Abstract: Overhead associated with verifying function return addresses to protect against security exploits is reduced by taking advantage of branch prediction mechanisms for predicting return addresses. More specifically, returning from a function includes popping a return address from a data stack. Well-known security exploits overwrite the return address on the data stack to hijack control flow. In some processors, a separate data structure referred to as a control stack is used to verify the data stack. When a return instruction is executed, the processor issues an exception if the return addresses on the control stack and the data stack are not identical. This overhead can be avoided by taking advantage of the return address stack, which is a data structure used by the branch predictor to predict return addresses. In most situations, if this prediction is correct, the above check does not need to occur, thus reducing the associated overhead.

Abstract: A security module in a memory access path of a processor of a processing system protects secure information by verifying the contents of memory pages as they transition between one or more virtual machines (VMs) executing at the processor and a hypervisor that provides an interface between the VMs and the processing system's hardware. The security module of the processor is employed to monitor memory pages as they transition between one or more VMs and a hypervisor so that memory pages that have been altered by a hypervisor or other VM cannot be returned to the VM from which they were transitioned.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present invention provides methods for making resorbable ear tubes including the steps of providing a silk fibroin solution, and forming a silk ear tube from the silk fibroin solution, wherein the silk ear tube is less than 2 mm in length and has an outer diameter of less than 1.5 mm, and wherein the silk ear tube is resorbable. In some embodiments, the present invention also provides methods for treating otitis media including the step of introducing a silk ear tube into the ear canal of a subject, wherein the silk ear tube is less than 2 mm in length and has an outer diameter of less than 1.5 mm, and wherein the silk ear tube is resorbed by the subject.

Abstract: A computing device that handles address translations is described. The computing device includes a hardware table walker and a memory that stores a reverse map table and a plurality of pages of memory. The table walker is configured to use validated indicators in entries in the reverse map table to determine if page accesses are made to pages for which entries are validated. The table walker is further configured to use virtual machine permissions levels information in entries in the reverse map table determine if page accesses for specified operation types are permitted.

Abstract: Overhead associated with verifying function return addresses to protect against security exploits is reduced by taking advantage of branch prediction mechanisms for predicting return addresses. More specifically, returning from a function includes popping a return address from a data stack. Well-known security exploits overwrite the return address on the data stack to hijack control flow. In some processors, a separate data structure referred to as a control stack is used to verify the data stack. When a return instruction is executed, the processor issues an exception if the return addresses on the control stack and the data stack are not identical. This overhead can be avoided by taking advantage of the return address stack, which is a data structure used by the branch predictor to predict return addresses. In most situations, if this prediction is correct, the above check does not need to occur, thus reducing the associated overhead.

Abstract: The invention discloses a freeze-dried powder of high molecular weight silk fibroin, preparation process and use thereof. The freeze-dried powder is obtained from silk by degumming, dissolution, dialysis, centrifugation, high temperature and high pressure treatment and freeze-drying. A method of preparing silk fibroin microspheres with polyethylene glycol comprises mixing a silk fibroin solution of 1-30 wt % with a PEG solution of 10-60 w % and incubating the resulting solution. A controlled-release or sustained-release silk fibroin gel formulation includes a gel-state carrier and a drug dispersed/adsorbed therein, the carrier is a silk fibroin gel formed by blending with LMW-PEG.

Abstract: An input-output (IO) memory management unit (IOMMU) uses a reverse map table (RMT) to ensure that address translations acquired from a nested page table are correct and that IO devices are permitted to access pages in a memory when performing memory accesses in a computing device. A translation lookaside buffer (TLB) flushing mechanism is used to invalidate address translation information in TLBs that are affected by changes in the RMT. A modified Address Translation Caching (ATC) mechanism may be used, in which only partial address translation information is provided to IO devices so that the RMT is checked when performing memory accesses for the IO devices using the cached address translation information.

Abstract: The disclosed system provides an adaptive control system technique generally related to distributed energy resources (DERs) located in distribution circuits. More specifically, the system technique relates to a DER with both active and reactive generation capability. In an embodiment, the system measures a voltage phase angle and a current phase angle of distribution feeder circuit, and measures a voltage value output by a power converter. The system calculates an active power setpoint value and a reactive power setpoint value of the power converter based on the measured voltage value, and the measured voltage phase angle and current phase angle. The system then sets the active and reactive power setpoint values on the power converter. The disclosed system automatically adjusts the setpoints to real-time load characteristics of the distribution feeder circuit, increases distribution feeder hosting capacity, and enables DERs to integrate in distribution feeders more efficiently.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are biopolymer-based coatings and products incorporating such coatings. Related methods and use are also provided.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing virtualized process isolation are disclosed. A system includes a kernel and multiple guest virtual machines (VMs) executing on the system's processing hardware. Each guest VM includes a vShim layer for managing kernel accesses to user space and guest accesses to kernel space. The vShim layer also maintains a set of page tables separate from the kernel page tables. In one embodiment, data in the user space is encrypted and the kernel goes through the vShim layer to access user space data. When the kernel attempts to access a user space address, the kernel exits and the vShim layer is launched to process the request. If the kernel has permission to access the user space address, the vShim layer copies the data to a region in kernel space and then returns execution to the kernel. The vShim layer prevents the kernel from accessing the user space address if the kernel does not have permission to access the user space address.

Abstract: Technologies for sensor action verification include a local computing device to receive a request for the local computing device to perform a sensor action from a remote computing device. The local computing device verifies the received request to confirm that the remote computing device is authorized to request the local computing device to perform the sensor action and performs, by a sensor controller of the local computing device, the requested sensor action in response to verification of the received request. The sensor controller manages operation of one or more sensors of the local computing device. The local computing device transmits a response message to the remote computing device indicating whether the requested sensor action has been performed by the sensor controller of the local computing device.

Abstract: The invention provides transient devices, including active and passive devices that electrically and/or physically transform upon application of at least one internal and/or external stimulus. Materials, modeling tools, manufacturing approaches, device designs and system level examples of transient electronics are provided.

Abstract: Systems and devices for cooling and dispensing a beverage fluid are disclosed herein. One beverage dispensing system includes a beverage tower comprising a tower body, a shank, and a faucet. In some implementations, a coolant line is routed proximal to a beverage supply line through the tower body, through the shank, and into the faucet. In these and other implementations, the faucet includes a removable nozzle having a supplemental portion of the coolant line. In these and still other implementations, the faucet include a removable nozzle having a second coolant line. The coolant line and the second coolant line are configured to transport a coolant medium proximal to a beverage fluid in the beverage supply line to maintain or adjust the temperature of the beverage fluid. Many other features are described herein.

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide for improved store-to-load-forwarding (STLF) logic and linear aliasing effect reduction logic. In one embodiment, a load instruction to be executed is selected. Whether a first linear address associated with said load instruction matches a linear address of a store instruction of a plurality of store instructions in a queue is determined. Data associated with said store instruction for executing said load instruction is forwarded, in response to determining that the first linear address matches the linear address of the store instruction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are biopolymer-based coatings and products incorporating such coatings. Related methods and use are also provided.

Abstract: A table walker receives, from a requesting entity, a request to translate a first address into a second address associated with a page of memory. During a corresponding table walk, when a lock indicator in an entry in a reverse map table (RMT) for the page is set to mark the entry in the RMT as locked, the table walker halts processing the request and performs a remedial action. In addition, when the request is associated with a write access of the page and an immutable indicator in the entry in the RMT is set to mark the page as immutable, the table walker halts processing the request and performs the remedial action. Otherwise, when the entry in the RMT is not locked and the page is not marked as immutable for a write access, the table walker continues processing the request.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents methods, apparatuses, and systems to bolster communication security, and more particularly to utilize a constant time cryptographic co-processor engine for such communication security. For example, the disclosure includes a method for secure communication, comprising receiving encrypted data at a receiving device; obtaining a randomization for at least one bit of the encrypted data; modifying an execution of a cryptographic algorithm on the at least one bit to obtain a randomized cryptographic algorithm based on the randomization; and executing the randomized cryptographic algorithm on the at least one bit of encrypted data to recover original data associated with the encrypted data.

Abstract: A processor employs a hardware encryption module in the memory access path between an input/out device and memory to cryptographically isolate secure information. In some embodiments, the encryption module is located at a memory controller of the processor, and each memory access request provided to the memory controller includes VM tag value identifying the source of the memory access request. The VM tag is determined based on a requestor ID identifying the source of the memory access request. The encryption module performs encryption (for write accesses) or decryption (for read accesses) of the data associated with the memory access based on an encryption key associated with the VM tag.

Abstract: The described embodiments perform a method for handling memory accesses by virtual machines in a computing device. The described embodiments include a reverse map table (RMT) and a separate guest accessed pages table (GAPT) for each virtual machine. The RMT has a plurality of entries, each entry including information for identifying a virtual machine that is permitted to access an associated page of data in a memory. Each GAPT has a record of pages being accessed by a corresponding virtual machine. During operation, a table walker receives a request from a given virtual machine to translate a guest physical address to a system physical address. The table walker checks at least one of the RMT and a corresponding GAPT to determine whether the given virtual machine has access to a corresponding page. If not, the table walker terminates the translating. Otherwise, the table walker completes the translating.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides binding agents that modulate the interaction between LEAP2 and GHSR. Specifically, the present disclosure provides binding agents, such as LEAP2 peptides that bind GHSR and methods of their use to treat, ameliorate, or prevent a neuroendocrine and/or metabolic disease or disorder such as obesity, diabetes, acromegaly, gigantism and/or Prader-Willi syndrome. The present disclosure also provides binding agents, such as antibodies, that bind LEAP2, and methods of their use, to treat, ameliorate, or prevent a neuroendocrine and/or metabolic disease or disorder such as cachexia, anorexia, or other wasting syndromes.