Abstract: A process is described for producing 1,3-butanediol, wherein an ester of poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate such as formed by transesterification with an alcohol is reduced by hydrogenation in the presence of a skeletal copper-based catalyst to provide 1,3-butanediol. The 1,3-butanediol may be transesterified by reaction with additional poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate ester to produce (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate.

Abstract: Customizations, made at various levels in the customization channel, are saved as separate sets of customization deltas that are applied to a base computing system in order to generate a given solution. In a multi-tenant environment, groups of tenants access different solutions or customization deltas. The tenants are automatically grouped, based upon the solution or customization deltas that they access, and the deltas for those customizations are applied to the base system at runtime, for each group.

Abstract: One or more non-transitory media instructions, which are executable by one or more processors. The instructions may include a bandwidth controller that includes a quality analyzer to provide a quality measurement for a given outgoing network connection from one network node to another of network node. The bandwidth controller provides a bandwidth control command that is dynamically adjusted over time based on the quality measurement and at least one of throughput or demand for bandwidth of the given outgoing network connection. The instructions may also include a rate limiter to adjust a rate limit for the given outgoing network connection based on the bandwidth control command.

Abstract: An electric linear actuator includes include a housing, a puck, an actuator rod, and an electric motor. The puck is contained within the housing and configured for substantially linear motion, within the housing. The actuator rod is capable of being contained, at least in part, within the housing and configured to actuate, in a substantially linear fashion, in response to substantially linear motion of the puck. The electric motor is disposed within the rod and configured to provide mechanical force to cause the substantially linear motion of the puck, within the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that enables truncation of tap aggregation data via snoop actions. In one embodiment, a network element configured for tap aggregation includes a first tap port to couple with a tap switch, a set of tool ports to transmit network data received from the first tap port to a data analyzer, and data plane logic to manage a mapping between the first tap port and the set of tool ports. A first tool port in the set of tool ports is configured for egress truncation and the data plane logic performs a snoop action to truncate a first unit of network data to be forwarded to the first tool port and a forward action to forward a second unit of network data to a second tool port in the set of tool ports without truncation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

Abstract: A reflectometry instrument includes a light source for emitting an illumination beam that illuminates the macula. A portion of the illumination beam is reflected from the macula and forms a detection beam. The detection beam is indicative of macular pigment in the macula. The instrument also includes a first mirror for reflecting the illumination beam toward the macula and for reflecting the detection beam from the macula. The instrument is configured so that the illumination beam and the detection beam remain separated between the macula and the first mirror.

Abstract: A notification system automatically sends notifications to users based on the defined roles of the notifications. The notification system allows an application to define in a secure manner users to roles. The notification system also allows the users to register in a secure manner their devices with the notification system. The notification system allows the application to then send a notification to users with a target role. Upon receiving the notification, the notification system identifies the devices of the users with the target role and sends the notification to those devices.

Abstract: Copper-containing, multimetallic catalysts with either a zirconia or carbon support are described which have improved utility for the hydrogenolysis of a glycerol or glycerol-containing feedstock to provide a biobased 1,2-propanediol product. specially, improved carbon-supported examples of such catalysts are described for this reaction as well as for other processes wherein hydrogen is used, with methods for maintaining the activity of these catalysts. Related treatment methods in the preparation of these improved catalysts enable the use of carbons with a desired mechanical strength but which previously lacked activity, for example, for the conversion of a glycerol or glycerol-containing feed to produce 1,2-propanediol, so that copper-containing, multi-metallic catalysts may be employed for making a biobased propylene glycol using carbon supports that previously would have not been suitable.

Abstract: A monitoring and control system is for a strand guide roll assembly of a continuous casting machine which includes a plurality of rolls spaced apart generally along a path of travel of a strand from an input end located adjacent to a mold to an output end. The system includes a plurality of sensors each coupled with a separate one of the rolls so as to be spaced apart generally along the travel path, each sensor senses magnitude of a load on the coupled roll. A logic circuit is coupled with each sensor so as to receive input from the sensors corresponding to load magnitude. The logic circuit is configured to determine from the sensor input a general position on the travel path at which the strand substantially solidifies, preferably by calculating a difference between loads on adjacent rolls and determining when the difference is less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: Customizations, made at various levels in the customization channel, are saved as separate sets of customization deltas that are applied to a base computing system in order to generate a given solution. In a multi-tenant environment, groups of tenants access different solutions or customization deltas. The tenants are automatically grouped, based upon the solution or customization deltas that they access, and the deltas for those customizations are applied to the base system at runtime, for each group.

Abstract: Processes are described for making biobased isoprene, wherein a biobased isobutene prepared from acetic acid in the presence of a catalyst is combined with a formaldehyde source to form a reaction mixture, and the reaction mixture is reacted to yield biobased isoprene. In certain embodiments, methyl-tert-butyl ether prepared by reacting the same biobased isobutene with methanol serves as a formaldehyde source, being oxidatively cracked to produce formaldehyde as well as isobutene for being converted to the biobased isoprene.

Abstract: ZnxZryOz mixed oxide catalysts having improved stability for the conversion of ethanol to isobutene are described, together with methods for making such catalysts.

Abstract: A notification system automatically sends notifications to users based on the defined roles of the notifications. The notification system allows an application to define in a secure manner users to roles. The notification system also allows the users to register in a secure manner their devices with the notification system. The notification system allows the application to then send a notification to users with a target role. Upon receiving the notification, the notification system identifies the devices of the users with the target role and sends the notification to those devices.

Abstract: One or more non-transitory media instructions, which are executable by one or more processors. The instructions may include a bandwidth controller that includes a quality analyzer to provide a quality measurement for a given outgoing network connection from one network node to another of network node. The bandwidth controller provides a bandwidth control command that is dynamically adjusted over time based on the quality measurement and at least one of throughput or demand for bandwidth of the given outgoing network connection. The instructions may also include a rate limiter to adjust a rate limit for the given outgoing network connection based on the bandwidth control command.

Abstract: A portable fuel synthesizer, comprising multiple shipping containers, the various modules within one of the multiple shipping containers, a boiler utilizing a hydrocarbon gas as fuel, a cooling system module connected to the boiler, the cooling system adjusts a temperature of the boiler, a syngas reformer, a reactor connected to the syngas reformer and the boiler, the reactor converts the syngas to a hydrocarbon liquid, a hot separator connected to the reactor, a cold separator connected to the hot separator separates liquid hydrocarbons and gaseous hydrocarbons at a lower temperature and pressure than the hot separator, a distillation unit connected to the cold separator performs fractional distillation and separation of hydrocarbon products received from the cold separator, a recycle module connected to the cold separator and distillation unit recycles unreacted gases to the reactor, and a fuel testing and blending unit to receive separated hydrocarbons from the distillation unit.

Abstract: An imaging system (100) includes an anti-correlated noise filter (120), which jointly filters noise from a first portion (116) and a second portion (118), and the first portion (116) and the second portion (118) include anti-correlated noise.

Abstract: As an example, a method includes storing, in non-transitory memory, prioritization rules that establish a priority preference for egress of data traffic for a first location. The first location includes a first location apparatus to control egress of data traffic for the first location apparatus and a second location apparatus at a second location, which is different from the first location, to receive data traffic and cooperate with the first apparatus to measure bandwidth with respect to the first location. The first location apparatus is coupled with the second location apparatus via at least one bidirectional network connection. The method also includes estimating capacity of the at least one network connection for the egress of data traffic with respect to the first location. The method also includes categorizing each packet in egress data traffic from the first location based on an evaluation of each packet with respect to the prioritization rules.

Abstract: A system includes obtaining de-noised reconstructed image data and edge improving a sub-set of the de-noised reconstructed image data corresponding to edges of structure represented in the de-noise reconstructed image data. A system (100) includes an edge detector (202) that detects an edge map of edge locations within de-noised reconstructed image data, a noise image data generator (204) that generates noise image data by subtracting the reconstructed image data by the de-noised reconstructed image data, a noisy edge image data generator (206) that generates noisy edge image data by multiplying the noise image data and the edge map, and an edge improver (208) that generates edge improved de-noised image data by adding the noisy edge image data and a product of a weight and the de-noised reconstructed image data.