Abstract: Methods and apparatus for removably or irremovably interconnectable building block containers such as those capable of initially storing consumable items such as food and drink. After consumption of the food or drink, the cavity containing same may be cleaned and/or refilled with consumable or non-consumable items. The building block containers are utilized as building block toys and may be manufactured or otherwise designed to be collectable. In one aspect, the container connectors are nearly identical such that any one connector may mate with any other connector. In another aspect, the connectors are nearly identical but the orientations of each connector vary to allow mating to occur when the connectors are properly oriented. In another aspect, the container is a cube juice box with connectors on all four corners of all six sides of the container. A frame for holding a juice container may also be utilized.

Abstract: A method for generating electrical power comprising operating variable frequency generators using a common prime mover and controlling the variable frequency generators using a mechanical phase difference as follows: M ? ? P ? ? D = 360 G ? ? ? ? ? p wherein MPD is the mechanical phase difference in degrees between rotors between a pair of variable frequency generators, G is a number of variable frequency generators, ? is a number of electrical phases in a variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators, and p is a number of pole pairs in the variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators, wherein the variable frequency generators are controlled such that each variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators has a selected mechanical phase difference from another variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators that is an integer multiple of the mechanical phase difference that is less than 360 degrees.

Abstract: A vacuum pumping arrangement comprises a first pump which has a first inlet and a first outlet. The first inlet is fluidly connected to a first common pumping line. The first common pumping line includes a plurality of first pumping line inlets each of which is fluidly connectable to a least one process chamber within a group of process chambers that form a semiconductor fabrication tool. The vacuum pumping arrangement also includes a reserve pump which has a reserve inlet and a reserve outlet. The reserve inlet is selectively fluidly connectable to each process chamber within the group of process chambers that form the semiconductor fabrication tool. The vacuum pumping arrangement additionally includes a controller which is configured to selectively fluidly isolate the pump from one or more given process chambers and selectively fluidly connect the reserve pump with the said one or more given process chambers.

Abstract: A vacuum pumping system which comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating a flammable gas stream and exhausting the gas stream through an exhaust outlet. A housing houses the vacuum pumping arrangements and forms an air flow duct for an air flow for mixing with the exhaust gas stream output from the exhaust outlet in a mixing region in the housing. An airflow generator generates an air flow through the air flow duct to cause mixing of air with the flammable gas stream to a percentage of the flammable gas in the air flow lower than the lower flammability limit of the flammable gas. An airflow sensor senses the flow of air for determining if the air flow is sufficient to dilute the flammable gas to lower than said percentage.

Abstract: A fat composition comprises: greater than 45% by weight oleic acid; from 10% to 35% by weight stearic acid; and from 1% to 10% by weight palmitic acid; the percentages of acids referring to acids bound as acyl groups in glycerides in the fat composition and being based on the total weight of C8 to C24 fatty acids; and greater than 5% by weight of combined P2St, PSt2 and StStSt triglycerides based on total triglycerides present in the composition, and a weight ratio of (StOSt+POSt):(StStSt+PStSt) triglycerides of less than 3, wherein P is palmitic acid, O is oleic acid and St is stearic acid. The fat may be used in a marinade.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that enable multidimensional privacy control for consumers, to more effectively control their privacy, even while accepting some targeted marketing that provides time-savings, monetary savings, and other benefits. Agreements may involve smart contracts implemented on a blockchain, to provide time-limited access to marketing data, such as purchase histories recorded in receipts held by a digital wallet. The access may be specified in differing tiers of visibility, with certain classes of information withheld, and different types of recipients allowed or blocked. This permits consumers to intelligently select a trade-off between sharing information and receiving value resulting from that sharing, with the consumers in control of the specific type of information shared, and the types of entities that my receive particular information. Thus, privacy may be controlled in a multidimensional manner that is advantageous to consumers.

Abstract: The present inventors provides one or more of a tiacumicin compound, a stereo-isomer thereof, a polymorph thereof or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof for use in the oral treatment of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) or Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in a patient according to a dosage regimen comprising: (1) administering to the patient in an initial course of treatment 200 mg of the tiacumicin compound twice a day; (2) monitoring the efficacy of the initial course of treatment in the patient by means of monitoring changes of one or more indicators of CDI or CDAD; (3) assessing whether there is a positive change of the one or the more of the indicators; and (4) switching to an intermittent course of treatment by administering to the patient 200 mg of the tiacumicin compound every other day if the one or the more of the indicators of CDI or CDAD are positively changed.

Abstract: A vacuum pump, vacuum pump arrangement and method are disclosed. The vacuum pump comprises: at least one rotor; and a stator, an inlet for receiving gas during operation; and an exhaust for exhausting the gas. The vacuum pump comprises a shaft extending through a centre of said pump and comprising a plate mounted on an end of the shaft towards the inlet. The vacuum pump comprises control circuitry configured to control an axial position of the plate, a change in axial position of the plate providing a change in inlet conductance of gas to the vacuum pump. The plate is mounted such that it extends beyond the inlet in at least some axial positions of the rotor such that the plate is not on the same side of the inlet as the stator.

Abstract: A fat composition comprises: greater than 70% by weight stearic acid; from 5% to 20% by weight oleic acid; and from 1% to 10% by weight palmitic acid; said percentages of acids referring to acids bound as acyl groups in glycerides in the fat composition and being based on the total weight of C8 to C24 fatty acids; and greater than 40% by weight of StStSt triglycerides and greater than 10% by weight of PSt2 triglycerides based on total triglycerides present in the composition, and a weight ratio of PSt2:StStSt triglycerides of less than 0.5, wherein P is palmitic acid and St is stearic acid. The fat may be used in a marinade.

Abstract: An intelligent current lead device, its design, fabrication, and methods of operation are described in this disclosure. The intelligent current lead device described in this disclosure electrically and thermally connects and disconnects one or more power sources or loads operating at one temperature reservoir with one or more machines or devices operating at either the same or a different temperature reservoir. The intelligent current lead can operate in either an active mode or passive mode. The intelligent current lead device may incorporate the use of multiple types of diagnostic sensors and instrumentation, which can be monitored, interpreted, and analyzed. The program logic of the intelligent current lead may be used to interpret the data obtained from the diagnostic sensors and instrumentation in order to adjust/actuate/switch the current lead so as to optimize its configuration to respond to requirements of an electrical load that changes with time.

Abstract: A track-type machine is disclosed. The track-type machine may comprise an electric drive powertrain including an internal combustion engine, a winch assembly having a drum rotatably supporting a cable so that the cable is reeled in or reeled out at a winch line speed when the drum is rotating, and an implement controller configured to activate the winch assembly for reeling in and reeling out the cable. The track-type machine may further comprise a hydraulic circuit driven by the internal combustion engine and configured to actuate a rotation of the drum when the winch assembly is activated by the implement controller. In addition, the track-type machine may further comprise a control system configured to increase an engine speed of the internal combustion engine when the winch assembly is activated by the implement controller.

Abstract: A method of creating, at a permissions management resource, access permissions relating to a subject device for at least one data processing device, the method comprising: obtaining, at the permissions management resource, input data; generating, at the permissions management resource, at least one permission relating to accessing the subject device in response to the input data; transmitting, from the permissions management resource to the subject device and/or the at least one processing device, a communication comprising the at least one permission.

Abstract: A system for automatically controlling a defog/defrost function of a vehicle climate control system includes a controller configured to calculate an ambient dew point temperature value from a plurality of inputs received from a sensor array. The controller is further configured to set a condensation indicator if a calculated difference between a window exterior surface temperature value input received from the sensor array and the calculated ambient dew point temperature value is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. The controller actuates the vehicle climate control system defog/defrost function and/or a window wiper system in response to the set condensation indicator.

Abstract: A method of producing ceria nanocrystals is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a cerium salt, and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the solution after the gas is provided to the first solution. A method of producing nanoparticles is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a metal salt that includes at least one of a transition metal or a lanthanide, and producing at least one of metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxynitrate nanoparticles, or metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles from the solution after the gas is provided to the solution.

Abstract: A method for generating electrical power comprising operating variable frequency generators using a common prime mover and controlling the variable frequency generators using a mechanical phase difference as follows: M ? ? P ? ? D = 360 G ? ? ? ? ? p wherein MPD is the mechanical phase difference in degrees between rotors between a pair of variable frequency generators, G is a number of variable frequency generators, ? is a number of electrical phases in a variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators, and p is a number of pole pairs in the variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators, wherein the variable frequency generators are controlled such that each variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators has a selected mechanical phase difference from another variable frequency generator in the variable frequency generators that is an integer multiple of the mechanical phase difference that is less than 360 degrees.

Abstract: An apparatus, computer program, and method are provided for displaying a configuration of a communications network as an overlay on another configuration. A network model is stored that represents a first configuration of a communications network. Further, one or more changes to the first configuration are identified that represent a second configuration of the communications network. The second configuration of the communications network is displayed as an overlay on the first configuration of the communications network to show the one or more changes in connection with the first configuration.

Abstract: An air/oil separator for a gas turbine engine includes a drive shaft having a central axis extending in an axial direction, a free vortex chamber mounted radially around the drive shaft, a separation chamber coupled with the free vortex chamber in the axial direction opposite to the drive shaft, and a rotatable outlet shaft radially rotatable and having an inlet end coupled with the separation chamber opposite to the free vortex chamber, an outlet end, and a hollow interior chamber therebetween. The hollow interior chamber has an inner circumference extending in the axial direction a cylindrical air guide extending coaxially therein. The cylindrical air guide has a nonporous cylindrical main body, an upstream end fixedly coupled with the inlet end of the rotatable outlet shaft, and a downstream end coaxially disposed within the outlet end of the rotatable outlet shaft.