Abstract: An assay method for detecting potential cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a vascularized subject by assessing the concentration of holo-transcobalamin II (holo-TCII) in a sample from the subject where abnormally low levels of holo-TCII are indicative of CVD or susceptibility to CVD.

Abstract: The invention concerns a dewatering belt (1, 13, 17, 25, 30), in particular as a drying screen for paper machines, which is assembled from a plurality of plate-shaped planar elements (2, 14, 18, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 40) that, in order to adjust the permeability, have passthrough openings (41) and/or leave gaps (19, 36) between them, the planar elements (2, 14, 18, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 40) being coupled to one another, by way of flexible connecting cords (9, 16, 22, 23, 28, 37) which pass through the planar elements (2, 14, 18, 24, 26, 27, 31,. 32, 40), in such a way that the longitudinal forces acting on the dewatering belt (1, 13, 17, 25, 30) during operation act on them. The dewatering belt (1) is characterized in that the connecting cords (9, 16, 22, 23, 28, 37) extend in the longitudinal direction of the dewatering belt (1, 13, 17, 25, 30) and are anchored at their ends in end pieces (5, 6, 20, 29, 38) which can be coupled to one another.

Abstract: A valve control apparatus is provided for an internal combustion engine having a valve and a camshaft. The camshaft has an axis of rotation, a first raised portion and a second raised portion adjacent to the first raised portion. The second raised portion is angularly spaced-apart about the axis from the first raised portion. The apparatus includes a follower operatively engagable with the camshaft and the valve. The follower has a first operational mode where the first raised portion operatively engages the follower on each revolution of the camshaft to open the valve a first time on each revolution. There is a mechanism for selectively putting the follower in a second operational mode where the second raised portion operatively engages the follower to open the valve a second time on each revolution of the camshaft. The mechanism puts the follower in the second operational mode on each revolution of the camshaft before the second raised portion is fully aligned with the follower.

Abstract: A liquid pump for pumping groundwater samples from small diameter sub-terrain wells. The pump comprises a tubular casing having swaged ends and provided with inlet apertures on its side wall, a top cap and a bottom cap each provided with a bladder mandrel, a coil spring biasing the caps, a flexible bladder separating the interior of the pump into a liquid chamber and a gas chamber, and a pair of poppet valves preventing backflow of the pumped liquid. The pump is actuated by alternately pressurizing and de-pressurizing the actuating gas, preferably air, in the gas chamber causing the bladder to alternately contract and relax. The bladder is formed with reduced diameter ends that allows for an increased stroke volume of the pump. The pump is operated by a precision dual range controller, specifically adapted for “low flow” sampling.

Abstract: Residual bones, and ashes from the cremation process of deceased humans and animals are turned into solid objects containing glass, ceramics, clay based materials, or composites such as organic polymer matrix, metal matrix, or inorganic cementaceous matrix, or combination of thereof. In another embodiment, ash is mixed with at least a liquid phase such as paint or coating, which upon dying or heating the mixture becomes solid. The final solid product can be made into any shapes or forms that the matrix can be made into without the addition of the ash. The final form of the product thereof can range from abstractive non-functional to geometrical shapes or functional forms such as containers, vases, or in the form of jewelry stones. Or painting, drawing, coating, and glazing. The objects can be made to contain almost all ash, such as in the case of ceramics or partially loaded with ash as is the case for glass and composites.

Abstract: In a method for joining workpieces, in particular press fittings (24) to a pipe (23), the pressing device (1) is placed with its at least two pressing jaws (21, 22) in the open position against the joining point of the workpieces 23, 24), and the pressing jaws (21, 22) are then moved with respect to one another by means of a jaw drive (7, 50), while the workpieces (23, 24) deform plastically, into a terminal pressed position in which, at the latest, the application of power to the press jaws (21, 22) ends. According to the invention, the power of the jaw drive (7, 50) is controlled in such a way that, at least toward the completion of pressing, the pressing jaws (21, 22) have less kinetic energy than without a power controller. The invention further concerns a pressing unit (1) for carrying out said method.

Abstract: A paper machine clothing, in particular a dryer fabric having a paper side provided for the support of a paper web and a machine side facing away therefrom, the paper machine clothing having a fabric made of longitudinal and transverse threads, the transverse threads including a paper-side thread system made up of flat transverse threads and a machine-side thread system made up of round transverse threads arranged such that at least two round transverse threads on the machine side lie in contact with at least some of the flat transverse threats, and such that one flat transverse thread and its round transverse threads lying in contact with it are together engaged by at least some of the longitudinal threads.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stacking and loading disc-like objects into receptacles is provided. The apparatus includes a lane combining conveyor which receives multiple lanes of product and combines one or more of the outer lanes into the remaining lanes. A stack former is provided for forming individual stacks of patties which are side supported onto rails. The rails can be pivoted down to divert patties for clearing jams. After the product is formed on the stack formers, a stack transfer mechanism transfers the stacks of products formed on the stack forming rails to the matrix former. Matrix former receives individual rows of multiple stacks from the stack transfer mechanism. A stripper mechanism is used to ensure that the stacks are not scrambled during this transfer. Once the matrix former is filled with product, a case rollover mechanism is rotated to the matrix former.

Abstract: A liner assembly for a manhole or passage comprises a multiple-ply, generally cylindrical tube. The outermost ply includes inner and outer surfaces and is adapted for being impregnated with material for rigidifying and bonding the outer surface of the outermost ply to a manhole or passage. The innermost ply includes inner and outer surfaces and is adapted for being impregnated with a material for rigidifying the innermost ply. An impermeable ply is disposed between the innermost and outermost plies. The impermeable ply includes an impermeable membrane having fibers impregnated on the inner and outer surfaces of the impermeable ply. The fibers of the inner surface of the impermeable ply bond with the epoxy impregnated outer surface of the innermost ply. Likewise, the fibers of the outer surface of the impermeable ply bond with the epoxy impregnated inner surface of the outermost ply, so that the manhole or passage becomes structurally reinforced.

Abstract: A two-stage medicine delivery system provides an initial dose of medicine and a second dose of medicine. The initial second doses are capable of achieving a rapid pharmacological effect and a prolonged pharmacological effect, respectively. The two-stage medicine delivery system preferably delivers a craving reduction substance, in which case, the rapid and prolonged pharmacological effects include a rapid and prolonged craving reduction. Preferably, the delivery system is a nicotine delivery system which is provided in chewing gum form or lozenge form and which provides the nicotine in a transmucosally absorbable form. The two-stage medicine delivery system preferably releases a buffering agent which increases a pH level in a user's mouth to facilitate absorption of the medicine when the delivery system is placed in the user's mouth. A method of making the medicine delivery system also is provided. The system and apparatus can be adapted to reduce cravings for alcohol, food, drugs (e.g.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for the transmission and reception of a composite radio-frequency (RF) signal including a supplemental signal, preferably representing encoded digital information, together with an analog signal which represents monophonic analog audio in the AM-band. The analog monophonic component of the composite signal may be received by conventional AM-band audio receivers. In certain embodiments, the analog signal is a single-sideband large-carrier or vestigial-sideband large-carrier signal, and the composite RF signal includes a digital signal whose spectrum is substantially confined in one inner sideband. In other embodiments, a baseband digital signal is combined with an analog monophonic audio signal and transmitted in upper inner and lower inner sidebands using nonlinear compatible quadrature amplitude modulation (NC-QAM). Additional digital signals' spectrum occupies the lower outer and upper outer sidebands.

Abstract: A chewing gum delivery system has nicotine, gum base and a buffer system with an improved release rate for the nicotine. The resulting delivery system advantageously provides a convenient, reliable, practical, and relatively painless system for delivering an active. The delivery system is capable of delivering initial and second doses of a craving reduction active or other actives (e.g., nicotine), the combination of which rapidly reduces cravings, or provides some other pharmacological effect, and provides the pharmacological effect or protection from such cravings over a prolonged period of time beyond the initial dose. Notably, the delivery system is capable of rapidly achieving a pharmacologically effective concentration of the active (e.g., nicotine) in the bloodstream (e.g.

Abstract: The invention concerns a pressing cushion (1, 6) having a textile thread system (2, 3, 7 which is characterized in that the thread system has a knitted material (2) or is made of a knitted material (7).

Abstract: A controlled plumbing fixture includes a plumbing fixture having an electromechanical valve for regulating the flow of water. A control assembly is operably associated with the valve for controlling operation thereof. A self-calibrating push button is operably associated with the control assembly for supplying a demand signal thereto and for thereby causing the control assembly to supply a control signal to the valve for causing operation thereof.

Abstract: A unit (1) for deflating and/or inflating tires (42-49) has a regulating device (2) that has an air input (6) for connection to a compressed-air source (65) and at least one air output (8, 9) for connection to air-pressure lines (10, 11, 16, 17, 18-25). The regulating device (2) has a regulating member (67) with which a specific working pressure is implemented in the air-pressure lines (10, 11, 16, 17, 18-25) after connection to the tires. (42-49). The regulating member (67) is connected to a manually actuable adjusting device (57) with which different predetermined working pressures are established. The adjusting device (57) has at least two manually actuable switching members (59, 60, 61), each of which is associated with one of the different predetermined working pressures. Actuation of a switching member allows the regulating member (67) to be respectively adjusted to the respective predetermined working pressure associated with the switching member (59, 60, 61).

Abstract: A locking mechanism is provided for a roll-off container hoist. The locking mechanism secures a roll-off container to the roll-off container hoist when the hoist is in a transport orientation and releases the roll-off container when the hoist is moved from the transport orientation toward a hoisting orientation. Also provided is a container hoist which includes such a locking mechanism, as well as a vehicle which carries a locking-mechanism-equipped container hoist. A method of using the container hoist likewise is provided. Preferably, the locking mechanism requires no springs or other resilient actuators and instead is freely actuated by gravity in one direction and by engagement with a preferably rigid actuating surface in an opposite direction. The locking mechanism includes a movable plate and a guide for the movable plate. The movable plate is freely movable through the guide, from a locking position to an unlocking position and vice versa.

Abstract: A paper machine fabric has a paper side and a machine side facing away from the paper side. The fabric comprises a plurality of cross direction threads and machine direction threads. Each machine direction thread has a first portion woven with the cross direction threads, a loop, and a second portion adjacent the first portion and woven with the cross direction threads, with the loop connecting the first and second portions. Each first portion is adjacent to a first portion of an adjacent machine direction thread. The first portions have a same first repeated weaving pattern, each one of which is in phase. Each second portion is adjacent to a second portion of an adjacent machine direction thread. The second portions have a same second repeated weaving pattern, each one of which is in phase. The first repeated weaving pattern differs from the second repeated weaving pattern.

Abstract: The invention is a seam for joining opposed ends of a belt for recirculation in machines. The seam comprises a reinforcing wire and at least two elongated coupling elements, each of which extends in the transverse belt direction. Each of the coupling elements comprises first and second sides and a row of coupling loops along the first side. The reinforcing wire extends through one of the coupling elements adjacent the second side. Coupling loops of two adjacent coupling elements are cooperable in such that they may be overlapped to result in a passthrough channel extending in the transverse belt direction and through which a coupling wire can be inserted. Each of the coupling elements is configured as a tubular coupling sleeve having cutouts. The cutouts are configured complementarily to the coupling loops such that coupling loops of one coupling element of a pair of adjacent coupling sleeves fit into cutouts of another coupling element of the pair of adjacent coupling elements.

Abstract: A filter system includes a longitudinally extending housing having a housing inlet and a housing outlet. A plurality of longitudinally extending, cross-sectionally rectangular cassette cases are exchangeably mounted within the housing. Each cassette case has an inlet associated with the housing inlet for receiving a medium to be filtered, and an outlet associated with said housing outlet for supplying filtered medium thereto. A plurality of longitudinally extending, cross-sectionally rectangular apertured filter elements formed of a ceramic filter medium are affixed within each cassette case. Each filter element of each cassette case extends along and is disposed adjacent at least one filter element of the associated cassette case. Each filter element has an inlet for receiving medium to be filtered and an outlet from which filtered medium flows.