Abstract: Liquid nutritional compositions include specific combinations of protein, carbohydrate, and fat for the nutritional support of individuals with particular needs, such as individual suffering from obesity. The compositions comprise a source of at least one omega-6 fatty acid and a source of at least one omega-3 fatty acid with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of 1:5 to 1:1. In a preferred form the compositions comprise at least one hydrolysed dairy protein selected from hydrolysed whey protein and hydrolysed casein protein or mixtures thereof. Methods of administering such nutritional compositions are also provided. Further liquid nutritional compositions comprise protein in an amount of 1-12% by weight of the liquid nutritional composition, vitamin C and copper, wherein the protein comprises a mixture of whey protein and casein with a majority of the whey protein having a degree of hydrolysis greater than 20%. Methods for improving vitamin C stability in these liquid nutritional compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Automatically optimizing and programming features of a disk drive read channel for a selected partial response (PR) target. This enables flexible PR targets to be used in the read channel. The flexible PR targets can have arbitrary coefficients, and the channel features (parameters, functions and algorithms) that are dependent on the flexible PR targets are automatically adapted and programmed in hardware or firmware. With flexible PR targets, the read channel can support longitudinal and perpendicular recording without compromising performance.

Abstract: A method for encoding a bit stream to meet a minimum bit transition requirement includes providing uncoded bits, determining whether the uncoded bits meet the minimum bit transition requirement, and replacing selected bits in the uncoded bits with replacement bits that meet the minimum bit transition requirement if the uncoded bits do not meet the minimum bit transition requirement, thereby encoding the uncoded bits into encoded bits that meet the minimum bit transition requirement.

Abstract: Disk drive self-servo writing includes transferring a reference pattern by magnetic printing onto a reference disk, wherein the resulting printed reference pattern includes embedded servo information that provides servo timing and head position information, installing the reference disk and a head into the disk drive, reading the printed reference pattern using the head to generate a readback signal, sampling the readback signal at a sampling rate to generate a sampled signal, processing the sampled signal waveform spectrum to generate a recovered signal including the embedded servo information and fundamental and higher harmonics of the sampled signal, using the embedded servo information from the recovered signal to precisely position and maintain the head at concentric tracks of the reference disk, and self-writing servo patterns onto the tracks with the head.

Abstract: A media noise optimized (MNO) detector for a read channel compensates for pattern dependent media noise, and compensates for nonlinearities from many sources such as residual MR nonlinearity, residual nonlinear transition shift, partial erasure, write-induced nonlinearity, and steady-state mis-equalization. The MNO detector is implemented by adjusting a conventional Viterbi detector branch metric so that the channel output value (ideal value) can be a nonlinear function of the state/branch bits, and the branch metric scaling factor is a function of the state/branch. For a given state/branch, the ideal value is the mean of analog-to-digital converter samples for the pattern corresponding to the state/branch, and the branch metric scaling factor is proportional to the noise variance for the pattern corresponding to that state/branch.

Abstract: A method for detecting signals affected by intersymbol interference provides for a path memory being arranged in the form of a trellis admitting survivor paths comprising a first and a second stage. The first stage includes a shift register exchange with a given number of states and a given length ?. At time k-?, where ? is said given length, the first stage outputs a) a first state SAkk-? on the survivor path for the best state Ak at time k, while keeping track of the parity for the state at time k-? for each of the survivor paths in said path memory, and b) a second state SBkk-? on the survivor path for another state Bk having the same intersymbol interference state as said best state Ak and the opposite priority state. The second stage as is a two-state shift register exchange having a respective memory length ?, including respective first and second registers.

Abstract: This invention relates to compositions and methods for nutritional management of hepatic (liver) failure. In particular the invention is directed to a nutritionally complete formulation suitable for use as a supplement or total enteral feeding. The composition is specifically tailored to meet the requirements of hepatic patients in need of nutritional support. The composition comprises an organoleptically acceptable protein system designed to meet the altered metabolic needs of patients suffering from hepatic failure. The invention also relates to administering a nutritional composition comprising effective amounts of the branched-chain amino acids, valine, leucine, isoleucine, or mixtures thereof, and with or without a reduced amount of tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sensing and displaying the magnitude of torsional vibrations. A transducer provides a signal indicative of the torsional vibrations being experienced by a rotating member. The magnitude of the frequency components of the signal are determined and displayed to an operator who may take corrective action.

Abstract: A lint barrier for a sewing machine which excludes lint from entering the interior of the sewing machine having a machine housing enclosing the internal workings of the machine. The sewing machine also includes an oil cooler adapted to cool oil circulating through the sewing machine, the cooler including a plenum, a radiator and an air source for moving air through the radiator. A conduit connects the air source to the interior of the sewing machine, whereby air is conducted through the conduit and into the interior of the sewing machine to maintain a positive pressure within the sewing machine interior, thereby preventing the entry of lint into the sewing machine interior.

Abstract: A lint barrier for a sewing machine which excludes lint from entering the interior of the sewing machine having a machine housing enclosing the internal workings of the machine. The sewing machine also includes an oil cooler adapted to cool oil circulating through the sewing machine, the cooler including a radiator and an air source for moving air through the radiator. A conduit connects the air source to the interior of the sewing machine, whereby air is conducted through the conduit and into the interior of the sewing machine to maintain a positive pressure within the sewing machine interior, thereby preventing the entry of lint into the sewing machine interior.