Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to improving fertility in mammals. Methods of the present invention include increasing reproductive efficiency in mammals by administering at least one lactogenic or somatogenic hormone to a mammal in order to increase reproductive efficiency. Additional methods of the present invention include increasing endometrial adenogenesis in a mammal.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for removing proppant from fluid used in an oil and gas well for reuse in future operations. The proppant is separated from the well fluid and transported to a materials collection tank. A crane then transports the materials collection tank onto a processing boat. On the processing boat, the proppant is vacuumed from the materials collection tank to a hopper. The proppant is then discharged from the hopper into a holding tank for treatment and reuse. In a first alternative embodiment, two hoppers are positioned above each other so that the proppant can be added to the upper hopper and then fed by gravity to the lower hopper. A valving arrangement maintains vacuum within the interior of at least one hopper at all times to provide a continuous vacuum operation. A conduit discharges from the lower hopper into the holding tank.

Abstract: A method, system and Policy Decision Point (PDP) for policy-based test management wherein high-level test goals are first defined, and high-level test policies are next created based upon the test goals. The test policies are then converted into vendor and technology specific test scripts which are transmitted, along with the test policies, from a test management tool, to a PDP such as for example to a test server, to an Element Manager/Network Manager (EM/NM), or to a Network Element (NE), where they are stored. Upon detection of a given condition, the PDP-stored test policies trigger execution of one or more associated test scripts for testing a given network entity of a monitored network, and the test results are reported back to the test management tool.

Abstract: A level is composed of a hollow section having two narrow sides, two wide sides and two end faces, wherein at least one of the narrow sides forms a contact surface. The level also includes at least one horizontal bubble and a vertical bubble for carrying out a horizontal and a vertical measurement. The vertical bubble and the horizontal bubble are located outside of the area surrounded by the hollow section and are mounted in side components attached to the end faces of the hollow section.

Abstract: This unit for the collection, cleaning and calibration of electrolysis pots and, in particular, of the anodic orifices, as the anodes of an installation for the production of aluminium by igneous electrolysis are replaced, comprises two buckets (16, 17) hinge-mounted at the level of the lower end of a chassis (10) movable in vertical displacement, the lower edge (31) of each of the said buckets (16, 17) being liable to be bestowed with a circular movement by means of a closing and opening connecting rod assembly (14, 14′).

Abstract: A process for fabricating a BGA flip chip package containing a stiffener or heat spreader monitors edges of the adhesive that attaches the stiffener or heat spreader. The monitoring ensures that the adhesive extends beyond the centers of the outermost solder balls in the BGA. Stress at the edge of the adhesive thus does not cause warping or variations within the BGA.

Abstract: A food safety administration system for controlling safety of of food handling locations, wherein a mobile inspection terminal measures the temperature of an object under test or receives data on the pass or failure status of the object; a device records the temperature data and the pass or failure data, according to check items on a checklist; and a device controls the safety of the location and of the food therein using the temperature data and pass or failure data provided as test data by the mobile inspection terminal, whereby data is reliably and quickly checked without use of paper based data.

Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated gyrator structure, in which each transistor in the gyrator core (preferably MOS devices) has series feedback associated therewith. This allows for compensation over a large bandwidth of the effects of channel delay in the MOS transistors.

Abstract: Devices and methods for strengthening the upper portions of the support posts for guardrails and guardrail end treatments against the forces that are imparted to the post during an impact. The upper portions of support posts, particularly the areas proximate the bolt connection, are reinforced. Preferably, a compressive force is applied to those areas as well by the reinforcements. In one embodiment, reinforcement for the upper portion of the post is provided by metal banding that is disposed around the periphery of the post. Alternative exemplary embodiments are also described in which reinforcement to the upper portion of the post is provided by plates that are secured into place on a location proximate the connection bolt and by a metal cap that sits atop the post. In another embodiment, the drilled hole and connection bolt are eliminated.

Abstract: A borehole includes a tubular member, a sealing member for sealing an annulus between the tubular member and the borehole, a pump for pumping fluidic materials into the tubular member, and an automatic choke for controllably releasing pressurized fluidic materials out of the annulus. A system and method monitor the operating pressure within the tubular member and compare the actual operating pressure with a desired operating pressure. The difference between the actual and desired operating pressure is then processed to control the operation of the automatic choke to thereby controllably bleed pressurized fluidic materials out of the annulus thereby creating back pressure within the borehole.

Abstract: Polypropylene impact copolymers and methods of making them are provided. These impact copolymers achieve a balance between stiffness and impact strength and additionally higher gloss by the inclusion therein of a bimodal distribution of rubber particles.

Abstract: In a management system, a method, system, and agent for dynamically connecting event producers to event consumers, when the type of event notifications requested by event consumer(s) matches the type of event notification issued event producer(s). The agent receives advertisement or subscription request from event producers and consumers, and detects a match between the type of event notifications created by event producers and requested by event consumers. When a match is detected, the agent dynamically connects the egress port of the event producer to the ingress port of the event consumer. When another subscription request is received by the agent from another event consumer for the same type of event notifications, the agent first detects the optimal duplication node for duplicating the event notifications before sending them to both event consumers.

Abstract: An alarm notification structure, method, system, and management node for uniquely identifying alarm notifications. When a condition is met, a new alarm notification is created, the alarm comprising a SystemDN field identifying the alarm supplier that created the alarm, an alarm attribute carrying a payload and an alarm identifier field for uniquely identifying the alarm. The alarm identifier field comprises a path portion including a series of nodes corresponding to the path followed by the alarm, and the alarm identification as originally assigned. Each time the alarm is relayed by an intermediate node, that node appends its identity to the path portion of the alarm identifier field. When an operation is performed on the alarm, such as an acknowledgement operation, the alarm identifier field is used and sent in the acknowledgement message, so that intermediate nodes can know the path to be followed back for acknowledging the alarm.

Abstract: A chain and flight conveyor adapted to be driven by a toothed sprocket comprising a pair of spaced apart, parallel driving chains, each of the driving chains comprising roller links having at least one end surface which may be drivingly engaged by the teeth of the sprocket. The roller links also have internal apertures defining drive surfaces which may be drivingly engaged by the teeth of the sprocket. The driving chains further include connecting links coupled to and interconnecting the roller links; and pins pivotally connecting the connecting links to the roller links. A predetermined corresponding number of the pins on each of the chains comprises extended flight attachment pins having pin extensions facing the opposite chain. A plurality of conveying flights are connected between the corresponding number of the pin extensions, the flights comprising a bar member having two opposite ends, four sides and a bottom surface.

Abstract: A multiband PIFA (planar inverted-F) antenna. A preferred embodiment makes use of a spiral slot. The spiral slot is formed to cause multiple frequency dependent nulls in the antenna's electric field modal distribution. The preferred embodiment antenna has a single element patch radiator formed on a dielectric support in an inverted-F relationship with a first ground plane. The dielectric support may be part of a device housing or internal board, e.g., a PCB board. The patch radiator includes a spiral slot. A feed is made to the single element patch radiator in a location relative to the spiral slot to ensure that portions of the single element patch radiator enclosed by the spiral slot are fed as a series extension of another portion of said patch radiator. According to a preferred embodiment, the patch radiator may be formed from a single conductive sheet, plating or deposit along with the shorting post and feed.

Abstract: Very high structure, hybrid amorphous silica products (geltates) having very high absorptivity, in which the hybrid silica product has a % carrying capacity DBP value greater than 76.0 and a linseed oil absorption value exceeding 250 cc/100 g, and a production methodology therefor.

Abstract: An intrinsically safe data acquisition system is disclosed for use in hazardous locations. The system includes a driller's console that itself is intrinsically safe and includes a large LCD monitor, keypad and local CPU. The monitor includes an intrinsically safe backlighting system. The system further includes satellite data acquisition and processing boxes that are also intrinsically safe and that are located within the hazardous area. Each satellite box includes its own CPU and acquires and locally processes signals received from a number of field sensors. The satellite box converts the signals into digital form, and transmits the data via a fiber optic communication channel to a master CPU box located in an unclassified area. A high current intrinsically safe barrier distributes power from the master CPU box to the satellite box for powering all the sensors supported by that satellite box. Another such barrier distributes all the power required by the driller's console.

Abstract: A system, method and access gateway for minimizing the number of transcodings of a speech signal during a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) conference call in a packet-switched network in which Tandem Free Operation (TFO) is utilized. The system includes a first gateway connecting the first mobile subscriber to the network, a second gateway connecting the second subscriber, and a third gateway connecting the third subscriber. The second gateway sends a message to the first gateway indicating a speech coding mode being utilized between the second gateway and the second subscriber. The third gateway sends a message to the first gateway indicating a speech coding mode being utilized between the third gateway and the third subscriber. When a three-way conference call is initiated, the first gateway encodes the call path to the second subscriber with the speech coding mode being utilized between the second gateway and the second subscriber.

Abstract: The invention features an apparatus for mixing water and a beverage concentrate that includes a first passage channel passing through a housing from an inlet to an outlet, a second passage channel ending downstream in a smaller passage cross-section of the first passage channel, at least one bypass channel connected to the first passage channel, and a means for setting the passing amount of the water or the beverage concentrate.

Abstract: Energy-supply systems that supply energy in the power range of a few Megawatts (MW) to Gigawatts (GW) within a pulse duration of a few milliseconds (ms) are referred to as pulse-current supplies. Such known energy supply system primarily comprises a charging device for charging an energy store, a plurality of plate-type capacitors as energy stores, a high-power switch for releasing the stored energy, and a pulse-shaping device. The structural shape required for storing the energy in particular makes known pulse-current supplies highly complex, voluminous and costly. In contrast, the present invention involves using wound capacitors (20) and high-power switches (4) instead of conventional plate-type capacitors and high-power radio paths, which reduces the structural space requirement. The pulse shaping is effected by a toroidal coil (5) and a free-wheeling diode (3). Light-switched thyristors mounted in the free space (5.1) of the toroid coil (5) can preferably be used as high-power switches (4).