Abstract: There is provided a process for operating a coal-fired furnace to generate heat. The process has the steps of a) providing the coal to the furnace and b) combusting the coal in the presence of a first slag-reducing ingredient and a second slag-reducing ingredient in amounts effective to reduce slag formation in the furnace. In one embodiment, the first slag-reducing ingredient is one or more oxygenated magnesium compounds and the second slag-reducing ingredient is selected from the group consisting of one or more oxygenated calcium compounds, one or more oxygenated silicon compounds, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the first slag-reducing ingredient is one or more oxygenated silicon compounds, and wherein the second slag-reducing ingredient is one or more oxygenated aluminum compounds. There are also provided methods for reducing slag formation in a coal-fired furnace. There are also provided methods for treating coal. There are also treated coals.

Abstract: A bender bar is presented. The bender bar includes at least two pairs of piezoelectric elements arranged on an inert element to adjust the response frequency of the bender bar. In some embodiments, the piezoelectric elements can be stacked on the inert element. In some embodiments, the piezoelectric elements are symmetrically arranged with respect to the bender bar such that a gap is formed between piezoelectric elements arranged on the inert element.

Abstract: A lubrication system for a gate valve having a moveable gate and a gate sealing element located between first and second housing sections. The lubrication system includes a cartridge having a lubricant for lubricating the gate sealing element. The lubrication system also includes a plunger element for moving the lubricant from the cartridge to the gate sealing element. In addition, the lubrication system includes a lubricant passageway located between the plunger element and the gate sealing element for supplying the lubricant moved by the plunger element to the gate sealing element. Further, the lubrication system includes a plunger contact member attached to the gate by an attachment element wherein the plunger contact element engages the plunger element. Energizing an actuator causes movement of the gate and corresponding movement of the plunger element to cause the lubricant to move from the cartridge to the gate sealing element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a nitric oxide-releasing polyvinylpyrrolidone-based polymer derived from N-vinylpyrrolidone monomer and at least one nitric oxide releasing N2O2? group, in which the N2O2? group is attached to a 2 pyrrolidinone group or a group derived therefrom in the N-vinylpyrrolidone monomer, and the polymer is optionally in combination with a substrate. The NO-releasing polymer can be part of a medical device or pharmaceutical composition and is useful for treating a biological disorder, such as healing a wound, restenosis, and/or promoting angiogenesis.

Abstract: Combinations of compounds utilized to minimize the sensory irritating character of non-smokeable tobacco products or non-smokeable products containing tobacco extracts or materials derived from tobacco.

Abstract: Embodiments of a reusable stackable shipping box are provided herein. The reusable stackable shipping box may be reused and cleaned without causing harm to the integrity of the box. In addition, the box is slightly tapered in shape such that the box may be stacked upon and within other boxes for ease in shipping and organization.

Abstract: Systems, architecture of the systems, and methods for generating alert message are disclosed. A user enrolls in an alert messaging service. Information that the user provides during an enrollment process are sent into a database. the user performs a transaction using a portable consumer device. Transaction data are sent to a computer apparatus. The computer apparatus accesses the database containing alert customization data. An alert message is generated based on the transaction data and the alert customization data. The alert message is sent to a user device. The systems, resources and processes responsible for performing the transaction and providing the alert messages are separated so that the transaction processing and alert generation are performed in parallel by systems in communication with each other.

Abstract: Cable and satellite television systems, televisions, and universal remotes are used to provide interactive financial self-services to users. The cable or satellite system provides a connection between a user and a financial services company. A television or other display device connects to the cable or satellite system and displays content from the financial services company to a user. The user may enter data and navigate through the content via a back channel using a universal remote or other input device. The user may thus complete the content, such as completing a loan application, opening a bank account, or purchasing insurance. The user may provide authentication information to receive personalized content.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses device and method for detecting objects placed at multiple ranges from vehicle. Images of the objects may be captured by an image capturing unit housed in the vehicle. The image may be splitted into plurality of sub-images. Further, one or more features may be extracted from the plurality of sub-images. Further, each of the plurality of sub-images may be simultaneously processed for computing gradients associated with the plurality of sub-images. Further, a cell histogram may be created by casting weighted vote for an orientation based histogram channel based on values associated with the gradient. The gradients computed may be normalized by grouping the cells in spatial blocks. Further, a Support vector Machine (SVM) linear classifier may be applied on the plurality of sub-images in order to classify the near object and the far object in a category of a pedestrian or a vehicle.

Abstract: A peptide or peptidomimetic comprising the amino acid sequence of the second helix of a STAT protein, or a variant of such sequence, wherein the peptide or peptidomimetic comprises about 40 or fewer amino acids and binds to a STAT protein, as well as a method of inhibiting a STAT protein in a cell, a method of treating or preventing a disease associated with STAT overexpression in a host, and related compounds, compositions, and methods.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented for actuating a differential pressure firing head to actuate a perforating gun at a downhole location in a subterranean wellbore adjacent a formation. An exemplary method includes positioning the perforating gun and the differential pressure firing head at a downhole location on a tubing string and then communicating an applied fluid pressure to a wellbore annulus, a first chamber which communicates the applied fluid pressure to a low-pressure side of the firing head assembly, and a second fluid chamber which communicates the applied fluid pressure to a high-pressure side of the firing head assembly. The applied fluid pressure is then trapped within the second fluid chamber. When the applied pressure in the annulus is subsequently removed, a pressure differential is created across the firing head by the low pressure in the first chamber and the trapped applied pressure in the second chamber.

Abstract: The systems and methods of the disclosure allow user from various countries to take advantage of offers when they are traveling internationally. Once the purchase associated with the offer is made, the transaction information may be processed by the system, such that, the credit and debit associated with the purchase are transmitted to the transaction account and the merchant. The transaction information may be further processed to determine whether the particular transaction is eligible for a reward. Where the transaction is eligible for a reward, the credit and debit associated with reward are transmitted to the transaction account and the sponsoring entity. The reward may be provided in any suitable currency or in various currencies based on the parameters governing the reward offer.

Abstract: An embodiment of an electric meter socket testing system features a plurality of tester line terminals adapted to connect with line terminals of an electric meter socket; a plurality of tester load terminals adapted to connect with load terminals of the electric meter socket; and a test module adapted to control input of voltage from the line terminals to the load terminals; and an indication interface configured to output whether the electric meter socket is determined to be safe for connecting an electric meter. Accordingly, the test module may further be adapted to check for a short circuit in an electrical distribution wiring network coupled to the line terminals in at least one diagnostic procedure.

Abstract: A banking system is controlled responsive, at least in part, to data read from data bearing records. The banking system includes an automated banking machine. The machine is operable to carry out a financial transaction responsive to a determination that data read from a data bearing record, such as a card that is read by a card reader in the machine, corresponds to stored information for an authorized user or financial account. The machine is operable to receive and dispense documents. The machine includes a check acceptor that is operative to receive checks and a cash dispenser that is operative to dispense cash. Document holding cassettes in the machine include circuitry that is wirelessly powered through inductive coupling. The machine can wirelessly read data from a cassette through use of induction.

Abstract: Computing device, computer instructions and method for deghosting seismic data related to a subsurface of a body of water. The method may include receiving input seismic data recorded by seismic receivers that located at different depths (zr), generating migration data (du) and mirror migration data (dd) from the input seismic data, deriving a ghost free model (m) based on simultaneously using the migration data (du) and mirror migration data (dd), generating primary (p) and ghost (g) datasets based on the ghost free model (m), simultaneously adaptively subtracting the primary (p) and ghost (g) datasets from the migration data (du) to provide adapted primary (p?1 and p?2) and adapted residual (r?1 and r?2) datasets and generating a final image (f) of the subsurface based on the adapted primary (p?1 and p?2) and the adapted residual (r?1 and r?2) datasets.

Abstract: A data enrichment system may include an attribute relevance module to measure relevance of an attribute to a data object to be enriched. The data object may include the attribute including a known or an unknown value. An output value confidence module may calculate a confidence of an output value of a source used for enrichment of the data object. The output value may represent the known and/or unknown values of the attribute. The system may use the measured relevance of the attribute and the calculated confidence of the output value to determine assignment of the known or unknown values to the attribute.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention broadly described, introduce systems and methods for enabling the searching of encrypted data. One embodiment of the invention discloses a method for generating a searchable encrypted database. The method comprises receiving a plurality of sensitive data records comprising personal information of different users, identifying one or more searchable fields for the sensitive data records, wherein each searchable field is associated with a subset of the personal information for a user, generating a searchable field index for each of the one or more searchable fields, and encrypting the sensitive data records using a database encryption key.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for filtering scatterer noise energy from land seismic waves using three dimensional (3D) iterative filtering in a cross-spread source-receiver pattern. The system and method isolate scatterer noise energy associated with a scatterer based on a filtering process performed using a scatterer referential time delay. Then, the isolated scatterer noise energy can be subtracted from the surface wave data. This process can be repeated for each scatterer in the covered area to remove each of their contributions, and can be performed, for example, after a preliminary filtering of the surface wave data using 3D fk filtering or the like.

Abstract: The rotogravure cylinder comprising a rotary gravure base and thereon a copper engraving layer is refurbished to contain a zinc layer between a gravure base and a layer package suitable for engraving and printing. This layer package for instance comprises a metallic support layer, a copper engraving layer and suitably a protection layer. Deposition of the zinc layer may be tuned for thickness variation, in combination with deposition of the layer package in a fixed thickness.