Abstract: Content update and suggestion techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are implemented to generate suggestions that are usable to guide creative professionals in updating content such as images, video, sound, multimedia, and so forth. A variety of techniques are usable to generate suggestions for the content professionals. In one example, suggestions are based on shared characteristics of images licensed by users of a content sharing service, e.g., licensed by the users. In another example, suggestions are based on metadata of the images licensed by the users, the metadata describing characteristics of how the images are created. These suggestions are then used to guide transformation of a user's image such that the image exhibits these characteristics and thus has an increased likelihood of being desired for licensing by customers of the service.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cold-water soluble starch and a process for preparing same. Generally, the process comprises providing a hydroxyalkyl starch and applying a shearing force to the starch in an extruder in the presence of moisture, the force and the moisture each being sufficient to gelatinize at least substantially all of the granules of the starch to thereby form a sheared starch. The starch is heated to its gelatinization temperature after the starch has passed partially through the barrel of the extruder, with the moisture being maintained at a level sufficiently high to allow gelatinization but sufficiency low to protect the starch from becoming too sticky to extrude. The extruded starch product thus formed may be used in connection with a number of film-forming, coating, and other applications.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an online software application for providing users or customers with newly created animated equivalents of their originally submitted static (aka, un-animated) scannable codes.

Abstract: A fluid flow testing apparatus for measuring the pour profile of a container has a rotatable container carrier and an assembly for rotating the container between a first position allowing fluid to be retained within the container and a second position causing fluid to be poured from the container. Sensors for sensing the weight of the container as liquid is poured from the container are provided in order to determine the pour profile of the container. A controller receives input signals from the sensors in order to record the weight of the container over time as liquid is poured from the container as the container is rotated. The change of weight of the container over time establishes a pour profile for the container.

Abstract: A system and methods providing for minimizing the arc energy delivered to the pads of a plurality of contactors using a single control coil based on monitoring the electrical sine waves of the three alternating current electrical poles and calculating the instant to energize or deenergize a single control coil. The remainder of the contactors will make or break based on an offset in time from the making or breaking of the control contactor.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses for 3D printing with small geometric offsets to affect surface characteristics. These techniques are capable of enabling fused-deposition printers to create 3D objects having desired surface characteristics, such as particular colors, images and image resolutions, textures, and luminosities. In some cases, the techniques do so using a single filament head with a single filament material. In some other cases, the techniques do so using multiple heads each with different filaments, though the techniques can forgo many switches between these heads. Each printing layer may use even a single filament from one head, thereby enabling surface characteristics while reducing starts and stops for filaments heads, which enables fewer artifacts or increases printing speed.

Abstract: An intuitive object-generation experience is provided by employing an autoencoder neural network to reduce the dimensionality of a procedural model. A set of sample objects are generated using the procedural model. In embodiments, the sample objects may be selected according to visual features such that the sample objects are uniformly distributed in visual appearance. Both procedural model parameters and visual features from the sample objects are used to train an autoencoder neural network, which maps a small number of new parameters to the larger number of procedural model parameters of the original procedural model. A user interface may be provided that allows users to generate new objects by adjusting the new parameters of the trained autoencoder neural network, which outputs procedural model parameters. The output procedural model parameters may be provided to the procedural model to generate the new objects.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses for 3D printing with small geometric offsets to affect surface characteristics. These techniques are capable of enabling fused-deposition printers to create 3D objects having desired surface characteristics, such as particular colors, images and image resolutions, textures, and luminosities. In some cases, the techniques do so using a single filament head with a single filament material. In some other cases, the techniques do so using multiple heads each with different filaments, though the techniques can forgo many switches between these heads. Each printing layer may use even a single filament from one head, thereby enabling surface characteristics while reducing starts and stops for filaments heads, which enables fewer artifacts or increases printing speed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filling machine for producing sausages and a method for monitoring the state of fouling of a collection container and/or a channel which is in communication with the collection container of such a filling machine, where the filling machine comprises a vane cell pump for delivering pasty mass, a vacuum pump for generating negative pressure of the vane cell pump, where the vane cell pump is via the collection container for the pasty mass that is dragged along in communication with the vacuum pump. The filling machine further comprises an inspection opening that is via a channel in communication with the collection container for inspecting the channel and/or the collection container.

Abstract: A vehicle brake circuit including a brake actuator, a manually operable valve, an electrically operable valve and a fluid reservoir for the supply of fluid to the actuator. The manually operated valve may be connected to the fluid reservoir either directly or indirectly through the electrically operable valve, when its position blocks a direct fluid connection with the fluid reservoir. The electrically operated valve controls activation or deactivation of the actuator except when the mechanically operated valve is in an unblocked position and overrides the electrically operated valves control of the actuator.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating curved extrusions. A user interface may be provided via which the value of one or more extrusion parameters and/or a reference point may be changed. An extrusion may be generated from an initial 2D object according to the set of extrusion parameters and/or the reference point.

Abstract: A method for dynamic filtration of a pharmaceutical product is provided. The method includes using an unconditioned resin configured to selectively retain one or more components from a mixture having the pharmaceutical product and where the unconditioned resin is configured to be activated by a medium of the mixture. The method further includes the use of at least one positioning material disposed adjacent to the unconditioned resin, where the positioning material is configured to provide mechanical support to the resin to at least partially retain the resin in position.

Abstract: A fluid flow testing apparatus for measuring the you profile of a container has a rotatable container carrier and an assembly for rotating the container between a first position allowing fluid to be retained within the container and a second position causing fluid to be poured from the container. Sensors far sensing the weight of the container as liquid is poured from the container are provided in order to determine the pour profile of the container. A controller receives input signals from the sensors in order to record the weight of the container over time as liquid is poured from the container as the container is rotated. The change of weight of the container over time establishes a pour profile for the container.

Abstract: Selection of an area of an image can be received. Selection of a subset of a plurality of predefined patterns may be received. A plurality of patterns can be generated. At least one generated pattern in the plurality of patterns may be based at least in part on one or more predefined patterns in the subset. Selection of another subset of patterns may be received. At least one pattern in the other subset of patterns may be selected from the plurality of predefined patterns and/or the generated patterns. Another plurality of patterns can be generated. At least one generated pattern in this plurality of patterns may be based at least on part on one or more patterns in the other subset. Selection of a generated pattern from the generated other plurality of patterns may be received. The selected area of the image may be populated with the selected generated pattern.

Abstract: Selection of an area of an image can be received. Selection of a subset of a plurality of predefined patterns may be received. A plurality of patterns can be generated. At least one generated pattern in the plurality of patterns may be based at least in part on one or more predefined patterns in the subset. Selection of another subset of patterns may be received. At least one pattern in the other subset of patterns may be selected from the plurality of predefined patterns and/or the generated patterns. Another plurality of patterns can be generated. At least one generated pattern in this plurality of patterns may be based at least on part on one or more patterns in the other subset. Selection of a generated pattern from the generated other plurality of patterns may be received. The selected area of the image may be populated with the selected generated pattern.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses for 3D printing with small geometric offsets to affect surface characteristics. These techniques are capable of enabling fused-deposition printers to create 3D objects having desired surface characteristics, such as particular colors, images and image resolutions, textures, and luminosities. In some cases, the techniques do so using a single filament head with a single filament material. In some other cases, the techniques do so using multiple heads each with different filaments, though the techniques can forgo many switches between these heads. Each printing layer may use even a single filament from one head, thereby enabling surface characteristics while reducing starts and stops for filaments heads, which enables fewer artifacts or increases printing speed.

Abstract: Image matting and alpha value techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described in which matting operations are applied to image data that is in a raw or substantially raw image format. This may be used to decompose image data into foreground and background images as well as to generate an alpha value that describes a linear combination of the foreground and background images for a respective pixel. Further, implementations are also described in which a plurality of alpha values is generated for each of a plurality of pixels. These alpha values may be utilized to support a variety of different functionality, such as matting operations and so on.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating curved extrusions. A user interface may be provided via which the value of one or more extrusion parameters and/or a reference point may be changed. An extrusion may be generated from an initial 2D object according to the set of extrusion parameters and/or the reference point.

Abstract: Method and systems, for processing biological material, that contain a biological material in a vessel; add an aggregating agent to the material in the vessel and allow the material to separate into two or more distinct submaterials; extract one or more of the submaterials from the vessel; automatically transport one or more of the submaterials remaining in the vessel to a filtration device; and collect a resulting target retentate into a target retentate receptacle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cold-water soluble starch and a process for preparing same. Generally, the process comprises providing a hydroxyalkyl starch and applying a shearing force to the starch in an extruder in the presence of moisture, the force and the moisture each being sufficient to gelatinize at least substantially all of the granules of the starch to thereby form a sheared starch. The starch is heated to its gelatinization temperature after the starch has passed partially through the barrel of the extruder, with the moisture being maintained at a level sufficiently high to allow gelatinization but sufficiency low to protect the starch from becoming too sticky to extrude. The extruded starch product thus formed may be used in connection with a number of film-forming, coating, and other applications.