Abstract: An apparatus includes a blender lid configured to cover an opening in a blender receptacle and a lid arm coupled to the blender lid and coupled rotationally about a first horizontal axis. The lid arm is configured to rotate about the first horizontal axis to selectively position the blender lid to cover and uncover the opening in the blender receptacle. The blender arm may rotate the blender lid about the first horizontal axis to cover the opening in the blender receptacle and apply a downward force on the blender lid to seal the opening of the blender receptacle with the blender lid. The blender arm may include a horizontal rod having a longitudinal axis that corresponds to the first horizontal axis and having a first end attached to the blender lid.

Abstract: Method for preparing a 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (“FDCA”) comprising: contacting a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that has greater than 34% sequence identity with an amino acid sequence set out in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2 with furoic acid in the presence of carbon dioxide; wherein the polypeptide has carboxylase and decarboxylase activity and comprises (i) the amino acid corresponding to H297 or a functional substitution thereof and (ii) at least one of (a) the amino acid corresponding to R305 or a functional substitution thereof; and (b) the amino acid corresponding to R332 or a functional substitution thereof; wherein the position is numbered relative to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new class of steroid saponins that have interesting biological activity. In particular the present invention relates to a class of steroid saponins in which the sugar moiety has been selectively functionalised to introduce a moiety that contains either, (i) a hydrogen ion donor, (ii) a hydrogen ion acceptor or (iii) a combination thereof. These new, water-soluble compounds are found to not only have potent anti-cancer properties per se but also have the ability to promote the immune response in a subject and can thus act as adjuvants for T-cell activation in cancer therapy.

Abstract: The invention relates to cigar piercers having multiple lances for piercing a cigar. The cigar piercers include an opening for the cigar, grips that are operable to push the lances into the cigar and leave puncture holes after retracting from the cigar.

Abstract: A gas conversion apparatus (100) for converting a process gas to one or more other gases comprises: means (105) for introducing process gas into a liquid medium in a column (125); and an ultrasonic energy generator (140) arranged to generate ultrasonic energy, the apparatus (100) being configured to launch ultrasonic energy generated by the generator (140) into the liquid medium such that process gas is exposed to ultrasonic energy, the apparatus (100) being arranged to allow collection of process gas that has been exposed to ultrasonic energy. The apparatus (100) also preferably comprises a microbubble generator (120) to generate microbubbles of the process gas for exposure to the ultrasonic energy. The ultrasonic energy generator (140) may be configured to generate ultrasonic energy as a consequence of a flow of a drive gas therethrough.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a solid dispenser including dispensing vanes coupled rotationally about respective parallel horizontal axes. The two dispensing vanes including a surface at a radial distance from the corresponding parallel horizontal axis with teeth arranged on and projecting from the surface. The surfaces of the dispensing vanes may be in contact between the parallel horizontal axes and are flexible in radial directions of the dispensing vanes. In one example embodiment, the dispensing vanes are configured to rotate in opposing directions about the respective parallel horizontal axes to selectively dispense ingredients from a hopper.

Abstract: An optical fibre (10) which has a first refractive index profile (61) that can be changed by heating to a second refractive index profile (62), at least one first dopant (7) for providing the first refractive index profile, at least one concealed dopant (8), and at least one mobile dopant (9), wherein the mobile dopant has a molar refractivity and is present in a concentration (19) such as to balance a change (146) in the first refractive index profile induced by the concealed dopant, and has a diffusion constant (16) greater than a diffusion constant (15) of the concealed dopant, so that heating of the optical fibre causes the mobile dopant to diffuse more quickly than the concealed dopant, thereby allowing the concealed dopant and the mobile dopant to change the first refractive index profile to the second refractive index profile.

Abstract: Logic circuits constructed with magnetoelectric (ME) transistors are described herein. A ME logic gate device can include at least one conducting device, for example, at least one MOS transistor; and at least one ME transistor coupled to the at least one conducting device. The ME transistor can be a ME field effect transistor (ME-FET), which can be can be an anti-ferromagnetic spin-orbit read (AFSOR) device or a non-AFSOR device. The gates and logic circuits described herein can be included as standard cells in a design library. Cells of the cell library can include standard cells for a ME inverter device, a ME minority gate device, a ME majority gate device, a ME full adder, a ME XNOR device, a ME XOR device, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new class of steroid saponins that have interesting biological activity. In particular the present invention relates to a class of steroid saponins in which the sugar moiety has been selectively functionalised to introduce a moiety that contains either, (i) a hydrogen ion donor, (ii) a hydrogen ion acceptor or (iii) a combination thereof. These new, water-soluble compounds are found to not only have potent anti-cancer properties per se but also have the ability to promote the immune response in a subject and can thus act as adjuvants for T-cell activation in cancer therapy.

Abstract: A variable stator guide vane system for a gas turbine engine comprises a set of vanes circumferentially distributed around a central axis and rotatably mounted for rotation about respective spanwise axes. A ring gear is rotatably mounted about the central axis. Pinion gears are operatively coupled to respective ones of the vanes and in driving engagement with the ring gear. Biasing members individually bias the pinion gears in meshing engagement with the ring gear.

Abstract: The gas turbine engine rotor can have a body having a solid-of-revolution-shaped portion centered around a rotation axis, the body defining an annular cavity centered around the rotation axis, the annular cavity penetrating into the body from an annular opening, the annular cavity extending between two opposite annular wall portions each leading to a corresponding edge of the opening; and at least one structural plate mounted to and extending between the two opposite annular wall portions and forming an interference fit therewith.

Abstract: An optical fibre (10) which has a first refractive index profile (61) that can be changed by heating to a second refractive index profile (62), at least one first dopant (7) for providing the first refractive index profile, at least one concealed dopant (8), and at least one mobile dopant (9), wherein the mobile dopant has a molar refractivity and is present in a concentration (19) such as to balance a change (146) in the first refractive index profile induced by the concealed dopant, and has a diffusion constant (16) greater than a diffusion constant (15) of the concealed dopant, so that heating of the optical fibre causes the mobile dopant to diffuse more quickly than the concealed dopant, thereby allowing the concealed dopant and the mobile dopant to change the first refractive index profile to the second refractive index profile.

Abstract: An oil system of a turbine engine and a method for driving an oil pump of such oil system are disclosed. In various embodiments, the oil system comprises an oil pump for fluid communication with one or more lubrication loads of the turbine engine, a first source of motive power and a coupling device. The first source of motive power is drivingly engaged to the oil pump for driving the oil pump during a first mode of operation. The coupling device is configured to drivingly disengage a second source of motive power from the oil pump during the first mode of operation and drivingly engage the second source of motive power with the oil pump to drive the oil pump during a second mode of operation.

Abstract: A variable stator guide vane system for a gas turbine engine comprises a set of vanes circumferentially distributed around a central axis and rotatably mounted for rotation about respective spanwise axes. A ring gear is rotatably mounted about the central axis. Pinion gears are operatively coupled to respective ones of the vanes and in driving engagement with the ring gear. Biasing members individually bias the pinion gears in meshing engagement with the ring gear.

Abstract: The present invention relates to modified forms of IL-12. These modified forms of IL-12 may be engineered to have a shortened in vivo half-life compared and/or enhanced localization of biological effects compared to that of corresponding non-modified form of IL-12. Short half-life and membrane bound forms of IL-12 may provide greater therapeutic control for in vivo therapeutic delivery, in particular when used in combination with ligand inducible delivery of IL-12. Modified forms of IL-12 engineered to have shortened in vivo half-life and/or enhanced localization of biological effects include heterodimeric p35/p40, single chain and membrane bound forms of IL-12 wherein a naturally occurring IL-12 amino acid sequence is genetically modified to destabilize IL-12 tertiary structure/polypeptide folding and enhance susceptibility of the IL-12 molecule to in vivo proteolytic degradation.

Abstract: A magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction device (ME-MTJ) that permits direct driving of ME-MTJ devices by a prior ME-MTJ device is the unipolar magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction (UMMTJ) device. The UMMTJ device enables full logic circuitry to be implemented without level shifting between each logic element.

Abstract: A magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction device (ME-MTJ) that permits direct driving of ME-MTJ devices by a prior ME-MTJ device is the unipolar magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction (UMMTJ) device. The UMMTJ device enables full logic circuitry to be implemented without level shifting between each logic element.

Abstract: An analog differential amplifier circuit, such as an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA), with input offset correction capability. First and second analog floating gate (AFG) devices each include a trim transistor connected in parallel with a series transistor in first and second input legs, respectively, of the amplifier. Floating gate electrodes in the AFG devices are differentially programmed to correct for error in the output signal in response to zero input differential voltage at its inputs. Temperature stability is attained by programming the floating gate electrodes to gate voltages above the floating gate transistors. In one embodiment, the AFG devices each include a second trim transistor sharing the same floating gate electrode; the sum of the currents conducted by the second trim transistors is added, by way of a current mirror, to the tail current applied to the first and second input legs.

Abstract: A variable vane assembly for a gas turbine engine having an actuating system including a rotatable face gear and a respective pinion engaged to and extending transversely from the end of each of the moveable vanes. The teeth of each pinion define land surfaces angled with respect to adjacent ones of the land surfaces of the teeth of the face gear meshed therewith. A smallest axial distance between the adjacent land surfaces of the meshed pinion and face gear teeth define a backlash of the actuating system. At least one shim has a thickness adjusting an axial distance between the pinion and the face gear to set the backlash to a predetermined value. An engine with a compressor with a variable vane assembly and a method of adjusting angular variance in an actuating system for variable vanes are also discussed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with a matched transistor pair with a matching resistance heater coupled to each transistor of the matched transistor pair. A method for forming a matching resistance heater. A method for operating an SOI integrated circuit containing a matched transistor pair with a matching resistance heater coupled to each transistor of the matched transistor pair.