Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of mining a block of a distributed ledger. The methods include: receiving a block to be mined, the block including a header hash and a plurality of transactions; creating a first signature based on a first function, where inputs to the first function include the header hash and the plurality of transactions; and creating a second signature based on a second function, where an input to the second function is the first signature. In one example, the second function is a multiplicative inverse function and the method further includes creating the second signature that is a multiplicative inverse value of the first signature with respect to a first irreducible polynomial. The method additionally includes creating a chain of signatures, where each of the signatures is a multiplicative inverse value of a previous output with respect to a respective irreducible polynomial.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a cotton variety, designated 11PLFE25, the plants and seeds of the cotton variety 11PLFE25, methods for producing a cotton plant, either varietal or hybrid, produced by crossing the cotton variety 11PLFE25 with itself or with another cotton plant, hybrid cotton seeds and plants produced by crossing the variety 11PLFE25 with another cotton variety or plan, methods for producing a cotton plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes, and the transgenic cotton plants produced by that method. This disclosure also relates to cotton varieties derived from cotton variety 11PLFE25, to methods for producing other cotton varieties derived from cotton variety 11PLFE25, and to the varieties derived by the use of those methods.

Abstract: Provided in this disclosure is a selectively replaceable spindle for a banister. A generally longitudinal spindle body has a first end for engaging a first attachment portion on a surface of a handrail of a banister, and a second end for engaging a second attachment portion on an opposite surface from the handrail. A securement member is releasably secured with one or both of the first and second ends of the generally longitudinal spindle body. The securement member is urged into one of the first or second attachment portions to retain the spindle therein. One or more pins extend transversely from a side surface of the securement member, for engaging a cooperative structure on the spindle body to retain the securement member in a locked position.

Abstract: Dictionary-based compression is performed to compress data units using a similar data unit as the base unit (i.e., dictionary) for each candidate data unit. Similarity may be determined between data units by applying a locality-sensitive hashing scheme to each candidate data unit to produce a hash value, and by determining whether there is a matching value in a hash index of hash values for existing data units on the system. If there is a matching hash value, the candidate data unit may be compressed using the data unit corresponding to the matching hash value as the dictionary. Only a representative portion of the data unit may be hashed to produce the hash value, the portion comprised of chunks of the data unit, where each chunk is a continuous, uninterrupted section of data. The chunks themselves may not be (in some embodiments likely are not) contiguous to one another.

Abstract: A method of detecting and responding to a visitor to a smart home environment via an electronic greeting system of the smart home environment, including determining that a visitor is approaching an entryway of the smart home environment; initiating a facial recognition operation while the visitor is approaching the entryway; initiating an observation window in response to the determination that a visitor is approaching the entryway; obtaining context information from one or more sensors of the smart home environment during the observation window; and at the end of the time window, initiating a response to the detected approach of the visitor based on the context information and/or an outcome of the facial recognition operation.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for a battery. The apparatus may determine a first current according to a first technique and a second current according to a second technique. The apparatus may use a Kalman filter to compute the state of charge of the battery, wherein the Kalman filter uses one of the first current and the second current based on a comparison of the second current to a threshold current.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle. An example disclosed apparatus includes a sensor interface to receive load data associated with a vehicle, and receive live video data from a camera, the live video data including a location of an object in the vehicle, a load mapper to generate a map of loads on the vehicle based on the load data, an object-to-weight correlator to correlate a load of the map of loads with the object, and an augmented reality generator to generate an augmented environment identifying the location of the object and the load correlated with the object.

Abstract: A novel cell for generating ozonated water including an integrated ozone concentration detector. The cell comprises a nafion membrane separating a diamond coated anode, and a gold surfaced cathode enclosed within a cell housing with the catalyst side of the nafion membrane facing the cathode. The cell housing has a cathode housing portion and an anode housing portion separated by the membrane. The cathode and anode have an array of holes allowing fluid to penetrate to the surface of the niobium membrane. Ozonated water from the anode is channeled to a spectrophotometer integrated within the housing. The spectrophotometer creates a signal representative of the ozone concentration in the ozonated water which is utilized by control circuitry in a closed loop to maintain a stable target concentration. A bubble trap may be integrated within the housing through which the ozonated water passes before entering the spectrophotometer to remove bubbles form the ozonated water.

Abstract: A portable circulation de-icing system is configured to melt ice from a body of water having a surface ice layer and an underlying water layer, with an opening in the surface ice layer which may have been created by a user. The portable circulation de-icing system comprises an agitator assembly, a floating motor assembly, and a flexible drive shaft. The agitator assembly is configured to be at least partially placed into the underlying water layer through the opening. The agitator assembly is configured to induce a water flow into the underlying water layer. The floating motor assembly is configured to float on the underlying water layer in the opening and to provide rotational power. The flexible drive shaft is configured to transfer the rotational power from the floating motor assembly to the agitator assembly.

Abstract: A woven retention device that is configured to receive a fastener in a bone hole can be configured to promote bone ingrowth and impede biofilm formation. The woven retention device can be made of woven filaments that outline apertures of varying sizes and shapes and can serve as an interface between the fastener and the bone material. In a first relaxed state, the interwoven filaments can outline apertures of varying sizes and shapes within a predetermined range and in a second constricted state inside the bone hole with the fastener the interwoven filaments can outline apertures of decreased area that still fall within the predetermined range. The woven retention device can be configured to allow for optimal bone growth while at the same time minimizing the likelihood that biofilm forms thereon.

Abstract: An assignment system and method determine time-variable risk profiles for separate vehicle systems that are remotely controlled by operators located off-board the vehicle systems. The time-variable risk profiles represent risks to travel of the vehicle systems that change with respect to time. An operator staffing demand for the vehicle systems may be determined based on the time-variable risk profiles. The staffing demand represents how many operators are needed for remotely controlling the vehicle systems at different times and a required qualification of one or more operators. The system and method also assign operators to remotely monitor and/or control the vehicle systems based on the risk profiles and, optionally, the staffing demand. The operator assigned to one or more vehicle systems changes with respect to time while the vehicle systems are moving along routes.

Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device can include at least one alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a semiconductor material layer, memory stack structures vertically extending through the at least one alternating stack, and a vertical stack of dielectric plates interlaced with laterally extending portions of the insulating layers of the at least one alternating stack. A conductive via structure can vertically extend through each dielectric plate and the insulating layers, and can contact an underlying metal interconnect structure. Additionally or alternatively, support pillar structures can vertically extend through the vertical stack of dielectric plates and into an opening through the semiconductor material layer, and can contact lower-level dielectric material layers embedding the underlying metal interconnect structure to enhance structural support to the three-dimensional memory device during manufacture.

Abstract: Engaging washers such as reaction washers and backup washers can include novel advantageous features. For example, an engaging washer can include an inner row of teeth and an outer row of teeth, where the teeth in the inner row can slope in a first circumferential direction to primarily engage a flange during bolt tightening, and the teeth in the outer row can slope in a second circumferential direction to primarily engage during bolt loosening. The engaging washers may also include an arched design to allow gradual increasing of contact surface areas as a clamping force in the washer gradually increases. Additionally, a reaction washer can include stepped castles for engaging a reaction socket. The castles may also include sloped or curved engaging surfaces that can provide decreased contact surface area and may also inhibit outward biasing of reaction fingers that are engaging the castles.

Abstract: Infrared-transparent and damage-resistant polymer optics with LWIR and/or MWIR transparency are provided. Some variations provide an optic containing at least 50 wt % of an infrared-transparent polymer, wherein the infrared-transparent polymer has a carbon-free polymer backbone, wherein the optic is characterized by at least 80% average transmission of radiation over a wavenumber band with cumulative wavenumber width of at least 1000 cm?1 contained within wavelengths from 3.1 ?m to 5 ?m and/or from 8.1 ?m to 12 ?m, and wherein the average transmission is defined as the percentage ratio of radiation intensity through an optic thickness of 25 microns divided by incident radiation intensity. Many polymer compositions and pendant groups are disclosed for use in the polymer optics.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a platform is provided that utilizes information available to a computer system to feed a neural network. The neural network is trained to determine both the probability that a searcher would select a given potential search result if it was presented to him or her and the probability that a subject of the potential search result would respond to a communication from the searcher. These probabilities are combined to produce a single score that can be used to determine whether to present the searcher with the potential search result and, if so, how high to rank the potential search result among other search results. During the training process, a rescaling transformation for each input feature is learned and applied to the values for the input features.

Abstract: The present invention provides capsular polysaccharides from Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes identified using NMR. The present invention further provides polysaccharide-protein conjugates in which capsular polysaccharides from one or more of these serotypes are conjugated to a carrier protein such as CRM197. Polysaccharide-protein conjugates from one or more of these N serotypes may be included in multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines having polysaccharides from multiple additional Steptococcus pneumoniae serotypes.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments related to stacked memory devices, such as DRAMs, SRAMs, EEPROMs, ReRAMs, and CAMs. For example, stack position identifiers (SPIDs) are assigned or otherwise determined, and are used by each memory device to make a number of adjustments. In one embodiment, a self-refresh rate of a DRAM is adjusted based on the SPID of that device. In another embodiment, a latency of a DRAM or SRAM is adjusted based on the SPID. In another embodiment, internal regulation signals are shared with other devices via TSVs. In another embodiment, adjustments to internally regulated signals are made based on the SPID of a particular device. In another embodiment, serially connected signals can be controlled based on a chip SPID (e.g., an even or odd stack position), and whether the signal is an upstream or a downstream type of signal.

Abstract: The ball socket assembly includes a housing which has at least one open end and an inner bore that extends along a central axis. The ball socket assembly further includes a ball stud that has a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is disposed in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion extends out of the inner bore through the at least one open end. At least one bearing is disposed in the inner, and the at least one bearing has a bearing surface which is in direct contact with the ball portion of the ball stud. The at least one bearing is made of a monolithic piece of a spring-like material and has a single gap and is flexed to preload the at least one bearing against the ball portion.

Abstract: For a non-volatile memory die formed of multiple blocks of memory cells, the memory die has a multi-bit bad block flag for each block stored on the memory die, such as in a fuse ROM. For each block, the multi-bit flag indicates if the block has few defects and is of the highest reliability category, is too defective to be used, or is in of one of multiple recoverability categories. The multi-bit bad blocks values can be determined as part a test process on fresh devices, where the test of a block can be fail stop for critical category errors, but, for recoverable categories, the test continues and tracks the test results to determine a recoverability category for the block and write this onto the die as a bad block flag for each block. These recoverability categories can be incorporated into wear leveling operations.

Abstract: System and methods for preventing the coverage or fill of ineffective medications are provided. Genetic efficacy testing results are received at a pharmacy benefits manager (“PBM”) system from a laboratory information system. Medications reported as ineffective in the testing results are flagged as an allergy in an electronic patient record. Requests for coverage of medications are received at the PBM system from a dispensing pharmacy system and electronic notifications are issued to the dispensing pharmacy system where the medication is flagged as an allergy at the PBM system to prevent the flagged medication from being filled.