Abstract: A reward points transfer system and process using blockchain is disclosed. Transaction account issuers may write reward transfer messages to the blockchain to initiate a transfer of reward points for a transaction account holders account to one or more rewards partners. Rewards partners may retrieve the reward transfer messages from the blockchain, and write a reward transfer response message to the blockchain to confirm receipt of the reward points transfer and to update the status of the transfer. The transaction account issuers and rewards partners may encrypt the messages and generate hashes based on the messages prior to writing to the blockchain, to ensure that the messages are not tampered with during the transfer process.

Abstract: A contextual services delivery system may comprise a services repository containing services instructions and a contextual services delivery module. The contextual services delivery module may deliver different contextual services to a smartphone and/or a POS terminal in response to a context environment, in order to provide a user with a customized contextual services experience.

Abstract: The systems may include dividing a digital map provided by a mapping system into a matrix having a plurality of cells; assigning a cell of the plurality of cells to encompass a geographic region of the digital map; calculating a number of sites of interest in the cell; creating a marker comprising a first count number representing the number of sites of interest in the cell; and sharing the marker with a browser for display on the digital map.

Abstract: A cartridge for an e-vaping device includes an infrared sensor configured to measure infrared radiation emitted by at least a portion of a heating element coupled to a dispensing interface in the cartridge. The field of view of the infrared sensor may encompass an entirety of the heating element. The infrared sensor may be an infrared light emitting diode. The e-vaping device may include control circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the heating element based on sensor data generated by the infrared sensor and control the electrical power supplied to the cartridge based on the temperature of the heating element. The control circuitry may control the electrical power to maintain the temperature of the heating element below a threshold temperature. The control circuitry may determine the heating element temperature based on accessing at least a portion of the sensor data stored at a storage device in the cartridge.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation comprising: providing a proppant; coating the proppant with a geopolymer composition to create a coated proppant; injecting a fracturing fluid into the subterranean formation, wherein the fracturing fluid comprises a base fluid and the coated proppant; and allowing the geopolymer composition to set in the formation to form a geopolymer on the proppant.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a smokeless tobacco system include one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products configured to generally retain their shape during processing, shipping, and consumer handling. In particular embodiments, each smokeless tobacco product can comprise a moist smokeless tobacco in combination with a selected binder such that the final product is configured to have material properties providing improved handling, an improved mouth feel, and a satisfying flavor profile.

Abstract: The physical properties of a fluid may be used in deriving the compositional properties of the fluid, which may, in turn, be used to influence an operational parameters of a drilling operation. For example, a method may include drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a drilling fluid as part of a drilling operation; circulating or otherwise containing the drilling fluid in a flow path that comprises the wellbore; measuring at least one physical property of the drilling fluid at a first location and a second location along the flow path; deriving a compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location based on the at least one physical property that was measured; comparing the compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location; and changing an operational parameter of the drilling operation based on the comparison.

Abstract: Transcriptional units encoding Zika virus (ZIKV) premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) proteins, which upon translation form Zika virus-like particles (VLPs), are described. Use of the transcriptional units and VLPs in three different ZIKV vaccine platforms is described. Immunoassay-based detection methods using ZIKV VLPs are described for the diagnosis of ZIKV infection.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides the identification of tobacco Nic1 locus. Also provided are tobacco plants with altered total alkaloid and nicotine levels and commercially acceptable leaf grade, their development via breeding or transgenic approaches, and production of tobacco products from these tobacco plants. Also provided are compositions and methods for producing tobacco plants having novel Nic1 mutations or alleles to reduce nicotine levels. Further provided are sequence polymorphisms and molecular markers for breeding tobacco with reduced nicotine or nicotine free while maintaining tobacco leaf grade and tobacco product quality.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to method and system for graph convolution based gene prioritization on heterogeneous networks. The method includes obtaining a set of entities for human rare diseases from one or more sources containing rare diseases, genes, phenotypes for rare diseases and biological pathways and constructing an initial heterogeneous network using each of an entity from the set of entities. the initial heterogeneous network applying Graph Convolution-based Association Scoring (GCAS) to the initial heterogeneous network to derive inferred associations and creating a Heterogeneous Association Network for Rare Diseases (HANRD) by adding the inferred associations to the initial heterogeneous network and generating a prioritized set of genes for an input query being received in the HANRD.

Abstract: A user device may receive sensor data relating to one or more physical objects, transmit the sensor data to a server, receive a user profile relating to a user of the device, identify a user interface element corresponding to an application, modify the user interface element based on the user profile, and display the modified user interface element. A server may receive data relating to one or more physical objects, identify the one or more design patterns based on the one or more physical objects, create a user profile, update the user profile, receive application data relating to one or more applications running on a device remote from the server, identify a user interface element corresponding to the one or more applications running on the device, modify the user interface element based on the updated user profile, and transmit the modified user interface element to the device.

Abstract: A processor of a transaction server may receive an authorization request prior to the authorization request being processed by a payment authorization system. The processor may identify at least one alternative to the authorization request being processed by the payment authorization system. The processor may receive a command to process the authorization request by the payment authorization system or to apply the at least one alternative. The processor may process the authorization request according to the command.

Abstract: A base for an e-vaping device is configured to couple with multiple cartridges configured to generate separate, respective dispersions. The cartridges may include one or more atomizer assemblies or vaporizer assemblies. The base may include multiple connectors electrically coupled to the power supply. The connectors may be configured to removably couple with various cartridges. Different cartridges may be interchangeably coupled with the connectors. Different cartridges may be swapped from the connectors. The base may include control circuitry configured to independently control dispersion generation by cartridges coupled to the base. The control circuitry may control dispersion generation by controlling power supplied to the cartridges. The control circuitry may control electrical power supplied based on information accessed from one or more of the cartridges.

Abstract: Acidic treatment fluids and compounds for retarding formation of precipitates in acidizing operations are provided. A method may introducing an acidic treatment fluid into a subterranean formation; wherein the acidic treatment fluid comprises a carrier fluid, an acid compound, a zwitterionic compound, and an anionic compound; and wherein the acid compound interacts with the subterranean formation to dissolve acid-soluble components of the subterranean formation.

Abstract: A downhole tool may comprise a body comprising an outer wall and a first passage that extends longitudinally in the body, wherein a fluid slurry traverses a flow path in the body of the downhole tool through the first passage. The downhole tool may further comprise a diverter disposed in the body, wherein the diverter comprises at least one channel and the diverter extends from the outside wall of the body into the flow path of the first passage operable to direct the fluid slurry from the first passage to a location outside the downhole tool. A gravel packing system may comprise a packer and a conveyance comprising a downhole tool. The downhole tool may comprise a body comprising an outer wall and a first passage that extends longitudinally in the body and a diverter disposed in the body.

Abstract: Subterranean treatments are provided that use amaranth grain particulates for controlling flow of fluids in wellbore applications. A method for treating a wellbore may comprise providing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and amaranth grain particulates; and introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation penetrated by the wellbore such that the amaranth grain particulates form a barrier to fluid flow in at least one flow path in the subterranean formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a T cell receptor (TCR) having antigenic specificity for an HLA-A2-restricted epitope of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 E6, E629-38. Related polypeptides and proteins, as well as related nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, and populations of cells are also provided. Antibodies, or an antigen binding portion thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions relating to the TCRs of the invention are also provided. Also disclosed are methods of detecting the presence of a condition in a mammal and methods of treating or preventing a condition in a mammal, wherein the condition is cancer, HPV 16 infection, or HPV-positive premalignancy.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a control circuit of a motor drive device activates a first timer according to the rotational position of a motor, controls, on the basis of the time counted by the first timer, the on-timing of positive-side switching elements that constitute an inverter circuit, and energizes the motor. The control circuit also activates a second timer according to the on-timing, controls the off-timing of the positive-side switching elements, on the basis of the time counted by the second timer, sets negative-side switching elements of two opposing arms to be in an on-state to cause a reflux current to flow, and then changes an energization direction to the motor. When the rotational position is set to a position for activating the first timer before the on-timing, turning on of the positive-side switching elements and activation of the second timer, which are scheduled to be performed at the on-timing, are carried out.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to system modeling, and more particularly to systems and methods for modeling computer resource metrics. In one embodiment, a processor-implemented computer resource metric modeling method is disclosed. The method may include detecting one or more statistical trends in aggregated interaction data for one or more interaction types, and mapping each interaction type to one or more devices facilitating the transactions. The method may further include generating one or more linear regression models of a relationship between device utilization and interaction volume, and calculating one or more diagnostic statistics for the one or more linear regression models. A subset of the linear regression models may be filtered out based on the one or more diagnostic statistics. One or more forecasts may be generated using the remaining linear regression models, using which a report may be generated and provided.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally related to a system and method of authenticating a user with a third party server. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed herein. A computing system receives, from a remote client device of the user, a token. The token includes personal identification information and a digitized file of a biometric captured by a biometric scanner. The computing system identifies via the personal identification information that the user has a user account. The computing system queries a database with the personal identification information and the digitized file to determine whether the biometric matches a stored biometric in the user account. Upon determining that the biometric matches the stored biometric, the computing system generates a message to be transmitted to the third party server that authenticates the user. The computing system transmits the message to the third party server.