Abstract: A gas turbine engine wall is provided. The wall includes an inner surface and an opposing outer surface having at least one film cooling hole defined therein. The at least one film cooling hole includes an inclined inlet bore that extends from the inner surface and a pair of channels that diverge laterally from an outlet end of the inclined inlet bore. The pair of channels have a substantially constant width and are separated by a ridge to form a boomerang cross-sectional shape.

Abstract: A micromachined tube (microtube) suitable for microfluidic devices. The microtube is formed by isotropically etching a surface of a first substrate to define therein a channel having an arcuate cross-sectional profile, and forming a substrate structure by bonding the first substrate to a second substrate so that the second substrate overlies and encloses the channel to define a passage having a cross-sectional profile of which at least half is arcuate. The substrate structure is thinned to define the microtube and walls thereof that surround the passage.

Abstract: Systems and methods are providing for managing and promoting a prepaid account. According to one aspect, a request to create a non-user-funded prepaid account for a user is received, the request including information about the user and an amount of money to be deposited into the non-user-funded account. The user information is provided to an account processing entity to establish the non-user-funded prepaid account, and the account processing entity provides account information for the non-user-funded account. The account information is provided to the user, along with an offer to convert the non-user-funded prepaid account to a user-fundable prepaid account. Upon receiving a selection of the option to convert, a conversion of the non-user-funded prepaid account to a user-fundable prepaid account may be arranged by, for example, changing a first product id associated with the non-user-funded account to a second product id defining a user-funded prepaid account.

Abstract: A catheter used for treatment of complex vasculature, such as a bifurcated aneurysm, is provided with an inflatable balloon at a distal portion thereof. The shape, location and material of the inflatable balloon are selected such that when inflated, the balloon conforms to the shape of the complex vasculature, or at least a portion thereof, without appreciably deforming the vessel walls. In this manner, the balloon can be used to control flow in the vasculature, for example occluding a selected branch of the vasculature during introduction of material in order concentrate the material and minimize its disbursement by blood flow.

Abstract: A multi-tasking downhole rod guide for centralizing a downhole pump rod production tubing within production tubing, while simultaneously reducing abrasion and deterioration of the production tubing and engendering auxiliary pump-boosting functions. The rod guide is configured with an elongate helix having a continuous trough-like channel through which hydrocarbons flow upwardly under high pressure. As the pressurized hydrocarbons flow through a succession of plates at each equidistant helical level, the elongate helix rotates synchronously with the upwardly flowing hydrocarbons within the production tubing string.

Abstract: A method for performing a downhole perforating and fracturing operation from a wellbore (12) positioned within a subterranean formation (18). The method includes locating a perforating gun string (24) within the wellbore (12), detonating a first perforating gun (28) to create a first discrete fracture initiation site (42) in the formation (18), repositioning the perforating gun string (24) within the wellbore (12) and detonating a second perforating gun (30) to create a second discrete fracture initiation site (44) in the formation (18). Thereafter, the method also includes pumping a fracture fluid into the wellbore (12) and propagating a single dominant planar fracture (56, 58) from each of the discrete fracture initiation sites (42, 44).

Abstract: A system of testing software is provided. The system comprises a first hardware system having hardware components to execute a first version of the software, and additionally comprises a second hardware system having hardware components to execute a second version of the software. Here, the first version of the software and the second version are different. In addition, the system includes a device configured to test the first hardware system and the second hardware system by providing first input data traffic to the first hardware system, providing second input data traffic to the second hardware system, and accessing performance values from the first hardware system and the second hardware system to evaluate a performance comparison between the first hardware system executing the first version of the software and the second hardware system executing the second version of the software.

Abstract: Apparatus and methodology for self-generating high-temperature water and superheated steam for recovering embedded heavy-viscosity hydrocarbons from subterranean rock, shale, bitumen, sand formations and enabling continuous flow of released heavy-viscosity hydrocarbons using four successive spiral trough-like flowpaths, and optionally comprising an internal elongated pump member. Another embodiment promotes continuous flow of heavy-viscosity hydrocarbons through surface pipelines to tanks, railway tankcars, ships, refineries. A plurality of high-temperature, sheathed insertion heaters sustains constant high temperature to assure continuous flow of such hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for consolidating subscriber information from one or more data stored located within a mobile telecommunications network. The subscriber information may include, for example, a subscriber's service attributes or identifying information. As each data store may use a different protocol to communicate with the network, the system has the capability to identify the protocol used by each data store to allow for communication between each data store and the network. In addition, as each data store may store the subscriber information in a different format, the system identifies the schema used by each data store so that the subscriber information may be consolidated into a single schema to generate a unified subscriber profile, thus providing for efficient and effective customer service by a service provider.

Abstract: A system of testing software is provided. The system comprises a first hardware system having hardware components to execute a first version of the software, and additionally comprises a second hardware system having hardware components to execute a second version of the software at approximately the same time as the hardware components of the first hardware system execute the first version of the software. Here, the hardware components of the first hardware system are essentially equal to the hardware components of the second hardware system. In addition, the system includes a simulator coupled to the first hardware system and the second hardware system through the same network. This simulator comprises an agent to input a substantially same amount and a substantially same type of input data into the first and second hardware systems for execution by the first and second versions, respectively.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a charge-based physiological parameter within an internal organ of a living body, and a sensor adapted to be implanted in the living body and an organ therein. The sensor includes sensing elements adapted to sense the charge-based physiological parameter within the organ, and the sensing elements include at least first and second sensing elements that are electrically conductive, aligned, spaced apart and exposed at the exterior of the sensor. The sensor further includes a device for passing an alternating current from the first to the second sensing elements through an ionic solution contacting the sensing elements. The sensor also includes a device for generating a signal corresponding to the impedance of the ionic solution based on the alternating current.

Abstract: Tools and techniques related to progressively discovering and integrating services are provided. These tools may receive electronic communications addressed to users of communications platform software. In turn, these tools may analyze the electronic communications, and generate upsells for presentation to the users. These upsells may relate to updating profile records associated with the users.

Abstract: Fluidic systems and methods of determining properties of fluids flowing therein. The fluidic systems and methods make use of a micromachined device that determines at least one property of the fluid within the system. The micromachined device includes a base structure on a substrate and a tube structure extending from the base structure and spaced apart from a surface of the substrate. The tube structure has at least one pair of geometrically parallel tube portions substantially lying in a plane, and at least one continuous internal passage defined at least in part within the parallel tube portions. A drive element induces vibrational movement of the tube structure in the plane of the tube structure and induces resonant vibrational movements in the tube portions in the plane of the tube structure. A sensing element senses deflections of each tube portion in the plane of the tube structure.

Abstract: A micromachined tube (microtube) suitable for microfluidic devices. The microtube is formed by isotropically etching a surface of a first substrate to define therein a channel having an arcuate cross-sectional profile, and forming a substrate structure by bonding the first substrate to a second substrate so that the second substrate overlies and encloses the channel to define a passage having a cross-sectional profile of which at least half is arcuate. The substrate structure is thinned to define the microtube and walls thereof that surround the passage.

Abstract: A process for producing a micromachined tube (microtube) suitable for microfluidic devices. The process entails isotropically etching a surface of a first substrate to define therein a channel having an arcuate cross-sectional profile, and forming a substrate structure by bonding the first substrate to a second substrate so that the second substrate overlies and encloses the channel to define a passage having a cross-sectional profile of which at least half is arcuate. The substrate structure can optionally then be thinned to define a microtube and walls thereof that surround the passage.

Abstract: A catheter used for treatment of complex vasculature, such as a bifurcated aneurysm, is provided with an inflatable balloon at a distal portion thereof. The shape, location and material of the inflatable balloon are selected such that when inflated, the balloon conforms to the shape of the complex vasculature, or at least a portion thereof, without appreciably deforming the vessel walls. In this manner, the balloon can be used to control flow in the vasculature, for example occluding a selected branch of the vasculature during introduction of material in order concentrate the material and minimize its disbursement by blood flow.

Abstract: A catheter used for treatment of complex vasculature, such as a bifurcated aneurysm, is provided with an inflatable balloon at a distal portion thereof. The shape, location and material of the inflatable balloon are selected such that when inflated, the balloon conforms to the shape of the complex vasculature, or at least a portion thereof, without appreciably deforming the vessel walls. In this manner, the balloon can be used to control flow in the vasculature, for example occluding a selected branch of the vasculature during introduction of material in order concentrate the material and minimize its disbursement by blood flow.

Abstract: A microfluidic device and sensing method that utilize a resonating tube configured to have sufficient sensitivity to be capable of sensing the volume of a gas present as bubbles in a liquid or the flow rate and/or density of a gas or gas mixture flowing through the tube. The tube has a freestanding tube portion supported above a surface of a substrate so as to be capable of vibrating in a plane normal to the surface of the substrate. As a gas-containing fluid flows through an internal passage of the tube, a drive signal vibrates the freestanding tube portion at a resonant frequency thereof. Coriolis-induced deflections of the freestanding tube portion are sensed relative to the substrate to produce an output corresponding to the sensed deflections, and the drive signal and/or the output are assessed to determine the volume, density and/or flow rate of the gas of the gas-containing fluid.

Abstract: A method for performing a downhole perforating and fracturing operation from a wellbore (12) positioned within a subterranean formation (18). The method includes locating a perforating gun string (24) within the wellbore (12), detonating a first perforating gun (28) to create a first discrete fracture initiation site (42) in the formation (18), repositioning the perforating gun string (24) within the wellbore (12) and detonating a second perforating gun (30) to create a second discrete fracture initiation site (44) in the formation (18). Thereafter, the method also includes pumping a fracture fluid into the wellbore (12) and propagating a single dominant planar fracture (56, 58) from each of the discrete fracture initiation sites (42, 44).

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for remotely submitting content to a website without navigating to the website are provided. The website is a content-sharing website that accepts public content submissions and makes the content available to multiple users. Initially, a client application may download remote-content-submission instructions from the website. Subsequently, the client application may follow the instructions to format a remote content submission and communicate it to the website.