Abstract: A lift assembly is provided for a platform such as used on a ship. The platform can have four spaced apart hitch points. In one embodiment, the lift assembly includes four trolley drive assemblies, each trolley drive assembly including a trolley guidable along a guide rail, and a drive configured to displace the trolley along the guide rails, each trolley being coupled to at least one hitch point. In a second embodiment, a tension leveling assembly is provided in a trolley drive assembly and is configured to couple each of the wire ropes to the trolley and maintain substantially the same amount of tension in each wire rope. In a third embodiment, the lift assembly can be provided on a ship that also includes a vessel for holding water.

Abstract: A load interrupter, especially to be mounted on a busbar includes a housing and a cover that is hinged thereto, a snap switch mechanism for establishing or interrupting an electrical connection between corresponding contacts. A control lever for switching between a current-carrying operation and a current interrupting operation, and a control mechanism which, depending on the position of the control lever, releases or blocks a release element for a displacement. The release element being coupled to a locking device which is arranged in such a manner that it can be engaged with or disengaged from the cover.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a linear series of connected unitary sheet-like merchandise labeling articles, each of which comprises a labeling tag flatly cojoined along a unifying flat bond zone with a flexible elastic layer that extends away from the tag and includes an elastic fastening loop. Adjacent labeling articles of the series are ruptureably connected in a manner permitting the series to be handled as a unit while at the same time permitting ruptureable separation of individual merchandise labeling articles from the series. In one embodiment, the linear series is wound into roll form.

Abstract: A pet toy includes an internal skeletal member having an inner surface and an outer surface. The internal skeletal member is configured to deform upon compression such that opposing sides of the internal surface come into contact with each other. An outer covering surrounds the skeletal member. A sound-emitting squeaker device is located within an internal space of the internal skeletal member. The sound-emitting squeaker device remains free to move throughout the internal space of the internal skeletal member.

Abstract: A method resulting in differentiation of T-cells for use in cell therapy includes labeling the T-cells with a first array of antibodies specific for T-cell surface antigens; applying a universal cross-linking agent to the labeled T-cells with the first array of antibodies; labeling the T-cells with a second array of antibodies specific for T-cell surface antigens; and applying a universal cross-linking agent to the labeled T-cells with the second array of antibodies.

Abstract: A receiver circuit is provided on an integrated circuit. The receiver circuit includes first and second power supply terminals, a ground supply terminal, a resistive element coupled between the first and second power supply terminals, and a receiver biased between the second power supply terminal and the ground supply terminal. The receiver draws a bias current through the resistive element, which varies as a positive function with a voltage on the second power supply terminal. The voltage on the second power supply terminal varies as an inverse function of the bias current.

Abstract: Particular embodiments of a display fixture for displaying sheet products to consumers can include first and second frame members that are toollessly and removably mounted to a rear support frame, wherein the first frame member includes horizontal trays and the second frame member includes vertical bays. The display fixture may also include a first set of vertical bays that are arranged lateral of the horizontal trays and angled away from the horizontal trays at a first angle. The display fixture may further include a second set of vertical bays that are arranged lateral of the horizontal trays and angled away from the horizontal trays at a second angle that is different from the first angle.

Abstract: A synchronization adapter is coupled to the application that does not support synchronization and generates the necessary synchronization metadata for all data in the application that is to be synchronized. The synchronization adapter then combines the metadata to the actual data to be synchronized to form a synchronization feed. The synchronization feed is stored in an internal cache (or data store) which is internal to the application, or an external cache (or data store), which is external to the application, or it can be stored in both caches. The synchronization adapter also intermittently determines whether the application data has changed, thus warranting a change in its metadata, or whether a synchronization operation is warranted to synchronization operation is warranted to synchronize the data with data in another application. In either case, the synchronization adapter makes the changes to the data, or performs a synchronization operation.

Abstract: An industrial process control transmitter includes a first input configured to couple to a first sensor, and a second input configured to couple to a second sensor. Measurement circuitry is configured to couple to the first and second sensors and provide an output related to a sensed process variable. A multiplexer is configured to selectively couple the first and second sensors to the measurement circuitry. An equalizer circuit is coupled to the first and second sensors and configured to equalize a voltage potential between the first sensor and the measurement circuitry.

Abstract: A trace detector is disclosed. The trace detector comprises: a desorption chamber defining a desorption region, and the desorption chamber has a housing. The housing has a sample feeding port for introducing a substance to be detected into the desorption chamber and a gas discharge port for discharging gas entraining the sample from the desorption chamber. A controller is used for controlling the trace detector in such a manner that the sample feeding port and the gas discharge port are in fluid communication with the desorption chamber during pre-concentration process of the trace detector, thereby continuously feeding and collecting the sample. With the above manner, data collecting, processing and analyzing processes may be performed by the trace detector throughout the sample feeding process and the gas pre-concentrating process.

Abstract: A planarization process may planarize a media disk that has data trenches between data features and larger servo trenches between servo features. A filler material layer is deposited on the media disk and provides step coverage of the trenches. The filler material has data recesses over the data trenches and servo recesses over the servo trenches that must be removed to produce a planar media surface. A first planarization process is used to remove the data recesses and a second planarization process is used to remove the servo recesses.

Abstract: An oxygen-scavenging composition is provided that includes an oxygen-scavenging component and a catalyst. The oxygen-scavenging component, which in preferred embodiments is suitable for use in packaging articles, includes two or more oxygen-scavenging groups having different scavenging properties. In one embodiment, one of the oxygen-scavenging groups is an unsaturated bicyclic group.

Abstract: A head or slider having a sensor element to detect changes in head-media spacing is disclosed. In illustrated embodiments the sensor element includes a piezoelectric sensor layer or similar layer that provides acoustic emission or vibration responsive to changes in head-media spacing. In illustrated embodiments, the sensor element is located proximate to the close point of the head and slider. In embodiments described in the specification, output from the sensor element is utilized to energize a heating element or microactuator to control pole tip protrusion or actuation of transducer elements responsive to changes in head-media spacing.

Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a channel detector is disclosed that includes a programmable look-up table (LUT) to relate user bits to channel bits. The programmable LUT is adapted to be implemented on a state trellis of arbitrary radix. The channel detector further includes a sectional precoder coupled to a channel and having access to the programmable LUT. The sectional precoder is adapted to map channel bits to user bits and vice versa using a programmable LUT.

Abstract: A method is provided for configuring the service quality profile of a given flow at the access node of a packet communication network to which is connected to the gateway of a receiving user of the flow. The method includes a step where the gateway determines on its own a service quality profile to be associated with the flow, that is triggered upon reception of a packet from the access node, and a step where the service quality profile thus determined is sent to the access node. The profile is used by the access node for transmitting packets intended for the gateway and belonging to the flow in question.

Abstract: An apparatus for buffering products comprises at least three buffer conveyors arranged in series, which can be driven independently of each other, a first buffer conveyor which can be connected to supply device for supplying products and a last buffer conveyor which can be connected to discharge device for discharging the products, wherein the buffer conveyors are so arranged that each of the products follows the same conveying path and that at least one of the buffer conveyors comprises a spiral path.

Abstract: A computing system includes an interferometer and a processor. The interferometer is configured to generate at least two phase shifted images of an optical fiber specimen. The processor is configured to acquire the at least two phase shifted images from the interferometer, generate a first intermediate data set based on the at least two acquired phase shifted images and perform two-dimensional defect detection on the first intermediate data set.

Abstract: A method of providing automatic reading tutoring is disclosed. The method includes retrieving a textual indication of a story from a data store and creating a language model including constructing a target context free grammar indicative of a first portion of the story. A first acoustic input is received and a speech recognition engine is employed to recognize the first acoustic input. An output of the speech recognition engine is compared to the language model and a signal indicative of whether the output of the speech recognition matches at least a portion of the target context free grammar is provided.