Abstract: An ion source with a crucible is disclosed. In some embodiments, the crucible contains a solid dopant material, such as a metal. A porous wicking tip is disposed in the crucible in contact with the solid dopant material. The porous wicking tip may be a tube with one or more interior conduits. Alternatively, the porous tip may be two concentric cylinders with a plurality of rods disposed in the annular ring between the two cylinders. Alternatively, the porous tip may be one or more foil layers wound together. In each of these embodiments, the wicking tip can be used to control the flow rate of molten dopant material to the arc chamber.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a share of a shared private key, wherein each participant of a group of participants has a respective share of a master private key, and wherein the method is performed by a first participant of the group and comprises: generating a first share of a first shared private key based on a first share of the master private key and a first hash value, wherein the first hash value is generated by hashing a nonce value one or more times.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a process for configuring or commissioning a solar power system includes receiving, at a controller, hardware identifiers of a plurality of power electronics modules to be configured. Each of the plurality of power electronics modules of at least a portion of the plurality of power electronics modules is associated with a corresponding photovoltaic panel. A hub is configured to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of power electronics modules. The controller is physically connected to the hub and communicates with the hub via wiring that also carries power from photovoltaic panels to an inverter. The process includes configuring, by the controller, the plurality of power electronics modules using the received hardware identifiers.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for road condition classification that include one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor data pertaining to operation of a vehicle along a roadway by a human; and one or more processors that are coupled to the one or more sensors and that are configured to at least facilitate analyzing the sensor data as to one or more threshold values pertaining to the operation of the vehicle; and identifying one or more conditions of the roadway, based on the analyzing of the sensor data. Further, learned input is provided to the vehicle control system to operate with lane position behavior similar to a human driven vehicle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating min-increment counting bloom filters to determine count and frequency of device identifiers and attributes in a networking environment are disclosed. The system can maintain a set of data records including device identifiers and attributes associated with device in a network. The system can generate a vector comprising coordinates corresponding to counter registers. The system can identify hash functions to update a counting bloom filter. The system can hash the data records to extract index values pointing to a set of counter registers. The system can increment the positions in the min-increment counting bloom filter corresponding to the minimum values of the counter registers. The system can obtain an aggregated public key comprising a public key. The system can encrypt the counter registers using the aggregated shared key to generate an encrypted vector. The system can transmit the encrypted vector to a networked worker computing device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of constructing a candidate block of a blockchain, wherein the method comprises: obtaining an ordered sequence of blockchain transactions; obtaining a transaction representation by hashing a data object, wherein the data object comprises the ordered sequence of blockchain transactions; and constructing the candidate block, wherein the candidate block comprises the transaction representation.

Abstract: A method of validating transactions for recordal in a blockchain comprises receiving one or more transactions at a node of a blockchain network. For each received transaction a protocol for validating the transaction is applied. The protocol is configured to allow a termination opcode to be included in an output script of the transaction. The termination opcode is configured to, upon being executed by the node, a) terminate execution of the output script, and b) not to invalidate the transaction based only on the inclusion of the termination opcode in the output script. The protocol is also configured to disallow any instance of the termination opcode from being included in an input script of the transaction, said disallowing comprising the node at least invalidating the transaction if any instance of the termination opcode is included in the input script.

Abstract: A method comprising: providing a first transaction specifying an output amount of a digital asset to greater than pointed to by its inputs, wherein an output of the first transaction comprises a locking script specifying a condition; over a side channel, receiving an input from each of multiple users, and adding each received input to the first transaction; and once a target is reached, whereby the total input amount pointed to by the inputs of the first transaction is equal to or exceeds the output amount, causing the first transaction and a second transaction to be published to a blockchain network to be recorded in a blockchain. The second transaction comprises an input pointing to the output of the first transaction and comprising an unlocking script meeting said condition. The condition requires the unlocking script to include a media key enabling the users to access the item of media content.

Abstract: A method of recording a target transaction in a blockchain, comprising: obtaining an updated version of the target transaction, being updated relative to a pre-existing first version; and instead of the first version, sending the updated version to be propagated through a network of nodes to be recorded in the blockchain. The target transaction comprises an input comprising an unlocking script and a pointer to an output of a first transaction, the output of the first transaction comprising a locking script specifying a plurality of alternative conditions for unlocking that output. The unlocking script of the first version of the target transaction is configured to unlock the first output of the first transaction based on a first of said alternative conditions, and the unlocking script of the updated version is configured to unlock it based on a second one of said alternative conditions.

Abstract: A server of media content makes a first transaction available to users that includes a first output specifying an amount of a digital asset to transfer to a second party, and a total of zero or more inputs wherein a total input amount of the digital asset specified in any outputs of any source transactions pointed to by the zero or more inputs is less than a total output amount of the digital asset specified by the one or more outputs. Inputs are received from users of a side channel. Once a target is reached, the first transaction and a second transaction are recorded in a blockchain, wherein the second transaction comprises an input pointing to the first output of the first transaction and an unlocking script meeting a condition that requires the unlocking script to include a media key enabling the users to access the item of media content.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a process for configuring or commissioning a solar power system includes receiving, at a controller, hardware identifiers of a plurality of power electronics modules to be configured. Each of the plurality of power electronics modules of at least a portion of the plurality of power electronics modules is associated with a corresponding photovoltaic panel. A hub is configured to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of power electronics modules. The controller is physically connected to the hub and communicates with the hub via wiring that also carries power from photovoltaic panels to an inverter. The process includes configuring, by the controller, the plurality of power electronics modules using the received hardware identifiers.

Abstract: At least one proof transaction is received at a node of a blockchain network and comprises at least one Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) signature and at least one zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) component. The node verifies the ECDSA signature of the at least one proof transaction based on a public key associated with the ECDSA signature and a signed part of the at least one proof transaction, and determined whether the ZKP component is correct for the ECDSA signature and a defined hash value and a defined hash function, in that it proves an ephemeral key counterpart to an r-part of the ECDSA signature to be a preimage of the defined hash value with respect to the defined hash function.

Abstract: A beverage container lid can include an audio speaker; a wireless transceiver to transmit and receive wireless signals; and a hardware processor to process wireless signals received by the wireless transceiver and to output audible signals through the audio speaker. The beverage container lid can also include a water-tight housing, the wireless transceiver and hardware processor contained within the water-tight housing; a drinking aperture; and a fluid channel, the fluid channel to allow fluid to pass through the drinking aperture, and the water-tight housing to prevent fluid passing through the fluid channel from contacting the wireless transceiver and hardware processor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are adjuvanted protein vaccines comprising: a non-phospholipid liposome and one or more proteins, wherein the protein is encapsulated within the non-phospholipid liposome, and wherein the protein is selected from: (i) a modified full-length spike protein that generates IgG antibody responses for 120 days after two injections of the adjuvanted protein vaccine, by subcutaneous or intramuscular routes; (ii) a modified spike protein sequence of a coronavirus; (iii) a protein sequence from a coronavirus; and (iv) a protein from an infectious agent that generates IgG antibody responses to proteins after one or two subcutaneous or intramuscular injections. Also disclose herein are modified spike protein sequence containing a modified full-length SARS-COV-2 spike protein sequence. Methods of use of the vaccines and sequences are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating min-increment counting bloom filters to determine count and frequency of device identifiers and attributes in a networking environment are disclosed. The system can maintain a set of data records including device identifiers and attributes associated with device in a network. The system can generate a vector comprising coordinates corresponding to counter registers. The system can identify hash functions to update a counting bloom filter. The system can hash the data records to extract index values pointing to a set of counter registers. The system can increment the positions in the min-increment counting bloom filter corresponding to the minimum values of the counter registers. The system can obtain an aggregated public key comprising a public key. The system can encrypt the counter registers using the aggregated shared key to generate an encrypted vector. The system can transmit the encrypted vector to a networked worker computing device.

Abstract: A method of recording a target transaction in a blockchain, comprising: obtaining an updated version of the target transaction, being updated relative to a pre-existing first version; and instead of the first version, sending the updated version to be propagated through a network of nodes to be recorded in the blockchain. The target transaction comprises an input comprising an unlocking script and a pointer to an output of a first transaction, the output of the first transaction comprising a locking script specifying a plurality of alternative conditions for unlocking that output.

Abstract: A method of validating transactions for recordal in a blockchain comprises receiving one or more transactions at a node of a blockchain network. For each received transaction a protocol for validating the transaction is applied. The protocol is configured to allow a termination opcode to be included in an output script of the transaction. The termination opcode is configured to, upon being executed by the node, a) terminate execution of the output script, and b) not to invalidate the transaction based only on the inclusion of the termination opcode in the output script. The protocol is also configured to disallow any instance of the termination opcode from being included in an input script of the transaction, said disallowing comprising the node at least invalidating the transaction if any instance of the termination opcode is included in the input script.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating a secondary transaction identifier of a target transaction which enables a querying user to determine whether the target transaction comprises a candidate data field. The method comprises identifying a set of data fields of the target transaction, each data field comprising respective data of the transaction; and generating a transaction hash tree. Each data field is hashed to generate a respective one of a plurality of leaf hashes of the transaction hash tree. The root hash of the transaction hash tree comprises the secondary transaction identifier.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating min-increment counting bloom filters to determine count and frequency of device identifiers and attributes in a networking environment are disclosed. The system can maintain a set of data records including device identifiers and attributes associated with device in a network. The system can generate a vector comprising coordinates corresponding to counter registers. The system can identify hash functions to update a counting bloom filter. The system can hash the data records to extract index values pointing to a set of counter registers. The system can increment the positions in the min-increment counting bloom filter corresponding to the minimum values of the counter registers. The system can obtain an aggregated public key comprising a public key. The system can encrypt the counter registers using the aggregated shared key to generate an encrypted vector. The system can transmit the encrypted vector to a networked worker computing device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are subcutaneously administered, immunogenic compositions (e.g., vaccines) and methods of using and preparing the same. In some embodiments, the immunogenic compositions generate IgG antibodies to the spike proteins of the Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta B.1.617.2, and Omicron BA.1 variants of SARS-CoV-2 and may be suitable for use in preventing an infectious disease, such as SARS-CoV-2.