Abstract: A pulsed solid-state thin-disk laser comprises an optical resonator and a solid-state laser gain medium placed inside the optical resonator. The laser gain medium is in the shape of a thin plate or layer with two end faces, the extension of the end faces being greater than a thickness of said plate or layer measured in a direction perpendicular to one of the end faces. One of the end faces comprises a cooling surface, via which the laser gain medium is cooled. A pumping source is provided for exciting the laser gain medium to emit electromagnetic radiation. The thin-disk laser further comprises means for passive mode locking placed inside the optical resonator. The mode-locking means are preferably a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The laser offers a high average power, a good beam quality, short pulses and a high efficiency. Problems such as thermal lensing, Q-switching instabilities and damages of the mode-locking means are avoided. Moreover, the output power of the laser is scalable, i.e.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cap brim shaper for shaping the brim of a sports cap comprising a body member with at least two grooves. Both grooves are sufficiently long and wide to receive the brim of a sports cap. The second groove's curvature is greater than the first groove's curvature and the second groove is nested within the first groove. This shaper may be incorporated into a variety of systems for transporting or storing one or more caps while shaping the brim(s). These systems include supports which may be flat boards for mounting, boxes, or display cases.

Abstract: A data gathering device for a rack enclosure which is, in use, cooperable with at least one SES processor, each processor being incorporated in a respective plug-in card. The data gathering device comprises at least one port adapted to communicate with a respective environmental services processor, a plurality of data inputs and a plurality of controllable outputs. The data gathering device is adapted to generate and send, to an SES processor responsible for the enclosure, a message reporting the state of the data inputs and to receive, from the responsible SES processor, a message including a command determining the state of one of the controllable outputs.

Abstract: Openings and closings of a secured storage receptacle (60) are logged to record the transfer of items. The system gains access to a signal-transmitting receptacle; transmits a first confirmation signal to a mobile transmission node (61); processes the first confirmation signal at the mobile transmission node (61); transmits a second confirmation signal to a central server (64); and notifies a consumer of the delivery with an electronic message (66). This process allows the transfer of items by a delivery confirmation signals to be received from the signal-transmitting receptable (60). The signal transmitted from the signal-transmitting receptable (60) is coupled to the opening and closing of the storage box.

Abstract: A structural component of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material has a shape-forming long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix and separate, single load-bearing plastified and consolidated continuous fiber strands with a thermoplastic matrix in a defined position within the structural component. The positions of the shape forming long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix and the separate, single load-bearing plastified and consolidated continuous fiber strands with a thermoplastic matrix define interfaces therebetween. The continuous fiber strands are interconnected and have at least one load-transmitting flat internal connecting area between two continuous fiber strands. The single continuous fiber strands form a load-bearing supporting structure which is integrated in and thermoplastically bonded to the long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix at the interfaces therebetween.

Abstract: Cytoxotixc agent, and particularly DNA-damaging agents, can be detected in a whole effluent water or liquid sample by a method called whole effluent toxicity. A living culture of a particle-feeding flagellate is added to a sample, a growth rate is determined for the flagellate, and the growth rate is compared within the sample and its standard growth rate. A decrease in growth rate is indicative of cytotoxic agents in the sample.

Abstract: An analytical test device useful for example in pregnancy testing, comprises a hollow casing (500) constructed of moisture-impervious solid material, such as; plastics materials, containing a dry porous carrier (510) which communicates indirectly with the exterior of the casing via a bibulous sample receiving member (506) which protrudes from the casing such that a liquid test sample can be applied to the receiving member and permeate therefrom to the porous carrier, the carrier containing in a first zone a labelled specific binding reagent is freely mobile within the porous carrier when in the moist state, and in a second zone spatially distinct from the first zone unlabelled specific binding reagent for the same analyte which unlabelled reagent is permanently immobilised on the carrier material and is therefore not mobile in the moist state, the two zones being arranged such that liquid sample applied to the porous carrier can permeate via the first zone into the second zone, and the device incorporating me

Abstract: An improved oscillator system has a control logic block which has an input from an external device to which clock is being provided. The input controls a counter which counts cycles from the oscillator. If some predetermined number of cycles has passed in the absence of a predetermined input condition, then the oscillator halts, thus reducing power consumption by the oscillator system. Later, upon the predetermined input condition, the oscillator resumes oscillation. The system has improved noise immunity and permits a continuous-oscillation mode without the need of an extra pin or memory bit. The control logic block may also employ a counter which counts the number of times the predetermined input condition has occurred, and only after some predetermined number of occurrences does the oscillator-halting activity take place.

Abstract: In a disk drive enclosure system having carriers fitting into slots in the enclosure, each carrier has a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism has a part which rotates between locked and unlocked positions, and the part has a feature that blocks removal of the carrier when the part is in the locked position, while permitting removal of the carrier when the part is in the unlocked position. The part is plastic and is molded of a clear material serving as a light pipe. A light source is behind the part, so that the ability of light to pass through the part is affected by the locked/unlocked position of the part. The part has a shape feature that assists a user in distinguishing between locked and unlocked positions, and the light indicator further assists the user in this way. Valuable bezel space is saved, especially in comparison with some prior-art locking mechanisms.

Abstract: The inventive method for producing packaging materials consisting of a polyolefin foam layer (B) coated with a coating film (A) on at least one side, which packaging material is formable into self supporting packaging items, such as trays, by thermoforming or folding, comprises a coextrusion step or an extrusion lamination step in which step the bonding between the polyolefin foam layer (B) and the coating is achieved. With the extrusion lamination step, the method is as follows: In a first method step, a single-layer or multi-layer coating film (A) is produced by extrusion or coextrusion, in a second method step a polyolefin foam sheet (B) is produced by expansion and extrusion and in the third method step the polyolefin foam sheet (B) is coated with the coating film (A) by extrusion lamination, wherein a polyolefin bonding layer (30) is extruded between the foam sheet (B) and the coating film (A) and pressure is applied to the combination.

Abstract: A combination of a potassium salt of a perfluoroalkane sulfonate and a sodium salt of toluene sulfonic acid, preferably in the presence of an antidrip agent to provide high melt strength, act synergistically to provide flame-retarded polycarbonate compositions at low levels. Thus, a flame-retarded polycarbonate resin can be made by adding to the polycarbonate resin an effective flame-retardant amount of a potassium salt of a perfluoroalkane sulfonate and a sodium salt of toluene sulfonic acid. The two salts may be formulated in advance into an additive composition.

Abstract: Limited-play optical medium with improved shelf stability are formed from a plurality of layers, including in sequence: (a) a first substrate layer; (b) a data layer; (c) a reflective layer; (d) a reactive layer comprising a dye having a reduced state and an oxidized state and further comprising an oxidized form of a reducing agent effective to convert the dye from the oxidized state to the reduced state, and (e) a second substrate layer. The dye in the reduced state is substantially transparent to light of wavelengths used to read the optical medium, and the dye in the oxidized state absorbs light of wavelengths used to read the optical medium. The reflective metal layer is formed from a metal or metal alloy that is not significantly oxidized by the oxidized form of the reducing agent. For example, the reflective metal layer is suitably formed from silver or gold.

Abstract: The optical sensor contains an optical waveguide (1) with a substrate (104), waveguiding material (105), a cover medium (106) and a waveguide grating structure (101-103). By means of a light source (2), light can be emitted to the waveguide grating structure (101-103) from the substrate side and/or from the cover medium side. (101-103). With means of detection (11), at least two differing light proportions (7-10) radiated from the waveguide (1) can be detected. For carrying out a measurement, the waveguide can be immovably fixed relative to the light source (2) and the means of detection (11). The waveguide grating structure (101-103) itself consists of one or several waveguide grating structure units (101-103), which if so required can be equipped with (bio-)chemo-sensitive layers. The sensor permits the generation of absolute measuring signals.

Abstract: A method is described for use with a server serving requested records among a multiplicity of records, and with a predetermined list of record identifiers, and with a first file containing information about records corresponding to the record identifiers. The method comprises the steps of: selecting at least two of the record identifiers from the list; for each one record identifier of the record identifiers: presenting a request to the server with respect to the record identifier; receiving a record from the server, said record corresponding to the record identifier; parsing the record, thereby deriving received information of interest from the record; comparing the received information of interest with corresponding information in the first file; and annunciating any difference between the received information of interest and the corresponding information in the first file.

Abstract: A single point mutation in the human lipoprotein lipase gene which results in an A→G nucleotide change at codon 291 (nucleotide 1127) of the lipoprotein lipase gene, and a substitution of serine for the normal asparagine in the lipoprotein lipase gene product is seen with increased frequency in patients with coronary artery disease, and is associated with an increased susceptibility to coronary artery disease, including in particular premature atherosclerosis. This is expressed as a diminished catalytic activity of lipoprotein lipase, lower HDL-cholesterol levels and higher triglyceride levels. Thus, susceptibility of a human individual to premature atherosclerosis can be evaluated by: (a) obtaining a sample of DNA from the individual; and (b) evaluating the sample of DNA for the presence of nucleotides encoding a serine residue as amino acid 291 of the lipoprotein lipase gene product. The presence of a serine residue is indicative of increased susceptibility in the patient.

Abstract: A method and apparatus reports alarm events detected by an alarm system having a plurality of users, each user having a name and identified by an identifier other than the name. The system detects an event of interest relating to a user, creates a data stream indicative of the event and indicative of the identifier of the user, extracts from the data stream the identifier of the user, determines the name of the user based upon the identifier of the user, selects a message recipient based upon the event of interest, creates a text message addressed to the selected message recipient, the text message communicating the name of the user and communicating information indicative of the event of interest, and transmits the text message via a global communications network.

Abstract: An enclosure is shaped with a plurality of opposed pairs of first and second guides, the first guides all substantially coplanar within a first plane, the second guides all substantially coplanar within a second plane. Each pair of guides defines a respective plane, the respective planes of the pairs of guides all parallel to each other, each pair of guides separated by a respective spacing, each pair of guides shaped to receive a respective planar carrier by insertion in a first direction along the pair of guides. The enclosure is shaped to receive a key plate parallel to the first plane and intersecting the first guides, said key plate having a plurality of feature areas, each feature area corresponding to a respective plane of one of the pairs of guides, each feature area presenting a predetermined pattern of barriers to movement in the first direction, the barriers disposed at at least two locations along the first direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement for adjusting a number of settings in an x-ray imaging apparatus (10) for recurrent mammography examinations, said apparatus comprising at least one x-ray source (11), a collimator arrangement (12) and compression pedals (13a, 13b) for positioning and compressing the breast (14) of a patient to be examined. The arrangement comprises: control units (16-19) for adjusting said number of settings of said x-ray imaging apparatus based on an identity of said person to be examined and data stored in a database (21), said data including a set of setting-data from at least one recent x-ray examination of said patient, a main control unit (15) communicating with a control unit (16) for adjusting characteristics of x-ray radiations from said x-ray source (11), a control unit (17) for adjusting the position of said x-ray source (11) and an identity input device (20).