Abstract: A rotary composter includes a rotatable composting drum, a motor for rotating the drum, an aeration system for supplying air to the drum and an open-loop computerized controller for controlling one or both of the motor and the aeration system based on animal growth data. The rotary composter may also have a wireless nitrogen gas sensor for sensing an amount of nitrogen gas in the drum and a load cell for measuring a mass inside the drum to enable the controller to further control one or both of the motor and the aeration system based on signals from the nitrogen gas sensor and the load cell.

Abstract: A videoconferencing endpoint is described that uses a combination of face detection, motion detection, and upper body detection for selecting participants of a videoconference for group framing. Motion detection is used to remove fake faces as well as to detect motion in regions around detected faces during postprocessing. Upper body detection is used in conjunction with the motion detection in postprocessing to allow saving faces that have been initially detected by face detection for group framing even if the participant has turned away from the camera, allowing the endpoint to keep tracking the participants region better than would be possible based only on an unstable result coming from face detection.

Abstract: A dispenser is disclosed for dispensing plastic bags from bag rolls. The dispenser includes a base frame and an arm pivotally connected to the base frame. A roll stop is attached to the arm to be inserted in the core of the bag roll when one is nested on the frame. The roll stop includes an internal spring which applies a braking force to the interior of the core of the bag roll to prevent the bag roll from spinning.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dispenser for serially dispensing plastic bags from a wound roll of plastic bags. The dispenser includes a support member which is attachable to a support surface, a pivotable arm that can pivot between a roll-loading position and bag-dispensing positions, a braking surface to prevent freewheeling, a mechanism to prevent axial movement of the roll of bags on the pivotable arm, and a tongue positioned to engage an opening between bags while the bags are dispensed. A dispensing system combines the dispenser with a roll of plastic bags having an axial passageway through the center of the roll. The dispenser can dispense a wound roll of bags that has a core or is coreless. The sides of the core can be flush with the sides of the roll of bags, can extend from the sides of the roll of bags, or can have a combination thereof.

Abstract: An antistatic sheet or bag for electrostatic sensitive devices is obtained by uniformly mixing a thermoplastic polymer such as polyethylene with about 0.1 to 0.7 per cent by weight of an antistat, extruding the mixture in the form of a tubular sheet, subjecting the sheet to a corona discharge, printing on the sheet or both sides of a tube forming said sheet, with a carbon conducting ink, cutting the sheet into units of desired length and sealing the end of each such cut unit to form a bag.