Abstract: Various sensors use an electro-active device (11) electrically connected to a detector circuit. The electro-active device (11) comprises an electro-active structure in the form of a continuous electro-active member (12) curving in a helix around a minor axis (13) which is in itself curved for example in a helix around a major axis (14). On activation by relative displacement of the ends (16) of the device (11), the electro-active structure twists around the minor axis due to the fact that the minor axis (13) is curved. The continuous member (12) has a bender construction of a plurality of layers (21) and (22) including at least one layer of electro-active material so that concomitantly with the twisting the continuous member (12) bends generating an electrical signal detected by the detector circuit. The electro-active device (11) is advantageous as a sensing element in a sensor because it has a large displacement, high sensitivity and low compliance.

Abstract: A camera (30) uses an electro-active device (11) to position a movable lens. The electro-active device (11) comprises an electro-active structure in the form of a continuous electro-active member (12) curving in a helix around a minor axis (13) which is in itself curved for example in a helix around a major axis (14). The continuous member (12) has a bender construction of a plurality of layers (21 and 22) including at least one layer of electro-active material so that it bends, on activation, around the minor axis (13). Concomitantly with the bending, the electro-active structure twists around the minor axis. Concomitantly with that twisting, relative displacement of the ends (16) of the device (11) occurs due to the combination of the twisting around the minor axis (13) and the fact that the minor axis (13) is curved. This structure of the electro-active device (11) is compact and provides for linear displacement, thereby making it suitable for positioning the lens of the camera (30).

Abstract: A method for facilitating display of content in a browser window includes receiving a user request for content, determining that the requested content cannot be displayed in a browser window using a single page, and generating code which, when executed, causes the display of the requested content to be divided into multiple frames. Each frame displays a portion of the requested content. The frames displayed in the browser window appear to the user as a single page containing the requested content.

Abstract: A lighting module with improved reliability including a pair of LEDs connected in parallel and with the same polarity and a method for making the said light module are disclosed. The parallel LEDs with the same polarity will increase the reliability of the light module and make it suitable for use in light strings where a relatively large number of such light modules are connected in series and where the failure of one such light module will cause the failure of the entire light string. A light string made of such light modules and a method for making the light string are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the synthesis of monochloramine by reaction of an ammonium chloride solution with a sodium hypochlorite solution. The sodium hypochlorite solution is basified beforehand with an inorganic base and the ratio of the concentration of ammonium chloride in the reaction medium to the concentration of sodium hypochlorite in the reaction medium is between 1 and 1.5. This ratio is preferably equal to 1.1.

Abstract: An air temperature control assembly has an air temperature control unit with an optical receiver. A cover houses the air temperature control unit and the optical receiver. A light guide reflects light signals to the optical receiver. The light guide may be a reflecting surface angled to direct the light signal to the optical receiver.

Abstract: A system for entering objects from a set of objects into an electronic device is arranged to determine a first pointer position (11) on a display (10) and display, surrounding the first point position, a first plurality of individually selectable fields (12), each of which represents a subset of objects from the set of objects. Selection of a subset is performed by moving the pointer to the field (12a) containing the desired subset. The system then alternately displays, surrounding a selected field (12a), at least one additional plurality of individually selected fields (13), each of which represents either an individual object or a further subset of objects from the subset of objects represented in the previously selected field, and moving the pointer for selecting an additional field, until a field (13a) which represents an individual object has been selected. The selected individual object can then be entered by the user.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for detecting in vitro resistance of cancer cells to an oxaliplatin treatment characterized in that it consists in measuring mitochondrial apoptosis of cancer cells being treated or capable of being treated or to be treated with oxaliplatin.

Abstract: An improved warm air blower system for providing a compact source of pressurized air that can be utilized for delivering warm or ambient air to a patient through, for example, a warming blanket. The warm air blower system can include a compression unit and a plenum chamber having a plenum member with a curvilinear interior surface, the plenum member interior surface has a plurality of surface indentations to enable the formation of controlled local turbulence adjacent the interior surface to reduce friction and noise as the compressed air moves across the interior surface. The warm air blower system can be appropriately mounted on a vertical pole, bed, stand or floor mounted. Air filters can be used to filter the air before and after induction to the compression unit. The safe operation of the warm air blower system is appropriately controlled and monitored by a control unit that includes a thermostat.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting blocking artefacts within a sequence of digital images. The method comprises a step of high-pass filtering (110) a portion of a digital image, intended to supply at least one card of discontinuity pixels. It also comprises a step of detecting (120) blocking artefacts from the at least one card of discontinuity pixels. Finally, it comprises a step of searching (130), HPF within the portion of the digital image, a set of grid rows, a grid row having a density of discontinuity pixels which is substantially higher than that of its neighboring rows. Such a method of detecting blocking artefacts is particularly efficient and allows, for example, a better correction of blocking artefacts in the grid rows.

Abstract: A circumferential retractor apparatus including a first retractor paddle, a second retractor paddle and an elastic member. Each of the first and second retractor paddles includes a body portion with an arm extending outwardly therefrom. The arm supports a grasping surface. The arm of the retractor paddle has a hole formed therein through which the elastic member passes. A slot opens at a top edge of the body portion such that a respective end of the elastic member is received therein. The slot has a dog leg configuration with a wide opening adjacent the top edge of the body portion of the respective paddles.

Abstract: A circumferential retractor apparatus including a first retractor paddle having a grasping surface and a body portion supporting the grasping surface, a second retractor paddle having a grasping surface and a body portion supporting the grasping surface and an elastic member having one end received by the first retractor paddle and an opposite end received by the second retractor paddle. Each of the paddles has a hole formed therein of a size suitable for allowing the elastic member to pass therethrough. A slot is formed in the body portion so as to open to the hole. The slot is of a tapered configuration so as to have a wide end opening to the hole and a narrow end away from the hole. The grasping surface includes a plurality of fingers extending outwardly of the body portion. Each of the plurality of fingers are arranged in parallel spaced relationship to each other. The elastic member is a length of surgical tubing.

Abstract: A decoder decrypts data from the stream of data, using decryption control words. A secure device is coupled to the decoder to supply the control words. The secure device has a memory space for storing at least two items of entitlement information with associated authorization keys. The secure device has an input for receiving messages from the apparatus. The message contains information for example about the source of the stream. The secure device contains an execution unit that responds to the messages by selecting from among die at least two items, if stored, dependent on a content of the messages. The execution unit enables sending of the control words to the decoder subject to the presence and validity of the selected one of the items of entitlement information, after decryption of the control word with a decryption key associated with the selected one of the items.

Abstract: A torque device includes a housing rotatably accepting an inner ring assembly having a pin eccentrically disposed relative to a torque axis. A movable member is slidably or pivotably disposed in the housing to come into and out of engagement with the pin when the inner ring assembly rotates relative the housing. The movable member has a slanted face for engaging the pin. The pin and the slanted face are alternatively interchanged in position on the inner ring assembly and movable member. An adjustable biasing device biases the movable member. The biasing device includes a split ring spring and a ring segment spring. Alternatively, the biasing device includes a compression spring.

Abstract: The present invention provides a glass flake having sufficiently high visible-light absorptivity. The glass flake of the present invention includes a glass composition that contains a transition metal oxide such as an iron oxide and that allows the glass flake to have a visible-light transmittance of 85% or lower measured with an A light source when the glass flake has a thickness of 15 ?m. In this glass composition, it is preferable that the content of Fe2O3 (T-Fe2O3) in terms of the total iron satisfies the following formula, expressed in mass%: 10<T-Fe2O3?50.

Abstract: A digital pulse-width-modulation (PWM) generator comprising: an n bit digital magnitude comparator having first and second n bit inputs and an output indicative of the relative values of the signals applied at the first and second inputs; a first n bit digital up/down counter having a count direction input coupled to receive a sign bit of a digital unary input signal, an n bit parallel binary count output connected to the first n bit input of the magnitude comparator, and a clock input; a second n bit counter having a clock input coupled to receive a constant rate clock signal and an n bit parallel binary count output connected to the second n bit input of the magnitude comparator; an AND gate having a first input coupled to receive the constant rate clock signal in frequency divided form and a second input coupled to receive a magnitude portion of the digital unary input signal, and further having an output connected to the clock input of the first counter; and wherein the comparator continually generates an

Abstract: A piering member includes a generally tubular body that has a flarable end so that when the piering member is inserted into the ground, the flarable end of the piering member can be flared outward to increase the area of support for the foundation that rests upon the piering members. The flarable pier includes slits formed in the body to allow a flaring member to force the segments of body, formed by the slits, outward. The flaring member may be inserted from the top of the piering member or may include a conically shaped flaring member inserted into the bottom of the pier.

Abstract: A non-therapeutic method of producing antibodies that bind adipose tissues in a target animal in need of the antibodies for modulating the content of adipose tissues in the target animal, the method comprising the steps of (a) preparing an antigen from the adipose tissues of a source animal, (b) administering the antigen to an egg-laying animal to cause production of the antibodies, and (c) obtaining the antibodies from eggs of the egg-laying animal wherein the source animal and the egg-laying animal belong to different species.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for in vitro propagation of the agent responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion, comprising steps which consist in: providing a culture or a glial cell line and in infecting the culture or line with the agent responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion. Said method enables to obtain infected cell line capable of being used to assess the efficacy of a molecule in the reduction or inhibition of the infectiosity of the prion or for detecting the prion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a Sigma Delta A/D converter (2) for generating a N-bits digital output signal (4) on the basis of an analogue input signal (6), comprising a control loop which comprises a quantizer (8) comprising at least a comparator (24.1, 24.2) for generating the N-bits digital output signal (4) and a D/A converter (10) in a first feedback loop (12) of the control loop for generating an analogue version (14) of the N-bits digital output signal (4) on the basis of the N-bits digital output signal (4), wherein the quantizer (8) also comprises an Up-Down counter (26) which is coupled to the comparator (24.1, 24.2), wherein the D/A converter (10) is coupled to the comparator (24.1, 24.2) in a second feedback loop (27) of the control loop.