Abstract: A boiler service and maintenance valve (20) comprises a body (21) having a first connector (28), a second connector (29), and a separate flush entrance (31). Each of the first connector (28) and the second connector (29) is adapted for connection to a conduit of a water heating system (60). The body (21) further comprises a valve member (47) arranged for movement between at least a first open position for opening the flush entrance (31) and a closed position for closing the flush entrance (31). The first open position allows fluid communication between the flush entrance (31) and at least one of the first connector (28) and the second connector (29). The closed position allows fluid communication between the first connector (29) and the second connector (29), but not the flush entrance (31).

Abstract: A method (and structure) includes receiving a challenge for an authentication, in a chip having stored in a memory device therein a secret to be used in an authentication attempt of the chip by an external agent. The chip includes a hardware processing circuit to sequentially perform a processing related to the secret. The secret is retrieved from the memory device and processed in the hardware processing circuit in accordance with information included in the received challenge. The result of the processing in the hardware processing circuit is transmitted as a response to the challenge. The hardware processing circuit executes in a parallel manner, thereby reducing a signal that can be detected by an adversary attempting a side channel attack to secure the secret.

Abstract: Adsorbent materials comprising a core, for example CHA, and at least one coating, for example DDR, are provided herein. Adsorbent contactors and gas separation processes using the adsorbent materials are also provided herein.

Abstract: A server-based Internet service, with client-side applications, is described that enables users to communicate between electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and personal computers by broadcasting live video, voice and/or text via an internet protocol (IP) address. Broadcasting can be done in both private and public formats. Private broadcasts can be made ‘one-on-one’ between two registered users or among a group of private contacts. Public broadcasts can be accessed by any registered users and can also be transmitted to registered ‘Followers’. In addition to designating ‘Followers,’ users can also designate types of content that they wish to follow, e.g. video, voice and/or text. Broadcasts are stored on service provider servers where they can be searched by title, category, proximity or by description, and accessed at a later time. Broadcasts may also be designated as ‘Favorites’ for easier access in the future. Once accessed, broadcasts can be organized alphabetically or chronologically.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes an ion doped magnetic recording layer having a continuous grading of coercivity or anisotropy. The medium also includes an ion-doped overcoat having an ion density that is at a maximum substantially at the interface with the recording layer and has a continuous grading of ion density between the overcoat and the recording layer. The coercivity is at a minimum substantially at the interface.

Abstract: Adsorbent materials comprising a core, for example CHA, and at least one coating, for example DDR, are provided herein. Adsorbent contactors and gas separation processes using the adsorbent materials are also provided herein.

Abstract: User interest learning through hierarchical interest graph techniques are described. In one or more implementations, each of a plurality of categories in a directed hierarchical interest graph are assigned a distance value which represents a shortest distance in the directed hierarchical interest graph from a root category to the category. A list of keywords is formed from user data that denotes a corresponding said category and frequency of the category. A maximum of the frequencies amongst the plurality of categories is determined and a score is calculated for each of the keywords based on the frequency of the category, the maximum of the frequencies, and the distance value for the keyword. Increments of scores may be propagated from child categories to parent categories in the hierarchical interest graph such that greater weighting is given to child categories that are less abstract than parent categories in the directed graph.

Abstract: Target audience content interaction techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a plurality of content is quantified by one or more computing devices as a content feature representation for each of the plurality of content. A plurality of content feature clusters are generated by the one or more computing devices based at least in part on similarity of the content feature representations, one to another. Content cluster interaction data is also created by the one or more computing devices that describes interaction of each of a plurality of users with the plurality of content. A plurality of user interaction clusters are calculated from the content cluster interaction data by the one or more computing devices based at least in part on similarity of the content cluster interaction data of the plurality of users, one to another. The calculated plurality of user interaction clusters are employed by the one or more computing devices to determine content preferences of a target audience.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method for fabricating a magnetoresistive device. The method comprises: releasing a multi-layer magnetoresistive structure for forming the magnetoresistive device from a first substrate to relax an intrinsic stress in the multi-layer magnetoresistive structure such that the magnetic and/or magnetoresistive properties of the magnetoresistive device can be improved. The magnetic and/or magnetoresistive properties include, but are not limited to coercivity, squareness or abruptness of switching, magnetoresistance (MR) and resistance of the magnetoresistive device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method for fabricating a magnetoresistive device. The method comprises: releasing a multi-layer magnetoresistive structure for forming the magnetoresistive device from a first substrate to relax an intrinsic stress in the multi-layer magnetoresistive structure such that the magnetic and/or magnetoresistive properties of the magnetoresistive device can be improved. The magnetic and/or magnetoresistive properties include, but are not limited to coercivity, squareness or abruptness of switching, magnetoresistance (MR) and resistance of the magnetoresistive device.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium includes an ion doped magnetic recording layer having a continuous grading of coercivity or anisotropy. The medium also includes an ion-doped overcoat having an ion density that is at a maximum substantially at the interface with the recording layer and has a continuous grading of ion density between the overcoat and the recording layer. The coercivity is at a minimum substantially at the interface.

Abstract: A durable wear-resistant coating consists of an atomically mixed layer on the surface of the head or media which is developed by bombardment of the surface with energetic C ions with optimized parameters. This mixed layer is covered with a hard DLC overcoat. This mixed interlayer is able to strongly bond the overcoat to the head or media substrate and improve the tribological properties of the overcoat. In this method a very thin layer of a carbide former material can be used as an interlayer before bombarding the surface with C ions which provides a composite interlayer containing C and species from interlayer and substrate. This composite interlayer bonds the DLC overact to the ceramic substrate of the head or the metallic substrate of the media. This interlayer by itself is protective enough to protect the head media of the hard drives against wear and corrosion.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium comprising: an ion doped magnetic recording layer having a continuous grading of coercivity or anisotropy, wherein the coercivity or anisotropy is at a minimum substantially at one side of the magnetic recording layer, and having substantial portion of maximum coercivity or anisotropy at the other side of the magnetic recording layer. Also, a method of fabricating a magnetic data storage medium is included.

Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, a piezoelectric actuator is provided. The piezoelectric actuator includes a shear mode piezoelectric material including a first arm and a second arm intersecting each other, the shear mode piezoelectric material having a polarization direction oriented at least substantially along a length of the first arm, wherein the shear mode piezoelectric material has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface and the second surface being adapted to undergo a shear displacement relative to each other along an axis at least substantially parallel to the polarization direction in response to an electric field applied between the first surface and the second surface in a direction at least substantially perpendicular to the polarization direction.

Abstract: A method for initializing encrypted communications using a common reference string and a shared password, includes determining a secret key of a peer using a first message, a second message and the common reference string, wherein the first message and the second message each comprise a tuple of elements of a cyclic group G of prime order p, a blinding encryption of the shared password, and a hash projection key.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium comprising: an ion doped magnetic recording layer having a continuous grading of coercivity or anisotropy, wherein the coercivity or anisotropy is at a minimum substantially at one side of the magnetic recording layer, and having substantial portion of maximum coercivity or anisotropy at the other side of the magnetic recording layer. Also, a method of fabricating a magnetic data storage medium is included.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a discussion, including receiving by a processor text related to a discussion; converting by the processor the text to voice; storing by the processor in a memory the converted voice; receiving by the processor voice related to the discussion; storing by the processor in the memory the received voice; receiving by the processor a request to play voice related to at least part of the discussion; and transmitting by the processor audio containing the voice identified by the request related to the at least part of the discussion.

Abstract: Provided is a system and method for storing by an originating server database an originating electronic medical record of at least one patient; extracting by an originating server processor the originating electronic medical record of the at least one patient from the database; transmitting by the originating server processor the originating electronic medical record of the at least one patient; receiving by a health records server processor the originating electronic medical record of the at least one patient; consolidating by the health records server processor the originating electronic medical record of the at least one patient with an existing electronic medical record of the at least one patient, said existing electronic medical record of the at least one patient being a consolidation of a plurality of originating electronic medical records of the at least one patient from a plurality of originating servers; storing by the health records server processor in a health records server database the merged el

Abstract: A method for measuring trust in a transaction over a public key certificate network includes associating each edge KA?KB of an public key certificate network connecting two public keys KA and KB with a probability p that information about KB is reliable, and a confidence c that is a total dollar amount of transactions which have involved using edge KA?KB. One or more authentication paths are formed in the public key certificate network starting from public key KS and ending with a target public key KT. A limit l of an amount of insurance that an owner of KS is willing to provide to a user interested in a transaction with an owner of KT is calculated, and for each amount m<l, a premium for which the owner of KS is willing to sell insurance to the user for an amount of m is calculated.

Abstract: A method of modelling a system, the method comprising: receiving via an interface input to create or load a model of the system; receiving via the interface further input in relation to the system model; determining whether the further input results in a change to the system model; and if the further input is determined to change the system model, automatically providing feedback via the interface, the feedback being in relation to the changed system model.