Abstract: A preferred embodiment of a lifting device includes a mounting column having a first major portion extending in a first direction, and a second major portion fixedly coupled to the first major portion and extending in a second direction. The lifting device also comprises a lifting arm rotatably mounted on the second major portion of the mounting column and having a first hole formed therein for receiving a pin, a bracket fixedly coupled to the second portion of the mounting column and having a second hole formed therein for receiving the pin so that the pin restrains the lifting arm from substantial rotation about the second major portion of the mounting column, and a retaining member secured to the second major portion of the mounting column so that the bracket and the retaining member restrain the lifting arm from substantial movement in the second direction.

Abstract: A walker is disclosed having two sets of handles positioned for rising from and lowering to a seated position in addition to serving as a walking aid. The walker comprises a frame having a front section comprising a pair of front vertical supports and a rigid cross-piece, and two side sections each comprising a rear vertical support having a load-bearing axis formed through a ground-engaging point, rigid connectors connecting the side sections to the front section, a first pair of handles positioned to support a user in a standing or walking position, and a second pair of handles positioned below and to the rear of the first set of handles to support a user in rising from or lowering to a seated position, in which the geometric centers of each of the second pair of handles is positioned to the rear of the load-bearing axis of each of the rear vertical supports.

Abstract: An improvement to the known method/system for distribution of elements displayed in GUI windows and similar processing environments is disclosed. A visible, moveable, and size-adjustable bounding box is provided. The user can specify any size for the bounding box and locate the bounding box anywhere in the window. In this manner, the user adjusts the size and location of the bounding box as desired, rather than having to manipulate the various elements to try to define the desired spacing and location.

Abstract: A method for facilitating sales of goods of independent sellers. The method involves receiving a standard identification code, such as a UPC or ISBN code, of readily identifiable goods. The standard identification code is transmitted by a seller to a third-party marketeer who adds the good to its virtual inventory of goods for sale. The marketeer then presents the independent sellers' goods for sale to buyers shopping in the marketeer's marketplace. The marketeer need not take actual possession of the goods, yet the marketeer may properly present the goods for sale because the characteristics of the good identified by the standard identification code are known. The marketeer may set a price for the goods, e.g. as a function of a competing vendor's price for a comparable good having the same standard identification code.

Abstract: A method for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties. An independent seller is presented with a menu including selectable options for deriving a sale price for the independent seller's good. Each of the options corresponds to a respective predetermined method for determining the sale price. The sale price for the independent seller's good is derived using the predetermined method corresponding to a seller-selected option. Goods in addition to those registered for sale at a website of the marketeer may be presented in an electronic marketplace. Information concerning such additional goods may be retrieved from a database accessible to the marketeer controller. If a buyer wishes to purchase a certain good from the electronic marketplace, and the certain good has not been registered for sale at the website of the marketeer, the marketeer may refer the buyer to a third party vendor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to controlled, magnetohydrodynamically-driven, fluidic networks containing a plurality of individually controlled branches. The branches consist of conduits equipped with pairs of electrodes that are controlled by electrode controllers. In operation, the network is placed within a magnetic field and potentials or currents are applied across electrode pairs within the various branches of the network in specifically determined magnitudes and polarities for specifically determined time intervals in accordance with an activation sequence that may be determined by an algorithm. Placed within a temperature gradient, at least a part of the network can act as a thermal cycler for use in biological interactions that employ temperature variations.

Abstract: A method for using a telephone to list a seller's good for sale on a website including the steps of receiving good-identifying information from a seller via a telephone and presenting the good for sale on a website. The good-identifying information may be received as a series of tones generated by depression of keys of a telephone. The tones may optionally be used to navigate through a voice prompt system or to provide information about the good, such as the good's UPC code, ISBN number and/or characteristics of the good. The seller's provision of a standard identification code allows the marketeer to retrieve information relating to the good from a database and to use such information to present the good for sale. Such information, and/or the characteristics provided by the seller that are specific to the good may optionally be used to set or recommend a price for the good.

Abstract: An electric cutoff circuit for preventing overheating of a load. The current shutoff circuit includes an FET connected to a motor circuit. A relay fault detection circuit is connected to the motor circuit to detect potential at the motor circuit. A CPU sends a control signal to a relay. The CPU determines whether a fault has occurred in the relay based on the control signal sent to the relay and the detection of the relay fault detection circuit. When determining that a fault has occurred in the relay, the CPU opens the FET to configure an open circuit with the motor circuit.

Abstract: A valve (49) which is intended for insertion into the line connecting a fuel pump to a system of injection valves and which is designed as a pressure-maintaining valve is characterized by a pipe body (50) intended to have a flow passing through it, into which a sleeve (53) is inserted which forms a damping cylinder (55) in a middle region, inside which damping cylinder one end of a blocking body (57) is received so as to be able to slide in the direction of the axis (58) of the pipe body (50). The opposite end of the blocking body (57) is characterized by a sealing body (67) which is formed from an elastomeric material and which cooperates with a valve seat (66) which is allocated a through bore (65) in a transverse wall (63) of the pipe body (50). The blocking body (57) lies against this valve seat under resilient pretensioning and the movement of the blocking body is damped or is accompanied by the lowest possible noise development by reason of the cooperation with the damping cylinder.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product, by which portions of the session information that page-content is dependent upon are “pushed” to the client from the origin server in a way such that auxiliary servers, e.g. other application servers and edge-servers, have access to the session information and fragment dependancy data to generate auxiliary-server cache-IDs for the custom pages. This enables distribution of the load away from the origin server, allowing better application distribution and scalability through more effective caching.

Abstract: A prothrombin time reagent for determination of low molecular weight heparin in frsh whole blood and in anti-coagulant treated blood is provided. The reagent is composed of recombinant animal tissue factor, and a mixture of synthetic phospholipids, which mixture includes a phosphatidylalcohol. A formulation buffer which includes a sensitivity adjuster is used in formulating the reagent. The recombinant animal tissue factor includes rabbit brain. The synthetic phospholipids of the mixture include palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC), palmitoyloleoyl-phosphatidylserine (POPS), and a phosphatidylalcohol. The phosphatidyl alcohol includes dioleoylphosphatidylethanol, dioleoylphosphatidylmethanol, dioleoylphosphatidylpropanol, dioleoylphosphatidylbutanol, and dioleoylphosphatidylinositol. The sensitivity adjuster included in the formulation buffer is ?-Cyclodextrin. The formulated reagent is air-dried and remains stable for at least 3 weeks at 37° C.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically controlling the gain of a digital radio receiving circuit in which a single set of analogue amplifiers is used as the front end to feed two separate digital back-end, demodulating circuits, and in which, for optimal performance, each of the two digital demodulating circuits require the front end analogue amplifiers to operate over a significantly different dynamic range. An automatic-gain-control selector selects one of two automatic-gain control signals to set the gain of the analogue amplifier. In addition, the automatic-gain-control selector sets a compensatory gain of a digital automatic gain control in the back-end circuit not selected, so that the unselected demodulating circuit has substantially the same input signal as if it had been selected. In this way, both demodulating circuits can process the input signal as if they were in control of the analogue amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention provides a “smart” AP, whereby the AP periodically checks its connection with a network and, if a determination is made that the connection between the AP and the network server has been lost, an indication of this loss of connection is made available to all wireless stations connected to the AP. In a preferred embodiment, the indication given to the wireless stations is in the form of an SSID change. When the AP detects the loss of network connection, it automatically changes its SSID from a primary SSID to an alternative SSID. The wireless stations receive the alternative SSID and, since they are configured to connect to the primary SSID, immediately and automatically begin to search for another AP in the system that is using the primary SSID, and then connect to AP having the strongest signal. In one embodiment, the alternative SSID's can be selected so as to provide diagnostic assistance to a person attempting repairs to the faulty AP/network connection.

Abstract: An electronic circuit for terminating a plurality of conductors at a node of a network, including means to detect current flowing through one of the conductors and means to switch between a continuing circuit, whereby continuity of the network is maintained, on detecting current above a first predetermined threshold, and a terminating circuit, whereby the network is terminated with an appropriate terminating circuit, upon detection of current at, or below, a second predetermined threshold.