Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for monitoring risk levels in continuing to allow a potentially compromised payment card to continue to be used. An exemplary system can include a processor which receives a notification of unauthorized use of a card, retrieves a transaction history of authorized use of the card, and performs predictive modeling based on the transaction history based to determine a predicted transaction amount for future transactions. The system can then determine a risk level of continued use of the card and modify processing of the ongoing transaction based on the risk level. The system can then issue a risk level notification to proper authorities.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to dispatching transportation to a business location. More specifically, an autonomous vehicle may be dispatched to pick up a passenger and transport that passenger to the business location.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes first host machines implementing a public-cloud computing environment, wherein at least one of the first host machines comprises a resource manager that provides a public-cloud resource interface through which one or more public-cloud clients interact with one or more virtual machines, and second host machines implementing a private-cloud computing environment, wherein at least one of the second host machines comprises one or more private-cloud virtual machines, wherein at least one of the first host machines further comprises a private-cloud VM resource provider through which the resource manager interacts with the private-cloud virtual machines, wherein the VM resource provider translates requests to perform virtual machine operations from a public-cloud-resource interface to a private-cloud virtual machine interface, and the private-cloud virtual machines perform the requested virtual machine operations in response to receiving the translated requests from the VM resour

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a package can include a first station for receiving a package from a packaging machine, the package having a trailing seal extending outwardly from a panel of the package. At the first station, the package is received in a forming box, which is rotated about the apparatus. The forming box with the package is rotated to a second station in which a flap folding plate extends to fold the trailing seal and apply a pressure to the panel of the package to flatten the panel of the package against an internal pressure of the package. The forming box then optionally rotates to a third station in which a holding plate maintains the pressure to the panel of the package for an additional dwell time. Finally the forming box rotates to a fourth position in which the package is released from the forming box.

Abstract: Thermal interface materials may be enhanced through the dispersion of refined boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) into a polymer matrix material and one or more microfillers. A refined BNNT material may be formed by reducing free boron particle content from an as-synthesized BNNT material, and in some embodiments reducing h-BN content. Reducing these species improves the thermal conductivity of the BNNTs. Refined BNNTs may be deagglomerated to reduce the size and mass of BNNTs in agglomerations when the deagglomerated BNNT material is dispersed into a target polymer matrix material. The deagglomerated BNNT material may be lyophilized prior to dispersion in the matrix material, to retain the deagglomeration benefit following return to solid state. The surface of the deagglomerated BNNT material may be modified, with one or more functional groups that improve dispersibility and heat transfer in the target polymer matrix material.

Abstract: Power management for remote units in a wireless distribution system. Power can be managed for a remote unit configured to power modules and devices that may require more power to operate than power available to the remote unit. For example, the remote unit may be configured to include power-consuming remote unit modules to provide communication services. As another example, the remote unit may be configured to provide power through powered ports in the remote unit to power-consuming devices. Depending on the configuration of the remote unit, the power-consuming remote unit modules and/or power-consuming devices may demand more power than is available at the remote unit. In this instance, the power available at the remote unit can be distributed to the power-consuming modules and devices based on the priority of services desired to be provided by the remote unit.

Abstract: At least one example embodiment discloses a pre-vapor formulation reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation material, a heating element coupled to the pre-vapor formulation reservoir and configured to heat at least a portion of the pre-vapor formulation material into a generated vapor and provide the generated vapor to a first portion of a channel, a tobacco housing at a second portion of the channel and positioned to receive the generated vapor, the tobacco housing including tobacco and at least one air flow element in the tobacco housing to direct at least a first portion of the generated vapor towards an end of the non-combustible smoking element.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are water-soluble films including a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) resin blend and optionally one or more additional components such as plasticizers, fillers, surfactants, and other additives. Also disclosed herein are articles including the water-soluble film and containing a composition such as a household care composition. The PVOH resin blend includes a PVOH copolymer including one or more types of anionic monomer units such as a PVOH terpolymer and a PVOH polymer such as a partially or completely hydrolyzed PVOH homopolymer. When the PVOH copolymer and PVOH polymer are blended in particular proportions and/or selected with regard to various criteria related to the 4% solution viscosity of one or both of the PVOH polymer(s) and PVOH copolymer(s), the resulting water-soluble film formed from the PVOH resin blend exhibits substantially improved aqueous dissolution properties.

Abstract: Examples of a stent are provided with interlocking joints removably coupling adjacent axial stent segments. Mating elements forming the interlocking joints maintain engagement when the stent is in the radially compressed configuration, for example, during tracking of the stent to a treatment site of a body vessel, and become disengaged during radial expansion of the stent. When disengaged, the disconnected the axial stent segments remain discrete stent structures separated from one another along the point of treatment.

Abstract: A device and technique for reducing noise experienced by boat passengers from an outboard boat motor is discussed. The device may be implemented in the form of a cover that is adjacent to at least a portion of the boat motor. The cover includes one or more walls or surfaces that reflect or attenuate soundwaves. The cover may be attached to the boat motor and/or the boat. The cover may be integral with the boat motor and/or the boat. The cover may be attached to the boat via a hinge to permit the cover to be pivoted away from the boat motor. The materials used to construct the cover may be provided in layers that help to attenuate, absorb or reflect soundwaves.

Abstract: A nuclear fuel includes uranium(IV) oxide (UO2) and manganese (Mn) as a dopant. The Mn dopant may be present in the fuel in an amount up to the solubility limit for Mn under a given set of conditions, for example, about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt %. The nuclear fuel is substantially free of aluminum (Al). The nuclear fuel exhibits enhanced grain size development during sintering temperatures as low at 1400 K due to an increase in uranium sub-lattice vacancies induced by dissolution of the Mn dopant at interstitial defect sites. The Mn-doped nuclear fuel exhibits improved grain sizes at lower temperatures compared to Cr-, Al-, and undoped UO2, and therefore desirably exhibits lower fission gas release and higher plasticity, reducing the chances of fuel rod failure.

Abstract: A system for improving imaging during a surgical procedure includes an image sensor coupled to a controller. The image sensor is coupled to capture a video, including a first image frame with a smoke occlusion due to surgical smoke, of the surgical procedure. The first image frame includes a plurality of pixels each having an imaged color representing a view of the tissue affected by the smoke occlusion. The controller stores instructions that when executed causes the system to perform operations. The operations include determining an estimated true color of each of the plurality of pixels. The estimated true color is closer to an unoccluded color of the tissue than the imaged color. The operations also include generating, in response to determining the estimated true color, a desmoked first image frame with a reduced amount of the smoke occlusion relative to the first image frame.

Abstract: In various embodiments, an organization may be required to comply with one or more legal or industry requirements related to the storage of personal data (e.g., which may, for example, include personally identifiable information) even when responding to and fulfilling Data Subject Access Requests. In particular, when responding to a DSAR, the system may compile one or more pieces of personal data for provision to a data subject. The system may store this compilation of personal data at least temporarily in order to provide access to the data to the data subject. As such, the system may be configured to implement one or more data retention rules in order to ensure compliance with any legal or industry requirements related to the temporary storage of the collected data while still fulfilling any requirements related to providing the data to data subjects that request it, deleting the data upon request, etc.

Abstract: This application concerns quantum computing and quantum circuits. For example, among the embodiments disclosed herein are codes and protocols to distill T, controlled-S, and Toffoli (or CCZ) gates for use in croantum circuits. Examples of the disclosed codes use lower overhead for a given target accuracy relative to other distillation techniques. In some embodiments, a magic state distillation protocol is generated for creating magic states in the quantum computing device, wherein the magic state distillation protocol includes (a) Reed-Muller codes, or (b) punctured Reed-Muller codes. The quantum computing device can then configured to implement the magic state distillation protocol.

Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH433567. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH433567, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH433567 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH433567.

Abstract: A bottomhole assembly may include a downhole motor and bearing assembly. The downhole motor may include a rotor and stator. The bearing assembly may include a bearing mandrel. The bearing mandrel may be coupled to the rotor by a transmission shaft. The bottomhole assembly may include one or more sensors positioned in the bearing mandrel, transmission shaft, or rotor. The bottomhole assembly may include a conductor that passes through one or more of the bearing mandrel, transmission shaft, and the rotor from the sensor to a communications package.

Abstract: Innovations in phase quantization during speech encoding and phase reconstruction during speech decoding are described. For example, to encode a set of phase values, a speech encoder omits higher-frequency phase values and/or represents at least some of the phase values as a weighted sum of basis functions. Or, as another example, to decode a set of phase values, a speech decoder reconstructs at least some of the phase values using a weighted sum of basis functions and/or reconstructs lower-frequency phase values then uses at least some of the lower-frequency phase values to synthesize higher-frequency phase values. In many cases, the innovations improve the performance of a speech codec in low bitrate scenarios, even when encoded data is delivered over a network that suffers from insufficient bandwidth or transmission quality problems.

Abstract: An article having a nanostructured surface and a method of making the same are described. The article can include a substrate and a nanostructured layer bonded to the substrate. The nanostructured layer can include a plurality of spaced apart nanostructured features comprising a contiguous, protrusive material and the nanostructured features can be sufficiently small that the nanostructured layer is optically transparent. A surface of the nanostructured features can be coated with a continuous hydrophobic coating. The method can include providing a substrate; depositing a film on the substrate; decomposing the film to form a decomposed film; and etching the decomposed film to form the nanostructured layer.

Abstract: A top bar coupling includes a coupling body defining a first body end and a second body end; a first end ring attached to the first body end, the first end ring including a first gasket and a first split ring, the first gasket disposed within the first split ring, the first split ring configured to compress the first gasket radially inward in a tensioned state; a second end ring attached to the second body end, the second end ring including a second gasket and a second split ring, the second gasket disposed within the second split ring, the second split ring configured to compress the second gasket radially inward in a tensioned state; and a bar linkage attached to the first end ring and the second end ring, the bar linkage including a first bar; a second bar; and a attaching the first bar to the second bar.