Abstract: A protective garment is provided and includes a jacket having various releasably mounted protective components. The jacket includes a protective collar of ballistic resistant fabric for protecting the neck of a wearer and has front and rear portions which are releasably connected together at opposed side portions of the collar so that the front and rear portions can fold down when not in use. A protective plate is releasably fastened to the front of the jacket and the fastening mechanism allows the plate to be held in a number of different vertical positions. The jacket also includes a rear pocket for housing a rear protective plate. The sleeves of the jacket include a sleeve extension which is slideably mounted to the main sleeve to vary its effective length.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted for mounting on a head protector including sensor means for sensing the presence of a head in the head protector. The sensor means includes first and second spaced apart electrode elements adapted to sense the dielectric of a head and the one or more electrode elements include a fastener for fastening an object to the head protector.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting to a head protector including a housing having a plurality of parts each defining a portion of the housing, one or more components to be accommodated in the housing, and one or more apertures in the housing for introducing a compound for securing the one or more components in the housing, a protrusion on the exterior surface of the housing for abutting against the exterior surface of the head protector, and a sensor and a coupling for mechanically coupling the sensor to the protrusion to minimize relative movement between the head protector and the sensor.

Abstract: Fused cyclopentane—4-substituted 3,5-dioxalane lactone compounds useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of prostaglandin analogs are provided. The compounds have the formula A: wherein R represents an aryl group such as p-methoxyphenyl. This compound can be reacted with a lower alkyl aluminum compound to open the dioxalane ring and reduce the lactone to lactol, without over-reducing to diol. The resulting compound can be functionalized to insert chemical side groups of target prostaglandins, adding the required ?-side chain and then the required ?-side chain sequentially and independently of each other. The compounds and process are particularly suitable for preparing lubiprostone.

Abstract: Epoxy resins are chemically attached to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), in a one-step process in which a reaction mixture comprising the epoxy polymer, the CNTs and a bridging agent which is a chemical compound capable of forming living polymers, e.g. styrene or MMA is formed and radical formation is initiated in the reaction mixture; the epoxy polymer or monomer grafts onto the CNTs through the intermediary block of the bridging agent.

Abstract: The invention comprises a hose support for supporting a hose extending from a CPAP or oxygen machine to a mask on a user. The hose support comprises a housing, a reel mounted within said housing and having a tape wound thereon, a tensioning mechanism operatively connected to said tape for maintaining a pre-determined tension in said tape, such that the tape extends when under a tension greater than said pre-determined tension and retracts when slack is provided, and a connector attached to a free end of said tape, said connector sized and dimensioned to be secured to a fixed position on the hose. The fixed position defining a tensioned segment of the hose, extending from said connector to the mask. The pre-determined tension is selected to support the tensioned segment of the hose away from the user, and wherein said tape extends and retracts in response to movement of the user, thereby maintaining the tensioned segment away from the user.

Abstract: The invention consists of a method of real-time tracking of production schedules and timetables for one or more homebuilding developments, comprising: a) assigning one or more mobile devices to one or more users associated with projects and lots, the mobile devices providing access to project and lot information, including: lots for completion for each project, tasks for completion for each lot, assignment of suppliers and material to specific tasks, projected and actual times for completion of tasks, contact information for suppliers and invoicing information for payment of purchase orders upon task completion; and each mobile device capable of operating independently without a continuous connection to a central system; b) tracking performance of production tasks for each project via real-time monitoring by the users; c) reporting task performance data to a central ERP system and comparing real-time performance of the production tasks to scheduled timetables for the production tasks; d) enabling modification

Abstract: A reusable and absorptive mat for the absorption, dispersion and retention of a liquid is disclosed. The absorptive mat comprises a plurality of non-woven layers, of carded and randomly laid viscose rayon fibres having a cross-section of substantially rigid multi-limbed configuration. The layers are stitchbonded in an as laid state, thereby substantially limiting entanglement and breaking of individual fibres. The stitchbonding is performed with a thread under limited tension so as to maintain uniformity of the absorptive mat. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a reusable and washable article for the absorption, dispersion and retention of a liquid comprising providing a plurality of viscose rayon fibres, carding the plurality of fibres, randomly laying the carded fibres into a continuous random web structure and stitchbonding the continuous random web structure in an as laid state.

Abstract: The invention provides a pre-mix of positive electrode material in transportable solid form comprising polymer and solid particles of electrochemically active material and/or electronically conductive additives and a process for preparing a pre-mix positive electrode in transportable solid form. The pre-mix positive electrode material may also comprise an alkali metal salt either dissolved or dispersed in the mixture. The invention also provides making a cathode film from the transportable solid pre-mix of positive electrode material.

Abstract: A process for making an electrode sheet for a solid lithium electrochemical cells is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of: a) admixing a polyether polymer or copolymer, at least one lithium salt, at least one electrochemically active material and purified water to form an aqueous solution/suspension containing by weight at least 40% purified water, at least 20% active electrode material, up to 10% electrically conductive material, at least 5% polyether polymer or copolymer, and at least 1.5% lithium salt; b) coating the aqueous solution/suspension in the form of an electrode thin film onto an electrode support; and, c) evaporating the water from the electrode thin film to obtain an electrode sheet having less than 1000 ppm of residual water. The evaporation step is preferably carried out through a dryer/oven tunnel having incremental drying zones.

Abstract: A method for making a battery is disclosed which comprises providing a plurality of Electrochemical Cell (EC) bundles; providing a current collecting terminal having first and second ends; electrically connecting the projections of the sheet like electrodes extending from one end a first EC bundle together via the first end of the current collecting terminal; electrically connecting the projections of the sheet like electrodes extending from one end of a second EC bundle together via the second end of the current collecting terminal such that the first and second EC bundles are mechanically and electrically connected together and form a string of at least two EC bundles; and folding the string of at least two EC bundles by bending the current collecting terminal connecting the at least two EC bundles together such that the first and second EC bundles are positioned in a side by side relationship.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method of authenticating and encrypting a client-server communication, comprising the steps of: a) generating a first one-time password (OTP1) and a second one-time password (OTP2) from a cryptographic token; b) generating an encryption key (K_ENC) and a MAC key (K_MAC) based on OTP2; c) preparing and protecting the client data using K_ENC and K_MAC; d) sending a request message from the client to the server, the request message containing the protected client data, a cryptographic token identifier (TID) and OTP1; e) validating OTP1 at the server, and generating OTP2 at the server upon successful validation; f) deriving K_ENC and K_MAC from OTP2 at the server; g) processing the request message and generating result data h) encrypting the result data using K_ENC and creating a digest using K_MAC; i) sending the encrypted result data to the client; and i) decrypting the result data at the client using K_ENC and verifying the authenticity of the result data using K_MAC.

Abstract: A system and method of providing a client with cashflow monitoring during a transfer of services (e.g. pre-authorized debits and credits) from a first account to a second account, the method comprising the steps of: (i) determining an effective date for the transfer of each service, said effective dates creating a transfer window; (ii) determining cashflows for said first account and said second account during said transfer window; (iii) adjusting effective dates for transfer of each services to avoid cashflow interruptions in said first and said second accounts; and (iv) providing a cashflow analysis to the client that lists all the effective dates for each service transfer and predicted cashflows for said first and said second account during said transfer window.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of binding a security element to a device, comprising: generating a passkey to encrypt the security element, the passkey being a combination of attributes, and one of the attributes being a Device ID associated with said device. Preferably, the device is a mobile device. The combination of attributes may include the following: a) a build secret, the build secret consisting of a string which is generated when the software application is created; b) a salt, the salt consisting of a random string; wherein the build string and the salt are stored as non-printable strings within encryption code of the passkey.

Abstract: A nozzle valve gate for injecting hot plastics into an injection mold includes a body having a passage for flow of the plastics to an outlet and forming an actuator chamber. A nozzle part is connected to the body and extends longitudinally to a nozzle tip having an injection aperture. The nozzle part has a flow passageway connected to the plastics outlet for conducting the plastics melt to the injection aperture and a machined bore forming a guide passageway. A valve pin is movable in the guide passageway between open and closed positions. A piston is connected to the pin and is slidable in the actuator chamber. An elastomeric wiper seal extends around the valve pin adjacent the machined bore, is wear resistant, and can withstand high temperatures of at least 200° C. A micro gap is formed between the pin and the machined bore.

Abstract: Paricalcitol, a synthetic vitamin D analog, is purified to a purity greater than 99.7% by crystallization from solution in isopropyl acetate solvent, followed by filtration and vacuum drying. Isopropyl acetate appears to be unique among commonly available and pharmaceutically acceptable solvents in its ability to precipitate paricalcitol in this high purity, essentially free of isomers thereof. In addition, paricalcitol of purity of at least 99.9% has been shown to have exceptional storage stability.