Abstract: Systems and methods for rendering advantageous images/views of an anatomical structure, e.g., vessel structure(s), and surrounding anatomical features/structures are provided. The disclosed systems and methods combine conventional 3D x-ray rotational angiography (3DRA) with a diagnostic scan of the relevant anatomical region, e.g., a CT or MR scan, to yield a combined image/view thereof. The image includes silhouette rendering of structures and/or vessel anatomy below the CT/MRI slab, i.e., obscured vessel structures, thereby allowing clinicians and other medical/surgical staff to develop a better understanding of vessel morphology and relationships between vessel pathology and surrounding branches/anatomical structures.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for an ATM having a display, a logic server coupled to the display, and a memory coupled to the logic server. The logic server dynamically controls the content of screens to be displayed on the display. The memory, which is accessible to the logic server, contains a profile of at least one user. In operation, the ATM detects the swipe of a user's card and requests the profile of the user whose card was swiped from a host. The ATM then receives the user's profile and stores the user's profile in the ATM.

Abstract: The fluid-dispensing system is used in a personal care appliance, such as a power toothbrush. The dispensing system includes a strip of discrete, fluid-containing packets, a compressible sealing member and a hollow needle for puncturing the packets, the hollow needle being connected to a workpiece such as a brushhead via a connecting line. An actuation assembly includes a piston which moves successive packets against the sealing member, initially sealing the packet thereto. Further pressure results in compression of the sealing member and puncturing of the packet by the needle, with fluid being forced by piston pressure from the packet into the hollow needle and then to the connecting line for delivery to the workpiece.

Abstract: The present application relates to a combined anti-scatter grid, cathode, and carrier for a photon detector used in spectral CT imaging. The photon detector of the present application may include a cathode having at least one outwardly extending plate and at least one base plate, a substrate having at least one anode, and a converter material, such as for example, Cadmium Zinc Telluride (“CZT”) or Cadmium Telluride. The at least one outwardly extending plate of the cathode may extend above the other detector components to act as an anti-scatter grid for the detector. Further, the at least one outwardly extending plate of the cathode may extend below the other detector components and be fixed to the at least one base plate of the detector. The converter material may be attached to at least one side of the at least one outwardly extending plate of the cathode.

Abstract: A planetary gear unit includes a planet carrier having a backplate and being provided with planet shafts distributed uniformly around the planet carrier's axis and extending through bores in the backplate, each planet shaft rotatably supporting a pair of planet gears by planet bearings, the planet gears being mounted between a ring gear and a sun gear for mutual interaction. The planetary gear unit further includes a key provided in a keyway of the planet shaft and extending to the backplate for preventing the at least one planet shaft from rotating around its own axis. The key and keyway are provided at a location positioned between 45° and 270° in a clockwise direction around the circumference of the planet shaft, with 0° being defined as a point at the planet shaft circumference corresponding with the largest distance from the centre of the back plate seen from the rotor side onwards.

Abstract: A domestic appliance (1) includes a housing or wall (6) and a wall portion (8). The portion is an integral part of the housing (6). The appliance has a display means (2) comprising a light source (10), a mask (2) and a diffuser (4). The housing (6) may be smoothly shaped to obtain an appealing design. A separate or standardized display may be perceived as a disruption of a smooth design of the appliance. To incorporate the display means (20) into the design the integral wall portion (8) is transparent and positioned between the diffuser (4) and the mask (2). An inner face of the wall portion (8) is directed to the mask (2). An outer face of the wall portion (8) is directed to the diffuser (4). A diffusing layer (32) included in the diffuser (4) is provided on the outer face of the integral wall portion (8).

Abstract: A method is presented for selecting and isolating nucleic acids capable of conferring tolerance or resistance to environmental stress conditions in plants or yeast. Furthermore, nucleic acids, the proteins they encode and their use for the production of plants or yeast with enhanced environmental stress resistance is disclosed.

Abstract: A flow-through heating system (1) is described, comprising: a flow tube (11); a plurality of at least two heating elements (12A, 12B, 12C), each heating element being connected in series with a corresponding controllable switch (23 A, 23B, 23C); a control unit (30) having control outputs (33A, 33B, 33C) coupled to said controllable switches; the control unit (30) being designed to generate control signals (Sa, Sb, Sc) for opening and closing the controllable switches such that said heating system is operated at a required power (Pr) less than the power capacity (Ptot) of said heating system by operating precisely one of said heating elements at reduced power while the remaining heating elements are either operated at full power or at zero power.

Abstract: The invention provides a lighting device (1) comprising one or more light sources (10) arranged to generate light, an accommodating device (5) having an external boundary (2) which is at least partly translucent and is arranged to accommodate the one or more light sources and a controller (40). The lighting device can generate two types of light. One or more lighting parameters selected from the group consisting of the first luminous intensity of the first type of light, the second luminous intensity of the second type of light, the color point of the first type of light and the color point of the second type of light can be controlled. This allows task lighting and atmosphere lighting. The invention is also directed to a method of providing a wake-up stimulus by means of such a lighting device.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous systems and methods for significantly increasing the sensitivity and selectivity for diagnostic procedures, e.g., optical biopsy. The disclosed systems and methods use a highly non-linear effect, the so-called photon avalanche. In the regime close to the avalanche threshold, small differences in density of the probe-ion under investigation or the excitation power can result in very large changes in up-conversion emission intensity. Through this effect, it becomes possible to accurately measure the signal of an optical biopsy probe-ion only in the location(s) where its concentration is highest, while at the same time significantly reducing or eliminating measurement of background signal from probe-ions distributed with a somewhat lower concentration throughout the measurement volume. Also background auto-fluorescence of the surrounding healthy tissue is essentially absent with this technique.

Abstract: A system and method for offer targeting is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for offer targeting may comprise: providing a plurality of offers and a plurality of groups, wherein each group comprises one or more accounts; maintaining an offer counter for each of the plurality of groups; and assigning the plurality of offers, in a predetermined order, to the plurality of groups by repeating the following steps: (1) assigning an offer to one or more groups, wherein the one or more groups are selected from groups that are pre-qualified for the offer based on a plurality of business rules, and the selection of the one or more groups is based at least in part on the offer counters of the one or more groups; (2) incrementing offer counters associated with the one or more groups; and (3) sorting the plurality of groups based on the incremented offer counters.

Abstract: The invention relates to an illumination system (2), aluminaire (2), a backlighting system and a display device. The illumination system according to the invention comprises a light exit window (30) for emitting light from the illumination system, and a diffuse reflecting screen (40) arranged opposite the light exit window. The illumination system further comprises a light source (20) which is arranged for indirect illumination of the light exit window via the diffuse reflecting screen. The light source is arranged near an edge of the light exit window on an imaginary plane (22) arranged substantially parallel to the light exit window and emits light away from the light exit window. The illumination system further comprises an edge wall (62) comprising a specular reflecting mirror (60) being concavely shaped for reflecting at least part of the light emitted by the light source towards the diffuse reflecting screen.

Abstract: The invention provides an illumination device (1), arranged to provide illumination device light (250). The illumination device (1) comprising a light chamber (100), an electrically variable scattering element (500), and a controller (600). The light chamber (100) contains a light emitting diode (10) (LED) arranged to emit LED light (20); comprises a luminescent material layer (200) arranged remote from the LED (10) and arranged to absorb at least part of the LED light (20) and emit luminescent material emission (220); and comprises an exit face (301), through which one or more of the LED light (20) and the luminescent material emission (220) may escape to the exterior (22) of the light chamber (100) thereby providing illumination device light (250). The electrically variable scattering element (500) is arranged downstream of the luminescent material layer (200) and upstream of the exit face (301).

Abstract: An automated method for generating Graphical User Interfaces (GUI's) is illustrated in the context of a system for processing financial applications. In one embodiment, the GUI generator converts domain data representing over one thousand application types into an equal number of corresponding user screens. The interface may also be bi-directional, operating on user inputs to validate data or check for double keying.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the invention provide a variety of techniques for processing microtransactions. In accordance with the invention, the method starts with a customer initiating a purchase through interaction with a merchant. The purchase is associated with purchase information, which includes the particulars of the purchase, such as the purchase price. In the purchase, the customer uses a transaction account, obtained from a payment enabler. The purchase is classified as a microtransaction, if the purchase price is below a predetermined monetary amount. Thereafter, the purchase information is forwarded for processing based on the classifying, i.e., either as a regular transaction or as a microtransaction. Then, upon receipt of the purchase information by an appropriate recipient, such as an interchange entity or an alternate interchange entity, the purchase information is processed to effect the microtransaction, if so classified, between the customer and the merchant.

Abstract: A detergent composition comprising three or more distinct regions, the composition comprising one or more anti-corrosion agents and a bleaching compound, wherein, the bleaching compound is predominantly located in a first distinct region, and the one or more anti-corrosion agents are predominantly located in a second distinct region having a pH in the range of from 5 to 8.9 which second distinct region is not in direct contact with the first distinct region, and further wherein the second distinct region has a lower pH than the first distinct region.

Abstract: Providing for a mobile communication device (MCD) credit account and credit transactions by way of such an MCD is described herein. As an example, a credit account sponsored by a financial or commercial entity can be associated with a unique ID of an MCD. The MCD can interface with another electronic device and initiate credit transactions, such as commercial purchases, credit transfers, currency conversions, and the like, via the interface. Further, rules provided by the sponsoring entity can guide such transactions, enforcing credit limits, for instance. A management component can then synchronize transactions conducted by the device with a server of a financial institution over a remote communication interface, such as the Internet or a cellular/mobile communication network. Accordingly, a mobile device can replace a traditional credit card in transacting credit business.

Abstract: In nuclear imaging, when a gamma ray strikes a scintillator, a burst of visible light is created. That light is detected by a photodetector and processed by downstream electronics. It is desirable to harness as much of the burst of light as possible and get it to the photodetector. In a detector element (18), a first reflective layer (44) partially envelops a scintillation crystal (34). The first reflective layer (44) diffuses the scintillated light. A second reflective layer (46) and a support component reflective layer (48) prevent the light from leaving the scintillation crystal (34) by any route except a light emitting face (36) of the scintillator (34). In another embodiment, a light concentrator (50) is coupled to the scintillator (34) and channels the diffuse light onto a light sensitive portion of a photodetector (38). The reflective layers (44, 46, 48) and the concentrator (50) ensure that all or nearly all of the light emitted by the scintillator (34) is received by the photodetector (38).