Abstract: Fuel oil compositions, and methods for blending such fuel oil compositions, to enhance initial compatibility and longer term stability when such fuel oil compositions are blended to meet IMO 2020 low sulfur fuel oil requirements (ISO 8217). In one or more embodiments, asphaltenic resid base stocks are blended with high aromatic slurry oil to facilitate initial compatibility such that low sulfur cutter stocks, e.g., vacuum gas oil and/or cycle oil, may be further blended therein to cut sulfur content while maintaining longer term stability. These fuel oil compositions are economically advantageous when used as marine low sulfur fuel oils because greater concentrations of high viscosity resids are present in the final blend.

Abstract: Aspects for achieving and utilizing synchronization among end stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are provided. In a method aspect, the method includes receiving a packet with a time synchronization field value from a first end station in a second end station of a communication group. The method further includes comparing upon receipt of the packet the time synchronization field value with a local time value in the second end station to determine whether the local time value requires updating to maintain synchronization between the first and second end stations. The comparing further determines whether a difference between the time synchronization field value and the local time value is greater than zero, and when the difference is greater than zero, the local time value is updated to the time synchronization field value.

Abstract: A switching system comprised of input, intermediate and output switch matrices. There are r n.times.m input matrices, r m.times.n output matrices with m r.times.r intermediate switching matrices. Signals are switched from inputs at the input matrices through the intermediate switch matrices and are output through the output matrices.