Abstract: A wireless financial transaction instrument, such as a card, has a magnetic stripe, a display, and an on-board power supply, such as a battery, and is usable with a dual capture point of sale terminal. Information is received by such a terminal from the card wirelessly, and also from the magnetic stripe, and the data received contactlessly is preferably used to verify that read from the stripe. The display can display the account number on command, or to display a current balance, or amount of credit remaining, or any combination of these items of information.

Abstract: A variety of methods and compositions are disclosed, including, in one embodiment a method of cementing comprising: providing a pozzolan slurry comprising a pozzolan and water; providing a lime slurry comprising hydrated lime and water; allowing the pozzolan slurry and the lime slurry to remain separate for about one day or longer; mixing the pozzolan slurry and the lime slurry to form a cement composition; and allowing the cement composition to set.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation using low-viscosity subterranean treatment fluids with proppants suspended in gel fragments, including providing a fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid, a proppant, and swellable micro-gel fragments, wherein the fracturing fluid has a low-viscosity in the range of about 0 to about 800 centipoise; allowing the micro-gel fragments to swell to form a matrix, wherein the proppant is suspended in the fracturing fluid; placing the fracturing fluid in a fracture within the subterranean formation; and allowing the matrix to at least partially degrade in the subterranean formation.

Abstract: Methods for mitigating precipitation during matrix acidizing of a subterranean formation. The methods generally comprise introducing a treatment fluid into a subterranean formation. The treatment fluid comprises a chelating agent; a hydrofluoric acid source; and a stabilizing compound. The stabilizing compound has two or more quaternized amine groups. In some cases the treatment fluid further comprises alkali metal ions.

Abstract: A variety of methods and compositions are disclosed, including, in one embodiment, a method of treating a well comprising: providing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and a blended cementitious component, wherein the blended cementitious component comprises kiln dust from two or more different sources; and introducing the treatment fluid into a well bore.

Abstract: A hydration acceleration surfactant may be utilized in conjunction with high molecular weight polymers in forming high viscosity, aqueous based treatment fluids. Forming such fluids may involve mixing an aqueous base fluid, a hydration acceleration surfactant, a crosslinker polymer, and a base polymer, thereby yielding a treatment fluid, wherein the base polymer is provided in the form of a first polymeric emulsion before mixing and/or the crosslinker polymer is provided in the form of a second polymeric emulsion before mixing. Further, such fluids may be useful in subterranean operations to perform for at least one function within the wellbore and/or the subterranean formation including bridge a fracture, provide fluid loss control, seal a rock surface, enable fluid diversion, plug a void, reduce formation permeability, control water production, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: A solution is provided for a method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting by receiving a request at a shopping server to view a shopping location, having at least one store, and displaying the shopping location to the user's computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user. The server then obtains a request to enter into one of the stores and displays the store website to the user in the same web browser. The store website has one or more enhanced VR features. The server then receives a request to view at least one product and the product is presented in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.

Abstract: An improved composition comprising substantial spherical UFP particles and an active agent, such as NBPT, and optionally other components is used as an additive for liquid and solid fertilizers, typically containing urea. Methods of making the compositions and their use are also disclosed.

Abstract: A gap sub comprises at least one, and in a preferred embodiment, two electrically isolating threaded joints in a conductive tubular collar. The threads of the joints are isolated by a non-conductive coating in accordance with the prior art. The shoulders of the joints are separated by an isolating ring. Annular faces on the ring make contact with the shoulders in the joints. The ring is made of conductive material with a non-conductive coating deployed on (1) at least one, and advantageously both, of the ring's annular faces, and (2) the interior surface of the ring. An annular recess in the collar prevents electrical contact between collar sections nearby the ring either side of each threaded joint.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved solvent systems for the preparation of liquid formulations of urease or nitrification inhibitors, specifically NBPT, comprising alkylene glycol alkyl ethers. The solvent systems provided good solubility of the urease inhibitor as well as at least one of improved stability, lower flammability, lower toxicity, improved cold temperature storage, improved handling, improved adsorption onto and/or solubility with solid media such as UFP or urea. Methods of making and using the compositions are also provided.

Abstract: A method for determining when at least one jack on a vehicle has contacted the ground, in which the vehicle includes a first jack mounted to a first end of the vehicle and a pair of jacks mounted to a second end of the vehicle. The method includes the steps of: determining an initial pitch angle of the vehicle before any of the jacks have contacted the ground; combining the initial pitch angle with a pitch setpoint value to create a resultant pitch value; sensing a pitch angle and a roll angle of the vehicle; extending the first jack mounted at the first end of the vehicle while monitoring the pitch angle of the vehicle; and determining that the first jack has contacted the ground by comparing the monitored pitch angle of the vehicle with the resultant pitch value.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided featuring an acoustic driver and a transducer. The acoustic driver is configured to provide an acoustic driver signal having a frequency that can be adjusted to yield a given wavelength, which in turn, will selectively capture a particular particle size of particles in a fluid, mixture or process flow. The transducer is configured to respond to the acoustic driver signal and provide an acoustic signal having a standing wave at the frequency in order to yield the given wavelength that will selectively capture the particular particle size of the particles in the fluid, mixture or process flow, in order to determine the mass of the particles having the particular particle size in the fluid, mixture or process flow.

Abstract: Disclosed are O-protected compounds of the formula (I): wherein B is an optionally protected nucleobase, and R1-R3 are as described herein, a method of preparing such compounds, and a method of preparing oligonucleotides such as RNA starting from such compounds. The O-protected compounds have one or more advantages, for example, the 2?-O-protected compound is stable during the various reaction steps involved in oligonucleotide synthesis; the protecting group can be easily removed after the synthesis of the oligonucleotide, for example, by reaction with tetrabutylammonium fluoride; and/or the O-protected groups do not generate DNA/RNA alkylating side products, which have been reported during removal of 2?-O-(2-cyanoethyl)oxymethyl or 2?-O-[2-(4-tolylsulfonyl)ethoxymethyl groups under similar conditions.

Abstract: A system including an environmental sensor that can travel with a product within a carrier's logistics network. The environmental sensor being configured to sense an environmental condition capable of affecting the product to generate product environment data. The system includes a scanner configured to read product environment data from the environmental sensor. The system also includes a hub control unit configured to communicate with the scanner and receive the product environment data from the scanner and determine whether the product environment data enters into a pre-defined range of values associated with an exposure of the product to an environmental condition. The hub control unit is also configured to generate alert data if it is determined that the environmental data has entered the range of values. If a limit within the values is further transcended, a transportation instruction is also generated to alter transport of the product.

Abstract: Systems and methods for activating a down hole tool in a wellbore. A piston is moveable from a first position to a second position for activating the down hole tool. The piston includes a first side exposed to an activation chamber, and a second side operatively coupled to the down hole tool. A rupture member has a first side exposed to the activation chamber and a second side exposed to the interior of a base pipe. The rupture member is configured to rupture when a pressure differential between the activation chamber and the interior reaches a predetermined threshold value, at which point the rupture member allows fluid communication between the interior and the activation chamber to pressurize the activation chamber and move the piston, thereby activating the down hole tool.

Abstract: An efficient sand tube heater including a flexible heating element wrapped around a sand tube. The flexible heating element and sand tube are then surrounded by a heat sensitive sheathing. Heat is applied to the heat sensitive sheathing such that the heat sensitive sheathing shrinks around the flexible heating element and sand tube such that the flexible heating element remains in contact with the sand tube.

Abstract: An insurance claim report generating system includes an interactive voice response (IVR) system, a voice recognition server, and a voice activated database (VAD) device. The IVR system receives telephone calls from remote devices, delivers audio scripts having prompts directed by both templates and data received from the remote devices. The IVR system receives dual-tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) information and human voice information in response to the prompts. The voice recognition server generates text from the human voice information using a dictionary of insurance relevant terms. The VAD device receives first digital information from the IVR system and second digital information from the voice recognition server. The first digital information is derived from the DTMF information, and the second digital information is derived from the human voice information. The VAD device generates an insurance claim report from at least some of the first or second digital information.

Abstract: A downhole tester valve (100) includes a housing assembly (106) and a mandrel assembly (172, 174) that define therebetween an operating fluid chamber (176), a biasing fluid chamber (184) and a power fluid chamber (180). A valve assembly (126) disposed within the housing assembly (106) is operable between open and closed positions. A piston assembly (146) is operably associated with the valve assembly (126) such that annulus pressure entering the power fluid chamber (180) pressurizes operating fluid in the operating fluid chamber (176) which acts on the piston assembly (146) to shift the valve assembly (126) from the closed position to the open position and such that predetermined travel of the piston assembly (146) opens a bypass passageway (162) for the pressurized operating fluid to charge biasing fluid in the biasing fluid chamber (184), thereby enabling closure of the valve assembly (126) upon reducing annulus pressure by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: Systems and methods for activating a down hole tool in a wellbore. A piston is moveable from a first position to a second position for activating the down hole tool. The piston includes a first side exposed to a first chamber, and a second side exposed to a second chamber. A rupture member has a first side exposed to the first chamber and a second side exposed to a third chamber. The rupture member is configured to rupture when a pressure differential between the first chamber and the third chamber reaches a predetermined threshold value, at which point the rupture member allows fluid communication between the first chamber and the third chamber. When the rupture member is intact, the piston is in the first position, and when the rupture member ruptures, the piston moves to the second position and activates the down hole tool.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved solvent systems for the preparation of liquid formulations of urease inhibitors, specifically NBPT, comprising aryl alkyl alcohols. The solvent systems provided good solubility of the urease inhibitor as well as at least one of improved stability, lower flammability, lower toxicity, improved cold temperature storage, improved handling, improved adsorption onto and/or solubility with solid media such as urea. Methods of making and using the compositions are also provided.