Abstract: First and second pipe elements are joined end to end by a coupling. The first and second pipe elements have a circumferential groove at an end, and each of the grooves has a floor. A plurality of segments, each having oppositely disposed ends, and a respective connection member positioned at each end, form the coupling. A first end of each segment is connected to a second end of another of the segments such that said segments surround a central space for receiving the second pipe element.

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming a seal employ a robust metal sealing unit for tubulars used in rotary drilling. Specifically, eutectic alloy is used to seal a tubular to a wellbore after drilling. A downhole heater melts the alloy, allowing the alloy to expand and drain before it cools and solidifies between the wellbore and tubular, forming a gas tight seal.

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming a seal employ a robust metal sealing unit for tubulars used in rotary drilling. Specifically, eutectic alloy is used to seal a tubular to a wellbore after drilling. A downhole heater melts the alloy, allowing the alloy to expand and drain before it cools and solidifies between the wellbore and tubular, forming a gas tight seal.

Abstract: First and second pipe elements are joined end to end by a coupling. The first and second pipe elements have a circumferential groove at an end, and each of the grooves has a floor. A plurality of segments, each having oppositely disposed ends, and a respective connection member positioned at each end, form the coupling. A first end of each segment is connected to a second end of another of the segments such that said segments surround a central space for receiving the second pipe element.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for generating and processing a trace stream indicative of instruction execution by processing circuitry. An apparatus has an input interface for receiving instruction execution information from the processing circuitry indicative of a sequence of instructions executed by the processing circuitry, and trace generation circuitry for generating from the instruction execution information a trace stream comprising a plurality of trace elements indicative of execution by the processing circuitry of instruction flow changing instructions within the sequence.

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming a seal employ a robust metal sealing unit for tubulars used in rotary drilling. Specifically, eutectic alloy is used to seal a tubular to a wellbore after drilling. A downhole heater melts the alloy, allowing the alloy to expand and drain before it cools and solidifies between the wellbore and tubular, forming a gas tight seal.

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming a seal employ a robust metal sealing unit for tubulars used in rotary drilling. Specifically, eutectic alloy is used to seal a tubular to a wellbore after drilling. A downhole heater melts the alloy, allowing the alloy to expand and drain before it cools and solidifies between the wellbore and tubular, forming a gas tight seal.

Abstract: An apparatus has an input interface for receiving instruction execution information from processing circuitry, and trace generation circuitry for generating from the instruction execution information a trace stream. The instruction sequence from the processing circuitry includes at least one branch-future instruction that effectively turns an instruction identified by the branch-future instruction into a branch, and in particular causes the processing circuitry to branch to a target address identified by the branch-future instruction when that identified instruction is encountered within the instruction sequence.

Abstract: First and second pipe elements are joined end to end by a coupling. The first and second pipe elements have a circumferential groove at an end, and each of the grooves has a floor. A plurality of segments, each having oppositely disposed ends, and a respective connection member positioned at each end, form the coupling. A first end of each segment is connected to a second end of another of the segments such that said segments surround a central space for receiving the second pipe element.

Abstract: A trace module has monitoring circuitry for monitoring processing of instructions by processing circuitry, and trace output circuitry for outputting a sequence of elements indicative of outcomes of the processing of instructions by the processing circuitry. The trace module supports output of a commit window move element indicating that a commit window, representing a portion of the trace stream comprising at least one speculative element representing at least one speculatively executed instruction, should move while the oldest remaining speculative element of the trace stream remains uncommitted. This can be useful for tracing of transactional memory functionality within program code.

Abstract: A method for preparing a factory assembled pipe coupling includes positioning a flexible, resilient ring within a first channel in the first segment of the coupling, the ring having a ring outer surface engaging the first segment, and engaging a second channel in a second segment of the coupling with the ring outer surface so as to align each connection member on the first segment with a connection member on the second segment. Further steps include attaching the first end of the first segment to the first end of the second segment, and attaching the second end of the first segment to the second end of the second segment and supporting the first and second segments in spaced apart relation from one another on the ring at a distance at least sufficient to permit insertion of the pipe elements into the central space without disassembling the segments.

Abstract: Implementations of light filters for use in cryptographic operations may include: a substrate having at least a first side and a second side, the first side opposing the second side, the substrate including one of a translucent, a transparent, and a semi-transparent material, and any combination thereof; and one or more layers of microscopic structures coupled to one of the first side, the second side, and both the first side and the second side of the substrate, the microscopic structures each containing one or more structural elements configured to interact with light. The microscopic structures may be configured to collectively form a unique light pattern on a detector optically coupled with the light filter. The unique pattern may be configured to be used to form a challenge-response pair (CRP) and the CRP is configured to be used in cryptographic operations to authenticate an electronic device associated with the light filter.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for valuating financial contracts and assessing the risk associated with such contracts. Such systems and methods receive valuation details and an internal contract representation related to the contract to value the contract. Internal contract representations describe the contract in terms of flow sets, cash flow functions, and choice functions Choice functions involve determining whether or not the information desirable to make the choice is available when the choice is to be made. If the information is not known for a particular choice function, then the choice function is replaced with a trigger rule. Trigger rules are determinable when the choice has to be made. Trigger rules are based on stochastic processes associated with the choice function.

Abstract: An apparatus for combining trace data from a plurality of trace sources has an input interface to receive the trace data, and an output interface to output a trace stream. A network of interconnected funnel elements combines the trace data to produce the trace stream. Each funnel element has an output port and a plurality of input ports arranged to receive trace data either from one of the trace sources, or from an output port of another funnel element in the network, and associated control circuitry to control connection of the input ports to the output port. The control circuitry determines control data indicative of a number of trace sources whose trace data is to be routed through each of the input ports of said funnel element, and controls the timing allocation of the associated funnel element's output port to each input port in dependence on the control data.

Abstract: A system and method for sealing a multilateral junction in an oil well is described. Molten material, such as a eutectic or non-eutectic alloy, flows into the junction area and forms a durable seal upon cooling. An expanding alloy may be utilized, which expands upon solidification and which has a melting temperature that is higher than the maximum anticipated well temperature. The alloy is placed within a cavity in the well and held at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy, after which the alloy is cooled down to the ambient well temperature and solidifies and expands within the cavity.

Abstract: A processing circuit is responsive to at least one conditional instruction to perform a conditional operation in dependence on a current value of a subset of at least one condition flag. A trace circuit is provided for generating trace data elements indicative of operations performed by the processing circuit. When the processing circuit 4 processes at least one selected instruction, then the trace circuit generates a trace data element including a traced condition value indicating at least the subset of condition flags required to determine the outcome of the conditional instruction. A corresponding diagnostic apparatus uses the traced condition value to determine a processing outcome of the at least one conditional instruction.

Abstract: Systems and methods of forming a seal employ a robust metal sealing unit for tubulars used in rotary drilling. Specifically, eutectic alloy is used to seal a tubular to a wellbore after drilling. A downhole heater melts the alloy, allowing the alloy to expand and drain before it cools and solidifies between the wellbore and tubular, forming a gas tight seal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for alloy-based molten material to be delivered to the multilateral junction, wherein the molten materials, such as a eutectic or non-eutectic alloy, is flowed into the junction area and forms a durable seal upon cooling. An expanding alloy may be utilized, which expands upon solidification and which has a melting temperature that is higher than the maximum anticipated well temperature, which alloy is placed within a cavity in the well and held at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy, whereupon the alloy is cooled down to the ambient well temperature and thereby solidifies and expands within the cavity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the design and/or production of a probe or primer that is capable of hybridizing to a plurality of sites in a sample comprising nucleic acid. Furthermore, the present invention provides methods for detecting and amplifying nucleic acid using such a probe or primer, for example, for identification of a strain, species or genera. Probe or primer sequences are determined by reference to codon usage bias of a target nucleic acid. In addition, the present invention provides methods for determining codon distribution and/or base pair distance between codons in a nucleic acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a post support device (1) for a post (10) adapted to be inserted substantially vertically in the ground. The post (10) has a top end (10A) and a bottom end (10B). The support device comprises a support member (2,3) adapted to engage the post below ground level at a point remote from the post bottom end, and at least two pairs of fins (2A,2B; 3A,3B), each pair of which extend from and form a triangulated structure with the support member and/or post. In use, with the post with the support device attached thereto is inserted substantially vertically in the ground, and the fins provide lateral resistance to prevent the post from displacing the soil and tilting towards the horizontal.