Abstract: A high-speed automated separation apparatus includes a pair of flexible discs, a driver to rotate the flexible discs, a feeder to position a rigid body at a first location between the flexible discs, a spreader and a converger operable upon the flexible discs such that opposing portions of the flexible disc converge upon the positioned rigid body. The rotating flexible discs rotate the rigid body beyond the first location, and content from the rigid body is expelled. The rigid body and the expelled content are then available for reuse.

Abstract: A variety of charge tubes for perforating gun systems including, in one embodiment, a method attaching a charge tube, comprising swaging one or more ends of the charge tube to form at least one swaged end on the charge tube, wherein the charge tube comprises a plurality of charge ports; and coupling the at least one swaged end to a gun system component.

Abstract: Shown and described herein is a choke assembly for use with a downhole drill string. The choke assembly may include a rotating choke carrier, a stationary seat disposed on the rotating choke carrier and a rotating choke positioned adjacent to the stationary seat to create a seal surface. The choke assembly may further comprise a biasing mechanism applying a biasing force to press the rotating choke against the stationary seat and a flow port within the stationary seat which controls drilling fluid to allow some drilling fluid to become a bypass fluid and pass through the stationary seat.

Abstract: Antibodies and antigen binding fragments that specifically bind to P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein are disclosed. Nucleic acids encoding these antibodies, vectors and host cells are also provided. The disclosed antibodies, antigen binding fragments, nucleic acids and vectors can be used, for example, to inhibit a P. falciparum infection.

Abstract: Unknown devices may be bound to an identity using a four step process that involves trusted relationships only between known partner entities and a known user attribute. The identity may be an account, such as a personal account number (PAN). The PAN may be abstracted using a token for use with the device. The unknown device may first be enrolled at a service to establish a cryptographically verifiable identity. A binding request for the enrolled device may be sent to an issuer of the PAN resulting in the issuer generating a challenge. After a successful authentication of the challenge at the token service provider, the binding of the token to the device is complete.

Abstract: A well plug, comprising a cylindrical body, a plurality of cylindrical fins encircling the cylindrical body, a concrete core disposed within the cylindrical body and a locking feature disposed in the concrete core and configured to lock with an adjacent well plug.

Abstract: The e-vaping cartridge includes a housing, a first reservoir and a second reservoir defined within the housing, the first reservoir and the second reservoir being in fluid communication with each other, a first tube at least partially defining a central passage, the first tube defining at least one first hole that provides fluid communication between the central passage and the first reservoir, and a wick and a heater in communication with the central passage, distal ends of the wick extending through the at least one first hole and into the first reservoir.

Abstract: Method and system for initiating a settlement process for a merchant, based on accumulated customer transactions in a transaction period, are provided. The system provides a configurable interface for the merchant that allows for the merchant to manually settle customer debts for accumulated transaction over an agreed period of time or designate an automatic settlement date. A central payment server receives a request to initiate a settlement process between an acquirer system associated with the merchant and an issuer system associated with a customer. The central payment server establishes a payment system that guarantees the settlement of all transactions for the merchant, through an assured agreement between the customers and the issuer systems.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for graph assisted unsupervised domain adaptation for machine fault diagnosis. The present disclosure solves the technical problems in the art using a Graph Assisted Unsupervised Domain Adaptation (GA-UDA) technique for the machine fault diagnosis. The GA-UDA technique carries out the domain adaptation in two stages. In the first stage, a Class-wise maximum mean discrepancy (CMMD) loss is minimized to transform the data from both source and target domains to a shared feature space. In the second stage, the augmented transformed (projected) data from both the source and the target domains are utilized to construct a joint graph. Subsequently, the labels of target domain data are estimated through label propagation over the joint graph. The GA-UDA technique of the present disclosure helps in addressing significant distribution shift between the two domains.

Abstract: An oral product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix, cellulosic fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix, and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral product is adapted to release the nicotine or derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity and exposed to saliva.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion configured to hold aerosol-forming substrate, a vaporizer, and a pump. The liquid storage portion includes a movable wall and an outlet. The vaporizer includes a heating element having a structure that at least partially defines an internal passage. The pump may deliver liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the outlet of the liquid storage portion to the internal passage of the heating element. The pump may include a micro stepper motor with a drive shaft that is configured to rotate a particular amount based on performing an individual step, a piston connected to the movable wall, and a lead screw connecting the drive shaft to the piston and configured to translate rotation of the drive shaft into axial movement of the piston and the movable wall. The vaporizer may at least partially vaporize the delivered liquid aerosol-forming substrate.

Abstract: A system for facilitating parcel delivery is provided. They system comprises a delivery platform mounted to a structure and positioned at a first height. The delivery platform comprises a delivery surface. The delivery surface has an elevated surface, and in some embodiments, a stationary surface. The elevated surface is capable of raising and lowering via a lift cable. Further, the elevated surface is capable of receiving a parcel from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to transport and release the parcel. Upon receipt of the parcel, the elevated surface having the parcel is lowered to a second height that is less than the first height in which the delivery platform is positioned.

Abstract: Embodiments detect and predict data disparity issues in data warehouses. Embodiments derive meaningful insights about the events occurred prior to the data disparity and correlate the events to understand the root cause of the data disparity (or the root cause of an alert generated as a result of detecting the data disparity). Embodiments either take or recommend actionable measures to prevent further occurrences of the event identified as the root cause. According to various embodiments, when the monitored data is transaction data (e.g. transaction volume, transaction amount, transaction processing speed, etc.), internal events (e.g. data job failures, job delays, job server maintenances) or external events (e.g. seasonal holiday events, natural calamities) may cause a dip or spike in the transaction data resulting in a data quality anomaly (i.e. a data disparity).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are modified NK cells, compositions comprising modified NK cells, and methods for treating a tumor or hyperproliferative disease in a subject. In some embodiments, the modified NK cells include NK cells including a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a CD16 protein comprising a valine at amino acid position 158 (CD16-V158), a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a CCR7 protein, or both. In some embodiments, methods include treating a subject with a tumor by administering a composition comprising an anti-cancer monoclonal antibody and administering a composition comprising the modified NK cells to the subject. Also disclosed are methods of making modified NK cells by obtaining a population of NK cells from a subject and transfecting the population of NK cells with a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding CD16-V158, a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a CCR7 protein, or both.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises at least one energy storage system, at least one switchgear assembly configured to be attached to a utility electrical line, the at least one switchgear assembly connected to the at least one energy storage system, at least one sand source configured to house a granular material, a blender configured to mix the at least one granular material with water from a water source, the blender further configured to send the at least one granular material with water to an electric pump, the blender connected to the at least one switchgear assembly, and an electric pump configured to pump the at least one granular material with water to a wellbore, the electric pump connected to the at least one switchgear assembly.

Abstract: A sound-based method and system of performing an authentication of a person in order to permit access to a secured resource is disclosed. The system and method are configured to transmit an audio signal to a remotely located smart device. When the smart device produces the audio signal, a nearby computing device captures the audio signal and provides the captured audio data to an authentication platform. The audio data is compared to the transmitted audio signal. The system can determine whether there is a match between the captured audio data and the transmitted audio data. If there is a match, the system verifies an identity of the person and can further be configured to automatically grant the person access to one or more services, features, or information for which he or she is authorized.

Abstract: A method for monitoring and predicting batch activity in real time comprises obtaining i) ordered lists of jobs from scheduling platforms and ii) information related to jobs from one or more file transfer sources including real time event information, extracting data from the ordered lists of jobs and file transfer information, enriching the extracted data using additional information retrieved from at least one meta data repository, and generating a dependency graph that includes real time job and file transfer data obtained from the enriched data in which nodes of the graph represent events and edges represent relationships between the nodes indicating a dependence. Critical milestones are obtained from the dependency graph, critical paths for traversing the dependency graph for job and file transfer execution, and times for execution of each of the jobs and file transfers in the critical paths are predicted in real time.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may include: receiving, from at least one camera, image data associated with a first user at a public access user computing device; detecting, based on the received image data, by employing a machine learning model trained using a dataset of actions collected from a plurality of previous users, that the first user has moved away from the public access user computing device; automatically encrypting, based upon the detection, a user session associated with the first user, wherein the encrypted user session is configured to be subsequently activated by the first user; and initiating a new generic user session on the public access user computing device for a second user.

Abstract: A method of use for supporting a fuel unit. The method includes attaching a support structure having a plurality of legs on a tabletop assembly of a mobile lift table and positioning the support structure under an elevated vehicle having a fuel unit. The method includes removing the fuel unit from the elevated vehicle such that the support structure operatively supports the fuel unit. The method includes moving the fuel unit away from the elevated vehicle and actuating the plurality of legs from a retracted position to an extended downward position. The method further includes lowering the tabletop assembly which carries the support structure with the fuel unit such that the plurality of legs engages a floor. The method further includes detaching and removing the support structure from the tabletop assembly such that the tabletop assembly is no longer supporting the support structure of the fuel unit.