Abstract: An enhanced call-back service, in which a local rule engine is caused to be capable of invoking a rule defined at an external rule engine, and a function provided by the local rule engine is exposed as a call-back service. At the call-back service and from the external rule engine, a request to interact with the function is received, and, using the call-back service, an interaction is provided between the external rule engine and the function.

Abstract: Methods are provided of creating a deployment plan for staff members with single or multiple qualification for performing activities, each activity requiring at least a single qualification. The methods include the following operations performed by a computer: repeatedly generating a deployment plan assignment of the staff members, and assessing a quality of the assignment generated using a target function, using one of the assignments on the basis of the assessment of the quality as the assignment representing the deployment plan, wherein the target function comprises a term that determines the quality of the assignments, such that the smaller the difference is between the number of the staff members deployed to the activities and the calculated total staff member requirement of the activities the higher the quality of the assignment.

Abstract: Means for superposing a bundle of value sheets which have been misfed from a value sheet store is disclosed. Also disclosed is a value sheet handler which includes a first value sheet store for receiving value sheets from, and dispensing value sheets to, a user and a second value sheet store where the second value sheet store provides value sheets to resupply the first value sheet store. The handler may include means for detecting a misfeed from the second value sheet store and a bundle of misfed value sheets may be stored in a third store after superposition of the bundle, where it includes overlapping value sheets.

Abstract: A smoke evacuating system for use during surgical procedures, particularly minimally invasive procedures involving the use of a laser or cautery at a surgical site having an associated higher than ambient pressure, wherein the system includes a filter with a site side and an outlet side and a fluid conduit extending between the surgical site and the filter. The filter includes a filter media and a housing substantially surrounding the filter media with a space between the filter media and the housing to collect condensed vapor. The filter exhibits low resistance or a low pressure drop and resists fluid flow, whereby the higher than ambient pressure is not substantially diminished and generates a fluid flow in the fluid flow path tending to carry smoke to and through the filter.

Abstract: A projection optical system comprises a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical axis of the projection optical system; wherein the plurality of lenses is dividable into four non-overlapping groups of lenses, such that a total refractive power of each group of lenses is one of a negative refractive power and a positive refractive power; and wherein a refractive power of each lens of the fourth group of lenses is equal to or greater than 0. A lens of the third group of lenses which is disposed directly adjacent to a lens of the fourth group of lenses may have a concave surface facing towards the second object.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for using a location aware device to determine a current location, recording a location bookmark for the current location using the location aware device, storing the location bookmark, detecting at some later time that a location of the location aware device is within a specified proximity to the bookmark location and that a user-defined condition is satisfied by the bookmark content, and automatically notifying a user of the location aware device of the location bookmark. A location bookmark includes a bookmark location and bookmark content, the bookmark location being the current location and the bookmark content including data associated with the current location.

Abstract: The current invention relates to a continuous process for preparing heat an alkali stable polyol composition. Alkali is added to the feed of the anion exchange resin and is allowing running the resin battery in full service mode.

Abstract: A system to determine preference information in which preference information associated with a consumer is determined, the preference information is validated, and the preference information is mixed with preference information associated with a plurality of consumers based on the validating step. The validating step may includes provision of trade-off questions to the consumer, reception of actual answers to the trade-off questions, prediction of consumer answers to the trade-off questions based on the preference information associated with the consumer and prediction of subgroup answers to the trade-off questions based on the preference information associated with the plurality of consumers. Moreover, the preference information may be mixed with the preference information associated with the plurality of consumers based on the actual answers, the predicted consumer answers and the predicted subgroup answers.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a first surface having a [111] orientation and a second surface having a second orientation and a plurality of III-V nitride layers on the substrate, wherein the plurality of III-V nitride layers are configured to emit light when an electric current is produced in one or more of the plurality of III-V nitride layers.

Abstract: A delay circuit is disclosed. A switched-capacitor group includes a plurality of switched-capacitor units, each of which have a switching element and a capacitive element charged/discharged by turning on/off the switching element. The switched-capacitor units are connected such that the input signal is input in common to all of the switched-capacitor units and the capacitive elements are charged as well such that the capacitive elements are discharged to allow the output signal to be output from the switched-capacitor units. A switching control unit performs on/off control of the switching elements to cause the capacitive elements to be charged in sequence based on the input signal, causing the capacitive element charged last time to be discharged to allow the output signal to be output in sequence from the switched-capacitor units, and performs control of all of the switching elements to be turned off upon on/off switching of the switching elements.

Abstract: The torque, due to the weight of the arm, is balanced according to the angular position of the arm by a contrast spring acting perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the arm. The spring is controlled by a cam integral with the arm, is housed in a container closed by a wall acted on by the profile of the cam, and rests on a guide disk whose position relative to the container is adjusted by means of an adjusting screw to calibrate the precompression of the spring according to the minimum torque due to the weight of the arm. In another embodiment, at least one contrast spring acts parallel to the axis of rotation of the arm, and is controlled by a cam edge of a cylinder for axially moving a corresponding sleeve housing the spring.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and programs products for license renewal and content chapter access. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a gesture input incident on a touch-sensitive surface to renew a content license, where the license identifies the content and a first period of time during which the content can be accessed. In another aspect, a method includes receiving a gesture input incident on a touch-sensitive surface. In response to the gesture input, a number of chapter indicators for content are presented, each chapter indicator including a thumbnail image and associated with a an offset in the content. In response to a second gesture input, the content from the selected chapter indicator's respective offset is played.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for routing a packet in a network are described. The network has a topology characterized by a hierarchical structure of nodes including n layers. L represents a layer in the structure and is an integer with L=0 representing a lowest layer and L=n?1 representing a highest layer. The method includes receiving at least a packet header of a packet at a first node and based on the packet header, determining whether to transmit the packet to a second node in either layer L, layer L+1, or layer L?1. The packet can be transmitted to the second node as soon as the packet is received at the first node without waiting to receive the entire packet and without copying the packet prior to transmission from the first node.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit operating with bulk acoustic waves with at least electroacoustic systems, each arranged in a branch (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4), wherein each electroacoustic system comprises at least two series-connected resonators (R11, R12; R21, R22; R31, R32; R41, R42) in the respective branch, which are galvanically separated from one another and acoustically coupled to one another by means of a coupling system (K1, K2, K3, K4) arranged therebetween. The electroacoustic systems are acoustically coupled via their coupling system (K1, K2) and/or electrically coupled to one another.

Abstract: Endoprostheses (e.g., stents) containing adjustable surfaces are disclosed.

Abstract: A network including a hierarchical structure of nodes is described. The structure of nodes includes n layers including n?1 layers of switch nodes and 1 layer of computational nodes. Each layer in the structure can include mn-L nodes grouped into units, where m represents a number of nodes in a unit and L represents a layer in the structure, where L=0 represents a lowest layer and L=n?1 represents a highest layer. Each node in a layer other than the computational layer can include a switch node for a unit in a next lower layer. For each unit, each node can be connected to each other node by a point to point link and to a local switch node for the unit by a point to point link. Each node can be connected to each other node and to the local switch node by a local broadcast network for the unit.

Abstract: A non-contact cardiac mapping method is disclosed that includes: (i) inserting a catheter into a heart cavity having an endocardium surface, the catheter including multiple, spatially distributed electrodes; (ii) measuring signals at the catheter electrodes in response to electrical activity in the heart cavity with the catheter spaced from the endocardium surface; and (iii) determining physiological information at multiple locations of the endocardium surface based on the measured signals and positions of the electrodes with respect to the endocardium surface. Related systems and computer programs are also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring electrochemical properties of materials, and methods of measuring electrochemical properties of materials, are provided.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the discovery that B. anthracis possesses a luxS gene that encodes a functional LuxS polypeptide, and that B. anthracis synthesizes a functional AI-2 quorum-sensing molecule. The invention provides mutant B. anthracis bacteria lacking the function of the luxS gene, which do not produce a functional AI-2 molecule and have growth defects compared to wild-type B. anthracis. The invention also concerns methods for inhibiting the growth of B. anthracis, or for preventing or treating B. anthracis infection, by inhibiting the activity of the B. anthracis LuxS polypeptide, or by exposure of the B. anthracis to furanone. In particular, the invention concerns the use of furanone, a compound that inhibits AI-2-mediated quorum-sensing, to inhibit the growth of B. anthracis, to inhibit B. anthracis toxin production, particularly that of protective antigen, and to prevent or treat B. anthracis infection. The invention also provides methods to prevent B.