Abstract: The disclosure includes a coaxial microwave applicator for plasma production, including a coaxial tube formed by a central core and an outer conductor separated from the central core by an annular space allowing propagation of microwaves. The applicator includes: a cylindrical permanent magnet disposed at the end of the central core; and at least one annular permanent magnet disposed at the end of the outer conductor, all of the magnets disposed at the end of the coaxial tube having the same direction of magnetization. The magnetization of the magnets forms a magnetic field suitable for generating, in a zone away from the end of the applicator, an electronic cyclotronic resonance coupling with the electric microwave field of the applicator. The external radius and the magnetization of the annular magnet are selected such that the magnetic field lines generated by the magnets pass through the coupling zone in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the applicator.

Abstract: An electronic smoking device (1) includes a mouthpiece (2), a heating element (4) and a body portion (5) which contains a liquid reservoir (6). The heating element (4) is adapted to vaporize liquid (7) supplied from the reservoir (6) to generate an aerosol. A flow path (8) extends from the heating element (4) to the mouthpiece (2). Flavour carrying units (9, 10) are permeable to the vaporized liquid (7) and carry flavoured material (11, 12). The flavoured material is selectively and individually exposed to the flow path 8 creating a flavoured aerosol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composition that contains a first semiconductor SC1, particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state selected from among an element of groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB, IIIA, IVA and VA of the periodic table, and a second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide, with said first semiconductor SC1 being in direct contact with said particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state, with said particles being in direct contact with said second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide in such a way that the second semiconductor SC2 covers at least 50% of the surfaces of the particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state. The invention also relates to its preparation method as well as its application of photocatalysis.

Abstract: A method for input driven process flow management includes receiving a request, each request having an input and an output, identifying tasks for a process fit for the request type, receiving inputs; generating, based on the inputs and the process, a process flow step, and executing the process flow step to generate results (outputs). The method further includes receiving a second set of inputs, different than the first set of inputs, generating, based on the second set of inputs and the process, a second process flow step different than the first process flow, and executing the second process flow step to generate a second set of results, and so on, until all tasks are executed, or a termination task has been reached.

Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating risk assessment for point of sale transactions utilizing at least one risk triggering value (RTV) is disclosed. An RTV is a condensed version of a set of complex risk data and strategies usually found in central processing sites. After receiving a request for payment authorization, a risk value is calculated for the request. The distributed processing site compares the risk value to the RTV to determine whether to authorize payment. If the risk value is less than or equal to the RTV, the payment is authorized while a risk value greater than the RTV will not be authorized. The central site calculates a new RTV for the account and distributes the new RTV to the distributed processing site.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for providing targeted messages to a person using telephony services by generating user profile information from telephony data and using the user profile information to retrieve targeted messages.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing prepaid cash alternatives and resolving exceptions related to the sale of prepaid cash alternatives such as traveler's cheques or prepaid cards. Reports of sales may be reviewed to identify exceptions, and information explaining the exceptions may be made available electronically. Sellers may be notified of exceptions by e-mail, which may include a link or address to information explaining the exceptions. The information may be provided in real time through a secure site on a network, such as the Internet. A company may contract with business partners to sell the prepaid cash alternatives to customers, and the business partners may report the sales to the company via reports. After being notified of exceptions, business partners may provide corrected information or new information to resolve the exceptions.

Abstract: In an electronic cigarette, separate cartridge and vaporizer units are provided. The cartridge unit may have a cartridge tube containing a liquid with a seal sealing the liquid within the cartridge tube. The vaporizer unit may have a piercer and a heater, with the front side of the vaporizer unit moveable into engagement with the cartridge unit, causing the piercer to pierce the seal in preparation for use of the electronic cigarette. A battery may be connected to a back side of the vaporizer unit. The vaporizer unit may also have and an electronic circuit electrically connected to the heater and to an inhalation sensor.

Abstract: A downhole packer includes a first locking member positioned at least partially around an outer surface of an oilfield tubular. The first locking member includes an inner surface that engages the outer surface of the oilfield tubular, and a tapered outer surface. A drive ring is positioned at least partially around the first locking member. The drive ring includes a reverse-tapered inner surface that engages the tapered outer surface of the first locking member. A first cap is movably coupled with the drive ring, disposed at least partially around the first locking member, and axially engaging the first locking member. Moving at least one of the first cap and the drive ring toward the other causes the drive ring to apply a radially-inward force on the first locking member, causing the first locking member to be secured to the tubular.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aqueous composition comprising a suspension of ZnO particles and a polymer stabiliser containing carboxylic acid functions and carboxylic acid salt functions.

Abstract: A processing method for identifying data by an audio conversion device includes: connecting the audio conversion device to a first terminal; sending an identification code stored in the audio conversion device to the first terminal, and sending the identification code to a server via the first terminal, wherein the identification code is used to identify the audio conversion device; obtaining user data; uploading the user data to the server, such that the server stores a correspondence between the identification code and the user data; connecting the audio conversion device to a second terminal; sending the identification code stored in the audio conversion device to the second terminal; sending a data obtaining request containing the identification code to the server; and receiving the user data sent corresponding to the identification code in response to the data obtaining request, or receiving multimedia data matching multimedia using feature information in the user data.

Abstract: A capsule for use with an electronic smoking device includes a shell (105) having a lateral wall (101, 102) and an end wall (103), wherein the lateral wall (101, 102) and the end wall (103) defines a cavity (110) open at one end (111). A puncturable membrane (104) seals the open end (111) of the cavity (110). A liquid is contained within the cavity (110) by the shell (105) and the puncturable membrane (104), wherein a liquid transporting element (120) is arranged within the cavity (110) enclosed by the puncturable membrane (104) and immersed in the liquid.

Abstract: An earphone line control device includes a power supply management unit, a filter unit, a switching circuit and a control unit. The switching circuit includes a switch in series with a resistance, a first end of the power supply management unit and an end of the filter unit are both connected to a power supply, a second end of the power supply management unit is connected to a first end of the control unit, the other end of the filter unit is connected to a second end of the control unit, a third end of the power supply management unit is connected to ground, a third end of the control unit is connected to ground, an end of the resistance is connected to the power supply, the other end of the resistance is in series with an end of the switch and connected to a fifth end of the control unit, and the other end of the switch is connected to a forth end of the control unit. When the switch is turned off, the control unit outputs a preset coded pulse signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for characterizing a sample using a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrameter in which an effective field is generated. The field has an effective vector and results from a static magnetic field and a radiofrequency magnetic field. The effective vector rotates relative to a terrestrial reference frame.

Abstract: A method, using a mobile device, of initiating the processing of a transaction for a parking session between a parking system and a payment provider on behalf of a user, the method comprising storing a user identifier in memory on the mobile device, receiving a parking identifier and transmitting the user identifier and the parking identifier to a network server.

Abstract: A system and a method for starting a rotor of an implantable blood pump are described. For example, a blood pump system includes a rotary motor having a stator and a rotor. The rotor has permanent magnetic poles for magnetic levitation of the rotor, and the stator has a plurality of pole pieces arranged circumferentially at intervals. The blood pump system includes a controller configured to control a start phase of the rotor, wherein the start phase is prior to the rotor being positioned in a predefined geometric volume for pumping blood and wherein the start phase includes performing a rotation of the rotor by an angle larger than an angle corresponding to a quarter of an angular distance between two neighboring magnetic poles of the rotor.

Abstract: Interference is cancelled from a baseband signal by synthesizing interference from estimated symbols in interfering subchannels. The estimated symbols are hard-coded, soft weighted, or zeroed, depending on the value of an estimated pre-processed signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) in each subchannel in order to maximize a postprocessed SINR. The estimated pre-processed SINR is obtained from averages of estimated symbol energies and estimated noise variances, or from related statistical procedures.

Abstract: Disclosed are a sequence report method and a sequence report device for reducing a signaling amount for reporting a Zadoff-Chu sequence or a GCL sequence allocated for a cell. Indexes starting at 1 are correlated to different ZC sequences and are allocated for cells so that the indexes are continuous. When such ZC sequences are reported from BS to UE, a start index indicating the start of the continuous indexes is combined with the number of allocated sequences and they are reported as allocation sequence information by a report channel. The UE and the BS share the correlation between the ZC sequences and the indexes and the UE identifies a usable sequence number according to the correlation and the allocation sequence information reported from the BS.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.