Abstract: Methods and systems for collecting blood samples are described. The disclosed methods and systems employ exposure of the skin surface at a sampling location to electromagnetic radiation, such as blue light, to induce vasodilation in the skin in order to increase a rate of capillary perfusion and blood collection. Following or during the exposure process, the skin at the sampling location can be pricked with one or more lancets to generate capillary perfusion sites for the blood collection process. Following collection of a blood sample, some of the disclosed devices and methods can optionally use heat or infrared electromagnetic radiation to increase a clotting rate to close the capillary perfusion sites.

Abstract: The invention provides a tandemly repeated protein comprising at least two repeats of an amino acid sequence of an antibody binding protein or a fragment thereof and a cell having the repeats expressed on the membrane thereof, which can be used in immunoassay to improve detection sensitivity and detection limit.

Abstract: A method of distinguishing between a first-type touch event and a second-type touch event is disclosed. A force-measuring and touch-sensing system includes piezoelectric force-measuring elements (PFEs) and piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers (PUTs), wherein each PUT can be configured as a transmitter (PUT transmitter) and/or a receiver (PUT receiver). The force-measuring and touch-sensing system is configured at a sense region. Each PUT transmitter transmits ultrasound signals towards the sense region and voltage signals are generated at the PUT receivers in response to ultrasound signals arriving from the sense region. Voltage signals are generated at PFEs in response to a low-frequency mechanical deformation of the respective piezoelectric capacitors. An event is determined to be a first-type touch event or a second-type touch event depending on a PUT data decrease and a magnitude of PFE data.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel imidazo[4,5-c]quinoline derivatives of Formula (I), and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof I wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined in the specification. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of Formula I and to use of the compounds in the treatment of diseases associated with LRRK2, such as neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, cancer, Crohn's disease or leprosy.

Abstract: System and method for facilitating advertisements within viewed content. The advertisements may be banner advertisements or other advertisement. The advertisements may be included in such a manner that if a user skips or otherwise fast forwards through the advertisements, the user if force to skip through at least a portion of the viewed content.

Abstract: Bodily fluid sample collection systems, devices, and method are provided. The sample is collected at a first location and subjected to a first sample processing step. The sample may be shipped to a second location and subjected to a second sample processing step that does not introduce contaminants into a plasma portion of the sample formed from the first processing step. The sample may also be mixed with other material(s) in the collection device.

Abstract: Future data connection quality may be predicted based on past data connection quality, and future requests for data may be predicted based on past requests. These predictions may be used to help decide whether, when, and/or how to deliver the data in a proactive manner. For example, according to some aspects described herein, a future data connection quality may be predicted based at least on historical data connection quality. It may be determined whether to pre-deliver at least a first portion of an item of content based at least on the predicted future data connection quality. If so, then the at least the portion of the item of content may be pre-delivered to the device and/or to another destination.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and apparatus for assisted third-party password authentication. The method performed at a client device includes creating a secure connection from an inline frame associated with a first application on the client device to an authorization server for accessing a second application. The method includes identifying, by the inline frame, one or more events that represent inputs for a user authorization credential, and proxying, by the inline frame, the identified one or more events to the authorization server using the secure connection. The method includes receiving an authorization code from the authorization server in response to the proxying. The method includes redirecting, by the inline frame, the authorization code to the application on the client device. The method includes transmitting, from the client device to the authorization server, the authorization code to receive an access token for accessing the second application.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing conditional access to a service. One or more tasks may be associated with a user profile. The one or more tasks may be indicated as required to be completed to access the service. The one or more tasks may have associated deadlines. If a task is not completed by the deadline, then any device associated with the user profile may be blocked from access to the service.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for context-based speech processing. A current context may be determined. A subset of trigger words or phrases may be selected, from a plurality of trigger words, as trigger words that a computing device is configured to recognize in the determined current context. The computing device may be controlled to listen for only the subset of trigger words during speech recognition.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for providing guided collaborative viewing are described herein. In example implementations, a user navigates navigable image content such as immersive content, 360° video, and the like. During the navigation, navigation data is generated that indicates the orientations of the user's view of the navigable image content. Various techniques are employed to obtain variant navigation data from the navigation data generated during the user's navigation. The techniques used to obtain the variant navigation data include techniques to stabilize the orientations of the user's view and smooth transitions between orientations of the user's view. The variant navigation data is provided to another user in order to enable the other user to follow the navigation of the navigable image content. By using the variant navigation data rather than the original navigation data, following the user's navigation may be more comfortable and less disorienting for the other user.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) unit and a method for RF isolation. The RF unit includes first and second RF couplers, an RF filter, and an RF canceler connected in parallel with the RF filter. The first RF coupler is configured to receive an input signal. The RF filter is configured to receive a first portion of the input signal from the first RF coupler and attenuate frequencies outside of a passband of the RF filter from the first portion of the input signal. The RF canceler is configured to receive a second portion of the input signal from the first RF coupler and generate a cancellation signal from the second portion of the input signal based on a target frequency band of the RF canceler. The second RF coupler is configured to combine the cancellation signal with an output of the RF filter to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A method, a device, and a computer program product for creating a stripe in a storage system. In the method, a balance index of a storage device in multiple storage devices in the storage system is determined. Here, the balance index indicates a relationship between the state distribution of a set of stripes which have been allocated for use in the storage device and the state distribution of a set of stripes which have been allocated for use in the multiple storage devices. An influence factor for the balance index of the storage device in the multiple storage devices is determined according to attributes of the storage device in the multiple storage devices. A storage device for creating a stripe is selected from the multiple storage devices based on the determined balance index and the determined influence factor. One extent in the selected storage device is added to the stripe.

Abstract: A medication dispensing system is provided and includes a medicine transfer device (MTD) and a controller. The MTD transfers medicine between first and second containers. The first container initially stores medicine. The controller: determines a first predetermined amount of medicine to be dispensed from the medicine dispensing system; causes the MTD to discharge a second predetermined amount of the medicine from the first container onto the MTD, and transfer a third predetermined amount of the medicine from the MTD to the second container; subsequent to the transfer of the third predetermined amount, determine whether the second container has greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount; and if the second container has less than the first predetermined amount, cause the MTD to transfer a portion of the medicine on the MTD into the second container or discharge a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the MTD.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an oscillator apparatus comprising a differential transmission line forming a closed loop, a plurality of active core components that are electrically connected to the differential transmission line and that are configured to compensate for loss in the differential transmission line, a plurality of tuning elements that are electrically coupled with the differential transmission line, and a processor configured to control each tuning element of the plurality of tuning elements to activate or deactivate such that an effective electrical length of the differential transmission line is changed.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a solution is provided that produces wide tables containing features for machine learned models. These wide tables are made available for model training for multiple models and/or groups. These wide tables may be served on a serving database for fast access for application program interface (API) serving and lightweight access during interactive development. The solution decreases the time needed to add a new feature from several days to a couple of hours by enabling experimentation.

Abstract: Future data connection quality may be predicted based on past data connection quality, and future requests for data may be predicted based on past requests. These predictions may be used to help decide whether, when, and/or how to deliver the data in a proactive manner. For example, according to some aspects described herein, a future data connection quality may be predicted based at least on historical data connection quality. It may be determined whether to pre-deliver at least a first portion of an item of content based at least on the predicted future data connection quality. If so, then the at least the portion of the item of content may be pre-delivered to the device and/or to another destination.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for programmatically grouping consumers are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a point-of-sale system including a merchant device and one or more communication beacons. The communication beacons may be placed at locations of interest and may be configured to broadcast different beacon identifiers. Nearby consumer devices that receive the beacon identifier may be determined to be associated with a point-of-sale order and suitable point-of-sale functionality may be provided. In some embodiments, a peer consumer device may be selected as an ad hoc communication beacon for broadcasting a beacon identifier to other consumer devices.

Abstract: A television program ratings method and system includes transferring information associated with households from a cable provider to a ratings provider such that the ratings provider has access to information associated with sampled households and lacks access to information associated with non-sampled households. To this end, identity information and usage information associated with the households are respectively anonymized and encrypted. Knowledge of the identities of the sampled households enables the anonymized identity information and the encrypted usage information for the sampled households to be respectively de-anonymized and decrypted. The ratings provider knows which households are sampled households. As such, the ratings provider de-anonymizes and decrypts the information associated with the sampled households and then uses the de-anonymized and decrypted information to determine television program ratings.

Abstract: System and methods for controlling a user experience are described. In an aspect, an interface can comprise an interface device for rendering content to a user, a sensor having a gesture zone associated therewith configured to detect a dexterous gesture of a user within the gesture zone and generate a sensor signal representing the dexterous gesture. A processor may be provided in communication with the sensor and the interface device. The processor receives the sensor signal, analyzes the sensor signal to determine a control action associated with the detected dexterous gesture of the user, and configures the user interface based upon the determined control action of the user.