Abstract: Methods and systems for managing and/or processing a blockchain to maintain data security for confidential and/or personal data are provided. According to certain aspects, the disclosed data security techniques may enable access sharing functionality utilizing the blockchain. For example, access sharing may be utilized to file documents, share policy information, and/or comply with an audit. The data security techniques disclosed herein also enable the use of smart contracts to transfer funds associated with payment obligations and/or other forms of blockchain based payments, comply with anti-money laundering requirements, report industry data, validate interest payments and/or maintain agent sales data. Data security may be achieved through the use of public key/private key encryption techniques.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing and/or processing a blockchain to maintain data security for confidential and/or personal data are provided. According to certain aspects, the disclosed data security techniques may enable access sharing functionality utilizing the blockchain. For example, access sharing may be utilized to share policy information. The policy information may be associated with a smart contract. Accordingly, the policy information may be encrypted using a public key for the smart contract and compiled into a block of the blockchain. In response to a request to provide access to the information to a particular node, the private key for the smart contract may be encrypted using the public key for the particular node and compiled into a block of the blockchain.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing a blockchain comprising a plurality of immutable sales records corresponding to sales made by agents of an entity are provided. According to certain aspects, a transaction request indicating a sale made by an agent of the entity may be received at a first node. A block including a sales record indicating the sale made by the agent may be added to a blockchain and transmitted to another node for validation. The first node may add the block to a copy of the blockchain, where the block may be identified by a hash value that references a previous block in the blockchain that includes at least one additional sales record.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, an array of elements forms an artificially-structured material. The artificially-structured material can also include an array of tuning mechanisms included as part of the array of elements that are configured to change material properties of the artificially-structured material on a per-element basis. The tuning mechanisms can change the material properties of the artificially-structured material by changing operational properties of the elements in the array of elements on a per-element basis based on one or a combination of stimuli detected by sensors included in the array of tuning mechanisms, programmable circuit modules included as part of the array of tuning mechanisms, data stored at individual data stores included as part of the array of tuning mechanisms, and communications transmitted through interconnects included as part of the array of elements.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing and/or processing a blockchain to maintain data security for confidential and/or personal data are provided. According to certain aspects, the disclosed data security techniques may enable access sharing functionality utilizing the blockchain. For example, access sharing may be utilized to file documents, share policy information, and/or comply with an audit. The data security techniques disclosed herein also enable the use of smart contracts to transfer funds associated with payment obligations and/or other forms of blockchain based payments, comply with anti-money laundering requirements, report industry data, validate interest payments and/or maintain agent sales data. Data security may be achieved through the use of public key/private key encryption techniques.

Abstract: A method of forming rim type phase-shift lithography mask (140) involving backside overexposure of a positive resist layer (130) overlying a patterned light-blocking layer (120). By subjecting the resist layer to electromagnetic radiation (132) (e.g., broad band UV) transmitted via the backside (115) of the mask substrate (112), portions (134) of the resist layer extending from peripheral edges of the light blocking layer inwardly a selected distance are activated. After developing activated portions of the resist layer, the "pull back" of the resist layer is transferred to the underlying light blocking layer by anisotropically etching portions of the light blocking layer not covered by the resist layer, thereby forming the desired rim structure.