Abstract: The present invention provides systems, devices, kits, and methods for separating blood plasma from whole blood. In particular, the present invention provides systems, devices, and methods for separating a fixed volume of blood plasma from whole blood with minimal energy input.

Abstract: Methods of modulating the properties of a cell culture expressing a protein of interest are provided. In various embodiments the methods relate to the overexpression of proteins involved in the N-glycosylation pathway.

Abstract: Multimedia document summarization techniques are described. That is, given a document that includes text and a set of images, various implementations generate a summary by extracting relevant text segments in the document and relevant segments of images with constraints on the amount of text and number/size of images in the summary.

Abstract: A quality metric of a multimedia summary of a multimedia content item is determined based, in part, on semantic similarities of the summary and content item, rather than just on word frequencies. This is accomplished in some embodiments by identifying a semantic meaning of the summary and multimedia content item using vector analysis. The vectors of the summary and the vectors of the multimedia content item are compared to determine semantic similarity. In other examples, the quality metric of the multimedia summary is determined based on, in part, a coherence between an image portion of a summary and a text portion of the summary for determining a quality metric of a multimedia summary.

Abstract: User interest learning through hierarchical interest graph techniques are described. In one or more implementations, each of a plurality of categories in a directed hierarchical interest graph are assigned a distance value which represents a shortest distance in the directed hierarchical interest graph from a root category to the category. A list of keywords is formed from user data that denotes a corresponding said category and frequency of the category. A maximum of the frequencies amongst the plurality of categories is determined and a score is calculated for each of the keywords based on the frequency of the category, the maximum of the frequencies, and the distance value for the keyword. Increments of scores may be propagated from child categories to parent categories in the hierarchical interest graph such that greater weighting is given to child categories that are less abstract than parent categories in the directed graph.

Abstract: Target audience content interaction techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a plurality of content is quantified by one or more computing devices as a content feature representation for each of the plurality of content. A plurality of content feature clusters are generated by the one or more computing devices based at least in part on similarity of the content feature representations, one to another. Content cluster interaction data is also created by the one or more computing devices that describes interaction of each of a plurality of users with the plurality of content. A plurality of user interaction clusters are calculated from the content cluster interaction data by the one or more computing devices based at least in part on similarity of the content cluster interaction data of the plurality of users, one to another. The calculated plurality of user interaction clusters are employed by the one or more computing devices to determine content preferences of a target audience.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing object modifications by using change-specific executable files comprises accessing at least one modification stub associated with an object file, wherein the modification stub comprises an instruction for modifying the object file, wherein the instruction identifies an element in the object file and defines instructions for modifying the identified element; applying a selected modification stub to the object file; and modifying the object file per the instruction contained in the modification stub.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing object modifications by using change-specific executable files comprises accessing at least one modification stub associated with an object file, wherein the modification stub comprises an instruction for modifying the object file, wherein the instruction identifies an element in the object file and defines instructions for modifying the identified element; applying a selected modification stub to the object file; and modifying the object file per the instruction contained in the modification stub.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns an effective utilization of a self-care online portal containing enriched customer experience. Here the portal upon receiving a validated search string relevant to an issue faced and entered by the user through a web interface, displays the relevant information retrieved from the database by the server on the web interface thus enabling the user to resolve the issue by self-based on the retrieved relevant information. The user then gets rewarded for successful self-resolution of issue. Additionally, the user also gets an option of initiating one or more interaction channels comprising of but not restricted to a multimedia session or an audio conversation using a communicating device or a web enabled user discussion forums to further help in resolving the issue in a time effective optimized manner thereby creating an enriched customer experience.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems, devices, kits, and methods for separating blood plasma from whole blood. In particular, the present invention provides systems, devices, and methods for separating a fixed volume of blood plasma from whole blood with minimal energy input.

Abstract: One or more usage models are provided for a database. Each usage model includes a set of rules that are used to analyze database performance. A usage model in one or more usage models is determined. Database information is determined based on the usage model. The database information is then analyzed based on rules associated with the usage model. One or more performance problems are determined based on the analysis.

Abstract: Techniques for self-diagnosing performance problems in a database are provided. The techniques include classifying one or more performance problems in a database system. One or more values for quantifying an impact of the one or more performance problems on the database system are then determined. The quantified values are determined based on the performance of operations in the database system. A performance problem based on the one or more quantified values is then determined. A solution for the performance problem is generated and may be outputted.

Abstract: One or more usage models are provided for a database. Each usage model includes a set of rules that are used to analyze database performance. A usage model in one or more usage models is determined. Database information is determined based on the usage model. The database information is then analyzed based on rules associated with the usage model. One or more performance problems are determined based on the analysis.

Abstract: Techniques for self-diagnosing performance problems in a database are provided. The techniques include classifying one or more performance problems in a database system. One or more values for quantifying an impact of the one or more performance problems on the database system are then determined. The quantified values are determined based on the performance of operations in the database system. A performance problem based on the one or more quantified values is then determined. A solution for the performance problem is generated and may be outputted.

Abstract: A circuit and method for increasing the dynamic range of CMOS image sensors designed with a thin gate oxide layer. The circuit includes a high voltage supply circuit and a high voltage level shifter circuit. The high voltage supply circuit is configured to supply a voltage to the shifter circuit. The voltage has a voltage level higher than the maximum supply voltage of the associated fabrication process. The shifter circuit is configured to output a high reset signal based on a reset signal generated to reset a pixel circuit of a pixel array. Instead of the reset signal, the high reset signal is coupled to a gate of the reset transistor in the pixel circuit. The high reset signal allows the reset transistor to maintain a gate to source potential less than the maximum supply voltage even when the high reset signal is greater than the maximum supply voltage.

Abstract: A charge-pump circuit generates a constant voltage higher than the available power supply. A feedback path maintains the voltage at a constant level in spite of power supply, temperature and process variations. This charge pump circuit includes a switched capacitor interface arranged to generate a target voltage that is used to activate and deactivate a bypass capacitor interface to maintain the constant voltage. The bypass capacitor interface is configured to complete the feedback path. The feedback helps to ensure that node n1, that is coupled to the output of the charge pump, stays at a constant potential, irrespective of the power supply voltage.

Abstract: A method, system and product for coordinating a parallel update for a global index of an indexed table involves a coordinator process and slave processes. The coordinator process receives index maintenance records from data manipulation slaves for an indexed table. Each index maintenance record includes a value for an index key of a global index of the table. The coordinator process computes index key value ranges and sends each range to an index update slave. Each slave updates the global index using just the index maintenance records with key values in its respective range, thus avoiding contention among the slaves and increasing clustering so that scaleable parallelism may be more closely attained. Techniques are also described for deferring the maintenance of global indexes relative to the time when the table on which they are built is changed.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for executing distinct aggregation operations in a manner that is more scalable and efficient than prior techniques. A three-stage technique is provided to parallelize aggregation operations that involve both grouping and multiple distinct-key columns. Such queries are handled by splitting rows into as many pieces as there are distinct aggregates in the query, and processing the row pieces. During the first-stage, a set of slave processes scans the rows of the base tables and performs partial duplicate elimination. During the second-stage, a set of slave processes completes the duplicate elimination and performs partial set function aggregation. During the third-stage, a third set of slave processes completes the set aggregation to produce the results of the distinct aggregation operation.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having at least one segmented array of switches, wherein the root node of each segmented array of switches is a node whose potential varies with time during operation. Each segmented switch array includes switches connected between nodes having a tree structure. The nodes include the root node and additional nodes of at least two different degrees relative to the root node. By providing a segmented array (rather than a non-segmented array) of switches at a node, the total load capacitance (including parasitic capacitance) at the node is reduced in accordance with the invention. In preferred embodiments, the invention is an analog integrated circuit having a first node at which the potential varies rapidly, and a segmented array of switches whose root node is the first node. Another aspect of the invention is a method for designing an integrated circuit to have reduced load capacitance (e.g.