Abstract: A method for determining corrosiveness of naphthenic acid in a crude oil feedstock is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a crude oil feedstock containing naphthenic acid; contacting the crude oil feedstock with iron for a period of time at a sufficient temperature for the iron to react with the naphthenic acid, forming iron salts. Under sufficiently high temperatures, at least a portion of the iron salts decompose to form ketone, which can be quantified. Measurements of the ketone can be used to correlate with the amount of iron lost from corrosion given a certain level of naphthenic acid present, giving a measure of the corrosivity of crude oil feedstock.

Abstract: A method for determining corrosiveness of naphthenic acid in a crude oil feedstock is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a crude oil feedstock containing naphthenic acid; contacting the crude oil feedstock with iron for a period of time at a sufficient temperature for the iron to react with the naphthenic acid, forming iron salts. Under sufficiently high temperatures, at least a portion of the iron salts decompose to form ketone, which can be quantified. Measurements of the ketone can be used to correlate with the amount of iron lost from corrosion given a certain level of naphthenic acid present, giving a measure of the corrosivity of crude oil feedstock.

Abstract: A system and a method for rendering a graphical chart of time and pricing data of financial assets marked by indicators corresponding to related articles of information and events, and adapted to communicate with a client, wherein the articles of information and events are ranked and filtered based on a combination of multiple automatic machine ranking and user-assigned ranking algorithms.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods enabling network nodes to process data in a more efficient manner. In one aspect, the present invention analyzes data processed in a network node and determines whether the data requires processing in a stateful mode. If the data does not require processing in a stateful mode, the present invention processes the data in a stateless mode thereby saving processing resources. Embodiments of the present invention permit selection of processing modes in both manual and dynamic manners. Further, the determination of whether to process data in a stateful or a stateless mode may be made in response to various stimuli.

Abstract: A technique for updating elements in a data storage facility, including a single server or a multi-server system, such as by providing updated internal code packages to the elements. The update is performed using a fixed state machine, where the elements are updated in a coordinated manner within the constraints of the state machine. In a multi-server device, code packages are distributed to elements associated with the different servers in one traversal of the state machine, during distribute states of the state machine. The distributed code packages are activated in activate states of the state machine in multiple traversals of the state machine, so there is a serial activation. The code packages can be grouped in a flexible way by configuring an external update bundle used by the state machine. The distributing of the code is based on the grouping.

Abstract: A series of aryl piperazine compounds are effective pharmaceuticals for the treatment of conditions related to or affected by the serotonin 1A receptor; the compounds are particularly effective antagonists at that receptor, and are particularly useful for alleviating the symptoms of nicotine and tobacco withdrawal.

Abstract: A series of aryl piperazine compounds are effective pharmaceuticals for the treatment of conditions related to or affected by the serotonin 1A receptor; the compounds are particularly effective antagonists at that receptor, and are particularly useful for alleviating the symptoms of nicotine and tobacco withdrawal.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for automobile warming-up. The apparatus includes a sealed container that is filled with phase changed materials that can form supercooled liquid; a status sensor that monitors the status of the phase change material; a trigger system that induces the supercooled liquid to crystallization; a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the phase change materials; and a finned heat exchanger or coiled tube that is connected with the coolant recirculation system of an automobile. After an automobile is ignited, its engine heats the liquid coolant in coolant recirculation system. The heated coolant carries heat energy to the apparatus, which stores the heat energy. When the automobile is started later, the apparatus releases the stored heat energy to heat the coolant, which then warms up the automobile by coolant recirculation system.

Abstract: A disk drive system includes a base, a disk rotably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly moves the transducer to selected areas of the disk where information reprexentative of data is to be written or read. The actuator assembly maintains the transducer in a transducing relationship with the disk. The actuator assembly also parks the transducer or unloads the transducer to a park position. A portion of the actuator assembly rides over a ramp to a park position. The ramp includes a mechanism for increasing the coefficient of friction on the surface of the ramp. The coefficient of friction on the surface of the ramp is increased to help retain the actuator in its parked position. This helps maintain the actuator assembly in a parked position in the event of shock loading from dropping a computer or a disk drive. This in turn helps prevent head crashes or failure of the disk drive and possible data loss.

Abstract: Processes for preparing pyridyl-substituted hydrazoles, dihydrothiadiazones or aminotriazinones by reaction of iminopyridines preformed in situ or otherwise with hydrazides or carbazides, or their sulfur counterparts, or with aminotriazinones.