Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing oligosaccharides, comprising selecting a gene which codes for an enzyme which is capable of converting sucrose into an oligosaccharide; linking the gene to suitable transcription-initiation and transcription-termination signals in order to provide an expression construct; transforming a suitable plant cell with the expression construct; transforming a suitable plant cell with the expression construct; regenerating a transgenic plant from the transformed plant cell; culturing the transgenic plant under conditions enabling the expression and activity of the enzyme; and isolating the oligosaccharides from the transgenic plant. The invention further relates to the product obtained by means of the method and to the use thereof, in addition to transgenic plants and parts thereof which are capable of producing oligosaccharides.

Abstract: A pole cap includes a frame having an exterior surface, an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge. The inner peripheral edge defines an opening. A removable insert is detachably secured in the opening. The insert is removable from the frame to facilitate inspection of an uppermost extremity of the pole.

Abstract: An apparatus for teaching infants how to tie shoe laces is in the form of an enlarged replica of a shoe. The enlarged replica of the shoe has a sole portion, a heel portion, and a upper portion. The upper portion has several pairs of eyelets whereby a shoe lace is laced onto the upper portion. Each of the sole portion, heel portion and upper portion have strategically positioned fasteners that permit the sole portion, heel portion and upper portion to be assembled to form the shoe.

Abstract: A warehousing system includes a multistory building having at least one lower floor, at least one upper floor located above the lower floor, opposed pairs of rack members disposed on the upper floor, and an aisle formed between each of the pairs of the rack members. Each pair of the rack members has two opposed horizontal guide rails respectively formed thereon at two sides of the aisle. A hole is formed in the upper floor at the aisle to intercommunicate respectively with the lower floor. A conveying device is disposed movably on the horizontal guide rails. The conveying device includes a translation device having a base bridging the aisle and connected slidably to the horizontal guide rails, a driving device disposed on the base for driving the base to move along the horizontal guide rails in a first direction, a holding apparatus mounted on the base and adapted for holding an article to be conveyed, and an elevator apparatus disposed on the base for raising and lowering the holding apparatus from the base.

Abstract: A board, such as a ski or snowboard, that includes a piezoelectric damper. A sensor such as a piece of piezoelectric material is located on the body of the board such that, as the board vibrates or deforms, the piezoelectric sensor is also deformed. As the piezoelectric sensor deforms, it produces an electrical signal that is provided to a control circuit. The control circuit receives the electrical signal and generates a control signal of proportional amplitude and frequency, but an inverse waveform to the sensed vibration. The control signal causes a piezoelectric damper to stiffen and resist deformation of the board, thus damping the vibration. The sensed signal may also be stored within a memory device and subsequently downloaded to provide a skier profile for analysis.

Abstract: An RF absorber system (26) for absorbing RF energy in the payload chamber (20) of a launch vehicle is disclosed. The RF absorber system (26) includes a plurality of panels (27) for providing acoustic absorption and for housing RF absorbing material. The panels (27) comprise a plurality of acoustic absorbing layers (30a, 30b, and 30c) and at least two RF energy absorbing sheets (36a and 36b) for absorbing RF energy, and an outer film layer (38) for dissipating static charges and acting as a contaminant barrier. The panels (27) have an outer surface (32) and an inner surface (34). The RF energy absorbing sheets (36a and 36b) are sandwiched between the plurality of acoustic absorbing layers (30a, 30b, and 30c), thus creating alternating acoustic absorbing layers and RF energy absorbing sheets. The outer film layer (38) is secured to the outer surface (32) of the panel (27).

Abstract: A quarter turn quick connect fitting assembly (10) for connecting miniature fluid conduits, such as tubing, includes a first fitting (12) having radially projecting pins (28) and a second fitting (14) located within a rotatable quarter turn nut (16) having spiral grooves (48) which receive the pins. The first fitting defines a central passage (26) and the second fitting defines a central passage (42) which may each be configured to slidably receive a hollow tube set (104), or to threadably receive an externally threaded mating fitting. The quarter turn quick connect fitting can be configured to attach to the end of a column, and can include an adapter (158), which houses a guard column (160), or a frit (188) for filtering the fluid passing through the quarter turn quick connect fitting assembly. The quarter turn quick connect fitting is assembled by sliding the pins of the first fitting into the grooves of the quarter turn nut and rotating the quarter turn nut through approximately 90.degree.

Abstract: The invention relates to multi-use thin-walled tubular devices having a longitudinal slit with non-cutting overlapping edges and corners curved in a manner to provide scissor-like entry-ways at either open end and methods of making and using such devices. The device is rigid lengthwise yet flexible in circumference and has renitent qualities such that the overlapping edges are spring-like. All surfaces and edges are smooth so that the devices are user-friendly and comfortable when used as handle grips for holding and carrying built-in handles of certain carrying objects, attachable handles for carrying items without built-in handles, hand-held exercisers, physical hand rehabilitation devices, hand-manipulated fasteners, and hand-manipulated separators. The dimensions of the device, the material used, and the method of construction may be adapted for the specific application. The preferred method of making is injection molding and requires a specially-designed mold form.

Abstract: Disclosed is a palm rest (220) for use with a computer data entry device such as a computer keyboard (222) that minimizes an alleviated posture- and stress-related disorders associated with the use of computer devices. The palm rest includes a hand-support section (226) that is substantially rectangular-shaped to allow the fingers of a user to readily access the computer keyboard, a base (224), and a curvilinear section (226) that couples the hand-support section to the base. The curvilinear section allows a user to adjust the height of the hand-support section according to user preference and the heights of individual data entry devices.

Abstract: A smart battery that self-monitors and maintains information about itself that includes its state of charge, its need for maintenance, and for conditions that indicate that it has reached the end of its useful life and should be discarded. The information maintained by the battery is then either displayed on an on-board display or is communicated to another device on a communication bus. The state of charge quantifies the smart battery's ability to reliably deliver charge to a host device and is dynamically adjusted over the lifetime of the smart battery. The state of charge may not exceed a full charge capacity value maintained by the smart battery and initially set to an estimated value. This full charge capacity value is dynamically adjusted throughout the life of the smart battery using information accumulated and maintained by the smart battery that indicates the smart battery's actual performance during use and by using messages received from a battery maintenance and testing system.

Abstract: A unit for combing wrapped chocolates, wherein a combing drum, rotating continuously about a respective axis, has a number of combing devices, each of which has a gripping device rotating, crosswise to the aforementioned axis, between a radial gripping position to grip a chocolate, and an axial release position located along an axial path parallel to the aforementioned axis and along which travel a pusher and a counter-pusher; the path extending through an annular combing element.

Abstract: A golf club shaft (10) incorporating a piezoelectric device (12) which, upon deflection or deformation of the golf club shaft (10) caused by swinging of the golf club shaft, selectively stiffens a section of the golf club shaft. The piezoelectric device (12), includes a sensor (24) located along the golf club shaft (10) and configured such as to produce an electrical signal upon flexing of the golf club shaft. A piezoelectric stiffener (22) is electrically connected to the sensor (24), is located along the golf club shaft (10), and is designed to mechanically deform as a result of receiving the electrical signal from the sensor (24). The mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric stiffener (22) causes a corresponding deformation of the golf club shaft (10).

Abstract: A modified least mean squares adaptive filter method and apparatus is disclosed. The filter coefficients used to perform the FIR multiplications in a least mean squares adaptive filter are time dependent upon a time index. Each tap of the FIR section utilizes a coefficient at a different time index. This allows an implementation in hardware that is modular and easy for implementation in VLSI technologies. In addition, an improve multiplier and accumulator is disclosed for use in implementing the improved least squares adaptive filter.

Abstract: A semiautomated method and system (30) for swaged coupling process verification are provided. The system nondestructively measures swage groove depth (A) of a swaged coupling (10) for a tube (20). The tube has an inner surface with a first inside diameter at a first distance from a swaged end (22) of the tube and a second inside diameter at a second distance from the swaged end of the tube that is less than the first distance. The swage groove depth is the difference between the first inside diameter and the second inside diameter. The system includes a probe case (38) and a probe (40) that extends from the probe case. The probe has a probe tip (92) that is arranged to contact the inner surface of the tube and deflect in response to changes in the inner diameter of the tube. A transducer (42) generates a signal that is indicative of the inner diameter of the tube in response to deflection of the probe tip. The signal has a first magnitude when the probe tip is at the first distance.

Abstract: An easily adaptable canine coat (10) for protecting the animal from harmful objects and various weather related factors. The coat includes a chest section (11) that secures to the animal by securing straps (14a-d) which pass over the animal's back and which provide protection for the animal's belly and chest. A cover (18) attaches to the straps and protects the animal's back. The cover is quickly and easily adjustable thus providing warming or cooling qualities. The cover is made of a highly reflective outer material for enhancing animal visibility during the day and night and keeping the animal cool by reflecting the sun. A hood (26) removably attaches to the cover and provides head protection.

Abstract: The invention provides a system utilizing computer databases, high pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to isolate, purify and identify compounds present in a chemical library of reaction products, especially products of liquid phase (solution) chemical reaction, to produce a purified chemical library with each purified compound tracked to the reaction product from which it originated.

Abstract: A modular building for a toy building set includes a planar member, or foundation, having raised ribs on its top and a wall member having a wall portion and a base portion. The wall portion of the wall member is substantially orthogonal to the base portion of the wall member. The base portion of the wall member has a cleft therein sized to receive one of the ribs of the foundation to removably attach the wall member to the foundations. A substantially planar coupler connects at least two or more of the foundation. The coupler has at least two clefts therein. The clefts are sized to receive the ribs on each of the two foundations for removable attachment of the foundation to the coupler.

Abstract: A tree view control is provided as a system resource that may be used by application programs. The tree view control enables an application program to display a hierarchical list of items. The hierarchical list of items may be expandable or collapsible so as to vary the view of the hierarchical tree that is visible to a user. The expansion and collapsing of the tree is performed by a mechanism that is independent of the selection mechanism that is used to select items in the hierarchical tree. An in-place editing mechanism is provided to facilitate the in place editing of labels of items in the hierarchical tree. As an optimization, the tree view control may provide for deferred evaluation of items such that the display information needed to display an item on an output device is not evaluated until needed.

Abstract: A flare stack with increased control of flow velocity of gases. The flare stack includes a pipe having a flare tip. The flare tip is provided with orifices and a sliding sleeve that opens and closes at least some of the orifices under control of an actuator. The actuator is pressure controlled. Nozzles extend from the orifices, parallel to each other. A central nozzle produces a stabilized flame. The nozzles which are controlled by the sliding sleeve are arranged in rings axially offset from each other along the pipe, so that the sleeve may open or close the nozzles in a ring as desired. The nozzles are symmetrically disposed, and terminate at the same plane, with the nozzles being disposed sufficiently close to each other that gas exiting any nozzle tends to draw in and merge with gas exiting from any adjacent nozzle.

Abstract: A method to maximize throughput of a group of multi-process machines whereby the number of each kind machine is determined. Then, the machine assignment of each machine is assigned a variable. Next, the throughput definition for each machine is calculated from a database of past production runs. Next, the capacity of each process is calculated. Then, the constraints of the machine assignment variables are determined. A linear programming model is then derived for the system. The linear programming model is then executed under the constraints to determine optimal machine assignments to maximize the capacity of the minimum capacity process.