Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to characteristics and parameters of color coatings on keratin fibers. The color coatings are produced from compositions of several kinds of polymers that enable the color coatings to exhibit adherence, remanence, wear fastness and resistance to environmental attack.

Abstract: A beverage can with an ingredient chamber for storing functional ingredients separately from a base beverage until the beverage can is opened by a consumer. The ingredient chamber may be disposed on a can end of the beverage can. The ingredient chamber may be broken open to release functional ingredients automatically when the beverage can is opened by the consumer. In some embodiments, the ingredient chamber includes a membrane that forms a sealed cavity. In some embodiments, the ingredient chamber includes a deformed cavity of the can end.

Abstract: A failsafe valve system configured to bring the valve to a predefined state (e.g., fully opened, fully closed) if the actuator fails (e.g., loss of power). The failsafe system of the present disclosure is energy efficient and reliable.

Abstract: Regulating downhole fluid flow through a plurality of valves to treat wellbore sections while also allowing for production to continue. If it is determined that fluid flow through a valve of a plurality of valves is below a threshold, maintaining fluid flow through the below threshold valve may be maintained while restricting fluid flow through other valves of the plurality. This restriction fluidly isolates a section of a well from other sections of the well. Once isolated, a treatment substance may be injected through the below threshold valve into the isolated section of well. Afterwards, the closed valves may be reopened while restricting fluid flow through the treated section valve for a threshold period of time. the treated section valve may then be reopened after the threshold period of time.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a heating member that can be formed of a heating element conformed to a heater substrate configured as a truncated cone (or similar shape) having a first end of a first size and a second end of greater size. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides methods of forming an aerosol delivery device, which can include providing a shell, providing a heating member formed of a heating element conformed to a substrate, configuring the heating member as a truncated cone (or similar shape) having a first end of a first size and a second end of greater size, and inserting the heating member within the shell.

Abstract: Regulating downhole fluid flow through a plurality of valves to treat wellbore sections while also allowing for production to continue. If it is determined that fluid flow through a valve of a plurality of valves is below a threshold, maintaining fluid flow through the below threshold valve may be maintained while restricting fluid flow through other valves of the plurality. This restriction fluidly isolates a section of a well from other sections of the well. Once isolated, a treatment substance may be injected through the below threshold valve into the isolated section of well. Afterwards, the closed valves may be reopened while restricting fluid flow through the treated section valve for a threshold period of time, the treated section valve may then be reopened after the threshold period of time.

Abstract: Techniques for assigning agents to callers that have contacted a contact center by using a communication management system. The techniques include initiating a communication session between a caller and the communication management system, obtaining caller data by obtaining data from the caller in the communication session and/or obtaining data about the caller's historical behavior, identifying an intent of the caller by using the caller data and a trained machine learning model configured to predict intent of callers, identifying, from a plurality of agents, an agent to assign to the caller in the communication session by using the identified intent and an agent performance model configured to rank at least some of the plurality of agents based on a measure of their performance in communication sessions with callers having a same intent as the identified intent, and assigning the identified agent to the caller.

Abstract: A coating, preferably a color coating, method for keratin fibers is described which includes three steps: activation, pretreatment and binding. The activation step includes one or both of a Praeparatur procedure and a Fundamenta procedure to produce modified fibers. The pretreatment step applies a pretreatment composition of at least a PTH alkoxysilane with PTH as a thiol, a protected thiol or a group complementarily reactive with thiol to the modified fibers to form pretreated fibers. The binding step applies a film forming composition to the pretreated fibers to form the color coating.

Abstract: A computer system configured to facilitate communications over a plurality of communication platforms includes a chat monitor configured to monitor communications over a plurality of communication platforms; a parser coupled to the chat monitor and configured to detect whether a communication entered into a communication client corresponds to a communication protocol, the communication protocol including a protocol identifier and a plurality of primary protocol elements including a first user identifier and an instrument identifier; a protocol validator coupled to the parser and configured to validate communications corresponding to the communication protocol; and a database coupled to the protocol validator for storing validated communications. Each communication platform may be associated with a plurality of communication clients, and each communication platform may be configured to transmit communications between communication clients associated with the communication platform.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention provides a compound of the formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and methods of using this compound for treating type II diabetes mellitus.

Abstract: A computer system configured to facilitate communications over a plurality of communication platforms includes a chat monitor configured to monitor communications over a plurality of communication platforms; a parser coupled to the chat monitor and configured to detect whether a communication entered into a communication client corresponds to a communication protocol, the communication protocol including a protocol identifier and a plurality of primary protocol elements including a first user identifier and an instrument identifier; a protocol validator coupled to the parser and configured to validate communications corresponding to the communication protocol; and a database coupled to the protocol validator for storing validated communications. Each communication platform may be associated with a plurality of communication clients, and each communication platform may be configured to transmit communications between communication clients associated with the communication platform.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polypeptide, such as an Affimer polypeptide, comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity to amino acid residues 1 to 11, 13 to 15, 17 to 19, 21 to 25, 27 to 28, 35 to 37, 39, 41, 43 to 44, 46 to 47, 49 to 50, 52 to 53, 55 to 58, 63 to 64, 66, 68 to 82, 84 to 85, and 87 to 98 of SEQ ID NO: 1; characterized in that said polypeptide comprises one or mutations relative to SEQ ID NO: 1. The invention also relates to various methods and nucleic acids.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel cGAS inhibitor compounds, having a formula of: to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and to methods of using the compounds and compositions to treat certain pathological conditions such as immune-mediated diseases.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polypeptide, such as an Affimer polypeptide, comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity to amino acid residues 1 to 11, 13 to 15, 17 to 19, 21 to 25, 27 to 28, 35 to 37, 39, 41, 43 to 44, 46 to 47, 49 to 50, 52 to 53, 55 to 58, 63 to 64, 66, 68 to 82, 84 to 85, and 87 to 98 of SEQ ID NO: 1; characterised in that said polypeptide comprises one or more mutations relative to SEQ ID NO: 1 selected from the group consisting of: T51L, T51V, M65V, N32G, A59I, L38A, V20I, A40I, L38V, A12I, A12V, I16L, V20L, Q26E, E29M, T31K, N32D, N32H, T34V, T34R, T34D, T34P, A40V, Q42D, T45I, T45V, V48E, V48G, V48A, T51F, T51A, A59L, L67I, (V20I, L38A), (V20L, L38A), (V20I, L38V), (V20L, L38V), (E29K, K30E, E33K), (Y54D, T83D, Q86E), (A59L, G60N, D61G, N62K), (A59V, D61N, N62K), (G60N, D61G, N62K), (G60N, ?D61, N62G), ?D61, (A59L, G60N, ?D61, N62G), (A59V, G60N, D61G, N62K), (A59I, G60N, D61G, N62K), (A59I, G60N, ?D61, N62G), (A59V, G60N, ?D61, N62G), (A59V, ?D61), (G60P, ?D61, N62P),

Abstract: The invention provides a conductive circuit which may be applied to a garment, for example a garment for the stimulation of pelvic floor muscles. In the illustrated embodiments in the garment comprises a pair of shorts. The shorts are made from stretch fabric comprising a polyamide and are designed to fit closely to the body. The shorts are provided with two legs and a waistband area. The shorts comprise left and right conductive circuits, each of which comprises one or more electrodes formed from a printed conductive layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a conductive circuit which may be applied to a garment, for example a garment for the stimulation of pelvic floor muscles. In the illustrated embodiments in the garment comprises a pair of shorts. The shorts are made from stretch fabric comprising a polyamide and are designed to fit closely to the body. The shorts are provided with two legs and a waistband area. The shorts comprise left and right conductive circuits, each of which comprises one or more electrodes formed from a printed conductive layer.

Abstract: Copolymer additives for crude oils, crude oil mixtures of the copolymer additives and crude oils, and methods for producing or forming the crude oil mixtures are provided. The crude oil mixtures and methods comprise at least copolymer additive introduce or applied to crude oil, wherein the at least one copolymer additive comprises one or more copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone and one or more alpha-olefins.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes an inner magnet arranged relative to an axis, an outer magnet arranged a radial distance from the axis, an inner radial wall of the outer magnet facing an outer radial wall of the inner magnet, the inner and outer radial walls being separated by an air gap, a voice coil arranged in the air gap separating the inner and outer magnets, and an actuator coupling plate attached to the voice coil. During operation of the device electrical activation of the voice coil causes axial motion of the actuator coupling plate.

Abstract: A beverage can with an ingredient chamber for storing functional ingredients separately from a base beverage until the beverage can is opened by a consumer. The ingredient chamber may be disposed on a can end of the beverage can. The ingredient chamber may be broken open to release functional ingredients automatically when the beverage can is opened by the consumer. In some embodiments, the ingredient chamber includes a membrane that forms a sealed cavity. In some embodiments, the ingredient chamber includes a deformed cavity of the can end.

Abstract: An electronic tokening system implemented by a data source transmits secure electronic tokens including time-based values to a plurality of terminals. The terminals may be geographically disparate, and the different terminals may have different connection speeds to the data source. The terminals may use the secure electronic tokens to consistently and reliable calculate data values.