Abstract: The present invention is further directed to methods and compositions for modulating the activity of the Toso protein. The invention further encompasses treatment of disorders associated with inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and cancer using compositions that include a soluble Toso protein.

Abstract: A tool box has a lower section, with drawers and a horizontal storage compartment, and an upper section, with vertical storage compartments. The upper section compartments can be arranged in variable sizes through the use of inserted dividers, thus providing a unique space for each tool. A flag can be disposed so that when a tool is removed from its unique space, the flag is easily visible to show that the tool is missing. The tool box can eliminate clutter, organize tools and prevent misplacement and loss of tools.

Abstract: The invention provides polypeptides comprising a complement factor B analog. The invention also provides various complement factor B analogs including complement factor B analogs comprising a mutation of a free cysteine amino acid and related methods, nucleic acids and vectors. These complement factor B analogs and related methods, nucleic acids and vectors can be used to modulate a complement pathway or for the study and/or treatment of various conditions or diseases related to a complement pathway.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a vertical axis washing machine. The washing machine includes a cabinet having a top portion with a lid and side portions extending downwardly from the top portion. A tub is positioned within the cabinet with a basket rotatably supported within the tub. The washing machine also includes a heater and a water level sensor. The water level sensor controls the volume of water that enters the tub and the heater generates steam from such volume of water.

Abstract: A dice game system is disclosed. The dice game system includes a table, a controller, and a plurality of electronically-actuated dice play stations. The dice play stations can include lighting components and dice agitators that are in electrical communication with the controller and a button positioned at the play station. The dice agitators can be actuated simultaneously by the controller and individually by a user positioned at a play station. The lighting components can indicate different stages of game play. A method for controlling a game on a game table is also disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide interspinous process spacing devices and related systems and methods. In one embodiment, surgical instrument system for implanting an interspinous process spacing device includes a first arm having a proximal end, an elongated central portion, and a distal end, wherein the distal end includes a first engagement element configured for releasably engaging a first attachment side of an interspinous process spacing device. The system also includes a second arm having a proximal end, an elongated central portion, and a distal end, wherein the distal end includes a second engagement element configured for releasably engaging a second attachment side of the interspinous process spacing device. The first arm and the second arm are removably attachable to one another via attachment elements and are configured for aligning a spacer of the first attachment side and a spacer opening of the second attachment side.

Abstract: A system for exchanging various forms of information between computer-executable agents. A computing device is configured to determine semantic data associated with each data object (DO) of a plurality of DOs. Each DO is associated with a location, and the semantic data describes the content of the associated DO. The computing device receives, from a first user computing device, a request for DO information and, in response to the request, provides DO information including the locations and the semantic data associated with the retrieved DOs to the user computing device by (a) transmitting the locations and the semantic data to the first user computing device, and/or (b) instructing the first user computing device to request the DO information from a second user computing device to which the locations and the semantic data were previously transmitted.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are recombinant human progenitor cells, engineered human thymocytes, and engineered human T cells. The recombinant human progenitor cells are made by transducing a human hematopoietic stem cell with a vector having a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a human T cell receptor specific to a virus, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or an epitope thereof. The recombinant human progenitor cells differentiate and mature into the engineered human thymocytes and the engineered human T cells. Also disclosed herein are methods of inhibiting, reducing or treating a viral infection in a subject, such as a human subject, which comprises administering recombinant human progenitor cells, engineered human thymocytes, and/or engineered human T cells to the subject.

Abstract: A function is provided for effectively identifying computer applications running on a network. The function receives information related to frames of packets moving through the network. The information is compared to known information about computer applications. The known information is obtained from a plurality of mechanisms, including the option of obtaining it through custom mechanisms. The comparison information is scored for each of the plurality of mechanisms and those scores are combined to establish a single score indicative of the likely computer application associated with the received frames. One or more mathematical operations can be used to combine the scores. The mechanisms may be weighted for likely accuracy and the score that is established may include with it an indication of the level of confidence in that score. One or more of the plurality of mechanisms may be used to weight others of the types of mechanisms.

Abstract: A video processing device for generating an output video stream on the basis of two or more concurrent input video streams and a method thereof are described. Each input video stream comprises a sequence of input images. The output video stream comprises a sequence of output images. The video processing device generates each output image by merging a respective set of input images. The set of input images comprises one input image from each input video stream. The video processing device merges the input images in a series of merging rounds. Each merging round comprises forming an output tile by merging a set of input tiles, and writing the output tile to an output memory unit. The set of input tiles comprises one input tile from each input image of the respective set of input images. The output tiles written to the output memory unit represent the output image.

Abstract: Fungicidal compositions comprising a paraffinic oil and 2-chloro-N-(4?-chloro[1,1?-biphenyl]-2-yl)-3-pyridinecarboxamide (boscalid) are provided. The fungicidal compositions may further comprise a pigment. The fungicidal compositions may be provided as oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions which may be used for controlling fungal disease, such as dollar spot or bentgrass dead spot or bermudagrass dead spot, in plants, such as turfgrasses. Methods of applying the fungicidal compositions are also provided.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a technique for avoiding collisions between agents traversing different lanes of a multi-lane path in a crowd simulation. A perception data structure is maintained per agent that keeps track of the speeds and locations of neighboring agents in the crowd simulation. At each frame, the perception data structure corresponding to a particular agent is analyzed to identify any projected collisions. If the perception data structure indicates that the agent is projected to collide with another agent, then a collision avoidance operation is executed to avoid the collision.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a transducer including a plasmonic funnel having first and second ends with the first end having a smaller cross-sectional area than the second end, and a first section positioned adjacent to the first end of the plasmonic funnel, and a first waveguide having a core, positioned to cause light in the core to excite surface plasmons on the transducer.

Abstract: A coherent attached processor proxy (CAPP) that participates in coherence communication in a primary coherent system on behalf of an attached processor external to the primary coherent system tracks delivery of data to destinations in the primary coherent system via one or more entries in a data structure. Each of the one or more entries specifies with a destination tag a destination in the primary coherent system to which data is to be delivered from the attached processor. In response to initiation of recovery operations for the CAPP, the CAPP performs data recovery operations, including transmitting, to at least one destination indicated by the destination tag of one or more entries, an indication of a data error in data to be delivered to that destination from the attached processor.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a spindle motor configured to rotate a disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a plurality of windings. The windings are commutated based on a commutation sequence while applying a driving voltage to each winding, wherein the driving voltage comprises an operating amplitude during normal operation. When a supply voltage falls below a threshold, the spindle motor is configured into a power generator by at least reducing the amplitude of the driving voltage to substantially zero and then incrementally increasing the amplitude of the driving voltage by at least two steps toward the operating amplitude.

Abstract: An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.