Abstract: Apparatus for peeling a log (5) comprising a cutting station (3), a loading station (2) and a device (4) for transferring logs (5) from the loading station (2) to the cutting station (3), the cutting station (3), the loading station (2) and the transfer device (4), in use, interacting with each other to position the log (5) in the cutting station (3). The loading station (2) comprises a device (10) for axially rotating the log (5) about a second rotation axis (11) and a radiographic examination device (19) configured to generate, in use, radiographic scans of the log (5). An electronic unit is connected both to the radiographic examination device (19), to receive digital-format data from it relating to each radiographic scan generated by it, and to the axial rotation device (10), and which is programmed to use said digital-format data to control the operation of the transfer device (4) and/or the cutting station (3).

Abstract: A system for measuring the rotation of a throttle knob of a vehicle such as a motorcycle, snowmobile, personal watercraft or the like is disclosed, including a knob fitted onto a handlebar and capable of rotating around it. The knob has a magnet, provided for a fixed sensor suitable to detect the angular movement of the magnet following a rotation of the knob for the vehicle throttle control. The magnet has two sectors (N, S) with opposite polarity and different length, with the magnet therefore having asymmetric polarities.

Abstract: A half bridge converter is controlled by a circuit including a differential circuit receiving a reference signal and a feedback signal which is a function of an output signal from the converter. The half bridge includes hand and low side switches. A comparator generates a PWM signal for controlling the converter as a function of the duty cycle of the PWM signal in response to a signal at an intermediate node between the hand and low side switches and an output of the differential circuit. A gain circuit block coupled between the intermediate node and the input of the comparator applies a ramp signal to the input of the comparator which is a function of the signal at the intermediate node. A variable gain is applied by the gain circuit block in order to keep a constant value for the duty cycle of said PWM signal irrespective of converter operation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a piston assembly, the piston assembly comprising a cylinder extending along an axis and having an open axial end, a cap assembly closing the cylinder at its open axial end, wherein the cap assembly comprises an insertion portion received in the cylinder at its open axial end, and a piston axially movably disposed within the cylinder and partially received in the insertion portion of the cap assembly. The present disclosure further relates to a variable displacement hydraulic unit including said piston assembly.

Abstract: A circuit for reverse battery protection includes an isolation circuit and a control circuit. The isolation is circuit coupled between a gate output of an electronic fuse (E-fuse) and at least one external metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The E-fuse is coupled between a battery voltage pin and an external ground pin and further coupled to a microcontroller. The isolation circuit is configured to disconnect the gate output from the at least one external MOSFET when the battery is installed with reverse polarity. The control circuit is coupled between the external ground pin and the at least one external MOSFET. The control circuit is configured to turn on the at least one external MOSFET when the battery is installed with the reverse polarity.

Abstract: A safety device for a firearm provided with a grip and having a latch operated by a motor and adapted to be engaged with mechanical parts of the firearm to prevent and/or allow activation of the firearm is provided. A control unit connected to the motor and supplied by at least one battery has an internal transceiver cooperating with an external transceiver for controlling the latch by an authorized user. A capacitive sensor, operatively connected to the control unit for controlling the latch, is adapted to detect presence of a hand of an authorized user on the grip.

Abstract: An automatic machine for preparing beverages, in particular American coffee, including a unit to feed the coffee powder, a mobile infusion unit having an infusion cylinder which delimits an infusion chamber, and a hydraulic circuit configured to heat the water for the infusion and feed it to the infusion chamber, where the infusion unit has an expulsion piston slidable inside the infusion cylinder and delimiting at the lower part the infusion chamber, and a valve device provided with a valve body and a closing piston which can engage with the infusion cylinder in order to close the infusion chamber.

Abstract: Novel anti-tumor agents comprising at least one ligand of the B7h receptor, wherein the ligand of receptor B7h is loaded in a biocompatible micro- or nano-carrier and is able of binding to receptor B7h and triggering receptor B7h activity.

Abstract: A device includes a local oscillator, an all-digital phase-locked loop, a digital signal generator, sampling circuitry, and an interface. The local oscillator generates a local clock signal. The all-digital phase locked loop generates a sampling control signal. The ADPLL includes a phase-error detector, a digital filter and a sigma-delta modulator. The phase detector generates a phase error signal based on a loop clock signal and a received reference signal. The digital filter generates a signal indicative of a frequency ratio between a frequency of the reference clock signal and the local clock frequency based on the phase error signal. The sigma-delta modulator generates a modulated signal based on the signal indicative of the frequency ratio. The sampling control signal is based on the modulated signal. The sampling circuitry samples digital signals generated by the digital signal generator at a sampling frequency, which is a function of the sampling control signal.

Abstract: A converter system includes a reference buffer buffering a reference input to produce a DAC reference, operating from a reference feedback voltage generated by a reference divider. A tail buffer generates a tail voltage from an input voltage generated from the DAC reference by a tail divider. An R-2R type DAC utilizes an R-2R ladder to generate a DAC output from a code. This ladder has a tail resistor coupled to the tail voltage. A feedback buffer buffers the DAC output to produce a converter reference. A DC-DC converter generates a DC output from a DC input, based upon a converter feedback voltage. A feedback divider coupled between the DC output and the converter reference generates the converter feedback voltage. Control circuitry selectively taps the reference divider to produce the reference feedback voltage (performing gain trimming) and selectively taps the tail divider to produce the input voltage (performing offset trimming).

Abstract: A semiconductor chip is mounted at a first surface of a leadframe and an insulating encapsulation is formed onto the leadframe. An etching mask is applied to a second surface of the leadframe to cover locations of two adjacent rows of electrical contacts as well as a connecting bar between the two adjacent rows which electrically couples the electrical contacts. The second surface is then etched through the etching mask to remove leadframe material at the second surface and define the electrical contacts and connecting bar. The electrical contacts include a distal surface as well as flanks left uncovered by the insulating encapsulation. The etching mask is then removed and the electrical contacts and the connecting bars are used as electrodes in an electroplating of the distal surface and the flanks of the electrical contacts. The connecting bar is then removed from between the two adjacent rows during device singulation.

Abstract: By properly shaping the prisms of a Goldmann tonometer head, it becomes possible to accurately repeat two different pressure measurements with two different radii of the flattened corneal surface. From these two different measurements, with a method according to the present disclosure it is possible to obtain the value of the “true” intraocular pressure of a patient and therefore to correct the classic pressure measurement taken with the Goldmann tonometer. Furthermore, by knowing the central corneal thickness with any pachymeter and an average radius of curvature at the corneal apex with any keratometer, with another method according to the present disclosure it is possible to calculate in vivo the modulus of elasticity of the cornea of a patient using the two different pressure measurements.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical compositions (A, G1-G8) capable of inhibiting the ATP-dependent proton pump (V-ATPase) and carbonic ?-anhydrases (CA IV, IX and XII), having the general formulae: Formula A (PPI-CAI), G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7 and G8 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

Abstract: A method for a machine (10) for preparing a coffee beverage, in which a dose of coffee powder is supplied to an infusion chamber (14), and a pre-infusion step and subsequently an infusion step of said powder dose is performed in order to dispense the beverage. The method provides to perform at least a first optimization of the operating parameters of said machine (10) comprising receiving an indication regarding an origin and a roasting level of said beans and executing an algorithm to define at least a weight of a quantity of coffee (Q coffee) to be used for said dose of powder, and a quantity of water (Q_water) to be used in said pre-infusion step. Embodiments disclosed herein further relate to a machine for preparing beverages which implements such a method.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical or food supplement formulation in powder form for oral administration, comprising alpha-lactalbumin, butyric acid or a salt thereof with an alkaline or alkaline-earth metal and maltodextrins, in which the weight ratio of butyric acid or salt thereof: alpha-lactalbumin is between 1:4 and 1:1.5 and preferably the weight ratio of butyric acid or salt thereof: maltodextrins is between 1:3 and 1:2.

Abstract: An apparatus for frothing a quantity of milk for preparing a beverage comprises: a platform (1) for supporting a jug (50) containing the quantity of milk to be frothed and a steam wand (10) configured for emitting steam, wherein either the platform (1) is tiltable around a horizontal axis (X, Y) or the steam wand (10) is tiltable around a horizontal axis and wherein the steam wand (10) and the platform (1) are reciprocally movable by a translational movement in the vertical direction one with respect to the other. A translational vertical motion of the steam wand is preferably provided with respect to the jug and/or of the jug with respect to the steam wand.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a sense amplifier architecture for a memory device having a plurality of memory cells. Groups of non-volatile memory cells store respective codewords formed by stored logic states, logic high or logic low, of the memory cells of the group. The sense amplifier architecture has a plurality of sense amplifier reading branches, each sense amplifier reading branch coupled to a respective memory cell and configured to provide an output signal, which is indicative of a cell current flowing through the same memory cell; a comparison stage, to perform a comparison between the cell currents of memory cells of a group; and a logic stage, to determine, based on comparison results provided by the comparison stage, a read codeword corresponding to the group of memory cells.

Abstract: A method to control a mixer includes an input to a control and command unit including a plurality of input data correlated to a formulation of a mix, a detection step to detect the values of an electric quantity characteristic of the electric power line of a drive unit in the mixer, a processing step where data is processed to calculate the overall active power, and to carry out verifications, comparing the data processed with one or more of the respective data introduced among the input data, in order to transmit to a controller that commands the mixer, a consent signal to discharge the mix or an anomaly signal.