Abstract: The present invention is directed to a solidified hybrid gel for use in an electrophoresis process, having a solidified first gel portion juxtaposed with a solidified second gel portion. The first gel portion is capable of accommodating therein one or more samples for electrophoresis after said first gel portion is in solidified form, and the second gel portion is adapted for enabling an electrophoresis process to be applied to such a sample that may be accommodated in said first gel portion. Thus, the hybrid gel may be provided in a precast form to users, ready for use. The invention is also directed to methods for providing such a gel, apparatuses for accommodating such a gel, and methods for carrying out electrophoresis on a sample comprised in such a gel.

Abstract: A seasoning implement composed of an elongated hollow member loaded with a seasoning and having a plurality of axially spaced openings for inserting into a food mass. The hollow member provides a driving force to expel the seasoning. The hollow member may be a two-component assembly. A first component includes a hollow shaft defining a plurality of holes and has a point on one end and is open on its other end. The second component includes a cap. The two components are mutually engageable in a secure coupling. The seasoning is in the form of a powder or solid mass composed of a binder matrix holding a seasoning or mixture of seasonings. The binder disintegrates during heating of the food to release the seasoning and enable the implement to expel the seasoning into the food.

Abstract: The invention relates to a clamping device for clamping a tool (8), or tool holder in a working spindle (4), in particular, of a machine tool, comprising a drawbar (10), arranged to be displaced within the working spindle (4), a clamping set (12), arranged in the working spindle (4) and displaceable between a clamping position and a released position by means of the drawbar (10), a spring arrangement (14) provided for the drawbar (10) to generate the drawing force for the clamping set (12) and a releasing unit (17; 49), by means of which the clamping set (12) may be moved into the released position by the drawbar (10) against the force of the spring arrangement (14). According to the invention, a simplified operation of the clamping device may be achieved, whereby the releasing unit (17; 49) may be operated by an electrical actuator (62, 63, 53, 54).

Abstract: A recovery enabling system for storage arrays is a high distance generalization of RAID-5 with optimal update complexity and near optimal storage efficiency. The recovery enabling system utilizes presets, data cells with known values that initialize the reconstruction process. The presets allow resolution of parity equations to reconstruct data when failures occur. In one embodiment, additional copies of the layout of the recovery enabling system are packed onto the same disks to minimize the effect of presets on storage efficiency without destroying the clean geometric construction of the recovery enabling system. The recovery enabling system has efficient XOR-based encoding, recovery, and updating algorithms for arbitrarily large distances, making the recovery enabling system an ideal candidate when storage-efficient reliable codes are required.

Abstract: A bootstrap circuit for switching power supplies (SMPS), a switching power supply including a bootstrap circuit, and an integrated circuit of a switching power supply, are provided. The bootstrap circuit (13) for switching power supplies includes a first supply voltage (Vin) coming from a first terminal and a second supply voltage (Vcc) coming from a second terminal and a third terminal (30). The bootstrap circuit includes: a first current path between the first terminal and the third terminal (30); a second current path between the first terminal and the second terminal; a third current path between the second terminal and the third terminal (30); and a two-way voltage regulator (M3, Dz2, R5, R6) placed along the second current path.

Abstract: A two-phase charge pump is provided that is capable of being controlled by first and second clock signals that are out-of-phase and take alternatively a first value and a second value during consecutive phases. The charge pump includes a sequence of cascade-connected stages that each have a first section and a second section. Each section includes an input terminal and an output terminal, a capacitive element, and a controlled switch coupling the input terminal of the section with the output terminal of the section. The input terminals in each stage other than the first stage are cross-coupled with the output terminals in a preceding stage. The capacitive element has first and second terminals. The first terminals in the first and second sections receive the first and second clock signals, respectively, and the second terminal is coupled with the output terminal of the section. The controlled switch has a control terminal. In each stage, the control terminals are coupled to each other.

Abstract: A method of lung lobe segmentation having the steps of: providing of three dimensional first image data of a lung; segmentation of a tubular structure to identify first voxels of the first image data belonging to the tubular structure and to identify second voxels of the first image data which do not belong to the tubular structure; determining a distance measure for each one of the second voxels, by determining a minimum distance between each one of the second voxels to one of the first voxels to provide second image data; and performing a lobe segmentation based on the second image data.

Abstract: Elements of one or more database manipulation language (DML) commands strings are stored in tables, read from those tables and DML commands are generated. Storing these command elements in tables facilitates access to and modification of database commands used in data processing applications. Temporary storage control elements are also stored in and read from those tables. The DML query command string is executed, the retrieved data is stored in temporary storage as specified by the temporary storage control elements and is bound to the parameters to the DML storage command strings which are executed to modify target database tables.

Abstract: In a FinFET integrated circuit design, a combined cell structure contains two single cell structures at a first design hierarchy having fin shapes, the cell structures are placed adjacent to each other. The combined fin shapes of the two single cell structures at the first design hierarchy lead to a violation of a design rule related to fin topology in the overlapping region. A fin generation tool thus decides not to place the fins in the first design hierarchy. The fin generation is delegated another design hierarchy resulting in the generation of a single combined fin for both single cells.

Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle with adjustment which can be triggered in the case of an accident to move at least a steering wheel end region of the steering column away from a passenger wherein the adjustment include load absorbing to absorb a movement of at least the steering wheel end region of the steering column away from a passenger. An alternative, a steering column for a motor vehicle with adjustment which can be triggered in the case of an accident to move at least a steering wheel end region of the steering column away from a passenger wherein the adjustment is designed for at least two operation modes and wherein a control is provided to record passenger's parameters by detector and to trigger an operation mode of the adjustment in dependence on the passenger's parameters. An adjustment method for a steering column of a motor vehicle wherein in the case of an accident at least a steering wheel end region of the steering column is moved away from a passenger by means of adjustment.

Abstract: A personal emergency communication system includes a user-carried portable communication unit having a single button, which when depressed by the user, wirelessly sends a call request signal to a base unit. The base unit initiates a telephone call through a dial-up network to an emergency response center and places an operator at the emergency center in wireless voice communication with the portable unit when the call is connected. The telephone number to be called can be stored in at least one of the portable unit and the base unit. A speech synthesizer operating in combination with automated voice messages stored in at least one of the base unit and portable unit are used to advise the user of the status of the call, and to provide the user with verbal confirmation that functional systems of the base unit are operating properly.

Abstract: The method, used with a portable computing device, secures security sensitive words, icons, etc. by determining device location within or without a predetermined region and then extracting the security data from the file, text, data object or whatever. The extracted data is separated from the remainder data and stored either on media in a local drive or remotely, typically via wireless network, to a remote store. Encryption is used to further enhance security levels. Extraction may be automatic, when the portable device is beyond a predetermined territory, or triggered by an event, such a “save document” or a time-out routine. Reconstruction of the data is permitted only in the presence of a predetermined security clearance and within certain geographic territories. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions carrying out the methodology for securing data is also described herein. An information processing system for securing data is also described.

Abstract: A threaded pipe coupling for connecting a pipe to a connection part with a conical exterior surface, especially for connecting copper pipes in refrigeration technology, with a sleeve-shaped union nut to form a threaded coupling with the connection part and a clamping ring arranged within the union nut. To enable an easy-to-realize coupling also without additional elements and without preliminary work, the clamping ring has a conical inner surface, corresponding to the conical exterior surface of the connection part, with a sealing bead coming into contact with the conical exterior surface of the connection part.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating an integrated circuit. According to the method, hollow isolating trenches are produced within a substrate, and active components are produced in and on active areas of the substrate that are between the trenches. The trenches are produced in an initial phase carried out before production of the active components and a final phase carried out after production of the active components. In the initial phase, trenches are formed in the substrate, and the trenches are filled with a fill material. In the final phase, the active components are encapsulated, accesses are created through the encapsulation material to each filled trench, the fill material is removed through each access, and the opening of each trench is plugged through the corresponding access. Also provided is an integrated that includes hollow isolating trenches within a substrate.

Abstract: Conventional electronic information retrieval systems using specialist databases assume that the database being searched is appropriate to the search being conducted. The invention solves the problem that the above assumption may be incorrect. It does this by providing mechanisms (4, 4A and 4B) for identifying concepts respectively in: the search input question, a specialist database and a non-specialist database. A comparator 8 and associated mechanisms are able to analyze how the specialist database differs from the non-specialist database and to use this information to derive an indication of the ability of the specialist database to answer the input question. This indication can be fed to the user via interface 1 or in an alternative arrangement could be used to block inappropriate information.

Abstract: A cartridge, particularly a two-component or multi-component cartridge, with at least one cartridge neck and one outlet opening that is closed with a seal that is integrally connected to the cartridge neck, wherein this connection is sectionally realized at least in sections in the form of a predetermined break point, and wherein the cartridge can be opened by tearing off this connection. In order to allow a simple opening of the seal, it contains at least one cap that is integrally connected to the cartridge neck and at least one tear-off element that is integrally connected to the cap, wherein the connection between the cap and the cartridge neck can be torn off manually by exerting tensile force on the tear-off element.

Abstract: A method of using a neck brace to move a neck of a person or stabilize the neck includes connecting a vest of the neck brace to a torso of a person. A support member of the neck brace is connected to the vest. A chin support of the neck brace is connected to a chin of the person. Force is applied between the support member and the chin support to move the chin support relative to the support member. A cam member of the neck brace guides movement of the chin support relative to the support member.

Abstract: An electronic circuit, having a test mode in application of the “internal scan path” technique, includes a plurality of configurable cells and a control circuit. The electronic circuit is adapted to working in a standard mode of operation or in a test mode during which the control circuit is active and configures the configurable cells either in a functional state or in a chained state. The electronic circuit furthermore includes a validation circuit that performs the following operations successively when it receives an instruction for changing the mode of operation (TEST, FIN) of the electronic circuit: produce initialization signals (INIT1, INIT2, . . . , INITN) to command the initialization of all the configurable cells, and then produce a mode-changing signal (VAL).

Abstract: A multicomponent cartridge, particularly a two-component cartridge, contains a coaxial outlet with an outer outlet tube and an inner outlet tube concentric to the outer tube. A cap detachably connected to the coaxial outlet. A seal with at least one seal flange is arranged on the cap for contact on the inner and/or outer outlet tube. A simplified and improved seal is thus enabled, such that the seal includes at least one laterally projecting sealing edge, which extends around the inner and/or outer side of the inner and/or outer outlet tube of the coaxial outlet and/or on the side of the one or more seal flanges facing the outer and/or inner side of the inner and/or outer outlet tube.