Abstract: A method including performing, at a mobile device being used by a consumer, an identity authentication of the consumer. The method also can include receiving, at the mobile device, first information from a point-of-sale terminal at a store of a merchant. The first information can include a merchant identifier, a transaction identifier, and a payment amount. The merchant identifier can be associated with the merchant. The payment amount can be for one or more items to be purchased from the merchant by the consumer in a transaction. The transaction identifier can be associated with the transaction.

Abstract: A modular sign may comprise a base portion and an upright portion. The base portion may include an upright portion aperture in a top surface of the base. The upright portion may include an interlocking portion forming a lower end of the upright portion. The interlocking portion is configured to be inserted into the upright portion aperture of the base portion.

Abstract: An automated manufacturing system that includes a self-contained through-skin sensor for determining the location of an underlying aperture in a support structure suited to mount a skin or surface. In an embodiment, the sensor includes a sensor disposed in a housing and configured to determine a location of an aperture disposed in an adjacent surface through electromagnetic, x-ray, ultrasonic or other means. The sensor further includes an alignment assembly having an alignment orifice disposed in the housing and configured to be maneuvered in an x-y plane within the housing. The sensor also includes a vacuum pump system, a local battery and a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to control first and second actuators to maneuver the alignment orifice within the x-y plane to be co-axially located with the aperture in response to the sensor signal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for presenting content based on information detected in real time includes: receiving first information corresponding to detection of at least attendance at a physical location; selecting, in real time with the detection, at least one winning bid based on the first information, the at least one winning bid conditioned on the first information meeting an attendance criterion; and providing at least one winning content item associated with the selected winning bid to a content presentation device at the physical location.

Abstract: The present invention provides for novel metabolic pathways to reduce or eliminate glycerol production and increase product formation. More specifically, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a deletion of one or more native enzymes that function to produce glycerol and/or regulate glycerol synthesis and one or more native and/or heterologous enzymes that function in one or more engineered metabolic pathways to convert a carbohydrate source, such as lignocellulose, to a product, such as ethanol, wherein the one or more native and/or heterologous enzymes is activated, upregulated, or downregulated.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that provide a closed loop power control system including adaptively adjusting the desired target SINR over time so as to ultimately achieve a feasible SINR. In one implementation, a method is provided of optimizing uplink closed loop power control in a RAN in which one or more base stations each service a plurality of mobile stations, including: determining a power level for each mobile station for its respective uplink transmissions, including measuring a current achieved SINR for each mobile station; and for each mobile station, adjusting the power level to be sufficiently high to meet desired transmission characteristics but not so high as to cause unnecessary interference with transmissions from other mobile stations, by adjusting a desired target SINR based on factors selected from the following: current and prior achieved SINRs, current and prior interference measurements, and current and prior transmission power control commands.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing information via a computer network are provided. A data processing system can identify a cluster that includes a plurality of online content items having a semantic or user similarity. The data processing system determines a plurality of cluster placement criteria of the cluster, and receives content configured for display with a web page. The content can be associated with the cluster based on the semantic or user similarity. A cluster placement criterion of the plurality of cluster placement criteria can be selected based on a quality metric of the selected cluster placement criterion, and the selected cluster placement criterion can be provided as a supplemental criterion used to select the content for display with the web page.

Abstract: A disposable, sterile guide constructed of medically-acceptable plastic used for compartmentalizing and therefore protecting the ligament or fascia during three different orthopedic surgical procedures: ECTR, ECuTR, and EPFR. This device reduces the risk of damage to any other part of the surrounding anatomy. The device is disposable and packaged so as to be sterile and therefore readily usable by the surgeon means that it can reduce the risk of infection and is a less expensive alternative to traditional non-disposable, metal instruments that must be sterilized prior to each procedure.

Abstract: A stackable jewelry system including first and second bands which can be stackable to form a stacked configuration in which (i) the first and second bands dispose in coaxial relation, and (ii) a second protrusion of the second band can be capable of radial alignment with a first opening of the first band.

Abstract: The present specification provides for, and includes recombinant polynucleotides that encode plant-native, callus-preferred promoters operably linked to a coding region for a visual marker gene. The present specification also provides for, and includes plants comprising the recombinant nucleotides, methods to select callus comprising the disclosed recombinant nucleotides, and methods to create plants comprising the recombinant nucleotides.

Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes a propulsion electrical storage device (PESD), a first switching device, an ancillary electrical storage device (AESD), a second switching device, and a controller. The PESD powers a traction motor of a vehicle via a propulsion circuit. The AESD is a different type of electrical storage device than the PESD and powers the traction motor via an ancillary circuit. The first switching device is electrically connected to the propulsion circuit, and the second switching device is electrically connected to the ancillary circuit. The controller switches or maintains the second switching device in a closed, conducting state during an elevated demand period for the AESD to power to the traction motor. The controller switches the second switching device to an open, non-conducting state prior to switching the first switching device to the closed state for the PESD to power the traction motor.

Abstract: Plunger sub-assemblies for automatic injectors include a plunger outer having one or more engagement prongs, a plunger inner having one or more engagement slots which correspond with the engagement prongs of the plunger outer, and a retraction biasing member. The retraction biasing member is retained in a first energized state between the plunger outer and plunger inner when the engagement prongs of the plunger outer are releasably engaged with the engagement slots of the plunger inner. The one or more engagement prongs are capable of flexing substantially radially to release from engagement with the engagement slots of the plunger inner to permit the retraction biasing member to expand from the first energized state to a second expanded state. An automatic injector having a plunger sub-assembly includes a housing, an activation mechanism, and a plunger sub-assembly at least partially mounted within a syringe cartridge having a needle assembly.

Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a rotor core having winding slots, and one or more coils, which have slot-inserted segments included in the winding slots, and first and second end-turn segments external to the winding slots and located around opposite axial ends of the rotor core, respectively. The rotor assembly further includes a first containment band located around at least a portion of the first end-turn segments and configured to prevent the first end-turn segments from moving away from the rotor core radially, a second containment band located around at least a portion of the second end-turn segments and configured to prevent the second end-turn segments from moving away from the rotor core radially, and one or more sticks mounted in one or more of the winding slots, respectively. The first and second containment bands are retained via the sticks against moving away axially.

Abstract: A method of configuring a client device at a customer premises is provided. An electronic message is received from a vendor of a client device with customer premise equipment (CPE) at the customer premises or a portable communication device. The electronic message provides configuration information for the client device. The configuration information includes a password and an access name of a service for use in configuring the client device via communications with a remote configuration server. The service is made available at the customer premises via the CPE or the communication device so that the client device automatically pairs to the service and is authenticated with the password to the configuration server via Internet connectivity capability of the CPE or portable communication device so that the client device may be configured. The client device has firmware preprogramed to automatically and securely access the service, when detected, at the customer premises.

Abstract: A manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a resist formed on a substrate to create a first optical grating including a plurality of structures at a first slant angle relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a tunable shrinkage of the plurality of structures to adjust the first slant angle to a target slant angle different from the first slant angle. In some embodiments, the manufacturing system performs a post-processing of the plurality of structures to create a second optical grating from the first optical grating. The post-processing may adjust at least one of: a refractive index, a height, and a volume of the first optical grating.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to reduce neighbor word line interference and charge loss in a multi-pass program operation. In one implementation, the first pass of a multi-pass program operation uses one or more program pulses without performing associated verify tests. The memory cells may be programmed to different intermediate threshold voltage (Vth) distributions in the first program pass. Different bit line voltages can be used to obtain the different intermediate Vth distributions when the single program pulse is applied. In other cases, multiple program pulses are applied without performing verify tests. The intermediate Vth distributions can be provided for the memory cells assigned to the higher data states but not the lower data states, or for memory cells assigned to both the higher and lower data states.

Abstract: A container to hold a quantity of high surface area material. High surface area material has a surface area of greater than about 20 m2/g. The container may be structured in various ways to dispose the high surface area material in the vicinity of a local environment to cause a beneficial effect on that environment. The container may include a moisture permeable wall. The high surface area material may adsorb moisture, and contain and/or emit or off-gas one or more active agent. An exemplary beneficial container may be used for one or more of the following: to control moisture; regulate temperature (e.g., provide either heating or cooling from ambient); promote tissue healing in a human by application of a medicine or treatment agent in vapor phase; destroy microbes and/or bacteria; and destroy or sequester a ripening agent associated with a foodstuff.

Abstract: Rolling papers formed from fermented microbial cellulose derivatives (e.g., Kombucha fermentation biofilms) and methods of manufacture are described.

Abstract: A power generation system includes an inert gas power source, a thermal/electrical power converter and a power plant. The thermal/electrical power converter includes a compressor with an output coupled to an input of the inert gas power source. The power plant has an input coupled in series with an output of the thermal/electrical power converter. The thermal/electrical power converter and the power plant are configured to serially convert thermal power produced at an output of the inert gas power source into electricity. The thermal/electrical power converter includes an inert gas reservoir tank coupled to an input of the compressor via a reservoir tank control valve and to the output of the compressor via another reservoir tank control valve. The reservoir tank control valve and the another reservoir tank control valve are configured to regulate a temperature of the output of the thermal/electrical power converter.

Abstract: An energy-promoting composition includes a stimulant component such as caffeine, a vasodilator component, an energy source including an exogenous ketone body component, and optionally a nootropic component. The separate components beneficially and synergistically interact with one another enhances the overall energy-promoting effect of the composition more rapidly and to a greater degree than if one or more of the components are omitted. The energy-promoting composition is also formulated to minimize the crash effect common to stimulants such as energy drinks.