Abstract: A database management engine provides a user interface that allows users to access and modify employee information in a database. The database includes entries for employees, and each database entry includes identifying information about the associated employee. A user can request to modify data within database entries, for instance in order to update information associated with an employee. Responsive to the request, the database management engine identifies liabilities associated with the database modification stemming from associated tax laws. Based on the identified tax liabilities, the engine computes the aggregate tax liability owed by the employer and/or employee. Before modifying a database entry, the engine modifies the user interface to include interface elements detailing the computed aggregate tax liability. The user explicitly can be required to confirm the database modification in view of the aggregate tax liability.

Abstract: Adaptive control of exposure. A proportional exposure cap is a maximum fraction applicable to a recipient's total viewable attention in a time window. The total viewable attention represents all viewable advertising content which will be provided to the recipient. A notification of availability of an opportunity to expose a specified recipient to advertising content is received during the time window. The specified recipient's consumed viewable attention is detected. The specified recipient's total viewable attention for the time window is predicted. Responsive to the maximum fraction of the specified recipient's predicted total viewable attention for the time window being greater than the consumed viewable attention of the specified recipient, content is sent to the specified recipient and the consumed viewable attention is updated.

Abstract: Adaptive control of exposure. A proportional exposure cap is a maximum fraction applicable to a recipient's total viewable attention in a time window. The total viewable attention represents all viewable advertising content which will be provided to the recipient. A notification of availability of an opportunity to expose a specified recipient to advertising content is received during the time window. The specified recipient's consumed viewable attention is detected. The specified recipient's total viewable attention for the time window is predicted. Responsive to the maximum fraction of the specified recipient's predicted total viewable attention for the time window being greater than the consumed viewable attention of the specified recipient, content is sent to the specified recipient and the consumed viewable attention is updated.

Abstract: Adaptive control of exposure. A proportional exposure cap is a maximum fraction applicable to a recipient's total viewable attention in a time window. The total viewable attention represents all viewable advertising content which will be provided to the recipient. A notification of availability of an opportunity to expose a specified recipient to advertising content is received during the time window. The specified recipient's consumed viewable attention is detected. The specified recipient's total viewable attention for the time window is predicted. Responsive to the maximum fraction of the specified recipient's predicted total viewable attention for the time window being greater than the consumed viewable attention of the specified recipient, content is sent to the specified recipient and the consumed viewable attention is updated.

Abstract: Adaptive control of exposure. A proportional exposure cap is a maximum fraction applicable to a recipient's total viewable attention in a time window. The total viewable attention represents all viewable advertising content which will be provided to the recipient. A notification of availability of an opportunity to expose a specified recipient to advertising content is received during the time window. The specified recipient's consumed viewable attention is detected. The specified recipient's total viewable attention for the time window is predicted. Responsive to the maximum fraction of the specified recipient's predicted total viewable attention for the time window being greater than the consumed viewable attention of the specified recipient, content is sent to the specified recipient and the consumed viewable attention is updated.

Abstract: Adaptive control of exposure. A proportional exposure cap is a maximum fraction applicable to a recipient's total viewable attention in a time window. The total viewable attention represents all viewable advertising content which will be provided to the recipient. A notification of availability of an opportunity to expose a specified recipient to advertising content is received during the time window. The specified recipient's consumed viewable attention is detected. The specified recipient's total viewable attention for the time window is predicted. Responsive to the maximum fraction of the specified recipient's predicted total viewable attention for the time window being greater than the consumed viewable attention of the specified recipient, the advertising campaign's advertising content is sent to the specified recipient and the consumed viewable attention is updated.

Abstract: Adaptive control of exposure. A proportional exposure cap is a maximum fraction applicable to a recipient's total viewable attention in a time window. The total viewable attention represents viewable area and exposure duration of all viewable advertising content which will be provided to the recipient. A notification of availability of an opportunity to expose a specified recipient to advertising content is received during the time window. The specified recipient's consumed viewable attention (representing viewable area and exposure duration of the advertising campaign's advertising content) is detected. The specified recipient's total viewable attention for the time window is predicted. Responsive to the maximum fraction of the specified recipient's predicted total viewable attention for the time window being greater than the consumed viewable attention of the specified recipient, the advertising campaign's advertising content is sent to the specified recipient and the consumed viewable attention is updated.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform quantization offset and/or cost factor modification for video encoding are disclosed. Some example methods for video encoding disclosed herein include adjusting a quantization offset to quantize a transform coefficient representative of a pixel block in a frame of a video sequence. For example, the quantization offset can be adjusted based on a quantization parameter obtained to quantize the transform coefficient. Some such example methods also include quantizing the transform coefficient according to the quantization parameter and the quantization offset. Some example methods for video encoding disclosed herein additionally or alternatively include adjusting a cost factor based on a characteristic of a pixel block in a frame of a video sequence. Some such example methods also include determining, based on the cost factor, a cost associated with encoding the pixel block according to a first encoding mode.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to adjust intra-frame encoding distortion metrics for video encoding are disclosed. Some example methods for video encoding disclosed herein include obtaining an intra-frame encoding distortion metric representative of distortion associated with a first intra-frame encoding mode for encoding a pixel block in a frame of a video sequence. Some such example methods also include adjusting the intra-frame encoding distortion metric based on a characteristic associated with the pixel block to determine an adjusted intra-frame encoding distortion metric. Some such example methods further include comparing the adjusted intra-frame encoding distortion metric with an inter-frame encoding distortion metric representative of distortion associated with a first inter-frame encoding mode for encoding the pixel block to determine whether to use at least one of the first intra-frame encoding mode or the first inter-frame encoding mode to encode the pixel block.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to adjust intra-frame encoding distortion metrics for video encoding are disclosed. Some example methods for video encoding disclosed herein include obtaining an intra-frame encoding distortion metric representative of distortion associated with a first intra-frame encoding mode for encoding a pixel block in a frame of a video sequence. Some such example methods also include adjusting the intra-frame encoding distortion metric based on a characteristic associated with the pixel block to determine an adjusted intra-frame encoding distortion metric. Some such example methods further include comparing the adjusted intra-frame encoding distortion metric with an inter-frame encoding distortion metric representative of distortion associated with a first inter-frame encoding mode for encoding the pixel block to determine whether to use at least one of the first intra-frame encoding mode or the first inter-frame encoding mode to encode the pixel block.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform quantization offset and/or cost factor modification for video encoding are disclosed. Some example methods for video encoding disclosed herein include adjusting a quantization offset to quantize a transform coefficient representative of a pixel block in a frame of a video sequence. For example, the quantization offset can be adjusted based on a quantization parameter obtained to quantize the transform coefficient. Some such example methods also include quantizing the transform coefficient according to the quantization parameter and the quantization offset. Some example methods for video encoding disclosed herein additionally or alternatively include adjusting a cost factor based on a characteristic of a pixel block in a frame of a video sequence. Some such example methods also include determining, based on the cost factor, a cost associated with encoding the pixel block according to a first encoding mode.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liner-free label activator, adapted to be joined to another piece of equipment, such as a thermal printer. The activator has a housing including a reservoir for containing a solvent and a pump connected to the reservoir. The activator also has an applicator connected to the pump for applying solvent to a liner-free label passing thereby, an activator control system to connect to a control system of the printer, and structure for connecting the housing to the printer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liner-free label activator, adapted to be joined to another piece of equipment, such as a thermal printer. The activator has a housing including a reservoir for containing a solvent and a pump connected to the reservoir. The activator also has an applicator connected to the pump for applying solvent to a liner-free label passing thereby, an activator control system to connect to a control system of the printer, and structure for connecting the housing to the printer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liner-free label activator, adapted to be joined to another piece of equipment, such as a thermal printer. The activator has a housing including a reservoir for containing a solvent and a pump connected to the reservoir. The activator also has an applicator connected to the pump for applying solvent to a liner-free label passing thereby, an activator control system to connect to a control system of the printer, and structure for connecting the housing to the printer.

Abstract: A method of forming a germanium-on-insulator (GOI). An epitaxial germanium layer is formed on top of a first substrate. A first dielectric film is formed on top of the epitaxial germanium layer. A second substrate is provided. The first substrate is bonded to the second substrate by bonding the first dielectric film to the second substrate. The bonding resulted in a bonded wafer pair. The first substrate is removed after the bonding to expose epitaxial germanium layer to form the GOI substrate.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to provide heat extraction for semiconductor devices. At least a thermoelectric film is fabricated onto a bare wafer. The backside of the bare wafer is bonded to an active wafer having at least a device. The bonded bare and active wafers are annealed.

Abstract: More complete bonding of wafers may be achieved out to the edge regions of the wafer by constrained bond strengthening of the wafers in a pressure bonding apparatus after direct wafer bonding. The pressure bonding process may be accompanied by the application of not above room temperature.

Abstract: A layer transfer technique in which a portion of a donor wafer is doped with positively charged hydrogen ions and positively charged helium ions before it is bonded to a portion of a handle wafer. Furthermore, the bonded wafers are annealed at one of two annealing temperatures, which determines whether the wafers are separated using a thermal cleave or a mechanical cleave process.

Abstract: Methods of forming a germanium on insulator structure and its associated structures are described. Those methods comprise forming an epitaxial germanium layer on a sacrificial silicon layer, removing a portion of the epitaxial germanium layer, activating the epitaxial germanium layer and an oxide layer disposed on a silicon substrate in an oxygen plasma, and bonding the epitaxial germanium layer to the oxide layer to form a germanium on insulator structure.

Abstract: Methods of forming a germanium on insulator structure and its associated structures are described. Those methods comprise forming an epitaxial germanium layer on a sacrificial silicon layer, removing a portion of the epitaxial germanium layer, activating the epitaxial germanium layer and an oxide layer disposed on a silicon substrate in an oxygen plasma, and bonding the epitaxial germanium layer to the oxide layer to form a germanium on insulator structure.