Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for in-vivo assessment of the location and extent of blood flow stasis regions inside a cardiac chamber or blood vessel and systems for performing the methods. The disclosure provides methods for assessing risk of intracardiac or intravascular thrombus or of embolism originating in a cardiac chamber or vessel, and methods for assessing the need for and/or optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a stable fluorinated latex by emulsion polymerization in the absence of fluorinated surfactant, stabilized by an amphiphilic block copolymer formed in situ. The invention also concerns the aqueous dispersion comprising the fluorinated polymer chains and the amphiphilic block copolymers, obtained by this process.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for in-vivo assessment of the location and extent of blood flow stasis regions inside a cardiac chamber or blood vessel and systems for performing the methods. The disclosure provides methods for assessing risk of intracardiac or intravascular thrombus or of embolism originating in a cardiac chamber or vessel, and methods for assessing the need for and/or optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a technique to fingerprint TLS connection information to facilitate bot detection. The notion is referred to herein as “TLS fingerprinting.” Preferably, TLS fingerprinting herein comprises combining different parameters from the initial “Hello” packet send by the client. In one embodiment, the different parameters from the Hello packet that are to create the fingerprint (the “TLS signature”) are: record layer version, client version, ordered TLS extensions, ordered cipher list, ordered elliptic curve list, and ordered signature algorithms list. Preferably, the edge server persists the TLS signature for the duration of a session.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for in-vivo assessment of the location and extent of blood flow stasis regions inside a cardiac chamber or blood vessel and systems for performing the methods. The disclosure provides methods for assessing risk of intracardiac or intravascular thrombus or of embolism originating in a cardiac chamber or vessel, and methods for assessing the need for and/or optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Abstract: This invention is a process for producing diisobutylene from isobutylene. The process comprises contacting isobutylene with a solid adsorbent to remove sulfur and/or nitrogen impurities from the isobutylene, followed by oligomerizing the isobutylene to diisobutylene using a sulfonic acid-type ion exchange resin. The solid adsorbent removes sulfur and/or nitrogen impurities from the isobutylene and surprisingly increases both catalyst activity and catalyst life of the sulfonic acid-type ion exchange resin.

Abstract: N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) is purified by a distillation sequence in which the purified HEP is recovered as a side stream without being separated as an overhead at any point in the procedure.

Abstract: A method for purifying N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) is disclosed. The method comprises crystallizing crude HEP to produce HEP crystals and a mother liquor, and separating the HEP crystals from the mother liquor. In one method of the invention, crystallization is induced by adding an HEP seed crystal to the crude HEP. In a preferred method, the crystallization is performed in the presence of 14 wt. % of added water. HEP can be successfully crystallized to a purity greater than 99.9%.

Abstract: A process for making N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) is disclosed. The process comprises dehydrating N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone (HEP) in the presence of a catalyst and added water. Adding an effective amount of water into the dehydration process reduces the amount of N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) formed compared with the amount produced in the absence of the added water. Adding water can also sustain high conversions of HEP, minimize heavies formation, and improve selectivity to NVP. The process provides high-purity NVP and avoids a costly crystallization step.

Abstract: A method for purifying N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is disclosed. The method comprises treating N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone with an alumina that desorbs less than 100 ?mol/g of isobutylene between 225° C. and 400° C. in a standard tert-butyl alcohol dehydration test. The method enables the removal of at least about 80% of amine impurities or at least about 60% of APHA color from the NMP at 4 bed volumes treated.

Abstract: This invention is a process for producing diisobutylene from isobutylene. The process comprises first oligomerizing isobutylene to diisobutylene using a sulfonic acid-type ion exchange resin. The oligomerization step is followed by contacting the diisobutylene product with an adsorbent to remove sulfur impurities produced during the oligomerization step. The adsorbent is a large pore zeolite such as zeolite X and zeolite Y. Optionally, the purified diisobutylene may be hydrogenated to isooctane using a hydrogenation catalyst.