Abstract: A method for identifying carpet materials includes receiving, by a controller coupled to an NIR spectrometer, a predetermined number of NIR measurements of a sample of the carpet material conducted over a bandwidth of a subset of a full NIR spectrum. The NIR spectrometer performs the NIR measurements under control of the controller. Also, sending the NTR measurements to a remote identification server including a spectra library of known carpet materials. The method also includes receiving a matching result from the remote identification server, sending the matching result to a remote appraisal server, and receiving an appraised value of the carpet material.

Abstract: A method for identifying carpet materials includes receiving, by a controller coupled to an NIR spectrometer, a predetermined number of NIR measurements of a sample of the carpet material conducted over a bandwidth of a subset of a full NIR spectrum. The NIR spectrometer performs the NIR measurements under control of the controller. Also, sending the NIR measurements to a remote identification server including a spectra library of known carpet materials. The method also includes receiving a matching result from the remote identification server, sending the matching result to a remote appraisal server, and receiving an appraised value of the carpet material.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an in vitro reagent for evaluating xenobiotic metabolism in a cell culture based assay. The in vitro reagent is an admixture of metabolically competent cells and exogenous drug metabolizing enzyme co-factors follow by cryopreservation in the absence of cryopreservation agent so that the cells would be rendered permeable upon thawing due to plasma membrane disruption (while maintaining the integrity of organelles). The permeabilized plasma membranes allow ready diffusion of the exogenous cofactors into the cells to enhance the activities of cellular drug metabolizing enzymes. Addition of a xenobiotic test compound to the thawed in vitro reagent allows metabolism of the test compound by the metabolically competent cells, with metabolites readily diffusible outside the cells due to the permeabilized plasma membranes.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an in vitro reagent for evaluating xenobiotic metabolism in a cell culture based assay. The in vitro reagent is an admixture of a cell culture medium and isolated intestinal mucosa comprising villi wherein the intestinal mucosa was eluted from a lumen of the intestine. The isolated mucosa comprises metabolically competent cells. Addition of a xenobiotic test compound to the in vitro reagent allows metabolism of the test compound by the isolated intestinal mucosa comprising villi.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a pre-cooked egg product; a yolkless egg-white food product. The pre-cooked egg product is a natural egg-white food product cooked in a geometric shape, which does not contain an egg yolk, including an artificial or simulated egg yolk. The pre-cooked natural egg-white food product optionally contains a food additive, such as coloring or flavoring, or optionally contains an artificial inner core that is a sweet, savory, meat, plant or dairy product.

Abstract: A method is disclosed wherein human organ cells (e.g. hepatocytes) are cultured in human plasma medium (e.g., 70% to 100% human plasma) in place of the routinely used non-human plasma cell culture growth medium. This culture method allows the human organ cells to be in an environment that closely resembles that of the in vivo environment, where the cells are bathed in human plasma. Also, disclosed herein are cell culture systems containing the human organ cells and human plasma medium in a cell culture vessel. Uses of the cell culture system includes application of cultured human organ cells to evaluate test compound properties, including pharmacological, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological effects of drugs, organ disease progression, such as liver disease progression including hepatitis B infection or hepatitis C infection, or cell biology process, such as gene expression, protein synthesis or response to hormones, that can be directly translated to human in vivo.

Abstract: A dialog knowledge acquisition system includes a hardware processor, a memory, and hardware processor controlled input and output modules. The memory stores a dialog manager configured to instantiate a persistent interactive personality (PIP), and a dialog graph having linked dialog state nodes. The dialog manager receives dialog initiation data, identifies a first state node on the dialog graph corresponding to the dialog initiation data, determines a dialog interaction by the PIP based on the dialog initiation data and the first state node, and renders the dialog interaction. The dialog manager also receives feedback data corresponding to the dialog interaction, identifies a second state node based on the dialog initiation data, the dialog interaction, and the feedback data, and utilizes the dialog initiation data, the first state node, the dialog interaction, the feedback data, and the second state node to train the dialog graph.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an in vitro reagent for evaluating xenobiotic metabolism in a cell culture based assay. The in vitro reagent is an admixture of metabolically competent cells and exogenous drug metabolizing enzyme co-factors follow by cryopreservation in the absence of cryopreservation agent so that the cells would be rendered permeable upon thawing due to plasma membrane disruption (while maintaining the integrity of organelles). The permeabilized plasma membranes allow ready diffusion of the exogenous cofactors into the cells to enhance the activities of cellular drug metabolizing enzymes. Addition of a xenobiotic test compound to the thawed in vitro reagent allows metabolism of the test compound by the metabolically competent cells, with metabolites readily diffusible outside the cells due to the permeabilized plasma membranes.

Abstract: A dialog knowledge acquisition system includes a hardware processor, a memory, and hardware processor controlled input and output modules. The memory stores a dialog manager configured to instantiate a persistent interactive personality (PIP), and a dialog graph having linked dialog state nodes. The dialog manager receives dialog initiation data, identifies a first state node on the dialog graph corresponding to the dialog initiation data, determines a dialog interaction by the PIP based on the dialog initiation data and the first state node, and renders the dialog interaction. The dialog manager also receives feedback data corresponding to the dialog interaction, identifies a second state node based on the dialog initiation data, the dialog interaction, and the feedback data, and utilizes the dialog initiation data, the first state node, the dialog interaction, the feedback data, and the second state node to train the dialog graph.

Abstract: A method of thawing cryopreserved human hepatocytes and cryopreserving the hepatocytes a second time without losing viability is described. It allows the preparation of cryopreserved human hepatocytes pooled from multiple donors by thawing the hepatocytes from the individual donors, combining the cells to form pooled hepatocytes, and recryopreserving the pooled hepatocytes. The method involves the thawing of the hepatocytes from the individual donors, maintaining the thawed hepatocytes at a low temperature that is above freezing temperature, and refreezing the thawed cells without further manipulation. The method allows the cryopreserving the human hepatocytes a second time after thawing, with viability similar to that after one single cryopreservation. This high efficiency method can be used for the preparation of highly viable pooled human hepatocytes for experimentation to minimize individual variations.

Abstract: A method of thawing cryopreserved human hepatocytes and cryopreserving the hepatocytes a second time without losing viability is described. It allows the preparation of cryopreserved human hepatocytes pooled from multiple donors by thawing the hepatocytes from the individual donors, combining the cells to form pooled hepatocytes, and recryopreserving the pooled hepatocytes. The method involves the thawing of the hepatocytes from the individual donors, maintaining the thawed hepatocytes at a low temperature that is above freezing temperature (e.g., 4° C.), and refreezing the thawed cells without further manipulation. The method allows the cryopreserving the human hepatocytes a second time after thawing, with viability similar to that after one single cryopreservation. This high efficiency method can be used for the preparation of highly viable pooled human hepatocytes for experimentation to minimize individual variations.

Abstract: A method of thawing cryopreserved human hepatocytes and cryopreserving the hepatocytes a second time without losing viability is described. It allows the preparation of cryopreserved human hepatocytes pooled from multiple donors by thawing the hepatocytes from the individual donors, combining the cells to form pooled hepatocytes, and recryopreserving the pooled hepatocytes. The method involves the thawing of the hepatocytes from the individual donors, maintaining the thawed hepatocytes at a low temperature that is above freezing temperature (e.g., 4° C.), and refreezing the thawed cells without further manipulation. The method allows the cryopreserving the human hepatocytes a second time after thawing, with viability similar to that after one single cryopreservation. This high efficiency method can be used for the preparation of highly viable pooled human hepatocytes for experimentation to minimize individual variations.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying use of a proprietary circuit layout. A representation of a layout of a circuit is input and the locations of a set of predetermined physical features of the circuit are identified. This set of locations is then compared with a previously generated characteristic pattern file, the characteristic pattern file comprising a representation of relative locations of a set of these predetermined physical features in the proprietary circuit layout. If the set of locations matches the relative locations of the characteristic pattern file, then an output is generated indicating that use of the proprietary circuit design has been found.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying use of a proprietary circuit layout. A representation of a layout of a circuit is input and the locations of a set of predetermined physical features of the circuit are identified. This set of locations is then compared with a previously generated characteristic pattern file, the characteristic pattern file comprising a representation of relative locations of a set of these predetermined physical features in the proprietary circuit layout. If the set of locations matches the relative locations of the characteristic pattern file, then an output is generated indicating that use of the proprietary circuit design has been found.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying use of a proprietary circuit layout. A representation of a layout of a circuit is input and the locations of a set of predetermined physical features of the circuit are identified. This set of locations is then compared with a previously generated characteristic pattern file, the characteristic pattern file comprising a representation of relative locations of a set of these predetermined physical features in the proprietary circuit layout. If the set of locations matches the relative locations of the characteristic pattern file, then an output is generated indicating that use of the proprietary circuit design has been found.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying use of a proprietary circuit layout. A representation of a layout of a circuit is input and the locations of a set of predetermined physical features of the circuit are identified. This set of locations is then compared with a previously generated characteristic pattern file, the characteristic pattern file comprising a representation of relative locations of a set of these predetermined physical features in the proprietary circuit layout. If the set of locations matches the relative locations of the characteristic pattern file, then an output is generated indicating that use of the proprietary circuit design has been found.

Abstract: A method of interacting a drug with an in vivo system having multiple cell types to model a drug interaction with a living organism in a cell culture tool having a flat plate segregated into multiple chamber units, each of the chamber units having a chamber wall surrounding multiple wells with the height of the chamber wall being taller than that of the height of the surrounded multiple wells, including depositing a different cell type in the set of wells in each chamber, adding a fluid medium to a height above the flat surface to fluidly interconnect the set of wells in each chamber and adding the drug to the fluid medium in each chamber, the dose and type of the drug being varied in each chamber.

Abstract: A method of testing the safety and efficacy of a drug in a culture tray having a plurality of wells surrounded by a chamber wall configured to contain a liquid volume. The method includes depositing different cells of an organism in separate wells of the culture dish, depositing a harmful agent in another of the wells, interconnecting the wells via a fluid medium and introducing a dose of the drug into the fluid medium.

Abstract: A cell culture tool includes a cell culture tray and a dish or insert tray that rests on the cell culture tray. The cell culture tray includes a substantially flat surface with more than one well, each well configured to contain a liquid volume and an outer wall surrounding the tray to define a reservoir configured to fluidly interconnect the volume of the more than one well. The insert dish includes a permeable membrane and the dish is configured to rest on the cell culture tray to position the membrane within the reservoir.