Abstract: A method and system for sorting online advertisements to enable users of online advertising networks, auctions, merchants, etc. to identify known or trusted parties are provided. Users designate other users as friends. When a user searches for or browses through advertisements, those advertisements posted by the user's friends are easily identified. Advertisements posted by members of the user's network (i.e., friends of the user's friends) are also easily identified.

Abstract: A composition includes a polymer precursor and a metal precursor. The metal precursor may include a carbamate and a metal cation. The metal precursor may be responsive to an application of energy to form a metal nanoparticle. An associated method is provided.

Abstract: A composition includes a decomposition product of a metal precursor. The metal precursor may include a carbamate and one or more metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, and zinc. The decomposition product may include a metal nanoparticle. The metal nanoparticle may be present in an amount that is sufficient to render the composition electrically conductive, thermally conductive, or both electrically and thermally conductive. An associated article and method are provided.

Abstract: A main body 19 of a nondestructive inspection apparatus is positioned on a spray line header 13 connected to a thermal sleeve 16 within a cooling water inlet nozzle 12, and fixed to a core spray line 14 by vertically clamping the core spray line 14 with fixing units 21a, 21b at the position where the thermal sleeve 16 to be inspected is located. Scanners 24a, 24b insert a tape probe 27 having an inspection head 28 inside an annular gap 17 formed between the thermal sleeve 16 and the cooling water inlet nozzle 12 in an axial direction. The scanners 24a, 24b are guided by guide rails 22a, 22b to move the tape prove 27 so that the inspection head 28 can move in the circumferential direction of the annular gap 17.

Abstract: A method of making nanoscale ordered composites of covalent ceramics through block copolymer-assisted assembly. At least one polymeric precursor is mixed with a block copolymer, and self-assembly of the mixture proceeds through an annealing process. During the annealing step, the polymeric precursor cross-links to form a structure robust enough to survive both the order-disorder transition temperature the block copolymer and the pyrolysis process, yielding ordered nanocomposites of high temperature ceramic materials. The method yields a variety of structures and morphologies. A ceramic material having at least one ceramic phase that has an ordered structure on a nanoscale and thermally stable up to a temperature of at least about 800° C. is also disclosed. The ceramic material is suitable for use in hot gas path assemblies, such as turbine assemblies, boilers, combustors, and the like.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved method and device for inspecting heat exchanger tubes from within the tube inside diameter that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art. It adapts a guided-wave probe approach that makes use of a torsional wave mode instead of a longitudinal wave node disclosed in the prior art. The torsional wave mode has many advantages over the longitudinal wave mode for detecting defects. When energized by suitable instrumentation, the probe is caused to generate a torsional mode signal that is transmitted to the heat exchanger tube from the waveguide tube. When reflected signals from defects in the heat exchanger tube walls are returned to the inspection opening end of the heat exchanger tube, the reflected defect signals are transmitted to the probe waveguide tube for amplification, detection and characterization of the reflected signal.

Abstract: To regulate access to a service provided by a service provider, a service authoriser generates for each of multiple service time periods a different respective data set comprising private data and related public data. The service provider uses the public data for a current time period and an encryption key string to generate encrypted data which a party wanting to receive the service must decrypt. The service authoriser provides a decryption key to the party after determining that the party is entitled to receive the service for a particular service time period; the decryption key is generated using the aforesaid encryption key string and the private data of the data set for the service period concerned. The party can then decrypt the encrypted data it receives provided that the period for which the data has been encrypted is the same as that for which the decryption key was generated.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for enabling a service provider to limit service access to registered members of a group. The service provider encrypts data using an encryption key string and public data provided by the membership authority, and provides the encrypted data to a party wanting a particular service. To receive the service, the party must decrypt the encrypted data using a decryption key that has been obtained from a group membership authority preferably subsequent to the encrypted data being received by the party. The membership authority provides the decryption key only if the party is a group member, the authority generating the decryption key using the encryption key string and private data used in deriving the public data.