Abstract: Availability of recycled auto parts listed in a centralized inventory system is verified by a query to the inventory system carrying the part. The query identifies the part and data about the part of relevance to a potential buyer (such as price, condition, location) to be verified. Verifications can be performed upon explicit user request, or upon actions implicitly requiring verification, such as adding a part to an estimate or shopping cart, ordering a part, or requesting the part seller to hold the part for future purchase, or the like; verification may also be automatically performed for some or all search results. Results of a verification may also be broadcast to the potential buyer and to the part seller (broker and/or part supplier) to enable audit and follow-up on the verification request.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smooths the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a plurality of cameras and a plurality of beamsplitters, all of which are fixedly attached to a housing. Each camera can have an optical axis that extends from the camera, transmits or reflects from at least one beamsplitter, and extends toward a scene. The optical axes from the cameras can all be angularly displaced from each other, so that the cameras can collect light from different portions of the scene. The cameras can have nodal points that are all coincident, in both lateral and longitudinal directions, when the optical paths are unfolded. The portions of the scene collected by the cameras can be directly adjacent to one another or can overlap slightly. The imaging system includes software that can stitch together the portions of the scene. The imaging system can produce video images that have higher resolutions (e.g., more pixels) than the individual cameras.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: The present invention includes certain features such as a business method for a professional disc jockey company to sell streaming music that he has professionally “mixed” or “transitioned” over the Internet. This downloadable streaming music disc jockey service acts perfectly for customers that want the sound of a disc jockey, without the expense of a live disc jockey. In practicing the method, the disc jockey company would first determine highly sellable popular genres of music, such as Rock and Roll, Hip Hop, Country, Jazz, and the like. The disc jockey responsible for the project would then run the selection through a “mixing” software to provide a set of music that would sound just like a live disc jockey was playing the music.

Abstract: Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes.

Abstract: A method of playing a blackjack game permits a player to place an initial wager on either the player's hand or on the dealer's hand. If placed on the player's hand, play continues under traditional blackjack rules. If the initial wager is placed on the dealer's hand, play of the player's hand is substantially in accordance with the house rules for play of the dealer's hand. If both the player's hand and the dealer's hand bust when the bet is on the dealer's hand, a portion of the initial player bet is forfeited to maintain a house advantage.

Abstract: A trellis traceback apparatus and method are disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus may include a branch indication memory, memory address logic, a selector, and a shift register. The memory may store branch indication information for a state at a section, the information indicating a branch that leads to the state. The memory address logic may indicate the section. The selector may receive the branch indication information for the state at the indicated section. The selector may select the branch indication information based on received selection information. The shift register may provide information stored in a plurality of register segments to the selector as the selection information, and the shift register may receive and store the selected branch indication information.

Abstract: A method of playing a blackjack game permits a player to place an initial wager on either the player's hand or on the dealer's hand. If placed on the player's hand, play continues under traditional blackjack rules. If the initial wager is placed on the dealer's hand, play of the player's hand is substantially in accordance with the house rules for play of the dealer's hand. If both the player's hand and the dealer's hand bust when the bet is on the dealer's hand, a portion of the initial player bet is forfeited to maintain a house advantage.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, distances associated with a Trellis decoder are determined.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an electrochemical metering apparatus that provides for convenient storage and presentation of the analytical electrode, simple assembly, and two calibration modes. The apparatus includes an electrode storage and presentation assembly that permits the user to introduce the electrode into a sample solution while simultaneously observing the meter's output, and store the electrode when not in use. All structural components are intended to fit together with interlocking tabs and windows. A serial port fits within the construction of the main housing without the need for bolts, and battery clips that depend directly from the circuit board obviate the need for wiring connections. The present invention also features two calibration modes. A "segment addition" mode permits separation of the voltage/concentration curve into individually plotted regions, the number of which depends on the number of reference solutions used in the calibration procedure.