Abstract: A heater assembly for an aerosol-generating system includes a perforated glass substrate and a heater element. The heater element is provided in or on the glass substrate.

Abstract: A sand bridge inducer for a downhole tool can include a wall defining a main opening therethrough and one or more angled passageways defined through the wall such that the one or more angled passageways open from a radially inward opening and traverse axially downward through the wall toward a radially outward opening.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of fraud protection is described. A server may receive one or more keywords and a likelihood of fraud from an external source. The server may receive an image of a document from a user device, wherein the document comprises at least one of a written communication or a printed communication. The server may extract text from the image of the document, compare the extracted text to the one or more stored keywords, and calculate a confidence level of fraud. The server may send an indication of the confidence level of fraud to the user device.

Abstract: A process is provided for protecting a primate host from a self-replicating infection by an immunodeficiency retrovirus. Protection is achieved by administering to the primate host a combination of a pharmaceutically effective amount of a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and a pharmaceutically effective amount of a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor prior to exposure to the immunodeficiency retrovirus. The administration is effective if provided in a single dose within 24 hours of the exposure. A regime of regular daily doses is also effective in providing protection against an immunodeficiency retrovirus becoming self-replicating after infecting a primate host.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide systems, methods, and techniques for managing transaction cards. User registration processes, order processes, and failure detection processes for a secure universal shopping cart are provided. Systems and methods may acquire identifiers. Systems and methods may also identify items associated with the identifiers. In addition, systems and methods may acquire a list of merchants that offer each item. Systems and methods may further determine, for each identifier, merchants based on user preferences. Even further, systems and methods may generate a payment token for each item. Systems and methods may then transmit the payment token for each item to its respective merchant.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods and compositions for improving leaf quality in low-alkaloid tobacco plants, e.g., by combining inducible promoters and non-coding RNAs for suppression of an ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene. Also provided are low alkaloid tobacco plants with normal, suppressed, or otherwise altered polyamine levels. Further provided are tobacco plants with altered total alkaloid, nicotine levels, commercially acceptable leaf grade, their development via breeding or transgenic approaches, and production of tobacco products from these tobacco plants.

Abstract: A cartridge for an e-vaping device includes a reservoir configured to hold pre-vapor formulation, a vaporizer assembly configured to draw at least some of the pre-vapor formulation from the reservoir and vaporize the drawn pre-vapor formulation to form a vapor, and a superabsorbent polymer configured to absorb free water from pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir. The superabsorbent polymer includes a cross-linked polyacrylate copolymer that is substantially inert to the pre-vapor formulation. The superabsorbent polymer may be included in a layer on one or more surfaces in the cartridge. The layer may include the superabsorbent polymer and a binder. The superabsorbent polymer may be included with the pre-vapor formulation in a formulation mixture. The superabsorbent polymer may be included in an interior of at least one element comprising the cartridge. The superabsorbent polymer may be included in a separate compartment in the reservoir.

Abstract: A transaction card is disclosed. The transaction card may include a first card component of non-plastic card material having a thickness of no more than about 0.3 mm, a second card component of composite fiber material having a thickness of no more than about 0.3 mm, and an adhesive for affixing the first layer and second layer together. The non-plastic card material may be selected from a group including wood, bamboo, steel, copper, aluminum, silver, gold, platinum, granite, marble, and slate and the composite fiber material may include at least one of a glass fiber composite, a carbon fiber composite, or a natural fiber composite.

Abstract: An intelligence platform determines that a package was delivered to a location, and receives real-time information associated with the package or location. The real-time information includes sensor data received from one or more sensor devices disposed proximate to the package, or third party data received from one or more third party devices associated with a geographic region that includes the location to which the package was delivered. The intelligence platform determines, using a machine learning model, a score for the package based on the real-time information, where the score predicts a measure of vulnerability of the package, and determines whether to retrieve or protect the package based on the score. The intelligence platform selects an unmanned vehicle (UV) to retrieve or protect the package based on vehicular data, and transmits instructions to the UV to cause the UV to navigate to the package and retrieve or protect the package.

Abstract: Methods for the treatment of systemic disorders treatable with mast cell stabilizers, including mast cell related disorders, are provided.

Abstract: An adapter for a syringe has a base portion having an insertion hole configured to surround and engage at least a portion of a barrel of the syringe. The base portion includes a top surface and an opposing bottom surface. At least one projection extends upwardly from the top surface of the base portion. At least one ramp portion is located proximate the at least one projection. A flange portion extends laterally outwardly from the base portion. The flange portion includes a top surface and an opposing bottom surface. The top surface of the base portion extends generally parallel to and is spaced between the top and bottom surfaces of the flange portion.

Abstract: In one embodiment of this disclosure there is provided a method for communicating with a second downhole tool in a wellbore that extends from a terranean surface. When there is no loss of communicability in a second communications medium between the terranean surface and the second downhole tool, the method comprises transmitting a first communication in the second communication medium from the terranean surface to the second downhole tool. When there is a loss of communicability in the second communications medium, the method comprises transmitting the first communication from the terranean surface to a first downhole tool positioned in the wellbore in a first communication medium different than the second communication medium, translating the first communication from the first to the second communication medium, and transmitting the first communication in the second communication medium from the first to the second downhole tool.

Abstract: An e-vapor device may include a vaporizer assembly that is detachably coupled to a battery assembly via a connector. The connector may include a male connecting portion and a female connecting portion. The male connecting portion may include mating arms extending from a rim of the male connecting portion. The female connecting portion may include an inner surface and lugs on the inner surface. The mating arms of the male connecting portion are configured to engage the lugs of the female connecting portion so as to electrically couple the vaporizer assembly and the battery assembly. A knurled pattern may also be provided on an outer surface of the male connecting portion and/or female connecting portion so as to conformally interface with a reversed pattern on an inner surface of the vaporizer assembly and/or the battery assembly.

Abstract: A method for efficiently achieving full-matrix ultrasonic data capture which includes the steps of providing an ultrasound array apparatus, the ultrasound array apparatus further comprising a probe, collecting data over a plurality of inspection locations, generating a plurality of data matrices, each of the data matrices reflecting data collected at the locations, and collecting, initially, a subset of a quantity of data needed for reconstruction of each of the inspection locations. In the method, as the probe moves from collection location to collection location, a data matrix at a prior collection location is gradually filled in as the probe moves to subsequent collection locations. In certain embodiments physical scanning of a probe with few elements is replaced by electronically scanning using an array with many elements.

Abstract: A downhole assembly can include screens along a length of a tubular member. Screens covering differing portions of a cross-sectional area of the tubular and less than an entirety of the cross-sectional area can be offset from one another along a length of the tubular. Fluid flowing through an area not covered by a first screen can encounter an area covered by an offset screen. If the offset screen is blocked with accumulated debris, fluid may pass the offset screen by passing through an area not covered by the offset screen.

Abstract: Evaluation of formation and fracture characteristics based on multicomponent induction (MCI) log data includes automated calculation of inverted biaxial anisotropy (BA) parameters for the formation by performing an iterative BA inversion operation based on the MCI log data and using a BA formation model that accounts for transfers by axial formation anisotropy to resistivity. The BA inversion operation can be combined with a transversely anisotropic (TI) inversion based on the MCI log data and using a TI formation model, to calculate inverted TI parameters for the formation. The inverted BA parameters and the inverted TI parameters can be used, in combination, to calculate a quantified value for an identification function, to indicate estimated presence or absence of a fracture in the formation.

Abstract: A device obtains image data associated with a document. Using a first machine learning model, the device determines, for the document, a first classification of one of a plurality of document types and a first confidence score associated with the first classification, and a second classification of one of the plurality of document types and a second confidence score associated with the second classification based on the image data. The device determines a difference between the first confidence score and the second confidence score, compares the difference and a threshold value, and accept the first classification of the document when the difference satisfies the threshold value.

Abstract: A retrievable receiver for electromagnetic telemetry signals originating from a first wellbore is located in a second wellbore. The receiver uses a casing of the second wellbore as an antenna. A signal pickup unit is provided on a multi-conductor wireline in the second wellbore. The signal pickup provides sensors (e.g. electrodes) for detecting signals at plural locations along the second wellbore. Signal reception can be optimized by adjusting the position of the wireline in the second wellbore and/or selecting sensor(s) for use in receiving the telemetry signals. The receiver may lack any active electronics in the second wellbore.

Abstract: A drill string can include at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna. The transmit antenna transmits at least one electromagnetic signal into a region of an earth formation. The receive antenna receives the signal from the region of the earth formation. The transmit antenna comprises one of a magnetic dipole and an electric dipole, and the receive antenna comprises the other of the magnetic dipole and the electric dipole. At least one characteristic of the region of the earth formation is determined, based at least partially on the signal received by the receive antenna. A homogeneous part of the electromagnetic signal may be reduced, to thereby increase a depth of detection of the characteristic.

Abstract: A mud sag monitoring system may be configured for real-time evaluation of sagging potential of a circulating mud. The monitoring system may include both physics-based sagging prediction models and data-driven sagging detection classifiers that allow for predicting the sagging potential. The sagging potential may also be quantified with a sagging severity index and associated with a specific location within the mud circulation system. The sagging severity and location predictions may provide a framework for mitigation of mud sagging using automatic control techniques.