Abstract: A database is populated with information provided by users of the messaging system, the messaging system for effecting instant messaging communication sessions via a network. Initial information held in the database itself is used to generate a plurality of information requests. Each of the information requests is sent to a recipient user via the network in an instant messaging communication session affected by the messaging system. Fields of the database are assigned to the recipient uses or to groups of the recipient users, and their responses to the information requests are used to populate those fields.

Abstract: Examples provide a context-specific unbiased workforce allocation system. A workforce management component analyzes workforce data, associated workforce assets and an individual environment to generate a workforce assets allocation. Individual unique randomized identifiers (UR-IDs) are generated for each workforce asset in the plurality of workforce assets associated with the individual environment on a per allocation basis. A first UR-ID is associated with an individual workforce asset for a first allocation and a second UR-ID is associated with the individual workforce asset for the second allocation to maintain anonymity of workforce assets across allocations. The generated UR-IDs and corresponding allocation data are stored in an anonymized workforce data repository. A parity score is generated for each allocation of workforce assets. The parity score identifies anomalies in the allocations and provides feedback used to update the workforce asset allocations to minimize or eliminate the anomalies.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for providing and operating an efficient infrastructure to implement a built-in clock stop and scan dump (CSSD) scheme for fabric blocks, such as block random access memory (BRAM), UltraRAM (URAM), digital signal processing (DSP) blocks, configurable logic elements (CLEs), and the like. This is a very useful feature for system debug and can also be applied for emulation use cases (e.g., FPGA emulation). This scheme can be applied to any tiled architecture that has highly repetitive blocks. The infrastructure may include a DFx controller shared across multiple tiled blocks with some distributed logic in each block, in an effort to minimize or at least reduce area overhead. The infrastructure may also minimize or at least reduce utilization of fabric resources in an effort to ensure the least perturbation of the original design, such that the design issues being debugged can be easily reproduced.

Abstract: Circuits and methods for initializing a memory. Each row of the memory includes data bits and associated parity bits. A write buffer contains bit values for initializing the memory, and a control circuit performs a first set of write operations that write values from the write buffer to the data bits of the memory without writing values to the associated parity bits. The write buffer performs a second set of write operations that write values from the write buffer to the parity bits associated with the data bits without writing data to the data bits.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for notification. A communication is established between a mobile application at a user mobile electronic device and a shopping cart. The status indicator on the shopping cart is activated having a first state indicating that the shopping cart is in use. After a checkout process is completed, the status indicator is changed to have a second state indicating the completion of the checkout process.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing workload among server clusters is disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the system may include a memory storing instructions and a processor. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions to determine historical behaviors of the server clusters in processing a workload. The processor may also be configured to execute the instructions to construct cost models for the server clusters based at least in part on the historical behaviors. The cost model is configured to predict a processor utilization demand of a workload. The processor may further be configured to execute the instructions to receive a workload and determine efficiencies of processing the workload by the server clusters based at least in part on at least one of the cost models or an execution plan of the workload.

Abstract: Described is a layaway system for a retail store that includes a layaway processing utility, a detector, and a drone. The layaway processing utility electronically stores information about the layaway account and communicates with customers. The detector detects when a customer has entered the retail store and communicates with the layaway processing utility. The drone is loaded with layaway merchandise of the customer and automatically finds and delivers the layaway merchandise to the customer in the retail store. The customer can interact with the layaway processing utility using a mobile computing device to schedule the layaway pickup, and/or to make a payment on their layaway account. The layaway system reduces the wait time for customers wish to pick up their layaway items, provides easy ways for the customer to schedule their layaway pickup, and minimizes the employee time needed to find and deliver the layaway merchandise.

Abstract: A system for directing a shopper to an item of interest in a store comprises a floor surface at a store configured with indicators that communicate with each other to identify a path for guiding a store visitor from a current location to a location of an item of interest; a mobile device application executed by a mobile electronic device, the mobile device application generating a request for locating the item of interest; and a special-purpose processor that calculates the path from the current location of the store visitor to the location of the item of interest in response to the request received from the mobile device application. The indicators identify the path in response to the special-purpose processor calculating the path.

Abstract: A system and method for returning goods to a retail establishment where the goods were acquired comprises initiating a request to return goods purchased from the retail establishment; positioning the returned goods on a conveyor belt for transport to a location where the goods can be validated; validating the goods by a combination of a validation device proximal the conveyor belt and a return processing system; and generating a refund for the returned goods in response to a positive validation result.

Abstract: An example device includes a control unit that provides an execution environment for a network management application and a network interface. The network management application generates a request message based at least in part on a predicted amount of time required for the device to receive a response to a request message, wherein the predicted amount of time is based at least in part on object identifier processing time information, and wherein the predicted amount of time satisfies a timeout threshold. The network interface sends the request message and receives the response message. The network management application determines an amount of time that elapsed between when the device sent the request message and received the response message, and, responsive to determining that the amount of time that elapsed does not satisfy the timeout threshold, updates at least one of the object identifier processing time information and the timeout.

Abstract: A neuro-drill stencil trainer for demarcation of drilling on flat and curved bones comprises: i) one flat stencil which further comprises: a flat base (5), outer region (1), inner region (2), four slots (3) to define constrained region for drilling procedure, a handle (4) placed on the center region, to firmly hold the stencil at stationary position and ii) one curved stencil further comprises curved base (6), outer circles (7), inner circles (8), slots (9) and handle (10).

Abstract: An electro-mechanical box trainer for neurosurgery comprise: (i) a base part which comprises a rubberized working port (11) for insertion of endoscope (26) and tool (25) for manipulation, a microcontroller programmed motorized peg plate (14) placed at 45° degrees of inclination for defining a practice volume according to the neuroendoscopy, a membrane keypad to change the angle of rotation of said peg plate (14) along vertical axis, liquid crystal display (LED) array to illuminate the interior of the box and a removable base plate (6) to house the circuitry; and (ii) a removable part enclosed of five walls such as a front wall (18), two lateral walls (17 and 19), a back wall (20) and a top wall (23), comprises a housing to mount an auxiliary camera (32) to record all the task for evaluation and a slider at the back to adjust the camera focus.

Abstract: A thermal valve unit is provided for use with an oil filled screw compressor. The thermal valve unit can be affixed to an exterior pipe segment and can include a thermally responsive element in thermal communication with compressed air traversing through the pipe segment. The valve unit can include a movable valve member actuated by the thermally responsive element that opens and closes oil passages to selectively route oil either to a heat exchanger prior to being delivered to the oil filled compressor, or directly to the compressor without passing through the heat exchanger.

Abstract: Certain disclosed embodiments provide improved systems and methods for processing jobs. The method comprises steps including receiving, from a client device over a network, information representing a job and generating at least two tasks representative of the job. The method further comprises, for each task, assigning, by a processor, a signature to the task representative of whether the task has been processed, determining at least one dataset related to the task, and assigning a signature to the determined at least one dataset. The method further comprises searching, by the processor, a data structure for the task signature, and based on the searching, sending the task over a network to a task executor for processing or locating results associated with the task. The method further comprises sending, over a network, a job result to the client device. Systems and computer-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing workload among server clusters is disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the system may include a memory storing instructions and a processor. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions to determine historical behaviors of the server clusters in processing a workload. The processor may also be configured to execute the instructions to construct cost models for the server clusters based at least in part on the historical behaviors. The cost model is configured to predict a processor utilization demand of a workload. The processor may further be configured to execute the instructions to receive a workload and determine efficiencies of processing the workload by the server clusters based at least in part on at least one of the cost models or an execution plan of the workload.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to aluminum based alloys and a method for producing the aluminium based alloys. The method comprises acts of, casting of the aluminium based alloy in a chilled casting mould. Then, aging the cast aluminium based alloy at a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time. The aging results in the formation of a first precipitate. Followed by this, solutionizing the aluminium based alloy at a second predetermined temperature for a second predetermined time such that the major alloying element is dissolved in aluminium matrix without much affecting the first precipitate. Then, aging the aluminium based alloy at a third predetermined temperature for a third predetermined time. The aging results in the formation of a second precipitate.

Abstract: An example device includes a processor that provides an execution environment for a management agent, and a data repository configured to store configuration information. The management agent is operable to retrieve configuration information that specifies one or more trap conditions and one or more filter criteria from the data repository, detect that at least one of the one or more trap conditions is met, generate a message that includes a set of variable identifiers and associated variable values based on the one or more met trap conditions, determine whether at least one of the variable identifiers and associated value pairs included in the generated messages meet at least one of the filter criteria by at least comparing a variable value of a respective filter criteria to the variable value of the generated message, and selectively send the generated message to a device management system based on the comparison.

Abstract: A method for generating an environmental profile is provided. The method for generating environmental profile includes generating an image of an environment by capturing the environment with at least one recording device, detecting a change of an object in the environment based on the image, and generating an environmental profile based on the change of the object.

Abstract: An embodiment of a memory module is disclosed. This memory module is a configurable hard macro. A portion of this memory module includes a data input multiplexer coupled to select between cascaded data and direct/bused data. Such portion further includes, a memory coupled to receive output from the data input multiplexer for storage therein, and a register input multiplexer coupled to select between read data from the memory and the cascaded data. This memory module further includes: a register coupled to receive output from the register input multiplexer, a latch/register mode multiplexer coupled to select between the read data from the memory and registered data from the register, and a data output multiplexer coupled to select between the cascaded data and output from the latch/register mode multiplexer to provide output data.

Abstract: Reference feature vectors are constructed representing refer-ence genetic data sets of a reference population. The reference feature vec-tors are transformed using a linear transformation to generate reduced di-mensionality vector representations of the reference genetic data sets of the reference population. A tree-based spatial data structure is constructed to index the reference genetic data sets as data points defined by at least some dimensions of the reduced dimensionality vector representations of the ref-erence genetic data sets of the reference population. The linear transform may be generated by performing feature reduction on the reference feature vectors. A feature vector representing a proband genetic data set is trans-formed using the linear transformation to generate a reduced-dimensional-ity vector representation that is located in the tree-based spatial data struc-ture to perform population assignment for the proband genetic data set.