Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a route for a vehicle (2), the method comprising: providing a set of routes, each route from a starting location to a terminal location and determined using a first algorithm; acquiring, by a processor (6), a starting location (A); acquiring, by the processor (6), a terminal location (B); using the starting and terminal locations, selecting, by the processor (6), one or more routes from the provided set of routes dependent upon the starting location (A) and the terminal location (B); and, using the acquired starting and terminal locations, and the selected routes, performing, by the processor (6), a second algorithm to determine a route for the vehicle (2) from the starting location (A) to the terminal location (B), the second algorithm comprising an optimization process (with respect to certain objectives) using the selected routes as at least part of an initiator set of routes.

Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers or credit to prepaid cards, in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts and/or credits to enrolled customers, along with notifying customers of other available incentive offers.

Abstract: Scheduling a scheduled and optionally periodic action in a remote based system. The method includes deploying an environment independent action to a remote based system. The action is limited to using a predetermined amount of resources and is limited to simple, non-cpu intensive orchestrations of network calls. The method further includes defining a schedule for the action to be executed. Calling the action at the remote based system based on the schedule in a processor independent fashion such that state of the action is maintained independent of the processor that the action is being executed on.

Abstract: Scheduling and dispatching jobs for a plurality of different entities. A method includes receiving at a work coordinator, one or more actions associated with a job. The method further includes storing in a log at the work coordinator, keyed on a job key, state for the one or more actions and a list of the one or more actions. The method further includes making calls to one or more worker processes to cause the worker process to perform actions associated with the job. As a result of making calls to one or more worker processes, the method further includes receiving at least one of a change to the list of remaining actions or the state.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to executing a workflow using a virtualized clock and to ensuring idempotency and correctness among workflow processes. In one scenario, a computer system a computer system determines that a workflow session has been initialized. The workflow session runs as a set of episodes, where each episode includes one or more pulses of work that are performed when triggered by an event. Each workflow session is processed according to a virtualized clock that keeps a virtual session time for the workflow session. The computer system receives an event that includes an indication of the time the event was generated, and then accesses the received event to determine which pulses of work are to be performed as part of a workflow session episode. The computer system then executes the determined pulses of work according to the virtual session time indicated by the virtualized clock.

Abstract: A semi-dry, one step electroblot transfer buffer composition for rapid transfer of proteins or polypeptides from polyacrylamide gel to a suitable membrane such as nitrocellulose or polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). The composition contains components that minimized electrical resistance and enabled high efficiency rapid semi-dry transfer using conventional readily available filter paper, i.e., cotton cellulose fiber.

Abstract: Generally in a computing environment, executing work based on time (i.e. according to a predetermined schedule) is a common need. However, in cloud based systems, scheduled work may be expensive to customers as generally customers rent system resources. Thus, having a processor dedicated to performing actions that have been pre-scheduled can be expensive. This application describes using a continuation-based runtime for scheduling time-bound and/or periodic work in a distributed (i.e. cloud) system. A system architecture and computer-implemented method are described that deploy an environment-independent action to a remote-based system (such as a cloud computing system, for example). The action is limited to using a predetermined amount of resources and is limited to simple, non-cpu intensive orchestrations of network calls.

Abstract: Disclosed are nutritional compositions, and methods of using and making the nutritional compositions, that include calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate and protein. The calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate is in sequestered or ion-exchanged form to reduce the interaction of the calcium with the protein in the nutritional composition and improve the overall stability of the nutritional composition.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for creating and manipulating custom compound data types in declarative programs. The present invention allows a developer to create and use custom compound data types without requiring the custom type to be specifically defined (e.g. via registering a custom assembly) in the underlying framework. This is accomplished by providing a data container that is configurable to represent virtually any combination of primitive or compound types defined within the framework. The present invention also provides a declarative model for interacting with data containers representing custom compound data types. This declarative model employs a path-based syntax (or other type of syntax) for accessing the elements of a custom compound data type. Multiple paths can be defined within a single unit of developer input so that multiple elements of a custom data type can be manipulated by the single unit of input.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a design for a system (2) that comprises a plurality of subsystems (4, 6) is provided. Criteria to be satisfied by the system (2) are identified. For each subsystem (4, 6), further criteria that are to be satisfied by that subsystem (4, 6) are determined and a parametric model (8, 16) is then determined. These comprise inputs (10, 18) and outputs (14, 22) that are dependent on the inputs (10, 18). A systems engineering model (100) comprising, as inputs, parametric model inputs (10, 18) is then determined. System model outputs (28) are dependent on the system model inputs. Groups consisting of some of the system model inputs are formed and an optimisation process is performed, for each group, to determine inputs that optimise the system model outputs (28). A set of inputs that optimise the system model outputs (28) provides a design for the system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a set of priority contacts based on their strength of relationship with a user. Contacts of users and communications from those contacts are aggregated across multiple online accounts into a single set of communications. An affinity score is calculated for each of the user's contacts based on adding up the total weight and frequency of communications with the user and a predetermined number of contacts having the highest affinity score can be identified as priority contacts. The affinity score is used to filter the news feed in a user interface display so that only communications from priority contacts are displayed in the news feed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a route for a vehicle (2), the method comprising: providing a set of routes, each route from a starting location to a terminal location and determined using a first algorithm; acquiring, by a processor (6), a starting location (A); acquiring, by the processor (6), a terminal location (B); using the starting and terminal locations, selecting, by the processor (6), one or more routes from the provided set of routes dependent upon the starting location (A) and the terminal location (B); and, using the acquired starting and terminal locations, and the selected routes, performing, by the processor (6), a second algorithm to determine a route for the vehicle (2) from the starting location (A) to the terminal location (B), the second algorithm comprising an optimization process (with respect to certain objectives) using the selected routes as at least part of an initiator set of routes.

Abstract: The systems and methods for redemption of loyalty points to satisfy a transaction are provided. The systems and methods may include APIs that are capable of determining a balance of loyalty points in response to initiation of a payment transaction at the POS. The system may also include APIs that are configured to authorize the transaction. In this regard, the APIs may initiate their requests such that, the results of the requests (e.g., the loyalty point balance and the authorization) are received at substantially the same time.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for facilitating file attribute correction. A computer system may receive a request to enumerate a first directory stored on a data storage. For a first file in the first directory, the computer system may determine that the first file has a corresponding first entry in an attribute cache, determine that the first entry for the first file indicates native file attributes that match the first file, and return for the first file at least one logical attribute indicated by the first entry.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein allow a service component author to write service components without having to handle incoming messages being received at any time. This may be facilitated by a message dispatch engine that dispatches messages from the incoming message queue only when the destination service component has indicated that it is ready to receive the message having that context. If the service component is not yet ready for the message, the message dispatch component may lock the message at least until the destination service component indicates that it is now ready to receive the message. Until that time, the message dispatch engine may ignore the locked message when finding messages to dispatch.

Abstract: A method of generating a set of solutions to a route-planning problem includes iteratively applying a Probability Collective (PC) method, each iteration including sampling from a probability distribution defined over a set of decision variables relating to a route-planning problem and using an archive set of decision variables and a set of the sampled decision variables to update the probability distribution for use in a subsequent PC method iteration. A set of solutions, each including at least one decision variable with an associated objective function result evaluated by the PC method iterations, is output.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for creating and manipulating custom compound data types in declarative programs. The present invention allows a developer to create and use custom compound data types without requiring the custom type to be specifically defined (e.g. via registering a custom assembly) in the underlying framework. This is accomplished by providing a data container that is configurable to represent virtually any combination of primitive or compound types defined within the framework. The present invention also provides a declarative model for interacting with data containers representing custom compound data types. This declarative model employs a path-based syntax (or other type of syntax) for accessing the elements of a custom compound data type. Multiple paths can be defined within a single unit of developer input so that multiple elements of a custom data type can be manipulated by the single unit of input.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to executing a workflow using a virtualized clock and to ensuring idempotency and correctness among workflow processes. In one scenario, a computer system a computer system determines that a workflow session has been initialized. The workflow session runs as a set of episodes, where each episode includes one or more pulses of work that are performed when triggered by an event. Each workflow session is processed according to a virtualized clock that keeps a virtual session time for the workflow session. The computer system receives an event that includes an indication of the time the event was generated, and then accesses the received event to determine which pulses of work are to be performed as part of a workflow session episode. The computer system then executes the determined pulses of work according to the virtual session time indicated by the virtualized clock.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to presenting multiple projections of a declarative program and to presenting partial projections of a declarative program. In one scenario, a computer system establishes a declarative program that includes various artifacts. The computer system displays a first projection of the declarative program, which includes one or more elements of a workflow. The computer system then determines that an additional projection is to be displayed in addition to the first projection, and presents a second projection based on the artifacts of the declarative program. The second projection illustrates the artifacts in a form different than that shown in the first projection, and is presented in addition to the first projection. In some cases, the computer system further receives an input and edits the declarative program according to the received input. The edits to the declarative program are substantially lossless, and can be performed using partial or full projections.

Abstract: A stackable chair includes a writing table that can be folded to allow the chairs to be stacked and a cup holder that is positioned adjacent the table to also allow stacking of the chairs.