Abstract: In a typical computer network, at least some of the managed resources are monitored to determine whether those resources are meeting predetermined performance goals or service level objectives. To simplify the process of configuring a network monitor, information about the service level objectives is loaded into the resource itself. When the resource is detected, the service level objective information is extracted from the resource information and made available to a translating engine. The translating engine converts the extracted information to monitoring directions that are used to configure the network monitor. Embodiments in which new resources are detected either buying a registration process or a polling process are described.

Abstract: There is provided a process for recovery of lignin from a black liquor that contains either soluble or dispersed lignin, generating a “liquid lignin” at high yield. Soluble lignin at elevated pH is precipitated by reducing the pH of the black liquor stream by countercurrent reaction with carbon dioxide, at elevated temperature and pressure, creating two bulk fluid phases: a heavy lignin-rich phase and a light lignin-depleted phase. The heavy lignin-rich phase is separated and washed countercurrently with a strong acid to displace metal cations from the lignin, creating a low-salt lignin, which is then formed into a low-dust high-bulk-density lignin fuel pellet. If needed, especially for lignin recovered from kraft papermaking black-liquor streams, an oxidation step is included to eliminate negative odor for high-value green-chemistry applications.

Abstract: Processes and systems for lowering molecular weight of lignin generally includes first isolating a dense liquid lignin phase from black liquor and subjecting the dense liquid lignin phase to a temperature and pressure for a period of time to effect an average molecular weight distribution of the lignin. Solid lignin produced with the lowered molecular weight is then isolated. The systems and processes may further include an oxidation unit for oxidizing the black liquor and intermediate streams to remove or mitigate malodorous or toxic emissions.

Abstract: A process for recovery of lignin from black liquor that contains either soluble or dispersed lignin by generating a “liquid lignin” at high yield is disclosed. Soluble lignin at a high pH is precipitated by reducing the pH of the black liquor stream by countercurrent reaction with carbon dioxide, at elevated temperature and pressure, creating a heavy lignin-rich phase and a light lignin-depleted phase. The heavy lignin-rich phase is separated and washed countercurrently with a non-sulfur containing acid, such as acetic acid, to displace metal cations from the lignin, creating a low-salt lignin, which is then formed into a low-dust, high-bulk density lignin fuel pellet. If desired, an oxidation step may be used to eliminate odor for lignins having high value green chemistry applications.

Abstract: A high-energy water-resistant pellet of at least 75% torrefied wood and the remainder a binder comprising from about 2% to about 20% by total weight of the pellet. The binder is a two-component system—a plasticizer, such as tall oil pitch, rosin, fatty acid, vegetable oils, animal oils and corn protein—preferably from 3% to about 20% of the binder, and lignin from about 80-97% of the binder. A durable, low dust white wood energy pellet is also provided using the same two-component binders.

Abstract: Treated wood, wood preservative compositions, and methods for treating wood generally include applying to the wood a wood preservative composition comprising a boron containing compound and a pH-reduced black liquor comprising soluble lignin, wherein the boron-containing compound is soluble in the pH-reduced black liquor and wherein the pH-reduced black liquor is derived from a carbonation process or an acid addition process of black liquor having phase-separated solid lignin and/or dense liquid lignin removed therefrom, and drying the wood.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer instructions are provided to improve the push/pull workload management model with intelligent routing to effectively collect data from systems that consist of dynamic sub-systems. The invention improves the push/pull model of the referenced invention with intelligent request routing to solve the above problem. An API is exposed in the workload manager enabling its request router to decline requests to route to idle sub-systems. This allows the monitoring agent to avoid sending a pull request to an idle sub-system. Each sub-system will push the data to the agent as it enters the idle state. The agent caches the data it receives from idle sub-systems and combines it with data it pulls from active and stopped sub-systems.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for determining software complexity. A plurality of versions of a software module whose complexity is to be determined are compressed. Lengths of the compressed versions are compared, one with another, to provide complexity metrics.

Abstract: A destination address is processed to determine if the destination address is a fake web address or hyperlink. The destination address may be compared with a database of known domain names to see if the domain name is legitimate or illegitimate. The designation address may also be compared to other domain names to see if it is an honest or dishonest transformation of the other domain names. Appropriate action may be taken if the designation address is a dishonest transformation of another domain name.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for determining software complexity. A plurality of versions of a software module whose complexity is to be determined are compressed. Lengths of the compressed versions are compared, one with another, to provide complexity metrics.

Abstract: A destination address is processed to determine if the destination address is a fake web address or hyperlink. The destination address may be compared with a database of known domain names to see if the domain name is legitimate or illegitimate. The designation address may also be compared to other domain names to see if it is an honest or dishonest transformation of the other domain names. Appropriate action may be taken if the designation address is a dishonest transformation of another domain name.

Abstract: A process for recovery of lignin from black liquor that contains either soluble or dispersed lignin by generating a “liquid lignin” at high yield is disclosed. Soluble lignin at a high pH is precipitated by reducing the pH of the black liquor stream by countercurrent reaction with carbon dioxide, at elevated temperature and pressure, creating a heavy lignin-rich phase and a light lignin-depleted phase. The heavy lignin-rich phase is separated and washed countercurrently with a non-sulfur containing acid, such as acetic acid, to displace metal cations from the lignin, creating a low-salt lignin, which is then formed into a low-dust, high-bulk density lignin fuel pellet. If desired, an oxidation step may be used to eliminate odor for lignins having high value green chemistry applications.

Abstract: A process for making furfural using papermaking black liquor from the kraft pulping process as a feed material. First, the lignin is removed from the black liquor by carbonizing the black liquor to a pH below pH 10 to insolubilize the lignin, neutralize NaOH and other inorganic components of the black liquor. The next step is to treat the carbonated black liquor that contains the hemicellulose to remove the high molecular weight components. In a preferred embodiment the treatment uses multiple sequential steps. The first step of the treatment is to use ultrafiltration, centrifugation or dissolved-air floatation to separate the high molecular weight components. The second filtration is to pass the hemicellulose containing black liquor stream through a nanofilter to remove low molecular weight components. The conversion of xylans in the hemicellulose-containing mixture to furfural is accomplished using a catalytic process. The xylans are converted to pentose sugars and then converted to furfural.

Abstract: There are provided processes for recovering a “heart-cut” liquid-lignin fraction from a lignin-containing stream such as a black liquor stream from a paper making process or the crude lignin stream within a non-destructive biomass conversion process by carbonating, acidifying and recovering the liquid-lignin fraction. The processes generally include reacting black liquor with a carefully selected amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), to decrementally reduce the pH of the black liquor and produce fractions of a dense liquid-lignin precipitate at each pH decrement to about a pH of 8. The sequential reduction in pH is less than or equal to about 1.5 in most embodiments, less than 1.0 in other embodiments, and less than 0.50 in still other embodiments. It has been discovered that lignin recovered from the dense liquid-lignin precipitate at the different pH decrements can have different molecular weight ranges and/or structures.

Abstract: A method for maximizing a utility of a service contract by optimizing target response time for a performance service level objective is provided. A set of criteria are provided to ensure that performance requirements for the service are met. The method comprises determining one or more usage windows for providing a service, wherein each usage window is associated with a performance requirement and a time period; extracting usage patterns for each usage window based on historical data provided from monitoring requests for service in each usage window; extracting response time per transaction associated with said requests based on historical data provided from monitoring responses provided to said requests in each usage window; and calculating optimal probability for breach in each usage window (Pi) and determining the associated target response time, based on the usage pattern for each window and the response time per transaction.

Abstract: A monitor for information technology resources improved by introducing typicality filters to analyze potential event indicators such as alerts. A typicality filter keeps a time-dependent history of the frequency of occurrence of an associated event, wherein time is segmented into monitoring periods. At the end of each monitoring period, a present count of occurrences of the event is determined, and compared with the numbers of occurrences of that event in a subset of monitoring periods read from the history. If the present count exceeds the number of occurrences of the event in a predetermined proportion of the subset of historical monitoring periods, a first action is invoked; otherwise, a second action is invoked.

Abstract: A trailer coupler which has two cameras mounted at right angles at the rear of the towing vehicle. The cameras transfer images to a monitor inside the cab of the towing vehicle.

Abstract: A method for managing instant messaging interruptions may include comparing at least one term in an instant message to a plurality of terms in a no-response-required (NRR) library. The method may also include representing the instant message as an instant message agent character (IMAC) in response to a match between at least one term in the instant message and at least one of the plurality of terms in the NRR library.

Abstract: There is provided a process for recovery of lignin from a black liquor that contains either soluble or dispersed lignin, generating a “liquid lignin” at high yield. Soluble lignin at elevated pH is precipitated by reducing the pH of the black liquor stream by countercurrent reaction with carbon dioxide, at elevated temperature and pressure, creating two bulk fluid phases: a heavy lignin-rich phase and a light lignin-depleted phase. The heavy lignin-rich phase is separated and washed countercurrently with a strong acid to displace metal cations from the lignin, creating a low-salt lignin, which is then formed into a low-dust high-bulk-density lignin fuel pellet. If needed, especially for lignin recovered from kraft papermaking black-liquor streams, an oxidation step is included to eliminate negative odor for high-value green-chemistry applications.

Abstract: Managing a computer system including automatically adjusting two separate component thresholds (a component threshold pair) based on a statistical model. Specifically, a first component threshold is modeled to predict violations of an SLO based on a violation of the first component threshold and a second, separate component threshold is modeled to predict a non-violation (compliance) of an SLO based on a non-violation of the second component threshold. Over time, the values of the component thresholds may change and one component threshold may be greater than the other component threshold at one time, and vice versa at another time. A component metric reading between the first and second component thresholds indicates that a prediction of an SLO violation or compliance is less certain, and a warning may be issued rather than an alert.