Abstract: A method and system for making a donation to a third party includes storing, via a storage device, a user preference in a user account; receiving, via a receiver, information regarding a purchase transaction at a merchant; accessing, via a processor, the user preference from the user account; dynamically selecting, via the processor, a percentage discount to be allocated to the purchase transaction; donating, via the processor, a monetary value of the percentage discount to the third-party according to the user preference, where the user account is associated with a user, and includes rules for allocating the percentage discount to the third-party.

Abstract: A method and system for making a donation to a third party includes storing, via a storage device, a user preference in a user account; receiving, via a receiver, information regarding a purchase transaction at a merchant; accessing, via a processor, the user preference from the user account; dynamically selecting, via the processor, a percentage discount to be allocated to the purchase transaction; donating, via the processor, a monetary value of the percentage discount to the third-party according to the user preference, where the user account is associated with a user, and includes rules for allocating the percentage discount to the third-party.

Abstract: Bioreactors are used in neo-organ production to allow for an appropriate environment for the maintenance of healthy culturing conditions from pre-wetting to shipment of the neo-organ. The closed system “all-in-one bioreactor” is designed to allow for minimal exposure of the scaffold to the open air in order to maintain sterility. The design allows for the same container to be utilized for sterilization, pre-wetting, cell seeding, medium exchange, and shipment. The “all-in-one” bioreactor also remains completely closed after the urothelial cell seeding step to the implantation at the clinical site. This allows for sufficient time for release testing to occur so the neo-organ can be implanted into the patient.

Abstract: Biocompatible synthetic or natural scaffolds are provided for the reconstruction, repair, augmentation or replacement of organs or tissue structures in a patient in need of such treatment. The scaffolds are shaped to conform to at least a part of the organ or tissue structure and may be seeded with one or more cell populations. Inserts, receptacles and ports are also provided for the attachment of tubular vessels to the neo-organ scaffolds. The seeded scaffolds are implanted into the patient at the site in need of treatment to form an organized organ or tissue structure. The scaffolds may be used to form organs or tissues, such as bladders, urethras, valves, and blood vessels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to derive hepatic stem cells from stem cells derived from non-liver tissue. In one embodiment of the invention, hepatic stem cells are derived from adipose stem cells. The invention also provides a method of enhancing hepatic cytokine production (e.g., HGF) from ASCs, which may be useful in the regeneration of liver tissue when transplanted in vivo. Tissue culture conditions, including media conditions, are provided.

Abstract: Methods of using hepatic progenitors in treating liver dysfunction are provided. More particularly, methods of using hepatic progenitor cells, including hepatic stem cells, in treating liver dysfunction in the absence of immune-suppressing amounts of an immunosuppressant.

Abstract: Hepatic progenitors comprise two populations of human hepatic stem cells, primitive and proximal hepatic stem cells, and two populations of committed progenitors, one for biliary cells and one for hepatocytes. Human primitive hepatic stem cells are a very small fraction of the liver cell population and give rise to proximal hepatic stem cells constituting a much larger fraction of the liver. Human proximal hepatic stem cells give rise to biliary and hepatocyte committed progenitors. Primitive and proximal stem cells are the primary stem cells for the human liver. Human primitive hepatic stem cells may be isolated by immunoselection from human livers or culturing human liver cells under conditions which select for a human primitive hepatic stem cell. Proximal hepatic stem cells may be isolated by immunoselection, or by culturing human liver cells under conditions which include a developmental factor.

Abstract: A method of providing machine usage data to a computer for a given user by setting the machine for transmission of the machine usage data to the computer and transmitting the machine usage data to the computer for various levels of usage. The computer converts the machine usage data into a format compatible for the given user, for example, converting to a generic ASCII type file format or to an MS Excel format.

Abstract: A printing system for producing prints, with each print including an image represented by image data, is provided. The printing system includes a memory for storing and buffering the image data of a selected print and an image output terminal, communicating with the memory, for printing the image of the selected print on a substrate. The printing system further includes marking software, operatively associated with the image output terminal, for determining a value for the maximum amount of memory to be used in printing selected ones of the prints, and a resource manager, communicating with the marking software and the memory, for managing the memory. In practice, the resource manager receives the value from the marking software and the substrate is fed to the image output terminal when the resource manager determines that the value corresponds with a selected amount of available memory space and that an additional predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A method of printing a job to produce a set of prints in a printing system with a print file, the print file being divided into a first buffer and a second buffer where the print file communicates with a marker. The marker employs a set of a first type of print-related information and a set of a second type of print-related information for producing the set of prints. The method includes the step of filling the first buffer with a first portion of the set of the first type of print-related information and the second buffer with the a first portion of the set of the second type of print-related information. The method further includes the step of reading, with the marker, the first portion of the set of the first type of print-related information from the first buffer and the first portion of the set of the second type of print-related information from the second buffer.