Abstract: The present specification provides a device and method for controlling a winch parcel delivery system through an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone. The example apparatus contemplates the use of a winch that will attach to a hook with active and passive release mechanisms through a winch line. The apparatus is enabled to attach to a parachute recovery system. The apparatus can detect when the ground has been reached to enable safe delivery of parcels. The apparatus can removably attach to various types of drones.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a distributed ledger platform for electronic voting and/or polling. In one example, an embodiment provides for receiving a request to commit a transaction to a distributed ledger in the distributed ledger system. The transaction may include one or more encrypted votes, a cryptography authentication proof, and/or an input validation proof. Another embodiment provides for executing a smart contract to (i) authenticate a user identifier associated with the transaction based on the cryptography authentication proof and (ii) validate the one or more encrypted votes based on the input validation proof. In an instance in which the smart contract authenticates the user identifier and validates the one or more encrypted votes, a data block associated with the transaction is added to the distributed ledger.

Abstract: The present specification provides a device and method for controlling a winch parcel delivery system through an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone. The example apparatus contemplates the use of a winch that will attach to a hook with active and passive release mechanisms through a winch line. The apparatus is enabled to attach to a parachute recovery system. The apparatus can detect when the ground has been reached to enable safe delivery of parcels. The apparatus can removably attach to various types of drones.

Abstract: An exemplary transaction sharding method comprises splitting a distributed ledger into a plurality of shards; and storing a shard across the subgroup of computer nodes associated with the shard. Such a method further comprises assigning a new transaction to one of the plurality of shards, wherein assigning the new transaction comprises iteratively choosing one of the plurality of shards; in each iteration, determining a transaction-to-shard score measuring a probability that a subgroup of computing nodes associated with the chosen shard for the current iteration would be involved in a same-shard transaction for the new transaction; in each iteration, determining a latency-to-shard score by estimating a confirmation latency of the new transaction under the chosen shard for the current iteration; and selecting the new transaction to be assigned to the shard based on a combination of the transaction-to-shard score and the latency-to-shard score.

Abstract: An exemplary transaction sharding method comprises splitting a distributed ledger into a plurality of shards; and storing a shard across the subgroup of computer nodes associated with the shard. Such a method further comprises assigning a new transaction to one of the plurality of shards, wherein assigning the new transaction comprises iteratively choosing one of the plurality of shards; in each iteration, determining a transaction-to-shard score measuring a probability that a subgroup of computing nodes associated with the chosen shard for the current iteration would be involved in a same-shard transaction for the new transaction; in each iteration, determining a latency-to-shard score by estimating a confirmation latency of the new transaction under the chosen shard for the current iteration; and selecting the new transaction to be assigned to the shard based on a combination of the transaction-to-shard score and the latency-to-shard score.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to coated abrasive articles that include a blend of abrasive particles, an increased tear resistance, or combinations thereof, as well as methods of making and using said coated abrasive articles.

Abstract: A polyhydroxypolycarboxylic acid and a water soluble phosphino polycarboxylate may be added to an aqueous system, such as a cooling water system, in order to inhibit corrosion as well as the deposition of corrosion within the system. The water soluble phosphino polycarboxylate may be derived from a phosphinyl unsaturated monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer. The aqueous system may be a cooling water system such as a cooling tower, a closed cooling water system, an air-conditioning water systems, a wastewater treatment system as well as a deionized water production system.

Abstract: An additive comprising one or more C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acids and/or one or more C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acid salts may be added to an aqueous system having galvanized metallurgy or a carbon steel surface in an effective amount to passivate a galvanized coating on the metallurgy or to decrease white rust formation or other types of corrosion upon the galvanized metallurgy or carbon steel surface in an aqueous system. In a non-limiting embodiment, the C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acid or the C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acid salt additive may utilize the zinc in the galvanized coating to achieve passivation. The passivation may occur while the system is shut down or in service. The aqueous system may be or include a cooling tower, a cooling water system, and combinations thereof. The additive may be used with or in the absence of a phosphorous-containing compound.

Abstract: An additive comprising glucaric acid and/or glucaric acid salt may be added to an aqueous system in an effective amount to remove rust from a corroded metallurgy and inhibit further rust formation and/or corrosion of the metallurgy within the aqueous system, and also to passivate any metallurgy within an aqueous system, wherein the additive may not contain a phosphorous compound or an iron activating agent. The aqueous system may be an aqueous stream, a hydrocarbon stream containing water, a cooling tower, a boiler, a cooling water system, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Dispersions of coal ash in water can be inhibited or prevented from scaling and simultaneously be inhibited or prevented from fouling by introducing thereto an additive blend that includes an anionic water-soluble polymer and a second polymer different from the anionic water-soluble polymer, where the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of copolymers and terpolymers having a plurality of hydrophobic groups.

Abstract: An additive comprising one or more C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acids and/or one or more C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acid salts may be added to an aqueous system having galvanized metallurgy or a carbon steel surface in an effective amount to passivate a galvanized coating on the metallurgy or to decrease white rust formation or other types of corrosion upon the galvanized metallurgy or carbon steel surface in an aqueous system. In a non-limiting embodiment, the C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acid or the C3-C12 hydroxycarboxylic acid salt additive may utilize the zinc in the galvanized coating to achieve passivation. The passivation may occur while the system is shut down or in service. The aqueous system may be or include a cooling tower, a cooling water system, and combinations thereof. The additive may be used with or in the absence of a phosphorous-containing compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to coated abrasive articles that include a blend of abrasive particles, an increased tear resistance, or combinations thereof, as well as methods of making and using said coated abrasive articles.

Abstract: Dispersions of coal ash in water can be inhibited or prevented from scaling and simultaneously be inhibited or prevented from fouling by introducing thereto an additive blend that includes an anionic water-soluble polymer and a second polymer different from the anionic water-soluble polymer, where the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of copolymers and terpolymers having a plurality of hydrophobic groups.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus of displaying a plurality of items on a map includes operations of selecting the plurality of items, associating the plurality of items with a plurality of graphic attributes respectively in a manner that two items of the plurality of items are associated with different graphic attributes, and displaying the plurality of items using the plurality of graphic attributes. Thus, the method of displaying the plurality of items on the map allows a user to distinguish the plurality of items by graphic attributes while at least one of the plurality of items is specified by user's voice commands, even if the plurality of items belong to a same group attribute.

Abstract: A polyhydroxypolycarboxylic acid and a water soluble phosphino polycarboxylate may be added to an aqueous system, such as a cooling water system, in order to inhibit corrosion as well as the deposition of corrosion within the system. The water soluble phosphino polycarboxylate may be derived from a phosphinyl unsaturated monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer. The aqueous system may be a cooling water system such as a cooling tower, a closed cooling water system, an air-conditioning water systems, a wastewater treatment system as well as a deionized water production system.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide for a handheld computing device to receive a trigger command and orientation data from a remote computing device, obtain image data from one or more external devices in response to the trigger command and based on the orientation data, and transmit data to the remote computing device. A vehicle computer may receive a trigger command and orientation data from a remote computing device, obtain image data from one or more external devices in response to the trigger command and based on the orientation data, and transmit data to the remote computing device.