a communications network, identifying a degradation in performance of one or more nodes of the communications network according the monitored performance parameters, and initiating corrective action to mitigate the degradation in performance of the one or more nodes of the communications network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Environmentally-clean wildfire inhibitor liquid biochemical solutions produced from an aqueous mixture of alkali metal salt derived from a non-polymerized saturated carboxylic acid such as malonic acid, and dissolved in water along with a dispersing and coalescing agent, realized as an ester of a non-polymerized saturated carboxylic acid, and dissolved in the water to provide a liquid fire inhibitor solution that can be sprayed on combustible surfaces to form thin alkali metal salt crystalline coatings on the combustible surfaces when and as water molecules in the liquid fire inhibitor evaporate to the environment during drying operations, to inhibit fire ignition, flame spread and smoke development.

Abstract: A computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor to generate first traffic scenarios including one or more objects based on initial object locations and initial object trajectories of the one or more objects, wherein the first traffic scenarios are generated with a three-dimensional simulation engine. Probabilities of impact can be determined between the one or more objects included in the first traffic scenarios; selecting a subset of the first traffic scenarios that include the probabilities of impact greater than a user-selected threshold. Second traffic scenarios can be generated based on perturbing the selected subset of the first traffic scenarios wherein the second traffic scenarios are generated with the three-dimensional simulation engine. A machine learning system can be trained based on the first and the second traffic scenarios.

Abstract: A system to optimize energy usage associated with a fume hood is disclosed. The system may include a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver may be configured to receive inputs from a detection unit. The processor may obtain the inputs from the transceiver. Responsive to obtaining the inputs, the processor may determine that an extent of open state of a window associated with an enclosure may be greater than a predefined threshold for a predefined time duration and an absence of a user in proximity to the enclosure for the predefined time duration based on the inputs. The processor may further determine a total time duration the extent of open state is greater than the predefined threshold. Furthermore, the processor may calculate an estimated energy loss associated with the enclosure based on the extent of open state and the total time duration, and then output the estimated energy loss.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions for reducing body weight, reducing body fat, and/or preventing obesity and related conditions. In certain aspects, the disclosed methods for reducing body weight, reducing body fat, and/or preventing obesity and related conditions involve administration to subject in need thereof a composition comprising: at least one strain of bacteria wherein the at least one strain of bacteria comprises Propionibacterium freudenreichii UF (UF1). In certain embodiments, the UF1 is probiotic. Further disclosed herein are compositions for the treatment of conditions at least one of obesity, immune system function associated disorders, insulin secretion associated disorders, diabetes, virulence associated conditions, cardiovascular disorder, cardiac disorders, degenerative diseases, sarcopenia, ocular disease, fibrotic diseases, aging associated disorders, improving skin hydration and collagen synthesis, liver disease, Crohn's disease.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a matting agent level for a clearcoat formulation for repairing an object are disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: a) providing a database with multiple datasets, each dataset including a first gloss level value of a sample coating determined at a first measurement geometry and a matting agent level; b) determining a second gloss level value of the sample coating with a measurement arrangement at a second measurement geometry; c) associating the second gloss level value to the dataset of the sample coating; d) determining a third gloss level value of a target coating with the measurement arrangement at the second measurement geometry; e) selecting, from the database, a target dataset with a second gloss level value that is closest to the third gloss level value; and f) determining, from the target dataset, the matting agent level for the clearcoat formulation.

Abstract: A method includes applying a coating composition to a substrate through a high transfer efficiency applicator, wherein the coating composition comprises a polyamide wax; wherein the coating composition has a wet film thickness of at least about 30 microns measured at about 45 degrees without visible sag after cure, wherein the viscosity measured at a shear rate of about 1 s-1 recovers, after a high shear rate of about 10000 s-1 is applied for about 20 seconds, to within about 95% of a steady state viscosity achieved at greater than about 100 seconds of continuous shearing at about 1 s-1, in less than about 5 seconds; and wherein the coating composition has a complex viscosity measured at a temperature of about 60° C. that is reduced to from about 60 to about 500 mPa-s when the complex viscosity measured at about 30° C. is from about 800 to about 8000 mPa-s.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.

Abstract: Described is a method for performance estimation of a communication device. The method comprises: executing active probing to determine active probing data; reading operational data which includes data related to channel and its noise condition, latency and counter values related to user data traffic between the communication device and another communication device, wherein the operational data is relevant to the current settings of the communication device; and training a performance estimation algorithm for the communication device according to the active probing data and the operational data.

Abstract: Computing an input relevance measure of process inputs by obtaining from a sensor array sensor measurements that relate process inputs to a process output, computing from the sensor measurements, a number of data partitions, building for each data partition of the number of data partitions a corresponding stochastic gradient boosting model, and computing for each process input, a number of partial dependency plots with each partial dependency plot being based on the corresponding stochastic gradient boosting model. The input relevance measure is then computed for each process input based on the number of partial dependency plots of the process input to estimate a degree of change in the process output obtained by varying the process input.

Abstract: A delivery and assembly system includes a plurality of storage locations including assembly materials and one or more vehicle transports including a controller. The vehicle transports are configured to transport the assembly materials. A control server is communicatively coupled with the controller of the one or more vehicle transports. The control server is configured to identify an available vehicle transport from the one or more vehicle transports and is configured to determine a fitness of the available vehicle transport to receive the assembly materials. An assembly station is configured to receive the available vehicle transport including the assembly materials.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating sterile cold solution are provided. The cold solution may be injected into subcutaneous fat of a subject to facilitate weight reduction or improve cosmetic appearances. The systems include a repository for receiving a solution, a generator for generating the cold solution from the solution, and a port for transferring the cold solution from the system. The generator includes a cooling device, a heat exchanger, and a recirculating fluid path configured to circulate a fluid which may include air. The methods include receiving a solution in the system, generating the cold solution from the solution, and transferring the cold solution from the system, wherein generating the cold solution includes circulating a fluid which may include air.

Abstract: A tool for removing an outer jacketing material from a corrugated tubing. The tool includes a tubular housing with a first end having a bore extending therein for receiving the jacketed corrugated tubing and a second end with a tool connector. A blade is fixed through an opening within the housing near the first end. As the jacketed tube is pushed into the bore, the blade engages the jacketing material without scoring the corrugated tubing. Rotation of the tubular housing via the tool connector along with inboard movement of the tubing within the housing bore further engages the blade with the jacketing material. As the jacketed tubing is moved into the bore, the blade circumferentially removes the jacket from the tube. The blade is configured and positioned so as not to engage the corrugated metal tubing from which the jacket is to be removed.

Abstract: The present invention provides peptide compounds that regulate the complement system and methods of using these compounds. The invention is an isolated, purified peptide of 30 amino acids derived from human astrovirus protein, called CP1. The invention is directed to peptide compounds that are peptide mimetics, peptide analogs and/or synthetic derivatives of CP1 having, for example, internal peptide deletions and substitutions, deletions and substitutions at the N-terminus and C-terminus, and that are able to regulate complement activation. The invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions of therapeutically effective amounts of the peptide compounds and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent, or excipient for treating a disease or condition associated with complement-mediated tissue damage.

Abstract: A method can include communicating, by a wireless device with a first base station, first packets of a service. The method can also include transmitting, by the wireless device to the first base station, a measurement report comprising a received signal strength value. The method can further include receiving, by the wireless device from the first base station, a handover command for a handover to a second base station. The handover can be determined after the transmission of the measurement report and receiving quality-of-experience (QoE) information of the service from the second base station. The method can additionally include communicating, by the wireless device with the second base station, second packets of the service.

Abstract: A seat support system including a seat mount having multiple segments movable relative to each other between a raised configuration and a lowered configuration. The multiple segments include a first segment attached to a floor of a vehicle and a second segment connected to the first segment. A linear actuator is connected to the second segment and movable from a retracted position to an extended position to move the multiple segments from the raised configuration to the lowered configuration.