Abstract: Computer-based method and system are disclosed for conduction a brownfield assessment. The system/method involves a workflow manager that standardizes the tasks needed to be performed during the brownfield assessment and streamlines the completion of these tasks. The workflow manager incorporates expert knowledge and best practices identified over time for previous brownfield assessments. The expert knowledge and best practices are then applied automatically through operation of the workflow manager. Such an arrangement can result in significantly reduced completion time as well as more consistent deliverables from engineer to engineer and project to project.

Abstract: A plastic bag comprises opposing body panels fixedly connected to each other along a pair of sides and a bottom bridging the pair of sides. A reclosable zipper extending along a mouth portion formed opposite the sealed bottom of the plastic bag. The zipper is preferably free of graspable upper pull flanges in order to best accommodate a slider and inhibit operation of the zipper without the slider. The slider is mounted to the zipper for movement between a closed position and an open position. The zipper is closed while the slider is in the closed position. The zipper is opened in response to movement of the slider to the open position. To inhibit tampering with the contents of the bag, the bag includes a tamper-evident feature. In one set of embodiments, the tamper-evident feature initially maintains the slider in the closed position and allows the slider to move away from the closed position toward the open position in response to removing or breaking the tamper-evident feature.

Abstract: A currency handling system comprising a fitness detector. The fitness detector comprising a thickness detector, a limpness detector, a soil detector or a combination thereof. The thickness detector comprising an upper roller displaceable in a predetermined arc by a note passing between the upper roller and a lower roller. The limpness detector comprising a single driven crackle roller comprising an elongated central bulge and two outer bulges, wherein the central bulge is in conforming relation to a flexible belt. Sheet metal guides further facilitate note deformation and sound production.

Abstract: A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack. The device comprises an input receptacle for receiving a stack of bills to be evaluated and a plurality of output receptacles for receiving the bills after they have been evaluated. A transport mechanism transports the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of the output receptacles along a transport path. A discriminating unit including a detector positioned along the transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacle evaluates the bills. The discriminating unit counts and determines the denomination of the bills. A means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet a certain criteria causes the transport mechanism to halt in response to a determination that a bill meets or fails to meet the criteria.

Abstract: A currency evaluation device for receiving a stack of currency bills and rapidly evaluating all the bills in the stack. The device comprises an input receptacle for receiving a stack of bills to be evaluated and a plurality of output receptacles for receiving the bills after they have been evaluated. A transport mechanism transports the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle to one of the output receptacles along a transport path. A discriminating unit including a detector positioned along the transport path between the input receptacle and the output receptacle evaluates the bills. The discriminating unit counts and determines the denomination of the bills. A means for flagging bills meeting or failing to meet a certain criteria causes the transport mechanism to halt in response to a determination that a bill meets or fails to meet the criteria.

Abstract: An exemplary skew-tolerant true-single-phase-clocking (TSPC) flip-flop is disclosed that reduces current spikes by allowing willful introduction of skew in the clock tree of a single-phase circuit design. More precisely, a split-clock TSPC flip-flop, which allows the flip-flop hold times to be met in the face of skewed clocks, which, in turn, reduces the maximum value of current spikes, can be substituted for a traditional TSPC flip-flop in a sequential logic circuit. The input of the split-clock TSPC flip-flop is latched according to a first clock signal, which was used in a preceding stage, while the output of the split-clock TSPC flip-flop is driven according to a second clock signal. The first and second clock signals can be skewed in time, but have the same frequency and substantially the same phase. Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) device can also be included within the split-clock TSPC flip-flop to reduce power dissipation in cases of large clock skew.

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed which prevent the intrusion of insects onto wood structures by using a barrier capable of retaining pesticide. In the disclosed method, the barrier maintains a minimal effective level of insecticide for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A system and method to provide secure access across the untrusted PSTN is described. The system and method utilizes telephony resources that can be initiated by a security policy defining actions to be taken based upon at least one attribute of the call, providing multi-tiered policy-based enforcement capabilities and visibility into security events.

Abstract: A device and method for conditioning a periodic analog signal to predetermined positive and negative desired peak values. The signal is adjusted using multiplicative correcting steps, which modifies the signal amplitude. An additive correcting step adds to the signal, a constant which adjusts the signal level in a positive or negative direction. Upon detection of a current actual peak value, the difference between the actual peak value and the predetermined desired peak value is stepwise reduced by repeated adjustments of the signal using modifying steps within a part of a period of the signal, each modifying step includes exactly one multiplication and exactly one additive correcting step.

Abstract: A surge protector includes a coaxial through-section having a first inner conductor and a first outer conductor and a stub having a second inner conductor and a second outer conductor. The stub has a first end and a second end, the stub being coupled to the coaxial through-section, wherein the second inner conductor is conductively coupled to the first inner conductor at the first end of the stub and the second outer conductor is conductively coupled to the first outer conductor at the first end of the stub. The second inner conductor is substantially hollow and has at least one helical aperture disposed therein. A charge elimination device is conductively coupled between the second inner conductor and a grounding device. A radio frequency short circuit bypass is electrically coupled between the second inner conductor and the second outer conductor.

Abstract: An insulated foam board system of the present invention comprises a first layer, a second layer and a central layer. The first layer is made from a material selected from the group consisting of alkenyl aromatic polymers, polypropylenes, polyethylene terephthalates, polyethylenes and combinations thereof. The second layer is made from a material selected from the group consisting of alkenyl aromatic polymers, polypropylenes, polyethylene terephthalates, polyethylenes and combinations thereof. The central layer is located between the first layer and the second layer. The second layer is bonded to the first layer and the third layer. The central layer is made from a material selected from the group consisting of crystal polystyrene, impact polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A laminate composition of a thin film of low density polyethylene adhered to a sheet of low density polyethylene foam by means of a very thin layer of low density polyethylene. The polyethylene foam has a low density which is preferably between about 1.9 pcf and about 2.2 pcf. The bottom polyethylene film serves as a vapor barrier. One side of the polyethylene film extends beyond one edge of the polyethylene foam sheet. The laminate composition is installed in a free floating manner on the concrete subflooring, with the polyethylene film or the polyethylene foam sheet contacting the surface of the concrete subflooring. The laminate composition is usually in long strips, so when it is installed one edge of one strip overlies the extended portion of the polyethylene film of an adjacent strip. Tape having adhesive on both sides can be positioned between the overlay region to adhere together the overlaid portions to prevent movement thereof during installation of the laminate wood finish flooring.

Abstract: A process is described for recovering the protein values from animal manure, particularly cattle, pigs and poultry, for reuse as animal feed. The process involves the use of an anaerobic digester to provide methane gas for combustion and use for heating and powering the facility including a radio wave generator for sterilizing the protein and solids being recovered for the feed. Returning the water to the environment in accordance with EPA regulations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that effectively filters infrared light from fluorescent lighting and that is easily adapted to typical fluorescent lighting and assemblies. A transparent tube is provided for receiving a fluorescent lamp wherein the transparent tube includes a first end, a second end, an inner surface and an outer surface. An infrared block is located adjacent to the inner surface of the transparent tube. Furthermore, a first cap is provided for capping the first end of the transparent tube and a second cap is provided for capping the second end of the transparent tube.

Abstract: A method and cellular communication network are provided that maintains a desired level of speech quality by controlling the admission of a new call within a serving cell of the network. More specifically, the method includes the step of establishing speech quality values for a serving cell and at least one of a plurality of surrounding cells being interfered with by the serving cell. The method then operates to determine whether or not to admit the new call to the serving cell by utilizing the speech quality measure of the serving cell and the speech quality measure of the at least one surrounding cell in a predetermined manner (e.g., cell level approach, sub-cell approach and combined approach) so as to maintain the desired level of speech quality within the serving cell and the at least one surrounding cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filter circuit and a method for making a filter circuit comprising at least one gyrator core section (GCi) having four inverters mutually connected in a loop configuration between a pair of input terminals (i—1; i—2) and a pair of output terminals (o—1; o—2). At least one common mode feedback section (CMIi, CMOi) is provided between the pair of input terminals and/or the pair of output terminals. The common mode feedback section comprises two series connections respectively formed by an inverter and a short-sectioned inverter connected antiparallelly between the input terminals or the output terminals. The inverters may be constituted by a MOS, CMOS or BiCMOS or bipolar transistor.

Abstract: A teleconferencing system with capability to store incoming multiple medium messages for later retrieval and playback is disclosed. The system includes a communications multiplexer which, in normal mode, receives the incoming message and routes the message to various output functions, including video, audio, and computer display. In store mode, the communications multiplexer receives the incoming message and communicates it to disk storage, for example by way of direct memory access. During playback, the communications multiplexer receives data from the disk storage, and controls its communication to the various output functions, in the same manner as during receipt of a normal incoming message during an interactive teleconference. As a result, multiple medium messages may be stored for later retrieval, with the playback appearing in the same manner as a conventional teleconference message.

Abstract: A method for reading a memory by applying control signals. The control signals include a memory enable signal, a visibility signal, and a read signal. By applying the control signals to the memory, the memory is selectively configured into any of a plurality of cycles associated with reading the memory. The different cycles include: random read, pipeline-type random read, sequential read and suspend and wait cycles. Depending upon the cycle configuration of the memory, data is selectively emitted from the memory that coincides with the externally generated address.