Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for diagnosing and characterizing tuberculosis infection. In particular, provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying drug resistant tuberculosis.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a rotating attachment, in particular for purposes of massage, which comprises a rotating mechanism with at least one rotating axle/rotation axis. This rotating axle can be connected with a drive or can be readily inserted into a plug connector, coupling or chuck or be secured and/or connected in a torque-proof manner. Furthermore, at least one massage head with at least one massage axle is provided for. In each case, at least one roll that can be rotated around the massage axle can be provided for at and/or on the massage axle. The massage head, the massage axles and/or the rolls are arranged such that the rotating axle and each of the massage axles are arranged in different planes and/or the massage axle(s) and/or the roll(s) are at least partially laterally tilted and/or deviated with reference to the rotating axle in one component.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensor and related method are described, with the sensor including a cross-coupling element in the optical path between a polarizing element and a sensing element, but separated from the sensing element itself; with the cross-coupling element generating a defined cross-coupling between the two orthogonal polarization states of the fundamental mode of a polarization maintaining fiber guiding light from the light source to the sensing element thus introducing a wavelength-dependent or temperature-dependent sensor signal shift to balance wavelength-dependent or temperature-dependent signal shifts due to other elements of the sensor, particularly signal shifts due to the wavelength dependence of the Faraday effect or the electro-optic effect constant.

Abstract: An interferometric sensor and related methods are provided, with a sensing element whereby a measurand induces a relative phase shift between two waves, at least one detector measuring an interference signal between the two waves, and further including a phase shift detection unit having as input the interference signal and determining a first measure representative of the principal value of the relative phase shift, and a contrast detection unit having as input the interference signal for determining a second measure representative of the cross-correlation between the two waves, and a further a processing unit for converting the first and second measures to a measurand value.

Abstract: A method of increasing accuracy of optical sensors based on generating two sets of light waves having different velocities in the presence of a non-vanishing measurand field within a sensing element of the sensor is described. A defined static bias phase shift is introduced between the two sets of light waves. The sensor converts a total optical phase shift including static bias optical phase shifts and measurand-induced optical phase shifts into anti-phase optical power changes in at least two detector channels. The method includes steps of normalizing the optical power changes after their conversion into electrical detector signals in the two detector channels to reduce effects of uneven intensity or power of the light source and different loss or gain in the detector channels. Further methods, sensors and apparatus for temperature stabilizing such optical sensors and novel sensors are also presented.

Abstract: The present invention provides nonaqueous coating material compositions, multistage coating processes and also the use of the coating material compositions, comprising (A) at least one polyhydroxyl-group-containing compound, (B1) at least one polyisocyanate-group-containing compound (B1) having free or blocked isocyanate groups and having a cycloaliphatic polyisocyanate parent structure, and/or a polyisocyanate derived therefrom, (B2) at least one polyisocyanate-group-containing compound (B2) having free or blocked isocyanate groups and having an acyclic, aliphatic polyisocyanate parent structure, and/or a polyisocyanate derived therefrom, (D) at least one catalyst for the crosslinking of silane groups, and (R) at least one rheological assistant (R) based on fumed silica, where component (B1) and/or component (B2) comprise at least one structural unit —NR—(X—SiR?x(OR?)3-x)??(I), and/or at least one structural unit —N(X—SiR?x(OR?)3-x)n(X?—SiR?y(OR?)3-y)m??(II).

Abstract: A fiber-optic current sensor includes a measuring unit having a light source and a light detector, and a sensing head having a sensing fiber wound around a conductor and a retarder connected to the sensing fiber. The scale factor as a function of current of the fiber-optic current sensor is described by the product of two scaling functions fe? and fs? for the measuring unit and the sensing head, respectively. The data describing the scaling functions fe?, fs? is stored in a memory of the measuring unit, while the data describing the scaling function fs? is also stored in a memory of the sensing head. Providing two such memory devices allows to store the scaling functions fe? and fs? separately, thereby turning the control unit as well as the sensor head into easily replaceable modules.

Abstract: A fiber-optic current sensor uses a highly-birefringent spun fiber as sensing fiber. The light is fed through a retarder, which is a detuned quarter-wave or half-wave retarder. It is shown that such detuning can be used to compensate for temperature dependencies of the sensing head.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods useful for the detection of MTB. In particular, provided herein are kits, reagents, reaction mixtures, and methods involving such for nucleic acid amplification and detection procedures, which specifically and sensitively detect MTB in samples.

Abstract: A coupling device for the force-related connection of a device for machining pipes or pipe ends to a drive device is provided. With the aim of a high degree of variability, the coupling device has at least one force transmission device with at least one force transmission element for transmitting rotary forces to at least one force absorption element of at least one force absorption device with respect to a drive axis, wherein the at least one force transmission device is configured to be brought into connection optionally and alternately with force absorption devices which each differ in design with respect to the force absorption elements thereof and preferably differ in design with respect to a center distance between the force absorption elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multicoat effect and/or color paint system, a method for producing the multicoat paint system, and also the use thereof. The transparent coating material composition comprises at least one rheological assistant (R) based on fumed silica and comprises a polyisocyanate group-containing component (B) which additionally has at least one structural unit of the formula (I) and/or at least one structural unit of the formula (II).

Abstract: A device (1) that is suitable for continuously wetting and/or mixing bulk material with a liquid in order to produce a mixture, in particular a food mixture. The device (1) comprises a bulk material feeding apparatus for feeding the bulk material into a treatment region (9) and a liquid feeding apparatus (7) for directly applying the liquid to the bulk material in the treatment region (9), The bulk material can be fed into the treatment region (9) as a curtain (10) by the bulk material feeding apparatus, wherein the liquid can be applied to the curtain (10) substantially completely at least on the outer surface (33) by the liquid feeding apparatus (7).

Abstract: In a facility for checking large-volume goods, in particular freight goods, with an X-ray source, which emits X-rays for irradiating the goods, and with a detector arrangement aligned with the X-ray source, the detectors of the detector arrangement are designed or arranged in such a way that detector rows are produced with two row limbs which abut one another at right angles on their longitudinal sides, of which one limb is aligned parallel to the movement direction of the goods being checked, and the other is aligned perpendicular to this in the direction of the X-ray source.

Abstract: In a fiber-optic current sensor, a 22.5° Faraday rotator, which is part of the sensing fiber coil, determines the working point of the sensor. The coil is operated with substantially linearly polarized light or incoherent substantially left and right circularly polarized light waves. In one arrangement, a polarization beam splitter generates two optical signals that vary in anti-phase with changing current. A signal processor determines the current from the two anti-phase signals. Appropriately detuned and oriented fiber-optic half-wave or quarter-wave retarders before the fiber coil are used to reduce or cancel the adverse effects of temperature and bend-induced birefringence on the measurement signal. Moreover, the temperature may be derived from the difference in the bias of the anti-phase signals and may be used to cancel temperature effects in the signal processor.

Abstract: DC current in a high voltage AC/DC or DC/AC converter station can be measured via the Faraday effect in one or more loops of an optical sensing fiber located at the base of a bushing extending through a wall of the hall. This arrangement can exploit the base of the bushing being at ground potential, which can simplify mounting work and maintenance.

Abstract: In a facility for checking large-volume goods, in particular freight goods, with an X-ray source, which emits X-rays for irradiating the goods, and with a detector arrangement aligned with the X-ray source, the detectors of the detector arrangement are designed or arranged in such a way that detector rows are produced with two row limbs which abut one another at right angles on their longitudinal sides, of which one limb is aligned parallel to the movement direction of the goods being checked, and the other is aligned perpendicular to this in the direction of the X-ray source.

Abstract: The current in a generator circuit breaker is measured using the Faraday effect of an optical sensing fiber looped around the breaker's conductor. The sensing fiber is arranged in a sensing strip, which can be mounted to the enclosure of the generator circuit breaker or to the conductor. Exemplary embodiments can have a wide measuring range and can easily be fitted to new or existing generator circuit breakers.

Abstract: A fiber optic current or magnetic field sensor uses a sensing fiber in a coil for measuring a current or a magnetic field and has a retarder for converting between linearly polarized light and elliptically polarized light. The retardation of the retarder, its temperature dependence as well as its azimuth angle in respect to the plane of the fiber coil are optimized in dependence of the birefringence in the sensing fiber in order to minimize the influence of temperature variations and manufacturing tolerances on the overall scale factor of the sensor.

Abstract: A system and method are provided in which a processor executes an application program such as an enterprise resources planning application. A primary display displays at least one user interface screen from that application program. A keyboard associated with the processor and the primary display screen is provided having a plurality of data entry keys, and at least one secondary display. The one or more secondary displays may be a part of the keyboard itself or an extension of the keyboard. The one or more secondary displays may be display screen(s) and/or input panel(s). The input panel(s) includes at least one data entry key which effects an action recognized by the processor when activated.