Abstract: A heart valve sizing ring is disclosed. The sizing ring includes an outer ring and an inner ring configured and arranged to couple to the outer ring. A tubular portion extends from the inner ring and has a plurality of suture holders arranged about an upper end thereof. The outer ring and inner ring having a pair of complementary mating surfaces configured and arranged to grip sutures therebetween when coupled together. When coupled around sutures, the assembled ring may be tightened down against the heart valve to test the fit as if the sizing ring were a similarly sized prosthetic heart valve ring. Commissures of the heart valve may be suspended from the suture holders of the tubular portion. The surgeon can then remove the sizing ring and replace it with a prosthetic ring.

Abstract: A system is described. This system may include a processor, storage for a table of foods consumed by a user, and a presentation system. The table may associate a serving of a food with a number of coins. The presentation system may inform the user that the user has spent too many coins based at least in part on a total of the number of coins in the table exceeds a recommended number of coins for the user. The number of coins associated with the serving of the food may be calculated based at least in part on a first number of grams of carbohydrates in the serving of the food, a second number of grams of proteins in the serving of the food, and a third number of grams of fats in the serving of the food.

Abstract: One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for determining whether requests for content are fraudulent are provided. A request for content may be received from a first device. A first user profile associated with the first device may be identified. The first user profile may comprise activity information associated with the first device, demographic information associated with the first device and/or interest information associated with the first device. A user profile database may be analyzed to identify a set of user profiles similar to the first user profile. A relevance score associated with the request for content may be generated based upon the resource, the set of user profiles and/or the first user profile. The relevance score may be compared with a threshold relevance to determine whether the request for content is fraudulent.

Abstract: Aspects and features of this disclosure provide a high-availability storage platform employing multiple redundant sites. Replication to multiple sites can begin upon receiving content and can be completed quickly, in part through the use of a small and efficient file that can be sent to storage sites. The file enables each storage site to efficiently build appropriate entries in a reference registry for storing and indexing the content. In some examples, a registration request including the content is received and the content is stored in an instance of the centralized storage system at an initial storage site. The aforementioned file is transmitted to additional storage sites to cause the content to be stored in additional instances of the centralized storage system. The file can also be accessed at the additional storage sites to update instances of the reference registry.

Abstract: A system for accessing protected data comprising a token retriever system operating on a processor and configured to receive a token from a user and to transmit a request including the token to a detokenization system over a data communications medium. The detokenization system configured to receive the token, to verify that the request has been received from an authorized source, and to transmit a response to the request that includes an account number associated with the token. The token retriever system is configured to receive the account number and to display the account number for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing an average particle size of blackwater solids is disclosed. A vessel is configured to receive a blackwater stream through a one-way inlet. The one-way inlet is configured to allow the blackwater stream into the vessel and prevent backflow. The blackwater stream contains blackwater solids and water. A device in a bottom portion of the vessel is configured to receive the blackwater and comminute the blackwater solids. A recirculating pump is configured to recirculate the blackwater stream under pressure through the device until the average particle size of the blackwater solids is reduced below a size threshold, resulting in a sized blackwater stream.

Abstract: The handling of scalable data streams by network entities is rendered less complex by, in the data stream, accompanying packets which actually carry data by packets of a different packet type which have a scalability axes descriptor defining the number of scalability axes and a semantic meaning thereof. In another aspect, the handling of scalable data streams by network entities is rendered more efficient by conveying level and/or profile descriptors using packets other than the data carrying packets, with profile and/or level descriptors being divided up into a first set explicitly signaling the definition of the available coding option set and/or available syntax element value range for a respective operation point, and a second set of profile and/or level descriptors which signal the definition of the available coding option set and/or available syntax element value range for their respective operation points by reference another profile and/or level descriptor.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for WAN (wide area network) optimization for a WAN that connects multiple sites, each of which has at least one router. At a gateway router deployed to a public cloud, the method receives from at least two routers at least two sites, multiple data streams destined for a particular centralized datacenter. The method performs a WAN optimization operation to aggregate the multiple streams into one outbound stream that is WAN optimized for forwarding to the particular centralized datacenter. The method then forwards the WAN-optimized data stream to the particular centralized datacenter.

Abstract: A versatile video coding (VVC) method includes obtaining a plurality of video sources; encoding the plurality of video sources into a bitstream including a plurality of independent layers corresponding to the plurality of video sources; generating signaling information on the plurality of independent layers and integrating the signaling information with the bitstream; and transferring the bitstream for decoding processing, wherein the signaling information is to be used in the decoding process to enable a single decoder instance to decode the plurality of independent layers similar to a single-layer bitstream. The signaling information includes at least a video parameter set (VPS), and the VPS includes a flag inbl_one_pic_per_poc_flag equal to 1, which specifies that the bitstream contains independent layers and there is one and only one coded picture with a particular picture order count (POC) value in a same coded video sequence (CVS) among all layers.

Abstract: Systems as described herein determine merchant enforced transaction rules. A determination server may receive transaction data associated with a plurality of merchants. The determination server may generate a histogram of payments associated with a merchant category and filter out transaction data having purchase amounts above or below a predetermined threshold. The determination server may determine a first average purchase amount associated with merchants in the merchant category and a second average purchase amount associated with each merchant in the merchant category. The determination server may determine user spending patterns and that a first merchant in the merchant category enforces one or more card-based transaction rules using machine learning models. After determining that a user device is proximately located to the first merchant, a notification indicating the one or more card-based transaction rules associated with the first merchant may be sent to the user device.

Abstract: A method for driving a load includes driving a load to an initial voltage within a voltage window, the voltage window based on an input voltage and an offset voltage, and driving the load to approximately the input voltage.

Abstract: An inductively heatable susceptor for use with an inductively heated aerosol-generating device or system includes an open-porous inductively heatable ceramic material configured to hold an aerosol-forming liquid and configured to heat the aerosol-forming liquid under the influence of an alternating electromagnetic field. A cartridge for use with an aerosol-generating device includes an aerosol-forming liquid and a susceptor. An aerosol-generating device includes a susceptor.

Abstract: A vibration isolation system for compactly mounting a vibrating component, such as an air compressor, to an object, such as an air tank, is described. The system may include a rod and bumper system to isolate the vibrations generated by the air compressor from the vehicle or object that it is mounted to. A primary isolation subsystem may include a rod suspension design which consumes significantly less space than existing solutions. The rod is able to achieve equal spring rates in any direction.

Abstract: A method includes forming a film, forming a first pattern of two or more vias at least partially through the film, attaching the film to a first support structure, the first support structure comprising an adhesive layer formed over a first carrier, wherein attaching the film to the first support structure comprises bonding a first surface of the film to the adhesive layer of the first support structure, wherein the film is stretchable in at least a first direction along the first surface, and wherein the first carrier maintains the first pattern of vias within a given threshold distortion following a given process conducted after attaching the film to the first support structure.

Abstract: A touch-screen system comprises adjacent first and second touch-screen sensors, first and second digitizers, and synchronization and return logic. Each of the first and second digitizers is coupled electronically to the respective touch-screen sensor and configured to provide a pen signal responsive to action of a pen on the touch-screen sensor. The synchronization logic is configured to synchronize the pen to the first and second digitizers and to enable pen tracking by any of the first and second digitizers conditionally, based at least partly on the first and second pen signals. The return logic is configured to expose a result of the pen tracking to an operating system of the touch-screen system.

Abstract: A method for mitigating interference across analog signal lines includes receiving a digital data stream including a plurality of discrete signal patterns configured to drive a plurality of different analog signal lines. An edge buffer for each analog signal line is populated with edge data representing pulse edges of upcoming signal patterns set to drive the analog signal line. A target buffer for a target signal line is populated with target data representing a target signal pattern. Based at least in part on determining that edge buffers corresponding to one or more potentially interfering analog signal lines include edge data corresponding to post-target pulse edges, one or more potentially interfering signal patterns are identified. A selected set of the potentially interfering signal patterns are used to modify the target signal pattern to perform preemptive interference mitigation.

Abstract: An exemplary breath analysis system may include a sampling chamber having a molecule collector disposed therein. The molecule collector may be configured such that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in a breath sample introduced to the sampling chamber adhere to the molecule collector. A photodiode array configured to excite and/or heat the molecule collector to release at least a portion of the VOCs from the molecule collector to release at least the portion of the VOCs adhered to the molecule collector. An analysis device (e.g., a mass spectrometer or Terahertz (THz) spectrometer) may identify one or more target VOCs from among at least the portion of the VOCs released from the molecule collector and generate an output representative of the identified target VOC(s). The output may include information that quantitates a concentration of the target VOC(s) with respect to a source of the breath sample.

Abstract: A facemask assembly and method of manufacturing the same includes a thermo-polymer strap along the nose and upper cheek areas that can be custom conformed by the wearer to create an effective seal in both those areas of the face plus can be flared inward/outward to enhance the seal below the chin. In some embodiments a snap-together, two-part framework is employed to increase the breathable filter surface area and bring such near the mouth and nose. In some embodiments, the facemask has a front clip component that enables inserting elastic tubing/strap adjustably below the nose or looped back and then also inserted below the mouth to create ear loops. In addition, the external front clip—pressing between the filter and the interior back frame—allows for the vertical adjustment of the strap/tubing to customize/optimize the facial seal.