Abstract: A grain-popping machine and associated pod-based popping method is disclosed. The grain-popping is configured to receive a pod. Each pod includes a plurality of cells, with each cell preferably containing a single grain kernel or seed, flavoring, and a cooking medium such as oil or shortening. In a preferred embodiment, the pod is loaded into the grain-popping machine through a slot so that it is held in position adjacent to a heating element. The heating element is activated to begin a popping sequence. When each grain kernel or seed in the pod reaches popping temperature, it absorbs the flavoring in its cell and ejects through the bottom of the pod, which can be weakened to ease ejection, into a bowl positioned in a receiving area of the grain-popping machine. The pod is then removed and disposed of.

Abstract: Aspects and examples are disclosed for facilitating transactions with an interactive computing environment provided by a host system. In one example, a processing device receives a data network identifier or other identifier from an interactive computing environment. The data network identifier or other identifier can be associated with a mobile device conducting a transaction with the interactive computing environment. The processing device can also obtain a credential associated with the mobile device using the data network identifier. The processing device can additionally retrieve identification information from a credit file associated with the credential. The identification information can be useable for completing the transaction. The processing device can further transmit the identification information to a host server system executing the interactive computing environment.

Abstract: A system for processing optical fiber includes a draw furnace, a fiber conveyance pathway extending between an upstream end positioned at the draw furnace and a downstream end positioned opposite the upstream end, where optical fiber is conveyed along the fiber conveyance pathway from the upstream end to the downstream end in a fiber conveyance direction, a muffle in communication with the draw furnace and positioned downstream of the draw furnace, a second cooling device annularly surrounding the fiber conveyance pathway downstream from the draw furnace, the second cooling device including one or more second cooling device heating elements and a first cooling device positioned between the draw furnace and the second cooling device, wherein the first cooling device directs a fluid to contact the optical fiber.

Abstract: A furnace system includes a muffle defining a furnace cavity. A lower heater is coupled to the muffle and is configured to create a hot zone within the furnace cavity having a temperature of about 1900° C. or greater. An upper muffle extension is positioned above the muffle and defines a handle cavity. A downfeed handle is positioned within the handle cavity such that a gap is defined between an outer surface of the downfeed handle and an inner surface of the upper muffle extension. An upper heater is thermally coupled to the upper muffle extension and configured to heat the gap. A gas screen is positioned in the upper muffle extension and is configured to inject a process gas into the handle cavity.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method for designing a semiconductor device includes generating a 2D design for fabricating chiplets on a substrate. The chiplets are component levels for a multi-chip integrated circuit. The 2D design includes a first layout for alignment features and semiconductor structures to be formed on a first surface of a first chiplet and a second layout for alignment features and semiconductor structures to be formed on a first surface of a second chiplet. The first and second chiplets are adjacent on the substrate. The second layout is a mirror image of the first layout across a reference line shared by the first and second chiplets. The first surfaces of the first and second chiplets are both either top or bottom surfaces. The method further includes generating one or more photomasks according to the design.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method, which includes providing a semiconductor structure including a first lower semiconductor device and a first upper semiconductor device stacked vertically over the first lower semiconductor device. The first lower semiconductor device has one or more first lower channels. The first upper semiconductor device has one or more first upper channels. First work function metal (WFM) can cover the first lower channels and the first upper channels. The method can also include recessing the first WFM to uncover the first upper channels of the first upper semiconductor device, depositing a monolayer on uncovered dielectric surfaces of the semiconductor structure, depositing isolation dielectric on the first WFM of the first lower semiconductor device, and depositing second WFM to cover the first upper channels of the first upper semiconductor device. The isolation dielectric isolates the first lower semiconductor device from the first upper semiconductor device.

Abstract: A method (400) for representing an intended prosody in synthesized speech includes receiving a text utterance (310) having at least one word (240), and selecting an utterance embedding (204) for the text utterance. Each word in the text utterance has at least one syllable (230) and each syllable has at least one phoneme (220). The utterance embedding represents an intended prosody. For each syllable, using the selected utterance embedding, the method also includes: predicting a duration (238) of the syllable by decoding a prosodic syllable embedding (232, 234) for the syllable based on attention by an attention mechanism (340) to linguistic features (222) of each phoneme of the syllable and generating a plurality of fixed-length predicted frames (260) based on the predicted duration for the syllable.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for automatically inferring software-defined network policies from the observed workload in a computing environment. The disclosed techniques include monitoring network traffic flow originating from network interfaces corresponding to containers that execute components of an application, recording details of a new network connection or a change in the existing network connection, obtaining information concerning the components of the application, identifying metadata for a component involved in the new network connection or the change in an existing network connection based on a comparison of the details of the new network connection or a change in the existing network connection and the information concerning the components of the application, generating a network policy for the component using at least the metadata for the component, and integrating the network policy for the component into a deployment package for the application.

Abstract: An optical fiber coating apparatus that provides increased gyre stability and reduced gyre strength, thereby providing a more reliable coating application process during fiber drawing includes a cone-only coating die having a conical entrance portion with a tapered wall angled at a half angle ?, wherein 2°???25°, and a cone height L1 less than 2.2 mm, and a cylindrical portion having an inner diameter of d2, wherein 0.1 mm?d2?0.5 mm and a cylindrical height of L2, wherein 0.05 mm?L2?1.

Abstract: A device may determine a first resolution and aggregation for data collection from a network and may receive first PM data associated with the network, at the first resolution and aggregation. The device may calculate, based on the first PM data, a first parameter characteristic of a UE and may determine a trigger based on the first parameter characteristic and based on one or more of a root cause analysis , an application input, or a KPI. The device may identify a portion of the network that is associated with the trigger based on the first PM data and may determine a second resolution and aggregation for data collection from the portion of the network. The device may receive second PM data associated with the portion of the network, at the second resolution and aggregation and may calculate a second parameter characteristic of the UE based on the second PM data.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: forming, over the substrate placed in a process chamber, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV)-active photoresist film including a tin alkenoxide moiety by exposing the substrate to a tin-containing precursor and exposing the substrate to an oxygen-containing precursor that reacts with the tin from the tin-containing precursor to form the tin alkenoxide; and patterning the EUV-active photoresist film by exposing the substrate to an EUV irradiation.

Abstract: A system for lowering a user from an elevated position is described. The system includes a fall-arresting device operable to arrest a fall of a user attached to the fall-arresting device, a harness for wearing by the user, and a separable connector for attaching the harness to the fall-arresting device. The separable connector is configured to separate in response to a minimum load of about 0.66 kN acting on the separable connector and thereby disconnect the harness from the fall-arresting device.

Abstract: A driveline joint may include a driveline shaft that has a plurality of slots and a shaft coupling positioned in an interior of the driveline shaft in which the shaft coupling includes one or more openings with each of the openings corresponding to one or more respective slots of the plurality of slots included in the driveline shaft. The driveline joint may include one or more spherical bearings that are each positioned between an interior lateral surface of the driveline shaft and an exterior lateral surface of the shaft coupling and against one of the openings of the shaft coupling. The driveline joint may include one or more fasteners, wherein each of the fasteners extends through one of the slots and one of the openings of the shaft coupling.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods, and computer program products for use in detecting and responding to patient neuromorbidity. The method includes receiving patient cohort data from an electronic health record system and identifying features of the patient cohort data using a feature selection evaluating parameter. The method also includes training, using the features, a patient classification model configured to classify patients according to neuromorbidity risk. The method further includes receiving a patient dataset associated with a patient and generating, by inputting the patient dataset into the patient classification model, a patient classification of the patient comprising a probability of the patient developing a neuromorbidity over a time period.

Abstract: A grain-popping machine and associated pod-based popping method is disclosed. The grain-popping is configured to receive a pod. Each pod includes a plurality of cells, with each cell preferably containing a single grain kernel or seed, flavoring, and a cooking medium such as oil or shortening. In a preferred embodiment, the pod is loaded into the grain-popping machine through a slot so that it is held in position adjacent to a heating element. The heating element is activated to begin a popping sequence. When each grain kernel or seed in the pod reaches popping temperature, it absorbs the flavoring in its cell and ejects through the bottom of the pod, which can be weakened to ease ejection, into a bowl positioned in a receiving area of the grain-popping machine. The pod is then removed and disposed of.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for automatically inferring software-defined network policies from the observed workload in a computing environment. The disclosed techniques include monitoring network traffic flow originating from network interfaces corresponding to containers that execute components of an application, recording details of a new network connection or a change in the existing network connection, obtaining information concerning the components of the application, identifying metadata for a component involved in the new network connection or the change in an existing network connection based on a comparison of the details of the new network connection or a change in the existing network connection and the information concerning the components of the application, generating a network policy for the component using at least the metadata for the component, and integrating the network policy for the component into a deployment package for the application.

Abstract: In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes loading the substrate in a process chamber, where the substrate includes a metal oxide containing film to be etched. The method further includes performing of an atomic layer etching including a plurality of cyclic processes, each of the plurality of cyclic processes including exposing the metal oxide containing film to a first gas stream including boron trichloride (BCl3), and exposing the metal oxide containing film to a second gas stream including borane, amine, alcohol, carboxylic acid, carboxamide, or beta-diketone reagent.

Abstract: A method for forming a fully self-aligned via is provided. A workpiece having a pattern of features in a dielectric layer is received into a common manufacturing platform. Metal caps are deposited on the metal features, and a barrier layer is deposited on the metal caps. A first dielectric layer is added to exposed dielectric material. The barrier layer is removed and an etch stop layer is added on the exposed surfaces of the first dielectric layer and the metal caps. Additional dielectric material is added on top of the etch stop layer, then both the additional dielectric material and a portion of the etch stop layer are etched to form a feature to be filled with metal material. An integrated sequence of processing steps is executed within one or more common manufacturing platforms to provide controlled environments. Transfer modules transfer the workpiece between processing modules within and between controlled environments.

Abstract: An optical fiber coating apparatus that provides increased gyre stability and reduced gyre strength, thereby providing a more reliable coating application process during fiber drawing includes a cone-only coating die having a conical entrance portion with a tapered wall angled at a half angle ?, wherein 2°???25°, and a cone height L1 less than 2.2 mm, and a cylindrical portion having an inner diameter of d2, wherein 0.1 mm?d2?0.5 mm and a cylindrical height of L2, wherein 0.05 mm?L2?1.

Abstract: Aspects and examples are disclosed for facilitating mobile commerce. In one example, a processing device receives a data network identifier or other identifier from a commerce application. The data network identifier or other identifier can be associated with a mobile device conducting a transaction with the commerce application. The processing device can also obtain a credential associated with the mobile device using the data network identifier. The processing device can additionally retrieve identification information from a credit file associated with the credential. The identification information can be useable for completing the transaction. The processing device can further transmit the identification information to a computing device executing the commerce application.