Abstract: An apparatus for treating water to produce potable water includes a filter connected to an inlet of a heating unit in turn connected at an outlet to an input of a container with cooling components for separating out heavy water. The heavy water separator is coupled at an outlet to a tank having cooling and heating components and an ultraviolet radiation source for irradiating the water sample from the heavy water separator with ultraviolet radiation during a freezing and subsequent warming of the water sample. A storage vessel and a silver ionizer are disposed on a downstream side of the ultraviolet treatment tank. Various operations, including timing and water transfer, heating cooling and irradiating, are controlled by a programmed computer. Temperature sensors are disposed in the heating unit, the heavy water separator and the irradiation tank for monitoring temperatures of the water in the heating unit, the container and/or the tank.

Abstract: A method for use in laparoscopic hernia repair comprises the steps of inserting a distal end of a laparoscope through a patient's abdominal muscles to a point outside of the parietal peritoneum, and inserting through the abdominal muscles a distal end of an elongate instrument provided at that distal end with a balloon in a collapsed configuration, the balloon being transparent to optical radiation. Upon disposition of the balloon between the abdominal muscles and the peritoneum, the balloon is inflated and the instrument is subsequently manipulated from outside the patient to push the inflated balloon against connective tissues between the abdominal muscles and the peritoneum to shift the tissues to form a pre-peritoneal space. During the manipulation of the instrument with the balloon, the laparoscope is to view, through and around the inflated balloon, the connective tissues and other organic structures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence or absence of contaminating bacteria in a packaged food sample comprising storing food in a package having as a lining a hydrophilic polymeric composition, said composition preferably being permeable to water and at least one gas dissolved in water or water vapor and being selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen and ammonia gas and containing an indicator for detecting the presence or abscence of said gas; said indicator being polymerized or dispersed throughout said polymeric composition or coated onto a hydrophobic polymeric composition.

Abstract: A lever which is used in particular in the field of sports shoes and includes a lever arm 5 which is rotatably associated, at one end, with a support 3 which is rigidly coupled to a flap of the shoe. An auxiliary grip lever 11 for the user is associated with the lever arm at the free end and allows to increase the working length of the lever arm, thus ensuring easier closure thereof.

Abstract: A centrifuge includes a conveyor for moving cake along a cake flow path towards a cake discharge opening and further includes a baffle mounted to the conveyor and disposed along the cake flow path. The baffle is provided on an upstream side, facing substantially away from the discharge opening, with a concave profile or surface. This concave profile or surface serves to direct a portion of the cake, which is headed downstream along the cake flow path, into a recirculation or churning path directed partly back towards a pool. The recirculation or churning of the particulate material facilitates an enhanced washing thereof and improves the removal of valuable solutes or undesirable impurities from the cake.

Abstract: In a method for measuring in vivo coagulation rate, a fold of organic tissues is clamped so that a target blood vessel contained in the organic tissues is closed at a downstream point and an upstream point spaced from one another. Waveform energy is then directed through the clamped organic tissues. Waveform energy transmitted at least partially through the organic tissues is analyzed to determine a state of coagulation of blood trapped in the blood vessel between the downstream point and upstream point.

Abstract: An semi-solid mixture, such as a particulate meat mixture, is brought into contact with a vibrating surface, whereby energy is transported across the surface into the mixture. The vibration is generally contemplated to be in the ultrasonic frequency range, and the energy injection is contemplated to be sufficient to cause local physical and chemical changes in mixtures susceptible to such changes, and generally to cause changes in the direction of increased tensile strength and resistance to flow. In general a skin is formed on the mixture, and with greater processing efficiency then if such skin were formed by purely thermal means.

Abstract: There is provided a master cylinder in which a large quantity of working fluid can be supplied rapidly, the air bleeding takes less time in the manufacturing process, and satisfactory performance can be provided when traction control is operated. For the master cylinder MC, a first supply passage 19 for supplying a working fluid from a working fluid reservoir to a pressure chamber 9 through a working fluid supply port 20a, supply passages 22, 23 and 24, and a working fluid supply port 5b formed in a piston 5, a second supply passage 50 is formed in parallel with the first supply passage directly between the working fluid supply port 20a and the pressure chamber 9, and a check valve 51 is disposed in the second supply passage 50.

Abstract: A toothbrush holder device has a generally hemispherical support member having a hemispherically concave inner surface tapering down to a drainage hole in a lowermost part of the support member. The support member is provided with a plurality of apertures each traversable by a toothbrush handle. The apertures perforate or traverse the inner surface and are upwardly spaced from the hole and angularly spaced from one another about an axis of the support member. A plurality of partitions on the support member extend away from the inner surface of the support member. The partitions serve to at least partially isolate or separate toothbrushes which are resting on the inner surface of the support member and which have respective handles inserted through respective apertures. Preferably, the partitions are radially oriented inserted and are disposed between respective adjacent ones of the apertures.

Abstract: A process for adjusting the pH of an aqueous flowable fluid includes an electrochemical mechanism for adjusting the pH of an aqueous flowable fluid and a mechanism for then electrochemically stabilizing the adjusted pH of the fluid. A device for performing the process is also included. The device includes an inlet and a channel in fluid communication with the inlet. The channel has the appearance and properties of a U-shaped connected vessel. The U-shaped connected vessel includes an inlet accumulating passage in fluid communication with an active zone between two spaced electrodes wherein the active zone has a small volume relative to the passage for accelerating fluid flow from the passage through the active zone complying with the physics of connected vessels.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonic wave emitter and an ultrasonic wave sensor. The probe is movable along a skin surface of a patient in pressure-wave transmitting contact with that skin surface. An ultrasonic frequency generator is operatively connected to the wave emitter, while an ultrasonic-wave preprocessor is operatively connected to the sensor for periodically processing reflected ultrasonic pressure waves detected by the sensor. The wave preprocessor is programmed to derive preliminary structural data pertaining to the internal tissues of the patient, where the data consists essentially of separate sets of data, each set corresponding to a respective location of the probe relative to the patient. A memory is operatively connected to the preprocessor for storing the sets of data.

Abstract: An apparatus for chasing animals from an automobile includes a generator for producing energy which can be sensed by animals, means for mounting the generator to an automobile, and an activation device operatively connected to the generator for activating the generator upon detecting presence of an animal near the automobile. The activation device may include a motion sensor or an infrared sensor. The motion detector may take the form of an ultrasonic sensor, which is sensitive to vibrations in an ultrasonic frequency range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel emollient compound capryl isostearate, which is obtained from capryl alcohol and isostearic acid. These emollient compounds may then be used in dermatological products for their unexpected characteristics and as silicone-free carbon based replacements for the volatile cyclomethicones.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel anhydrous or water-in-oil synthetic ester compositions which are used in formulating dermatological products having uniform structure ranging in consistency from a soft gel to a hard stick. The compositions comprise a new component, dibehenyl fumaric acid ester, which has a melting point of approximately 72-74.degree. C. The dibehenyl fumaric acid ester component has exceptional benefits when used in combination with any cosmetically acceptable oil in varying ratios, to produce homogeneous materials having a uniform structure. The di-behenyl fumaric acid ester according to the present invention may be used to harden or stiffen any cosmetically acceptable oil or water-in-oil emulsions and can be used to create compositions varying widely in viscosity and/or hardness from gels to solid systems such as sticks or to enhance the stability of water-in-oil emulsions.

Abstract: A scum removal system for a sewage treatment or clarification tank having a feedwell or skimmer flight includes a scum trough disposed within the settling tank. A floating weir is disposed proximate to the scum trough. A membrane or sheet is partially wrapped or wound about the weir, at least one cable being connected to the membrane for pulling the membrane and concomitantly lowering the weir entrained therewith to permit surface scum to enter the trough from the settling tank. A mechanism for exerting increased tension on the cable to thereby lower the weir below the surface of the liquid in the clarification tank includes a camming lever or arm and an actuator. The lever is connected to the cable, while the actuator is mounted to the feedwell or a skimmer wiper arm so as to engage the camming lever and pivot the actuator lever about an axis.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser for medical applications includes a pressurized liquid container, a nozzle, and a conduit or flow guide connected to the container and the nozzle for defining a flow path between the container and the nozzle. A manually actuatable flow rate control mechanism is operatively coupled to the conduit or flow guide and is manipulable by a user to adjust an average rate of flow of liquid from the container to the nozzle. In addition, a manually actuatable pulse rate control mechanism is operatively coupled to the conduit or flow guide and is manipulable by a user to adjust a rate of pulsation in liquid flowing from the container to the nozzle. The invention thus enables a user to set flow rate and pulsation frequency as desired.

Abstract: Compounds based on the benzoxazine ring system that are remarkably more potent than corresponding benzoyl piperidines for enhancing synaptic responses mediated by AMPA receptors are disclosed, as are methods for the preparation thereof, and methods for their use for treatment of subjects suffering from impaired nervous or intellectual functioning due to deficiencies in the number of excitatory synapses or in the number of AMPA receptors. The invention compounds can also be used for the treatment of non-impaired subjects for enhancing performance in sensory-motor and cognitive tasks which depend on brain networks utilizing AMPA receptors and for improving memory encoding.

Abstract: An improved prefabricated elevated highway structure and a construction method thereof by which an elevated highway can be more easily and rapidly constructed without causing traffic congestion at a construction site, which highway includes an underground section for stably supporting the elevated highway and for effectively distributing the weight of the same to the ground; a plurality of support sections spaced from one another along a road on which the prefabricated elevated highway is constructed; a pavement section formed on the upper portion of the support sections; and a wall section formed at both sides of the road and along the pavement section.