Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for making a determination about a cataract in an eye in ambient lighting conditions.

Abstract: The disclosed technology teaches a method for customers of an organization to perform configuration at runtime for authentication journeys used by the customer's users, to simplify authentication trees, and to delegate configuration to the customer's administrators, wherein an authentication tree implements an authentication journey, the authentication tree including authentication nodes and edges connecting the authentication nodes. The method includes configuring an editable script and an authentication node used in the authentication tree in response to a user invocation of the authentication journey by executing a factory method that applies configuration parameters to the editable script and to parameters used to access an API.

Abstract: To automate a pricing strategy for an otherwise unpriced service or item, prices may be generated through a plurality of different pricing models, via a pricing engine passing input data to a plurality of discrete pricing models. Those pricing models may pass data back to the pricing engine, which then adjudicates the results of the pricing models to identify a most-relevant pricing model for the particular unpriced service or item.

Abstract: The present invention provides scaffolded antigens that have demonstrated improved biochemical and immunogenic properties. The invention also provides engineered SARS-CoV-2 immunogens that contain a modified receptor-binding domain (RBD) sequence. Also provided in the invention are vaccine compositions that contain the scaffolded antigens, including the engineered RBD polypeptides that are fused to the scaffold proteins described herein. The invention also provides methods of using such vaccine compositions in various therapeutic applications, e.g., for preventing or treating SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Abstract: The invention relates to proteins that contain the CD4 domain 1 and the CD4 domain 2 (CD4 D1D2), wherein the CD4 D1D2 contains one or more mutations compared to wild-type human CD4 D1D2, and to methods of using the proteins for treating a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a subject.

Abstract: A pen format liquid collection device includes an elongate generally tubular housing (12, 112, 212, 312) able to be held by hand and having an opening at one end, and at least one liquid take-up element (30, 130, 230, 330) mounted in the housing so as to be positioned or positionable to project at the opening, the at least one liquid take-up element then further postionable by hand manipulation of the housing to contact a volume of liquid to thereby take-up a sample of the liquid to be analysed. At least one retention element (230a, 330a) is supported in the housing. The at least one liquid take-up element and the at least one retention element are arranged whereby they are relatively movable into contact, and the at least one retention element is adapted on contact to in turn take-up the sample and retain the sample or a component thereof for in situ analysis or later recovery while protected within the housing. The liquid take-up element is preferably a capillary.

Abstract: A pen format liquid collection device includes an elongate generally tubular housing (12, 112, 212, 312) able to be held by hand and having an opening at one end, and at least one liquid take-up element (30, 130, 230, 330) mounted in the housing so as to be positioned or positionable to project at the opening, the at least one liquid take-up element then further postionable by hand manipulation of the housing to contact a volume of liquid to thereby take-up a sample of the liquid to be analysed. At least one retention element (230a, 330a) is supported in the housing. The at least one liquid take-up element and the at least one retention element are arranged whereby they are relatively movable into contact, and the at least one retention element is adapted on contact to in turn take-up the sample and retain the sample or a component thereof for in situ analysis or later recovery while protected within the housing. The liquid take-up element is preferably a capillary.

Abstract: An adjustable muscle massage device which may be hung or mounted on a suitable support structure, such as a door or wall. One embodiment is a system comprising a massage platform with one or more massage components, adjustment levers to allow adjustment of the massage device relative to the user or support structure, and hangers to attach the device to the support structure. The massage platform, when mounted and properly adjusted, supports the massage component(s) which allows the user to lean against the massage component(s) and move against them to provide massaging action for the desired areas. The adjustment feature allows a wide range of areas to be massaged in this fashion. One advantage is the user may utilize this device hands free while standing or leaning against it, rather than being forced to sit or lie down to use the device.

Abstract: An advertising simulation system performs simulation of advertising results. The advertising results indicate the results of a simulated auction for a set of ad queries that are provided advertisements from available advertisements. The simulated auction applies an advertising model to perform an auction using advertising conditions. As advertisers are selected to provide advertisements to individual ad queries, advertising conditions, such as advertiser's bidding amounts, may change. To effectively simulate a large number of ad queries, the advertising segments simulation and performs simulation of each segment. Each segment's ad results may affect the conditions of a subsequent segment, and the change in conditions may change the size of a subsequent segment.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to select a first content item and a second content item to display to each user of a plurality of users in pairwise comparison in a survey associated with a content feed of the user. A selection by each user of the plurality of users of one of the first content item and the second content item can be obtained via a user interface. A ranking model configured to assign a score indicative of quality of each content item of a plurality of content items associated with content feeds based at least in part on the selections by the plurality of users can be determined.

Abstract: An online system receives posts that include links to various external pages and presents those posts to users of the online system. When the online system determines an opportunity to present a post to a particular viewing user of the online system, the online system determines a quality metric and an associated value score for the post. The quality metric is determined as a likelihood that the viewing user will view the external page for less than a threshold time period, and is used to adjust the associated value score. The online system compares the value score of the post to the value scores of other posts and selects one or more of the compared posts for presentation to the viewing user of the online system.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) sampling links from an online system, (2) receiving, from a human labeler for each of the links, a label indicating whether the human labeler considers a landing page of the link to be a low-quality webpage, (3) deriving features from a landing page of each of the links, (4) using the label and the features of each of the links to train a model configured to predict a likelihood that a link is to a low-quality webpage, (5) identifying content items that are candidates for a content feed of a user of the online system, (6) applying the model to a link of each of the content items to determine a ranking of the content items, and (7) displaying the content items in the content feed of the user based on the ranking. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are single nucleic acid constructs comprising a vector, wherein the vector comprises: a first nucleic acid sequence, wherein the first nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more antigenic sequences of interest, one or more spacer sequences and one or more hydrophobic anchor sequences, operably linked to a first transcriptional control element; a second nucleic acid sequence, wherein the second nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) sequences operably linked to a second transcriptional control element; a third nucleic acid sequence, wherein the third nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more cell surface receptor binding sequences operably linked to a third transcriptional control element; and a selectable marker. Also described herein, are methods of making the single nucleic acid constructs and methods of administering the single nucleic acid constructs for the treatment or prevention of infections and cancer.

Abstract: An online system receives posts that include links to various external pages and presents those posts to users of the online system. When the online system determines an opportunity to present a post to a particular viewing user of the online system, the online system determines a quality metric and an associated value score for the post. The quality metric is determined as a likelihood that the viewing user will view the external page for less than a threshold time period, and is used to adjust the associated value score. The online system compares the value score of the post to the value scores of other posts and selects one or more of the compared posts for presentation to the viewing user of the online system.

Abstract: An online system determines a change in of revenue received when a budget for presenting content received from a publishing user is increased. Based on the change in revenue to the online system, the online system determines a subsidy that the online system can provide to one or more publishing users that increases revenue received by the online system from the publishing users, while accounting for the subsidy. To determine the change in revenue for determining the subsidy, the online system selects a subset of publishing users, increases budgets for content presentation provided by the subset of publishing users, and determines changes in revenue to the online system from the increased budgets.

Abstract: A pen format liquid collection device includes an elongate generally tubular housing (12, 112, 212, 312) able to be held by hand and having an opening at one end, and at least one liquid take-up element (30, 130, 230, 330) mounted in the housing so as to be positioned or positionable to project at the opening, the at least one liquid take-up element then further postionable by hand manipulation of the housing to contact a volume of liquid to thereby take-up a sample of the liquid to be analysed. At least one retention element (230a, 330a) is supported in the housing. The at least one liquid take-up element and the at least one retention element are arranged whereby they are relatively movable into contact, and the at least one retention element is adapted on contact to in turn take-up the sample and retain the sample or a component thereof for in situ analysis or later recovery while protected within the housing. The liquid take-up element is preferably a capillary.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to select a first content item and a second content item to display to each user of a plurality of users in pairwise comparison in a survey associated with a content feed of the user. A selection by each user of the plurality of users of one of the first content item and the second content item can be obtained via a user interface. A ranking model configured to assign a score indicative of quality of each content item of a plurality of content items associated with content feeds based at least in part on the selections by the plurality of users can be determined.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are single nucleic acid constructs comprising a vector, wherein the vector comprises: a first nucleic acid sequence, wherein the first nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more antigenic sequences of interest, one or more spacer sequences and one or more hydrophobic anchor sequences, operably linked to a first transcriptional control element; a second nucleic acid sequence, wherein the second nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) sequences operably linked to a second transcriptional control element; a third nucleic acid sequence, wherein the third nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more cell surface receptor binding sequences operably linked to a third transcriptional control element; and a selectable marker. Also described herein, are methods of making the single nucleic acid constructs and methods of administering the single nucleic acid constructs for the treatment or prevention of infections and cancer.

Abstract: An advertising simulation system performs simulation of advertising results. The advertising results indicate the results of a simulated auction for a set of ad queries that are provided advertisements from available advertisements. The simulated auction applies an advertising model to perform an auction using advertising conditions. As advertisers are selected to provide advertisements to individual ad queries, advertising conditions, such as advertiser's bidding amounts, may change. To effectively simulate a large number of ad queries, the advertising segments simulation and performs simulation of each segment. Each segment's ad results may affect the conditions of a subsequent segment, and the change in conditions may change the size of a subsequent segment.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and materials for identifying agents for preventing and/or treating anthrax and similar diseases. Embodiments provide strains and model systems for studying non-lethal and lethal exposure to anthrax and similar disease vectors. Embodiments provide materials and methods for using the strains and model systems for differential profiling, such as proteomic profiling, such as differentiation phosphorylation profiling, to target identification and therapeutics discovery and development. Embodiments provide pharmaceutically acceptable compositions, and methods for using them to prevent and/or treat anthrax and similar diseases comprising an agent that decreases the activity of caspase ¼, such as YVAD, and/or an agent that increases the phosphorylation of AKT, such as IB-MECA or Cl-IB-MECA, together with, in particular embodiments, an antibiotic, such as ciprofloxacin. Kits comprising the same are provided as well, among other things.